Description "Alex Common" Alex thoughts "Myrian" "Fratava" "Others"
Success after success, at least that’s what he thought. The collision of the shield into the blade had done the opposite of what he’d hoped. He prayed that the strike of the shield would hit the blade hard enough to either bend it or completely snap it at least from the point of impact. Instead it had jet propelled it towards Saga’s hands. If he’d aimed higher perhaps it would have leapt completely out of the ground and provided a third strike he’d have to dodge.
Sagas blade snapped up to meet his won with a resounding clatter, the harder steel of Alex’s bastard sword biting into the now apparent softer Iron of Saga’s blade. However his last ditch effort was countered with a surprising almost belying swiftness. The shunt of his bastard sword away and the impact with his dagger was one that seemed almost too quick. The parry caused him to drop to a knee in front of saga. Admittedly Alex had never attempted to use two weapons at once before. But in this instance he was almost certain he’d made the right call. As the blade now stood between them Alex glanced down with the blade a foot away from his chest. Weighing up his options for an attack.
“Dead.”
The word hung in the air for a moment like a pallor upon a space. Listening to Sagas words Alex exhaled slowly, parsing the words calmly. Fire instead of earth? That couldn’t have been a worse thing for Saga to have tried. Perhaps that was what the rocks were supposed to implicate? Either way the steel that coated him would have blocked the majority of the damage for long enough for him to land the hit. However had it been fire he wouldn’t have abandoned the shield for lightened load and the speed. As Saga finished though Alex smiled. One of practised politeness that he’d used a few times before. Hiding the feelings of a robbed victory. The squire who hadn’t spoken a word throughout the exchange finally parted his lips and spoke.
“I wouldn’t say too much about the blade being my domain. I only really picked one up two seasons ago. That last tactic was a first try.” Alex calculated his position. The need to impress now gone instead replaced with a much simpler instilled need. The need to live. “Also Ser Otor. I wouldn’t count me out just yet. I learnt from a much smaller squire that once one underestimates their opponent is when one loses their advantage.” Alex slid the dagger in his left hand across the ground hoping to use the situation to distract Saga just long enough for his bastard sword to come up off of the ground and knock the blade away in time for him to stand up and backway to the point where his superior range could hold his opponent at bay. His own sword extended to full arm’s length.
“You’re right Ser Otor. Magic isn’t my area of expertise. It’s Archery. As such I’m very good with distances. I also take one of Ser Greyhearts tenants to heart. ‘Learn all you can’. I attacked relentlessly to learn how much toll your magic took on you. I took wide swings to gauge your reaction timings. I may have been at a position of disadvantage but the moment you didn’t disarm me you made your first mistake.” Alex’s smile now faded into a softer one of genuine nature.as he lowered his own blade. Using the tip he dragged his dagger back to his side.
With an open handed display Alex slid the bastard sword back into its sheath whilst crouching down to pick up his dagger. “I must admit I miscalculated a little. I didn’t expect those rocks to be quite that hard I’m going to have a lot of bruises tomorrow. And I didn’t hit your sword at the right spot, if I had it would have snapped out of the ground and attacked you too. I accept your verdict however.”
