((I'm having this set up as if Imnir and Naomi are in some sort of a barn or something with enough space for him to train, and the sand-filled dummy that he is practicing on hangs from one of the rafters. I hope this is ok ^^ ))
Ok, enough was enough. If Imnir was going to get back in the game, he had to prove to Naomi that he could handle himself. He paced around the training ring that Naomi had set up for him to practice in, staring at the training dummy that hung in the center as if it were a real opponent. It wasn't the same, of course, but if nothing else this release of his frustrations might help him feel better.
'Don't hold back, hit it hard where your enemy would be weakest...' He thought to himself, 'She knows that you're strong, but if you can prove that you're smart enough to keep from getting hurt again, then just maybe she will not worry so much.'
Imnir lunged at the target, slamming his head into the dummy with his horns with enough force to knock a real mokai off its feet. The dummy swung on its rope away from the impact before quickly moving back toward him. Imnir stepped out of the way, narrowly avoiding it as his back leg twinged in pain with each step. He growled softly, trying his best to mentally overcome the pain and focus on his training.
As the dummy swung about, he moved around it with as much speed as he could, as if dodging attacks. When the time was right, he jumped at it again and sunk his fangs into the dummy's flank, causing a trail of sand to pour slowly from the holes he had made. He looked quickly over his shoulder at Naomi, flashing her a grin before returning to the "fight". He ducked under the dummy and sprung up under it, his leg protesting at such upward force. He slammed into the packed sand-filled dummy and fell flat on his stomach, having underestimated the density of it. If this were a real mokai, it would probably been sent a few feet in the air, but this thing was heavy.
He grunted and scrambled out from under it, spinning around and making another full-on charge. He hit the dummy full force once again, this time with his forepaws and chest rather than his head. As the dummy swung away from him he clung to it, clamoring on to the top of it and biting at the back of its neck repeatedly, ripping a large chunk out of the cloth and sending sand flying. As he did so he was momentarily blinded by the sand in his face, spitting it out as best he could and shaking his head to rid his face of the grains. He jumped off of the dummy and landed with a thud on the ground, stumbling as his leg gave out for a moment. A snarl crossed his maw, this would not stop him from training, it would not stop him from fighting again.
"Come on, hit me!" He barked, bracing himself for the impact as the dummy swung first away from him and then back in his direction. The dummy hit him square in the chest, knocking him backwards a few inches as he dug in, grunting from the impact and closing his eyes to avoid the spray of sand coming from the tears in the fabric.
He was breathing heavily now, all this activity was taking its toll after spending so long taking it easy and trying to let his leg heal. He could feel a light ache in his muscles, but it wasn't enough. Not yet. He needed more, he needed to keep this up until he couldn't anymore. He'd show Naomi, he'd show everyone who ever doubted that he could be the best. He was Imnir, the greatest and most powerful mokai this island had ever seen! If he had to prove that by training like this every day for the rest of his life, so be it. It would be worth it, one day.
Imnir charged once again at the dummy, now hanging mostly still in the center again, still leaking a thin trail of sand onto the ground. At the last moment he strafed to the side, swiping at one of the dummy's legs as he did so. He jumped back, the way he might if this were a real opponent who could counterattack if he stayed too close. He had to learn to be light on his feet, avoid getting hit so he wouldn't have to sit out from fights anymore. Now rather than slamming into the dummy or biting it, he danced around it in small leaps and sidesteps, focusing on landing lightly and moving again as soon as his paws hit the ground.
"This isn't so hard." He laughed to himself, "I can be quick too, yet another thing to make my fighting the best there ever was." Once the quick, light movements felt more natural, Imnir tried adding quick spins in here and there, the way he remembered Seven doing in their first fight. He'd never admit it, but she was giving him a bit of a hard time catching her because she was so quick and twisty. "Next time we meet in the ring, you won't be the only one who can slip away."
Imnir stopped his jumping and spinning, turning his face toward Naomi for a moment to see what she thought of it. She nodded approvingly at his defensive tactics, and she looked proud. Imnir's heart swelled with pride as he knew that he had made her happy. Another thing he would never admit to anyone, that Naomi was his world. He'd do anything for her, even if he seemed to dislike her attempts at affection when out in public, he ate it up when it was just them. The only thing more important to him than winning was making Naomi proud.
Now, time to end this. Imnir faced the dummy again and snarled, charging at it one final time and ripping away the fabric with his powerful jaws and long fangs, causing it to rapidly lose its shape as the grains of sand burst forth, no longer able to be contained by this flimsy shell. Again and again he bit into the fabric and tore it away, until the dummy was nothing more than a pile of sand and scraps on the floor and a rope with a few bits of cloth left hanging from the rafters.
Imnir panted heavily, standing ankle-deep in sand and utterly exhausted. He took a few seconds to catch his breath before slowly walking back to Naomi with his head held high, his legs shaking ever so slightly with each step. His human brushed the sand out of his fur gently with her hands and hugged him around the neck.
"You work so hard, Imnir." She kissed his forehead lightly before standing up again, "Let's get you back to your stall so you can rest, I'll bring you a special meal later as a reward." Imnir wagged his tail in approval, walking alongside Naomi back toward his stall. It seemed like such a short walk on the way there, but now that his muscles protested and ached with each step it seemed like a walk across the whole island.
It was worth it.
