Bjorn despite being a year younger than me, is several heads taller than me and bigger. I take a big involuntary gulp when Trystan announces that I am going to spar with him. I mean look at him, his 'sword' is almost smaller than his whole arm. Anyway I still get into the ring with him and we stand in front of each other. Bjorn gives me a small bow before he takes his stance. Unlike his usual demeanor he stands quite confident with his sword there. I give him a small bow back to which he gives back a small smile. I think he is a pretty nice guy to be honest but that opinion of mine washes away as soon as the red cloth hits the ground.
That hunk of meat is way quicker than he looks he forces me immediately back. His strikes are heavy and make my bones shake. A horrible feeling and I can't help myself really. I try to parry his strikes and It feels like that in any moment I could lose my grip on It. "How the hell am I supposed to deal with something like this?!?!" I can hear the smug laugh of Trystan behind me. I also hear what I assume is a giggle from Farielle and she actually answers me too. " You gotta think of that yourself Thorry! Though It's impressive that you can parry him at all." Even when I try to dodge his strikes, he just adjusts It and I need to parry anyway. Then something shocks me more than anything. Bjorn opens his mouth and actually says something. His voice is quite powerful which makes me shrink back even further.
"You shouldn't talk while in a fight!" He takes a big swing at me that breaks through my parry. The sword clatters to the ground and he hits me square on the chest. Sharp pain rises throw my bones but I didn't hear a crack. I just fall to my knees trying to catch my breath.
"First round to Bjorn!" announces Trystan "Get ready for the second round both of you."
How am I supposed to act when he just keeps overpowering me in everything. He is even better as a swordsman. I keep on listing all the things that I lack. Thats when I notice a light tap on my shoulder , It's Farielle. " What are you currently thinking Thorry. Be open to me." I immediately cascade her with my complaints. She listens to me intently and bluntly replies.
"Could It be that you are scared of Bjorn, Thorry?" "Of course I am?! He is bigger than me , faster than me , stronger than me. No way that I can beat him currently." " Ah Is that so? I can see that you have talent. So a small piece of advice. Never ever be scared in a fight. The rest you need to think on your own and now get up your pants are getting soiled by mud." As I stand up she pats my head a bit which makes me fluster. "You can do It!"
Still unsure I head back into my position. Again Bjorn bows to me and I bow back again. I keep thinking about what Farielle told me and I am scared when I look at this hunk again. I take a deep breath and try to focus myself. How do I make myself not scared of Bjorn. Think of him in his underwear? I look over to him. Yeah nope that won't work.
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I don't know why but I started thinking about my mother. How she currently must feel. That I am going to a place that she didn't want me to go to. She must be scared for me too right? Something clicks in me. I don't want my mother to be scared. If I am scared how can I take the fear of my own mother off? I need to be able to deal with this. So I try to steel my heart with the resolve to take the fear off my mother that she has for me. So I open my eyes to Bjorn again. Nothing changed really except that I am calmy breathing right now and my heart isn't going crazy anymore.
"Hmm interesting." says Trystan before throwing the red cloth.
This time we both engage immediately. He still takes the first swing which I parry successfully. It still rattles my bones but I counter with a hit of my own. I rotate my wrist to hit Bjorn on the left side of his arm but he doesn't show any kind of pain. We keep on trading blows. I can still parry most of It but I feel my grip waning again on the sword.
How can I defeat this guy? Looking around the muddy floor while parrying, I try to look for some kind of advantage. I notice that Bjorn's feet are sunken into the ground. I know what to do but It's a gamble. I bait him by dropping my guard a bit so that he strikes at me horizontally. Which he does, I instantly try to duck under It and slid on the muddy ground a bit. While sliding I slam my sword into the ground near his right leg. Flabbergasted Bjorn couldn't react as I slid between his feet. I straighten my sword across his legs and kick him on the butt. He stumbles a bit forward and completly falls into the mud. Thats when I make my second move. I mount his back and pull my sword from under him and point It at his neck.
I hear audible amazement coming from the crowd around us.
"The second round winner is Thorry! So a draw!"
I start to celebrate while on Bjorn's back he ain't even moving. "Phew I did It. Good match Bjorn! Can we do that again tomorrow?" I stand and help Bjorn back up. He nods in agreement. "Awesome!" We are both covered in mud but who cares, right? I give Bjorn the biggest hug that I can give but my arms don't reach each other.
Thorry is a small boy from a town called Silvertree. An encounter with the dragonborn Paladin Trystan in a goblin attack changes Thorry's fate. He undergoes a training regiment from this paladin. Watch as Thorry tries to make something of himself in this world of divine and arcane magic
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