[Flashback] An Unexpected Gamble (Stitch)

[Dimitri]

Summer 1, 509 AV

Dimitri woke up refreshed. His muscles still had a tinge of soreness from running around in the armor. His master had him wear it for most things to help him get used to the weight and mobility. Yesterday he was charged with hauling a bunch of goods by single person pull cart, in his full armor. He got his sword and shield off the wall, and began sharpening and polishing. While doing so, he pondered what he might do today. Maybe go fishing at the harbor, or go visit and assist the farmers. As he finished he saw a note at the foot of his bed. He sighed, knowing it was something his master wanted him to do, but wouldn't be participating in. He grabbed it and it read:


To Squire Dimitri,

I want you to be sure to do your morning exercises in full armor and weapons this morning. When you are done, I have a scheduled bout for you at the Spinning Coin. I do not know who your opponent will be, but he will likely be more skilled. I want you to jog to the bout in full armor, sword, shield, and your dulled practice sword I put under your bed. You will fight with just your practice sword and your shield. I want you to fight with a vicious ferocity, and an unrelenting resolve. Remember the skills I've taught you and the endurance I've pounded into you. I will be attending business, so I will be unable to attend, but I have unwaivering faith that you will do well.

Your Master


He put the letter in the false bottom of one of his drawers, as he did with all of them for some nostalgic reason. He donned his armor, put his shield on his back, and swords at his hips. He went through his exercises, taking extra care with the flexibility ones. He stretched out his muscles, did pushups, air sits, and jumped on the balls of his feet. He then began jogging, his armor clinking as he did. After finally arriving at the Spinning Coin, he approached the door slightly winded. The bouncer nodded at him and let him in and the place was roaring with noise. "The squire has arrived," someone yelled.

A man roared, "Place your bets, odds are 50 to 1 on the squire. 2 to 1 on his opponent. House gets 10%." Dimitri noticed most of the people were placing 
bets on his opponent, but one scruffed up man in robes placed a single gold miza on him. More faith than Master has ever had. A server led him to the stage, and set his armor off to the side. He stood there, barechested, his breeches and boots, sword and shield at the ready. He began getting himself psyched up. He wouldn't quit, he wouldn't back down. 
He began to exude an everlasting will that others might feel. He was a champion, a master. His skills may not speak the language but the aura he let off roared like a wild beast. This was his own little part of the universe. His will resolved, his mind prepared, his body limber, he looked up, his eyes quieting any individual who saw him, as he awaited his opponent.   

[Stitch]

From out of the crowd stepped a single man, a small smile upon his face, his gentle features a sharp contrast to most others that would be found in the Spinning Coin. The smile on his face was a peaceful and happy one, not one that was intended to mock his opponent, or show off his own confidence. He stepped slowly through the crowds of people to make his way to the stage, getting a few back-pats and shoulder-claps on the way there. Apparently the people knew him. Perhaps he was a regular? He didn't look like much. He was fairly tall, sure, and he had a good amount of muscle on him... but it was all slim muscle. It was all speed and grace, nothing that would bring about soul-crushing punches. That wasn't the thing Dimitri would notice first, though. That would be the white bandages wrapped around his head, keeping his eyes hidden from view. Was this some sort of training method, or was the man actually blind? And if he was blind... what was he doing in this ring? The men all around him didn't seem to even notice. Perhaps they knew the secret! Perhaps even Dimitri did! Stitch had been the owner of the Welcome Home for a good few years, and was fairly known around town. So was his blindness. But his fighting skills? Stitch stepped into the stage, and calmly tilted his head toward his opponent, studying him quietly for a few moments. A shield and a wooden sword, huh? This would be good practice. He didn't often get the chance to spar with any knights, which was what this one seemed to be. No, wait, not a Knight. He was just an apprentice, Stitch assumed. He didn't have the Aura of a Knight. Stitch was slowly getting used to this "Aura" thing. He had been blessed with the magic for a few years now, and only recently had he really started to get used to it. At first, it had been stumbling around in the dark, trying to avoid all the bright blobs that had existed in his blind world. Now though, he could see things a little more clearly. He could see details and definition, he could see beautiful colors and intricate patterns. If he focused, he could see even more. A look of concentration passed over the blind man, and his tilted his head downwards a bit, as if in prayer. In reality, he was simply... meditating, in a way. Blocking out all the other Auras, and drawing all of his attention to this one. Dipping deep into his pool of Djed to fuel this magical sixth sense, all so he could become more intimate with his opoonent's Aura. It was almost a simple thing. All it required was a little bit of focus, and then the effort to better understand the Aura one was focusing on. Then, slowly, Stitch's mind would meld with the Aura he was looking at. And then, it would all become clear. Still focusing a bit, Stitch managed to remember his manners. In a show of respect that was odd for this kind of place, Stitch stepped forward, holding out a hand for a shake. He gave Dimitri a kind smile, and a short bow of the head, speaking soft and gentle words. "Good luck, milord. Priskil be with you. Or your sword and shield hold strong. Whichever you prefer." With that, he stepped back, putting himself into a simple stance. His body was held sideways, his hands both up, one positioned a little farther ahead than the other. The palms were facing inwards, as if planning on catching something. The front foot was pointing toward Dimitri, and the back foot was planted sideways, as if to support. While Dimitri's Aura of influence radiated strength and power, buffeting Stitch with silent roars of mastery... Stitch's influence simply radiated calm and peace. Stitch was just putting on a good show. He was feeling Dimitri's Aura. He was pretty nervous.

[Dimitri]

Dimitri watched the strange man assume a hand to hand combat position. He didn't recognize the man but made a guess that he was the blind man that owned the orphanage. He didn't know if the man had any fighting prowess but his stance and obvious lack of hindrance due to blindness indicated he wasn't a beginner. If the man were a skilled hand to hand combat then reach would pretty much be Dimitri's only hint at advantage. If those hands got a hold of his sword or shield they could strip him of his weapon or use them against him. He would have to stick to twisting stabs and small motions. Large slashes wouldn't be of much use if the disparity in power was too great. He also knew many hand to hand fighters were masters at countering. So it may be a better idea to be defensive and counter himself.

"Good luck to you to Sir."

He gripped his shield and sword firmly but with a relaxed hand. He closed the gap, and shifted slightly so he was off to his right of his opponent. He nervously waited for his opponent to make the first move.

[Stitch]

Stitch tilted his head to the other side, studying his opponent a bit more closely. He looked much like all the other apprentices, like Stitch had noticed before. But, at the same time, he was different. He was just now getting into that stage of his life where he was beginning to develop from a boy, to a man. From an apprentice, to a knight. Everything that he soaked up in these next years would develop him into the type of person he would be. While most of the foundation had already been laid... there were still a few bricks to be place. The blind man let a ghost of a smile pass across his face. It wasn't a mocking one. It was a delighted one. He was eager to fight, and he was eager to teach. He would help built up the foundation of this young boy, and put him to where he needed to be. Put him in his place. What that meant would remain up to the boy. Stitch's muscles lightly rippled as he suddenly shot forward, done with his prematch study. His Auristics were still focused on Dimitri, and he was still semi-melded with the Aura... but only enough to keep all of it's bright colors intact to his eyes. He could expend a little more Djed and concentration to meld with him some more at any time... but for right now, just having him in plain sight would be enough. He didn't have anything to worry about, not yet. He was putting himself in a defensive position, obviously a bit put off by the blind martial artist who dared step into this ring. His lunge brought him directly at the young knight. He landed dead in front of him, setting his left foot forward as a base, and a pivot point. Continuing his momentum, he swung around his right foot, and flung forward his right palm in a straight-armed strike. He was aiming at the face of the young squire, simply giving him a quick and accurate blow to see how he would defend against it. The blind man put the essentials of a punch into his move. He twisted at the waist as he threw the punch, to add a bit of momentum. He twisted his arm at the shoulder to add a slight spin to it, too. If the boy simply sidestepped or backstepped, he would be fine. If he rose that sword or shield, Stitch would definitely turn his strike into a grab.

[Dimitri]

Dimitri knew what standard combat sense told him to do, but lately he'd been trying some new ideas, some working, others not so much. He saw the fist coming and wanted to step away. But instead he stepped forward with his left leg. In one motion, he swung his heavy tower shield down at the man's pivot foot, while bringing his forehead toward contact with the fist. He knew it would hurt, but maybe it would throw off the man.

Meanwhile his right hand brought his sword shooting out from his waist into a stab aimed at the man's gut. Being a practice sword it wouldn't cut, but could break a rib or cause some bruising on contact. He knew the sword could be deflected to his right. His shield would be hard to stop, however the foot could be moved. As for the headbutt to the fist seemed imminent. He really hoped it wouldn't knock him unconcious.

[Stitch]

The tower shield came smashing down on Stitch's boot as he turned forward to deliver the punch, catching him by surprise. The weight of the thing didn't actually hurt him through his leather boot, but it did manage to keep his foot from turning fully. His body continued to turn though, and he had to grit his teeth frtom letting out a cry of pain as a bolt of agony shot through his ankle and leg. He had already been much to far into the motion of the punch to pull it back, and now, something had happened to his ankle. He stumbled a bit at the end of delivering the punch, and the young squire surprised Stitch yet again, lunging his forehead forward in a sharp blow, using it to intercept Stitch's shaky blow. Stitch didn't pause to think if the blow actually hurt the man, as he was now in a sideway stance with a sword flashing out to stab at his stomach. If that thing hit his ribs, it would pretty much break them. Stitch spun, roughly avoiding the stabbing blade in the quickest way he knew how. His foot snapped free of the shield, but he felt another sharp throb of pain. He had twisted it. If he hadn't before, he had now. Dimitri would see the pain shoot across the blind man's face for a split second. Stitch's spin took him right at Dimitri, and his now-twisted ankle turned it into a desperate stumble. He lowered his shoulder, shot out his arms, and attempted to smash into the Squire with an awkward tackle. If anything, he just wanted to grapple with him. Grabbing onto him would be a godsend at this point.

[Dimitri]

Dimitri's head snapped back from the blow, though not as hard as he figured it would be. It may bruise but the initial force for some reason didn't seem to be there. He felt his shield trap the man's foot. And saw him twist and turn, and a wincing pain cross his face. Dimitri wondered if the man was injured somehow. His sword was about to trike the blind man in the ribs when he did a most peculiar dodge. He dodged by barreling forward into Dimitri.

The force of the tackle caused Dimitri to commit a horrible shame. He dropped his sword. He managed to keep his shield between him and the blind man. He fell back and his back hit hard, his legs kicking out at the offender's own feet. The air escaped from his lungs. He struggled to lift and tilt the shield with the man upon it, up and over his head. His muscles strained, lifting a whole person wasn't easy with no breath. The crowd was excited at this turn in the tide of battle. He wasn't sure if he could lift the man but continued to struggle.

[Stitch]

Stitch fell on top of the Squire, flailing a bit awkwardly, not used to the pain that was shooting through his leg. He fell, off balance, and was lucky to have pulled off the less-than-skilled tackle. Or grab. He wasn't really sure what it was. He had just spun away from the blade, and continued the spin into the poor Squire. He probably didn't seem like that much of a skilled fighter right now. Here he was, flailing around helplessly on top of the man. The Squire had gotten his shield in-between Stitch and his own body, and the blasted piece of metal was large enough to effectively protect the Squire. Struggle as he might, Stitch couldn't fire any solid blows over or around the protective device. It was just too big. And now, the man was actually beginning to lift him off. He was lifting both the shield, and Stitch. This was crazy. For a young man, he had strength that was possibly even greater than Stitch's. Stitch scrambled backwards, slipping on the shield a bit, determined not to be tossed off. It became a struggle of balance and power, both men wrestling on the ground. Stitch was trying to find a better position to fire some effective blows from, and Dimitri was simply trying to push the blind man off. Somewhere in the middle of it all, Stitch caught the Aura of the wooden sword, and snapped out a quick kick at it. The toes of his boot connected, and he sent the sword skidding and spinning further away from the two wrestlers. The distraction would be more than enough for Dimitri to get the upper hand, and Stitch felt his weight begin to shift. Going slack, he let himself be pushed over the Squire's head, and tucked himself into a quick roll. He was fast to get to his feet, but stumbled a bit, his leg proving to be an incredible hindrance. He had no follow-up attack, even if he did end up on his feet before the Squire. Instead, he just shot up his hands, keeping his palms facing outwards at Dimitri. He looked as if he was waiting for the shield to come bashing at him, if anything. At the same time, he would slowly skirt around to put himself between Dimitri and the sword, making sure to keep his weight off his ankle.

[Dimitri]

Dimitri's arm, chest, and back muscles were screaming under the strain of the man sprawled on his shield. Dimitri's arms were in a constant war, giving ground beneath the fighter, then pushing him back, Dimitri's grunts fairly audible. He knew he couldn't keep this struggle up much more. He was baking inside his armor and needed to get out or end this quick. Now, quickly removing a full armor set was near impossible, but a piece at a time could've done. Most people needed assistance removing armor, but Dimitri had grown somewhat used to doing it himself. While he struggled beneath his shield, he was able to use the toe of one sabaton to push the other sabaton off. Then his bare toes pushed the remaining sabaton off. He was then able to slip his shins out of his full greaves clattering onto the stage.

Dimitri heard a loud snap as his fallen training sword was kicked away. He took this time for a final push up and back. The man went slack and rolled over his head, and Dimitri took the time to quickly rise to his feet. He shimmied out of his cuisses and poleynes, clattering down, leaving him in his leather breeches. He also still had on his cuirass and pauldrons, protecting his chest and shoulders, and his fauld and tassets protecting his waist and draping his thighs. He was now a bit more mobile.

Dimitri hadn't underestimated his opponent. He could see he was favoring a leg, one ankle being injured and yet was still in full on defense. The man had put himself between him and his sword. Dimitri would have to take the aggressive route. He held hid shield in front of him, bounced up on the balls of his feet, rushing forward shield out in front like a tackle. He guessed the man would attempt some sort of evasion. Before Dimitri reached contact range, he twisted his shield arm, changing the shield from it's vertical position to a horizontal one. This allowed it to catch a large area should the man dodge. Dimitri has his shoulder down into the shield ready for impact or follow through, his other hand ready to grab his sword if he came upon it.

[Stitch]

If Stitch had been confused once, now he was confused even more. Stitch was quick to his feet, and blinked in surprise as the Squire actually began to remove his armor. In the middle of a fight. Chewing his lower lip, he watched for a moment longer, then shrugged. Lifting a single hand to the bandages wrapped around his eyes, he quickly unravelled them, painfully familiar with the action. His eyes would be revealed to Dimitri, clear white orbs with the most faded of pupils inside of each of them. Three white scratches were across each eye, connecting on the bridge of his nose. Whatever had struck him blind, it had done it in an extremely precise way. The blind man awkwardly lifted his injured leg, tugged his boot off, and quickly wrapped the white bandaging around his ankle. He started at the ball of his foot and moved upward from there. He merely wanted to soothe some of the pain, and give himself a little bit more mobility. He had only bandaged up his ankle, and already, the man was out of his armor. Had he removed some pieces of it while Stitch had been on top of him? Shaking his head in a bit of disbelief, Stitch rose his guard. The squire seemed to have quite a few tricks under his sleeve. Apparently he had decided his full armor would be a bit too slow to handle Stitch's martial arts. Would Dimitri's speed increase, now that he had all that weight off of him? Well then. Stitch bit his lower lip, and focused hard. Breath, Stitch. Ignore the ache in your leg and simply focus on the breathing. Can you see it, with those special eyes? Ignore the hazy world, and all the buzzing in your injured skull. Look at it. The flow of the Djed, coursing through your veins. Simply tug it into your stomach, then let it go. Combine the un-natural with the natural, until it all becomes one. Pull the Djed from your legs, and gather it in your chest. Flow it back to where it belongs, and let your body resume it's natural course. Breath again, and once more pull all that energy from your veins. Gather it in your stomach. Get it ready. Dimitri charged, and Stitch braced himself. the man was coming with his shield ready, planning on just barreling through the blind man. He didn't even think about his next move. He had a sprained ankle, so standing his ground wasn't an option. Trying to move to the side wouldn't be an option, as he may falter in his step, and then get caught by a quick turn of the opponent. No, he would have to go over it. He let the Flux flow to his legs, breathing sharply, sending it rushing there in a sudden and quick burst. Dimitri might notice a ripple in his muscles, traveling from his stomach down to his legs. Then, just like that, the man jumped, getting a bit of un-natural height to his forward leap. His ankle throbbed, but not too much. It would be the landing that hurt his ankle. Gritting his teeth, leapt up and over the shield. At about the same time that he leapt, the shield turned sideways, as if to catch him if he had moved. Instead, he merely flew over it in a flying tackle, right at Dimitri's oncoming face and shoulders.