The little corgi is drawn up a little short as he rounds the bend and sees the crowd gathered near the waterfalls. "Oh!" he starts, then waves with a happy grin, "I did not expect to see anyone else here to enjoy the falls!" he calls out, walking up close. The tiny canine does not seem to see anything amiss with armored beings and giant golem armor. "I'm afraid that I did not bring enough for everyone though," Asher says.<br> <br>Much like Cedric, a coat wearing and scarred up lion strolls towards the popular Silvervein Pass. The feline's body jingles with various bits and pieces of gear clanking across his heavy armor resting just beneath his coat. The base of his spear plops into the ground much like a walking stick until Dio eventually collides with the growing group of beings. "Good eveninin' lads," the lion calls out, goofy smile upon his face as he approaches the group. "Been a bit o' time since I've seen some o' ya. An' I wasn't aware we got a tax on the road now. Awful bit o' shame that is."<br> <br>Rixo wasn't a Sweetwater resident, but hearing there were challengers afoot? Well, as a wandering combatant she just couldn't miss that! Arriving on the scene with no fanfare save the clank of her heavy black plate, the panda flips her hammer around and sets the head of it on the ground. "Hello! Did I hear there were contests of strength and skill to be found?"<br> <br>The group is slightly offput by just how many folks arrive to their presence, a few of them straightening. The most well dressed smiles and says "No, no tax, Jjus a lil' bit of fun is all, a friendly wager. You put up your dukes or your spells, no lethality, show your worth yeah? Show us what you've got and it will come out square, your country has proven so terrible so far."<br> <br>Two big cliffsiders, a whale and a moth look the group over in their armor, a wasp reading a book doesn't even dignify a glance they seem to be interested in their studies, with loose remarks going here and about. The wolf, looks back to a seagull with a raise of his eyebrows, the seagull woman gesturing half heartedly at the others. "Too many?"<br> <br>The dark knight marten kitsune, Cedric, looks over his shoulder as the other beings start to gather around as well, most of whom he knows... well, he's seen them before, at any rate. He's about to lift his arm to give the familiar wave he greets most people with, but lowers his gauntlet clad hand remembering that he's assuming a different shape at the moment. He places his hand to the haft of his spear as though that's what he intended to do all along and turns back to the impertinent cliffsiders. "You're on, then. I accept." the marten calls back, raising and pointing the spear at their group. "Will it get you to shut yer yappy faces and stop being an embarassment to Cliffside?".<br> <br>The viper steps forward as well, issuing a silent challenge to the heaviest armored one amongst them. Whoever steps forward to her challenge, it doesn't matter to her. She never had any intention of killing anyone, utterly humiliating them will be enough. She stands silently, her weapons already drawn, light reflecting off the creator steel on her blades.<br> <br>Jackson chuckles lowly as he goes to shlup his musket off, as he winks to the cliffsiders. "Aw now, figurin if you're givin' a proper read an' write to all the fellas an' laddies, who am I to go turnin you down now? Can work over one of you, or go workin over one of the fellas here, no real care... But M'figurin a few of you are spell users an' all... An' givin fella's in armor wantin' fella's in armor, how bout a fella brave 'nuff to fight in his own skin with his knuckles comes steppin forward eh? Promise I'll be playin' fair~"<br> <br>Asher trots to a stop as the well-dressed Cliffsider finishes his little introduction. "A fight?" he asks, "Oh. I was hoping to have a quiet picnic." The little canine's ears droop for a second, but then he brightens up. "But if it is just a sparring match, I suppose that would work up my appetite!" he says with a bright, doggy smile. He turns a slightly worshipful gaze on Dio, imagining the adventures that must have preceded all those scars. "Isn't that right, Mister Dio?" he asks, "As long as it is all in fun?" The tiny canine carefully sets his basket aside and steps forward with a smile and an extended little hand. "My name is Asher," he says, "Pleasure to meet you!"<br> <br>"Oh, a challenge is it?" Dio rubs his chin for a few moments and looks down at the little corgi with a smile. "Well, I can't say much 'bout the practice o' challengin' beings an' such on a popular path 'ere. But if we can get 'em to leave with a bit o' fair punchin', then so be it." The lion rolls his shoulders and bounces up and down upon his toes before delivering a quick one-two punch into the open air to warm up. "I'm down fer a good fist fight. Been a few years, but I won't mind a good warm-up. Oh, an' no hittin' the family jewels ya 'ear?"<br> <br>Rixo wasn't heavy clan, but you wouldn't know it from the way she dresses and throws her bravado around. Leaving her hammer aside, she reaches for the sword at her hip. "I am not from Sweetwater and offer little for you to boast about. But if any of you are proficient with a sword and would like a challenge, I stand ready. We can fight to the disarm?"<br> <br>As they are slowly called out for fights, a few of them step foward. The wolf looks to Rixo and smiles, drawing a sturdy blade as he performs an impressive manever. Issi is met by a well armored whale, who gives a brief blink before grabbing a breezy hammer. "You're on!" he calls with much Gusto. The wasp closes their book and approaches Cedric, no words are passed, but they toss their book aside and a bit of fire trails the air after their movements. The large moth chuckles and eyes Dio, then Jackson. "How about a three way free for all? Best on top huh?" he says as he cracks his knuckles and gives them a look. "I'm a lot better than you'll take me for, I betcha." The last one, a seagull woman gives Asher a look and a smile. "Well chipper o'n, shall we?"<br> <br>Cedric nods to the wasp being, accepting his challenge. "Oh? Looks like you dabble in mathemagic." the marten notes, with a vaguely condescending nod and smile, almost like one would expect a mother to give her cub after a successful potty training exercise. "Well, shall we?" the lancer bows to his opponent as he steps up, and doesn't waste a moment before executing the proper formulae and equations of dark math in an attempt to sap the wasp's vitality before he can get the initiative.<br> <br>Issi is paired off against a Whale. Good, this will be plenty to work with. She snaps into a fighting stance, moving rather quickly. Which is good, she does not want the business end of that hammer. Good thing then it won't be a problem for very long. She locks her gaze on the whale, making sure he makes eye contact. This will be over before it starts.<br> <br>Jackson is quick to bend down and pick up his musket then, letting the ball and powder fall down onto the ground at his feet. "Well, if you have armor... Then it's only fair aye." The Collie giving a grin then as he reaches into his coat to pull out a bottle of grogg, pulling the cork out with his teeth them before tipping it up and chugging the entire thing down in one go!<br> <br>Asher smiles and tosses aside his traveling cape over his picnic, hoping to return to it soon. The little corgi bobs a quick bow and gives a friendly smile to the seagull woman. "I look forward to learning from you," he says before slipping easily into a loose fighting stance. Honestly, it looks a little comical on the soft little canine, but that does not seem to bother Firmament's tiniest tailor. After all, it is all in fun, right?<br> <br>Dio continues to bounce up and down upon his toes in a typical boxer's stance, throwing out occasional blows into the air to get prepared for the fist-fight ahead. As the moth accepts their challenge, the lion cracks his knuckles and slams a fist into his open palm. "Oh I do bet yer pretty good. Never underestimate yer opponent is what I've learned over the years. But still, ready when ya 're lad. Which of us do ya wanna punch more, eh?"<br> <br>Rixo gives a polite bow to the wolf, bringing her sword up perpendicular to her torso and waving a hand along its length, an icy glow overtaking the blade. "Let us have a good battle, friend. I've been wanting to test this out, and I look forward to having a worthy opponent to do so with."