016573 vs. BlackandBlueEyes: Slow Ride on the Easy Train

[Breaker]

The day dawned humid and overcast, light drizzle permeating a dense fog which rolled across the island of Scara Brae like a vast gray sleeping bag, muffling the land. It moved slowly, ushered on by strong breezes blown in from the ocean. In heavily wooded areas the mist hung about, like a cloud of perfume near a highschool girls' locker room, imbuing everything with the salty smell of sea air.

The fog was nearly tangible, one could taste it in a lungful of breath. It was not an unpleasant taste; it brought to mind the sensation of licking your lips after a dip in the ocean. Stationary bodies were reduced to mere shadows at any distance greater than arm's length, while moving outdoors left visible swirls and eddies in the atmosphere.

Inside my glass-domed arena felt like being trapped in a crystal ball. The only difference being that the shapeless white danced on the outside of the glass. Condensation covered the transparent roof of my octagonal arena, as well as all four windows, adding to the density of the already impenetrable fog. The double doors at the front of the arena were thrown wide, as were the windows, allowing a gentle crossbreeze to trickle through the interior. It brought the fresh scent of salt water, awakening my senses to the new day.

Locked in meditation, I lay on my back, Pranic energy flowing into my body with each inhale and exhale. I was in the centre of the arena, comfortable on the hard sparring mats, my eyes locked open. They stared beyond the iron gridwork ten feet up, beyond the moistened glass, into the blank endless day. My heartbeat echoed throughout each vein and artery, slow, methodical, matched to my gentle breathing. A casual observer might have thought me asleep, or dead. But I had never felt more alive. There was such a wonderous energy pumping through me that it was an effort of will to remain lying still.

For the first time in weeks, I could truly forget about the hardships in my life. I had been torn from the life I had loved on Earth, working as a Special Agent to the Canadian government, until the day an unstable portal brought me to the depth of Althanas. Each day since then had brought new challenges, new foes, many of them threatening death or worse. Finally, I had found a job I could hold, doing what I did best. Having become a warrior of Dajas Pagoda, it was my job to fight challengers, nothing more. Instruct where I could, if the challengers were willing, but in principle I was a Proffesional Fighter. It was truly a dream job. Combat was not only my expertise, but my passion. Pitting myself against another human being, or as it may happen, elf, brought such a fantastic adrenaline rush that everyday life paled in contrast. My favourite moments were those spent sweating, moving, grappling for position, striking vital places, finishing an enemy. Best of all, I got paid to do it.

Although Pranic Meditation brought me to an emotionless void, I felt a grin stretch my face. Today's challenger would arrive soon, for it was almost noon. I wondered what surprises my next opponent would bring me. For as in life, in combat, nothing is certain.

[BlackAndBlueEyes]

Mod notes: Takes place a short while after "Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge", which probably won't be finished for a while.

Madison had spend the better portion of the night and morning blankly staring out of the window of her inn room in the city of Scara Brae. Small, faded streaks of black eye shadow cascaded down her thin pale face, brought to this state by her tears from the last few hours. Her black lips quivered as the sun rose.

She had messed up. Terribly. It had been almost a month since the unfortunate events in Serenti, and Madison had never quite felt the same. Every waking moment, she was driven insane by the laughter of her brothers echoing in her head. Even though it was in her own mind, they were having a grand old time celebrating her failure.

Justin and Michael had never taken too kindly to the black sheep of the family. They bore a deep rooted grudge towards their sister Madison as she surpassed them in most aspects of their assassin training. She was far more calculating, heartless, and violent than either brother, characteristics only further enhanced by their poor treatment of her.

And yet... I can't even protect a single man. Tears began to well up in her eyes once more, each waiting patiently for their turn to ride down her cheek. Several days she had spent blindly wandering the Coronian countryside, often contemplating suicide in her depression, until she had heard about the reopening of the Dajas Pagoda. Battling some of the best Althanas had to offer: It was the perfect opportunity to prove to herself that she was still worthy of the Freebird pedigree, despite of how much she hated the blood that flowed through her veins.

The waif slowly rose from her chair, her velvet dress flowing groundward as she stood, and walked the few feet to her bed. She threw open her satchel, thumbing through the bag's contents until she happened upon a small slip of parchment that had the date of her Pagoda challenge written on it. Madison wiped her eyes dry with a purple sleeve, so she could read the note in the morning light.

Twenty-fourth of this month
Joshua Cronen
Dajas Pagoda--Warrior Class

A tsunami of various emotions swelled inside her as she crumpled the parchment and threw it back in the satchel. The assassin was well aware of the rules of the Pagoda--and of the hierarchy as well. However, she wasn't interested in the status; the notoriety. All she wanted was to prove to herself that she was capable of continuing on in life.

***

Madison had been walking since late morning. Her destination was not far out of the city itself, but still required a good walk to get there. It was a crappy day--horribly hot and humid, with the sun nowheres to be found. There was a dense, soupy fog suffocating her, preventing her from accurately seeing where she placed her next footstep. Thick, tall trees jutted out of the fog and into the sky.

As her heels dug into the dirt path with every step, she closed her eyes and bit her lower lip as she tried to psyche herself up for the upcoming battle. I have to do this. I have to beat this Joshua Cronen. I cannot lose. But... What if I do? Who am I, then? I'm nobody... She bit down hard enough to draw blood with that thought. She let out a small, raspy yelp as the pain snapped her out of her brood.

Madison didn't notice the dome until she was ten feet from smacking right into it. The building was octagonal; not terribly big, but large enough to host a fight in. She could see several open windows lining the walls, each layered with condensation from the fog and the slight drizzle she had encountered on her way there.

As her skeletal had reached for the door, she realized that they were already open; an omen that Joshua was waiting for her. Madison paused, stricken with a sudden bout of cold feet. She began shaking slightly, the fear of the moment rising steadily in her stomach. I-I can't... No... I can't do this... Before she could turn around and abandon the Pagoda, the voice of her brother Justin ran through her head, his words the same as what he told her before she was exiled from her family.

"You're such a fuckin' pathetic runt."

She froze, her fists clenching tightly. The insult echoed inside her mind, slowly building up a level of rage she hadn't felt since that day four years ago. Maybe I am, maybe I'm not...

Madison took those fateful few steps into the building, hoping to prove to herself once and for all that her life was worth living.

[Breaker]

Even meditating, I barely heard the girl's approach. My senses caught it though-- whisperings in the air of garments rubbing on skin, muted breathing, and gentle tremors carried through the hardwood floor.

Eyes snapping open, I sprang to my feet, a look of genial welcome replacing the elated grin which previously decorated my features. In the space of a second my eyes absorbed the girl, Madison Freebird; about average height, but thin as a rail, bony, with dead black hair falling to her shoulders and deep blue eyes. She was sexually unappealing-- unless you liked dangerous women. To my mind, the way she held herself and the look in her eyes made her tough as nails. Perhaps not sexually unappealing after all... taking her to bed would probably be close to the same thing as fighting her.

"Dumbass, she's your STUDENT for Christ's sake. You're supposed to teach her, not fuck her."

My conscience kicked in, already in high gear. I cut myself a little slack, mostly because Madison was my first female challenger. I had been wondering how I might deal with a female opponent. It wasn't that I had a serious problem "hitting a girl"-- after all, I had sparred and trained with women of all ages, shapes and sizes in the past. But I had never been in an out-and-out battle with one. Any doubt I had about fighting to my full potential vanished as soon as I saw the girl. If I didn't try my hardest, she'd probably put a knife in me.

"Come to think of it... she might put a knife in me even if I do try my hardest."

I crossed the room in long fluid sides, breathing the heavy air comfortably. At first light the atmosphere had seemed too dense, unseasonably hot, but I had adjusted to the climate, and now the thick air felt like a comfortable second skin, a security blanket wrapped all around me. I stopped a couple feet short of the girl and extended my arm, universal sign language for a welcoming hand shake. She would already know my name, as I knew her's, information provided by the Dajas Pagoda headquarters. I introduced myself anyways; it seemed like the polite thing to do.

"Hi, I'm Josh Cronen, resident Pagoda Warrior. Any particulars you'd like to discuss before we begin?"

I was straight and to the point, for this was hardly the right place to make small talk. As I spoke I watched her eyes warily. It was not unheard of for challengers to attack unexpectedly, out of nervousness or ambition. Most were fairly formal when it came to Pagoda duels, but I couldn't afford to make such generalizations.

It was my job, out of necessity, to expect the unexpected.

[BlackAndBlueEyes]

Madison took a good look at her opponent's outstretched hand as he introduced himself. He seemed friendly enough to her, but was leaving himself wide open for an attack. As she reluctantly reached her hand out to shake Joshua's, multiple thoughts of how easy it would be to disable him during that fleeting second passed through her head. However, she casted them aside, reminding herself that she came to the Pagoda for a fair fight.

"Madison Freebird," she returned, her voice monotone, her crow-like features stone cold. "Actually, I have a small request for our little fight. No weapons at all; just our hands and feet. Is that alright with you?" Jumping the gun, she undid the sheathes that were strapped onto the back of her belt, grabbing her kris daggers and tossing them to one side. They fell with a soft thud against the sparring mats the arena was floored with.

She continued on, "I'm well aware of the rules surrounding the Dajas Pagoda, but I'm only here because I have something to prove to myself. I'll spare you the details because, quite frankly, they're none of your business." The visions of her brothers flashed once more in her mind. Madison reached ever so slightly towards the device hidden in her left sleeve, but decided to leave the wire where it was. There was no telling whether or not Joshua would stick to her rule if--no, when--the assassin gained the upper hand.

Madison took of her black leather heeled boots and threw them aside as well. It was hard enough to fight with them on, but the padded floor of the arena would've only hindered her even further. She then assumed a basic defensive stance as to not let Joshua know the skill she possessed, and took the moment to analyze her opponent. He was a big man; tall and well built, the type that would make a decent bouncer at, say, a night club. His features were indistinguishable from the rest of the humans that populated Althanas--Well kept crop of light brown hair accompanied with a hack job "beard" and a set of inviting hazel eyes. However, she noticed a small, Y-shaped scar adorning his left cheek.

Her eyes stalled on the mark as she spoke lightly, her voice flowing with whatever confidence she had left. "Ready whenever you are."

[Breaker]

After a moment's consideration, I released the void, Pranic energy flowing out of my body. It was always a bit of a letdown when my senses dimmed down to regular strength. My sight was less vivid; the girl's hair was still as black as night, but I could no longer pick out the individual hanging strands. No longer could I hear the wind whispering through tree branches outside, or feel the moisture in the air. If the situation pressed me I could regain the void easily, but for the moment, I let emotion in.

A small, slightly repressed grin consumed my face once more. Madison's specification could not have been more to my liking. Although I could use several weapons with a moderate degree of skill, I preferred using my body as a weapon. I turned away, eyeing the east and west walls of the arena. They were covered in a vast array of real weapons and wooden ones designed for sparring. "Won't be needing those today." I thought happily. Stopping at the far edge of the mats, I turned once more to face Madison, reaching to the back of my belt and unholstering the steel nunchaku I always carried.

"A very reasonable request Miss Freebird, one I'm happy to agree with. This is the only weapon I carry most of the time. But don't expect me to use only my hands and feet," I joked.

I was giving her a hint, a slight advantage. In a covert way I had just told the assassin that I was an experienced fighter, not some barroom brawler. I wondered if she would catch the insinuation as I tossed the nunchaku away. It spun through the air like a dislodged helicopter blade, before colliding with a wall and sagging to the floor. Unarmed, I displayed my empty hands to the flat eyed challenger. Crouching for a moment, I rolled up the legs of my pants over bare feet. They fit well, but I did not want to run the risk of having the cuffs snag on my heels. I straightened up and flexed my shoulders, stretching my powerful chest. Normally I fought with my shirt off, but elected to keep the black tee on, lest a bare-chested man should make the girl uncomfortable.

When I returned my eyes to the girl, I found she was scrutinizing me as closely as I had her. The deep blue eyes rested on my left cheek for an instant, and I resisted the urge to raise a hand to the oddly shaped scar. It had been inflicted by a combat knife a couple years previously, during my employement on Earth. A small price, considering the man who inflicted it was probably still rotting in a jail cell somewhere. In the records, the wound was listed as having been caused in a training mishap. This wasn't unusual; most of the work I had done for the UCA had been off the books. I tore my mind out of the past, already missing the emotionless void of meditation. It was like an addiction; no emotion meant I never got sidetracked from the business at hand.

Pushing away the urge to meditate, I examined Madison's stance. It was simple yet effective, clearly designed to defend. "So she wants me to attack first... I guess I'd better give her her money's worth." Treading light and confident, I flowed forwards, hands ready, body limber, feet always moving. To challenge me in unarmed combat, the girl would have to be an excellent martial artist. "It's always best to assume your opponent is better than you," I reminded myself.

It took less than a second for me to cross the mats, and as soon as I was within striking distance my left hand drew back, feinting the preparation of a punch aimed at her jaw. The blow never came. Instead, my right shot out, using the torque from my shoulders to add power. This was no ordinary punch; my hand was open, rigid, with all five fingers aimed like a spear for the soft cartilage of her throat. In training, I had used this very same move to drive my fingertips through sheets of plywood. If Madison did not find a way to avoid being struck, she was about to enter a world of pain.

[BlackAndBlueEyes]

A bit on the cocky side, are we?

The slight smirk etched on his face was beginning to annoy the assassin; a slight scowl forming on her own bland features to counteract it.. For someone who was a great fighter, Joshua seemed pretty casual about the upcoming fight. The tossing of his concealed nunchaku, the slow rolling up of his pant legs... And that damned grin! Madison made a mental note to make sure he wouldn't be able to smile by the end of the fight.

Joshua moved with a speed that Madison considered unlikely for a man as big as himself, nearly catching her off-guard with his feint into a spear hand aimed at her jugular. Her eyes widened slightly as her left hand sprung upwards, narrowly preventing the attack from reaching its target. It was a technique that the assassin filed under cheap shot; the type that her father drilled into her head to never use against an opponent. But if this was how her opponent chose to fight, then she had no qualms against being underhanded as well.

Madison quickly swung her right hand around, using both appendages to propel his right arm away from her. She then dropped down low, dug her stockinged heels into the mat, and sprung forward with her left elbow aimed squarely at his newly exposed kidneys. Her dress flowed along with her as she homed in on her target, appearing as nothing more than a deep purple blur.

[Breaker]

As the spear my hand had become sailed past the girl's shoulder, I could not help but admire her form. My attack had been smooth and clean, but her counter was cleaner still, a crisp reflex that brushed my arm just enough to make the stiffened hand miss its mark. Rather than being frustrated by the thwarting of my first effort, I felt my grin broaden. Not only had the Dajas Pagoda sent me a fellow martial artist, they had sent me a good one. I had grown tired of winning unarmed battles in a matter of seconds. Madison, it seemed, would stretch me to my limits.

In an instant the pale assassin showed she was not only quick, but courageous as well. She streaked inwards, dress fluttering in the heavy air, her elbow aimed towards my midsection. With a bit of quick footwork I might have been able to avoid it, but I decided to take the hit. Doing so would open up a fresh oppurtunity for me to capitalize on.

I drew in a short breath, tightening my abdominals against the impending impact. Adrenaline rushed to reinforce the muscles, making them solid, nearly impermeable. The blow landed.

"Hasss-ah!"

A controlled burst of air slid from my mouth, helping mask the pain. The girl had picked her spot well, and she had bony elbows. There would be an ugly bruise on my side before long, but I had protected myself from any serious damage. Almost in the same instant that she struck me, I retaliated, swinging my own right elbow down in a hammer-like blow at the back of her neck. I bent my knees further, adding weight for extra power. My arm was a piston, intent on breaking the skinny neck below.

Although I was still breathing lightly, the humidity of the air caused beads of sweat to spring up all over my body. My garments clung to me, and the mats were suddenly slippery beneath my bare feet. I made a mental note to tread carefully; against such a ferocious warrior, a minor slip-up could quickly become a major mistake.

[BlackAndBlueEyes]

It was beautiful. Her elbow connected with Joshua's side, the sound of bone crushing flesh music to her ears. Despite the twinge of satisfaction she felt deep in her cold heart, she felt that something was odd about the moment. Joshua hadn't budged from the force of the impact. Usually, a kidney shot would've been enough to take out any of her opponents, but this one was different. Joshua Cronen was a Dajas Pagoda warrior; he'd have to be one damn fighter in order to be here in the first place. The assassin felt her mouth twitch, a futile effort to crack a smile at the prospect of fighting someone worthy.

But then, something told her that she needed to get the hell out of there. Madison could hear the warrior cry out, a sign that an attack was coming her way. Not stopping to think about what to do next, she effortlessly flowed from her attack into a roll to the right. Unfortunately, her actions weren't quick enough; Madison cried out as she felt the sharp crack of Joshua's own elbow connect with her left shoulder.

A jot of pain traveled down Madison's arm and up her neck as she continued her tumble. Her face hit the hard sparring mats with a thud. A tear found its way to her eyes, but it was not the time to show weakness. Her shoulder screaming in pain, Madison quickly spun herself around on the mat in a flash of purple, shooting out her foot at the side of the warrior's left knee. The attack was a trick she had "learned" from her Citadel battle with a Salvic chef, and she hoped it worked for her as well as it did for him.

[Breaker]

My elbow dropped with the force of a hammer, but Madsion's keen instincts saved her from serious injury. As the girl went into a tight role, my elbow glanced off her shoulder. The blow which might have killed her had it landed true threw me off balance; my momentum was too great to control and it was all I could do not to stumble away from my opponent. The mats, slippery beneath my sweaty feet, did little to help, and I only managed to stay up by shifting all of my weight onto my right foot. Stabalized, I moved quickly, shifting my weight from right to left as I spun to face my escaping opponent.

As I turned, I saw the girl's attack, too late to avoid it. Normally I could have warded away such a kick easily, by raising my left leg, using the sole of the foot to block the attack. With all my weight on my left side, however, I was totally unprepared for the girl's swift retalliation. Her foot was zeroing in on the side of my knee, a blow which could cripple if it struck correctly. In a frantic attempt to lessen the damage, I pivoted an instant before impact.

Smack!

Her kicking leg caught me in the back of the knee. The calf area being much less vulnerable than the side of the knee, I sustained nothing worse than a large bruise. However, I could not stop the knee from buckling. I went down on my back, hard and fast, air rushing from my lungs as I landed on the hard mats.

"Ooof!"

My lungs screamed for oxygen, and I drew in deep breathes through my nose as I rolled sideways away from the girl. She was not only talented and quick, but had an excellent instinct for attacking weak areas. It was a gift I recognized and respected, mostly because I too knew the most vulnerable parts of the human body. In truth, I had not faced someone else with such an intimate knowledge of the human anatomy since before I arrived on Althanas.

Regaining my feet some two metres away from Madison, I molded my body into a kung fu "ready" position. My body was turned sideways, with my left arm in a low guard protecting my bruised kidney, and my right hovering two inches off my chin. I made no move to attack, instead I circled slowly, bouncing in a shallow rhythm on the balls of my feet. I was intrigued by the assassin's style, wanting to see how she would attack from a neutral situation.

"You're an excellent fighter... one of the best I've met in a long time. Who taught you?" I panted. The fall had knocked the wind out of me, and I was having difficulty regaining my breath in the overly humid conditions.

[BlackAndBlueEyes]

Joshua had pivoted in time to lessen the damage dealt by her foot. Even though it was quite unfortunate, Madison was finding a small amount of joy in the fight. Two combatants of equal skill--yes, this is what I came to Scara Brae for! In spite of the foreign feelings of excitement, her face remained stone cold.

Her velvet dress chafed against her legs as she continued to spin on the hard, slightly damp mats. Rising to one knee, she could feel her shoulder cry out in agony. She lifted a laced hand and lightly massaged the spot where Joshua's elbow had connected, wincing and hissing in pain. She looked up to see her opponent several feet way from her, ready for action. He opened his mouth, complimenting her and asking about her training.

Madison's eye twitched uncontrollably at the thought of answering Joshua's question. It was true that her father had trained her in combat since she was ten, but he joined in with her brothers in ridiculing her until that fateful day four years ago, where he threw her out of the house after Michael and Justin accused her for the death of their brother Trevor. It was an action that would forever change her outlook on everything, one that forced her to become a being of loneliness and sorrow.

Her face contorted, openly displaying her anger. "My father, Lucas Freebird..." The cursed name burned her tounge like acid. She immediately turned her head and spat upon the mat, not giving a damn about what the resident warrior thought of the display.

Once she was able to subdue her dark emotions, she stood up and concentrated once again on the fight at hand. The assassin carefully watched as her opponent slowly pranced about the octagonal arena. He was in a stance not unlike the one she took at the beginning: Simple, yet very effective. Her heart ached as she silently prayed to herself. Joshua... Please tell me that you're giving it your all... I need to know...

Madison slowly took up a fighting stance similar to one a boxer would. For a split second, she formulated a plan of attack; something to distract him while she delivered an even greater blow. Like a cat she sprung forward, quickly jabbing her right fist at his face with her middle knuckle extended. Almost immediately after, the front of her purple dress flew up as she twisted her body around and attempted to drive her left knee into his solar plexus.