Arthur had once more come unto the training feild that was in Saqueldor. He needed a good sparring match since Dragon Activity had gone down as of late and Arthru was getting bored with doing nothing. So he went to a secluded place to watch for fighters that he could challenge and get a good match out of. He decided it would be better if he to trained in the open when he saw that he would not be challenge if he trained alone. So he took out his sword and went to a place where he could be seen but still have plenty of room. He then set to work. Going through his forms and delicate but complicated dance of the sword. Watching out of the corner of his eye for a good opponent to spar with.

Pierek spied the enormous structure of the Training Arena from very far away, and he hurried even more along his trek to reach it. He had been itching for some fun, and he had heard boisterous guards on Pierek's last trip to Lomedor brag about their accomplishments in the wrestling and dueling circles of the outdoor area of the facility, and he had decided to try this new form of entertainment out. Pierek had marched through miles and miles of featureless plains for two days, relying on unfortunate squirrels and rabbits that crossed his path for nutrition and he had given up many times, only to restart again quickly out of lack of other priorities. Now that he had finally reached the Arena, he was washed over with relief and exitement.

He galloped the last stretch to the brazen gates, placed amongst a tall stone wall, manifested in the plain shape of a small black labrador. Pierek panted, with his tongue lolling out of his maw, as he passed through the open doors and into the dusty courtyard. His glossy black fur finally settled as it was freed from the winds of Salquedor.

The yard was abundant with egotistical, sweaty men, showing off flashy, useless stunts, and one-upping eachother again and again. They strutted around, each believing they were the best. Pierek studied each one subjectively, looking for a strong fighter, humble enough to be bearable, and fast enough to be a challenge. His form as a dog gave him an advantage in this task; nobody showed off just for him.

One person in particular then caught his eye, a lizard-man quietly fighting shadows in the rough center of the courtyard, and Pierek trotted carefully through the crowd of vain athletes to him, and stood confidently in at the well-armored warrior's boots and stared up wantfully, willing his eyes to reveal the intellegence within.

Arthur was practicing his from when he noticed a black dog come up and look at him which he had to admit was strange for a dog. Arthur coudl see the intelligence in the dogs eyes and wondered if this was a dog at all and he said," Hey little fellow you get lost from a trader convoy". He then reached down to pat the dogon the head not expecting to get an answer.

Pierek realized his attempt to impress consciousness on the serpentine humanoid had failed, and the unsurprised half-dragon had only treated him like the dog he pretended to be. Arthur's scaled palms felt rough against Pierek's skull as he pet him on the head. The dog backed away and whined, feinting dislike. Pierek stood up, changed again into something different, a dog-headed, upright anatomy to match the lizard in front of him, and he bowed forward respectfully. "Arther Pendragon," Pierek had heard Arthur's name as he scanned the thoughts around him, "Ah challenge you to ah duel. I am Pierek." He struggled with his words as always, using an old accent, and a mutated mouth.

As he realeased himself from his bow, Pierek's blackened, rusty sword appeared in his hand, emerging from his malleble flesh swiftly, so fast it could barely be noticed, and Pierek held the curved blade low and without threat.

Arthur backed away when the dog transformed into something else that had a dog like head but stood upright and whe it spoke Arthur was even more amzed and he said," Now I have seen everything, a shapeshifter type creature". He looked up and down and detransformed himself from his dragon humanoid state revealing an almost human appearnce with deep blue eyes and blonde hair and yet very handsome features. He said," Well a pleasure to meet you then, and since you know my name I guess ican accpet your challenge but no magic is allowed I can't transform into my dragon shape and you can't use your magical abilities if thats alright with you".

Pierek pondered the request for a moment, then argued, "I figure it's not. Ah would like to use all of ma abilities, aginst all of yours, 'cause I figure otherwise it isn't a true duel. Note that if we duel your way, I'm fit to lose; cause yer better armed, thickly armored, and better trained. I need the small advantage of shapeshifting. Do ya agree?" Pierek spoke free of agression and as quietly and slowly as possible, so Arthur might understand his reasoning.

The brawlers in the courtyard began to watch the pair of alien creatures, hoping for a duel between them. Pierek heard, (This might be interesting,) a faint thought of a nearby watcher.

As Pierek waited for a response, his fur subtly altered to equally black feathers, and his long nose dipped, the flesh of it receding and revealing a long, black beak. A poofy mane of feathers splayed from his chest, and he came to resemble a crow.

Arthur understood the reasoning behind this and said,"As you wish then but do not expect win if you do so". He drew hislade and backed away and the crowd gave them room. He swung his sword a few times to test if he had enough room and got in hid stance and he said,'Reayd when you are".

Pierek cawed loudly, to tell of his readiness, and bowed elegantly again with one clawed arm thrown out to the side and the other curled underneath him, grasping his beautifully curved sword, maimed by age.

Standing nobly straight again, the bird-headed spirit pointed the knicked and dented edge of the blade towards his opponent and slid his feet in the dirt to a more battle-ready posture, standing on the balls of his feet and shoulders relaxed, and staring Arthur in his steely blue eyes, still playfully competitive. In three fast and small steps Pierek brought himself anxiously closer to Arthur, and put both bodies within sword's reach.

Pierek briefly recalled a past duel he had with the very sword in his hands, and he tightened his grip, feeling nostalgia. He could almost feel warmth emanating from the bare handle.

Now, a crowd had formed in a circle around the pair, giving about the same room to the fighters as a dueling circle might. Pierek heard a few small bets made for both warriors, and quiet chattering of excited anticipation.

Arthur smiled as the creature came closer. He focused on his sword picturing the flame and the void or somethign called the oneness where there was nothing but the sword where the person was the sword here he was invincible or so it seemed to him. He was the first to strike. He swung his sword in downward feint changing it at the last second to sideways slash in s way that he hoped would drive the creature back.

The tense Pierek waited and watched for a long, dramatic moment while Arthur focussed himself. He caught Arthur's thoughts randomly, louder than the surrounding crowd's, and they reflected pure focus, on himself, and his tool. Suddenly, remaining still in a state of concentration, Arthur raised his longsword above his head, and began the swing it down onto Pierek. The crow snatched at it with his free hand, only to find abruptly that the sword was coming at his right shoulder. With his empty fist still awkwardly raised in the air Pierek swung at the oncoming weapon with his own opaque blade, meeting the heavy slash with a loud clank. The impact sent painful waves of shock up Pierek's arm, and put another monstrous notch in his blade.

Angry at himself, he flicked the blades free of each other with his sore arm, and defensively reinforced the scimitar with his left hand. His already black eyes seemed to darken, until they were more aphotic than the pitch blackness of a forest night. The enraged bird lifted the jagged edge from his side into a brutal stab at his skilled opponent's armored middle.

The gang of bystanders began to cheer and whistle, but now Pierek was less aware, in his own barren world of dangerous swords and masterful enemies.

Arthur parried the strike at his middle with just enough time to spare before it hit. He smiled at his oppenent through the void. His opponent was skilled but Arthur had years of fighting experience under him he would not lose easily if he did lose. He jumped over his opponent comign down behind him turning with a kick to his opponents back.

Arthur flashed him a patronizing smirk and tossed Pierek's stab away easily.

Pierek watched helplessly as Arthur passed over his head, and he whipped his beaked head around in just enough time to see a booted foot beat him in the small of his back. Pierek stumbled forward, the breath knocked out of him, stomping the ground hard until he regained balance several feet away. He turned around quickly, his right arm pointed straight out with his sword in hand. Pierek screamed, a howl of three tones, the roar of a lion rumbled under the painful screech of a raven and the horrific hiss of a snake, as a long, tipped black tongue rolled out of his beak.

The crowd was now totally aflame with enthusiasm, they screamed as the first minor parry of the fight finished. The men jumped and cheered.

Pierek dashed forward again, sword held in two hands and mouth stretched wide in his horrendous battle cry. As he sprinted, small, burnt black horns emerged, crowning Pierek, and broad charcoal wings spread from his black. The night black warrior leapt before his foe, vigorously flapping his wings and lifting himself above Arthur, blocking out the sun, and slashed three times: one, two, three!; down, right, left!; brutal two-handed hacks at Arthur's head and shoulders. Pierek landed hard back down to the ground, stomping a dust cloud into existence, and making another brutal stab at Arthur's gut.

Pierek's movements held a beautiful and dangerous grace that came with a thousand year's practice, but they revealed weakness; Pierek was a creature of wit and reflex, not brawn, and his swings seemed critically fragile, like his ancient blade. His movements were magically attractive and perfectly agile regardless.

Arthur parried the blows as they rained above him only letting one get through and hit him on the shoulder which he grunted through. Then came the one to the stomach that he barely had time to back away from.
He noted his opponent was getting desperate if he had transformed or either it was an excellent boy to lure Arthur into thinking so. He came at his opponent and did his three strike move. He slung down, then slung to the side and in his third strike he aimed for the chest.

This time, the more alert Pierek swatted the strong slashes of the glinting blade of Arthur away with tact and ease. He swung the flat of his blade to meet the side of the dragon-hunter's blow, and averted it's cut and with each parry, a loud, excruciating ring screamed from the clashing metal.

Pierek then made his own attack, but he broke the usual unwritten law of duels, and elevated the fight to a full-out brawl simultaneously. Pierek sheathed his sword in his body, and it vanished immediately, replaced in Pierek's hand by long, silvered claws. Pierek leapt forward again, bent over double and rushing in on the balls of his feet, being normal with the exception of claws from the toes, to tackle Arthur around the middle, his grand ebon wings melting away into a cloak, billowing and ancient. A huge cloud of sand sprayed into the air behind him, and into the crowd of onlookers.

"Here we go!" He muttered, barely understandable over his hard breathing.

Arthur was little prepared for the new attack but natural intstnct kicked in before the creature could reach Arthur. Arthur dodged the creature just in time. This creature was fast to be able to get that close. Arthur however, was faster. He ran daily to increase his speed in battle. He smiled and sheathed his blade and said," So you want to do this the hard way, alright you called down the thunder I hope your ready for the boom". He ran toward his opponent and jumped up and sent a flying side kick right at his head.

Time slowed down as Pierek made one a futile try to move his head out of the way of the catapulted body. The stretched muscles in his neck tugged, but it was too late. The heavy kick crushed his beak into pieces as it followed through to his skull. Pierek took the brunt of the blow, and he was doubled over unnaturally backwards, far enough that any Ardian creature might have a snapped spine. But Pierek's elastic alien constitution took damage differently. Pierek snapped back into upright position, seeming no worse for wear. His skeleton reassembled itself, forcing Pierek into odd spasms that tossed his cloak around him, and then he was still and healthy.

Internally, though, Pierek was sore. His essence had been bludgeoned. The fight in him was not gone yet, regardless. The crippled bird turned around and revealed a new visage to his foe, a pale human face, decorated with pure black eyes and surrounded by feathers that blurred away into an erect shock of shadowy hair. Pierek's dark cloak concealed his body, but a slender body and a youthful strength could be discerned. The ashen face of the spirit smirked and an observant and acute eye could catch the slightest glint of ivory teeth emerging from the cover of curled, bloodless lips. Pierek approached his enemy again, striding on easy, confident steps.

The boisterous crowd was finally silent. The unforgiving sun lashed at the earth, but Pierek seemed to absorb light and draw shadow around him, and warped the surrounding air. The fearful assembly drew back as he bared his claws again from the front of his shawl. The silver tips of his fingers he raised above his head, and swatted down with both hands. The spikes fell to his opponent with the reflexive strength Pierek was famous for.

(Remember to spell check, and try to match my length please.)

When the creature once more transformed Arthur knew this fight would last longer than he had expected. Then silvery things came for him and hit him right in the chest piercing his studded leather armor. Thankfully they didn’t go through to his heart. He said," All right I wasn’t gona do this but time to turn it up a notch". He concentrated on the dragon inside him and went into his controlled state of dragon form. In this form he was dragon in features but human in stature. He then readied his sword and said," Its time to end this no more games". He then attacked with more ferocity than before. He was going to end this fight and he was going to end it with him being the victor.