Placeholder Rumble in the Jungle

[Kol]

11th of Fall, 510 A.V.
Arena of Ancients

Kol was circling his opponent, sizing the female up. She was perhaps a year or so younger than him, but easily his own size and a harsh snarl distorted her lips. The twenty year old flexed his hands, curling them into loose fists. He had been in a few fights recently, his younger sister thinking it fun to get him into various quarrels. But even when she wasn't around he still found himself having to defend himself. So be it.

Kol, a tall Myrian male, was eye to eye with his opponent and did not taunt or mock those fighting him. Not in the arena. Not in the ring. Not here. Bringing his hands up to protect his face, his hazel eyes were dark, Syna's light refusing to illuminate them. His expression was focused and unrelenting. He imagined his sister there, yelling at the sidelines.

'Watch her feet! Watch her feet! No! Wai- Block! Block!'

Even in his imagination, she brought a smirk to his face. He looked down, seeing his opponent lead with her right. He leaned left, only momentarily surprised when her fist swished past his ear, missing contact. It was then he struck, while his opponent was off guard. Throwing his weight forward, he moved quickly, his knuckles tightening on impact to a full forced punch. It slammed into the Myrian's cheek, knocking her to the ground.

Most would have struck instantly, but Kol waited for her to regain her footing. He wasn't here to win, but to train. How could he do so if he battered the girl unconscious or vice versa? Soon, Kol found himself being bombarded with another attack, swings slamming into his shoulder and ribs. His muscles tightened, hoping to protect, but pain radiated up his bare abdomen.

More punches, slamming into his sides as he kept his head down, waiting for a moment to strike. Just when he thought he saw an opening, he leaned back to get leverage and a heel promptly swiped his jaw. He flew backwards, landing hard into the ground.

Cheers. He heard cheering from the crowd. Kol chuckled, his deep voice vibrating off the ground, even as he aimed to block. He was used to the wrestling ring, where getting thrown to the ground meant an even more brutal beating, but to his surprise his opponent was waiting, just as he had for her. She was nodding in respect and when he was on his feet, their dance continued.

Kol was only faintly aware of those watching. Barely fazed by anyone caring whether he won or lost. Unlike most here, he didn't have a feud to settle, just a bit of energy and a need for a good fight.
---
Myrian

[Kaie]

"That's it, that's it!" Keikyo encouraged with a mask of seriousness, his forearms crossed over his chest. His coal black eyes focused on the wild forms of two dancing partners. Their hands danced about in a guard before their faces, knees bent and bodies swaying deceptively. A pause had ensued after the younger of the two combatants landed a brutal strike to her opponent's ribs, and the victim had fallen back to regroup. Yet the young girl's patience had long since worn out and her thoughts were far from merciful. Her feet shuffled forward quickly, and a swift left jab shot toward the cautious male's face. His eyes dilated and he made a move to capture the arm for a vicious counter, only to find the jabbing hand had jerked back to its resting place. It had been a fake and his guard was too high. The young girl's body rotated and her shin cut down into the injured lower rib. The male released a howl and cursed furiously, hobbling back out of her range once again.

Come on, come on! Stop being so petching afraid to hit me! Kaie berated Indgu furiously, her amber eyes gleaming bright in the daylight. Her lead foot scuffed restlessly into the dirt. Keikyo looked between the two and scowled. He motion for them to stop, vanished for several ticks, and return with a wooden dagger replica in hand.

"For you, Craven," Her cousin begrudgingly said, handing his friend the training weapon. His expression was one of deep disappointment. Indgu took the dagger in his right hand sheepishly. "You wanted to get over your bad habit, and you haven't even thrown so much as a punch for half a chime. Maybe this'll give you a little more courage."

"Where's mine?" Kaie inquired suddenly, her brow raised questioningly toward her cousin. Keikyo showed her his empty palms.

"You don't get one. You came to me for a spar and I can't," He began, gesturing toward his left eye. A female his age, Yuhk, had struck him so soundly at the Training Yards that it had swollen shut. When they were finished in the Arena, Kaie expected he'd find a dagger to fix the inconvenience. A crescent slice would surely mark his face by morning. "So I'm giving you the challenge you asked for. Now get back to it."

Kaie cursed under her breath and returned to her combat crouch. Indgu did the same. His right hand played with the dagger childishly, toying with its weight between his fingers. Slowly he inched forward. No doubt Keikyo had been right, the advantage had indeed made him more audacious. For a boy determined to be a warrior, it was strange he was so easily intimidated by someone younger than him. Is that really what Keikyo meant plagues this guy? Just easily intimidated? Kaie trained hard and long when she had leisure time, but that didn't mean she was even remotely comparable to those with reputations as mean as Yuhk's.

Alright. Think this through. He has the dagger, you don't. How do I even the playing field? Indgu fell into his stance and approached, the dagger prepared to strike when it had entered range. I should just disarm him. Break his false confidence and make him go unarmed with me. Then what? Her opponent hardly gave her any time to think. Like a scorpion he had lashed out with his dagger and Kaie had narrowly managed to step back. Keikyo made a noise somewhere on the sidelines that didn't suggest admiration. She shot him a look and focused on Indgu, waiting. The dagger dashed forward toward her chest and this time she was prepared.

She stepped off center and redirected the dagger past her body with her forearm. Her fingers locked around his passing wrist, and with her other hand's aid, she stepped back and twisted it up and inward. His fingers unwillingly released the wooden weapon to her hands, and Kaie sent a finishing front kick into his hips before he could bring his free hand around. Indgu stumbled back and doubled over, face twisted in annoyance. He shook out his wrist and grumbled something foul beneath his breath. He should've been thanking some gods above she hadn't dug her heel into his groin instead.

Now...finish him?

Keikyo gave her a stern nod, and Kaie returned it. This time she was the one to rush him. Just before she was in range, she hurled the dagger recklessly his way. It sailed just barely past him, and he paused to give her a queer look. After all, what fool would throw away her advantage like that? The truth was Kaie was far more comfortable battling unarmed than she was with blades. She could disarm this or that, but when she had the weapon in her own hand she would do nothing but stare at it dumbly. The dagger throw was just as much a juvenile distraction as it was a way to rid herself of the thing. Nonetheless, it worked on the dim witted male. His confusion made him sloppy. His next strike soared crooked to her right shoulder. Kaie deflected it off her forearm and continued her forward momentum, until her free hand had slammed into his throat. With his balance altered backward and her weight behind it, the thirteen year old girl had little trouble swiping his closest leg out from under him. Indgu landed on his back with her fingers still locked loosely around his throat. His brown eyes were as wide as saucers. Kaie backed away from him.

"See? You didn't need a dagger, and look! Indgu even threw a punch!" Keikyo laughed warmly, reaching a hand down and righting Indgu once again. He patted the boy on the shoulder with a broad grin. "We should go. It's a long walk back to the Yards from here. We'll get you back into your rhythm again, Indgu. Go on, I'll catch up." Indgu nodded reluctantly and began to stroll toward the path back toward the Training Yards. Kaie couldn't help but liken him to the sad image of a dog retreating with its tail between its legs. "He used to be pretty good. Took one gruesome hit to the nose and he was out for a day. Poor kid's trying to find his bearings again. It's like his head is foggy or something. I'll try to find you someone better next time. I'll see you back at the longhouse by Synaset, Kaie. Not bad today considering. Maybe you'll find a worthy opponent before everyone heads back to their lands?" He mussed up her curly brown hair and followed after the boy.

A roar of cheers caught the young girl's attention before she could offer her cousin a proper goodbye. Amber eyes snapped to the scene of circling Myrians older than herself. Her feet had begun to move before she even processed the scene. She gently shoved her way past the hooting, jittery spectators that made a crude circle about the spar. Then at last she reached a position on the inner ring where she could watch them: the female and the mountain-build male. A grin slipped across her features.

Now here's a good match up...

[Kol]

The girl was fast, her hits hard and unrelenting -- two qualities that Kol held high regard for. Opponent were easy to come by in Taloba, worthy ones willing to share their knowledge... not so much. Kol wasn't exactly anything to write home about in terms of fighting, but he was a quick study and more determined than most Myrian males. Everything held a competitive notch, and in Taloba gaining positions of power were near impossible for anyone born of the male gender but that wasn't an easy way out or a reason Kol should allow his physical capabilities to suffer simply on the terms of cultural bias. He was an individual. He knew his place in Myrian society. But he would always, always strive to improve, aim to adapt. To conquer. To defeat and defend. To make Myri proud.

Kol was an observer, taking in the way his opponent balanced her weight, favoring the left foot. He noticed her side step and the small curling of her lip when she was about to attack. These were not things that were inherently obvious. They were details. Fine, distinct tells that Kol thought important. Every fighting style was different. Some people, not just Myrians, stuck to a more traditional movement with their bodies, others had a wilder way of approaching a situation, and then there were some who lunged, using any means possible to take you down. Those were often some of the more dangerous, but also easier opponents if you knew were to strike.

A punch soared towards his ribs, leaving little time for him to get out of the way. Tightening his core, Kol grunted at the impact and then threw his elbow forward, smacking it forcefully into the woman's nose. A crack was heard and then there was blood. The red liquid started to pour from the Myrian's face, down her lips and dripped from her chin. She pulled away, leaving time for Kol to circle her contemplatively. Her eyes will be watering. This would be a good time to strike. Kol waited to see if the female would call it, but she didn't, only smiled through the injury, the area around her eyes already beginning to darken with bruises. When she nodded, Kol continued.

It was an ugly sight, but no where near as gruesome as what could always be. She's snarling. Jump. Kol leaped backwards to avoid another punch, closer to the crowd surrounding them, and the people moved in response. Feeling a bit adventurous, he threw himself towards the ground, rolling forward and to the side. If this was a spar, it was for learning, and that move was something he was not so familiar with. Fortunately, Kol was successful in avoiding the girl's charge, unfortunately, he was slow to stand and received a powerful kick between the shoulder blades, throwing him forward on his stomach.

Feet. His eyes were level with an onlookers feet, and he looked up to see who they belonged to. A girl, no older than Peia, at best. Something about her eyes... there was no mistaking them for his sister's. There was something in them. Something he didn't recognize. Kol's attention was only captured momentarily before his mind clicked back to the task at hand. He rolled onto his back to see the woman coming at him, apparently their silent agreement now broken along with the bridge of her face

It would be time to end this soon. Kol was running out of breath, his battle going on longer than he anticipated and he pushed himself off the ground, a darker side of him emerging. He had been knocked to the ground, punched, kicked and a slammed into. His ribs, face, knuckles and knees ached. This was battle. This is what he enjoyed -- the pain, the challenge, the satisfaction of pushing yourself further and testing limits.

But a victory would be celebrated later.

The arena faded again and as he pulled himself to his feet, a glint of sunlight flashed from the woman's hand. Dagger. The blood on her face had run into her mouth, leaving her smile bloody and grotesque. Kol tried to move out of the way, but the blade ran into his upper arm, slicing open flesh. He grunted loudly, eyes locking onto the sharp edge while his hand went to clutch his bleeding wound.

"We're using weapons now?"

His voice held a steady tone, but his eyes were lit with fury. He had removed his whip before they had begun, assuming she would either do the same with her knife, or keep it sheathed the entire time. Now he was mad.

"Just trying to keep things interesting."

Whether her intent was to kill or just add a few more scars to Kol's collection, Kol didn't intend to play with someone like her. She struck out again, brandishing the blade sloppily through her blurred vision. He decided to use this to his advantage, balancing his weight and swinging his leg forward, aiming for her left one, the one she favored. He would knock her down, and use his weight to his advantage. He would grab her hand, slam it into the ground if she still held the dagger. Attack her face aggressively if she didn't. She would yield or Kol would die. There was no question about that.

oocFeel free to write what you see Kol doing out of those two options. Once the fight is over, he's most likely collect himself and push past everyone to get his stuff. I'm flexible, I just thought I'd wrap up this post so Kaie and Kol can finally communicate. :3
---
Myrian

[Kaie]

Oddly enough, playing spectator to spars and the like was nearly as enjoyable as participating. Since childhood Kaie had been drawn to the Arena of Ancients by her own accord. The Training Yards provided another kind of excitement but it would be some time before she experienced them. In the meantime she spent her leisure watching, studying, and mimicking those around her. Every fighter had their own specific sort of style, and despite her mimicry when she first began to learn the art of combat, her own was slowly starting to emerge. It began as a pattern of preferences. A counter rather than a bob and weave, a fluid dance of force rather than a blunt power struggle. Now it was building and she felt herself growing in it every day, and though she felt herself itching for another spar, she was strangely content with watching the one before it.

Physically, the fight seemed far from even. The female was sturdy looking enough with a ferocity in her eyes only a fool would overlook. She was focused and thoughtful, seemingly to contemplate moments before she engaged again. The male was built like a mountain, robust and broad. There was a quiet intelligence within his demeanor. He was vigilant when he circled her, dark eyes reading his opponent are carefully as a bird of prey. Above all, he was persistent. His strikes came when it mattered most, and in one swift attack, there came the sickening snap of cartilage and a river of blood down the female's face. Lucky for her, the female was tougher than she looked. It was as if her broken nose was nothing more than a minor setback and the blood a minor inconvenience. Kaie supposed from a warrior's perspective, it was exactly that: a change in momentum and nothing more.

The match has changed, She noted internally. The male had done the honorable thing to do in a practice round and gave her a moment to recompose herself. Still, there was an obvious change in the balance. The harsh reality of her position must've finally hit her, because the female was after her aggressor like bees to honey. They were almost desperate swings, working more toward an end than a strategic position. Oh, she's out for blood now. Kaie skittered back with the rest of the crowd when the battle came close, but the ring edged back in as soon as the male had rolled across the earth. The showy try earned him little more than the female's punishment, landing him at Kaie's feet.

She looked down at him with an impish grin, eyebrows raised in amusement. Better haul your ass! Her eyes flickered from the male to the oncoming female with a knowing expression. He didn't need her subtle hint to know it was time to return to his feet. In a tick he was back up and back in it, and judging by the way his chest heaved and the muscles of his back tensed, she could guess he'd had enough. Apparently the female had thought something similar before deciding to wield a dagger. She looks like shyke. Can't really blame her for fighting dirty. Should be interesting enough.

"Who's your pick?" Kaie interrogated the teenage girl beside her, whose arms were folded tight across her chest with a fiercely focused gaze. She glanced at the younger girl in surprise and remained silent for a moment. Just before the two combatants rushed at one another again, she shrugged.
"Female's got the dagger. All she needs to do is dig in the right place. She'll have him in a tick."
"A weapon doesn't decide a battle, Yitmah always says. The male's muscled and probably slower, but he's smarter. You wait and see." The older girl laughed at that.


OOC:So sorry for the wait! School's finally over as well as exams so my replies should be far more timely!

[Kol]

Kol stuck to his game plan, twisting his body and kicking outwards towards the female's leg. He missed the first time, having to jump back to avoid a blade between the ribs. He attempted the attack again, faking a punch to make the woman flinch. His trick worked and she jerked back, giving Kol the opening he needed. His foot shot out smacking hard into the side of her knee, hooking it onto the back of her open flesh. She fell almost instantaneously, her bloody dagger flying from her grip as she caught herself.

Kol's anger still continued to burn and now it was time to do something about it. He went to grab his opponent, shoving her face into the dirt. She growled in anger, and he pinned her beneath him, hooking his arm around the underside of her neck and squeezing. He grabbed his wrist with his other hand, locking the hold in place, fighting against her as she struggled. Trying to toss him off, the actions did little and soon she was slumping, breathing heavier and growing tired. As she began to weaken, Kol released, grabbing her skull and slamming it twice into the hard ground.

She screamed, her broken nose getting bashed more. Finally, Kol heard the submission through thick, injured speech, "I yield!" He climbed off of her, pushing himself up to stand. Brushing the dirt from his body, he shot her a hard glare. Under other circumstances, perhaps he would have helped her to her feet. But she was a cheater and Kol held no respect for her. He made his way towards the edge of the crowd, tired and out of breath. On the way, he kicked the woman's dagger farther away from her, pushing past those who had rooted for him.

His whip and backpack waited faithfully for him beneath one of the pillars and he went to sit beneath it, searching for his water skin. When he retrieved the full container, he opened it slightly so he could drink deeply, saving just enough. The water skin was tipped forward, clear liquid pouring from it and onto his new, open wound. Dirt and blood washed away, running down his arm and diluting, revealing the depth of the injury. Kol estimated it needing a stitch or two, but he knew next to nothing in medicine. Locking his jaw, he leaned against the pillar, eyes wandering.

His opponent with the broken nose was slinking away, the crowd dispersing to find another source of entertainment. And such was the way of Taloba, always looking for the next demonstration of bloodshed.
---
Myrian
Common

[Kaie]

Just like that, the bloody dagger was ditched and the teenage girl beside Kaie stiffened. No longer was it a carefully planned spar, but a brawl for supremacy. Faces were drilled into dirt and elbows swung wildly in search of flesh. Guttural snarls and indignant hisses were drowned out by the sudden cheering of their spectators. Most cried out for the female, their words shaming her and bidding her to rise as her gender was expected. Very few howled for the male's victory. It wasn't because he was arrogant or unworthy of a win that fewer took his side. In fact, just by the look of him most would pin him with the advantage from the very start. His only downfall was that he possessed the wrong organ between his thighs, and as Falyndar's bloody history usually went, the Myrians generally didn't look to praise an underdog.

"Aren't you glad I didn't have a Bikka to bet against you?" Kaie teased the woman beside her, unable to keep the smug grin of satisfaction off her face. Her companion's eyes were glued to the fight in disbelief. With the scream of the female again as her nose received another beating, she finally shot the younger girl a dirty look. "I'll just take that as a 'yes' then." It seemed like only a few ticks later that the female opponent in the ring did the unthinkable: surrender. Bystanders gaped at her, their brows casting deep shadows over their disapproving expressions. An older woman, perhaps someone from the broken girl's clan, stormed through the collection of bodies in a flurry of brutal curses. The defeated seemed to cower at the violence of the words, and in a tick, she was wrenched up onto her feet by her arm. The two shoved their way through the crowd and toward Taloba. Kaie wondered if the elder would at least allow the woman to clean herself up before the punishment fell upon her hard.

Amber eyes traversed back across the dissipating ring to find the male again. She could feel the heat of the battle fresh upon him, the glistening sweat upon his bronze skin and the seething irritation lingering on his mind. Perhaps it was none other than a childish tendency, but nonetheless, her feet were moving in his direction before her head had realized it. "You move fast for one so big," She stated suddenly, rocking back and forth before him on her feet. There was a curious gleam in her stare as she glanced about his figure. "A whip. Why did you bring that? Did you come with a slave?" There was a glance over either shoulder and then a pull of perplexity at her brow. Two blinks, and she seemed to have realized her mistake. "Unless you use it for other things?"

[Kol]

The shade from the pillar was scarce and the hot sun still found Kol's damp skin, giving it a warm coppery illumination. The wound on his arm was bright and red, glowing with a thrum of burning pain. He began to gently blow on the wound, stopping and looking up when a pair of two feet pattered over to where he sat. He stared blankly at the young female.

She began to rock back and forth, and Kol eyed her wearily. The girl was the age of one of his sisters, he guessed. Dahlia? No... Peia. She had big eyes that didn't seem to fit her face for one so young. She was familiar. Kol sorted through his memories, glancing at the whip when it was addressed. Her eyes... Her eyes... The girl he had fallen before in the match. She had been smiling at him.

He lazily reached for the handle, the string of leather attached slithering towards them when he pulled it closer. He turned it over in his hand, rewinding it, carefully avoiding the shards of bone and metal that were weaved along the whip's thong. His movements were practiced, and muscle memory guided his hands faithfully."It is my weapon."

Kol looked over his shoulder, not sure why she had chosen him to talk to. Because he had won the fight? He pushed himself up off the ground, stifling a grunt when his arm protested and moved away from the pillar. "Watch."

Not used to talking to too many people, least of all those younger than him, he awkwardly looked at the item in his hand. Had she not seen a whip used for anything other than for slaves? Silently motioning her farther to the side, he let go of the whip, catching the handle in his thumb and them his fingers when the weapon came undone. His work earlier had been habit and it was once again free. He nodded towards the pillar and pulled back, swinging his arm forward in a graceful arch.

The leather obliged, cutting through the air, and snapping against the stone. The sound was a loud, thunderous crack that radiated outward. One of the shards in the weapon's leather scratched up the structure, chipping a piece of the rock off and leaving a few scratches. Kol moved towards it and ran his fingers across the marred surface. He pointed it out and looked at Kaie, "What is yours?"
---
Myrian
Common

[Kaie]

It appeared to be a rather methodical process that came naturally to him, that wrapping of leather and its strange assortment of shards around his hand. His weapon? Why use a glorified rope when he could just put a blade in his hand? She thought suspiciously, eyeing the man nonetheless with a composure almost uncharacteristic of her. As suggested, Kaie watched the man well out of his way. Thin arms crossed her chest. After all, how impressive could the whip truly be? She'd seen marks across a slave's back, but surely it wasn't a proven weapon, was it?

His arm swung forward and there came a booming crack against the flesh of the targeted stone pillar. It rattled her ears and send her nerves on end for but a tick. Arms fell to her sides and her body instinctively warned her to step back, yet reason and pride allowed her to fight off that suggestion. After a moment of deliberation, the youth finally conceded to follow him up to the pillar. His fingers, much bigger than hers, dragged across the lines inflicted upon the ancient stone. She followed suit. When pulled back to inspect her hand, she found stray powder from the injured rock upon the pads of her fingers. Not bad...but not something I would readily go to war with.


"My weapon?" She practically beamed and held up a hand that seemed to say "wait here." Turning on her heel, Kaie dashed around the pillar to a new collection of ruins just upon the edge of the jungle. She disappeared behind it for a few ticks before bounding back. A wooden spear was clutched tightly in her grasp. "I get to train with the bow or a blade sometimes. Keikyo and I always practice with spears though. We borrow our knives from our longhouse and make them ourselves." She lifted the weapon for his inspection. Across the length of the shaft, there were knife marks scraped into the wood: a testament to shoddy craftsmanship. Overall, though, the bark had been properly scraped clean and the branch an almost perfectly straight line. It had been rather time consuming to craft, Kaie remembered, and many more branches were sacrificed to the fire before she had come up with the decent construction she had now. Her fingers wandered over the strange spearhead she had attached to the end. It was heavy looking and metal, not to mention dark in color. An odd and mysterious gift she had woken up to the morning after she first trained with Yitmah.

"One day I want a sword, a gladius, like my father's. The spear is tradition though. Good for hunting and good for killing. Why the whip? I get that it hurts but I'd think twice before rushing at any skurak with that."

[Kaie]

It appeared to be a rather methodical process that came naturally to him, that wrapping of leather and its strange assortment of shards around his hand. His weapon? Why use a glorified rope when he could just put a blade in his hand? She thought suspiciously, eyeing the man nonetheless with a composure almost uncharacteristic of her. As suggested, Kaie watched the man well out of his way. Thin arms crossed her chest. After all, how impressive could the whip truly be? She'd seen marks across a slave's back, but surely it wasn't a proven weapon, was it?

His arm swung forward and there came a booming crack against the flesh of the targeted stone pillar. It rattled her ears and send her nerves on end for but a tick. Arms fell to her sides and her body instinctively warned her to step back, yet reason and pride allowed her to fight off that suggestion. After a moment of deliberation, the youth finally conceded to follow him up to the pillar. His fingers, much bigger than hers, dragged across the lines inflicted upon the ancient stone. She followed suit. When pulled back to inspect her hand, she found stray powder from the injured rock upon the pads of her fingers. Not bad...but not something I would readily go to war with.


"My weapon?" She practically beamed and held up a hand that seemed to say "wait here." Turning on her heel, Kaie dashed around the pillar to a new collection of ruins just upon the edge of the jungle. She disappeared behind it for a few ticks before bounding back. A wooden spear was clutched tightly in her grasp. "I get to train with the bow or a blade sometimes. Keikyo and I always practice with spears though. We borrow our knives from our longhouse and make them ourselves." She lifted the weapon for his inspection. Across the length of the shaft, there were knife marks scraped into the wood: a testament to shoddy craftsmanship. Overall, though, the bark had been properly scraped clean and the branch an almost perfectly straight line. It had been rather time consuming to craft, Kaie remembered, and many more branches were sacrificed to the fire before she had come up with the decent construction she had now. Her fingers wandered over the strange spearhead she had attached to the end. It was heavy looking and metal, not to mention dark in color. An odd and mysterious gift she had woken up to the morning after she first trained with Yitmah.

"One day I want a sword, a gladius, like my father's. The spear is tradition though. Good for hunting and good for killing. Why the whip? I get that it hurts but I'd think twice before rushing at any skurak with that."