(CLOSED)The Meeting of Elements.

[Seigmand Dezmar]

Week two, and still nothing. As Seigmand moved through the parched lands ahead of him, nearing the Hawen tribe's encampment he practiced his speech in his head. Running through each argument, each response the tribe's leader could pose to him so that he could gain their support against Trucido.

"Ugh, maybe I need a new angle with this crap." He muttered as he came up to what was now the 6 tribe he'd visited. He had taken measures to conceal his finer clothes in a guise of a wandering pilgrim. As he moved past the huts and tribesmen with only passing glances his way, all he could think of was the upcoming war.

The Council had rejected his plan to fight against Trucido, and his own father had blackmailed him out of Silicis City. The tribes of the Outer plains had been his last hope to gather some force to strike against the tyrant, yet most feared the near suicidal implications that battling him entailed. God knows they aren't exactly wrong in that point. He thought to himself.

As he spied the chieftain's hut, he moved quickly to it, only to be stopped by a thick meaty hand clenching a large axe. "And just who do you think you are to try and enter the Chieftain's home?" A snarly voice came from the guard holding the axe.

Slidding back the hood only enough to reveal his face he whispered, "I am King Seigmand Dezmar, come to see the chieftain about a grave concern to all of Roccia."

The guard snarled, judging Seigmand's words before snapping back. "Not likely. King doesn't come this far out in the plain's to speak to our tribes personally. All the same, Chief's out hunting right now. Why don't you wait till he gets back. Then we'll see."

Seigmand could only sigh and step away, plopping himself down near the hut and waited.

[Onyx, Son of Sun]

As Seigmand sat patiently beside the chieftain's hut, a few of the young boys from the tribe run past him, words of a fight leaving their lips as they hastily ran past. In the distance, a small congregation could be seen, the circular huddling of people blocking the view of a travelers skirmish with some of the locals; grunting and heaving swings of weaponry providing the only hints as to what was transpiring behind the wall of onlookers.

In the makeshift ring stood Onyx as he fought against one of the local warriors in a contest of strength, hoping to further his understanding of worldly combat techniques as he ventured in his pilgrimage of enlightenment. With deft movement and swift strike, he disarms his Ax-wielding opponent and hammers him in the Solar Plexus with a palm-heel strike, causing the man to topple to his knees as he struggled to regain his breath.

"Though i appreciate your adamant effort in combat, your style is based on intimidation rather then skill, and I assure you, it shall take more then a man with a large Ax and a well practiced snarl to deter me. I say this not in contempt, but does this tribe possess any "trained" warriors? I must further my knowledge and require the aid of a trained Roccian fighter to do so."

The Hawan tribesmen scoffed at Onyx, shooting him a contemptuous glare, not so much for his words, but his actions. To be bested by an outsider was a shameful thing, and Onyx has done it more than one Hawan warrior today, causing some of the men to become filled with a silent rage and thoughts of barbaric revenge, their hands reflecting their emotions as they curled into tight fists.

[Seigmand Dezmar]

Seigmand rose to see the action taking place. He had arrived too late, catching only the collapsing defeat of the Hawen warrior by the stranger. The man was arrogant, yet his unscarred body showed it was more than mere boasting. Looking over the circle of men and children he saw contempt in their eyes. Yet for all the rage welling within his people, Seigmand saw not a need to prove the strength of Roccia, but a much greater opportunity.

He hopped over the other warriors and entered the makeshift ring. "I'll challenge you traveler." He said from behind the shadows of his cloak. "If combat against the Roccian arts is what you crave, then let me slake your palette." Seigmand took his stance, ready for the stranger to accept his challenge.

[Onyx, Son of Sun]

The man was verbose, more so then the others. That and his stance was more then him hunching over in a menacing fashion. No, this man possessed a certain finesse about him that was non-existent in this tribe, a fact that greatly pleased Onyx. "Just remember, friend, this is a sparring match and nothing more. Should you decide to take it further, then you shall regret having raised the stakes."

All to happy to oblige to the mystery fighters request, Onyx took his own stance, his eyes agleam with the prospect of a fighting a trained Roccian Martial Artist. Realizing that his opponents seeming possessed no visible weapons, he removed the large metal coverings around his legs and tossed them off to the side. Shuffling his legs farther apart, he falls into a deep stance, instantly noticeable to any trained combatant as a stance from Ignisian Martial Arts. Steady, he awaits his opponents first move, his senses wary due to his opponents cloak and the hidden moves that could spring from it.

[Seigmand Dezmar]

Hmmm, an Ignisian fighter eh? Curious what one would be doing so far away from the war. Even more so troubling is his last comment... Seigmand contemplated for only a moment before taking only the fight into his focus. "Very well, first to bring his opponent to his knees wins yes?" Seigmand paused only for a moment, taking the silence as agreement.

Slowly he drew forward, his feet almost stuck to the ground as he strafed with slidding motions. I have to prove myself. This could very well be just the in I need. Seigmand kept his hands tucked close to the cloak's fabric, waiting till he was just a step away before twisting quickly. The dusty cloak kicked up in response, creating a distraction as he feinted with a low kick aimed at the stranger's leg before firing forth a straight punch at his chest.

[Onyx, Son of Sun]

As the cloak fluttered upwards, Onyx remained stationary, keeping his eyes on his cloaked opponent's now revealed legs as one of them streamed towards his. Shuffling in close to stifle the attempted kick, Onyx catches a glimpse of motion underneath the settling cloak and redirects his attention just quickly enough to twist and have the straight connect with his shoulder rather then his chest, as it seemingly intended to.

Rolling with the strike against his shoulder, Onyx continues to spin and leaps into the air to deliver a jumping reverse kick, but stops short with a feint of his own, drops to the ground, and switches to a reverse sweep directed at the side of the strangers knees.

[Seigmand Dezmar]

Seigmand clenched his body, every muscled tense in anticipation of his foe's reverse kick. Only his trained eyes spotted the shifting of weight that indicated his foe had decided to pay him back with a feint of his own. Seigmand had only a moment to twist his leg so the soft fleshy back met the Ignisian's sweep. The strike hit it's mark, but if Roccian martial artist were anything, they were surefooted.

Ducking down he struck with a hammer fist, missing his mark by mere inches as the man rolled back and up to his feet. With a single kick up and rushing step forward he and Onyx were locked in close combat. The slap of flesh and crack of bones could be heard as they traded blow after blow, neither of them taking a solid hit while both only seemed to get faster in their strikes. Seigmand furrowed his brow, growing more uneasy in his prospect of a sure victory against the man.

"You fight a little too good to be a civilian, and your a little too far from home to be a soldier. Who are you?" Seigmand slapped a open handed palm away from his chest and ducked a follow up strike at his head as he pushed upwards with a shoulder ram.

[Onyx, Son of Sun]

"I'm a traveler seeking to enlighten myself through the practice of traditional fighting arts," Onyx said as he brushed his hand against the outside of Seigmand's shoulders, effectively deflecting his blow. "And what about you?" Onyx questioned as the two continued to exchange a flurry of strikes and kicks. "You seem a little to well trained to hail from these parts yourself," he said as he blocked a hammer fist aimed at his temple and retaliated with an elbow strike at his opponents exposed ribs.

[Seigmand Dezmar]

"I guess you could call me a diplomat of sorts." Seigmand slid up against Onyx, weakening the elbow strike's impact. With a quick pivot Seigmand shoved Onyx back with a palm strike against his chest. Hoping to capitalize on a follow up Seigmand leapt in with a stepping back kick. Unfortunately he underestimated the man's constitution. No sooner had his palm sent Onyx back that he was ready with a leaping crescent kick.

Seigmand took the shot to his jaw, knocking him off balance. The thick cowl on his cloak fell from his head, revealing his features to his foe as he took his stance once again. "A good hit, one I intend to pay back several fold." He said with a smile before springing forwards into a reverse kick of his own, his arms bracing against the flat ground as he swung out fiercely.

[Onyx, Son of Sun]

Keeping a close eye on his adversary, Onyx couldn't help but take note of his opponents feature. Surprised by the appearance of his foe, all Onyx could do was mutter a confused "Dezmar" before the reverse kick struck him sharply in the ribs.

Staggering from the blow, Onyx stumbled off to the side for a few steps before regaining his composure, but his mind burned red hot with a wealth of questions. Sadly, Onyx had to resist voicing any of them for fear of giving away his identity, at least until he knew Seigmand's motives. Already having made it obvious that he knew Seigmand by name and appearance, he needed to try and recover from any possible slip-ups, as well as the kick to his ribs.

"King Dezmar, I must apologize for my insolence," Onyx said, hoping his disguise and feigned ignorance would hold strong. "Had I known that I was challenging a master such as yourself, I would never have challenged you," he said breaking his stance and performing a humble bow. Onyx knew how Royals like to be dealt with by an underling and sought to gain the trust of Seigmand, even if it was only through deceiving methods.

[Seigmand Dezmar]

"Please, title holds no meaning in the ring of battle." Seigmand sat low in his stance, forgoing a bow more from fear of tricks than lack of respect. "Besides, you said yourself you wished for a true demonstration of Roccian combat. Well, you've found it." The locals sat puzzled, the drone of the cheering silenced as the murmured to each other.

"Beat him down King Dezmar!" One finally shouted from the sidelines. The others were quick to follow, cheering out Seigmand by name now. He smiled as he watched the crowd. "It would seem they want more..." Seigmand approached quickly again, dishing out a quick combo of punches, knife hands and palm strikes. "I'm sorry, if I'm going to fight a worthy foe, I should at least now his name." He knew something was off about his opponent. Seigmand only hoped he would be unaware of his prying efforts.

[Onyx, Son of Sun]

Dodging and blocking the quick onslaught of blows, Onyx retaliated with a whirling combo of hooks, back-fists and reverse kicks.

"I discarded my name when I ventured on my pilgrimage, so I have nothing to offer in that respect, but if a worthy battle is what you seek, then I believe I'm up the challenge!"

Easily deflecting Onyx's blows, Seigmand performs a lower block and drives Onyx's foot to the ground before hammering him in the chest with a heavy palm-heel strike. Taking a few steps back, Onyx knew that his gauntlets were slowing him down considerably, making it harder and harder to keep up with Seigmand's impressive speed. It was time to switch tactics and retaliate with grappling maneuvers in hopes of subduing the Roccian Kings speed.

Trusting his forward hand out, Onyx's hand crackles with a thin film of electricity as Seigmand suddenly feels a sharp pulling motion dragging him forwards as Onyx hands and stance stand ready to receive him and motion him into a shoulder throw.

[Seigmand Dezmar]

The bizarre force that yanked Seigmand close to Onyx surprised him, throwing off his distance for a crescent/reverse kick combo as his legs struck empty air. His body hurtled into the air as the magnetic throw sent him outside the circle of onlookers and past the border of the village. Seigmand tucked his body and concentrated, letting his Geomancy shape the awaiting ground to a soft dirt as he almost bounced up and back to his feet.

"So, you were holding out on me hmm? Then again, i have a feeling you're holding out on a lot." Seigmand shook out his hands before standing up right and pushing his palms down as he took a deep breath. The earth responded, rippling ever so slightly. "Get out here, I don't intend to have one of my clans destroyed by a friendly spar." He eyed up his foe, more so than ever watching the heavy gauntlets that he'd thought were only for show up to this point.

[Onyx, Son of Sun]

Walking out from the encircling crowd, Onyx knew that the fight was really just beginning now. Their deft exchanges of blows was just a precursor to what was about to happen, and Onyx knew that he would have to be as keen as possible if he wanted to fight, let alone beat Seigmand. His foe was a master strategist, and this was reflected in his fighting style, but in combination with his Geomancy, Onyx had much more to worry about then just Seigmand's movements.

Taking his stance, Onyx's tried to relax his sense and broaden his focus. He had the advantage of knowing his opponents abilities, while his were still a mystery, something that he hoped would give him an actual advantage in combat. As silence and tension filled the air, Onyx stood solid, like a statue, waiting for his opponent to make the first move.

[Seigmand Dezmar]

"Very well then, it would seem you like to strike second pilgrim." Seigmand taunted his foe. Spreading out he moved to the pattern of a kata. Always facing his opponent Seigmand stepped and struck towards seemingly invisible foes. Yet as each phase ended with an ear splitting cry and a powerful strike, the earth churned and spewed forth a column of earth around him. After only a few seconds he stood back in his normal stance, each of the four pillars he erected positioned in one of four corners around him.

There, let's see him get that trick off again. Seigmand ducked low and concentrating his hands around his center shoved upwards and shouted out once again. The ground cracked in front of him, trembling at his command as it travelled out towards Onyx in a path of spikes.