Damiynn
Fantasy Author
please remember not all of the story is here, cause I havent pasted all of it, lol
Three of Paliss’ entourage drew their swords. Spreading out in a wide triangular formation they circled Travis, who smiled appreciatively at their tactics. All three wore the plain black armor of knights in training, having not yet received their banner colors or silver armor.
The former blademaster, now Damien’s champion and protector, drew out his reforged silver sword. It glinted in the golden sunlight shining down on him. Two of the knights in training charged, swords raised, eager for the fight, hoping to end it quickly. The third stood to one side waiting patiently, studying his opponent, seeing how he handled himself against the other two before launching his own attack.
In trials of combat there is no such thing as a fair fight especially when it is three on one and one is trying to show whether he is right or wrong by surviving.
Meeting the blade of the first attacker with his shield, Travis caught the blade on its edge. Stopping its downward slash he drove the shield in through the younger knight’s guard like a battering ram and shoved it into the inexperienced man’s visored face.
The impact knocked him off his feet and sent him crashing over onto his back. Reacting on instinct, Travis whirled around to meet his second attacker and caught the flat of the knight’s blade against his armored head, the blows force knocking him sideways.
Stumbling, the older knight staggered across the hall off balanced, looking as if he was trying to clear his ringing ears. The second knight, seeing his opponent off balance and reeling came in swiftly, urged on by the cheers of the surrounding knights.
Unseen and before he caught up, Travis raised his visor, flashing Damien and Kendle a wicked evil smile.
Dropping into a low crouch as if he were stumbling and afraid, Travis brought his shield up over his head reversed, its pointed end upwards.
He let the younger knight strike on it twice with his sword. On the third swing Travis exploded into motion. Snapping up out of his almost helpless looking crouch with lightning speed, he dropped his sword and grabbed the shield’s edges. Pivoting his body, and using all of the strength in his legs, he drove the pointed end up with all of the force that he could muster. If the shield’s blunted end had been a dwarven raider’s with a serrated edge and pointed tip, the other knight would have died. But it wasn’t and only that saved his life.
The tip slammed under the knight’s chin, catching him in mid sword stroke with a bone crunching crack that echoed throughout the chamber, silencing the cheering. The younger man’s head shot backwards with the impact, and he was unconscious, his body twitching spasmodically before it even hit the stone floor.
Quickly seeing that the first knight was about to get back up onto his feet Travis grabbed up his sword and put its edge against the back of the man’s neck. The first knight froze, thinking he was dead, but all Travis asked was, “Do you yield?”
The young knight in training did just that, saying, “Yes, I yield.”
A still silence filled the citadel as the third knight in training who hadn’t moved finally stepped forward. Slowly he drew his blade, the whistling sound of steel filling the air. He had watched and judged patiently.
Travis knew instinctively that he was the most dangerous. He would have to be a lot more cautious with one than he had been with the other two fools. In a gesture of respect he brought his sword up, saluting his third opponent who had waited. The younger knight returned it in kind with a nod of his armored head, though he didn’t raise his sword.
Damien noticed that the two were well matched in size. He watched them circle each other, carefully probing with quick slashes and feints testing each others reflexes. Within a few seconds Damien knew this wasn’t an ordinary knight in training. This young man definitely seemed to have a good grasp of what he was doing and did not look at all like an amateur. To Damien’s well trained eye, he seemed to be meeting the blademaster stance for stance, using the exact same forms.
A clash of steel sounded as their swords finally met in a flurry of blows. The sounds echoed off of the stone and rang throughout the hall filled with knights.
The pair fought in an endless pattern for several long minutes almost as if they were two dancers dancing the same dance, neither seeming to be able to figure out how to get by or counter the other. As Damien watched the protracted combat he noticed again how similar their stances and sword work was and how each mirrored the others, almost as if it was the same person fighting.
After a few more minutes it also became apparent that Travis seemed to be somewhat out of sorts at fighting this opponent. He too must have noticed the similarities in their styles.
Travis and his unknown opponent fought their way up and down the length of the long chamber. People and knights scurried quickly out of the way of their swinging swords as they attacked each other with vicious slashes that shot sparks as their blade edges collided. Suddenly under a flurry of blows, Travis again stumbled and dropped down onto one knee.
As the man stepped up to finish him off or at least end the fight the older knight showed why he had been a pit champion. The other knight stepped in a hair too close and Travis’ foot shot out. Using his heel as a hook, he snared the other man behind one of his legs and knocked his feet out from under him with a swish of leg. Quickly springing back up onto his feet again, Travis kicked away the fallen knight’s sword away and tossed his own aside. In a gesture of respect, he offered out an empty hand out to the collapsed knight lying on the floor.
The beaten knight on the floor waved off the hand and staggered back up onto his own feet and under his own power. As he stood, the two knights studied each other closely. The knight in training slowly raised his hands up to his helm and undid its straps. For a moment a cascade of long dark brown hair obscured his features, then they cleared. Damien heard a sharp intake of breath from Alyssa and Kendle muttered loudly his favorite curse, “By Garns teeth.”
Considerably younger and not quite as scarred, stood a very handsome young man with dark eyes and long dark hair who looked almost just like Travis would have in his younger days, maybe twenty years earlier, with a lot less hardship. As their eyes met the younger man spoke, his words ringing off of the stones, “Hello Father.”
Three of Paliss’ entourage drew their swords. Spreading out in a wide triangular formation they circled Travis, who smiled appreciatively at their tactics. All three wore the plain black armor of knights in training, having not yet received their banner colors or silver armor.
The former blademaster, now Damien’s champion and protector, drew out his reforged silver sword. It glinted in the golden sunlight shining down on him. Two of the knights in training charged, swords raised, eager for the fight, hoping to end it quickly. The third stood to one side waiting patiently, studying his opponent, seeing how he handled himself against the other two before launching his own attack.
In trials of combat there is no such thing as a fair fight especially when it is three on one and one is trying to show whether he is right or wrong by surviving.
Meeting the blade of the first attacker with his shield, Travis caught the blade on its edge. Stopping its downward slash he drove the shield in through the younger knight’s guard like a battering ram and shoved it into the inexperienced man’s visored face.
The impact knocked him off his feet and sent him crashing over onto his back. Reacting on instinct, Travis whirled around to meet his second attacker and caught the flat of the knight’s blade against his armored head, the blows force knocking him sideways.
Stumbling, the older knight staggered across the hall off balanced, looking as if he was trying to clear his ringing ears. The second knight, seeing his opponent off balance and reeling came in swiftly, urged on by the cheers of the surrounding knights.
Unseen and before he caught up, Travis raised his visor, flashing Damien and Kendle a wicked evil smile.
Dropping into a low crouch as if he were stumbling and afraid, Travis brought his shield up over his head reversed, its pointed end upwards.
He let the younger knight strike on it twice with his sword. On the third swing Travis exploded into motion. Snapping up out of his almost helpless looking crouch with lightning speed, he dropped his sword and grabbed the shield’s edges. Pivoting his body, and using all of the strength in his legs, he drove the pointed end up with all of the force that he could muster. If the shield’s blunted end had been a dwarven raider’s with a serrated edge and pointed tip, the other knight would have died. But it wasn’t and only that saved his life.
The tip slammed under the knight’s chin, catching him in mid sword stroke with a bone crunching crack that echoed throughout the chamber, silencing the cheering. The younger man’s head shot backwards with the impact, and he was unconscious, his body twitching spasmodically before it even hit the stone floor.
Quickly seeing that the first knight was about to get back up onto his feet Travis grabbed up his sword and put its edge against the back of the man’s neck. The first knight froze, thinking he was dead, but all Travis asked was, “Do you yield?”
The young knight in training did just that, saying, “Yes, I yield.”
A still silence filled the citadel as the third knight in training who hadn’t moved finally stepped forward. Slowly he drew his blade, the whistling sound of steel filling the air. He had watched and judged patiently.
Travis knew instinctively that he was the most dangerous. He would have to be a lot more cautious with one than he had been with the other two fools. In a gesture of respect he brought his sword up, saluting his third opponent who had waited. The younger knight returned it in kind with a nod of his armored head, though he didn’t raise his sword.
Damien noticed that the two were well matched in size. He watched them circle each other, carefully probing with quick slashes and feints testing each others reflexes. Within a few seconds Damien knew this wasn’t an ordinary knight in training. This young man definitely seemed to have a good grasp of what he was doing and did not look at all like an amateur. To Damien’s well trained eye, he seemed to be meeting the blademaster stance for stance, using the exact same forms.
A clash of steel sounded as their swords finally met in a flurry of blows. The sounds echoed off of the stone and rang throughout the hall filled with knights.
The pair fought in an endless pattern for several long minutes almost as if they were two dancers dancing the same dance, neither seeming to be able to figure out how to get by or counter the other. As Damien watched the protracted combat he noticed again how similar their stances and sword work was and how each mirrored the others, almost as if it was the same person fighting.
After a few more minutes it also became apparent that Travis seemed to be somewhat out of sorts at fighting this opponent. He too must have noticed the similarities in their styles.
Travis and his unknown opponent fought their way up and down the length of the long chamber. People and knights scurried quickly out of the way of their swinging swords as they attacked each other with vicious slashes that shot sparks as their blade edges collided. Suddenly under a flurry of blows, Travis again stumbled and dropped down onto one knee.
As the man stepped up to finish him off or at least end the fight the older knight showed why he had been a pit champion. The other knight stepped in a hair too close and Travis’ foot shot out. Using his heel as a hook, he snared the other man behind one of his legs and knocked his feet out from under him with a swish of leg. Quickly springing back up onto his feet again, Travis kicked away the fallen knight’s sword away and tossed his own aside. In a gesture of respect, he offered out an empty hand out to the collapsed knight lying on the floor.
The beaten knight on the floor waved off the hand and staggered back up onto his own feet and under his own power. As he stood, the two knights studied each other closely. The knight in training slowly raised his hands up to his helm and undid its straps. For a moment a cascade of long dark brown hair obscured his features, then they cleared. Damien heard a sharp intake of breath from Alyssa and Kendle muttered loudly his favorite curse, “By Garns teeth.”
Considerably younger and not quite as scarred, stood a very handsome young man with dark eyes and long dark hair who looked almost just like Travis would have in his younger days, maybe twenty years earlier, with a lot less hardship. As their eyes met the younger man spoke, his words ringing off of the stones, “Hello Father.”
