A Spirited Sparring

"One spar."

Yunlaw's ears perked up at the words. Dao did not take his reqeusts for a spar ever. He rarely even sparred with anyone at the lodge, so for him to accept his request now of all times put a wide, toothy grin on his face.

"Hold on now, don't get too excited." Dao holds a finger up, a wry smile on his lips after seeing his current hunting partner celebrate. "Firstly, finish your food. It's bad taste to waste a meal, especially after I packed these seasonings especially for you."

"Secondly," he says, holding up another finger as Yunlaw went back to scarfing down his food. "If any blood is spilled, then the spar is settled. Whether it be from a scratch, a bloodied nose, whatever, then it's done."

"Lastly...if I start acting strange, then I need you to knock me out as quickly as possible."

"Strange?" Yunlaw asked, picking up a piece of meat that he had dropped onto the ground. "Strange how?"

"You've seen it, right? When I start getting all...bitey and reckless?" Dao elaborates, waving his hand about. As Jin continued to look at him, confused, a better thought came to him. "When I start using Setting Sun more often than Shining Eye?"

Yunlaw nods, firmly understanding. "I thought that was just the way you liked to fight sometimes. I thought it was pretty cool." the simian shapeshifter shrugs, taking another huge bite off of a piece of meat. "So what, if you start acting weird I'll just knock you in the head a bit?"

"No, Knock me out." Dao said. "Unconscious. Go all out if you have to. I'll probably live."

"...huh." Yunlaw paused mid-bite. "You're serious, huh?"

Dao nodded.

"Then I'll make sure you're out like a light, I promise!"

One meal and thirty minutes later, as Dao insisted on making sure both of them had digested their food, the two of them stood several paces from one another, readying up for the fight.

Dao watched as Yunlaw loosened up, shaking his joints and stretching as he did the same. He was fully of the belief that the shapeshifter was stronger than he was, but at the very least he could give him a run for his money, or at least give him a good time. If anything, he could stand to learn a thing or two as well.

"Ready, Dao?" Yunlaw said, cracking his neck from side to side, bouncing on the balls of his feet with a wide, toothy smile.

Dao took a deep breath, fists at his side, feeling his muscles ripple as he slowly took on a stance. "Ready when you are." he replied.

"Now."

The apeshifter launched forward, streams of air pushing him across the dirt, fist raised and poised to smash right against Dao's head-at least, where it would have been. "Monkey Grabs Meal!"

"Serpent Slithers through Leaves!" came the immediate reply, Dao's body snaking out of the strike's range. Of course, he had to sway his body out of the way of succeeding strikes, as Yunlaw's hands and feet were both a-flurry, leaving Dao little time to think. Unfortunately, Dao could hardly find a means to cease the ape's great offense, and it was only a matter of time before Yunlaw thought of a countermeasure.

"Monkey Snatches Fly!"

The next fist he avoids twists and turns unnaturally. As soon as he notices, however, it's already grabbed his arm, immobilizing him as another punch was already flying at his face.

Dao recoils, righting himself before he fell to his knees. Panicked, he holds a hand to his face, and sighs. No blood. he thinks, before readying himself.

Another deep breath. He feels what little Flow he can sense rise up in his body, filling him with confidence. "Shining Eyes Watch for Prey."

Yunlaw flies at him again, throwing another extended fist out towards his chest. Dao dodges once more, his eyes following the fist, his body moving completely out of its way before a hand shoots out to grab it. "Coiled Constrictor Catches Prey." His grip tightens as his body fills with aura, pulling Yunlaw close as he raises a knee, keen on smashing the ape's face against it, only for Yunlaw's raised arm to blunt the blow.

He lowers his knee to try and strike him again, only for Yunlaw's other hand to rise and uppercut his jaw, disorienting him and throwing him off.

The two backed away from each other, their bodies aching...not from the pain, no, but for the fight. Yunlaw was already someone that took great pleasure in having a bit of a brawl, and even Dao had to admit that there was a certain catharsis to this playful form of physical violence.

Two breaths sounded throughout the clearing that was their arena, both fighters watching the other regain their footing.

Yunlaw was first, reassured in his offense. A series of punches threaded their way towards Dao, no longer extending past his reach. As soon as he felt his opponent's fingers grab him, however, something else struck Dao right in the chest.

Backing up, he swayed left and right, dodging one, two three...four fists! "Mighty Marching Monkey Troop!" Yunlaw laughs, throwing hands, feet, and fists formed from aura fog as he continued his fierce, frenzied onslaught.

Blow after blow, Dao feels himself grow overwhelmed at the might of one mighty monkey man. What arms and legs he can catch, he cannot hold for long before he is battered by another. Even when he moves to try and stay out of range of his fists, the Cloudy Spirit Hands are there to batter him and pull him off.

Dao grabs him again, putting Yunlaw into another hold. He watches the sweat drip down his body, the shine of his flesh, so close to his mouth. He could bite him. Dao could just open his jaws, clench them tightly and wrench that juicy muscle from Yunlaw-

POW

A fierce strike interrupts him, sending him reeling into the dirt.

"Hah, your martial arts are no joke!" Yunlaw thumbs at his nose, once more bouncing on the balls of his feet as he watches Dao attempt to stand, a small droplet of blood dripping form his mouth. Laughing, the apeshfiter shook his head, and began to walk towards him, sure in his victory. "...well, if this is the only spar I have with you, then at least-"

Yunlaw stopped.

A sound of tearing echoes throughout the empty plain as Yunlaw jumps back. Looking down, he sees a jagged piece missing from his breeches. He turns about, searching for what may have caused it, and for Dao.

It is the sound of eating that alerts him to Dao's presence. There, some ways away, at their shared campfire, Dao was gorging himself on their leftovers. "Hey, Dao! That's not fair!" Yunlaw runs towards him, a little relieved. "I should at least get my pick of what's left over, after all, I won the-"

Once again, Yunlaw halts.

The gaze that rises from the figure is not Dao's. It gorges not only on the cooked meal, but at the corpse of the chimera that they had slain, his mouth dripping with its blood.

With a deep breath, Yunlaw steadies his stance, and prepares to fight.

TO BE CONTINUED AT SOME POINT