Author Topic: The assorted bits of Aldrakar Renodin's Life  (Read 70360 times)

Renodin

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Re: The assorted bits of Aldrakar Renodin's Life
« Reply #195: February 02, 2017, 08:10:09 PM »
Let us find out, the truth! Was fun to write one of these RP's again. Its usually a bit challenging to describe what it is that one sees in the mind's eye and I can only hope you can get a clear picture of the events as you read them. Enjoy!


Game Mechanic:
Duel   (2 days ago)
Vespesia Caesara, Countess of Cadier meets her challenger Aldrakar Renodin, Royal of Luria Nova for the agreed duel till surrender.
Aldrakar has decided to use the 'trick moves' strategy while Vespesia has chosen the 'overrun' strategy, giving Aldrakar the advantage.
The duel goes back and forth for a while. Finally, Vespesia surrenders after suffering a light wound. Aldrakar, although the winner, has also been injured.



Crossing Swords
 
As Vespesia spoke, her steward, Otto stepped quietly into the small clearing, holding a long and thin object, covered in fine velvet cloth.  Otto quickly walked over to Aldrakar and pulled from the velvet cloth an arming sword.  It was simply made, the only special ornamentation being its silver crossguard and an inscription along one side of the blade, "The Truth Will Set You Free".  Aldrakar took the blade with some hesitation, unsure about what Vespesia intended, but she didn't make him wait long for an explanation.


The sword felt alien to his hand. A length of steel that wasn't made for him. Its grip unfamiliar and not tailored to his hand. The silver on the crossguard fine yet distracting in its many reflections. Aldrakar's eyes read the words upon the blade. He sighed. Vespesia made her request and the words she spoke mostly flowed past him. His senses already sharpening, a habit age had yet to degrade it seems.

As she let her raven black hair flow where it would, Aldrakar's expression became like a fox'. Studious and elusive. He drank in the tenseness in her shoulders,  the slight hint of  her unsteady pace backwards as she took her coat off, the way her fingers grasped the hilt of her blade. Clearly a personal weapon. It was longer than his. Lighter also, a woman's blade with the intend to fight at a longer distance. Or simply to compensate for the fatigue a heavier blade would impose.

Her smile cut across her face from ear to ear. Like stepping through a portal, entering a garden of tranquility she seemed to undo herself of worry and of distraction. Taking one, then two steps, Aldrakar turned his body to face her. One hand firmly on his blade, the other supporting it in a quasi double grip. Pointing the blade upwards, centering the hit at hip height. Eyes met, the words unspoken, I am ready.

The world sank away and joined the fading sun. Vespesia rushed forwards in an explosion of force. Her long blade held with both hands and raised to just above her bosom, angled directly at Aldrakar. The tip aimed at his chest. She crossed the square in less time than it takes to describe it. Sensing she came in range, her arms uncoiled their tension and her muscles drove the sword at his heart. Aldrakar was already striding backwards, bringing his blade up to parry. Steel kissed steel and both combatants felt the strength of the other.

Not wasting time, Aldrakar flicked his blade at Vespesia in a simple two stage attack. Right swipe, left swipe. She parried one and powered through the second. Pushing Aldrakar back again, yet this time, the other way, the way she initially came from. A flurry of strikes ensued. Aldrakar danced and dodged. His blade ringing and chirping with each impact or glancing blow. Twice he retaliated with counter blows that threatened her flanks but both times she managed to adjust. Preferring to use her superior range to take the lead and force Aldrakar to react.

For twenty heartbeats this continued. Both combatants were breathing through their mouths by now. Not a lull in the fighting for Vespesia simply changed tact and switched effortlessly from swiping her long blade to pecking at Aldrakar's defense with jabs. The man nearly twice her age lept and shied away and seemed to glide over the square like a water dancer does among the foils in a pond. Suppressing a smirk he couldn't help himself from uttering. ''Woof, said the wolf to the dog.'' Having finally managed a tiny amount of distance from her he made a flourish with his sword both graceful and deceptively simple.

Black hair shone with a bronze edge in the firelight. A crescent in full motion as she rained blows on him. Sparks could be seen. The silver at the guard of Aldrakar's blade was chipped by an expertly executed strike by Vespesia. With eyebrows raised Aldrakar entered her personal space as he caught the blow on the guard and stepped away from her again but not before planting his hand in her side, putting her off balance.

Cutting low and working up to her midsection, his blade sought an opening. Vespesia attempted to use the length of her blade once, succeeded, twice succeeded again, but each time Aldrakar stuck faster. His shorter blade allowing him to do so with less strain than her. He pressed her with his attacks. Patience was not her strategy and she stepped backwards, out of his reach and went for an overhead chop. Feinting to the left Aldrakar stepped into the blow from the right. Raising his blade just enough to catch it. Forcing himself close to her she tried to disengage and Aldrakar leaned to the right, to do the same.

Vespesia, grateful for the switch in initiative prepared to get back on the offensive. Her core shook. Something hard impacted on her waist. Pain shot through her body. She began to fall. Instead of disengaging as Aldrakar pretended, he instead kicked out, squarely hitting Vespesia and knocking her to the ground. The big blade clattering onto the ground next to her.

She was quick to get to her feet again though. Aldrakar stood a few paces away, readying himself for her next attack. And it came with a vengeance. Nostrils flaring, the black blade licked out. Almost tasting Aldrakar and he was hard pressed to avoid its seeking steel. Circling where he could, making small and feeble counter attacks. She gave him no pause. Side stepping, Aldrakar created an opportunity as the big blade was committed. He sensed an opportunity and went for it. His shorter blade went in for the kill. It sought her flesh that was exposed at her wrist. Disabling your opponent by taking a finger was just about as effective as killing them outright in real battle. They were out of the contest. Through a sheer effort of will Vespesia lurched her blade from its original trajectory and heaved it into Aldrakar's direction. A monumental achievement. Panic showed in Aldrakar's eyes as he perceived the incoming blow. He tried to circle away from it but failed as it grazed his shoulder.

A trickle of crimson fluid, warm and sticky nudged its way through his clothing. A smile that turned into a small grin appeared on his lips. Seeing she was pleased with the score he played along. He worked up a temper and struck out at her. Small combinations of two's and three's. She parried them or dodged them. Steadily increasing the speed of the combinations Aldrakar paid close attention to Vespesia. She seemed to manage but she was getting into trouble and she knew it. In a stroke of brilliance she knelt down and swung a forward arch. Forcing Aldrakar to leap backwards. Instantly, like a much younger man, he dashed forwards and let sing his sword as it met Vespesia's black steel. The song was shrill and angry. Aldrakar danced the dance of blades and she held her own. She began to sing back. One, two.. one, two, three.. one, two.. As their blades crossed and the highest note was played both disengaged and stepped in again to play the following note. But Aldrakar switched grip from his right hand to his left. Dove past her blow and turned on the balls of his heels and struck.

Blood oozed out of a long red stripe across Vespesia's upper leg. From about a hand's length north of her knee all the way to her belt. To her credit she did not scream out. He leveled his blade with her face. She slumped. The pain tantalizing and whispering words of fear into her mind. She did not give into them. Thoughts materialized in her mind. She would not be able to match his speed with a wounded leg. She yielded.

Not much later they were both being tended to by healers while sitting or in her case, recumbent on a sofa. Both enjoying some more wine. Not quite the same quality as the wine they had early that afternoon but still, very good wine. Proper contest does that to you. It makes things that much better.