Open Chronicles L-l-l-let's Get Ready to Rumble!

[Matari NoTail]

Matari danced backwards out of the way of his opponent's weapon, gritting his teeth at the pain in his knee as he did his level best not to fall over. It would mean his loss if he did. His axe flashed as he swung it at the outstretched arm of his opponent, but he was careful not to go further than the apex of the swing, keeping the head of the weapon between himself and the net. He knew that his attack wouldn't work, but he needed to keep some distance until he could work out a plan.

 

[Szesh]

Well this was a problem.

The winged elf had been enveloped in flames and Szesh had expected to see a charred shell, but Arumi stood unharmed. As he stood, he laughed, and Szesh bristled.

His spear fell to the sand and the pain in his arms had begun to scream louder. The scales had been blackened by the magic fire where they were not melted away completely, exposing angry red, raw flesh. He could still move his hands, but it pained him, and he could not grip his weapon.

He breathed heavily. He was seriously injured while his opponent had nary a scratch. His trump card had failed spectacularly, and he had little else in his hand to play.

So be it. He still had claws, he still had teeth. His opponent was quicker, but Szesh was stronger. He only had to catch him once. Raising his wings again, Szesh forced them back behind him, catapulting his weight forwards to try and drive a knee into Arumi’s chest.

 

[Jason Chronicles]

Kalla stepped into the swing, taking it on his pauldron and grunting as the force left a bruise beneath the armor, but better the shoulder than the arm.

At the same time, he cast his net at Matari, keeping hold of the edge but seeking to ensnare him now that they stood so close.

 

[Arumi Shacen]

It was difficult to read any expression on the dragon-headed man, but Arumi sensed frustration rolling off his opponent like palpable waves. So... he would have willingly killed me. Good. It made this whole charade much more entertaining.

The spear hit the sand with hardly a thump, and Arumi raised his chin, taking the effect of looking down on the monster in spite of the substantial height difference. Was his opponent going to forfeit? He was clearly hurting - anyone would be with the searing wounds that had been inflicted.

Arumi's midnight wings were loosely folded, a few feather crumpled from his graceless tumble moments ago. And so it was, in his ego and gloating, that he had taken too casual of a stance to dart into the air on Szesh's sudden advance. They were too near each other; the sand too soft underfoot for a sprint. The massive creature's knee took Arumi full in the chest and drove the air out of his lungs, sending him to the ground yet again. He gasped futilely. The raven haired man's only redemption was instinct, which resulting in flames engulfing his hands yet again as he attempted to push, claw, and slash at the creature who was more than twice his own weight.

 

[Matari NoTail]

As the ogre stepped into the attack, Matari wasn’t even surprised in the least. It seemed to be the big blue lug’s thing, and the kitsune was moving even before the net was thrown. He side stepped around his axe, one hand leaving the heavy weapon and allowing it to drop into the sand even as the other hand darted out to grab at the passing net, grabbing a fistful.

Not pausing at all the kitsune called upon the wind again to give him a boost as he leaps into the air using his axe as a pole to vault upon as he flew up and over the shoulder of the ogre, bringing the net with him as he manipulated the wind into winding the ropes around the neck of Grozkalla as he landed behind him, pulling the thing taut as he began to back step.

 

[Jason Chronicles]

The human-creature tried to leap over him, holding onto the net as he did so.

A fatal error.

At the peak of Matari's mid-air arc, Kalla whipped down on the net, hard.

Through the pain in his side.

Through the pain in his leg.

Through the pain in his shoulder.

He yanked like an ox, straining against a yoke.

Yanked to rip Matari from the sky and send him smashing into the sand.

 

[Matari NoTail]

“Oh fuuuuu-“ Matari let out as he felt the tug on the net, the ropes only halfway coiled around his opponent’s throat as he felt his body jerk and almost immediately let go, rocketing through the air instead of landing directly in front of the ogre. “-uuuuuck“ He passed behind Arumi and Szesh, before colliding roughly with the sand of the arena and bounced, rolling and coming to a stop just before the wall.

The roar of the crowd could almost be drowned out by the roar of the blood in the kitsune’s ears as he groaned and sat up. It took only a single look at the fact that his wounded knee was spun 90 degrees to the right for him to know he was pretty much fucked. With a groan, he reached over and managed to slide a spear and shield from the rack, dragging himself back to sit against the wall as he watched the ogre.

“Don’t suppose... you wanna give up?” He coughed out, a grin on his face.

 

[Aeyliea]

This was what she had come here looking for. A match of skill, something she was not often afforded in her line of work. There, there was no time to offer a duel on equal terms, for the enemy was often frightfully dangerous. No, instead, she had to fight with the same ferocity that she did against the hated Vel Aniri, without scruple or mercy.

This was different.

She anticipated his movement before he event began to move. It was in his eyes, in the way he moved his body. Expressionless, she simply dipped her blade a little lower than it had been, altering the angle slightly. It was the style she was practiced in; she did not directly challenge his strength, rather letting him do the work for her. The blade was angled so that the momentum of his strike would carry the blade harmlessly away.

She swung upward with that reversed grip, carrying his blade high on its own momentum, sliding forward with her body. There was a fulcrum point where she could use the force of his blow and her own assisting swing to lash out with her right foot, aiming for his head.

Not hard enough to knock him out. No, this was a shot intended as a lesson, for there was much entertainment and - likely - learning to be had from this man. She did not want it over quickly, not out of some twisted personality trait, but out of the thrill of a good match. One not to the point of death.

Honor, indeed. Almost as if she understood the bow to indicate that this one, too, fought with some code of honor.

 

[Jason Chronicles]

Kalla ripped the net from around his throat and tossed it to the ground, then stomped through the sand after Matari, splashed through a puddle of blood, and left scarlet footprints in his wake.

Warmth still trickled down his thigh from the stinging cut the fighter had given him at the opening. His shoulder ached. His side throbbed. Yet, now his foe sat in the sand, leg askew at a sickening angle.

The ogre's lips twisted as the man offered up a quip. Long, black braids danced about Grozkalla's head as he cocked his head.

"Does the lion yield to the lamb?"

Then he attacked the wounded foe, with whirling hacks of his scimitar, which sang and sang again through the air as he struck, chopped, slashed in a barrage meant to rip the shield to pieces and the arm beneath as well.

 

[Szesh]

Szesh felt the impact shudder up his femur. It was the first real hit he’d landed in this skirmish, and he could not deny the satisfaction it brought him. The pair slammed to the ground, and the flames once again surrounded the winged man’s hands.

Szesh did his best to keep a knee on Arumi’s chest, hoping that his weight would push the air from his lung and put him to sleep. Fire-wreathed claws lashed out, and while they made little purchase on thick scales, they bit cleanly into the softened flesh of his forearms. If he could just grab the man’s arms he could pin them down, but his own hands were clumsy, and the pain became too great.

With a screech of agony, he pushed off of the knee that was resting on Arumi, and hopped back, his arms now bleeding from fresh wounds. In a desperate attempt to strike with an un-compromised part of his body, he turned on his heel, and brought his tail sweeping down. This would need to be a single, crushing blow. Though his back would be turned for only a moment, it was risky against someone so quick.

 

[T’suris Flameblade]

T’suris was surprised at his opponent’s lack of armour – he didn’t want to pull his punches, so to speak, but he didn’t want to kill the human either. He saw enough good men, women, and others die in his trade, and didn’t want to add another to his body count – at least, not here, despite the fact that he was certain at least one of the other contenders had died already. Besides, didn’t the announcer mention something about avoiding killing each other? Perhaps this human had a death wish – or perhaps he was confident enough, and fast enough, to not require any protection.

T’suris grasped his spear with both hands as Edmund Adelard rushed at him, furrowing his scaled eyebrows, not taking his gaze from the human’s brown eyes. He dug in his heels and pushed forward, angling the end of the spear to catch the tip of the sword. If he was able to catch the end of the sword, all he had to do was twist his wrists and the sword would be angled down to the ground, thus making the human easier to disarm. It would leave them both open, potentially, but T’suris’s first goal was to disarm the human – the second, to disable him.

 

[T’suris Flameblade]

((OOC - The ref missed Edmund Adelard coming onto the scene - I'd like to finish this fight Edmund Adelard if that's okay with you?))

((Mualiin I think you're fighting Smiling One now))

 

[Matari NoTail]

“I mean, could be a scary lamb.” Matari managed to laugh out, before he began to be battered around. The shield was tough, and the kitsune had more strength in his body than he appeared to, but the difference was far to great to cross there as he barely held on, the breaking and splintering of wood being echoed by that of bone, the shield and arm beneath it reduced to little mote than rubble as blood dripped into the sand. All the while Matari found himself chuckling, just a little. It always came down to this. All or nothing.

As another swing came towards him, he moved. Burning through the rest of his mana, the kitsune created a small wall of black over the eyes of his opponent to blind him, whilst simultaneously dodging and hovering through the air and sharpening his spear with a fine blade of wind, intent on piercing right through the beast.

The moment the action was completed, for better or worse because at this point he couldnt really tell, mana burn kicking his ass almost as much as the blue guy was, he slurred out an “I forfeit.”

 

[Jason Chronicles]

Blinded, Kalla could only swing wildly in a panic.

"Urk-"

Pure agony as something hot and sharp ripped through his belly.

The blindness disappeared and Grozkalla looked down to see the man's spear jutting from his torso, where it had pierced through his scale lorica and driven into his flesh. Kalla swayed, blinking, bleeding, stunned by the blow.

At that moment, the man muttered, "I forfeit."

 

[Matari NoTail]

Matari slumped against the earth, looking up at the big guy as he stood standing, even with a spear in him. “Gods you’re tough.” He managed to chuckle, raising his non damaged arm to get the attention of the medics nearby, who quickly made their way over.

“Name’s Matari.” He continued as he was hauled into a stretcher, reaching up to take off his mask and reveal a half human, half fox face, with slitted pupils and sharp teeth. “And I want my axe back by the end of this, okay? Can’t really go grab it right now.” He chuckled, twitching and wincing as he moved his leg and mangled arm, even as they began to stitch back together under the healers’ attentions.

 

[childish brandino]

Her move took Kishou by surprise. His heart pounded in his chest like a booming drum as her sword carried his lunge. The way she moved reminded him of a river, with a fierce current that carried him along the seemingly inescapable stream. As she used his momentum against him, he noticed a blur in the periphery of his vision. The sole of a small foot flashed towards his face. Straining his entire body, he arched his back and pulled his head back to its limit. He felt a strain in his neck and abdomen. The foot reached him still, despite his excellent reflexes and surprising flexibility. While not severe, the heel of her foot grazed the tip of Kishou's nose. It made satisfying contact, which caused the swordsman to recoil slightly. He instinctively shoved out with both arms, attempting to create distance.

He took a few unsure steps to regain his balance, then grasped his nose with his left hand. He pulled his hand away after a few moments and observed the palm of his hand. Blood stained his hand- he could also feel warmth and wetness trickle down to his upper lip. Frustration welled up deep from his gut. She could have cut him down there, yet merely delivered that kick.

After a moment of thought, his frustration dissipated. He understood then the significance of Aeyliea's kick. With his bloodstained hand, he wiped under his nose. He smiled to her, a small smear of blood stained his handsome face.

"I am Kishou," He suddenly spoke to Aeyliea while taking a stance. He held his sword waist-high, with the tip of the blade pointing towards her.

 

[Mualiin]

((@T'suris Flameblade , Gotcha! Faight meh Smiling One))

Mualiin still waited. The waiting was killing him. The wait would continue until he was sweating buckets beneath the sun. He could feel the puddles beneath his boots

 

[Arumi Shacen]

He couldn't breathe, and black spots began dancing around the edges of his vision. His face was set in a snarl, drops of blood splattering his pale skin like morbid imitations of his freckles as he gored his opponent's arm. Arumi knew there was no way he had enough strength to push Szesh off. But apparently he had enough ability to cause pain to make the monster get up voluntarily.

Arumi felt something crack in his breast as the beast used his body to right himself. Adrenaline and the rush of air to his lungs were enough to keep the pain at bay for the time being, but he knew from experience that broken ribs would be a serious impediment going forward.

Tucking his arms, Arumi rolled to the right, trying to get his legs under himself so he could stand. The movement was staggered though, and Szesh's burdensome tail slammed down on Arumi's outstretched right wing. Pain screamed up the arm of his wing and into his shoulder, accompanied by the sensation of an electrical shock. His right side went rigid and he pressed his forehead into the sand, teeth gritted.

"I yield," he rasped, the words etched with fury.

 

[Szesh]

Szesh felt his tail hit the ground with a heavy thud, though he did not know if he had hit his opponent or empty sand. His back turned, he waited for the retaliation, expecting to feel hot flames on his back or scraping nails in his tail.

When no attack came, he looked back over his shoulder to see Arumi lying face-down in the sand, unmoving. If this was a trick, it was working, because the merest suggestion that the fight was over sent a wave of fatigue that brought him to his knees. He slowly dragged his tail off of his opponent, and let his mangled arms hang loose at his sides. His mouth hung open, and he breathed heavily.

After several moments, it was clear that the fight had ended in earnest. He was in great pain, and desperately thirsty, but for now he would rest, and let the healers do their work. He looked over the sand to his discarded spear, and hoped that they would tend to his arms if nothing else. Then again, this was bloodsport, and even odds were never a priority.

((Amazing fight, Arumi Shacen! Looking forward to reading your next battle))

 

[Aeyliea]

The faintest hint of a smile played at the corner of her lips, even if it did not reach her eyes. There was only coldness within her mind. She was acutely aware of every single detail around her, of every single grain of sand. The subtle throb in her temple that bespoke pain to come, the measured breath and beat of her opponent. It thrilled her in ways that probably spoke of some kind of disorder of the personality.

"Aeyliea din Belgar, of the Kel'tin No'rei," she said, and her voice remained a seductive purr. The lines of the warrior before her were quite appealing to the more savage of her appetites, but just now it was the blade in his hand and not the one carefully hidden away in his clothing that concerned her. He wore no armor, but she would be damned if she removed any of hers.

The period of judging was not past, yet. She held her blade in both hands, sharp edge turned forward, blade diagonal across the front with hilt high and tip low from left to right, hands stacked on the hilt in reverse order. It was not an ideal stance for offense, but it was fine for defense. She had not taken this swordsman's full measure yet, but the trial would begin very soon. There was only so much weighing and measuring that could be done before the fighting started in earnest.

The corner of her mouth twitched, beckoning him onwards with her eyes again. Were she a lioness, her tail would have been switching behind her.

 

[Smiling One]

"Ah shit," Willis just had his bandage wrapped around his wounded shoulder along with anti-biotics and the moment he saw his opponent, the young man saw that he would most likely need be placed in a body bag after the match. The man was massive wearing black thick plated armor. His face was covered in by an full visor helm and he was wielding a two handed Battleaxe that was long as he was tall. Was this person human? According to the announcer he is but there was no way a human became that tall and thick.

"He got to be a half-giant," Willis murmured. "You got to be an insane person to fight that guy. Unfortunately I fit the bill."

A guard armed with a spear approached Willis preparing to escort him to the match. The young man chuckled "I can get there myself," he said though his heart was beating rapidly. One hit from that behemoth and Willis will probably be indistinguishable to a slaughtered Pig.

"I hope you have affairs in order," the guard said smiling at Willis.

The young man got up and took his Spear from the guard. "You know I've been sailing the seas since I was a boy," Willis said. "And my Captain taught me that when death attempts to drag you towards Davy Jones' Locker, you look it in the eye and say: Not today."

The guard was bewildered and tried to grab his spear but Willis held it close to him. "I'm borrowing it," he smirked. "I'll give it back to you when I win."

Willis was full of courage, a fools courage one that Knights are often afflicted with but there was an reward and the young man tended to get it. Willis then faced the massive knight twirling his spear. There were fifty yards between them. "Try not to trip in your armor big guy." he winked.

 

[Arumi Shacen]

(( Szesh Same to you! That was exhilarating!! ))

Arumi dug the fingers of his mobile hand into the sand and braced against the torture when Szesh heaved his scaled tail back across his wing. Finally freed, the sensation came back to his right side in prickles. He cautiously lifted the flattened wing, gently testing the flexion and discovering with relief that nothing was broken. Just very bruised. The feathered appendage folded carefully against his back to match its counterpart, and Arumi pushed himself into a kneeling position.

He dusted the sand from his body as best he could and gingerly touched the place he had been kneed in the chest. Inhaling deeply make it feel like a cross between a punch and a stab. Definitely cracked, if not entirely broken. He grimaced, but was otherwise unphased. He had entered the fight knowing the possible outcomes.

Lifting his head, he scouted for the nearest healer. He had another fight, after all.

 

[childish brandino]

He approached her with the same caution as before. However, he did not lunge. Unless he broke her stance, the swordsman was well aware that any large motion would be taken advantage of.

As he entered her range, he feinted a swing.

She did not react.

Instinct or discipline? Kishou mused.

He stabbed at her midsection, aiming under her guard. He was resolved to keep his moves swift, compact, and effective. Should he overextend or strain himself, he would easily be carried away by her.

 

[TTamark]

"Arumi Shacen after You have been treated, and you've had your break, your opponent will be Ermengarde !"

The announcer proclaimed.

(OOC Szesh I think everyone is in a fight, or dead atm so you can wait, or I can provide an opponent till another fight ends.)

 

[Szesh]

((No worries TTamark, I can wait until someone is free))

The healers came to the kneeling pair. One stopped by Szesh, looking him over. Too tired to speak, Szesh shakily raised his arms. Mercifully, the healer passed his hands over the melted scales, and returned life to the burnt flesh. Szesh audibly sighed in relief as the pain ebbed away, and he could once again move his fingers without pain. The wounds were not completely healed, but they were leagues better than before. The scales had not fully returned, but new skin covered what had been seared away. The healer wrapped his forearms in clean linen, and quickly erased the burn on his neck before moving on to other combatants.

Szesh looked down and flexed his fingers. His grip was not at full strength, but it would do. He stood and plucked his spear up from the arena floor before moving into the shade of the sidelines. All of the contestants appeared to be otherwise engaged, and he watched the fights with growing interest. Who among them would he face next?