Tournament of the Blade Round Three: Semifinals (Naimes Ahn-Dross vs Ordo)

[Ashin Varanin]

You know the rules.

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​

Myrkr, a massive rounded boulder by a riverside in the forest. The rock is the entire arena -- five metres across, the centre a metre taller than the outermost edge. The rock is granite, rough enough for good footing, but water-smoothed enough to avoid stubbed toes if you step smart. It's midday and the rock is warm. The flying holocams keep a respectful distance.

[member="Naimes Ahn-Dross"] [member="Ordo"]

 

[Ordo]

[member="Naimes Ahn-Dross"]

The light from the distant sun hung high in the air. Light came through the jungle trees in streams of light that reminded Ordo of stories that there was a paradise for the dead out there somewhere. The nearby river poured by like a meandering star lane cutting through the galaxy. A six eyed fish leapt from the calm surface to snatch a dragon-fly in mid flight. If not for the knife in his hand he would have believed he had a chair and cooler nearby. The smell of the cold water's spray and the heat of the air filled his nose as he breathed. His lungs filled and caused his barrel chest to swell as he reveled in that calm that settled in just before combat. The weight of years of comabt lay around his shoulders like a shroud. The scars on his face a daily reminder of the life he had lived and the extent he had gone to for his people.

He wore no armor today, only the simple blue overalls of a laborer. Black and green jungle boots darker than the granite that sparkled with its thousands of tiny facets beneath them, moved first as he nodded to his opponent. His left foot moved forward shoulder width apart toe pointed at his fellow combatant. Right foot was back and angled outward slightly at forty-five degrees. He rolled his shoulders then shook his hands and arms loose before bending his knees with an aging man's pop. His hands went up as he rose from his breif squat the left moving into a loose fist at eye level by his face and the right held the black combat knife in a standard grip blade up over the thumb and forefinger. His right arm bent ninety degrees held the knife back slightly near bis right hip as he focused on the other man's eyes. The call for battle had once again sounded and again he answered 'here I am send me'.

 

[Naimes Ahn-Dross]

...the next battle in a series of duels took him here to a rock washed smoothed by the water near a riverside. A forest stretched out in all directions with the rays of the sun filtering through its foliage and the sounds of the river nearby completing what was an otherwise serene picture. Naimes saw that same six eyed fish as it leapt from the water to snatch the dragonfly in mid flight but it was soon forgotten as he steadied himself. The Boulder was the arena and Naimes had been hunkered down and sitting on its edge across from Ordo admiring the scenery quietly. Beside him was the hand and a half sword he'd been used during his previous fights having seen no reason he should switch weapons at this point in the competition...

...taking a breath of the warm midday air he'd have set his left hand on the rock to steady himself while taking his sword in his right hand and climbing up onto his feet. As he rose Naimes felt the heat of the stone beneath his palm. Wearing leggings, heavy boots that were laced tightly and leather gloves with open fingers the only thing that had changed about Naimes attire was the beige colored tunic that he wore, nondescript and comfortable, so that the heat would be less of an issue for him. Looking across the arena as he came to his feet he'd have seen Ordo and locked eyes with the man after regarding the knife he held in his right hand...

...the sword Naimes was holding measured a length of fifty-one inches with the blade stretching approximately forty-three inches and the remainder of the length compromising the hilt of the weapon. Inhaling a deep breath that saw the rise and fall of his chest Naimes would raise the sword. Gripping the sword Naimes had brought his right hand higher up on the hilt while his left hand came across to hold the blade lower near the pommel ensuring that he had a solid handle on his weapon. As the sword came up he'd position it into a high guard, his arms slightly bent at the elbow, the blade aimed skyward...

...Naimes stood with his own left foot leading, pointed towards Ordo, his right foot held back and turned outwards a forty-five degree angle as he looked across at the man. He didn't appear overly hurried over rushing Ordo to commence the fight. Odds were he was carefully weighing the advantages and disadvantages of the knife over the sword. Standing on the rock he remained on the outer edge, acquainting himself with the rough but also smooth surface, before inching a closer...​

​

[member="Ordo"]

 

[Ordo]

[member="Naimes Ahn-Dross"]

The sound of hard soled boots on rock was the only sound between them as he began to close the distance in a shallow circle to the left. He was careful not to cross his feet as he moved and mentally prepared for the battle. The advantage of the longer weapon was clear. The reach and leverage of the hand and a half sword made it a solid choice in any engagement and it put the burden on Ordo to get close enough to strike.

The glanced at the blade briefly as he drew nearer. The high guard stance gave the man a good chance to respond to Ordo before he could get close enough but if Ordo did get close enough the man would have to fight smart or pay in blood. It was difficult to choose as the sounds of the jungle faded in his ears and his focus centered on the fight. He recognized the man, and knew him to have been spending a good deal of time with his daughter, and with that thought a new goal formed. To win was tertiary behind enjoyment of the fight and testing the man's mettle.

Ordo began calculating movements and watching the man's eyes for a tell. He settled himself into a full defense mind set and would wait the man out. His blade was longer but that made it heavy and that meant fatigue would vome faster with every swing. The blade would weigh about one point four kilograms or more and his time at the forge on Mandalore made him keenly aware of how fast muscles began to burn when swinging cold durasteel. That said the man was likely well practiced and used to the weight and that would make him able to endure longer but not forever. A meter had been eaten up by there combined movement and soon Ordo would be in striking range. He tried to stay light on his feet not knowing fully what the man would do. He had to be ready to move and move fast.

 

[Naimes Ahn-Dross]

...inching closer towards Ordo the movements of Naimes and his opponent would begin to mirror one another. As Ordo began his own movements Naimes would also begin a similarly shallow circle to his left ensuring that he and his opponent remained, for all purposes concerned at this point, square with one another. All of the movements Naimes made seemed to fairly deliberate. He moved by sliding his feet across the stone surface of the rock rather than picking them up, every motion carefully determined so that he maintained ample footing on the surface beneath his feet. Now was not the time to be indecisive and lose balance or worse...

...truth be told the hand and a half sword was heavy, it would fatigue the arms of any man holding it, however much as Ordo suspected Naimes was well accustomed to the weight of the sword. Much as swinging the sword wildly could drain a man of his stamina Naimes knew how to move the weapon so that it conserved as much of his energy as possible. Muscles were relaxed, ready to tighten and react at a moments notice...

...Naimes was focused on Ordo, the sounds all around them fading into the back of his mind, he knew the man by his name and the tales told but this did not daunt the soldier. They drew closer to one another, Naimes quietly choosing the time that he would strike while his fingers flexed around the hilt of the sword. Only a squinting of his eyes the possible telling sign that he was lining up a blow to deliver to Ordo...

...when the distance between them was two meters Naimes began his strike allowing his blade to arc from its high guard to his right while he moved closer. His feet, once again, would slide forward ensuring the transition was as smooth as possible and allowing them to maintain their current left foot forward stance without upsetting it. As Naimes came within a distance of just over one and a half meters from Ordo his strike would complete...

...the sword had arced to the right of Naimes and dipped down below hip level to be followed by a momentous upwards swing that would carry it diagonally from his lower right to his upper left with the intent that it would bring itself across the outside of Ordo's left thigh, below the hip, and carry itself higher to possibly rip itself over his midsection as well. Using his grip on the hilt of the sword Naimes would use his right arm to generate most of the power while the left created the remainder and assisted in guiding the arc of the weapon which should end its stroke up over his left shoulder...​

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[member="Ordo"]

 

[Ordo]

[member="Naimes Ahn-Dross"]

Ordo's mind watched carefully as their feet slid across the pale stone. Light refracted in the tiny facets as it plunged through the jungle canopy and clung to the ground like reunited lovers. The mid day heat eased slightly by the shade and moisture in the air from the river nearby. He waited, the first strike would come soon. It wasn't the force, nor foreknowledge that told him. It was experience.

As the meters were slowly eaten by their combined steps Ordo silently measured the space between them. Three meters, two and a half, and at two meters the battle began. The man stepped with his swing cutting the distance to one and a half meters. The blade alone was over a meter combined with the man's aproximate reach put his range at one point six meters and well within the distance to bury his blade in Ordo's body and end him here on the granular igneous rock.

The man's eyes narrowed as Ordo's right back foot slid a half srep forward and planted. As the arc dipped Ordo lunged forward with his left foot and put his meaty left hand down in a clockwise arc aimed at the man's left wrist in an effort to cut off the swing all together. Ordo's right hand came up as his back foot slid forward and moved under the man's left arm and toward the bend of his left elbow. The blade was intended to bite the bend in his elbow and be pulled down to slice as much flesh as possible before Ordo would attempt to back away again.

 

[Naimes Ahn-Dross]

...clever, Ordo was fighting the way Naimes likely would have if he was likewise faced with a larger weapon. Like his opponent Naimes was an experienced combatant though, quite proficient in his field of expertise, he would smart and was determined to make his opponent pay for every wound he inflicted on him with a more grievous one of his own. Whether or not he'd be successful was yet to be determined however...

...there was no stopping the quick movements that drew Ordo close over the minimal distance between them. Naimes was stuck with his opponent at close quarters. At least this is how it seemed. As Ordo lunged forward, arcing his left hand down in a clockwise arc, Naimes would have made the subtle shift that put his weight back onto his rear right foot; then he would have reacted. Defense and offense were, essentially, interwoven and the same...

...pivoting outwards on his read right foot Naimes would have drawn his left side away from Ordo. In the process his left arm jerked away as well changing the angle at which Ordo's own attack would come in. Naimes wasn't fast enough to avoid the blade of the knife, he felt it carve a path on his left forearm beneath the elbow, which left a bloody trail in its wake causing him to grit his teeth in a pained expression. As Naimes pivoted outwards the movement of his body was not the only thing set into motion though, his sword still angled low and to his right after the defense preformed by Ordo would also whip around...

...as he was pivoting Naimes, labored by the torn flesh of his left forearm, would bring his sword whipping around to attempt to catch Ordo on the back, outside, of the left leg horizontally. Using his right arm as the lead he'd crank his wrist to assist in turning the blade into the back of Ordo's left thigh during the maneuver. With the pivot of his own body as somewhat of an improvised lever to generate more pull for the strike as Naimes had hoped to offset himself at a rough forty-five degree angle to his opponents left side when both the movement and attack completed with his right foot now at lead, his left drawn back in a reflection of the previous stance...

...a foreign warmth had spread across Naimes left forearm, the blood leaking from the wound he'd taken easily, he would flex the fingers of his left hand to keep them from going numb however his eyes remained on Ordo...​

​

[member="Ordo"]

 

[Ordo]

[member="Naimes Ahn-Dross"]. (Sorry I was bogged down with Admin duties and punching Strider)

Ordo watched the man pivot away and knew he was in danger from the longer reach of the weapon he held. The man's reaction was smart, minimize the damage and try and inflict as much of his own while gaining ground. Ordo would have done the same in this instance.

The man's sword jerked toward Ordo's left thigh and with the momentum of the pivot and the blade's weight he was in danger of having a chunk removed. His time to react was no where near enough for a reasonable defense. He relied on instinct and pivoted on the ball of his right foot pulling his left back as he put his much smaller blade down to meet the incoming sword. His left hand crossed his body to brace the knife with an opened palm. It was not enough however. As he pivoted the blades tip still ran across the front of his thigh leaving a fair gash in the tanned skin. Sanguine fluid began to run as steel met steel. He would have to be very careful from here.

 

[Naimes Ahn-Dross]

...the sword blow had been partially blocked via the smaller weapon Ordo was wielding, smart and efficient, a nod was given from Naimes to his opponent following the blow signifying the recognition from one veteran to another. Moving quickly however Naimes would widen the gap between Ordo and himself, sliding his left foot back and then following with the right which lead in his stance, careful not to allow himself to lose his footing as he went across the smooth surface of the stone...

...the movement would allow Naimes to disengage his sword from the knife that Ordo had blocked it with while minimizing any opening that might be presented for him to strike in turn as he retreated back. As he went Naimes would tug the sword back and position it so that it was angled down across the outside of his left leg in a makeshift low guard. Likewise his hands would shift as he brought it into that low angle. Left hand would slide overtop the right, which then took its place lower down the hilt of the sword in concordance, as Naimes maintained his hold on the weapon...

...as he moved his left hand Naimes would flex his fingers again, the blood leaking from the wound on his forearm was steady however the wound wasn't debilitating, ensuring his hand wasn't going numb. Gazing ahead he had focused on Ordo the entire time, the movements he made almost second nature to him, looking for an opening or sign from his opponent while his own motions came deliberately as though he were trying to goad Ordo into acting. Naimes knew that the reach of his weapon was only an advantage when he could use it...

...the sliding motion he maintained would widen the distance between the two of them until it was three meters, plenty of space left to move around, then he would halt. Naimes continued to lead with his right leg after the pivot he'd performed only moments earlier, its foot pointed towards Ordo, while his left leg maintained the rear with its foot turned outwards at a forty-five degree angle. Angling his sword down across the outside of his left leg Naimes would maintain that position...

...he'd moved back, waiting, treating the duel like a match of wits as much as a match of steel which he'd attempt to make his opponent play to his tune...​

​

[member="Ordo"]

 

[Ordo]

[member="Naimes Ahn-Dross"]

The blades hissed as they separated and the other man backed away. The sharp sound of durasteel against durasteel not one easily forgotten. His boots slid across the pale granite as he backed away. He resumed his stance easily, right foot back knees slightly bent. He wanted to stay on the balls of his feet for speed but the wpund his opponent had left was already making him want to favor the leg.

The aging Field Marshall shook out his hands for a moment before putting his left hand up back at eye level in a loose fist and his right knife hand near his right hip. He watched the man's eyes as he began to circle to his the left, his opponents right. There was little time left for this they were wounded and both in such a way as to reduce their ability to use their preferred tactic.

Ordo thought of his years of fighting, his many adopted children, and his seemingly unending courtship with war. He was tiring. His body was still strong, his mind keen, but their came a time for every warrior when you grew tired of burying your brothers. When you grew tired of the blood stained hands. Maybe this was his way of finding out if this life was still for him. Maybe it was just a way to see if he was really who so many thought he was. Maybe he was just ready to end his career and go find some good soil for a simple life away from it all. In any case it was time to take a risk.

Ordo stopped circling and stepped forward toward the man. The man would either swing or he wouldn't. Ordo stayed defensive but he stepped again back into that one point five meter range.

 

[Naimes Ahn-Dross]

...when Ordo began circling to the right of Naimes he would have squinted, his eyes tracked the movements of the Mandalorian, before his own body moved to keep track of the motion as it was being made. Naimes would shift on his feet, he didn't circle, turning himself to his right while Ordo circled so that he could continue to remain square with his opponent. There was a methodical sense to this calm before the storm between the both of them. Eyes were focused on Ordo, intent, Naimes believed that he could goad him into making the first move this time between the two of them...

...the blood had slowed as it came from the wound to Naimes left forearm but the sting of pain remained evident. While the wound wasn't debilitating it would make his left arm weaker meaning he would need to rely more on the power of his right arm to guide the blade though for the moment he would compensate without much exertion. Only a single quick pass and retort had been made. Both men suffered their own injuries...

...Naimes had planted the majority of his right onto his forward right foot. As Ordo began stepping towards him he would raise onto the ball of that foot. Ordo came closer, Naimes watched him with an intense amount of focus trying to ensure he wouldn't have missed even the most subtle of movements. It seemed, in a sense, that they were two great fighters locked into a stance where they would need to see who struck first then Naimes would act by speaking to Ordo..."We are, all of us, what we do, Ordo."...the meaning behind the statement may have been lost in translation but Naimes would act in the same breath it took him to speak those words...

...raised onto the ball of his right foot Naimes would tighten his leg muscles before pressing backwards, hard, off that same lead foot. As he did this the sword which he had lain across the outside of his left leg would come across in a diagonal strike from his low left to his high right so that it would end over Naimes right shoulder. If the sword had been sheathed it for have almost been a picturesque draw cut which targeted the outside of Ordo's right hip with the intent that it would carry on over his midsection and chest to end over his left shoulder. Naimes had hoped to use the superior weight of his sword to power through the defense of Ordo's knife...

...more than that too the cut may have started at a relative distance of one point five meters but it would end at a distance of two meters after Naimes had used his right foot to push backwards ensuring he slid away during the cut. Likely this would mean if the blow did land on Ordo it wouldn't have been exceptionally deep. He'd settled, after the blow had completed, in the same right leading stance...​

​

[member="Ordo"]

 

[Ordo]

[member="Naimes Ahn-Dross"]

Ordo was low on options. His boot was quickly filling with his own life's blood and it was evident if he didn't make one last effort he would not walk off the rock. He watched the man with critical eyes as he stepped forward. The man tensed his foot planted and Ordo took his last chance.

He ducked his head forward quickly and dipped his right left shoulder as he combat rolled across the hard surface. The bruising from his heavy body colliding with stone in even such a controlled manner would last for some time. He would endeavor to roll past the man's lead right foot and stop in a quick kneeling position. His right knife hand flying back at the man's right thigh.

He would follow if able by standing and reaching for the opponents chin with his left hand, snaking it around intent on yanking it back. His right knife hand would quickly follow aimed at the right side kidney but was not aimed to pierce. If successful he would say.

"Yield, ner vod."

 

[Ashin Varanin]

[member="Naimes Ahn-Dross"] [member="Ordo"] [member="Matsu Xiangu"] [member="Reverance"]

The semifinals are now complete.

 

[Reverance]

[member="Ordo"] | [member="Naimes Ahn-Dross"] | [member="Shule Windspeaker"]​

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[member="Matsu Xiangu"] and I have reviewed the duel and decided that the winner of the fight is...​

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Naimes​

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I don't think I need to go too far in to detail with this ruling because you both are, obviously, very accomplished duelists. In this specific situation, Ordo was at a disadvantage with a knife compared to a long blade. Especially with someone who wields it with such proficiency, as Naimes has shown time and time again. However, some of the moves used to 'bridge the gap' by Ordo seemed forced at times, almost somewhat jarring or unlikely given the circumstances. I will point towards the last post for clarity. In view of the writing, with Naimes back step and swing as was described...a roll forward, I felt, put the assailant in harms way.

I think, should the weapons have been similar, this may have ended differently. But as it stands, Naimes dictated the pace of the fight. Congratulations to you Naimes, for your victory and crisp writing. Ordo, nice work my man. I look forward to reading more of your dueling in the future (as I have thoroughly enjoyed your style throughout the tournament)

 

[Ordo]

[member="Naimes Ahn-Dross"]

Congratulations, bro. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I'd lose to you again anytime.