Character + Location

This was an in-class assignment. We had to combine our previously created location with our character.

Later that day Shadow stood at the ring’s edge in the area. He was shedding his four layers of clothes down to his tank top and mustering his might to cross the line into the fight. Asho already sat in the ring, meditating with eyes closed and looking like a dropped pile of twigs.

                  Master sat in his gold-encrusted, wooden throne, looking as lazy and bored as an over-muscled slug. The only enjoyment for this match showed in the corners of his lips as they curled slightly from the annoyance Shadow delivered to him personally the night before. However, as Shadow gazed further, he noticed Master’s eyes on Asho. What did the old medicine man do to upset Master?

                  Shadow now crossed the invisible barrier into the ring, feeling an aura of energy wash over him like a thousand chilled fingers down his spine mixed with a warm gust of summer’s breeze. As he stood before Asho, his eyes snapped open and a silent fury raced from him to the younger man. The simple movement actually made Shadow jump back.

                  Looking in every way as a corpse rising from the dead, the skinny, rib-popping Asho stood up without uncrossing his legs as he glared at Shadow. He looked even skinnier without his tent-like robes on. Only a few ornaments decorated his person; a string of beads about his neck, a set of loose, gold bracelets on his ankles and wrists, and a diaper-looking turban about his hips. Other than that, the man wore the remainder of his wrinkled birthday suit proudly… and poorly.  “You should never have crossed my path,” he barked with pure anger.

                  “Wasn’t my choice. Blame fate.” Shadow retorted.

                  Asho’s condemnation wasn’t through. “We all make our own destinies. Yours is no excuse.”

                  Shadow had a response for that, too. “Well, you are one. A sorry one.”

                  It was a blow below the belt as Asho began to shake with rage. “Shameless! For months I suppressed the urge to make you appreciate the consequences of your decisions. Now, I will not hold back!”

                  Master now leaned close to speak to the enraged medicine man. “A deal I propose. Take the robber, break him in half, and bring me his carcass. Then, I will freely give you the cure you’ve sought for your dying people.”

                  Cure? Shadow suddenly realized Asho’s purpose in Master’s valley. Apparently Master had found Asho’s personal pressure point and was jabbing it like a child waiting for an elevator. Shadow could also tell from Asho’s stricken face that they had an agreement.

So could Master, as with a gleeful grin he sat back and declared that the fight begin by calling, “Hajume!”

                  Shadow attacked first, stepping in and throwing a straight punch to the smaller man’s face. Suddenly, Shadow was tossed straight back into the air where he landed hard on his backside. Asho remained standing where he was, arms crossed low at the wrists with a grave, solemn expression. Shadow stood up and shook his head, angry.

                  ‘Idiot,’ he cursed himself, ‘how could I have forgotten that?’

                  His previous encounters with Asho had also come to blows. One such time was aboard a moving freight train, and had turned out the same way. Now he remembered why his past fights with the minuscule medicine man always ended with him turning tail. Here, however, he couldn’t retreat without forfeiting the fight… and his life.

                  The weird-wonder before him had some gift that bounced the blows of his opponents back at them. And Shadow had yet discovered a way to counter it.

Shadow then danced around him, looking for inspiration. The crazy healer didn’t move. With his back to Shadow, Asho suddenly ducked down to back-kick him in the face. Recovering quickly Shadow stepped forward to drive a crushing crescent punch as Asho turned to face him. Asho dodged by bending rapidly backwards at the knees, catching himself with his hands. He then jutted out one foot to kick Shadow in the midsection, doubling him over in pain. With his other foot he righted Shadow again with a kick below the jaw.

                  It was another painful reminder that the combatant was also as limber and nimble as an ambidextrous cat.

                  Asho righted himself by stepping backwards, looking like a slinky-spring coming to attention. Furrowing his brow, Shadow’s anger overtook his judgment. Again, the archeologist stepped forward with a crescent punch and a growl. The medicine man crossed his wrists again and the reverberated blow tossed Shadow backwards onto his backside a second time. Shadow quickly rolled over his shoulder and to his feet, taking much of the momentum out of the blow. Asho was untouched.

                  Shadow knew he was in trouble. How was he supposed to hit something that was as lithe as a snake and who could return his own power back upon him when he did?

                  Shadow watched the stone-face expression of the healer with intensity. As a scientist, when he encountered a problem he’d conduct experiments in a controlled environment in order to come to a conclusion. Well, this arena was certainly no moving freight train. It was about as controlled a situation as he’d come across. And since he couldn’t go anywhere, now was as good a time as any to conduct his experiments.                

His test subject remained fixed, standing in the center of the ring, as though he owned the territory. As Shadow circled him he turned with his arms folded before him. With a working theory in mind, Shadow retained his attack stance, and danced towards Asho, pretending to attack him. Although he transmitted his intensions Asho did not move. Then Shadow attacked, but not with an aggressive movement as he lightly slapped him on the face. In truth, the light smack of the palm was felt on Shadow’s own face and he placed his own hand instinctively there to validate his theory.

Feeling success with his experiment Shadow danced back, thinking of his next move. Shadow’s playful experimentation caught Master’s eye as he now leaned forward to inspect them, as if the two combatants were under his own microscope.

With a new theory in mind Shadow lunged forward again to attack, screaming and with his right fist balled up. Again, Asho crossed his wrists and set his stance to repel his attack back upon his aggressor.  However, at the last moment Shadow punched past past the medicine man’s head, ducking around to grab him around the waist with both arms. Asho’s stone-still-expression broke like ice before a boulder in surprise as Shadow hoisted the smaller man off of the ground. Throwing him over his shoulder, Shadow spun around in place before dropping to one knee and throwing his head into the mat. He made doubly sure that he was not touching him at the moment of impact.

His new experiment was also a success as Asho crumpled into the ground, retaining all of the damage the attack which was intended for him. Dazed, he looked up at Shadow, enraged and hurt as the archeologist smiled, having figured out his secret. The fight had now truly begun as Asho scrambled to his feet in a rush to attack out of frustration.  Shadow crouched into a spin-drop kick that swept Asho’s feet out from under him. The healer was airborne as Shadow stepped back, safe from his retaliation power, when Asho crashed back onto his back again. Asho rose to his feet with the strange use of his lower limbs to welcome Shadow’s flying fist. Instead of another punch, Shadow spun to put his back to Asho. He then reaches over his shoulder, locked Asho’s arm, and yanked him into the air over his shoulder with a judo throw. Asho sailed through the air before being dumped onto the matt. Master was now watching with anticipation and nursing a smile, caused by Shadow’s victorious violence.

                  Asho rose once more, bending his body in half as he pushed himself to his feet with his arms. Asho now squared his shoulders back, tightening his brow as he thought. Once more, the two circled each other, but this time they both paced like attack birds, planning their moment to strike. In an instant they both rushed at each other with a punch. Shadow’s punch missed as Asho ducked and rams his elbow instead home to Shadow’s jaw. Asho quickly followed up with a knee to his stomach and again to his face. Mercifully, Asho retreated, giving an angry Shadow enough room to jump at him with a front kick. Asho crossed his wrists and again, Shadow fell victim to his own attack. He crashed back onto the mat and forced his eyes open as Asho flew down at him with a stomp. Shadow rolled out of the way and to his feet, escaping the deadly attack by moments. So, Asho won that round.

Back on their feet, they both rushed to punch again. Another fake as Shadow ducked under Asho’s punch. Shadow stepped behind Asho to shove him to the ground. As Asho rose to his feet, Shadow grabbed his arm, twisted it over his head, and forced it to flip him onto his back. However, Asho grabbed Shadow’s hand at the time of the roll and pulled him with his falling momentum. Shadow was forced to roll with his own throw, which broke the grasp Asho held on his hand. Asho came at Shadow with another punch, before he could get his bearings, and stumbled with his own. Shadow slipped, which fortunately dropped him under Asho’s attack so he drove his elbow into the back of Asho’s legs. Asho crashed backwards and hit the back of his head against the mat. Shadow now decided to return Asho’s favor and tried to stomp him but Asho also rolled up to his feet before Shadow’s foot connected. Shadow thought they’d reset for another attack but Asho pressed his advantage, smashing his face with an elbow-powered uppercut. Shadow flew and landed shoulders first, with his legs spread wide. Shadow shook his jaw and looked at the small man, who was smiling again.