It couldn't be helped (Closed to Kaida)

[Salem]

Today was an odd day. Early this morning Salem he done nothing other than homework from his master and listened to various tunes. He slept and ate; his total time from sun up to sun down. He swore that it was one of those times where you see something happen before it happened. Today felt like he was reliving it over again. It was like living a in a matrix of insanity.

He had to get away; and sparring was the way to go. He took off the Cidatel. Why he thought. Such a place has been his most favorite discovery. Learning about himself than actual combative lessons. Not to say he has not picked up on a few extra tricks.

So Salem took it upon himself with an impulsive decision to get himself a match and then call it a night. Walking directly passed the main person and straight to the arch way where the portal resides he stepped through hoping for once for a person or being to already be there. To his disappointment this there stood an empty arena.

This wooden fixture stood at three foot and stretched twenty food in diameter. This square shaped surface being covered with your every practice canvas like a boxing arena. There were four post one per corner holding a lite torch. The white or off white canvas was in used shape so it led him to believe this room was most likely used a fair amount. On the walls there were engraved streaks that looked like a tournament bracket. “Talk about an old school setting”, he thought.

Oddly enough this was sthe one part he couldn’t stand. Waiting for his opponent drove him nuts its like being able to see and hear what you want so badly yet not being able to touch it.

[The Muri]

I was always up to a hyper and friendly duel in the Citadel! So... do I need to explain what I was doing here?


I, Kaida Lacey May, was ready to kick butt again! This next arena I was in was neat. Like a good 'ol fashioned practice arena! And across the room, my opponent waited... Like me, he was a blond (no hair dye though). He looked a little older than me, and he had creepy yellow eyes. Yes, folks, I thought he looked creepy. Yes, this is coming from someone with purple eyes. So what?

I adjusted my arctic leather jacket and smiled, "Hey, there! Ready for some action?"

[Salem]

Laughing being unable to help himself. He took off in a sprint toward his opponent. Swaying side to side just enough that his sight feints would help hide his movement of exact intention toward his opponent. As he neared the young female would pull back his right arm as he closed in on her with a five foot so left in distance toward his opponent he would release a fireball. He never even cared if he hit her and doubted that he would. But he wouldn't just stand there and let her attack first.

Just after this in mid stride he would allow his foot to slip from under him to cause him to roll using this to across the canvas in a rapid spin away from his opponent. A he would find himself back on his feet a few foot from his opponent. Now seeing the back of her head he quickly pulled over his black clothed mask that would make his head disappear. Call it a trust issue but he learned long ago that it was the best way to keep people from trying to cause him to pain within his mind or see crap that was not there.

He readied himself in fighting stance more similar to that of your standard boxer. Being a brawler as he was his picked up this similar stance that so many use. His left arm and foot in front of his body with himself toward to his right side followed by his right arm to his side; while his right leg acted as the rear support. A simple yet widely known and used fighting stance.

[The Muri]

I smirked when he closed the distance. The moment I caught his fist move, I moved my entire body. The flameball he just released meeting only solid air. I scoffed, "You share my enthusiasm, e-"

He had no head.

That's odd, I don't remember decapitating him... "Ooohhhhh... Nice hat... creepy."

It would be odd fighting an opponent without a visible head, but what's a challenge if it's not met? I reached down to my belt and pulled out my knuckleduster steel katana. Holding it in a standard reversed grip, I used my enhanced speed to quickly zip towards him.

Once I got up to him, a plan had been forged. If I couldn't aim for his head, I could aim for his chest. I whipped my free hand into my pocket and pulled out one of my iron, serrated throwing knives... very serrated knives. These things had points that made it look like a Christmas tree!

With my skill, I tossed the knife towards his chest. Immediately after, with the sound of footsteps and sword swipes echoing across the room, I threw several swings at him with my sword.

[Salem]

With a side and a forward step as he repeated this moment back and forth laughing at her attempt to himself not out loud. Child's play he thought it was to throw meaningless knives. Stepping closer to his opponent he would keep his eyes trained on his opponent who was swing her sword in trained and precise movements. Salem doesn't like weapons at all. Yes he loves magic and playing games and even a test of skill as a brawler. Fighting opponents with weapons was nothing new it still didn't change his distaste for them. As the first strike neared he would shift to one side and as the next came in he then step forward with his shifting movement of his body using movements to help out his speed in allowing the escape past the attacking thrust of her swordsmen ship.

Right then he would release his best chance to hit a solid blow. Standing to her right side and his left holding his left arm across his mid-section pushing on her elbow attempting to stall and or keep her from drawing back for an attack on himself with such a hit while having his left leg behind footing really help his close quarter’s situation. That way he could push out if something went unaccounted for like an advanced and uncommon maneuver.

Pulling his right hand back and drawing from his family crested ring he would pull on the energy as he released a basketball size fireball and push it forward into his opponent’s mid-section. Such a burn would not kill opponent but most certainly cause him or her to move very slowly soon after from a first nearing a second degree burn. The goal being to use this to slow her down by a pretty fair amount. He knowingly assumed and hoped with such a close quarter’s confrontation that it by reasoning should connect, but stuff happens all the time right?

As the fire ball would now fade after the energy being used up yea it sucks but once the energy done its time to let go. But the not so fun was that this was his one chance to turn the tables. He could see the difference in their skills even though it may not shine bright like a diamond part of his mind works like this at all times. Calculating everything down to the type of led that was used to write something it who he was… Plus he like her is way too high up on himself to let himself be beat by anyone. To Salem she not a women or girl she was a fighter and would be fought as such. Salem could vividly recall her trying to dice him like a block of cheese.

Through his mask he laughed aloud in a mockingly tone of voice,” You’re not bad, but weapons are not an art”.

He pulled his mask from his face and placed it into his pockets. His yellow bright eyes pierced the opened area. His blond hair that was about mid length tumbled loose about his head. He grin still present from his previous laughter. He very much enjoyed this match and would mostly continue to do so.

Showing his face was a dangerous move for him because the to taunt his opponent and yet his cockiness that he felt that was rivaled by his opponent he couldn’t but help to show his face.

[The Muri]

It took more than a jab from the elbow to push back someone who'd fought bigfoots and spider mages, but I wasn't prepared for the fireball. It instantly scaled my face with second degree burns... ow... I flung my now tainted and scorched arctic leather jacket off before it could catch any further skin and clothes on fire. Now my top half of the body had no armor, just a light, cloth shirt. I was still owing in pain from the burns on my face. I stomped on my jacket, putting out the fire on that precious thing. I snatched it up and dabbed it to my face as I heard my opponent speak about weaponry. I pulled the jacket away from my stinging skull to find his his confident face staring me down. Although I'd already seen him at the start of the match, I could still envision him a lot better now. His yellow eyes, that smug smirk...

A bit angered that my face's skin was hurting like it was, in a single move of frustration I threw both my jacket and sword to the ground. The burns weren't going to hinder my performance, but the pain would be a major distraction.

If anything though, I could recognise that face. That overconfident face... it reminded me too much of myself. It caused me to smirk right back at him despite the pain. I had a strong pain threshold and plenty of stamina still. Speed and strength were also at my side. While this young man had been able to dodge my swordswings, I still knew I could go faster than him. I was a good acrobatic, and somehow I just knew how to fist fight. Another odd trait I just had since day one here on Althanas. He'd already scorched me though, I should have not been so reckless. Despite the fact the blond burned me though, I liked him. He just seemed similar to myself in ways...

"A little confident, eh? Just like myself..." I pulled out my wood crosspistol in that moment. The handheld crossbow, similar to a gun in design, was a weapon I enjoyed using a lot. I've always been a crack shot, I rarely missed! However, when I pointed and aimed, I remembered what he said about not liking weapons. I, for one, completely disagreed with him. The weapon choice in battle wasn't just for a type of tool or mechanism to use in combat; it was an extension of the very person welding it. The weapon and fighting style of a person reflected who they were. I had various weapons at hand, many of them showing different sides of me. However, I pulled the gun up in my hand, pulling it to the side, and let it loosly lean there, "We're complete opposites confidence aside. My weapons are like a part of me, but..." I found myself putting my crosspistol away, "I know how to pack a punch in a fist fight." Heck, I could lift up to three hundred pounds and knock a person back! Of course I could pack a good punch!

I pulled my hand in front of me and mentioned him to come at me with my finger. It was show time...

[Salem]

It was official. He had been called out to test his hand to hand combat. This was not his strong suit but a challenge excepted… He was either brave or stupid; in this matter time would have to tell. So far he was a one and zero for his wins to lose ratio which was awesome but he knew beating one person did not make you great; it gave a small taste of combat. So in truth he loved this in the back of his mind.
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Squaring up with his opponent in a boxer’s stance he smiled that grin that everyone thought was cute… Haha, yea the joke is on them. Salem is mischievous to take it lightly is dead wrong. He would guard his face with his hand with his arms bent along with turning his body to a slant. Placing his left foot in front he was as ready as he was going to get.
Side stepping his opponent in a circular movement as he would wait for her to either follow along or take the lead in this dual of brawn and brain.

Salem though of her short and few words about weaponry. Honestly he did believe her a bit and that may change for him one day. But for the moment he would stick to what he knows best. His chicken wing body would duck and roll and hope to bust her in the mouth without taking to many hits.

“So you truly believe weaponry as a part of the body?” he had to ask even with a straight face as he still circled his opponent. Keeping a mindful watch on his stepping pattern to not cross his legs as for it is a common mistake most make. He would wait for her to either attack or do some fancy manuver most likely and if not then he swing regardless if she chose not to do so first.

[The Muri]

I smiled when he entered position. I kept myself light on my feet, one hand already pulled up in a block. For a moment, I was just standing there. The other, I decided to dart forth. My opponent was still several feet taller than me, I knew I could take advantage of my shortness.

I raced up to him as quickly as I could, making sure I was still light on my toes. Once I came up to him though, I buckled down. The burns still hurt, they really did. A strong pain threshold was helping me to keep going. I dug myself into place and put every ounce of frustration into my next blow. I sent an upwards punch flying towards his stomach. This punch would send him flying upwards, given I most likely could lift even someone above five feet taller than me...

We'd just have to wait and see.

I was excited. Oh, I was so excited! I good brawl always was able to lift my spirits - why else was I here? Not to kill, as a certain opponent of mine suggested once. I only would kill if I had to... I did not need to kill my fellow blonde.

Wherever we were - oh yes! The training wing! Yeah, the training wing; I could not stop to take in colors and details. I felt as if I was blind to setting. It was all about the action here. Adrenaline was pumping like blood in a healthy heart, burning like a forest fire. I had everything within me to give him even one punch... I knew I could do it.

[Salem]

He watched his opponent with a keen eye as she neared his position soon to attack he guessed. He watched her sprint forward for the hug upper cut like motion. Salem grinned as he watched. Leaning back the just slightly and as she released her attack he let his weight and muscle go to use. Pushing his upper to lean back to the right and circle around to the left as her punch would hit nothing but air. He wouldn’t have been so lucky if it wasn’t for his brawling days. Noticing just the slightest shifts in a person’s shoulders tell him what is needed most of the time.

That was a close call he knew. He could feel the air gust from the blow and getting hit by that would have hurt him badly. Salem hands shot out using the length of his arms to shoot past his opponents head. Whether or not the got there he didn't care it was a hoax. He true goal was to create distraction as she would be blinded sighted by the motions of his hands that her vision and line of sight would be distracted for mere seconds or less. He right knee would shot up aiming to bust her in her chin aiming to catch her right underneath her jaw hitting the chin and throat full on.

If she didn’t back away he would using his hands to grab her neck to keep her from stepping away if able to make his chance of connecting his plow extremely difficult to dodge. Or if she did step away he would use his knee or rather what would be a knee shot and just as his foot was coming down to close the gap by stepping right next to his opponent once she would go flea. Salem was having a blast short or tall he knew how to brawl he didn't care if it was a in or outer style match.

He was getting lost in this moment. This battle was testing him to the fullest and yet Salem felt if he could go larger and fight arder. He was excited more than he believed possible. He grinned, his pearly whites shined and as his yellow eyes brighten as well. His heart was racing. No one could buy his current feeling.