Deep in the woods, Ephraim's blade cut through monster after monster without remorse.  Breathing heavily as they drew back, he glared defiantly, taking their moment of cowardice as a quick respite.  Then the next monster came at him and he stabbed with a wild war cry.  Sliding his sword out of the now-dead monster, he whirled to block the next attack, then decapitated the attacker.  Momentarily freeing one hand from his weapon, he wiped a trickle of blood off his forehead with his sleeve before it could reach his eye.  Good of a warrior as he was, he wasn't perfect, and some monsters had gotten in a few lucky blows.  A grim smile lit his face.  [i]This[/i] was his element.