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Standing at the very edge of the pit, Zeke took one long, resigned look at the mud before shrugging out of his jacket, then his shirt, then folding both together to lay them on a relatively clean patch of ground. Having seen what Melvin had looked like after his match, Zeke knew he had no hope of making it out of the ring clean, so at this point it was about minimizing damage.

Now in just jeans and his boots, he returned to the edge of the ring to duck under the rope, summoning Lagertha as he straightened on the other side. His boots already making little squelches in the wet grass.

"I was expecting to see you at the top," he mused allowed, lifting pale eyes to the blonde across from him, a little smirk playing at the corners of his lips. "Not battling it out down here for third."

There were bruises all up and down the redheads chest and arms from Jordan's hammer. Dark, as if they were already days old, instead of just an hour or so. They'd continue to fade through the rest of the day and into tomorrow, but for now they stood out in contrast to tanned skin.

"I did, but my point still stands. You're deceptively stronger than you appear." Which was really all the warning that was needed.

Zeke rushed forward through the clinging mud, and found it a hell of a lot harder to move in than he'd been expecting. It slowed him down, brought his swing up a little short so the blade of the ax was doing little more than grazing across Ever's shield at his stomach.

HP: 60
DMG: 4

Hard, but messy. Zeke managed to get a hand around Ever's wrist, drawing it back and away, though the damage had already been won. "The chick running the show, I'd assume."

It was terrible. Slippery and sticky all at the same time. Zeke brought his ax up along his shoulder, finally letting Ever go again, but then seemed to over balance and stumble. "s**t. This is ridiculous."

HP: 54
DMG: -

Melvin saw that Ever and Zeke got the short end of the stick to get the worst sparring area he had already got for his first round in the tournament. The puddle of muckle didn't look any less dry and Melvin moved to sit in a rock further off that was cleared off and dry, beside the clothes the pair set aside.

No one had managed a really strong hit and were slipping about trying to keep upright.

"He probably heard you took off your shirt." As he said it, Ever dragged a look down Zeke's chest, like he was considering -- and then, while Zeke was looking aside to Melvin, slammed into him hard, trying to knock his feet out from under him and drive him into the mud.

There was a grin on his face as he did it.

HP: 47/60
DMG: 17

Ever made a strangled sound and, even as Zeke gained the upper hand for a moment, did a quick duck and roll -- sliding out from under Zeke's and ending up with a healthy dose of mud down the back of his pants as he shoved Zeke back down into the ground with the sheath of his weapon.

And then jabbed him again, for good measure, getting to his feet.

"Nice try." Except that if Zeke's goal had been to leave Ever covered in mud, splattered across one side of his face, with his shirt hiked up and stuck to one side, he had fully succeeded.

HP: 40/60
DMG: 12

Ever swiped mud from his side while he dodged Zeke, flicked it down at him -- still grinning, looking bright and pleased with himself.

"If you stay down and call uncle I'll definitely lay off." As he said it, he poked at Zeke again. But more gently, this time.

HP: 40/60
DMG: 3