Do You Even Lift? [Razkar]

by **Tinnok** on February 6th, 2013, 7:45 pm

oocApologies for the too-fancy footwork, I edited it to be a bit more novice-like.

She had been impressed with herself. It wasn't really deserved, all of her points towards beating her opponent had merely been because of him underestimating her, and not because her skill competed with his. That being said, it was a nifty trick just then, something to work on and improve until it became a fluid move to use in combat, for just like everything she did, it still reeked of sloppy form. Nevertheless, Tin gave herself a bit of a pat on the back. Well, until his eyes bored into hers like fiery coals and he sent her flying back.

His attacks were fast, powerful, and filled with rage. They were messy in their own way, but the snake simply didn't have the prowess or experience to take advantage of his rage. Then she was against the wall. Truly she imagined if that had been a real gladius he would have run her through then and there. She saw the fire dim, but when he made eye contact with her any sympathy for what he had done was gone, and the fire was transferred from his eyes to her own. In truth this beating, bruising, and pummeling had been all she had expected. To see him attempt to teach her, guiding her hand and improving her style, that had been the surprise. Her bloody fingers dropped from her face, not bothering to wipe the gore off. She spat, and collected her dagger from the ground. Each step was filled with pain, and Tin could already picture the shape, color, and size of the bruises she would have on the morrow.

"So not an eagle then, just another one of Myri's rabid dogs."

She didn't like banter in fighting, for her there was no such thing as an original insult, for every single kind remarking her blood and heritage had been made, and it simply bored her. The pain had brought something out, however, almost...sadistic. She wanted to learn, but another part of her wanted to see him snap again, to see the animal come at her once more. The half-breed didn't wait for him to shout, his eyes spoke volumes more than any words. She winced as she moved forward, legs and sides pained with every step and breath. Luck and agility had gotten her this far, and they would apparently be the only things to carry her forward. She stepped forward, then again, then did a small leap, sending one foot up in an attempt to kick at his knee cap and perhaps shift his balance, wherein she would follow the attack through with a slash at his chest. Her nose flared in exertion, eyes narrowed in concentration and intensity.

by **Razkar** on February 7th, 2013, 2:16 am

Razkar's head snapped around at the hateful words, but he would not fall into the same trap again. He knew her words were calculated to make him lose control, the scorn and contempt playing to his pride.

Not that she gave him much time to dwell on them.

Eyes narrowed and venomously (aptly enough), she came on. She swiped and ducked and Razkar once again found himself giving her a smidgen more respect than before. Her quickness was impressive and only lacking the accuracy and discipline that training would afford her.

But she was not there yet.

"You speak like you are beyond Her light, snake," he growled at her, sidestepping to avoid the kick as his kneecap and rewarding her failure with a sharp blow to the front of her own knee, "Which is true, I suppose."

He saw the flare in her eyes as she slashed towards his chest and jerked his gladius up, wood smashing into wood as he blocked the blow-

-shoved his gladius down, forcing her hand and dagger down with it-

-jerking his knee up at the same time, slamming it into her hand and sending the wooden dagger tumbling from nerveless fingers-

And putting his wooden short sword to her throat before the cry could escape her throat.

"Whatever you accomplish here," Razkar rasped, voice a mirror to her own sadism, relishing the hatred on her face, "That is all you shall ever be. An abomination beyond the light of the Goddess-Queen."

Later, Razkar would regret those words. But we're not at "later", are we?

by **Tinnok** on February 7th, 2013, 5:06 am

She grimaced in pain, first at the knee, then again as her weapon was once more thrown from her grasp and onto the ground, his blade at her throat. She was growing too tired to move quicker, his range overcoming her at every turn. Her breathing heavy, she glared at him there. What a strange cycle this hate made. She hated him for hating her which only validated that sensation beneath his gaze. His words cut nearly as deep as any gladius could, and she winced not from the blade against her neck, but their impact. She wouldn’t defend her relationship with Myri, her relationship with their Queen was none of his petching business. She spat directly into his face and ducked down, grabbing her weapon and handling it in a reverse grip with the pommel aimed straight for his loins as she jumped back up.

Whatever the reaction to that blow, the half-breed leapt back and licked the blood off of her face, smirking a little, and twirling the wooden dagger in her grasp. Abomination, perhaps she would never escape the word. It after all, was an apt description. A horrific blending of sworn enemies in one body, who was she to deny the title? She was practically dancing on the balls of her feet now, pain lancing up her legs and arms with every movement. The pain was certainly waning on her, sapping her strength, yet at this point in the fight, the hammering of her heart beat, the energy coursing through her veins, it was also the most enjoyable for her. A spark lit her eyes that was not from hatred when she next spoke. “So who wins, in the end? The rabid dog or the abomination?”

by **Razkar** on February 7th, 2013, 6:08 am

Whatever pain he expected from her, it was given in a furious gob of spittle. Eyes stinging, Razkar reared backwards, wiping the back of his arm across his face and hearing shuffling feet and a dagger slapping back into her hand.

By the time he had opened them again, the halfbreed was ready. No, more than ready. He noted with approval how she seemed to be bouncing on the balls of her feet, but when she moved it was with a smooth, sliding gait, wasting minimal energy and remaining agile. Her weapon was held firm and apt for the occasion, and her eyes...

“So who wins, in the end? The rabid dog or the abomination?”

Hatred dimmed in the young male's heart. It was still there, growling and festering, but the fierce joy he saw in her eyes was more Myrian than anything else of her she had seen so far. That animal desire for combat tempered with a warrior's lust for a worthy adversary. To pit strength and will and skill against your opponent, to conquer pain and fear and win glory for the Goddess.

Slowly, Razkar nodded.

"We shall see."

He moved, and fast. Speed was what he needed here, not just strength. His longer weapon was his advantage, so he kept her at a distance, thrusting out in lighting strikes at her torso and then jerking his arm back in, not giving her chances to parry and close under his arm.

But she was fast, and learning.

Razkar slid to his right and made a feint at her right side, chopping sideways at her and then stopping the blow when her dagger jerked to block it, pulling his sword back and thrusting at her stomach. But she twisted away, kept twisting, twirling her body around and stepping forward as she did, towards him and at his side-

-keeping her arm cocked out so when she came to a stop, her dagger slammed into Razkar's ribs.

The male grunted and slid away, just a trace of a stagger in his steps. The first few after that were made with winces, and then he forced the pain deep inside him... waiting to direct it outwards.

"Better. You are moving faster and surer. But remember-"

His gladius swung left and right, two feints, keeping her dager hand moving, keeping it up-

-her eyes up to match it-

-so the kick he delivered to her crotch came as a very nasty surprise.

"-you have more than one limb to use."

by **Tinnok** on February 7th, 2013, 2:35 pm

Somewhere in this the field disappeared. There was earth surrounding her, and people sparring beyond that, but they became like blurry objects of little importance. This was not the right perspective to have in battle of course, but right now the supreme focus of her gaze was upon the man in her sights. Damn that weapon. Part of her supremely wished to pick up a longer blade, or longed for the ability to wield two daggers in order to better combat his. She growled at her herself. She wasn't sure what she saw in the dog's eyes when he lashed out at her, strikes quick, their paces matching in a furious dance, but whatever it was, it supremely distracted her from the kick to her loins. "Shyke!"

Her whole body went rigid, but she refused to let her muscles crumple around her. She smirked at his cleverness and her shortsightedness. The half-breed took a few shaky steps back, letting out a shuddering breath. Then she stepped back towards him. She took her own initiative onto the offensive. He had been doing an apt job of keeping her at a distance in order to combat her blade, now it was her turn.

It was somewhere between a dance and a changing fighting stance. He struck out at her, keeping her away, she parried the sword and used her free hand to strike at the arm holding the blade right at the inset of the elbow, attempting to stomp his foot with her own, though his feet moved in time with hers and dodged neatly. He pushed her away again, though the move was not as strong, this time she parried with her arm and sent a punch at his gut with the dagger, feet moving, shifting lightly upon the ground as if remembering his first instructions to her.

She seemed to be finally adapting, learning, and reacting. Their reflexive movements had become quiet the coordinated procedure. Perhaps this was why, when Tinnok heard the words screamed from the tiger's throat, her eyes lost a bit of vigor.

"Alright Tskanna Shit, Swap Partners!"

by **Razkar** on February 7th, 2013, 10:51 pm

Razkar felt the wooden-shod shudder roll through him as her punch connected, but all he did was smile. She was learning to overcome her weapon's limitations and avoid his own. But he had one more lesson to teach her that occurred to him as their wooden weapons clanged against each other over and over, so-

"Alright Tskanna Shit, Swap Partners!"

Damn it!

At Rekhuna's barkd command the vicious sparring sputtered and died. Wooden weapons quit their cleaving and stalled, then lowered, Myrians doing likewise and shifting across the sand to a new opponent. Razkar noted that snake shit did not lower hers, eyes still fixed on him.

So he still had time for one final lesson.

He surged forward and slashed at her again, wooden weapons meeting with a tchwack of impact and reverberation-

-and he threw a punch into her gut, swung his left leg to trip her-

-only for her to jump it, dagger slashing back to him-

-but he had moved under her blow, almost pressed against her-

-bearing her to the ground with a body tackle, straddling her, gladius hefted to level at her face...

"All that hammering and smashing wood together?" He said, voice oddly calm and... educational, despite the brethless quality to it. "You do that with sharpened steel and soon all you'll have it a blunt sword. Or dagger. Swords are not for smashing into each other. They are to parry, to thrust, to hack and to cut. Any duel you get into, you end quickly. Don't drag it out."

Razkar stood, looking down at the smoldering half-breed... and extended his hand to help her up. She was an abomination in his eyes, true, and one sparring session would not change that. But what Myrian could not respect, even in a hateful way, a worthy adversary?

"My name is Razkar of the Shorn Skulls. And you fought well."

by **Tinnok** on February 8th, 2013, 12:17 am

It was extremely hard to stay angry with such a capable opponent, Tinnok found. She glanced with regret at the shifting of bodies, but when her eyes flicked back to his she saw his gaze was still on hers. Strange that they had such different blood, yet she knew exactly what the stare meant. Once more.

She was quick, but he was quicker, her hand rotated with practice and time to hack at his blows, body moving reflexively, and they commenced in the final stage of the combat, feet moving in sync, bodies weary but fervent. She flipped her dagger around as she swiped, finally getting the feel of the different weight of the training weapon as she hacked and slashed. Then of course his muscled body pressed forcefully against hers and threw her to the ground. She glared at him, but her lips curved upward ever so slightly, straightening at his advice. She was gaining agility one step at a time, yet she still wielded her weapon like a brute, she was treating her wooden weapon just as she would a club, and as he spoke she nodded in affirmation.

Then there was the hand. She stared at it incredulously for a moment. It was clear this was a new concept for her, the meager beginnings of respect. She had had plenty of hands offered, but few actually aid her, and in her eyes was a long history of betrayal and punishment. Finally she latched onto it, the feeling of his muscles and her own taking her weight of the ground a pleasant surprise. Tinnok dropped his hand as soon as she was upright and took a respectful half step back. “Tinnok of the Tempered Steel. You serve Myri well, full blood.”

She blinked, but the smile, the heat, and passion had disappeared from her gaze as the slits saw the squat thing Razkar had been arguing with before striding towards her. His demeaning grin could have made an infant cry and she couldn’t help but grimace as he roughly elbowed Razkar. “My turn to straddle the snake bitch, aye?” A long breath came from the half-breed’s nose. Back to the pummeling then. Neck snapped, knuckles cracked and her attention focused on her new opponent.

“Your move.”

by **Razkar** on February 8th, 2013, 12:40 am

“Tinnok of the Tempered Steel. You serve Myri well, full blood.”

Razkar gave the tiniest nod of recognition, but nothing more. Taloba was not a forgiving place, and much was needed before someone as... flawed as her would be accepted by the Children of Myri. But she was here, was she not? She had been accepted, at least tentatively, by the army of Taloba and thus even the Goddess-Queen herself was giving her a chance.

And who are you to question her will?

"Just remember what I taught you." He said, keeping it business and gesturing to her dagger. "And as soon as you can, move onto something bigger or learn to wield two of those at once. Daggers are meant for speed and close quarters. Two at once... and you may have a chance."

“My turn to straddle the snake bitch, aye?”

Razkar was stunned to feel a bristle of anger ripple through him as Oxil snarled his words, beady eyes fixed eagerly on Tinnok. A bell ago he would have argued only that he wait his turn, but now...

"Do not underestimate her."

That was all he said. And by the time he had finished, the bruised and tired abomination had already slipped into her fighting stance. Oxil unlimbered his two-handed mace with a chuckle, the light of sadism bright in his eyes.

“Your move.”

Razkar crushed the smile that threatened to alight his face, tipped both of them a nod and then walked away. A young male was already waiting for him, and after a few blinks, he realized that it was the same one that had so rudely jostled Tinnok when she was getting her weapon.

A bell ago... yes, "a bell ago". Amazing how fast the world can change in a mere bell, and how your eyes can change with it. The male was cocky, tall, chiseled and proud. Well, that was good. The Training Yards existed to beat that out of you.

Razkar cracked his neck and flipped his gladius to his left hand. He needed to work on that, anyway.

"Better to face a real Myrian, huh?"

Razkar's face crumpled into a snarl and he came on like a storm. The male moved fast but he was too focused on his weapon, on fighting honorably-

-Razkar taught him better with a boot to his balls.

And as the cocky male doubled over choking, retching, Razkar stood tall and circled him, weapon ready, eyes as hard as the stones around them.

"If you can fight as well as that half-breed, boy... you may survive this with all your parts."

With a scream of anger the boy came on. Razkar was there to meet him.

by **Magpie** on February 8th, 2013, 10:31 pm

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Tinnok: :

Razkar: :

Notes: :

If you have any questions or concerns about what was awarded, please don't hesitate to PM me. This is my first grade, and I would greatly appreciate any feedback you guys have.
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Flashback Do You Even Lift? [Razkar]