Legend of Ransera

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۞ The struggle was real when he failed to judge the distance of his arm to fully secure a headlock. He struggled with the abrasive efforts of Aurin elbowing his stomach. However, it didn't stop him from holding on; clenching his arm around as tightly as possible; ignoring the blows from the man, thrusting his elbows against his stomach; with the bucking force of a bull.

"Fuck! I'm not going down that easily" He said, until he underestimated the final blow to his stomach; hitting him in the solar plexus. He gasped for air for a moment as pain surged through his body, before he fell on the floor. His diaphragm spasmed as he fell to the floor, suffering the shock of not being able to breath. The countdown started as the audience suddenly gasped in shock, realising that the young Avialae had become the defeated one.

Aurelio lied there, letting out a painful gasp as well as the struggle for breath in his voice "Fine... You win..." He said as he regained his ability to breathe once again. He sighed out, frowning at his efforts of keeping his dignity intact "You win some, you lose some" He said as he laid there on the floor, accepting his defeat as Darren stood over at the other male, laughing "Wow, I had high hopes for you" He said as he offered a hand to the Avialae "You did well though, although... I think you may have to apologise to the audience for your... unorthodox dust storm, next time don't be so aggressive..." He said as had a much more friendlier aura around him than before as his smile was cheerful.

He took the hand of the giant and smiled before he looked back at Aurin with a slightly disappointed look on his face. He immediately took 50 avens from his coin pouch and handed them to Aurin "Here, it's only fair, you won..." He said with a rueful smile.۞

The man had begun to wonder if it was time to make caution the better part of valor and tap out when his elbow finally had the desired effect. The Avialae's grip had been so strong, he was worried he was going to break his jaw trying to get to his neck, but at the last minute, Aurin managed. He sometimes had a Mistlord's own luck like that. It was probably the only reason he was still alive. In any case, he didn't grandstand when the bird boy crumpled to the ground. He crouched down, catching his breath, rubbing his aching jaw, and keeping an eye on the man lest he jump up before the countdown and take his revenge.

But then it was over and the Mortallen beat him to offering Lio a hand up.

"Oh, don't worry about it," he said, waving away the coin. "We just came to spar."

He smiled, but it turned into a wince. His jaw really hurt.

"You can buy me a cold drink, though." He paused. "Perhaps two cold drinks. One to drink and one to hold against my jaw until I can't feel it anymore."

He laughed, a bit chagrined.

"You have some good instincts, though. I was close to tapping out." Another quick pause, then, "But you do look good when you're blushing. Call it battle frenzy if you want, but I know you like a sincere compliment."

With a wink, he let himself out of the ring, waiting for the Avialae to follow. He grabbed his shirt, dusting himself off before pulling it back on. This was not how he had envisioned his night going after meeting with his contact, but he was glad that he could still hold his own against someone younger, bigger, and stronger. Perhaps he would live to see another year.

---

۞ Aurelio was surprised that the other male didn't take the gold as he furrowed his eyebrows "But, you've earnt it..." He said as the Mortallen brought the spoils that he had earnt "Hey, your spoils earnt fairly." He said handing him a pouch containing 90 gold avens. Aurelio sighed, showing evidence of bitterness; not because he was beaten by Aurin. The inferiority he felt made him criticise himself from the inside, wondering what he could've done to have a better outcome during that fight.

What was done, was done... I suppose I should learn from my mistakes and learn from them.

However, he did feel an enticing aura around the other male as he complimented the other male. However, a group of audience members approached the Avialae and laughed "Y'know, I admire you trying but... Next time can you warn us when you're gonna blow a massive duststorm in our faces" He said. Ops, what a climatic moment; when it was suppose to be the feat that would have secured Aurelio's victory, but it wasn't exactly that.

He looked back at Aurin; listening intently to his words. The moment he complimented he blushed again. He did not know how to take compliments as he always tried to humble himself, even though he was proving to be egotistical during the battle. It was pretence, a mask to hide the insecurity that he had a lot to learn, despite passing many trials and tribulations in the past, it was his need to prove himself further.

"Come on, drinks on the house..." He said, wrapping an friendly arm around his new friend as he guided him towards the stairs. He was still bruised from the fight, not to mention his ribs were the worse affected area from the constant desperate jabbing. He waited at the bar for a moment with Aurin as he looked around, noticing there was no bartender at the bar. He sighed as he rolled his eyes "Whenever you need someone, they always end up busy..." He laughed "Anyway, whilst we wait, why don't you tell me about yourself hmm?"۞

Aurin shrugged. He wasn't going to argue about it. Nodding to Darren, he blinked as the tall drink of water put his arm around his shoulders. He only tensed for a moment, then smiled it off and slipped his arm around him to make walking thus eaiser. He was careful not to put any pressure anywhere his elbow might have landed.

"Don't worry about your fans, pretty boy," he said as they left the detractors behind. "It was smart. It's just nobody likes to be the collateral damage."

With a wink, they set off back up to the bar. He nodded slowly, looking for the bartender. He let go of the man but didn't pull farther away, just leaned against the bar.

"Well, you know my name," he said slowly, "and you know I'm not worthless in a fight." He considered Lio, hazel gaze seeming to see a lot. Whether he did or that was an act was anyone's guess. "What would you like to know? Specific questions get you specific answers. Otherwise, you might get stuck here for hours with me telling you everything from what colors of yarn are in my knitting basket to what I had for breakfast to my in depth knowledge of reptiles as pets."

He grinned.

"I don't have a knitting basket. An apple and some cheese. I could make a joke about a Rathari friend being a pet, but I don't think she'd appreciate it and if it got back to her, she would definitely bite. And she's venomous. And what about you, Au-rel-io? What is your favorite hobby? What did you have for breakfast? Do you have a pet? I already know you're pretty and gracious in defeat. Now I need the real details."

---

۞ Aurelio listened intentively to the other man as he was about to think of a question; with luck, the bartender returned to the bar as he smiled at the two men "Well, isn't it the two cabaret boys." He teased. Aurelio chuckled nervously as he side-eyes Aurin as he was about to answer his question. Aurelio plonked down his coin pouch as he tilts his head "Cabaret boys, err... You're mistaken..." The embarrassment on his face was already being heavily questioned upon himself.

"Nothing wrong with being a cabaret boy, in fact it's decent pay..." The bartender laughed heartily as Aurelio lets out a slight chuckle before dispersing into a world of shame. If people were already talking about his stunt on the battlefield, then it was clear that he was the talk of the whole entire bar "I'd say a ice cold gin for both of us please." He said trying to avoid anymore questions from the man as it appeared he was tense.

The bartender rolled his eyes as he dishes out some into the glasses; looking at the other male. The stress of combat was still upon him as he needed to take his mind of it; already thinking of a question for the roguish man sitting beside him on the stool. "So tell me, what is it you actually do in terms of work?" He asked; clearly trying to tolerate some of the pain he had as he slowed his breathing, so he would be able to tolerate the small aches on his abdomen. However, he winced as he tried to get comfortable on his stool. The pain radiated to his lower back as he shuffled his rounded glutes on the chair; his posture didn't certainly help with the situation as he was constantly adjusting himself due to the pain.۞

Aurin chuckled at the bartender's sally, then nodded his head in approval of the order of gin. Juniper and other botanicals always made him feel like he was drinking something for his health, but it warmed the blood so he didn't mind at all. The man remained standing, not wanting his muscles to tense up. Perhaps he would sit later, but for the time being, it was nice looking down on the Avialae, literally rather than figuratively.

"Thanks," he said to the bartender. He looked almost apologetic for how Lio was obviously uncomfortable, but the fight hadn't been Aurin's idea.

"He might have meant the jest for me," he explained with a shrug. "I used to manage the Velvet Cabaret. Now I'm the managing director of the Golden Peacock Theater next door. Well, and I've a side business too, investing in other businesses to help them grow and succeed, but that's still new. But sometimes managing the Cabaret was acting the glorified bouncer, so between that and a rough childhood, I know how to fight dirty. Perhaps you would have had the advantage if we'd been armed.

"Felt good, though. I mean, my jaw fucking aches, you bastard. But it felt good to fight. I mostly practice on my own, and my new job's a lot softer. Maybe we could spar again sometime. Weapons, no weapons, whatever. It'd be nice to have someone to knock about with and get drinks afterward, hey?"

His smile might have been wicked or that might just have been how his face looked. He said he wanted to repeat the friendly brawling, not to make Lio one of his cabaret boys.

"And what about you? Are you a... model for sculptors?"

---

۞ The conversation was amusing; hearing the other male complain about his jaw was one of the highlights, followed by his taste in heresy. His humor was golden as a smirk crept upon his face. "Well... Hey, no pain no gain I say. I also say that our hardships are what we develop and grow from. Unlike you, I was slightly protected as a child... In some cases, I wish I had it harder in order to understand the meaning of life." He said taking a moment to take a sip of gin, knowing it would revitalise his senses as well as dull the pain he felt in the pit. He tilted his head as he gave more thought into his offer of becoming a sparring partner. An excellent opportunity to improve his skills in fight; knowing he couldn't turn it down he responded.

"Perhaps, I mean... You did some damage too, you little fucker; sent a shock right through me, I'm still fucking bruised, although... I did enjoy it." He gets up from the stool as it tensed up his butt sitting down as well as intensifying the lower back pain he felt; radiating from the bottom of his spine down to his perineum. "My stomach aches, my back kills, what can I say... Life would be too easy without pain." He shrugged as he looked over at him sighing as he listened further at the conversation as he took a sip of his gin once again.

When he directed the conversation towards him; his sardonic comment on him being a sculptor almost made him spit his drink out in laughter as he held it in his mouth. Oh fuck, please don't spurt it, there's someone sitting behind him He thought as he looked deeply into his eyes, swallowing his drink as quickly as possible "I swear by the Mistlords, you're lucky I didn't spit, I've already upset alot of taverngoers with the dust storm; lets not do that again, crikey..." He rolled his eyes, as he thought of a way to answer the question "I guess you can say I'm a monster hunter from the Slayer's Keep... I eradicate problems out in the northern wilds and across Kalzasi; I guess you can say that's probably where I learnt to use the environment. Although some creatures are different in intelligence, some are predictable but some arent... I guess you can say the same about people aswell..." He chuckled as he winced in pain.

He began moving his head in circular motions "Ugh, if you worked at the Velvet Cabaret, please tell me... Are you good with your hands?" He asked; knowing it was a popular massage parlour and brothel, he figured he would know a thing or two about the art of a masseur. ۞

"Well, monster hunter, I don't know the meaning of life, but you found me." He smirked, rather liking the idea of being the monster who hadn't been vanquished. It was interesting to see that not all Avialae were paladins of Arcas Reborn, that not all were part of the intrigues of the upper crust. He supposed a monster hunter could be heroic—they did seem to have a cultural drive to be heroic. But it was good that he wanted to understand the world better. It seemed a problem of perspective if the Avialae spent all their time, literally and figuratively, with their heads in the clouds.

"Well, I was a manager, not a courtesan, and you really ought to go to the Jade Crane for a proper massage. A lot of them have medical training too, so if you're injured, they won't make matters worse for trying to help."

Aurin considered the squirming winger over the rim of his glass as he tasted the cold gin.

"If you want me to put my hands on you, there are more direct ways than asking for a fight or a massage, you know." He chuckled, feeling the chill of the spirit all the way down to his gullet. But he was teasing, mostly because he liked making people blush. More often than not, they enjoyed a little teasing. "If your stomach and your back are hurting, you might be fucked until you lay down for the night. Or do you hang upside down like a bat...?" He squinted. "No telling with Avialae. Sit up straight; it'll take pressure off your belly."

He laid his hand gently but firmly on the small of Lio's back. He wasn't a trained masseuse, but he had listened to them talk shop and it didn't take an expert to find knots and tension. His fingertips explored a little, hunting rather than attempting to arouse. If anything, the warmth of his hand might eventually ease some tensions.

"Any injuries before our tango?"

---

۞ He thought the other male was quite chivalrous. He did have a roguish sentiment to him, but at the same time there was a sense of honor. Aurelio felt intrigued, excited; wanting to know more about the other man in front of him. It was not every day he had a decent social interaction since he was mostly focused on his job. He never had any time for conversation as much as he wanted to make friends. At least he met Aurin by chance, the man certainly knew how to rile him up internally, from the constant blushing to making him laugh with his comedic charm to the most inner desires of them all.

However, the pressing situation of his back and stomach hurting were bothering him as he sat up straight. He hissed slightly as he sighed. He didn't want the pain to ruin the rest of the night with Aurin. "You think Avialae sleep upside down? I can tell you that's a myth." He said rolling his eyes "If I spent long periods of time upside down, I'd probably faint" He chuckled shaking his head.

He was confused for a moment as felt the hand of Aurin amongst his sun-kissed radiant skin as he looked confused for a moment "Oh? You're bold, offering me a massage in the general public..." He said with a blush as he took a deep breath and let out a deep exhale. He could already feel the butterflies circling around in his stomach. The other man was a tease, a vulpine trickster in the making. It wasn't a massive surprise that he could've been the son of Vhexur the Trickster himself. Anything was possible in this day and age, especially when the winds of opportunity blow in many directions.

"If you're sure... Lets tango..." He said taking a deep exhale, as the blush became reddened, already feeling the heat of the moment settle into him. It was a night where Aurin riled up the virgin Avialae, but he couldn't do anything about it now. Not yet anyway. Simply, patience is a virtue for this Avialae as he wondered "So... I have a question..." He asked curiously as he looked at the other man "How hard was it for you growing up exactly?" He asked cautiously. He was curious about his experiences in life, but at the same time he felt as if he was prying too much into his personal life "If you don't... Wanna answer, I perfectly understand, I was just curious..." ۞

"I'd imagine Avialae sleep all sorts of ways just like everyone else," he said, chuckling. "I suppose I'll see how you sleep soon enough." He smirked into his gin, but the hand on Lio's back didn't do anything untoward. The tips of his fingers still gently sought out tension, but mostly he just let the heat of his hand slowly permeate into his muscles. He didn't know if flying in an enclosed space had wrenched something or other, but he hadn't come to the High Hopes with the intent to hurt anyone.

"Anyway, you couldn't handle a tango right now. Not with whatever you've done to your back." He paused, his humor melting away for a moment into seriousness. "You should see a medic about that, though. If you don't take proper care of a back injury, it could haunt you for the rest of your life."

An eyebrow rose at the prelude to a question, as if he hadn't answered every question put to him so far. But then he asked about his childhood and Aurin just shrugged. The details were mostly unknown to even his nearest and dearest, which made having them near and dear difficult, but some friends had stuck with him based on the quality of his character or, at least, what he could do for them.

"My parents weren't warm," he said, opting to tell the truth, albeit in terms of huge understatements. "They were wrapped up in illegal things, so I learned quite a bit that good people don't learn, let alone good children. It was rough, I suppose, but I survived and here I am, suddenly a respected businessman having a drink with a fine fellow. A curious fellow." He smirked. "And you, Master Aurelio?" When he pronounced his full name, he still rolled it around in his mouth like it was poetry or something. "How was your childhood?"

In some ways, the young man seemed a child to Aurin still. Though he wasn't old, he felt as though he had lived through more than most.

...to be continued here.