After Hunter's last match was cut abruptly short before it had even begun, the young gembound was starting to feel restless. He didn't feel like he could stomach watching others' matches, much more content to-- well, wing the whole ordeal.

That was more dangerous, of course, but at least he couldn't get completely psyched out if he didn't know what he was going to be up against. He had heard Draconua's own matches, and was starting to dread the notion that winning the fight would mean going up against the dragon one on one. While his father had defeated a monster of a dragon many, many cycles ago... Hunter was starting to have doubts.

At least his spear was sharp, and he was well rested with his round being skipped. He was as ready as ever for a fight, and it showed in the way that he paced silently until his name was called. He hurried out through the entrance into the ring, keeping a cautious eye out for more of Nemean's tricks. He, for one, did not want to get smacked with a cartoon anvil.

He knew at this point only hardened fighters would be still around. Those who had defeated, who killed-- or at least, survived Draconua's hellfire. He squinted out at the bright light of Nemean's fanfare up above, and tucked his spear under one arm so he could tie back his long, dark hair. His opponent was announced with a roar of magic-clanging from Nemean, loud enough to make his ears ring. Whatever their name was, it was a mouthful... Lab-door-right?

Well, here goes nothing. He spread out his stance, letting his spear fall into his palms, and took a deep breath. Then, as his opponent entered the ring, a weird sense of dejavu crawled through his skin. He... Hey, he knew this guy. From Fornax, right? They had been there too.

Hunter didn't know what to say, or if he should say anything. For a moment he was frozen, a deer in the headlights, half expecting the oil-slick beast to charge without a word. Maybe that was experience, um, not-talking.

@V-Labradorite-One

The Labradorite was significantly less enthused about the whole idea. It was tired, but not just the kind that made it's muscles ache. It didn't know WHY even felt this tired. It's previous fights had been relatively easy victories- though The Agate had proven to be a much tougher opponent than the raven. It had waited in the barracks, resting tensely in a corner as it waited for its next fight.

Then the restlessly pacing 'Hunter' was called to the arena. And then, with the thunderous blaring of heavy metal 'music,' The Labradorite was called forth.

It's opponent was purple and humanoid and.. familiar? From Farina's task, maybe? It didn't matter, though. The fight would go on, regardless. And by the look of the readied stance and the spear, this one was trained. Unsurprising, given that they had survived to this round.

It'd give a single nod to Hunter, expression unreadable.

It needed to deal with the weapon, first of all or it could just charge them and end it right there. It snorted, eyes narrowing in on it's target as it ran forward. A slow start, given it's exhaustion and incompatibility with land, but it gained momentum. It wasn't trying to trample the poor hybrid, but rather use it's head to knock Hunter off balance- and hopefully get him to drop the spear in the process.

@Hunter

ROUND 1/5

ATTEMPT: Trip em! (and hopefully drop the weapon)
DEFENSE: Oil, Back spikes (broken)
INJURIES: Tired + Broken spikes and wounds from prev fights,

Labradorite gave a nod, and out of reflex, Hunter gave a stiff nod back, a dazed look still in his eyes as his brain tried to process the upcoming fight. He just had to get the Labradorite to forfeit, right...? But if they had gotten this far...

His opponent lurched forward, slowly ramping up in speed as they fell into a headfirst charge. Hunter shifted on his feet, blinking the haze from his eyes, and with a deep breath he pushed forward, charging at his foe in response.

He held his spear aloft before him, adrenaline giving a rush to his head as he thrust the butt of his spear forward toward the Labradorite's head and pushed off of the ground. With any luck, he would use his momentum and the extra height given by using his spear as a fulcrum to go flipping over the the Labradorite, landing neatly behind his foe.

From there, hopefully he could land a decisive blow-- but he wanted to stay as far away from a mouth full of sharp teeth as possible.

@V-Labradorite-One

ROUND 1/5

ATTEMPT: Pole vault with spear over the Labradorite's head
DEFENSE: Staying in motion, a little zippyzap in his glands
INJURIES: Patched up by Nemean's magic

Labradorite wasn't expecting it's opponent to run right at it, much less go flying up over it's head. It half-expected the hybrid to land square on it's back, like The Agate had done. It was something of a relief when he simply landed behind the labradorite, but it still meant that he was out of easy reach while being primed to attack. Sure, the labradorite was more flexible compared to some of the forge, given it's lack of chitin, but that paled in comparison to the tiny weaselly little thing it now contended with.

Hunter could easily run circled around it. It needed to get that to stop as soon as possible. Without turning around, it swept it's tail low across the ground, hopefully colliding with it's opponent in the process. However, as it couldn't really see it's opponent at this angle, that was more easier said than done.

@Hunter

ROUND 2/5

ATTEMPT: Trip em! (part two)
DEFENSE: Oil, Back spikes (broken)
INJURIES: Tired + Broken spikes and wounds from prev fights,

Hunter had his spear at the ready, prepared to out-maneuver, but he neglected the speed and flexibility of his opponent's tail. With a yelp, his legs were knocked out from underneath him as his electricity discharged: a small zap that wouldn't do much to a much larger foe, certainly not enough to stop a motion already in progress.

The girl hit the ground, jarring an elbow as he landed awkwardly on his stomach. But his lips drew back in a snarl as he focused, and spotted a brief moment of vulnerability that he could hopefully take advantage of. He twisted, throwing his arms forward and thrusting his spear toward Labradorite's underbelly, managing to scramble one foot underneath himself. His own tail lashed, and though for now he was still prone, if Labradorite wasn't quick, he was going to be springing to his own feet in no time.

Unfortunately-- or fortunately, for his opponent-- his spear failed to connect as his chest hit the floor, arms outstretched. He tried to pull back in his arms, squirming sideways to get out of the way of whatever was coming next, but for now he was completely vulnerable.

@V-Labradorite-One

ROUND 2/5

ATTEMPT: Stab the underbelly!
DEFENSE: behind lab, squirmy mustelid hide
INJURIES: prone, jarred elbow, out of zappy juice

A shock of pain along it's tail where it made contact. Quills? Spines? No.. It quickly faded. Electricity? It was surprising, but aside from the brief pause of confusion it didn't really hinder it much. Though the lingering, tingling numbness in it's tail was awfully annoying. And distracting.

It had been so long without any blood drawn. The crowd would get restless.

It turned around to loom over Hunter, like a guillotine over her head. Its head would lurch down suddenly, jaws attempting to bite down on a limb or torso or well, anything really.

Then it tripped.

Many things happened in that split second. A piece of loose sand, or trash, or something slide from under it's feet. It's body, posed to bite and awfully unbalanced, toppled over with a haphazard, panicked thrash that didn't help the situation at all. The fall left it bruised, vulnerable, and agitated it's old injuries. The broken spikes namely, but it felt a jolt of pain where the agate had torn at it's back.

A half wheeze, half growl escaped it. It tried to ignore the eyes it could feel boring into it.

@Hunter

ROUND 3/5

ATTEMPT: chomp
DEFENSE: Oil, Back spikes (broken)
INJURIES: Tired + Broken spikes and wounds from prev fights, zapped tail, bruised from fall

The guillotine jaws of his opponent came for him as he struggled to his feet, eyes wide and frightened. Adrenaline rushed through his veins, the dance of the hunted and the hunter, and for once, Hunter wasn't sure which he was and the sensation of being prey was clawing at his throat in a desperate attempt to scream. He kept his jaw tight, teeth clenched, and only let lose a feral growl from the back of his throat as he found his footing.

Then, moments before he would be able to dart out of the way, Labradorite's head came swinging at him and-- whoosh. The oil-slicked beast fell with a thrashing of limbs, letting out a pitiful sound.

Hunter stumbled a half-step, but already his arms were going into motion, a predator pouncing on a wounded, fallen deer. His spear thrust forward, towards Labradorite's throat. It was only a half-second into the motion that he processed what he was doing and his movement came to a jarring halt, slowing the spear before it drove itself into an artery or worse. That hesitation might cost him the entire match-- but he was not... he was not here to kill, especially not a friend.

Not that he really knew anything about Labradorite, only that they had gone on the same mission once to save a mutual, never-met friend. But it was enough.

"Concede," he whispered, ears laying flat against his skull as he pleaded. "Before they sic the dragon and its hellfire on us." There wasn't enough bloodshed between the two of them, and Hunter-- Hunter didn't want to see another consumed by corrupted earth and boiling oil.

@V-Labradorite-One

ROUND 3/5

ATTEMPT: jab spear into lab's neck
DEFENSE: bristling, thick mustelid hide and a spear between him and Lab
INJURIES: jarred elbow, out of zappy juice

Content Warning
This post contains potentially sensitive material:

violence

gore

Dissociation. Just general bad times. I'm so sorry.

The horrid, burning awareness of it's mistake was abruptly replaces by a horrid, stabbing feeling in it's throat. It let out a strained, bubbling gasp. It jerked to right itself- more panicked, pained spasms at first before it reigned in enough coordination to finally stand. Whether or not Hunter managed to yank his spear out of it's flesh it'd stare. Silent, gasping, dripping. Blood and oil making a familiar grotesque slurry in the sand.

It'd stare silently as it's opponent begged it to concede. But it couldn't. It couldn't concede. Not until it's chrysalis forcefully dragged it out of the arena. "I'm sorry." It'd whisper back. It'd shoot the barest glance over at where the judges sat. At Nemean. At Vargas. "I have to win."

Break the neck. Break the spine. Something quick, painless. Maybe not bloody, but they couldn't stand to spill his blood. Not with that pleading expression. Not when it could now place WHY exactly the mustelid was so familiar How did it that for so long? The white gemstone. A selenite. The purple coloration, the bipedal stature. They were related to ITS selenite. Did they know eachother? Would-
Break the neck. Break the spine. Quick. Painless.

It reared up, front feet aiming to slam down on where it thought Hunter still was. To bring down nearly a ton's worth of force upon his tiny, fragile body. Did it connect? Did it hear the crunching? It couldn't tell. Everything was buzzing and fuzzy. It could barely feel the blood-soaked sand beneath it's feet. Was it succumbing to it's injuries? To blood loss? Was it dying? Would it's stone claim it? It couldn't tell. It didn't know.

@Hunter

ROUND 4/5

ATTEMPT: Break Backbone
DEFENSE: Oil, Back spikes (broken)
INJURIES: Tired + Broken spikes and wounds from prev fights, zapped tail, bruised from fall, throat stab

I'm sorry, said the friend. Hunter's bicolored gaze stared hopelessly down at his foe, and he felt the pang in his chest echo to those words. I'm sorry too, was his unspoken reply, before the leviathan, oil-slicked beast threw themself on to their hind legs.

A second later, they came crashing down toward Hunter. On instinct he threw up his arms, trying to block the blow with the length of his spear, but the sheer force would be too much. He had to buckle, start to roll, push away and hope he was able to get out from underneath Labradorite in time...

Labradorite's front came crashing down, and there was indeed a sickening crunch as the spear shattered, Hunter falling into a roll to get away. He managed, if only barely, to tumble mostly out of the way, fingers screaming where they still clutched tight around splintered wood.

He didn't get all the way out, though-- Labradorite's weight fell upon his long tail, pinning him down and sending a jolt of agony shooting up his spine. A sputtered gasp escaped the mustelid as he let go of the pieces of his spear and clawed at the dirt, frantic and panicked, trying to get away.

@V-Labradorite-One

ROUND 4/5

ATTEMPT: block with the spear, pushing himself out of harms way in time--
DEFENSE: bristling, thick mustelid hide and a spear between him and Lab
INJURIES: jarred elbow, out of zappy juice, bruised/bleeding hands, broken tail

Content Warning
This post contains potentially sensitive material:

violence

gore

Dissociation. Continued general bad times. I'm so sorry.

The spear dislodged from it's throat, and blood flowed freely. It saw a spear, shattered. It saw small hands desperately gripping wooden splinters. It saw wide, panicked eyes. Purple and yellow. The crescent of selenite embedded in the forehead. The smooth round of selenite at the base of a tail. Missing fingers. Clawed chitin. It-

It lurched. It's stomach twisted violently. A strained growl slid by the lump in it's bone-dry throat. It registered Hunter, desperate. Broken tail, bleeding hands. He had dodged, almost. "Stop moving." It pleaded. Could he even hear? Over the roar of the crowd, the searing agony of a broken bone? Labradorite could barely hear itself over the beat of a war drum in it's ears.

It had to end this, quick. It had to end this before hellfire rained down upon them both. Draconua would not be as kind as it was trying to be It wasn't being kind. This wasn't kindness. This was selfish.

The motion repeated. Up on it's hind legs. Down upon It's Selenite A Selenite It's opponent.
@Hunter

ROUND 5/5

ATTEMPT: Spine breaking part 2
DEFENSE: Oil, Back spikes (broken)
INJURIES: Tired + Broken spikes and wounds from prev fights, zapped tail, bruised from fall, throat stab