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[04:01] The black-clad Nagual waits within the arena for a challenger. A grin rests upon her sharp-toothed visage, while slitted amber eyes scan around the Valmasian design with the slightest trace of distaste. She was never one for the 'blended culture' of Ezmara, but regardless, they fight to slay the Silver-Eyed Betrayer. Comrades.

Her stave rests in her hands, held horizontal as those eyes rest on her new quarry, wincing in the sunlight. The dark is much more preferable to this Shadow who Dances when the Moon is High.

Without introductions, the horned man is looked over, her staff tilted upwards, towards the azure sky. Glimmering, pale moonlight dances around the stave, wrapping around it like tendrils -- Before coalescing into something else, chains made of glimmering cosmic energies.

They swish and sway around her, the vaguely food-scented, thickly clad dark-clothes wearing Jaguar-featured woman sparing not a moment before her floating form launches thatchain in an arch towards her new quarry!
(Ixcuiname)
[04:05] It is said the arena offers challenge and reward to those who dare brave into it. On this occasion? There seemed to be a pair. A youth with frazzled wild hair that looked more like a mane would enter in, a glave held in a bronze hand. Half-lidded sleepy eyes look around, before he turns.

"Khiiiiii. Is of foe in arena?" He asked, nearly sprawling lazily in the dirt as he entered. Hands combed through brown locks, as if trying to get some of the many twigs and rocks that remained in them out of the way.

"Is Conall Revels, warrior of Cruxati. Would be asking of other's name. Is having bigger question. What is of betting? In arena fight, is fun to bet, fun to win. Is all worthless when of becoming dust, but of good to enjoy before."

He fished into his pocket. A vial was produced, moved to the left and right holding a grey liquid.

"If Conall of losing? Then will be of winning this. So what is foe's bet?"

leaves fall around him lazily as armor grows from the rocks and his weapon is drawn. A cube is thrown from his side, a fish soon rising to join him.
(Conall Revels)
[04:16] The floating Nagual's chain swings towards the other -- But ceases as he doesn't defend himself, instead acting casually. Pulling her starlit chain wrapped tool back, the chain's arc is wide, a resounding clinking noise of links heard as it makes it mark on the dirt of the arena.

With a pull, said chain returns to the marionette-like woman, that sharp-toothed grin remaining, while amber eyes observe her foe as he readies himself. Jaguar-like ears listen to his words, the other returning her stave to it's 'neutral' position, horizontal, with the head to one of her sides, and the end of the pole to the other.

As the question is aired, the dark-hued woman speaks, her voice scratchy and coarse;

"Ixcuiname, Warrior of Cruxati and Shadow that Dances when the Moon is High." She states, the aggressive woman floating closer, her chain dragging on the ground alongside her ominously as she nears the other, that grin remaining alongside the baleful clinking.

"You shall win... A free tuna roll, from my shop, Warrior." She declares, her gaze split between two opponents -- A distinctly untasty-looking fish, and the fake-horn wearing man.
(Ixcuiname)
[04:20] "Khiii. A tuna roll is of good prize. Will be of taking." A jagged smile comes from the warrior as his hand beats upon his chest twice, as if signaling for the battle soon to begin. The chains seem to have him spooked slightly but.. Soon after he finally stands. The glaive is picked up and aimed towards the Nagual.

"Conall will be of willing against Ixcuiname. Be of prepared."

His skin took on bark-like qualities as he looked half lidded to the chains. His focus seemed to have been fully taken.

"Khiiii. Will have trouble if eyes are darting."
(Conall Revels)
[04:32] Ignoring the fish, the jaguar-featured youth immediately darts through the air at its master, her grinning face constantly focused on him! A relentless chorus of clinking can be heard as chains shift around, her slamming into the ground in an effort to batter the poor youth!

They move in distinctly 'swatting' motions, downwards and horizontal arcs elicited through the swinging of her staff, the chain following its movements! Her strikes are wild and relentless, each swat of chain eliciting scratches from the midnight-black thorns that stud the lengths, as well as jolts of arcing electricity, surely causing more then a little discomfort.

The 'toying' Nagual's roughness maybe a bit more then what should be allowed for a spar, but it absolutely is not a one-sided fight. Her 'tempo' finds itself disrupted multiple times by blasts of water from that ignored fish, the healing abilities of the fish's master nothing to shake a staff at.

As a lull appears in combat, the marionette-like floating Nagual finds herself landing upon the dirt of the arena, taking several breaths to steady herself, while amber eyes stare at the youth with an over-wide grin, her sharp teeth and prominent canines showed off within this grimace.

"You fight well... Will bring honor to our tribe, warrior." She declares after a few of those breaths, her scratchy voice heard, before that chorus of clinking is renewed, the jaguar-featured youth rising back into the air, as though invisible strings have lifted her upwards...
(Ixcuiname)
[04:35] He cackles.

Conall smiled jaggedly and fiercely, like a monster toying with his prey, even if he was the one who was being toyed with instead. The chains throw him around, towards the wall, towards the ground. It is wild, almost as wild as his looks.

But? He gets back up. The roots connect to the bottom of his feet, healing cuts and injuries. He grips the glaive. Half lidded eyes focus. There is a lull, a lull in which he steadies himself on the ground.

"Is fighting well too. Is unfortunate now Conall is knowing of weaknesses. Of next round will be much harder. Is of knowing that Conall said would be of having trouble if having trouble with just fish, yes?

Is time to see what a beast master can do."
(Conall Revels)
[04:40] It erupts. Flowers grow from the center of the field, small leaves suddenly turn into creatures, the arena almost turning into a forest to fight against the Nagual. The first round it seemed Conall had been holding back a little bit, likely wanting to see how Ixcuiname fought. But now that he had?

She was hard pressed to get close. The Mandrakes would fling rocks, damage, and the times when she closed distance poisonous flowers would erupt, stinging the Nagual as a whip of water from the fish kept her all too close to it. Blindness made it harder to navagiate and the sheer vines that moved to his feet healed any injury.

"Shadow that dances is of good warrior when of having only one foe to fight. But when of having many?

Beast masters are of things to be feared more then chains, or lightning stings. Khiiiiiii.

Will be of showing Conall more, yes?"
(Conall Revels)
[04:50] The battle suddenly becomes much more harrowing at the appearance of the Dryad's restrained talents! With that explosion of flowers and the seeding of that dirt with hostile life, the Shadow has trouble, attempting to keep pace with the Dryad's constant assault!

It's a barrage of poison, rocks, and water that eventually cause the thickly-clad, dark-hued woman to fall to the earth unceremoniously, having to hop backwards and take a few more of those breaths...

A rough noise is heard alongside the clinking of her chains, and as she ceases her movements to recover, it can be heard more clearly--

Giggling, coarse, sharp noises slipping from the Nagual's lips as her attention locks oncemore on the young man, eyes narrowing ever-so-slightly.

"Beastmaster… Unexpected! Ehehe… So exciting..."

Pulling herself to her feet, with the aid of her staff, the dark-jaguar featured woman raises her arms and those invisible strings pull herself into the air oncemore. Her baleful grin remains as she lifts her stave to the sky, additional tendrils of starlight wrapping around her staff, coiling like serpents as that billow out to her sides, floating in the air, instead of dragging across the ground. Three individual chains are created, one wrapped around either side of her staff, while one is wrapped around her left arm.

Absentmindedly, those tightening coils draw a tiny stream or two of crimson liquid, as occultic spurs dig into her own skin.

"Yes... Yes... Will be showing Conall more... Make warrior work for his food..." She nearly hisses, evidently quite excited, her dark-hued tail flicking behind her with an overly quick rhythm.
(Ixcuiname)
[04:59] He cackles.

The Nagual is faster then before. She manages to land the beams, the metorors, to deliver punishing glancing blows to the Dryad. The bark skin cracks ever so slightly, red running along the tree-like texture. He smiles jaggedly. Poison fills the air.

Spores make it hard to breathe and flowers grow out of the dirt. The Mandrakes spin and chase, throwing rocks and making the battle hard. Darkness takes to her vision, making it even more difficult to fight.

"Is not many beastmasters in Gehenna. Is not normal warrior. Is not strongest by self. Is strongest when controlling others."

Tendrils of starlight lapped at him, struck at him. But he persevered. He closed distance. And then?

The dryad's hand reached out, darting under Ixcuiname's neck. A petting under her neck, under her chin.

"Ixcuiname of purring for Conall, yes?"

She would not have time to answer. Spores filled the air, making breathing difficult. An almost mocking hand stroked under her chin, the other petting her ears.

"Is cute attempt. But Conall is victorious." The spores disapate, but only once they had shown victory in his gestures.
(Conall Revels)
[05:14] Lunging towards the beast-master, her trio of chains cease their 'swatting' movements, instead, they form into move complex designs. spiraling 'beams' of twisted chain aiming to slam, pierce and shock, while a conjured 'meteor' of chaoticly arranged links materializes over her head to be launched in a noisy lob towards the beastmaster!

It's obvious her intent, trying to end this quickly before he manages to summon more of his allies! But in her speed, she was too slow, darkness confusing her while spores make breathing a chore. With more pain in her chest and her declining ability to dodge rocks and poisonous tendrils, her focus wanes.

With the waning of her focus, those additional chains become more wispy and uncertain, breaking down into mere tendrils of starlight, their Occultic spurs dulled, while the shocks that travel down them losing intensity. After a bit of this, she slumps into a sit, her starlight fading away, motes oflight leaving her and extinguishing themselves.

Heaving breaths run through her, while the thickly clad woman shivers, her sight hazy-- So much so that she doesn't entirely notice the Dryad's advance until hands find themselves on her dark-skinned form. Her eyes widen and she freezes entirely at that beginning touch, before the petting begins and the -- now a little humiliated -- Nagual submits to it begrudgingly.

Her dark-hued ears are velvety and soft, the hair around them tousled but smooth like black silk. The dark-caramel skin of her neck is soft and warmed by the vital pulsing of her blood under it. Though it's demeaning to be pet in this fashion, the victor did earn it, so the dark-hued Shadow is caught in an odd situation, her amber eyes looking up at him, while she bites her lip so as to avoid saying something rude -- or biting him -- while the winner extracts his 'due'.

It makes her look remarkably meek, the small-statured Nagual quiet and compliant for as long as he wishes to pet.

"I need more practice..." She laments with a scratchy voice after a time.
(Ixcuiname)
[05:21] The cackling finally quiets, but the jagged teeth of the Dryad never cease in his smile. The humiliation is perhaps a little rude or a little far for most, but after petting the velvety soft ears for a few moments, as well as the lingering bark-like sensation placed onto her neck.. The hands finally begin to draw back.

They fall slack to his side and Conall offers the briefest of yawns. Half-lidded eyes look from one stand to the other, noticing little amounts of people at this hour, not many witnesses as to what happened. He nods.

"Ixcuiname is of needing little more training. Is not of bad. Is not always one is at mastery of everything at first. If Conall was fighting of alone? Of very good chance to beat him.

Is why Conall is not of fighting alone." The jagged teeth form into a smirk.

"Shadow of Cruxati is welcome to challenge Beastmaster of Cruxati for more training. But will be of petting Shadow with losses. Ears, hair and neck areso sooooooooft." A little mockery before A blue tree rises up behind him. A pulsing can be felt in the air, mother earth healing minor cuts or bruises.

"Was of fun."
(Conall Revels)
[05:37] The older Nagual lifts her head up slightly, that odd bark-like skin causing a shiver to move down her spine at the sensation, while the petting of her soft ears yields nothing but permissive quietness. Though his humiliation is a bit much, it's tit for tat with her aggressiveness and roughness within the arena.

Finally, as he draws back, she takes a breath and pulls herself to her feet, her dropped staff taken up and used to help prop the woman upon her feet. Those attentive amber eyes watch the man, newfound respect evident for his talents, while ears listen to his words.

After his promise is aired, the older woman a tiny bit outraged by the prospect, she chooses to swallow that outrage instead, her grin a little dimmed, and replaced with a more passive version.

"Beastmaster has a good strategy... Will get stronger, work harder on betterment..." She declares in that scratchy voice of hers, a little resigned, but distantly grateful as her minor wounds are worked out of her body at the healing energies of the tree. She doesn't address his 'promise', putting it out of her mind for right now in favor of stretching herself out a little in wake of that healing. Bending at the waist, lifting arms towards the sky and other minor gestures.

Once these movements are finished, she motions for the other to follow, walking, not flying, towards the arena's exit. Her strides are marked with a certain grace to them, the thickly-adorned woman's tail swishing slowly, poking from the bottom of her cloak as she moves.

"It was fun. Thanks, warrior for practice... I'll give you your meal..."

(Ixcuiname)
[05:41] Conall bobbed his head. "Adversary is of making one stronger. With loss one of becoming better, of learning more. Ixcuiname may be of challenging as many times as wanting. Will meet call until can be of beating Conall. Then Conall will be of challenging shadow instead." He cackles, then follows after the Nagual.

He senses rage, feeds on it a little. A little cruel, a little sadistic, but not pushing it too utterly far. The time passes and her wounds heal, and he follows after. Hands slovenly rest at his side. He yawns.

"Is no need of thanking. Warriors fight warriors for warriors to becoming of stronger. Will be of doing again if Ixcuiname wanting to train. But betting is of betting."

He pulled a vial out of his pocket, and held it out to the Nagual.

"But for fun? Gift."
(Conall Revels)
[05:42] {Item} You drop Agility X.
[05:51] The dark-skinned Nagual listens as she walks striding to her stall. Cooking is not about making money anymore, so in all truth, she doesn't mind giving her food away for free to a skilled warrior. Despite her seething underpinned feelings, they don't cloud her amber eyes -- right now, at least -- she does recognize her need to improve. For a long while, she lived within the jungles upon Agartha, fighting beasts and living under the moonlight.

An easy life, for a magi, not a struggle. Nothing that would drive her towards betterment, and the younger magi defeating her is a testament to that stagnation. If she wishes to be a weapon of Ixchel, she needs to hone herself. To focus on her malice to crush and enervate, to channel Ixchel's chosen element to electrocute, and to focus on her Goddess to call upon her moonlight.

To this end, she eagerly takes that bottle of grey liquid, trading a freshly cooked tuna roll for it, before popping the cork and greedily drinking the strengthening fluid...
(Ixcuiname)
[05:52] {Item} You picked up Fatty Tuna.Dropped by Ixcuiname. .
[05:52] Ixcuiname says, "Thank you for gift, beastmaster."
[05:53] Conall Revels says, "Is good to see it used by warriors of Cruxati. Is hoping will make the shadow stronger."
[05:53] Ixcuiname says, "Same for you... Hope my food will help with your own work."
[05:56] The dark-hued Nagual raises her arms ever-so-slightly again, those invisible strings of gravity grasping at her limbs and pulling her upwards. Now aloft, the floating Nagual turns to depart.

"Going to fish... Job to feed tribe, help artisans of Ezmara make tools to fight those of the Silver-Eyed Betrayer..." Her scratchy voice explains as the airborne woman heads in the direction of Atl's beach.

"Ixchel's blessed shadows assist you in your hunt, Conall."
(Ixcuiname)
[05:59] "Is hoping will too. Training with Shadow is plenty for now." The ever so jagged grin remains as Conall lazily tucks his hands into his slovenly kept shirt.

"Will be of going to rest. Is not needing to fish or having many job. Is of gathering resources to make temple, but not getting paid of it. Is hoping for luck against silver haired betrayers.

May your hunts be bloody and honorable, sister Ixcuiname."

The Dryad then lays down on the ground, sprawled in front of the stands. He sleeps.
(Conall Revels)