The mage sat on the steps leading into the small arena, it's once beautiful decorations now cracked and crumbling. Who had built it, the man did not know, though he knew that almost nobody would happen upon this place by chance, out here in the wastelands. Though this day, he was here for a very specific purpose. A tournament, would be the best way of wording his reason. A few days prior, he had sent out letters of challenge to almost every adventurer he had met or heard of, promising each rewards he expected would rouse their interest enough to show up.

The challenge was simple, beat the man in one on one combat. A large notice was also added on every letter, saying that there was a time limit on the fight, a whole 9 days, at which point the man would stop fighting immediately to attend to the very engagement that had caused him to start this 'tournament' in the first place. By now, that meant exactly 7 days remained.

A sudden gust of wind forced the man to place one of his gauntlet wearing hands atop his red, feathered hat. Slowly, he stood, the leather sheath of his steel sword adorning gold engravings screeching across the rough stone steps. Dusting off the back of his tabard, he turned to head inside, fiddling with the strap of his kite shield attached to his right forearm as he passed the large wooden gates that marked the entrance of the arena, awaiting his first challenger.

The Red Mage, Hakker had made his return to the field of combat.

((I suggest someone take the challenge, he'll need the warm up ))

Sorry Hakky, I got Finals this week, and can't be on too much.

[[Damn it, does the entire world have finals this week? I can't be beaten man, SOMEONE STEP FORWARD AS CANNON FODDER!]]

(( I'd like to see Hakker own one of the nubs.

It would be quite amusing. ))

((No I have Midterms come the New Year.))

I'll take a crack at it, professor!

Woot, ~ a challenger~. iirc, Zesper is actually pretty decent an RPer too, so this should be interesting Gl you two~

[[Ah, I've heard of you from Kyzak... Apparently you're the next Joat. Not sure if that was a compliment or insult, but I guess we'll find out.]]

Hakker stepped onto the dusty ground that made up the base of the arena, slowly making his way to the center. Six days remained, and so far he had not been approached by any opponent. He assumed that the rewards he had promised had not been sufficient for any to try their luck, or perhaps the letters had never even made it.

The Red Mage looked up, tilting his head upwards to gaze at the morning sun, before his eyes ran over the stone stadium seats that surrounded him, half expecting, or hoping to find a challenger awaiting him.

A handsome young man dressed in a bizzare robe, purple cloth wrapped around, surrounding parts of a greyish robe. Very dark like, druid almost. As he walked by, he noticed another his eyes set on the morning red sun rising above the horizon to start a new day, the stone stadium was eerily empty. Nwol stepped out on to the arena, into the center. From the looks of things, this man was a red mage. Nwol maintained a human appearance. His face was visable for once. An illusion, a well disguised one. Blonde shortish yet spiked almost blonde hair with somewhat of a goatee. Instead of his usual full green eye color, he had a bright green iris. He looked at Hakker and gave a smile.

"Are you waiting for someone?" He asked him in a kind considerate voice. "It's that or your lost in thought."

Hakker smirked, glaring right at the newcomer in an attempt to discover any information from him. After all, the man didn't have an appearance matching any of the heroes he had challenged. Next to that, this arena, surrounded by wasteland, wasn't exactly something you past on a daily stroll. "I'm waiting for anyone who wishes to challenge me." He explained, adjusting his hood so that the rim covered his eyes, breaking the line of sight between the duo. "Would you care to challenge me?" He asked, a playful grin on his lips.

Nwol gave a a slight grin of s**** in response to what he said.

"Would you care to challenge me?"

He extended his arms out and steched his fingers, cracking all of them and then crossed his arms. He gave a wider grin and pointed his feet away from each other.

"Why not. I've got time to kill. Just don't expect to win." Nwol said and gave a wiced grin now. His eyes gave off an omminous green glow, only a slight one, but noticable yet.

Hakker grinned as his opponent accepted his challenge, jumping back a few paces, lest he be felled by a quick strike before the fight could even begin.

"Well then, since I am the 'defending champion'." He began with a self-mocking tone. "You may begin." He murmered, though his eyebrows twitched when he caught sight of the green glow, before he forced himself to relax, his hands resting by his sides.

"c*** now arn't we?" He said the glow maintaining it's intensity at the moment. "Don't disapoint me." He said and then began to move his arms about, a dark purple glow forming around his hands as he maintained his form yet. Normally, he would have just dropped it, but he had been practicing, it was now no burden to keep up. as he moved his hands about, it trailed, giving an odd dark meanacing look to his spell. He began to move forward as he continued with his hand movement.

"Tell me, how fimiliar are you with the dark arts?"

Hakker grinned, though his left hand flinched ever so slightly, wanting to reach for the blade that rested on his waist. "Well enough to know that it could pose a serious problem in capable hands." He replied, calmly waiting for the first strike. "I can't say I've witnessed it myself, perhaps you will show me?" He asked as he tilted his shield, blocking the view his opponent had of his hand as threads of sunlight were torn from their trajectory, weaving themselves into a compact ball, easily fitting in the palm of his hand.