Krystal vs Apex: Arena of Dominance

[arktriumph]

Krystal Cloudfang vs Apex
Gladiator Match
Victory can only be obtained by forcing the opponent to verbally yield

Krystal Cloudfang waited in the entrance tunnel, the roar of the crowd thundering beyond the arena doors, her heart pounding as she prepared for her first competitive battle in the Arena. The blue furred vixen was clad in a firm white bra laced with gold, a short white skirt open at both sides to display her long legs, and a set of gleaming golden anklets and bracelets. Her fur was decorated with gently visible mystical symbols, dyed with painstaking care. A thick mass of light-blue hair filled the space between her ears, descending down to the middle of her neck, a fringe hanging down over her face. In one hand she held her trusty golden spear tightly.

Krystal

Her nerves jangled at the prospect of the coming contest, but she was equally excited, her thirst for knowledge and experience pushing her ever-onward, leading her here to spend time as a combatant at the Coliseum. She steeled herself as the announcer thundered her name and the great door opened, light spilling over the young vixen as she bounded out into the arena for her debut bout!

Crowds cheered voraciously as the scantly clad foxgirl dashed out into the arena, raising her spear high and turning on the spot to take in the vista. The arena floor was hardpacked dirt, shaped as a long oval with hard stone walls all around. At the far end of the oval she could see another door, currently closed, from which her opponent would soon emerged. Taking up position at her mark near the centre of the arena, Krystal planted her spearbutt against the ground, placing her other hand on her hip as she waited with nervous excitement to see who she would be facing!

[CyanDimitrik]

A new face to the coliseum. A new experience for her. The first thing she's going to learn is that the people who run it don't really care about positive experiences for the fighters. They care about giving the audience what they want. And what this audience wants is brutality. Physical force and domination. Sometimes, a call for mercy will rise up among the stands for a fighter that particularly resonates with them. But when it comes to the gauging the general desire of this crowd, there is one thing the owner has come to understand.

This crowd wants monsters.

The announcer calls for Apex.

The doors opposite to Krystal begin to slide open, giving way to a gaping maw of darkness. The crowd is already roaring in anticipation, his reputation written on their faces. And soon, the skunk is stepping out into the light, smooth, rippling arms raised to either side and soaking in their cacophonous cheer.

Apex

A skunk isn't usually what people might think of when it comes to the "top predator" - the name may even seem ironic. But there doesn't appear to be much soft, fluffy, or welcoming about him. The majority of his sleekly athletic body is left generously exposed to the open air and hungry eyes of the spectators; his limbs are toned, pectorals clearly defined, leading down to a sleekly chiseled abdominal region. In fact, the only article of clothing he seems to wear is a pair of simple purple trunks and shin-guards, given a glossy shimmer to match the dark amethyst of his eyes - or what can be seen from the white-tipped bangs hanging in frame.

Though not massive by anything more than a comparative scale to Krystal herself, and conspicuously unarmed, Apex's evident confidence and comfortability in the arena's pit more than makes up for it. And when he spots the girl counter to him, a jeering smirk touches his muzzle. A hand lifts, finger pointing towards her. The other hand joins it together, and he pantomimes snapping a branch in half.

At last, he steps forward to close the distance with her until he's reached his mark. It's some ten feet of separation between them, but it feels much closer. Shoulders squared, his gaze locked and burning on Krystal's, Apex is motionless but for the rhythmic breathing unsettling his rigid frame.

The audience quiets down in anticipation for the announcer to call the match to begin.

[arktriumph]

Krystal watched with trepidation as the door at the far end of the arena yawned open, a void of darkness that filled her with excitement and apprehension in equal measure. Her chest swelled as she took in a deep breath, her luscious tail curling in anticipation.

Then he emerged, a sleek, dark, muscled figure striding into the light to the thunder of the crowds, his arms raised to bring the noise from the stands. The skunk moved as though born to it, toned, muscled limbs carrying him easily across the hard-packed dirt of the arena. Krystal swallowed hard. Clearly a fan-favourite, this individual looked like no slouch. Then he pointed at her, making a snapping gesture with one hand, sending a prickle of unease up her spine. He was out to win, and win hard, that was for sure.

As he approached she couldn't stop herself from drinking in his physique, his lean torso on full display, his only attire purple trunks and shin guards. He stopped a few meters away at his mark and she got the full measure of his body, standing considerably taller than her, his physical strength evident at a glance. And his eyes. Glinting amethyst, they bored into her as he stood, staring like an immovable statue, his mouth still quirked in a faintly dismissive smirk. Apex hadn't even deigned to bring a weapon to the contest, such was his apparent confidence.

Krystal's brow furrowed into a frown then. She would not be dismissed, no matter the apparent physical attributes that separated them.

"Good luck to you," she said simply, holding his intense stare as she eased down into a fighting stance, her legs bent and ready to spring forth, spear resting lightly in both hands. Her heart hammered in her chest as the announcer roared for the match to begin and she waited for Apex to make a move, looking to use her speed and reflexes to feel out the calibre of her foe before engaging in all out combat with him.

[CyanDimitrik]

Contrasting all of this is Apex's mind itself. Confident? Sure. Reveling in the audience expectation? Absolutely. But the girl before him is gorgeous. She's obviously not a slouch who decided she'd walk in off the street one day and conquer the world; she's kept herself healthy. Fit. And her own attire, scant as it is, reflects a magnetic sort of confidence in return. Or perhaps an utter lack of shame. He prefers to think well of her, however. And the first words out of her mouth, when he approaches her in nothing short of a fully self-aware threat to destroy her, were words of polite encouragement. If it weren't for her physical qualities and courage, that guileless earnestness would make her attractive all on its own.

Outwardly, none of this shows. He appreciates her in secret, and she can't know that. He needs to use her to make a grand show for the crowd. He needs her to fear him, to fear for herself, to show panic and dread. That's how he hunts. That's how he entertains.

"Predators don't need luck against prey."

The call to fight is made, and Apex almost instantly lunges forward - only it's a feint! A small, advancing lurch meant to expose Krystal's nerves and rattle her confidence afterwards with a mocking chuckle. Instead, he tests the waters more methodically in approach, shifting forward on leg, only to dart back, daring her to jab with the spear as one might fend off a wild lion. But it's a jab he's hoping to coax out of her - some over-extension he can skirt to seize the spear beneath the tip and wrench, to render it suddenly a disadvantage to hold.

[arktriumph]

Krystal felt a jolt of fear shoot through her body at the cold words from her powerful foe, but forced herself to remain outwardly calm. She would not think of herself as prey. She couldn't think that way if she were to upset expectations and overcome Apex in her first foray to the arena.

The announcement to begin ripped through the air along with a surge from the crowds, and almost instantly Apex jerked forward as though ready to lunge straight at her. Krystal instinctively leapt backwards, raising her spear, only to discover to her abashment that Apex was already trying to toy with her, feinting forward to test her resolve. It seemed she had failed that test. A chuckle slipped from the skunk's mouth and she felt a rush of blood to her cheeks, a scowl forming on her delicate features.

But Apex was not done. She kept her spear high as he advanced, his movements jerky and unpredictable as he moved one way then the other. On one of these supposed lunges Krystal's nerves got the better of her and she skipped aside, jabbing out with the spear to keep him at bay.

It was exactly what the predator had been waiting for.

Her breath hitched in her throat in a gasp of surprise as he grabbed the spear in one powerful hand, clamping it in place and holding her in reach. Eyes wide, she tried to pull it free, wrenching back hard with all of her strength to dislodge herself against regain some distance from the skunk before he could press any kind of advantage.

[CyanDimitrik]

Success! That grip on the spear's shaft is ironclad, as if his life depended on it. He doesn't truly know her, after all, so it might be! And if you frighten someone badly enough, there's no telling what lengths they'll go to keep themselves safe. That's all a part of the gamble he takes.

As she yanks back on the weapon, his bicep flexes to raise the spear higher overhead, crossing it to the other side of his frame - from inside to out. Supporting the spear in his left hand, her draws his right arm back and turns aside, only to pull firmly on the shaft in hopes of blatantly overpowering the smaller combatant and bodily yanking her in towards himself.

Therein lies the trap. He fully expects her to cling to the weapon as though it were a lifeline, when her best way of avoiding taking a hit now would be to abandon it. If she struggles to keep hold and finds herself pulled much closer to Apex, that right arm will lash out in a horizontal, stiff backhanded chop aimed to collide across her chest just above the swell of her breasts.

[arktriumph]

Krystal pulled as hard as she could, but Apex showed that he really was just as strong as he looked, leaving her stranded, utterly unable to pull her weapon free. Instead, Apex pulled back dragging the fox girl forwards into his reach. Not willing to release her weapon, Krystal stumbled forward, walking straight into the waiting strike of her opponent.

"Aughh!" she yelped in surprise as Apex delivered a thunderous chop, catching the nubile vixen hard right above her breasts. Pain detonated in her chest and no matter how much she wanted to hang onto it, she could not keep her grip on the golden spear. The sheer force of Apex's strike dislodged her hold and send Krystal flying backwards.

She hit the dirt with a gasp of shock, her skirt billowing up in an undignified manner as she tumbled to display her silken gold briefs beneath. Wheezing for breath, she tried to scramble to her feet, one hand massaging her aching chest, the other smoothing down her ruffled attire, a blush rushing to her cheeks. Looking back, Krystal could only stare on in horror as her powerful opponent stood, her spear in hand, having swiftly and effortlessly disarmed her. She backed away, mind racing as she tried to think of a way to turn the tables on Apex, but the crowds jeering told her what they thought of her chances...

[CyanDimitrik]

Keep the spear? Lose the spear? It's a tricky question. There's a lot Apex could do with a prop, especially one belonging to an opponent. It just isn't his style to rely on weapons, though. Predators are natural killers, after all.

That aside, the nagging desire to not leave any lasting damage on her can't be ignored. And beautiful as she is, the thought of cutting or puncturing her skin is unconscionable. It could be argued that Krystal "deserves" whatever happens, having signed up for the arena, but within these stone walls, Apex is the king. He decides how bad his opponent suffers. And Krystal isn't going to leave here scarred, much less wounded.

But pass up on using her own weapon against her? That's too good to pass up. He'll just have to be careful how he does it.

Their eyes meet again, and for a second time, she's met with a smirk. His approach is slow, stalking, methodical. Wielding her speak in his left hand, keeping the tip safely turned downwards, he thumps the shaft of the weapon into his right palm with no small amount of menace. Upon reaching her, he's suddenly a surge of motion. The spear is raised in both hands just above the tip, and swing inwards, aiming to whack the shaft of the spear either across the beautiful vixen's lower back or stomach, depending on whether or not she's turned to him!

[arktriumph]

Krystal sank into a low, fearful crouch as Apex's gaze fell on hers, his dangerous smirk returning once again as he appraised his slender-framed foe. Krystal could feel her tail curling, her fur standing up on end as she tried to think of something she could do to even the odds somehow. But out here, on even ground with the powerhouse combatant she didn't have a lot of options.

He stalked towards her and she circled carefully, watching those powerful arms and the glinting metal of her own weapon that he looked intent on using against her. They drew closer and she looked for some kind of opening, some way to turn the tables with her speed.

But then Apex surged towards her in a frightfully fast motion. She jinked to one side to try and avoid his attack, but he lashed out with the long spear as she twisted to her right, his reach longer than she could escape.

"AIIGHH!" Another yowl of pain escaped Krystal's jaws as the haft of her own spear cracked across her lower back, just above her tail. She staggered forwards, both hands clutching at the impact point, her knees buckling as she fought to stay upright, achingly aware that Apex now loomed behind her, but at this instant there was nothing the young vixen could do. She tried desperately to leap forward, simply trying to get out of reach before the predator could do any more damage.

[CyanDimitrik]

The collision of metal and flash gets a roar of praise from the crowd: it may as well have been first blood. The shot hurt. It had to hurt. Apex intended it to hurt. And to audience and skunk alike, it looked like it did. What an opening strike...

Somehow, the arch of Krystal's back, her voice uncomposed, watching her natural physical reaction, all seemed to enhance the experience. For the audience, it aroused bloodlust. For Apex, he watched her knees buckle but the proud vixen refused to drop. That one moment of stubborn ardor, fighting through what must have been a shock of blinding pain, made the already pretty vixen beautiful. Despite his ultimate goal of breaking down both her body and will to dominate her, he respects passion and internal strength. He won't show it. He still can't show it. But he's starting to really like this girl.

Unwilling to let her gain much distance from him yet, his eyes widen in surprise as she springs forward for just that purpose. Apex rushes after her, the spear cast down to the dirt in favor of freeing both hands. His arms lash forward, attempting to encircle her slender waist, palms moving to her white-furred stomach in an effort to yank her back into himself, to restrain her securely against himself.