The Finals!, Alkioth vs. Valcrist!

[Derhlith]

Congratulations you two on making it to the final round! Now... this is a very special duel. You're being taken back in time... 10 years ago. Back to a year before the Second Demon War began. Your fight will be in Tharkas Castle...

The sun was shining and the sky was blue. Birds flew across the Outer Wall, swirling around the Rising Tower ((Note: Rising Tower, On The Eastern Side of the Castle's defenses, looking towards Unluthio. Sun Rises in the East. Get it? :-P)).

Across the battlements stood a few knights garbed in light leathers and armed with Kite Shields and Broadswords, their gazes fixed on the distant horizon. As always the city of white stone with its ivory towers was bustling with activity. Thousands of people lived behind Tharkas' nurturing walls, within the confines of the city.

In the castle, past the Courtyard Wall, amid the myriad green blades of grass, a battle was about to begin.

At the steps into his great hall, the King watched as two warriors prepared to face off against one another in the wind-deprived, sunny courtyard of grass and stone. The arena is round, and there are a few rosebeds planeted on the Northern and Southern ends of the yard, adjacent to the entryway to the Castle, and the entryway to the rest of the city. Standing there, too, were other Knights prepared to protect the King against any wanton malice or harm wrought from the fires of this battle that was about to take place.

The horn blew, and the blades were ready.

[Alkioth]

The stuble upon his face was three days old. It was thick, but not too long. His brown hair was dirty and damp with sweat. He had not bathed since his return from the foray into a bandit encampment. Although no bandits had been found in the past few weeks, the conflicts continued. Rumors spread that the bandits were not, in fact, bandits at all -- but something else. This was pure nonsense.

Within Tharkas Castle, things seemed as they always had. The walls were old and a bit worn, but glorious in age. One could not imagine such a display without having earned it, and earned it Tharkas Castle had. Stone, oak, and steel. The castle was grand, but not so grand as to separate itself from the people. The people looked upon it with a humble pride -- Alkioth of Nemenske had felt it as a boy; now he felt that same humble pride in service to Tharkas.

"Sire, your presence is required in the courtyard," the servant said, bowing a bit as he spoke to Alkioth.

Alkioth looked around a bit, and took note that the hall was deserted. "You do not have to bow, Herbert."

Herbert's eyes widened in surprise: He knows my name! Yet he did not rise.

Alkioth sighed silently. "Thank you, Herbert. May God grant you a pleasant day."

"Godspeed."

Alkioth took a deep breath, and began to walk to the courtyard. He always enjoyed its green grass -- its scent, its touch, even the light dew on it at night. Once, when he had been a little younger, he'd taken a servant girl there. He had felt he loved her, but it was an adolescent love. An immature love, but innocent and loving still. The thought of her tugged at his heart.

He was smiling when he rounded a corner that led to the courtyard. Men were there, guarding the King. Near them was a man who stood away from them, nearly one hundred feet from Alkioth. Even without having been told, Alkioth knew that this man would be his opponent.

A horn blew, and Alkioth drew his blade.

[Valcrist]

((OOC note: Ten years prior to the present time frame, Valcrist would be about fifteen, making him way too young to participate in the tournament. Sure Tonio did, but hey, he's a special circumstance. So I'm just keeping Valcrist at his present state, which means he's 25-ish and still knows Alkioth.))

Valcrist waited patiently in the hall of the king. His right hand rested calmly on the pommel of his rapier, his left hung at his side, fingers drumming lightly against his thigh from nervous habit. He had progressed to the finals, a miraculous occurrence in his mind. This realization did please him, but without a doubt this final match would prove the most challenging yet. For a second Valcrist began to question his ability, but quickly cleared his mind of negative thought.

Whatever happens, happens. Luck must have played some role in my making it this far, but I can't be that bad to actually progress as far as the finals. I must trust my skill. A clear head and a quick arm are what I will need to see victory this day.

His mind focused, Valcrist heard the faint echo of footsteps, quickly followed by the sound of a horn. The duel had officially started, and Valcrist was as ready as he could be. He drew his weapons and assumed his familiar stance, rapier for parrying held high in his left hand and broadsword slightly lower in his right. Valcrist turned to face his opponent, and was momentarily stunned.

"Well I'll be damned." Remembering Alkioth's religious position, Valcrist checked himself. "Er, sorry. You caught me off guard though. I hadn't been expecting to run into you here. Although given the skill I witnessed in you earlier, I suppose it should come as no surprise."

Valcrist did not alter his stance, though he had no reason to fear a dishonest attack from this man. The two were familiar with each other and Alkioth was one of the only men Valcrist would tentatively call friend. But while Valcrist had seen Alkioth on the battlefield he had never sparred with him before. That Alkioth possessed skill was unquestionable, but Valcrist did not know exactly what to expect from his opponent.

At the least this will be interesting. And indeed, an honor.

[Alkioth]

Alkioth's stern face changed to a warm-hearted smile as he recognized his friend Valcrist. Valcrist stood in his unique stance, a stance Alkioth had only seen performed by Valcrist. It was perplexing, but obviously effective.

"Wow!" Alkioth exclaimed, unable to hide his surprise. "It is a pleasure and an honor to see you again, my friend. I have missed you!"

He had lowered his guard just a bit: the broadsword was wielded down and to the right, but his buckler was ahead of him. No reason existed to doubt Valcrist and his intention, but Alkioth had to be sure. A well-placed jab would sever his left arm's ability to function, and that was something that could not be allowed to happen.

"It is no surprise to see you here, my friend." Alkioth smiled, although he knew that they would have to fight; however, it would not be a fierce fight. It would be a spar between two friends -- at least as much as they could consider one-another friends. Alkioth never made the jump too early, although it tugged at his heart not to do so.

An uncomfortable silence would pass before Alkioth would do anything. Finally: "Shall we?" he asked, taking a conservative lunge forward, leading a bit with his buckler.

[Valcrist]

Valcrist smiled.

"Let's"

He was glad to have Alkioth as his opponent. Regardless of the outcome of the duel Valcrist was sure that he would be pleased. If he won, then he would be grateful for succeeding in the tournament; if he lost, he could think of no one to whom he would rather lose, or who he would rather see emerge from the competition victorious.

Valcrist took a brisk step forward himself and met Alkioth's buckler with a quick tap from his rapier. It was not exactly an offensive move; more it was a sign that the battle had begun in earnest, regardless of the lack of hostile feelings between the two combatants. Valcrist retreated a half step, then brought his broadsword forward in an honest thrust, aiming at Alkioth's torso. It was not a powerful maneuver, but it's simplicity allowed Valcrist to move into an offensive or defensive position with ease, depending upon Alkioth's reaction to the attack.

"I have a proposition for you. Frankly I'm more interested in a test of skill than in mangling each other, so why don't we settle this in a more traditional fashion? What do you say to announcing the victor at the first solid hit to be dealt? He who deals the blow shall be the winner, and no hard feelings after that. Is this to your liking?"

[Alkioth]

As Valcrist stepped forward, Alkioth lept back a bit; Valcrist's rapier tapped against Alkioth's buckler, which was outstretched a bit due to the way in which he'd lept. Valcrist followed up with a forward thrust of his broadsword, to which Alkioth lept aside of and batted the broadsword a bit with his buckler. Had Alkioth been facing anyone else, he would have followed up with a jab at his opponent's exposed side.

"I have a proposition for you," Valcrist said, explaining his idea to Alkioth.

Bowing his head a bit and smiling, Alkioth replied, "Wonderful idea. Bonne chance!"

Alkioth, too, was honored to spar Valcrist; essentially his only friend. It was a friendship in its infancy, but a friendship nonetheless. He was proud both him and his friend had battled their way to the top of the tournament. Neither would walk away a loser, nor would they be bitter.

Standing to Valcrist's left, Alkioth lowered his stance a bit, ready for Valcrist's next move, smiling.

[Valcrist]

Ok, time to get serious Valcrist...well, not too serious.

Valcrist chuckled to himself, then began to duel in earnest. He stepped forward again to being at sword-length with Alkioth, then began his attack. Keeping his broadsword ready at his side, he feinted high at Alkioth's chest with his rapier, then quickly brought it down to slash across his opponent's thighs. When using the rapier, Valcrist had to be careful to keep his maneuvers quick and his grip loose. A solid hit from Alkioth's broadsword would smash the flimsy steel of Valcrist's left-hand weapon like a brittle leaf under a blacksmith's hammer. With a loose grip, at least the weapon would be tossed from Valcrist's hand rather than destroyed completely.

Valcrist frowned at this thought; after his last duel he had found his rapier lying in the mud with the blade snapped off, just above the hilt. Valcrist could not be certain how it had happened exactly, but he was thankful for being granted a replacement in the tournament. The new blade Valcrist wielded was not balanced quite as well, but for the most part it could escape complaint. As Valcrist raised his broadsword a bit while finishing the motion of his rapier he hoped the new sword could carry him through this duel at least.

[Alkioth]

Alkioth grinned as he leapt back a bit again. The tip of the rapier connected with Alkioth's necklace, which he had forgotten to tuck in his shirt. Immediately Valcrist slashed downward at Alkioth's thigh, to which he defended with a quick swipe of the buckler.

Alkioth was proud and honored to be dueling his friend Valcrist, who had proved his mettle (and metal) in battle and, obviously, in the tournament. The match would prove, or at least he hoped, to be quite interesting.

"En guard," Alkioth said playfully, stepping forward and lightly thrusting the broadsword down at Valcrist's left shin. If it connected it would only be a slight gash and nothing else. Normally he would have followed up with a hard slam to the chest from his buckler, but this was his friend he was dueling -- not to mention Valcrist was wielding two weapons.

[Valcrist]

Once again, Valcrist was amused at the situation. There was nothing directly humorous about the predicament, but Valcrist was pleased to know that Alkioth felt comfortable enough in his presence to hold back somewhat.

Well, that's fine. I believe I'll stop holding back myself in a bit though. I'm interested in testing Alkioth's skill...hopefully I'm competent enough to test his limits as well.

Valcrist brought his broadsword down in front of his body to confront Alkioth's, meeting his opponent's blade and then running his sword along its inside. The familiar sound of metal meeting metal reverberated through the air for a moment as Valcrist held his broadsword's position. After a short pause, Valcrist turned his back to Alkioth so as to still keep his sword in a defensive position, then raised his left arm to bring the pommel of his rapier against Alkioth's left side.

Stop you fool! Valcrist's common sense had kicked in, and instead of following through with the bludgeoning attack, he completed his spin and brought his rapier down to the space previously occupied by his broadsword. Had Valcrist followed through with the attack it almost assuredly would have met Alkioth's buckler, and Valcrist's broadsword would have been too distant from Alkioth to be of much use in parrying another attack. In his current position, Valcrist had his broadsword free to parry again, and raised his blade preemptively, expecting another attack from his enemy.

[Alkioth]

Alkioth's investigative "attack" was met as it should have been: with an easy parry. Valcrist had spun around, undoubtedly to strike with the hilt of his rapier. With Valcrist's back turned, Alkioth raised his left foot to strike his back (instinctively, Alkioth had already readied his buckler to crash into the hilt of the rapier). Even had it been a real match, Alkioth would not have been dishonored; the strike, if it had connected, would only have knocked his opponent off-balance. Nothing fatal.

Alkioth was surprised: Valcrist changed his strategy in mid-attack. It was either strategy or a change of will; either way, it saved Valcrist from what could have been a deadly strike had he been fighting an opponent without scruples.

As a result of the kick, Alkioth had to hop forward, or risk being knocked off-balance -- the exact thing he had almost done to Valcrist. Having hopped forward, Alkioth was just behind Valcrist -- without thought or intent, Alkioth immediately, almost as a reactionary impulse, went to use his buckler to shove Valcrist away from him. ("He-yah!" Alkioth had shouted in excitement.) If the buckler connected, it would only cause some slight soreness in the back of the ribs on Valcrist's right side -- the strike would not be hard enough to harm him, but would get Valcrist an adequate distance away.

Alkioth would be prepared for whatever came next, for -- if the shove connected -- undoubtedly Valcrist would spin around and strike at Alkioth.

[Valcrist]

As Valcrist completed his spin, Alkioth jumped behind Valcrist's right side and then rushed the off-balance knight with his buckler. Valcrist might have been able to set up a counter attack, perhaps by attempting to spin again and push off against the shield, but this was not to be. With his footing not fully regained from the blunder with the rapier, Valcrist was forced to take the hit as well as possible and then put his effort into trying to remain upright afterward. It took only a second or two to regain his footing, but Valcrist hoped that that would not be enough time for Alkioth to set up another attack. He wasted no time in assessing the situation though. As soon as he had regained some leverage Valcrist pushed off against the ground and attempted to ram Alkioth with his left shoulder, keeping his right arm with broadsword to his side. That he was most likely going to collide with a buckler was not paramount in Valcrist's mind. The odds of Alkioth having been able to set up a thrust or slash fast enough to skewer Valcrist were slim to none, and that would be much more uncomfortable than running one's shoulder into a shield. Comparatively, the buckler didn't seem so bad. And Valcrist's intent was not to injure Alkioth, but to push him hard enough to cause a loss in balance - or at least in locked knees.

After the shoulder rush, Valcrist immediately used all the strength he could muster to smash his broadsword into the back of Alkioth's knees, hopefully either ruining his opponent's stance or knocking him to the ground completely. Valcrist was not worried about his friend's well-being; the flat of the blade was used, and at the most would cause only minor cuts to Alkioth's hamstrings. And even in that situation the wounds would be healed up in a matter of days.

[Alkioth]

Valcrist's shoulder slammed into Alkioth's buckler, which in turn bounced into Alkioth's chest. He stumbled back a bit, ready to send his broadsword in a friendly jab at Valcrist's midsection -- However, Valcrist had followed up with a sweep-like strike at Alkioth's knees.

Alkioth wasn't in a position to block or parry with either his buckler or broadsword, and thus had three options: get hit, and fall; jump back, more than likely getting cut still and losing any tactical advantage; or charge ahead in another attack. The third option would be chosen, but not without some loss.

Knowing the side and back of his left thigh would be cut enough to impede future mobility, Alkioth charged ahead, releasing a harsh Clarrion Call, boosting his strength and courage. This would knock Valcrist back again, and due to the positioning of Alkioth's body and arms, Valcrist's best counter would be with his rapier.

Alkioth laughed a bit, turning a shade red. "I hope you are fine still; I get excited," Alkioth said, apologizing for the Call, not wanting to appear careless.

[Valcrist]

It was a solid hit. Valcrist, yet again slightly off-balance from the position in which his attack had put him, stumbled backwards several feet.

He's strong. Moreso than I am I'd wager. Although, that isn't too surprising, considering the look of his build.

Once more regaining his footing, Valcrist raised his rapier, ready to continue the attack. But he stopped. The little shoving match had been interesting, but hardly proper. Alkioth's attitude was perfectly appropriate, and Valcrist couldn't help but feel a little ashamed for the somewhat cheap shot against his friend's knees. Checking to see if any damage had been done, Valcrist noticed small traces of blood. He averted his gaze.

"My apologies as well." Valcrist lowered his rapier and entertained a brief bow. "I had not intended such a cut with that last attack. I overstepped my bounds." Valcrist raised both weapons again, this time in his usual stance, rapier forward and broadsword slightly to the side. "I believe I initiated the last attack. Whenever you're ready."

Time to get defensive. This would be easier if my ribs weren't sore from Alkioth's buckler...but that was a fair and well-placed attack. I'll have to be careful not to expose myself like that again. He's good though. Probably better than I am, and seeingly with more physical force...if this gets really serious I'll need to get creative to capture a victory.

[Alkioth]

Alkioth smiled and bowed a bit, putting most of his weight on his right leg. "Pas du tout; it's nothing at all."

Alkioth was bleeding -- there were two or three cuts, and they stung; however, the cuts were clean and not too deep. Mild discomfort would be the only problem for the day, and perhaps the next few.

He took a few steps to the right, slowly gauging his friend. His friend had important advantages: speed, skill, two weapons. Alkioth had a few distinct and important traits as well -- in essence, they were about evenly matched.

"En guard, mon ami," he said, grinning, raising his broadsword up to about chest level -- his forearm muscles beginning to bulge a bit. His muscles were beginning to ache, and his joints screamed. A glisten of sweat was over his arms: broadswords were heavy, and a challenge to be wielded with both arms. Both Alkioth and Valcrist were just two of the very few who possessed the physical and mental control that was needed for wielding with one arm.

With a grunt, Alkioth stepped forward and jabbed the broadsword ahead, in the general direction of Valcrist's midsection. The attack was another "probe" of sorts, merely intended to provoke a response. However, an improper block or parry would more than likely result in a punctured gut or cut arm. Nothing too serious, however, of course.

[Valcrist]

Glad that didn't turn out any worse. I suppose I shouldn't worry myself so much though. Alkioth put forth his attack. Being cautious again. And apparently much more so than I was with my first attack. Well, it's definitely to his credit. I should show the same care. Valcrist stepped to his right and met the thrust with the base of his rapier's blade. He wasn't yet confident enough with it's strength to try for a less conservative parry; a strong enough blow to the middle of the rapier's blade would probably have enough force to break the sword.

Best not to push my luck.

But Valcrist did allow some risk to find its way into his technique. As he parried Alkioth's thrust, Valcrist brought his broadsword up to his left shoulder, exposing his side for a moment, then let loose a powerful horizontal slash at Alkioth. Dubbed "Brave Slash" by most knights of the day, Valcrist actually interpereted the maneuver as being somewhat foolish. Though powerful, it lacked any defensive strength. Nevertheless, Valcrist found himself using it fairly often.

I must be a hypocrite. Well, not to worry this time. It's doubtful Alkioth can get his broadsword close enough to parry with in time, so I shouldn't have too much fear of a stabbing. And most likely he won't have any problems raising his buckler to defend himself. It will tire me out more quickly, it is true...But it might tire out Alkioth's shield arm as well, and perhaps put him on the defensive. Now I just need to worry about the retaliatory attack that's probably about to come my way.