Men's Bracket: Rider vs Skrimir

[ofbloodandbone]

Who: Skrimir and Luca Blight/Rider
Where: Imperial City
What: Spring Court tournament, round one
When: Whenever the tournaments start
Warnings: Violence

It did not matter that he stood in a human area, deep in a human city. It did not matter that Skrimir stood out so much that the blind could spot him. The only thing that mattered was the pure thrill, that beloved anticipation of battle. The young lion itched for blood. He would have restraint, of course; there was no need to kill his opponent when both the rules and the Rhya forbade it.

It was time to crush bone and rend metal and flesh, and show this human city that Skrimir was a proud laguz. Passing up this opportunity to test himself against the best warriors the beorc could offer simply wasn't possible. Drawn arrogantly to his full height, Skrimir easily shouted over the noise of the crowd to the other side of the arena.

"I've waited long enough! Do not make wait any longer! Come, warrior, and fight me! I look forward to crushing you under my claws!"

And to punctuate his challenge, Skrimir roared; a thunderous, piercing sound, even outside of his transformed state.

Comments

[burnlikelivestock]

A man donned in white armor steps into the arena wearing a smirk. Skrimir cared little for holding back his confidence and just the same, Rider did nothing to hide his own malice. It was just a shame that conditions forbade him from truly going all-out. He didn't care about the rules set by the tournament nor of his Master's orders. But really, it was just a shame when killing didn't come as a result of fighting.

While most certainly human, Rider was still quite tall, but perhaps didn't quite match the towering stature of the lion. "Claws belong to animals. And if you're so insistent on calling yourself an animal, I'm happy to cut you down like one. Isn't that exactly what animals and livestock amount to?"

[ofbloodandbone]

A fanged grin answered Rider. "Do not make me laugh, human! Your kind cowers behind steel and stone because you are incapable of matching us otherwise!" With another roar, Skrimir's form briefly melted away in a red mist, the hulking form of a too-large lion replacing him. The beast paced a few steps, lashing his tail.

"Claw and fang is all I need! Now fight, human, and I'll snap your bones!" The crimson lion crouched, and in an instant, coiled muscle propelled the beast in bounding leaps. Skrimir approached rapidly in zigzags, ready to strike and eager to draw blood.

[burnlikelivestock]

"A beast! So you were a beast all along!" he screams, cackling as the laguz made his true form known. Skrimir approaches, but Rider's hardly one to stay on the defensive. It's precisely staying on the defensive that will put him at a disadvantage. The lion probably doesn't expect the human to come out charging as he would right now.

"I've sometimes wondered what a beast might say before it's hacked to pieces for sport or food. 'Cowers behind steel and stone'? That's a load of shit! You only have yourselves to blame for not being strong enough to fight back!"

Charging at Skrimir and matching his movement patterns, Rider opens with strong thrust before turning his blade to the side. In case Skrimir would have the assumption of swinging back, of course.

[ofbloodandbone]

The thrust is unexpected, as few—and a beorc, at that—ever meet the lion's charges head-on. Skrimir quickly alters his momentum by hopping to the side, but the unforeseen stab draws a long cut along his forearm and shoulder. Growling, the beast's response is surprisingly nimble as he kicks against the ground, sailing in an arc over Rider's head and swinging down at his shoulder with a large paw.

As soon as he touches down, Skrimir bounces out of the range of an immediate counter. However, be charged back almost immediately, engaging with a roar and another slash.