"Okay so I know a lot of your soulbounds are not technicality battle soulbounds but I'll still be able to get a good read on how well you'll be able to control your soulbounds in general from these one on one battles. I do have some good news for those of you who come from big cities or towns were there are not a lot of beasts. Once you reach level twenty here at camp you'll be given a week of leave before you'll get shipped off to the front lines. Now since you'll be able to bind another beast at level twenty you should use this time of leave to bind a beast to you from the Ebony forest. Now where the front line is located is close to the wilderness but you don't want to be hunting beasts while enemy soldiers could be hunting or you." Richard says to everyone in his group.
"Now I'm going to try and pair you up in a way that will make your match's be as evenly matched as possible. One-sided victories are not what I'm looking for. First up will be Shadowmere and he'll be against his partner from the spars earlier. I want you to stand about twenty yards away from each other and then wait for my signal to start." Richard says.
Oliver makes his way through the group of people with Loki still on his shoulders to stand across from Vincent for the second time today.
In front of Vincent is a large Land Raptor. The Land Raptor is about four feet tall and four feet wide, its legs are very muscular but it has tiny arms that look as though they'd be worthless in a fight. The Land Raptors only other mode of attack are its teeth because it clearly has a strong jaw judging from its jaws thickness and overall size, with pointed razor sharp teeth in its mouth. Its long neck lets you know that its bites will have a hint of finesse to them.
Loki jumps down from Oliver's shoulder and his hair starts standing on end as he chirps at his opponent. Loki is pretty much saying that the beast in front of him is just an over-grown lizard and should just stick to ferrying carts around because that's all its good for.
The Land Raptor seems to understand Loki does not hold it in high regard and starts to growl back at the Shadow weasel. To which Loki just jumps and turns his body around to show the Land Raptor its long fluffy tail which he waves at the Land Raptor all while chirping obscenities.
Oliver has a hard time holding back his laughter because Loki being his soulbounds he clearly gets a good idea of what the Shadow weasel is saying to the poor Land Raptor.
Oliver is a little worried because he honestly doesn't know how strong Loki is. He knows that Shadow weasels are strong but the Land Raptor is just so much bigger than Loki that he cant help but be worried for his rambunctious soulbound.
"Okay this is not a fight to the death so please have your beasts refrain from causing any injuries that will kill a beast outright. I have a healer here with me who will be able to tend to all but the most severe life threatening injuries." Richard says
"Ok I'm going to count to three. On three I want you two to commence the fight. One. Two. Three!" Richard exclaims.
On three the enraged Land Raptor clearly uses a skill because it clears the twenty yards between it and Loki almost instantly, its mouth is wide open clearly planning to take a viscous bite out of the weasel that has been taunting it this whole time.
Loki gives a chirp right before the Land Raptor reaches him, which despite the tense situation makes Oliver chuckle because Loki pretty much said "Hold my beer."
Right before the Land Raptor is about to take a bite from Loki, the Shadow weasel turns into a shadow on the ground and makes the Land Raptor fly over top of him. As soon as the Raptor passes Loki's position the Shadow reappears with his paw raised, his sharp claws seems to extend with with a dark energy that lengthens his claws by at least three times. Loki brings his clearly buffed claws down with a ferocious slash that leaves four large and bleeding cuts on the back of the Land Raptors right leg.
The Land Raptor goes tumbling to the ground and its momentum makes it roll a few times on the ground before it jumps back up while favoring its left leg. In one swipe that looked almost too casual to the onlookers the Shadow Weasel took away the Land Raptors greatest strength, its speed.
Loki then sprints towards the Land Raptor who is trying to back away from him but to no avail. when Loki is within range of the Land Raptor the Land Raptor try's again to take a bite out of the Shadow weasel but again right before the bite lands Loki turns into a shadow again and the onlookers watch as a small shadow works its way up the Land Raptors body and onto its back where Loki reappears. When Loki appears again his mouth is already open and his two larger canine teeth are glowing black and extend by three times the same way that his claws had done before, his mouth is open to an almost ridiculous degree to accommodate his fangs new size. Loki then sinks these two overgrown fangs into the back of the Land Raptor without hesitation, the pain drives the Land Raptor to the ground while Loki viciously shakes his head back and forth opening up the wound he caused even more.
"That's enough! That's enough! Have your Shadow weasel stop biting it, its clearly won!" Richard exclaims in a panic.
Oliver doesn't have to tell Loki anything though, because as soon as Richard speaks, Loki stops biting the land raptor and turns into a shadow, quickly appearing on Oliver's shoulders as if nothing had just happened.