The Runaways [M]

[Incognus]

@DragonSong

Steel manacles gripped the wrists in front of him, a sturdy chain connecting the heavy bracelets. His ankles held the same fate, the linked metal ensuring a run would become a shuffle if Boreas tried anything funny. He wouldn't though, he was wiser than that. Attempting an escape now would be practically suicide with the four guards in the room and the many others posted around the small arena outside. No, he had been in chains for almost 5 years, he wasn't about to screw up an escape again from being antsy.

Boreas looked up from staring at the dirt covered floor, hunched over with his elbows resting on his knees. He was sitting in a holding area, where they kept the slaves and prisoners that were forced to enter these tournaments. Currently there were only a few others in the small room, sparsely dotting the benches along the walls, and every one of them were looking down. He didn't blame them, there was a solid chance many of them might die today. There was a solid chance he could die today. He shook the thoughts from his head and returned to staring at his feet. He wouldn't die because he couldn't yet, it was as simple as that. I'll find you. He thought, I'll get out of this and find you eventually. Not moments later a guard walked down the steps and entered the room. Boreas's heart quickened. Is it time?

"Frendal Greenwood!" he called out. A rather large man across the room stood abruptly. His eyes were hardened and continued to stare into the ground as he rolled his shoulders. "Time for a show," the guard smirked. Frendal waited patiently as two other guards walked over and unlocked his bindings. He stretched and bulged his muscles silently before moving to the doorway. Grabbing a scimitar from the nearby weapon rack, he walked up the steps and out of sight, the guard following him closely while keeping a hand on his sword's hilt. After a few moments Boreas heard a voice yelling, he made out the name Greenwood, then listened as the crowd erupted into cheers. Boreas closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the wall, letting the sounds of the battle outside drain from his mind. He needed to relax, and he needed to focus, because soon there would be a guard calling his name...

[DragonSong]

"You sure you're up for this, lass?"

She smiled, eyes hard as gemstones. "Why not?" She slid the money across the table to the rather scruffy man who was eyeing her like she'd grown a second head. "That's a bet on me, three rounds."

The man gave a low whistle and shook his head. "I'll say this for ya, kid, you've got confidence."

She flipped her hair and winked. "Sure do. See ya after the fights." Jasper got to her feet and practically skipped away, glad she'd apparently presented significantly more confidence than she actually felt.

It was a few hours later when a rather faux-official looking man found her, told her the fights she'd entered herself in were starting, and escorted her to a large, rather intimidating arena.

He shoved her into a corner in one of the underground rooms, making her stumble and snap a few choice curses at him. "Stay here until you're called," was his only response.

[Incognus]

"Boreas Warmhearth!" a voice called out. Boreas's eyes snapped open and he sat upright, locking eyes with the guard. "That you lad?" he asked. Boreas stood and held his shackled hands out in response. The guard eyed him for a moment before signalling for the others to let him loose. Once the metal was off him, Boreas took the time to stretch and roll his neck before proceeding. He walked over to the weapon rack by the door then picked out his staff from the clutter. Holding it at midpoint, he ran his hand along the smooth wood, looking at the slight red tint near one of the ends. "You gun take all day?" the guard huffed impatiently.

"Of course not," Boreas replied. Carrying his staff in one hand he walked past the guard and ascended the stairs. Reaching the top landing, he walked forward a few paces then stopped at the open doorway. His heart was pounding, though he did his best not to show it, squeezing the staff tighter in an attempt to distract his mind. He sucked in a deep breath as a man strode into the center of a dirt patch. The announcer looked around at the crowd, who sat on the benches surrounding the arena. They rested on a slope and ascended 7 rows before stopping; all sat elevated to the fighting grounds, which were completely enclosed by a 6 foot wall save two openings on either side. One of which Boreas stood before. The murmuring of the viewers grew silent at the announcer's presence.

"Our first contender will be Boreas Warmhearth! The staff fighter!" Boreas felt a shove on his back and he started walking out to the arena center. The cheers washed over him and the announcer's voice blended with them. It all sounded distant, his ears blocked out the noise. His mind raced and his heart pounded. Then he settled on one thought. Time to win.

[DragonSong]

"Jasper- ah. No surname." The guard looked around and Jaz popped to her feet with a grin that was entirely out of place for her situation. The man hmphed and jerked his head.

"Grab your weapon and let's go."

"No need." Her grin widened even as her stomach flipped nervously. "I've got this."

The guard laughed, harsh and grating, and shook his head. "It'll be fun to watch you die, girlie," he sneered as he grabbed her shoulder and shoved her toward the door that would lead her out into the arena.

Well. That did not bode well for her. She'd known the moment she saw this arena that this fight wasn't going to be what she was used to. But there was a chance of her actually dying? For entertainment?

The fuck was wrong with these people?

She barely had time to pull her thoughts away and focus on the present before she was coming out into the light, blinking and flicking her eyes around the arena. People were cheering, someone was shouting her name- he seemed to stumble over the fact that she had no last name- then she turned and saw what she assumed to be her opponent.

Wow. She was so screwed. Her hand flickered to the knife tucked into her boot.

[Incognus]

Finished with his job, the announcer quickly got out of the way and disappeared through one of the entrances. Boreas's attention turned from his inner thoughts to the person in front of him. He eyed his opponent as he continued slowly walking towards the center. A girl? That's new... He did his best to size her up, but there wasn't much that really tipped him off as to what she was capable of, she seemed like an average girl to him. Doesn't look all that muscular, agile perhaps? Then he noticed she was without a weapon. This is going to be interesting. he thought, turning his staff through the air in circles with his right hand. He stopped at an appropriate distance from the girl taking a defensive stance, waiting for her to make the first move.

[DragonSong]

Jaz tilted her head as the boy- young man, she supposed- came to a stop in a defensive position. Did he expect her to attack first? Was she supposed to attack first? Were there rules for this sort of fight?

"Oh, fuck it," she said aloud, giving a mental shrug and circling to the right of her opponent. Her eyes scanned him with a hard glint, calculating, evaluating. "Don't talk much, do you?" she noted flippantly. "Strong, silent type. Bet that get you all kindsa tail, hm?"

She chuckled, snapping her foot out from her hip in an attempt to catch him by surprise and strike his side.

[Incognus]

Boreas quickly grabbed the staff with his other hand and held it out vertically to block her attack. Her foot connected with the wood and bounced off. Boreas drew the right side of the stick to his ribs, pointing the opposite end directly at Jasper, ready to strike. "Don't waste your breath," he said, "you should concentrate."

[DragonSong]

She hadn't really expected that attack to land, but she'd admit to being impressed by his speed. In her experience, big guys weren't usually all that fast.

She tossed her hair and brought her hands up into a defensive position, one arm blocking her solar plexus and the other ready to protect her face. She found her balance and almost danced around him, hoping she could goad him into making a move.

"Who says I'm not concentrating," she laughed. "Some of us can multitask, y'know." She winked playfully, keeping that flippant facade in place.

[Incognus]

Boreas narrowed his eyes and followed her with the staff as she circled him. He waited a moment. Then suddenly he was in motion. Quickly letting go with his left and bringing the staff over his head in a circle, he shifted his weight onto his right leg and swung the wood horizontally at Jasper, head level. Standing on his right foot, Boreas simultaneously cocked his left leg and leaned back slightly, ready to lash out with a kick after his staff made contact.

[DragonSong]

Her eyes went wide and she ducked under the staff, but she wasn't quick enough to avoid his kick. The blow sent her staggering back and she tried frantically to get her balance back, lashing out with a fist though she knew she was too far away for it to land.

"Not bad," she panted even as she retreated further. "You do this sort of thing often, kid?"

[Incognus]

He had expected her to block, so when Jasper ducked Boreas was thrown off balance slightly from the follow through of his swing. By bringing the staff over his head again he was able to help counter the unbalance and make his foot connect, however the kick wasn't as powerful as he intended. Boreas stepped back and stumbled slightly, but was able to quickly regain his stance. "If you were concentrating, you would have blocked that," Boreas replied, his lip curving up for just a moment in a half smile. Not hesitating, he rushed forward and swung low with his staff in an attempt to put her on the ground.

[DragonSong]

Banter? Really, now? Despite herself, Jaz was impressed.

"Aw, damn," she chuckled. "Now I almost don't want to hit you." As the words left her mouth she darted forward and aimed an elbow jab at his midsection.

She tucked and rolled between his legs almost before the blow had properly landed, one hand flashing to grab the hilt of the knife in her boot. She didn't want to use it, but if it came down to him or her she would.

[Incognus]

Boreas was surprised when she went between his legs. He had never seen that before. Agile like a cat, he thought. Quickly spinning around to face her, his eyes caught her hand's movement to her boot. So there's your weapon.. He assumed it was some sort of knife or dagger but decided to back off for a moment because of this new knowledge. She might have caught me off guard if she pulled it on me earlier. So why didn't she? He wondered.

[DragonSong]

Jaz quirked an eyebrow as he retreated slightly. "What, scared now?" It should have been a taunt, but there was a bit too much playfulness in her voice. Damnit, she needed to focus.

"Don't let little ol' me frighten you, big guy. C'mon, show me what you gladiators can do." She threw him another wink and made a show of relaxing her stance, hoping to bait him.

[Incognus]

"Gladiator? Who do you think I am?" he asked. Boreas stepped forward and jabbed at Jasper with his staff using it's reach instead of moving in for a closer quartered fight.

[DragonSong]

She spun away from the blow gracefully, dagger now in hand. She raised the blade to eye level and arched her eyebrows. "You fight to the death for a living. Isn't that what you are?"

She dashed sideways, trying to draw him into chasing her.

[Incognus]

Boreas narrowed his eyes and looked at her a little confused, wondering if she was serious. "It's not by choice..." he grumbled. She's just messing with me, trying to get in my head. It's time I ramp this up. I've only hit her once. He followed her movement to his left and took a few swings at her midsection with his staff, fluidly using the resulting momentum of each attack to send another directed toward the girl.

[DragonSong]

Well then. It was clear he'd been holding back. She yelped and jumped out of the way of the first two attacks, her mind clouded by the words, "It's not by choice."

She was so distracted she didn't dodge his last attack fast enough and the staff caught her solidly in the gut. She doubled over, the wind knocked out of her, and desperately threw herself far right in hopes to evade his next attack.

Emotions running high, heart racing, her magic crackled beneath the surface of her skin. A thrill of fear shot through her. No no no, not now, please, no.. She clamped down on the power, gritting her teeth.

[Incognus]

Boreas felt the reverberation through his weapon when his third swing landed solidly. She jumped to the ground causing his fourth swing to go high, but now she had lost a great deal of mobility. He hated hitting people while they were down, but he wanted to end the fight, they always made him feel sick. hopefully she's not the kind of person to fight to her last breath. Bringing the staff around, he jumped to his left and swung downwards at her head, hoping to knock her out with a sharp blow.

[DragonSong]

She barley had time to react. Jaz rolled onto her back and her eyes widened as she saw the staff coming for her head. Desperate, she raised her blade in what she knew would be a useless effort to block or at least lessen the blow.

Sensing her fear and adrenaline, her magic reacted instinctively. She felt it coiling in her chest and a flash of panic swept across her face. "Stad! Rhoi'r goraui!" she shouted, trying to pull the power back, but it was too late.

Magic surged out of her in waves, a physical force to bowl her assailant off his feet and batter him to the ground. Luckily, though it was too late to stop the instinctive reaction, her invitation did manage to rein the magic in enough that it was only a surge of blue and green light, probably with the strength of a strong gale.