[Training] fall falls away

Thalassa

Sometimes you have to
burn yourself to the ground

It'd been a while since she'd found herself in the Climb, but the easy access from the Hollowed Grounds made it a simple trip, transporting her directly into the Burrows. And its proximity to Torchline made it the perfect place for her to meet Hadama for their sparring session. She may have also had the ulterior motive to visit Dygra's shrine, and this just happened to make the trip shorter for her. On the downside that gave her less time to figure out what her request would be. Asta had given her plenty to think about (perhaps too much), making it all the more complicated. 

Thal pushed aside the grandiose thoughts for now, preparing herself for the coming match. She removed her daggers, making sure their blades were sharp and ready to strike against the Mer King. They reflected the blood red liquid of the waterfall behind her as she sat on a nearby stone to wait patiently for him to arrive.

before you can rise
like a phoenix from the ashes.

He had requested a night time meeting to make his own travel easier. Though having two legs certainly made a journey across the volcanically active crust more doable, it still was not pleasant to traverse. Far safer to teleport into the Burrows directly through Safrin's gift, providing the sun was down and his power was at its strongest.

He stepped out of a portal of moonlight and twisting space and into the grand cavern where clear, cold water had once flowed. Now blood crashed down through the rocks of the earth, an unceasing tide begun by the Voice in exchange for the survival of her Ascended and their rebirth as something both new and old.

Fitting, perhaps, that Thalassa had chosen this place for their training. Hadama inclined his head to her as the celestial glow faded and his gaze dropped to her daggers. "They turned out well," he rumbled, pleased to see the completed weapons that he had helped her quest for. "Your timing was excellent. I am improving my armor again." With a thought he activated the bangle on his arm and the thick feathers flowed over his chest and back, a protective pelage with a starry sparkle to it. There was a sparkle of challenge and teasing in his eyes as well as he stood relaxed, letting his trident rest at his side. "So I will let you have the first shot for free."

---

Type: Light | Style: Defensive | Level: Upgraded
StArmour | Armour created from owlbear down. When not in use, retracts as a silver serpentine bangle etched with constellation and can be activated telepathically. Blocks physical damage. Has a 3 post cooldown

Thalassa

Sometimes you have to
burn yourself to the ground

The shimmering of moonlight attracted her attention, letting her fully witness the Mer King's arrival. She'd never seen his teleportation ability and she had to keep her eyes from widening. Twisting the daggers in the glowing red light, she gave him a warmer smile than most people saw on her these days. "They really did. Thank you for your assistance with them." Hadama might notice a new softness to her, brought on by recent revelations, decisions, and events. Although fragile, the effort was there. A shift. A delicate transformation. Her eyes still pierced, but her expression lacked the sharp aggression that often accompanied it.

Standing to meet the man, the coincidence didn't surprise her, and Thal just nodded her head as she saw his armor appear. It was familiar now and she didn't hesitate to settle into an easy fighting stance. His statement, on the other hand, caught her unawares. Laughing, she quirked an eyebrow. "Let me? How kind of you." As if she couldn't earn the strike on her own. Blue eyes sparkling, her lips twisted up in a confident grin. "I hope you don't regret that decision." Without warning, she sprinted forward, her body low to the ground as she punched her dagger out to strike his flank.

before you can rise
like a phoenix from the ashes.

His own expression was more relaxed than most saw from the serenely stoic King, though it was still a subtle change rather than an overt one. He did not hide that he was pleased to see the captain of the Marauder again, however, or that he was in a good mood and looking forward to their training. Thalassa's completed daggers sent a curl of satisfaction through the demigod as well, a small burn of secondhand pride in having helped in their creation, even if only in a small way.

And he was not unaware of the changes in the oft-prickly Ancient, either, as he met her smile with one of his own before he offered his teasing challenge. Her laughter was as welcome as her initial invitation had been, and his small smile spread into a slow grin. "Indeed," he rumbled, though whether it was a comment on his 'kindness' or his potential regrets was up to Thalassa to decide.

She moved swiftly, a streak of darkness within the low light of the cavern, and Hadama kept his word. He made no attempt to block or evade her strike, simply bracing himself to absorb it with his armor. The dagger sank into the feathers but the thick plumage prevented it from cutting any deeper or finding his flesh, and he looked down at the Ancient with that grin widening imperceptibly as he nodded in satisfaction. "Now it is my turn."

He shifted to slide his feet across the slick stone of the cavern floor, falling back and away from her blades into a wider, more stable stance. As he did so he spun his trident around to swat at Thalassa's shoulder with the broad, flat side of the tines, the attack almost playful but still hard enough to be a serious reminder of the deadly weapons they were engaging with.

Thalassa

Sometimes you have to
burn yourself to the ground

Much to her annoyance, her dagger sank into feather fluff - and straight out again. Thal let the momentum carry her past his side, flipping the weapon in her hand to adjust for her next attack. But apparently Hadama had other plans. His words gave her pause, yet she didn't have time to be worried as his trident came sweeping towards her. 

The longer reach of his weapon and stature made it harder for her to get within striking distance. As his swing came for her shoulder, she rolled forward and under the attack to close the space. The warm ground cushioned her movements. She completed the roll in a crouch, sweeping her blade out in an attempt to hit his legs. Maybe she could even the playing field a bit.

before you can rise
like a phoenix from the ashes.

The captain's rough edges might have grown a little smoother after she had been given a piece of her past back, but it had done nothing to blunt her instincts for combat. His warning had been generous, it seemed, as Thalassa reacted with swift dexterity to avoid his incoming strike. Emerald eyes gleamed with appreciation for her tactics as she stayed low and went for his legs--

An all-too-common tactic he found himself facing.

He pushed back off of his front foot with growing confidence in his balance and his footwork, his back foot sliding along the smooth obsidian of the cavern floor to propel him out of range of her blade. It opened the distance between them once more so that he could comfortably bring his trident down towards her head in a gentle rap if it connected. This time, however, he gave her no warning of his intentions. She had proved that she did not need them anymore.

Thalassa

Sometimes you have to
burn yourself to the ground

Never having thought she was one for 'predictability,' she was somewhat surprised when Hadama avoided her attack. Her face didn't show it, but the swing of her arm through air hadn't been expected, causing her to look up to assess her opponent's movements. Which turned out to be a powerful swing at her head. 

The strike falling towards her was too controlled to be truly dangerous, but Thal didn't recognize that, only seeing a very large man swinging a very heavy trident right for her head. Tightening her jaw to brace for impact, she rolled to her side, making herself even smaller. The weapon struck the edge of her arm as she barely avoided what she thought was guaranteed decapitation. The thrill of adrenaline brought a cringing smile to her face as she returned to a crouch, rotating her shoulder to ensure there wasn't any major damage. 

She followed the assessment with a retreat of her own, making some distance before releasing her dagger in a throw for his chest. Hopefully it would deter him from attacking for the moment.

before you can rise
like a phoenix from the ashes.

It was not just Thalassa. Most of those who Hadama trained with were quit a bit shorter than the Tidebreaker, and they had a tendency to aim for the targets within easiest reach - knees being a particular favorite target for many. And in their defense, it had worked every time when he was still new to his legs, unable to move quickly and still finding his balance on the strange, split flukes.

But he was no longer new to them, and if he still moved with deliberation now it was by choice rather than necessity.

His return blow was - mostly - dodged, and there was silent approval in his eyes as Thalassa utilized her own strengths to counter his advantage. Even if they had been fighting for real she would only have been wounded, not killed, and therefore could have continued fighting or fleeing. But if they had been fighting for real he would not have paused to see if she was unharmed...

And so he did not pause. He took a swift step after her, spinning the trident to carry its momentum into a second attack, but the glint of metal caught him off guard. He stopped as soon as he saw it, twisting to avoid the flying dagger, but he was too close and could not dodge it completely. He suffered a slice across his shoulder as it sped past, jaw tightening briefly at the unexpected flare of pain.

It made him disinclined to allow it to happen again.

Thalassa was out of his immediate reach, but Hadama continued to spin his trident until the tines dug into the sand beside him. He lifted the weapon free with a powerful flick of his wrist, sending a spray of sand at the wily captain to blind her vision and give him a chance to approach more safely.

Thalassa

Sometimes you have to
burn yourself to the ground

She supposed she should take the lack of concern for her physical wellbeing as a compliment, but Thal was missing the break in rhythm it would have provided. Luckily, her dagger seemed to help a little as she retreated. The initial fear of having hurt him dissipated when she remembered how he healed himself last time she'd done the same. As her dagger tried to flare into the added bonus of a burn, Thal snuffed the flame with a flicker of her mind and magic. This may be a spar, but she wasn't trying to torch the Mer King. She'd stick to metal and fists. 

With her own morals and limits in place, she hadn't been expecting such a literally dirty move from Hadama. It wasn't the kind of foul play that most pirates used in the middle of the ocean, so she didn't have experience evading such an attack. Throwing up her hand to protect her eyes, she decided in a split second to use her smaller shift as means to avoid any following attacks. One second, she was crouched before him, and the next, she was a wyrm, slithering stealthily past him with a flicker of her molten tongue.

before you can rise
like a phoenix from the ashes.

Hadama had a reputation for nobility and fair play that was not entirely unearned, but which was decidedly blown out of proportion by others. He was not, as as rule, inclined to protest such a reputation! But he had grown up in the oceans, where tides were fickle and predators had few compunctions, indeed. He was a far more pragmatic man than he seemed, and was no above using whatever tools the environment provided.

The black sand strewn near the shores of the Roar, for example.

The sand might not have been enough to obscure Thalassa in her usual shape and size, but as she seemed to vanish beneath the spray of grit he tensed and twisted to bring his trident into guard behind him - expecting a magical trick rather than a simple shift into a smaller creature. He did not notice the small flicker of the lava wyrm making its way through the sand near his feet.

At least, not for the moment. Given a few more seconds to seek out light and motion within the cavern and he would certainly spy the little creature so far from the Crust where it belonged.

Thalassa

Sometimes you have to
burn yourself to the ground

The trick worked much better than she'd expected it to. As the sand flew over her head, Thal found herself at the strange angle of being a very small wyrm next to a very large man. She slithered forward with plans to catch him from behind, but she wasn't very fast, and a quick glance told her he was already turning to spot the attack. That suited her just fine. 

With a flick of her tail, Thal was shifting back to her full 5'2" height, dagger in hand. She would have gone for his neck if it wasn't so high up. Instead, she settled for his lower back, letting the tip of her dagger point towards his vital organs. She didn't push hard, just enough to let him know she was there. With a smile evident in her tone, Thal said, "Yield."

before you can rise
like a phoenix from the ashes.

A small wyrm might have gone unnoticed, but the time it took for it to grow into a small woman was a different matter, and Hadama was alert and actively seeking her presence. But he did not turn to face her immediately. She might not have noticed the passage of time or realized what it meant, but the Tidebreaker had felt the celestial blessing slipping slowly but steadily into his armor once more, and he spun his trident casually through his hands as he waited for the inevitable.

The dagger slipped into place against the feathers--

And was stopped abruptly as the armor's magic flared protectively, keeping the warning pressure at bay. No sooner had he felt the touch than Hadama ceased the slow spin of his trident and brought it back, smooth and swift, sliding along the underside of his arm with the tines pointed backwards. Using the dagger's position to judge Thalassa's, the weapon ceased its momentum directly beneath her chin before he turned his head to look over his shoulder at her.

"I am glad to hear that you do," he rumbled, the wicked humor that hid beneath his serene surface underlying the solemnity of his tone. "I have worked up an appetite. If you are free to join me for dinner?"

---

Type: Light | Style: Defensive | Level: Upgraded
StArmour | Armour created from owlbear down. When not in use, retracts as a silver serpentine bangle etched with constellation and can be activated telepathically. Blocks physical damage. Has a 3 post cooldown

Thalassa

Sometimes you have to
burn yourself to the ground

Too engrossed in her own progression of schemes, Thal's face went completely blank at his words, baffled at their meaning. She hadn't - 

The light brush of metal beneath her chin stilled her movements. Her eyes widened with revelation and the subtle buried instinct of fear. With anyone else she would have pushed aside the weapon with indignation, growling and continuing to fight just to salvage her pride. Yet with Hadama, she was so taken off guard that she immediately devolved into a full-belly, genuine fit of laughter. Her dagger fell to her side as she gripped her stomach, the chime of her joy echoing throughout the chamber. Catching his devious expression only worsened the experience and she shoved at his back playfully. "That was nasty. I didn't know you could fight like that." Their last fight had felt more clinical and practiced, but he'd pulled out a few cunning tricks this time around, somehow increasing the respect she'd had for him. And then to casually suggest food? Priceless.

Sheathing her dagger, Thal crossed her arms to stare him down with her glittering blue eyes. The humor brightened them in the darkness as she hummed melodically. "Fine. But you're buying because I feel like you go the better end of whatever this was." Her hand waved flippantly with her words. 'Sparring session' didn't seem right when he'd played her at every angle. Chuckling lightly, she moved to exit the cavern, not waiting for him to follow. "And I expect there to be good quality meat."

[FIN]

before you can rise
like a phoenix from the ashes.