"My this place sure is something.."
These were the words Sethran spoke as he entered the indoor arena of the Academy of Arms. This place interested him very much so. He figured that here, he'd find Imythess' strongest. Assuming he did, then after a training fight with them, Sethran would know roughly whether or not his home continent was any match for them. Sure, the young man doubted the two lands would wage war on each other, but it was always nice to know...just in case.

In front of him, he could see men and women alike clashing with their weapons. Some used swords, some used axes. There were weilders of daggers and polearms, while soem people even fought bare-handed. There was definatly a range of different styles known here. Sethran began to look around for anyone that was free.

Ace was feelling fairly out of place at this academy, paticularly with all the time he spent at the Academy of Magic. His magical prowess was notable, but the his skills with weaponry weren't quite anywhere near that level. It had been a while since Ace had used his blade, but he did recognize the fact that there would be some foes against which his magic would not be useful, paticularly when it was possible to sway the spells he could actually cast by shifting his elemental alignment.

Ace regreted forcing himself to come to the Academy of arms as he entered the indoor arena and noticed the bustling activity in the place. He wondered at what he really attended to acheive here, but more so if he could keep himself from impulsively using magic in a duel. That of course was if he could get any duel at all. It seemed that all were busy either talking or sparring...... all except one brown-haired man. Ace streched out his emerald wings before heading out towards Sethran.

"Hello, I'm Master Ace, Magister at the Academy of Magic and Archmage Training Master," Ace said mostly by impulse. He was quite accustomed to introducing himself as such and did so now, even though he knew most here would probably laugh at such a title being brought into the Academy of Arms.

There only seemed to be one free opponent, and that opponenet walked over to Sethran. He was surprised he hadn't noticed the man already, since he had emeraled wings of a sort. It was quite interesting, since the man still seemed human, and not drakomme.

Even weirder, though was his introduction.
"Hello, I'm Master Ace, Magister at the Academy of Magic and Archmage Training Master,"
Even though Sethran wasn't native to Imythess, he could still understand that this man didn't prioritize physical might. Of course, it would only make the fight more interesting.
"Pleased to meet you." Sethran said, extending his hand, "Just call me Sethran."

"It is a pleasure to meet you as well, Sethran," Ace smiled as he shook the man's hand. After shaking the man's hand, Ace's hand went to the blade of order at his side. "I might be a little rusty so I can understand if you don't want to spar," Ace said as he drew his blade. It had been well too long since it's last use, though there were no signs of it. Magical weaponry didn't rust from disuse and left around for years and years while still staying in perfect condition. "How skilled a partner were you looking for?" Ace asked. Not entirely fair, but Ace could cast a spell or two to level the playing field if the warrior were looking for one with more skill and expereince in fighting. Hopefully the warrior wouldn't mind, though he assumed most people were out here for a challenge anyways. Out here to either find out how they ranked among others and/or to learn from those more skilled than themselves.

(>.< Blarg *pokes short post*)

Sethran grinned as he pulled his sword from it's sheath.
"I honestly don't care..." he answer, "Just fight.."
A silent moment passed, where nothing happened. If it wern't for the sounds and movements of the other fighters, Sethran would've sworn time had froze. His objective here was plain, and simple: Observe the talents of this man, while still managing to stay alive.

Sethran made the first move. He dashed a few steps forward before feinting a lunge attack, by purposely aiming to the side of Ace. He then withdrew his blade, jumped in the air, and gave a diagonal slash downward as he came back to the ground.

While Ace had forseen such and answer he was quite surprised with the eagerness that came with it. He expected Sethran to make the first move and it seemed for a while that Sethran had expected the opposite. In the end Sethran tired of waiting beofore Ace did. Ace watched Sethran's movements closley focusing on Sethran and ignoring the chaos about him. Ace began to ready himself to counter the lunge, but quickly noticed Sethran's feint. Ace moved to the side ducking low, and dodged the blade, wasting no time at all Ace carried the momentum of his movement into a quick spin. He intended to trip Sethran who probably wouldn't have had his feet on the ground long enough to pull an effective counter or even possibley long enough to dogde the attack. Ace readied his blade for Sethran's possible counterattack that could come as he finished turning around. If Sethran fell down, Ace would let him get back up before attacking again.

As Sethran landed on the ground, having missed his attack, he suddenly fell forwards as something tripped him...Well, more like someone, but it didn't exactly matter. He got back up, and charged again at Ace, purposely strikign against his opponenet's blade a couple of times before going in with three real strikes. One across the waist. One straight down the middle, and one diagonal uppercut. He then moved backwards a foot or two to avoid a possible counter from Ace, and then jumped over to his side, and gave a straight kick.
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"Put some effort into it, boy!" called an old voice. It belomged to Argon, a friend and comerade of Sethran's father. He had taken Sethran in after the boy's father had died upon an expediton. At the moment, the two were going through a trainign exercise. Sethran was currently 8 years old, and wielding a small sword with both hands. A moment ago, he had just tried to strike Argon with the blade, but was easily deflected.
"I'm trying!" he said, staring at the old man, slightly irritated. He then dashed forward again, and struck at Argon again, this time putting more strength and determination into it. It struck true, and Argon grinned, despite the fact that he now a gash across his arm.
"There we go.." he said, healing the wound, "That's how you strike an opponent. If you aren't determined to strike down your opponent, then you will be doomed to missing throughout every battle you fight. Got that?"
"Yeah.." Sethran said.
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"Just like Argon said..." Sethran thought, in the present, "I need determination."

Ace turned around to see Sethran climbing back to his feet, he could have really put some pressure on the warrior in those few moments, yet Ace did not. He didn't need the warrior to get an illusion of Ace's skills being much better that what he said they were. When Sethran got back up he wasted no time in returning to his offensive. The first few attacks were easily blocked, but the three slices afterwards came in rapid succession. Ace almost even failed to block the last one.

As Sethran backed away, Ace advanced guessing now was as good a time as ever to make his own offensive. The didn't entirely seemed to be the case with Sethran's untimely kick foward. Ace was already in the middle of his attack and it was indeed harder to react to another attack while still carrying out your own. It seemed as though ace would catch Sethran's shoulder with his blade and then be struck by Sethran's kick and likely knocked back and/or down in the process.

"Augh!" Sethran gasped. He had ignored the fact that Ace was coming at him whil ehe went for hsi own attack, and nwo payed for it. Sure, Sethran's attack had been succesful, but so had Ace's. Upon the warrior's shoulder, there was a nice bloody gash.
"Hmm..." he said, takign a good look at the newly formed wound, "Not bad....But I must admit, I was expecting something else....No matter, though."
He then ran forward, and attempted a few more attacks with hsi sword before sidestepping behidn his opponent, and proceeding to slash fiercely across the back.

(Argh..Short post)

Ace had indeed managed to get a good cut on Sethran, though in return Ace got a nasty just below his chest. The force of the blow knock Ace backward and would have knocked him over entirely if he hadn't used his wings to balance himself as he was forced to take several steps back. "Something Else? Did you expect to catch me off gaurd of me to give you a full fledged counter," Ace asked after regaining his own bearings. He would have asked Sethran if he wanted the cut healed before continuing, but it wasn't too big and the warrior didn't not seem to care too much about it.

Ace had only a little bit of time since regaining his bearing to ready himself for Sethran's charge and he managed to miss the first strike which cut through Ace's shirt, made a thin cut across his skin, and barely missed striking his wings as well. It was small enought that, he managed to kept himself from voicing his pain. Ace blocked the rest of Sethran's attacks, and mimiced Sethran's side step, preventing the warrior from getting at his rather vulnerable backside. Ace manaded to miss one of these blows as well and it slashed the otherside of his shirt, missed his skin beneath, but gave a small cut on his wings. That one hurt a bit more. "Gah!" Ace explaimed as he tried not to think of the pain. Almost dierctly after the end of Sethran's flurry of blows Ace swept foward with his blade, going low and leaning to the side to avoid any futher attacks that were stringed into the flurry of slashes.

Ace had some skill with the sword, but Sethran was wondering if this was all he possesed. Sure, the man could hold his own in battle, but most o fthe peopel he saw training here could pull off more complicated moves than Ace...Somethign was odd.

Sethran's flurry had managed a strike or two, but nothing major was done. Then, Ace went for a low hit with his blade. Sethran barely managed to block it off with his own weapon.
"Damn.." he muttered, beginnign to slouch, and breathe a little heavier. While Sethran wasn't injured, he was getting physically exhausted. Like any average being, he could only fight if he had the stamina for it. The flurries and blocks had drained that significantly. The young warrior reflected on thsi and wasn't proud of himself. Back durign his training, he had been told numerous times to conserve his energy, and only go all out when he was near the verge of defeat, or if he was gauranteed a hit. Neither of those situations arose throughout the course of this match. He would need to remind himself next time.

In any case, the warrior wasn't ready to back down quite yet. He gave a quick spinnign slash, and followed up with a forward lunge. How Ace would react was unknown.

After having his attakced blocked, Ace saw tale-tale signs of weariness in the warrior. Ace was sure not that much time had passed, though he had been quite forced into the defensive for most of the spar. Ace was sure that magic and arms were two seperate things, but in a fight there was one simple corralation that he was sure should exist. One did not cast their most powerful spells at the beginning of fight, simmilalry it was not wise to put some much energy in trying to get a quick end to a fight, paticaulalry when that fight was a spar. While Ace was surprised, he figured that he shouldn't be quite as surprised as he was. His first impression of Sethran was that the warrior was a good bit eager, maybe even overeager. Still, Ace could say he was one to teach swordplay or tactics there in. His place was in teaching magic. Prehaps the saying no strain no gain did apply to at least practice in fighting.

Ace leaned back and out of the way of the spin attack, but was caught of gaurd by Sethran's quick recovery and transition into an lunge. Dodging wasn't much of an option with his present stance. Ace pushed aside the urge to fix his situation with magic and placed the flat of his blade against his opposing hand. He then trust his blade into the air and against Sethran's. He angled the block so that he did not contest with all of Sethran's weight as well as his strength. Hopefully it'd be enough to knock Sethran's blade from his hands, but not likely to happen. Any weakness he showed before didn't seem present in his attacks. More importantly was concentrating on not crumbling before the force of Sethran's lunge. Did Ace really have that much strength despite the smart angling?

Sethran hadn't expected his attacks to be perfect. Ace managed to dodge the first, while blocking the second. Well, it was more of a deflection than a block. The angle of ace's blade forced Sethran's off it's course. The warrior didn't let this stop him, though. He gave an agled uppercut, and then another lunge. While he lunged forward, he etended his arm to grab Ace by his shirt, at which point he'd attempt to toss the man to the ground.

"Let the goddess of luck give me aid." he thought.

After successfully deflecting the warrior's attack, Ace brought his hands down and readied himself for the next attack. Ace wasn't, however, quite ready for what happened next. Paying too much attention to Sethran's sword arm in could not block Sethran fist in time as Sethran went trhough with his uppercut. That made it alll the more easier for Setheran to grab hold of Ace's shirt and push Ace down. Ace, however; never hit feel against the ground from the attack and instead dissappeared in a soft snap from a spell he instictively casted. Ace grumbled as he appeared behind Sethran, annoyed that he had used magic when he was trying much not to do so. Ace decided not to take advantage of the accidently casted spell and merely readied himself to make a counter to Sethran's next attack.

Just as Sethran was going to let go of Ace's body, it disappeared! He could only guess it was magic. He prepared for an ambush, but it didn't come. He noticed somethign in the very corner of hsi eye, and turned around to see Ace re-appear. He hadn't made any motion to attack. Instead, he looked like he was more on teh defensive. Of course, Sethran would be a fool not to take advantage of this.

He swung his sword directly towards Ace's torso, fairly certain that the move would be blocked. This would distract Ace while Sethran moved in forward, and used hsi legs to trip him. He then held his sword edge up to Ace's neck, and said, "Give up yet, mage?"

Ace was glad the warrior didn't lecture him a bout cheating or even mention the event at all. Ace hadn't moved to block the attck instead he dodge the strike with and upward leap, bringing his legs up as he jumped and moving his tail out of the way. He extended his legs as came down towards Sethran who was already moving in for his next action. Hoping to kick out at Sethran and knock him down. Sethran apparently hadn't been expecting Ace to try and evade the attack. Ace couldn't what Sethran was planning, but the warrior seemed pretty confident about it. If he knocked Sethran down he'd rush Sethran as soon as the warrior got with a diagonaly strike of his blade, else Ace would ready himself for Sehtran's counter which would swiftly follow.

Sethran's eyes widened as Ace evaded hsi initial attack. This screwed up everything else. Sethran payed for his narrow-minded thinking with a mid-air kick from Ace, launching backwards, and to the ground.
"Dammit!" he said through his teeth, getting up quickly, and just managing to block Ace's strike with his own blade. He then gave two diagonal strikes, and followed up with a swift kick to the one common weak point amongst all men. Sure, it was a dirty move, but considering Ace had used magic in a training ground for arms...Well, that seemed to justify it a bit in his head.

Ace had succeded in knocking Sethran, back, but when Ace went to attack, the warrior was quite more than readied to block and throw a few slashes of his own.
Ace began to pivot to the side to make his own counter, but changed his plan of attack when he noticed Sehtran's underhanded attack. If he hadn't been already been moving out of the way for his own attack he'd be in very nasaty postion. Instead driving at Sethran by leaning into a horizontal attack as he had planned,he held his over Sethran's rising foot. He made sure that it was far enough from Sethran's leg such that he would cut Sethran, but close enough that he proved his point. "That dirty little trick might have cost you your foot. Prehaps we should keep such underhanded tactics out of a spar?" Ace stated as before switly moving into the attack he had planned before. He would caught Sethran quite off guard if he hadn't decided to make his point, and now Sethran had a better chance defending himself, though he still wouldn't have full balance until the warrior brought his leg back on the ground. Ace leaned foward as he swept his blade foward with what might he had.

Sethran's dirty trick failed. It was a pity too, seeing as it would've ended this sparring match...Oh well.

Anyways, the warrior leaned forward as he set hsi kickign foot back to the ground. He held his sword diagonally in a blockign gesture. With the force of his body coming down behind the blade, it would create a pushback force upon Ace's blade, giving Sethran a second or two to take advantage of.

After blocking Ace's move, the warrior slashed his blade forward, in an attempt to cut his oppponent's chest. He then followed up with a quick uppercut with the sword, and then a hard punch towards Ace's nose.

The fact that there was no response from the warrior concerning the nasty tactic, disturbed him more than fact that the warrior had turned the tables and put Ace at a disadvantage with a proper block. Ace barely brought his blade over in time to block Sethran's counter attack. Ace had more ease in bringing his blade down on Sethran's and effectively blocking Sethran's uppercut. From here Ace saw Sethran's free hand move foward towards him. Both of Ace's hands held his blade and he wouldn't be able to block the blow in time by mundane means. Ace rapidly wove a spell, only this time it was intentional. Ace finished his hastily whispered words in time for Sethran's fist to meet a barrier a few inches from Ace's nose. The barrier vibrated softly after being struck, mildly bluring the translucent veiw of Ace and emmiting a soft low hum. "I was hoping to practice swordsmanship, not get a lesson on messy brawls. I'd rather not get my nose bloodied up by a fist from a spar with swords, and likewise I'm not one to see why you would think to make a low blow in a spar as well," Ace said, voicing his frustration as he stepped back from Sethran. He didn't let down the barrier that surrounded him, but once it stoped vibratinging it became invisble and silent once again.

"Can we have a spar without low blows, or attacks against faces, And focus more on swordplay?" Ace asked as he regretted coming out here. It was a pitty Kore had left. He was a fine weapons master, he wouldn't have to suffer through this mess with him and he didn't in the few times Ace had happened to spar with him. The necromancer was likely somewhere out still searching for his elusive past.

Sethran's fist struck somethign other than bone. A magical barrir had been produced by Ace, who now began to request a match without any physical brawling. Personally, Sethran liek dtraingin under more real conditions...it would only make one that more prepared for the outside world. Regardless, sethran decided he may as well play along.
"Fine..." he said, giving a small bow, "If you wish..But if I'm going to stop my tactics, then in all fairness, avoid your spells...As I do recall, thsi is a place for physical, not mental trainging."

The warrior then grinned up at Ace. Sure, he was tired out, but he really hated backing out of anything. It was like a sign of weakness, sort of.
Then, nothing happened. Sethran stayed put, waiting for Ace to make the first move. He extended his left arm out and made a gesture that said, "Come on.."