Fantasy RPG Forum - Standing Trials

7th of Cylus 718

On arriving in Yaralon, nearly two decades ago, Alora had been disappointed to learn that studios and schools dedicated to practicing the unarmed arts were scarce to be found. In fact, it was often considered taboo to forgot weapons. She had had to invest in a mace early on, after being accosted by some doddering old human that thought to make her his wife. She’d put him in his place easily, with just her unarmed expertise, yet the point was made. Yaralon was no place for the hand-to-hand artist.

So she’d languished for a few arcs from her arrival, until she learned of the Three-Handed Battle-axe. It was an inn of sorts, or at least that was the front for it. In fact, inside, was a veritable treasure trove of unarmed experts and masters. There she could learn all forms, from all across Idalos, as well as pit her own knowledge against theirs.

The only hitch, was that one was expected to whore oneself out to the people they engaged in combat. Given Yaralon’s attitude toward the unarmed, and unarmed combat, the Battle-axe was as much about orgies and sex as it was about unarmed combat.

Alora had dragged another unfortunate to the Battle-axe that Cylus night. As it happened, he was another defier. On learning his talents, she was instantly intrigued, being only a novice in the magical arts thus far. She’d only recently discovered her abilities, and so was on the constant lookout for one who might fill in the gaps of her knowledge. His name was Balthazar.

She led him by the collar, sending flirty glances back at him occasionally to egg him on the path to the Battle-axe.

Soon enough, they found their way to it's doorway, and shortly inside, where it was not all that crowded. Just a few other people fighting and in various states of undress. Odd for Cylus. Nevertheless, that meant more quality time for the both of them, and less in the way of ‘tribute’ to any interlopers who might want their piece of the action. Alora had to admit she was more in the mood to further her knowledge and practice fighting than to have a bit of 'fun' the Yari way.

"Yes, the Three Hander. Can't say the Yari don't have a sense of humor, even when it comes to their taboos." Three-Hander being a reference to adultery and whores. A battle-axe having no room for more than two hands on it, afterall.

"It's nice and spacious in here, isn't it, just a bit chilly. You might want to warm up."

"I think we'll be practicing some unarmed first. Have you ever heard of Feris Tenebris? It's the art of my people. I'm pretty good at punching and kickshooting. But I always try to find an opportunity to improve. Even while using weapons, your feet and at least elbows are available for attacking."

That said, Alora turned her back to Balthazar after they'd settled themselves in a more secluded corner of the Battle-Axe. She rubbed her hands together, trying to generate heat in her joints. Calling to her favored element of fire, she generated just enough for a hot blast, which sent the air upwards through her fingers and up her arms. It had become a common practice of hers to indulge in this cantrip before a serious bout of exercise. She was expecting nothing less here.

She turned around and gave Balthazar a large, bright smile, walking up to him. She smiled at him a few seconds more, and then threw her fist at his face, using force adequate enough to hit someone that might've been behind Balthazar.

Whether it hit, she'd proceed to sweep his legs out from under him with a kick.

She didn't have long to celebrate the man's fall, as her sweep took him down, before he was rolling away, out of reach of a hammerheel kick that she brought to the muddy dirt of the floor. In truth she was surprised at the adeptness with which he evaded her first punch, her first strike. Impressed even. Not many could last a second with a Naer before finding themselves facedown in the dirt. But he'd gone a good five seconds, at least.

After he rolled away, then began pushing himself to stand, she watched with growing intrigue as the man grabbed handfuls of muddy earth. Instead of throwing them at her, however, as she would've expected, he formed them around his fists as makeshift gauntlets, dancing the mud and hardening it into what she would presume were functional gauntlets. She grinned at this trick.

The pause she'd given to him was considerable enough for him to find his feet before she could launch an attack of her own. Despite that, she made similar elemental preparations of her own. With a call to the element of air, she brought about a dancing of the air around her body. The air would dance about her body, dampening blows and giving way to her movements, making it easier for her to move yet slightly harder to hit.

She knelt near to the ground, grabbing her own handful of earth. Instead of making a set of rock knuckles, however, she waited for Balthazar to make the first move. If he did, she would throw that handful of dirt into his eyes, its trajectory bolstered by the dancing air, and begin an attempt at offensive pummeling with her feet against his shins.

Emboldened by the success of her pummeling offensive, Alora wasn't expecting that his counterattacks would be quite as accurate as they turned out to be. Balthazar first jabbed her right shoulder, which sent her latest attack off balance, while also hurting like a demon. THe next moment he was kicking the back of her left knee, which sent her kneeling to the ground. Finally, he shoved off of her, to give himself some distance from her.

"That was well done." Alora said, wiping some dust off of her shoulder as she knelt on the ground, "you fight well without the use of your eyes."

It took her a few moments to recover her senses, but when she did, she Caressed her feet with the essence of earth, making them heavier to strengthen her stance. This done, she pushed off with her legs to resume the offensive.

Her movements weren't as swift as she was accustomed to, and so was forced to deal with the added weight of earth-imbued boots. Thus she relied on her fists for her offense, while leaving her legs to defend against any attacks to her lower body.

Her arm shot out into a hook punch, which would be followed up by a straight elbow aimed at his jaw. Then she tried bringing her other arm around to deliver a hook down to his belly, to try and knock the wind out of Balthazar.

All the while, her legs and knees were prepared and set to interject against any counterattacks he might launch with his legs and feet. She didn't notice it yet, but her left knee was beginning to crack and develop a sprain. Adrenaline purged the pain out of her, however.

Alora strode with confidence toward Balthazar, where she'd laid him out. This was all part of the give and take of unarmed combat, especially the variant that was celebrated in Yaralon. Alora was no stranger to Yari culture, and thus had come to embrace the erotic overtones of the open hand. She did a cartwheel toward the fallen warrior, and then plopped down, stradling his torso. Her hands were rested on his chest, gently, without force.

She'd gone from aggressive and punishing to soft and gentle. It might've come as a bit of a strange switch-up to Balthazar. Tourists, and people who had no idea what it meant to fight without weapons were taken aback by this unusual perspective toward hand to hand combat.

Nevertheless, as Alora had dominated her opponent, she took it upon herself to lord it over him. She leaned in to kiss Balthazar, beginning with the nape of his neck, and working her way up his chin, his jawline, then finding his lips.

Her hands stretched and searched over his chest, as she took her exploration further, seeking underneath the cloth of his shirt. There she found purchase in his flesh with the claws of her fingertips.

Pain compounded with pleasure, that was both a Yaralon value as well as a Naerrik value. Something that she'd always and often been at home with, since making Yaralon her home.

Her clawed hands trailed upwards and around his neck, as she pushed herself onto him. Lovingly she wiped the dirt from his eyes, and grinned down at his handsome, yet battle-battered face.

"You're such a good fighter." She said, putting on her best attempt at Yari pillow talk.