A little swordplay [Private/Training/Ayero&Diego]

Locking eyes with her opponent, a slow smile came across the woman’s face as she nodded in acknowledgement to the tiger. At Diego’s signal to Trixie, Ayero readies herself and keeps a steady eye on the charging beast. Pushing back on her feet for leverage, the halfling launches herself backwards and away from the tiger at an equal speed of 10 m/s, narrowly dodges Trixie’s strike. It was close though, she felt a stray spark of bio-electricity leap from Trixie’s outstretched claw onto her leg. The spark wasn’t enough to paralyze her, but it did leave an eerie numb tingle where it had landed.

After landing the woman skids back into the ground a few meters away, straightening up to to face Trixie and Diego. ”That certainly was close. Come now, surely you’ve got more fight in you Madame Trixie!”

[1000+/1000]

Trixie's claws swiped through the air as the Fanalis woman leaped back, catching nothing. There was a tiny crackle of electricity as her paws landed on the ground. Ayero said something, while she couldn't understand, she sensed a teasing tone. With a throaty grunt, Trixie bared her fangs in a feline smile.

Diego was impressed by Ayero's reflexes, noticing that by dancing on the balls of her feet she could use the momentum to move faster. He made a note to ask her about it later, thinking it might be useful. He smiled, giving Trixie a series of clicks and whistles. Diego noticed he may have underestimated Ayero, not out of confidence, but more so out of nativity.

Trixie leaped forwards again at 10 m/s towards Ayero's legs, planning on attacking in the same fashion again.

[1000+/1000]

Grinning back and Trixie, Ayero found that she was growing fonder of Diego’s pet. She shifts on her feet, knowing that an attack could come at any time from the tiger. She was beginning to grow impressed with the bond between tamer and beast, noting how Trixie waited patiently for Diego’s signal before attacking. This time the halfling had miscalculated slightly, noticing that she was just a bit too late when she sprang from her heels. As Trixie’s claws made contact with her right leg, she feels a sharp jolt followed quickly by a numbing sensation as the muscles in her leg seize up.

The young woman completes her landing but loses her balance due to the paralysis, collapsing to the side. After shaking off the surprise (but really, what had she expected?) she smiles and looks over at Trixie. ”Impressive! I’m certain that this would have been a lot worse had you used your full strength.” Propping herself up on her hands, the red head waits out the paralysis. Trixie had only used a fraction of her power on her target as evidenced by the pins and needles feeling in her limb as she slowly regains control over it.

”What have we here? Nothing but a woman and a child~” A voice called to them several meters away and Ayero’s head snaps up and she struggles to stand, using Trixie for support. They had been so focused on their training that they hadn’t noticed the men clad in black watching them. Then again, they had only just appeared—how long were they observing the fight for? Eyes narrowing, she grips at Trixie’s fur and flexes her leg in an attempt to regain full mobility. ”Leave now.” She hisses to the man who gives her an amused look and a few of his companions laugh. ”And why would we do that? You two are easy picking. I’m sure we’d get a hefty sum for two fanalis at the upcoming slave auction.” With a snarl, Ayero charges toward the man, sword drawn.

[1000+/1000]

Trixie got a glancing blow on Ayero's right leg and fell on her side. Diego ran up to Ayero and put a hand on her shoulder, seeing if she was alright. It appeared that the electricity from Trixie had made her temporarily unable to use her leg. Ayero seemed to shake it off and smiled at Trixie, complimenting her.

He was surprised to hear a voice and see men watching them. He noticed their garb and his eyes narrowed, "Black Fingers..." He offered Ayero help as she used Trixie for support. He motioned to Trixie to be ready as Ayero asked them to leave. The Black Fingers seemed to have it in their head that they would be selling the two Fanalis at a slave market. Diego chuckled loudly as Ayero charged forward, her sword unsheathed.

From the series of whistles and clicks, Trixie charged forward heading to the group of men. There were 10 Black Fingers in total. Trixie moved to the right of the group, her focus on the closest one. A surge of bio-electricity traveled down her limbs, sparks flickered over her metal claws and she dug into the ground. With a giant leap she pounced on the man, her claws catching the man's left side, leaving claws marks from his waist to his knee. She discharged the electricity as she hit the man and pounced back a little bit, not wanting to be left open.

The man cried out as his legs gave out, dropping him to the ground. Some sparks leaped off him, lightly shocking a man that stood nearby, but it was a passing sensation. Diego noticed the reaction, telling Trixie to put more electricity in next time through a series of clicks and whistles. He wondered if she could hit others, causing a similar reaction. He had also let Trixie know that she could react freely, letting her instincts guide her.

[1000+/1000]

Her blade makes contact with the man’s chest, dragging downward diagonally and she quickly goes to move past him, giving him a sharp kick in the side as she passes for good measure. Noticing that Trixie had joined the fray, she shifts her attention to the left of the group. As she dodges another blade and knocks a man out with a blow to the head, she catches Trixie’s attack from her periphery and smirks to herself as she hears the cry of the fallen enemy, she herself feeling proud of Diego and his pet.

Moving on to the next man, Ayero finds herself inspired by Trixie’s practicing of her discharge attack. Perhaps I could try that new move… This would be a good opportunity for her to practice as well seeing as how she had moving targets she could freely maim without remorse that weren’t too difficult to deal with. Concentrating on her next opponent, she approaches him head on before feinting to his side and digging her blade into his shoulder. She quickly drags is down his back at 15 m/s, but draws back when she reaches his hip, frowning. She had not applied enough pressure to the initial puncture, thus the blade didn’t cut as deep as she would have liked and she wasn’t able to twist the cut around his body. The man falls back anyway and she delivers a blow to the head for good measure, eyes shifting around for her next victim.

A man to Trixie's right, came forward swinging an axe towards her. She leaped to the side as it grazed her fur, sending some hair whirling around the blade as it slammed into the ground. Trixie let out a deep growl that resonated around her and pounced on the man's chest, ripping her claws down the front of his body as he fell to the ground. Electricity discharged through his body and as another man came up with a horizontal slash to get Trixie off his friend's body, sparks arced onto his blade and raced up the metal stunning him. The blade fell to the ground with a clatter as he tried to move his arms.

Taking the opening, Trixie leaped off the fallen bandit's chest and pounced upon his friend's face. Her front right claws caught on his lip as a current of electricity released into his mouth. There was a weird sound, half a scream of pain, half a loud gurgle as his throat seized up. Trixie ripped her claws free, tearing through the man's lip. She took a few quick breaths looking for her next target.

Charging at the next man, she repeats the motion of feinting to his side, this time making sure to jam the blade deep into his muscle. Wasting no time she drags the blade around the man’s back diagonally down to his hip, through his stomach and other hip and finally coming to a stop and pulling away at his backside. The man lets out a piercing scream of anguish as the woman spirals around his body, slicing through the muscle with ease.

Breathing a sigh of simultaneous relief and triumph, she stands and narrowly dodges an oncoming dagger, moving to the side. She raises her sword to strike but as she brings it down, it slips out of her hand. Gawking for a moment, she didn’t realize that during her last attack the man’s blood had seeped so far down her weapon, making the brass grip slippery. Biting her lip in conflict, she realizes that with the man so close, it would be difficult for her to go after her sword and subsequently clean in properly for use. Jumping back to avoid the narrow swipe of the man’s dagger, she thrusts her closed fist at the man’s jaw in an uppercut motion at 10 m/s. While the man is momentarily stunned, she continues with her motion and smashes her elbow into the side of his face. She doesn’t take her eyes off of him until he collapses to the ground in a heap and dashes for her sword. After retrieving the weapon she stands, looking over at Trixie’s own battle.

Spoiler:

Zanzibar rests his body on Diego's head, dangling his legs as he watched Fanalis and Tiger fight with fiery determination. Metal glinted in the sunlight as it met flesh, while sparks crackled between the Black Fingers. "Squee~"

Diego chuckled and reached his hand up to pet his spider. The two met their foes with impressive tenacity. He wondered if he should assist as well, it seemed wrong not to help Trixie at least. It was her ferocity that convinced him not too, she could handle her own just fine. It was the first real fight since their recent months in the forests of Reim.

Trixie stood her ground as the last two bandits charged her with spear and dagger. The Black Finger on her left thrust at her side with his spear, moving forward at fifteen meters per second. Trixie reacted by turning into the thrust and lunging towards him, charging bio-electricity throughout her body. The spear cut through her skin and muscle from shoulder to haunch as she moved along the spear and tackled the man. Landing legs on shoulders and things, she discharged Lightning Fury into the Black Finger, crippling his body with paralysis.  As they fell together, the remnant electricity arced to the last bandit, lightly shocking him.

Diego couldn't believe his eyes, reacting quickly, he held Zanzibar while he slipped off his bow and nocked an arrow. He clicked his tongue, with an exhale he released the arrow, sending it ten meters per second towards the Black Finger as he got shocked. It hit the bandit in the knee, knocking him to his knees before collapsing onto the ground.

He ran towards Trixie, but she just bristled her fur and walked up to Ayero, putting her paw on the Fanalis woman's arm. The look in her eye seemed like an acceptance, an acceptance of family. Diego tilted his head and chuckled, "That was awesome you two!"

Ayero observes Trixie’s battle intently, standing off to the side so as to not be involved, but close enough to intervene should she need assistance. Her eyes widen as the Black Finger’s spear slices alongside Trixie. Fearing the worst, the halfling grips at her sword and grinds her teeth in anxiety. But Trixie proves to be able to handle herself well, crashing downward on her opponent as she electrocutes him, the residual electricity leaping over to the nearby bandit. Bringing her sword back, she arches forward on her feet preparing to intervene. She stops short when Diego’s arrow makes contact with the man’s knee, causing the bandit to crumple to the ground.

Glancing over at the young fanalis, she had momentarily forgotten that he mentioned being taught the long-range weapon in order to fight alongside his pets. Feel pressure on her arm, she turns her head back to meet with Trixie’s eyes. Somewhat startled at first, her own gaze softens and a slow smile spreads along her face. Perhaps it was the adrenaline, but Ayero felt a strange yet comfortable warmth. Diego approached them as she reached to rubbed Trixie’s head affectionately. ”Indeed it was. Trixie here is quite the fighter. You two have a strong bond, not many people would learn a skill to fight alongside their beasts like that. I’m impressed.” She smiles fondly over at Diego and Zanzibar. ”I suppose I was wrong about you. You’re more than capable of caring for yourself.” She muses, looking down at Trixie. ”Come, let’s go back into town where we can rest and treat Trixie’s wound.”

[Exit]