A Storm in Whitescar. (PM or ask on discord to join!)

[Dusty]

Hooves stomping to the drummer's beat, horns blaring and crowds screaming as steels clashed. The arenas of Saarvagerg were busy as ever as a larger crowd gathered around one of the smaller public arenas. It was a open arena, no real guidelines given. Just a free for all brawl zone to sort out troubles. That was until one cow arrived. For the past two hours she carved a path around the arena taking on everything in it with utter disregard for how many rushed her and yet she came out on top using nothing more than her hooves. The cheering was reaching deafening levels as she bucked a bull so hard he shot over the arena wall. All around her the deaten, many out cold or rolling in pain on the muddy floor.

 

The cow was shorter than most caribou yet her strength bested many bulls bigger than her. Her frame mached her strength with clear muscle mass underneath her hide and fur that was ashy white. She had a black mane done up in a mohawk with purple highlights. Her eyes were a crisp ice blue with a long jagged scar over her right eye that looked like lighting built. She was wearing black platemail covered her more vital organs but left the rest wide open to cut down on weight in a “all or nothing” take on self defense. Her weapons were nothing more than her four hooves reinforced with some black steel to be used in blocking blows. Standing on top of a whimpering bull twice her size the cow looks up at the onlookers, grinning ear to ear. She was not even panting yet. Yet she did not speak. Not one word left her muzzle in all of the combat.  She waves a hoof at the onlookers, than aimed it at her self, dearing more to come down and take her on as they chanted the name given to her by onlookers. Silent Lightning, given thanks to her face scar and utter lack of speaking.

 

But this was no cow. She was tempest. Thanks to the magic of Masquerade and his one of a kind disguises she looked complenty like a caribou even up close. The custom outfit cost so much she had to lone Bits from Ice just to pay for it! AND was going to need to do some… ‘work’ for Masquerade on top of it. But it was all worth it. The magic and skill in its making masked her flawlessly. She was for all it was worth a full blooded caribou when inside of it. But one thing it can’t mask was her accent and lack luster understanding of the caribou language. Well she had what she needed too get by and understand most things speaking it was another story. So to cover her flank she pretend to be mute and let her acts speak for her.

 

((This RP contants tempest in a magic disguse bult by Masquerade, as such she looks like a female caribou. If you don't know about Masquerade or his costumes read his app! it's vary usefull. The only thing that knows tempest is here or owns that costume is Ice her self.))

[Pretzelparty]

 

As renowned caribou were for their warriors, Lately Hogo-sha's time in their land was getting... disappointing. It wasn't his first time in Saarvagerg, this traveler had made several visits in the past to hone his skills in a fight. When he first showed up he he had already been tempered through training with his old master, so he had a bit of an edge of the regular fighter. But now he'd become something of a seasonal regular. He had the advantage of experience now over most of the competition, normally he had his most fun in the royales, or when there was a notable talent in the ring.

 

Seems that one had finally managed to show up. This curious scarred caribou showed remarkable strength, even for... whatever she was. There was no fooling this "dog's" nose. An unmistakable scent of magic seemed almost baked into her form or whatever was covering it. Whatever reason she had for concealing herself from the caribou wasn't something Hogo-sha was concerned with. Right now there was a promising scrap in front of him and he was not about to let the chance slip. The black dog nimbly hopped over the fallen bou around him, his own number of beaten opponents already  fairly impressive, though clearly this silent cow had outpaced him. "It's good to see someone around here with a some genuine talent..." The dog approached his opponent with a warm smile, "I'm Hogo-sha."

 

While the strange dog seemed welcoming enough to his opponent, he was hardly open. He had an air about him, something that just said he was prepared for what was to come his way... or that he at least felt he was.  "I've been coming here a long time... and I look forward to days when I meet someone skilled." He casually handed off the weapon in his left hand to his right and pointed the Bokken* toward the cow. This wooden sword was entirely clean, not a speck of blood or dent on it. Members of the audience might have noticed that earlier he's not really been fighting with the sword in any serious way. Mostly just tapping opponents in vital areas  here and there then knocking them across the stage or into other fighters. None he hit though were ever preocupied and he took care to not interrupt the battles of others in the arena.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[SteelEagle]

The Red Jarl's dissapointment radiated off of him. Here he was in the great Arena and what was he seeing? Failure. Weakness. The Caribou here lacked the skill of their forefathers. Their sirement spoke proudly of them, but their warm blood ran feebly and steamed the cold ground in an unworthy fashion. Even the victorious ones rarely got an approving glare from the rebel commander, and why should they? The Caribou were not bred for victory, they were bred for dominance. And even the victors spoke to dominance only ever lightly. His Housecarls flanked him and they all shared disapproving conversations and looks at the arena. For what was supposed to be a scouting mission he wasn't sure there would be a lot of great warriors to haul back to the rebels. Not that it was much of a surprise considering the state of Whitescar!

 

It was so feeble now. The High King and his lackeys had seen to the gradual weakening of the land and the Caribou that grew hard on it. While the loyalist armies still showed their quality, the rest of the land? Not so much. Maybe that plague killed the brave ones. Maybe the drive away from warfare lowered their skills as a species. Maybe turning off that clarion call for war and combat had neutered them in some spiritual way. Whatever the case was it just seemed like they all lacked the essential elements that made warriors truly shine. They had strength (for now, though he saw one too many fattened bellies for his liking) but that was all they had. Never could a starker, clearer image be seen of the weakness of the Loyalists than what was on display here. The crowd cheered because a fight was a fight and in the land of the Loyalist they had to get what they could.

 

Hehe, 'Land of the Loyalist' as if Saarvagerg could ever be called that. It was loyal to the Southern Wilds and the Arena alone and even the High King wasn't foolish enough to stop it. Rebels such as the Red Jarl could make their presence known in these lands easily enough, especially as the High King was time and time again prevented from ending the rebellion inside of Whitescar itself. A major victory in the northeast had destabilized a loose coalition of clans in the area and boosted rebel numbers in Whitescar itself, and now the old raiding routes near Neighpon were open again. Indeed, even The Serpent's Vein had seen inland raids for the first time in many years. A refreshing change of pace. The drums of war beat ever louder and the rebel clans grew excited at the prospect. The land would belong to the strong, one way or another.

 

Of course they always needed...talent. And the arenas provided a showcase for it. The Red Jarl and a small group of others had been dispatched to hoofpick the best and most worthy they saw. Maybe his standards were too high, because anybou that lost to that foreign mutt wasn't worth his time. As talented and experienced as this Hogo-sha was- and a respectable fighter at that, something the Red Jarl could respect- he knew that the rebels demanded something in the soul that such creatures were unable to offer. But this cow? She had real talent. The only he had seen that combined speed, power, skill, and actual talent since he had arrived. A perfect addition.

 

Two issues. One, here was magic. He could tell because his elder Housecarl had brought along teh Diviner. To make up for their weaknesses, the Loyalists had been borrowing magical weapons and artifacts from abroad. Rebel stockpiles of anti-magical construction and defensive material were low, so they had authorized use of the Diviners- small rods with signals that pointed at the direction of magical elements. Small, hidden in his cloak, it had been pointing at her the entire time. Second- well, the Red Jarl knew the methods of wars of many a culture and army, almost instinctively, and had an eye for detail that was often lost in the discussion of his brute speed and power. He noticed many things about this warrior. Things he wanted to see up close. He turned to an attendant, an elderly bull warrior. "Tell the Manager of the High Games to send these two warriors into the Preparation Hall when they are finished fighting one another," he said sternly to the warrior- not impolitely, mind you. To be stern and direct was the proper Caribou way! The Elder nodded and trotted off. The Red Jarl nodded at his Housecarls, and the trio made their way into the bowels of the Arena. 

 

They had a meeting to prepare for.

[Dusty]

The cows ears flicked, her head turning to look at the approaching mutt. Turning about to face him she steps down from the bull, delivering one last kick to his face stopping his sad whimpering. She leans her head to one side, than the other as she looked at the mutt. A soft short leaves her nose at his name. Hogo-sha? Dressed like a weeb. Talking about wishing to meet someone with ‘skill’ and how he’s been doing this for a long time… She felt like vomiting. At least he was not fat, smelly and going ‘m’lady’ at her. He may be a real sword master. Maybe. She hopes he was, she wanted something fun.

 

Rolling her shoulder blades she gave him a utterly dead look. No feelings to it at all with uncaring eyes. She’s found such looks tend to offset others, making them uneasy seeing a face so uncaring and unfeeling. It was nerve racking to many and helped mask what she was doing. Stepping closer she taps a for leg against his wooden blade, letting the black plate clank on it before backing up and spacing her hooves out for battle. One hoof tap. Two. three. And she was on him, rushing to his left in a spinning dash, lining her rare up to deliver a two hoof buck at his hip. It was a risky move but she was hoping her speed will take him by surprise. If he was worth his salt he’d block it or move. If not… well, she’d not waste to much time on a useless game.

[Pretzelparty]

 

Yeesh. That was certainly... a look. Hogo-sha had seen shellshocked gaze here and there. He'd even given a few of his own when he was first starting out and trying get past his hangups with failure. Thankfully, he'd managed to pull through such a look with time and experience. Like He'd said before, he'd been fighting a while... more then likely twice as long as his opponent had.  On some level he envied her raw strength, but goodness that was a sad gaze. 

 

The Dog stood unshaken, the stare only managing to stimulate his curiosity. A smile coming to his muzzle as she tapped the wooden sword, his narrowed as he felt his heartbeat quicken in anticipation. His ears twitched ever so slightly as the cow's hoofs clopped against the cold ground of the arena. On the first tap he dropped the smile, the second tap his eyes narrowed, and on the third he was ready. He was surprised, not so much by her speed but by this risky venture. Eyes were glued to her haunches as they came around... he waited for the moment when they would soon be thrust in his direction and swiftly moved out of way: looking for a moment like a blur of black and blue. 

 

When the cow's leg's came out he  was already at her side and delivered a quick jab at the cow's side. The impact wouldn't deal much damage to a hardy 'caribou' like her but being jabbed by a blunt object still hurt... and her opponent's strength managed to slide her backwards about two feet. "You've got very good Hoofing there!" He called out, "If you’re done testing the waters. I hope I've been satisfactory."

Edited March 8, 2019 by Pretzelparty

[Dusty]

The cow took the jab in stride, using the force of it to turn herself about to face him head on without one yelp of pain or discomfort. She’s felt far worse. She rolls her shoulders and gives him a small grin. He may not be worthless after all. But that a easy blow to handel, she’d been disappointed if he failed to handle to. But with no time to wast she dug her hoof in to dirt and mud and kicks it up at the dog but did not follow in to head on. even a blind foal and swing a sword about in front of him. So she rushed to his side and swings a hoof low at his legs. Cheap, dirty moves but she honestly did not care. She never was one to play fair.

[Pretzelparty]

Already going for the cheap and dirty? This was already getting disappointing and the dog's smile faded slowly until it turned to one of a kind of focused boredom. Aware enough of his surroundings and ready to react, but having already starting to have some doubts about his opponent. If She had really only gotten this many with raw strength and pragmatic tactics she was still very impressive, but he'd hoped to find someone skilled. "You take what you get in the end I guess..." he thought to himself as he tensed up, "I hope she's clever enough to get me to really push myself today."

 

Not long after the cow dug her hoof into the dirt, the dog jumped back in a flash. Moist dirt flung in clumps fell to the arena floor as Hogo-sha  did. When he landed he knew he wouldn't be able to avoid that punch coming for him and ... to be frank he didn't want to. Upon landing Hogo-sha swung his blade once so that the cow's punch was met by the flat of the wooden sword and then batted away to force an opening. Hoping to take advantage of the opportunity he made he Thrust the blunt end of his sword at the cow. The blow containing a great deal of force, enough to send her skidding backwards and leave a deep indent in her armor... if she was hit at least. If she managed to Dodge he would press the attack doing some quick but forceful thrusts with the bokken in a quick flurry. Making sure to keep up the pressure.

 

 

 

[Dusty]

The cow snorted at the block but did not even try to move away from his follow up. Taking it on her chest plate she leans to the side, forcing it to glance left where she meets it with a raised leg. In one fast movement she traps it between her leg and chest, locking it down for just a moment as she reared up and delivered a hoof to the dogs frowning muzzle well pulling the blade closer to force him to let go or take a hit on the face for the price of pulling his blade free. For her part, she was smiling now. 

[Pretzelparty]

 

 

The punch just barely met its mark, it's target having rolled along with the blow to mitigate some of the force. After taking the hit, Hogo-sha puled his weapon free and swiftly leapt backwards to put some distance between them. At first his face was down for a few seconds, then shot back up with a delighted grin. "The first blow landed on me tonight." He took in a breath and stood back up in a flash, "Now..."  His arm moved in a blur in front of him in blur of blue and black colors.

 

Tempest would have felt a rush of wind blast past her face and some knick her ear. Some sort of impact behind her. A roar erupted from the audience as they beheld the feat. The wooden sword had been jammed into the wall as (wooden) sword in stone, "... I'm Motivated!" A cloud dust flew up behind him as he again closed the distance between himself and the cow. At first it seemed like he was going to put all of himself into a haymaker but it turned out to be a feint. If Tempest fell for it, Hogo-sha would step back and then thrust forward with a fast straight  aimed at her shoulder.

 

At this point, the diamond dog felt he may have figured out what type of fighter this cow was. The kind who tries to draw out an opponent, open up their guard, and capitalize on their mistakes. There were a couple ways to fight such a style, a few of which this dog knew of. He figured to try for the careful method... Tempest had taken on most of the fighter's before he'd gotten her attention. Her stamina was incredible, but even the best have their limits. The smile on her face was practically mirrored by her opponent, the wolf having his hopes renewed. Maybe he'll actually need to drop his disguise in this fight and resort to magic...

Edited March 11, 2019 by Pretzelparty

[Dusty]

The cow flicks an ear as the sword slammed into a wall behind her, eyes not moving from her target as that faint smile holds. She leans her head side to side as the dog talks, than makes a bored snorting sound and waves at him to move it along. Everyone has to talk in combat… With him done she readies herself.

 

Watching him rush her she easily picked up on him going for a haymaker. To easy, its as if he was slinging all of his body. He’d know better than to do that, she’d easy nail him in chest and parry the blow. So she leaps back and went on the defenses, well she will land no hits it allowed her time to react to the faint and back out from the follow up blow. He’d be ready for her follow up so did not, instead she stayed on the defense to study him more. She did enjoy that he switched too hoof… well, paw combat? It earned some respect from her.

[Pretzelparty]

Rather than taking the time to lay back Hogo sha pushed forward. Closing the distance between him and Tempest with surprising speed. His Arms were up and guarding  his body  until he prepared to throw a right hook.  His eyes locked on to the cow's with a fierce intensity as he let the punch fly only to abort as soon as she brought up her guard and then would rain down a series of sharp jabs to her side. Any attempts to made by tempest to back off weren't  going to bear fruit, Seems her opponent was determined to keep up the pressure on her and not give her a moment to analyze.

[Dusty]

The push to keep the pressure up was not unexpected, in fact it was how she liked to handle herself. Overwhelm them with raw force and unrelenting pressure to make them slip up. So long as the pressure is steady it keeps one in a endless chain of drafting and pulling back out of fear. She did not allow such fear to grip her and pushed back against the mutt. The hook was to much like the last one, repeating a faint, so she did not move to block it by pushed in to it with a left hook of her own in to the mutts chest well eating his own jab in to her own chest. A blow for a blow as both push hard to make the back off. Swallowing the pain as the wind was pushed from her lungs Lightning followed up her hook by pushing in closer and going for an antler headbutt.

[Pretzelparty]

 

Hogo-sha did not back off from Tempest's hook he took it full on as came in... just as he'd been Hoping. Bringing her antlers in for the headbutt might have seems a good idea but while her opponent ws fast with his fist, he was faster with his teeth. Those jaws snapped down on Tempest's antlers and Took hold tight. In a swift motion, Hogo-sha lifted up the cow in an arc in a grapple then tossed her back down to the ground on her back. Once she landed, the dog brought up his foot and tried to bring it down hard onto her stomach with great force. The Dog was already smiling down at her, still enjoying this bout.

Edited June 16, 2019 by Pretzelparty

[Dusty]

A gasp of air forced its way out of Lightnings muzzle as she hit the ground with force from Hogo-sha’s slam. He was getting far more aggressive! Seeing the paw rising up she knew what was coming and by the hair of her hide rolled out of the way in time. Spinning on to her chest before leaping up with the help of all for legs. Bouncing back to get a moment of space before she rushed back in knowing he’d not let her rest long. Moving at him as if to charge with her antlers she held onto the last moment before pulling her head to the side, digging her front hooves in and spinning her flank out front to deliver a sweep at the dogs legs to knock him over. 

[Pretzelparty]

This had gotten very heated... the adrenaline pumping in the dog's vein's driving him on to keep going. Yet, somehow this felt very off. Maybe it was because the both of them were hiding something. For Hogo-sha he knew what it was he was hiding. It was his nature as a yokai! What did this creature have to hide behind the visage of a caribou? It was something that would eat at him all year if he couldn't get to the bottom of it. 

When the caribou charged on ahead with her horns lowered, Hogo-sha steeled his resolve and stood his ground. Just when  pulled her head to the side he jumped up and back away from that sweeping kick as it came out. Her hooves just barely grazing his coat as they swung in an arc. It was an attack that left her quite open from the side... so once the dog landed he threw a quick jab to the caribou's side. Once it landed however it was clear to the one on the receiving end it was merely a firm push rather than an adrenaline fueled punch. It did have enough strength to send her skidding backwards, though. 

With a pleased smile the Dog called out, "Silent Lightning was it?" He was sure this cow wouldn't give him any verbal response so he continued, "This has been one of the most fun bouts I've had in years! Would it be alright if we called it a tie and we made this a... repeat occurence?"

[Dusty]

The number of hits Hogo-sha landed on her was getting her frustrated. He was fast and reacted at speeds that felt off. She can’t nail it down but he was no diamond dog. That was easy to read… as for what he really was she did not know. But it was powerful. Seeing him make no moves at her she rested, panting as he talked. He wanted a Tie. on one hoof, she hated that. She wanted too win. On the other by the time one of them did win both of them will be extremely tired or very hurt. Something she did not want to risk. As shameful as it was calling it, it was the smart move. Both of them made a very good showing of skill and power. 

 

After thinking on it she walked closer to the dog and nodded her head. This was a smart move in the end. She can have another battle with him later. A repeat occurrence as he asked for. Given his skills and speed he’d make for a very good sparring partner. 

 

Her head turned around to look at older Bull making his way over. The Manager of this ring was it? He wasted no time getting to them. “[Go to the preparation hall. Now. You both are wanted.]” Was all the old bull had to say before turning and walking away to deal with other matters. 

 

Lightning just rolled her shoulders. This was odd news… someone wanted to meet her? Fascinating. Maybe she won the eye of some bull. Wasting no time she trotted away to the rings doorway that leads down to the preparation hall and disappeared down it.

[Pretzelparty]

That small nod earned Silent lightning a wag of this dog's tail along with a dignified nod of his own. While this 'cow' was clearly the strong and silent type, she was clearly a might combatant and someone who he could likely learn a couple tricks from! 

Before Hogo-sha could leave he had to retrieve something important. At a brisk pace, He walked over to the other side of the arena wall where he'd thrown his sword earlier. The weapon was still lodged in the stone wall. He calmly and smoothly withdrew the unscuffed tool and got to calmly walking with it in paw, rejoining Silent Lightning by the Ring Manager. His knowledge of the Caribou language was lacking as he was only able to make out "Go", "Preparation Hall", and "Both wanted". It was more than enough to piece together the request and with his new companion already walking he didn't have to guess where to follow.

[SteelEagle]

The Hall stunk of dried blood and fur. Preparation- what a lark. This was where the wounded were dragged and emergency surgeries performed while new warriors prepared themselves for the upcoming fights. For now, it was empty except for the Red Jarl and his Housecarls. They sat at a half table with mead and some food on it, the Housecarls partaking in it. The Red Jarl did not. He instead watched the two enter with his fiery eyes judging their every move. He was helmless, but wore his steel and wood armor- the one of growing infamy, the Bane of Cowards. His face was daubed in several blue, yellow, and red inks, forming symbols upon his face, and his arsenal of weapons on his back and hips made clanking sounds as he readjusted himself. He looked at the two and gave what could only pass as a predatory smile.

"You two, come sit. I have an appreciation of such warriors."

The table had two empty chairs with a plate of warm Hasselback potatoes and glasses of mead.

"I am the Red Jarl, of the True Caribou Clans. I have watched many so-called warriors fight today, and only you two are worthy of respect. Even you, foreign dog-warrior," he said with grudging respect towards the foreign-born mutt. It was strange for him to do so- to an outside. He respect courage and strength wherever it was found. It was just fact that it was the Caribou who had a near monopoly on it.
His attention turned to the cow. "I keep abreast of the fine warriors of this land. I do not know you yet, cow. Speaking yourself into existence with acts of violence is always proper and has me intrigued. Who are you? What clan does your bloodline hail from?" He asked as he drank. She was the magical one, so the rods said. Her answer was vital. More importantly, the longer he kept her close the better reading the rods would give. Then he would know who she really was and what her magic was all about. Then and only then would he decide whether she was worthy of his attention.

He already knew the dog-warrior would be useful in a certain role. Whether he would accept or not the Jarl did not know, though he hoped the dog-warrior would. Such skill necessitated challenge.

[Dusty]

Some deep part of Tempest was taken back from the smells. She has seen it all before. It was not shocking but opens old doors. One never forgets battle. It will sink deep into one's very soul and nothing you can do will ever remove it. All one can do is reach an understanding. What did bring some shock to her her now caribou face was the one at the table. She knew what he was before he told her. She knew him VERY well. She did not like him. But she did respect him a lot. He’d be one of her bigger road blocks after the conquest of Equestria. He’d never have fallen in line and may have been one of the hardest battles she’d have. But none of that mattered now. That life was over. 

 

Moving to sit down she heard what he had to say. She did not reach for a drink until after he took the first sip. She did not fear the drink, no she knew he damned a level of respect and honor at the strongest level. This was a bull to not anger or falt and she was deeply aware of this. If she was not in hiding she may even be afraid of him. But she was one of his kin and she MUST keep it that way. She had no love for her own race and blood but she knew he’d care not. This was a game she can not slip up in. She must be a full blooded caribou to the heart. 

 

Now… to explain herself. She rubbed a hoof to her throat, showing off it's scarring as she opens and shuts her muzzle. This was to show she can not speak so he’d understand what she did next and did not think she was just not talking to him. Nuzzling in to a saddle bag she pulled out a roll of paper. Using her two front hooves she pulled it open and held it down flat on the table so he may read the runic text on it. She had a gut feeling she may need to explain herself. Maybe in a rush. So she pre-made several rolls of paper for such a thing. 

 

The runic was… messy, but readable. Given the literacy rate of Whitescare she felt her crude runic will not be seen as bad. The fact that she can read and write at all may be seen as a skill not too many have. Or so she hoped. 

 

[I am Lightning. I can not talk. I can hear. I can read. I speak with write.]

[I hail from far land. Outcast. Father unknown. Mother hunter. Dead in glory. Now alone.]

 

A backstory, basic but believable. She can not have ties as ties make layers of lies. The more one lies, the harder it is to keep it. She just had to hope he’d believe she was some no name outcast trying to just make a name for herself. In her eyes it seems believable. Such a fate can not be to uncommon in whitescar.

[Pretzelparty]

 

Hogo-sha wrinkled his nose at all the scent of blood. He was a skilled and practiced combatant, but not a son of warfare. He prefered the intimacy of duels and the like to settle matters and certain disagreements. Whitescar's constant conflicts seemed to produce a great deal of formidable fighters, which was why Hogo-sha came here so very often. Practice. He had visited this arena many times in the hopes of honing his skills to the point of perfection. Yet, none lately seemed to be terribly thrilling as of late. In fact, the only recent opponent he'd liked since he met that stallion from equestria some time ago was... Lightning. 

He'd heard a lot of this Red Jarl... many of the things he'd done didn't sit right with him. He seemed a bit too zealous and coming from this dog that was saying something. Still, he couldn't deny the bull's charisma and unmistakable skill. Just from His Posture, Hogo-sha could tell while sitting, the Jarl was always prepared: Ready to strike or counter if need be. 

Not wanting to be rude, Hogo-sha took a seat. The readings from the rods immediately went into the high range. This Foreign mutt was was undoubtedly foreign, maybe not a mutt, but there was much more about him than it seemed. Reading were positively through the roof!

At the Red Jarl's acknowledgement, Hogo-sha gave only a simple nod of his head. Unsure if he should speak just yet. The Caribou's attention for the time being seemed very focused on the silent cow across from him. Trying to remain cool, Hogosha glanced at the paper she slid forward. He was curious just how much of this story was true. He could tell something was very off about this cow from the start. Not in the way she fought, but that odd, layered magical aura she carried around on her. All creatures had some form of magic, but caribou rarely had anything as thick as hers...

 

 

[SteelEagle]

Both of them were highly magically charged to some degree. A high degree. The rods started going off at a higher pitch and whine until they were tapping the legs f the table once in a while, providing an inconsistent melody of taps. A less than delightful answer. He already knew that but the more noise the rods made the more he was made acutely aware that they weren't entirely warriors of blood and steel but of something more ethereal and less respectful. He drank to hide his sadness but focused on the cow first.

 

She was mute. An old scar hung loose and stark around her neck. Not all warriors could claim endless victory and it showed great strength to survive such an attack and return from it all the stronger. The story her poorly written runes told was one of a common heritage, borne experience out of a thousand caribou a day. Unknown father, so likely a raider- a poor one, but the poorest of raiders was already among the best types of caribou. A mother-provider, now dead. Good mother. Needed more like her. "I see. Your runes could use work. If you are mute, then you will need to communicate sharply with your comrades in steel. In any case, you are a mighty warrior. You are better than arena fights against dreck. You are destined for more than that. I can smell violence upon you. I can taste the metallic hint of blood. And I can feel a need to dominate, as all true caribou do. I can fulfill these needs and much more, Lightning of...?"

 

The dog-warrior was a different case. Lightning held herself as a warrior caribou should. Violent, open, and ready to commit. The dog-warrior was different. Extensively magical, reserved, with a look of respect but also of calculation. His fighting style was honed through duels and honorable combat. The Jarl had seen such foes before. Very capable warriors with high-minded ideals, often times with high skill ceilings. Too often though those ideals were the noose with which they would hang themselves though. They rarely made great soldiers in wars. Hopefully this dog-warrior would dispell such concern. "You may shatter your self-imposed silence, dog-warrior. Your aura of magic is intense. I do not see mortal Neighponese or those from Lon Guo with such auras. You may drop the act if it suits you, Okami."

[Dusty]

So far so good! Tempest was starting to feel excited about this. Was he offering to take her in? That was… so risky. For herself, not him. Sooner or later she’d have to go back home. She can’t hide forever… and how long can she stay in this magic suit? She was told she can be in it for weeks on end just fine, but some part of her felt being in to long was risky. It used powerful magic in reality, what can that do to a pony after a long time? She did not want to be the test pig. But she had plenty of time for now. 

 

Now if she did join him… Well, risks. So many. Being found out. No easy way out… so on and so forth. This bull was extremely dangereuses and yet that was why she was excited about it. To even get to watch him! She can learn so much… And really watching him at work… It was just about to make her feel warm underneath the fur. But she can’t get ahead of herself. He wanted… something… Sire name? No, she’d not have one. He’d know that… Clan? Must want that. Well… She knew just the clan name to use.

 

Getting up she walked from the table to a close pool of blood. It was not as fresh as she hoped, but still runny. Dipping her hoof in it she walked back to the table and pulled one of the papers over, than used her bloody hoof. [Irondrake.] A name she hoped will work, based on the books and what she knew first hoof from stories they were almost all but wiped out years ago trying to head deep north. At least that is what Seven told her, he claimed to be the last living Irondrake after all. But this may be the riskiest part of all of this. If she claims to be part of a clan with… well, living members at all that work for this bull she will be busted real fast. But she can’t make up a clan name as well. A bull like him must keep good tabs on the clans. So this was her best shot.

[Pretzelparty]

 

 

The "dog" Heaved a small sigh as the Jarl so casually announced his true nature. How very rude and blunt...  It was good that such bluntness was a thing this dog admired about the caribou's culture. Still, it was a tad dissapointing. "Well this is a bit of a dissapointment." sparks started to jump and crackle across his fur as the wooden sword he'd been holding in his hand began to float, "I'd been hoping to have this revealed in the arena when I found a good opponent who wouldn't back down." 

 

In a quick flash the diamond dog that had been in Hogo-sha's seat shifted back into a decidedly less bipedal shape. The ethereal lupine's coat still clung to back, and now the sword he'd brought with him simply floated to rest comfortably at his side.  While Silent Lightning  went over to the pool of barely dried blood, Hogo-sha was rolling his neck to get any kinks out and then dipped his head to the Jarl in respect. That smile didn't leave his muzzle, "I'd been hoping to meet you someday... Granted this is much sooner than I'd hoped." Hogo-sha had heard stories of the Red Jarl... and if he'd done his homework right, than this caribou's ancestor was one of his father's opponent's that managed to scar him. It would be such a great addition to this Okami's legend if he could manage to defeat this bull in combat someday. Hogo-sha was no fool though, he heard of the Red Jarl's incredible prowess. Skilled as this wolf was he was still too young to be able to defeat such a foe.... yet. 

 

"I hope this revelation doesn't need to leave this room. If some caribou end up coming for my fur while I leave the stadium I'd hate to leave too big a mess to be cleaned up." Sometimes a bit of posturing was too much to pass up.

 

Looking over to Silent lightning he smiled seeing the name she'd written down, "Ah... The last of the Irondrakes? How very interesting... they were a fierce clan from what stories I'd heard. No wonder you made such a remarkable opponent." Hogo-sha didn't know why this curious combatant went with this background. He could tell she was no caribou... why hide so deeply into this cover when there were so many different species to come to this arena. 
 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 22, 2019 by Pretzelparty

[SteelEagle]

"The Irondrakes were a good clan with a good end. What clan name do you attach yourself to now, Lightning?"

So much betrayed in that name. Caribou did not have names like Silent Lightning or Grand Warrior or anything of the sort. Even his nickname- The Red Jarl- was earned. Brann was his name. So either she managed to earn this name without becoming a known commodity for being a warrior in a culture of warriors or she was deceiving him. He would have to know more about her before he called her further into question. She was strong and looked healthy- could she bear calves? They needed strong warrior cows to breed stronger warrior calves for the future of the caribou to be fully secured. Hopefully she wouldn't deceive him out of a strong future for his righteous warriors on account of some inner turmoil or greed. That would make him very angry and the Red Jarl was well known for his calm demeanor.

 

As to the Okami, his words earned a chuckle from the Jarl's wine-stained lips. "Ha, of course you would leave a trail. You are a warrior and too many of the caribou in this town are spectators. As for disappointment, discard it. Falsities, disguises, and deceit are the watchwords of cowards and assassins, not the virtues of the strong. If you truly are worthy of your breeding than you will be more than willing to showcase it to the world. Even your kind know best the ways of honor and the virtue of open combat," the Jarl said as he summoned another goblet of wine. He respected the Okami as a warrior and knew his kind were better than most of the fleabitten weaklings who occupied the planet. Still didn't make them anywhere near as good as caribou, but he could at least respect them unlike Equestrians. Basically worthless, that lot.

 

After a few moments more and another drink, the Jarl stood up to speak.

"To the point of this meeting. The True Caribou Clans are always searching for true warriors, real warriors. They do not ask for the meek and the gentle, but the violent, the courageous, the strong, the tenacious. They seek warriors such as you. I am here to offer you the choice of joining us in our great war against the Pretender King. You will fight in great battles against good warriors. You will be part of our fierce raids launched from our fleets of longvessels. You will be strong and you will impose your will on all those who have not proven themselves. You will dominate the seas, you will dominate the skies, you will dominate the forests and the mountains, the streets and the huts of this land. Do you accept?"

[Dusty]

‘Lightning’ leans her head to the side and shrugs her shoulders. No ties. No links. She was nothing with no past and she had to keep that. He wanted to add more layers so she may trip on her own story. But she knew how to be… nothing. To come from nowhere with no past. She has done it plenty of times already.

 

Now what was… something was the dog! She knew he was… more than he seemed but this was something new. She can’t help but look him up and down with a confused face and bewilderment at what happened and what he was. She wished she can voice how…. Uh, shocking that was. She did not know what he was. At all. How she wanted to know more! The Jarl's words on the topic so open ended as to what this dog was. But she had a feeling that is something she will not learn today. 

 

But she did have to do a double take as the Jarl did offer her… and the dog maybe? To join him. She was thinking he may be leading up to this but the fact he did was still… more than she planned for. This trip was to mess about, live another life and get away from the feelings that haunted her. Now on the plate was so much more and the risk with it. Well she was thinking about the risks of joining already it was now much more pressing. 

 

If she did join she’d be playing with her life. One wrong move, one slip and she ends up on the chopping block. By her own will if need be, slave she shall NEVER be. So can she risk it all? To put herself side by side with them? She was trying to get away from… this way of living. To stop feeding her demons. But this was one in a lifetime… The last hurrah? 

 

She had too. She will join, stay with them for… long as she felt safe than fake her death. Death happened out here. He’d not be shocked to see a newer blood pass in a battle going south. So be it. 

 

Rearing up on the table she nods her head, grinning ear to ear. For all her thinking she did not let slip one glance of worry. She was a cow wanting this, ready for it with all her heart and she had to look the part… one that was far too easy to play, something that deep down distressed her in how easy it was. The wolves will get to play one last time.