[The Warfields]Blood Stained Stone[Ximal]

by **Ssafirsotibones** on June 15th, 2013, 4:51 pm

Bull rushing someone was always a risky gambit. At times the sudden shift in tactics could catch someone by surprise, and if it worked he could take someone to the ground and gain a superior position. That was what wrestling was all about, leverage, and gaining a superior position.

But his attempt at the wrestling maneuver failed, as the man he faced was far to skilled to hesitate at such a critical moment. But Bones had to give it a try, knowing that straight up unarmed fighting would not be enough.

For a moment he had thought it had worked... But then a shift of flesh, pain, pressure, and more pain. Before he knew what had happened, his arm was twisted painfully behind his back, and he had his neck in a grip that could easily use his own weight to kill him. Clearly this man was even more skilled than he had previously believed, to have taken him into such a position so easily.

Bones let out a grunt of pain, his chest still aching from the earlier blow, along with the new pain of the position he was being held in. All he could do was take in a rasping breath, as his eyes began to water.

"My full power? Well at sse moment, you have me at your mercy, ssso my power isss zero. And I am fighting wiss all sse ssskill I have, ssough clearly you have not been. Ssough I ssink sse fight would have been over in but a moment, if you had done ssso from sse beginning. I am ssskilled enough, but not asss ssskilled asss you."

Being held in this position was continuing to make him ache, and he almost felt like his arm was going to be ripped off. He should now, as he had done just that to other people he had fought. Well, yukmen, not people.

"You are pretty good for a human... But no, I sssuppossse I am not at full ssstrengss, imitating your form. But ssen, ssisss place isss rasser conssstricting for any true fighting. I need more room to ssstretch and maneuver. Perhapsss anosser time, I could ssshow you my true power."

speech :

by **Ximal** on June 15th, 2013, 5:18 pm

Xi smirked and knew he'd succeeded however he then let bones go. Before any real damage could be done. A smirk across his face. "Well might i ask your name? You seem to be skilled enough to know when to charge but you still have yet to learn to read your opponent. I can see that you've got strength clearly indicated by the fact of how hard it was to pull your arm up. You've got speed easily marked by how close you closed the gap between myself and you. And i also have a sneaking suspicion that your skill likes truly in those blades you carry." Xi stretched himself out. "Before you ask how i gleamed that it was three reasons. Firstly, the way you had them arranged on your back, easy motion of draw. Secondly, the way you held the blade out a quarter inch as you rounded the corner. Third and finally the amount of respect you placed them on the ground with."

Xi stepped back a half step and smirked. "If your as good as i think you are with those blades...I could use you as a teacher at my school. Would you be interested ? All the money you make is yours to keep. Barring a ten percent fee that goes to me for use of my school. And trust me...Comparative to what you'll make ten percent is nothing. So are you interested ? If yes then, follow me. Oh and by the way...This true power of yours...I'd like to challenge you with it one day, it would be interesting to see how much stronger you become." Xi smirked, collected up his gauntlets, slid them on and started to lead the way out of the maze the easiest way he knew how by running up against eh wall and hauling himself up over the top

by **Ssafirsotibones** on June 15th, 2013, 9:33 pm

To some Bones was a mystery. Being what he was, that tended to be a necesity. There was no telling how someone might react to knowing he was a Dhani, or if they would even know what it was if he showed them. And he certainly did not go out of his way to reveal it, or to go about giving lessons on Dhani's.

Besides, it was better to leave a bit unsaid, a bit of mystery and mystique to him.

Bones looked at the blades mentioned by the human, and simply shrugged.

"I am good enough wiss ssem, ssough I sssuppossse no better ssan I am wiss my fissstsss. But ssen, ssey are a different tool ssan my fissst, fitted for a different purpossse. Ssey are for killing, and protecting. Ssat isss sseir purpossse. Each tool to itsss own purpossse."

His off smile returned once more, as he mentioned the fact that he had drawn his blade a few inches.

"And ssat drawing wasss sssimply force of habit. You gain sssuch habitsss when you live in sse colder regionsss. Sssometimesss when it freezesss out, a blade can ssstick in itsss sssheass. Ssso I alwaysss make sssure it isss loossse in my sssheass, before I ussse it. Ssough I sssuppossse it could alssso sssuit osser purposssesss beyond my own."

Bones however was a bit surprised, when the man offered him a teaching position at his school. He was not sure if he was being serious, or joking, or lying, or some other option. Bones shrugged, unsure if it was a real offer.

"I don't have anyssing much better to do. I would not mind earning sssome money, and teaching ossersss how to fight. Ssough bladesss are my ssspecialty, I sssuppossse I have picked up a few ssingsss here and ssere. But ssessse are sse main onesss I fight wiss."

As he prepared to leave, and started to climb, Bones had one final thing for him.

"People call me Bonesss, by sse way. Ssough you never offered your own name... And do you have practice weaponsss at your ssschool? If I am to teach novicesss in usssing bladesss and weaponsss, we will need ssem. Ssseveral of sse many different typesss."

As he waited on a response, he would begin to climb up. Besides being good at snapping peoples spines, constrictor Dhani were also good climbers, their strength made them naturally attuned to it. He picked up his weapons and put them back on his back, as it had been before he disarmed.

Bones ran at the wall and kicked off with a push, sending him straight up. It took him a few tries, but he finally managed to grab the edge of the wall, and pull himself up. He had to be careful as he walked, but once he got up it was not to hard to follow the human.

speech :

by **Ximal** on June 15th, 2013, 9:56 pm

Xi smirked as he listened to bones talk. Each tool had it's purpose. Xi smirked and responded to that. "Every tool has a purpose however those blades I'm sure, actally I'm rather happy to hear you say there used for more than just killing. A tools purpose it as it's user dictates. My fists are my tools...And i keep my tools useful for more than one function." Xi leapt to the next wall clearing a small gap rather easily. Stretching out his chest he listened to bones continue to speak. The drawing was force of bait. And he gained them when he lived in the colder regions. Xi smirked. "I know how much the cold can be the ruin of a weapon. Cold hands are not nimble ones. So making sure your weapon is always ready is a priority for any warrior." Xi Leapt across another wall before walking along the next one headed westwards out of the maze and towards his school. So he wouldn't mind earning some money as he had nothing better to do. Xi smirked and rolled his shoulders before coughing lightly to clear his throat.

"Everyone picks up things and i requested for you to teach because i feel that your skill with those blades would far exceed my own in every respect. And i'm sorry for not introducing myself. It's a had force of habbit from my time back in a place i'd rather forget. My name is Ximal. Just call me Xi. As far as practice weapons go, I've racks of them, i know how hard it is to try and teach a novice, in all regards and the odds of them running themselves through with a battle ready blade is much higher than the odds of them punching themselves in the head. So yes i have training weapons." Xi leapt over the next two walls and slid down the last one to land on the ground feet first. Before walking at a slow enough pace for bones to follow and ask any questions he wished to know. Xi though thought that this would be a good point to ask the question at the fore front of his mind. "You wouldn't happen to be a dhani by any chance would you? I only ask because i had a friend who happened to be a dhani...Though your not as fast as she was..."

by **Ssafirsotibones** on June 15th, 2013, 10:31 pm

Bones nodded, looking at Ximal as he followed him.

"Yesss, and a tool isss alssso only asss good asss sse handsss ssat wield it. If a fool usssesss a massstersss blade, it isss not sse bladesss fault for how poorly it faresss. Neisser isss a blade or any tool to blame for sse actsss it causssesss. If you cannot make sssuch decisssionsss ssough, perhapsss a person isss better off wissout picking up armsss."

Bones followed along behind Ximal, jumping after he had cleared the section. It was a bit tricky, and he had almost fumbled when he had done so. This was not so much climbing, as a combination of acrobatics and running. For if you stopped totally you would lose your balance, forcing you to keep moving more or less.

He swayed a bit as he waited for Ximal to jump again.

Once Ximal had cleared it, he also vaulted across the gap, swinging his arms before he did to gain momentum, moving the small distance he could on top of the wall, and then throwing himself across the gap. He only just made it.

He was however a bit caught off guard when he finally turned, and began walking along the top of the wall to the edge of the maze. But Bones was relieved to not need to jump again.

"Nice to meet you Xxee. Though I sssuppossse we have already met, and crossssed fissstsss. And even odd weaponsss? My bladesss are not sse most common, I ussse a gladiusss. You even have sssome of ssem in wood?"

Once they got to the edge, Bones did as Ximal had, and slid down till he was hanging by his fingers, and then carefully released to slide the small gap to the ground. Luckily the walls were not to tall.

Bones was only just beginning to follow him, when he was further surprised by a question. A rather blunt one. Asking if he was a Dhani... He could not exactly deny it... Though he wondered how much the man even knew about his race, or of the different subraces. By the sounds of the other Dhani he had met, the female Dhani had been a viper Dhani, of the deserts. Very different than his own true breed of constrictors.

"Yesss, I am a Dhani. A true Dhani. By sse sssoundsss of it, sse one you met wasss not. Ssshe wasss one of sse changed nessstsss, of sse sssand. Tiny asss a mundane sssnake. I am a true Dhani, unchanged from sse form we were created in. Not sssome little creature asss long asss my arm."

Bones finished huffing, and ranting about the other lesser sub-races, a thing that was almost bred into him. Bones was odd amongst Dhani, much less violent and cruel, and a follower of Caiyha. But he could not help being raised in Zinrah, and such beliefs cropping up to the forefront at times. At least the other sub-races were better than most humans, which infested this world and conquered by sheer numbers mostly, like rats. Few were up to his standards. Though perhaps this human would be.

speech :

by **Ximal** on June 15th, 2013, 11:47 pm

Xi smirked haivng bones catchup with him though his answer of his question as to whether or not he was a dhani was something that confused him. "So...There are different variants of dhani then ? Is there some animosity between the members of your race ?" Xi shrugged and lead the way to his school stopping at his school's gates. Xi smirked looking around at the ground. "This is my school, and i own it and all the froest land around it for two solid acres. Once your inside pick a room and that's your room...Once the school earns some more money i'll build it up a bit and each teacher will have their own fully fitted room...Thus far though there are three teachers including you. Myself and a woman called revy...Word to the wise, she's both got a short fuse and hates guys so just keep a calm head and take everything she says with a pinch of salt, and being honest I've yet to see anyone better than her with a blade...

erhaps you'd like to prove to her that a sword takes more than just aggression to wield well? Or do you too follow that philosophy ?" Xi smirked and opened the front gates to the school. "You can run your lessons where ever and when ever you wish within the school grounds.So it's up to you when and where you work."

by **Ssafirsotibones** on June 16th, 2013, 1:20 am

Bones looked back at Ximal, or as he wanted to be called Xi...

"I sssuppossse you could sssay ssat... I prefer to sssay we jussst have a healssy sssenssse of racial competition over who isss truly bessst. Ssey may have sseir venomsss and ssspeed... But we... Well, it isss not important. Asss I sssaid, each tool hasss itsss own purpose, itsss own time when it isss bessst. Dhani are not ssso different."

Once they arrived at the school, Bones looked around. It was not quite like anything he had seen in Nyka or in his travels, most such fighting institutions were run by the city in which it existed. This was not even in the city proper, and was a compound on its own.

Most might think that would be unsafe, but being that it was a school to learn to fight, he supposed it would be better able to defend itself outside of the cities walls, than other businesses.

It would also be convenient for him, if he wanted to go hunting. He needed a good bit of meat, and it was rather obvious if he constantly left the city.

"Trussst me, I have ssspent my fair ssshare of time dealing wiss domineering woman. Not all racesss are patriarchal asss humansss. Ssstrong woman don't ssscare me. And while I ssink aggressssion hasss itsss place in battle... To much leadsss to lossss of control... I ssink a mix isss needed. A mix of conssscious fighting, and unconssscious inssstinctsss and training, and even aggressssion. When you combine ssem all, sse outcome isss quite potent. But control mussst not be lost..."

Bones paused for a moment as he walked in, and looked back at Ximal.

"Ssere isss alssso sse issssue of my... Ssspecial diet... I only eat meat. Preferably uncooked, and unssseasssoned. Fresssh. Will ssat be an issssue?"

speech :

by **Ximal** on June 16th, 2013, 2:54 am

A healthy sense of racial competition? Seriously ? The way he'd just reacted it sounded as if he wanted to run her into the ground. Xi shrugged rolling that off of his shoulders, it was true Xi's school was close enough to a single floored fortress. Xi smirked and laughed as Bones spoke about dealing with domineering women. "As far as your diet goes if you can kill the animal it's yours to eat however as you know food within nyka's walls is heavily restricted and rationed however when it comes to game out on the wild go nuts." Xi folded his arms and shrugged. "Alright questions answered ? if so go pick a room and start putting your gear together." Xi smirked and headed into his chool. Another day...Another damn good teacher.

by **Balderdash** on August 12th, 2013, 5:28 am

Delicious rewards! Happy days and jubilation!

Bones :

Well, that was snappy- somewhat surprised Bones actually lost this one.

If you have any questions or concerns about this grade, please PM me. A happy you is a happy Balderdash!

Skill	XP Awarded
Unarmed Combat	2
Wrestling	1
Observation	2
Tactics	2
Acrobatics	1