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The noble lady looked up confused, but saw the worried look on his face. "Should I go get Marque Draque?"

"No, would be useless. He's at Blackstaff's tower. Just go."

She nodded and clutched her cloak as she hurried down the hallway towards the bard's guestroom.

Pierce opened the door and stepped within, his saber going up to block the downward stroke of Chev's cutlass. He grunted and pushed the warrior away, drawing Sidekick from its sheath. "What's the occasion?"

Chev's face had a hollow, sunken look in the shadows. "I'm here to get my sword Gravebringer back. Its as simply as that."

"That's a pretty powerful sword if I recall," Pierce replied. "Why should I allow such a powerful weapon into your hands?"

Chev held both blades up in front of him. "It was mine to begin with. You have stolen it." He jabbed forward with both blades.

Pierce parried the first easily and let the other slide off his armour. It was a close one though and the Doctor knew Chev could have pressed the attack and stabbed clear through the bronze, but that would have meant exposing his flanks to Pierce's other saber. "Then you should be talking to Marque Draque. It is his now."

Chev shook his head and smiled like an imp. "You and I both know that you'll never leave with it. Before I can get it, I must die or you must die." Dancing backwards, the warrior assumed a fencing stance with the longsword pointed at Pierce and the cutlass raised and ready.

The veteran was tempted to draw his mother's longsword and use its better reach. He decided against it because he knew the longsword's couldn't hold up against Sharkslayer, whereas the adamantite sabers could. "Perhaps. Still something keeps puzzling me. Why did you kill all those Harper agents? Did someone pay you?"

The warrior snarled and lashed out viciously with his swords. "Do you know so little about history? The Harpers caused all of this! My Kipriana would have never been captured were it not for you meddlers!"

Pierce stayed calm and parried both blades away and stepped back into the hallway. He had found a weakness in Chev's armour and he couldn't help but press his new found advantage. "Kipriana d'Or? Is that her name? Very pretty."

Chev advanced steadily on the lone veteran. Pushing through the doorway with blades bared like fangs, he fought his way into the open. "It is. I don't hold you responsible Pierce. You only aid them when you're asked to. The others meddle all the time without being asked." He smiled and stabbed out viciously.

Pierce moved to intercept with one saber and found Chev's longsword in the way. His parry had been parried of all things! That was one move Pierce didn't know! The cutlass bit into his side and stayed there for a moment as both warriors stopped to look at the wound. Shocked into action, Pierce brought his foot up and kicked Chev backwards. While he was still in part fall, the Doctor brought both sabers down in a cross slash at the cutlass.

One grazed Chev's forearm and the other knocked Sharkslayer from his hand. Ignoring the wound in his side, Pierce continued forward and was greeted by an intricate parry that pushed both his sabers to the floor while Chev kicked out, not at Pierce himself, but at his right arm.

Releasing Tarrasqueslayer from his grip, Pierce backed off.

For a moment the two stayed still, eyes fixed on each other and not at the fallen swords.

"I didn't know the Harpers had anything to do with that incident so long ago," Pierce said slowly, edging towards Tarrasqueslayer but not doubting that Chev would only let Pierce get it if he saw a chance to get the cutlass back.

Chev only smiled and held his ground, longsword raised and ready to stab or parry. "History is easily forgotten Pierce. The Harpers have been writing it for so long they've lost sight of their real purpose?"

"Which is?"

"Freedom and justice. I'm seeking justice for a wrong to done me and right now I'm seeking to free Gravebringer."

Pierce shuddered inwardly, remembering