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 Posted: Mon Oct 03, 2016 2:07 pm
 It was for no reason in particular, but Alya was feeling amped today. It was later in the afternoon. The heat of midday was starting to dissipate. With the sun lower in the sky, the dark lioness moved from the barracks to the training grounds. She was a fighter like the rest of the pride, so when she felt filled with energy her first thought was to exert it in the most Firekin way possible.
As she reached the edge of the training grounds she took in a breath and held it in her chest for a moment before releasing in in a long, controlled motion. Alya could feel her heartbeat in her chest and her paws kneaded into the ground with excited anticipation. She waited a few moments, scanning the image of the various individual strewn across the lands, before making her way towards the center of the grounds. There she stood, tall and poised and waiting. They were all battle-ready, here. Today she felt like having an opponent choose her as opposed to the contrary.
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Posted: Mon Oct 03, 2016 2:41 pm
Despite his minimal successes in being social and taking on a leading role, Chaka was dedicated to the idea of helping the Firekin army improve. It didn't help a close relationship with one of the Brigadiers meant he'd have someone nagging him about it if he didn't try. He was a Battlemaster, this was what he should be doing.. and he took that seriously. So, when he had time to spare, he spent his time in the Training Grounds.
Usually, he preferred to wait for someone to challenge him- or until he saw someone desperately needing the help (thankfully a rare occurrence).. but today, he was feeling more energetic, more eager to battle. So when he spotted a new arrival he recognized as a soldier, he decidedly approached her- hoping to cut off any attempt she might make to seek out an opponent for herself.
"Have you come to fight?" he asked, a question as much as a challenge.
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oo Ded generated a random number between
1 and 3 ...
2!
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Posted: Mon Oct 03, 2016 2:50 pm
Roll 1: 2, Bide
Total: 2
It didn't take long for the lioness to recognize the lion that approached her. Battlemaster Chaka. She hadn't seen him fight before in person, but the rank itself was enough to win her respect without question. She blinked, briefly surprised, before a smile grew on her face. "I have," Alya responded curtly. She remained standing tall, her ear twitching.
"Does the Battlemaster accept a challenge?" Her words came as a question, but her stance was prepared for battle even as she asked it. Her body tensed and lowered to the ground, her tail twitching once or twice before laying flat. Her heart was loud in her chest, strong with excitement. Not only a battle, but a duel with the battlemaster? There were few better ways to train herself. Sure, she aimed to win whatever duels she entered, but in this occasion she would also get a chance to learn. Alya couldn't have asked for more.
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Ecavi generated a random number between
1 and 3 ...
2!
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Posted: Mon Oct 03, 2016 3:02 pm
Move: Bide Total: 2 Normally, Chaka would have jumped right into testing the readiness of his opponent but something stopped him this time. This lioness was familiar enough to identify by rank but other than that, he knew nothing. He would try being more careful this time, test his own preparedness instead of going right for it. If she had to make the first move, what would it be?
He nodded to show he accepted the challenge, and moved back a few paces so there was more room between them.. and he waited.
"What is your name?" he asked.
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oo Ded generated a random number between
1 and 3 ...
2!
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Posted: Mon Oct 03, 2016 3:12 pm
Roll 2: Bide/Glancing attack
Total: 4
Alya stood ready for an attack, but none came. Instead, the battlemaster asked her name. She blinked, somewhat surprised at the lack of movement. "Urit'alya," she responded, "daughter of Azula and Aibisho." She wondered why he made no move. The soldier didn't doubt that he knew what he was doing, though, so she made no comment on the topic.
Should she make the first move? Or would that be showing her had too much? It took a few moments of contemplation before Alya came to the conclusion that she was thinking too much. She didn't want to dig herself into a hole after all. The soldier lunged forward quickly, aiming at a strike at his side. She felt her attack only glance, though, and she quickly moved herself to prepare herself for his next move.
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Ecavi generated a random number between
1 and 3 ...
1!
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Posted: Mon Oct 03, 2016 3:29 pm
Move: Miss! Total: 3 He noticed the look he got for asking her name but only smirked-- and then stopped paying attention when he heard the name 'Azula'. He, like many others, couldn't keep track of the mess that was that family. That was as much as he needed to think about that, then.
"My name is Chaka, son of Wakia and Umlilo," he offered in return, though he would be surprised if she didn't at least know his name. His parents were far back in their respective lines by now, though, that they probably wouldn't be familiar to her.
When she lunged forward to strike, he managed to avoid the worst of it but an attempt to strike back at her as she moved past only hit air. She was fast, then, and he'd have to watch for that. He looked mildly surprised- and impressed.. leaving himself wide open for another attack.
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oo Ded generated a random number between
1 and 3 ...
2!
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Posted: Mon Oct 03, 2016 3:37 pm
Roll 3: Bide/Glancing attack (wtf alya)
Total: 6
She wouldn't have been surprised to hear that he hadn't given her heritage any thought after she had said the name of her mother. Even she had trouble keeping track of who was who in her family (at some times she thought that individuals named their offspring continuously after other members of her family just in spite of the rest of them who had to figure out who was related to whom). When he introduced his own parents she found herself unfamiliar with the names. Hm. Maybe she wasn't as brushed up on the lines as she had thought.
He had avoided her attack, but didn't offer one in return. Alya recognized that she couldn't afford stopping to assess the situation, though. She had him moving, and she had to keep it that way. The lioness moved to strike once again, another paw aiming at his hide but only finding air.
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Ecavi generated a random number between
1 and 3 ...
1!
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Posted: Mon Oct 03, 2016 3:44 pm
Move: FAIL. Total: 4 Chaka was quick to start moving again when she took another try at attacking him, but he wasn't quick enough to completely avoid the hit. She was faster than he was and he was more and more sure of that. With a frustrated growl at himself, he started to circle- but he didn't take long to attempt to fight back now. If she was so fast, maybe she would make a mistake if she was pushed to go faster-- but, lunging forward, he could immediately tell he was not going to his target. Now he was only making himself more vulnerable.
And that was assuming he didn't end up face-first in the sand first.
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oo Ded generated a random number between
1 and 3 ...
2!
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Posted: Mon Oct 03, 2016 3:51 pm
Roll 4: Bide/Glancing attack (omgwhy)
Total: 8
Maybe she could keep him on his toes. Alya quickly decided that this would be her tactic. She would just keep moving quickly and hope to drive him back, or keep him off until she could make a lasting attack.
As her opponent lunged forward she used her momentum to move past him and out of the way. Her paws skid in the sand as she changed direction once more to lunge at him. Alya tried to keep her attacks controlled--of course she would attempt to hit her target, but she would take keeping an advantage if all else failed. The latter would seem to be the case as her lunge, once again, missed him. He was fast enough to evade all her attacks. At that alone she was impressed. She had the upper hand now, she noted, but she couldn't slip. He was a battlemaster, after all, and she had to be ready for anything.
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Ecavi generated a random number between
1 and 3 ...
3!
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Posted: Mon Oct 03, 2016 3:59 pm
Move: Hit! Total: 7 He hit the sand without his target in sight and he had to move quickly to catch her before she could get him. She wasn't getting in any good, solid blows but she was impressively good at keeping him on the defensive. He was impressed, and not at all disappointed to say the best he had done so far was to prevent her from stomping him right into the sand.
When she lunged this time, he was finally better prepared. She missed him but he pushed forward to try to throw her off her feet before she could stabilize herself as she hit the sand. If he was going to gain control of the situation, he had to get her off balance and keep her there.
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oo Ded generated a random number between
1 and 3 ...
1!
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Posted: Mon Oct 03, 2016 4:06 pm
Roll 5: Miss
Total: 9
She would be disappointed to say that she was caught off guard by the push. The strike sent her toppling to the ground, the entire weight of her having been disrupted at his attack. It was a strong hit, and she had been impressed. Damn.
Alya struggled to gain the momentum she had lost, having to get to her feet before striking again. When she finally did so, she moved towards his side in a lunge. The soldier was off balance, though, and she failed to fix it fast enough. Her lunge made no contact and she skid into the sand, whipping around to prepare.
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Ecavi generated a random number between
1 and 3 ...
2!
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Posted: Mon Oct 03, 2016 4:12 pm
Move: Bide Total: 9 He whipped around to follow up his attack and wound up ducking out of the way of a rather shaky counter attack. And she hit the ground he decidedly backed up and away, taking a deep breath. If it ended now, it looked like he had done more damage but she had put on a much more impressive performance.
"Alright," he said, smiling at her, "Enough."
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Posted: Mon Oct 03, 2016 4:23 pm
As he called the duel to the end, Alya felt her muscles instantly relax. A smile crept back onto her face and she nodded to her opponent. "An admirable fight, Chaka. I have no doubts as to why they would call you Battlemaster."
True, it had been a good fight. She could feel her heart in her throat. It took everything in her not to beam with pride. It might have been a tie, but considering her opponent she would chalk it up as a win in her books. The soldier hadn't known what to expect when she decided to come to the barracks. Of all the possibilities, this was near the top.
"Expect to be seeing me around," she called, her grin wide, "and one day joining you in title," Alya finished. It was perhaps a bit more overconfident and boisterous than she was used to, but right now she was riding high.
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Posted: Mon Oct 03, 2016 4:27 pm
"You were very impressive," he said, "I'm sure I will."
There had only been one other Battlemaster to join his ranks and she had moved on quickly. In fact, she'd gone all the way to the top and it seemed like no time at all had passed. He was eager to see where this new challenger ended up.
He offered a polite nod and, shaking the sand from his fur, went back to find himself a spot to sit near the edge of the Training Grounds. He'd need a break before he went back at it.Fin!
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