[TOURNAMENT] Prelims - Xanta'Kun vs. Aestarics

[Daemn K'rryl]

OoC: All Round 1 fights will be against NPCs, so we can make this thing last longer .

The brightening wore on and the afternoon of the third day saw the sixth official fight... with another Thëlyri. Most Riparian citizens had never seen a sea-elf before, being so far inland, but it was not an unwelcome change. The strange beings were just as amicable and hardworking as everybody else, and judging between the fight between the Tëleris and the dracon earlier that brightening, they could fight just as well as any.

In between has seen a slight lull in the action as the hot Summer suns flayed alive the earth beneath them. Tournament officials had wisely decided to forgo any midday matches as the open roof - and thus, extreme sun and heat - would be nothing but trouble for the fighters. It was mostly a time for cool drinks to be passed around, courtesy of the bright spark who owned the Silver Daggers Tavern. The enterprising owner had bought the rights to sell only his ale at the tournament, and so far was making an absolute killing. There was almost a constant stream of barrels being carted back and forth between the pub and the venue, and the cashflow was incredible.

There had been just a few mishaps, such as when the bloodlusted fan had hurled a half-full bottle at a human fighter on brightening two - thankfully the missile had missed, but the fight had been halted while the offending spectator was ejected from the premises and told in a no-nonsense manner to never show his face at the tournament again.

As the halftime period of brightening three wore on, the crowd began to get a little restless. The next fight wasn't due to start for another candlemark, but no-one was game enough to give up their seat when space was in such hot demand. Again, the wily officials had covered this, and had provided the screaming masses with exhibition entertainment. First up came the dancing girls, always a hot favourite. It was where literary description does the metaphorical equivalent of coughing and adjusting a shirt collar, and cautiously letting words like "perky assests" and "firm curves" into the show. However, needless to say that when the supple females began their own unique form of entertainment, there was not a single man in the stands sitting comfortably.

A little more time went by, a lot more drinks and food were sold and people went about the business of having a great time. It soon came to crunch time, when fight number six would come to a thrilling showdown between Xanta'Kun the Thëlyri and the midget known as Aestarics.

An official passed the sea-elf a cup of water to rehydrate him - the summer sun was relentless and brutal on his moist skin - then stepped back to let Xanta warm up. His opponent was indeed very short, at just over four feet, and could possibly have been taken for a dwarf except for the startling fact that he had no beard. No dwarf would ever be beardless, so naturally it was assumed that Aesterics was sadly just very very diminuitive. Although sporting no beard, the pint-sized fighter had a large bulbous nose and an impressive thick golden moustache, and seemed confident and completely unfazed. He was led on by his second, a very tall yet exceedingly fat red-headed man in striped pants to the cheers of the crowd, sweeping off his curious helmet as he bowed gallantly. The helmet itself was as strange as Aesterics himself and instead of spikes, horns or any other kind of functional addition it was instead adorned with reliefs of small wings. It was decorative yet almost completely useless in real combat, and as Aesterics handed it to his second it appeared that it was purely for show.

"Laaaaaaaadies and gentlemeeeeeeeeeeeen! I welcome you to the ninth annual Riparian Fight Tournament! Please remember that there is to be no arcana in this building. Mage referees are stationed throughout the stands, and any metaphysical fluctuations will be dealt with quickly and harshly. No form of aid is to be given to the participants. Nothing is to be thrown into the ring, on the penalty of expulsion and banning from the premises." The referee's standard warning/opening suddenly rang out over the crowd as the black-and-white-clad man strode into the center of the ring. He introduced the two fighters, and Xanta noted that although Aesterics was very short, he seemed popular with the Riparian crowd, so there had to be some fighting talent in that small body of his.

Ding!

[Xanta'Kun]

Xanta stood to the side of the fighting area, adrenaline coursing through his veins and water running down his skin, soaking his body with it's cooling grace. He closed his eyes, and poured some more water down over his head, letting it soak into his clothes where it would keep him moist and cool for a long while. With his eyes still closed, he sent out a sonar pulse in the direction of his opponent. While colorless, the images he got back were just as detailed as those of a Vysstichi or bird of prey.

His opponent was short. Really short. If he had seen the man in any other place he would have almost thought him harmless, but being in the Riparian Annual Fight Tournament, he expected a lot out of this man. Xanta was no fool, and wouldn't underestimate his altitudinally challenged foe.

Once the bell rang, Xanta held his fists up to his face, with his elbows askance, the typical Thelyri fighting stance. Of course, had this been a real battle, he would have blades on his forearms to split his opponent from side to side. He approached the short man in front of him, slowly circling and waiting for an opening in the man's defense. Closing his eyes, he started sending out high-frequency sonar pulses, which came back much sharper than his eyes alone could see. He undoubtedly had an optical advantage over his adversary, being able to see high detail in a wider range than the man's optical organs.

The sun beat down on his back, but the water he had had was keeping his gills moist, and his breathing easy. Xanta was no fool, and was cautious in his approach to the half-pint in the ring with him. He would not be in this fight if he didn't have some skill, so Xanta treated the man like he would a fully grown giant.

Finally the two were within striking distance, and the small-fry threw a punch, which Xanta saw with his sonar and deftly blocked with his left forearm. His training with his katana still applied, even without his sword, and he parried with his arms much like he would a katana.

To another Thelyri, Xanta wouldn't be so fast, but compared to land-lubbers, the Thelyri had extremely fast reflexes honed by patterns of living and fighting underwater. A split-second after the man threw another hard fist at Xanta's face, Xanta dodged left, leaving the man off-balance and his midsection open to a blow. In the same fluid motion, Xanta's muscles in his right buttocks and leg contracted into hard knots with lightning-fast reflexes renowned among the Thelyri as he kicked with all his might at the man's stomach...

[Daemn K'rryl]

OoC: Mmmkay - like I said in the OoC thread, I'm peer-modding, so Aestarics' actions are controlled by myself only .

IC: The fight began to riotous applause from the crowd. The two combatants circled each other warily, each sizing up his opponent. Xanta had the obvious advantage in size, but conversely this would mean that Aestarics would have a greater evasion factor than the sea-elf. Size was not everything, and the crowd was looking forward to an even and bloody match.

The sonar pulses sent by Xanta'Kun were not wholly as effective as he would have hoped for - while they still painted a clear picture of the ring and its surroundings, the constant noise from the crowd meant he had to concentrate his hearing with every pulse to filter out the unwanted sounds. This said, it wasn't too difficult and was able to see his opponent without much trouble. Aestarics began creeping forwards slowly, biding his time before jumping in with a probing left punch, which Xanta was easily able to fend off thanks to his sword training. It wasn't quite the same as using an artificial instrument to do it, though, and the shock of the unexpected hurt his arm slightly as he bodily blocked the attack. It was nothing serious, though due to a lack of training in this particular physical area, it would likely begin to pang uncomfortably if he did it too much too soon.

The crowd cheered mightily as Aestarics continued his assault, his right swinging up in a rough uppercut towards the Thëlyri's face. Again this was a non-hit, as Xanta dodged deftly to the side, bunching his leg muscles up for a kick, but the wily little bastard wasn't done yet. Even before the uppercut was finished he was turning, anticipating a dodge - his left came all the way around in a full 360° arc, a massive backhanded punch colliding heavily with the sea-elf's stomach. Xanta recoiled, surprised but not fully winded, to the roars of the crowd as the first solid blow hit home.

[Xanta'Kun]

OOC: My bad.

IC: Xanta rolled with the punch, putting himself well out of the shorter being's strike range. He came up on his feet with his fists at the ready, facing the human. The man had honestly caught him off guard, a stupid mistake he would correct with his next attack. The dull ache in his stomach where the man had punched subsided, and he caught his breath before moving towards the man again.

Xanta closely studied the man as the two began circling again, staying just out of each other's reach. The only truly striking feature about the man was his lack of height, and his gigantic nose. The sea elf settled on his large nose as a target, it would be hard to miss if he could settle a good blow.

Seeing as Aestarics had managed to block and counter with Xanta's first blow, he figured the man would be able to do it again if he so chose. That accounted for, a feint was Xanta's next thought. If he could dupe the man into blocking a feint, it would leave him well open.

Suddenly a beatiful thought occured to Xanta. He could line up 3 attacks, so that if even two failed, hopefully a third would hit home. Xanta stepped forward with his left foot as he swung a false punch towards Aestarics' right ear with his left fist. Anticipating a block, he also jabbed his right fist directly at the giant nose dancing before him, leaving his left arm open for a block, should it be needed. Should both those attacks fail, his right leg was poised for a kick to the groin. Simultaneously, he flexed his stomach, making any blow there less painful. His position also intentionally protected his crown jewels, lest Aestarics should get the same idea.

[Daemn K'rryl]

Aestarics grinned as he landed the first punch of the afternoon, catching the sea-elf off-guard with a meaty blow to the stomach. Xanta recoiled, moving out of harm's way for the moment to protect himself from any further attacks. He needn't have worried overmuch, as the gallant miniature figure was playing the crowd for all he was worth, showboating and actually bowing to a young lady in the front row who giggled and waved. However, as Xanta'Kun recovered with a vengeance it was all business again for the midget, stepping back into his fighting pose and closing the distance between them.

This time it was Xanta's turn to lead off the attacks, stepping forward with his left foot to deliver a probing left punch. It would have completely suckered in perhaps a blind grandma, but to anyone with any fighting experience it scream "decoy" in big bold letters. No-one threw a serious punch from the same side as their leading foot, there was absolutely no power in it. Thus, Aestarics smiled to himself as he set up his own defence in preparation.

Instead of merely blocking the left, the short fighter actually grabbed Xanta's wrist, immobilising the arm. The unbalancing of the sea-elf's right punch caused it to overextend and aim badly, and the fist went straight into the waiting mitt of Aestarics. Now the short man had a grip on both Xanta's arms, smiling broadly in that wierd way he did, confident he now held the upper hand. He was however a fair fighter of sorts, and completely failed to predict Xanta'Kun's third attack of the combo.

He was standing badly and bent slightly, but Aestarics was still such an easy target it was almost laughable. The midget went bug-eyed as the sea-elf's foot slammed into his precious groin area, coughing and dribbling, completely paralysed. This was a golden opportunity for the larger elf, and while his arms were still held his legs were still free to go about their dirty work, and kick after kick and knee after knee went thundering into Aestarics' midsection. Aware that he was going to actually die unless he acted, the short man threw his weight backwards, using his body as a centrifuge. He let go of Xanta's arms as he turned a full half-circle, sending the elf stumbling about ten feet away but still upright.

At this point the midget's bodily instincts and his quite abominable pain caught up with each other, and he doubled over and vomited heavily. By the time Xanta was near him he still had his hands on his knees, disgusting flecks of stomach gristle dotting his chin. Shooting the elf a look of pure venom, the short man stood slowly and stumbled back into position... a little unsteadily, looking as though drunk. The Thëlyri was by far the most balanced and stable right now, and all Xanta'Kun needed to do was capitalise on this.

[Xanta'Kun]

With his opponent off balance, Xanta's first goal was now to use this to land a crushing blow, hopefully a knockout. Xanta had the obvious upper hand, and planned to beat Aestarics to a pulp. He had been a little too confident before, and had been made a fool because of it, but now his confidence served him, and his anger made his muscles bunch in anticipation.

The roars of the crowd goaded the elf on, adding to the fire of his anger and making him stronger. Xanta watched the man vomit and then stand, only his rage kept him from emptying his stomach as well. Aestarics stood, chunks of former meals in his facial hair, and staggered about like a drunkard. Good Xanta thought, narrowing his eyes and moving in on the man.

The two began circling again, Xanta on the outside and Aestarics inside, the elf moving more than the man due to his circumstances. Xanta threw several probing punches and kicks, testing his defenses, and found no holes. I need to land something quick Xanta thought, before he regains his composure. It was only a matter of time before Aestarics would be fully cognizent of his surroundings again, and then Xanta would only have wasted what he had yet accomplished. Xanta watched Aestarics closely, checking his drunken movements for some flaw that he could exploit.

After another punch, it occured to Xanta that if the man was badly stunned, he would be slower and not be thinking as clearly. With that in mind, Xanta came up with his next combo, with the hopes of landing another devastating blow. He moved in, this time with his right leg forward, swinging a hard feint with his right fist. It was weak, but it wasn't meant to land, only to serve as a distraction. He then feigned a kick with his left leg, acting as if he was going for the man's groin again. If Xanta's assumptions proved true, he would be paranoid of another blow to the groin, and block his leg. If not, he'd land another cheap shot. If so, he would then plant his left foot on the ground, and swing hard with his right fist at Aestarics' nose. In the unlikely event that Aestarics should be able to predict and block both moves in his present state, Xanta would then bring his right leg around and up, delivering a roundhouse kick to the man's head.

[Maddyn]

Swaying drunkedly with a case of double vision, Aestarics grin remained even if it was just little skewed given the prior mirth was substantially lacking as Xanta'kun drew closer. Raising his guard as Xanta'kun went for a right jab to the head, Aestarics rather inelegantly parried the blow by forcing it along the other side of his head so that it went by harmlessly. The feigned groin kick though was severely lacking given that Xanta'kun really was making some horrible flaws when it came to sparring given he failed to utilise the more fluid combinations possible which meant predicting his movements much easier even in a wary state of mind in Aestarics's position of thinking. A turning kick instead of the groin, and actually using his hips more in even a jab would've made for a more fluid motion but as that wasn't the case Aestarics moved.

You couldn't hit someone who wasn't there, and so rather simply Aestarics stepped backwards and grinned with a renewed confidence as the foot planted itself once again on the ground and Xanta'kun followed the motion with a right punch to the nose and a roundhouse... which happened to be the Thelyri's major flaw in this series of movements.

Most people couldn't perform this kind of movement for very simple and practical reasons. Primarily their leg muscles didn't have the right stretch, and in men's cases furthered by the fact the hips really were lacking. Exceptionally obtuse people might remark on similarities of male and female Elves, and those same people needed glasses. The shoulder and hip structure was exceptionally different regardless and because of this Xanta'kun's roundhouse in an unprepared state was both much lower and barely rising above Aestarics sternum before something painful happened. Xanta'kun overstretched the muscle on his inside thigh in a rather noticable and definetely painful way that caused the Thelyri's left leg to give out from underneath him and collapse unceremonially on the ground from the unbalanaced weight.

This though was taken with absolute delight from Aestarics who wandered to the edge of the ring begging several spectators for some ice given his own injury.

OOC:
I'll be taking this up seeing as Daemn doesn't have the time to continue like he was originally.

Cheers, Maddyn