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Crap, he's good...

Acting instinctively Sai reached out with his left hand again and called out, "Ventas!" This was a spell that his mentor, the Sage from his own home village had fervently instilled in him. He was very much of the opinion that this particular spell could be made to meet many situations, and he was right.

As soon as Sai called out his spell a strong gust of focused air flew across the courtyard and intercepted the quills, pushing them harmlessly off to one side and away from Stratus.

Stratus, meanwhile, had never even flinched. He had felt confident that Sai would meet this threat handily and had continued the act of slashing at his opponent.

Seeing the quills coming Stratus jumped backward and flapped his heavy stone wings to push himself even further back. This gave Sai the extra half second he needed to think of an efficient counter to this vicious attack.

"Permoveo Tractus!" Sai called out and felt a very significant amount of energy drain into the spell. It was not an easy one to cast, and not one that he would be able to repeat anytime soon.

Almost the exact moment that he finished reciting the spell Stratus vanished and instantly reappeared behind Quin. He was in the exact same posture and position that he had been in, just in a different place.

Sai thought to Stratus.

Stratus replied and then lunged forward, which was now toward the back of his opponent.





Stratus whipped his own tail around and took hold of one of the longer feathers that grew there. He plucked the rock hard feather from his tail and lunged forward toward the back of his opponent and stabbed down at him with the sharp tip where it had formerly been connected to his his own tail.

Going offensive on us now are they? At least he's out of spells. I think I know just how to finish this too...

Sai acted quickly and called out, "Erigo tenax radix!" A tangled knot of thick brown-green roots suddenly burst out of the cobbled ground and whipped up through the air to catch Quin in midair. They wrapped around his heavily quilled body and then stopped, holding him suspended in the air.

Stratus said.



"Iacio Levitas!" Sai called out and extended his spell out through his hand, across the courtyard, and into Stratus. Suddenly Stratus' eyes ceased to be gold and began glowing a bright electric blue.

Stratus said.

Sai said back.

Stratus leapt back a dozen feet or so and, casting the stone feather in his talons aside, dropped to all fours again. He opened his jaws wide and with a mighty roar emitted a blazing blue lightning bolt from deep in his throat toward Quin and his super conductive iron quills.

"Thank you, Sage John. And may I say that were in excellent form as well." Sai said. He then turned to Stratus and said, "Infitialis Alica." Stratus' eyes ceased glowing and returned to their former golden color, likewise his plumage softened back into actual feathers and retook their previous rust red hue.

Sai said.

Stratus replied.



((I'll be controlling Sage John now for the duration of Azure's battle, all posts that I make as Sage John will be posted in Dark Red so that they will be more easily distinguished from posts as Sai.))

"So, Kin, I think you said your name was. Are you ready for your battle now?" Sage John asked.

((Also, I posted a couple of little notes about binding and spellcasting at the bottom of the Story. The word "Note" is in red so they should be easy enough to spot.))

"Unless you have a request I would say Traditional. That, however, puts me at a bit of an advantage don't you think? I'll leave it up to you." Sage John said.

Sai thought to Stratus, or maybe just to himself, but Stratus heard it anyways.

Stratus thought back.

"Very well. As I'm sure you already know, there is no spell limit in Intruder Combat so we will both be able to cast freely. And this," Sage John said and, holding out his right hand, released his second Creature from a dark green-black stone set in a ring on his finger. "Will be your opponent."

The creature was the same dark green-black as the stone it came from. Overall its appearance was similar to that of a frog. It had the same build, the texture of its skin was more similar to that of a toad, though also similar to that of gravel. It had bulbous green-gold eyes. Its feet and toes were wide and padded. Its underbelly was a dark poisonous purple color and when it opened its mouth to emit a low bass rumbling croak it revealed white pointed and serrated teeth.

"This is Gron." Sage John said. "Shall we begin?"

Quick to take action...

Sai said.

Stratus concurred.

Sage John raised his staff and said, "Incohare Ferrum." His staff immediately turned from wood to Iron and he used it to intercept Kins claws.

John said.

Gron replied.



"Estus Os" Sage John said while still keeping his staff thrust out to protect himself with. Gron was suddenly able to see things only in shades of red and he could see the snake slithering along below the ground.

Combining spells, not bad...





Gron said.



Sage John raised his staff and said, "Partum Turbo!" A whirlwind suddenly rose up from the around him and spread outward. Hopefully it would force the fire to dissipate and hurl Kin away from him at the same time.