[Flashback] Bite me (Vynia)

[Siiri]

~so we've been outnumbered, raided and now cornered
it's hard to fight when the fight ain't fair
we're getting stronger now from things they never found
they might be bigger but we're faster and never scared

you can walk away and say we don't need this
but there's something in your eyes says we can beat this~

==/==

Siiri and the alpha yukman tumbled in a tangle of bodies and limbs away from the Myrian's greatsword, the both of them attacking the other with their natural weapons - tooth and claw for the yukman, arms and legs for the Myrian warrioress. The yukman's moves were wild and unrefined as it pressured her into the ground, and Siiri was able to keep its snapping jaws from biting her face off by ramming her elbow against its throat as they fell, warding it off by pushing against its chin. But the creature was still larger and much more stronger than she was, and Siiri found herself on her back when they finally settled on the jungle floor.

The Myrian was well-versed in fighting from that position but with the alpha's greater strength, she knew she had to prevent it from getting any sort of leverage on her or else she would get mauled. Shifting her weight for better movement, Siiri looped her legs around the yukman's, locking them in place to prevent it from mounting her. It was the standard defense taught to her when fighting unarmed and on her back, but against the yukman, it had its share of pain, at least for her, even when she neutralized the creature's advantage. Already, the jagged rocks randomly protruding from her opponent's body were chaffing and biting against her skin, drawing blood, and the arm she was using to keep it at bay was starting to tire from heavy weight it had to bear.

I knew this was a stupid plan! Siiri berated herself, a direct contradiction of what she had felt earlier when Vynia presented it to her. Stupid, stupid, stupid!

In truth, Siiri was angry at herself for finding herself in such an exposed and compromising position. The jump from the tree had warped her situational awareness and the alpha caught her completely unprepared with its surprise attack. She knew she had no one else to blame but herself for being caught by it. Worse, the other yukman she had smacked in the face was still around, though with the alpha commanding her whole attention, she could not tell where it was. Would it be calling more of its kind to swarm on her? She knew she needed to get away from the alpha, and fast!

Desperately, Siiri made a grab at the yukman's left wrist with her free hand, yanking it the opposite way so that the limb crossed against the creature's neck. The move left her exposed to retaliation from it however, and she grunted in agony as the yukman delivered undefended blows against her side. But what she did had a purpose: it allowed her to remove the arm she was using to push against the creature's neck as the yukman's own arm effectively shielded her from its rabid bites. It also gave her an opening to deliver blows of her own against the yukman's now unprotected head. Keeping her free arm bent, Siiri slammed her elbow against the yukman's face. Given her position, the attacks did not generate as much force as she might have wanted, but they were still effective at such close range. On her third strike, she heard a crack and felt something give as her elbow connected against the alpha's nose.

Eat that, skurak!

Her elation was shortlived however, as she heard a shrill cry nearby, no doubt coming from the alpha's remaining lieutenant. Siiri felt the pressure of the yukman's weight lessen as it tried to disentangle itself from her. She wondered if smashing its nose had made it change its mind about trading blows with her at such close range but she realized its true intentions when she caught sight of the other yukman approaching just behind it.

That dung heap has my sword!

And the yukman truly did, holding Slayer in its grasp in a two-handed grip, the weapon raised above its head to deliver the same blow Siiri used to kill its companion earlier. Siiri saw red then, and she wanted nothing more than to smash the yukman into an unrecognizable mass of flesh and rocks for defiling her greatsword. But she knew she could not do anything against it in her current position.

Releasing her hold on the alpha, the Myrian gave it the chance to get up, only to kick it on the chest with both feet. That sent it reeling against the armed yukman, foiling its intended attack. Siiri took that moment to quickly scramble back to her feet and draw the twin daggers strapped to her thighs as the two fiends sorted themselves out. Even as the weapons found themselves in her hands, she looked at the bone blades, realizing she was clearly outmatched. The yukman holding Slayer did not look like it could use the weapon with any decent amount of skill, but it was no doubt still dangerous in its hands. One swipe from the massive weapon could easily deprive Siiri of any of her limbs - or worse! And even if she could block it with her daggers, she knew the superior crafting of Slayer would easily have it blast through the less sturdier blades. And then there was still the alpha to contend with as well. She had injured it for sure, but a broken nose would not get it out of the fight.

As if it couldn't get any worse, two more yukmen appeared from the bushes. They were much smaller than the two Siiri currently faced, looking more like early teeners had they been Myrian, but just their presence made her situation even more desperate. The alpha yammered at them in its gibberish language and the two maintained their distance. Siiri could not understand what exactly passed between the landspawns, but from the actions of its subordinates, it was not difficult for her to come to the conclusion that the alpha had just made it clear that it wanted her for itself and its lieutenant.

Petch, she thought. Vynia, where are you?!

==/==

Not too far away, Vynia had effectively lost the yukmen who were after her, her simple trick of misdirecting them with a thrown rock had the simple-minded creatures running in the wrong direction. As she ran back to where she had left Siiri however, she could still hear the ear-piercing cries of other yukmen echoing all around her. Would she find her fellow Myrian in time in order to assist her? Or would she just find a corpse mutilated by the feral yukmen?

[Vynia]

The shrill screeching and shrieking of the yukmen ahead reached her ears. She froze, her heartbeat thumping like warriors charging an enemy. In between the high-pitched screams of the yukmen she could make out the cursing and growls of Siiri. She hadn’t killed the alpha yet? Panting heavily, her legs taut with aching pain. In the name of Myri, she shook her legs out to loosen them, and made her way towards the sounds at a light jog. Siiri would have to hold them off until she could make it there. If she pushed herself any more, she would be no help to the other Myrian woman. As she neared the edge of the copse surrounding Siiri, she peeked through the brush. Two yukmen stood off to the side, shifting anxiously. Peering between them, she could see Siiri with the alpha and its lieutenant. Carefully, she slid her glaive out and grasped it between her hands. She stood up and held her breath, sliding her hand into her pack for the remainder of the rocks she had picked up off the ground. Moving out of their way, she chunked the rock out into the woods behind them. Screeching ensued as the two looked around and darted out to investigate. They broke through the forest right next to her, and with a powerful horizontal swing, she took the head off of the nearest one, and charged after the remaining enemy. It turned, confused, and started to shriek at her, but she plunged the tip of the blade into the creature’s mouth, muffling it and taking off the topmost part of its head. Thanking Myri for the gift of the gnosis mark on her clavicle, she heaved a heavy breath before dashing into the little clearing to assist Siiri.

[Siiri]

Siiri shifted her hold on the dagger in her left hand, switching to an underhand grip. She was not proficient enough with her skill with the blades to use them in tandem but she could still use her off-hand as a means to parry and deflect attacks. It was meager defense against the steel edge of Slayer but it was better than nothing.

As the alpha and its lieutenant moved to opposite sides of her in an attempt to flank her, a brief commotion behind the other two yukmen had all three of them turning their respective gazes towards that direction. The lesser yukmen rushed off into the foliage to investigate some perceived sound or movement, shrieking in their gibberish language. No sooner had they vanished within the thick vegetation than their cries were cut off abruptly. An expression of what Siiri could only describe as worry crossed the feral faces of the yukmen approaching her, but Siiri did not share their concern. A predatory grin lit her lips as the other yukmen were silenced forever.

Vynia, she thought in relief.

The glaive-wielding Myrian made her appearance then, and Siiri used that moment to initiate her attack. The warrioress faked a lunge at the alpha, drawing a swipe from the yukman's taloned hands that hit nothing but air for Siiri had sprung backwards to jump towards the one holding Slayer. It chopped the massive blade in her direction, hitting nothing as well as it was but another feint from the experienced fighter. Both had been meant to draw a reaction from the two yukmen and it proved successful: the two of them were unbalanced now from their useless attacks, leaving the both of them vulnerable as they moved to recover their initiative.

Siiri did not wait for them to do so as she launched herself, blades leading, back at the alpha, which had been her target all along.

[Vynia]

Though Vynia’s legs, arms, and torso throbbed with the burning sensation of exhaustion, her chest heaving with the lack of oxygen, she groaned and lifted her glaive. Siiri acted swiftly, the feral gleam of all things wild in her eyes, and executed a series of tricky maneuvers. She feinted, spun, leapt, and attacked the alpha yukman with her blades. The second and last yukman, the alpha’s lieutenant, was left unstable and reeling with the other Myrian’s sword. It took a ridiculous amount of will to force herself forward, but she charged the lieutenant as it stumbled with the weight of the blade. With her glaive raised out before her, she gave the lieutenant a mighty shove, shifting her weight to throw it over. The yukman screeched and swiped with its gnarled claws, catching the back of her head as it fell over. The blow made Vynia see white, and for a moment, everything around her screamed with a high-pitched ring. She fell over the creature and landed behind it. As she scrambled to get back to her feet, she noticed the gleaming blade between them, Slayer, as it had been named. Shoving into the dirt below with her scraped, bloody knees, she snatched the piece of work by the hilt and swore in her Myrian tongue. Clambering to her feet, head still pounding, she kicked the ascending yukman in the face and turned to Siiri. ”HERE!” Assuming Siiri could turn in time, she slung the blade in her direction, in hopes that she would catch it, or that it would at least land nearby. As the blade left her hand, the lieutenant barreled into the Myrian full force, and took her to the ground. The monster screamed and snapped its jaws in her face. Without a weapon to defend herself with, she dodged and shoved at the monster on top of her. The air was crushed from her lungs with the weight of its body atop her. Cursing loudly, she wriggled beneath the beast as it clamped down on one of her arms with its talons.

[Siiri]

The yukman alpha was quick, Siiri had to give it that. Unencumbered from wielding a weapon, unlike its last remaining companion, the fiend easily reestablished its defensive posture, despite Siiri's attempts to unbalance it with her feints. The yukman's taloned hands latched onto one of her arms even as the Myrian warrioress barreled into it, the creature's sharp digits biting deep into her flesh, making her cry out and causing her to lose her grip on one of her daggers.

The creature remained upright too, shrugging off Siiri's one hundred and seventy pound frame as if she weighed nothing. Siiri knew what was coming next; with a solid grip firmly established upon her, the yukman would no doubt try and bring its fangs into play.

She couldn't give it that opportunity.

Siiri's remaining dagger came up in a blur, its pointed end aimed at the soft fleshy area on the underside of the creature's jaw. The yukman was quick to counter the move however, relinquishing one of its hands from her forearm to block the incoming blow. Siiri's dagger was stopped mere inches away from its intended destination - miniscule in terms of distance but a world away for all that it mattered.

Frustrated in her failed attack, the Myrian growled, steeling herself before smashing her forehead against the yukman's snarling, inhuman face. Its features were rough and craggy and dotted with small but jagged stones, and the impact injured Siiri as much as she had stunned the creature. A nasty bump quickly swelled just above her brow, the ruptured flesh sending rivulets of blood flowing down between her eyes. Siiri didn't bother wiping it as she quickly stepped into the yukman's guard, pressing her back against its chest while grabbing with her trapped arm the limb that trapped it in the first place. Her free arm she used to reach behind her to latch onto the yukman's back. It was easy enough to find a handhold with the many rocks and stones that lined the creature's skin.

The Myrian had never practiced or even tried the next move she was about to do. It was one mostly done by takedown specialists - wrestlers like Goro were proficient with the move, using it to bring opponents down before pounding them with his fists. Siiri had seen it enough times in the training yards to feel confident that she could pull it off. The principle behind it was similar to the fighting style she used to trap and break limbs - using leverage and her opponent's momentum to defeat him.

She just hoped she had the strength to execute it.

Siiri grip tightened and, in one explosive movement, twisted to one side and used her hip as a fulcrum to bodily lift the yukman off the ground and then slammed it to the ground. She completed the turn so that she landed on her back on top of the yukman alpha's belly, her weight knocking the wind out of the creature and finally forcing it to release its hold on her arm.

It was around that same moment that Vynia flung Siiri's greatsword towards them. Myri herself must have been watching over the two of them that day for the way the weapon flew in the air, straight and true, its long hilt almost falling right into Siiri's waiting hand. Her fingers wrapped around it reflexively and, immediately recognizing it for what it was by touch alone, the Myrian warrioress' spirit felt her spirit soar. The fight was near an end, she could feel it.

And she would not be the one losing.

Siiri scrambled to her feet, extracted herself from the still-gasping alpha and, without preamble, raised Slayer up in the air and brought it crashing down on the defenseless yukman.

[Vynia]

The hilt found its way into Siiri’s hand, curled tightly in the grasp of her fingers. As she scrambled to her feet and raised the mighty blade into the air, her attention was drawn instead to the yukman still clawing at her. Its weight was too much to bear, and if she had to guess, her dark tanned face would be glowing blue with the lack of oxygen crushing her lungs. She groaned and shoved at the creature, but it snatched her arm by the wrist. The motion was accompanied by a loud, thick pop that made her vision whiteout. A pained, angry roar settled in her throat, shoving its way past her teeth. The Myrian’s joints ached at the attack, the throbbing pain searing from her shoulder into her back and all the way down into her arm. Wriggling desperately against the beast above, she kicked and screamed. The yukman screeched back at her as it grabbed her other wrist and threatened to jerk it from its socket. OOCSorry for the delay!! I know its short and thoroughly boring, but I high doubt after all the two have been through thus far that Vynia would have the ability to overcome the yukman. Dispose of him as you please.

[Siiri]

Her opponent disposed of, Siiri turned to her companion, expecting Vynia to have done the same. They were just yukmen after all, fodder and no match against Myrian might. But the warrioress must have misjudged how physically drained the other woman was, for she found her on her back, the sole remaining yukman close to overwhelming her. With a yell that echoed throughout the surrounding jungle, Siiri charged at the pair. She hoped her cry would distract the yukman just enough to stall it from doing more harm on Vynia.

It worked. The yukman spared her a glance and Siiri actually saw its eyes widen when it caught sight of the alpha lying prone and unmoving behind her. It must know that its doom was at hand. With a satisfied grunt, Siiri knew that would be the last thought that went through its head - right before she cleaved it asunder with her massive blade. Its skull cracked open, the yukman fell to the side, spilling whatever served as its brain onto the jungle floor. Siiri did not spare it another look as she reached down to pull the spent Vynia to her feet. For a long moment, the two of them just stood in the small clearing, panting, bleeding. They couldn't take the time to rest in that spot though, not with the rest of the yukmen out there. Despite what Siiri had said earlier, it was never a sure thing if the primitive creatures would flee after its leader was killed, or seek retribution against their alpha's slayers.

"You fit enough to run again?" Siiri asked. "Or walk, at least. We need to get out of here."

OOCSory it took so long to reply. Feel free to post one last time to wrap this up, or just submit it in Cayenne's office for grading if you think it's gone on long enough. I don't think there's much left in both our Myrians' tanks anyway. XD

[Schism]

Siiri   Skills Skill Awarded Points le how? Acrobatics 2 Brawling 2 Let’s face it; some of those moves lacked the elegance of unarmed combat. Loved it no less… Climbing 1 Land Navigation 2 Leadership 2 Observation 1 Running 2 Tactics 2 Tracking 2 Unarmed Combat 4 Weapon: Daggers 4 Weapon: Greatsword 5 Siiri is a beast with Slayer. Need I say more? Wrestling 1   Lores Lore Why/How Watch Where You Charge Defending Your Kill It’s Yours When It’s Dead Tactic: Fighting Back-to-Back Tactic: Knowing When To Retreat Hiding Our Numbers, Step Where I Step Retreat Is Not Defeat Contact: Vynia of the Blooded Fangs A name, a face, a fellow myrian. Challenging the Alpha Wrestling: Hip Toss Reflection: Is the Kill Worth It? Vynia   Skills Skill Awarded Points le how? Climbing 2 Running 4 Man, was you runnin'! Tactics 1 Tracking 1 Unarmed Combat 2 Weapon: Glaive 5 You cut those Yukmen, girl! Wilderness Survival 4   Lores Lore Why/How Glaive Tactic: Trip Glaive Tactic: Blocking Claiming Your Cut Pun intended, shameless note... Tactic: Fighting Back-to-Back Save Energy, Strike To Kill Yukmen, The Endless Hoard Yukmen Anatomy (Basic) Yukmen composition of flesh, stone, wood, etc. Follow Orders, Stay Alive Swinging in the Trees! Contact: Siiri of the Snapping Jaws A name, a face, a fellow myrian. Tactic: Zigzag Running Tactic: Creating a Distraction Siiri's Has You Covered Additional Notes: Well, I think it’s obvious to say you’ve both been beaten up near senseless. Give your Myrians a while off from this crazy stuff. Those deeper wounds especially will need some time to recover. In the mean time, enjoy the soreness, scabbing, and tenderness of your mortal bodies. Damn. If I had to describe the thread in a word: DAMN. It’s been a pleasure to read. You two bring the Myrian spirit to light: competitive against each other, but together as one when the time calls. It’s also refreshing to see the Yukmen in use. Props to you for surviving. Any doubts I had about either PC’s ability were swiftly corrected in action. Siiri, stay vicious. Vynia, watch your pacing, and welcome(?) to Falyndar! You’ll catch up in no time… Skills and lores were pretty direct. PM me with any questions or point challenges. Keep your injuries in mind. Keep up the glorious writing, well, glorious for myrians at least…