Dragoncrest Cliffs war is what we live for

sparring thread for @Eske!

Ever since the day he'd joined Drageda, which was less than a week ago, Ishum had been itching for a rematch. The first battle between him and the Cheka had been a draw. They were pretty equally matched, in strength, training and age, hell they even looked similar! But it had only been a draw because Heda had called for it. If not for that, one of them would've won eventually. He was dying to know which one of them it would've been.

He walked through the sequoia forest, the sun stood midmorning in the sky. He found a small grassy clearing, round and sunlit. He walked around it for a minute, then determined that it was an acceptable sparring pit. Then he sat down, raised his head regally and let loose a howl for Eske. Hopefully she would heed his call, and come indulge him. If not, he could always go for another patrol.

When the howl for her rises into the air, summoning her and in a voice that does not belong to Heda the Cheka almost does not go. The warrior princess cannot fathom what it is Ishum possibly wants of her: she is not a leader and she has a duty to perform as Cheka. She almost does not heed it but at last minute heads in the Kru’s direction knowing that if Heda needs her she will find her or issue a summons. Eske finds Ishum in a small, grassy clearing within the redwoods. Her sea blue-green gaze takes him in upon her approach. She shrugs through the tangle of tree limbs and underbrush and steps within the clearing, sizing him up. “This better be important.” She is Cheka after all and though Heda does not pressingly need her presence at the moment, she is meant to never be far from the Commander. “For what reason have you summoned me here, Ishum?” Though given the roomy albeit small clearing Eske has already begun to formulate a suspicion.

It wasn't long before Eske was pushing her way into the clearing through the thick foliage, her sea foam eyes already focused on him. Ishum bowed his head in respect, they weren't at the border anymore but she still deserved his respect. As he rose back up to his normal posture, she spoke. She sounded irritated that he'd called her here, and for a moment he worried that she would decline his offer for a spar. Perhaps she was not as competitive as him, maybe he hadn't seen the glint of battle in her eyes like he thought he had.

She asked why he called her there, and with a slight quirk of his lips he asked, Don't you want to finish our spar? He asked, a confident swagger about him.

dice roll thread for easy reference! :D Initiating round one.

Eske watches as his head bows in respect and accepts it. There is a part of her that wants more submission than just a bow of the head but she is more than willing to demonstrate that she has earned it, if that is the underlying issue of it. She knows she is young but she has not been given anything she had not earned. Ishum responds to her demanding question with one of this own, oozing a swagger, a confidence that she wonders if it borderlines on arrogance that for some reason or another annoys her. Perhaps because she has learned that while you do not go into battle with the possibility that you may lose on your mind blind arrogance and confidence is just as bad. In response, her lips curl back from her teeth and her head lowers seconds before she charges at him, moving left and then feigning right at the last second to lash at his shoulder with bared teeth.

finishing round one

Eske responded to Ishum's question with actions rather than words, and soon after he asked she was dashing towards him. Ishum braced himself, preparing for whatever she planned. She pulled a trick similar to one he had used on her in their first spar. She feigned one direction then went back the other. Ishum only fell for it for a moment, but that moment was enough to make him stall. Even as he turns back to face where she is now, she is upon him, lashing out at his shoulder.

Her teeth caught his shoulder, holding him tight. With a small grunt he threw his other leg towards her, aiming the blow for her head.

starting round two! :-)

Eske’s hit finds it’s mark but as she is close and there is no time to skirt his attack so too does Ishum’s. His leg finds her head and she recoils, stunned for but a few seconds. Her heart beat is loud in her ears as she rebounds in the next handful of seconds. With a low and brief guttural snarl she is lunging for him once more. This time her attack is aimed at his rib-cage as she attempts to ram her shoulder into it — a trick that had exposed Heda’s (then) weakness and had won her the spar for Cheka. Eske did not think that Ishum’s ribcage bears injury as The Commander did but she runs off the suspicion that if hit hard enough it might offer her a few seconds of further advantage. She seeks to see (if her hit finds it’s target!) if there is truth to the tactic.

finishing round two!

Ishum's attack seemed to jar her, she snapped away with a snarl. She was back quickly though, lunging towards him with her shoulder jutted at his rib cage. He barely had time to respond, and with no time to dodge, he turned so that her shoulder slammed into his shoulder instead of his more fragile stomach. Still it fazed him, he saw spots for a moment. This gave her a bit of time to prepare for whatever her next moves would be.

you get my 200th post! starting round 3. also since they both rolled dodges in the next round feel free to start round 4 with your post as well. ^-^

Ishum defends her attack and while it hits it is not where she desires it to. Still, it is better than nothing. It seems a pattern she unintentionally repeats. He is stunned, momentarily, and the few seconds is all she needs to lunge for him again, teeth seeking to grab at his scruff in what she hopes will be an attempt — a recycled move from their first spar — to bully push him to the dirt beneath her. Her attack misses and she far too in motion to stop and correct her misstep.

haha, well I hope this makes sense but I sort of condensed round three and four so feel free to have your next post with round five :)

Ishum dodged her attack, moving back a little. His feet shuffled along the floor as he paused to catch his breath. All of a sudden he was feeling very lightheaded. He wasn't sure what it was, but he couldn't reposition himself. He was in no position to attack her back yet, so he backed up a few steps, feeling dazed. He went back to a defensive position and eyed her carefully, waiting for her to make her move rather than for him to attack. With this sudden dizziness, he had to try a different tactic.

starting round five!

Ishum dodges her attack and as she lines up to strike again he dodges that one as well. He backs away from her, and there is a furrow of frustration in her brow as she watches him, her gaze like that of a predator stalking it’s prey. Were they here to fight? Or dance? Unfortunately, for Ishum Eske’s never been a dancer and so she seeks to take advantage of his lengthy regroup time and lunges once more. She dives for the right and quickly feigns left with the intention of pulling the same trick she’d pulled on Heda that won her their spar: to ram her shoulder into Ishum’s ribcage (although not with the intention of breaking bones). She seeks to wind him to allow her time to form another strike …not that she thinks he needs any more time to regroup. He’s already left himself open and if this were a real fight Eske would have already moved in for the kill. She does not stop to ask him if something is wrong though the consideration briefly flickers to life in her mind only to be forcibly ignored. As she would in a real fight she seeks to make any sign of weakness her advantage without mercy.

ending round five!

Ishum's moment of weakness is taken as advantage by Eske and she quickly comes for him again. However this attack is one she has already tried, and Ishum knows how to move around it. Her feign and his windedness almost cost him the dodge, but he managed to pull himself to the side and out of the way of her shoulder. He slipped around her to her back side, and prepared to attack from there.

feel free to intercept him, he technically doesn't get another attack in :)

starting sixth & final round!

He dodges her and she regroups the moment he comes after her, avoiding his attack, spinning quick to face him as she lunges again. She will not draw another stalemate and she will not lose. She is determined that victory is and should be her’s, and her ears flatten against her skull as she lets out a low growl and charges for him, no feigns and no illusions. She is not a battering ram: she is small and she is swift but that does not mean she is not physically strong, either. Do not fight aggressively, the warning echoes in her mind. Her jaws part as she aims for his scruff, intending to push him down to the ground and end the match.

finishing the spar!

Eske dodged his next attack, then ran for him full speed, no tricks or games. She was attacking this time to win. Ishum could try one more tactic, but he saw the outcome before it even happened. He'd lost this fight already. When she neared, teeth open for his scruff, the dark brown male pulled his head down to brace the attack, then attempted to buck her off with all of his might. It almost worked, but her grip was too tight at his scruff, and she shoved him to the ground. His teeth bared in frustration, he yielded.

I submit.

thanks for the spar! i'll go ahead and have this archived. <3

She bears down on him and grasps ahold of his scruff. He attempts to buck her off but the motion only causes her grip to tighten, a struggle to remind herself not to break skin though she is tempted to by his defiance. He falls to the ground and she lets out a low growl to warn him to stay there before she releases his scruff as he bares his teeth and admits to defeat. Victory is her’s and with it comes an adrenaline filled high. “Good spar.” She offers in good sportsmanship and graciousness (surprising as it is coming from Eske). The wound already bears salt, she presumes, to be beaten by her. She has proven her skill and does not think that he needs more reminders that she has earned her rank. She gives him a last glance over her shoulder before she goes to find Heda and resume her duties.