Closed A Fighter Inside (AFI)

[Byron Allestor]

Admittedly Byron actually felt a little unnerved when he saw the Akalak take his stance with scythe in hand, deep down the boy knew he stood little to no chance against such a higher opponent, yet for some strange reason part of him felt against such an inclination. Defiance perhaps? Something this Akalak possessed stirred a reaction out of Byron at best, and now that he thought more on the matter, it really started to feel like Byron himself had something he wanted to prove at best. I've got to figure out where his defenses are, see if I can't get through somehow! He reminded himself as he focused on the Akalak's change of position, the change of his hands suggested the giant of a man prepared a strike.

His own feet started to hesitate then as he felt unsure about this approach then, an instant of a thought led for one of his feet to misdirection in his path, and shook the balance he felt as he saw the swift flick of the scythe's end prop before him. W-Whoa damn! His ability to evade had nearly been diminished from his earlier stubble, yet with his falter in momentum he'd been allowed at least a tick, just to pull off something out of the blue really. Byron's upper body went into a lean back that drove him to fall onto the dirt below, as he accidentally slid across the dirt with own scythe dropped next to him. There had been a gasp from the loss of air he felt as well as initial shock on his face, as he came to a stop in just moments after he hit the ground. While he'd managed to at least avoid the intended hit the Akalak imposed on him, he luck seemed to quickly run out the moment he faltered from his course of action.

Ow! Son of a- He growled a little as he tried to clear his mind of the thoughts based on his pain, he couldn't allow the hurt and embarrassment to stop him now. Admittedly this would've been the part where he would've called it quits, yet at this point he'd already allowed himself too much to give in so easily. He glanced past the Akalak towards his brother, the pressing concern found in the younger brother's eyes, while everyone else here in the pit found laughter instead. Okay, think fast Byron! He reassured himself as he turned over and reached for the scythe, one he would have that in his possession again he would then stand up, rather stiffly with dirt caked on his backside no less. Still if he'd been allowed to stand he would do so with the scythe in one hand, his eyes once more engaged with Aren as he waited to see what came next.

[Aren]

Aren did not believe that avoiding his attack in such a manner was possible and, as it turned out, it actually wasn't. As Byron fell back into the dirt, the warrior couldn't help but stifle a chuckle which mirrored the sentiment shared by the onlookers of their little contest. He had prevented himself from being hit, aye, but the way in which he did was probably worse than the alternative. To demonstrate, the Akalak brought his scythe up and then smashed it down on the ground next to the boy's head while he was still down. Beyond this, however, Aren made no move to attack or in any way take advantage of his opponent's folly. Had this been a real fight, his reaction would have been much different, but he considered the "battle" to be little more than an educational exercise. "Today's lesson: how not to foolishly charge at an opponent you know nothing about," The giant grinned widely, and spoke loudly, obviously pandering to their audience. It was also an effort to provoke and incite more rash action out of his foe, and Aren quickly resumed his most neutral, combat ready stance to the laughter his comment had provoked. "Tomorrow's will be: Why you shouldn't promise random strangers a season of service on the condition that they do naught but face you..." Again, there was a chorus of laughter when Aren spoke. This time, however, the mercenary eyed his opponent with a quizzical look. Had Byron not yet figured out what his own terms had been? There was really no clearer way the Akalak could put it. No matter what he did, how well or badly he fared in this little conflict, he already guaranteed the young man would serve him merely by accepting his initial proposal. In all honesty, Aren had no intention of having a little manservant following him around for the entire season, but it was remarkable how someone could unwittingly declare such nonsense. Then again perhaps it wasn't accidental, the azure warrior thought, before immediately rejecting the idea out of hand. Shaking his head, the man-shaped tower refocused all of his attention on his opponent, knowing that if he was going to earn his pay, Byron's education aught to continue a little further.

[Byron Allestor]

For a moment Byron could actually secretly admit that he could've wet himself, once his towering friend put on the display with the scythe move near his head. Geez, this guy's serious. Of course then came the mockery of a lesson which Byron already learned well enough, without the need to outwardly share with the rest anyways. Yet it had been the second part in which the Akalak embellished, the part which involved the little gamble Byron had made just moments ago. Once the boy had rose to his feet in a stiff manner and looked sharp to his opponent, his eyes found the quizzical manner the golden eyes held. It took a bit of pondering on what he meant, and with a bit of reflection on what he said earlier things started to clear up a little. 'You take me on and I'll do whatever work you want me to do.' So what does he mean promising him a season of service? His ability to think clearly after that fall probably helped him out, as he suddenly realized his own meaning in the bargain had been used against him.

Where I wanted to prove him wrong in a quick spar, he already beat me to the punch by accepting the duel to begin with. He literally turned the tables on me, because how vague I'd put the damn proposition! He nearly fell into shock at the amount of stupidity he'd displayed, his disregard to be precise in words and meanings certainly a proof to his own undoing. Now of course no matter the outcome of this little scene, he was bound to uphold his end of the deal with the Akalak. Spiteful already he started to grimace a little, yet a little grin developed at the corner of his mouth at the same time. "Well wasn't that a stupid suggestion, completely not what I intended to be sure." He tried to sound offended by the idea when in truth he was admittedly impressed, just infuriatingly to the point where he wanted to hide it from the public. "While we're at the subject though," Byron prodded to further embellish the challenge, "since you so cunningly made it sound like I volunteered for free labor; just what exactly do you plan on doing with that kind of offer?"

While he asked the question he changed the position of his hands on the scythe and altered its angle, his right closer to the end of the shaft while the left hand clung to the middle section, as the blade of the weapon hovered over the ground now. He hadn't any idea on how he could use this kind of weapon to his advantage, but at this point it hardly mattered seeing as how he'd already made a bigger fool out of himself earlier. He raked his toes in the dirt a couple of times to get the feel of the ground underneath him, his mind wrapped around the idea of attempting something similar to before. It would have to be a surprise of course and something better controlled, either way he wasn't going to make a hasty move like he did the first time.

[Aren]

Aren smiled upon seeing the look on Byron's face when the boy realized what he'd done. Although exceptionally gratifying, the Akalak did not allow his mirth to be too obvious, and his features almost immediately took on a more neutral facade. "Ah. You once were blind, but now you see." The phrase provoked a slight wave of laughter from the people still paying attention to the pair's exchange, but beyond that most had gone back to their own business after Byron's failed assault. "Don't worry. I won't hold you to a slip of the tongue." Taking a step back, Aren's combat stance suddenly changed. He still held his scythe parallel to the ground, but it was now tucked under his arm while the weapon's long shaft extended across his back. One hand was around the middle point of the long pole which culminated in the dulled curved blade, while the other extended outwards, the open palm facing towards his opponent. "But, I will need you to hire me for the day." Jerking his head towards some of the observers, the mercenary hoped to indicate -absent so many words- that he asked for payment mostly to avoid dealing with the throng of overzealous Pit-goers that might follow if he didn't. He didn't feel like he had earned his compensation quite yet, but Aren knew that what he asked for was far less costly than what Byron himself had offered. "Come on. I'll give you one last chance, and teach you one last thing, before I collect my pay." Gesturing for Byron to attack, should he be so inclined, Aren hoped to finish the exercise with him and get back to his training as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, he didn't think the young man was capable of allowing him any progress towards the betterment of his own skills, so he would have to attack himself if Byron chose not to. The boy may have been learning from him, but the opposite (as yet) couldn't be said. "Let me at him. I'll teach him something worth learning..." Seros' idea was decidedly more draconian than his brother had imagined within the context of simple training, Aren could feel it, but the man wasn't entirely wrong. Showing a young fighter that they should always be prepared for the unpredictable was a valuable lesson, but fortunately the Akalak suspected that they both might be better served by leaving that particular class for another day. Preparing to head towards Byron, should he decide not to engage, Aren began to shift his weight towards the balls of his feet. In a moment, whether his opponent decided to attack or not, the giant would propel himself forward with the intent of finishing the fight between them.