Dueling Shadows [Vigilant Shadows Members]

[KingInTheNorth]

As the chakrams neared him he used his free hand to swat the the two aimed at his gut away. Though the one one his chest left quite a mark. Popping up from his slide Dreylin neared the edge of the platform.

He turned and walked slowly towards Atlas with a smile,"Nice move mate. You're gonna have to teach me that."

Once he neared Atlas he threw his sword high in the air. Next, he started to dash at Atlas.

[Zane]

Atlas shrugged at the compliment, "You learn a few good tricks along the way."

When Dreylin tossed his sword up, Atlas quickly tossed his the Chakram in his left hand after it, hoping to knock it out of the recoverable space of the ring. He then reared back with his right arm, like he were about to backhand Dreylin. Taking aim at the hard muscle of the neck, Atlas hoped to end the 'friendly' duel with a solid hit to the neck. What would have been a killing blow with Daybreak or Lightseeker. Then he swung, understanding that with Dreylin's fast approach, whatever the outcome, it would really hurt.

[KingInTheNorth]

When Atlas pulled his sword back and swung Dreylin teleported behind him. Then, he grabbed his sword out of the air and swung towards the collarbone of Atlas.

[GoblinFae]

Late late late! The watching crowd grumbled some as a gangly boyish figure bounced between them, and sometimes off of them, on his way over to where he closest friend stood. At last he reached Tesha, nearly bowling her over in the process as he accidentally tripped into Jacob.

"Sorry sorry!" he exclaimed nervously as he tried to right them both. "What'd I miss? How late am I? How dead am I?" he added under his breath with a worried expression, eyes darting about to see if anyone was looking to drag him off for insubordination.

[Wicked Basket]

Jacob's eyes followed every move the two combatants made. They were fairly evenly matched, but Atlas had gotten the first strike. Surely the duel would only get more interesting as it progressed. It seemed that Dreylin even remembered his teleporting ability.

Jacob's thoughts were interrupted by someone running into him followed by a frantic apology. He ignored the youngling and kept his eyes on the duel. Tesha would surely explain everything to him.

[Zero]

Tesha bristled, eyes flashing with hate as Dreylin opened his big mouth. She did not try to be the center of attention! It wasn't wrong for her to want to show that she was just as good as the rest of them. If anything, she had more to prove than any of the others. How dare he act as if she was the one that was wrong here!

If anything, Jacob's interference on her behalf only made her stiffen, muscles tensing so that the little muscle in her jawline was twitching. Tesha didn't need Jacob's help! She could handle the jerk just fine on her own. Even her own father had backed off at Dreylin's approach, the young ranger realized that Nahant was no longer at her feet. The great cat had slipped silently away at the confrontation.

She opened her mouth to protest, watching as the idiot men were about to get into a fight - all because of her. What a mess. Her teeth clicked shut when the Shadow Master began speaking though. Two days of rest and fun? Hell yes. Duels. Oh even more yes!

Tesha couldn't believe her good luck. She'd show them. Her momentary good spirits crashed though, because before she could challenge Dreylin, Atlas had done so. With Jacob warning that he had been about to as well. It wasn't fair! She was the one he had offended - with Jacob pretty close behind. Ranger Zambire was dumber than she thought to call Jacob a blind fool.

Visibly deflating, all she could do was lean back against the building, letting the cool surface ease the hot anger she felt. Cold sapphires watched the platform, eyes taking in the duel with keen interest. Honestly she wasn't sure who to root for. If Atlas won, well, that would put the smug jerk in his place, but if Dreylin won, she might still be able to challenge him herself, except he'd have already been in one duel and that could affect his performance in a second. It would be like cheating.

Growling in frustration, she didn't realize that Kenneth was there until she was stumbling not to fall over. Only Ranger Kent was that clumsy. Tesha didn't even need to see or hear him to know who it was. Well that broke her out of sulking, for sure, as she laughed softly at her friend. "Atlas and Dreylin are having a duel, we all get two days of leisure, and you you seem pretty lively to me."

[Zane]

Alucard closely watched the fight. Not just because he was acting proctor over the fight, but for the same reason many other rangers watched so closely. For the past few decades, there had been a rise of social classism, Pure Vigilant making up the higher, more privileged class. While the indoctrinated were viewed almost sub par. And this fight was the perfect chance to fortify or dash any such beliefs.

Dreylin seemed to be a poster child for the slow forming Pure Vigilant stereotype. Cocky, overbearing, self important, and strong enough to justify it. Atlas was almost opposite of that, too prideful to back down from a challenge, yet too humble to deny that from time to time he needs help. Alucard specifically brought him to the Vigilant for this reason. The boy had a steely determination and a will of fire.

----------

Atlas spun, moving to intercept the blow once again, "Predictable!" He shouted as hard wood rang against hard wood. However, Atlas made the mistake of using a direct block instead of trying to deflect. Dreylin's wooden sword glanced around the chakram, not towards his collarbone as was its intended Mark. Instead, the blade ran down and smashed into the ribs just below Atlas's armpit.

Face cast in a mask of shock and pain, Atlas started to fall. It seemed that he was done, no longer able to fight due to a hard blow against his lung that had rung out above the clamor of the the crowds. At the last second before hitting the ground, Atlas planted his palms to the floor of the raised arena, then kicked up in a two heeled lunge, aimed at Dreylin's jaw.

A huge cheer erupted as Atlas cartwheeled onto his feet, he quickly banished his weapons and summoned them, so he now had both chakrams in hand. "Shall we continue?" Atlas asked in a shaky breath.

[KingInTheNorth]

Though Dreylin had not hit him where he wanted, he still managed to hit him. Dreylin could feel the surprise when it looked as if he beat Atlas from those watching. But before he could notice Atlas flew at him. Dreylin was able to block the direct hit but he was still knocked back a few steps to the center of the arena. Dreylin regained his alertness and smirked at Atlas. Shortly after Dreylin stepped forward and with speed used his free hand to attempt to punch Atlas in the gut.

[GoblinFae]

Kenneth winced at the sight of the dueling pair, for sure believing that both of them were going to end up seriously regretting starting whatever feud led to their brutal scrimmage. With one eye on the match and an ear to Tesha he was able to keep tabs on both.

"Well you never know," he quipped, "some skeletons can perform quite the ghouly dance when given the opportunity." The young man wiggled his hips about as if dancing before giving a sympathetic hiss as the pair rained more blows down upon each other.

He cocked his head slightly to the pair watching with him, talking out of the side of his mouth so he would not have to look away. "Any takers on the next round? Two days break means two days to heal! I'm liking them odds," Kenneth laughed, cheering with the crowd at another well-placed hit.

[Zane]

Atlas realized with his painful inhale that he had a cracked rib, he couldn't let the fight continue for too much longer. He reared back to attack again, but Alucard stepped in between them, stopping both attacks with one swift movement. "The match is a draw." The Master Shadow called out. Under his breath, he addressed the two, "Stand tall and strong, you were the first combatants and you both fought hard and well. Now go on."

Atlas, having only had one conversation at length with Alucard since he was promoted to Ranger, in that conversation, he had learned that the Master Shadow was incredibly perspective, and had warned him not to show weakness. Once off the platform, he went to lean on the wall, not far from Tesha, but not close enough to say he wanted to start a conversation. during the middle of the next duel, he was going to slip off to the infirmary and see the extent of his rib damage.

[Wicked Basket]

Now that the first duel was over, Jacob decided to get some training done, and what better to train then by doing. Jacob teleported into the center of the ring and scanned the crowd.

"I challenge whoever is willing," he said simply. "Unarmed combat. No weapons. Who will accept?"

Jacob continued to scan the crowd. Not many would probably be willling considering how well Jacob fought, but surely someone would accept. Whether his challenger would either be reckless, or wanting a challenge. He didn't care either way.

[Zero]

Tesha watched Kenneth get really into the match, observing him with the hint of a smile on an otherwise neutral expression. She had been watching the match almost as closely, until he'd shown up, anyway. Now her interest in the fight had waned a bit. The outcome hardly mattered to her one way or the other

His words and "dance" were met with a snort and a roll of bright blue eyes. There was only one circumstance that Tesha knew of that made Kenneth even remotely graceful, and that was combat. The idea of him really trying to dance made her smirk, he'd probably trip up his dance partner and himself, crashing them both to the floor and causing a chain reaction ending with everyone on their asses.

Chuckling to herself she eyed him appreciatively, eyes sparkling dangerously. "I would take you on anytime, Kenneth. After a round with me you'd need those two days to heal." Maybe a little bit of an arrogant boast, but she thought she could beat Kent in a duel. Probably...maybe.

The duel between Atlas and Dreylin was ruled a draw by the Shadow Master before either ranger could actually yield. A few moments after the previous contestants dispersed Jacob appeared on the platform with an open challenge. "Well, you did say the next round, Kenneth, maybe you should accept. Although you're hopeless without a sword." She taunted softly. Tesha gave her friend an encouraging pat on the shoulder before stepping away.

Atlas was leaning nearby now and she walked over to lean against the wall next to him, crossing her arms lightly across her chest. Tesha wasn't known for being the most warm, friendly person, especially not to men, but she didn't mind some guys too much. Kenneth was great, and Atlas had never given her reason to hate his guts. He was even the same height as her, kind of nice when she was used to having all the men around her looking down at her, literally, if not figuratively as well. "Not bad, you should have wiped the floor with his ugly face, though. You took a nasty hit, you okay?"

[Zane]

Atlas, painfully, chuckled at her words. "You're right. I should have, I would have, but as you said, I took a nasty hit." With his arms crossed while leaning against the wall, it was a cover to hold his ribs. He glanced back over to Tesha, "I think he may have fractured a rib or two. When this next match gets underway, I am going to head to the infirmary." He looked down at Vixen, the spirit was pawing at him with concern.

"Will you go with me?" He said in a small voice, so only Tesha could hear. "I hate going to the infirmary alone. Lots of bad memories from my first year as a ranger reside there." He was, of course, talking about the two days he spent in the infirmary after the battle of Blood Moon. When there alone, he could dear the screams of the dying, and the wails over the dead.

[KingInTheNorth]

When the battle was stopped Dreylin let out a sigh. He walked back to the crowd and crate in which he observed from. He muttered to himself,"Damn... he got me good. I should train more on my blocking." He wondered who would duel Jacob. As confident as Dreylin was, he knew he could not go again.

[Codestar7]

Keltros stood silent as he watched the events of the duel unfold, and finally cease. They were his new colleagues? Keltros knew if he was ever challenged for a duel, he'd need a bit of training first. He hadn't done too much sword practice in his life.
He simply sat back, smoking a cigar, waiting for whatever was next to start.

((OOC - I'll be in and out, a bit busy. Great grandma died, school problems, etc.))

[GoblinFae]

The young ranger snorted at his companion's but otherwise refrained from comment. Kenneth did not desire to bring a woman's wrath down upon his hide, especially not one that knew how to handle a sword. Tesha had sparred with him before and he had his fair share of knocks thanks to her.

Her suggestion that he join Jacob though was nearly shrugged off until she began to taunt him. He stood up straighter as he watched her walk off before facing the arena with determination. "I accept!" Kenneth called back moments before he blinked into place across from Jacob. He had not trusted himself to run over without tripping over someone or something. The last thing he needed was to give Tesha another reason to laugh at him.

'I'll show you just how hopeless I am!'

[Wicked Basket]

Jacob knew had accepted his challenge by his voice before even seeing him. Young Kenneth, it appeared, had stepped up to the plate.

"Very well," Jacob said simply.

With that, his ritual began. Jacob removed his over tunic, his scalemail armor, and finally his under tunic. This left his top half completely bare. He always trained bare-chested so that his clothing wouldn't get all sweaty and smelly. Now that that was done, he proceeded to crack every joint he had. While it may seem that he was trying to intimidate or be a tough guy, he did this to ensure that everything was loose and ready to go. The final thing he did was give the Master Shadow and the king a small bow. Jacob shifted into a ready position. His facial expression never changed throughout the whole process and remained as emotionless as ever.

[Zero]

Tesha kept one eye on Kenneth and the other watched Atlas from her peripheral vision as he spoke. The silver-haired ranger took the news of suspected cracked ribs without so much as batting an eye, she'd seen the strike in question, it was capable of such a thing. Injuries in duels were really to be expected. Even injured, she was annoyed that Atlas hadn't won. With Dreylin's arrogance she thought for sure he would misjudge his opponent and mess up, costing him the match. She didn't want to admit Zambire wasn't all talk and hot air.

When the man beside her asked if she would go with him to the infirmary, Tesha thought for sure she'd misheard him. He wanted her to go with him? They weren't even really friends. He'd been a Shadow Ranger a year already when she was just entering training. Still, Atlas brought up why he didn't want to go by himself, and her mind involuntarily went back to the battle. She had been too young to participate in the fighting, of course, but she had seen the aftermath. Her own half-brother had been killed and her father had lost his right eye.

Sighing she watched as Kenneth appeared in the ring. It was amazing what you could get a man to do with a little of the right kind of prodding. After goading him into accepting the challenge it was going to be awful to miss watching him fight. Well, he would have to get over it, Tesha would get the details later. "Yeah, I'll go. No problem. Are you sure you don't want to take, I dunno, a friend instead?"

[Zane]

Atlas smiled at the young ranger, "Hopefully, soon I can say I did take a friend."

----------

Alucard looked between the two rangers, eyeing them both. "Ranger Kent, Ranger Vari. This Match ends when either of you yeild, are unable to continue, are knocked free of the ring, or if I intervene."

Once he was satisfied that both understood the terms of the duel, he spoke, "Begin."

[GoblinFae]

Kenneth listened intently to the Master of Shadows, bobbing his head in understanding as he bounced energetically on his heels. He was ready for a fight, fire in his veins. He did not need to be told twice as the signal to begin was given. The ranger was suddenly barreling towards Jacob, no real plan of attack in his mind other than the element of surprise.