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Malik shook his head lightly...and stepped toward him grabbing the Scythe handle with one hand and twisting his hips and side, whipping up the halberd and using the but end to clock him one, which the blade locked and pushed the scythe into the ground.

"Anger and rage is no way to fight. Why is it you suddenly become upset when your father is mentioned involving something of yours?"

Stepping back quickly, twirling the halberd in front of him and back to a low fighting stance.

"Everyone has to learn from someone. Even I had teachers and instructors. I was compared to or praised for what they taught me and my usage of thier knowledge. Why does it anger you so that your teacher was your father?"

Malik saw the gab at his feet and stabbed the blade of hsi weapon in the ground, and in some show of balance and acrobatic skill, flipping himself up so he was balaced at the end of the pole, looking down.

"then why did you become so angry when I mentioned Sevilin?"

before leaning forward and bringing the pole up with him in a huge circle, landing himself in a low crouch, weight on hsi bent back leg and the other stretched out before him...that balde was moving hard and fast..see what the boy does with that.

"I don't need to see in your head, Zykariel. and believe me, there are minds far more frightening than yours that I have been in."

he jabbed the polearm forward, spinning backwarda dn tripping at his feet before back the other way witht eh blade aiming for his chest area.

"and why haven't you considered it? you might find some enjoyment out of it."

metal clashed with metal. Malik was playing fair, but like anyone knew, polearms were not his weapon of choice. his skill may still outdo Zykariel, but not by as much as the younger drow probably assumed.

"The tournament isn't all the arena fighting."

Malik locked thier blades again, and pushed forward, twisintg loose and bit and pinning Zykariel into a shoving bout, poles braced agasint eachother, for footing.

"Malikhai earns prestige through you as your manager. you accomplishments make him look better. Why not be my son's personal trainer for this tournament? sign up together, with you as his herald. them his actions in the ring will in turn look favorable on you. you'll introduce him, you'll be the one he'll rely on to scout his potential competition."

before shoving Zykariel back sending a few quick jabs around his shoulders and head.

"alright then."

Malik saw the chained scythe blade get wrapped up around the halberd, and gave a slight frown...trying to pry it loose and untangle it...before simply getting aggravated and bracing the halberd's but end on the ground, snapped the pole in half with his foot and held the but end, twirling it around some.

but that of course left zykariel with half a halberd dangling off the chained scythe blade. and Malik went go to go in close range, and give Zykariel's ribs some attention.

Which flung malik back on his back, but that only stopped him a moment before flipping himself backup. hmm. now all he had was a short ranged weapon, and Zykariel had a long and short range. Malik twirled the stick around some, giving a glance to the other half that was more like a handaxe now.

Malik summersaulted forward, and into a handstand and a backflip, aiming to pickup the bladed half of the formerly whole weapon.

Malik cursed under his breath as teh weapon was thrown out of his reach, adn saw the scythe blade coming...and slapped both palms on it, keeping himself in a kneel, but holding the blade just out of reach of him...whcih was not easy at all to do with a scythe due to it's shape. now it was more a battle of wills. Zykariel had a leverage advantage seeing how they were positioned, but Malik had the upperhand in strength. at best, he could probably turn it aside and take a minor hit..though breaking the blade was a possibility, he didn't want to do that. so that left turning it aside.. at worse, Zykariel's leverage would force him back and down and he'd h ave to figure something else out if that happened.

Both were put on thier backs, and Malik flipped up first, before moving over to Zykariel and offering a hand.

"You are learning well. your skill is quite good. perhaps next time we'll pit you against something a little more..dangerous."

a slight smirk, helping the younger drow up.

"But I think you've done your studies for the day...and it's around lunch as is. we'll probably stop for now."

Flexible little she-devil, but he knew that already now didn't he? Yes, very well. But head back in the game and such. Turning to her, he flipped his blade in his hand a moment and took to watching her as she stood there. "True...but birds who have been caged, know other ways than flying to slip their bars. Those are the tricks you have to watch out for." Sheathing his daggers in his boots and proceeding to stalk her a moment. First around her and then towards her, eyes never leaving hers and the look of a practiced hunter in them, intent on getting his prey and he rarely missed. Wasn't too long before he picked an unexpected moment in his stalking, when he was dangerously close to her to grab his daggers from his boots and slice them up, all too close to the skin of her stomach...a gesture that said I could of just gutted you, but I love you too much to do so. "See? Rule one, only appeare harmless."

He pretty much sat in awe of everything that was going down in the arena. Malikhai was pretty much convinced at this point in his life that he didn't have the guts, nor anywhere near the skill to even think about taking on his father. Yes, he trained hard everyday, and he was adept in his sword and in his evasion tactics...but there was just something about taking on his father that made him want to freeze like a rabbit confronted by a fox. And yet...his friend could walk up to him with weapon in hand and try his best. Not to mention his father had initiated it and not let him back down.

Malik had asked before if his son wanted to try his luck, but Malikhai had always refused and Malik had never pushed. He doubted he would of let Zykariel get away with it. Then again...he supposed it made sense. If Zykariel wanted to, he could whip Malikhai with no question about it. He had lasting go get 'em attitude where Malikhai relied on finesse with his weapon to keep up. Hm, not sure how to feel. But it seemed that these two were done and it was food that was mentioned up. A blink though at his friend's familiar nickname...though he wasn't too thrilled about the sentence to follow. Getting himself up with a shrug he started out. "Suppose so, food sounds good."

Keely looked up at the sound of footsteps, knowing that the menfolk would be showing up for lunch soon. She currently had been given charge of Dhairiss and Kelligrin, getting them settled in seats and setting them up for lunch. Was her job to keep an eye on them since Piper had recieved some news that made her none too happy and had headed out.

Piper was mounted on Serino, another horse and rider off to her left next to her, both peering down the sloping hill of rock that lead down into greener places that had been cultivated. "How long Ryland?"

"About a week. Didn't think it too important to mention right off, perhaps they were passing through. Till a horse or two started missing. And we've been watching them since. That one right there in the brown cloak seems to be the one giving orders."

"I see." Reaching back she brought her bow around and grabbed an arrow as well, nocking it to the bow string and taking sights along the arrow. No one stole her horses...wasn't the first time she had had this problem, but the first time that it had been a true bother. Ramoth usually watched her herd well...but sometimes not even someone like her could watch it all. Her ears twitched at the twang of the string as she released the arrow, the projectile covering distance fast to peg the one mentioned before in the shoulder, sending him toppling and others scrambling. "Go fetch that one for me..."