The events of the 10th of Limestone. 1063
Merkil was getting better, there was no doubt about it. He had yet to bring Major ---- DayCovering to his knees, or knock the hammer from his hands, but he was Better. Stronger. Harder. Faster. He was becoming a real soldier.
Even the training, sometimes as much as twelve hours a day, was beginning to become routine. Not the techniques that were being taught to him. No, there was so much to learn about his heavy lead-and-steel hammer, just as he thought his mentor might move on he was instructed on a different way to stand, or defend, or even attack. No, the training itself, the memorization, the movements, the repetition, it was becoming so much easier.
He no longer became winded, spending hours jogging up and down the stairs to the parapet in his full armor. No longer did he ache when he moved, the bruises and bumps that seemed to cover his body were suffered without complaint or thought. No longer was he so sore he could not lift his hammer. The heavy weapon felt as natural now as if it was an extension of his arm.
"Good!" Shouted Major ---- DayCovering as his apprentice deftly deflected a blow. "Left! Left! Right!"
On the third shout, Major ---- DayCovering brought his hammer singing in an arc to the left to complete the trifecta. But Merkil wasn't listening to his voice anymore, he was watching the way the old man moved. He saw him tense for a brief instant, and push forward with his right foot instead of the left. His shield came up, the metal ringing heavily as the Sombith Kiron clanged against it.
Grinning wide, Merkil readied his own blow. He'd been thinking about it for months now, the day he'd be able to finally land a blow on the old man. His hammer swung hard, a sharp forehand blow delivered from the hip, his twisting frame adding to the speed.
"EeeEEeeeeeEEEEEE!"
The scream from the courtyard caused him to jerk, a small shift of his shoulders, and without thinking he tried to glance down to the floor below. He was rewarded with a crack to the helm which brought him groaning to his knees, hammer and shield clattering beside him.
"Tsk... You were doing so well. What happened? Why did you slow? Why did you take your eyes from me?"
"Didn't you, ohhh, by Lenod's gaze, my head... didn't you hear that shriek?"
"Aye. What of it?"
"...and you weren't distracted? What if it was an attacker? That could have been our warning that goblins were sieging again."
"Did I just strike you? Then I wasn't distracted. Until you're aware of your surroundings, you'll be able to be beaten. From where that noise came from, I knew that any attacker would be either behind the wall, or so far below that we would have time to finish our training before meeting him."
"You're right, sir. But what was it?"
They moved to the edge and peered into the courtyard, looking for the source of the scream. They eventually found it. Climbing out of the empty pond, and pushing past the kneeling yellow-robes, the now-naked Duke Consort Rocksmortal shoved through the crowds, a rictus grin plastered on his face. He was soaked in mud and vomit, his loping gait bringing him swiftly to the edge of the pond. With another bloodcurdling shriek, he dove over the head of one of the kneeling dwarves, arms outspread, and belly flopped into the soft mud with a loud splat.
Minutes later, he had pulled himself from the pond and rushed forward, shrieking and jumping again.
And again.
And again.
Major ---- DayCovering sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose between his eyes. "Well, it looked like the new Duke commandeering the old Duchesses space and kicking him out finally took it's toll. Nothing we can do for him now."
"Shouldn't we go down and at least ... put some clothes on him?" Merkil asked, his nose wrinkled in distaste.
"I don't suspect he'll be living much longer. He might yet grow tired of the mud, and give himself a lava bath. Now come on, attack me. We can use the old Consort as a training exercise for you."
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Topic: Migrursut: What Comes After The World Ends? [Epilogue] (A Community Fort) (Read 389499 times)