Apergos

The afternoon was beginning to wane. The arena was all but full, and the fires were lit bright. Still, no noise entered the lower chambers of the competitors. No noise, save for the serene wind and the crackling of pure fire lighting the tunnels and stairs around. Keravno, still in her stance beside the cool stone wall, silently watched a torch burning.

"Afternoon." came her mate's voice. He sat down and smiled at her, but she did not look at him. Letting his smile go, but his eyes soften, he watched her. "...hey."
He got her attention and she looked over. Apergos could see the brooding in her eyes. "It's only a duel. We've dueled plenty of times."

"If you go easy on me, I'm not talking to you for a week." scoffed Keravno. Apergos chuckled, getting up and standing beside her. She sighed, shaking her head. "It's just-....I worry about you."
"Me?" the darker wildclaw chuckled, flattening his feathers. "Oh, well I don't know, it sounds to me like you have so much confidence in yourself."

"We're expected to fight to the death Apergos." grumbled the gold wildclaw. She turned and nuzzled her nose right atop his head. "I'm going to rip your neck apart if you let me, and I know you'd let me."
"Now now," smiled Apergos, nudging her off and taking hold of her claws in his. "Even you can exercise restraint. But," he smirked. "let's give 'em a good show hm?"
Keravno blinked at him, her smile returning. She exhaled a short huff and nestled her face under his jaw. "I'll be sure to put some handsome scars on you."
Her mate's throat rumbled and he gently preened some of her feathers in return. "Good. Maybe I should do the same."
"Don't you dare." she chuckled and gave his jaw a little bite.

Suddenly a knock at the doorway wall alerted them both. The two wildclaws turned to see a third, familiar and clad in brilliant robes. "Fylis!" Keravno gasped in delight. "What are you doing here?"
"I-, was chosen as a Vestal. I'll be spectating your bout." she explained, dipping her head. "Is...is it true, you'll be-?"

"No, no," Apergos scoffed, coming over and placing a claw on her shoulder reassuringly. "Of course not. In fact, I think she's going to take it easy on me."
"Oh, that's good to hear." Fylis sighed in relief.
"I'm not though." smirked Keravno. She turned to Fylis, and kindly smiled with a sly look in her eye. "That's why I need you to make sure he's good as new once I'm through with him. I know you can do that much."

Fylis giggled and nodded, knowingly. "Fair enough." She turned to leave, a lantern kept at her side holding a little blazing flame. Then she smiled back at them, lowering her voice and holding the festive floral garments around her. "But I need you two to make it look convincing. I know you can do that much."


The sun had left. The arena was full, and Vesta took her seat along with her Vestal dragonesses. Fire blazed all around in the massive vessels lighting up the entire field below and the crowd around. Where did all these dragon spectators cheering in excitement come from? Best not to ask questions.

The king and queen sat opposite of Vesta on the far side of the coliseum, in their royal box and surrounded by a few of their children. The fluffy gentle king seemed to twiddle his thumbs and look ansy, while his coatl queen stared about with an icy enthusiasm. "Oh, couldn't we have sat further up?" King Voelcifus whispered with a soft frown. "We don't sit where we cannot see the action." Queen Mizeyera replied. "Don't you want to see the intensity of a duel? The passion of flames in others? I know for certain Maple does."
The queen eyed the royal ridgeback with starry eyes, beaming with joyful anticipation. "Though she was a little upset at not being chosen as a Vestal dragoness, I think this view more than makes up for it."

The king looked a bit troubled as the drums sounded and the trumpets sounded. He slid closer to his queen watching, as the crowd began to roar. The gates were opened below, and out stepped a wildclaw, gold and shimmering with regal armor and sharpened claws. She strode forth with confidence and stopped at the center of the arena, looking around at the crowd and waving.
The applause and cheers were mighty and numerous, it felt both overwhelming and invigorating.

Above, where the Vestals sat, Fylis cheered loudly. "Commander Keravno! Wooooo!"
Next to her, Ahana, a soft pearlcatcher, gripped her peal tight. "Oh, be careful!"
"I hope she wins." Estelle around them all spoke, cradling Vesta's flame in her claws and stroking it as if it were her familiar.
"You show him commander!!" Fylis shouted, waving out to her fellow wildclaw leader.
"That's the spirit." Vesta smiled with a rosy grin, munching on a piece of apple.

The gate opposite was raised to reveal Keravno's opponent. A dark wildclaw emerged from the shadowy tunnel. The crowd's cheers raised loud upon his entrance. He looked a bit surprised at the turnout, and immediately looked around at them surrounding the arena, and the massive flames and banners and pillars, the chained vessels for fire and carved rim with polished bone lined with gold at the tips. Needless to say, Apergos was quite impressed, and a little anxious. He turned and met Keravno at the center, smiling. "May the best commander win." He smirked.
"I will." His mate replied threateningly but half affectionately.

The drums sounded loud, in rapid succession as the two dragons readied themselves. Then the crowd cheered as a loud blaring sounding horn blew. The duel began!

Keravno slowly circled her mate, ready for his quick, jagged advances. She then glared, once she began to see the look he held. Apergos crouched to leap, his claws at the ready, but he swiftly fled around to catch her from behind.
She ran forward and caught his rushed movement. With a snarl he whipped his tail back and took a swipe at her wing, almost catching it. She growled back and pursued his retreat.

Both bared their sharp teeth, their razor claws out. Keravno stood her ground. The crowd roared as Apergos leapt up to grip her and rip her to the ground in a pounce. She threw him aside and pushed against his weight, sending him over her. He came back fast, snapping once at her neck, twice at her arm. Dodging both, she growled fiercely and tucked her head in, running into his body and delivering a bite right to his wing. Apergos screeched and clawed at her wildly, in vain as she clamped hard. He tugged back, before ramming into her and getting her to release him with a heavy battering to her head.

"Oh, this is too brutal." King Voelcifus whimpered to his queen, placing his paws over his eyes. "I can't watch." Queen Mizeyera patted his soft back and comforted him beside her. "There there dear, it hasn't even gotten bloody yet."
"I'm thirsty, is anyone else thirsty?" Princess Glacia asked with a frown.
"I'll get you a drink." Vestifer volunteered, signaling for a royal attendant.
Maple eagerly watched with her jaws in a wide grin. Happily she beat her wings. "Oh, I hope it's a close match! How exciting!"

Keravno huffed and spit a piece of her mate's wing out, eyeing him menacingly. Apergos stared back and grit his jaw, scraping his clawed foot against the dirt. "So you're gonna be that way about it, huh?" He took a running start at her. The crowd cheered as he rammed into her. Keravno caught him, but was pushed back with speed and force, right into the stone wall. She gasped out, shouting as she kicked him back and ran aside to dodge his claws. She then took to flapping her wings, lifting her slightly as she grabbed his head and sent it, along with the rest of him into the dirt.

He got to his feet, followed by Keravno trying to get at his backside.
She clawed at him, and he clawed back. She screeched as Apergos' jaws caught her neck in a vice. She scratched at his face and eyes, kicking and tumbling with him into the ground again. With a growl of effort, she summoned her element, and doused her mate in a heavy, forceful watery push.

The crowd went wild as they realized he was now at a disadvantage, and her neck was bleeding profusely. Panting, she glared over at him as he got to his feet, dripping. He shook off the water, but his armor and banner was much heavier. Standing for a moment, the dark wildclaw removed his pelt, and his armor, abandoning it on the arena ground. He huffed in exhaustion, pain and concentration. "Alright. You asked for it." He growled.

Keravno snarled back as he hurried, rushed to her again. He was slower, easier to counter now. She then made deadly swipes at him, nicking his shoulder, his tail, his horns as he blocked her and headbutted her back. She groaned as the crowd cheered loud, all sounds ringing in her helmet. And then another whack to her head, sending it flying off. Spinning, bleeding, Keravno cried out in fury as she beat her wings and rammed back into him. She bled on him, screeching as she slashed.
The dirt was now beginning to show a little rouge.

Vesta looked on from her perch with delight, munching on some grapes leisurely. "Goodness. How absolutely brutal.~"
"Get him! Get him!" Fylis shouted out, waving her wings and cheering Keravno on.

Apergos withstood her slashes, guarding against her dodging the rest. He took a deep breath and growled loud, ramming into her again. His clawed foot met her armor and he summoned his power, delivering a bright jolt and sending it all throughout her body. The crowd cheered, and Keravno felt her body tense up and suddenly lose control. She could not move. She could not block Apergos' powerful claws as they ripped her armor off and away.

She had to defend herself, but she struggled to claw back, her eyes enraged and in tears as he bit her gauntlets off, nearly taking her claws with it. Once off, she snapped up and bit his snout, stopping him. She then felt his claw on her chest, slashing it. His strikes were much stronger without her armor, and Keravno screeched in pain, letting go of his jaw. She used her wings to dive under him and take his legs. But Apergos lifted a foot and sent his claw into her back, between her wings. Keravno wailed and felt her body suddenly halt all motion. She lay limp, panting, bleeding and weary, but struggling to get up again. The jittering jolting electricity was still limiting her, but she felt there was still strength left in her.

Apergos, weary but in much better shape, spat away a bit of blood and snorted some out his snout. He sighed, looking sorry and taking his foot off and to the side. "What happened? I thought I was supposed to be the one down there."
Before he could say anything else, his eyes widened at Keravno's horned head suddenly piercing into his underbelly with such shock.

The crowd went wild, as Keravno made her comeback, sending her mate toppling over with a brutal slam. Apergos struggled to breathe as he lay on the dirt, bloodied and injured. He watched with both fear and pride, as Keravno staggered over him, panting with blood dripping from all over her, more apparent on her gold and robin blue body. She then took another step, and a short leap ontop of him. Apergos scowled and screeched as she dug her foot's claw into his backside above his leg, and pinned him. He watched with little breath and strength left as she quickly used the last of her efforts to deliver a killing strike.

She went for his throat. Blood seeped through her jaws. Apergos fell silent. The crowd screamed for the victor. Keravno raised her head and panted, still breathing. The horns sounded. Everyone cheered for the victor, Keravno.

It was bliss to hear such victorious chanting from all around. The exhausted Wildclaw exhaled again, feeling her strength leave her. She then fell atop her mate's body, limp, injured and whirling. She could see him pretending to be dead, and gave a weak smile. "Looks like, I win after all." she whispered.

Both fighters were in terrible shape, and cleared from the arena in rose-covered hammocks. Fylis gave a shout before rushing away to the tunnels again.
In a most brilliant display of joy, Vesta blew a plume of her pure flame and smiled as the crowd kept applauding and cheering, chanting "Keravno! Keravno!"

Fylis immediately set to healing her commanders, shaking her head at them both, having inflicted wounds that would take time to heal. "I hope you're both happy. You nearly scared me out there. I was at the edge of my seat." She scolded.
Apergos chuckled weakly, groaning in pain after. "She got me good."
"Serves you right for almost paralyzing me." Keravno growled softly at him. She rolled her head over and smiled, hearing the echo of her name chanted. "But yes...I'm happy."



(woof, that took a while! e.e; Hope you enjoyed the duel though! :) Another battle will be coming soon on the 10th when enough spots are filled!)