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Description
Elzdrek stared at the large pile of wood in front of her with a sort of grim satisfaction. It had taken her three hours to build, and although was still smaller than the dozen or so others that doted the landscape, it was going to play a very, very important role in the death of her opponent. Heaving a sigh of satisfaction, she turned and began to climb a nearby tree, hoping to find dead branches or some other sort of brittle substance. It had been six days since her talk with Maghendan, and she was almost ready to start.

"Most Devoted Follower, is Maghendan nearby? He shouldn't be here for another three hours, but still…" Elzdrek looked for her loyal subject, and was surprised to see that it was not around. Although the hound was unable to help her in her mission, it was fairly intimidating and had warded off all but the most aggressive of creatures. Elzdrek frowned. I can't sense it's presence through the link either. This bodes poorly. Ah well, there is time for that later. For now, I must double check the tree and the river.

Elzdrek sniffed the air, locating her saliva's tangy scent and walking towards it. She had to make sure that nothing bad had happened to her tree. If something had, she might as well cut her own throat. It would probably be less painful than the alternative.

Thankfully, the tree still seemed to be in a good position, and the abandoned burrow she had found was also in perfect condition. She had about three hours until sunset. Better check the wood piles again.

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Maghendan stopped to look up at the sky. He had been tromping around this jungle for the past seven days, but aside from the first day he hadn't been able to find his opponent, let alone do any kind of lasting harm. How long would she be willing to play this game of cat and mouse? Maghendan had no doubt that he would find her eventually. It was only a matter of time. Until then, however, he still had to stomp through the jungle.

Things were starting to look up though. It hadn't rained since he had arrived, meaning that the humidity was down, which made searching the jungle much easier. In addition, some of the brush seemed to have been cleared away from this area, making traveling easier. Maghendan sighed, and looked at the sinking sun. Sunset seemed more vibrant today. It looked almost as if the jungle itself was on fire.

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Elzdrek chuckled darkly. Maghendan was in position, and shortly would be making his way to the tree. She looked at the pile of brush and dead sticks in front of her, and then to her lighter. Thankfully, she knew where to go once her plan started. She would not like to be killed by her own foolishness. Walking up to the mass of dead vegetation, Elzdrek carefully dropped her lighter onto a wad of dried ferns. By the time she had entered the old burrow, she could already smell smoke.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Maghendan was unnerved. Not long after he had stopped admiring the suns final rays, he had noticed the acidic smell. Looking towards the horizon, he could now see flames. A forest fire? How? Maghendan swore loudly.
The fire was clearing heading his way, and if he wasn't careful, he could be engulfed. His metal body would offer him some protection, but this form needed oxygen. Besides that, if the fire did get hot enough, he would grow soft, malleable, weak. Maghendan did not intend for this to happen. A while ago he had passed a river. If he could make it across, he should be safe. Besides, fire wouldn't travel that quickly. Not unless it had fuel…

Twenty minutes later, Maghendan was discovering just how wrong he could be. All around him the forest was ablaze, and his skin was beginning to turn red with the roaring heat. The fire was all around him, all landmarks such as a gnarled trees or particularly large flower were incomprehensible now. Maghendan was trying not to panic. He could still get out of this! There had to be something he could recognize.

There! Up ahead, Maghendan noticed an upturned tree, its roots reaching into the air like twisted fingers. If he remembered right, the river was just beyond it. Maghendan loped towards it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Elzdrek watched her opponent come towards her, his face betraying his uncharacteristic feelings or nervousness. Just as her tracking had shown, here he was. Elzdrek hopped down from her perch on one of the nearby trees and stared at her own. It was huge, and had taken her a day saw through with her saliva, and another to position just so. But it had all been worth it. Elzdrek walked up to the tree, and began to push. Slowly, the tree began to wave…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Maghendan was almost there. But something, some instinct that all living things seem to have, made him look up. The tree was falling slowly, but was gaining momentum quickly enough that Maghendan didn't even have time to brace himself.

There was a dull thud, and then nothing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Elzdrek didn't wait to see if he was crushed. She hadn't been able to track him any further than this, and the flames were spreading quickly. She ducked into the burrow located underneath the remains of an ancient tree. She had gone exploring yesterday, and to her glee had found that one of its many branches had flooded, turning it into a mild river.

Elzdrek sat down in the cool water. Not much to do until a judge came to fetch her. I wonder if I killed any other contestants. Probably not, they would be done with their fights by now. Sensing a familiar presence, Elzdrek turned to see her hound materialize between to rocks.

"Oh there you are. Were have you been? You have a lot to catch up on."

Description
Elzdrek stared at the large pile of wood in front of her with a sort of grim satisfaction. It had taken her three hours to build, and although was still smaller than the dozen or so others that doted the landscape, it was going to play a very, very important role in the death of her opponent. Heaving a sigh of satisfaction, she turned and began to climb a nearby tree, hoping to find dead branches or some other sort of brittle substance. It had been six days since her talk with Maghendan, and she was almost ready to start.

"Most Devoted Follower, is Maghendan nearby? He shouldn't be here for another three hours, but still…" Elzdrek looked for her loyal subject, and was surprised to see that it was not around. Although the hound was unable to help her in her mission, it was fairly intimidating and had warded off all but the most aggressive of creatures. Elzdrek frowned. I can't sense it's presence through the link either. This bodes poorly. Ah well, there is time for that later. For now, I must double check the tree and the river.

Elzdrek sniffed the air, locating her saliva's tangy scent and walking towards it. She had to make sure that nothing bad had happened to her tree. If something had, she might as well cut her own throat. It would probably be less painful than the alternative.

Thankfully, the tree still seemed to be in a good position, and the abandoned burrow she had found was also in perfect condition. She had about three hours until sunset. Better check the wood piles again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Maghendan stopped to look up at the sky. He had been tromping around this jungle for the past seven days, but aside from the first day he hadn't been able to find his opponent, let alone do any kind of lasting harm. How long would she be willing to play this game of cat and mouse? Maghendan had no doubt that he would find her eventually. It was only a matter of time. Until then, however, he still had to stomp through the jungle.

Things were starting to look up though. It hadn't rained since he had arrived, meaning that the humidity was down, which made searching the jungle much easier. In addition, some of the brush seemed to have been cleared away from this area, making traveling easier. Maghendan sighed, and looked at the sinking sun. Sunset seemed more vibrant today. It looked almost as if the jungle itself was on fire.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Elzdrek chuckled darkly. Maghendan was in position, and shortly would be making his way to the tree. She looked at the pile of brush and dead sticks in front of her, and then to her lighter. Thankfully, she knew where to go once her plan started. She would not like to be killed by her own foolishness. Walking up to the mass of dead vegetation, Elzdrek carefully dropped her lighter onto a wad of dried ferns. By the time she had entered the old burrow, she could already smell smoke.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Maghendan was unnerved. Not long after he had stopped admiring the suns final rays, he had noticed the acidic smell. Looking towards the horizon, he could now see flames. A forest fire? How? Maghendan swore loudly.
The fire was clearing heading his way, and if he wasn't careful, he could be engulfed. His metal body would offer him some protection, but this form needed oxygen. Besides that, if the fire did get hot enough, he would grow soft, malleable, weak. Maghendan did not intend for this to happen. A while ago he had passed a river. If he could make it across, he should be safe. Besides, fire wouldn't travel that quickly. Not unless it had fuel…

Twenty minutes later, Maghendan was discovering just how wrong he could be. All around him the forest was ablaze, and his skin was beginning to turn red with the roaring heat. The fire was all around him, all landmarks such as a gnarled trees or particularly large flower were incomprehensible now. Maghendan was trying not to panic. He could still get out of this! There had to be something he could recognize.

There! Up ahead, Maghendan noticed an upturned tree, its roots reaching into the air like twisted fingers. If he remembered right, the river was just beyond it. Maghendan loped towards it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Elzdrek watched her opponent come towards her, his face betraying his uncharacteristic feelings or nervousness. Just as her tracking had shown, here he was. Elzdrek hopped down from her perch on one of the nearby trees and stared at her own. It was huge, and had taken her a day saw through with her saliva, and another to position just so. But it had all been worth it. Elzdrek walked up to the tree, and began to push. Slowly, the tree began to wave…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Maghendan was almost there. But something, some instinct that all living things seem to have, made him look up. The tree was falling slowly, but was gaining momentum quickly enough that Maghendan didn't even have time to brace himself.

There was a dull thud, and then nothing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Elzdrek didn't wait to see if he was crushed. She hadn't been able to track him any further than this, and the flames were spreading quickly. She ducked into the burrow located underneath the remains of an ancient tree. She had gone exploring yesterday, and to her glee had found that one of its many branches had flooded, turning it into a mild river.

Elzdrek sat down in the cool water. Not much to do until a judge came to fetch her. I wonder if I killed any other contestants. Probably not, they would be done with their fights by now. Sensing a familiar presence, Elzdrek turned to see her hound materialize between to rocks.

"Oh there you are. Were have you been? You have a lot to catch up on."