What did you learn? (closed)

That rogue, Asphodel. The one that had invaded his territory, had the nerve to fight back, and talked about the lands beyond clan territory like they were blessing from Starclan. He was here, trapped in this little prison with them. As much as he wanted to be rid of the rogue, he was an invaluable piece in Sablestrike's plan to escape this place, if not for his decent skills in a fight then for his ability to lead them back to the forest. He had questions for the cat, though he didn't want to sit and have a formal conversation with a rogue. He would just have to beat the answers out of him. "Rogue," he called out, not wanting to use that idiotic fake name. "On your feet. I'd like to have a little spar with you, but don't worry. I won't be as rough with you this time around, consider this a... friendly bout."

Astraeus had been enjoying his time spent lazing about in the sun, thank you very much, but he couldn’t- wouldn’t stay here forever. No- if he wanted to stay fit and capable of fending for himself, which he did, of course, he would have to do more than catch the occasional mouse- although he was feeling pretty confident in his mousing skills, now. Too bad SkyClanners didn’t catch mice. An annoying voice broke him out of his thoughts, and the silvery tom looked up to see Sablestrike approaching him. A spar? What… alright, he guessed. At least he didn’t think it was wet enough here for the warrior to pull that stupid trick with the mud again.

“I have a name, you know,” he pointed out, still sprawled out in the sunlight. “Fine- if you want a ‘spar’, Sablestrike, I’ll give you one.” The silvery tom rose to his paws, shaking out his pelt and flexing his claws. He was decently sure of his superior experience and abilities compared to the younger tom’s- and even more confident that he could outpace Sablestrike if he needed to- and there was absolutely no way Sablestrike was better at manipulating humans than he was- he could just run up and whimper, and the other tom would be in the metaphorical doghouse for weeks.

“You have the first hit,” he called, shifting his weight from paw to paw and stifling a yawn. Despite his seeming indifference, he was watching the younger tom’s every move with sharp hawk’s eyes.

"Yes, how could I forget such an obviously fake name? Until you give me your real name I'll be addressing you simply as rogue." Sablestrike watched as the silver tom rose, noting his claws as the rogue readied himself. "I assume that I don't need to clarify, but I don't know what your definition of friendly is. No claws for this, since we don't have a medicine cat." The young warrior raised a sheathed paw as he spoke. He would sooner succumb to any injuries than beg for help from the twolegs, and dying here meant that he wouldn't be able to return to his family, and that he would never achieve his goal of becoming leader. If this rogue attempted to use his claws, then Sablestrike would just have to put him down. Plain and simple.

Despite agreeing to the spar, the rogue seemed to be taking this too lightly. A friendly spar was still a spar, it looked like Sablestrike would have to show him as much. Readying himself in an offensive stance, Sablestrike decided to open up this spar the same way he had during their first fight. He leapt toward the silver tom with outstretched paws ready to strike, aiming for a solid blow on the rogue cat's head. He wasn't the same cat he was back then, Sablestrike had since resumed his training and had been sparring with his clanmates whenever he had the free time. Their first fight had been close, ultimately ending in his defeat, but this time would be different.

Sablestrike used Jumping Strike, dealing 11 HP and costing 7 SP

Astraeus:
49/60 HP (-11)
130/130 SP

Sablestrike:
40/40 HP
100/100 SP (-7)

“Such an obviously fake name?” Astraeus mused, glancing at the sky in a supreme show of uninterestedness. “I doubt you’d take my real name seriously, then. You do know that the hu- Twolegs are far better at medicine than any medicine cat, right? Still- I agree. No claws.” The silvery tom sheathed her claws, letting his eyelids droop as he watched Sablestrike. Lazy, languid decadence- then no one would expect him to have as swift a reaction as he hoped to- the other tom readied an offensive stance, and Astraeus leaned forwards on his paws, ready to dodge, waiting until the last moment, and then-

As Sablestrike surged forwards, aiming for Astraeus’ head, the silvery tom darted underneath him, ducking away- his favorite trick, and one that had served him well. “History repeats itself, eh?” He called, dancing backwards, hoping to wear his opponent down before catching the other tom’s tail in his teeth, or perhaps grabbing his scruff. Sablestrike was fighting at a disadvantage, and Astraeus knew it. Why had the foolish tom challenged him?

Astraeus used Dodge and Fight, costing 7 stamina.
Astraeus:
60/60 HP
123/130 SP (-7)

Sablestrike:
40/40 HP
100/100 SP

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

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'Effect Dice' : 1

The warrior's paws swiped at the air, missing its mark as the other cat dodged his opening attack. The rogue had been ready for this attack, then his nonchalance earlier had been a bait. That was one trick that he wouldn't fall for again. As the cat taunted him, Sablestrike couldn't help the grin that split his face. "Things will be different this time around. I may not have the advantage of fighting in the marshes, but that doesn't mean you're gonna win." Well, he was also fighting during the day, that seemed to throw him off a tad, but it was still manageable.

Something wasn't right. Instead of trying to counter, the rogue had backed away. He clearly had a plan of attack here, something that Sablestrike wasn't seeing. Slowly, he approached the rogue, studying the cat as he did. This wasn't a real fight, he didn't have to worry about the repercussions of missing an attack or falling into the tom's trap, so triggering it seemed like a fine idea. He would pay close attention to any trick this tom threw at him. Breaking from his slow movement, Sablestrike sprinted toward his opponent. He sent a paw flying toward the cat's face once more, but before the strike could connect Sablestrike abandoned it in favor of a bite to the silver tom's leg.

Sablestrike used Snap, dealing 8 HP and costing 7 SP

Astraeus:
52/60 HP (-8)
123/130 SP

Sablestrike:
40/40 HP
87/100 SP (-7)

ooc: realized I didn't subtract his SP from the first attack, mb

Astraeus grinned sharply at the other tom’s words, light on his paws. Sablestrike dove forwards again, but at the last moment faked out, teeth aiming for the silvery loner’s leg. Astraeus winced, pulling away and roughly slamming the other tom’s head down into the dirt. “What happened to no claws, Sablestrike? Teeth are just as sharp.” Sablestrike might consider this a dirty trick- but Astraeus had no qualms about kicking his opponent when he was down- quite literally, aiming a kick at the other tom’s form before darting away once more. His leg wasn’t bleeding, it just tingled a bit- but, unfortunately, it was the same paw he’d injured when out hunting with Astershine, and it stung. He’d done a number on the other tom, though- hopefully it would take some of the pride and confidence out of Sablestrike.

Astraeus used Front Paw Strike and Dirty Trick, dealing 15 damage and costing 14 stamina.

Astraeus:
52/60 HP
109/130 SP (-14)

Sablestrike:
25/40 HP (-15)
87/100 SP

The shock of having his head meet the dirt in such a manner left the young warrior with a pulsing headache, which was near enough to block out what the other tom had said. As he opened his mouth to respond to the rogue, a leg jutted out and struck Sablestrike in the side, driving the breath from the disoriented cat. Woozily, Sablestrike got to his paws, wincing at the pain in his head as he took a moment to collect himself. "You're one to talk," he mewed through the fog clouding his head, "Not really fighting fair are you? Besides, it wasn't hard enough to break skin, have you never sparred against a clan cat before?" What a foolish question, of course he hadn't. It was his own mistake not clarifying that teeth were acceptable as long as minimal force was used, but the rogue didn't have to get that rough over it.

Giving himself a good shake, Sablestrike assumed another offensive stance. Stars, that pain in his head just wasn't going away, it was almost as if something had rattled free in there. Ignore it and win. It was the only thought in the young warrior's mind as he charged for the rogue once more, lashing out with a wild flash of paws.

Sablestrike used Front Paw Strike and Desperate Blows, dealing 13 HP (8+5) and costing 14 SP

Astraeus:
39/60 HP (-13)
109/130 SP

Sablestrike:
25/40 HP
73/100 SP (-14)

“Not fighting fair?” Astraeus asked, tilting his head and ignoring the pain in his paw. “Sablestrike- you hardly know what you’re talking about.” He had done quite the number on the other tom- despite himself, Astraeus took a step forwards to check on him, but the other tom surged forwards with a flurry of blows- one of which landed at just the wrong angle, causing the silvery loner to stumble back and put too much weight on the injured paw. He hissed- suddenly, this was no longer just a friendly spar. Darting back- keeping the paw from holding any weight but not daring to hold it to his chest and admit that something was wrong, Astraeus thought over his options. He needed to end this quickly, in a way that neither injured his paw further nor let the other tom know that- well, he wasn’t exactly in prime fighting condition.

The silvery tom shook out his fur, a grin spreading across his face, then darted back towards Sablestrike- feinting to the left, then diving to the right, as he did always, pulling on the other tom’s tail rather more gently than he would in a real fight. “I’ve never sparred against a Clanner before- I was rather under the assumption that you lot fought to win, and didn’t care how it happened.” Astraeus skipped back- his voice as smooth as always, his paws hardly faltering. He needed to get this over with in a way that didn’t let Sablestrike notice. Luckily he’d always been a good actor.

Astraeus used Tail Yank, dealing 8 damage and costing 15 stamina. Sablestrike is stunned for one turn.

Astraeus:
39/60 HP
94/130 SP (-15)

Sablestrike: stunned
17/40 HP (-8)
73/100 SP

Sablestrike didn't fail to notice his opponent stumbling, and that hiss. He had done something right with that attack, and he was sure that he could replicate it, he just needed to rush right at the rogue until he found out what it was. Perhaps that would be his key to winning this fight. He didn't have time to enact his plan just yet however, as the rogue began an attack of his own. Sablestrike swiped to his left, looking to stop his opponent's attack before it had even started, though his paw only met the air. It pained the warrior to admit it, but this rogue was fast. A quick yank on his tail sent a bit of pain but mostly shock throughout the Shadowclan warrior's body. The shock seemed to ignite something in the young tom, and a burst of energy had him barreling toward the rogue. Sablestrike slammed head first into the cat, which only made his headache worse. He had somehow let that pain slip his mind for the time, though it was now back with a vengeance. Wincing, Sablestrike pulled back from the rogue. This was getting to be too much for him to handle.

Sablestrike used Random Recall and Headbutt, dealing 6 HP and costing 10 SP

Astraeus:
33/60 HP (-6)
94/130 SP

Sablestrike:
17/40 HP
63/100 SP (-10)

Astraeus was many things (sly, selfish, a selective coward) but a fool was not one of them. He noticed Sablestrike’s knowing glance. Scat. The other tom hadn’t missed the injury. He, however, didn’t seem particularly smart, headbutting into Astraeus’ chest instead of going for a pin- this situation could still be salvaged. Hopefully in a way that distracted the other tom. Astraeus knew enough to know that this was valuable information to Sablestrike- a weak point. Something to leverage- and being in anyone’s debt was a bad idea. He knew from long experience.

Hissing, Astraeus reared up on his hindlegs, smashing Sablestrike’s shoulder roughly to the ground despite the pain that the move sent tearing through his paw. Couldn’t let him see. Distract him. Somehow. This wasn’t much of a friendly spar. Astraeus prepared to push the other tom’s face into the dirt- but paused. Surely- was he going to let that rude WindClanner distort how he thought of all Clanners? Instead of pressing his advantage, the silvery tom stepped back. “That’s enough,” he said authoritatively. He was in the weaker position here long-run, but this situation could be leveraged. After all, power was just as illusion- one that could be reinforced by winning a fight. “You’re going to get hurt if we press on. I’m calling it here.” His paw ached to the shades and back, but his face remained still. As soon as he could, he’d slip away and find some herbs. It felt like it was sprained, at least, but he’d had worse injuries.

Astraeus used Upright Lock, dealing 10 damage and costing 10 stamina. Continued use of the injured paw cost him 7 health.

Astraeus:
26/60 HP (-7)
84/130 SP (-10)

Sablestrike:
7/40 HP (-10)
63/100 SP

Sablestrike grunted as the paws slammed into his shoulder, making the warrior wobble slightly, but he wasn't done yet. A growl escaped him as he readied himself to strike, claws almost coming out as he made to swipe at the rogue's face once more. Before he could fully commit to the attack however, the rogue retreated slightly, opting to stop the spar. Sablestrike huffed out a laugh at the tom's words. "Me? Look at yourself, rogue, you're not in the best shape either. I oughta come at you with my claws for saying such a thing, but if you're so scared then I suppose we can call it there." As much as he wanted to continue, the pounding in his head was only getting worse. Maybe stopping was a good call, even if the rogue had suggested it for his own purposes.

This rogue had fought better than last time, it was almost impossible to tell that he was the same cat as before. How was it that this rogue had become so much stronger since their last encounter? It was infuriating to think that he was being outpaced by a clan-less cat, but he had been neglecting his training for some time now, this was just opening his eyes to how much he had been slacking recently. Sablestrike sat back on his haunches, breathing deep breaths for a couple moments before speaking up. "So, what is your real name anyway?"

Astraeus huffed at Sablestrike’s words, rolling his eyes. “Sure. Whatever you say.” He wasn’t the one with his face in the dirt- and he rather thought he was doing a good job of hiding the sparks of pain racing up and down his ankle. The silvery tom shook out his pelt, preparing to leave- find somewhere to lay low until his paw healed- but it seemed Sablestrike wasn’t done with his questions. And to leave would be to admit weakness. “My name’s Astraeus- the name comes from the god of the dusk and liminal spaces.” Heh. Let the Clanner try to figure that word out. His name, even, showed how much he’d left his father behind. Good.

“And what meaning does your name carry, Sablestrike?”

Astraeus? Sablestrike stared straight faced at the rogue for a long moment before bursting out into a fit of laughter. Another fake name! Even now the cat wouldn't speak truthfully, not that it mattered anyway, they would be away from this place soon enough and he wouldn't have to look at this rogue anymore. "Another fake name? This one is worse than the last, I think I'll just stick to Asphodel for now."

Now that was a good question. Sablestrike hadn't taken too much time to reflect on his own name, other than it being a cool and fierce name, much like himself. Nightstar had given him this name for a reason, and he still wasn't sure what that reason was, but he would try to figure it out as he went. "Sablestrike, a sharp name for a sharp cat. It carries a certain strength with it, one that I've cultivated by battling with the other warriors in my clan while I was still just an apprentice. It shows my determination and strength, and it's a name I'm proud to have. I'm sure whatever your real name is isn't as bad as you think, perhaps one day you'll be brave enough to share it even."

“Hey! That is my name!” Astraeus snapped like a petulant kit. ”If anything, Sablestrike is the ‘fake name’. Doesn’t even make any sense. At least my name has a meaning and connotation to it- if someone knows where it comes from, it fosters a sense of connection and community. Humph. And it is my name, idiot. All my siblings had similar names. Aether, Apollo, Aleksander, Achyls, Aoife, Anastasia, Ares. All from old stories. All started with A. At least my mother had a good mind for names. You’re just jealous that you don’t have an interesting name. And Asphodel is my name, sort-of. I… acquired it, later in life.” Shades, this tom annoyed him. How stupid was he? Shades. “Your name should be Stupidstrike- idiot.” How the shades had this tom gotten under his fur so easily? Shades and shades and shade-cursed skies. How could Lighttail be related to this irritant?