Open [Fighter's Pit] Sculpt the Body, the Skills, and the Mind

[Terag]

He was definitely taking the beating. Even with the fact that he had worked on his body from a young age, as all Isur are made to do, he was losing and his body was beginning to tire. He hadn't caught that she had switched hands with one of her daggers, but he did fall for her faint and raised his right arm to block what he thought would be an attack. He quickly learned that he was wrong when two fists hit him square in the chest, both staggering him and winding him slightly. With the little energy he had left he was able to raise his left arm to hit her incoming right arm and stop the pommel from striking him square in the head. Without the energy, or stubborn pride, to retaliate he watched her jump back. The fight flicked through his head as he tried to figure out his mistakes. Unfortunately it was just about everything he did."Ooph, I have had enough." His accent had grown a bit thicker, no longer thinking to try to erase it from his common. It also didn't help that his pride was wounded, but he knew when he was beat. "I will leave the spear. But both, but mostly lots of thrusting." The pained grimace that had graced his face moments before was replaced with a bit of a flirtatious smile and a soft chuckle for only a moment before returning to the grimace. "I officially concede, to Izurdin the strongest has proven them self. Next time may I be stronger in your honor." He slowly let his hands drop, and stood straight again. It hurt a little bit, but it was manageable. "Perhaps next time we spar the fight will be a bit more even. I need to work on that confidence of mine. Did you enjoy yourself at least?" Again he slowly worked through his muscles to acess the damage. His right arm was going to be bruised, as well as his stomach and chest. The only thing that was perfectly fine was his left arm but that was expected. "Oh, and when am I allowed to receive those teachings of yours. I lost after all." Once again his grimace faded away to a playful smile, this time staying as such as he watched his sparring partner.

[Sayana]

She managed to get in the two punches to his chest but her last strike was blocked by his black arm. She had come down with enough force to bash her forearm against his solid limb and she clutched it gently with one of her free hands due to the pain she felt. But it seemed as though he had conceded. When he briefly sprouted a grin, she smiled as well and repeated, “Thrusting.”

“And yes, I did enjoy myself. You put up a good fight.” She replied to his question. Though in this case, ‘good’ translated into an ‘enjoyable’ fight on her part. Something quick and easy to work on her own techniques. When he started assessing his injuries, she returned her daggers to her belt and approached him. “Oh here and here,” she muttered softly as her hands danced over his torso finding the places he’d likely bruise. Though in a more caring way she began rubbing places right next to his injuries as though it might help with the healing process. She even moved around behind him to massage his shoulders with her highs and rub at his sides and near his stomach injury with her mids.

“Mmm, those teachings?” She spoke contentedly with her lips near his ear. “I could teach you a thing or two. But I do like your arm.” She stopped the massage to trail her hand lightly along it. “It’s stronger right? Or there’s something about it.”

She paused for a moment trying to figure out what best to teach him. She could certainly get better at her own unarmed combat, but she felt fairly comfortable with her fighting techniques in general. “First you want to figure out where your opponent is weak. It didn’t take me long to figure out that your normal arm wasn’t so strong and that’s why I went for it. And then you want to be unpredictable. I think you only ever tried for my chest, but you could have hit my face, my shoulders, my arms, or even my legs if you decided to kick me.”

She demonstrated a few sample punches. One hooked around for an imaginary face, the next going upwards to a jaw. Her mids punched chest then shoulder and her lows came together as one to punch for someone’s gut. “Secondly, you want to know your own strengths. For me it’s obvious. I want to rain down as many attacks at once that I can since I have the arms to do it. As for you… If you used your weak arm to grab and your black one to attack, that could be pretty devastating.”

OOCDon't mind me as Sayana enjoys some of your body

[Terag]

He was glad she enjoyed the fight at least. That was something after how poorly he had done after all. Though he hadn't notice her walked up he definitely noticed when he began to feel her hands against him. At first his entire body tensed up, after all he hadn't spent very much of his life where others were touching him. Though as he felt her begin to massage at his injuries he began to relax, reminding himself that not everyone was out to hurt him past a friendly spar. He relaxed even further when she walked around him and begin rubbing at his shoulders, his back, and around his stomach. It even got the point that he began to close his eyes due to the heavenly feeling after stretching out his body a bit and getting bruised. If she wasn't aware of it before she would be able to tell now that most of his body was more dense than the other races of Mizahar, his left arm incredibly more so. He had tensed up yet again when he felt her breath in his ear. A tingle immediately shot down his entire body and he felt his hands tighten into fists for a brief moment, a mixture of brief arousal and fear throughout his being. This was almost too much for him to fake his confidence through, but he took a moment to collect himself before responding. "Yeah, it is much stronger. All of my people have an arm gifted to use from Izurdin. From a young age all of my kind are made to work on our bodies for him." He left his explanation there, as if it explained everything that she might want to ask about his arm. The hand that trailed down his arm made his heart begin to beat faster, as fast as it had during their fight. He wasn't sure how much more he could take. Just when he was at his limit she stepped away and started talking about something else than his body. With the topic back to fighting he could calm himself down and focus on the topic, rather than begin to show just how uncomfortable women actually made him. After all, with how the Isur worked for perfection in their bodies it was a bit strange for Terag to be so nervous. It wasn't his fault, if he had the experience he would probably immediately feel much better but his nervousness stemmed from the unknown. He personally had no idea what it was like past a bit of playful flirting, aside from the stories he had heard after all. He nodded as he listened to her words, trying to absorb it all in. When she talked about his flaws his face flushed a bit but he knew she was right, and so remembering them and remembering to be unpredictable like she said would help immensely. As he watched her different punches he tried to follow suit, focusing on his form and not power as he followed through slowly. It was a start, but hopefully from here he could finally start improving on his own. Her idea of the tactic of holding onto an opponent and wailing on them with his metallic arm did seem like it would work though, and be pretty useful for those who didn't know how to deal with his kind.

[Sayana]

He did have a nice body. Surprisingly solid, yet not bony. She couldn’t help but smile a little when he first tensed up but he seemed to relax shortly. After his simple explanation, she waited to hear more but he kept it at that. “Izurdin…” She spoke softly.

As she went on to explain tactics, she caught a faint blush from him. Was that from earlier or something in regards to their spar? Regardless, she gave a friendly smile and continued on with her lesson. “Also, don’t forget to use your weight when you punch. I know this from dancing. I keep my momentum going when I spin and I use my whole body to do something dramatic.” She demonstrated three spins in a straight line as she kept her turning smooth and consistent. “I also do this when I throw my daggers,” she added and drew a throwing dagger as a second example. She lined herself up with her left leg in front and her right high hand drawn back. Then as she took a step forwards with her right foot she threw the dagger strongly with her hand and it spun several times in the air before embedding itself into the ground.

“You can do the same for punches.” She demonstrated by showing a similar stance and executing a punch with her right high hand instead of a throw. “Though, often I forget to do that or I have too many hands going at once.” With a grin she dashed off to retrieve her thrown dagger and in a chime or two she was back panting slightly.

“Once a friend taught me about different types of punches. There was the quick but weak jab and then the curved and stronger hook.” Sayana showed each as she did a sharp fast jab with her left and a rounded hook with her right high. “I think it just depends on your fighting style. Like for me, if you were just a normal human I’d have done something like this.” The Eypharian grabbed his two wrists gently and slowly pretended to punch him in the face and gut with her other hands. “See? Play to your strengths.”

Sayana seemed rather pleased to be teaching him what she knew and was happy to show off some of her own tactics. Obviously they wouldn’t all apply to him but at least it would get him thinking and a clever mind was more important than a strong body.

[Terag]

He did his best to keep absorbing all the information she was feeding him, like using your weight and momentum through your movements. However when she demonstrated through dance he sort of lost his mental grip on the lesson. Instead he was absorbed in watching her movements, the type of dancing she did he was not used to. Back home in Sultros the only sort of dancing he could remember was much more rhythmic and was done in Izurdin's name. The once or twice he had seen it for a party it was much more fun and lively, but not like that. He snapped back to reality when he heard her throwing dagger make a soft 'thunk' into the ground. She quickly showed him the stance to be sure to put his weight behind his punches before scurrying off to get his dagger. In the few moments he had he practiced a few punches this way, a couple with both his left and his right. Already he could feel the amount of force behind each punch increasing - it seemed that in fighting it was just like with blacksmithing. Proper form was most important, and strength came in later. When she was back she was panting heavily, something that confused Terag a bit. His people had a high endurance due to the training they went through as kids, would such a short jog really wind anyone? He chalked it up to the fact she was carrying a baby and let the though fade from his head as she begin to speak again. He followed along with her movements, doing both a jab and a hook with both arms to try and get a better feel for them. When she grabbed his wrists, "H-hey!" He hadn't expected her to grab him, and he blushed lightly as she pretended to hit his stomach. She had given him a lot of information to absorb, and hopefully he would be able to use all of it in a way to benefit him most. Already he was trying o think of ways to grab an opponent and lock them down so he could continuously hit them with his left arm. When she let go of him he tried to recover a bit, putting back up his fake confidence and flirting a bit and hoping it would cover the blush. "To my strengths huh? So these right?" He promptly flexed both arms a bit, the effort of his people and blacksmithing showing through his muscles. He smiled softly as he dropped his arms again, "Thank you for the lesson. I just realized though, you have yet to tell me your name. I am sure your name is as beautiful as you are. Mine is Terag." After saying his name he extended his left hand for her to shake, a show that he thought of her as equal and deserving his strongest. It was more symbolic, and likely lost to people outside his race but that didn't mean she hadn't earned that honor from him.

[Sayana]

Sayana grinned at his blush. He seemed more innocent than she would have first thought. He seemed proud of his body and was more than happy to display it, his arms and his bare torso but there was something else about him. When he introduced himself, she nodded and was about to say her name when he held out his left hand. It was curious. Could there be more meaning behind the gesture than what would normally meet the eye? She normally reserved her mid hands for any sort of handshake, and thus confirmed their equal status. But if he might be offering her special attention… With a slowly smile she held out her high left to grasp his hand strongly. There are those of her culture that might say she was suggesting she was of a lower status as him, but she preferred to think of it as a sign of respect especially if he had chosen to do something similar.

“It is good to meet you Terag. My name is Sayana.” She introduced simply. Then she got a devilish glint in her eye and she took a step closer to put her two mid hands lightly on his shoulders. Leaning in she whispered, “I think we should go down to the harbor to cool off.” With the faintest brush of his cheek with the back of her hand, she then turned around sharply to dash off in the direction of the harbor.

The Great Harbor wasn’t all that far. Just down Winthrop Alley and towards the sea but it was still quite the run. Sayana plowed on past the various shops and stalls set up in the Alley and occasionally glanced back to see if Terag was following her. She figured that that her slight tease and the opportunity to truly cool off would be enough to persuade him to follow. Panting, she slowed down to a walk for several chimes and then sped up again. It was a beautiful day out and surely the water would be refreshing.

Upon arriving at an emptier section of beach she quickly removed her boots and took several steps into the water while hitching up her skirt. Oooh it was cold. Quite cold still. But the sand felt amazing on her toes and she splashed in the waves trying to avoid sharp rocks. “Now if only I could make my body as strong as yours,” she called out should he have followed her to the water.

[Terag]

"Sayana, a nice name." He smiled a bit, that was until he noticed a glint in her eye. It seemed more mischievous than anything, and he was proven right as she came uncomfortably close to him. The blush that had only faded moments ago appeared yet again as he felt her whisper in his ear and with her hands on his shoulders. If that wasn't bad enough, when she pulled away he even felt her hand brush against his cheek. It was soft but definitely on purpose. His face flushed deeper then, he was forty four years old and he was letting this woman affect him like he was a twenty six year old! He was going to deny her when she had already turned and run off towards the harbor. Well I guess I have nothing better to do, might as well go along... With a sigh he turned back to the wall where he had left the spear and his shirt and jogged on over. He grabbed both, the spear in his right and his shirt in his left before heading back to the entrance of the fighter's pit. As he passed by the weapon rack he put the spear away before speeding up in an attempt to catch up to Sayana who had quite the head start now. It didn't take him long to catch up, but he had to slow down when they reached the stalls - he wasn't used to running through so many people. At least now he was able to see Sayana and keep up with her the rest of the way to the harbor. Once they were at the beach, Terag followed Sayana's example and took off his shoes. He set them together with his shirt on top of them before pulling up his pant legs, folding them up to his knees. Once he was ready he made his way into the water next to Sayana, it was indeed cold though the sharper rocks in the sand gave him little trouble. It vaguely reminded him of the time he went swimming in an underground lake, there was much less sun. He looked out over the water before Sayana made her comment about wanting her body to be stronger like this. "I do not know how to help you, my people spend their entire lives honing their bodies to perfection for Izurdin. If you would like perhaps you could try training your body more? Join me for a run around the city or something sometime." He shrugged a bit before looking over at her, noting that her skirt was now in her hands and more of her legs were exposed. He tried to look away quickly, but still his eyes hovered over her body and legs for a few more seconds than he intended. So apparently women of other species can be attractive too, just wish their touch didn't bother me so much, he thought to himself.

[Sayana]

As Sayana stood in the water she smiled as Terag joined her. It seemed like the strong-armed man was plenty happy to follow after her. She gave a splash of the water with her mid hands while keeping a firm hold of her skirt with her lows. “A run around the city?” She repeated as she pondered the thought. “Perhaps, but I don’t think it’ll help much with my arms. Not if I want them like yours.”

With a slow smile she scooped up a little water in her mid hands and approached Terag with large animated gestures with her highs. “So Terag, I have a question for you,” Sayana said brightly. “Do you think… that the water is cold?” With her mid hands she dribbled the water over his shoulders and torso and then for good measure, gave a splash towards his stomach.

With a giddy laugh she dashed away splashing with each step. The water was only up to her knees or thighs as she ran but then there was a hidden indent and suddenly it was up to her chest. With a much bigger splash she fell into the water with a shriek. Using her arms to push against the water and regain her footing, she half swam and half ran back for the shore as fast as she could. “Cold cold cold!” When she reached the warm sand she crashed down upon it, shivering and laughing at the same time.

“I think, I think I’ll have to go back home sooner than I thought,” she remarked in regards to her sopping wet clothes and the sand that now coated them. “One last question, Terag. Do you ever go to the Ironworks? There are others, uh, like you there. I asked for a pair of vambraces done for my fiance. And well, I really hope they do a good job on them.” The Eypharian leaned back on her low arms still shivering a bit but the hot sand had warmed her significantly. Still, it didn’t help her clothes any.

[Terag]

He shrugged a bit before speaking, "It was just the first thing that came to mind. I suppose if you want bigger arms there is always push-ups and that sort. I have yet to get myself another weight set like I had back home but you could do that as well." He brought his darkened hand up to scratch his chin as he thought, but after a moment his thoughts were interrupted by Sayana. "If you have a question, feel free to ask." He turned to face Sayana just as she finished asking how cold he thought the water was. He opened his mouth to respond but no sound came out as he felt the chilling water run down his body and then his front being splashed. "Why in the wo- Yes that's cold!" He took both of his hands and quickly ran them through his hair and down his body in an attempt to push the water off of his form. He looked up just in time to see Sayana fall into a ditch in the water. After realizing she was fine, due to the quite comical bit of her screaming out 'cold' over and over, he broke out into a deep laugh. It was the first time in a while he had been able to laugh like that, and for a long moment he couldn't stop. Once he began to calm down he slowly started to move his way back to shore, being sure to avoid the ditch that Sayana had fallen into. He nodded in response to her going home earlier than expected, her clothes would need drying and there was little he could do. He stood at the edge of the water, the waves lightly lapping at his feet as she talked. "The Ironworks? Yeah, I work there as a weaponsmith. I am sure the vambraces will come out well, we have many capable armorers." He raised his eyebrow at her mention of a fiancé, she seems a little too aloof in his opinion for having someone she was going to marry. However, for now he kept his mouth shut on the topic. "Also, if you would like I can help with the sand all over your clothes? It is easy for me to fix." If she agreed he'd extend his hands out to her and for a long moment nothing would happen. Then, slowly at first, a misty white res began to seep out of his hands and float towards her to surround her form. With reimancy he attracted the sand off of her and to the air before pulling it to the ground. He had forgotten that reimancy was not something that all people were aware of or accepted, but it was just too commonplace in the city he was from and so it was something he often forgot.

[Sayana]

“Oh you work there, how lovely,” Sayana exclaimed happily. Should she ever need a new weapon or armour, she’d know who to talk to. At his offer to clean her of sand, she held up a finger. “One moment, you said to get stronger arms I should do push-ups?”

The Eypharian flipped over in the sand and tried to remember the exercise she’d seen people do for training. She planted her six arms and bent down and up a couple of times easily. Then she removed her mid arms and tried it again, this time finding it a little harder. And lastly she did a final one with just her mid arms. Down, and slowly up… Her mid arms ached from the lack of exercise and once she was up she flopped back down into the sand breathing heavily.

“I suppose I’ll have to practice with my different arms,” she stated with a chuckle.

Sayana got to her feet with sand now covering her front and back. “So you said you could help clean it off?” She asked with a slight smirk because she didn’t truly believe his methods would work. She spread out her arms wide expectantly but when he calmly proceeded to produce a misty white vapor, she took a step back. Fire. What’s fire going to do? Suspicion crossed her face and her heart sped up but she forced herself to calm down. Didn’t Aren say that reimancy could be for other elements too? Her body was rather tense when the misty white vapor floated about her but she stayed where she was and let him work his ‘magic’.

Soon the grains of sand that had covered her were lifting off as if by some invisible force. She couldn’t help but be rather amazed, despite her initial caution. Once the grains of sand were in the air, they all suddenly dropped and white mist disappeared shortly after.

“Uh, thank you Terag,” she said a little awkwardly since she wasn’t used to seeing such magic. However, her face soon brightened as she stepped towards the Isur. “May I?” She asked with her arms spread wide and then moved in for a hug.

“I should be going though. I’m still quite wet. Thanks for the spar and the bit of fun at the beach. Hope to see you again sometime.” With a smile and a wave, the Eypharian headed off in the direction of her home. Even with getting soaked through, it had been quite an enjoyable morning.

OOCThat's my last post. Feel free to do another if you like.