Saifex Tsuchi: Survival

Saifex fought against his own fatigue, resting his weight up against the tree of his choosing prior to rising upright, fixing himself somewhat to resume his travels. He turned for the west, glimpsing over the tall grass and shrubbery that concealed his new stalker unknowingly. The marshes in the distance emitted a thick miasma that left him sickened to the core, fearful of disorientation that'd ultimately result in failure to navigate to the Trystle caverns. The thought of such left him to ponder, slowly pivoting his head back for the east.

"I can keep trying... Find the Koar and return with it's head... Or simply head for home." He monologued;
As of now, he stood back towards Uskor, eyes tracing over the landscape for signs, ANYTHING. The breathing he gave off evidently provided as proof for his fatigue, leaving him a valid target for even the most fragile of Yokaikind.

Laden across his back, was a crossbow, hinting that he was indeed a marksman, if not a hunter seeking pray within the woodlands. Quilts strapped upon both leggings, and under the crossbow strapped to his backside. Upon his hands were fingerless, crimson gloves that forced the air to quiver to a mild degree. Encroaching further could allow one to feel the heat that radiated from them: Imbued with the pyromancer's affinity.
(Saifex Tsuchi)

Uskor had been lucky. It seemed that the soldier hadn't noticed it, and seemed to be tired and fatigued in general. It might be possible for the Yokai to get a meal out of this after all.

The Soldier had gotten dangerously close to the beast lurking in the foliage, and Uskor could hear the man's heavy breathing. It was now close enough to attack the man, and with the hunger inside it, Uskor couldn't restrain itself any longer. It had to feed.

So with that, it got up off the ground, emitted a loud roar and started charging in the soldier's direction, moving on all fours and trying to close the distance before the soldier could react.
(Uskor)

Eyes widened, and frozen in suspended animation; He wasn't ready nor fast enough to evade what came for him. Danger couldn't be realized fast enough, and reality failed to comfort his comprehension of things, until he was already too late.

Uskor's roar beckoned to Saifex's attention, leaving him with the realization of the flank only once the distance was already closed. He spun around, attempting to swat away with the use of his remaining magus enhanced strength, in hopes of fending the Yokai off.

Assuming success could be found in countering the initial strike a dogged barrage of melee was utilized in an aggressive defense.
(Saifex Tsuchi)

Saifex seemed to struggle against the Yokai's strength, proving similiar to his own in his weakened state, however, a key difference in their personas made the true difference during the battle: Armor!
It was because of his Nivis Armor that the Lesser Class Yokai's claws failed to pierce to the skin. Never before had Saifex been more grateful for his failure to surrender the Nivis colors altogether.

Perhaps it was a sign? He was getting too cocky! The Yokai's claw lashed out once more, managing to deliver a thin slash through the metal, and slice at the flesh beneath. Without further delay he proceeded to retaliate with vicious incentive. Fists that flared with light flame blazed for the Yokai's face, beating in the cheeks and scolding them to a second degree magnitude. He wasn't nearly as strong as he was prior, thus, leaving him restricted to lower tier castings.

He struck his left palm into the Yokai's lower abdomen, pulling it up into an uppercut motion; Within the center of his hold, an emanation as true as tangerine illuminate Uskor's underbelly! With a steady heave, a combustion of flame flashed throughout the immediate scene, leaving the Yokai to slide few feet away, likely upon it's back where Saifex could be allowed a short hiatus to provide himself with rest.

He didn't hesitate any longer, prepared to end the scuffle immediately for his own livelihood. He reached for his back, grasping at the handle of his crossbow, and whipping it over his head to aim it for Uskor. A bolt wrapped in white birch bark rested upon the firing spring, drenched in an oil that granted explosive properties when ignited. As of now, Uskor rested in it's sights-- A fate, to-be-sealed as the Drakanite's finger bared down upon the trigger.

However, not all was as easy as he'd come to expect. Other Lesser Yokai heard Uskor's roar, swarming from the woodlands in search of prey! Were they mere simpletons to obey another of their kind? No, they lacked the intelligence in their current form. They merely arrived at the idea of substinence, and their suspicions were confirmed. Their numbers were atrocious; An entire batch of them sprinted for Saifex, likely from a nearby clutch of eggs lain with relevant distance.

The crossbow was turned from Uskor in an instant, birthing flight to a bolt that sunk straight into the mid-neck region of an unfortunate Yokai in it's sights. Albeit, more poured in around it, charging for Saifex, leaving him preoccupied to their numbers. Panicked; He grabbed a handful of arrows from his quilt, throwing them almost childishly for the encroaching masses.
In a one-two combo, his left arm hurled forth a miniscule ball of flame-- No longer was this a test of might, but strategic wits.

The fireball merged with a single arrow, failing to catch them all at once. The ignition occured in nigh-slow motion due to the adreneline that honed one's focus into the moment. Combustion left a chain reaction of explosions to engulf at both Saifex and the lunging beastlings, incinerating those at close range, whilst only charring others. Those in the distance were slown down out of caution, others out of invoked fear. The more unfortunate were forced to lie, cursed with their burns, and damned to the fate of oncoming death, if not outright reduced to charcoal.

Though the display was impressive at the least, it left Saifex distracted far too long to retaliate to what Uskor could've condoned to...
(Saifex Tsuchi)

Uskor's first attack had been a failure. While the human wasn't terribly strong in his current state, Uskor had one massive disadvantage. The Yokai was fighting with it's claws and teeth, and while they had proven more than adequate in taking down lesser Yokai, unprotected humans and the occasional unwary soldier, they couldn't manage to get through the thick and heavy armor of the Draco Nivis.

This d
idn't faze the Yokai. It's mind was too simple to grasp such concepts as tactics, it could merely slash at the man with all it's strength. It's second attack had been slightly more successful, letting the Yokai pierce the plate and give the man a slight laceration underneath his armor. While this was the best Uskor could manage with his still-puny strength, the man could do better. The man's fist came down on it's head with a blazing fury Uskor hadn't encountered before and forced the beast to stagger slightly. Another blow struck his belly, accompanied by a stream of flame that sent the Yokai flying to the side, leaving it helpless for a brief moment.

This had nearly been it's death. The man had pulled out his crossbow and was aiming at the lesser, seeking to take the Yokai down quickly. Luckily for Uskor, however, the sounds of fighting and his grunting had attracted the attention of several other Yokai in the vicinity. Several lesser Yokai had swarmed the scene, distracting the man for the moment.

Uskor had to use this to it's advantage. While it had been somewhat injured from the strike, Yokai were tough, and the beast staggered up, trying to look at the man. He was struggling with the others for now, leaving Uskor to it's own doings.

Deciding it best not to try a head-on charge, Uskor scurried behind a tree. With any luck, the lessers would take the man out without forcing Uskor to risk it's own neck. It swiftly climbed the nearby tree, trying to watch the man fight the lessers while formulating a rudimentary plan of attack.

As the man blasted the other Yokai with flames, Uskor acted. Leaping forth from the tree, it landed next to a small bush and started moving towards the other side of the little battlefield the two were upon. It tried to stay out of sight for the time being, using the bushes as cover to get behind the man and try and attack him from his unguarded rear.
(Uskor)

managed to take the vantage point, getting behind the Drakanite whilst he dealt with the encroaching Yokai. The explosions held him hostage in their magnificent bombardment of the scenery, open-target for the original opponent. A pounce left him falling to the ground, frontside bared into the soil and forcefully opened to a rear assault.

Uskar's weight pinned him, and drove Saifex out of fear alone. He pressed back at the fatigue that burdened him, lifting his right arm to elbow at it's head to hopefully delay the maws from sinking into the armor, and potentially pierce into his back.

A second jab, granted him the ability to struggle for leverage. He lifted his own weight against the Yokai's own, reaching for his backside to catch hold of a bolt! His crossbow was knocked out of his grasp, resting mere feet away! It was torturously close, yet too far for one's hopes to be gifted with success. He rolled over on his opposing side; Left arm baring against the weight to roll the conflicting duo over, leaving Saifex on-top.

He gave rise to the bolt he whipped from his back-quill and lurched it for the beast's right shoulder, sinking it's metallic tip into the muscular flesh. He pushed away, attempting to give rise, even making a lunge for his bow, only to trip over his own awkward pacing. He snarled at the impact with the hard soil, reaching out to just nudge his weapon even further out of his reach.

It was only a matter of time before the Yokai could rise rightside-up once more, leaving him to be pinned into a lethal submission once again. He was prone, pulling his weight with his right arm, and reaching out with his left; Saifex caught ahold of his weapon, but only as the likes of another lesser Yokai landed upon him.

One of the many numbers that occupied about the scene laden with Yokai bodies and corpses, was attempting to take the kill. It pinned at Saifex's arm, preventing him to give rise to his bow. Parting paws, quaked at the lips to reveal sharpened teeth slated in drooling saliva; Overpooling to seep for his flesh. The constant rumble originating from his gullet proved to be it's prolonged growl. It hulked over him, letting out a hiss to complement it's hostilities. The Tsuchi's life, was seemingly sealed. He gaped in reaction to the Yokai's own, responding to it's incrementing growl with a battlecry of his own.

From the depths of the darkness deep within his gaping jaws, arose a glimmering light of gold, with riveting lines of orange that tore through it's thick-clouded figure. Flames swarmed from his mouth, expanding to swallow the Yokai that lunged for the killshot whole, in a final bout of his battling strength-- Absolutely scorching it, and leaving himself victorious over the challenge set afoot.

As for Uskor's fate? It was to be decided by his own course of actions, still impaled by an explosive arrow that Saifex did not come to remember to detonate immediately. The mess made here, however, was capable of feeding a lesser several times over, should he decide to engorge himself in the free meal. Saifex, on the otherhand, took up his travel, westbound, tired of battles that left his life on the line due to building fatigue and restlessness accumilated along the way.
(Saifex Tsuchi)

It had seemed that Uskor's manouvering had been a success. The Drakanite was busy with the other lessers in the area and failed to notice Uskor moving up behind him and leaping. This last pounce had been a success, and despite the majority of the other Yokai having been killed by the Drakanite, Uskor was now on top of the man, struggling with him on the ground.

The two of them struggled for a moment. Uskor was pinning down at the man and readied it's jaws, trying to sink into the armor protecting the man and through to the soft, delicious flesh. As he made his first move however, the Drakanite managed to hit it's head with his elbow, sending the Yokai off. Uskor tried to bite again, but once more the man jabbed at the beast, throwing Uskor off balance and leaving the Drakanite with an opportunity to throw the beast off.

And that he did. Uskor soon found itself pushed back with the massive Drakanite bearing down on it with his weight. Uskor wasn't all too heavy, weighing much less than a fully armoured soldier. As the beast struggled against the Drakanite, it soon felt something penetrate it's right shoulder. Uskor opened it's mouth to emit a guttural growl as a bolt pinned it to the ground.

The Drakanite was now in a superior position, yet seemed to be having trouble with his bearing. Then a saving grace in the form of another lesser happened. The Drakanite was soon struggling against one of Uskor's kin, being pinned under another Yokai. The Drakanite was fighting for his life and was in very dire straits, yet Uskor saw something... strange. The man breathed fire and incinerated the other attacker, leaving himself victorious after the heated battle.

Uskor hadn't been idle during all this. The Yokai had been struggling against the bolt, having finally managed to wrench it off and free itself. He was intending to attack the Drakanite again, but the sight of flames erupting from his mouth stopped it. All the other lessers in the area were dead and the battle was lost, Uskor wasn't capable of taking the Drakan out on it's own and to try would only lead to death. Yet the hunger was becoming unbearable...

The beast's self-preservation instincts kicked in and it scurried off, leaving the battlefield for the moment and taking shelter away from the man. It would return to the now empty battlefield soon, however. There it would feast upon the corpses of it's fallen kin as a consolation prize, tossing the Drakan out of it's mind completely. After it would manage to do that, Uskor would start making it's way back south again, towards the familiar caverns that were it's 'home'.
(Uskor)