Dojo Hunter (Artemis)

OOC: Sorry don't recall description of your place so kept it vague, sorry if I took any liberties.

Today was supposed to be a day of practice with Master Sung. But instead he was told to visit the human world on another errand. This task wasn't as easy as the first one given. Rather than find tea, he was to find a martial arts studio. This was an interesting request. Why the human world and what was he supposed to do when he got there. When he asked Sung that question the man only chuckled and handed him a sealed envelope.
"Give that to the master of the studio." Arawn flipped the white envelope in his hands wondering it's contents. Was he to practice with humans today. It has awkward enough moving in the gigai. Performing martial arts would be tricky. Little by little he had slowly gotten used to the strange feeling it gave him. But he was nowhere near 100% functionality.

Wandering the city he tried to ask for directions. Most the people he asked had little or no interest in martial arts so they didn't know of such a place. It was only natural. People used guns and knives, martial arts was only something you saw in movies. A hand couldn't stop a bullet. Arawn snickered, it was possible for someone like him. But for normal humans they were better off running away than confronting an armed assailant. He sighed as the day wore on the search seemed like a wild goose chase. It wasn't til mid noon that he got a lead; there was supposed to be an old school in the area. A fierce man was the owner, strong and skillful. Arawn's face perked up at the information. It wasn't far, so he asked for directions and headed off. He looked at his phone to confirm his position. He was close to the location. The sooner he got done the faster he could get out of the awkward gigai. A building came into view. It looked fairly plan, but there was an air about it. It reminded him of Sung's mountain top retreat. Hesitating for a moment, he knocked on the door.

James was alone in the dojo as he was most Wednesdays, this was the day that he sat aside to work on his own unique katas that he deemed too risky to show his students. Clearing the floor of the mats and practice dummies, James took off his shirt so that his shoulders wouldn’t be restrained and he took off his socks because he hated the feeling of not getting traction on wood floors.

Crossing both arms he stretched them out in front of himself and laced his fingers together so that his thumbs pointed towards the floor. Taking a deep breath James raised his hands over his head and towards his back till he felt his thumbs touch the small of his back, wincing only once when the Scars on his shoulder started to pull; always a constant reminder that he was exiled by his kind. Letting his feet slide James kept his arms locked where they were as he slid down into a perfect split. Leaning back he placed his hands flat on the ground behind him and lifted himself up and into a vertical handstand.

He kept moving through the different stances at a strenuous pace for most of the afternoon, his body was crying for relief from the work when a knock at the door brought him to his senses. Rolling onto his back he jumped to his feet with practiced grace. Opening the door James was greeted by a rather ragged looking young man in jeans and a gray hoodie, “I am sorry but the dojo is closed today, this is the day I use to clean the place up. However if you are interested in taking classes I open the place up every day except , Sunday and Wednesday, 15 minutes after sunrise."

Arawn frowned. It would he errand was a waste of time, but he didn't want to have to come back another day. There was a chance the man knew of another dojo he could go to. But why would anyone help the competition? No harm in asking. "Well I hate to bother you, but could you direct me to a dojo that is open?" He started to put the letter back into his pocket. A thought hit him. He had promised Master Sung to deliver the letter. Whatever he was meant to do there was unknown. He had promised his master not to open it, and Arawn believed in keeping such promises. But his curiosity was the problem. While he couldn't open the letter there wasn't a rule against someone else opening it. "Wait, forget that. If you can do me a minute favor and open this letter. I was told to deliver it to a dojo. My master didn't specify which, and I'm not allowed to open it. You are an instructor so I see no harm in you getting it." Inwardly Arawn grinned, nothing he said was a lie, and yet nothing was quite the full truth. Logically he was disobeying his master's wishes. Technically..... The young man held the letter out to the muscular person before him.

James looked at the shaggy haired boy as he held the letter out to him, taking the letter he opened it causally scanned the letter. Oddly enough the boy had found the right person to which the letter was addressed. Motioning the boy inside James turned and walked back towards the center of the dojo. “Well reaper you found the right dojo apparently I am supposed to test your ability to adapt what you know to the situation at hand.”

Balling up the letter he tossed it in the air James blew a thin string of flame and disintegrated. Ashes scattered around the dojo as James took up a flexible stance. “Prepare yourself boy, if you don’t fight like you mean it you will die. If Sung trained you and that letter wasn’t a fake then I shouldn’t have to hold back, like I do with my mortal students.”

Taking a flexible stance James stared down his opponent, “Seeing as you are the guest in this Dojo the first move is yours Reaper, but know that you face the only dragon that won’t kill a reaper on site. Don’t make me regret that decision by showing restraint.”

The way the man used the word "Reaper" alarmed him. And to see him breathing fire was just as unsettling. What exactly had Master Sung gotten him into? Apparently what ever it was it was a fight he wouldn't forget. The man called himself a dragon, although he wanted think it meant his rank in skill, he felt it was more akin to the monsters of myth. There was no time to ask questions, the man had already spoken his intentions. He bowed low to the man, showing respect, his hand clasped over his fist in a salute Sung had shown him.
"Thank you for the fight." Arawn stepped into a cat stance left leg back, his right leg forward. He held his hands open. He held his hands open. Slowly he inched forward. His right hand snapped into a ridgehand strike at the man's neck. It was only a feint, as he did a spin reverse hook kick with his left.

James smiled politely as he returned the bow, if anything, this Master Sung taught him respect for his superiors. James watched as the reaper took a cat stance and lash out with his right hand for his neck. Leaning back James just barely dodged the blow only to see the leg coming at him with incredible speed. James instinctively took the dragon stance as he saw the leg coming from the corner of his eye.

Dropping to the ground James lashed out low to sweep the reaper’s grounded leg in the form human’s refer to as Dragon whips tail. “You’re fast reaper, but you gotta be flexible as well as fast if you want to fight a dragon.” James said in a chiding manner that he used with his own students, as he got back to his feet and jumped back a few paces awaiting the reapers next move. He is clumsy when fighting in a gigai, but I don’t need to let my guard slip he is fast.

He wasn't quick enough to land his kick. And he wasn't fast enough to retract his leg. The man's leg sweep sent him butt first to the ground, and then flat on his back. In a fight being immobile for too long spelled defeat, he rolled backwards and hopped to his feet. He lost sight of his opponent for a moment, another fighting taboo, but he was back on his feet.
"I'm quite flexible, but this body isn't exactly as good as my own."
This time a simple back stance. The cat stance was only to help he pull off the hook kick better, now he wanted to be more stable. Arawn inched forward again his left hand leading. His arm flickered forward into two jabs with his left. The sharp punches were followed by a cross from his right hand. No sooner had his right arm punched that he lean forward into a U-punch aimed at the other man's chest.

James smile was polite as he let the young reaper get to his feet, “I am sorry, if I caused you any discomfort, I tend to take the mats up when I practice my own styles.” James fell back into his relaxed dragon stance as the boy came at him with to jabs of his left arm, which he ducked to the side, but was caught with a cross-chop across the chest.

James took a step back, at the blow the reaper is getting used to the gigai, shows what I get for trying to stay at his handicap. He watched as the boy went to hit him directly in the chest with a u-punch, he countered with a quick Dragon’s Wave and attempted to grab and hold the fists.

“You’re getting used to that body, it seems, I would almost wish to see you fight in your true form but then you have me at a disadvantage because then I would have to use my claws which could kill you. Which I don’t want to do, killing isn’t my way.” James said with his endless smile fading for a brief moment. “I never got you name reaper, did you master not teach you that it is polite to introduce oneself during a fight?”

Arawn snorted. Master Sung never taught manners, he only taught him to fight. The old man had taught him how to take a hit, and give a much as he had received and more. The man spoke of his gigai; he wasn't a normal human. His talk of dragons might have some truth, perhaps he would take the time to see such a form with his own eyes. Still he didn't want such thoughts distract him. Analyze and attack. The man was bigger, faster, and stronger. But martial arts was built for people of smaller stature to combat those with similar advantages. Keep moving, keep him guessing.
"I think the pleasantries should have came before I was knocked on my @$$." spoke as the man's larger hands caught his last strike. But Arawn quickly grinned. In capturing Arawn's fists the man had also occupied his own. Rather than miss the opportunity he acted. His left leg in front shot forth into a twist kick, he then raised his right leg into a roundhouse to the man's side. "I'm Arawn Dan'Shir, well met."

James smiled kindly in the midst of the battle, “Well met, Arawn Dan’Shir, I am known by many names reaper, but I think you will find it easier to refer to me as James.” He grunted as first one kick connected then the other. He could tell that his scales absorbed most of the shock but it felt annoying as a mosquito to a horse.

“You’re going to have to hit a lot harder Arawn, I have a natural armor as all dragons, here let me show you it’s extent.” James pulled his arms back behind him forcing Arawn closer as he hoped to head butt him. As he did so he twisted his arms and planted his foot in the center of Arawn’s stance as he prepared to follow through with a simple [yet effective at times like this] judo throw.

His arms being pulled drew him closer to the larger man. In the next instant lights exploded in his head as their skulls impacted. The man's thick skull had collided with the top of Arawn head.Dizzy he man named James maneuver his leg forward. The man was going to toss or pin him either wasn't a favorable situation for Arawn. Before the man could fully exert his leverage Arawn hopped off the ground and wrapped his legs around the man. "Let's see how hard those scales really are!" He slammed his forehead forward, the shinigami aimed at the man's eyes and nose.

James was taken by surprise as Arawn wrapped his legs around him to keep from being thrown, not the most graceful solution to the problem, but well it is effective. James only frowned as the reaper attempted to mimic his last move and head butt him. James raised his scales on his face to make them like hundreds of tiny little daggers protruding from his face. [ooc: the first time I found a good use for this ability…LMAO]

“You aren’t the brightest tool in the box are you?” James asked after the reaper had hit him square in the nose. Only James’ dense bones kept him from having a shattered nose, although blood dripped slowly from the sight of impact he didn’t know if it was his or the shinigami’s. I am going to have a one hell of a bruise tomorrow, what could I tell my students when they see their sensei, who preaches that violence is a last resort, has a bruised face.

The pain in his skull was worst than the first his, but his time he felt like needles jabbing him. They're pretty damn hard. he thought as his head was reeling. His opponent's attention diverted he untwisted his arm to free himself from the other man's grip. His hand free he punched man's ears before pushing backwards while releasing his legs. He fell on his back, but rolled sideways and hopped to his feet. Reaching up to his face he felt the wet liquid. "Owww." he gasped. Nothing deep, but enough to draw blood. From the pain he drew focus. He felt his reiryoku and started to channel it. "Sa Shin Mu." his heart that was beating frantically suddenly calmed. He took a cat stance again, but this time his hand spread wide and his hands open. "Ju-Jak: Eagle Palm."

James watched as Arawn fell into his stance and then was even more surprised when the energy started to swirl around him enveloping in the raw power, What is he doing? If he hits me like that the energy whiplash is going to burn his arms and probably destroy my dojo. James took up a his dragon stance once more as he prepared to take the hit and try to absorb as much of the energy he could.

“I warn you if you wish to go all out Arawn, I will do the same.” His words had an edge to them as his scales began to shift color take on a red hue.

"Now that I think about it, that was probably my master's intentions." The facts added up in his head. Why send him to a human dojo? It couldn't be to learn from the instructor. Sa Shin Mu was supernatural martial art one would see in a saturday morning cartoon. To test such a skill he needed someone of equal or greater ability. This man, no this creature, before him was that test. "So I shall hold nothing back. I pray you do the same." He brought his open palms before him into a simple guard. Ju-Jak was defensive in nature, but even a shield could be used as a weapon. Arawn inched forward. He needed bring the man into range.

KILL, RIP, BURN!!! James gritted his teeth as he started to shift into his more bestial form his claws becoming more pronounced, the spines had started to grow from his forearms. The scales covering him had now completely morphed to different shades of red giving James the appearance that he was on fire. “I hope you can take a punch Dan’shir because I am done playing around.”

Reaching out James raked the side of the wall with one set of claws leaving a four parallel gashes in its wake. “If you hold back Dan’shir I will kill you.” I have to be careful if I relax my grip on my bestial side I could go on a rampage and start killing mortals.

The complete transformation was unnerving, but he couldn't let the shock break his concentration. He would need to be wary of the large claws. He didn't wan to be in the receiving end of them. More worrisome was the scales. If they were anything like the ones he used on his skull, he'd needed to hit hard.
"If you're going to go all out, I should as well." He shifted his spiritual pressure into a single arm. "Sorry about your floor." He brought the energy laden punch down hitting the ground. The empowered fist broke through the flooring and then Arawn released the stored energy. The area exploded sending chucks of rock and wood in every direction around him. The explosion was just a cover as he dashed forward to his hands charged with Ju-Jak once again. His fist shielded he aimed an open hand palm strike at the man's chest.

The floor shattered into bits spraying him with debris, raising one arm he protected his eyes. A smile spread across his face, the real fight was just beginning. James roared as the young man finally charged him his open palm aimed for his mid-section, a head-on assault isn’t the brightest move in the world, but then again your dimmer than a 20watt light bulb it seems. Turning sideways James felt the shock of the power as their two auras collided sparking in the air around them.

The palm open palm missed his chest, but glanced off his side; the pain of the blow was ten times what he was expecting and knocked the air from his lungs. “BIG MISTAKE!” James roared as he slashed at Arawn’s arm with his claws spread wide.

Ju-Jak's technique was hardly impressive, but the skill it encompassed is truly remarkable. It's all about range. Know your limits, your length of your arms and legs. Your personal space is your kingdom. Not reaching out to attack and letting all attacks come to you, efficient defense.. Control all that come within your domain. The palm attack had one true purpose; bring James into Arawn's domain. The danger was that he was deep into his opponent's area. But the stronger defense and offense would prevail. His extended right arm twisted into an outer hand block hooking his arm avoiding the claws. It hurt his own arm, the man's strength wasn't a joke. But seeing him angry was good. Anger clouded focus, and right now he was only focused on Arawn's right arm. He pressed an attack with is left with a half stet he kicked at his opponent's knee. He needed to keep inside the enemy's space.

James growled as Arawn kicked at his legs, the pain was moderate and bearable but still it was an annoyance. Realizing the boy was prepared to go all out he decided to pull one of his trump cards, opening his mouth wide James aimed to spray the boy with the sulfur smelling fluid that made up his flame when needed. That shouldn’t kill him, but foua still burns when on the skin, if he keeps it up though I might have to let it light up in flame.

Hoping to but some space between the two them James threw a blind jab in the direction of Arawn’s chest.

[OOC: sorry for the short post.]

Jame's jaws opened and Arawn flinched. Was he going to try and bite him. Even as he though about it the man-beast's fist came at him. This is where the close proximity worked against and yet worked for him. He was easier to hit. The man's fist struck his left shoulder. Arawn grimaced but couldn't allow the hit to stun him, he had to keep moving. Arawn stepped forward and hooked is foot into the back of the man's knee. With his right he brought his open palm to uppercut the into the face. Basic jujitsu; apply force at the opposite ends to throw your opponent to the ground.