Follow-up

[Arkash]

32nd of Ash, 120

"Are you sure you took down a giant?" Asked the avialae, who towered over the floored, young rathari. Arkash breathed heavily and clutched his chest while he rested on his stump. In just one move, Asmodei had brought him to the ground. Was it really so surprising? The winged-man looked as though he could slay a dragon with his stature and blade alone. Sure, he wasn't wielding a real sword at the time, but Arkash was no dragon, far from it.
"I did!" He called in a huff, then winced as he attempted to sit up. "Do you... really have to hit me so hard?" he all but whined. It hurt, everything hurt, especially in his chest.
Asmodei returned with a brief laugh, then bent down to offer Arkash a hand. Of course, the small lizard took it, then tensed his arm as the avialae carefully lifted him to his feet. "What are you going to learn if I start tickling you? If you're going to try and evade, practice with full-speed strikes." The avialae twirled his stick, and Arkash reached back to rub the base of his tail while he faced the taller male. Asmodei was right, of course. he didn't like getting knocked around, but he'd learn to swim faster if he was thrown in the deep end.
"I really did kill a man yesterday," he swore again as he bent down to collect his much-smaller stick, about the size of a dagger. "And he didn't hit me once, either." Granted, if the man had actually hit Arkash, he probably would have died. It was why they were training in combat that day.
"Prove it, then. Come at me with your dagger with the intent to kill me. I wanna see the last thing that man saw in your eye before you finished him off!" Arkash breathed heavily as he ramped up his anger. No matter how he came at it, he couldn't find the same feeling, the same grace that took him when he faced Barry and the thug alike. it was as if he'd lost all rational thought along with his inhibition in those encounters. He flowed with grace and struck efficiently and quickly. Sure, he'd lost his temper when he brought down Barry, but that was an exceptional case. He couldn't find even a trace of his anger while he faced Asmodei though. No matter how hard he tried or how loud he yelled, he couldn't conjure his rage.
With another powerful yell, the shorter rathari lept at Asmodei, and swung his small stick in a stab-like motion aimed for the avialae's gut.

Meanwhile, outside the facility, Fayeth stood patiently. She stared down the broken cobble road that led to the abandoned facility, as she was waiting for someone. Just a few days prior, she sent a message in the mail to the good doctor Faust; it wasn't a matter of business, but more of a pleasant visit. Arkash was awake and well, and she thought it fair that he saw the fruits of his labor. So, in the broad daylight, the pale Siltori waited nigh-motionless. She wasn't sure if Cyrus would even come, but her hunger had been sated recently, and she had time to kill.

[Haldir]

☠ 32nd of Ash, 120 ☠
Company: | Theme: | Thoughts: | Mood:

☠ The wind graced my skin as I paced around the poor soul so unfortunate to be my next victim. My crystal blue eyes peered into the open sky as I waited for my target to awaken, birds chirping amidst the forest I found myself secluded in. It was a simple consultation, catch a mercenary with a rather nasty reputation within the city before he returns home, and kill him. It was a normal procedure for me that was for sure, even if I was doing this out of a sense of malice.

I had treated a local barmaid who unfortunately lost her child at the hand of this man. I couldnt help but sympathize with her, being highly sympathetic and empathic to a mother losing her child. Being the man that I was, it was evident from the bruises that still remained on her body, I had no choice but to cure this man of his own mortal disease.

The sounds of metal scraping against metal seemed to rouse the unconscious male from his sleep, a loud groan coming from the man's lips as he awoke. I greeted this wretch with the tip of my new sword, Nevermore, to his throat. We were in the forest near my home, close enough to where I could easily get home, and far enough to hide the body out in the woods. He would find I had tied him to a tree.

"Do you know why you have ended up in this situation?" I asked, the cold steel of my sword tracing his bare chest as I circled the man. He was having a hard time coming to grips with his situation, the panic setting in rather nicely. That was the best thing to me, watching as fear of one's mortality is threatened.

He was stammering to speak, but I pressed the tip of my sword against his lips, shushing him. "No need to strain your brain on it, I'll tell you. You see rumor has it that you got a pretty little barmaid pregnant. This young lady was rather excited to be a mother, but you had other plans."

My eyes bore into the man with utter disdain, as I found him to be utter shit. "Granted I have plans for you as well." A wicked grin on my face, as I pointed to the open grave I had dug while he slept. I couldnt help but slice him across his chest, a cry of pain as the steel cut across his flesh. It was like removing an infected mass from a patient, or in recent days, amputation of a limb but smoother.

In any case, I had to move things along, as I was expected elsewhere. And so my fun began. A devilish smirk widened at the thought of how I was going to dishing out this disrespectful heathen's death. Giggling I circled the man as he struggled against his restraints, futile in the effort but amusing to watch nonetheless.

Once he was at the realization of his predicament, I licked the edge of my blade and got to work. The edge of my sword sank its fang into his flesh. I stabbed the poor wretch several times in several places. His screams sent chills up my spine, causing me to shudder a bit as I twisted Nevermore deeper into his flesh.

His blood poured like a river from each wound, a beautiful crimson, a shame it came from such a reviled man. "I'm going to have to show some restraint, otherwise you may bleed to death." granted I didnt want him to die too quickly. What I found to be interesting during this however is that he never spoke a word, only screamed.

Two more slashes came from my blade, one across his right forearm leaving a deep gash, and another across his left pectoral. Those wounds bled profusely as well. Some time had past and he could see the man was close to expiring, signs indicating blood loss.

Leaning down to look the man in his face, I lifted it with and tilted his head. "Do you feel any remorse for actions? If you have anything to say before I finish you off, now would be the time." I asked, squeezing his face a bit before slapping it a bit. The man said nothing, only spat on my face. One could say that I am amused, but I wasnt, and in a reactive motion, I prematurely decapitated him.

"Shit" I whispered, grabbing the scabbard to the blade and proceeded to dump his body in the shallow grave and cover it. I still had enough time to go home, clean up, and change. Once I was done, I headed to where the letter said to meet Fayeth. I was excited, still riding the high of my morning kill, as I made my way to the rendevous spot.

As I neared, I could hear the sounds of training, as it became clear to me where I was going. Voices in the distance, my eyes fell onto a familiar face. Her face was unforgettable to me, and a smile fixed onto my face as I approached. Waving I wrangled the rogue strands of hair billowing in my face as I was finally within arm's length of her.

"It's rather nice to see you again Lady Fayeth. I must say I was rather surprised to receive your letter, but I'm even more eager to see how my patient is fairing after his surgery." I informed, the sounds of training echoing just beyond where they stood. As a doctor, I was delighted to see how young Arkash was doing with losing a limb.

"I take it Arkash is here?" ☠

"Common Tongue"
"Silvain Tongue"
"Self-Thoughts"

[Arkash]

It was a pleasant surprise to see the good doctor ascend the slight slope that lead to the abandoned warehouse. It was the same place they'd been keeping Arkash since he entered his coma, the same place that Doctor Faust performed his surgery. The Lady was dressed in her usual fine attire with a thick scarlet cloak to rest over her shoulders, one that was meant to stave off the cold. She bowed a curtsey as Cyrus drew near, which only complimented her smile.
"Oh hush, the pleasure is mine," she returned in the same tongue. "You shouldn't be," she spoke on the subject of his surprise. "Were it not for your support, he would not have woken up at all. I think it's fair the good doctor gets to see the life he's saved, don't you?" She grinned in turn, and the hunger of her deep red eyes gleamed beneath the shade of her hood.
"I haven't told him you're coming; I wasn't sure you would come. Expect that he might be surprised," she warned as she turned to the large wood and iron barn door that separated them from the sounds of yelling and crashing within. Despite her relatively small frame, she gripped the handle firmly and pulled the weight of the door with her raw strength alone. As a gust of wind blew by, she paused while the door remained open a crack. A knowing smile pulled at her lips. "I hope the hunt went well," she spoke almost cryptically, as though she knew he'd slain another recently.
Finally, she followed through with her movement and dragged the huge, creaky sliding door to open wide enough to allow the both of them through. In the dark of the warehouse, Asmodei stood tall while he leaned into a branch-like stick. He looked over a floored, panting lizard who simply laid there and breathed deeply while he recovered. A steel barrel which bared several black burns and soot marks housed a contained fire nearby, and provided a meager portion of the room with warmth. While Arkash breathed, Asmodei looked to Cyrus, then cocked his head. "Doctor Faust," spoke the avialae in common. "It's good that you're here, we were just training."
With that, he nudged the scrawny, exasperated rathari with his branch-like stick to provoke a response. Arkash laid with his blind side to the door and moved his stump to bat away the stick, only to pause and swap to his working arm. "Who?" Arkash returned between his heavy breaths. To that, the avialae looked to Arkash, then pointed in the doctor's direction. With a groan, he rolled onto his front and propped his upper body off the wooden floor with his stump and palm alike. For a moment, he just stared at the human with his one yellow eye, like a deer caught in headlights.
"This is Cyrus Faust, the doctor that fixed your lung and treated your infections while you were under," explained Fayeth with a gesture of her hand. "Arkash woke on the fifteenth of Cinderfall, and he's made major strides in his rehabilitation," the pale Siltori explained to the human.
Arkash continued to stare at the doctor, and a streak of drool began to pour from the gap in his lip while he held himself there. A sudden slurp saw him swallow the venom in his maw before he sat up on his side, then shakily clambered to his feet. Uncertainty painted his features as he looked between Asmodei and Fayeth, then settled his half gaze on Cyrus and bowed his head in gratitude. "Thank 'ew," he spoke in his thick rien accent. It only showed when he spoke common. "You's th' one 'at..." he paused, then swallowed.
Asmodei came to rest one of his gauntlet-clad hands on his left shoulder. "He's doing a lot better, as you can see. He was walking properly again just ten days after he woke up, almost completely independent now."
Arkash grinned a little on the sighted side of his face, then physically withdrew and took hold of his stump arm around the elbow. "Yeah, Az's teachin' me t' scrap 'n case I need t' fight on my own," Arkash declared as he rubbed at the bare scales of his half-arm.
"Do you handle yourself well in a fight, Doctor Faust?" Asmodei asked on the notion. "If you have time, I'm sure Arkash could use any tips or tricks you have to offer."
At the gesture, Arkash's yellow eye widened, and he held out his arm as he stammered. "Ah- N-no! Tha's fien! We're fien-!" He spoke in protest, but Asmodei clamped his muzzle shut with one hand. Arkash gripped the Faux Knight's arm and tried weakly to pull free to no avail.
"Nonsense. What's the good in learning to fight if you only learn how to fight me? So long as the doctor is willing, you should give it a go!"

[Haldir]

☠ 32nd of Ash, 120 ☠
Company: Fayeth, Asmodei, & Arkash| Theme: Assembly| Thoughts: This is quite the recovery| Mood: Calm, fascinated

☠ A sense of pride began to well up inside me as she spoke of Arkash's recovery. It was good news to my ears, as I had been meaning to check in on him after patching him up. It seemed that they were still using the barn from the last time as a place of refuge for him. It meant that the poor lad had to hide as long as the man he offended was still alive.

I would make a note to inquire as to who this person was in order to rid the rathari of this burden. It was also nice to hear they were appreciative of my help, as most folks would simply come to me to be treated and be on their mary way. It was nice to have one's skills noticed.

As we neared the door of the barn, the crimson eyed elf made a comment that caught my attention, and for a moment, I tensed, realizing she was talking about the man I had killed earlier. She seemed to have the insight of a cunning huntress, she could smell the faint traces of blood.

She was amazing to me, a like mind and soul, and the aura of allure and danger made me far more fascinated with her, with the dynamic between her and the large Avialae. "Not so much a hunt, but merely treating a patient with a mortal disease. I only regret not having the time to give him my doctorial touch." I mused, following behind the pale elven woman.

There I saw the Argent knight, and on the floor, was Arkash, and I couldnt help the large smile on my face, seeing him up and active. I nodded to Asmodei, acknowledging his greeting, as it was nice to see the Stoic knight in high spirits. My eyes however settled on the Lizard Rathari, visually assessing his recovery. He didnt seem to be encumbered by the missing limb, training of all things. The doctor in me wished he didnt push himself too hard, but I guess it couldnt be helped.

"That's wonderful to hear, though I suppose Rathari heal faster than humans do. To be honest you were the first Rathari I've ever examined or operated on." I noted, approaching the young lizard to inspect him closely. His wounds seemed to be healing nicely, which was remarkable if I said so myself. I was fascinated really, losing myself in analyzing his form, seeing how my handy work was holding up to his healing.

"I only wished I could have saved your arm Arkash, but given the condition you were in it had to go, so forgive me for that. Overall, however, you are indeed healing well, exceeding the expectations I had, and providing me with some key research data. Tell me do you ache anywhere?" I inquired, forgetting I wasnt at the clinic, even more so when Asmodei asked his next question.

My hand rested on the hilt of Pathogen, as It was the first true sword I owned. "To be honest, the necromancer's carving hook is the only blade I'm used to handling, though I guess one could say a sword is like a large scalpal and I think I'm rather skilled with that at least." i mused, tapping my chin a bit as i pondered.

"In any case, I could say I dabble, my father used to make me practice as a child. He believed a doctor should be able to defend himself and patients in times of conflict should the need arise. I'm no knight of course." I added.

When asked to assist in Arkash's training I had to say I was shocked, but not surprised. Seeing the way Arkash protested forced a chuckle from me, and I nodded in agreement. Looking around I spotted a stick that was long enough to simulate a sword, and placing Pathogen down, I stood ready in front of Arkash.

"Do not be alarmed Arkash, I wont inflict you harm. Show me what all you've learned so far." ☠

"Common Tongue"
"Silvain Tongue"
"Self-Thoughts"

[Arkash]

It was as he suspected; stood before him was the man that had taken his arm off. He hadn't finished his thought, as he didn't want to be rude by asking such a thing, but this Mr. Faust gave the knowledge freely. He apologized at least, though as he'd said, it couldn't be helped. When he considered the human's reasoning, he understood, he knew it was so. But that didn't stop the burning itch in his stump, the longing ache to move his arm again. So, he held it in a display of meekness. In a lot of ways, Arkash felt like some wounded animal, trying to hide his weakness from a predator. And in some dynamics, he was. Humans, especially those born in Lorien, weren't often kind to him. But this one had saved his life. What for, he couldn't decipher.
I'ss okay," he spoke through the thick mess in his maw, the overflowing venom, and strands of viscous saliva that stretched between his upper and lower jaws inhibited his speech to some degree. The doctor had done what he had to allow Arkash to live, it wasn't his fault. He had to keep that in mind while he faced Cyrus; it wasn't fair to hate him just because he was human. Did he ache anywhere?
Where didn't he ache? He'd been in a constant state of aching and pain since he'd woken up, as Asmodei and Fayeth both pressured him to walk again, they pushed him toward independence and strength in himself. But aside from the muscular soreness, the rath experienced pain aplenty. He stared for a moment; at first, his yellow eye rested on Cyrus's shoes before it drifted upward to lock with the human's gaze. "...I' hurts t' breathe," he spoke in a common more clear than his usual accent.
Asmodei placed a hand on the rath's shoulder, and Fayeth moved the heavy barn door to close before she took a seat in the shadowy parts of the abandoned facility. "It'll be a while, Ark. You know these things can take some time to heal," warned the stalwart avialae. Arkash nodded, though the way he gazed at the ground relayed how downtrodden he felt. He'd made a remarkable recovery, at least physically. He shouldn't have been so down or encumbered with self-pity, but feelings were tricky things; he recognized that he couldn't help how he felt.
Asmodei managed to steal that moment of disappointment with an offer to spar between the doctor and patient alike. Arkash immediately protested, but Asmodei was firm in his decision. his only hope was that the doctor didn't want to spar, but he declared that he dabbled in swordplay, and Arkash's heart sank. A deep breath flared the lizard's nostrils, and he swallowed the venom that pooled on his palette before Cyrus moved to collect one of the various sticks the trio had collected; all were sturdy and felt capable of taking quite a bit of strain.
Where Cyrus placed his sword, he found a collection of other weapons. A small, almost ornate dagger with deep blue stones on the light wooden, full-tang handle, a serrated shortsword of dark-colored steel, a muddy, old flintlock pistol, and Asmodei's iconic, enormous blade. It was perhaps difficult to tell what belonged to who, but by the size of the stick Arkash wielded, it was likely that the dagger belonged to him.
His eye remained locked on Cyrus as he dipped to the ground and swiped the small length of stick off the floor. His body was tense with nerves while he stared down the human, then nodded in response to his declaration. Arkash wouldn't be harmed.
His eye studied his opponent. Cyrus was taller than he, his reach was likely longer by extension. The human was heavier of build too, stronger than Arkash's boney limbs by quite a bit. He wasn't going to win in a head-on collision, when had he ever?
As the two lined up, Asmodei took a step back to give the pair space. Arkash lowered his body a little, then squinted. Cyrus's offer came, and Arkash bowed his head. 'It doesn't matter if he's human,' he reminded himself in his own head. 'Calm down.'
Then, like a tensed coil or a leaping viper, Arkash sprung from his lowered position and ran the short distance between him and Cyrus in an impressive display of speed. His claws thudded the wooden floor in rapid succession while he bombed it toward the human, the rhythm of his footfalls was almost unnatural. He kept low and aimed to poke the doctor in the stomach with the blunt tip of the dagger-sized stick he wielded! In a real fight, the dagger would have been aimed to stab Cyrus in the stomach, but it was all for show and play.
Arkash's strike, though he moved quickly, was fairly obvious from the moment he stepped off into his sprint. His arm was raised with his target in line. If Cyrus moved quickly, he could certainly block the obvious strike or even step out of the way!

[Haldir]

☠ 32nd of Ash, 120 ☠
Company: Fayeth, Asmodei, & Arkash| Theme: Assembly| Thoughts: This is quite the recovery| Mood: Calm, fascinated

☠ It was just as I expected, his moves were telegraphed, he left himself wide open for counters, and he overextended his reach with such a little blade. I easily found his dagger stick with his own, tapping it away as I stepped to the side. Watching his body go by I tapped his head with my sword stick.

"You have heart, but you unfortunately give away your moves before you employ them." I advised, scratching my scalp as I turned to face him. "You have to use that amazing speed of yours to your advantage Arkash. Make your enemy overextend themselves, and strike at their exposed flanks. Your weapon is more suited for close strikes."

There was one more thing that I had noticed as he moved. "One more thing, dont hold back against me. If what I was told about you is true, you need to fight as if it's your last battle." I didnt notice it, but my facial expression changed as I continued.

"You are a predator and you must fight as one." I said, realizing I was giving off my murderous intent, and relaxed with a breath. "Now come, try once again." I said, tapping the floor as I awaiting his charge.

I will say that Asmodie training was effective, Arkash was moving far better than I had expected. But I think that Arkash's combative training should be more tailored to his build. He was small and fast, unbelievably fast, and he had the instinct of a predator......deep down I thought. It would be interesting to see how this would go.

☠

"Common Tongue"
"Silvain Tongue"
"Self-Thoughts"

[Arkash]

Alas, his attack failed again. It was the recurring theme of their training session that day. Asmodei was somehow able to predict his movements and countered them effortlessly, and so was Crus. But, unlike Asmodei, Cyrus didn't put him on the floor when he failed. The tap of the stick against his head drew a flinch from the rath, and his left shoulder jerked in a brief twitch. With disappointment in his eye, he turned to face the doctor again and slipped his forked tongue from his maw. Why was it so much harder against him and Asmodei? He killed the giant in the street with ease. There was something he was doing wrong, something different.
"Impressive, Doctor Faust," spoke Fayeth with amusement rich in her tone. She appeared to lounge while she watched the training unfold, though boredom lined her features eyes. "You see through Arkash's wind-ups and work out his intent before he can land a hit, but don't go easy on him." She grinned at the thought. "He'll learn faster if you leave a bruise or two to remind him."
Arkash looked to Fayeth with his eye wide. She looked back. Though he considered his words carefully, he still spoke "I'm right 'ere," out of turn. She talked about him as though he wasn't there.
The pale siltori merely shrugged with a slight smile. "I didn't see you," she hummed. "Maybe I'll take notice when you land a hit? Who knows?" With that, she yawned and covered her mouth.
Arkash curled his mangled snout in anger and bared his teeth as he looked back at Cyrus. Again, he lifted his dagger-sized stick to aim it at the human, then tucked it close to his form. If they saw his attacks coming, then he left his arm overextended or something of the sort. He had to leave his attack for the last minute, where it would be unpredictable.
Cyrus's talk of predators and the like seemed to startle him, as Arkash hesitated his move. Though, his eyes were alight with recognition.
So, he lowered his body a little, then broke into another short sprint, but he didn't aim to strike Cyrus at that time. Instead, he gave his impressive body control a flex as he darted behind the human in a single well-aimed weave and kicked off the ground to propel himself at Cyrus's back from close quarters. There, he aimed to drive the point of his stick into the base of Cyrus's spine.
His new tactic? Stay as closes as possible while evading the reach of his opponent's blade. Whether his strike landed or not, Arkash would skip around to Cyrus's other side and attempt to drive his balled fist into the human's kidney while it clutched the dagger.

[Haldir]

☠ 32nd of Ash, 120 ☠
Company: Fayeth, Asmodei, & Arkash| Theme: Assembly| Thoughts: Pain is the best Teacher| Mood: Calm, Fascinated

☠ I hardly wanted to add more bruises to the poor boy, but maybe the pale elf had a point. I'm sure I couldnt be any more brutal than Asmodei was in his training. It seemed maybe the pain was the best instructor. I couldnt really explain what happened next, all I could say was that my instinct took over. My conditioning in order to kill seemed to activate when he came behind me.

One moment, I saw him coming to my back, the next thing I know I had disarmed him and had his neck in my grip with my sword-stick jabbing into his chest, my eyes glaring into Arkash's one good eye. "If you value your life, never come behind me again." I hissed, the tone of my voice filled to the brim with malcontent.

In the split second, I couldnt believe I allowed my murderous instincts to get the better of me. Immediately I let him go, recoiling from the rathari, quickly regaining my composure. "Forgive me Arkash, I have a thing about people being behind me."

I picked up his stick and handed it back to him. Seeing one just like it, albeit a little longer, I picked it up and got into a fighting position. "You have initiative, but let's see how you react when your prey becomes the predator."

With a plan now in mind, as a novice swordsman, I did what I could to make this training session effective. Gripping the large dagger stick and my sword, I used the shorter one to allow myself room to move in, my sword jutting up at an angle to catch Arkash in the throat. I knew that if Arkash recovery was going as good as Fayeth & Asmodei say, and as he has shown, he would no doubt be able to avoid damage and attack back.

I unloaded a torrent of attacks, unrefined, though still impressive for a novice such as myself, upon Arkash. I was going to give him the impression that I was going to kill Arkash. I was also curious about how Arkash would handle such a confrontation. ☠

"Common Tongue"
"Silvain Tongue"
"Self-Thoughts"

[Arkash]

Arkash thought himself smart and cunning as he wove around the human and put himself on Cyrus's flank. Before he could strike the humans spine, however, Cyrus turned on a dime and took him by the throat. Arkash's eye shot open as the point of the human's fake sword pressed into his nigh-healed ribs. At once, Asmodei rose and gripped the handle of his side-arm and Fayeth glared quietly, but made no move.
With a feral sort of panic in his eyes, Arkash gripped and squeezed the doctor's arm with his dull claws. His stump flailed in reflex, but he had nothing to grab with. While cyrus spoke his warning, thick viscous drool ran from his lips with a yellowish tint. The warm drool fell upon Cyrus's sleeve with a distinct weight that made the cloth sag. Needless to say, the threat was well received.
When at last he was put down, he coughed, sputtered and gagged. He leaned forward and held his throat with his one claw while he tried to recover. Tears ran down the right side of his face as he struggled to breathe. Asmodei released his hilt, then approached the pair, where he gently pat the lizard's center back.
"Have mercy on the urchin, Doctor Faust. It's not as though he could hurt you, even from behind you," spoke Fayeth with some level of amusement.
Asmodei merely glared at the human, then looked down at the rathari while he struggled for breath. "I think it's best we halt the training; you've done enough today as is, Ark-"
"-Nah," Arkash interrupted with a thump to his chest. "I'm good, Az... Dun' worry abou' me." With that, he straightened up to open his lungs, then settled his one yellow eye on the human with a side-on stare. "I'ss orite," he spoke to Cyrus's apology, and accepted his false dagger back. His claws clenched, and his teeth bared briefly as he half snarled; though he tried hard to hide his rage and hurt, it still showed in his mannerisms.
Asmodei stepped away to give the two room to train, and Arkash furrowed his brow at the human. He'd been knocked about too many times by the likes of humans, but Fayeth seemed to like him. He couldn't just ram his stick into Cyrus's eye so blatantly. A hard slurp of the fluid that ran from his maw saw him swallow, then raise his false knife.
Cyrus came at him, and Arkash's blood boiled with his fury. The grip of another man's hands around his neck was an all too familiar feeling, one that he wouldn't allow to go unavenged. Cyrus would know how it felt to be at another's mercy if it was the last thing he did.
With his plan devised, Arkash lowered his body and widened his stance. As Cyrus swung at the rathari's throat, Arkash moved parallel with the curve of the stick's movement fluidly, then spun on the spot to sweep his bludgeon-like tail at the back of Cyrus's knee to take him out. The moment the human buckled, Arkash snapped his jaws around the doctor's forearm, and squeezed with an iron grip that strained the hidden bones with pressure.
Simultaneously, his serrated teeth pierced the human's skin and the muscles in his mouth inject his plentiful venom into the good doctor's veins. If Cyrus failed to catch himself, Arkash would follow him to the ground but the grip of his jaw wouldn't relent, not without a token of flesh. His jagged teeth remained embedded in the human's flesh, and every pull threatens to rip.
At the sight of the bite, Asmodei turned on a dime to run at the rath, then gripped the lizard by the jaw. "ARKASH! ENOUGH!" Declared the avialae. It took a moment of hesitation, but Arkash soon relented in his grasp and the giant pried the rath's bloody maw open.
The rathari's venom began to take effect; and Cyrus's blood would thin to prevent coagulation while he bled plentifully. Fatigue and weakness set in, and Cyrus would find his heartrate increase.

[Haldir]

☠ 32nd of Ash, 120 ☠
Company: Fayeth, Asmodei, & Arkash| Theme: Assembly| Thoughts: Pain is the best Teacher| Mood: Calm, Fascinated

☠ It seemed I had struck a nerve with the young Rathari, the way he looked at me just before our engagement was the look of someone who held quite the grudge. The question I had was who was this grudge with, me or humans in general. Part of me was still feeling bad for doing what I did to the poor guy.

I was supposed to be the good doctor that helped heal him in his dire situation, I couldnt break that facade no matter what, but what was done was done and there was no going back to fix it. I knew that much at least.

As we clashed sticks I was hoping to end it in one fell swoop, a flurry of strikes that would ultimately force Arkash to submit and concede the match, but the little lizardman surprised me, even more so than he could have imagined. I never took into account his tail, as it came to swipe at the back of my leg, the immediate reaction being for me to buckle.

I suppose I deserved what came next, as Arkash sank his fangs into my arm, and I couldnt help my yell. The pain of it was unbearable and unexpected. But it was what came next that made this experience worthwhile. When the Rathari was removed from my arm, I immediately ripped some of my shirt in order to stop the bleeding but it wasnt happening. For some reason it wouldn't stop bleeding, my platelets were not clotting, and my initial thought was maybe it was bacteria.

No bacteria doesn't react like that, so it had to be.........venom! Ripping another piece of my shirt I quickly cut the blood flow in my forearm. I had to catch my breath, I was becoming lightheaded, must be an effect from the endless loss of blood. I had to keep from going into shock.

"I see, this is rather interesting.......and could be rather useful to me." I noted, looking to Arkash, my eyes filled with curiosity. "Tell me Arkash, what kind of lizard are you? Are you aware of the species of lizard? You have poisonous saliva, and I wish to learn more and apply it to my trades."

I was delighted, regaining my composure as I moved to where he was. If he looked in my eyes he would see the fascination in them, the genuine curiosity I held for his venom, and what amazing things I could apply it to. ☠

"Common Tongue"
"Silvain Tongue"
"Self-Thoughts"