[Fighters Pit] Steel on steel. (Razkar)

by **Ximal** on June 23rd, 2013, 2:44 am

The distance was failing and Xi was almost out of energy...As he fell backwards Xi felt like he was falling, and some how Raz had gotten his gladius free from his gauntlet. Xi Then spotted raz moving his head to slam into his jaw from the right hand side. Xi took the blow on the corner of his jaw. As he snapped his head into Xi's jaw Raz begun to bring his gladius to Xi's arm. Xi released his arm and then let himself fall backwards and away from Raz blocking the blade with the steel of his gauntlet. Xi impacted the sand hard, and rolled backwards over his head. Before landing in a crouched position. Xi's breathing was now ragged and heavy, his energy was reaching it's last reserves. Xi still had his hands up but this was his last push...Xi rose from his crouched position, and let his body show it's wear in a greater degree. Xi began to sway from side to side his arms by his sides...His breathing heavy but his eyes still sharp.

by **Razkar** on June 23rd, 2013, 6:53 am

Razkar knew Ximal was fast, but he was fast realizing the human was agile, too. He didn't just fall onto his back and let the impact jar him; no, he rolled backwards, using his momentum to plant his feet back to the sand, hands snapping upwards on guard-

-but Razkar was already moving, face contorted in savage determination, and with a few more tricks to play on the big human.

As he charged forwards his left sandal kicked up a cloud of sand towards the human, thousands of stinging particles slapping into the human's torso and face as he was still crouched, before he got fully to his feet. Some of the watchers murmured their shock and disapproval, but Razkar barely even noticed them.

The only unfair fight is the one you lose.

Capitalizing on the momentary confusion, knowing Ximal would adapt quickly, the Myrian slashed through the brief cloud with his right gladius, a horizontal blow aimed at Ximal's left kidney-

-only to pull it back before it hit, or be blocked, and thrusting at his kidney instead, from the front, not the side-

-left gladius sweeping down in a vertical arc down at the human's head-

-before jerking it down, diagonally, hammering down at his right gauntlet, knocking it to Ximal's side, opening his chest and torso-

-wild cry ripping from his raw throat as he kicked out heavily with his wounded left leg, aiming his sandal straight into the human's stomach. His second wind was already fading, blood trickling down his face, his leg, his ribs mashed and his arms tiring, muscles fading.

But not yet. Not in that everlasting moment, the last chime... no, the last moments that he knew both of them had left.

Razkar's snarl of fury twisted into one of savage joy, and his very soul exalted as his cry became a howl of blood-maddened piety.

"FOR MYRI!"

by **Ximal** on June 23rd, 2013, 7:50 am

Turns out just as Xi thought, honour was going out the window. The thought passed through Xi's head as Raz kicked a plume of sand up into the air aiming at Xi's face as he rose. Xi closed his eyes and stood up through it snapping up and opening his eyes outside of the sand cloud. The slash through the sand coming too fast for Xi to fully register. By the time it registered Raz had already shifted to trying to stab him instead of trying to cut him. Xi shifted his body to the right, letting the thrust slide past his stomach. The left gladius came down at his head and Xi rose his arm to block the attack. The steel taking a strong blow, his arm flew aside from his body instead of absorbing the blow. Raz's attack was in fact a deflection. Rax then kicked out and Xi took a strong boot to his stomach half doubling over Xi then took a half step backwards...Winding him Xi made two gasps for breath and then heard Raz scream "for myri" Xi coughed lightly and then took another breath and held it before shifting his feet into a solidly grounded stance...

Xi then flashed Raz a glare of " it ain't over yet." Xi smirked and brought his still close left arm up like a strike of lightning from beneath aiming at Razkar's jaw. Hidden in Raz's blind spot, Xi flashed his teeth now looking more beast than man. If Raz managed to dodge then Xi was finished this was his last gambit. If this hit though Raz was going flying. If not...Xi was going backwards and out for the count.

by **Razkar** on June 23rd, 2013, 6:09 pm

Razkar let a low growl escape his lips as his sandal smacked flush against the human's hard stomach, smashing him backwards... but only a step. Even in that small moment of victory, he marveled at Ximal's endurance.

But it was a victory, the human doubling over briefly and stepped back, eyes wild and glaring as he fixed the Myrian in their path. Every ounce of Razkar screamed out to take advantage of his crouching form, to end it, to...

Pause. And that was what he did.

Razkar knew that look of old, though it was not in a human. Wounded tigers were often the most dangerous - Razkar would know, since he'd killed one - and that was what Ximal was right now. Wounded but all the more lethal for it, and rushing in quickly now-

-would blind him to what the human had left in his arsenal-

-such as the vicious uppercut that smashed upwards vertically from his left gauntlet.

Not over yet, human. But it's coming.

Razkar had been trained since he could walk not to let an enemy's weapons out of your sight, even when close to victory. Mainly because that was the time one could be so easily defeated: when you though you'd already won. He slid to his right, Ximal's left, leaning back slightly to further distance himself from the rocketing left-

-coming up on Ximal's side-

-the flat of his right gladius swinging at the side of Ximal's head as he slid past him-

-left gladius jerking upward vertically to block the left gauntlet, just in case the human decided to try one of his clever redirections and hammer a backhand towards Razkar's head.

The Myrian grunted in pain, real, undiluted pain as his legs swept past the human, left leg already going numb to the point he'd be hobbling soon. As soon as his right blade struck the side of Ximal's head he'd pull it back-

-and give him a final blow on the back of his head, hopefully using the human's momentum from his punch to send him sprawling forward and end this.

A wheeze escaped the Myrians mouth. A laugh? A rattle of pain? It could have been both. His mind was a swimming mess of pain and pleasure at the blows he'd sustained and the dauntless challenge he'd encountered that day.

The crowd roared one final time above them, the Wrath and the Fists clashing one last time.

by **Ximal** on June 24th, 2013, 1:38 am

Xi exhaled...He was spent he'd let all of his energy go...His tank was empty and now he was running on nothing but fumes...The upper cut missed, and Raz's blades were closing in on him. No victory without sacrifice? A good mantra...Xi smirked as he lifted his arms for the last time. Blocking the strike at his head, As he did that Xxi began to fall backwards knowing that he couldn't fight any longer, the feeling of sinking to the ground began to wash over him. The blade strike aimed at the back of his head flew through nothing but air. Raz wheezed, was it a wheeze of pain or aq final crack to show that a battle was over. Xi smiled...Knowing that there was still someone better than him in some means...Someone he had to best. Perhaps he could have bested him had it been real combat? Perhaps he could have cone to his limit and stepped over it ? No he'd said he'd fight within the confines of his own physical prowess...His magic...Was for use against mages and monsters only. As Xi's back hit the sands He smirked and laughed, before saying in a respecting and knowing tone..."Looks like were even here...One each...Looks like i've some work to do before i challenge you again." Xi laughed loudly and stayed almost perfectly still all his energy spent. Raz had won...And Xi...Was oddly happy.

by **Razkar** on June 24th, 2013, 3:11 am

Metal clanged on metal and now Razkar grunted, feeling his bones rattle under his bruised skin and just as a flash of disbelieving panic took him Ximal toppled back... and back... and-

-his second gladius sailed over his head, momentum keeping him going, twisting the Myrian's body.

Goddess, he was so tired. All the weariness he'd kept at bay assaulted him in one ragged burst and he fell down to one knee, shaking blades leveled at-

-the figure that was now lying on his back, breathing heavy and as spent as him. Moreso, apparently.

"Looks like were even here...One each...Looks like i've some work to do before i challenge you again."

For a few moments Razkar just glared at him, half expecting the human to jump back up like some infernal golem. His hands trembled, his lips drew back... and then his gladii dropped slowly... Razkar knew he'd won his victory... and as his gnosis shudder one more time and went silent, he fell back against the sand as well.

"You... You..." He muttered and mumbled as he sucked down lungfuls of air, body agonized and numb in equal measure. "You..."

A word flashed through Razkar's head. Something he'd heard in taverns and among the rougher examples of his kind. He thought it sounded familiar and once he knew its meaning, he realized it was the best word to use. He grinned at the sky like a drunk and chuckled-choked.

"... wanker..."

Myrian and human, lying on the sand of the Pit laughing and giggling like naughty schoolboys who'd warred on their tiny battlefield and were now so buzzed at being alive all but humor had left them. Razkar rolled his head to face Ximal and pointed at him one with his gladius. Only once, because he could barely manage to lift it.

"We have... one more... to make decision..."

He laughed again and it became a groan, lungs and ribs shouting the error of his ways.

"But... not today... I think..."

OOCWow. Really made me work for that, mate. Bloody good stuff!

by **Ximal** on June 24th, 2013, 3:33 am

Xi smirked and stared up at the sky pretty much unable to move, but somewhat content. When he heard Raz speak he laughed along side. "Yeah i know." Xi smiled happily, contently and some what...Respectably, the first time he'd lost to a greater opponent with a sense of honour...Xi coughed lightly midway through his laughing half unsure of what to do and then Raz spoke almost making his decision for him. Xi lifted his head with all the strength he had left. "We have one more day that's true...But...I think the pair of us see that it'll be the same as the day before and today...We both need to get stronger before we challenge each other again. A hard won victory, means a much harder won training. I'll try to seek out people who can match you...Though i doubt I'll find many. If any...Razkar of the shorn skulls...I wont forget that name." Xi took a deep slow breath and smirked. Before letting his head drop back to the sands. Run down, worn out and thoroughly petching knackered. "Looks like I've a mountain to climb...The first one for a while...But for now...I think I'll have a nap." Xi smirked and closed his eyes.

OOCI could say the same to you for the last thread as well as this one...We seriously need to get stronger and do this again

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