The Final Coliseum: Victory, Death, or Humilation

[DeletedUser28032]

The pair fought ferociously as their blades clashed at ever increasing speeds appearing to those gathered within the hall as if they had forgotten that they were only sparring and were fully intent on killing one another and although Taranis had already technically broken the rules by drawing blood none of the guards made a move to stop them.
Giving out a pained gasp as the man drove his head into Taranis' stomach he releases the grip on his sword allowing it to fall to the floor with a clang as he grabbed the back of the mans neck. Using Aughr's own momentum Taranis allows his legs to give way and throw his opponent to the floor before landing beside him gasping for breath.
Grasping his bruised stomach with one hand Taranis begins to laugh as he realise that his last move had propelled them both out of the ring and onto the training room floor "You...you fight well Aughr" he wheezes between deep breaths interspersed with laughter "When the time comes I will gladly share a cup with you in the hall of the dead...Girl! help...help me to my feet" he calls the last part out to Laura his voice making it clear that this wasn't a request like the last time they had spoken

 

[DeletedUser13682]

Laura shrugs at Ferrucchio’s request, and shared her belief that she wouldn’t be able to learn how to wield a rapier. To prove her point, she put the point of the sword close to the dummy’s ‘heart’, and thrusted, stabbing the dummy for away from the intended point. Just then, Taranis came, and tried to get Laura to use a heavier, shorter blade, a crude thing from some uncivilized part of the world. Thankfully, Laura chose to stick with the rapier, a very elegant and civilized choice.

Watching Taranis fight for a moment, against another tribal, but not a Cruithni, he turned back to Laura. “I admit, the rapier is not the easiest weapon to wield. It has a will of its own sometimes, and will scorn all who try and use it, unless proper respect is given to it. Those other swords and armaments, they are good for their own purposes, but in the end, they are just tools, without life. The rapier has a soul, a breath, a life. If you concentrate, you can almost sense the life in the blade. The only other weapon I have seen with this amount of life in it is the Giapponese Katana, brought back by a group of explorers and diplomats a couple decades ago.

“The goal of using the rapier is not to use it as you would use a hammer, scythe, mortar and pestle, or any other tool, but to achieve harmony with your blade, and allow your body to move with the rapier. As you get more experienced, you can offer suggestions to the rapier, and if you are connected enough, the rapier will indulge your request, and perform the desired action. The first step, though, is to feel the rapier, feel the life in it. I want you to close your eyes, and slowly move the blade around, feel how it reacts to your movements.” Ferruccio demonstrated this, but almost immediately was interrupted by Taranis yelling at Laura to help him up. “Help yourself up Taranis. You’re a strong tribal, and you don’t need help from a city female, unless you’re weaker than you act.” He turned to Laura. “Some people might never get the message. Where were we?”

 

[DeletedUser]

Aughr's eyes widened as his opponent threw him to the floor before landing beside him, his opponent congratulated him on his skills, and wished to drink with him in the halls of the dead. Aughr nodded his head in reply before returning his bow to the guards and striding out of the room and back down towards his cell.

 

[Deleted User - 819397]

Laura listened to Ferruccio's explanation of how a rapier had a soul of sorts, somewhat dubious to the claim. How could an inanimate object posses a will? However, for lack of any knowledge of the tool herself, she had to trust him. She was about to do as he suggested and attempt to feel the blade's will as she moved it when Taranis barked at her to help him up, his clash with the other man finished. Her hesitation gave Ferruccio the chance to berate her tormentor, and in doing so, freed Laura from the need to help him, as from what she knew of him his pride wouldn't permit him to accept her help now. However, she wished that Ferruccio hadn't been so condescending...odds were they'd pay for that in time...with this in mind, Laura turned back to the dummy, closed her eyes, and tried to do as Ferruccio had suggested, attempting to find out what the rapier wished to do with each motion she made.

 

[DeletedUser28032]

Kill him...never mind the guards just kill him his mind quietly urged him as Taranis rolled onto his chest before pushing himself onto his knee's his breath coming out in great ragged gasps that blow to the chest had knocked the air from his lungs and so even the simple act of standing was causing him some difficulty.
What are you waiting for? take that sword and smash in his skull deny him the warriors death you wouldn't wish to drink with the likes of him anyway his mind continued as he tried burn holes into the back of the mans skull with his glare, he could do it he still had enough energy within him to dash across that short space and hit him before he even had chance to turn and even though the blade was blunt it was still pretty heavy and Taranis was a strong guy. No he had to control his temper, murdering the man would only bring the guards down upon him and justify his and Laura's opinion of him being an animal, no there was a better way to have his vengeance.
Staggering onto his feet Taranis sways for a few seconds as he waits for the light headedness to pass before calmly approaching the two of them returning his weapons to a rack before reaching them so as to stop himself doing something foolish.
Looking at Laura as she held the rapier in clumsy hands a smile came to his lips with all the warmth of a corpse "So you don't want my help then? So be it, but soon you will realise that you need someone like me to keep you alive because without me. You. Will. Die. you are just a pathetic child playing with toy swords and this place will kill you" Taranis spoke with a hiss and despite the relative calmness of his voice the barely hidden fury and menace was clear for all to see "..And as for you, you jumped up little carpenter...I hope you enjoy your dancing whilst you can because I am coming for you" taking several backwards steps Taranis maintains his icy stare upon them before turning and casually strolling out of the training hall, it would be several hours before he would be ready to fight again and until then he fully intended to rest and make his plans.

 

[Deleted User - 819397]

Sure enough, Taranis approached them and began to speak in a voice that, while calm on the surface, screamed malice deeper down. As he called her someone doomed to die unless he "helped" her, resentment began to burn in Laura. This quickly turned to anger. So that was why he had "claimed" her, was it? To protect her? He'd done a fine job so far then, trying to get her caught by the wardens, tormenting her at every opportunity. She wanted to yell something at him, but resisted, knowing that it'd be folly to provoke him further. Instead she tried to quell her anger, with mixed success. Without realizing it, she dropped the rapier, and if she'd looked down at her hand, she'd have seen flames beginning to circle it. She didn't though, staring straight ahead, trying to calm down so she could return to working with the rapier.

 

[DeletedUser13682]

Laura needed help from Taranis? Thinking about it, Ferruccio could see the logic in the way Taranis was helping her. He was throwing her into the frying pan, but the fire underneath it hadn’t caught yet. Getting her feet wet, making her figure out how to react to situations where the consequences were minor, so that when the consequences were major, she would still be able to get out of them. That was the theory, anyway. Ferruccio, on the other hand, was trying to teach Laura the skills she needed in a way that would keep her mentally stable, yet prepared for any situation. Taranis believed, at least Ferruccio thought Taranis believed, that Ferruccio was a bad man, a glorified carpenter, who he would kill. “May we meet with good will on the field of battle,” Ferruccio replied, raising his rapier in a mock salute.

Looking at Laura, Ferruccio saw a ring of fire around her hand. A very new song, from one of the Albion colonies floated through his head for a few moments, then replaced by the revelation that Laura had the ability to control fire, supposedly only in conditions of extreme duress, at least for now. He decided to not focus on that for the time being. “I was off about Taranis,” Ferruccio admitted, handing Laura her dropped rapier. “He isn’t a bully, he’s like a very bad parent, who believes in very tough love, without the love part, and extreme on the job training. I don’t agree with him on that. He’s going about it the wrong way. I’d rather you remain sane, not out of your mind like he is.”

 

[Deleted User - 819397]

When Laura looked down to take the rapier, the fire was gone, so she had no idea what had just happened. She listened to Ferruccio's new understanding of Taranis, and found it fit him better, at least in her opinion. "He does seem to think he's helping me, with all his nastiness," she agreed. "He doesn't seem to get the fact that his methods are rather extreme though...do you think there's a way to get him to see that?" She remembered that Shae said there was nothing, but she might have been blinded by her tribe's laws...an outsider may have a better chance at figuring something out.

 

[DeletedUser28032]

By the time he reached the dining hall Taranis had managed to recover some of his strength, finding that he no longer need the wall to keep him upright and the burning in his lungs had subsided a little, however the boiling rage with in his head was still as fierce.
Pausing to study the few remaining faces within the hall Taranis realises that the arena was just like any other clan or tribe...there were chief's and there were Thrall's and although Laura appeared quite content to remain a Thrall and a pretty lowly one at that Taranis had designs on being a chief.
Picking out the three biggest guys in the place Taranis strolls over to them with a cheerful smile on his face despite the chilly stares he got in return from the other three "Hello there how'd you guys like to do me a little favour?" keeping the smile fixed to his face despite the wall of derisive laughter waiting to see which one of them would speak first.
The honour in the end went to a large man with short cropped brown hair and arms as round as tree trunks "How'd you like to shove off before I dance on your little piggy’s?" Raising his hands in a manner that suggested he wanted no trouble and that it was all a big mistake Taranis took several steps back before launching himself at the unsuspecting man, his first blow striking him squarely in the temple knocking him over the back of the wooden bench.
Without even waiting to see if the man would rise Taranis despite his burning muscles leapt upon him and proceeded to deliver several more crippling blows, the mans friends sitting there stunned by the sudden outbreak of violence against them.
Taranis held no fear over being dragged away from the guards; most would be in the training hall where the weapons were and those few remaining within the dining hall decided that they didn't get paid nowhere near enough to get between the two brawling giants.
As the man drifted off to the misty world of unconsciousness Taranis turned to look at the other men, his breath coming out in ragged gasps, had they decided to turn on him he wouldn't have stood a chance instead the one with the long greasy hair asked "What sort of favour did you have in mind?"
"Easy...I want you to teach a friend of mine their rightful place in the world"

 

[DeletedUser31931]

Frank slipped out of the party and back to his cell. He slept and grabbed breakfast. He went to his room and sat and collected his thoughts. He always did this is the forest and it had become routine. Having done this he left and headed towards the training hall. He came across the sounds of a scuffle and saw Taranis in the fight with the other men. He stopped an hid in the shadows. He heard Taranis' request and waited. He suspected this involved the girl, Laura, and so he would wait find out what was going on and then warn Laura and the others before it was too late.

 

[Deleted User - 819397]

Shortly after Taranis' walkout, Laura felt as though she'd had enough of practicing for the moment, and figured it'd be best to get out of the training hall before he came back. She thanked Ferruccio for his help, then she left the hall, walking towards her room. She wasn't particularly hungry, and she didn't want to be anywhere that Taranis would likely show up. A closed door would hopefully deter him from thinking she was inside...

 

[DeletedUser28032]

"This...Rightful place, which side of the soil is it?" the greasy haired man asked with a murderous glint in his eye "They need to live to learn the lesson don't they?" Taranis replied taking the seat previously occupied by the man currently out cold behind him, the other man shrugging his shoulders in a if you insist kind of way giving Taranis the impression that it wasn't the first time that somebody had died this side of the arena "So who is this friend that requires our...attention?" the greasy haired man asks, a reasonable request considering the job in question however Taranis felt it more prudent to keep that particular piece of information to himself for the time being after all he had just beaten up their mate and didn't want them to be dropping a friendly warning or even worse inform the guards "Walls have ears friend, I'll point the person in question out to you when the time comes" once again the man shrugs his shoulders as if the details are of no concern to him.
A low groaning sound from behind prompts Taranis to look over his shoulder as the man sprawled across the floor starts to come round, taking this as his cue to leave Taranis rises to his feet nods his head in farewell to the two thugs with whom he'd been doing business before walking away.
It was as he was on his way to his cell to rest his aching muscles that Taranis passes Laura's doorway noting that she had taken the precaution of closing her door well at least she learned something from me...lets see if she's smart enough to learn anything else I teach her.

 

[DeletedUser31931]

Frank heard the man stir and saw Taranis leave. Having no doubt this was Laura he slipped to the training hall where he found Ferruccio, he pulled Ferruccio over to one side and said "Be careful, Taranis said that he needed someone to be taught a lesson to a bunch of muscled goons in the dining hall. I think he either means you or Laura so watch out for yourselves. Ok? Also whilst we're at it would you care to spar?"

 

[DeletedUser13682]

Laura was apparently tired of training for the day. “No problem. Just come find me if you want more help,” Ferruccio called after her. Returning to the dummies, Ferruccio prepared to attack the hunk of wood. Before he could, somebody grabbed him, and whispered that Taranis might have hired some thugs to rustle up Ferruccio or Laura, and then offered to spar. Turning around, Ferruccio saw that it was Frank. “Don’t worry, Frank. If Taranis wants to send thugs after me, that just means he’s not confident in his ability to face me. I’ll tell you something. I don’t think I could take Taranis on. He’s had a lifetime of training, and many years of experience on me. That fight yesterday, that was my first real fight. I think I only got lucky because that guy was a horrible fighter.

“Alright, let’s spar. I could do with the human practice. How about we make it a bit more interesting? If I win, you give me that recipe for the marinade. If you win, well, what do you want?”

 

[DeletedUser31931]

"You teach me a bit about the rapier." Frank replied with a grin after hearing Ferruccio's proposal "As I'm always expanding my fighting repertoire." Frank walked over to the weapons counter and got out his sword. "Are you ready?" he asked.

 

[DeletedUser13682]

Ferruccio shrugged. "Alright, that sounds good." Ferruccio picked up the rapier he had been practicing with, and walked over to the training arena. "I'm ready. Let's do this." Ferruccio rose his sword in a salute, then got into a defensive stance.

 

[DeletedUser28032]

Taranis slowly arose from off of his bed feeling a little refreshed from his short nap the pain in his muscles was gone though the pain in his stomach hadn't. Lifting his shirt he grimaces at the large bruise covering his chest, wincing slightly as he probes it with his fingers thankfully finding that although it was painful that no ribs had been broken.
Deciding it was time he got back to his training, he didn't want his muscles to stiffen up too much after all, Taranis strides out of his room and starts heading towards the training hall only stopping upon seeing Laura's door still closed.
A scowl crosses his face as he looks upon the wooden surface, he had taken a nap due to two rather vicious bouts in the sparring ring and an injury he'd sustained Laura however in his opinion was being lazy something he wouldn't tolerate especially she were going to survive her next bout in the arena.
Giving the door a hard shove Taranis watches as it swings open throwing it and then Laura a look of disgust "It only keeps you safe if it’s locked!" Taranis growls angrily at the stupid girl before him "Now get up! We’re going to spar...unless you want to fight me here?" Taranis was quite prepared to follow through with his threats and without any witnesses present there was no telling how far he would go.

 

[DeletedUser31931]

(OOC: Me and Johann have worked out how we're gonna do this fight via PM. I'm controlling this bout.)

Frank smiled and lunged catching Ferruccio off guard however Ferruccio adjusted himself and Frank suddenly had to dodge and parry a series of counter attacks. Frank kept at it and soon they were a whirl of blades in the centre of the training hall. People had gathered and where watching. Both men tried almost every trick in the book with Ferruccio once nearly winning and Frank the same. They were both tiring though and Frank knew he had to make his move now in case Ferruccio got a sudden extra burst of energy. Frank left himself open with a clumsy move and Ferruccio capitalised only to find Frank wasn't there. Frank had expertly side-stepped the move and it one clean movement he cut up Ferruccio's sword which flew out of Ferruccio's tired hand and Frank caught it in his left hand his right bringing up his sword to Ferruccio's throat. "Dead my friend. It was a close duel but I won in the end. What say we fight again. Just if we take maybe half a minute to drink some water." Frank flipped the rapier over so the blade lay in his hand with the handle to Ferruccio so that he could take it.

 

[Deleted User - 819397]

Laura had spent the last couple of hours relaxing from her work with the rapier. Her arms, unaccustomed to the motions, were already quite sore. However, as Taranis slammed open the door (why hadn't she locked it?!?) and demanded that they spar, she realized she was going to have to fight again. The Sais man had been through two bouts already, and yet here he was, seemingly fine and ready to go again...this was ridiculous! Not wanting to get out of her bed, she decided to derail the situation. "I'm tired, you're fresh...what good will beating me up do?" she asked, regretting the words almost as soon as she said them...surely he'd flare up now...

 

[DeletedUser28032]

"Oh I am so sorry I didn't realise that you were tired" Taranis mocked his every word dripping with sarcasm "I forgot those training dummies could be so exhausting...Don't be such a bloody wimp girl!" striding over to the bed to loom over her prone form Taranis suddenly realises how easy it would be for him to choke the life out of her as she lay there as helpless as a babe, lucky for her that he was on her side even if she didn't see it that way "I am going to go outside and count to thirty...if you are not up and dressed by that time I am going to carry you, naked if need be to the training hall are we understood?" and evil grin spreads across his face at the thought of dragging the squealing girl and depositing her half dressed in amongst the other fighters. As pretty as she was he had no interest in her that way but she didn't know that or at least not yet she didn't.
Turning his back on her Taranis slowly walks towards the door calling over his shoulder as he went "One..."