[Spring Tournament, Round 3] Kassan v Lucas Arias

[Liar]

Spring 44, 512. Evening. The sky had grown darker over the course of the day, and the wary predictions of the crowd had finally come to fruition. When it was time to announce the last round between the spring tournament’s two finalists, the heavens had opened and the rain had not relented since. A number of spectators had fled to the shelter of the city, but a majority of them stayed to watch the show in soaked flax and heavy sandals. The clamor of their cheers surpassed that wet roar of the weather as Uphis himself strode out into the Warfields, the stone walls seeming to part around him as he moved toward the center. He leapt atop the height of the maze and raised his arm for silence. The audience yielded where the rain did not, and Uphis turned their attention to the two men that waited in the mud on either side of him. “The final match!” He cried, gesturing to each man as he was announced. “Kassan!” The people rose up again in applause. The monk was a crowd favorite due to the familiar sword emblazoned on his brown robes, the majority of the remaining audience being loyal citizens of the Sharp Blade. “Lucas!” The foreigner was well-respected around the quarter as well, especially among patrons of the Sharp Tongue Pub. He earned a similar chorus of appreciation. Uphis did not wait for the excitement to die. His outstretched hands closed into fists, clearly exhilarated by the imminent fight. “Begin!” He bellowed, and watched them collide from so few feet above.

[Kassan]

Rain poured upon the Warfields, the labyrinthine stone walls slick in the wet. Kassan stood at one end of the maze, knowing his opponent was somewhere beyond the maze of walls - and ultimately, they would clash. Uphis stood upon the upper tier, calling down at them. Excitement boiled in his eyes. Anticipation for the fight was rife among the crowd, he and his opponent, Lucas, receiving cheers and whistles. There was little build up though. His Lord deemed the battle begun in an instant, and Kassan swept forward, striding through the narrow corridors of the maze. It took him a moment of navigation to find the centre, a slightly wider square in the centre of the warfields. It was here he waited, hoping Lucas would come to meet him in this place. But he remained vigilant, looking round, with a hand ready to grab his throwing daggers if his foe attempted any underhand tactics. This was the final round. He had to win for Uphis' honour. Victory was tantamount.

[Lucas Arias]

Lucas Arias, failed squire, bartender, wannabe poet and professional troublemaker stepped into the arena with his head held high and a huge smile on his face, waving to any people that might be watching. He’d entered the tournament for fun (and because his sword skills had been getting a little rusty). Not once had he thought that he would make it that far and beat reimantic monks and huge guys with scythes. But now that he had reached the final round he had come to the decision that he liked it. He could get used to it. Maybe he’d make a career as a warrior, fighting tournament after tournament. It was certainly more profitable than being a knight.

While Kassan was tall, dark, handsome and a monk, in short everything that the champion of the Nykan tournament should be, Lucas was short and so pale that he looked like a lobster when he had been exposed to sunlight for too long. He was kind of weird, and he was most definitely not a monk (althoug he had been marked by Kelwyn amd respected Uphis as well). His sword was sharp, and his shield was very big and still in relatively good shape though which should count for something.

The rain didn’t bother him. The weather had already been bad when he had fought Etrius, so he was used to it. What he wasn’t used to though was Uphis‘ presence. He hadn’t known that the Alvina would be there in person. As he heard the deity’s voice, he turned around for a moment, his eyes wide, and then he finally faced Kassan. He nodded at his opponent, and then he began.

For a few moments the former squire (who was wearing leather armor to at least have some protection) just circled his opponent to make him a little uneasy and confuse him. He didn’t want Kassan to know where exactly the attack was coming from. And then he suddenly moved forward with a stab towards the monk’s chest, raising his shield slightly in case the man decided to make a counter attack.

[Kassan]

Kassan faced down his opponent - a queer man, not of large build, and yet he had succeeded where others had failed. Did the danger lie in underestimating him? The crowds bayed for blood and combat, but the clash within the Warfields progressed at a slower pace than they jostled for. Lucas began circling Kassan, seemingly looking for an opening. The monk from Yahebah remained light on his feet, despite the burden of his glaive. Suddenly, the Knight struck, and with care kept his shield raised to defend any attempt at a riposte. But Kassan did not return the blow. Instead, light on his feet, he hopped backwards dodging the sword thrust. His eyes remained locked on his opponent. The trick was to remain like water. If he was solid like a stone, he would fall as easily as he stood. With liquid grace he could dodge, and strike when an opportunity arose. He imitated Lucas' previous moves, circling, but this time he gave his foe less time to react. He extended his glaive, sweeping it at the man that stood between Kassan and his tournament victory.

[Lucas Arias]

As Kassan hopped backwards instead of parrying the attack, the failed squire frowned. He was the one who was supposed to dance around his opponent rather than going for the straightfoward approach and just sticking his weapon into him! Kassan had stolen his idea!

Well, Lucas could still do it better! Kassan was much taller and bulkier than the ginger swordsman from Syliras. If the monk was like water, with liquid grace and everything, then Lucas was like a monkey that jumped around hyper-actively and was incredibly hard to catch!

As Kassan extended his glaive, the failed squire raised his shield another fraction to block the attack, but instead of just countering, he moved – very quickly. He had a long sword and a heavy shield, but Kassan’s weapon was much bigger and heavier and kind of unwieldy besides, so it was doubtful that he could match Lucas‘ speed. At least that was what Lucas counted on.

The boy attempted to move behind his opponent so that he could poke him with his sword, a little surprise attack.

[Kassan]

The glaive touched the shield, and then the red-haired knight was moving again. He was trying to play Kassan at his own game. In the moment it took Kassan to spin the glaive back round, Lucas behind him. The sword moved. And Kassan danced. He felt the moment the metal point touched the back of his robes. It shredded a hole in the material, and just nicked the flesh, before he moved out of the way again, spinning the glaive back round to make distance. He grinned at the knight, nodding as if to tell him of the good hit. This time, the monk decided he had to take a different approach - with a different weapon. He moved back one more step, then feigned a swing with the glaive. The polearm drooped as he relinquished grip with one hand, grabbing a dagger from his belt. Taking aim at the knight called Lucas, he threw.

[Lucas Arias]

Unfortunately Lucas‘ sword did little more than cut a hole in the monk’s robe. He frowned. Besides that he was wondering why Kassan was wearing something that was in essence a dress for men. Didn’t it restrict his movement?

As Kassan grinned at him, as if to compliment him on his attack, the failed squire smiled, but his smile was exceptionally faint. He wasn’t content. In his opinion there had been a lot of room for improvement.

He moved a step back, just like Kassan, and waited for his counter attack. As his opponent swung his glaive, he immediately prepared to parry – but the attack never came.

Lucas‘ eyes widened.

He raised his shield just in time to prevent a major accident. The dagger hit the shield and then landed on the ground in front of him.

Lucas looked at the dagger and then at Kassan and asked, „Do you need that back?“

Kassan could see that the boy was a little shaken. Lucas hadn’t expected him to suddenly throw something at him, and he only hoped that he hadn’t hidden more daggers somewhere!

Since Lucas didn’t have a second (or third or fourth) weapon, he could only attack Kassan with his sword again. He decided to try and beat the monk with his own weapons once more.

He circled Kassan, and then he raised his sword, feigning a slash from the man’s right shoulder to his left hip, but abruptly changed directions in mid-attack and aimed for Kassan’s stomach instead.

[Kassan]

The clang of metal filled the Warfields, ecstasy to the baying crowd, and glorious to the watching eyes of Uphis. "I will retrieve it later," Kassan said grimly, before nodding, "well blocked, boy." There was more to Lucas. He was not simply the young, clumsy knight he came across as. His reflexes were there. Agility was within him like the wind. Perhaps, Lucas just didn't know that yet. The boy came at him again with his sword, a slash upwards, which Kassan moved to block. The attack changed suddenly though, the sword plunging towards his stomach. Kassan moved the hefty glaive down, blocking with the shaft. His defence was made just in time, for the blade ran true and straight. "You should have more confidence," he announced to the boy, before lifting his weapon, pushing the sword upwards, then swinging back round at the opening.

[Lucas Arias]

Had the circumstances been a little different, Lucas might have been offended at being called ‚boy‘ – he was eighteen, for Kelwyn’s sake – but since this was a fight, and Kassan was his match (more or less) he smiled. „I have plenty of confidence“, he couldn’t help but insist though, even though he’d been just a little scared when the man had thrown his dagger.

As Kassan lifted his weapon, Lucas immediately ducked and raised his shield, and the opening that had been there a moment before was gone. As fast as he could he lowered his shield again and thrust his sword forward (and slightly downward). Since he wasn’t standing completely straight at the moment, he was aiming much lower than before, at Kassan‘s belly.

„How’s that for confidence?“ he asked and laughed.