Open Show Off! [Roy Kingsfield]

[Ereck Darkshade]

Ereck regarded the young man in front of him. It seemed like they were of a similar mind when it came to certain things. It was nice to discuss a small hobby with someone who did the same things in their pastime. "The job's fine. It pays the bills." Ereck shrugged slightly and focused back on the task at hand. He stepped back from the wall to let the man give it a try. The fact that he mentioned having an idea about what went wrong was interesting to Ereck, who had no clue at the moment why he always seemed to lose balance when he tried the move. He watched as the young man ran for the wall and made an attempt at the move. While he was impressed by its relative success, Ereck was glad that the young man couldn't quite achieve it either. For a moment he watched him flail arms and spin around but then he stopped without falling. Impressed and a little jealous that the man hadn't fallen, Ereck faced him and listened to his explanation. "Sounds... Hmm... that might indeed be the problem." Ereck agreed and nodded slightly as the other man walked over to the wall and positioned himself quite close to it. Close enough to be within reach of the move should Ereck attempt it. For a moment, Ereck tried to process what he heard and then he gave a nod. It made sense that a move needed a solid target to practice on. Especially a fighting move. "It'll come from the left." Ereck mentioned as he backed off a little. He felt it necessary to warn his intended target of a roundhouse kick before attempting the move. From his distance to the wall, Ereck looked at the young man for a moment, trying to determine his height and how he would have to jump in order to kick him in the face. He made little bouncy jump on the solid ground before dashing forward, taking big steps as he ran past the young man. His left foot came up and planted itself on the wood of the wall as he kicked off with his right foot, dragging it over his outstretched leg. As his right foot joined his left he pushed away and to the side from the wall, spinning his body around as his leg kicked around. His mid air spin brought his foot a little lower than shoulder height of his opponent. His foot connected hard with the man's hands and the sudden solid object in the way landed Ereck on his left foot. His torso decided to twist further and, with his leg stuck against the other man, Ereck felt himself falling backwards. His arms flailed out and he hoped on his left foot trying to keep his balance as he jumped around a little until he could bring his right foot down and balance himself. "Aimed a little too low." Ereck looked at the young man to decide if he was hurt or not. He didn't bother voicing it. "You want to give it a try?" Ereck asked as he positioned himself at roughly the same distance from the wall. He dug his feet in, one foot a little back to help stabilize him on impact, both his hands up near his face to protect it. As he had kicked a little too low, Ereck kept his hands a little lower, near shoulder height.

[Roy Kingsfield]

Day 15 of Winter in the Year 513 AV

Roy’s eyes followed the motion of the night guard as he ran across the dirt floor to the wall. Roy grounded himself, bending his knees, bracing for the impact. The man touched the wall and shoved off, spinning through the air.


The foot slammed into Roy’s barrier and he tried to resist the urge to stumble to the side. He pushed the opposite direction of the blow, trying to even out the distribution of the weight. But it didn’t seem like he was successful because the man’s leg seemed to remain where it was as gravity took its toll on him.


The night guard stumbled as his balance was slightly off and he staggered, trying to remain upright. Roy stepped to the side and allowed the man to get his body under control. Finally, he managed to stand upright.


Roy dusted his hands off, “Not bad, not bad. I assume if someone got hit in the head they would stagger to the side, instead of remaining like a solid rock. I didn’t think of that until afterwards. I don’t know if it would have made a huge difference or not.”


Roy shrugged and moved to the far wall to try it out for himself as his new acquaintance positioned himself properly in the same stance Roy himself was in previously.


Roy shook out his arms and rolled his neck. He sprinted towards the wall, brushing past the man. His foot shoved off the ground, moments later, his other foot planted itself on the wall. As his foot left contact with the ground, he pushed off hard against the wall as he coiled the muscles in his abdomen.
In a burst of motion, he released the tension in his body and his lower torso whipped through the air. He struggled to maintain a straight leg and back as the momentum swung him around towards the night guard’s hands.


His foot slammed into the barricade and came to an abrupt halt. For a split second, Roy knew exactly what the darkly clothed man had been referring to when his body continued its rotation and threatened to overcorrect. Roy flexed his stomach and core in an attempt to stop his body from continuing its revolution.


He had a brief moment of pride as he managed to keep his body under control. Until his foot touched ground.


While he managed to stop his upper body from over rotating, he had forgotten what would happen as his foot touched the ground. As his leg had connected with the man’s hands and instinctively shoved back, Roy found his lower body spinning in the other direction causing him to jerk sideways and stumble against the wall.


Roy winced as his back slammed into the wall. He managed to avoid cracking his head against the wall. Nonetheless, he wasn’t pleased with the results of his execution.


“Well, that didn’t go as planned...again.” He gingerly pushed off the wall. “As much as I enjoy acrobatics, they sure are hard to perform. I’m going to need a lot more practice before I am actually good at this stuff.”


Roy could feel his body slowly tensing up. He knew he was going to be sore for the next couple of days. Even small amounts of strenuous activity took its toll on his body.


“So you do this all night long?”

[Ereck Darkshade]

Ereck thought about the man's words for a bit. It was true that they were not really playing the scene out exactly as it would happen in real life, but then again it wouldn't play out that way anyway in the heat of a chase or battle. For the moment it was just about practicing and getting the basic hang of the move. Practical experience could be gained later on when one of them was actually being chased. "Maybe you're right. Let's just try it like this for you as well and then we can make adjustments afterwards." Ereck said as he braced himself in the dirt. He dug his feet into the ground and looked back as the young man distanced himself from the wall. As the man rushed past him, Ereck brought his hands up to his face and leaned a little into the direction the kick would come from. While he didn't particularly like waiting to get hit in the face he had been given the chance so he had to pay back that little debt he had. He watched as the young man ran up to and kicked himself off the wall. The whipping of his leg was quick and the impact followed right after. The foot hit his hands with a dull smack and the shock of the impact shuddered through his arms and shoulders. And it hurt. The palms of his hands stung and his shoulder felt tense and bruised, even though it hadn't been touched directly. It seemed that the young man wasn't off as well as Ereck had been. He smacked with a cracking noise into the wall and seemed to blank out for a moment as he stood there. But then he moved away from it and spoke to Ereck. He was glad the man wasn't hurt too badly, besides the most likely bruising on his back. "It's not like these things come over night, you know. The ideas might but the experience doesn't." He shrugged but understood what the other man meant. It was fun and exhilarating to do these stunts and soar through the air for those moments but at the same time it was dangerous for the one practicing. A wrong move or two and you could be out of the game forever. Ereck thought about the questions for a moment. "Not all night long. But whenever I start to feel sleepy. But only when it feels safe, you know. Can't slack off on the job. It wakes you up quickly once you realize that a wrong move might end you up with broken bones or worse." Ereck gave a half grin as he shrugged again. "How about you? You seem to know a lot about it as well." Ereck brought his hand up to his shoulder as he rolled it around and then started rubbing it. His palms still stung from the impact and his shoulder felt like he had been kicked there. He stretched for a moment, turning his head left and right and digging his fingers in his shoulder to try and massage it a little. "You mentioned that it wouldn't work unless we move with the kicks, right, like people would do if they were running after you. Maybe we should try it like that? I chase you towards the wall and you kick me like we're practicing? I'll make sure to keep my guard up but it should give more of a real experience, right? Or is that too dangerous?" There was the smallest hint of a challenge in Ereck's dark voice when he spoke the last sentence. Of course it was dangerous but not so much that they couldn't take certain precautions, like keeping their arms up as a shield, in order to prevent knock outs and broken bones. "I'll chase you first, if you want."

It

[Roy Kingsfield]

Day 15 of Winter in the Year 513 AV

“Hey man, it’s a better job than what I got goin’ on.” Roy crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. The bruising on his back announced itself and he winced having forgotten about his injury. He leaned back up from the wall.


“I’m stuck working as a candle maker with my father. At least you get to do what you want.” Roy scowled. “So tell me, do you run off many thieves? Most are pretty cowardly around here. But if they get desperate enough, I can see you having your hands full.”


Roy thought about his past experiences. “Ehh, I like to keep in shape. It’s a good way to blow off steam. Plus, like you were saying, it’s really helpful in a fight. I tend to…get into those frequently.”


Roy grinned wryly. His new acquaintance seemed like he could appreciate a good fight. It didn’t seem like he was into hand to hand combat as much as he was with a weapon. Roy eyed the bladed weapon on his belt curiously. He noted the chain, not really sure how it was operated. He was more comfortable using his hands, he’d leave the cutting to other people.


“…it should give us some real experience, right? Or is that too dangerous?” Roy heard the edge in his voice, a veiled challenge. A glint entered the youth’s eyes as he narrowed them, a small grin forming at the corner of his mouth.


“Oh you’re on.” Roy prepared himself once again. Once he was in position he looked towards the man and smirked. “Ready?”


Before he could respond, Roy sprinted towards the wall, feet digging into the ground. Between the two of them, Roy could begin to see a small path they had begun to wear into the dirt after their continual practice of the maneuver against the wall. He could feel his muscles begin to tire, the cuts and bruises began to throb as he pushed his body harder.


He risked a quick glance over his shoulder gauging the distance between himself and his pursuer. Roy dug his foot into the ground and leaped into the air just has he had the few times before, trying to time his movement with his approaching target. This time, instead of planting his foot flat against the wall, he tilted his foot sideways, reducing the motion needed to rotate his foot later in the series of movements.


His foot connected with the wall and found purchase against the rough surface. Roy shoved off the wall and whipped his foot around in an arc. Having placed his foot at a different angle than his previous attempts, his hips opened up easier, giving his rotation a little extra momentum.


Roy’s extended foot whipped through the air. He hoped his timing was right as he went airborne, intending to hit his opponent in the head.

[Ereck Darkshade]

Ereck had to admit that he hadn't really been keeping track of how many people he had or hadn't run off during his jobs. Although now with the winter being in full blast, he had to admit that it seemed that people were more eager to steal from others. "Not really. I don't count." He shrugged, his arms crossed in front of his chest. His palms still tingled but it seemed like the hurt was subsiding. At least there was no permanent or long term damage to them. He let his arms drop next to him and he rubbed his hands together against the cold and the stinging. Ereck managed to conceal most of the grin that flashed to his face when the other one accepted his challenge. Even though he was about to be kicked in the face he was looking forward to it. It would give them both a good understanding of the move and how fundamentally different it was from the practice. Then the man surged away towards the wall and Ereck kicked himself off the ground running after him. He was making an honest attempt at catching the young man but, knowing what was coming, his mind wasn't entirely on the task. The moment his prey pushed off from the ground, Ereck's outstretched hands retracted and moved up next to his face. He didn't stop his run however, fully intent on running into his prey should the kick fail somehow. Expecting the blow, however, made Ereck lean a little more towards it, an reflexive attempt at defense. Once more, for a moment, Ereck could see how the other young man's skill and form were better than his. To Ereck it was mostly moving his body the way he imagined it but it seemed that to his practice partner, it was more than just that. The kick came hard as it suddenly lashed off from the wall and towards his face. Even though he had been expecting it, the impact, combined with the running momentum he carried, floored Ereck as quick as if he had dove to the ground. His hands blocked the foot that was aimed for his head but it did little to nothing to mitigate the damage. His hands smacked into his face and the impact of the kick whipped Ereck's head in the same direction. Without the stability he previously had when he was standing still, there was nothing to help Ereck to keep his balance and his body hit the frozen ground with a hard crack that knocked the wind out of him. Coughing and gasping for air, Ereck tried to roll away from the young man, his arms covering his head. His head hurt and stars were exploding in front of his eyes. The side that had cracked down on the ground pulsed with every heartbeat as pain flared through it. When finally his lungs managed to suck in air and refill themselves Ereck came to a rolling halt on the ground, his back to the other man. His coughing continued for a moment as he breathed desperately for new lung fulls of air. After a moment he quieted down and rolled on his stomach and pushed himself up. Sitting on his knees, Ereck looked up at his training partner. "Effective." He managed between breaths, his voice a little croaked. His fingers were probing his ribs to make sure everything was fine but it seemed that the worst damage had been temporary aside from some bruises. The bruises stung with every breath now and Ereck pushed himself up from the ground and back on his feet. "Give me a moment and then it's your tu-..." Ereck spun around on his feet and faced the tavern as the sounds of laughter and people talking suddenly got louder. The door to the tavern was open and several people streamed out of it. He recognized the owner of the place and the guard that was supposed to help him tonight. "Having fun, children?" The owner's voice was slightly slurred as he stepped out from in between two unsavory types Ereck didn't know. "We'd like a little peek in that place you're protecting to step aside." The man stepped forward as he raised a short sword and pointed it in Ereck's general direction. For a moment, Ereck looked at him and his friends and then passed a glance behind him. He took several steps aside, positioning himself still in the way of the people coming towards the house but also in such a way that he couldn't be attack from behind by his training partner. His hands moved to his belt to take the sickle and chain off of it. With a casual toss and catch, Ereck passed the weight from his left hand to his right. It immediately started spinning around in small circles as he moved his right hand. The left gripped onto the handle of the hand scythe as he held it reversed across his arm, pointing the end of the blade towards the gathered group there. One of them seemed sober or smart enough to step back a ways and slip back into the tavern. "Not going to happen." Ereck's voice had lost all croaking and was steady again. The dark tone of his voice only lent itself more to the threat he made.

[Roy Kingsfield]

Day 15 of Winter in the Year 513 AV

The Sunberthian youth stifled a smile of satisfaction as his blow took the grown man off of his feet. Roy landed his attack, managing to keep his footing this time. He registered the adrenaline rushing through his bloodstream and he felt it roaring in his ears.


Finally, he couldn’t keep the smirk from showing on his face and cracked. “I’d say it’s pretty effective.” He bit back the laughter that bubbled up in his chest and offered a hand to his fallen sparring partner. He had hit him pretty hard, it couldn’t have felt good but he was quite pleased with his maneuver.


Roy was about to respond to the night guard when the tavern doors burst open and a small crowd of men burst from the warmly lit room into the chilly air. He cocked an ear towards the sound, not paying much attention to it. That is, until the three men stopped in front of the alleyway and spoke, his coarse voice ringing out into the night.


“Having fun children?” The man in the middle who seemed to be the “ring leader,” mocked the two. Roy felt a spike of irritation rise up in his chest as he heard the insult. The man’s words slurred together and Roy grunted in disapproval.


“We’d like a little peek in that place you’re protecting, so step aside.”


The man reached for something at his side and pulled out a short sword from its sheath, metal grinding against metal as it was released from its home. He chortled and glanced at the men beside him, the other two men chuckling evilly at the leader’s joke.


Roy glowered at them, irritably. He didn’t really care that they were interested in the warehouse, it bothered him more that they were being unnecessarily annoying.


Plus, he called me a child.


Roy felt flushed from the adrenaline still pumping in his system. He allowed a small grin to form on his lips, one they would not see but it didn’t matter. He had come out that night looking for a fight and it looked like these gentlemen wanted to bless them with their presence.


Roy glanced over at his new acquaintance, wanting to see his reaction to the new development. He was surprised to see him slowly spinning an odd looking contraption on a chain in a circle. He was about to examine the apparent weapon more closely but thought better of it in light of their current situation.


He cracked his neck in both directions and flexed his fingers. “Uhh…you can take the guy with the sword.”


The largest of the three men stepped forward away from the leader, a dagger in one hand. He leered over at Roy, brandishing it. Roy eyed him quickly before he came into combat range.


Okay, he’s bigger than you, he has a longer reach, especially with that dagger. What is it, double edged? About six inches? Okay…he can stab and slice. Roy watched him moved towards him. His stride is a little longer than what someone would normally make which means he’s probably had a little bit too much to drink. His reaction time might be a little delayed and he might swing wider than intended.


That was as far as the youth got before the man lunged. As he predicted, the man swung the blade through the air, intending to slice his opponent across the chest. Roy ducked under the swing, leaped forward, slamming his head into the man’s gut.


The man stumbled back, startled and brought his elbow down, jamming it into Roy’s back. Roy shrugged off the weak attempt, glad the slightly drunk man hadn’t thought to stab him instead. Roy wrapped his arms around the man’s waist, and hooked his leg around behind the larger man’s foot.


Roy jerked his foot backwards, pulling the thug’s leg out from under him. The weight of the youth’s body plus the sudden loss of balance caused the two to tumble to the ground, Roy on top.


He battled for control of the knife as the man attempted to stab Roy with it. He cursed as he struggled to get the young man off of himself. Roy gripped the wrist with the blade in it but before he could wrestle it away, the ruffian punched Roy in the face.


The Sunberthian youth hadn’t been expecting such a quick reaction and grunted as the fist took him in the eye. The man shoved Roy off and stumbled to his feet. Roy quickly joined him and blinked rapidly, trying to clear his vision from the attack.


He only had a few seconds to react as the wannabe thief lunged forward again, intent on stabbing Roy through the heart. Roy managed to throw up a hand, deflecting the blade from its intended target. The knife missed, plunging through the empty space beside him. The lack of contact caused the man to over step, coming a little closer than he had intended.


That was all Roy needed.


He spun on the balls of his heels and grabbed at the extended arm. Grabbing the wrist with both hands, he viciously snapped the arm over his shoulder. The limb made a loud cracking noise at the joint as the pressure ripped ligaments, muscles and bone from their place.


The man screamed as his elbow shattered, the knife falling from his twitching hand. Roy released the arm and spun back around, facing his opponent. The ruffian cradled his broken arm, whimpering as the pain registered in his slightly intoxicated brain.


Roy raised a fist, stomping a foot on the ground. The man stumbled backwards, fearfully. Roy smirked again and kicked the dagger out of reach. He cast an eye around the alleyway, wary of the next attackers.

[Ereck Darkshade]

Ereck passed a quick glance to the side as the youth allowed him to have the one with the biggest weapon. The swordsman looked from the youth to the black clad guard in front of him and smirked. He stepped towards Ereck as the large guy moved towards the other youth. For a moment the swordsman watched the weapon in Ereck's right hand spin through the air before waving a hand forward, sending one of his thugs towards Ereck. The thug looked at his boss and to Ereck before deciding, with a loud shout, to charge right at Ereck. Some people really had no clue as to how to proceed in Sunberth. Who shouted in the middle of the night while trying to rob a place? The chain extended from Ereck's right hand as he loosened his grip on it. The weight and spinning motion pulled more of the chain through as the weight crashed down on the man. But Ereck's move had been miscalculated and the chain hit the man's head, rather than the weight. Instead, the weight smacked into the man's back, knocking one side forward as he screamed in pain. His charge, however, didn't falter. He knocked right into Ereck, using his already twisted body and shoulder as a battering ram to try and knock Ereck off of his feet. At the point of impact, Ereck could see his guard partner and the owner of the tavern, still holding onto the sword, standing in the same spot still, seemingly enjoying the show. Neither seemed to hold either of the young men they were watching in high regard. In reaction to the man's continued charge and elbow, Ereck had spun his body to the right, raising his left arm protectively in front of him. The impact pushed Ereck back but, although painfully, his ribs had managed to block most of the impact. Ereck could visualize the skin turning blue and purple under the man's shoulder. The charge came to a halt as Ereck's feet dug into the ground, stopping him from being pushed back even more. For a moment, both men stood pushing against one another and then the attacker suddenly buckled, his knees giving out. He landed on his knees on the ground and toppled over to the side. As he fell away, the blade of Ereck's hand scythe slipped out of the man's neck, the blood immediately gushing out of the wound and onto the ground. The exotic nature of Ereck's weapon had more often than not saved him. It wasn't often people fought a weight flying through the air while at the same time dodging the curved blade of the sickle. Without another glance to the body, Ereck stepped over the first attacker and focused on the remaining ones. The swordsmen seemed a little less sure of himself while Ereck's now ex-guard partner had turned to face the other youth, pulling what seemed like a metal rod, about an arm's length long, from his belt, pushing aside the whimpering man who had set on the youth at first. Ereck's right hand started spinning the weight around once more as he walked forward to the sword wielding owner of the small tavern. The sudden burst forward surprised Ereck as the man's sword tried to pierce through his throat. It was only the quick drop sideways that kept his head on his shoulders. He could feel the blood trickling down the wound in his neck, where the skin had been parted by the sharp edge of the blade. As he fell, Ereck let the weight shoot upwards towards the swordsman, who jumped backwards, away from the black night leather-clad guard. Ereck rolled away and got back up on his feet, standing up quickly. He held the scythe in front of him, preparing to parry or attack when the moment came. The swordsman was less drunk than he had appeared to be. Ereck cast a quick glance sideways towards the youth he had been practicing with not a moment ago then his eyes focused on the swordsman again. Both men locked eyes as they started circling each other.

[Roy Kingsfield]

Day 15 of Winter in the Year 513 AV

He wasn’t given any time to catch his breathe. Not even a chime passed before one of the men ruthlessly shoved the other ruffian with the broken arm aside and spat at Roy’s feet. He snarled as he pulled a metal rod from his belt, the dull iron faintly reflecting the light from the moon. He swung the arm length rod menacingly.


Roy hesitated momentarily gauging his new rival.


Oh shyke, this guy seems like he knows what he’s doing. At least more than his idiot companion. He doubles my reach with that metal pole of his. He’s petching aggressive. He’s quick too. I think I’d prefer to be stabbed then have my face smashed in…


He shook the thoughts from his mind and grit his teeth, bringing his fists towards his face in his fighter’s stance. He realized this one would not be in his favor.


The metal rod whistled through the air, ready to decapitate him. Roy jerked backwards, narrowly avoiding having his skull crushed. He barely had time to even think of retaliating before the man brought it back around and swung again.


Roy jumped backwards, feeling the jagged tip of the bar, rip through his flesh from his hair line, around his eye to his chin. He grit his teeth, a hiss of pain sneaking through as he felt the rough metal slice through the skin, warm blood welling up from the wound. Blood dripped into his eye, blinding him. He hastily wiped it away, wincing as he touched the wound. His opponent raised the bar, bringing it up, over his head.


Roy was beginning to feel the adrenaline being to wear off and exhaustion began to creep into his muscles. The continual fighting was slowly wearing him down. He needed to end this fight, he wouldn’t be able to keep evading forever.


Roy side stepped, dodging the incoming rod as the seemingly tireless man continued on his war path, bent on destroying the young man. Roy’s breath became more and more ragged as his limbs seemed to grow heavier each passing moment.


You gotta keep fighting. Don’t stop. Keep moving. You stop. You die.


A single thought popped into Roy’s exhausted brain. It was desperate. But it just might work.


I only have one shot at this. Please dear god, let this work…


“Hey arse face, I think I recognize you from somewhere.” Roy panted, trying to get some oxygen into his lungs. “Oh yeah, now I remember, I think I saw your mother at the whorehouse. I can see the resemblance. Man was she cheap.” Roy mimed a provocative motion as he thrust his hips back and forth.


The man roared in rage. Even in the dim light, Roy could see him flush bright red. Roy sprinted away, the man hot on his heels. Time seemed to slow, each foot slamming down onto the well-trodden dirt alley way. The wall loomed closer as Roy sprinted towards it. He resisted the urge to look back at his pursuer.


His vision narrowed as he mentally counted. Roy leaped off the ground. He planted his foot firmly on the coarse surface of the wall, tensing every muscle in his legs and abdomen. A split second later, he shoved off of the building, releasing the pent up energy. He was airborne as his leg whipped through the air, sending him in a 180 degree spin.


His ankle connected with his opponent’s neck, a resounding thud rippling up and down the unsuspecting man’s body. The momentum of the kick and the speed of his original charge, sent the metal wielding man careening into the wall, head first.


His skull connected with the hardened surface with a sickening crunch and he crumbled to the ground. He didn’t get back up.


Roy breathed raggedly, his heart pounding furiously in his chest. He felt light headed and swayed slightly on his feet. The Sunberthian youth grabbed the wall, steadying himself. Adrenaline, having finally worn off, could barely keep his legs from shaking.


All he wanted to do was pass out. But then he remember his partner. He looked around wildly, seeing if he had lived through his own fight.

[Ereck Darkshade]

As Ereck clashed with his opponent it became clear to the young man that he was fighting a very good swordsman. The blade of the sword collided with the steel handle of the scythe as both men tried to push forward and overpower the other. While his skill with the weapon might not be as high as that of his opponent, the nature of Ereck's weapon evened those odds out. Their physical strength was also comparable, neither man being able to push the other away. With a kick towards the man's side, Ereck created a distance between the two of them. Spinning the weight through the air quickly, Ereck let loose the terrible weapon, aimed for the man's head. The swordsman stepped to the side and dodged the weight. As Ereck tried to pull it back, the man stepped on the chain and looked at Ereck. Jumping forward, Ereck slashed at the man with his sickle, clashing the weapon together with the sword, sparks flying. The sudden impact pushed the man back and off the chain, which Ereck quickly pulled back into his hand. He was panting slightly, his body straining from the tension the fight was building up. He could feel his heart pumping in his head and the cut in his neck throbbed with each heart beat. They clashed again as Ereck slashed out. He had to duck to spin away to the right as the sword pierced the space he had occupied a moment before. The night leather showed a cut over his stomach and Ereck felt another wound seeping blood. He blinked quickly as the swordsman headed forward. The swordsman cut from his right upwards and Ereck brought the sickle down to clash with it, pushing the sword downwards. Pulling his head back, Ereck smacked it into the man's nose, a loud crack sounding in the darkness. Blood spurted out of the man's nose as he stumbled back and Ereck swayed on his feet, disoriented by his own attack. He shook his head quickly, trying to clear the fog, before he jumped forward again, the sickle flickering out. The man's sword managed to block the attack and both men lashed out with attacks, parries and blocks. Ereck took a fist in the side, right on the wound as he managed to cut the man's shoulder with a shallow cut. Both men were slowly whittling away at the other. Blood loss was starting to slow Ereck down while the swordsman seemed to be impacted more by his drinking then before. Another clash as both men moved forward, the sword making a shallow cut over Ereck's cheek as the sickle blocked the rest of the strike. With a pull and catch, Ereck shortened the length of the chain and whipped the weight upward at short distance. While it lacked the usual impact, the weight hit home on the man's chin and he staggered backwards until he found his footing. Ereck missed his chance to attack as he tried to focus, clearing his head from the rising fog. He felt heavier than before, slower as he tried to move. The sickle and sword clashed continuously, sparks flying through the air as Ereck did his best to parry and counter attacks from his opponent who constantly drove him away. They jumped back at the same time, creating space as Ereck took the moment to breathe in. His lungs burned with the need for more air and his arms felt like lead as he tried to hold them up. His eyes remained focused on the swordsman and he was glad to see the same signs of fatigue in his opponent. Ereck dared a quick glance sideways to see the young man standing alone next to his fallen opponents. His attention was pulled back to the fight as his opponent jumped forward once more. Ereck's reaction was to spin the weight around in the air and aim for the sword, trying to trap it with the chain. His defense came only moments too late as the sword struck his shoulder. He let out a groan of pain as the chain spun through the air and wound itself around the sword over and over, trapping it. With a jerk of his left hand he pulled the sword out of the man's hand. With pain flaring up through his shoulder Ereck slashed across with his sickle. He could feel the blade cutting skin and flesh but then his opponent was gone. The sword and chain clattered to the ground. With his vision spinning and clouding, Ereck saw the man turn and run. With another grunt, Ereck dropped to his knees, his shoulder burning with pain. He dropped the sickle and reached for his shoulder. He tried to determine the damage but as he touched the wound, the pain flared up and Ereck shouted in pain. It seemed it had been a good cut. He steadied his breathing, willing himself to slow down. His heartbeat pumped blood out of his wounds with every beat, his breathing was ragged and quick as the tried to fill his lungs. His head spun in pain as he leaned on one hand on the ground. As his breathing slowed down, his heart seemed to settle as well, his body coming to a slow. He turned to look at the young man but could focus enough to determine in how bad a shape the young man was. Crawling over to the dead man, Ereck pulled the chain and the sword towards him. With a few one handed cuts, Ereck tore up the man's shirt into strips. While he tried his best not to move his shoulder too much, he could feel the pain and throbbing in it with everything he did. Blackness was welling up in his mind as he took one of the strips and tried to wrap it around his shoulder.

[Roy Kingsfield]

Day 15 of Winter in the Year 513 AV

Roy was about to take off after the third guy when he saw his training partner slowly collapsed to the ground. He hesitated, looking back and forth between the two. The fleeing man disappeared and Roy made up his mind. He ran over to the man clad in black, relying on the last bit of energy he had in his reservoir. He needed to clean the huge cut across his face. But first, he had to make sure Ereck was still alive.


He dropped to his knees, sliding across the dirt as the night guard weakly tried binding his own injury. Roy gently took the strip of fabric out of his hands. “Stop. Let me do that. You need to rest.” Roy had no idea what he was doing. But he knew if he didn’t do anything the man in front of him was going to die of blood loss.


He tried to keep the panic from rising up from within him. He’d much rather fight another opponent than be forced to deal with the consequences of such an incident. Blood dripped from the cut in the man’s neck, dying his black suit red. There was blood everywhere. The night guard was bleeding from the face, from the shoulder, he guessed looking at how he tried to bandage it, blood seeping from between his fingers.


Roy quickly picked up the sword and looked at Ereck. “I’m going to have to cut off your shirt. It’s that or die from blood lose.” Roy set about to his task grimly. He grabbed the fabric from the neck and slowly brought the tip of the blade down, sawing at the material. It was a sharp blade and it quickly cut through the fabric until it was laid completely open.


Roy ripped the sleeves off, completely exposing Ereck’s chest and arms. He grimanced, there was blood everywhere. It was worse than he thought. The night guard had been cut along the stomach as well. He needed stitches.


Badly.


The youth tried to control his breathing and calmly fix up the man. All he knew was that he needed to stop the bleeding. That meant pressure. The night guard had the same idea as he had been trying to bind his own wounds.
Roy slid the cloth around the bare chested man’s back and brought it back around, tying it tightly across the wound. Blood slowly leaked from the wound but he ignored it.


He ripped off another strip off from the dead man’s clothes and repeated the same process over the stomach wound. He looked critically at the cut on the man’s neck. He had no idea how to bind it without choking him.


Roy folded up a small piece of cloth and held it against he wound with one hand. He awkwardly looped the long piece of fabric around the neck and tied it so that it held the small piece in place. It would have to do.


“Alright mate, this is the best I can do. My mom’s a seamstress. She can probably stitch you up. She used to fix me up all the time if I got deep cuts. This can’t be too different. Man she’s going to be so pissed…”


Roy stood and stepped over Ereck so that he was on his uninjured side and threw the night guard’s arm over his shoulder, intending to heave him from the ground. Roy grunted as he took on the majority of the man’s weight. The two staggered through the alley, towards the candle maker’s home. His mother had a long night of unpaid work to do.


Silence filled the alleyway as the two men staggered off. The only things revealing what happened that night was the two bodies, one dead, the other unconscious and the blood stains in the dirt. Otherwise, it was like they were never there.