Flashback [Arena of Ancients] The Point of the Spear (Kwantu)

[Kaie]

If Kaie had stated she was not pleased with the discomfort riddled across his face when she nailed him, it would be an outright lie. There was something so sickly satisfying about the pressure of compact flesh, the power that violently surged and transferred from one individual to another. Pain was the element of combat that ultimately gauged her success. The more she could inflict, the better off she'd be in the long run...unless the game changed out of her favor. For the time being, though, the young woman was content and Kwantu was still keeping her on her toes.

Her opponent returned quickly than she had anticipated, and before her feet could really scramble, the wooden pole was hurtling her way. She could already hear the sound of the weapon slicing the air. With a sharp inhale, Kaie jerked the shaft of her own spear before her side, hoping to save her hips from the vicious assault. Instead her wrists were the ones to truly suffer. The hold had been awkward and inefficient, and in the end his weight behind the swing sent her careening back into the trunk of a nearby tree. Almost immediately she felt the air whoosh from her lungs and the agonizing rattle within the bones of her wrists. At least she managed to keep a hold of the damned thing.

"Lesson noted," She admitted in a gasp, ripping the spear back up before her defensively in her still-shaky hands. That's what you get for being cocky, The Myrian female thought bitterly, cursing beneath her breath. Her back peeled itself from the tree and she settled humbly back into her stance. Goddess, she swore she could almost hear Yitmah laughing somewhere between the trees. I'll have to think a little harder. He's got his range down. I can either try to adjust to it or break it. Either way, I'll be damned if I let him sneak up on me like that again.

Kaie stalked forward again, rotating the spear back down to let the spearhead face him again. Her fingers clenched and relaxed upon the curve to rid her hands of the strange ache that was fading away all too slowly. All the while her eyes roved his body, noted the way he held his spear and how he positioned his feet. Most importantly, she too great care in watching the pits of his eyes."Barbarians say 'eyes are the windows to the soul.' It is just so in combat. A body may lie, but the blacks of their eyes give their true intentions away. They often dilate just before an attack," Yitmah had schooled her once.

"I'm starting to get the feeling you like this weapon," Kaie observed suddenly just before she let her spear tip sway back and forth in a small space before him. Then she jutted the spear tip toward his chest in a short burst. Unless forced otherwise, the Myrian would then curiously opt to rotate the spearhead back in her hands, and try a low swipe with the back end at his closest calf. If only she was quicker at it..

[Kwantu]

Kwantus was soon learning to become more cautious and less... well, for lack of a better word, uptight. For all the lack of experience that the girl had, from the way that she used the thing, she had more tricks up her sleeves than scars on his back and he couldn't let her beat him at his own game. She seemed to know that this was his game, as well. And that just made him even more cautious - if she knew that all he really had to run on was this, then she'd have a wide array of different approaches to choose from, all of which he wouldn't be prepared for. Combat was never just standing opposite one-another, randomly throwing a specific weapon until one or the other fell down. "It's one of my preferred weapons." He was guarded in his reply and with good reason - the rest of his stance was guarded as well. The spear in his loose grip was pressed against his hip for stability with the head of the shaft pointed squarely at the girl but slightly raised - if he wanted to go for the offensive, he would have lowered it to stare her in the face.

The teasing way that she held the weapon irked him, just slightly. It had become more than just a simple match of wits - it was tactics, testing one-another for what their weakness was, where their points of weakness could be found. Something he was not well-versed in. He'd never had time in a real fight, beyond what his father had taught him, and it soon became apparent in small but significant ways. The way that his eyes darted to different parts of the girls body, as if trying to keep focus on many different areas at once and keep a calm demeanor in the rest of his body. For good credit, he could still hold the shaft of the spear with a moderately loose hold, with fingers only loosely coiled.. most of the power came from his palms.

And all of that power was quickly put to use when the attack came. He didn't know that it would come, but he was prepared for it with his stance, thankfully. The raised head of his spear quickly shot out to the far right and pushed the head of Kaie's spear with it - and while there was only a small window left open, he drew the head of his own spear back and made for a short jab around her lower abdomen. Hopefully he could get in a poke before she could bring her spear back down to defend herself, although he couldn't entirely trust his own judgement.

At least he was showing that he had some manner of skill in the weapon. And he could accurately judge it by the amount of concentration that the girl was putting into everything - it dribbled down her face with all the sweat of exertion and the sun bearing down on them both. The concentration in their faces and the waver in their voices - this was no one-sided match for certain. If anything, regardless of his superior competence in his own weapon, he felt overmined by the will of the girl that stood opposite, with nothing but a stick compared to his honed and precious spear that could whack a good few bruises into his puckered skin. "I have a feeling this isn't your first time fighting either."

Myrian Tongue | Common Tongue | Tukant Tongue

[Kaie]

For all her coy tactics and attempts at distraction, the male had proven adept when it came to focus. As if waiting for her all along he jerked his spear to intercept her attack with an almost practiced grace. The vibration that radiated from one wooden shaft to another was enough to make the girl grind her teeth. It wasn't so much that the sensation was uncomfortable. The problem was it was the feeling of another failure, another foiled plan at gaining an edge. He was keeping her on her toes. She was undoubtedly thankful for that at least. Still, her frustration was getting to her and she had a feeling that was exactly what he was hoping for. She'd dare not give him the satisfaction of that. At least that's what she told herself.

His deflection knocked her weapon wide of its target, leaving her vulnerable in a way she could immediately feel. With her spear incapable of getting ahead of Kwantu's next attack, Kaie was nothing short of absolutely screwed. She saw it coming before...well, before she actually saw it. Desperately, Kaie tugged her weapon diagonally downward but it was not enough. Her feet and her spear movements were not in sync and thus she suffered for it. Like some sort of snake, and twisted and arched her body as if hoping to narrowly avoid the danger. Instead she felt the edge of the spearhead race a jagged line across her side just above her hip. A deep growl followed and her stare turned venomous. As if put to the torch, the amber in her eyes blaze furiously at the man as she circled away from him.

Soon enough she had returned to her predatory crouch and righted her spear before her. Blood oozed in one long stream down her copper flesh, saturated the rope of her loincloth red, and dribbled toward the thirsty jungle floor below. Whether she was too stubborn or too concentrated to pay her fresh wound any mind might've been lost upon Kwantu. Her controlled rage on the other hand was never so obvious as it was in the curl of her lip.

"It's not," Kaie spat just before swinging the spear in a small arc from her hip, aiming to dash swiftly across his middle. If she managed to succeed in her revenge, she'd merely bring the spear back up to whack it down at him from above. If he managed to block of deflect the blow instead, the feisty youth would rush into the gap with a short roundhouse aimed at his leading calf.

[Kwantu]

His excitement only grew with the sight of blood. Of course, it was only a flesh wound - he wasn't so far in as to try to land a fatal wound against a fellow Myrian. It would heal soon enough, treated well and bandaged. And hopefully, it would leave a lovely scar. Just like the ones puckered around his back, down his arms.. pretty much over most of his body. Each one was like a tally - a record of his fights, some with other Myrians and some with others. Wild beasts, fellow members of clans, members of other clans.. they were all there. It was a piece of art, and a map of his entire life from the moment he could walk, sculpted along his entire body. And now, Kaie would hold one too.. a mark to be forever remembered as this fight. It was quite beautiful, really. But he shouldn't have been left daydreaming. He should have focused on the fight at hand, as his recovery would be short-lived. The spear came around again in a short swipe and his own spear swung out to meet it.

It was held vertically, to stop the blow.. but it meant that just before he could wind it back to his body for a counter-blow, she had an opportunity. He'd already learned that while the girl was not very fast on her spear, she was very good with her feet. And he soon learned it again, when the swing for his leg knocked it right from under his body, and he fell to one knee with the head of the spear sticking into the dirt, to try and support his weight. Damn, there'd be a bruise there tomorrow. But he could definitely tell that he'd unleashed the beast in the other Myrian. Which was good.. it'd be a worthy fight. Who knew, he'd probably earn a scar of his own before she was through.. or maybe she'd earn another one. No matter. The fire in her eyes was met with a grin that couldn't decide whether it was light or dark.. so it settled somewhere between the two.

"Then let's hope it's not your last!" He stumbled back to his feet and lifted the spear up high, trying not to put too much weight onto the front leg in the process. Although he might have been pushing himself farther than his body could manage. The swing that he brought down from above was much clumsier than the previous attacks, and much less co-ordinated.

Myrian Tongue | Common Tongue | Tukant Tongue

[Kaie]

It wasn't nearly as brutal as she might've hoped for. Her successful rebuttal to his previous attack had come in the form of a sharp cut of her shin to his calf. None of his blood had been shed, no jagged slit marked his tawny flesh. Initially, there would be no telltale sign she had struck him at all. Any bruising or likewise damage would first begin out of their vision until perhaps it would purple and blue at the surface. The most she could hope was that she had cramped the muscle there, anything that would hinder his potency with the weapon he was far more familiar with than she was. At the very least his lead foot had been a welcomed start. If she wanted to level with him, however, she'd need to raise the stakes...but how exactly might she accomplish such an endeavor?

Watching the man fall to a knee was satisfying for the young Myrian woman to watch. His involuntary position resembling submission was enough to bring a cruel curl to her lips. A crude remark blossomed within her mind, but she did a rare thing and kept the mockery to herself. After all, she was the one bleeding wasn't she? Arrogance was not earned and pretending otherwise would earn her naught but another ass-kicking by the tip of Kwantu's spear. Focus, she willed herself with a narrow to her eyes. You've put him on his toes by taking out his feet. You're going to have to use your head if you hope to stay head. What would Yitmah say? The spear shaft twisted in her grip anxiously, and she took a step back to allow the man a chance to find his feet. In another match she might've tried to capitalize on his vulnerability on the ground, but this one's end game was different. It's not like they could round out their spear skill squabbling in the dirt.

The leg I struck looks tender. He's favoring his back foot now, which puts him on his heels. I need to apply just the right pressure to tip him off balance, Kaie self counseled as Kwantu found his feet again just before he rushed her with a cry of defiance. Her hands drifted a large distance for each other along the spear shaft, and when she lifted it, his downward strike landed heavily upon the space between with a sounding thwack! Her forearms shook beneath the force, hardly noticing it was weaker than the previous attacks of similar appearance, and a heart-wrenching crack was soon to follow. Almost immediately, Kaie found herself skittering back from her opponent in a flurry of jungle curses. It wasn't hard to see why.

Along the center of her shoddy excuse for a weapon ran a long crevice in the wood. Repeated abuse and poor crafting had certainly done her no favors in the long run apparently. She continued to back away toward the tree line and out of range, bending and toying with the wounded material for a few ticks. Eventually, she merely shook her head and offered her opponent a shrug of her narrow shoulders. Raise the stakes. The retreat had ended. Taking long, careless strides forward Kaie entered back into their unofficial ring. The useless spear was tosses from one hand to the other, before eventually she took it between the two and cracked it over her knee. The two halves were recklessly flung into the nearby brush where rodents and other ground dwellers squeaked and hustled off.


"It seems your spear bested mine," She pointed out evenly. There was a short glance toward her wound before her gaze found Kwantu again. "But the spar isn't over. Not yet." Before she entered his range, she swung right and slowly began to circle instead. Her fingers flexed readily at her sides. "Make me bleed twice more and we'll declare you the victor. Otherwise, we'll go until I can force you out with my bare hands. What do you say?"

[Kwantu]

In truth, he was as surprised as she was in the outcome of his attack. Given the rather shoddy attack that it had been, he didn't know why he'd made it in the first place for anything other than to gain some ground and hopefully recover a little from the beginnings of an ache in his leg where he'd received quite the kicking. However, he wasn't going to be the one to gloat in the face of chance; he remained utterly silent as he took soft breaths and lifted the spear to use the butt as a support for the rest of his body. He thought that they could continue as they were, but apparently Kaie thought otherwise, as she snapped the entire thing in half and tossed them away. Well, now the entire thing would be entirely one-sided, if he had a weapon and she did not. Although he didn't really want to fight her without his weapon.. given the fact that she had already shown herself to be the superior of them both when it came to using her arms and legs as weapons instead of her spear.

Given his options, neither did he want to really fight her with his spear and her without anything. He knew already that he would not be the victor of such a fight.. because she was faster on her feet, and more competent in the use of her fists. If she really wanted to, she could grab the length of the spear just behind the head and he'd be pretty much unable to throw him off. The head was the only sharp part of the spear.. the rest was nothing. If he had a sword or something shorter in range, then perhaps he would stand a better chance.. but given the size, the best chance he would have, would be to keep as much distance as possible between himself and her, using the spear to achieve it. As long as he kept the sword in his hands, he'd have a chance of performing what would otherwise be a very difficult, if not simply impossible task. Even though the odds were bad, he took it though. Because he was being offered what all others would consider a clear advantage point.. she was offering him the chance to fight an unarmed opponent while holding a weapon.

Which would be more humiliating, though.. to refuse a fight where he would clearly have an advantage anyway, or to accept a fight where he had a clear advantage and then lose. He took a gamble; he nodded. He'd fight her.. and make her bleed two more times. "Alright then. We'll keep going."

As he spoke, he rose his spear once again and prepared it tightly within both hands, spread as wide as he could manage. His crouch became more of a squat, as he tried to think of the best way to go about their new positions. He'd have to, obviously, keep as much distance as possible using his spear.. but he'd have to do that by making quick, jabbing attacks. He threw one out quickly, with absolutely no intention of making it connect, just to see what reaction he'd get, before he threw out two more of exactly the same technique. He made sure, each time, to keep the spear at a distance so that he could quickly pull it back again. If she wanted to grab the spear, she'd have to come closer.. because the only part he was keeping close to her, was the sharpened tip. Even as he slowly circled around the edges of the arena, he congratulated his own genius. He might actually be able to defy his own predictions if he played his cards right, and if Myri could bless this fight in his name.

Myrian Tongue | Common Tongue | Tukant Tongue

[Kaie]

She could practically smell the hesitation on him. It permeated the air between them, rushing between her nostrils with each exhale and tick he took to ponder his choice. Her brow began to pull together, forming a crease of displeasure that only blossomed her irritation further, despite most of her frustration aimed predominantly at herself. I will not accept defeat, and he knows without a fight, he cannot force it upon me, the woman thought stubbornly. A breeze rattled through the thick foliage above, offering a gentle, airy hiss of advice to the adversaries below.

Just when she thought she might have to coax him to do her bidding in a more orthodox manner (other females found taunting a far more rewarding method), he agreed. The male was clever enough not to waste time. In a flash, the spear was pointed at her once more and secured between two rough hands. The two seemed to fall into their combat stance at the same time, knees bending and back-ends dipping toward the dirt. Her hands were opened wide before her. Elbows remained somewhat close to her ribs for protection, and every few ticks she'd sway to one side or another, just to watch how he reacted. Her moment to gauge him didn't linger, for after her first sway, her fellow Myrian jerked his weapon toward her in one sharp jab. Eyes dilated in response and she immediately dodged backward out of his range. As she inched closer to return, however, two more quick strikes were made, leaving Kaie scowling.

She paced about him like an agitated jungle cat, head low and prowling with slit eyes. It was a painfully daunting deliberation process. She was truly never one blessed with patience, and though she remained out of his range still, her being understood victory only could come when she entered it again. Then, finally, her slow stalk turned to a burst of action. She juked to his left, the right, and with a swipe of her right foot, a plume of filth was thrust into the air toward his face. Moist dirt, wood chips, and greenery flocked toward his vision, and as it did, the young woman looked to capitalize. Rather than choosing a direction, hoping her anticipation for wild swings would prove true, she kept a straight path instead: a quick sprint toward his center.

If the spear did rotate in a wild swipe in its search for retribution, her body would twist to capture the shaft between her opened hands; which is when she would find a firm grip and hurl a side kick into his chest in an attempt to steal the weapon. Otherwise, she'd just hope she managed to indeed run past the range of the spearhead to deliver a desperate punch to the jaw.

OOC:Let me know if this needs editing! I tried to throw this up before I was consumed in assignments again.

[Kwantu]

He wasn't an honourable fighter.. if the need for biting arose, he'd do it. However, even he wasn't really prepared when the girl, after so much careful stalking that he was forced to mirror in the hopes of keeping his distance from her, suddenly broke into a cloud of dust and soil being thrown up from the ground in his general direction. He shouldn't have reacted - if anything, he should have taken a step or two back so that the stuff didn't hit him, but then he'd be giving her ground.. and that was the last thing he really wanted to do. If he started giving up ground now, backing away to keep the distance.. even he knew that he'd be practically throwing her an easy victory by pushing him away into a corner and having at him when he ran out of places to back into. He needed to stand his ground.. but he couldn't just end up getting blinded by the attack.

One arm crossed over his face, and the spear was turned so that the head pointed away, with the forearm and the bicep used to shield himself from the dust that rose. As he lowered his arm just an inch thanks to the calming of the dust, he caught a shiver of movement that arose to the girl sprinting straight down the middle, right towards him. Exactly what he didn't want to happen.. because if she closed the distance, it was all over for him. He'd have to use his hands and feet, and that really wasn't what he wanted to do.. she was going to win if it came down to that. With his spear at such an awkward position, though, how the heck was he supposed to use it now? Oh. Suddenly it hit him.. and shortly afterwards, it was about to hit her. With his elbow raised and the spear-head pointing backwards, he thrust the spear forwards from where it'd been pulled back at his side, with the butt coming straight for her stomach and sliding between his palms to extend it and give as much room as possible. If this plan worked, it could hopefully keep her at bay.. but if not, then it would be all over. The spear would be extended too far to be of any use, and she'd be able to get in plenty of free shots over his torso.

He was practically begging Myri at this point. Myri give me strength, Myri give me courage, guide my spear as it travels true, give me the will to overcome my enemies and win this battle in your name. He didn't know how much good would come of it since he was fighting a fellow Myrian, but it was worth a shot. Heck, at this moment, he'd send off a prayer to Uldr if it meant that he could hold Kaie off for another tick while he composed himself and prepared for another assault. He'd kiss the ground between the God's feet, even.

Myrian Tongue | Common Tongue | Tukant Tongue

[Kaie]

It was the perfect strategy and she knew it: the changes in direction, the diversion that served to visually impair the enemy. All was flawlessly aligned in her head, and like a speaker conjuring verbal motivations from pen and paper, she hoped her execution was equally so. If only...

Her head was leading her, body bent forward in her rush toward her target. Smallish hands were open before her in anticipation for the attack of the spear. Amber eyes were as hungry as an Akila Hound, mentally salivating when she set her sights on the opening: the place she'd make her kill. That's when Kwantu changed the game on her. No longer was he merely standing there in the cloud of filth to take her strikes. There was no wild, panicky swinging of her spear. The weapon did come, but not in the way she expected. She noticed the cock of his biceps far too late. Her feet were committed to their path, and Kaie would not be able to dart away in time.

With widened eyes, the young Myrian woman's hands shot protectively before her. The end of the spear punched her middle ticks after her fingers grasped the shaft of his spear. She felt her body begin to naturally double over and the throb upon her skin where he'd managed to hit her. Thanks to hand hands, however, she saved herself true pain by catching the spear in her hands, and prevented a full extension into her abdomen as planned. Heels dug into the earth as she adjusted to the reverse momentum, worked to maintain her ground, and with a groan, tugged the spear toward her and shot her foot out at his chest. With luck, she'd manage to plant and pry him brutally from his weapon.

But would the male allow any middle ground?

[Kwantu]

It worked. It worked. It wasn't the best attack, it didn't have any way to follow up and all he could really do was back away and try to keep his distance. Always distance. The only problem was that the girl now had his spear in her hands, and that meant that he'd have to attempt to pry it back from her if he was going to continue using the spear at all. The last thing he wanted in the world would be to hand over his spear to her. She may not have been very competent in its use but she was still quite formidable when she combined her hand-to-hand combat with a ranged weapon. He'd have no chance without it, unlike her. So unfortunate that she seemed to pick up on this, and before he could move backwards to extend his distance, he was forced. The heavy impact of foot against ribcage sent him reeling and for a moment, he could share in Kaie's pain. All the air in his lungs released at once in a mixture between a grunt and a puff.

Although he was forced back to near the tip of the spear, his hands remained firm. He wasn't going to let go; never. He'd sooner cut his own fingers on the sharpened metal head than release it. He was dangerously close to doing just that, since the reverse of the weapon meant that Kaie had a blunt butt of wood facing her, and Kwantu had the metal head. There was near ten feet of spear separating the two of them now, but with both of them taking a hold on the weapon, there was no telling which way this fight could go. If Kwantu got it first, he'd still have a chance.. no matter how small.. to keep the fight going and emerge victorious. However, if Kaie took it for herself.. it was game over. "You're not taking it from me.. not now.. not ever." He was hissing through his teeth now as he took a step forward, hovering near the tip as he took all of his grip and used it to lift the spear high and then attempt to ram it straight down into her once again.

Afterwards, whether or not it connected, he slid his palms down the length of the spear shaft a good two feet, before rearing back with all of his might to wrench it away from Kaie. Hopefully the sharp, jarring motions would be able to drag her away from the spear so that he could follow up with a sharp counter. However, with her hands occupied, he knew that all he'd have to worry about would be her feet kicking at him when he was distracted. He'd keep his distance now. He wasn't going to let her get another kick in the chest or stomach if he could avoid it.

Myrian Tongue | Common Tongue | Tukant Tongue