“They say every day is a gift. Well, not anymore. Not after this. Now every day is a reward. A reward earned by every person who made it through these times. A reward we will cherish. A reward we will pass on.”
-General Theodore Smith, 1972, Victory Speech After The Horde Invasion
Pride and Honor
Vlad walked the back lanes whenever he could. People weren’t scared of him exactly, but they always seem to keep an extra eye on him. Move a little more carefully. He didn’t blame them. He had claws that could cut them clean open. It would have been as stupid as leaving heavy machinery unsupervised to just drop one’s guard around a ludoyashay. No matter how peaceful they were. Even a pacifist like Vlad.
So he walked the back lanes that were just wide enough for emergency and utility vehicles to use as needed. Of course, this was plenty wide for Vlad. Even the largest of the ludoyashay were outsized by an ambulance, even if they could turn it into ribbons.
Vlad stopped at the edge of one housing block and scanned the street in front of him. No one was on the sidewalks and the road itself was also empty. Vlad stepped back and in a single leap crossed over into the back lane of the next block and continued on. He was just about halfway through when the feeling hit him. Something was hunting him. Vlad opened his senses and searched the area. His eyes were capable of individual movement and his sockets were near the corner of his skull which allowed him to rotate his vision to an almost full circle around him. His ears and nose were just as advanced in the task of detection and even his tongue could pick up extra information. However, none of them could sense anything. Still, Vlad felt his hearts increase their pumping. His large primary fed the whole of his body and brought his muscles and skin the extra oxygen they would need in a fight. His smaller sub-heart that usually laid still began its circulation around his organs and kept them functioning as his first heart focused on the fight at hand.
Rather it would, if there was a fight. Nothing came at Vlad but still his senses told him danger was near. His scales shifted loose, ready to provide both protection and flexibility, in response to the unknown danger. Vlad kept on marching. If there was something then he needed to get home, to the safety of his family. As he came to a cross way he looked down both directions. Left, then right. All clear. He started to continue when a rattling came from the left. Vlad snapped his body to the sound and saw the lid of a trash can rolling around. At the exact moment it became too late Vlad noticed that there were no trash cans around for the lid to have fallen off of.
A massive bulk slammed into Vlad and he flew into a wall sending a web of cracks into it. The bulk followed and grabbed Vlad around the neck before he could do anything. The bulk hoisted him up squeezing his neck enough to prevent him from slipping out and started to viciously rub the top of his head bellowing, “Noogie, noogie, noogie.”
Razputin laughed as his little brother struggled under his strength. “Raz! Let me go.”
“Come on now little Vladimir.” Raz tightened his grip around Vlad’s head, “It’s your fault for letting me sneak up on you.”
“I didn’t let you. I tried to find you.” Vlad explained.
“Da. Like prey you watched and waited. You must learn to act. Not react.”
“Whatever. Just let me go.”
“No. You must free yourself, as I know you can.”
“Raz, I’m a pacifist. You know-”
“Bah!” Raz cut him off, “That means nothing. You are still ludoyashay. Act like one.”
Vlad continued to struggle, but Raz’s grip was too tight to slip. He couldn’t claw his way out and Raz was too tough for even his strongest blows. Vlad instead took his tail that was as nimble as a needle and as strong as a sledge hammer and wrapped it around Raz’s ankle pulling before his brother could even notice. In the loss of balance, Vlad shifted his weight into Raz and leaped using his body to rotate them into a position that had Vlad slamming himself down into Raz and then using the moment to break free and leaping again. Vlad landed on his feet and balled his fist ready to fight. But Raz just laughed on the ground.
“My brother, you are most definitely the cleverest of us.” Raz rolled and lifted himself. Razputin and Vladimir Ivanov looked as different as they looked the same. Raz was larger by a lot and had a bulk shaped by use. Vlad was far from small with muscles made more by training and exercise. They both had the same shade of green scales, and their claws were both the same of a much darker green. Raz’s claws were longer though. Nearly five times so. Their eyes were the same as well. Ludoyashay only had the one eye color between them. Full yellow with black slits for pupils. Their faces were also shaped differently, but only enough that their kin could tell them apart. To others outside of their kind, it was nearly impossible to tell one from another. This was the nature of beings who relied on details. To humans, the ludoyashay all looked the same, and to the ludoyashay, all humans looked the same. Well unless they had major differences, which was more common among them.
“Well, that’s all thanks to you,” Vlad said as he rotated his neck and shoulders. The danger was past, and his body was going back to its resting state.
“Is that so?” Raz asked. He was never in danger and so his body didn’t work itself up.
“Yeah. Whenever I’m in a situation I just think to myself What would Raz do, and then I do the opposite.”
Raz laughed at that, “I see. Very clever indeed. Come now. We need to be home soon.”
The two brothers walked on together. Their strides were another difference between them. Raz was walking as tall as he could. His tail swept behind with each step placed with full purpose. Vlad slouched. Which was actually the natural walking stride of their people. His tail was stretched straight behind him acting as the counterweight to his torso. It was the stance that naturally protected the underside and allowed for a faster drop to all fours. Ludoyashay were only half bipedal. They could walk on two legs and use tools like humans, but to gain their full speed required all four limbs. Raz didn’t care about being safe. Not while simply existing. Anything foolish enough to openly attack him would be easily defeated. He was one of the top combatants of West Progress High after all.
They arrived at the home of the Ivanov family. An entire housing block that was made up of a dozen different buildings. A small, but complete, village on to itself. The brothers entered the main house where pictures lined the walls. Family pictures that dated back hundreds of years.
“Doma!” Raz called out as they entered filling all the nearby rooms with his voice. Vlad repeated the Russian phrase but it didn’t pass beyond the first room.
A large ludoyashay stepped into the room. She was female, a fact notable by a slightly narrower face and slimmer claws. Her eyes also stretched a bit further back and her tail was longer. These details were difficult for humans to see, but they likely still would have guessed her gender from the pink apron she wore that read: “Secret Ingredient: Mama’s Love”
“Razputin, I have told you to stop bullying your brother.” She spoke with a thick accent.
“How do you know I attacked him today?” Raz asked.
“Because I know telling you to stop is pointless. Now get ready. The sermon is soon.” She turned to return from where she came, “Vladimir, come with me.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Vlad did as he was told and followed his mother into what was the kitchen. The room was full of the smell of cooked meals. Their mother was the matriarch of the family and thus was responsible for the well-being of all its members. Cooking the meals were one of the many tasks that fell to her. “Do you want me to help?”
“You may.” His mother lifted a sack of potatoes onto a counter, and Vlad washed his hands and started to peel them with his claws, “Vladimir, my son, today is an important day.”
“I know mama,” Vlad said as he glided his claw across. “Raz’s big announcement.”
“Da. The whole family will be here.”
“I know mama. Dad told us he wanted everyone there.”
“Da. Which is why I need you to understand something.”
Vlad set down another peeled potato and looked to his mother. “What’s that.”
“This sermon, no matter how important the event around is, is the same as the rest. Do not assign greater weight to it. Your purpose in the family is equal to all at all times.”
Vlad looked at his mother and thought. He nodded his head, “I understand. Peace is not something that can be allowed to wax and wane. It must be held at a constant.”
“Good. You make me proud my son.” his mother filled a pot set on the stove, “Now, when you finished put the podados in here.”
A little giggle rang through the kitchen. The two ludoyashays turned their gaze to a slim human woman who wore a matching apron to Vlad’s mother. “You said it podados.”
Vlad smiled at that and continued to peel. The human woman was a member of the family through marriage to one of Vlad’s cousins. Her name was Rebecca and despite looking like a gentle beauty was tough enough to earn the respect of the family. Needless to say, she was a demihuman.
“I don’t understand why you police these so much, but” Rebecca sliced and diced meats with a grace that was beyond mundane, “my snuggle scale says it’s important and I drag her to church every Christmas, Easter, and Thanksgiving.”
“We appreciate your, umm…, acceptance.” Vladimir tried.
“Da. Your understanding is essential to our rituals.” Vlad’s mama said with only a line of snark.
Just then Rebecca’s snuggle scale came into the kitchen, “Vladimir, there you are.” She strided across the room and gave Rebecca a kiss before addressing Vlad again, “Your father sent me. It’s time.”
Vlad’s mother looked over the kitchen, “There is still work to be done.”
“Well, I can finish it.” Rebecca chimed, “I know it’s important to all of you.”
“It is, as it should be to you.” Vlad’s cousin said as she looked to the matriarch, “All of the family should be there. Strange how our matriarch did not schedule all the work to be done by then.”
“You believe I can say when the water boils?” The matriarch looked back with narrowed eyes.
“You can say when the fire is lit, Aunt Anastasia, and I see you have only just now lit it.”
“Snuggle scale, don’t worry about it.” Rebecca lifted herself up and off the ground to plant a kiss on her cheek, “I knew what she was doing. I’m just as mad as you, but she’s the boss.”
Vlad’s mother scoffed and started to remove the apron, “If you wish to finish the work, you may. Vladimir, come.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Vlad finished peeling the last potato and dumped it into the pot before joining his mother and cousin. “Mama, you shouldn’t be so cold to Rebecca.”
“I know not what you mean.”
“Of course you don’t.” Vlad’s cousin said.
“Mind your tongue child.”
“You’re the one who needs to mind her manners,” Vlad said. His mother looked at him in disbelief, “I’m on Vera’s side in this thing. Rebecca is family, and family is family.”
She simply huffed. “Da.”
There were many buildings in the Ivanov block. Some were just housing but others had exact purposes. The one they went to was their church. Ludoyashay were often Christian and as such hung crucifixes around their places of worship. They entered into the church where the bulk of the family was already gathered. Vlad’s cousin split off to join another group. They whispered quietly back and forth before sending angry looks to Vlad’s mother. She and Vlad made their way to the front. Vlad’s mother took a seat in the front next to a well-scarred ludoyashay. Vlad’s father and the patriarch of the family. Vlad took a spot on the pulpit. Raz came up next to him and stood at his full height. In the center stood a single candle nearly burnt out. Some time passed as the rest of the Ivanov family filled the room.
The room’s mutters became silence as a ludoyashay wearing the black robes of a priest came to the front. He addressed the mass in the opening prayers ending with an amen that the mass repeated in a single boom.
“My people. Made from dirt beyond the stars. Still loved by Our Father. Still saved by Our Messiah. Still known by The Holy Spirit. We gather here for an important cause. Vladimir.”
With that Vlad approached. The priest handed him an unlit candle nearly a foot long. Vlad took the candle. The priest then turned and reached for the lit candle with only an inch left.
“Vladimir Ivanov. When you were laid it was decided that you would be named our pacifist. That you would not be trained in the art of battle. That your claws would not shed blood. That your heart would not be hardened in war. That you would be a sign of peace and a symbol of faith, hope, and love.” The priest lifted the flame up. “This small fire is a symbol of the peace that we enjoy, and so long it burns we know that we might live as we wish. Not as vessels of war, but as ourselves.”
The priest tilled the flame to the unlit candle lighting it to life.
“I pass this flame I once held to you, and I pray you never need snuff it out.”
The priest stepped back and Vlad stepped towards the candle holder ready to place it. As he started to lift it something wrapped around his ankle and pulled his foot from under him. Vlad tumbled and dropped the candle to the floor. The fire started to spread to the floor but before it could grow the clawed foot of the priest stomped on it. Vlad looked up to see the priest offering a hand.
“Let’s try that again.” The priest lifted Vlad and returned to their positions as another ludoyashay offered another candle to Vlad before shooting a dirty look to Raz. Vlad saw that nearly everyone was looking at his brother and when he looked he saw Raz poorly holding a smile back and thumping his tail just off of where Vlad’s foot was. The jerk had tripped him, and on his own big day. Vlad simply huffed and accepted the flame again and placed it in the candle holder to burn for the next full day where they would again pass the flame on. He didn’t have to do it every day, but it was routine.
“Now that the light of peace has been passed, my brother Boris, our patriarch would like to make an announcement.”
The priest stepped back and Vlad’s father stood. Larger than Raz, his face had a scar that stretched across and passed through his left eye where it was still healing slowly, but surely. He came up to the pulpit and his first action was to call Vlad over to him. “Vladimir, my son, you make me proud with your holding of our values. You honour us all, even your brother.”
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He snapped his gaze to Raz who just nodded still holding back a smile. Their father took Vlad into a hug and placed a kiss on his forehead before dismissing him back to his spot. Then at the center of the pulpit, Vlad’s father turned to the mass.
“My people, my clan. Though we live now in a time of peace, our history is war. War is what we were enslaved to before we were here. War is what we were summoned to when this world lit itself aflame. War is what we rose to when our false gods came to take this world. We hold to our peace, not in a belief it will last, but in the knowledge that it could slip away. So it is we prepare. We prepare for the war that will come. A task that my son Razputin has taken up to great heights. It is my honour to announce that Razputin has been officially accepted into the city’s minor battle league!”
The mass roared in applause and cheers. Raz puffed his chest and opened his arms as if he had won a sport and even bowed. Their father gestured for him to come up and speak and Raz did so, but halfway he stopped and turned to look at Vlad. Vlad leaned back in shock. Raz looked to the ground where Vlad’s tail rested as if it didn’t just reach out and tap Raz’s ankle. Vlad simply stood there as if he didn’t just pull a prank that resulted in Raz looking foolish.
“Razputin!” Their father yelled and he turned back and made the rest of the way. Their father hugged and kissed his forehead before stepping back and allowing Raz to make his own speech. When he was done the mass clapped and cheered again and the priest returned to bring the day to an end. The meeting was dismissed and all headed to the dining hall where Rebecca had finished the cooking and had everything set out. The entire meal had a notable, but not overwhelming, hint of lemon to it, even the drinks. Exactly the way one snuggle scale liked it, and no one else. Vlad’s mama scowled as she ate the meal.
“Don’t be mad.” Vlad said, “You have only yourself to blame.”
“Don’t lecture me, boy.” She said.
“Then I will lecture you.” His father said, “If you had started earlier then you wouldn’t need to leave Rebecca alone.”
“Da, mama.” Raz joined in, “You know how she is. Clever and petty. You know this too well.”
“Betrayed by my entire brood. What would my mother think?”
Vladimir laughed with his father and brother. Others joined in, either following their own jokes or just in the mirth of it all. This was the way of the ludoyashay. Everything was a conflict in one way or another. Family most of all.
***
Breakfast the next day was normal. Anastasia had supervised the majority of the work ensuring Rebecca couldn’t customize the recipe how she wanted. Rebecca didn’t mind. Despite the matriarch’s poor attitude towards her, Rebecca loved the Ivanov family. After all, it was her family too. “Vladimir, sweet boy, don’t you even think about leaving anything on your plate.”
Vlad’s plate was in fact rather stacked. He hadn’t had a say in just how much was put on it. “I’ll try not to disappoint.”
“You better. You’re growing like a weed. I swear you’ve doubled in size since last year.” Rebecca circled the dining table filling glasses and passing salt containers.
“And what of me?” Raz asked. His plate held a reasonable amount of morning food, “Am I to shrivel like slug?”
“Oh, I’m already preparing a second plate for you.” Rebecca cooed, “After all, you need to train extra hard. The other schools aren’t going to be sending less than their best themselves.”
As Rebecca dipped into the kitchen Raz raised his glass, “To my cousin Vera, for finding such a grand addition to our family.”
The table lifted their glasses and gave a single hoorah. Vera lifted again and called, “To that grand addition herself. She found me too after all.”
Another round of cheer before returning to the meal. The table was only half full at the moment and more of the member present were men. The warriors of the family ate breakfast first. Vera and a few others were the only women at the table. There were no rules on who was and wasn’t allowed to be a warrior, and there were many men in the family who weren’t warrior and weren’t at the table. However, there were two non warriors at the table among the warriors. Vlad, the family’s pacifist, and his uncle Father Dmitri, an ex pacifist who had once snuff the light of peace out when The Horde came down from the stars.
“It’s a shame you two won’t provide us with more.” Dmitri said, “If you want I could make a call down south and-”
“Bah!” Vera shouted, “Raz has brought us more than enough. Besides, I’m going to have to give my attention to whipping those yellow scales my sister popped in line.”
“Silence Vera.” Anastasia had come out to layout plates of pancakes, “Your nieces and nephews are doing well enough. Very proud of them. As you should be.”
Vera waved her tail at Anastasia and continued eating. Raz had his second and third plates brought out and down them with no care. When Vlad finished his plate and excused himself to prepare for the day as did Dmitri. At least that was the plan before XK-88 popped his head into the dining hall with a mirthful, “Hello!”
The whole table was at their feet and many with claws out and ready when Anastasia walked into the room from the kitchen, “Vladimir, you have-”
She looked at XK, “I told you to wait at door.”
“Oh!” XK put a finger to his chin, “I thought you said wait for the door. As in to close. My bad.”
“XK, what are you doing here?” Vlad asked his friend.
“Congregating. It’s Sunday and I know you’re religious.” XK said.
“You’re here to attend church?” Vlad raised an eyebrow
“You betcha.” XK winked with a smile, “I’m not too late, am I?”
“Vladimir! Who is this?” Boris asked his son pointing to the metal man in his home.
“This is my friend and teammate. XK-88 Scott.” Vlad explained. “XK, this is my father. Boris Ivanov, Patriarch of the Ivanov family.”
“An honour.” XK bowed in respect, “I see where Razzy gets his strength.”
Boris lifted his lip showing a row of fangs. A gesture to show that he knew the line was met to appease, which was wasted on XK.
“Well now that’s settled. Let’s go.” XK clapped, “I’m rather excited. I’ve never been to a religious service before.”
“Well then,” Dmitri came up front, “You will get to see ours up front and first hand. As a friend of Vladimir you are welcome to help.”
“I am? Why’s that? Is Vlad important or something?” XK asked.
“Yes. He is the pacifist of the Ivanov Family and one day the leader of our church.” Dmitri explained as he headed to the door. “Now, come.”
Dmitri headed toward the church with Vlad and XK following. XK leaned over the whispered, “Wow Vlad, you didn’t tell me you were such a big deal.”
“I’m not.” Vlad shot back, “I just have my part in the family.”
“The pacifist.” XK recalled, “What is that all about?”
“Well, I’m the embodiment of peace and a symbol of hope.” Vlad explained, “For as long as we can recall our people were used for war.”
“By the Horde.”
“By everyone. We spread across the stars, not as explorers under our will, but as slaves to be used. It wasn’t until we came here that our people knew peace. And even then, only the few thousands that managed to make it here. There are still billions, if not trillions, and maybe more still, that are still under someone else’s yolk.”
“That’s super sad, but how does that lead to you?”
“Here, we are not subject to non-stop war. We still train, and battle, and revel in violence, but we are not consumed by it. We may live as we wish. We study, and build, and love freely, but we know this can not last.”
“Okay, sad twist there, but you’re getting to the point now, right?”
Dmitri had opened the front door of the church and entered with Vlad and XK following. At the center of the pulpit the candle of peace continued to burn.
“To symbolize this peace, one is chosen to never be train in the art of battle, to never have their claws shed blood, and so that their heart is never hardened by war.” Vlad gestured to the candle, “To keep the light of peace alight, and if needed, be the one to snuff it out. To throw our peace aside and unleash ourselves on to an enemy.”
XK eyed the small candle that had burned nearly all of itself away. “What happens if it goes out on its own?”
“We relight it. It’s a metaphor, not an omen.” Dmitri answered.
“What?” XK was a gasped and then booed the preacher, “That’s boring! I thought you people sang songs and preach about the end times.”
“You’re thinking of Catholics.” Dmitri said before continuing to the back.
Vlad snickered at that before turning to XK, “Sorry to disappoint, but he’s right. About the metaphor thing. It’s just a symbol we rally around, and we are very clear to keep it nothing more than a symbol.”
“And why’s that?” XK asked crossing his arms.
“The Second Commandment: Thou shall not worship idols.” Vlad quoted off, “We worship God and no one else.”
“What about Jesus?”
“Jesus is God.”
“I thought Jesus was the son of god.”
“Is he.”
“So Jesus is the son of himself?”
Vlad shrugged, “Guess so. And he sacrificed himself to save us from sin.”
“Why?”
“Because he loves us.” Vlad answered, “at least, that’s what we preach. What’s important is living by the teaching of Jesus.”
“To be a goody-two-shoes?”
“Exactly. Now when do you want to be baptized?” Vlad looked at his friend with a smile. XK’s eyes widened at Vlad’s words, but felt into a laugh with Vlad. “I’m kidding of course, but you are welcomed to join.”
“I’ll decide after my free trial.”
“You may have as many free trials as you want.” Vlad smiled, “Now come on. I have some stuff you can help me with.”
The two boys joined Dmitri and started arranging place sets and swept the floor. A few other ludoyashays came in and helped as well as Rebecca who spoke with XK in length. Of what, Vlad did not know as Rebecca had used some power to keep him from hearing which was made obvious by XK’s silent laughing near the end.
Of course Vlad did not care. He suspected they were making jokes at him, but he didn’t mind. Soon the service started.
Dmitri stood at the front and begin telling stories of different battles and what could be learned from them. It was clear that the sermon was for Raz. For his part Raz listened tentatively. Until XK interrupted the sermon.
“Yawn!” He faked loud enough to silent Dmitri, “Sweet Mercy. This is worse than school, and you choose to do this every week?”
“XK!” Vlad hissed, “Quiet!”
“Oh of course.” XK put a finger to his lips and Dmitri continued.
Until XK started tapping his foot on the wood floor and making a popping sound.
“XK!” Vlad shouted firmly.
“What? I’m bored.”
“You can leave if you want. I won’t be offended.”
“But what about my free trial?”
“Your free trial?” Vlad narrowed his eyes, “Are you mocking me?”
“What? Not at all” XK mocked as he lead back, “I would never. It’s not your fault you all have the most boring hobby in the world.”
“This is not a hobby.” Boris growled, “This is our faith. You dishonour us with your disrespect.”
“Ooh, so scary.” XK cooed, “I see where your reputation comes from.”
“This isn’t funny.” Vlad shouted out and approach his friend, “I can take a joke fine, but this is an insult, and I won’t stand for it.”
“We will not stand for it,” Boris added.
“Challenge accepted.” XK said, “Name your terms.”
“What? You demand a duel?”
“Sure, but can we just skip to the fighting though, all the paper work would just ruin the mood.”
“Very well then, choose anyone you wish, and when they tear you in two, you never return.” Boris laid out.
“Deal, anyone I wish?”
“Anyone here. We are all capable of defeating you.” Boris stood to his full height.
“Okay, I choose,” XK scanned the crowd of angry faces before pointing behind him, “Vladimir.”
The room was shocked at that. “Vladimir is a pacifist. He is not to shed blood.”
“Good news.” XK gesture to himself. “I have no blood.”
“It is not literal.”
“Oh come on, It’s not a death match. You just need him to knock some sense into me, right?”
Before Boris could counter Vlad spoke up, “I accept. I’ll fight. For the honour of my family, I shall face you my friend.”
XK smiled, “Neat.”
The congregation moved into the large courtyard of the housing block. They flowed around the edge outlining the arena. As they did the two boys made their way to the center. They turned to face each other when Dmitri stepped forth and shouted.
“This is not to be allowed. Vladimir is sworn to passivity.” Dmitri turn to Boris, “Brother! Call this off. Demand he face another or be banished.”
“No.” Vladimir answered keeping his eyes on XK, “Pacifism is not passivity. I will not harm another unless I am to surrender our peace, but I will not stand by to insult or injury of my people. I will not harm my friend here. I will simply teach him the err of his way.”
“On my,” XK-88 placed his fingertips on his mouth, “You certainly have a way with words. Maybe if you have been the one preaching. I might have paid attention then.”
“Enough. No more foul words from you.” Vladimir Ivanov lowered his body placing his claws into the ground. He stared XK down and gritted his fangs. His hearts increased in pace and his skin shifted into their ready and loose state. The family whispered and shushed one another. Others continued to enter the courtyard, or gather around windows. Some climbed to the roofs to see the spectacle. XK poised himself and smiled returning Vladimir’s gaze.
“Well, what are you waiting for?” Raz shouted, “Fight already!”
Like a lightening bolt Vlad leaped forward. XK swung a backhand expecting to counter Vlad only to have the strike wasted on the air. Vlad had stop an inch short and rotated his body around. His tail caught XK just under his still raised arm and sent the metal boy across the field. Vlad didn’t know how capable XK was, only that he was tough, and so he didn’t gauge the tail swing and instead release all the strength he could into it. This caused XK to be launched into a wall of a building and send cracks webbing out. The ludoyashay who had just cleared the way stared as he stood and laughed. “Little Vlady, it’s going to take more than that to impress me.”
XK-88 launched himself back at Vlad with a full speed jab to his jaw. When Vlad dodge the punch XK followed with a kick to the torso and that dug into the reptilian scales across his chest. Which did next to nothing as the scale flexed and locked in place instantly to prevent the blow from reaching the inner body. Before XK could realize the lack of reaction Vlad grabbed him by the face and lifted him to slam his whole body into the ground. Followed by an arching throw into another ground slamming and then another throw into the air. Vlad prepared himself. Crouching to windup his back and legs to jump into the air. He swept his tail behind him, a reflexive movement to check his back was clear. He trained his eyes on the dot that was XK in the sky. The sun was at noon, which hid XK’s movements from a flailing mass to an focused force that had already summoned an aura of power that surrounded him.
“Blast Lazer!” was all the warning Vlad had before the energy beam struck the ground he had just leaped away from. He had forgotten that XK actually had an array of tricks he could use. Nothing that would kill or maim a ludoyashay, but enough to knock them around for sure. Vlad redoubled his effort as he tried to find XK again. He looked up into the sky, but it was his tail he had placed to the ground that told him that XK had landed in front of him. Vlad tried to drop his body into a defensive stance, but didn’t have time as XK rushed him. Vlad lower himself enough to meet the attack, another jab, straight on with a headbutt. The impact was right on the brow. The strongest part of the ludoyashay skull. He thought to spin his neck and snap his jaw around XK, but such could not be tolerated. Blunt force and throws were one thing, even claw swipes could be overlooked, but to sink teeth into flesh would be a violation outright. Vlad swung a fist at XK who dodged without effort. Then he dodged the next blow and the next. Vlad’s punches were fast, but they also were short. He could scratch his nose just fine, his arms weren’t stumps, but if one were to watch Raz fight they would see his claws were apart of a vicious and rapid barrage of attacks that placed him incredibly close which ended in him retreating to safety, chomping down with his fangs, or grabbing the opponent to get a more power bite with his fangs. Vladimir didn’t have any three as an option and XK capitalized on this.
Vladimir flew back as XK caught him with an uppercut straight in the under jaw. Before Vlad landed he felt his tail being grabbed and the force of him swinging around. XK had wrapped an arm around Vlad’s tail, just past the point his back claws could reach and was twirling in place. He went faster and faster. Vlad thought for just a moment. He could cut his tail off. Ludoyashays were persistent healers and it would grow back in time, but before he could think twice another idea came into his head. Vlad stretched out to the ground and scooped a clump of grass and hurled it right into XK’s face. XK stumbled and lost his grip. Vlad would have flown off but reached for the ground and recovered his stance. He leaped forward not allowing XK to recover himself and pounced into a tackle catching XK on the back and landed on him as he belly flopped to the ground and pinned him. Vlad thought on the next move. If he started wailing on XK he might unleash some energy blast, but backing off could leave an opening.
Vlad’s thoughts were interrupted by a muffled sound that came from XK. Vlad lifted his hand off XK’s head and asked, “What?”
XK lifted his head spitting out grass, “I said uncle. Uncle. I give up.”
The crowd roared in cheer as Vlad stepped off his friend, “Really? You sure?”
“Yes I am.” XK stood brushing off dirt the best he could, “I mean look at me. I’m covered in dirt. Especially from that little cheap shot of yours.”
“Really?” Vlad asked with disbelief.
“You also had me pinned, which means you could have ripped me apart if not for the no blood shed thing.” XK explained, “but the dirt throwing is also a big part of it. Which is why you own me big time Razzy.”
This last comment was directed toward Razputin who kept his head at his full height during the fight, but now flinched under the collective stares of the crowd.
Boris pointed a claw at his son, “Razputin. Explain. Did you put this boy up to this? Do not lie to me.”
Raz looked around. The eyes of his elders drilled honest fear into him. He shrugged and explained, “I did not expect him to be such ass about it, but yes, I ask him to fight Vladimir.”
Dmitri stomped up to his nephew and asked, “Why?”
“Because Vladimir is right. Pacifism does not mean passivity, nor should it.” Raz gestured to his family, “Vladimir is our symbol of hope. Our keeper of peace and defender of our right to choose our future. But such a thing should not be held in weakness. He must able be to stand like the rest of us, and who better to temper him but a friend.”
“Vladimir does not need such tempering.” Dmitri scowled.
“Are you one to talk dear uncle? Should father tell the story of how he lost his eye?” Raz took his proud stance over his uncle, “I believe saying is Eye for eye, not eye for heart.”
Dmitri narrowed his eyes before snapping his gaze to XK, “You, metal boy, Vladimir had bested you, do you honour the terms?”
“Terms?” XK stared confused before realizing, “Oh! Yes! I apologize for my rudeness. In fact, I’ll tell you I had to really flex my acting skills. You were actually very enthralling. Though I still think Vlad would be more exciting to listen to.”
Dmitri tsked and turned away, “Very well. I have work to do.”
The rest of the crowd broke apart and Vladimir walked XK to the front gate of the housing block.
“I can’t believe this,” Vlad said.
“What’s that?” XK asked
“All of this. I mean, when did Raz even ask you to do this?”
“Oh, just after we asked him to be the third at Harrick’s duel. He told me your deal and then said what he said back there. More or less.”
“Okay, but why come here and act out like that?”
“Because Vlady, you’re too nice for anything less.”
“What?”
“If I challenged you directly you would barely put up a fight. You needed motivation to really let loose. Insults have no effect on you, and insulting any one person would have had you apologizing on my behalf. So I had to go big. I had to go for the one thing that you couldn’t leave undefended. The core of your strength.”
Vlad thought for a moment, “My faith?”
“Close. One layer deeper. Your love that you built your faith around. Just attacking your faith would have been nothing, but attacking that which symbolizes what you really care for.”
“Okay, I guess, but what if that failed and I just stopped being friends with you?”
“I would have snitched on Razzy and put the blame on him. He asked me to do this, remember?”
“I guess so.” Vlad said, “That’s all still pretty low. I’ll have to find some bible verse about trickery and deceit for next week. Maybe do the sermon myself since you think I would be so good at it.”
“And why would my opinion matter?”
“Well, you’re going to be there after all.”
“I am?”
“You are.” Vlad smiled
XK smiled back, “I guess I am.”