Vargas watched closely as they moved, sitting quiet, on his haunches--glancing about once or twice to ensure there wasn't about to be any outside ambush.

Everything was a test, after all.

But right now they were battling, brawling; it was brutal, fierce, but still clearly inexperienced on both points, in places. Still, Alpha had improved. It was clear that it had learned from past successes and mistakes, and was putting forth a good effort.

Vargas called out his own advice, aiming for what he perceived as a weak point in the creature's offensive tactics.

"ORTHOCLASE-ALPHA. If you do not wish something to GET BACK UP once it is pinned, keep it down, pressed with all your weight. Don't let it get a limb free, or it will stab you, harm you, or it will get momentum to thrust you off-! Keep it CRUSHED down!"

It had almost had Elyon pinned a couple times, now, but been eventually thrown away; and with Alpha's greater weight, Vargas knew, if it learned to utilize that properly, the pin should be a finishing move.

Vargas's booming advice rang out in time with Elyon's embarrassing fall to her elbows, nearly snubbing her nose on the ground - and inadvertently reminded Alpha of how little it cared about the three-pins rule established not even a minute ago. It was starting to breathe heavily and think that it should just get this over with.

It hoisted itself up onto its elbows, and careened towards the other with a push from its four proper legs. The brief jump'd carried it somewhat short of the centaur, but it seemed unfazed, shuffling ahead and moving to straddle Elyon again - with some help from its forearms yanking the centaur's own limbs into place at her sides.

Round: 9/?
Attempt: Yank Elyon underneath itself
Defense: n/a
Injuries: Dizzy (wearing off..)

Elyon took a moment too long to get herself situated and back upright, barely getting a knee underneath herself before Alpha was quite literally on top of her again. She hadn't heard Vargas - or was she just not listening to him in the heat of conflict? - and was more focused on keeping her arms mobile.

Massive paws surrounded her on either side again, and the best she could do with her lower half was elbow some toes. She squirmed, twisting in place to get her arms out. Even one could give her the opportunity to... pull out some quills or something.

Round: 9/?
Attempt: Get her arms free
Defense: n/a
Injuries: Bite on left forearm, skinned knees x2

Elyon managed to work her left arm out, and Alpha growled at that. It lifted its middle set of limbs, setting the claws on the centaur's lower torso and holding them down. The orthoclase then picked up its right foreleg, fingers reaching for the armored wrist to twist it and push it against her chest - essentially making her pin herself.

There was a considerable amount of arm wrestling, but the moment her forearm passed the threshold, it shoved down with its weight and effectively pinned it into painful uselessness, judging from the harsh gasping down below.

Alpha leaned in close and hissed, "I win." No room for argument.

Round: 10/?
Attempt: Pin Elyon's arm against her.
Defense: n/a
Injuries: n/a

Oof went the centaur as she felt the full brunt of Alpha's weight. It'd wrangled her arm against her, pinning that one against her check and muscling the other in an uncomfortable tightness between its other arm and her own side.

"I win."

She grunted, squeezing her arm free, "didn't we just set rules, kiddo?"

The weight bore down harder and she groaned. Caves. Elyon wrenched her hand up towards the beast's face, stopping short at the quilly mane and driving her fingers through it. The quills bit against her joints, only slightly deterring her as she went to grab them by the bases.

She got a little hasty, sharp fingertips pricking into the sensitive, unarmored flesh there.

Round: 10/?
Attempt: Scratch Alpha's neck while grabbing quills to yank lol
Defense: n/a
Injuries: Bite on left forearm, skinned knees x2

Alpha's head went up as Elyon reached into its quills, a grimace forming on its face. Acidic eyes narrowed with a hiss. It drew its other forelimb off the ground to grip her arm like a vice and wrench it to the ground. If it put extra weight on her chest, so be it.

Except... its right wrist rolled and, seeing as it was suspended over its stone-giver on only that arm, it had no place to go but down. It fell directly on top of Elyon, a harsh grunt escaping it - a cry from her. Alpha winced as it propped up on gangly elbows, then loomed over her again. It snapped close to her face, "we're done."

Peeling itself off from her, Alpha barked, "you lose."

Shaking its quills out, the orthoclase took a few paces (mindful of putting too much weight on that one foot) towards Vargas, staring up expectantly.

Round: 11/?
Attempt: Step on Elyon's other arm sike
Defense: n/a
Injuries: Sprained wrist

She inhaled sharply as air finally got into her lungs again, a wince evident in even her stiff features as Alpha plodded off like it was nothing. Elyon could barely bend her dominant arm, and felt like her chest'd caved in. She felt around with her good arm, searching. No cracks or breaks, but still tender to the touch. Must be some hairline fractures.

The alien grimaced, rolling onto her stomach and at last feeling solid ground beneath all four of her hooves. Her tails slashed through the air behind her, and she galloped up on the orthoclase. One last insult: her right hand swinging in a fist to smack into a middle shoulder. Upon impact, she howled, "dick!"

Alpha snapped in her direction, jaws parted in warning. She skirted a few feet away - out of grabbing range - and crossed her arms (totally not just holding her left one with her right.) "Whatever," she dismissed, "you can take a whole lot of shit." Bright eyes glanced at Vargas, "took that plate like it was fuckin' nothing. Sheesh."

Round: 11/?
Attempt: Punch Alpha
Defense: n/a
Injuries: Bite on left forearm, skinned knees x2, lightly crunched left arm and chest.

@Vargas

Vargas looked at Elyon, eyeing her over first: attentive, interested. She--like Alpha--was a brute, and he reflected that his choice of stone-giver had been a good one. In fact-

"You should come, and train with us. You would be given the opportunity to further reproduce," Vargas informed her, either unaware of (or forgetting) the fact that everyone here now bred as they chose. "You both fight well. But you both need training. Orthoclase-Alpha, tell me what you have learned from this fight," the Overseer demanded, turning six toxic eyes to his spawn.

He had no real complaints about their combat. Oh, it was the generally unfocused, half-comedic flailing of the untrained, but there was impressive power and agility in them both, and both had the potential to be honed into weapons.

A dozen or so Orthoclases down the road, and he might have a feasible front line in the works.

@Orthoclase-Alpha

[Origin Cave]

Character: Orthoclase-Alpha Age: +4 (4 Cycles) Magic Level: +3 (Brawler) ROUND 1 Attempt: +14 Penalties: -0 ROUND 2 Attempt: +9 Penalties: -0 ROUND 3 Attempt: +20 Penalties: -0 ROUND 4 Attempt: +10 Penalties: -0 ROUND 5 Attempt: +19 Penalties: -0 ROUND 6 Attempt: +18 Penalties: -0 ROUND 7 Attempt: +15 Penalties: -0 ROUND 8 Attempt: +20 Penalties: -0 ROUND 9 Attempt: +17 Penalties: -0 ROUND 10 Attempt: +15 Penalties: -0 ROUND 11 Attempt: +1 Penalties: -0 Total: 165

Character: Elyon Age: +16 (16 Cycles) Magic Level: +1 (Fledgling) ROUND 1 Attempt: +15 Penalties: -0 ROUND 2 Attempt: +16 Penalties: -0 ROUND 3 Attempt: +2 Penalties: -0 ROUND 4 Attempt: +10 Penalties: -0 ROUND 5 Attempt: +20 Penalties: -0 ROUND 6 Attempt: +9 Penalties: -0 ROUND 7 Attempt: +17 Penalties: -0 ROUND 8 Attempt: +7 Penalties: -0 ROUND 9 Attempt: +19 Penalties: -0 ROUND 10 Attempt: +19 Penalties: -0 ROUND 11 Attempt: +11 Penalties: -0 Total: 162

WINNER: Orthoclase-Alpha

- navy

She stared rather spitefully at Alpha, and the glare was returned ten-fold before Vargas started to speak - at which point the big brute stared up.

The Overseer - or whatever he'd introduced himself as before - was offering her some sort of place. Elyon's grip on her left elbow grew tenser for a moment, fingers tightening around the joint between her upper arm and wenis (and yes, I will use that word.) "No, thanks," she chirped, "I'm busy workin' for a blacksmith." She finally moved a hand towards the pile of scrap.

Plodding towards it, she started to gather up the metallic bits and pieces, loading them up in one arm and putting only a few in the crook of her left. She'd have to make a few trips, now. The centaur repeated, "thanks, though."

Provided that didn't incite any... major reactions, Elyon worked on taking the metals to Glory's forge.

exit Elyon, unless stopped