FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

"Are you sure this is an... appropriate location for a duel?" Kyuzo asked as he looked over the vast, expansive mud-flat that Kayane had used the powers of the Water Sword to make even more gloopy and muddy than usual.

"Of course!" Takuya growled, turning to look down at the red panda dressed in his fiery orange and yellow shugenja robes. "I finally have that squirrel at my mercy for once," he gestured toward Kayane, "And Kayane thought it was a good idea."

"Of course he did," Kyuzo grumbled, "But he is of the Mirumoto, this is probably sounding like justice and sensibility but you have your position to think of..."

"I am the Champion of Earth," Takuya said, thick skunk tail swaying from side to side, "And I am of the crab clan. People expect me to be uncouth and weird," he rolled his shoulders, his heavy armour settling, "Picking wrestling instead of a katana fight was "insult" enough according to the cranes."

Sighing, the tiny red-panda rubbed his muzzle. "Fair enough... how did you get Jensu to challenge you to a duel, anyway? That squirrel has a knack for riling you up, but I don't think you ever got him to challenge you before."

Smirking, Takuya stretched his arms above his head and flicked his tail from side to side, "I cheated. I had a word with Bayushi Haman, they owed me a favour so a few words spoken at the bath house got back to Jensu and it had the desired effect."

The skunk turned and grinned at Kyuzo, "He barged into my office, shouting his head off about these horrible rumours I had been spreading and ranting. I just said "I accept your challenge," the skunk grinned, "It felt so good to trap him with words for once."

Kyuzo blinked and then laughed, "That... is surprisingly subtle for you. Well done."

"I guess you and Kayane have finally rubbed off on me. Speaking of which here he is," Takuya pointed at the mouse who was climbing up the hill toward them. "Is it ready?"

"As ready as I can make it," Kayane said glancing back down the hill then turning to face them, the field mouse's long tufted tail swirling back and forth around his ankles. "If I add any more water down there it'll not soak in, I've saturated the whole clay field."

"Good," Takuya laughed. "This is going to be so much fun!"

"TAKUYA!" a voice bellowed, the high, nasal squeak behind their words identifying them more than house colours, clothing or costume ever would. Turning around, Takuya took a deep breath and smiled up at the enraged features of his rival, the squirrel from the house of Dojo looked incensed.

"Excuse me, Dojo Jensu," Kayane cut in, "Is that any way to address emerald magistrates?"

The squirrel froze, eyes cutting left and right as if he had only just noticed the mouse and red panda before he bowed low to them both, "Mirumoto Kayane, Isawa Kyuzo, fair greetings to you this morning. I must apologize for my abrupt arrival but this... crab is trying to weasel out of his obligations and honour in dueling me."

"Is he, now?" Kyuzo asked with a puzzled frown. "It looks like both of you are here on time. We are here as witnesses, as are your clan brethren and Bayushi Haman. I see no attempt to weasel out of the duel."

"Indeed," Takyua said with a smirk, "I think we can proceed as soon as we are ready."

"What are you blathering about," Jensu pointed down the hill, "You challenged me to a wrestling match on the shore of the River of Gold, I see no wrestling dojo or arena!"

"Everything is as it should be," Takuya said, unbuckling his sword belt and handing it to Kayane. "I said we'd wrestle crab style, so that's our arena." he jerked his head toward the mud, "I am going to go get ready now, I expect you to turn up or forfeit the duel and all honour."

Takuya then turned his back on the incensed squirrel and made his way over to the small marquee with chairs that they had set up on the hill. If he'd had his way Takuya would have had everyone standing around in the open, but Kayane had insisted they had to show courtesy to the witnesses or risk insulting them.

The field-mouse from the dragon clan stayed to talk with the crane and scorpion witnesses, whilst Kyuzo helped Takuya to strip out of his heavy armour. The skunk wasted no time in piling his armour, kimono and other equipment onto a chair, leaving him in just a wrestling loincloth. The simple cream material wrapped about his waist and once under his legs, making sure nothing was on display. The perfect combination of modesty for tender samurai sensibilities and flexibility so they could wrestle properly.

"Good luck," Kyuzo murmured, "Show that squirrel who's boss."

Smiling, genuinely feeling happy for the first time in months, Takuya turned and started down the hill. "I will, that squirrel doesn't stand a chance."

Leaving the hill Takuya walked out into the mud, his bare feet sunk through the thin layer of water and into the thick, creamy clay below. The mud had been stirred up by Kayane's magic to a smooth, slick, slippery and altogether thick consistency. It smeared up his leg fur as he sank almost up to his knees in the mud, soaking his fur, slicking it down to his skin so it clung.

Growling in delight at the feel of mud beneath his toes, Takuya walked out until he was halfway between the edge of the river and the hill the others were sitting on. Turning around, mud clinging in a tight circle around his knees, the skunk looked back at the shore and grinned. Jensu was standing on the edge, looking distastefully down at the mud dressed exactly as Takuya was in a wrestling loincloth.

"You coming, Jensu, or do you forfeit before we even begin? You lose less honour if you bow out because you can't defeat me."

"I will get you for this insult!" Jensu squeaked angrily as he walked out into the mud, his red furred feet sinking into the mud. By the time he had waded out to stand opposite Takuya he had sunk up to his thighs. Takuya meanwhile had slowly been sinking as he stood still, the mud was now cupping the underside of his loincloth as he waited and watched with a soft smirk on his features.

Jensu just bowed, a proper, formal, courtly bow of one samurai to another and Takuya quickly followed suit a fraction of a second behind, before Jensu heaved his legs out of the mud and leapt forward. Takuya yelped in surprise as the lithe squirrel barreled into his chest, knocking him off his feet. With a squelch, the skunk's thick tail vanished beneath the surface and he sunk down into the muck.

His heavy, fluffy appendage dragged him down, so Takuya was slow in pulling himself up and out, his arms and legs pushing large divots down into the yielding muck as he struggled to right himself. He was half way up when Jensu struck again, the squirrel kicking out with one foot to knock Takuya over and send him sliding and sinking a good foot into the muck.

"Hah, even in the mud you cannot stop me, crab. I have your number," the squirrel gloated, "Surrender now and we will put this behind us."

Reaching down into the thick muck, Takuya gripped his tail and pulled it free of the mud. The usually poofy and thick fur was a smeared, sodden, mud coated mess, his actual tail beneath his fur revealed as a long thick tube of muscle that supported his fluffy appendage. With it no longer stuck in the muck, Takuya pushed himself up, lifting his head and glowering at Jensu.

"Never," was all he said, then pushed himself out of the mud and leapt at the squirrel. Jensu was startled, clearly not expecting the skunk to be so fast whilst coated in mud. His back, sides, arms and legs were smeared with a thick, heavy coating of slippery claw, only his chest was really still clean but he knew that wouldn't last much longer. Compared to the weight of his armour, a coating of mud was nothing and he intended to show this squirrel that he was an actual threat.

Wrapping his arms around Jensu's body, Takuya lifted the squirrel and half turned to throw him down into the mud. He squeaked and ineffectively clawed at Takuya's fur, but all he did was get mud under his perfectly manicured claws as down into the mud he went with a splat. Takuya gave him no chance to recover, however. Diving forward, the skunk's knees squelched into the mud on either side of Jensu and he shoved down on the squirrel's shoulders with both hands.

Mud oozed up around them both with a thick, sickening squelch and Jensu squeaked in alarm as his otherwise clean and fluffy body vanished beneath the mud. He squirmed and fought like a banshee, his lithe, well muscled body was strong and he managed to get one leg up and shove his knee into Takuya's stomach. Dislodged, the skunk fell sideways and quickly held his breath as Jensu brought his leg down and drove Takuya beneath the mud.

Thick, oozing clay clung to his fur, filled his ears and blinded him, soaking swiftly into his muzzle fur, reducing him from an identifiable creature to a mass of mud and slick oozing shapes. Growling and struggling up out of the mud, arms sinking and sinking as he clawed his way back to the surface Takuya shook his head to clear his eyes and looked around for his foe.

Jensu was a few feet away, clawing his way backwards and up out of the mud as best he could, tugging on his tail to pull it free. He'd discovered just how much of a drag it was and was trying to pull it free. He hadn't however discovered that once it was coated and slick, the fur smothered down under a thick layer of creamy, slimy muck it was much easier to cope with. Lunging forward Takuya used his greater weight to bare down on Jensu and force him down. The squirrel squeaked and tried to fight back but this time Takuya was ready for him!

Squirming forward the skunk pushed down hard, then again in another location, shoving and pushing, squishing his opponent down beneath the surface of the mud. He kept going, shoving and pushing, not daring to stop, his muscled body heaving and shifting, legs sliding and sinking deeper as he buried Jensu! The squirrel was lithe and slippery, squirming from side to side and trying to push free but Takuya buried his arms and legs, pushed down hard, causing mud to ooze and slide over him and weigh him down.

It was hard work, Jensu was slippery now, his body coated entirely from the top of his head to his tail tip in a thick slurry of mud. But Takuya had the upper hand and the greater strength, the squirrel could only wriggle and squirm as the mud aided in pinning him down. It was heavy and thick, pressing in on all sides, the divot they were digging out with their bodies was collapsing, thick mud oozing down to wash across their bodies.

"Do you yield!" Takuya shouted and Jensu pushed his head up and snapped with his teeth in response, heaving with all his might. With the mud compacted beneath their bodies finally slowing their descent the squirrel was able to heave up and shove Takuya off.

The skunk fell sideways, squishing into the wall of their hole. Jensu meanwhile was scrambling upwards and out, legs and feet kicking a slurry of compacted, liquid clay down atop Takyuya. Growling the skunk pushed himself up his side of the hole and as soon as he was at the top leapt over it and tackled Jensu. The squirrel went down again, face first into the mud and Takuywa growled in his ears, squirming from side to side to hold him down.

More mud oozed up around them on all sides, but the skunk forced the squirrel's arms down, trapping them in the mud. It clung to him, an arm tight layer of thick mud clinging to his body as he sank. Takuya knew from experience if you didn't make a big enough hole your limbs could get stuck as if the mud had opened just enough to form a skin tight tube to grip and hamper and hold you.

Focing Jensu down the skunk lay atop him, forcing the squirrel's feet down in the same manner as his arms, trapping him. With Takuya lying atop him Jensu was stuck, left squirming and wriggling but unable to pull himself free of the muddy trap the skunk had forced him into.

"Got you," Takuya growled, "There is no way out of this... yield squirrel...."

The squirrel thrashed a bit more, body straining, tugging, desperately trying to pull himself free. After half a minute of struggling he went limp and his head squished into the mud as he lay still.

"Damn it... fine, yes, yes I yield... now help me out of this!"

Takuya sighed and relaxed then carefully pulled himself free, wriggling in the mud to pull himself out of the mucky, slippery, oozing hole they had created, "Wow, I can't believe you yielded."

"I'm not an idiot," Jensu grumbled, leaning on Takuya as the skunk helped to prize the squirrel's limbs out of the holes they had made, "This was stupid, we must both look like idiots."

"Maybe," Takuya clambered back to his feet and grinned down at the mud smeared squirrel, "But I finally beat you... that feels... really good...."

"Yes... well.." The crane struggled up to his feet then looked back at the shore, "How exactly do we get back there?"

Rolling his shoulders the skunk shrugged, "Walk... well, squelch really."

"Joy..." Jensu sighed, "When this is over remind me to teach you how to arrange proper mud wrestling," the squirrel grumbled, "If you are going to do this at least do it right."

Takuya stopped in his tracks and stared after the squirrel for a moment, "Wait... you've done this before!"

Jensu looked back and for a moment said nothing then just grinned, "Maybe you aren't as dense as I thought... we'll talk, later..." he turned and squelched ahead with a baffled but curious Takuya following along. Shaking his head Takuya frowned and continued to follow, maybe there was more to his rival then he had first thought. But right now he couldn't wait to tell the others he had won! Actually won, he'd finally beaten Jensu... it felt... well it felt sticky but so glorious at the same time!