Writing Pirate vs. Ninja

[The Tentacle]

Geez, trying to code this thing has turned into a nightmare.  Lemme try posting this fic again.

EDIT:  Okay, seems to have posted properly this time.

Anyway, the following short story used to be a part of an RP I was in at the time.  I thought I'd share it with the action junkies and fight fanatics here on the OB.  Comments and critique would be welcome.

Edited September 18, 2010 by The Tentacle

[The Tentacle]

The following story was taken from a Skies of Arcadia RP site. The original version consisted of multiple posts and depicted the epic showdown between two of my characters. Since then it as been copied & pasted together (with a few minor edits to remove the involvement of other memberâ??s characters) into a single, extended fight scene.  
Here are Bear and Zatoichi in my own version of Pirate vs. Ninja:

PIRATE vs. NINJA

Bear was so lost in thought as he trundled down one of Crescent Isleâ??s back streets that he didnâ??t notice the cloaked stranger who was approaching him. The Viking collided with him, nearly bowling the man over. â??Ah, excuse me!â? Bear apologized, grasping the hooded man by the shoulders.

"Oh, pardon me sir." The cloaked stranger said as he stumbled into Bear. As the big Glacian reached out to steady the man he nodded his thanks and patted Bear on the shoulders. "Thank ye sir. I appreciate it."

Bear continued walking, as the stranger passed him by. Looking back he narrowed his eyes, his hand straying to the hidden pocket in the lining of his cloak. A cold chill shot up Bearâ??s arms as his fingers brushed across the smooth surface of the Winter Orb. 

As he moved away Zato snarled, parting his cloak and looking down at the items in his hands. A whetstone, a money pouch and a pack of jerky were all heâ??d found. The ninja had rifled through the oafâ??s pockets but the purple orb hadn't been in any of them.

 "Oh well, on to Plan B." Zatoichi smirked, his fowl mood already abating. Pocketing the money pouch he set out to pick up the trail of its owner.

5 minutes later......

Zato leapt from rooftop to rooftop following the bearded man's trail back towards the Town Square. He had managed to catch up to his quarry only to lose him as he entered one of the more crowded sections of the town.

"Now.....if I were a big lug with a magic rock where would I go?" Zatoichi mused as he scanned the square for Bear. "Guess I'll have to ask for directions."

Zato dropped gracefully down to the ground level and made his way into the open, seamlessly blending into the crowd. As he flowed through the herd of sailors, merchants and townsfolk he caught a glimpse of the large man slipping into the space between the inn and the tavern.

Shouldering through the crowd Zato raced to catch up to the Viking. Entering the shadows of the buildings overhangs he began creeping forward, hoping to take his victim by surprise with a swift attack, take the orb and be gone before anyone stumbled across the body and raised a ruckus.

Suddenly the ninja threw himself to the ground as the air above him was split by the spinning blade of a thrown axe. Zato rose to a crouch as the weapon imbedded itself in the side of the inn's wall. 

"I thought so." Bear growled from the opposite end of the narrow lane. "Is this what you were looking for?"

Zato's eyes narrowed as Bear displayed the Winter Orb in the center of his large hand. "Indeed, but how did you know I was tailing you?" The ninja asked as his hand reached for his concealed weapon.

"Not many beggars wear mail under their rags. I felt it when I steadied you. When you picked my pockets. I figured you'd come after me so I led you here."

"Ah, the plot thickens." Zato crowed, throwing his arms wide. His nunchucku rattled noisily as he drew them. "I guess you know what comes next then?"

"Yeah." Bear answered as he raised his fists. "You're going to try to take what you want by force."

"Exactly."

"Why not quit while youâ??re ahead? I donâ??t want to hurt you." Bear warned as he took a step forward and squared his shoulders.  

"Donâ??t worry. You wonâ??t." Zato boasted as he spun his nunchucku in a dizzying spiral around his shoulders and head.

"We'll see. Now........let's go!!" Bear bellowed as he charged forward, intent on running the ninja down.

Zatoichi narrowed his eyes and leapt towards the large Glacian, his nunchucku arching through the air towards Bear's head. But the ninja's eyes widened as his opponent held up his hand and intercepted the attack.

Bear winced in pain as the heavy, lacquered wooden shaft struck the palm of his hand with a resounding crack. But he managed to hold onto the weaponâ??s handle and jerk it out of the smaller manâ??s grasp to hurl it down the alleyway behind him.

"Sticks and stones won't break these bones....." Bear laughed smugly as he reached for the ninja.

"But fists and feet can harm you!" Zato finished as he wrapped his arm around Bear's outstretched limb, locking it. He then lifted his knee into the Vikingâ??s ribcage, causing the big man to grunt in surprise and pain.

Bear shoved Zato away by reflex but the ninja rolled with the motion and came to his feet a short distance away, ready to strike again.

And strike he did. Zatoichi charged towards Bear, leaping into the air as he drew near. The ninja's foot arrowed towards Bear's chest but as he made contact Zato buckled his knee and kicked out, using the big Glacian as a springboard. 

As he flipped away Zato's trailing leg flew upward, catching Bear just below the chin in a graceful Crescent Moon Kick. Landing nimbly a short distance from Bear Zato stood up fully expecting to see his opponent laid out unconscious on the alley floor.

Instead the ninja was forced to sidestep a powerful roundhouse punch from the still conscious and very angry Viking. Zato managed to avoid the strike but was still dealt a glancing blow as Bear's knuckles scraped across his mid-section. 

Stumbling back Zato glared at Bear in surprise. 'He's a strong one. That kick should have knocked him out cold.' He thought. The Viking stood rubbing the back of his hand against his chin seemingly unfazed. 

On the other side of the coin Zato could feel a burning in his side where Bear had struck him. If the punch had made full contact the ninja knew he'd have been knocked breathless.

'Best not to let that happen.' Zatoichi concluded. Turning, he ran down the alley towards the town square as fast as his nimble legs would carry him.

The heavy tread of the Vikingâ??s boots behind him told Zato that his opponent was in pursuit. 

Zato slowed his pace a bit to allow Bear to keep up. He wasn't trying to escape after all. He just wanted a bit of room to out-maneuver the larger man. 

Bear dashed into the Town Square, his eyes roving the crowd for some sign of which way the ninja had run.

"Ayyyyy-AH!" The shout from behind clued Bear in to Zato's location. A heavy weight hit him from behind and knocked him to the cobblestone pavement.

Zatoichi chuckled as the big man fell into his set-up. He'd been perched on the buildingâ??s eve waiting for Bear to pass him before he attacked. A cheap shot to be certain but Zato wanted to end the battle quickly and be on his way.

Moving swiftly towards the fallen Bear Zato lashed out with a whip kick that caught the downed Viking in the side of the head. He followed up by bringing his leg up and around, dropping a heel kick into the area between Bear's shoulder blades.

A sigh of pain escaped his lips as Bear's chest impacted the hard stone beneath. Zatoichi stood gloating over his fallen victim. "There, now you see? None of this would have happened if you had just given me the trinket like I asked you to."

Zato stooped over Bear's prone form and began tugging on his arm, trying to flip the heavy Glacian onto his back. With much grunting he finally succeeded. The ninja laughed cruelly as he began rifling through Bear's pockets.

Zato's hand closed over the cool, smooth surface of the Winter Orb around the same time Bear's hand shot up to grab his neck in a viselike grip. The Vikingâ??s eyes flickered open and a fierce grin split his lips. Zato began to struggle as Bear rose into a sitting position 

The ninja began to lose consciousness as Bear's beefy hand cut off the flow of air into his lungs. "What's your hurry lad? We're just getting warmed up here." Bear chuckled, jerking Zato's head down to deliver a hard headbutt to his temple.

"Huuuh....argh. You....." Zato coughed as he scrambled back, watching as the mighty Glacian rose to his feet as if waking from a peaceful slumber. 

"Oh, I've got plenty more where that came from big boy." Zato snarled as he dashed forward on the attack. He extended his leg in a sidekick aimed at Bear's lower jaw.

Bear caught the offending limb with both hands and pulled his opponent into his grasp. Zato struck before Bear could grapple with him, driving his forearm into the side of the big manâ??s shaggy head.

Zatoichi twisted, snaring Bear's arm with both his hands and bent at the waist in an attempt to shoulder throw the Viking to the ground. He could feel the larger man rock forward, his feet leaving the ground, but only by a few inches.

"Bite of more than you can chew?" Bear taunted as his arm, now draped across Zato's chest, grasped the ninja by the hem of his pants and hoisted him off the ground easily.

"I think this is what you were shooting for eh?" Bear said as he lifted Zato up over his head. "Now I'm gonna break ya like a twig."

Zato's head swam as he was hefted into the air, his eyes blurring between the ground and the sky. The brute's words didn't help his already foul mood. With sudden acceleration the ninja found himself being thrust downward with incredible strength.

Bear brought the smaller man crashing downward, falling to a kneeling position, to crush Zatoâ??s back against his knee. The back-breaker would end this fight. Of that Bear was certain.

But the satisfying sensation of breaking vertebrae was denied him. "Huh?" Bear grunted as he looked down into Zato's masked face, unable to see the grin there.

What he did see were the palms of the ninja's hands and the soles of his feet planted firmly on the ground, his back arched into an almost impossible position and hovering just inches from the top of his knee.

Zato pushed off of the ground with both feet and rolled out of his bridge, bringing his shin cracking against Bear's cheek. Chaining a trio of backwards handsprings together Zato was able to open up some distance between himself and the angry Viking.

"Nimble little minx ain't ya?" Bear said as he stood up and rubbed his jaw with the back of his hand.

"What can I say? Flexibility is important in my line of work." Zato quipped. Placing his hands on his hips he arched his back and gyrated his upper body as if working out a kink.

"Mmmmm, that did wonders for my rheumatism." Zatoichi snickered. Bear growled low in his throat and widened his stance ready for another round. Zato likewise dropped into a crouch and prepared for the attack.

"Get ready big boy. I'm about to repay you in spades!"

By now a large crowd was gathering around the two men fighting in the Town Square. Curious sailors stood about the periphery of the area while locals, who knew all too well what havoc the Viking could wreak when riled up, climbed to the relative safety of the inn's balcony to watch the spectacle.

Zato went on the offensive, rushing forward to attack the larger man. His leg rose up, slicing through the air like a scythe towards the Vikingâ??s head. Bear blocked the attack with his forearm and then reversed his swing, bringing his arm down to his side and catching the ninjaâ??s ankle in-between.

"Don't you know any other tricks?" Bear taunted. Zato smirked as he kicked off the ground with his free leg and swirled around to strike the Glacian on the side of the neck with a spinning insiguri kick. Both men went down.

"Yep, that was one of them." Zato quipped as he kicked up with both legs and brought himself to his feet. Bear had fallen to one knee and was still dazed.

Taking advantage of the situation Zato dashed in low and swept Bear's feet out from under him, knocking him flat on his back. As he lay on the ground, looking up at the sky, Zato leapt upon him and drove his knee into Bearâ??s stomach.

"Hurgh argh...." Bear groaned as he felt his gorge rise. Trying to rise to a sitting position was impossible with the ninja's weight upon his midsection. 

"Stay down and this'll be over quicker." Zato warned as he fired off a rapid trio of hard punches to Bear's face. The big Glacian's vision dimmed and he felt unconsciousness rising up from the darkness to claim him.

With his last ounce of strength Bear swept his arm across his chest and knocked Zato off of him with a stiff backhanded blow. Slowly he pushed himself into a sitting position then rose shakily to his feet.

"I said to STAY DOWN!" Zato yelled as he watched his tenacious foe gain his feet. Before Bear could get his equilibrium back the ninja stepped forward and delivered a scissors kick to the Vikingâ??s chin.

The double strike sent Bear crashing back to the ground where he lay motionless. With a nod of satisfaction Zato began creeping forward to make certain the huge warrior was out cold before he rifled his pockets again.

"Get up Bear! I gots 30 gold riding on this fight!" Someone called from the crowd. Zato turned a scathing glance on the gambler but movement from the corner of his vision brought his attention back to the Glacian lying on the cobblestone pavement.

Bear was lifting himself off the ground once again. And he looked angry.

The crowd was clearly enjoying the spectacle but the ninja was beginning to lose his zeal. Zato's heart hammered in his chest as the tide of the battle began to turn against him. The idea that he could actually lose this fight was quickly becoming a grim possibility.

As Bear regained his feet the crowd broke out into applause. Among their cheers one voice rose above the others. At the edge of the crowd a small boy stepped forward to address the ninja.

â??Uh oh, youâ??re really in trouble now mister! Bearâ??s gonna beat you like a war drum!â? The boy gasped as his eyes, wide with excitement, traveled from Zatoichi to the Viking and then back again. 

"Weâ??ll just see about that!â? Zato called back, gritting his teeth in irritation as he stepped towards the Viking to put him down once and for all. Heâ??d have the last laugh on these yokels once their hometown hero had fallen.

Taking advantage of the distraction Bear surged forward and closed the distance between them with a sudden burst of speed. Zato spun around, bringing his leg up in a roundhouse kick meant to knock the towering Glacian aside but Bear ducked the attack and tackled Zato about his waist.

Zatoichi felt the air driven from his lungs as the giant of a man rammed into him and kept going. The ninja pounded his fists into Bear's shoulders and upper back but it did him little good. With a glance over his own shoulder Zato saw the wall of the tavern rapidly approaching and braced himself as best he could for the coming impact.

Inside the tavern old Hiram the barkeep was so startled by the jarring impact against the wall behind him that the mug he had been polishing fell to the floor with a tinkle of shattering glass. Several bottles of loqua fell off of the shelf to join the glass shards on the floor at Hiram's feet. 

Bear bore up against the tavern's wall, crushing the ninja between it and his own girth. Stepping back he gripped Zato's shirt by the collar and rammed his fist into the smaller manâ??s jaw.

Black starburst broke out before Zatoichi's vision as the Viking struck him. He felt faint for a moment and his mouth was filled with the metallic taste of his own blood.

"Hey, you look like you could use a drink." Bear smirked as he aimed another punch at the ninja. This one drove into Zato's stomach, doubling him over in agony. "And it looks like the bars open too!"

Bear swirled Zato around by the scruff of his neck and the seat of his pants and tossed the ninja through the tavernâ??s glass window like a sack of potatoes.

Hiram looked down at the body lying on the floor in dismay. His mood darkened even more when the Glacian smashed his way through the newly repaired door only moments later.

"Confound you Bear! I just fixed that!" Hiram cried as the Viking crossed the floor in three long strides and lifted Zato from the floor by his collar, ready to do more damage.

Zato's hand flashed around with blinding speed, a loqua bottle clutched in his palm. The heavy bottle shattered against Bear's head and sent him stumbling into the bar. More glasses fell to the floor from the impact. Hiram cried out in anguish at the sound of yet more glass breaking.

"Ow....that's the second time in as many days that thatâ??s happened." Bear groaned as he righted himself. 

"The second time in as many days that you've trashed my bar too!" Hiram yelled. 

"I'll take this outside then!" Bear roared as he grabbed at Zato. But the ninja was recovering and evaded him by leaping backwards and landing in a crouch, the stub of the broken bottle still in his hand.

"No, I think this will end here and now!" Zato crowed as he leapt forward to drive the shattered bottle neck into Bear's stomach.

"Hmph." Bear snorted as he swatted the makeshift weapon aside. Zato smirked as his ruse succeeded. He stepped in and drove his knee upward into Bear's stomach while his guard was open. 

"Hai yah!" The ninja screamed as he delivered a straight, forward kick to the Vikingâ??s chest as he stumbled, clutching his belly. Bear was driven backwards out of the tavern door and fell onto his back on the dusty cobblestones outside. 

"Excuse the mess." Zato sighed as he followed Bear outside to continue the fight. Hiram looked about the ruined barroom in agony. He still hadn't repaired the damage from the night before.

The crowd outside the inn fell back from the angry ninja as he stalked through the ruined doorway towards his fallen adversary.

Bear scuttled backwards like a crab away from Zato to buy himself enough time to get to his feet. Rising from the ground the Viking readied himself for the next scuffle.

It was quick in its coming. Zatoichi dashed forward to attack Bear who lashed out with a vicious clothesline that would have decapitated the smaller man.

Zato plunged in, bending to avoid the blow, and hooked Bear's arm as it swished over his head. Using the reverse in momentum Zatoichi leapt, swinging up and around, using Bearâ??s arm like a gymnastâ??s pole. He landed on the Vikingâ??s back and wrapped his legs around the manâ??s thick waist.

"Why......won't.......you......stay.....DOWN!?" Zatoichi yelled, each word punctuated by a stiff, right-handed punch to Bear's temple. The big Viking staggered with the weight on his back and the rapid succession of punches.

"Because....." Bear answered, his massive fist arching backwards over his shoulder to smash itself into Zato's jaw. "You hit like a GIRL!"

Bear's fist unfurled after the strike to snare the ninja's collar. Bending his waist Bear wrenched Zato free and slammed him to the ground. Not waiting for his foe to rise the towering Viking dropped his entire weight onto Zatoichi, his elbow driving into the smaller mans chest.

"Huuugh...." Zato gasped as the elbow drop found it's mark and his heart lurched in his chest. Bear was hoisting himself up already and the ninja found himself being dragged up along with him.

"C'mere sweetie." Bear snarled as he, once again, seized the ninja by the collar of his uniform. Bear yanked down hard on the fabric, tearing it open, and Zato found his arms now pinned to his sides by the shirt which the Viking continued to grasp.

Bear delivered a skull shattering head butt to Zato's forehead and the ninja felt the brass headband he wore there snap under the impact. A small trickle of blood streaked down the bridge of the nose where the broken metal had cut him.

With his arms pinioned Zato could do very little at so close a range to his enemy. Well, there was one thing....

"ARGH! That's.....dirty!" Bear shrieked as Zato's knee found his groin. The Viking released his grip on the ninja's torn uniform and doubled over in pain.

Grabbing a handful of brown hair Zato pulled Bear's face downward towards his rapidly rising knee. The big Glacian fell back, his nose gushing blood.

"That's.....IT!" Zato screamed as he shrugged out of his torn shirt and cast it to the ground. "No more playing around! It's time to finish this!"

"I agree." Bear's voice was low as he wiped the blood from his nose. "Time to get serious."

The crowd roared their approval as the two men began to circle each other like a pair of wolves. The smell of blood was in the air and something was about to happen. Zatoichi could feel a burning hatred for his persistent adversary beginning to fill his body. A red haze began to cloud the ninjaâ??s sight and it felt as if his blood were boiling. A strong desire to do Bear serious harm was starting to overtake him.

Zatoâ??s fingers flexed and suddenly a kunai, a ninja throwing dagger, appeared as if by magic in his hand. â??DIE!â? Zatoichi screamed as he rushed blindly towards Bear, his blade poised to pierce the Vikingâ??s heart.  

Bearâ??s body tensed as he prepared to receive the charge. As Zato reached him the big Glacianâ??s hand swept out at the last moment, catching the ninjaâ??s wrist and halting the daggerâ??s advance only inches from his chest. Bear felt a chill creep up his spine as he looked down into the ninjaâ??s eyes and saw the bloodlust burning within them.

Zato gasped in pain, feeling the bones of his wrist giving way to the Vikingâ??s crushing grip. His hand was starting to go numb and he lost his grip on the kunai. As the blade clattered to the cobblestones Bearâ??s arm began to rise.  

Zato could only wince as he watched the Vikingâ??s hand curl into a fist and rapidly descend towards his face. The ninja whirled away from the impact but quickly regained his balance. He could feel his eye beginning to swell shut.

Cursing himself silently for letting his emotions get the better of him Zatoichi clawed at his face to remove his mask. The fabric was torn from the window's glass and the broken headband was cutting into him. Now it was impeding the vision of his good eye. The ninja tore the ruined mask from his head and flung it to the ground.

â??Look, forget about what I said earlier.â? Bear held his hands out in a sign of resignation, his voice calm and even. â??This is getting out of hand. Letâ??s just stop before one of us is seriously wounded.â?

"NO! I'm taking you down!" The ninja screamed as he launched himself towards Bear. With a shake of his head the big Glacian raise his fists to meet him. 

The Vikingâ??s arm shot out to strike at the smaller man as he closed in but Zato blocked the punch by side-chopping the big Glacian's arm at the elbow, deflecting the punch.

"Eyah!" Zato cried as he slammed his open palm into Bear's face. The Viking stepped back but recovered to take another swing at his opponent.

"Ayeh!" Zato nimbly sidestepped the punch and delivered an uppercut to Bear's chin. Once again the Glacian rocked backwards but didn't go down.

With a guttural growl Bear raised his massive fists over his head and drove them down like a pair of hammers. Zato blocked to attack but was forced to his knees by the impact. Bear's face was almost inhuman as the ninja looked up at him. Now he too was beginning to feel a red rage building within him.

"Feh, you barbarian. You're no match for me." Zato boasted as he delivered a double palm strike to Bear's stomach. As the Viking stumbled back Zatoichi pushed off of the ground, swirling through the air to execute a leaping roundhouse kick to his enemyâ??s jaw.

Bear staggered sideways and Zato felt his fury rise as the big Viking still refused to fall. "Yaaaah!" The ninja screamed as he moved in behind Bear and dropkicked him, his feet striking the big man in the small of the back.

Stumbling forward Bear cried out in pain as his knees struck the edge of the stone fountain in the center of the town square.

"I'll KILL you!" Zato threatened to do just that as he grappled with Bear, pushing his head down into the water.

Bear began to sputter as icy water poured down his throat and fill his nostrils. 

Zato didn't let up for a second.

Zato's teeth were bared in a feral grin as his opponent continued to struggle. Bear's resistance was beginning to wane as he was denied oxygen but the ninja would not be satisfied until the Viking was completely defeated.

"How do you like the taste of the local swill?" Zato asked low in his throat as he tightened his grip, painfully twisting and pulling on Bear's hair to add insult to injury. "It's probably starting to taste like......defeat isn't it?"

Zato continued his abuse, holding Bear's head beneath the water until he ceased to struggle. "Hehe....hehe.....I..won." The ninja croaked as the big man's body relaxed beneath him. Still Zatoichi maintained his hold, unwilling to release his victim just yet. He was feeling giddy now, an effect of fatigue and injury. But this battle had been no laughing matter.

"Hehe....hehe....heh.....hey......HEY!!" Zato cried out in dismay as Bear's hands suddenly found purchase on the rim of the fountain and he began to push himself upward. "Stop it! Stay down you....you......MONSTER!"

Bear's eyes were wide with rage as his head lifted above the edge of the fountain, his hair streaming water. Zato leapt up and down, hammering Bearâ??s back with his fists, trying to force the huge man back down but Bear's strength could not be denied.

At the height of his push-up Bear drew his left arm in and slammed his elbow into the ninja's ribs. Zatoichi gasped in pain and doubled over. The Viking's hand swung back around and grasped the smaller man by the back of the neck.

"See how you like it!" Bear yelled as he dunked Zato's head into the fountain. The ninja struggled under the monstrous grip but Bear was quick to end that. Grabbing Zatoichi around the waist the towering Glacian lifted him off of the ground. 

The ninja's feet were pointed towards the sky, his head beneath the surface of the water. Many sailors watching the battle could attest to the fact that this wasn't the first time Bear had done this. Several of the spectators had violent flashbacks of the big man dangling their own heads above the toilet while laughing like a madman. 

Zatoichi could not find a handhold as Bear held his body in such an awkward position. His legs were pinned against Bear's broad chest and his hands clawed uselessly against the cobblestone bed of the fountain.

"Meh heh heh, we're having fun now eh lad?" Bear chuckled as Zato continued to squirm. The big lug swished Zatoichi's body back and forth like a broom and many people in the crowd even laughed at the spectacle. The dreaded Barroom Tyrant had claimed another victim it seemed.

Finally Zatoichi's body went limp in Bear's grasp. The Glacian lifted him from the water and laid him up against the stone wall of the fountain, standing over him in triumph.

"That'll teach ya a lesson boy. Now, when you wake up I'll be waiting to ask ya a few questions about all of this." Bear glowered down at the ninja. He cocked his head to one side as he regarded Zato, his features softening. "Um....hey kid. You alive?"

Bear knelt down next to Zato, his eyes suddenly full of panic. "Hey snap out of it! HEY!" Bear's voice was high with fear as he clapped Zatoichi on the side of the face.

"Somebody get a doctor!" Bear screamed into the crowd. Zatoichi's good eye was wide and staring, his breath still. 

The ninja was dead.

"Holy smokes Bear. You killed him." An aging sailor gasped as he stepped out of the crowd and came to peer over the Viking's shoulder.

"I wasn't......But......I didn't mean to." Bear's voice was hoarse with panic. "You saw.....I....."

"I need to get this man to a clinic. There may still be a chance." Bear said by way of his action as he slid his hands beneath the ninja's armpits and hoisted his limp form off of the ground.

"Hey Bear...he looks....BEAR!" The old man suddenly cried out. Bear turned to regard the fellow who was pointing madly towards the ninja's corpse. Bear turned his attention back to Zato to see what the old guy's problem was only to find the cunning ninja glaring back at him.

*Pffffffftttt* With a quick blast of his breath Zatoichi exhaled a cloud of mist from his mouth. The water he'd been holding in his cheeks sprayed between his teeth and misted over Bear's wide and staring eyes.

The big Glacian dropped the ninja who had feigned death and began rubbing fiercely at his eyes to clear the haze from his vision. Zato, in the meantime, used his deception to gain the upper hand.

"So kind of you to worry about me." The ninja chuckled as he placed his back against the edge of the fountain, his foot on Bear's chest, and pushed with all his might. "But you may want to consider the doctor still. You'll need him later."

As Bear stumbled back Zatoichi leapt up onto the lip of the fountain. Coiling his legs underneath him he sprang towards the blinded Glacian. At the height of his jump he raised both his hands over his head for the strike that would end the battle.

'A chop to the artery on either side of his neck with this much momentum and from this height would knock even a Slothstra out cold.' The ninja thought to himself as he plummeted towards the unsuspecting Bear.

"Incoming!" The old sailor called out a warning from the crowd. Bear peered up to see the distorted blur that was the ninja as he dove through the air. Taking two steps forward Bear intercepted him in mid-flight.

"Hrgh!" Zatoichi grunted as the towering Viking closed the gap between them and grabbed him out of the air. His leap was arrested before he reached the target and now he found himself caught in Bear's strong arms.

"I call this one the Bear Hug...." Bear snarled as he began to squeeze the ninja tighter, his thick arms wrapped around the small of Zato's back.

Zatoichi groaned in agony and began raining punches across Bear's shoulders. Bear responded by shaking the ninja back and forth like a rag doll. Zato entered a new world of pain as his legs began swinging like a church bell and the tender nerves inside his spinal column were rattled back and forth. 

Zatoichi tried to work his hands between his battered ribs and the Vikingâ??s strong arms but Bearâ??s grip was too tight for him to find an opening. As the tips of his fingers began to go numb the ninja made on final attempt to free himself before giving in and passing out.

Raising his hands over his head once again Zatoichi brought a double-handed chop down on Bear's temple. It didn't have the same effect it would have had if the blow had struck his neck instead of his rock hard head but the Viking did shudder under the impact.

Zatoichi raised his hands to strike yet again. And again. And again. After the 5th consecutive chop to his head Bear began to feel the effects. His knees were going weak and he felt himself getting dizzy.

As Bear slumped slightly Zato braced his hands against the Vikings shoulders, his foot finding Bear's leg, and pushed away with all his remaining strength.

The two men broke apart, each stumbling in the opposite direction. Bear fell to one knee while Zatoichi wobbled backwards and fell onto his backside. After a few seconds both men rose once again and a stare-down began.

"So.....*huff huff* you....you wanna go.....some more?" Bear wheezed. His chest rose and fell from exhaustion and his head rang like a blacksmith's anvil. Bear knew he was at his limit but from the sight of Zato it was clear the ninja didn't have much wind left in his sails either.

"Heh heh.....*gasp*.....no, I think I'm......gah, I'm about done." Zato groaned, his hand massaging his bruised sides. "But.....hey, don't feel bad. I.....*wheeze*.....I left ya a going away present."

The ninja's cruel sneer and his finger pointed towards Bear's chest caused the Viking to go white with fear. His hands roamed across his chest and, sure enough, he felt a small oval shaped object below the fabric of his shirt. 

As the Glacian began clawing at the Burst Pellet he'd secreted in his clothes Zato snickered. Certainly it'd be a foul job searching through the gore to recover the Winter Orb but death by explosion was no less that what the Viking deserved. And the look of panic on his face was starting to make the pain Zato felt ease off slightly.

Bear braced himself as best he could and awaited his fate. With a dull whump the explosive went off and Bear felt as if he'd received a hard punch to his ribs. 

Zato's smile vanished into a look of anger as thick, white smoke billowed out of the sleeves and collar of Bear's shirt. 'Curse my luck. I grabbed a smoke bomb instead of a Burst Pellet.' Zatoichi mentally berated himself.

Bear was in the center of the cloud, his arms swinging like the blades of a windmill to ward off the thick smoke. The sight of the big man's renewed energy caused Zato's ego to take a worse beating than his body.

He'd lost. His body had been pushed to the edge of its ability and, even if his heart was still in the fight, he knew he couldn't go any farther.

"This isn't the last you've heard of me. We'll settle this matter when next we meet. Count on it!" Zato threatened Bear as he leapt to the top of the fountain, then to the roof of the inn and then was gone from sight.

Coughing madly Bear emerged from the dissipating cloud of smoke just in time to see the ninja vanish over the rooftop.

"Hmm.....wonder what that was all about." Bear pondered as he fished around in his pocket. Pulling the Winter Orb forth he gazed into its lavender depths. "And what's so great about this thing anyway? He sure wanted it pretty badly."

The Winter Orb was magical, most definitely, but it was no ordinary Moonstone.  

"I'll figure that out later." Bear sighed. "Right now I need a drink."