The next hall that Varres traveled down was dimly lit, blue flames dancing noiselessly in sconces shaped like stylized humanoids holding out their hands in offering. Golden statues with elaborate headpieces inset with broad strips of lapis lazuli and faintly glowing blue eyes flanked the entire length of the hall, staring down imperiously down at the tiny intruder. The floor was composed of great slabs of obsidian polished to a mirror finish trimmed with foot-wide tiles of white mother-of-pearl marble, each footfall, no matter how quiet he tried to be, still echoed softly about the immense space.<br/>Scanning his head from side-to-side, wary of traps as always, he suddenly paused as one of his footfalls caused a muted ‘clunk’ to sound from nearby. A whiff like someone blowing lightly on his face occurred a fraction of a second later, accompanied by the faintest of blurs right in front of his face. Eyes widening his head jerked over to the left, where, as he stained to look, a tiny hole was visible in the base of each statue. Another clunk sounded, and Varres pitched forward in a roll, coming to a stop in a crouch, every sense straining to hear where the next attack would be coming from. All down the hall the mechanisms worked, activated by his one false misstep. Steeling his will the blood elf began to sprint, one hand swiveling furiously while the other gripped the handle of his rapier to keep it from fouling his legs.<br/><br/>Blood pounding in his ears and lungs burning with each breath the rogue watched then end of the hall approach with agonizing slowness, unable to so much as gasp as one of the golden statues at the end of the hall stepped down from its aeon-old resting place and stood in his path, massive golden hands slowing curling into fists larger than a kodo’s skull. Drawing his blade mid-stride Varres had enough breath to spare and shouted a wordless cry of defiance at the guardian as the distance shrank to nothing and one of the massive arms, with deceptive slowness, swung down to smashed the elf flat. Utilizing the combined forces of the smooth floor, his silk leggings and his forward momentum Varres dropped to his knees and slid for a good two meters, passing between the construct’s splayed legs, though his hat came toppling off as it struck the plate-like loincloth the statue possessed.<br/><br/>Still aware of the darts flying through the air the sin’dorei twisted and dodged as he regained his feet, the construct ponderously turned itself about for another strike. Noting the height of the guardian and its only apparent vulnerable spot Varres took two great strides and launched himself airborne, his right foot contacting the thick marble base of one of the less mobile statues only long enough for him to vault off and change his direction, now leaping directly towards the lumbering golem.<br/><br/>Time seemed to travel at a languid pace as Varres angled the magically-hardened tip of his adamantine rapier blade towards the construct’s right eye while like a runaway tram car the thing’s fist swung at him. Blue magical light flared outwards as the slender blade struck home, shattering the crystalline eye and burying itself deep into the inner workings of the ancient machine. Releasing his grip on the sword Varres managed to roll with the massive blow that rocked his body, the power of it never-the-less sending him sprawling backwards, his breath blasted from his lungs with a grunt as his back struck the statue’s cubic base. As spots danced before his eyes Varres watched the construct seize up and slowly tip over like a felled ironwood. The crash as it toppled thundered like the tide, the solid stone beneath him shivering from the impact. A small smile of triumph fought its way past the grimace of pain occupying the elf’s face, only to be replaced eye-blink quick by one of consternation as one of the whizzing darts finally managed to strike its mark, burying itself into his right shoulder. As ice-cold oblivion raced through his veins Varres only managed a “ …fucking figures “ before he blacked out, slumped against the empty pedestal , legs sprawled wide and chin resting against his chest.<div class="messageTextEndMarker"> </div>