[The Akeldama Colosseum]Double the fighting and fun[Ulric]

[Ssafirsotibones]

81 Summer 511 Arriving once more at the Coliseum, Bones looked around. Today seemed a bit quiet, not much going on. The city had been almost normal today... except for that one road which had led into a old ladies bathroom.... Which was occupied... He had not heard someone scream that loud in a while... Regardless, he was know at the coliseum, which it seemed was his destination. Or were the city wanted him to go... Walking up to the iron grates, he went in, seeing Shale once more, the man who ran the coliseum. He nodded to him, as Shale looked over a book full of some odd markings... Perhaps were Shale kept the logs of the combatants? "Ah! Snake Man! You are back! Ready for another fight? I just got a good shipment in today, something you should like. Though I think a pairs fight would work best... What say you?" Once more Bones was at a loss for words, as he usually was with Shale. He did not really leave much room for maneuvering, or arguing. Bones simply nodded, and agreed to what he said. "Good! Well then, go on to the next room, when the next man arrives you will go in together. You can get ready in the meantime." Walking along, he disrobed, taking off his extra gear. Stowing away his pack, he transformed into his dhani form, the tail and head of a snake, with the torso and arms of a man... Though with much greater strength than a normal human... He belted his sheath across his back, over one shoulder, and put away his gladius, the only item he kept on him, besides a small dagger hidden to the side. Besides these weapons, he was completely naked, not that it really mattered while in his dhani form. Now done, he rested, breathing in slowly... As he waited for whomever was to come next to be his partner...

[Ulric]

Important NoteDesank, the Gasvik, can't be seen or heard by ordinary people, so just pretend he doesn't exist

The ring of stones beckoned him. He did not care so much for the roar of the crowd, but the scent of blood that clung heavily to the stagnant corridors of the holding pits. He’d been waiting for this moment for so long, when he could at last fight before a crowd, masking his prowess with the cast of a brute. And if worst came to the worst, he could always cheat. Being a god incarnate had its perks. Ulric entered through the grate, his dark, smoldering eyes observing the rust that flaked the metal, and the uneven stains on the rough hewn stones. He did not falter. He knew he was the equal of any man that dared tread these sands. “Just watch,” he grunted, turning a few heads. To the ordinary gaze, he was alone as he strode down the narrow corridor, his face obscured by a shroud of writhing shadow. There were a few torches set in twisted scones, giving off an acrid smoke that made his eyes sting and water. He walked through shadow with his shadow at his side. “Ulric, weon adb oqn, now anjj neb qopwow and uadn it adba oqona xsb,” spoke his Gasvik, who had decided on wearing a broad, almost bestial face that day, with a pair of horns sprouting from just behind its tapered ears. They were nearly of a height now. Desank wasn’t near the enormity of Kavikasisa, one of Xhyvas’ chosen guardians, but he would get there. “They prefer to cheat, you know.” He growled, then spat on a plastered panel of corridor, where a badly faded and stained fresco was sloughing away in chunks. As ever, the pride of a city was never more than an ember, while neglect was as steady as the great peaks that watched over this chimeric city. “Take heed. Those men that hire others to perish in blood and sand have ceasing thinking of us as humans, and begun to look at us as meat.” Desank gave a shrug. “Uasn oadn aun crows.” “The crows must feast,” spoke Ulric, his face curling into a grin. He scratched at the patchy growth of beard on his cheeks, then went to seek out the master of the arena. They didn’t bandy words. Shale glanced at his face, said something about him being late, and pointed down the corridor. Ulric just grunted, turned his back, and left. That bastard wasn’t worth the effort. He was wearing his scaled armor, a cuirass and pauldrons of worn leather that had seen much use in their day, while for now his round shield was slung over his shoulder. He kept the bearded axe in his hand, stroking the haft with his fingers. He was ready. Ulric strode into the chamber, eyes narrowing as he saw the creature that was to be his partner for the match. “Think you can slither out there, freak?” He spoke coldly, as was his wont.

[Ssafirsotibones]

Bones rested as he waited, breathing in deeply, and expanding his senses. He heard him coming first, then tasted his scent upon the air... A human... Bones blinked his eyes, and looked as he entered the room, starting things off by making a rude comment to him... Just another human, making assumptions... Humans thinking they were so good, when in reality they were so weak... If not for there vast numbers, they would have vanished from this world long ago... But Bones would keep a civil tongue, greeting this man. Bones responded in his normal slow sibilant speech, devoid of human emotion, while making his odd smile.. Though his attempt at a smile, such a normal human expression, looked much more like a grimace... Bones just could not get it right... "Yesss, I am sssure I will make it out ssere fine... Are you ready to fight, young one?" This last bit was not really meant to be rude, as in Bones' eyes, all humans were young. And even though by human standards Ulric was older, and a full man... He stood next to Bones here who had lived well over a century... So it made sense that Bones would consider most humans to be children... Though his age did not show... Even in his human form he looked to be in his early twenties... And in his dhani form... It was impossible to tell his age at all... But know it was almost time to fight, Shale would come by directing them both into the coliseum. What would they be fighting today? Soon enough they would find out...

[Ulric]

Ulric kept moving as the snake spoke to him, striding across the dusky chamber and leaning his shield against a corner. He held a hand close to the pale green flames of a torch that guttered in its rusty metal sconce, seemingly leaving his back open for a moment. Desank made a low grunt. Ulric glanced over his shoulder, regarding the snake with dark, cunning eyes. The thing was slow to anger. That meant it wouldn’t be a hindrance in a fight. If he was lucky, it might have some prowess with that puny sword. “Not quite,” he snorted, hitching up his armor. He fumbled with his belt, then turned upon the crumbling plaster and let a stream of urine spray upon the ground. After a while, it slowed to a trickle, then a few errant drops. He turned back and jerked his head toward the corridor. “Shale wants my head, but the only token he’s going to have to remember me by is this.” He gestured at the damp stones, the faint shadow of a grin crossing his face. He jerked his head from side to side, stretched his shoulders, and took up his shield again. “Let’s do for the cunts,” he chuckled, departing the dismal room, and made for the gates. The tunnel was narrow and dank, the arch never reaching more than a foot over his head. Ulric strode toward the bright light at the end, where a metal grate led out onto the sands. The roar of the crowd surged through his ears. He felt his pulse quicken. He was consumed by thoughts of the upcoming fight. The reek of blood clung heavily to the stagnant air of the tunnel. When he came to the end, the lackey gave him a brusque look. The man was squat and hairy, clad in a dirty leather coat. Upon closer glance, an empty sleeve was fastened back across his chest. “Ready to die?” He grunted, displaying a set of cracked and absent teeth. Ulric observed that what molars remained to the man were blackened, and the reek that emanated from his mouth was nothing short of revolting. “Just let me through the petching thing, or else I might spew my guts over your pretty face,” he growled. The man grunted again, but he reached over and yanked the grate open with a squeal of rusty hinges. Ulric strode out onto the bright, open expanse of sand. He turned around a few times, taking in the rows of seats that seemed to soar up to meet the clouds, then swiftly regained his composure. There were pennants everywhere, flapping in the wind. “And now, from the frozen wastes of the north,” the announcer was shouting, “I give you a slayer of babes and ravager of wives and daughters, the sort of man that we meet only in our worst nightmares. He flays the ears and scalps from corpses that he has freshly defiled. He is a reaper of souls, and his lust for death won’t be satisfied unless he destroys all that is good and just in our fair city.” The cheers turned to raucous jeers. Ulric frowned, glancing around at the sea of angry faces. He watched gobbets of spit fly from their lips as they spewed curses at him. He was aware of the announcer’s pause, knowing that the man was milking the crowd, making them hunger for his blood. “My friends, I give you Ulric, the Terror of the North!” There were more jeers, more curses, and even a few rocks thrown. The Gasvik took care of most of those, and the few he didn’t swat aside were turned away by Ulric’s shield. “Since when was I that awful?” He remarked to himself, and soon he found himself rumbling with laughter. “Come and get some,” he shouted, clashing axe against shield as he played to the crowd. If they expected a show, he was going to give them slaughter.

[Ssafirsotibones]

Bones gave a look at the human. He seemed to be rather embittered, and liked to curse and say nonsense a lot.... Whereas Bones was slow to speak, and thought before saying anything. Walking along down the hall, Bones walked out with the man into the large open area of the coliseum. He looked around, checking if there foe to be was out yet. Not seeing anyone, he continued on, but kept his senses open. He watched as Shale introduced the other man, and thought it was a bit funny. It was a battle of north meets south, Ulric being from the far North, and Bones the far South. Next it was his turn to be introduced. "Now a regular of the coliseum, you have seen him many times before. He is from the far wild south, the vast jungles of the land. He has killed entire villages, swallowing them whole... He has terrorized the natives, there children afraid to go to bed at night! He has killed a countless many, the blood of which soaks the ground in his path... He risks his life again to fight for your enjoyment." "Now welcome... The Snake Man!!!" Bones watched as the paying customers reacted. It seemed a bit better than the violence with Ulric. There were even one or two people who cheered. Apparently he had a few fans. Though considering it was only one or two out of them all, that was not saying much. "Now, we have a special treat today, for who these two will be facing.... Yukmen!!!" As Shale said this, several bodies began to rise out of the ground. They looked almost like they were human, however they seemed to be covered in rocks and pebbles. There skin was cracked, as if it had been baked out in the sun. As they rose, there mouths opened, revealing rows of razor sharp teeth, as they let out a high-pitched shrill. Definitely not something a human would make... There hands revealed themselves, showing there razor like claws that could cleave through flesh. The yukmen rose, coming to about the height of a human, full of fury and anger. Bones drew out his gladius, preparing to defend himself. They were still a bit away, giving them time to react and defend themselves before there foes reached them. Bones gave a quick look and nod at Ulric before moving, and then pushed forward going towards the nearest yukman with his gladius raised. Though the question still remained how many there were, as even more seemed to be rising from the ground.

[Ulric]

Ulric nearly raised a hand to cover his ears as the monsters began to shriek. He cast a sidelong glance at the snake, his brow furrowed, knuckles pale where they grasped the haft of his bearded axe. He’d been expecting to fight a few gladiators or beasts, but this just wasn’t fair. The monsters that rose from the earth were more dangerous than any of the people present understood. They were made in the shape of men, but where the skin should be they bore only desiccated, cracking leather that was riddled with patches of gravel, earth, and even uncut gems. “Yukman aduba uweon!” Desank bared the needles of his teeth, corded muscles straining as he sprang at one of the monsters that had risen behind them, dealing a crushing blow that flung it back to the edge of the stands. The things kept rising, though. Ulric tried to count them, but with the dust rising from the ring, he wasn’t sure whether they were facing ten monsters or a hundred. Sucking in a deep breath, he spread his arms wide and spun around, trying to calm his doubts as he played to the crowd. “Alvadas, shall I begin?” He surged forward, skirting the route the snake had taken, and leaped at one of the monsters that had nearly cleared itself from the confines of the ground. The heels of his boots struck its chest, knocking the thing onto its back, and then he was twisting so he landed on his knees. He rose, swiping the rim of his shield at what passed as the thing’s head, and hacked down at the base of its neck. The shock jarred his wrist, nearly making it go numb as he hewed the calcified ribs from shoulder to chest. He raised the shield just in time to turn the brutal sweep of its claws, then brought his axe down to hook its leg out from beneath. That was good enough. The monster went down, so he stomped on its head and brought his shield around to bash another in the face, halting it in its tracks. “Is that the best you can do?” Ulric roared, his desire to fight for surging back in torrid spurts. He swept his axe in a downward cleave, hewing through bone and sinew. The monster shrieked as its mangled leg gave out and it toppled heavily upon the sand. “Is that the best you can do?” He was chuckling now. They came at him again, sharp incisors snapping for his throat, claws seeking to grab hold of his armor and jerk him down. Ulric wasn’t about to let that happen. He swept the axe around, clearing some space, then feinted with the shield. The monsters began to spread out, trying to get behind him. He surged forward, his shield held high to deflect their nasty blows while he lashed out, dealing a glancing blow that only seemed to knock one of the monsters off balance. Their claws scraped against the wood and metal of his shield, nearly ripping it away. He managed to shove past them, though the claws dragged at his scaled armor, slowing him down. Then he turned and fought again. He swept his shield around, catching the first on the shoulder, and brought his axe down on its head, driving the thing to its knees. Nearly at the same time, the second decided to go for his legs as the other leaped at his exposed side. Ulric danced back, knocking the claws aside, and hacked at the elongated fingers, severing a few halfway from the base. And yet, the second kept coming, using the same sweeping move he’d done earlier to catch him a heavy blow to the shoulder. He winced as the claws flashed by his cheek, scratching shallow furrows in his flesh. He was gasping now, but his work was far from over. Ulric surged forward again, driving the boss of his shield into the offending monster’s face, and caught the other a heavy blow on the ribs with his axe. His backswing struck it high on the shoulder. Then he felt claws puncture his armor from behind, piercing deep into his shoulder. He screamed in agony, throwing a vicious elbow into the monster’s gut. Not that it mattered. The claws tangled in his belt. “Grrarrg!” Now seething with rage, he bashed the monster in front of him again, then reached back with the axe and used the sharp, curved blade to yank the other’s leg out. They both tumbled to the sand. The monster’s grip was firm, so before Ulric tried to spin away he brought his head back, beating it against the thing’s flat features. He felt the poke of sharp teeth against his scalp, but also the wet noise of them cracking. He brought his head back twice more, then lurched away as its grip began to slacken, hacking wildly so he could open some distance. Where was Desank?

[Ssafirsotibones]

Moving forward with his long tail behind him, Bones pushed along, moving faster than most would expect a snake could. It was his way of running so to speak, though was different than what a human would do. His battle spirit rose, and his dhani side came fully awake, as he released the restraints he usually kept on his actions. Reveling in the excitement of battle, Bones tasted the air, anticipating the fighting that was soon to come... The ripping, tearing... death! For though Bones was usually more calm than most dhani, and a lot more laid back... When it came to battle.... What he was became fully obvious. If ulric were to look at him right now, the face of such a thing might make him more afraid than the yukmen he was fighting. Truly he was a sight to fear, and even a few of the crowd that could see his face let out a small scream upon seeing it. Reaching the first yukman, Bones brought his gladius down with his full force upon the outstretched hand that was trying to claw at him. With the strength he had in him, he easily cleaved right through it, taking the hand from the creature. Though honestly there was no finesse in it, anyone could have done so with his weapon and strength. At this point his attacks had little style, just brute strength and slashes and hacks. Though who knew what he might be capable of once he gained more skill with it. The first one fell from the power behind his strike, but it was soon back on its feet ready to attack as if nothing had happened. A second yukman came up behind him, and slashed at him, though its claws caught on his leather band for the sheath, tearing the belt and making it fall to the ground. Saved by this, he was only scratched by the tips of the claws, giving a shallow cut on his back. But no matter, he had his blade in hand, and was ready to strike. Turning, he swept with his tail, knocking the creature to the ground. Continuing on, he sunk the blade right through the head of the creature there. As it squirmed, he turned it, and ripped it out longways cutting the head in half. It moved for a bit thrashing around, but finally lay still. He had been lucky with it, and caught it off guard with a quick combo. But in the time it took him to do that, the first one with a missing hand creeped up behind, and grabbing Bones shoulder with his last claw, scratched down, ripping Bones right shoulder open. As the blood flowed, Bones pulled away, shouting out a curse in snake tongue, "Serxesnas!!!" But the pain only pushed Bones further, wanting to tear apart the foes he was facing.

[Ulric]

“Desank!” Ulric quickly glanced around the ring of stones. He saw more monsters writhing from their dungeons, clawing madly at the encumbering sands; the amorphous, shifting crowd – many of them on their feet; and then, the Gasvik moving to grapple with a monster that was heading for the grate. “You’re supposed to be guarding my back, you cretin!” With a grunt, he drove the spiked head of his axe into the monster’s face, mashing the eye that peeked out above the ruin of its nose, then stepped forward with a swipe of his shield. The force of the blow was enough to spin the thing around, so he drove the sole of his boot onto the back of a gnarled calf. The gaping maw opened to emit a high pitched keening as it dropped to its knees. However, just as he raised the axe to finish the deed, there was a snarl to his rear. He sprang forward, hacking at the tendons on the wounded monster’s thigh, and went low, his right leg tracing through the sand as he brought the axe around. There was a wet sound as it clove upwards through the gravely base of a jaw, tearing half the bone away with a gout of dark blood. If he was not mistaken, the crowd began to cheer. Then there were cries of shock as the other monster shoved the corpse aside and sought to claw at him. Ulric raised the shield, felt the claws scrape on the heavy wood. He tried to hook the monster’s feet, but it swiftly moved to his left, driving a fist into the edge of the sweeping shield. He tried to bash it in the face, but the arms tangled in his way, warding the crushing force of the metal boss. Then a clawed hand came out of nowhere, yanking at the base of his leg. There was nothing he could do except swipe blindly at the thing in front of him as he tumbled to the sand. The breath rushed from his lungs. He kicked out, felt his other foot make contact with something solid. Then the first monster lunged at him from above, bared fangs seeking his throat. He sought to raise the shield, driving it into the slavering maw so that it punched out a fang, but he could do no more than deflect the brunt of the lunge. The grip tightened on his boot, scoring but not breaking the thick leather, so he kicked again, releasing the axe so he could punch the other monster in the face when it went to tear at him again. He tried to squirm to the side, but that brought him perhaps a moment, which he used to wedge the shield so it could defend his chest and groin. They were on top of him now, trying to beat through the circle of wood, to claw at the leather scales of his armor. That was no good. With a grunt, he reached for the knife at his hip, drawing his legs up so they would not make such a large target. Then a graveled hand shot with rough emeralds closed around the edge of his shield and tried to jerk it away. There was only one thing he could think of to get out of this predicament. He fought for a moment, then let go abruptly so the monster was off balance. Then he heaved his shoulders to the side, the knife scraping from its sheath to sink deeply into the monster’s right eye socket. “How’s that?” He snarled, giving it a wrench as the thing went stiff, and then pushed it away as it began to go limp, using it as a bulwark against the swipe of the other monster’s claws. Heavily panting, he spun aside and rose just in time to catch its forearm. His knee drove up between its legs, to no great effect. The other arm swept toward him. Ulric knew he could not get out of range, so he went forward, crushing his head into the thing’s face – which snapped back, giving him enough space to throw a straight punch, then stab his knife into the pit of the thing’s arm. He yanked at the forearm, heaving the monster around so he faced its back, then let go, poking two fingers into the ridged eye sockets to hold the thing fast, and drew the edge of his knife along its throat. Then he threw back his head and roared as blood sprayed over the sands. Letting his grip slacken, he spun to find his next opponent. There were more, of course. He threw the knife, saw it bounce off a gravely head, and reached for his shield. “Snake, where are you?”

[Ssafirsotibones]

Bones was going into a rage. As his vision swam for a second, his battle instincts further surged through his body. As the claws ripped open his right shoulder, and blood flowed, he dropped his gladius from his grip. Bones turned on the creature, and using his inhuman strength, he grabbed the thing at the neck and waist, and lifted it bodily into the air. With another hiss, he tossed it flying through the air a good ten or twenty feet were it collided with a yukman to the left of Ulric, with both of the yukman landing in a heap. "I am right here, with ssese beastsss that I will rip to shreds down to the sssmalessst bitsss!!!" Bones was mad, and in such a way that would scare most any creature with half a brain. But still these things came, and Bones was not one to give in. Turning he grabbed up his gladius in his left hand, luckily for him he was able to use both hands to fight with, though he usually used his right for weapons and left his left open for punches. But his right could not hold the blade due to the shoulder damage, so he would have to switch things up. Undulating toward Ulric, which was the snake equivalent of running, Bones let out another hiss, swiping at a yukman with his gladius. He cleaved one in half at the waist, and kept going. If he had looked back, he would have seen the bottom half go limp, while the top half started to scrabble with its arms, and would eventually start to pull itself toward the combatants. As he went, Bones slashed with his gladius in his left, punched with his fist on the right, and knocked a series of yukman flying, though most were soon back on there feet. Finally he reached Ulric, and got close to him, as it would be easier to fight these things if they fought together and close. "Let usss kill ssem all!!!" Having said this, Bones would stand his ground, attacking any enemies that neared them, and also swiping out the feet from the yukman as they advanced, now that he did not need his tail to move.

[Ulric]

Ulric drove a heavy boot into the stomach of the charging monster, making it stagger back, and grasped the shield with both hands. He swung with his entire might, so that a shock numbed his wrists when the edge crunched into a garnet encrusted cheek, hurling the thing to the sand, where it lay, unmoving. He wasn’t done yet, though. Blunt fingers curled around the haft of his axe. There was a snap of ribs. Then he was yanking the axe free, turning to face the next of the monsters. What is this madness? Ulric grunted as he used the axe to hook an elbow, jerking the monster aside so. He gave it a bash in the chest, then took a step back. The thing was quick to recover, weaving clawed hands together as it lashed out at him. He felt his shield shudder under the force of the blow, then cursed as he began to piece together what was happening. They were copying his style of fighting. They crudely sought to replicate every move he used on them, kept reaching their filthy, clawed hands into his bag of tricks. He only hoped that he had enough. Keeping the shield raised, he felt the claws scrape along its surface again, then danced to the side and went into a crouch, scything the axe around so that it bit deep into the thing’s lower back. He felt it stagger, but it didn’t go down. That just made him madder. He drove his shoulder into the thing, knocking it back even further – where it was promptly leveled by a gravely blur. Ulric glanced at the snake, saw the swift, sinuous whip of its scales as it engaged another cluster of the monsters, making the most of its prodigious size. But there wasn’t enough time to take the thing’s measure. He leaped forward to hew at the dazed monster’s neck, felt the warm spatter of blood on his face. As the other began to rise, he kicked it in the head, then hacked deep into its chest, darting quickly away from a menace that was not there. No, what he did see was the snake, mouth slightly agape as it spoke to him in that strange, sibilant hiss, and behind a throng of monsters. There weren’t that many left now. Ulric risked a quick glance, just to be certain that no others were clawing their way from the ground. “What do you say, snake,” he spoke with a grin, “Are you ready to show them what we can really do?”