PM to join The Knight and the Swimmer [Edreina]

[Markus Andres]

"I know this wonderful lake not far outside the city, you should prove your words. Might be I could swim faster than you." He teased, swimming was not one of his strong points. His large muscles and endurance probably meant he could flail around and stay afloat, but that was about the extent of his knowledge. Markus thought about her words, some of it rang true, plenty of times he could have walked out of the life. One of them more obvious than the others, he could have chosen not to return from Mura. Still, he didn't feel he had had a defining moment where he had decided to become a knight. More importantly, did he feel strongly enough about this to argue with the pretty redhead. "Yet here I am." He echoed the redhead with a proud smile. "I woke up many mornings thinking it was good to be in Syliras in those years as a squire, but in equally many days in those days, I woke up hating having to get out of bed and train and endure weary arms and aching back. With time, the former days became prevalent and the latter simply vanished." Markus pondered a little upon his choice of word with prevalent. He could not recall ever using that word before. "At least, that's what I mean by never having a pivotal moment where I stopped up and decided that this would be my life. But for the last many years, there have been no other path for me." He paused for a short bit and then spoke again. "But if you so desire a single point of... well, no return? When I was knighted. Then I had chosen my life for good." Getting all philosophical with a stranger he barely knew talking the finer points about him becoming a knight. Not exactly what he had expected when he awoke that morning. "No clue." He said with a small shrug. "I've only heard about it from the other knights. I have only just returned to Syliras two days ago. I have been away for a year so I am still getting used to everything. In other words, we'll find out together what kind of place it is - and the spinning coin also have a place you can fight. Only there they do not allow weapons, at the pit. They do. So, a place where you can fight anyone you so desire. A fighting ring." The last fact was what intrigued Markus. Markus was not very good unarmed, which was a good reason for him to request that he had at least a shield against this redhead. "Nope, never been there and probably never will go there unless duty calls me out there. But, it sounds like a ... strange place, to be honest. Might be because I am such a landlubber." He offered with a shrug. One day you visit your good friends in their home. The next day their home is just gone with them and that part of the flotilla is no longer amongst them. For a person born and raised in solid cities, that was a foreign thought. He had been in camps, but, that was only for short periods of time. With a purpose and a end goal. Besides, Markus would probably be thrown overboard the second her people found out he was a knight.

[Edreina]

OOCAgain, I apologize for my lapse xD

"It is a strange place," Edreina agreed with a grin, shrugging as her eyes found her feet. "But strange is what keeps things interesting. Tis why I've stayed in Syliras so long this time; it is just so very strange to me!" As odd to him as a city dictated by the tides was, living in the same place every day for your entire life was to Edreina. The idea seemed downright repulsive, actually? How did these people keep themselves from going brain-dead in such a place?

Finally, Edreina began to pick up the tell-tale signs of fighting, of spectators, and of gamblers. All harkened back to a time when small brawls would break out upon the Svefra's decks late at night. Circles would always form around the fights and bets would be placed upon the victor. Perhaps the same occurred here?

In the great street of Syliras, Wintrot Alley, or something of the like, there stood, barely, a building's tattered visage. But, it seemed abandoned. Its courtyard, however, could not have been a greater contrast. The grounds were covered in a blanket of humans of every shape, size, age, gender and... color? Was that an Akalak? From her vantage point, she could see naught but a jeering crowd of bodies, screaming and heckling some yet unseen. "Shall we venture closer?" Edreina said to the knight as they reached the edge of the crowd, hand falling lightly upon her whip as if to assure herself that she had some manner of protection from such a high-strung group.

There was a nearly unanimous groan save for the few that had managed to bet correctly and were now drooling over a pocket of Mizas."And who's next!?" A voice bellowed, rising above the din.

"No time like the present, I suppose." Gods, why had she decided to do this again? Fighting was not her strong suit. Not one bit. She sighed, shaking her head clear of such thoughts. Getting your rear handed to you was the best way to learn, or at least that was what Razkar had taught her. "After you," she said, partially because her stomach was in knots and partially because she knew that the knight would be able to carve a path through the jungle of humans.

[Markus Andres]

They carried on in relative silence when they neared the building itself. Markus had only heard of the place not been there yet so when he entered it reminded him of a rowdier version of the spinning coin. Only a part of the spinning coin was dedicated to people beating the living shyke out of each other. This building, on the other hand, everything was designed for people to stand in the middle and beat each other up. With weapons none-the-less. It was exciting place that had cropped up in his absence. He was not certain if it was a good thing or not, but that was for the higher ranking knights to decide. Markus was surprised to see that there were so many people gathered in this spot. Briefly he contemplated how the 'peace' aspect of Sylir fitted in with this place. Markus had not imagined that this place would have been this popular. Perhaps get A smile crossed his lips when he recognized the groan that went through the unlucky part of the crowd. Someone had just lost a fight and because of that, many more had lost their gold. Cause and effect, Markus felt a little pity with those who might have lost their last mizas in here, but those were the risks of gambling. "We're next." Markus responded with a loud voice and with his right hand raised in the air. Those closest to him took a step away when they noticed his size and frame. To them, the two next fighters would be a mismatch. A very tall and broad knight against a small freckled woman. It was perhaps a bit of a mismatch, even Markus had to admit this after watching her use the whip on the ship. It was a somewhat unpredictable weapon, but once he figured out how it moved, she would be destroyed. Markus was certain of this. But those vicious lashes, Markus might get a couple of wonderful new scars to match his physique. As long as he did not get any lasting injuries, this would be a wonderful training session. Partly because of the weapon, partly because he would be looking at a very attractive woman. Markus made his way through the crowd, gently puffing those who were too drunk or too stupid to make way for him and the red-haired woman. Soon they stood in the area designated for the fight and Markus smiled as he just unhinged the shield from where it had been hanging on the back and slid his left hand into the straps and held it tightly. Possibly to the surprise of the people watching, Markus made no move for his bastard sword. He stood there, shield raised as he looked at the redhead. "You ready?"

[Edreina]

"Not entirely," the Svefra admitted with a wry grin, flexing her whip between her hands nonetheless. It was still a mite bit less loose than she preferred after sitting unused for so long. But, it mattered not. A few more swings and she should be able to use it efficiently. "I suppose it will have to do, though."

Thin shoulders were squared as Edreina attempted to take stock of her opponent once again, barely trained eyes looking over his stance, searching for some sort of indicator as to how he would fight. Her gaze was constantly drawn to, however, the massive bit of metal behind which he hid. Shield isn't only for protection, she realized with an internal groan, I'm sure he could deal some serious damage with that if he wished to do so. Aside from that, she had no idea how he would fight. Damn her incompetence. Ah... well... another bruise to add to the many bestowed upon her by a Myrian.

Without a word the Svefra took two quick steps forward, spinning her entire body so that the whip's momentum was at a maximum before she snapped her arm back, causing the whip to crack in the air. It was a move meant to startle her opponent, to give her some idea of his weaknesses. Then again, he was a knight. It was entirely possible that he was without weakness of any sort or that he was so strictly regimented that he would not let her see them. In any case, she hoped that he would be a logical human being and shy away from the strip of razor-thin leather snapping the air in front of his face.

There would be no time for her to linger close to him, searching for clues, for he had her beat in experience, skill, and bulk. But, she had speed and that was exactly her tactic. If she kept him moving and unable to keep up with her, perhaps he would eventually tire out. Certainly it was worth a try. With this in mind she quickly backpedaled, moving out of Markus' range. She had shown a bit of her modest skill and fluid form. Now it was time for him to do the same.

No matter any taunts that may have been spouted, the grinning Svefra would continue to move away from Markus until he decided a course of action. If an opportunity appeared, the woman taught by a Myrian would not hold back, lashing out fiercely with the length of leather. It would whistle through the air and then crack when she wrenched her arm backwards, scoring any flesh it happened to meet or making an echoing ping upon any metal.

[Markus Andres]

Standing before an opponent on a field of battle, holding little more than his shield for protection and attack made Markus feel a little naked. No metal plates between him and the vicious weapon of Edreina. Markus took a deep breath, straightened his back and prepared himself mentally for the upcoming battle. Push back the worry of that whip tearing through his flesh. Markus shook his head a little at that mental image, trying to get that out of his head when the redhead moved. Markus' eyes narrowed on her form. Specifically the the right shoulder and arm. Trying to understand how she would move with that peculiar weapon. Her form spun and right arm snapped. But at that distance, could she even hit him? He knew the weapon had an impressive reach, but that seemed far fetched. Markus felt a chill down his spine and eyes went wide as he instinctively stepped back and raised the shield to guard his face when he heard the crack of the whip right before him. That sound was unnerving and he did not want that weapon to tear into his flesh. It had the reach. Most definitely had the reach. Markus peeked over the edge of the shield a little wary of his opponent. Had she just intended to scare him? If so, it had worked well, for Markus was a bit more observant about her weapon now. Especially so when he saw her spin her upper body like that, although the juvenile part of his mind was always observant when she spun her body. She retreated, maintaining a good distance to his very close ranged weaponry. Ought to get interesting. Markus moved forward, shield held out before him and his eyes peeking just over the edge. Advancing in a slow steady pace. Awaiting her reaction. Her counter attack so he might block it and dash in and close the distance in a short burst. Though the woman seemed to shy away from any direct combat. Moving about and away from the massive knight. Markus was usually a man of few words when a battle commenced, but her backtracking and constant rearing away from combat did bother him. Mainly because he now understood that she knew what tactic to use against him. Sooner or later she would have to attack. Intimidated by his size, perhaps? Markus had not come to the fighting grounds to spend the day marching in circles to catch up to an elusive redhead. Markus right foot dug into the ground briefly as he pushed off. Sending him in a short range sprint at the woman. Shield kept at the centre. Protecting from any direct strikes from the front. Should he cross the distance without suffering too devastating a hit, he would swing his right arm in a low arc toward the centre of her torso in a hook styled punch. His torso spun as the shield was pulled back to give room for his right arm. The aim was to knock either a rib loose or empty both her lungs of their content. The follow-up would be his shield and their teeth being punched directly at her right shoulder as his legs and torso spun the other way to support the quick one-two combo.

[Edreina]

When the knight started his assault, lunching forward into a brief sprint, Edreina could not help but feel that she was being advanced upon by a mountain. For a terrifying instant, her newness to the world of battle showed and she froze, blue eyes wide and unsure as to what she should do. He was closing fast and finally instinct seized control of her pale frame, sending her into a tight spin away from his punch. But her movements were too extreme and quickly she found herself off balance, stumbling backwards. The edge of the shield rammed into her arm, deadening the muscle for a horrifying instant. It hurt like blazes and truly annoyed her; she had hoped to land the first blow if any others.

Breath hissed through her teeth as she continued to turn, moving away from the knight. Her whip slid through her fingers, weighted handle propelling it outward until finally her grip closed tight about the tip. Her pale wrist twisted sharply as she turned the whip about her hand, securing it. She slipped through the dirt in an attempt to reverse her momentum, momentarily losing her balance once again before recovering. Groaning, she spun the whip over her head once, aiming to knock the away-facing knight behind the eyes with the heavy handle. While that swing's momentum carried, she placed her other hand atop the one already gripping the leather, gyrating her upper body so that the whip spun again, faster this time and diagonally in an attempt to lay a harsh blow upon the knight's shoulder.

If it failed, she would jerk back on the whip, causing the handle to fly back towards her before thudding solidly in her palm. From there, she would be on the defensive again, moving on her toes in an attempt to continue out pacing Markus. If this blow landed, she would tug down sharply, stunning the arm or upsetting his balance while forcing the whip's handle away from him at the same time. While it was down, she would swing her arm up and over her head then around and down so that the heavy handle was sent hurtling towards his lower legs. The best that she could hope to do was bruise him and send him kiltering off balance and into the dirt. Once the giant fell, it would be easier for her to find an upper hand.

[Markus Andres]

The woman was nimble, avoiding his hook and Markus took note of that. But not nimble enough, he found out. His shield connected with her and that brought a mixed smile on his lips. Enjoying the connected strike, but dismayed at the same time. Worried that the fight might be over too soon if this was the extend of her abilities as a fighter. Gripping the straps in the shield harder as he lowered the shield slightly to get a better view of the redhead and how badly the impact had injured her. He saw pain, but also determination to continue and that was something the young knight truly enjoyed seeing. That spark that kept people fighting. She moved quickly, Markus had to admit that, but he supposed woman her size had to move quickly to survive in this world. Especially among the less than noble seafaring race. She was quick to regain her balance in the dirt and even strike out at him with the handle of her weapon, Markus kicked away with his right foot and moved back and away from the woman and avoiding the strike at his head. But the redhead was not done yet, the weapon coming down in a diagonal arc at him. Markus raised the shield instinctively and heard the metal ring out with a heavy dull thud as the whip connected with the metal. To his worry and surprise. The whip hit the edge of the shield and then naturally bent and the heavy handle swung down right in front of his shoulder and face. Slapping the inside of the shield. Close to his arm and hand. Markus' eyes went wide as he reacted instinctively and swung the shield sideways to push the whip away from his comfort zone. He let out a long exhale as his teeth bit together to keep himself from issuing a low angry growl. Of course the whip would snap if it struck the edge of the shield. Idiotic to think otherwise. He should not have been surprised by that, rather he should have anticipated it and reacted accordingly. He rolled with the shoulder as he back pedalled to get some distance to the redhead. Hindsight would have told him to have gripped the handle when it had been relatively still behind his shield, but alas, that had been too late the thought had occured to him and she redhead had already withdraw the whip. Luckily the rather large shield meant she had no idea whether she had struck him or not. But he did not enjoy being at a distance with that weapon. The exaggerated way she moved before she struck was the pattern her had to recognize. Arms moved quick, but when the snap came was when she would attack him and hopefully leave herself open for the quick burst of speed to cover the distance and punch her teeth in. The handle flew out at his legs and Markus was a bit surprised at her consistent use of the handle as the striking point. Was that the norm? Was the more elastic part only for use against slow or disobedient slaves and shipmates? Markus did not know nor did he have the time to contemplate such matters as it went straight for his legs. Markus spread his legs as he lowered the shield to cover the most important part of the lower regions. The handle went straight between his legs and Markus wasted no time thinking about what to do next. He pushed off with his left foot and went over the whip with it, he did not want it to lie between his legs when he ran. Might be some foul trickery involved. The shield between the two and Markus eyes peeking over the edge as he ran. Making sure she did not change position as he crossed the distance. The plan was simple as always. Get close to the woman. Swing out with the shield to bash the flat against her defence and open it up for his right hand to snap out for the middle of her face in a simple cross.