-PHOENIX COURT 3-
Roleplay from Andross Blint
The Phoenix Court: Part IV - Lightning & Thunder
June 1019
Andross's muscles screamed in rebellion and he ignored them. Selenia was fast, lightning fast. They'd trained together before, but never like this. His eyes could barely track her, he could barely register what was happening. He was reacting, instinct guided his movements. He fought as defensively as he could. Pain lanced through his left shoulder, one of her Kukris had found it's way between his armor plates. He moved his left arm, there was an opening he was going to take an advantage of, she'd lowered her guard. He swung with all his might and nothing happened. His arm wasn't responding the way it should. His grip on his dagger loosened. He could feel the blood streaming from his shoulder into his hand. He dropped the dagger in the mud. They both were filthy. Their duel had raged on for a while. It was, in a way, rather impressive. Andross was fighting on sheer force of will, he was pretty sure Selenia was doing the same
He clenched his teeth and fought through the pain, grabbed his sword with both hands and fought on. He was the Duke of Blades, and he’d already proven that was more than some weightless title. She would strike, he would block, and before he could act again she’d either feint or kick or roll or whirl or any number of damn trick she seemed to have in that endless bag of hers. He grimaced, rolling his eyes in belabored irritation as she slid in and out of his reach again, her kuckris drumming uselessly on his armored forearms. But then, as he reset his stance to hold his ground, Selenia moved forward in a manner that evoked a memory in him, a practice bout long ago. She’d always preferred to fight aggressively so as to finish a fight as quickly as possible. She’d always fought directly, eschewing tricks. But the way she came at him now made him think that perhaps her bag of tricks had a limit after all. On she came, the same way she had before, Andross reacted. Leatho would have been proud. He dodged her strike and planted a boot firmly in the center of her unarmored torso, driving the air from her lungs and putting distance between them. He slashed down with all his might, the tip of his blade nicked her just above the eye, the cut was mostly superficial, but it bled. Andross knew firsthand that blood streaming into your eye was annoying. Selenia gasped for air and wiped her face on her sleeve, it came away crimson from the blood. She gritted her teeth and surged forward. Andross hated this. He knew that if she got in too close and stayed too long, he could wrap his arms around her and squeeze. He was stronger than she, he figured he could hold on until he either passed out or she yielded. But he had to grab her first. Which was far easier said than done.
The murmurs of the crowd had died down long ago. It was silent in the courtyard save for the clang of steel, the grunts of pain, and the heavy breathing of both fighters. Selenia moved in and sideways, she was always moving, it was like trying to track a lioness on a prairie. Andross swung his blade, and felt the reverberation ripple through his arms as he struck Selenia's steel. He swung again, trying to push her back, to give himself room to breathe. She blocked again and he swept her legs, or tried to. She rolled into it and out of it as if it had been her plan all along. Andross lunged forward and swung, he felt his blade catch air, Selenia was next to him and stabbed him in the thigh, he grunted in pain, but threw an elbow strike at Selenia, catching her in the jaw. She spat blood as she spun out of his reach and finally giving him a bit of space.
Skia started howling. "HOLD." He shouted and several of his Forged grabbed her, and were able to attach a chain to her collar. She rebelled against them. Howling and baring her fangs. Andross wouldn't risk her safety, and this was his fight. He started it, and he would finish it. Andross lunged forward, with a roar, he needed this to end. Selenia danced away, mud flew through the air as the two greats of Xavax clashed against one another. He whipped a strike out as fast as he could, he'd not fall without a fight. At first he thought he'd missed, a moment later he saw a thin line of crimson spread across her tunic. Had she been a step closer, he'd have disemboweled her. He soon found, however, that the Phoenix Queen had one last, particularly nasty surprise to play as whipped around, curved kukris deflecting his guard high and to his weak side as she planted a kick squarely in his thigh. In pain and off balance, Andross dropped to a knee... Andross, weary from two fights, bleeding from a variety of wounds, and covered in mud, had a moment to realize how tired he felt.
His vision was blurred. He heard, more than saw, Selenia call out to him "Yield." Her voice uneven, but dripping with molten iron. Andross just looked at her, blood and mud mixing on his face and clothes. He didn't have the words or the energy for a witty comeback. But she was going to have to kill him before he yielded. He swung his sword, mustering whatever strength he had left. She caught it between her blades and ripped it from his grip, then smashed the mailed gauntlet of her fist down. He saw his blood mix with the rain as she again demanded "Yield." Andross spit blood to the side and grinned at her, blood covered his teeth. Andross could see the fury in her eyes as clearly as Selenia could see the defiance in his. He wasn’t sorry. And it was as well for both of them that she knew better than to seek an apology for this. His hand reached toward where he knew his sword had fallen. She hit him again, harder. "Yield." Louder this time. Andross dropped into the mud. Selenia turned and started to move away from him, back towards where the Phoenix Court was to gather. Skia howled in anger and fear, straining against the men who held her at bay. Selenia's back was to Andross. He grabbed a fistful of mud, allowing the feeling of its texture between his fingers to steady himself and manifest the strength to try and push himself up, to continue his defiance in Krimmels name, in Ayden’s name. He struggled, one arm at a time until he could get his knee under him. Selenia had turned around and Andross could have sworn he heard her swear and say "Damn Blint's." Before she struck him like a coiled viper, cracking him in the temple with the hilt of her infamous kukri. Andross met the grace of unconsciousness with open arms, still smiling.
