Dragon Duels

GoldenDrakon wandered into the 'Coliseum' without fanfare. The Coliseum looked more like a hole in the ground surrounded by rough steps and was located perhaps half a mile outside of Vale City. It had probably started out as a stone quarry for the earliest Valian settlers. Now it was 'The Coliseum', a place for the more militant to train as well as a place where grudges, disputes, duels and other forms of 'frontier justice' to be settled.

According to the common folk, those who would actually speak to him that is, this was also the only place where the more rowdy or thrill-seeking types could come to brawl. It was the only place in all of Illusion Vale where fighting was not only condoned, but at some levels, actually encouraged. A few had also whispered that one might also be able to place a wager or two on the outcome of said fights as well.

GD actually wasn't sure why he was here really. A tiny part of him said he was exploring, that this was just curiosity while another tiny part told him that he was experimenting with his own newfound nature. Testing his own potential. That was not all of course, the proverbial aingel on one shoulder being balanced with the devil on the other. That tiny little bit of him was whispering that maybe, just maybe, he might be able to find some sort of acceptance from those who enjoyed this sort of place instead of the rejection he had so often encountered from the local Valians.... or perhaps to knock the block off of some loud-mouthed bastard instead of just having to swallow his anger for a change.

Adding to all of those tiny little voices was onother one, this one seemingly much more voyeristic if not practical. This one said that although he had very little to gamble with, here was a place where things might be aquired, things that he might want.

And so for all these little voices, all the little bits of his own psyche, he had come, without fanfare, in his winged human shape with a sack in one hand, and looked about the arena for a place to start.

"Looking for a challenge, Dragon?" came a rough, gritty voice to Drakon's left. Once investigated, the figure would be revealed partially hidden behind a giant pillar. What could be seen, however, were scales that covered one half of the figure in flashes of green and aqua. Long spines extended at the elbows and knuckles.

Stepping out, the speaker was revealed to be largely naked. And female. She was hairless, her skin covered in green scales from head to toe. Spikes were revealed on her ankles and thighs as well. To be truthful, she looked like a giant scaly humanoid fish. Her eyes were a dark green and they flashed with challenge.

Nonchalantly licking one of her inch long claws, she sighed, "I've already beaten everyone here. I need fresh meat..." her grin showed razor sharp rows of teeth, much like a shark's.

"Talk around town says you're strong." She grinned at him again, stalking towards him. "I'm new here, and personally... I need to beat someone."

Her eyes flashed then, and she grinned at him yet again, this time however, there was a nasty glint to her teeth.

She stretched out a hand, "So, what'll it be, Dragon?"

His eyes trailed up and down her body as she approached, not in a lecherous or desirable way, but in sizing up his competition. He saw the claws and spikes, but also notes the contours for her musculature, the reach of her arms and the glint in her eyes.

"I think most of the town talks too much." he said as she approached. "And much of what they say is jibberish, but perhaps I am here looking for a challenge."

He took her hand briefly, in a welcoming shake.

"Do you think you're it then?"

She welcomed the shake, briefly wrapping her long fingers around his hand. Nodding to herself, she grinned again, her teeth flashing in the noon day sun. "Of course, Dragon."

Looking up at the sun for a moment, she smiled, shading her eyes, "I am known as Ceres." She didn't ask his name, making the judgment that he would provide it when he wanted to and not any sooner.

"So... rules? Wagers? Lets say we make this interesting, friend."

Already, after talking to him, she was treating him of more an equal than someone she could wail on. Perhaps she had gotten his measure? Perhaps she was all talk? Or perhaps she was merely unpredictable. Only one way to find out.

"I am known as Ceres." she said.

"GoldenDrakon." he replied, letting her hand go.

"Ceres," he mused, thinking. "Roman earth goddess or something like that, yes?"

"So... rules? Wagers? Lets say we make this interesting, friend."

"Rules are simple; Two-person pit fight until one either yealds or is unable to continue. I don't have much to wager,"

Drakon opend his sack, rummaging around for a moment before withdrawing a handful of deep red-brown feathers, each nearly two feet in length and flickered in the sunlight, as if trying to suck the heat from the air.

"But I offer ten tail feathers from a flaringale to open."

Ceres nodded, accepting his terms. She looked at his outstretched hands, in which the flaringale feathers rested. Arking her brows slightly, she briefly turned aways, rummaging in a pack that was revealed to have been lying near the pillar she had come from.

"All I have in answer to those, is this."

She held out her hand and an a green flash would greet his eyes as it lay in the rays of the sun. It was a large, roughly cut emerald, about the size of her palm. It shone with a real glow as light shattered inside its solid body.

"Where I come from, Dragons liked trinkets like these."

She nodded, "So, is it a wager, then?"

"One more thing, I will fight you unarmed except for my... natural talent." That flash of teeth as she grinned at him once again.

"So, is it a wager, then?"

GD looked at the glittering stone for a moment, then laid his handful of feathers down on a flat stone. "It is."

"One more thing, I will fight you unarmed except for my... natural talent."

He hesitated momentarilly, noting the murmer and whispers of some of those who were begining to gather around.

"So be it." he said casually his eyes returning to meet Ceres's own but then he looked around at those gathered.

"What about the rest of you? Is there anyone who wishes to make a wager with me on the outcome of this fight?"

The glittering green, albeit rough, jewel was placed on top of the scattering of red feathers. The colours made a good contrast on the marble like slab. The scaly woman smiled, beginning to stretch out and prepare for the oncoming battle. She had a feeling that this opponent was one to watch out for... but oh did she revel in the challenge!!

She waited patiently, walking to the middle of the pit that would be their arena for this match. Standing at loose attention, she simply waited for GD's affairs to be dealt with.

There was a hushed murmur that almost always accompanied the beginning of a match. Wagers were bet and the stands filled with the milling crowd. There would be no other battles fought while their own match was proceeding. Simply to be courteous.

Silently, she waited.

As it glided silently into the Coliseum all the black cloaked figure known simply as The Judge knew was that it was here to preside over another fight. It had been told that there was going to be another one but when it saw the combatants its first thoughts were that it was going to be a slight lacklustre one. It knew that it had been wrong before so was aware that it had to watch the battle carefully, just in case something happened.

It moved towards the two combatants, aware that they were watching it. He knew that they would be wondering just who or what he was but all he wanted to do was make sure this match would go well and be a fair fight.

It raised its head slowly and spoke to the two combatants, its voice sounding as though it was coming from everywhere within the large structure.

"My name is simply the Judge. I am here to preside over this fight and to make sure that nothing happens that shouldn't. There are simple rules that are to be obeyed at all times; if any of you breach them you will be answerable to me."

It lowered its head again and when it spoke it was as if it was whispering to both of the combatants.

"There is to be no cheating in this fight; if you are going to be hit and there is no way out of it you cannot do a move that is virtually impossible for you to do to get out of it. My ruling is final, there are no exceptions. This is not a fight to the death; if you kill your opponent I will transport you to the dungeon under this place. You can only use whatever weapons you have with you. You cannot use any type of portal. You can use magic; but only something that is directed at your opponent and does not break the fourth rule. Any damage to the arena will have to be fixed by the one responsible."

It slowly glided away from the opponents, raised its head again to look at them and with a voice that once again seemed to come from everywhere said, "Do you understand what I have just said to you. If not then you can ask questions."

Drakon wandered amongst the crowd looking for others who would offer wagers. Ceres's challenge had disrupted his original plan. He had intended to fight several opponents and slowly work his way up the pecking order, perhaps making and winning his wagers along the way. If Ceres really was the reigning champion here, then few others would be interested in betting against her.
On the good side, Ceres was the odds on favorite with Drakon being the 'newcommer'. Even this Judge person didn't seem to think much of him. That didn't bother him much, in fact, he let his rough manor and dislike for many of the locals bleed out a bit, which served to provoke some into making their wagers in hopes of seeing GD lose.

Aside from the ten feathers laid against Ceres's gemstone, Drakon had brought with him practically everything he owned of value. Another twenty tail feathers, two bits of clear quartz crystal and the very boots he had walked in with. All this was placed against a dozen or more bets with the locals. Slowly, the flat stone was filling with the wagers for this fight. The current collection consisted of a thin ring fitted with an oval shaped red jasper, a small belt knife, a bag of watermellon seeds, a finely made wooden chest with about a square foot of space, three skins of some of the local critters which looked like big gophers, a pickax, a dozen tallow candles, a chisel and hammer set and finally, three thumb sized pieces of turquoise rounded out the collection. Not exactly a Vegas roulette table, but for Drakon, these were all rich bets.

Because if he lost, he would lose just about everything he owned.

After everything was settled Drakon tossed the empty sack onto the ground next to the wagering table and looked back to Ceres.

"I am ready. Is there a place to change, ..or should I just change here?"

Ceres didn't even register the appearance of the mysterious 'Judge'. She had seen him before, had him preside over her other battles and knew him to be fair. She also knew that it was next to useless to strike up a conversation with the entity. When it came to battles, however, the Judge was more than attentive.

She arched a bony ridge above her eye, "Change?" Sweeping a long, considering and perhaps leering look up and down the dragon's humanoid form, she sneered, "I don't see why you need to."

Her own scales rippled in the sunlight as she moved sinuously, simply stepping from one foot to the other. "Are you trying to avoid starting?" She flashed him another of her predatory grins.

"Are you trying to avoid starting?" she asked with a grin.

Drakon only smiled in return. "Paitence is a virture." he countered. Given his wings, Golden Drakon did not have any shirt that would have fit so he was already bare chested. His boots now sat on the wagering table atop the pickaxe so he hesitated to remove his pants. This battle was sure to be close and very physical. Common clothing would likely provide an opponent with hand holds to grapple. Ceres too, seemed to understand this given her revealing outfit. The lack of his trousers also alound him to utilize his own tail more effectively.

He set the trousers aside, and stood, wearing what amounted to a loin cloth. He took another moment to stretch his own arms and legs a bit, letting his tail lash once as well. As he did so, his own skin darkened, A ripple rand along his features, as his skin scaled over. His hands and feet flexed as he approached, becoming tipped with talons. He cracked his neck, once to each side and shook his head like a dog. When he stopped, his human features had changed. His face and neck had elongated becoming much more reptilian. Finally, as he stepped down onto the sand, reddish fins sprouted from the back of his head, running the length of his back to the end of his tail.

Matching Ceres's own gaze, he assumed a fighting stance.

"I am ready." he told her through a mouth of fanged teeth.

Ceres barely blinked as Golden Drakon swept around the Arena, gathering wagers and the like. He seemed more than capable of sustaining himself and it was clear with the amount of bets that was more than willing to win.

She watched him carefully, noting his movements and his mannerisms. No doubt, such information would come in handy in the end. However, should he ever change into dragon form... well she just had to finish this before he was able to do that.

Grinning that wicked grin again, she gave him barely a nod of acknowledgment before she was up and off, running at him. Her speed was incredible, and hard for others to track, but still clearly visible.

She ran at him full speed, but at the last moment, disappeared.

With a shriek, it was revealed that she had actually launched herself up into the sky and intended on bringing her scaly body down onto his. Her foot extended before her so that it would be the first thing to strike his head.

A deadly spike on the bottom of her heel suddenly glinted in the early afternoon sun.

GoldenDrakon barely had time to avoid Ceres's dive. He staggered back awkwardly, the spike just missing his person as the shark-woman came down. Off balance, GD lunged out and shoved Ceres away with both hands before she could regain her own balance.

His mind quickly whirred, considering and analyzing events. Somewhere in his brain he realized that even with his own enhanced speed, Ceres was faster than he was. It was only his quickened reflexes and instincts that had saved him from the initial attack and drove his counter attack.

The shove was not intended to hurt, and would be a miracle if it had done anything other than move the shark-woman anyways. Instead it was intended to give GD the fraction of a second needed to recover his balance and spoil any follow up his opponent planned. Besides that, given Ceres's natural spikes, it would be very dangerous to let Ceres stay so close that she could strike inside his own guard. Instead, he hoped to keep her at arm's reach, where he had the reach advantage.

For now at least.

Ceres was shoved away from Drakon. It wasn't a hard shove, but it did surprise her somewhat seeing as she had envisioned him counterattacking, not just defending.

She skidded sideways as she landed safely on the ground to his left. She looked at him, her head tilted slightly to the side. She grinned, her arms stretching out as the bony ridges on her arms and hands began to grow into inch long spikes.

Thick at the base where they met her scaly skin, it was evident from their colouring that this was a naturaly formation/extension of her body. They looked to be a hardened bone-like material that sheened slightly green. From her scales, they tapered to a sharp point that glinted in the sun.

She grinned again, the five spikes on each of her knuckle ridges exposed as she made fists. Two spikes protruded along her forearm, while a third (slightly longer and curved) spike grew the points of her elbows. A single, fourth, spike protruded from her biceps and a single spike grew upwards from each of her shoulders.

Ceres gave a low growling snarl, her tongue coming out to brush her bluish tinged lips, "I'm going to enjoy this!"

Then she launched herself at him once again. Still trying for an inside shot.

She attempted to sucker punch him in his midsection, before following with an uppercut to his chin with her other fist. If any of those hit, it would pose a serious problem, due to bony spikes that protruded from each fist.

If any failed, she would attempt a backwards roundhouse kick to the side of his head, attempting to catch him with her heel spikes.

GoldenDrakon watched carefully as the spikes took shape, each long and hard and sharp. Even though he attempted to hide any tell-tale expression from his features, he groaned inside his head as Ceres flexed her newly honed knuckle spikes. Yet even as he took note of the new weapons, his mind analyzed and studied. Ceres was speaking to him, just not with her voice. Her spikes and her aquatic features reminded him of a great sturgeon fish, and he envisioned her sliding through the water like a fish...and then he saw it.

A flaw, a weakness in her features.

"I spy with my little eye..." he said out loud in a sing-song whisper.

Drakon was only too aware of Ceres's speed and agression, but when she launched to the attack, he again took a strongly evasive tactic, quickly stepping back and away as the punches flashed towards him. Even then, Ceres's speed and agility forced Drakon to yeald a large amount of space in order to evade her punches. A wide, wheeling high kick followed but Drakon again elected to evade and move, swiftly moving sideways around toward Ceres's back as she whirled around following through with her kick, but instead of counter attacking her back as Ceres might have anticipated, Drakon took the second that Ceres recentered herself to move around to gain back a part of the arena floor.

She was a skilled and graceful fighter, but when would a shark woman have learned to fight like she did? He recalled something the Wraith had said to hime, back when Drakon had first arrived in the Vale...

"You are not a native." he said to her, but ever keeping his guard up. "This is not your natural body...is it?"

He dodged, yet again. This was beginning to get annoying. "Why don't you hit me?" she ground out between tightly clamped teeth.

"You are not a native. This is not your natural body...is it?"

She flashed him one of her ever present toothy grins, "Why you are cleverer than you look. Perhaps you should channel some of that intelligence into action!"

With the last word, she lunged forwards, a spike shooting from the palm of her outstretched hand. She would follow the projectile, shadowing it and aim to come up inside his guard as he dodged the 'arrow'.

A swift uppercut would follow.

"Perhaps you should channel some of that intelligence into action!"

With a grunt, Drakon twisted back and away to avoid the sudden missile. Ceres followed up quickly, quicker than Drakon was able to recover. The blow connected and Ceres's knuckle spikes ripped flesh frum under Drakon's chin and scraped along the left front of his jaw, smudging her knuckles red with blood. Off balance, the blow threatened to flip him onto his back where the shark-woman would be alble in inflict much greater damage at her leisure.

But the blow also told Drakon's analytical mind more information, Aside from her spike trick, Ceres was indeed lightning fast, agile and strong, but she was not as strong as he was, not physically at least.

Drakno tucked his right shoulder and wing, using the momentum of the blow to move away in a controlled roll rather than a vunerable fall. As he righted from the tumble, he pivoted on his foot, letting his right leg swing out in a wide foot sweep, His right wing followed suit, scything an arc through the air at waist level just behind the arc of his leg. Once more, the move was not to inflict damage but to again foil any counter attack and keep Ceres back in yet another defensive tactic.

As he stood, he flexed his jaw experimentally, Drakon tasted the salty tang of blood, but his bones had held up to the blow without breaking...this time.

Ceres was given plenty of times to dodge his clumsy swipe through the air and she did so, more promptly than was needed.

Arcing a scaly eyeridge, her tone was scathing as she spat at him, "Aren't you going to fight me! I did not think you a coward!"

Instead of attacking, however, she stood there, her arms slack by her sides, her eyes lowered. She controlled her breathing and practically invited him to attack with her lax stance.

"Come fight me, Dragon!" she hissed, her patience having been ripped to shreds by this point.

GoldenDrakon kept his calm and composure even as blood slowly dripped onto his chest. Leaving his arms up as a guard, GD tenatively moved forward, throwing quick snap-kick at Ceres's left hip, aiming for the only point that did not have a spikey protrusion.

It was a fast, controled kick, but also simple and unimaginitive. Drakon also quickly slid backwards keeping his defensive stance. His move serving more to force his opponent to react than actually confront her.

Ceres effortlessly swept the kick aimed to her hip aside with an impatient swipe of her own arm across his shin. Though he was quick, Ceres felt that she was quicker and her anger at his inaction was getting to cloud her better judgement.

She leered at him, at his ever present defensive stance. She was getting tired of being on the offensive for so long. It would stop here, now.

Ceres hissed lightly and backed up a step. Anger pooling in her eyes and tinging her coloured scales a light red. They shimmered in the sunlight as she stood there waiting for him to strike again.

She would get him, they would all see how the Dragon was a coward! And here she had thought him to be a worthy adversary, too bad she had been wrong!

Drakon ignored the scattered boos and taunts from the collective audience and focused solely on Ceres. The agitation and frustration was notably telling, especially when the shark-woman's scales colored with her anger.

Damn, what a tell....

GD's mind prickled with thought and he elected to take a risk.

"Tisk, tisk," He chided. " So very close to the prize...but you just can't reach it."

"Pity." he added with a smirk.

Ceres growled. No... she didn't growl. She yelled and shouted an cursed and screamed in anger -- all while running head first at the bemused Dragon.

Instead of striking out in a controlled and calculated move, Ceres' vision swam and her genetic code caught up with her. With a sort of reptilian grace that was so hard to ignore, she fairly slithered over the ground, her back arching, her legs perfectly straight beneath her as she reared up, jumping slightly, her hands stretched over her head, claws and spikes glinting in the sun as she opened her mouth -- and prepared to bite the poor fellow.

Her teeth gnashed as she snarled from deep within her chest and her eyes grew devoid of all colour, her mouth elongating and showing, indeed, her heritage. For inside her mouth were rows apon rows of razor sharp teeth. Just like a shark's.

She had a moment to regret her foolish attack, but then her and her body were committed to the attack. So she aimed at something that would please her, should she get it.

His head.

In an instant, Drakon's taunting attitude disolved and so too, did the dragon's defensive stance. He had been waiting for this one advantage and imeadiatly took advantage. As the shark woman lunged, Drakon stepped forward, snarling in response to Ceres's own challenge and threw his entire weight into a massive right hook, aiming for the hinge of his opponent's jaw.

Following up, GD did not hesitate to measure the result of the blow, instead turning and following at Ceres's side. His wings unfolded and snapped down, lifting the dragon up into the air. He did not fly, but instead 'hopped' up before his opponent. His feet pinwheeling through the air in a series of kicks aimed at Ceres's head and shoulders. Talloned tipped feet flashed for a moment before Drakon landed heavilly before her and crouched, letting one foot sweep out towards the shark-woman while her guard was still held high to fend off his barbed foot strikes.

GD doubted that Ceres would let her temper get the better of her a second time, so he hoped to inflict some lasting damage while she was vunerable. With that in mind, Drakon's foot sweep was not aimed to knock his opponent down, but instead his sweep was aimed in a disabling attempt to break one of the woman's legs.

Ceres was stunned at the immediate change in the draconic man. There was not much more she could do but attempt to twist away from his hook. But she was too late and it hit, not squarely but it hit and caused tears to flow from her eyes.

Blood welled up in her mouth, in response to the tongue she had just been forced to bite when the hook had connected. Fortunately, the blow had staggered her back and she kept moving her feet, allowing defensive instinct to take over.

Suddenly he loomed before her, hovering in the air for an instant and then a flurry of kicks swiftly followed. All she could do was cross her arms up over her head and shoulders, her arms taking the brunt of the attacks so fierce that they made her step backwards at each connection.

Realising her eyes were squeezed shut, she opened them and only just barely managed to avoid the shattering sweep to her legs. She jumped up and backwards, landing briefly on one hand before she flipped back upright.

Panting, her arms bruised and sore, her mouth filled with blood, she stood there, her arms up in a defensive posture, her fists clenched. She said nothing, Drakon's hook still spinning her head and depriving her of speech, her jaw refusing to work. She didn't think it was broken, but it damned well hurt like it did!