ORIGIN

The other-Orthoclase's legs were knocked right out from under it, a grunted 'oof' sort of noise escaping it as its massive bulk crashed down to the ground.

Legs were near legs: a tangle of hook-clawed limbs, and as if in imitation, the mirror lashed out from the ground, attempting to catch one of the true Orthoclase's own limbs before it was balanced, to bring it down in the exact same manner.

The bite was met with a swinging arm, all curled-up claws in a carapace-strengthened fist.

Had Alpha ever punched a creature before-? This one did, all its might behind it as it half-regained its feet. It was upright at the front, hind legs still scrabbling at the ground for purchase in an attempt to rise, but the thrust with which it threw this strike held all the weight and momentum of its forequarters, at least, behind it.

It aimed for the oncoming teeth, for the venom-infused jaws. Perhaps it would break one--or both--if not avoided.

The monster pushed its advantage, nothing but savagery in those toxic eyes, nothing but ferocity in the pointed teeth. It came fully to its feet as Orthoclase-Alpha stumbled, and as its opponent was recovering, it was launching itself for the real thing.

It was no measured attack, this one: it was a flurry of blows, the weight of the stranger (but was it a stranger, really?) plowing in to simply deal damage. The two front pairs of limbs were formed into fists, brought awkwardly down and forward to rain these blows; the other four legs drove the creature forward, its massive weight shoving like a train.

It was not an elegant maneuver, but it could, potentially, be a damaging one.

The impact jarred through both identical beasts, the target staggering back.

It emitted its own deep and resonant growl--a perfect imitation of the Orthoclase's own--but the sound seemed to jar and gurgle, as if damaged somehow. And it was--the doppelganger was--the beast turning to blink four eyes at Orthoclase-Alpha past a stream of splattering toxic blood.

It stumbled. Forward--as if to attack--and then back, as if in hesitation. There was the wet sound of liquid splashing across the rock and then it leapt, unsteady now.

Perhaps... dying.

The leap was clumsy, a simple charge as it used to open this fight, and if it impacted, it would serve only to disbalance the Orthoclase--at best, to knock it over.

2/3

An impact of bodies. A crunch of carapace, and then the brief scuffle of claws at the edge of the rock. The four toxic eyes shifted to Orthoclase-Alpha for that instant of frozen time, but did not widen: there was no surprise, only blank savagery, the intent to maim, to kill-

-and then it was gone, dropped over the crater's edge as if it had never been. Only silence--still, dark--remained. -Ah; broken by a quiet thud a moment later, far below.

And then the crevasses began to close up. Light returned to the cave, if dim; the grinding of stone as the room reshaped itself played backdrop to the scuffle of talons as Emuh swept back in, landing a few yards away. "GOOD," it declared. That was the extent of any praise. "NOW HOLD STILL." No further warning was given: there was a surge of power, one that would stagger the Orthoclase, one that gave and take and gave again. It was drained--magically drained, physically weakened, as if rendered faintly clumsier, unsteady. As if its knowledge, its experience, had been reshaped somehow.

As if it would have to be relearned.

"YOU WILL RECOVER. AND YOU WILL LEARN. NOW GET OUT," the owl-beast added--and a wall of stone rose, and began to shunt Orthoclase-Alpha for the exit.

____________

Orthoclase-Alpha has Transcended. It is now a Transcendent Brawler, and may work its way back up to Transcendent Champion. Upon attaining this rank, its player may post in Update Me to choose a Specialization (viewable in the Magic section of the Guidebook).

It has also learned the Technique:

Precision Strike

Transcendent Intensity Offensive. Mastery of physical combat allows a brief surge of magicka to empower a physical strike, greatly increasing damage done or allowing the Gembound to leap or throw an object incredible distances in order to harm a more distant foe.