Completed [Fighters Pit] Reality Check (Ximal)

[Razkar]

13th Day of Summer
The Anthonius Fighter's Pit
16th Bell

It was getting easier, and that, Razkar was finding out, was a problem. The curse of those who mastered their art, he supposed: climb the mountain of adversity and training for long enough, and eventually you'll reach the summit. So then you either grew wings, stayed at the plateau or rolled your way back down.

As the second human rolled to a halt on the sand of the pit, Razkar reflected briefly that he'd yet to find a fourth option.

The human, Tarkis, spat out a glob of blood and got back to unsteady feet. His partner, Malkum, tried to help him up but the older man angrily shook him off, baring his teeth at the unimpressed figure standing at the other end of the pit. Not even breathing hard, the savage bastard, and glaring at them like they'd done something wrong.

"We were in the Wilds," he growled, hefting his bastard sword to his other hand, Malkum breaking off to the right and readying his halberd, "You wouldn't look so petching bored, barbarian."

Razkar cocked an eyebrow and shrugged, lean and tattoo-covered musculature rippling briefly as he did so. Naked apart from his sandals and loincloth, he had a thin sheen of sweat on his limbs but other than that, he seemed fresh to the fight.

It had been going on for ten chimes, and he was growing tired of carrying these two.

Too easy, his said again in his head, galled at the words, even with two at once and one weapon, still too easy.

He flourished his training gladius quickly, an obvious challenge that lit up the bearded barbarian's eyes. The younger one, a scruff of hair on his face rather than a carpet, was a little more stoic, harder to read... but only in his face. His body was a different matter.

"We are not in Wilds," the Myrian's heavily-accented voice rasped, injecting some affected boredom into it to motivate his sparring partners, "So I am bored. Want to make me not bored? Come and-"

With a cry Malkum came in hard from his left, swinging the halberd diagonally towards his shoulder. Clever boy! Trying to take him by surprise, ah, how he had been waiting for that.

Razkar slid back a pace, right arm slashing upwards, gladius knocking the blunted but still lethal away from him, left arm lashing out to hammer a quick punch into the boy's kidney. But Malkum swallowed it, momentum and weight of the halberd pulling him forwards, true, but when he knew his blow had failed he reversed it, slicing in a broad blow horizontally at Razkar's stomach-

-only for the gladius to flash down in a half-circle, stalling it with a screech of metal on metal-

-just as Tarkis came in with an enraged cry, and Razkar mentally tut-tutted. Attacking in anger? Such poor training. And these two were among the better specimens in the Fighters Pit, apparently. The human thrust straight for Razkar's exposed chest with his bastard sword, forcing him to twist his body to the side, broad chest facing Tarkis suddenly becoming his left side-

-along with his left fist, swinging into his face.

"Bastard!"

Tarkis's world shattered for a moment in stars and black spots, but he heard another blow smack into the boy, staggering him back with the halberd held in shaky hands. Razkar put a sharp kick into his shin and a blow from the hilt of his gladius into his mouth.

Blood dripped slowly but steadily from both humans now... and the Myrian was untouched. Tarkis looked up again and felt his anger rise, seeing only a disappointed shaking of the Myrian's head. Razkar sighed and lowered his weapon.

"Think we done here."

"Fuck you!"

He let the human have his moment of bravado. He knew his younger partner would seize the initiative, too, coming in from the other side as Tarkis snarled and swung a backhanded strike at his right, Malkum coming in with another heavy diagonal blow to his left, five-foot-long polearm flashing through the bright air-

Fine.

-Razkar tossed his gladius from right to left, catching it lightly and slashing it upward as he moved forward, knocking the halberd's blade to his left, away from his body, taking a pace forward and bending his knees-

-ducking low as he did so, bastard sword passing over his head-

-right fist snapping out to hammer into Tarkis's knee, making him stagger and howl with pain-

They were moving. Still moving, but still... not at his level. They reacted, true, but they took longer for every move, pain dulling them, their souls not as one with the dance as his was. He didn't blame them; it wasn't their fault.

They were raised far from the light of the Goddess-Queen.

Malkum lashed out with his foot and Razkar threw his body backwards, going to one knee as he did, smashing the gladius into the side of the boy's outstretched leg as he did-

-Tarkis bringing the hilt of his bastard sword punching towards his face but he let himself roll backwards, away from the both of them. Tarkis growled and sensed his prey was weak, tiring, drove forwards, bastard sword raised over his head-

Malkum expected the clash and clang and scream... but it never came. Using the halberd as a crutch he'd stopped hobbling, pain in his leg flashing through him whenever he tried to put weight on it. But Tarkis would avenge him. Old Tarkis, the weathered sellsword bastard, who'd broken up fights at the Spinning Coin for Gene when times... got... tough...

He blinked and his mouth opened when he saw Tarkis, still as marble, face rigid with surprise, bastard sword over his head... the tip of Razkar's gladius under his chin, the Myrian's arm outstretched from his position with one knee on the sand-

-and his left handing taking a good, solid grip on the big human's scrotum.

"Said we are done." He said, very slowly, squeezing just enough to get a film of moisture appearing over the eyes of Tarkis. "Are we?"

"Y... Yes...!"

A chime or two later he was back where he started and hating it. He paced the Pit like some beast entrapped there, gladius twisting and turning in his hand, futile and unnused, feet thudding over and over and over and-

"Want another two?" He looked up to find Gerard standing at the edge, satirical look on his face. "Think I could find a couple. Getting something of a reputation, I hear. Only one guy better, they say..."

Razkar should have caught on that last line, and perhaps part of his mind did, but the need to swing steel motivated him far more at that moment.

"Three."

"Pardon?"

Razkar snapped his neck back and forth and retrieved his training ax from the floor. Once both were settled in his hands, quick katas slashing through the air forming them to his hands well... he grunted upwards at Gerard's confused face.

"You want three more?"

"No. Four."

"... well, if you say so..."

Razakr waited until he was gone and went back to his stalking, untapped aggression and seething resentment at his own prowess borne forth in a simmering hiss.

"Yes, I do..."

[Ximal]

Xi yawned the light of the day had begun to hirt his eyes. Only a little sleep had been gained las tnight, ana had kept him up most of it asking questions coming and going wandering about ad skulking like the thief she was. Xi blinked and yawned loudly again, drawing close to the fighters pit. Though as Xi drew close to ti he began to watch the event's unfold...A lone man taking on two opponents armed and only using a single one himself? Interesting. Xi stuck to the edge of the arena watching the myrian in the core of it, the simple wording. Within a few moments the entire event had ended and transpired entirely. Two defeated foes and the myrian man was untouched. Xi was for lack of a better term, thoroughly intrigued. Having said that his two sparring partners semed to not feel as if they'd been given a fair shake. Watching from where he stood Xi could see that the myrian was jut playing with them. Not even trying to break them down, but doing so effortlessly. Xi sighed watching the pair of them flee from the training pit as Xi just watched on the myrian now pacing back and forth like a wild beast longing to let loose his claws and fangs. Xi couldn't help but notice the ferocity he spat at the man who run this place. Gerard, Xi'd been to the pit the other day setting forth his proposal and met the man very briefly however with the amount of viciousness and anger retained with the myrians voice...Was he bored? Bored at having defeated two men so easily? Xi smirked and let gerrard leave the arena and go off in search of the four more people to challenge this myrian. Xi stepped forward whistling lightly, his mind searching for a voice he hand't used since being back in sunberth. "Well, looks like you had fun. Or was that sheer boredom?" Xi Stepped closer the cloak obscuring the top half of his face as he stepped into the fighters pit. His voice now changing back to common. "Fancy trying on someone who can at least see your skill for what it is? I doubt i'll disappoint you." Xi walked through the fighter's pit the only visible steel on him over his boots peering forth from beneath his cloak. His beard visible on his face and the smirk plastered to it like a predator stalking a strong prey, a challenge, someone who could challenge him and possibly even pus his skill to it's limit.

[Razkar]

The Myrian's head snapped up as he heard his mother's tongue from above, growled forth from the bearded and smirking face of some long-haired barbarian. Before he could answer - hells, before he could even find the voice to do so, so deep was his surprise - the figure dropped down into the pit, cloak billowing-

-and Razkar nearly felt the impact when he landed on the sand.

The human was big; very big. Nearly half a foot taller than Razkar and well-muscled. Arms corded with muscle flanking a broad chest, a thick neck and thighs that bulged when he straightened up to his full height. But even that simple gesture spoke to the Myrian of a figure who could move with his size. Muscle and strength were not this man's only weapons.

Then the human spoke again, lips keeping their slightly-mocking smirk as he switched back to Common. Razkar's eyebrow cocked sharply and he felt a flush of anger warm him. The audacity of this... barbarian! Ragged and unshaven, filthy and-

Careful.

Eyes. Eyes gave him away. They glittered and shone but not with bravado. There was a keen, piercing intelligence at work behind those luminous blue eyes. Razkar's own black orbs peered back and he blinked. He saw... something of himself in the barbarian. A need for a challenge; the recognition of one hardened by combat and yearning for an equal.

He paused briefly... and when he threw his weapons to the side of the pit, Razkar could have sworn he heard a low wince deep in his mind, as if some part of his psyche was deeply disapproving.

With this one, it whispered, you should probably have kept the weapons...

"I think maybe you're right, human." He said, relishing the chance to speak in his own language, giving the nameless human a brief flash of his filed-to-points teeth. "You do not strike me as the usual sellswords, squires and scum that frequent this pit."

Razkar breathed in deep... rolled his shoulders and then his neck from side to side. His flexed his legs back, one after the other... then stretched his arms behind his back until the joints popped and finally cracked his knuckles.

A fierce joy flared in his eyes and he felt the gnosis on the back of his neck purr softly. The Goddess-Queen appreciated warriors of all races; she just had a special fondness for her children, of course. But she would be watching now, of that Razkar was sure.

"The only way you get better..." he said, repeating one of the litanies beaten into him at the Taloba Training Yards. "... is by matching yourself against a better opponent. Let us find out which of us that is."

Razkar forgot to add "and then find out how a barbarian came to speak Myrian", but decided not to ruin the moment and darted forwards. Arms up, he swung a broad roundhouse with his right, hoping to distract the human with it-

Will he see that coming? Perhaps. But...

-only to snap his feint back and launch a sharp jab at the broad target that was the human's chest-

Might see that one, too. Ah, but this...

-and follow up with a left-foot kick aimed at just below Ximal's right knee. Three blows, one fake, one half-real, the last definitely real, and the Myrian smugly congratulated himself on a devastating opening salvo.

Hubris. How Razkar would soon learn the cost of hubris...

[Ximal]

Xi kept his arms at his side watching the man before him, something about him mirrored Xi himself...It was odd, almost as if he'd fond someone who could be his equal...Or even his better. Xi took a deep slow breath mediating his musculature and his minds ability to process what was coming at him. Then the warrior chose to toss his weapons aside...So the man was brave enough to challenge Xi to his won preferred way of fighting. Xi himself puled his gauntlets off of his hands before tossing those to the other side. Xi snapped his own knuckles in mirroring of the man standing opposite. Though when he finally spoke towards him Xi couldn't help but smirk as he returned the conversation. "Your right there...I'm not from this city, so it's fairly obvious you would have not seen me here before. And the people that I've seen come here...They need to learn what it's like to have to fight for your live every single day. Then they might actually learn HOW to fight." Though the next words he spoke was to enlighten Xi a little. Sighing he unclipped the cloak from his shoulders tossing it aside and atop his gauntlets. "Whichever of us is better...I hope that the lesser gains enough power to challenge the better again. And possibly win the next time." Xi then watched the myrian Xi's eyes watching both his shoulders and his hips. Watching the main focal points of any attack. The round house punch was clearly a fake and xi could see through that right off not even bothering to move. The left snapping jab though that was an evident attack but what was interesting was how he chose to couple it with a circulating snap kick to his shin. Xi thoguht he'd counter it in the easiest way possible. Xi slid his right foot back falling into stance and allowing the kick to sail past, his right hand howver came up to knock the attack aside with his fore arm and then dart out as a full power feint at razkar's face. The main aim was to throw a feint so real that raz would hopefully think that it was the real attack, XI would then follow it up with a shadowed punch snaking it's way in with an uppercut's form from beneath. The travelling pattern would possibly and hopefully make raz think that Xi's main target was his head but no the actual attack would change from an upper curt's profile to a sharp left straight as hit neared his torso. Once there it was going straight for razkar's liver. Xi had sent out two attack and stopped one in less than a second both however had the intent to hit but both held secrets. Would the myrian be skilled enough to see through both ? Or would Xi's plan come crashing back to the ground before it even got off of it ?

[Razkar]

It took time enough for Razkar's heart to beat twice... no, three times. But in that time, everything changed. His perceptions of his own prowess, of the barbarian in front of him... of all barbarians, he would realize later. The big human moved with more grace and fluidity then someone that size had any right to, sliding his right leg back and Razkar's kick went sailing past him-

-left arm knocked to the side by a meaty forearm, then the arm snapped out into a blow at Razkar's face-

The control of the man impressed Razkar, he had to admit, even in that frantic, broken moment. But the speed made him react without thinking, jerking his own horizontal right forearm across to knock away the right heading for his face-

-but when their arms connected, he didn't feel the... follow through. That taut, rippling sense of power in straining muscles that one felt when it intercepted a blow. No, the human's right arm stopped almost as soon as Razkar's right hit it, as if it was-

A feint.

Shyke!

Razkar stepped back almost frantically but the hidden blow was already well on its way. Ximal's left was curled into a fist that powered towards him, perhaps an uppercut, and Razkar jerked his body back-

-only for the fist to slam into his torso, just under his ribcage. The step back took some of the power out of it, backward movement robbing Ximal of some momentum, but it hardly mattered. Razkar grit his teeth until he felt one crack as his liver screamed out in agony, feeling his body double over-

React! Don't freeze up!

-and he used the momentum of his body folding forwards to launch a desperate headbutt aimed at Ximal's face. If he was lucky he'd get his nose, but with the height difference... probably his jaw, knocking him back a step, perhaps dazing him enough for Razkar to get some breathing room.

Regardless of whether or not his tattooed forehead connected, Razkar would roll to his left, hitting the sand and putting a good few feet between him at the lightning-quick beast across from him. Buy himself time to get his breath back, let adrenaline numb his bruised kidney, breath the fire from his lungs and the shake from his arms.

And think, Myri damn him, about how to knock down this petching tree...

[Ximal]

The muyrian was good very good Xi could easily see that. He'd stopped the feint but having seen through that on impact, he'd already begun to react to the arm coming from beneath but every ruse had a place. And his masked straight had fallen under the guise of an upper cut and collided, however the myrian's retreat had caused it to hit with less force than he desired. This man was good at his own craft. Xi's own stance remained mostly formless he hadn't switched to one of his other stances, each one geared for a specific theme. The man fell forwards and tried to head butt Xi's chin. Xi tried to move but instead leaned forward lifting his chin up and twisting to the side to take the full brunt of the head but on his shoulder. and dear gods above this guy's head was like stone. Xi felt a bolt of pain travel down through his arm. As the myrian rolled left and created some space between the two of them. Xi rolled his shoulder as the myrian rolled away feeling the pain bolt through it rolling it released some of the pain. Xi took a slow breath and fixed his eyes on razkar. How hard isd his head? Felt like i was just hit by a slab of granite. Damn...Looks like this one wont be an easy show. Xi rolled his other shoulder and twisted his stance sweeping his left leg back now and letting his right take the lead as the use the same motion to turn and face the myrian. "Mind if i ask your name? It's been a long while since I've actually been hit." Not counting the seven foot proto human...No that oen don't count. Xi closed the gap between them agian with his left foot and then took a staggeringly fast step with his right bringing his left hand over his shoulder in a very exaggerated move. Hoping that the pain from his last blow still registered with him and he'd try to focused on blocking that. If he did he'd find out that that was infact another feint designed to look more real than anything else, instead Xi was closing in on raz's chest with his right hand. That again would look like the true intent of his targeting but now the punch section was also a feint his target was actually raz's left kidney which he'd swing his torso into his right elbow to get. providing that both punches were or were not blocked. "how do you crack a granite boulder? At it's weakest point with a sledge-hammer.

[Razkar]

Razkar felt his ego purr a little at the human's words, but he quelled the pleasurable sensation like dousing water over a flame. The human was more than he appeared, and he was definitely not stupid. Flattery was just another weapon, but assuming he was serious...

"Razkar of the Shorn Skulls." He said, first half of the sentence between gritted teeth and the last somewhat normal as the agony in his liver evened out and was pushed to the back of his mind. "And you?"

By way of answer, the human moved fast... and Razkar realized that something had to be augmenting his speed. Something that big simply couldn't move that fast... or was that more of a hope? For it he was wrong and this shaggy human really was quick off his own back and prowess... well, it threw a few unpleasant things into sharp relief.

Ah, wounded pride and battered ego. Is there any better way to break a man? Focus, moron!

In a blink the human was within range and Razkar's arms shot up, sun nearly eclipsed by a big, obvious left over the shoulder-

A feint, an obvious feint, does he know that you know it's so ob-

The Myrian snarled at his own mind trying to second guess and went with the flow of battle. He knew this was a feint, and that was what mattered, meaning the second blow-

-the sharp right jab that was launching towards his chest-

-Razkar's own right arm jerked up to knock it away, but he already knew it would be like trying to redirect a battering ram, so twisted his torso to the right at the same time, Ximal's punch now robbed of it's target-

Which would have worked fine, had that been the target.

Too late Razkar realized he'd been fooled, Ximal's right arm folding into itself and redirecting, the fist, no, the elbow-

-swinging low and into Razkar's stomach, his left hand chopping down to block it, parry it, anything-

The Myrian yelped briefly as the blow connect. His twisting evasion had done naught but change the placing of the human's blow: instead of his kidney, it hammered into his stomach instead, threatening to double him over yet again. Instead, he went with the impact, letting the sheer force of it knock him back a few paces, away from the human...

And stood there, panting. Torso on fire from the twin blows they had sustained, abdominal screaming, but he flexed them... and breathed... until the shock of fresh pain became dulled, and his body dealt with it, absorbing it.

Razkar grinned, and nothing showed in that gesture but sheer, savage joy. Finally, a true challenge.

He darted forwards to Ximal's left right arm raised for a roundhouse that never really began. The human was obviously an experienced fighter, knew his feints and counters and blocks and shadow dancing that preceded all blows, trying such an amateur tactic on him would fail.

So swamp him with them.

His left moved next, a short, sharp jab aimed at Ximal's chest-

-but the arm snapped back within his guard before it had even begun, just another drain on Ximal's attention as Razkar got closer-

-his hips rolled and his left foot rose a few inches, the prelude to a kick-

-but Razkar head learned his lesson, the kick instead becoming a step closer-

-then he half-spun on his left foot, pelvis swinging as he lifting his right leg and aimed a bursting knee at the side of Ximal's left leg at his thigh-

-right hand going with the same momentum and aiming a short, swinging blow at his left kidney-

It was a desperate move, he knew, exploding blows at his enemy from multiple directions. So unlike him... but only because most others he had faced were not worth such excessive force. Now, however, this hulking hairy thing was testing him, forcing him to the edge of his abilities.

Razkar let out a growl as he swung round, knee and fist flying-

-smile still a ghost on his lips.

[Ximal]

Interesting This man had more skill than Xi had given him credit for, seeing though the second feint and trying to use it as a redirection. Even crumpling his attack in on themselves trying to use Xi's impact as a way to lesson the blow. The myrian knew how to deflect Xi's blows and knew how to redirect force, however he didn't know how easily Xi could hide attack within attacks. Counters were easy to defect. And assaults merely openings. His escape backwards had left a gap between the pair of them and then Xi took his chance to speak whilst Razkar was still panting from the battle. Xi'd only taken one hit and he'd taken two. "Razkar of the shorn skulls...I'll be sure to remember that. Whether i win or loose. And in return, i'm Ximal...Just call me Xi." Xi smirked knowing full well hoe a battle worked you kept up a smile, regardless of the pain you worse that smile, if you never showed weakness you never showed an advantage. Xi's feet had ground himself into a very solid stance awaiting for the next assault from the still calculating raz. Xi let his eye's again focus on raz's hips and shoulders. Xi could see the grin on raz's face this one easily there not from masking pain but enjoying the challenge, A good challenge. Xi knew the feeling. Finally he had someone who could potentially beat him without the use of magic. Xi held his stance and shifted his torso's positioning. Shifting his shoulders to line up with his feet and finally lifting his arms holding his left hand out infront of him and his right down by his hip. Then raz began to close the gap between the pair of them. Xi watched more focused on raz's torso the way the muscles pulled indicated how a real attack was against a feint, however his attention was still drawn slightly. Right let's see how well you fight when i take the training gloves off. His kick rolling into a closing step. Xi's attention was shot a little more. then came the true attacks a left foot planted half twisting kick aiming at his left thigh? A strange target, however as the kick came in Xi spotted his right arm following it. Xi brought his elbow down linign the point of hsi elbow up with raz kar's incoming shin aiming to use the two hard points of bone to nullify the attack and then use the boost of momentum to help his arm snap up and grab a hold of raz's wrist. If that worked Xi would then tug on raz's arm and use that to destabilize his footing. Then Xi would simply turn his body into a focal point and grab a hold of raz's rem with his other hand and pull him off balance with his full body's weight and using raz's destabilized momentum. The whole instance would take less than a few seconds. And if raz hit the ground at that pace...it was going to hurt.

[Razkar]

Sometimes your best just isn't good enough.

That traitorous thought rattled through Razkar's head as Ximal's arm jerked down like a blur of tanned flesh, arm jerking down, elbow crashinginto his shin and stopping his kick-

-but then the arm straightened again, rough fingers wrapping around his arm and Razkar didn't know-

So fast. So fast and every move was practiced, smooth... confident. It was a humbling realization, and though it froze Razkar and burned him at the same time, under his wounded pride he felt the simple truth that he needed to be humbled.

Too long since you had your arse handed to you, boy.

Ximal kept moving, pulling him, twisting his torso and jerking him off-balance, other hand lashing out to grab his left arm, both his limbs under the big man's control. He knew what was coming: Ximal was going to throw him, use his own momentum to hurl him across the sand.

Razkar gritted his teeth and felt the wind blow through his hair faster, the walls blurring-

Move, damn you!

-throwing up his left leg out of instinct even as Ximal twisted him around, aiming to slam his knee into Ximal's right kidney as he threw the Myrian away from him. Either way, he'd be hitting the ground and hard, but at least this way, he'd give the human something to remember him by after he let go of his arms.

[Ximal]

Success the techniques worked as Xi pulled raz clean off of the ground and even as he was flying through mid air Xi was certain that this was going to work instead though Xi felt a sharp sting in his back. The myrian couldn't resist himself and really stuck it too Xi in that moment his right kidney burned as one of raz's knees slammed into it. Xi's grip loosened lightly as he tossed raz not throwing him with all the force he would have liked. As raz flew over XI's head though he let go of raz's wrists entirely. And now the myrian was flying through the air like a boulder flung from a trebuceht. Xi also dropped onto one knee at the same time drinking down a slow but heavy breath of air trying to mitigate the pain in his lower back now. Xi grunted and smirked speaking again. "Nice knee...I really felt that one..." Xi held his smirk and grunted as he stood up from his now pained position. Xi held his eyes on razkar as he rose, his legs firm agian in their stance as he rose the adrenaline now blocking out the pain signal racing to his head. That one hurt...I think i'll have to alter that throw. Bu it's a good thing i'm not fighting for real...It could have been a lot worse for both me AND him.