To Be A Man [Daypaw]

Crimsonflame rarely came to this part of the territory. It held no good memories for him. The last time he had been here, he was still Aether. His father was still.....around, he didn't know if he could call him alive. He had sat on that very stone, mocking his cowardice as Aether refused to face him.

The image Morningstar had become, blood constantly pooling from a wound in his neck, it haunted him to this day. Every now and then he still had nightmares.

But he was not here for Morningstar. His father was no longer a part of his life. Today, he was here for his apprentice, and Daypaw did not need a coward for a mentor.

Turning around, Crimsonflame pushed aside his personal feelings to address Daypaw.

"Alright. I want you to try to attack me. No claws, though, we don't need any injuries."

Ooc: I don't know if you have used the battle system before, but here is a tutorial for it. Crimsonflame will be using tier 3 stats, and Daypaw will obviously have apprentice stats.

https://warriorclancats.forumotion.com/t38408-battle-system-a-full-tutorial

"No claws. Fair enough," Daypaw meowed back, agreeable. "I'd like a moment to think if it's all the same to you, though."

Shifting on the pads of his feet, he assessed his mentor. Daypaw himself was no scrawny kitten, and would surely be imposing once he was grown. For now, though, Crimsonflame was easily double his muscle mass, and certainly triple the experience.

Daypaw began a slow pace in front of his mentor, body language as relaxed as he could make it. Examining Crimsonflame, he strained to see any weaknesses in his guard, unsure if a subtle shift in stance or a twitch of the whiskers really qualified.

Did Crimsonflame's ears twitch to the side, like he'd heard something? Felt something? I might be reading too much into it.

He was dangerously close to overthinking it if he let himself dwell on his uncertainty any longer, Daypaw figured. So do something!

Steeling himself, Daypaw pivoted in his spot, headbutting Crimsonflame's flank for -5 SP.

Daypaw:
HP: 20/20
SP: 55/60

Crimsonflame:
HP: 50/50
SP: 120/120

He always appreciated when apprentices took their training seriously, it made it so much easier for him. But perhaps Daypaw was taking it too seriously. It was almost unfair to dodge, considering how long the tom took to actually charge. Still, he would let him work things through his mind, before explaining why it was wrong.

Although when Daypaw finally rammed into him, it hardly even had an effect on him. Of course, Crimsonflame came from a family of large cats, and he was no exception, so he could take blows like that, especially since Daypaw was still new.

Still, part of him pitied the tom, and he could only bring himself to a half-hearted paw across the ear. But he could at least teach him what he did wrong.

"While you have the right idea to study your opponent, remember that a real enemy won't give you as much time to think. Most of what you learn will be done as you are exchanging blows. If you hesitate to long, your opponent will be able to see what you are doing, and you will be on the ground before you know it."

Crimsonflame used Front Paw Blow for 7 damage, costing 5 stamina.

Crimsonflame
46/50 HP
115/120 SP

Daypaw
13/20 HP
55/60 SP

"Oh. Ouch." Righting himself again and shaking himself off, Daypaw let out an embarrassed purr. "I think I've learned my first lesson, Crimsonflame."

The cuff definitely woke him up, though. Even so, Daypaw could feel the intent behind it, the way his mentor had deliberately pulled back. He must be frightening to fight for real, he thought with some intrigue.

There were tiny details he noted about the way Crimsonflame carried himself through an attack. Bearing it in mind, Daypaw forced himself to spring back forward with a fraction of his initial hesitation, hoping that this time would fare a little better for him.

Daypaw used Front Paw Strike for 6 damage, losing 7 stamina.

Daypaw:
HP: 13/20
SP: 48/60

Crimsonflame:
HP: 40/60
SP: 115/120

Crimsonflame flinched as Daypaw seemed as if he was in pain. He hadn't hurt him, had he? His claws were sheathed, and he just swiped over his ear, that should have been nothing to him. But he seemed to be alright, there were no visible wounds, and Daypaw seemed to just shake it off. Still, he was a little concerned.

That was until Daypaw leapt at him again, this time with not as much warning. Geez, that cat learned fast. Startled, Crimsonflame leapt back, avoiding Daypaw's attack. However, that shock also had him flailing, and he couldn't even manage to hit Daypaw with a counter attack. So he just stood there, blinking and dumbfounded, before finally nodding.

"Right. That was a lot better."

Crimsonflame used dodge and fight, regaining his 6 HP and costing 7 sp, but failed his counter attack.

Crimsonflame
46/50 HP
108/120 SP

Daypaw
13/20 HP
48/60 SP

The member 'Karuna' has done the following action : Dice roll

---

'Effect Dice' : 2

The way that Daypaw scrambled out of range of Crimsonflame's next strike was less graceful and more akin to a panicked squirrel, but the important thing was that he got clear. A tiny spark of pride rippled through him - one that was there and gone and surprised him, since he hadn't landed his blow either.

But he'd caught a shocked glint in Crimsonflame's eye - slight, but there. It was the same look he'd see on a littermate's face when he did something unexpected during a play tussle. And if he learned anything through nursery play, Daypaw knew that the only thing to do was double down.

(What differed from the nursery, though, was how alight he felt. No wonder kits dreamed of their apprenticeships, if this was what it was like!)

Inhaling a short breath, waiting for the inevitable moment he began to tire, he dove into a Leap and Hold, using 15 SP and doing 6 damage.

Daypaw finds his second wind; Crimsonflame is pinned for 2 turns.


Crimsonflame
HP: 40/50
SP: 108/120

Daypaw:
HP: 13/20
SP: 33/60

The member 'ghostleviathan' has done the following action : Dice roll

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'Effect Dice' : 5