Madace (Preview)

Preview 2

     She crouched on her side of the ring, her entire body poised to strike as she glared up at her opponent with a malicious smile on her face as he stood on the opposite side, half morphing his features into that of the Balkhan he could become. He grinned at her, showing a row of sharp fangs, as a growl rumbled in his throat, rattling through the arena. She drew her weapons free from their holsters and watched as the Arguin before her merely added claws to his already altered body.
     Everything was silent for a few moments as a loud hissing sound marked the arrival of the announcer and his voice projection spell. "My good friends, I welcome you all to the prize fight of the night. The final battle of this Moon Cycle is showcasing both our most gifted fighters. In the eastern side is the fierce and well trained Abel, a well fought Arguin. In the western side stands the one and only Archet-Birq hybrid, Vris a fierce warrior who has managed to fight her way from the bottom of the brackets to stand here. Both have fought for glory and only one can achieve that tonight. And so, without further ado, I welcome you all to enjoy." the announcer proclaimed.
     There was a few moments of silence as the crowd grew eager and then; "Fighters, prepare yourselves." Another pause. "Go!"
     A hideous snarl filled the clearing as Abel launched himself at Vris his body contorted to the point where he looked more animal than normal. And Vris rolled to the side, her knives now fully drawn. She stayed where she was as he stood up, hunched over, with an equally venomous glint in his eyes.
     "Why do you run my dear? Wouldn't it be easier to just stay still?" he crooned, as he crept towards her, his form rippling to a full morph.
     Vris scowled as the Balkhan slunk towards her, attempting to circle her. When he lashed out with one paw, she leapt back, but not before feeling the rush of warmth that spread down the side of her face. The tang of blood struck her and for a moment she could feel nothing but the burning pain.
     After a beat of hesitation, she lurched forwards, her knife sinking into the pad of the paw attempting to go for her throat. Watching in a sick satisfaction as the top appeared on the other side.
     A sick and hideous caterwaul echoed from Abel's mouth, as he jerked his paw back yanking the knife from Virs' hand as it stayed embedded in his foot.
     Seizing the moment of confusion she launched herself onto the wall of the cage that encircled the fighting pair, looping her legs through the small links that intersped it and pulled the bow from around her back. She pointed the bow down at Abel as he stalked up towards her and notched an arrow.
     The very second he was within range, there was a faint hissing sound before a thunk echoed around the cage as the arrow found home. Silence held the arena in suspended time before the most savage snarl heard erupted from Abel's mouth and a deep flash of fur before Vris was yanked off the edge of the cage, and slamming onto the floor. Pain bloomed from the back of her skull as it cracked into the hard packed dirt below her, and blood blossomed from under the jaws clutching her left arm.
     A heavy paw planted itself onto her chest before the pain that ripped through her arm following the cracking sound enticed a painful and unnatural shriek to tear from Vris' throat. Within seconds, a knife found itself burrowed deep into the right armpit of Abel and her arm was released, giving Vris enough time to stand and gather her own self weapons.
     A faint creaking and cracking of joints and bones filled the space between her scream and the shocked gasp of the crowd, as her wings unfurled behind her accompanied by her extra legs. They wrapped themselves around her torso, while her wings whipped out behind her, giving off the appearance of an avenging angel.
     Raising her good arm she slashed down at Abel, her claws sinking into his side as he narrowly avoided a blow to the neck. There was a moment of pure terror in his eyes, before he launched himself at her, this time aiming for one of her outspread wings.
     Excited that the fight now turned on her side Vris easily turned and watched as Abel struck the ground, the shock causing him to revert to a normal form. He lay there, stunned as Vris towered over him, and placed her clawed foot onto his neck, relishing in the faint squeak of shock before her toes burrowed into his throat and all fell silent.
     There was a moment of silence following the final blow before the crowd screamed in excitement. The announcer's voice filtered through the noise again saying something about her victory and Abel's loss. Through all of that Vris simply stood there, her left arm hanging uselessly at her side and covered in blood.
     She fixed her eyes on the cage door as workers filtered in, one of them clamping a cool fabric collar around her neck, just above the ruffle of feathers there. And she found herself being escorted out of the ring as the crowd filtered away. She left a single blood covered footprint for a large chunk of the way, watching in fascination as other creatures seemed to flinch out of her way, like she was some feral beast.
     In a sense, of course she was a feral beast, a creature whose main purpose has since become to kill to live. But in another sense, she isn't for she is forced to kill lest she be killed herself.
Although most probably flinched away because of the blood that trailed down the side of her face and stained her orange shirt a dark brown.