Closed Hand to Hand

[Ayatah]

4th Winter, 515AV

Ayatah was still unsure as to why she decided to visit the Tuvya Sasaran. Hand-to-hand unarmed combat was not her specialty, and the half-Eypharian rarely ventured outside Riverfall without at least one blade on her hip. She supposed that old habits died hard, and especially Myrian ones. From a young age her people were encouraged to strive for martial perfection, and even a mud-blooded specimen such as herself was not allowed to be an exception from this rule.

Upon her arrival to the training school, Ayatah shed her outer coat and footwear before beginning to stalk down the central hallway. It had been over a year since she last visited the Tuvya, though soon enough Aya found herself in one of the smaller training rooms. She sat faced the instructor, a huge Akalak who watched his students with a narrow, critical gaze.

His teaching methods were far from what Ayatah had been familiar with back in Taloba. Firstly he bade all eight of his students - who were sat on the padded floor in two rows of four - to meditate. "Sit comfortably, core tight, and inhale..." For apparent clarity, he demonstrated a deep breath that made his nostrils flare out widely.

Aya, that man looks like a bull!

The Myrian tried not to snort as she imagined her adopted son's voice. Yes, Kuame would be quite entertained by the Akalak's great body and bull-like snout. Still, now was not the time for such silliness. After glancing about herself curiously, drinking in the appearances of her fellow students, Aya snapped her eyelids shut. When the class next inhaled deeply, she followed suit.

In...

And out...

Meditation was not something she was familiar with, or hugely confident in. Those who practised the art daily swore that it could do all kinds of wondrous things - but Ayatah doubted the truth behind their dogmas. By the time the instructor freed the class of their mind-clearing, self-centring meditation, all the Myrian felt was a little light headed.

"Your opponent will be the person standing opposite you." The azure male declared in his low voice.

For Ayatah, this meant that her sparring partner was a young man with strikingly pale hair and blue eyes. She was instantly aware of how different to each other they were: she a cinnamon-skinned barbarian and he an ivory, slender tower. Even their hair colour was starkly contrasted: almost black and almost white, respectively.

A timid smirk inched across her lips. "I'm Ayatah." She murmured softly, nodding her head in a tiny greeting. And then, more playfully: "Don't go easy on me, okay?" With that, she prepared herself by stretching out her arms and subsequently tying those raven locks into a low ponytail. On the back of her neck, gnosis mark pulsated dully.

[Skyard Underwood]

Beautiful, Delicate, Eloquent and gorgeous were the first things that came to mind the moment he laid eyes upon the woman. Her figure had been slender, however he’d already known the moment he saw her she wasn’t to be tampered with. Her presence here in the training facility went to show that she was no coward. Perhaps she wished to better herself in the art of combat, unarmed combat in specific. She was absolutely stunning, with her somewhat tanned skin tone and beautiful dark hair. Although they looked very different he wouldn’t bother to let the womans looks stop him. His current mission was rather simple, as he heard the instructor say the words.

“Your opponent will be the person standing opposite you.” Spoke the instructor

The moment he’d said that a smile crept across his lips; one that revealed all of his pearly white teeth almost simultaneously. However when she uttered the words “I’m Ayatah” He’d never heard a name quite like hers name, and figured that it had been uncommon. She couldn’t have possibly been from here initially he had been used to hearing more complex names. She didn’t even quite look like majority of the “humans” present in Riverfall. He couldn’t allow himself to be distracted now, and most certainly wouldn’t do so under any circumstance. For in battle, all is fair and that includes being unfair, even if only slightly. Skyard reached backward and used his index finger to gently tap the gnosis mark upon the back of his neck. He’d almost been swept off of his feet by the feeling of the aura as it expanded. He wanted to attempt to test it out today albeit in a rather simplistic and small situation.

“My name, is Skyard. Tis’ nice to meet you, A---ya…tah” Her name rolled off of his tongue in quite the odd fashion. Since he wasn’t quite the best with pronunciation, however if he were to continuously see her after this point he’d most certainly improve. He continued to smile at the woman, almost as if to provoke her into attacking him first. Yet the second set of words that came out of her mouth shifted his focus almost immediately.

“Dont go easy on me okay?” Spoke the woman, and he simply tilted his head to the right side for a brief moment. Had she truly wanted to ask that question? He didn’t intend to harm her at all, and after all her appearance was phenomenal. He could hardly bare to spar with her as of now due to how amazing she looked; he didn’t want to so much as touch her for fear of messing up her looks. Whilst she spoke he spread his feet slightly, approximately shoulder width apart and planted his heels. Skyard bent his knees at a slight angle and placed his right foot a few inches behind the position of his left. He raised his right heel upward in attempt to change the amount of pressure exerted on his left foot.

Skyard raised both his hands simultaneously, and extended his arms outward before he clenched his right fist. Whilst he clenched his right fist shut he brought it backward in order to align it with his chin, and leave it mere inches from his facial structure. He extended his left hand however and flattened it completely; he closed the gaps in between his fingers. In a knife hand like fashion he’d extended it further out then he did his right hand as a means to protect himself.

“I suppose I will have to meet your needs then After all what man could possibly say no to you?” He spoke in a sarcastic tone as the smile once upon his face became a grin. The azure hue irises of his eyes locked with that of Ayatahs own. He attempted to focus upon where she was looking, and perhaps that could provide him an advantage. He hadn’t been well aware of how to properly observe an opponent; however he would willingly learn the hard way during this spar.

[Ayatah]

He was so un-Myrian that Ayatah found herself transfixed by the male standing opposite her. There was something intimidating about his unfamiliar appearance, but it thrilled the half-Eypharian all the same. The allure she felt towards him was so... forbidden, so different, that she struggled to recognise it as physical attraction. He was handsome, yes of course. But that alone was not what drew Aya's attention. There was something quietly powerful about him. It was different to her jungle-bound male brethren, or even the Akalaks with their huge muscles and blue skin. But something was there, maybe in the glint of his eye or the smile he'd worn.

Either way, Ayatah was entranced.

"I'm sure you'll meet my needs with no problem." She murmured, her voice low and conspiratory. Though embarrassment would have normally stopped her from being so brazen, Ayatah found herself unable to resist the simple flirtation. After all, his response to her earlier request had been dripping with innuendo as far as she had understood it.

Suddenly training was the last thing on Ayatah's mind, and she found herself having to pull her own mind away form the metaphorical gutter and back into the training room. Already their other classmates had started to spar, and the Myrian could feel the questioning gaze of their instructor on her back. "But perhaps your fulfilment of my needs should wait until after this class if over."

Her eyebrows quirked upwards playfully and a smirk flickered on her lips briefly as she met the gaze of her opponent. Myrian courting was far from subtle, but even that last comment was possibly pushing it, Ayatah thought as she finally took a step away from Skyard. She needed to focus. After all, her visit to the Tuvya Sasaran had been to train, not to flirt.

But now her mind was distracted, and as she readied herself for the combat, Aya's thought were once again elsewhere. Dutifully she pulled them back, raising her hands into loose fists and spacing them in front of her, shoulder's width apart. She was far more familiar to fighting with blades, and as such her hands still moved as if she was clutching onto her double-bladed daggers.

Knees flexed, she gave a final nod and finally invited the male to come as close as he dared:

Come at me.

[Skyard Underwood]

“I’m sure you’ll meet my needs with no problem.” Spoke Ayatah

Skyard listened carefully to each and every one of her words. He expected a much more negative reply then the one he’d gotten, and the smile upon his face turned into a smirk. She had to have been one of the most gorgeous women he’d ever encountered before and that simply made him incredibly excited. He too, wanted to stop training and simply hold the woman in his arms; however he wouldn’t let petty words distract him. No matter how beautiful she’d been if she had actually been an opponent in combat; by now she could’ve likely assassinated him and went on about her merry way. Although Skyard almost immediately grew disinterested in training, he continued. His mind remained sharp, until the woman spoke the second set of words.

“But perhaps your fulfillment of my needs should wait until after this class is over.” Spoke Ayatah, and from then on Skyard grew flustered. Had she truly just said that? Skyard had been incredibly pleasantly surprised at the woman as she flirted back with him. His heart skipped a beat, and an incredibly hard thump followed for the next several beats afterward. Her combative stance had already been taken up and he wouldn’t dare allow himself to be defeated here; let alone by a woman that looked as frail as she did. As his gaze met her own he inhaled rather smoothly, calmly and deeply. After he inhaled and filled his lungs to capacity, he exhaled slowly before he sat and observed the woman.

The woman moved about slowly; however steadily within the evantia aura. Skyard had been able to “sense” the Ayatahs motions and movements. The aura practically allowed him to predict precisely what motion she would make next, and whilst he watched the woman raise her hands into unclenched fists he grew bewildered. He’d never seen a combative stance quite like this; she acted as if she were holding something. However he knew that she couldn’t have been due to the fact that there was a gap present in her hands.

“Well then, love if you want to wait until after this class then lets finish this as quickly as possible.” He spoke in a monotone voice.

He looked down and lost eye contact with her for a brief moment. He looked at her feet and noticed that she hadn’t quite taken up much footing. Outside of the fact that she stepped backward, and he grew nervous, but just as he got nervous he charged. Rather than hesitate he chose to spearhead the woman and bombard her with a rather wild and almost improper attack. Skyard launched his left “Knife Hand” toward Ayatahs cranial structure in attempt to strike her chin. He had remained calm the entirety of time following his words despite how much arrogance they carried. His right clenched fist remained right next to his visage and she practically challenged him with the nod. He simply had to show her that she shouldn’t underestimate him under any circumstance.

[Ayatah]

And come at her he did!

The male seemed to waste no time before approaching Ayatah and reaching his fist out, extending it forwards to connect it with Aya's chin. Had she positioned her clenched hands closer together, the Myrian may have been able to block his blow, but inexperience had made her an easy target. She winced and turned her head with the blow in an attempt to soften the damage, though thankfully she could feel no fractured bones or cracked teeth.

Flirtations aside, Skyard seemed to mean business. Perhaps he had simply been toying with Ayatah earlier, attempting to break down her defenses so he would have the upper hand? This thought irked her, and she shook her head to snap herself out of these doubts. She refused to let a male distract her in this manner, even if there was something deliciously unfamiliar about him.

Pushing his arm away, Ayatah ducked downwards and came towards him, her movements quickened by the flashing of the gnosis on the back of her neck. With Myri's blessing, the half-Eypharian swept her left hand towards his right side, aiming for his waistline with the hopes of winding him, or at least showing the male that she was not to be underestimated. But her aim was off and her punch clumsy.

Standing so close to him now, Aya found her skin prickling with anticipation and excited nerves. He was significantly taller than she was, and up close Ayatah could fully appreciate the blueness of his eyes. Inevitably a smile crossed her lips. "Are you always so enthusiastic to finish things?" She teased, her voice low and husky. Glancing up to his face form under eyelashes, Aya continued: "sometimes it's far more entertaining to take things slowly and relish in the moment."

With that, she broke away from him and stepped backwards, taking up her stance yet again. Only this time, Ayatah closed the gap between her fists. She would not make the same mistake again.

[Skyard Underwood]

Skyard hadn’t been used to the Evantia aura that expanded around him. The womans movements had been predictable, sloppy, and uncoordinated. Despite the fact that her movements in his eyes appeared to be somewhat slowed; he knew that she moved at a much more accelerated rate than he’d anticipated. He didn’t want to make use of Flux in this vicinity. Magic after all wasn’t a toy to be played with; especially during a situation that wasn’t dire in the least bit. He didn’t mind being winded by a woman at all due to the fact that skill mattered much more so then gender. Then again he realized how much taller he had been than the woman before him, and as he observed the swing toward his waist-line he scoffed a bit. Skyard stepped forth into the blow and rotated his hips in order to take on the full impact. Therefore it hadn’t been quite as hard; any swing with enough commitment can bring a man to the ground. He wasn’t about to allow himself to fall within the first strike, and not with a strike that looked like a child could’ve done it. The strike hadn’t at all been quite as painful as he thought it’d be, and he raised a brow at the woman as she stood close to him all of a sudden.

The beauty of Ayatahs face could almost be called god-like, and absolutely surreal. There wasn’t any way possible that she could’ve been “Normal”. Skyard found her to be so beautiful that he grew increasingly suspicious of her. She spoke, and once again teased him with her statement. “Are you always so enthusiastic to finish things?” He observed as the woman glanced up at his face, and the moment she did he locked eyes with her, he made note of all of her facial features. Everything from her absolutely flawless skin, to her symmetrical facial structure; he’d been entranced. Never before had he been so allured by a woman, captivated and tempted all the same. He knew that the fight had to be finished, but he couldn’t help being distracted.

Skyard tilted his head to the far right, and listened to the satisfying “pop” of his neck. He felt a slight relief, and he smiled at the woman once more. He then heard yet another set of words come from Ayatah and they intrigued him. “Sometimes it’s far more entertaining to take things slowly and relish in the moment.” She might’ve been right, but in this case Skyard believed that she hadn’t been. From the day he’d been taken in by his master he knew immediately that in combat he wouldn’t ever take things slowly. Slow paces in combat lead to defeat, and even death. As he’d learned quite some time ago when he’d lost his master and with his death he learned to keep his opponents on the defensive. He wouldn’t ever bother to hesitate nor take anything in life at a slow pace other than death.

“If you are interested in taking things slowly, then why don’t we? After this class we should become better acquainted in many more ways than one. Your beauty is only matched by your skill in battle.“Spoke Skyard in an incredibly calm manner; so calm that his words could practically be called stone cold. As she stepped back and took up her stance; he noticed that she closed the opening he’d used before. She was a smart one, and he wasn’t going to over-extend himself like that again. At least not now, until he figured out what kind of trickery had been behind her movement speed.

[Ayatah]

What am I doing?

The question should have been at the forefront of Aya's mind, demanding an answer as to why she was being so candidly flirtatious with a stranger. Yes, she should have been heavily concerned with the implications and consequences of her words. But most importantly of all, she should have been thinking of her adopted son, and how her actions might impact on his little life. Perhaps the male she was currently sparring with was a child killer or thief? How could she allow such potential risk into her life -- the life she shared with a six-year old child? It had been no easy thing to break through the little boy's mistrust and anxiety, but now he trusted her wholly and it was her duty to protect him. Though that didn't mean she had to miss out on romance and all the fun that entailed, she was in no place to flirt so shamelessly as if she had nothing to lose.

There was but one obstacle to all of these noble concerns: the only thoughts that kept running through the Myrian's mind were concerned with Skyard and herself pulling and tugging each other into whatever dark little corner they could find, and the passion and heat that would ensue. She wondered whether his skin was just as pale on his stomach and thighs. Did he have a muscular back? Chest hair?

The lust she felt made her heart pound and chest heave. Ayatah's fingers twitched minutely as she imagined running her hands through that almost-white hair. All sense of morality and responsibility were pushed aside, replaced by this burning carnal desire. She'd never experienced anything so desperate before. Aya's teeth gently grazed her lower lip as her dark eyes subconsciously wandered down Skyard's chest. Eventually, after several ticks of these hungered looks, she blinked and snapped her focus back onto their spar. But her heart was no longer in it, and what little enthusiasm she had mustered earlier had now waned. Slowly she inhaled and exhaled. Focus, Aya. Focus.

His reply was cool and distant: if anything, his calmness made Aya want him even more. The tone of his voice was a complete contrast to his words, which had been complimentary to say the least. Ayatah's skin flushed slightly and she could feel a nervous excitement fluttering in her gut. "That's not an invitation I can refuse." Though she tried her best to sound as nonchalant as he, Ayatah's smile betrayed her enthusiasm. "In what ways were you hoping to become better acquainted?"

Her feet shuffled slightly as she spoke. Though Ayatah herself was entranced with their flirtations, a history in the Taloban army had her on her toes: she would not let herself become completely inept by a handsome face.

[Skyard Underwood]

Skyard simply sat and observed her for a moment, she’d closed the gap in her stance and suddenly she’d been distracted. Had his advances upon her truly had that great of an effect? He supposed so; the way she looked at him brought several things to mind. She looked as if she were ready to tear the clothing right off his body; he watched as the woman ran her teeth over the tender looking flesh of her lip. The perpetual thought of simply taking her to his home now lingered in his mind. She’d looked far too good to pass up, and she suddenly spoke which threw Skyard for a loop.

Yet another positive response left her mouth, and Skyards smile only grew to become more inviting. He observed as she “blushed” with the way that he spoke to her. “That is not an invitation I can refuse.” Spoke Ayatah and he was most certainly shocked. Had she literally just thrown herself at Skyard with mere words? Skyard believed that she had, and he’d most definitely grown excited by her bold notion. He absolutely loved the way that she responded positively; she spoke without any hint of shame in her voice. Skyard loved a woman that he could be blunt with; he hated beating around the bush. She attempted to sound nonchalant and calm, but she failed due to the fact that she smiled.

Skyard could almost feel the way that she failed to mask herself in this situation. She spoke once more, after the first set of words. This time she asked a question, although she very well should’ve already known the answer to the question. “In what ways were you hoping to become better acquainted?” She beckoned, and Skyard simply gave her a flirtatious look. Skyard licked his lips briefly, gently and rather slowly; he eyed Ayatahs hips the entirety of the time that he’d done so. He decided upon giving the woman a bit of incentive so that she might know what way he wanted to become more acquainted with her in.

“I believe you and I both know the answer to that question, now don’t we? Perhaps you can come visit me after we’re finished here, Love. I’d really enjoy your company, and I’m certain that with the amount of pleasure I shall deliver you, you will be able to say the same.” Skyard spoke in an incredibly calm manner, and followed up the sentence with a brief wink. He was always the incredibly confident type, and he most certainly wouldn’t lack confidence around a woman.

Skyard stepped forth once more, and this time his steps became rather casual. He stopped focusing so much on his foot work, and he’d almost become completely and totally distracted. He’d loosened his stance a bit, and stood upon his “toes”. Little did he know that this would evenly distribute his body weight; then he attacked her again, but this time with much more caution. He’d thrown a simple jab toward the woman’s chin once more; he could only wonder how she would react.

[Ayatah]

As much as Ayatah had loved his coy remarks, Skyard's blunt and honest answer enthralled her to a whole new level. So, there it was: both she and her companion had made their desires more than obvious to each other. His confidence was irresistible, and if anything made Skyard even more different to Aya's Myrian male counterparts. The half-Eypharian pursed her lips in mock concentration for a tick, as if she was weighing up his offer. Though there was no way in Hai that she would be rejecting it, Ayatah still felt she had to create some illusion of a modest woman.

"I don't live far from here." She mused eventually, tilting her head in the general direction of the Windswept Condos. After briefly thanking all of the Gods and Goddesses in existant that Kuame was in school, Aya allowed herself to smile once more. Her invitation had been given. This was happening. "But I warn you--" Her eyebrows quirked upwards in jest as Ayatah spoke in a low, almost dangerous, voice. "Myrian women are infamously difficult to please."

It wasn't an entire lie, but after all of those longing looks and flirtatious words, Ayatah felt only optimism over their upcoming... meeting.

Was this how men and women met in Riverfall? It was hardly romantic in the traditional sense of the word, but then again it was more in line with what Ayatah was familiar with. She disliked pomp and ceremony. Flowers made her sneeze and she had never been one of those women who classily ate only one or two chocolates; instead she would usually devour the whole box with triumph and impressive speed. If there was enough chemistry between two people, and enough connection later on, then presents and dates weren't necessary. All Ayatah needed from a man was his attention and company. There was always various activities they could do together, after all.

What had started as basic attraction was now beginning to mature. Yes, Ayatah still wanted to explore every inch of Skyard's pale skin, but she was intrigued about the man within the body too. How old was he? Had he always lived in Riverfall? What did he do for employment? These questions buzzed in the back of her mind whilst Ayatah watched her blue-eyed companion carefully. The fact he continued their spar throughout their flirtations only made her like him more: she guessed that he wasn't the sort to give up or get distracted. That was admirable.

His hand extended towards her once more, again aiming for her chin. Ayatah ducked downwards, but raised her right arm at the same time and swiped it horizontally. Though her block was by no means strong enough to have stopped a real foe, she felt her forearm connect to his wrist, hopefully knocking his punch off aim.

But now Ayatah was stuck: she was ducked down, with her dominant hand extended awkwardly above and outwards. All she could do was bob back up, once more standing at her full height and push his extended arm away. Her own lack of coordination irked Ayatah. It was hardly a fitting performance for a Myrian warrior. She growled lowly to herself.

[Skyard Underwood]

The moment she spoke again, and delivered him a “Warning” he only grew more excited. Lust overtook the entirety of his mindset temporarily. He didn’t too much care about winning or losing the battle, all he wanted to do was take her in his arms. He heard the words that practically shook him to the core; he’d almost felt insulted when she’d said it. However when she teased him with the statement about how difficult she would be to please he scoffed a bit before he spoke.

“If you say that you’re hard to please I will most certainly make you change your mind. I know that within mere ticks I’ll have you saying the opposite. I will deliver you pleasure that is beyond anything you’ve ever felt before. I’ll do anything in my power to make you, mine.”He spoke in an incredibly confident tone, and smiled whilst he’d done so.

Skyard immediately knew that he would have to put the spar to an end soon. He felt as if he would combust if he continued to battle; when he could’ve been doing something far more interesting. The womans style of combat had been rather off. She fought as if she was intoxicated, and he could only continue the spar whilst being perplexed with her motion. He knew precisely what she would do next, and he would most certainly take advantage of it; he could practically “Feel” the womans muscles as they flexed with her movements. He had to counter her, and as she moved about within his Evantia aura; counteracting her motions wouldn’t be too much more of a task. Ayatahs motions had been rather odd. Her movement had been sloppy, and she allowed her entire stance to fall with a simple attack. She’d made a grave mistake, and seemed not to realize it at all, but Skyard would surely make her well aware of that.

Whilst he observed the woman and he felt her forearm impact his wrist; Skyard couldn’t help but grin at her attempt. He knew she’d failed, and now he acted upon the opportunity she provided him with. He took the opportunity to charge and bombard the woman with his outside shoulder. He didn’t care too much for remorse or mercy at this point. Skyard “threw” the weight of his body toward the woman as she bobbed back upward and he extended his right foot slightly. He attempted to prevent her from escaping by making use of the foot, but he had only been somewhat experienced in the field of combat. He wasn’t the type to predetermine the outcome of any battle in any case whatsoever.

Thoughts came to mind the moment he attacked, and he realized very swiftly that he knew nothing about her. Physical attraction was most certainly his focus; however he was a Kelvic after all and she hadn’t known that quite yet. He’d only been so rash due to the fact that his instincts beckoned him to do so the moment he laid eyes upon her. He hadn’t known that simple words could compel people to do rash things like this, and he enjoyed every moment of it. However he did intend to get to know the woman; rather than having a relationship with her based solely upon physical activities. He would most certainly try to steal her heart, she’d almost been supernaturally beautiful. He knew that if he didn’t practically snatch Ayatahs heart from her chest; another man wouldn’t hesitate to come by and take the opportunity.