Outcast

Squaring off against each other Shaw and Valoris stared at each other waiting, testing to see what the other would do.

" I have to move fast while he is still on the ground. I don't know how to use the elements like him and he can fly. I will pounce on him pinning his wings down before making him submit" thinks Valoris before rushing Shaw.

Contrary to what he expected Shaw moves toward him as well before striking him with one of his talons. Knocking him off balance he was then hit by a follow-up a slash with the other talon. Realizing if he didn't does something he would lose.

Valoris jumped back and reoriented himself and realized that Shaw had trained himself for close combat contrary to most peoples expectations.

"Come on!" hissed Valoris before charging straight at Shaw dodging one Talon swipe and returning a strike of his own claws creating sparks when his claw hit Shaw's scale-covered body and making him wince.

Headbutting Shaw, Valoris kept an aggressive head-on approach dodging blows when he could and just absorbing them when he couldn't but always making sure to return a blow himself.

"Okay next time I'm gonna use my tail to trip him!" thought Valoris trying to set up a way to finish the fight.

Going forward to execute the move, Shaw tries to slash at Valoris. Valoris dodges the strike and suddenly flips around whipping his tail at Shaw. Shaw suddenly flaps his wings dodging his tail whip and sending a counter strike. When the counter strike lands on Valoris's body his entire body freezes up and a loud sound of thunder roars in his ears. He drops to the ground unable to move.

"Winner Shaw" announced Shale.

Shaw looking very disappointed with himself walks off the arena.

"I'm a year older and have had more instruction but when it comes to close combat this complete rookie can go toe to toe with me and the only way I can win is by using my element."

As he walks past his father, he sighs

"Do you finally see son? our bodies arent made for close combat. While I am happy that you learned it and became quite proficient at it to help fix our weakness. Using it as your main fighting style is the wrong path. Use it to compliment our long-distance fighting style and your fighting proficiency will explode forward" Shale asked consoling his son.

"You are right dad sigh... I just don't like the other beasts looking down on us saying we win by cheating". Confesses Shaw

"Cheating in battle? that's possible? son no matter what fighting style we use they still would say things. The reason being they are jealous, jealous of our strength and ability.

As you explore the world you will find one fact is always true about people. They don't want you to succeed. And if you do succeed there will always be people who will find faults with how you did it or say it wasn't really that impressive.

Do not listen to them! listen to yourself, what are your own thoughts on it. Or if you aren't sure seeking out people whose thoughts and knowledge you respect and know would not lie to you. Let those jealous people stew in their jealousy and inability."

As Shale guided his son helping widen his mindset Valoris finally was able to move his body again and got up really excited

"That was thunder and lightning element. If Shaw had used that as his first move I would have lost immediately. I have to learn that move it will help me a lot." Thought Valoris as he recovered.

"Tala you are next" Said Shale at which Tala flew to the arena. And squared off against Valoris.

"Are you recovered?" asked Tala.

Valoris nodded getting ready sure that Tala would fight in the air as she was much smaller and her element was air. Suddenly Tala blurred and Valoris was knocked back and his c.h.e.s.t felt like it had been hit by a hammer. Then Tala flew up in the air and hovered using the wind element to assist.

Waiting for Valoris to get back up to attack. Valoris scrambled up tense and waiting for the next move. Tala screeched and a huge gust of wind formed and rushed towards Valoris knocking him off balance

"This is it!" thinks Valoris as Tala rushes him.

Using the momentum of being knocked off balance Valoris turns whipping his tail to hit Tala in the c.h.e.s.t knocking her to the ground. Tala scrambled up and screeched again sending gusts again towards Valoris nearly knocking him over. Pushing forward Valoris tries to approach trying to reach Tala.

Tala seeing her attack is not effective takes a deep breath and screeches again but instead of large gusts of wind, a narrow beam of condensed air shot out straight at Valoris hitting him and knocking him back several feet and on his back.

"Tala wins" announced Shale.

"Let's take a break before you fight Varric. Please don't get discouraged you are doing extremely well. Especially for someone with no formal education. You have very good instincts, you found ways to adapt and attack your enemies, didn't stay on a plan when it was clear you needed to change.

Especially so since they were using elements against you, I would say give you 6 months of focused training you could hold your own against those two possibly even win."

"Thank you, Teacher, for the compliment and thank you even more for the suggestion for sparring I have learned a lot from them. And I will keep your lessons in mind," said Valoris as he rested and prepared for the hardest fight he would have so far.

Varric was 3 years older, had formal training since he was born, was a higher evolution than him, and his only advantage he had against the other two his close combat ability was negated as Varrick was a Dragonkin as well. As he recovered Valoris planned and tried to come up with various ways to win.

"Time, the final match begins now!"