The Dead Forest (Increased Orc activity due to skirmish)

[Cristopher Reinhart]

Instantly Reinhart right forearm shot up and locked in place between himself and Laz. As if holding the wolfman back from a bite he stuck his arm like a bar infront of Laz catching the wolfman's throat. Whether Laz had superior strength to push all the way through was beyond Reinhart but he knew his action would make it hard for the headbutt to connect if at all.

If barring Laz worked he'd have only the foot slip to worry about but adjusting his footing was all he needed to do to avoid being tripped. Mainly he'd step his foot over or under Laz's according to where he felt he gained better footing. With that done he'd hook Laz with his right hand digging his fingers into the back of the wolf's head and pushing him off to his right only slightly. This should in theory guide Laz's body so he was facing Reinhart with his left side.

Then with all the force he could muster he'd bring his right knee up right into Laz's left kidney. Once connected he'd push with his arm still over his throat and hooked and attempt to bring the big man down on his back. If his wrist remained held he'd come down with him to one knee if not then he'd take a step back and let the wolfman stand.  

[Uberwulf X]

Barring the headbutt wasn't the same as stopping the takedown, since to create enough power to tip over a sturdy-kinda guy, he was going to push harder. Getting the headbutt blocked guaranteed that Lazenca put extra effort into throwing his shoulder, in a sort of act of revenge (along with the knowledge that he has to pass a barrier).

Stepping over Lazenca was the only way to uncross legs, and his left leg lifted at the knee while gaining a foot or so of height to prevent such action. This, combined with the extra force put into the shoulder check, put Laz into total commitment-- he was now throwing all of his weight (~285 lbs) into Rein to make the attack connect. By pushing or just dragging, Laz was bringing him down. He also planned to allow Reinhart to break their fall.

Of course, someone attached to an arm while pushing/dragging one down tended to destroy balance needed for kicks to be any sort of success.  

[Cristopher Reinhart]

And son they fell, though maybe to Laz's dissapointment Reinhart breaking their fall had little more effect than Reinhart falling on his own. He still held his forearm between them and since any prior attempt to move or knee the wolfamn failed it was time to employ some new tactics. Now instead of using his arm for barring as they hit the ground Reinhart iron gripped Laz's throat.

Given Reinhart could call upon monstrous strength Laz would instanly feel the preassure on his windpipe. Not to mention have iron like fingers digging into the soft muscles of his neck. Unaware of what any opponent could do was something everyone on Gaia suffered and Laz would find out what Reinhart could do when someone 'invaded' his personal space. It didn't help that he had a 250 plus pound wolfman atop him either.

The vice like grip held firm and Reinhart smiled bearing teeth for Lazenca to see. His eye lit up, leeking bluish smoke that rose to Lazenca face but to no ill effect if not a sign of something yet to come. In a moment the ground under Reinhart lit up with a white bluish glow and electricity soon covered the man under Lazenca.

Racing up his limbs it collected quickly in Reinhart core and for an instant Laz might see a ghost overlapping the man he had knocked to the forest floor. The instance was gone and with it the lightning collected shot through Reinhart like a conduit racing up his arm and into Lazenca. It was but a jolt, the equivalent of a taser or stungun, but with a prolonged effect of course.

Enough to make anything alive twitch or convulse as the shock disrupted the signals sent from the brain to every part of the body. After the shock Reinhart would push his foot between them and kick Lazenca off with a sturdy kick to the mid section. This time he hoped the wolfman wouldn't try to hold on.  

[Uberwulf X]

All Lazenca wanted was for Reinhart to be on the bottom. Now, it's not like Lazenca wasn't expecting to be grabbed by the throat, because any action happening around the head and neck is sure to result in it. He just wasn't prepared to be iron gripped and then electrocuted.

"Zhhhh--aa!" At the moment, he was at Reinhart's mercy. Good thing the man decided to be rid of the wulf, for prolonged exposure would be really, really bad for him. And so, having loosed his hold on Reinhart sometime when getting shocked, Lazenca was kicked backwards and fell to the ground with a grunt.

"Holy hell, an electricity-user!"
"There's a first time for everything."
"Get up."
"This is pointless."
"Get up!"

"Ugh..." The haze of surprise was lifting quickly enough, but it'd take still a second or so to get to his feet-- and only a second or two. The manner of his lifting was odd- it seemed as if he was physically pushed up by someone from below, thrown up and forced to stand his ground. Still having in his mind that he was fighting, his hand went up but it was apparently so deliberately that he had a shadow trail. If this were a video game, one would expect him to suddenly rush forward and scream an attack, but he only stood there.

"...There's a first time for everything."  

[Cristopher Reinhart]

Then came the follow up. It was obvious Lazenca was dazed, it could be a ploy but Reinhart didn't care too much, he took a good step forward and quickly took to the air.

With his left leading he cocked his right leg back, visible winds enveloped it from the knee down then Reinhart brought it around to kick Laz square in the face. Following through the motion he repeated his first action with his left foot and it too became enveloped in force winds. With each kick Reinhart struck with more force and more speed, which were aided by the winds he now employed.

Completing the revolution he thrust his right foot forward this time to strike his opponent dead center, his chest. Where the first two were swipes the third was a thrust, a brutal kick using the whole of the foot to throw Laz back and more than likely send him tumbling.  

[Uberwulf X]

The arm moved again, and the foot was blocked by the bracer. With only one arm was Lazenca able to stand his ground, his body angled forward to resist each swipe of feet in the aerial tornado kick... er, hurricane kick. A move Lazenca had in his rep (except he performed it on the ground), he knew that these kicks would come strong. Yet still he remained rooted to his position, resisting the strikes. Of course he was slightly rocked from the force, but this would go down as a block.

"And wind."

To block with his right arm, Lazenca had to turn his body to the left. So when the straight finisher came, the attack went to his shoulder and just like the others, had enough power to rock him, but did not uproot him.

While stepping forward to gain lost ground, Lazenca opened his blocking arm up and greeted Reinhart with a backhand slash to the face on the way down, raking the claws across. The power of it, no matter if blocked or taken, would feel less like he'd attempted a quick backhand swipe, and more if he attempted a haymaker.  

[Cristopher Reinhart]

Guess what? Reinhart also wore bracers under his jacket. Reinhart had thrown three good kicks but failed to even knock Laz to one knee, it didn't matter much but it was quickly becoming obvious that strength alone wouldn't be enough to beat the wolfman. As the swipe fell onto hard steel, seeing as Reinhart had two free hand to catch the counter, he used his free hand to thrust a palm into Laz's chest.

Stomping his foot to strengthen his blow he hoped this would at least knock the big man back some. He hated employing his versatile ability much but from the looks of things Laz may still be in for lots of surprises. If he thought electricity and wind were the only things at Reinhart's disposal he had another thing coming.

Someone once called him a trump card, someone else had called him the most versatile fighter he'd known, at the end of this Laz might call him friend. For now though, he enjoyed himself and saved all the cards up his sleeve for the time they would make Laz go eek most.  

[Uberwulf X]

The problem was that Lazenca attacked before Reinhart touched the ground, so attacking with more force by stomping... well, not happening. As a result, the backhand landed and Lazenca brought his arm back into a curled position, raking his claws across Reinhart's eyes once more and it'd still feel like two people were doing it simultaneously.

In fact, until otherwise noted, this effect lasted.

With that second slash, he stomped forward and immediately thereafter, spun on his right to deliver a half-rotation back kick to Reinhart's chest.  

[Cristopher Reinhart]

Alright, since apparently people can't throw up a block whilst mid air, Reinhart got raked across the face. Partially blinded, he took another rake to the face, then a kick to the chest which sent him tumbling backwards. The rakes hurt, they tore into his flesh, drew blood, and worse, the first actually went across one of his eyes. Mostly because after the first he turned his head at an angle where Laz's claws only caught his cheek and jaw.

As for the kick, well, Laz was big, but Reinhart wore armor under his clothing, a lightweight durable breastplate was one of them. Which meant the armor took the blunt of the blow but Reinhart was still tossed due to the force. After being kicked he tumbled yes, but then he rolled, and held a crouched position looking to Lazenca with a bloody face and eye.

Reinhart laughed. Yes, he laughed. Flesh wounds were one thing, but raking eyes was just dirty where he came from. He may as well have gotten dirt thrown in his face or gotten kicked in the balls. Laz may interupt his fit of laughter but all Reinhart could do at the moment was just that. Laugh.  

[Uberwulf X]

Well, it's not like he kicked him in the crotch. And... this was his fighting style. If one didn't notice, Lazenca had claws so any backhands or other open-handed hits (and his style was completely openfisted) and certain attacks had a chance of slashing. Maybe afterward he'd apologize. For the here and now, Lazenca straightened and brought his right arm, curling it once more and making it horizontal with his chest.

Reinhart could laugh all he want, within reason. Lazenca would wait, within reason.

Knowing the guy had electricity, Lazenca waited for lines of blue or something to shoot to him, so he could dodge.  

[Cristopher Reinhart]

Reinhart wiped the blood from his eye as if he were wiping a tear, he was still laughing lightly but he continued to wipe at his face with the back of his hand or sleeve. Surprisingly his wounds stopped bleeding, though there were smears across his face no more blood poured. He stood now and licked a bit of blood from his lip. Looking to Lazenca he made a hand gesture as if saying...'Nice one.'

Luckily he wasn't rushed after being kicked, for that he may thank Lazenca later, then again...

On with the show. The bandages that covered his right hand were bloodied, his sleeve was bloody, his face, and eye too. It was often people saw Reinhart in such a state and as always he was loving it. To Laz's dissapointment no lightning was cast from his foe. However, his good eye leeked once more and along with it came a smokey aura that outlined Reinhart.

Following the bloody aura was an apparition that hovered behind Reinhart, it's hair was fire, it's skin molten lava, and it's eyes endless pools of rage. The monster towered over the man that commanded him, though it was only visible from the waist up, as it's bottom half faded from view the lower it got. Placing it's massive hands over Reinhart it looked to Lazenca viciously as it shrank into the person it touched. Once the monster was out of view the aura over Reinhart exploded into flames. Now Reinhart held that same vicious smile.

"Heeereeee wolfy wolfy wolfy..."

He said fixing his eyes on Laz flexing his fingers as if he was about to draw a gun.  

[Uberwulf X]

No movement.

Somewhere overhead, squirrel chittered.  

[Cristopher Reinhart]

And then the squirrel was devored by some sort of snake but it didn't matter much, this wasn't Animal Planet.

Instead of lightning a wave of fire sprang from Reinhart towards Lazenca and right behind it Reinhart followed. The man was heated, bright, and just a bit over dangerous in his flames. Assuming Lazenca dodged the wave Reinhart would be upon him quicker than the lightning Laz may've expected. Consuming the fire into himself his arms set ablaze and just as before he unleashed a barrage of punches.

This time however he'd go for the abdomen with his right, hook with his left, and finish it off with a straight punch to Laz's face assuming everyone went according to plan. Each hit would undoubtedly burn as with each hit a bit of that flame would jump from one man to the other. Laz had yet to show what power he held aside from tooth and claw, Reinhart couldn't wait to see it.  

[Uberwulf X]

What was the difference from what Lazenca expected and what actually happened? The attacking element... and then what? Not a thing. There was an attack, undeniably there to make Laz stop standing around. And there was a follow-in. This was expected because it's what Lazenca commonly did. Why wouldn't he expect it from someone else?

"And fire... fire again..."
"It's fine. Introversion."

As his opponent suspected, Lazenca moved. With the right ever leading, that was the way he took a powerful step. Simultaneous with that movement, the right arm uncurled, sweeping down to the middle of his own body and following the path of his hooked claws were five lines. His left arm also finally rose up, finishing the Draw-- this left a white cross in the air.

It moved within Lazenca, mimicking the motion with only a change in specific direction. Where Lazenca had turned his body a bit to the right while Drawing the Fangs of the Arctic Wulf (despite it name, it had no ice affinity), the Doppleganger turned its body left. Only during this opposite-angled step would it truly be visible for the first time, as a second torso and head.

What was happening that Reinhart was rushing into a trap. Though the attack had been set so he'd finish his Draw before Cris saw it (which, despite lines, may or may not have left him with an idea of countering a physical miss), the lines remained. Waiting as he had, the attack's power was multiplied by two-- at x4, it could put a serious tear in those mystical special metals. Uncharged, it had the power of Lazenca's physical claws. Getting hit wouldn't have a devestating repelling effect-- he'd be stopped, but not forced backwards.

Worst case scenario for Reinhart, he was trapped in that little nook between the two individual attacks. Just barely slipping by, because of the angling and the fact that the lines automatically crept forward, was virtually impossible. Someone already tried that before.

The attack wasn't over; hands were already retracing their paths.  

[Cristopher Reinhart]

It wasn't a front kick like the first time but it had the same premise. One came in the other waited and countered, the same old dance, nothing more. Of course this was expected, just as Laz expected the wave to be an opener or a distraction or whatever. Reinhart knew not what the lines were and honestly he didn't care, he fed them the flames that burned within him in an attempt to cancel the attacks out.

He hoped for the best but expected the worst, it's the way it usually went. It was Laz's move, Reinhart was getting tired of chasing the dog, though he may've just walked into whatever it was and fed it fire for no reason at all...