Hoshor Plains Fire, Hell Fire, This Fire Burning In My Skin

@Kigipigak <3 

---

Nyra braved the flatlands once more, minding her shoulder that still healed from the attempted assassination of Ramesses.
The giant woman was, more or less, on patrol, hopefully getting a subtle scope of the frequented places the Akashingo wolves made, outside of the Mesa. 
She wouldn't get too close to there alone again for some time.
Patience would be a virtue here, much opposite to when Ramesses was anticipating her attack and she blew it. 

The time would come, but likely not soon. Nyra turned her nose to the soil, sniffing for tracks and keeping herself alert for the presence of her enemies. No doubt some would come out this far...

He would not venture too far or for too long, should he be needed back at the village, but Kigipigak could not help himself when he began to explore in earnest. It was what he needed; Moonglow was a fine and quiet place for the likes of women and children, he was fortunate to have a home such as it, however, Kigipigak found it difficult to be rooted in one place.

He did not pay much attention to landmarks. The sky would lead him home when the time came - it was cold and clear out, as evening crept closer, and the stars could guide him. He did not know what he would find upon the plain. A herd of something distant - yet gargantuan - drew his eye.

These megalithic beasts looked impressive even from great distance. As Kigipigak strained to watch them, something substantial and pale crossed along the hillside and drew his eye: canine or ursine, he could not be immediately sure.

As Nyra crossed the nearby hill, she stopped and sniffed, turning to face the young man with intense golden hues. 
Her hackles raised at first, but coming cautiously a bit closer and sniffing further, she noted he wasn't of Akashingo, but of...Moonglow? She had visited once before, to look for Alduin. But that was a month or so ago, and she wasn't sure she'd see any of the Spine wolves again after that. 

But, sometimes our expectations are proven wrong. 
Nyra relaxed some as she stopped a few leaps worth from Kigipigak, taking him in with her eyes, analyzing... 
He had seen some battles, it looked like. She noted his currently-visible scars, some wolf, others not.
"You look like you've seen your fair share of fights, stranger." She commented with a small smile, respect flickering over her hellfire eyes.

They were like mirror images of one-another. Bear-like and commanding, with fur the color of fresh snow and eyes like the sun. Where they differed was obvious: Kigipigak's network of deep scars, where the fur would likely never grown again. She had her own scars from what he could see, substantial ones, though they were not the same.

You as well. He answered, appraising her again with a once-over, almost as if he could read those scars and understand their merit. Most of mine were from other men, until I found a cat - or, rather, it found me. It was not a memory he wanted to dig up at this moment; his tone was dismissive. Soon his attention began to wane and wander.

She chuckled with an uncharacteristic goodheartedness, listening to his words and watching him look over her own massive form. 
He explained his battles, to which Nyra smiled approvingly and with some enthusiasm returned the favor. 
"I can't say all my battles have given me scars, but most of them have. I've fought men, and bears. Killed one once actually." She grinned. "With plenty of aid of course." Nyra added, swaying her tail. Little did she know that in the future, she'd also face and kill a cougar. 

"Forgive me if I overstep, but would you be interested in a spar?" She boldly asked, a friendly challenge in her eyes. He was clearly a worthwhile opponent, and she had energy to spare at this time.

As it had been a while since Kigipigak had fought anything for fun, the invitation aroused something left long dormant within him. Before the cougar fight he had been willing to fight any man who approached him, and every so often a woman if they had the courage to confront him with such a challenge - now, while his heart immediately leapt at the chance, the rest of him felt a deep, steeping dread. He stowed his true feeling as best he could (which was difficult, Kigipigak was often an open book); and with a wave of his tail, shared a grin with the woman which was a touch more sardonic than usual.

I have not fought in a spar in some time, he admitted to her. If you think I will go down easily, you will be mistaken! His voice boomed, accepting the challenge that she issued even with his own misgivings. He backed off a few steps and carefully began to prowl with his body a little bit lower, waiting for her to reach a state of readiness for their spar to begin.

You say you have fought bears! I have not. Are they anything like the giants in the north? The only bears I know of are white, like us, and bigger too - four or five times over! Kigipigak spoke brashly, his voice carrying with a boisterous, boyish charm. It took effort for him to stay focused and not let this new-found apprehension take hold of him. He had to remind himself: he was a warrior! A man of Tartok!

Nyra let out a laugh of her own as she mirrored Kigipigak's prowl, keeping herself hunched and borderline hyenaed, keeping her feet firmly and confidently planted, her body evenly splayed with every step. 

"I killed only one, a goliath beast in her own right, probably as big as the white leviathans of your North!" Nyra answered, and with a war-ready glint in her eyes, she shot for her opponent's shoulder, viper-quick and steady-aimed. 
She intended for this strike to make him stagger or lose some balance if it hit, but she was expecting an equally powerful retaliation from him regardless.

Warriors only had so many angles of attack, so many things they could do, which Kigipigak could to some extent, manipulate. He prowled in a way that invited the woman to make the first move. Taking a defensive stance with his throat sheltered and shoulders hunched, he expected that she would go for a leg to cripple his movement or the largest aspect of him, which was his core, and was glad when she moved for his shoulder.

She knew her own body well. Moving swiftly and packing quite the punch, Kigipigak did not do much to prevent her from connecting and felt the full brunt of the blow, which would leave a lasting impression (beyond the bruise that was already forming in his skin). He laughed, which sounded also like a wheeze, and then lunged for her chest with his snout.

The woman was so close now that she was an easy target, and having already reached out to attack in her own way, Kigipigak saw the gap left for that moment and aimed for it. He would not hold for long if he managed a connection; this wasn't meant to harm, only to prove his skill, and if his clamping of teeth against her supple neck did miss its mark, she would have another shot at him.

All of this to test, and in a sense play with the warrior.

Connect with his shoulder she did!
But in turn. the man swung for her chest. Nyra felt a flare of violence in her blood as his teeth clipped her chest fur, a surge she forced down with the reminder that she wasn't sparring to draw blood. 

He was a skilled man, she'd give him that. 
The Shieldmaiden backed off briefly. A sharp exhale and a wide smile later, she lunged again, aiming her upper body and muscular forelegs for Kigi's own upper torso, mainly his neck/shoulder area, to see if she could bowl him over. It was her own playful move, in a way. 

Would he meet her chest to chest? Dodge altogether? Only time would tell!

Rolled a six (out of ten) for Nyra's effectiveness, and an eight for Kigipigak's this round.

There was only a moment where Kigipigak felt the familiar glee of a good battle, but then the woman was countering his aim at her chest, and wrapped her forelimbs around his neck. It was not something he had thought her capable of, being so large—thus it took him by surprise.

She was trying to force him in one direction or another. The weight of her was difficult to manage and for a time they wrestled, grunting, like bears warring over fish; then with a twist and a shift in his weight Kigipigak leveraged his way around enough, casting Nyra aside.

He watched her catch her footing well upon the soil, while he laboured to catch his breath. The lessening of weight to his shoulders helped give him a sense of freedom; with that lightness restored, he veered after her with the aim to snap at her hip, or hocks.

rolled a 7 for Nyra's retaliation <3

 


The man swung for her hip and her hocks when she backed off. He had thrust her aside easily enough and to that she grinned with an approving acknowledgement in her gaze.
When he went to connect with her hock, Nyra swung her jaws for his own hip, or perhaps his ribs if he was close enough, but she'd take what was available. 

Perhaps some loose kind of friendship could grow from this event today. Though she'd never know until at least the end of their spar.

Rolled a 2! Yikes.

This was the first spar Kigipigak had taken part of post-cat-attack, and it showed in the reticent manner of his movements; he wasn't as gregarious as he used to be, not as much a daredevil, but it wouldn't matter in the long run: Nyra's aim was well placed and with enough force, she came in to contact with his hip, then his ribs.

It wasn't pain that made him erupt with movement, but panic. The memory of something coming too close to tender parts of himself, of the blood that once caked his body, of the pressure of the cat that had landed across his back and then kicked and pulled at his skin — it flashed through his mind as Nyra's teeth clacked.

He was off-balance immediately as he over-compensated, hasty and invigorated by a spasm of anxiety. Kigipigak did not know what to do about it; he couldn't really do much, except fall, hit the ground hard, and flash his belly in defeat.

She connected, but the way he went down screamed that something was wrong.

As she stood over him, the Grandmaster just as quickly backed off, concern in her intense gaze.

"Are you alright?" She inquired, slanting her ears back a little.

It was a foolish mistake. To be caught by his own feet, as a cub might be, and to roll as if he had no understanding of his own size; he was not a child, yet he felt like one as he lay sprawled upon his back.

The spar was over. Nyra crept to within his field of view and inquired after him. Some fragment of his manliness had chipped away.

I am fine.

He righted himself by rolling to his chest and heaving up again, burning throughout his core with self-shame, which he contained by glaring at the earth a moment, as if it had caused him to trip. Kigipigak knew what had happened but he did not want to think about it.

You move well! He called out next, brandishing a smile that didn't quite meet his eyes. He could feel bruises starting where he'd hit the dirt. It was a good spar. Perhaps next time I will be victorious.

Nyra offered a small smile in return to Kigi's response, but she could tell something was wrong. 
However, she didn't press, instead giving him room to rise up on his feet again. 

To his compliments, The Grandmaster chuckled softly "You move just as well. Perhaps you will indeed best me in the future." She responded, swaying her tail with friendly manner. 
The future could only tell if they'd meet again, especially with such a relaxed, soldier-to-soldier manner. 

short post, my apologies ;w;

If you come this way again, call for me. I would very much like another attempt! He was gregarious, as usual, and feigned strength while the rest of his body bloomed with hurt. He had already lost a piece of his manliness and would not let this woman see him weaken further; so he put on this well rehearsed act, tail raising pridefully before falling slack and wagging, as her own did, as a friendly pendulum.

Without much else to say he bid his farewell, and dismissed himself towards home. His eager, energetic behavior did not slacken until well out of her line of sight, at which point he sagged and slowed his pace, grimacing every few steps.

(Kigi out!)