Foxy Lady? No? Wait a minute... (Larina)

[Darren]

The only thing that Darren registered in the garble of language Larina spewed out was that he was a Vantha and something about killing men or man, either way it didn't help him understand what Larina was trying to say. Instead it actually did much to annoy the normally relaxed Vantha, his face drawn together giving the woman a frown as he tried to comprehend. He muttered in an annoyed tone as he looked to his belt and found his set of gauntlets before putting them on. Oh yes I, a mere Vantha, has the ability to kill someone he thought with an annoyed look on his face at the outsider's words, we only face supersized animals on a daily basis. Something that would probably make your style pale in comparison to the things we normally face. "Sure it is, I DO sorta know what I'm doing you know." he said softly in Vani, adjusting the grips tightly. In fact I know how to use it with all the power in my arms if I wanted he raged internally. Of course I wouldn't actually resort to using flux out here in the open without good reason to do so. Darren's expression lightened p as he heard her acceptance of a spar. He allowed himself a chuckle as he nodded in approval. "Oh don't act so meek, carry yourself as a fighter" he scolded. He left a happy expression on his face so that she would realize he wasn't serious about patronizing her as he took a step forward. "Of course..." he replied under his breathe. Annoyed he was the one usually throwing out the first attempt in spars he put much enthusiasm in his first strike. He arced his body back before starting the spar with a huge overhead swing that covered the great distance between the two.

[Larina]

Her garbled blend of languages seemed to put the large Vantha off, and Larina half wondered whether he would spar with her for sport or because she had angered him. With an additional twinge of nervousness, the girl watched with unblinking eyes as Darren equipped his large metal gauntlets. He was actually arming himself! While Larina was not altogether familiar with the customary rules and regulations of a basic sparring match, she had always believed one aspect of the game was the both opponents would leave in the ring in one piece. A little battered, maybe, but intact. The girl was prepared to remove her own metal gauntlets, but the fervor of the Vantha dispelled this idea and instead she gently pointed the inch long spikes in his direction. While she was not particularly skilled with using them, one well-landed blow could easily puncture skin and tear through muscle. Was this really what he wanted? Larina felt the beast pent up in her chest come to life as Darren taunted her. And while he looked happy, his words seemed anything but. The poor little Kelvic rarely understood humor, especially ones which were shaded with nuance or sarcasm like Darren’s. So Larina thought the man was truly mocking her, and she bristled at his retort her eyes flickering up at the man with muted hostility. Remember, this is a lesson. To teach him. Not to really hurt him…Right? Her hands clenched up as the Kelvic watch Darren tense up and then begin his first assault. Begin. Before the man had a chance to even barely narrow the gap between them, Larina moved. Her right fist plunged into the snow beside her, the metal spikes gracing her knuckles burying themselves into the permafrost below. She threw her weight in the same direction, using the strength in her arm to help launch her body to the right. Darren’s punch was heavy. Forceful. It was be devastating to the girl if it landed, but the sheer energy which backed the throw would hinder his aim and cause her opponent to stumble forward if he missed. This is what she was counting on. Her lunge to the side was expected, but Larina kept low to the earth, making her a small and flighty mark to hit. Darren’s overhead swing whizzed by her shoulder, and the Kelvic quickly swung her left leg around, targeting his shins. If her retaliation landed, Darren would surely trip and with his additional momentum, he may end up in the snow. Step one: Debilitation. Bring him down to her level.

[Darren]

As Darren arched his body forward to throw the starting hit Larina already made her move. Oh my... this girl really is as fast as the dickens he thought as she lunged herself to the right. His eyes shifted to follow her, giving her a look that look slightly less then enthused. He saw his target was less then ideal for his type, made even more so by the almost prone position she put herself in. A gruff huff of annoyance was emitted from his lips when he realized what was going to happen next. There was always the option to follow up with his left but that would be too awkward after an overhead, and that was only ideal after anything but an overhead. So he had to do something else, either try to defend or move or.... Darren actually didn't do any of those things, actually he allowed the weight on his attack follow through. His hand hitting the damp snow, scattering a small sprinkle of the white dust in the area. The movement leaving him in a crouched position, his left leg as his lead with it's arm resting upon his thigh. He then held his position, morosely waiting for the inevitable. By now he wasn't to worried to much about seeing Larina's response but rather, readying himself for his own response against it. Suddenly through the small drizzle of snow a leg suddenly whizzed between then. The sweep kick hit Darren in the his ankle, sending impulses of brunt force into his brain. His face wincing for a moment as he digested the hit reversed his left hand, shooting it down in an attempt to grab the cause of his sudden discomfort. Pushing off his right foot and knuckles he moved to bump shoulders with Larina, he moved to close the distance between the two. If anything he was being patient for now, seeing what other reactions he can expect from her. He just had to keep himself under control, that to him seemed to be the best way to deal with the more aggressively lethal variety of fighters.

[Larina]

A large hand clamped down in her calf like a scythe, pinning Larina’s leg to the snow. Flickers of worry flashed through her golden eyes as the girl realized that her prey had not fallen into the snow, but merely landed upon it and now was holding her to the powder as well. She jerked her body to the right again and gave her leg a fierce yank, trying to free it from the Vantha’s grip. Sweet Lady Morwen, he was strong! Larina managed to liberate some of her leg, but Darren’s weight and strength hindered her movements and her foot was still caught at the ankle. Before she could make a second attempt at freeing her leg or retaliating against the all too close Vantha, Darren acted again. He was…Shyke. Speed, patience, and accuracy were her choice tools for combat. A petty arsenal, perhaps, but one that did the job. Brute strength and fortitude were the standard fare of a fighter, but what good were muscles when one well-placed strike and a quick nip of teeth could kill a man? And now Darren threatened to take away her tactics with his shoulder blow. If he managed to knock her to the ground, this match would be over in a heartbeat. Larina’s swift elegance and precision were of no use when trying to brawl her way out of a tangle of bodies and limbs. But she could not get out of the way in time. Moving to defend herself, the Kelvic braced her body. She tucked her right leg into a crouch for support and pulled her arms to her chest to tighten her stance. Larina gripped the elbow of her left arm with fingers from her right, the deadly metal spikes pointing directly at Darren’s oncoming blow. Her muscles tightened expectantly as the Vantha collided with her side, but the girl could not tell if the gauntlets had done their job and burrowed into his shoulder. Either way, her descent to earth way inevitable if Darren used his full force as Larina was still unable to loosen his grip on her foot.

[Darren]

Darren's hand came upon a fleshy portion of Larina's leg, a quick jerk followed as Darren almost would have lost his grip on Larina if he took a second longer to realize what she was trying to do. His grip held tight as he moved to rush her, he could finish this quickly if he had the chance. This is it! he thought as braced himself before making contact with Larina. The hit was successful! He ran straight into Larina, knocking the smaller person down. It came at a price though, Darren realized, as a sharp wave of pain shot through his body. Larina gauntlets glanced off Darren's side as it took with it a small chunk of his flesh. Replying in kind with a mew of pain he in turn continued his course from the charge. He then stopped short as he turned and jumped at the same time, his hand went to his belt before he threw his arm in a vicious arch appearing as if to throw a knife. Following up with his feint's feint, he pushed off his feet as he launched himself forward. His feet leading he managed to steal a quick glance at Larina's face as he sent out a thrust kick at her. oocHe didn't throw a knife but merely moved like he did. Also Darren looking at your face before he sent a kick at you could be used against him depending on how fast you want to react

[Larina]

The force of Darren’s shove pushed the small Kelivc into the frost, but not before she heard the satisfying yelp of pain from the Vantha, meaning that her metal spikes had landed true. This unexpected sting into his side seemed to slow his lunge towards he, and the man halted his movements before he too was throw to the ground. This was a blessing for the girl. If he had toppled into the snow with her, or even worse, on top of her, all of her training and well-versed attacks would be for naught. Instead, Larina landed on her elbow and side, and without the additional weight of another body, was able to recover fairly quickly from her fall. She sprung to a crouching attention just in time to see the hulking Vantha raise an arm to throw another one of his deadly knives. Instinctively, Larina lifted an arm across her face, hoping the metal gauntlets would protect her from the slice of a dagger. But then it hit her. Darren had already used up all of his weapons trying to scare her earlier, and they were still strewn across the white powder near the birch tree were she had been seated. Golden eyes flickered from beyond the shield of her arm and caught the sudden lurch of the Vantha as he propelled himself towards Larina for yet another attack. She tensed up. But then, ah! A small break in the man’s stride. A moment before his next onslaught Darren had given her the break she needed by glancing at her face. The Kelvic was given an inch, and she would take her mile justly. Teaching Darren a lesson or two on fighting seemed to have slipped her mind. And the only true thought that rang through her ears was, Bring him down. Larina planted both hands into the snow and threw her body forward, directly towards the oncoming Vantha. His low kick tossed up a soft powder of snow into the air, and while the girl was equipped for speed, she could not fully escape his attack. His foot struck her shoulder, and the girl winced in sudden pain. Injury should could handle, but his strike also tilted her body of center and made her own lunge twist to the side. Larina had been aiming for his other foot, hoping to plunge her spikes again into his heel and cripple his motions, but not her aim may be off. Regardless of whether or not her hit landed, the girl would immediately strike and then retreat, since staying too close to the huge man would be foolhardy.

[Darren]

Darren's foot rose catching a bit of snow on it's ascension, clipping Larina as she lunged forward. The pressure he felt on his foot wasn't enough to register a clean hit to him. The lunges seem to be a staple with this one Darren noted as he pushed her strike away from him. A clang of metal was heard as the pair's gauntlets collided, producing a grinding of the two shortly after. Then without sending off another hit she sprung back, out of Darren's range. "Attrition is never fun..." he commented softly as she attacked. His face tensed up as he warded off the strike, it was a decent tactic he mused to himself. Only a matter of time before I leave myself open to one of these attacks. "So I heard there is a sale on gauntlets if you ever need a replacement after this" he mused as he compared the condition of their equipment. He took a in a quick breathe as he focused his body in another way. "I don't think you would want to bother repairing those things if this drags out" he commented as he took a stance. A surge of his djed surged around his system as his eyes turned into a calm blue. A pained smiled reached his lips as his arms described small circles before he put his arms down; all to show off his favored stance. It didn't have much for guarding, in fact Darren only took this stance to try to show dominance. Standing upright, his arms to his side Darren glared down Larina from a distance. I like this one's mentality when it comes to spars but I think we should wrap this up before we get out of control he considered softly. A motion came into his mind as his body moved in a preset motion. Darren raised his left hand to face level as he put his right arm behind him. A small flicker of movement would catch the eye of his attacker as his left's fingertips moved back and forth in almost a taunting gesture. Darren tensed as Larina's gauntlets reminded him of her earlier attacks, another pained smile reached his lips as he awaited for Larina's offense. He would repeat the taunting gesture on Larina's approach, sending out another jab at her before allowing himself to go all out. "Do I frighten you?" he would whispered darkly.

[Larina]

He used too many words. Though the Kelvic could be quite chatty, or rather rambling, when the circumstance arose, this was far from an appropriate time for mild conversation. Words had no place on a battlefield. Er, sparring match. Right. This is still a sparring match. Remember that. Regardless, Darren’s penchant for idle prattle in between blows was a bother to her. To Larina, his words only spoke of arrogance and a primped ego: traits for fools that would get you killed. Didn’t he know that? From her constant crouched position in the snow, the girl could not help but wonder how the Vantha came to be so cocky, and the ever turning gears in her head were all too happy to oblige her curiosity. A spoiled childhood? A defense mechanism? An innate need to compensate for some other personal failing which hinders his social development, like a stutter or a lack of grace when it came to attracting potential mates? Larina leered at her opponent as he slackened his attack stance and began to openly taunting her to fight, his little smirk solidifying her far-fetched opinion of the man. Compensation, I think. The girl inwardly scowled at his goading, trying to snub the twinge of anger that rose in her chest under his patronization. That would only fuel his arrogance and weaken her position against him, but then the man spoke again and any temper that had flared up was immediately put out. Was she scared? The small, feral Kelvic was never one to be called intimidating. Though she knew how to handle herself in a fight, her skittish nature and submissive attitudes were completely disarming and never inspired an ounce of fear into anyone. But now, she rose. Larina stood up from her slumped stance in the frost, her back straightening and her gold eyes starring Darren down. Without a word, the girl unlatched the buckles around her gauntlets, slipping them off and tossing them into the snow. She pulled at the cloak around her neck, the straps of her boots, and the strings of her tunic, loosening each and every one of them for the upcoming event. Was she scared? A hint of a grin teased her lips. “No.” In a burst of movement, Larina leapt forward with more force than a human should ever have. Yet in that fraction of a second that she was suspended in air, hurdling toward the disarmed Vantha, something changed. A soft white light flickered for but a moment over her body. Her dark tangle of hair glinted shortened into a shaggy brown mane, her arms lengthened to lanky limbs, but her eyes remained a constant, burning yellow. Freed from her loosened clothing, Larina bounded forth no longer in her human body, but instead that of a maned wolf. And one whose large paws were aimed directly at Darren’s chest.

[Darren]

Darren watched as Larina rose to the challange, an approving grin on his face at the his opponent. He followed in suit as Larina removed her gauntlets, possibly listening to Darren's reasoning and a little more. A confused but very amused smile reached his lips as he watched Larina take off her cloak and other articles of her clothing. He scratched his head a little unsure of what to do, "Erm...what are you doing there? You getting a little hot for me?" he joked as he pointed at the discarded pieces of Larina's attire. "Things are getting a bit kinky here if you know what I mean..." he commented as he gripped the front of his shirt. He turned his to check if anyone else noticed them and to give Larina a playful smirk. He did a mock interpretation of taking of his own shirt before Larina moved towards him. Darren misjudged Larina. Her latest lunges at him weren't as fast as this one, and he froze for a second to digest this latest development. He barely had time to react anymore Larina was almost upon him. The change in her stride saved Darren from recieving a full on hit from her, but was also the reason why his counter wasn't timed right. A large furry beast suddenly manifested inbetween them as Larina was just about to come into contact with him. Darren's mind froze for a moment, almost paused as he watched his right palm moved in an arc. It would land around the wolf's hindlegs as Darren was pushed down from the paws landing straight into Darren's chest. Another puff of snow blanketed the area as Darren was forced deeper into the snow by the sudden wolf standing on him. A blank stare followed by a sudden realization, he moved to shove the wolf away from him as he clumsily got to his feet. Disbelief was written all over his face as he watched the wolf warily before realizing something wasn't right. "Larina?" he asked checking the area quickly before shouting at the creature. "What have you done? Where is she?" he stammered worriedly as he took another pace away. Feet touched his earlier discarded gauntlets as he nearly fell back into the snow. Somehow keeping his balance he nrealy half-rolled to where Larina started towards him. Grabbing one of her gauntlets, he awkwardly tried to fit one over his hand right before the wolf. A heavy breath followed by a blank stare, he stared down the animal. Worried, furious and confused his actions spoke volumes of him as he took a harried step towards the wolf, his serene blue eyes giving the wolf all the hate he can muster.

[Larina]

And there it was. The small flicker of fear that shot through the Vantha’s all too telling eyes. A pale yellow sign that her little scare tactic had worked. It was incredibly satisfying to know that she still had a few tricks up her sleeve to bring down her arrogant opponent, but naturally, her decision to gratify a whim had its consequences. The instant Darren’s back hit the snow with a crunch, Larina felt a shove against her haunches and was thrown off of her opponent by his swift retaliation. This she expected and rolled with the blow, springing back up in the slush nearby. While in her dog-like form, Larina could often lose sight of her own humanity, succumbing to her more bestial instincts. But at this moment, the large and toothsome smile that was spread over her muzzle clearly told tales of her human state of mind, which was thoroughly pleased at rattling the large Vantha. But what the girl did not expect was for Darren to not comprehend her ruse. Surely, he had seen her shift into a maned wolf. She had done it in broad daylight after all. So why did the man’s eyes still shine with a worried hue? Had he never encountered a Kelvic before? Before the circuits of her mind were able to concoct new tales and fantasies about this idea, Darren acted again, scooping up one of her own jagged gauntlets and strapping it to his arm. A spasm of panic bubbled up in her chest and made her tail twitch reflexively. He didn’t know. Somehow, the Vantha believed that she was a rogue wolf, completely unconnected with the girl whom he had been sparring with just moments before. Fool. It was an unconscious and immediate thought. One born from the feral instincts which she tapped into the second she switched into her animal body. Immediately, Larina realized that it was she who was the fool in this situation. The one who had let herself be goaded into a fight and who had now opened the floodgates to all of the savage instincts she normally worked so hard to keep fettered. The look of hatred on Darren’s face coupled with the fact that he was using her equipment did not help to maintain her level head, and she could not help thinking about how much she would love to teach the boy a true lesson in ferocity. A savory thought, that. She could keep a lid on her more wild impulses…right? Right! Larina dropped her head low to the ground, her dark mane bristling. Luminous eyes were almost dancing with glee as she began to circle the confused Vantha. With a slow and measured pace, the wolf reveled in the moments before her strike. And now, begin. In a flash, Larina made a faux start towards Darren’s left side, bounding towards him and then darting away again as if to test his reaction. But with a twist of her body, Larina launched herself again towards the armed man, nipping at his right heel in almost a playful fashion. Her one-two attacks were superficial and only meant to gauge his response to this new threat. Either that or she was just toying with her prey.