Closed The Clash of Weapons [Tydus Tempest]

[Kel Tempest]

His podmate surprised him yet again by stepping within range of the hit, rather than away from it. The younger Svefra’s style was definitely different than his own, one that Kel was interested to see how it developed as it improved.


The interaction triggered a memory and Kel flashed back to when he first began his own weapon training. Gideon hadn’t even let him touch the trident until a whole year had passed. The impatience alone had nearly killed him, but it was worth it. He remembered the first two weeks of his training. Gideon had thrown a younger him a stick, nearly as big as himself. The weapons master gave no words of advice or guidance but simply said, “attack”.


Kel had been barely able to collapse into his own bed that night, his body refusing to listen to his brain’s commands; it was beaten so badly. Afterwards, Gideon had told the young Svefra that he needed to know what it was like to be injured so badly that he wanted to die so that he would understand what he would be inflicting upon others.


But somewhere along the way, those words of wisdom were corrupted in the Svefra’s mind. Kel began to inflict pain on others in acts of revenge. He learned that others feared pain and he used that terror to exploit others to his advantage. To his credit, he never really went out of his way to hurt people, it usually sprung up when provoked. And once the animal was released, there was no reining it back.


But the memory disappeared like a soap bubble bursting and Kel blinked, reality flooding back in the few ticks his past had rushed up to meet him.


Tydus’ hand connected with Kel’s arm, shoving the trident upwards and away. Kel’s stance was jarred as the momentum of his blow was thrown off. He had just been about to jab the shaft of the trident down towards the deck and try to tangle Tydus’ legs up when the blonde haired Svefra kicked him.


Kel grunted as the blow landed against his midriff, doubling him over slightly but otherwise causing little harm. It lacked the power and technique to do any real damage. Not that Kel was anymore skilled in that regards either.


When his silver tongued brother retreated, Kel didn’t give him a moment to recover. The Svefra took two steps forward at a run before planting his feet and leaping up into the air. His left foot landed on the gunwale of Tydus’ ship and he bent his knees, coiling his muscles for maximum power before exploding off the railing, straight towards Tydus.


As Kel descended, he jabbed the pole of his weapon that rested between his hands forward swiftly, intending to smack his podmate in the face while in mid air. As he landed, he would quickly snake one foot behind Tydus’, hoping to trip him as he would probably try to avoid being hit. If that failed, Kel would simply advance, putting his podmate on the defense, not giving Tydus any room to retaliate.


Kel knew he was a “in your face” type of person and this was no different.

Legend

Fratava

Kel's Common

Kel's Thoughts

PC/NPC

[Tydus Tempest]

When Kel launched himself at him, Tydus was at a loss for how to handle it. His grip fingers tightly gripped the hilt of his cutlass, but he felt that rather than waste energy blocking, it was better served to dodge. And usually, he would be right. But combat upon the Svefra was an entirely different animal. He was strained for space, and the only option to pursue was an aggressive one. But, obviously, Kel had beaten him to it.

The trident's pole was jabbed forward at the Tempest scion, Tydus just able to avoid it hitting him square in the jaw, though he was not entirely able to avoid the strike. It smacked him in the jaw, his teeth smashing against one another, Tydus biting at the edge of hit tongue. Blood dripped from his lower lip, a scowl pursing his lips. Kel's foot dipped forward to trip Tydus up, but this much he could avoid. He stepped forward again, closing the gap between Kel and himself.

The Tempest's front foot crashed downward with the intention of stepping on Kel, his right arm, still gripping the cutlass, sweeping forth. There was not enough range to complete the arc. Rather, he bent his elbow mid-arc. The limb would then intend to aim straight into Kel's jaw, and set him off edge.

If successful, Tydus would then spring backwards a full step, then jump forth to strike with a proper swing of the cutlass, intent on slashing Kel's thigh. Tydus by no means expected a victory, but he did not want Kel to easily obtain his own. The Tempest scion did not have the combat experience some of his fallen podmates had, but he had a creativity and knack for learning that they did not possess.

And Kel, in his own way, was teaching him how to fight. Even if the dangers of this sparring were rather high. But, Tydus didn't mind. He'd have to learn somehow, and Kel was the best fighter he had ever encountered. Even the Lia Tatianna was likely not his match at this point in Kel's life.

Fratava | Hypnotic Fratava | Common | Hypnotic Common | Vani

[Kel Tempest]

A involuntarily grin crossed Kel’s face as he watched shock, pain and irritation flash across Tydus’ face due to the trident shaft hitting its intended target. He was lucky the weapon connected with his jaw and not his nose, nothing hurt more than a solid blow to the most sensitive cartilage in the skull. It was enough to momentarily stun and blind anyone other than the most competent brawler.


The small moment of elation from his successful blow quickly faded however, as the Svefra felt a prick of irritation rile up in his chest as his attempt to trip his podmate failed. The younger Tempest was a wily one, never fighting full on, rather seeming to be more interested in dancing around like fish flopping about on land; hard to catch and even afterwards, still managing to slip away.


Instead of falling back as Kel had wanted his podmate to do, Tydus quickly stepped forward and whipped his elbow around, connecting with the Svefra’s face. Kel grunted in pain as his head was jerked to the side from the force of the blow, causing him to stagger to the side. The night sky, deck and ocean blurred together as one for a few ticks as his vision blurred.


He managed to catch himself against the railing with his injured thigh, pain flaring up ruthlessly. Kel grit his teeth, fighting back the agonizing pain. Lucky for him, his vision cleared just in time to see Tydus leap forward again, cutlass aimed at his leg.


Irritation from all of Tydus’ squirming combined with the pain and his wounded pride finally become more than he was willing to handle. It erupted in a hiss of frustration, fire crackling in Kel’s blue eyes. He snarled, teeth barred savagely as he jerked the butt of his trident up, catching his opponent’s blade before it could dig into his leg. The Svefra intended to lock the butt of his weapon with the cutlass, twirling it around in a small circle before launching the cutlass up into the air, away from himself.


If that was successful, the aggravated warrior would viciously jab the blunt end of his trident into Tydus’ exposed stomach. If the Svefra doubled over from the blow, Kel would swiftly jerk his knee up into his podmate’s face, not holding anything back, set on inflicting as much pain as he could.


Podmate or not, wounded pride was not easily forgiven. It demanded pain and victory to be sated.


And he’d be petched if he let Tydus get the last shot in.

Legend

Fratava

Kel's Common

Kel's Thoughts

PC/NPC

[Tydus Tempest]

Tydus, more than anything, did not wish to be disarmed. While the elder Tempest very much cast the weapon aside as if it were little more than a stick. The Tempest wasn't surprised by it, but little by little was becoming frustrated with his own inability to stand against his podmate. The Tempest was on the verge of retaliation, swinging his arm, bringing the blade back to shoulder level before he realized that Kel's trident had already collided with his gut. A cough escaped his lips as he doubled forward, eyes widen and bulging in a momentary flare of pain. But, it was not to end.

Kel's knee approached the Tempest next. Rather than be hit in the nose, Tydus just managed to tilt his head forward, taking the knee directly to the forehead. His neck jerked back wildly, eyes closed as he stumbled backwards. He struggled to catch himself, ultimately doomed to failure to the rapid destabilization of his perception. The world was dimming, black creeping at the edges of his vision, threatening to consume the whole of his consciousness as he continued to fall back. It was only when Tydus' head collided with the gunwale, the sword falling to the ground and penetrating the wooden floorboards of the ship, that he was finally out for the count.

The fight was over, Tydus' consciousness consumed by dreams of the old man upon the deck of the very casinor that Tydus now called his own, mingling with Kel's face enshrouded with fire. The prongs of the trident penetrated the weave of his dreams, as well, a welling jealousy of Kel's prowess building in him, but he cast it aside, knowing that Tydus had a power that Kel could never understand. Power over the mind.

It's how we work together... The tongue and the trident. The fighter and the speaker. The Warrior and the Bard.

The lack of conflict in talents made it a certainty that Kel and Tydus' teamwork remained complete. But, for the moment, Tydus lay in the wastes of unconsciousness, victim to his podmate's rage. All in all, when the Tempest woke up, he'd grade his fare in the fight as rather well. He'd gotten a hit or two in against the greatest fighter he'd yet to know. That was, in it of itself, enough for him.

Fratava | Hypnotic Fratava | Common | Hypnotic Common | Vani

[Ashar]

Kel Tempest
Experience

Skill	XP Earned
Weapon: Trident	5
Acrobatics	4
Unarmed Combat	1

Lores

Combat: Footwork is Key
Combat: Pivot
Brawling: For the Untrained
Know What You Inflict

Tydus Tempest
Experience

Skill	XP Earned
Swimming	1
Acrobatics	3
Weapon: Cutlass	3
Brawling	2
Weapon: Grapple	2
Unarmed Combat	3

Lores

Kel: Nancy
Kel: Changed After Greytides
Kel: Greatest Fighter Yet Met

Additional Comments

This was a fun fight, and good practice for both characters. I especially like watching the two different fighting styles play against each other, it's very well thought-out. Don't forget to edit your grade request, and please let me know if there's anything you want to ask about the grade!