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Post by Clair Feldsky on Sept 17, 2012 9:41:18 GMT -6
Clair had been watching the Lost Swordsman and the Gravedigger. Despite most of the match going without a strike from Swordsman, Digger had never managed to actually score a meaningful blow. It was a prime example of reckless warmaking vs careful tactics. She favored the latter most of the time.
It was like a dance. Every time the lance struck, Swordsman wasn't there. The tail flew by, and he avoided it expertly. The counter attack came, and somehow, Swordsman managed to slip everything past the blades, claws, wings, and teeth of his opponents. It was a stunning maneuver that had taken more than a little planning to pull off. Now, as the two hit the ground, the game changed again.
"He's going to have to be careful.... If that knight was thorough in his training, he taught his wyvern to work just as effectively on the ground as a mount." It was something Clair had done. Training to fight alongside Corona before she'd ever tried to fight atop him. Not everyone took such measures though. She had, because she wanted to be skilled whether mounted or on foot. Not all cavalry riders took to making certain they were so prepared though.
"Watch that wyvern, Swordsman!" She felt a bit of empathy towards the blade wielder who fought so skillfully, and held onto a bit of the rivalry between wyvern riders and pegasus knights. Other than that, though, there wasn't alot of connection to the two.
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Aurek
Soldier
I hate the undead just a little more than I hate the living.
Posts: 122
Profession: Santa
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Post by Aurek on Sept 17, 2012 14:20:51 GMT -6
Aurek felt as though the Lost Swordsman had finally gained the advantage. "Finish him!" he yelled. Both fighters were on the ground now and the Swordsman clearly was faster than the Gravedigger. Assuming the wyvern didn't get involved it should be a fairly easy fight to finish. After all, what mounted fighter is competent once unseated? though Aurek. The Lost Swordsman was pretty much the only person he really wanted to win it seemed. Probably because it was the only person he knew. Without even trying, Aurek had begun immersing himself into a new world. The ramifications were completely lost though. He only wanted this guy to win.
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Calvin Toros
Pupil
Friendship gives value to survival
Posts: 154
Profession: Bard
Affinity: Light
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Post by Calvin Toros on Sept 17, 2012 17:00:04 GMT -6
Calvin sat impatiently in the audience, his head darting from side to side as he waited for the match to begin. Calvin never understood war, fighting, death or anything sad like that. To him, it was all pointless. Fighting on the other hand, perhaps if not meant to kill could actually be enjoyed? Calvin loved Fairy Tale’s, story of strong men protecting those close to them, they’re beloved. In away Calvin tried to achieve that in his work, saving his family’s farm. Calvin had hence always admired strength and skill and he had come to this arena to see it in action! To see skilled fighters fight fair, as best they could! Hopefully he’d even see someone he knew… His thoughts were interrupted as the announcing voice echoed through the arena signalling the beginning of the match. Calvin smiled and focused his attention to the arena below. Calvin was mesmerised, the second that lost swordsman stepped onto the field Calvin’s jaw dropped. His eyes squinted and zoomed,his nose sniffed the air. Who was that lost swordsman, and why was there such a familiar feel to him! Had they met before…? Calvin had this odd warm sensation he got around his friends… Calvin could recognize almost anyone he had met before, and had a near 100% success rate when it came to friends, but the distance was just far too great. From here, there was nothing Calvin could do. That was going to bother him all match! Calvin observed the match from the edge of his seat. The wyvern was an awe inspiring creature, but that swordsman was just so distracting! Calvin leapt from his seat in a cheer.
“GO FRIEND GO! You can win I know it!”
Nobody could really tell who he was cheering for and technically Calvin didn’t know who exactly, but he wanted that swordsman to win.
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Post by Richter Abend on Sept 18, 2012 0:49:10 GMT -6
Richter had stifled a chuckle as the two opponents had entered the arena. His father had always told him never to judge a book by its cover, advice the veteran Ilian had always at least attempted to follow throughout his career, but the scene painted before him was just a bit too funny. The tiny little swordsman, too timid to show his face, up against a ferocious looking man riding an even more ferocious looking beast; it was like a tale right out of a storybook, but Richter doubted the battle would play out as heroically.
No, the "Lost Swordsman" would probably get crushed. Or eaten.
The battle that ensued had begun much like Richter expected it would. The wyvern rider immediately went on the offensive, his wyvern leaping and thrashing about while he executed a series of well placed thrusts, and in response the swordsman had taken no time to begin running about. Expected.
What quickly became apparent, however, was that despite the ferocity of the wyvern's assault, or the ease in rider's attacks, the Gravedigger was unable to hit the masked swordsman. The small swordfighter moved with natural agility that Richter had not expected, and it was repeatedly keeping the masked man just a hair's breath from death.
But just when the swordsman had begun to show his talent, he was bushwacked by a swift hit from the scaled beast's tail, and Richter found himself holding his breath as the Lost Swordsman narrowly managed to dodge out from under the Gravedigger's near fatal strike.
The wyvern rider continued his veritable onslaught against the nimble swordsman, and was clearly agitated as his strikes continued to fail to connect. This man, clearly out for blood, was being completely outshone by an almost pacifistic combat style, which only made the swordsman's speed all the more impressive. In fact, the Ilian commander caught a part of him hoping for the chance to fight this mystery man in a later match, if just so he could have the satisfaction of landing a solid hit on the smaller fighter.
The fight continued as such, with blow after blow being deftly dodged, but in a quick turn of events, the Lost Swordsman suddenly went on the offensive, which managed to surprise Richter. The swordsman took advantage of an opening in which the Gravedigger was forced to lower his guard, and proceeded to charge the wyvern rider. But the mounted man had a trick up his sleeve. In a flash, the lance wielder drew a sword from his belt and blocked the Lost Swordsman's attack, forcing the smaller fighter to the ground in an awkward fall.
The gravedigger, now clearly growing cautious of his deteriorating advantages, changed his tactics. Dropping his sword, he aimed another tail smack at the flighty swordsman, which again, successfully managed to connect. The masked man, however, hit the ground running and immediately went back on the offensive. In response, the Gravedigger commanded his mount to attack once again, utilizing his only successful attack, but this time the swordsman saw it coming. He deftly ducked right under the tail, and rising to his feet, blocked the Gravedigger's responding attack with a successful parry.
But for all the twists and turns that had already taken place in this tumultuous tussle, Richter could hardly keep his mouth from hanging agape as the masked swordsman took the sword in his off-hand, which he had apparently scraped up off the ground during his previous rush, and threw it at his opponent.
What? What!? What a stupid...! To throw away such a perfect counter like that! Richter stared wide-eyed at the scene, his previously crossed arms dropping slightly, but what began as an absurd maneuver quickly paid off, albeit unexpectedly. The Ilian's disbelieving frown changed into a smile of surprise as the masked swordsman leaped up at the Gravedigger and forced him off of his mount.
Now this was a fight.
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Post by Mana on Sept 18, 2012 0:58:11 GMT -6
"You don't need to ask. I am going to fight him later. Wow, this place is full with strong people." Mana looked like she was enjoying the show, it had been long time since she watched such amusing fight. The wyvern rider was fearsome and had deadly tricks but the swordsman was the one she would cheer for. His struggle to overcome the disadvantages had touched the heart of the maiden, and she was sure she wasn't the only one who felt like this. Anyone with fighting skill and some experience would know how difficult his battle was. "Beat him! I am going to be your next opponent so don't lose now!" she shouted. The admnistrator would have a headache after this match if Mana got to excited and pleaded to pit him against her.
"Hey, Wyatt! Do you see that? He got his opponent off the wyvern!" Mana pulled the blacksmith's sleeve as she pointed to the arena. The Lost Swordsman and The Gravedigger had fallen to the ground after their clash. Maybe the tides would turn to the swordsman now when Yorik was on his foot. Mana hoped the wyvern wouldn't attack, that would only make the battle more difficult that it already was.
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Post by Valcrist on Sept 18, 2012 1:26:23 GMT -6
"Y... you... Son of a..." That gravedigger bit his tongue in fury. He was disgraced, being bested by such a... a coward! Refusing to fight, dancing around like a fairy! He was losing! How could this be!? "I am Yorick the Grave digger, and this arena will be your grave!" He spat, anger rising like bile in the back of his throat.
He stood there, clad in his steel armor and stared at the swordsman once more. Clothed completely, he couldn't even see this man's face, and he was disrespecting him so. His hand clamped down on the haft of his spear, a vice like grip that made his hand sore from anger. The swordsman thought he won, didn't he? He just made a huge mistake. Raising two fingers to his mouth, he let out a piercing whistle that cut through even the roaring crowd. "Come Duke! Let's trash this guy!" The wyvern let out a wild roar in response. If it was tough before, it was two on one now.
That's what it looked like, at least. The swordsman knew this was over, and somewhere the grave digger did as well. His anger, and desperate ply for help only sealed it. The swordsman looked around, at the wyvern and the spearman. The wyvern took off in an instantly, flailing and getting ready to tear the swordsman to shreds while the spearman charged with his weapon at ready to skewer the defiant swordsman who couldn't realize that this was a battle he was supposed to have lost.
Passive, defensive, the swordsman stood still for a moment as the two whirlwinds of death rushed ever closer. The thing was, at a distance like this...
First was the wyvern, naturally much faster then any man, it came flying in from above, looking to tear the masked man asunder with it's deadly maw. The swordsman moved at what looked like the last possible second, the wyvern diving and missing, flying back up to come around again. Then before he could even get ready for another attack, there came the heavy spear, but without the leverage and speed of the wyvern it was a much less deadly strike. He smoothly sidestepped the thrust, the man's momentum working against him and causing him to stagger just a bit. He wasn't used to ground combat, that much was obvious. The swordsman brought him down to his level and...
A splash of blood smeared against the ground, the man reeling back in pain. The reason the swordsman had so much trouble before is that when together, the two complimented each others weaknesses perfectly. When apart, they were two halves being taken down by a whole. Yorick howled, but it wasn't enough, the wyvern was coming back for another attack but it wasn't quick enough. The swordsman's blade was designed for fast, fluid attacks. Attacks targeting the weak points in the armor, the small gaps of uncovered flesh. He was a blacksmith, he could tell the weak points in the armor the second he saw it. The man was sliced in his elbow, his side, his shoulder, and if the swordsman saw fit, his head. The wyvern rider relied on the wyvern's speed to handle the frantic movements of the masked man, without it... he was unable to keep up.
The wyvern swooped down again, frenzied and furied, enraged at his owner being hurt so. It was pointless, this battle was over. The man could not even hold his lance properly anymore. He tried to move away, but the swordsman stayed close, he could not hope to match the swordsman's speed on foot. He tried to use the shaft of his weapon as a bludgeon, but it was parried with zero effort. "Yield." The swordsman said. No, demanded.
It was obvious what he was doing, he stuck close to the gravedigger as a human shield. If the Wyvern would attack, it would kill him as well. There was no way he could outrun the swordsman, and no way he could survive if he was attacked by his own mount. He was infuriated, embarrassed, and completely defeated. "Duke. Stand down.... I... yield." The wyvern stopped in the air, hovering above the stadium and stopping its attack. Even it must have known things were over.
A murmur erupted in the crowd, confused but enthralled. Did he just surrender? Gravedigger Yorick? A voice erupted above them all, tearing away all doubt. "GRAVEDIGGER YORICK HAS SURRENDERED! THE WINNER IS.... THE LOST SWORDSMAN!"
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Wyatt
Hero
The Volcano
How can someone win if winning means that someone loses?
Posts: 463
Etruria Fame: 2
Sacae Fame: -1
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Post by Wyatt on Sept 18, 2012 8:08:42 GMT -6
Wyatt howled in excitement as the swordsman managed to unhorse (metaphorically speaking) his opponent. Nice! This kid really had some moves! [red]"Come on! Show him what you've got!"[/red] He called as the ground battle became a three way tussle. Without his speed, the Wyvern Rider couldn't seem to touch the swordsman now. He hadn't won the fight through force, he'd changed the fight until it suited him...clever.
[red]"He's got him now!"[/red] Wyatt said excitedly to Mana as the swordsman pushed his advantage. Not only were his attacks skilled and taking their tole on the night, by staying close he kept the wyvern from bringing it's power to bare. Very clever! This swordsman really knew what he was doing!
And then the yield, his opponent surrendered, as was a prudent choice. Wyatt shouted his approval from the sides, as the crowd erupted into cheers. [red]"Hah! Look at that, he pulled it off!"[/red] He shouted happily.
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Calvin Toros
Pupil
Friendship gives value to survival
Posts: 154
Profession: Bard
Affinity: Light
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Post by Calvin Toros on Sept 18, 2012 8:56:35 GMT -6
Calvin leapt from his seat in excitement waving his arms frantically about the place.
“HURRAY , GOOD JOB FRIEND! GOOD JOB!”
Calvin still couldn’t identify the fighter but his victory had sent a warm feeling through Calvin. Maybe it was Calvin’s childish imagination enjoying the excitement of an underdog hero slaying the ferocious monster, or human in this case. Either way he cheered with excitement from amongst the roaring crowd. It was an intense and exciting match, all the matches were. Calvin was beginning to forget why he was here in the first place… He smiled and waved from the audience, but in an arena that size, theres no way the fighter had seen him.
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Aurek
Soldier
I hate the undead just a little more than I hate the living.
Posts: 122
Profession: Santa
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Post by Aurek on Sept 18, 2012 14:53:40 GMT -6
Now that the rider was on the ground, Aurek felt fairly certain his new acquaintance was safe. With the speed he displayed earlier, he should be able to defeat the man quite handily. Which is exactly what had happened. Able to maneuver out of the way of the wyvern and into a space the rider could not utilize with his weapon, the Lost Swordsman forced the Gravedigger into submission. What a fight! Aurek was cheering loudly, "Yeah! I know that guy! Way to go! Incredible fighting! YEAH!!!!" Aurek couldn't wait to meet up with the guy afterwards.
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Post by Tuatara 'Tut' Yamen on Sept 18, 2012 17:03:14 GMT -6
"And so, the first rule of combat remains unbroken," Tuatara said, smiling. "See, my dear friend Edrick, that is the way of the world. Though I would have loved to see the wyvern get it. Well, I'm off for refreshments, nice talking to you. May we meet again." He walked off, hoping for something better than water. And trying to make the moment seem cooler than it actually was.
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Post by Clair Feldsky on Sept 18, 2012 22:07:21 GMT -6
"Huh.... How about that. He did it." Clair's eyebrows raised. She should have seen it coming as soon as Yoric had stood up and started fighting from the ground. It was easy to tell that for all the skill, and strength he commanded atop his battle beast, he couldn't maintain it without the solid support of his mount. When you stood the knight on his own two feet, he failed to stand on his own.
The wyvern remained a threat, but Swordsman had proven able to avoid attacks from the rider and the beast at the same time. It was clear he was agile. That was Swordsman's specialty. If it failed him now, he would be a snack, but as she was coming to expect, it didn't fail him. the rest of the match didn't take long. Long enough for Yoric to practically walk into his doom, and Swordsman to force a yield.
The crowds exploded into excitement at the end of the match, and Clair found herself clapping along happily as well. It had been an excellent match, and she set to work comparing the Swordsman's moves to her own abilities. She needed to know how she would stack up, and wanted to be ready to adapt whatever she could from his avoidance talents.
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Post by Valcrist on Sept 19, 2012 0:01:56 GMT -6
The battle lay still, all the chaos and movement died, the wyvern slowly fell back to earth for the rider to get back upon. "Good fight." The proud man forced himself to say, he was defeated and as angry as it made him, he could not pretend it was a fluke. He looked at the masked man, both somewhat angry and proud. He came out of nowhere, no one has ever heard of him before, and in his debut match he defeated a veteran like his self.
He simply stood there for a moment, before reaching up and... "Good fight." The masked swordsman responded. His mask being brought down so that his opponent could see his face, he deserved that. It was too far away for anyone to notice, and quickly he brought it back up before someone could pinpoint him. Yorick smiled, at least he won that. Maybe next year, the swordsman showed him his weakness. This was the first time a fighter ever FORCED him off his mount, and he was left powerless without it. He would need to train off of Duke if he ever wanted to beat a man like him.
The crowd was still aplomb with cheer, and without the pressures of battle, it all finally hit the swordsman like a sniper's arrow and piercing into his mind. Was that all for him? Oh... oh... goodness. The swordsman left and Valcrist returned and ow... His body was so sore, and exhausted how did he even move like this? He was sure he sprained his rips from that one hit, maybe even worse and his arm throbbed in pain from it's wound. His entire body covered in sweat worse then every day in the desert, and he wasn't even sure if he could walk back.
It wasn't just that, all these people staring at him, cheering, focused on him. It made his stomach gurgle uncomfortably. No. No Valcrist don't do this. You aren't Valcrist, remember? Lost Swordsman. Lost Swordsman. A man who had won his first match, who everyone thought was a goner. Stood against all the odds and succeeded beyond anyone's expectation. Yes... no reason to panic, they weren't cheering for him, but the persona he made. He felt a smooth nirvana wash over him, calming him down.
"ONCE AGAIN, THE LOST SWORDSMAN IS VICTORIOUS! HE MOVES ON TO THE NEXT ROUND!" The announcer blared loudly, cutting through the din of voices. Valcrist rose an arm in the air, like he had seen done a million times in his mind, a balled up fist in triumph. Even after all the anxiety, it was worth it.
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Post by Richter Abend on Sept 19, 2012 9:47:35 GMT -6
The battle had come to a resounding finish, and Richter couldn't help but clap. After a eternity, it had seemed, of dodging, feeling out his opponent, and waiting for the perfect moment to strike, the Lost Swordsman had ended the fight in a comparative flash. The With accuracy and efficiency he had disabled the dismounted wyvern rider, and taken the fight entirely into his own hands.
Richter wasn't surprised by the ending. No, he had predicted this conclusion since the beginning, when the Lost Swordsman had first demonstrated his evasive mastery. It wasn't a style that Richter preferred, he himself fighting more like the wyvern rider, but it had worked nonetheless, and for that the masked swordsman deserved credit.
And the disguised man held no grudges against the Gravedigger's clearly obvious attempts to kill him. No, they simply shook hands, then went their separate ways. "A peaceful end to a vigorous fight," Richter reflected, as the crowd erupted into cheers around him. "What a show."
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