[Flashback] Insult to Injury [Conrad]

[Azeran]

The conflict in his own mind was stirring up all sorts of problems. The primary one was the he neglected to pay heed to the man in front of him. In the back of his mind, he simply thought him to be inferior, easily taken down, but with his mind drawn, he found himself attacked promptly. The Akalak raised his forearms to defend his head, where he expected most attacks to be directed towards, but found himself actually hit in the stomach. The blow was neither life threatening, or even very painful, the boy was obviously not experienced. In quick retaliation, Azeran moved forward again, this time throwing two swift punches. The first punch was Azeran's dominant right hand, a quick blow that was aimed directly for Conrad's Jaw, the second punch was immediately following the more devastating first. The left hand swung out towards Conrad's ribcage, more or less directly aimed for the very bottom rib. Azeran knew from experience that a cracked rib was incredibly painful. It would make the best of men want to quit a fight, and to be honest, that's what Azeran wanted to do at that moment, get the human to back out so he wouldn't be tempted later on to thrash him good. After both punches were thrown, Azeran would pull his fists back around his eye level, dropping his guard this early would be foolish.

[Conrad]

A look of surprise came on conrads face as he actually hit the akalak. Weren't they supposed to be the kings of unarmed combat?
Conrad wasn't given the time to ponder that question some more. He felt the fist of the akalak smash into his jaw. Conrad's head snapped back.In a daze conrad didn't even see the next punch coming, let alone that he was able to defend him against something like that. Conrad cried out in pain as he felt the punch hit him, a rib creaking under the force of the punch.
Conrad just dropped to the ground clutching his side, trying not to yell out in pain, though the tears where dripping down his face not even trying to keep those in.
[conrad just groaned in pain as he lay on the ground.Mentally cursing himself for showing up.
what the hell was I thinking! Trying to take on an akalak unarm..... Conrad stopped that line of thought.
I am a fricking morpher for gods sake! How the petch could I forget that!
Conrad tried to clear his head from the pain and balled his right fist. Concentrating his djed on the knuckles he forced the hand bones to sharpen and lengten, slowly pressing through his skin, forming something that looked like a makeshift spiked knuckle duster. Gritting his teeth he pushed himself back up. Throwing a shoddy punch with his enhanced fist to the akalaks thigh. Hoping that he hit this time.

[Azeran]

Azeran grinned lightly as Conrad hit the ground, there was a faint scatter of dust as the human collided with the floor. Azeran assumed he would not get up so quickly, either from reluctance to endure more, or simply because his body wouldn't allow it. Azeran was unable to see that his opponent somehow altered his hand, not that he would have known what had happened even if he did notice it. With the boy suddenly pushing himself up and throwing a fist, oddly enough to his thigh, Azeran could only assume it was an attempt, and a weak one at that, to limit his mobility. Of course, Azeran knew that a simple punch would not do such a thing without a significant amount of strength, which Conrad did not have, or a sturdy kick, which obviously wasn't happening. Azeran decided against avoiding the punch just so he could have that moment to throw another kick at the rising human. With his right foot flying through the air towards Conrad's chest, he felt an odd sensation, one he hadn't expected to feel this fight. It was a sting, but it was more than that. It was actually a deep puncture in his leg as if there had been three or four small knives digging through his skin and muscle rather than just a punch. The Akalak looked down as he saw exactly what he felt, blood. The red soaked easily through his pant leg and ran ever so slowly down the leg itself. Azeran took several steps back to examine the situation once again. Was the human really using a secret weapon. No, there was the answer, Azeran looked towards Conrad's hand, but he did not see the dagger he expected, but his hand, altered, and smeared with the Akalak's blood. He groaned lightly as the pain began to throb with the cadence of his pulse in his thigh. Perhaps the Akalak would be hindered in maneuverability after all. "What trickery is this human? Some hidden weapon? You are a sly little rat." Those words held the stench of volatile destruction in it. Those eyes began to alter, not physically per say, but just in how he was staring at Conrad, as if he was adopting that same rage that had nearly overcome him the previous night at the tavern, or the one that hinted at exposing itself weeks ago when he nearly exploded on Conrad's father.

[Conrad]

Conradlet out a squeal as the air was forced out of his lungs and flew backwards as the akalak's foot slammed into his chest, falling on his back desperately trying to get some air back into his lungs. He rolled over and tried to push him back on his feet hacking and coughing all the way from the blow to his chest, thankfully nothing was broken though.
"What trickery is this human? Some hidden weapon? You are a sly little rat."
Conrad just looked at the akalak, holding both his transformed fist and the normal one before his face.
"They are just as much weapons as your fists are." Conrad managed to say, his jaw a bit numb and unresponsive. How the tone of the akalak changed didn't make it easier, It promised violence and a whole lot of pain.Still Conrad couldn't just shut up and let it drop, he would give his all, or he might just have come not at all.
"If you didn't see it coming its because you didn't know where or how to look."
He carefully glanced at his untransformed fist.
Should I try and transform that one to? It might give me an edge He glanced at the akalak.But then again If I use to much I might get in a lot more trouble then that akalak could ever bring me in.Conrad looked at the bloody thigh, noticing the slight limp of the akalak.
Just try and damage it again, it just might slow him down. Conrad just gulped and advanced on the akalak , when he came close enough, he aimed another punch with his morphed fist.

[Azeran]

Azeran smirked lightly, he allowed himself to slack off just because of his expectations of a mere human. His hand had changed drastically, it was no longer a weak helpless fist, but a tearing weapon, he had to avoid that hand now, but not only that, he had to be observant, he had to watch every appendage that Conrad had at his disposal now, to make sure nothing else lethal came about. This was turning out to be quite exciting after all. He expected a quick beating, a few words, and to leave a semi-conscious human regretting his mistakes for the rest of his life. The situation had changed, but the outcome didn't have to. Azeran watched as Conrad inched closer, his eyes were darting from his own gaze, to his already wounded leg. The boy was not experienced, he was lucky to get off two shots, but Azeran wasn't going to allow a third so easily, especially with that slicing hand. "I see. I was wrong to underestimate you, but now I know where to look. It is no different than I should have been looking since the very beginning. I failed my training by allowing Koarhal to distract me, and once again by allowing such a change to slip my gaze. It'll not happen again." Just as he expected, Conrad threw another attack at his already wounded leg, it was logical, but he didn't do anything to distract away from the attack, he didn't even use his normal hand to strike the head or body. Azeran easily pulled his leg back, moving it out of the way of the strange morphed hand. However, Azeran wasn't going to let an opening slip by. The boy's brains were slightly rattled he assumed, it wouldn't take too much to make him quit. With Conrad lunging towards his leg, which had already moved, the Akalak would take his hand, and not punch, but simply try to grab behind behind his head and throw him down to the ground. It was most likely he would catch himself on his hands and knees, or at least just up quickly. But Azeran's intent was to kick Conrad while he was down (assuming he was successful in grounding Conrad) and throwing a kick right into Conrad's nose with his lower shin, the hardest part of the leg. It was a crude and somewhat dirty move, but he considered it no worse than morphing your own fist into a slicing and cutting weapon. All is fair in love and war.

[Conrad]

Conrad ignored whatever the akalak was telling him, just focusing on his target. His eyes widened in horror when the akalak moved out of the way and grabbed his morphed hand, before slightly pulling him closer and grabbing him just behind the head throwing him to the ground.
Conrad was able to put his hands on the ground and catch himself from planting his face into the ground. Though when he saw the leg of the akalak swing towards his face he just cursed himself for doing it.
Unable to dive out of the way or dodge the kick that was aimed at his face he just closed his eyes and waited for the impact. This time the akalak didn't hesitate or stop his attack like the first time. The shin crashed into his face, his nose bending with a sickening crack as conrad's head jerked backwards because of the force.
Conrad just dropped to the ground like a sack of flour. His vision began to swim in front of his eyes. He lost his grip on his djed and his morphed hand just reverted back towards how it was.
Conrad just laid there and slowly let the black overtake him, drifting away from consciousness as he did so. Hoping the akalak had at least the decency to drag him home.

[Azeran]

Azeran looked down at the human, not lying on the dirt ground. He was put to sleep, no question about it. Azeran stood there a moment, watching him to make sure it wasn't another sly trick, but that blow would be hard to fake an injury of. There was a faint smirk that spread across the Akalak's lips as he bent over and picked up the human. Conrad was practically cradled in his arms like one might carry a newborn child. He put up a fight, did the best he could, it just wasn't possible to beat an Akalak, not without training as hard, or harder, than one, and that wasn't a simple task. With the unconscious boy in his arms, he left the arena with a casual walk and limp. Now that the rush of combat had left him, he realized just how painful and deep that single attack was. He'd be waiting for this to heal for a while, assuming it would ever fully disappear. It wouldn't take too terribly long for Azeran to take the boy home; Conrad was lucky that Azeran remembered what started this whole ordeal the previous night. Upon entering the father's workplace, a location he had visited on occasion, he sought out and found the father, handing the boy to him. "Let him know that he is victorious. It takes a great deal to earn my respect. He may not be fit for our kind, living with us, but he will always be welcome in my home." Azeran bowed his head slightly towards Conrad's father, turning on his heel and leaving. He didn't want to be around when Conrad awoke. He would tend to his wounds himself. End

[Baku]

Thou has written, and thou has completed, so I award thee the following.... Azeran: +1 Storytelling, +2 Intimidation, +4 Observation, +5 Hand to Hand, +3 Rhetoric, +1 Meditation, +1 Tactics, Lore: Hating Weakling Humans, Realizing the Necessities of Other Races, Unfriendly Advice, Ignoring Drunks, Missing Connections to Past Events, Short Temper, Bickering With One’s Dark Brother, Knowing There is a Place for Fighting in Riverfall, Preparing for a Duel, Finding Respect for Conrad, Never Take a Duel Lightly, Kicks and Their Effects, Being Egged on by Koarhal, Realizing Who’s at Fault For Current Circumstances, Wanting the Fight to End Quickly, Underestimating an Attack, Magic: A Glimpse at Morphing, Gaining and Giving Victory Conrad: +1 Drinking, +1 Rhetoric, +2 Morphing, +1 Instigation, +3 Rhetoric, +3 Observation, +1 Evasion, +4 Hand to Hand, +1 Tactics, Lore: Having Fun in Drinking, Liquid Courage, Unwillingness to Be Ignored, Ignoring Unfriendly Advice, Akalak Culture: Honor Duel, The Gideon Arena, Fear Can be Sobering, Controlling One’s Bladder, Realizing the Gravity of Drunken Mistakes, Learning to Face the Consequences of One’s Actions, Not Backing Down Despite Fear, Fear Makes One Quick, Taking a Chance, Akalak Strikes? Yeah They Hurt a Lot, Using the Skills and Abilities You Have, Taking Another Hit, Still Moving Forward, Weighing the Pro’s and Con’s of Using Magic Again, A Crash Course of Fighting An Akalak, Getting Knocked the Petch Out Additional Notes: Likely the First Post I’ve seen between 2 characters where the Arena has been used the way it was intended to be used. I am also very pleased to see that the fight was taken to the Arena, and not thrashed out in the Tavern, otherwise both of you likely would have been arrested by Akalak sentries. Generally, according to Akalak Customs, the loser would be indebted to the victor when an Arena Duel happens, and either payment whether through gold or service would have to be rendered. However, since the matter was not brought up to the Council or others in thread, but primarily between the two of you, such is null in void. Great thread you two.