Elyon stumbled a bit as the blow connected and stopped short due to a hand reaching to grab it and pulling down slightly — seeing as Vargas was in the process of stumbling a few steps. At least he wasn't as high up and inaccessible, but… now he was perfectly geared up to disarm her. One hand was busy, though, and Elyon figured…

The centaur stalwartly tried to keep her grip on the spear, going with the pulling motion and lifting her arms as high as she could to drive its length against Vargas's throat. All the while, she was definitely trying to angle herself in a way that would result in some stepping-on-hands. But, there was barely any aiming there, and she didn't expect to land any of that. Her focus was on pushing up and towards Vargas..

Round: 3/?
Attempt: Hold on and push pole against Vargas's throat.
Defense: n/a
Injuries: n/a

@Vargas

She shoved closer, bringing the haft around, the length of it pressing against him. The Overseer grunted, and briefly, instinctively, considered his options.

Option one--step back, yank spear, try to throw her off-balance. He liked that option, it played to his agility. Or two, shove back, get in a tug of war. But... y'know, in reverse. Or three, punch her. His maneuverability was a little limited with having to shove the spear, so he decided to combine One and Two as she shoved at him.

Vargas attempted to step to his right, yanking forward on the spear to leave Elyon suddenly without resistance. He hoped she'd stumble forward--preferably to meet the left arm that was swinging forward, six thumbs balled into a little fist, aiming for her face.

Vargas, however, failed (very much in fact) to account for the resistance the centaur-creature had been leveraging on him. No sooner had he stepped aside than he stumbled-... and outright fell, sprawling across the ground right at Elyon's feet with a loud grunt.

Round: 3/?
Attempt: Punch Elyon
Defense:
Injuries: Bruisin' arms!

@Elyon

"Oh fuc—" and down they went. Elyon, leaning forward just a little too much, had stumbled onto her knees (scraping the softer exoskeleton there rather harshly). A fist rose, but Vargas was tumbling onto his side before it could begin to wheel towards her. Instinctively wanting to avoid a nasty fall, the centaur let go of her spear for a moment.

She only allowed herself a moment to breath before pouncing on the mane of quills atop Vargas's nape. Her claws scrabbled for the shaft of the spear. Elyon aimed to get her grip on it again and use the spear in such a way that it kind of emulated a choke-hold. Minus the proper choking-to-death, since she didn't apply nearly enough pressure to do just that.

So, really, Elyon was just trying to sit on Vargas and trap his neck with a pole. I don't have a name for this combat move, but trust me, I've seen it before.

Round: 4/?
Attempt: Climb on for a ride!
Defense: n/a
Injuries: n/a

@Vargas

Vargas grunted as all... however many pounds of heavy exoskeleton beast swung onto his back and snagged a grip. It was an unpleasant lesson: his back-quills, deadly as they could be, were not as useful against a hard shell. They didn't break--they were flexible, and strong, both; but the Overseer found it difficult to try and even regain his feet with her weight on him.

He flung himself right and then left, as best he could while still half on the ground, trying to sway Elyon hard with the momentum; and brought his left forearm up spikes-first as he did so--hoping to bring Elyon hard left, and impact her into the swing of his forearm. It wasn't a hard enough strike, really, to truly impale, particularly not with her shell; but he hoped it would at least stun her, if not dislodge her grip entirely.

Round: 4/?
Attempt: Spike Elyon's Punch lmaoooo
Defense:
Injuries: Bruisin' arms!

@Elyon

The looming mass beneath her shifted, trying to get to his feet. His mess of quills were safely pressed against her hard exoskeleton, but that wasn't the issue here — no, it was overcompensating with her weight settled onto Vargas's shoulders. On a chance fling, Elyon went tumbling ass-over-head down the Overseer's shoulder. Stupidly keeping her grip on both ends of her spear's haft, the centaur landed heavily and nearly pulled both of her arms out of socket with her own body weight. She also got a facefull of quills, which wasn't ideal since that was where her eyes were. Elyon grunted as a harsh blow was dealt to her lower back, a small crack! resounding as it did so.

After a few moments of being stunned, letting go, and withdrawing her spear, pointy end towards herself, the hybrid scrambled to her shield. She wrenched it from the ground in a surprisingly smooth motion and charged. First, it was as if she were jousting with her spear, but she skidded to a halt at the last section to bring her shield — hard — across Vargas's face.

Round: 5/?
Attempt: Facial shield bash!
Defense: n/a
Injuries: Sore arm joints and quite a few cracks in her back

@Vargas

Elyon might have spent a moment stunned, but Vargas had flung himself to one side in his last maneuver and it took him precious moments to scramble his lanky limbs back beneath him. By the time he'd scrambled back up to his feet, the centaur-beast was already drawing her spear, and he had time to tense and little else before she charged.

The Overseer saw a blur--a flick of an arm, the rapid movement of heavy exoskeleton, the thrust of shield--and felt the impact across his face. Again he was struck--quite literally, this time--by her strength, the shield slamming across his face and staggering him back a few steps, shaking his head as if to clear it.

He was dazed, for an instant, but instinct drove his reflexive response--to lash out backhanded, and hope to strike her away. If he was lucky he might knock away her spear, or shield, or even both; but at the very least his intent was to buy himself a few feet of space and an instant of reaction time.

Round: 5/?
Attempt: Backhand
Defense:
Injuries: Bruisin' arms! Daaazed

@Elyon

[Origin Cave]

Character: Elyon Age: +12 (12 Cycles) Magic Level: +1 (Fledgling) ROUND 1 Attempt: +17 Penalties: -0 ROUND 2 Attempt: +13 Penalties: -0 ROUND 3 Attempt: +15 Penalties: -0 ROUND 4 Attempt: +19 Penalties: -0 ROUND 5 Attempt: +8 Penalties: -0 Total: 85

Character: Vargas Age: +7 (118807 Cycles) Magic Level: +3 (Brawler) ROUND 1 Attempt: +15 Penalties: -0 ROUND 2 Attempt: +11 Penalties: -0 ROUND 3 Attempt: +1 Penalties: -0 ROUND 4 Attempt: +19 Penalties: -0 ROUND 5 Attempt: +20 Penalties: -0 Total: 76

WINNER: Elyon

- Navy!

Elyon had, apparently, not learned her lesson the first time - that the Overseer was most certainly capable of reacting near-instantly to whatever she threw at him, and most certainly with startling accuracy as far as his arms (which, wow, they were probably as long as she was tall.) Her shield connected and Vargas lifted an arm for a cruelly quick and strong backhand. The entirety of it swung across her upper half.

It sent her tumbling head-over-ass, once more, shield and spear flying out from the sheer (accidental?) force of it. Disarmed and lying in a heap, the centaur drew her legs beneath herself. Strong and armored as she was, Elyon knew she couldn't do much but run and stay on the defense. Her exoskeleton would shatter before she managed to deliver a punch strong enough to do any real damage to Vargas - that much, she knew. Not in the mood to chrysalize and molt off a punch she could avoid making, the hybrid pushed up.

And offered a hearty laugh and hand to Vargas. "Good tussle, big guy! That was fun," Elyon panted quietly, crimson eyes glancing imploringly at her own hand and the Overseer's. "I've never had a challenge like that!" For one, everything was small and soft and squishy and very susceptible to just dying the moment she punched a little too hard. Facing something bigger than herself, coupled with armored skin - that was new, and good!

@Vargas

Vargas stared, shaking himself, still a little dazed. He'd felt his arm connecting, and could feel the ache of both of them. The hit had been pure luck--don't tell Elyon about his actual accuracy--but it was hard not to hit when your forelimbs were as massively lanky as his were.

He shook himself again, then burped. Then blinked. Apparently, Elyon had jarred his gut a little. Hm.

"You are strong," he declared. "This is good. I have known several of your shape. Most did well in trials. One served the Masters directly. I would use it, if you are not putting it to use already. Either as a guardian for my other servants, or your stone, for further creations."

It wasn't really a demand. In the old days, he might have chosen for her, or demanded both--but Vargas had a lot going on, these days, and he didn't really mind. He was wondering, already, if he now had the freedom to test that design with his own admixture. He'd wondered, in the past, what his swift, spined alien form might create when joined with these more exo-skeletal beings.

Perhaps now would be the time to find out?

@Elyon

If Elyon had proper lips, she would've pulled them taut into a thin line. All she could do, as her handshake went unreturned, was just stare with a rather blank expression. She thought they'd been common among those that had thumbs - and here, Vargas had six of them!

The centaur's expression never left its blank state, though; Vargas was going off on a tangent about trials and Masters, and she wasn't in the know about either. Servants sent alarm bells ringing in her head, and Elyon immediately jumped for the second option, "my stone? How's that work out?" Wouldn't it... hurt?

@Vargas