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Alkioth was kneeling, his head bowed in prayer. His hands were together, and his heart was pounding. The duel was near, and he was in prayer.

"Dear Lord, please guide my sword to my opponent. Let it not kill him, though. Let it keep him safe under his sword and mine. Let our swords collide, and let skill, strength, and honor guide the more honorable to victory within the duel."

Alkioth kissed his cross, and placed it within his breastplate. His heart was pounding, as it did before battle. It was not from fear, or from excitement. It was from an amalgamation of emotion. He had not dueled in some time, and the last time was over honor; his and the honor of a maiden.

He stands, rubbing his hands together. They are cold, as they are before battle. Never has he known why they become cold, and hard to control at times. But it makes him stronger, each time he wields his sword.

But he is stalling, in his mind. He knows it. So he closes his eyes and breathes deeply, resetting his thoughts. Honor is at stake. His resolve is strengthened, and he exits the small hut to face destiny.

Drayco stood. In his hand was his Obsidian pendant. He donned the item and stared forward. His heart was racing and his hand was covered in sweat. He had been smart and wrapped a cloth aroung the hilt of his blade. He had heard of this warrior. He was strong, and very religious.

Drayco moved forward and came face to face with the man. He reached his hand out to the man. "God speed in the fight," he said to the man, quirking a quick smile. Although he reached out his hand in friendship he tensed the leg he had farthest back. Just in case his opponent would try to apply leverage to him.

Drayco had done one last thing before he came here. He dulled the blade of his sword, not to dull, but dull enough he couldn't strike a killing blow without meaning to. Drayco doubted that he would have to.

Alkioth watched as his opponent approached. The man's name was apparently Drayco. Quietly, he watched as Drayco walked up to him and offered a hand. Alkioth shook his hand, and returned his praise.

"Indeed, Godspeed to you. Pray-tell the more honorable of us will continue," Alkioth said as he bowed, not worried that he would be struck.

Alkioth took a few steps back, and then inhaled deeply. It would be his last peaceful breath of the tournament. Quickly he unsheathed his broadsword in a large arc, wielding it with his strong, muscular right arm. He clumsily donned his buckler, wielding it with his left arm.

Alkioth then waited for his opponent to ready himself.

Drayco bowed as well. He spun and took three steps back. He held his blade ready. He held it point down, which was dumb to do with a broadsword. He had been taught how to manage the manuver. He was ready, and he wasn't at the same moment. He had a sinking feeling.

And it was about to get worse.

Alkioth eyed his opponent for a moment. Drayco's broadsword was wielded downward, which meant he would bring it up with a ton of force. Alkioth narrowed his eyes for a moment, looking at Drayco's feet, arms, and sword.

Taking a quick breath, Alkioth raised his buckler up to shoulder level and charged forward at Drayco -- his buckler just to the left of Drayco's shoulder. His face was stern as he ran, and once he reached Drayco he suddenly turned. As he turned he let loose a wide slash at Drayco's mid-upper back.

Drayco lunged forward as the buckler came at him. He rolled past Alkioth and spun, bringing the blade in wild, upward arc. Too far! Damnit! he screamed in his mind. He wondered at that moment whether he could truely win this or not.

Alkioth's slash missed, and was so wide he nearly could not recover. With a grunt he jerked the sword around, and lunged backward -- away from Drayco's wild slash upward. It missed him completely, but Alkioth would take no chances.

Alkioth lowers his stance a bit, saying wryly, "Godspeed, my friend."

Drayco was lucky. He turned and nodded. He didn't want to speak. He was afraid his voice might shake and reveal some bit of fear. Instead he started backing up. He left his sword pointed back. He waited. It could be a moment or two before he could try what was needed.

Alkioth watched as Drayco nodded, and began to back away from him. Alkioth pursued him slowly, steadily, with long footsteps. Suddenly Alkioth lunged forward, bringing his broadsword down in a slash at Drayco's left shoulder.

"En guard!"

Alkioths movement was just what he needed. Drayco spun, towards the blade. He let his right knee drop and brought himself under the blade. he slid across the ground and brought the sword at Alkioth's wrist.

Alkioth's eyes widened for a moment, in mild surprise and deep concentration. He immediately jerked to the right for a moment, bringing his buckler down hard against Drayco's broadsword. There were a few sparks, and a loud KUH-WANG!! rang out. The buckler vibrated a bit from the block, Alkioth's left arm wavering slightly.

Alkioth jerked his right elbow back, bringing the broadsword around -- then he shot his arm forward, jabbing down at Drayco's chest.

"RAH!" he roared suddenly, mid-attack; eyes fiery with battle fury.

Drayco rolled backwards as Alkioth ran forward at him. As he rolled he brought he left leg up, deflecting the with his boot. He hit his shoulders and forced the roll to continue. Drayco finished the roll to his feet and brought the blade in a shallow arc. He's good. is what he wanted to say.

A roar is what came out.

Drayco had dropped into another roll, parrying Alkioth's attack with his boot. He was fortunate to have caught the flat of Alkioth's sword. But Alkioth paid no mind, and ran forward after Drayco. However, he was careful -- he led with his buckler, body angled to the right. He would not be caught off guard. He refused to.

Alkioth lunged back, avoiding the arc motion of Drayco's blade as Drayco roared back at him. Alkioth raised his sword, angling it forward at Drayco -- he even leaned forward, moving his buckler continuously in small motions. Up, right, left, down, up-right, down-left. All around. His feet were moving continuously, as well.

Alkioth let a wry grin appear on his lips, and let but one word slip his lips: "Continuez."

Drayco was confused by the sheild. Alkioth was good, and Drayco had no shield. He did the only thing he could think to do.

He brought his sword in a wide arc, and let it fly mid swing. it spun through the air, past Alkioth's buckler and stuck into a wall. Drayco spun to the left, right, forward and back at random. He resembled a dancer doing an absurd routine. As Alkioth neared he lashed out with his boot, curling his knee past the buckler, trying to catch it and tear it from him.

Alkioth watched as Drayco's facial expression changed. Perhaps Alkioth's movements were giving him an advantage. But suddenly Drayco did the unthinkable -- he disarmed himself. The large, cumbersome weapon flew through the air, past Alkioth, and embedded itself in a wooden wall. Drayco then began to spin around.

Perhaps he learned from mine own movements, he thought for a second.

But thinking had only distracted Alkioth. Drayco managed to kick outward, and got his boot caught on Alkioth's shield. It was torn from him, and Alkioth roared in pain -- his arm felt like it was almost going to come off as well.

Letting out another roar, Alkioth jabbed his broadsword down hard at the leg Drayco was standing on, aiming for his thigh muscle.

Drayco caught sight of the moving blade and leapt backwards. The tip tore into his flesh. He felt pain explode throughout his leg. He had to block it out quickly, and he had to reach his blade. he began his abnormal dance. This time taking the steps wider and faster. He played the pain to his advantage. Everytime his foot touched the ground it bolted pain up his leg, making him move again. He began to speed up faster and faster.

Then broke into a dead bolt. He rushed past Alkioth, but not without striking. Drayco dropped to the ground and slide, putting his left arm out, aimed at the warriors legs. He slide across the ground and pulled his arm back at the last moment.

Drayco stood and rushed, in zigs and zags, making sure a clear shot couldn't be made.

Alkioth stood back for a moment, a bit of blood dripping from the tip of his sword. He'd caught Drayco in the thigh, and the pain would be increasingly slowly within his thigh, no doubt, for a few minutes. Eventually, however, it would numb out -- depending how deep the cut was.

Drayco was dancing about, slowly getting faster. But then he bullrushed Alkioth. As Drayco pulled his left arm back, Alkioth spun about -- slashing downward at Drayco's midsection, hoping to strike a shallow cut along his side as he took a step to the right, trying to keep his blade in-line with Drayco's body.

Drayco had managed to slip from the blade's deadly grasp. He reached his sword, but didn't retrieve it. He stood and waited. Staring at Alkioth, noticing the line down the front of his chest. The blade only touched the tunic, which he thanked God for. He put his arms behind his back, and stared forward.

Drayco's eyes burned. The pain in his leg was fading slowly, very slowly. He watched Alkioth, trying to plan his next move.

Alkioth stood there, a good three or four cubits from Drayco. Drayco's tunic had been cut, and Alkioth smiled. But Alkioth's arm was tense. Wielding a broadsword was not easy. Alkioth eyed Drayco, slowly stepping back and to the right. When his boots touched the ground, he eased his weight onto each foot. He would not slip or lose balance.

"Pray-tell you're not finished," Alkioth said, almost jokingly, still moving backward.

Just as Drayco was to reply, Alkioth broke into a quick rush for his buckler.

The motion was quick, and deft. The blade flew from the wall and at Alkioth's buckler. The blade peirced the center and stuck it to the ground. Drayco to advantage of Alkioth's rush and joined in.

Drayco leapt. Not at Alkioth but at the blade. As he passed over he wreched the blade from the ground, the buckler still attached. "Must even the odds you see," he said as he took the buckler off, and flung it over the wooden wall.

"Must even the odds, you see," Drayco said as he was taking the buckler off his broadsword.

"But of course!" Alkioth shot back as he lunged forward, quickly thrusting his broadsword at Drayco's right tricep with both hands wrapped around the hilt of his broadsword. He was hoping to sever the tricep, which would render Drayco's right arm nearly useless.

Drayco brought his sword in a flat-side swing. it clanged on Alkioth's blade and made a sparks and a ear-piercing screech as the blades rubbed together. he put pressure on his sword, trying to force the man back. But he knew he would lose to brute strength.

So he made a kick. Aimed for the man's groin. It was a cheap shot, he knew. But when in a fight, a cheap shot can save your life.

Alkioth's muscles tightened as their swords clung together. Sparks flew, some landing in Alkioth's short-cropped hair -- others bouncing off his armor and disappearing into the air like fireflies. Drayco put pressure onto Alkioth's broadsword. Alkioth stood steady.

Suddenly Drayco kicked for Alkioth's groin. Alkioth immediately drops a step back, letting Drayco's broadsword push Alkioth's sword downward, which quickens the motion of Alkioth's sword coming down at Drayco's leg. Even if Drayco's kick would connect, no doubt he would lose his leg.

Drayco stopped the sweep of his leg toward the mans groin. Instead he gave Alkioth the choice. He swung his blade in another flat-side swing towards the warriors head. He could defend one or the other. But not both. He kicked again, at the soldiers side, bringing his knee to the mans kidney.

In a split second, Alkioth sees the swing of Drayco's blade and senses the kick at his kidney. Suddenly Alkioth drops to one knee, wincing at the pain of such a sudden drop. Drayco's broadsword whizzes past his head as Alkioth's body turns to the right as he slashes violently at Drayco's leg.

I must win...I must! Drayco felt the blade touch his leg. But he kept it moving, towards Alkioth's temple. He knew he had to connect, or else he had no chance. Pain flooded him. He lashed himself in his mind, but even the pain couldn't stop him.

Alkioth closes his eyes as his blade makes contact with Drayco's leg, knowing what is about to happen.

Drayco continues his kick at Alkioth's head, and Alkioth's broadsword cuts through the muscle, tendon, to the bone. A hellish THW-CCARK-THPLAT!! is heard as the sword finishes its slash

Please forgive me, O' Lord, Alkioth prays.

Drayco's eyes went wide an he dropped to the ground. It was over. As he fell he brought his sword at Alkioth's sword arm. he put enough pressure that if he conected it would sever his shoulder.

Alkioth opens his eyes, blood all over his face. Drayco's severed leg hits the ground, and Drayco falls. Drayco lets loose one last final desperate slash, which Alkioth easily -- but sadly -- parries to the left. Drayco's blade gleans across Alkioth's breastplate, making an ear-curdling EEEEE!!! before cutting his left bicep. Drayco's attack misses only because Alkioth is facing to the right of where Drayco falls.

"Ah!" he whispers, wincing.

He is out of breath. His muscles burn from the duel, and his bicep feels as if it is on fire. He closes his eyes, thanking God for the victory, and praying to Him that Drayco will recover from his wounds.

Drayco lay on the ground. "Finish me...please" is all he says. He knew that he would never fight again. He was finished.

The words "Finish me" broke Alkioth's heart. He could not finish one who was already defeated. Alkioth closed his eyes, holding back tears. His knuckles were white from gripping his hilt. He shuddered for a moment.

Dear Lord, please, please let there be a Cleric nearby. Do not let this man die here, now, at my hands. I take responsibility for his death, and it would be my dishonor. Please, O' Lord. Show him mercy.

Alkioth couldn't even answer Drayco.

Alkioth

Tactics: 8 (Good job, you showed thought, and some tactics in your posts. The reason you lost points is there weren't many "whys" involved. Typically, if you do something, you should state WHY it's possible. This is touched upon by Tokki's post I copied in the Rules thread. - But not bad.)

Regulation: 9 (Mainly because you didn't use any skills. That's well within a Knights parameters, but you would have gotten a 10 if you had used just one or two.)

Quailty: 7 (They were a little short, and lacked detailed descriptions, but it's a good start.)

Fairness: 10 (No forced hits, good job!)

Technicaility: 10 (Again an excellent job, you took damage and still managed to realistically avoid your opponent's blows to a large extent.)

Overall: 8.8 Congratulations! :D



Drayco

Tactics: 6 (I didn't see much preplanned stuff, it seemed almost as if you were winging it.)

Regulation: 9 (See above)

Quailty: 6 (Very breif posts, and you used more than two motions a post on more than one occasion. However, it's a starting place - just need to work on getting those posts longer, and remembering that you only have two actions in a post.)

Fairness: 10 (No forced hits, good job!)

Technicaility: 10 (See above)

Overall: 8.2 Congratulations!!




A Very close match indeed! But Alkioth pulled ahead by a hair, and so he moves on into Round 2 while Drayco heads back to the wilderness to train up for the next time. Bad luck having such a tough opponent in the first round, good job though. Congratulations Alkioth! Take some down-time while you wait for Round 2 to begin. :)


Alkioth + 1 Lvl