James Eredas versus New Challenger

[Fierach 3639]

@Praetorian

"Well, I brought a bow, but I don't think its very sporting?" came the voice of the opponent.

Spoiler

 

The other man was a bit on the younger side, dressed in well-worn hardened leather armor. He could be seen laying down a fine recurve bow, and a bushel of arrows to go with, but it did not mean he went unarmed. A sword lay belted at his side, and what looked like a tomahawk was slung from the other side by a braid, to say nothing of what looked like a few more knife sheaths. Iba Vitrica was on the younger side, a Knight Apprentice of the Order of Force Majeure, and he had to train and test himself in close quarters combat with no magic to aid him. He was a promising candidate to say the least, but he had still not yet had an actual Knight accept him as their Second, and it left him in a limbo where he felt like he had still push and prove himself greatly.

The seniors of the Force Majeure would have it no other way. Iba pulled back his hood, laying one hand casually on the pommel of his sword. It was an arming sword, XVI style with a tapered blade and broader base, good for thrusting. and laying at just over 30 inches in length from tip to pommel. The tomahawk was a fair size as well, 22 inches from the end of the head to the end of the haft. 

"Hail friend. Name yourself, and I shall do the same" he called out.

Edited November 7, 2020 by Fierach

[Praetorian 4896]

Asher blinks, a few times, mostly reconsidering his choices up to this point. "No, I don't suppose it would be very sporting." His eyes lazily drift over the knight apprentice, and although he can't take full stock of his armaments, he immediately regrets his choice in weapon. Or rather, he regrets limiting himself to a weapon. His intuition was right, he should have brought all of the swords.  Hefting the blade from his shoulder, and precariously holding it with one hand, he affixes his second hand further down the hilt, leaving about a hand worth of space between the two. Although he can't surmise the oppositions skill level, he already feels like he's at a disadvantage. A good hit with the axe thing could easily take the longsword off alignment, leaving him open to a thrust from the sword, and in conjunction the two weapons could easily be used to entrap his blade, leaving him open for a solid kick to the dick. 

His lips momentarily twist into a frustrated frown as he tries to decide what his best option for approach would be. "Well, I'm Asher. It's a pleasure to meet you." He pauses as he begins to shift his weight, his leading leg (the left) bending as he shifts his right leg mostly to the rear, his shoulders squaring off and his hands lowering to rest close to his body near waist level. "And, uh, I'd really appreciate it if you didn't kick me in the dick." Although the sword tip, at slightly less than a 30 degree angle above parallel, points in the other's direction; it is, at least for the moment, off line.

@Fierach

[Fierach 3639]

"I'm Iba. Iba Vitrica." He replied in return, walking forth and unsheathing his arming sword with one hand, slinging his fingers around the strap loop of the small axe with the other. 

With a flourish he brought both weapons up to his chest and as he closed to about eight feet apart he put on an expression of confusion.

"You mean you don't wear a cup...-!?" e began, and then suddenly lunged forth on his left foot, bringing the tip of his arming sword up in his left hand level with Asher's chest for a thrust. 

It was just over half speed of a true lunge, controlled, measured, to test his oppnent's reflexes then anything else. Asher's longsword gave him a reach advantage over Iba that would force the Apprentice Knight to pull and lean back if it was simply just interposed between them. 

Edited November 7, 2020 by Fierach

[Praetorian 4896]

A fight is something akin to a game of chess interlaced with choreography, in so much as that mastery doesn’t require thinking 30 moves ahead, but rather is dependent entirely on superior pattern recognition. And while Asher probably doesn’t have the time to comprehend the situation as conscious thoughts, training and experience give him an intrinsic understanding of the situation that allows him to fluidly react.

The optimal situation for Asher is to maintain and control his range advantage. The optimal situation for Iba is to bait out an attack so that he can knock the sword off target and get in closer to deliver a strike.  The heft of the tomahawk makes it ideal for deflecting a counter lunge a significant distance off to the side, and the curvature as well as its parallel position along the shaft would enable it to trap and restrict disengagement options.

With the initiation of his dancing partner’s lunge, Asher’s leading leg steps back, his weight shifting to the right leg, adding a small amount of space between them and taking the bulk of his body out of alignment with the lunge. In the same fluid motion, the sword starts to swipe outward to the right, before abruptly arcing downward and back to his left, his arms partially extended.

With Iba directing his lunge with his left leg and left arm, Asher hopes to catch the outside of his opponent’s left knee with the foible of his sword; not only stopping the lunge but keeping the axe out of range.

[Fierach 3639]

As Asher pulled back, interposing his blade between them and threatening to slice into his leg, Iba was forced to back away as well, withdrawing his leg and thrust. The other man's actions were as much practice as reflex. The Knight Apprentice would have his work cut out for him getting close.

Iba would shuffle, lightly moving a foot outside of his opponent's range, circling Asher like a shark, the arming sword in his left hand at mid level, pointed at Asher at all times, while the axe in his right hand lay held up by the side of his head, as if ready to strike down. Now and again, he gave it a lazy-looking flourish, revolving in his grip.

If the other man did not make a move this time, the Knight Apprentice would suddenly lunge in again on a half step forward, the same motion but more speed this time, to impart a sense of urgency into the attack. However he would feint the thrust, instead turning the arming sword inward and down to parry the longsword if it was thrust in-between them again and prevent his leg from being stabbed.

It was basic numbers, Iba had two weapons, Asher had one. Apply pressure until his opponent made a mistake, hopefully before he did.

Edited November 17, 2020 by Fierach