Letting Off Steam

[Oriena]

Hurt always felt better when it was translated into the purely physical. Ori was a master at self-sabotage, and she let far more blows land than she should have. It wasn’t in any way a yield though; her own attacks never ceased, until one burst blood from the stranger’s nose. Something changed then, a viciousness like the haze that descended on Nox when the horde was pressing up under his skin like a demon scratching for release. She didn’t know this woman, but she saw the light in her eyes change. Curiosity met the new challenge rather than fear. As the spar turned into something more real, more dangerous, Oriena was vaguely aware of shouting around them. She held her own, at least for now; wondering how far the other would really go.