“Whose going to stop first?” Arzlan posed the question. Now, feet dangling off the ground, Norbert started to feel his bones bend. Kicking around
“We both know that even if you break me, I’ll just get back up again,” Norbert spat out as his arms became crushed under the weight. Bones snapped audibly around them, pumping energy into his leg. Norbert released it off, just scraping against the beast-man.
Where his foot connected, his boot evaporated in the force of the power being unleashed. Not expecting it, Arzlan was slightly lifted off the ground before moving back several paces, having let go of Norbert in the reply.
Flying backwards further in response, Norbert bit his lip in pain as both arms straightened out, positioning themselves correctly. Running forward, Norbert scooped the sword off the ground as he came towards Arzlan.
The beast-man was still stumbling slightly as Norbert came up, slicing the sword into Arzlan’s arm. The sword sliced through the flesh until it hit something, unable to move as Norbert felt vibrations coming up his arm.
Wrenching the sword out once more, Norbert sheaved off a piece of flesh when he cut the sword out. Wondering what the beast man did to himself, Norbert saw bones of complete black, totally different from what he was expecting, as he looked at the jaw.
“What did you do to yourself?” Norbert asked, expecting Arzlan to be the same as the last time they fought. Taking a step back, Norbert was thankful that the flesh he cut off wasn’t growing back instantly; there were only so many changes he could take.
The energy within Norbert ramped up on its own, continuing to circulate his body, causing Norbert to grow slightly twitchy. His eyes wanted to lock down automatically on the black bone that he had brought to light.
Leaping forward, Norbert slides underneath the first that comes for his head. Backing around the left-hand side, Norbert racks his sword against the back, trying to get as much flesh as possible, hoping that without the flesh, Arzlan will no longer be able to move properly.
Backing off, Arzlan twisted his body around, trying to grab at Norbert once again. Not moving out of the way fast enough, Norbert felt one of the claws rake across Norbert’s helmet. Snapping his head to the left from the response, Norbert spun around as he backed away, head swimming slightly from the knock.
Taking a step back, Norbert felt the hairs on the back of his neck raise. He moved his sword around and held it vertically, placing his other hand on the flat of the blade. Placing one foot behind the other, Norbert instinctively leaned forward as an impact came from the front.
Feeling his back foot pushed back as Arzlan charged into him, Norbert stopped the fist with his sword as Arzlan pushed Norbert back. He moved his sword to the side as Norbert twisted it around, thrusting its point into Arzlan and knocking on the last upper dagger he had launched at the beast man.
Digging his feet in, Norbert roared in exertion. Lifting Arzlan off his feet, the sword didn’t want to cut once it hit the bone instead of slicing through the beast man like Norbert had hoped for. Bringing the sword back down, Norbert slammed it into the ground as he dashed away, not wanting to get caught up in the paws of Arzlan once more.
Another swiping towards him, Norbert kicking with a foot into the side of the bicep, causing Arzlan’s arm to falter, the swipe going inside and not grabbing onto Norbert. Ducking down under the giant's legs again, Norbert came up the backside, striking again at the back, hearing the clang again.
Backing off, wondering what he constantly hit, he realized there must be more than bones as he had prepared himself. Underneath the fur and blood, Norbert watched as Arzlan brought out his two cleavers.
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The weapons seemingly ripped out of Arzlan's body. Norbert struck still for a moment, wondering where the weapons had been stored. He heard the sloth slightly as bodily liquids oozed off the weapons and the beast man’s back.
“That is truly disgusting”, Norbert spoke, shaking uncontrollably at the sight as, even more frightening, the gore dripping on the ground subsided.
Focusing on the arm, Norbert saw the skin covering up the black bone—still, a divot where the wound had been, but way faster than it should be.
“Your one to talk, surviving a decapitation and breaking your body like it’s a tool that can be easily replaced” Arzlan growled back.
Norbert rooted for a moment as the sound reached his ears. Standing there, he thought about what the giant had told him. The energy in his body did not stop circulating around as Norbert felt the rush of cleaver coming for him.
Unable to move the sword up in time, Norbert stared down as his arm was chopped off at the shoulder, the second cleaver coming for the side of him. Norbert’s mind sped up, the roar having taken him out momentarily. Norbert leapt into the air, able to escape only with his feet being lopped off.
Tumbling to the ground, Norbert squirmed away, leaving his feet and arm lying beneath Arzlan. Focusing on his feet, he needed to be able to run and hoped to reattach his arm.
An object sailed over his head as Norbert slammed his body to the ground, taking a moment to see what it was.
CRACKLE
The object hitting the barrier, part pulverising to mush and the other part flying off, spinning end over end to land on Norbert's left. Able to wiggle his toes, Norbert rolled forward onto his feet as he looked around for his arm and the sword that should still be attached to it.
I only see the two feet where Arzlan stood, the arm and sword nowhere to be. Quickly flashing his vision to the side, seeing the sword lying there, Norbert realised what was the object that was thrown his way.
Groaning in annoyance, Arzlan quickly walked towards him, knowing a cornered animal when he saw one. “What happened to the bravado from earlier?” Arzlan commented to Norbert.
Norbert stopped himself from rising to the outburst, knowing it wouldn’t get him anywhere, and felt the energy within his body finally ticking over.
The speed was getting fast enough to trigger whatever was needed. Norbert felt it ramping up within himself as his energy was depleting. Feeling the air on his right arm, Norbert knew it was healing and possibly allowing him to win the fight.
Arzlan upon him. Norbert did not want to unleash any more energy into the giant, not knowing if his opponent could even be taken down in a single shot like that, now with whatever modifications had been done to the giant.
Taking a throwing dagger out, Norbert felt one of the cleavers go past him. He was so close to the giant he could lick Arzlan’s mane. Swiping up the arm, he knew he wouldn’t be able to pierce the bone but hoped to take enough flesh off that would impede the arm's movement.
Now, way too close, Arzlan’s right arm grabbed Norbert and kept him jumping into the air as hard as he could. He jumped off the arm going to him as Norbert flew directly upwards.
Flipping himself around in the air, feet at the top of the dome barrier around it, he looked to the side and saw the crowd point at him. Pushing off it, Norbert slammed back into the ground, aiming for Arzlan’s head. The two fell to the ground. Lifting the fist with the dagger, Norbert slams it down into Arzlan’s head.
Feeling the lion's head smash backwards into the ground, Norbert half-straddled the giant, needing to stand to get his feet on either side of the body. With the left Norbert smashed down, the bones started to break within the lion's skull from the force. Once more, Norbert lowered his fist, embedding the throwing dagger into the eye. Norbert saw the thing within swim around for a moment before blood came pooling out of the wound.
ARRRGGGGGH
Norbert was hit with a swipe of the arm, taken aback by the sound. His body flew through the air, cartwheeling around, the dagger lost out of his grip. Norbert rolled until slamming into the barrier, watching as it shot blue up and around the side. The wind smashed out of Norbert's breath as the energy within him faltered until Norbert recovered, and it continued starting up again.
Getting to his feet, half the barrier had changed colour from the impact, and only now, several seconds later, was it becoming invisible again. He hoped that it would last, not wanting him or his opponent to fly into the crowd.
Running over to Arzlan, wanting to get the most out of the damage he gave, Norbert came up, seeing his sword flying towards him point first.
Twisting around it, grabbing the handle as Norbert was shot backwards, tumbling and finally stopping again. Feeling like his arm had been slightly dislocated, he was unsure as it was already feeling better.
Charging forward once again, leaning low as he ran, Norbert looked at the wounds—all the canines of the lion were there—as Arzlan—at the lion's canines weakened—both on the ground.
The battle of attrition was well underway.