Well, isn’t this going to be interesting.  Lyris eyes the grey mare from across the challenge grounds, sizing up the Amazonian general.  Lagertha, as always, cuts an impressive figure.  The general is quite a bit taller than Lyris, and nicely muscled, likely from her many years spent at the top of the Amazonian army.  And though she does not carry too many scars, her keen eyes are proof enough of her battle experience.

This fight is going to be a challenge.

She decides to start simple, with an attack that she had used recently against the Falls warrior Tyrna.  Not terribly creative perhaps, but the attack had worked fairly well against Tyrna, and Lyris isn’t going to throw out something that she already knows to be effective.  At the very least it will help her determine the speed of Lagertha’s reflexes (though she already has a feeling they are faster than her own).

She stays perfectly still for a moment longer, then without warning, charges the larger mare.  She picks up speed quickly, moving from a trot to a fast canter in quick succession.  She aims opposite from what she had with Tyrna - aiming her right shoulder at her opponent’s own right shoulder.  Lagertha is quite a solid creature, so impact, if it happens, is going to hurt, but will potentially give Lyris an advantage for her second attack.  The combination of surprise and her smaller frame could be used to undercut the larger mare and unbalance her.  And an unbalanced opponent makes an easier target.  Of course being the experienced general that she is, Lagertha could foresee her attack (through giveaway movements) and dodge it, but the dodging will keep the mare occupied, and potentially leave her vulnerable to what Lyris has planned next.

After she’s attempted her attack, she continues at a canter past the mare to her own left, wheeling away as fast as she can in an attempt to avoid any counter attack. Knowing Lagertha that might be wishful thinking.

Now it’s time to throw something a little more interesting into the mix.

As she wheels past the grey general, she reaches out all around, gathering the winds in front of her.  The familiar feeling of exhilaration takes over as she works, and soon a concentrated ball of wind travels in front of her as she canters.  It fights her, as wind tends to do, so she releases it quickly, forcing it back in Lagertha’s direction.  The concentrated gust heads right for the general, throwing up dirt and weeds as it roars over the packed earth.  If it hits, it will send the grey mare head over heels, sprawling in the dirt.  If this was a serious battle, this would put Lyris at a huge advantage.  As it is, it will probably bruise her, and make her look more than a little undignified.  Lyris can’t help but giggle a little at the thought.

And if it doesn’t hit, well, Lyris will need to get out of their quick.

Lyris

I’ll burn this whole city down

The general moves, as Lyris had expected she would. But, instead of dodging, she angles herself away. Lyris barely has a moment to register confusion before she makes impact, and then she instantly understands what the general has done. Pain lances through her shoulder as it hits Lagertha’s armoured shoulder, and she grimaces as she wheels away from the grey mare. She hadn’t known about an ability like that. Well that attack was useless. In fact, any physical attack will be useless.

Lagertha’s teeth graze her rump as she flies past, pinching and bruising the skin, but she pays it no mind. She’s had far worse, just in this fight already. The bruise in the muscle of her shoulder throbs.

She keeps moving, but slows as she releases her wind attack so that she can see the results. She can see the curiosity building in Lagertha’s eyes before it hits - the mare is smart, calculating. But she’s also never fought a weather user.

Lyris feels a twinge of disappointment when the General grows a thick, heavy army, allowing herself to withstand the pressure of the wind and stay on her feet. But she has to concede that Lagertha is the General for a reason.

She is more than a little surprised when Lagertha declines to take her second attack, but she supposes the grey mare is more interested in learning Lyris’ ability, than revealing her own. It is after all important for a general to know the capabilities of her warriors. She might as well oblige.

She continues around the mare at a canter, giving her a wide berth and reaching upward towards the sky with her power. It turns dark - clouds forming overhead and blocking out the sun. Electricity flickers in those clouds and she draws it down, aiming for the dirt directly to Lagertha’s left. Lighting arcs down to the earth, crackling and hot. Lyris’ aim is good, so she shouldn’t hit Lagertha, but the explosion of dirt, heat and glass (formed by the combination of extreme heat and the silica in the dirt) could scratch her up a little, and potentially even singe her a bit through that armour.

For her second attack she decided to once again use her abilities. As she previously discovered, physical attacks against against Lagertha are foolhardy and will likely cause more injury to herself more than she can inflict upon the general. So she turns back to the sky, calling upon the storm that she’s already created. She pulls the cold air down from the sky and draws warm air up, causing them to converge. The funnel that forms is a small one - long and thin, arching down to the dirt. She could call up bigger, but this is not a war or even a real battle. Simply a little fight to test one another.

She thrusts the little tornado in Lagertha’s direction, controlling it with changes in pressure, temperature and wind. She does not aim it to hit the general head on, only to hit her with a glancing blow. If it hits true, it could knock the general off her feet, put her in a position of vulnerability. But her own concentration slows her to a trot, making herself more vulnerable and she makes a note of it. When they return to the Jungle she will need to practice her abilities at speed, in order to make her a true force to be reckoned with.

Attack completed, she brings herself back up to speed, still circling the grey mare. Even if she does knock Lagertha over, she’s sure the General will be back on her feet soon.

Lyris

I’ll burn this whole city down