36th of Ash, 120
"There's a taste of prosperity for you," spoke Kahl, the leader of The Sawtooth renegades as he tossed a handful of currency to the floor. "Pick up all those farthings, and you're in." The task confused Arkash, for he was meant to be initiated into their group, but Kahl saw fit to test his drive. How picking up a bunch of farthings was meant to prove that, he didn't know. At Arkash's expression, half the room chuckled darkly to themselves, as though Arkash was missing some sort of obvious joke. The chorus frightened him even further than he already was.
He was stood in the main chamber of their hideout, along with what seemed to be the entirety of the gang, who stood at Kahl's side. Part of him thought the second initiation was unnecessary, as he'd already killed a man for them. Kahl had even said the normal initiation was by blood. But, Arkash had hesitated to join them on the giant's last offer. It was possible that Kahl had changed his mind, but Arkash was prepared to change it again.
The young rath stepped forward while he watched the men from his sighted side, and silence blanketed the room in a thick veil. Suddenly, he was made prey, surrounded by wolves. As he knelt to pick up the first farthing despite his injured pride, the rush of footsteps from his left startled him, though he tried to back off and put the sound on his sighted side, it caught him off guard. A hard impact struck the length of his muzzle and knocked him to the floor. A symphony of cheers and calls rang out as his side met the wooden floor. He he only had a second or two to gather his senses. Arkash bared his teeth, which revealed a rolling stream of thick viscous saliva.
Before he could say anything or protest, the human was on him again. Arkash rolled to his other side, then kicked his legs up and turned his body to place himself back on his clawed feet. The gathered gangsters called an impressed 'Ohhhh' at his display of control, then fell silent as Arkash drew his knife.
"Put that down!" Warned Kahl; his voiceis boomed with rage.
Arkash looked at the giant with fire in his eye; the strike to his muzzle left a burning sting, and he sought to cool it with blood. "'E fuckin 'it me!" Protested the rath as he pointed his blade to the man that had struck him. Though, he was sure they were all aware. A resounding, but brief chuckle confirmed that.
"I told 'im too, you dunce," explained the giant.
"WHY?!" Arkash roared, and streaks of venom rolled from his lips. More laughter followed his confusion and rage, but Arkash failed to see what was so funny.
"You think I'm gonna let you in just cause you picked up some farthings? No, assassin. You want prosperity? Fight for it. If you touch even a hair on one of my boys with a knife, claw or tooth, I'll fuck you up. Understood?"
Arkash bared his teeth in a snarl as he focused on the human that had struck him; a stocky sort of bruiser-looking man with rugged features and a broken nose. Arkash couldn't fight him, not with his one arm. Hell, Arkash could barely throw a punch at all. Still, he needed into the gang, so, he threw his knife to the floor, and the blade stuck the wooden panel. "Fien," he declared while he breathed to try and manage his adrenaline.
"Good," called the giant with a grin. "Continue." And just like that, the man rushed at Arkash again with an aggressive war cry. That time, he was on Arkash's sighted side, so the rath fell back and extended his one arm to catch himself as he bent over backwards, then kicked his feet off the floor to drive his clenched foot-claws into the thug's chin. Another volley of cries and cheers sounded as the human reeled, and Arkash pushed off his one hand to land in a crouched position; a successful backflip.
While the man reeled, Arkash dove across the floor and snatched a farthing, then rolled on his side to land close to the floor behind the staggered thug. Before Arkash could land his second attack, the human span, and threw a kick aimed at his head. At once, he pushed off the floor with his one hand and slammed his heavy tail against the floor to act as a counter weight. He fully stood from his lowered position, and widened his stance. His blood was on fire, and the continuous ring of cheers and roars only spurred him on.
He watched the human's eyes. The thug was angry; furious, even. With a grunt, Arkash took a step to the left, and the human moved in the same direction to try and catch him, but Arkash kicked off to the right with a powerful burst of energy in an effort to feint his target, and it worked. The heavy human fumbled and stumbled as he tried to change direction with as much agility as the rath, but it was no use. Arkash snatched another farthing and clenched his fist around the two pieces.
That was when an arm shot out from his blind side and connected with his exposed throat in a firm clothesline. Arkash choked as he hit the floor, then bated his breath as his focus quickly returned in time to see the boot hurtling toward his eye. A roll pulled him out of the way, just in time to hear the slam of the human's foot from somewhere on his blind side. As Arkash looked to the source, another stocky human, the first opponent rushed at him from his sighted side. Again, Arkash leaped from his crouched position, and landed firmly on his feet.
His shins hurt, and a glance downward revealed that his wounds had opened again, as streaks of red ran through his clean bandages. He couldn't keep up the evading and leaping for too much longer, and his one good eye's erratic movements reflected his panic. He couldn't beat one of them in a fist fight, let alone two, and with his throat all tight and shocked, there was no hope. He let out a raspy breath, then inhaled sharply with a hiss. A glance at the floor revealed another farthing, which he snatched.
As he did, however, both men ran at him. Arkash coughed hard into his balled fist, then leaned to the left. Again, both men altered their course to anticipate his move, but Arkash launched himself to the right and landed on his feet. Air. He needed air, as another hard cough reminded him. He groaned in exhaustion as he turned face the two again, then immediately ducked beneath another swing. It wasn't enough; another punch landed itself firmly in his back, and threw him forward. Arkash ran with the momentum, then forward-rolled past the other man, and snatched a fourth farthing.
He drew a shaky breath through his flared nostrils, as the strike to his back seemed to have cleared his breathing problem. He barely felt the pain while his adrenaline rushed, but his heart did sink when one of the giants, the jastai, entered the ring alongside the two humans. He couldn't take a hit from the jastai, the man could probably kill Arkash in one punch.
"Two left," warned Kahl from his throne while he orchestrated the event. The cheering and roaring almost deafened him while he stood with the masses to his back. The three hesitated for a moment, and Arkash took the liberty to catch his breath. He'd need it for what was to come, but how was he meant to spot a farthing on the floor while dodging and rolling? He couldn't rely on luck any further, he had to search. And that was what he did while he caught his breath.
But there wasn't enough time. As his eye left the trio, the giant ran at him with a weight to his footsteps that shook the room. Arkash's eye darted for a clearing before he lowered his body, then bolted between the giant's legs as he crouched to grab the rathari. Arkash hissed and dove across the floor, where he narrowly avoided a broad, sweeping kick and the premature stomp of the other human's foot. Arkash bolted at the wall while one of the humans ran at him. There, he leaped, kicked off the rugged stone wall and spun his body in a way that drove his foot into the human's cheek with his claws clenched. The human staggered as his head snapped in the direction of the impact, and he fell to his ass as an uproar of cheers and whistles sounded.
He had to keep moving. As he hit the floor with his feet again, Arkash hissed and weaved beneath a broad right hook before he darted past the human. The giant ran at him, and Arkash threw his body to the left to avoid the strike. He hissed and grit his teeth as he handsprung off the floor, then ducked as the gleam of another farthing caught his eye. He reached to snatch it, but the human that stood threw his foot in an effort to stomp Arkash's hand, which the rathari narrowly evaded.
Another punch from Arkash's blind side saw him tumble across the floor, where he fell before the giant. Arkash's nose bled, he could smell the copper. There, at the giant's feet, Arkash found and snatched his fifth farthing just in time to roll away from the world-quaking stomp of the jastai. The men were trying to kill him, he was convinced.
"LAST ONE!" Called a series of voices muffledly from Arkash's left side. His breathing had picked up a lot, his legs shook with exhaustion and his head span a little from the force of the blow. He wasn't built to take damage like that, neither was he skilled enough to dodge three people at once, which became the case again as the human he floored regained his footing. He knew where the last one was, but he didn't know if he could get there. The beginnings of disorientation crept upon him while he looked upon another incoming strike, ducked, the drove his fist into the man's crotch with a relatively weak punch; which was still enough to make him double over in pain.
Arkash stumbled a bit, then wove beneath the giant's swipe as he danced a pace or two, then leaned back to avoid a sudden right cross before he ducked beneath a left hook. From his duck, the human drove his knee into Arkash's sighted side, and the impact flashed white in his vision. Arkash fell as his ears rang and the room span, but quickly recovered from the initial force of his minor concussion, and sprang toward the human's feet, where he reached for the final farthing, only to black out as the human's boot hurtled for his head.
When he woke, the room span and his face was numb in parts, raw with pain. There was quiet chatter all around him while his eye regained focus, and fully opened. There, he breathed deeply, and a muffled chorus of celebrations steadily filled his ears. Above him, Kahl kneeled, and pulled on his shoulder. Arkash's head fell back as he was made to sit up, and his vision somewhat cleared. He was still in the room, dazed and disoriented, but functional.
"You did it," congratulated Kahl. ""All six, right there, look," he spoke as Arkash willed his head forward amidst his heavy concussion, then looked to his scalie palm where a bunch of money rested. He'd done it? He managed to snag the last one? He could taste blood, and his nose was clogged, but it was worth it if he meant he was successful. "Welcome to the Sawteeth, Arkash."
"There's a taste of prosperity for you," spoke Kahl, the leader of The Sawtooth renegades as he tossed a handful of currency to the floor. "Pick up all those farthings, and you're in." The task confused Arkash, for he was meant to be initiated into their group, but Kahl saw fit to test his drive. How picking up a bunch of farthings was meant to prove that, he didn't know. At Arkash's expression, half the room chuckled darkly to themselves, as though Arkash was missing some sort of obvious joke. The chorus frightened him even further than he already was.
He was stood in the main chamber of their hideout, along with what seemed to be the entirety of the gang, who stood at Kahl's side. Part of him thought the second initiation was unnecessary, as he'd already killed a man for them. Kahl had even said the normal initiation was by blood. But, Arkash had hesitated to join them on the giant's last offer. It was possible that Kahl had changed his mind, but Arkash was prepared to change it again.
The young rath stepped forward while he watched the men from his sighted side, and silence blanketed the room in a thick veil. Suddenly, he was made prey, surrounded by wolves. As he knelt to pick up the first farthing despite his injured pride, the rush of footsteps from his left startled him, though he tried to back off and put the sound on his sighted side, it caught him off guard. A hard impact struck the length of his muzzle and knocked him to the floor. A symphony of cheers and calls rang out as his side met the wooden floor. He he only had a second or two to gather his senses. Arkash bared his teeth, which revealed a rolling stream of thick viscous saliva.
Before he could say anything or protest, the human was on him again. Arkash rolled to his other side, then kicked his legs up and turned his body to place himself back on his clawed feet. The gathered gangsters called an impressed 'Ohhhh' at his display of control, then fell silent as Arkash drew his knife.
"Put that down!" Warned Kahl; his voiceis boomed with rage.
Arkash looked at the giant with fire in his eye; the strike to his muzzle left a burning sting, and he sought to cool it with blood. "'E fuckin 'it me!" Protested the rath as he pointed his blade to the man that had struck him. Though, he was sure they were all aware. A resounding, but brief chuckle confirmed that.
"I told 'im too, you dunce," explained the giant.
"WHY?!" Arkash roared, and streaks of venom rolled from his lips. More laughter followed his confusion and rage, but Arkash failed to see what was so funny.
"You think I'm gonna let you in just cause you picked up some farthings? No, assassin. You want prosperity? Fight for it. If you touch even a hair on one of my boys with a knife, claw or tooth, I'll fuck you up. Understood?"
Arkash bared his teeth in a snarl as he focused on the human that had struck him; a stocky sort of bruiser-looking man with rugged features and a broken nose. Arkash couldn't fight him, not with his one arm. Hell, Arkash could barely throw a punch at all. Still, he needed into the gang, so, he threw his knife to the floor, and the blade stuck the wooden panel. "Fien," he declared while he breathed to try and manage his adrenaline.
"Good," called the giant with a grin. "Continue." And just like that, the man rushed at Arkash again with an aggressive war cry. That time, he was on Arkash's sighted side, so the rath fell back and extended his one arm to catch himself as he bent over backwards, then kicked his feet off the floor to drive his clenched foot-claws into the thug's chin. Another volley of cries and cheers sounded as the human reeled, and Arkash pushed off his one hand to land in a crouched position; a successful backflip.
While the man reeled, Arkash dove across the floor and snatched a farthing, then rolled on his side to land close to the floor behind the staggered thug. Before Arkash could land his second attack, the human span, and threw a kick aimed at his head. At once, he pushed off the floor with his one hand and slammed his heavy tail against the floor to act as a counter weight. He fully stood from his lowered position, and widened his stance. His blood was on fire, and the continuous ring of cheers and roars only spurred him on.
He watched the human's eyes. The thug was angry; furious, even. With a grunt, Arkash took a step to the left, and the human moved in the same direction to try and catch him, but Arkash kicked off to the right with a powerful burst of energy in an effort to feint his target, and it worked. The heavy human fumbled and stumbled as he tried to change direction with as much agility as the rath, but it was no use. Arkash snatched another farthing and clenched his fist around the two pieces.
That was when an arm shot out from his blind side and connected with his exposed throat in a firm clothesline. Arkash choked as he hit the floor, then bated his breath as his focus quickly returned in time to see the boot hurtling toward his eye. A roll pulled him out of the way, just in time to hear the slam of the human's foot from somewhere on his blind side. As Arkash looked to the source, another stocky human, the first opponent rushed at him from his sighted side. Again, Arkash leaped from his crouched position, and landed firmly on his feet.
His shins hurt, and a glance downward revealed that his wounds had opened again, as streaks of red ran through his clean bandages. He couldn't keep up the evading and leaping for too much longer, and his one good eye's erratic movements reflected his panic. He couldn't beat one of them in a fist fight, let alone two, and with his throat all tight and shocked, there was no hope. He let out a raspy breath, then inhaled sharply with a hiss. A glance at the floor revealed another farthing, which he snatched.
As he did, however, both men ran at him. Arkash coughed hard into his balled fist, then leaned to the left. Again, both men altered their course to anticipate his move, but Arkash launched himself to the right and landed on his feet. Air. He needed air, as another hard cough reminded him. He groaned in exhaustion as he turned face the two again, then immediately ducked beneath another swing. It wasn't enough; another punch landed itself firmly in his back, and threw him forward. Arkash ran with the momentum, then forward-rolled past the other man, and snatched a fourth farthing.
He drew a shaky breath through his flared nostrils, as the strike to his back seemed to have cleared his breathing problem. He barely felt the pain while his adrenaline rushed, but his heart did sink when one of the giants, the jastai, entered the ring alongside the two humans. He couldn't take a hit from the jastai, the man could probably kill Arkash in one punch.
"Two left," warned Kahl from his throne while he orchestrated the event. The cheering and roaring almost deafened him while he stood with the masses to his back. The three hesitated for a moment, and Arkash took the liberty to catch his breath. He'd need it for what was to come, but how was he meant to spot a farthing on the floor while dodging and rolling? He couldn't rely on luck any further, he had to search. And that was what he did while he caught his breath.
But there wasn't enough time. As his eye left the trio, the giant ran at him with a weight to his footsteps that shook the room. Arkash's eye darted for a clearing before he lowered his body, then bolted between the giant's legs as he crouched to grab the rathari. Arkash hissed and dove across the floor, where he narrowly avoided a broad, sweeping kick and the premature stomp of the other human's foot. Arkash bolted at the wall while one of the humans ran at him. There, he leaped, kicked off the rugged stone wall and spun his body in a way that drove his foot into the human's cheek with his claws clenched. The human staggered as his head snapped in the direction of the impact, and he fell to his ass as an uproar of cheers and whistles sounded.
He had to keep moving. As he hit the floor with his feet again, Arkash hissed and weaved beneath a broad right hook before he darted past the human. The giant ran at him, and Arkash threw his body to the left to avoid the strike. He hissed and grit his teeth as he handsprung off the floor, then ducked as the gleam of another farthing caught his eye. He reached to snatch it, but the human that stood threw his foot in an effort to stomp Arkash's hand, which the rathari narrowly evaded.
Another punch from Arkash's blind side saw him tumble across the floor, where he fell before the giant. Arkash's nose bled, he could smell the copper. There, at the giant's feet, Arkash found and snatched his fifth farthing just in time to roll away from the world-quaking stomp of the jastai. The men were trying to kill him, he was convinced.
"LAST ONE!" Called a series of voices muffledly from Arkash's left side. His breathing had picked up a lot, his legs shook with exhaustion and his head span a little from the force of the blow. He wasn't built to take damage like that, neither was he skilled enough to dodge three people at once, which became the case again as the human he floored regained his footing. He knew where the last one was, but he didn't know if he could get there. The beginnings of disorientation crept upon him while he looked upon another incoming strike, ducked, the drove his fist into the man's crotch with a relatively weak punch; which was still enough to make him double over in pain.
Arkash stumbled a bit, then wove beneath the giant's swipe as he danced a pace or two, then leaned back to avoid a sudden right cross before he ducked beneath a left hook. From his duck, the human drove his knee into Arkash's sighted side, and the impact flashed white in his vision. Arkash fell as his ears rang and the room span, but quickly recovered from the initial force of his minor concussion, and sprang toward the human's feet, where he reached for the final farthing, only to black out as the human's boot hurtled for his head.
When he woke, the room span and his face was numb in parts, raw with pain. There was quiet chatter all around him while his eye regained focus, and fully opened. There, he breathed deeply, and a muffled chorus of celebrations steadily filled his ears. Above him, Kahl kneeled, and pulled on his shoulder. Arkash's head fell back as he was made to sit up, and his vision somewhat cleared. He was still in the room, dazed and disoriented, but functional.
"You did it," congratulated Kahl. ""All six, right there, look," he spoke as Arkash willed his head forward amidst his heavy concussion, then looked to his scalie palm where a bunch of money rested. He'd done it? He managed to snag the last one? He could taste blood, and his nose was clogged, but it was worth it if he meant he was successful. "Welcome to the Sawteeth, Arkash."
