OOC: Well, if no one else will take control of the fight, I will. And
Raistlin developped an interesting concept I like.

IC:

Malakhi was swift to step in where Kalesh had been. Leaping
forward to meet the movements of the assassin, he attempted to lock
the slig in a strength contest, for he knew he would win that way. The
assassin knew better than this, slipping and evading the warrior's
lures and, using only the cheapest of techniques, slung his leg behind
Malakhi's and brought him down to his knees for a swift ending strike
in the gullet. The warrior's eyes widened as the blade came up and
began to drop.
Before the assassin knew it, his blade was driven into the
wooden floor. With an unnatural swiftness, Xan's foot pushed it just
far enough to miss Malakhi. Like the stomp of an elephant, the
stranger's leg seperated the weakened warrior from the assassin. Xan's
heartless eyes stared into the reflective killer's. For a second, both
stood frozen. The challenge was laid.
Xan composed himself in the techniques of his homeland, with a
solid leg position and hands open. The slig slung back into a crouched
readiness. "I will not allow you to touch him again," Xan stated
quietly. "On the essence that runs through me, I vow your failure."
"Then you sssurrenderss it!" the slig assassin hissed as he
lept forward. His blade came up with deadly accuracy, a true threat to
Xan's unarmored body.
Already, Xan knew the slig's every move. He had seen the style,
studied his choices and his attacks so far. The rest was predictable
to a student of war as he had been. He had chosen how to handle him
after Malakhi had been swiped in the leg. Like the grace of the swan,
Xan fluidly moved to the side and, as the slig began to redirect
himself, Xan's open hands pulled him through on his original attack.
The slig stumbled into the opposite wall. He wouldn't make the same
mistake twice. Xan knew what to do next.
Slowly, the slig began to approach. Xan began to match those
movements, watching every twitch of the assassin. A lizard leg began
to lift up in a kick, but Xan matched it and, with his shin, knocked
the offending limb back into place. A look of surprise flashed across
the beastly face. He swung his dagger arm. Xan again returned it by
equalling out the force. They were learning each other.
The slig grinned and backed off. "You are good, ssstranger..."
Seeing Xan resume a defensive pose, he gripped his dagger tighter.
"...but you will diess!" Instead of leaping, his dagger flew from his
hand. There was no time for the shadow mage to react. Instantly, the
knife embedded itself into the muscular side of him, throwing him back
a step.
Malakhi was on him then. The sight of Xan being cheated upon
like that inspired an anger in his heart. Whipping his sword up with a
vengeance, he began to drive the slig away from Kalesh, who had been
struggling to get up from the head trauma.
Xan groaned slightly, holding the handle of the assassin's
blade lightly. Blood was streaming down his bare torso. Xan pushed
himself off of the wall. His face tightened. His fists clenched.
Malakhi was struggling to keep the trained killer busy and Kalesh was
making his way up. As if it was nothing, Xan tore the blade out. A
stream of blood bubbled from his wound. The blade was coated crimson.
As the color of his eyes disappeared, he tossed the offending junk of
metal aside. The swirling tattoos that graced his bodies fluttered
with light. His muscles bulged and twitched. Kalesh looked up just
long enough to see that his friend was gone.
Malakhi shoved the slig away just long enough for it to launch
back towards him, but he never made it. Xan snatched his leg out of
the air and yanked it violently back. Gravity brought the murderer to
the ground instantly. The other leg came up to attack Xan as he had
let go of the other, but the monk caught that one as well; but Xan did
not let this one go. Instead, he twisted it so that the knee cap faced
him and put all of his muscle into one stomp. His weathered foot
landed squarely on the slig's knee cap and continued straight through
it. A gut-wrenching crackling noise sounded as Xan shattered his knee
cap and sent his leg bending like none should.
The slig assassin howled in pain as the monk irreverently
dropped the leg to the pathetic man. Blood leaked down Xan's leg,
staining his pants. It seemed as if the wound itself wasn't bothering
him at all. He was only making the gaping hole worse, pushing more
blood from his system. Kalesh's eyes focused on the wound that Xan
took for him. No more...
Malakhi took advantage of the destruction Xan had caused.
Bringing up his sword to bear, it came down heavily over the assassin.
Both arms came up to stop it. Bracers made the difference of life and
death for the professional killer, but it did not stave off his death
for but moments. Kalesh had drawn his own sword and, while both of
their foe's arms were barely holding off Malakhi's own murderous
intent, drove his own glowing sword deep into the heart of the
assailant. With a primal pleasure, Kalesh twisted the blade in his
chest, feeling the spasms of the body as it died.


Malakhi rose first from the bloody scene to see their companion
in arms, Xan, kneeling. His tattoos had relaxed, as had his muscles.
Though he could not see the traveller's eyes, they too had become
normal again. One solid hand was held over the knife wound. Blood
still seeped through the cracks in his fingers. His chest rose and
fell without the calm rhythm of his peaceful disposition. Xan looked
up only to ask the question that they might expect from him. "Are you
both alright?"