Rise of the Blade - Charles Moffat [86]
Chev grinned and stood up straight. "Tired? Whats that mean? I don't think the word is in my vocabulary." As if to prove his point, Chev launched into an elaborate, high speed attack.
Pierce clicked his tongue and brought his sabers down to block, hoping to tire Chev out. What he didn't expect was the sudden waving swords in his face, blocking his view. When the blades came back down, the Doctor was expecting them and brought both sabers up in a parallel parry, knocking the blades away.
With his defenses up high, Chev used his new found opportunity to kick Pierce in the chest, knocking the Doctor backwards onto the floor.
Stunned, Pierce took a moment to stand up, pausing to study his waiting opponent who had not attacked while he was vulnerable.
"One must fight fairly," Chev shrugged, reading Pierce's expression, as much as Pierce read Chev's mind.
"If you're going to kill me, you might as well hurry it up and strike. One of us shall die tonight and if you're going to continue to let me live, it will likely be you," Pierce muttered as he crouched and held his sabers off to the side.
Chev gave his typical nonchalant shrug. "I can't say that I care. If I die, then I die and I'll finally be at peace. If I live, then I'm simply continuing my quest for vengeance. I've had enough vengeance, but a little more will make the historians, your history-loving Harpers, wary the next time you interfere with the lives of others. Its great that you try to spread justice and freedom for everyone, but that doesn't include robbing others of their right to transport goods."
"The smuggling laws are made by Waterdeep. I am merely a protector of my home. Can you blame me for it?"
"And Marque Draque's cigars? Martinez's Drow vodka? Where do you draw the line? Why is it okay for Harpers to break their own laws, but not for the people of Waterdeep to break laws they didn't make?"
"Those laws are sanctions to prevent Undermountain from having ample opportunity to raid the surface. Already they have the forces to do so but are caught up in their own petty squablings to do anything about Waterdeep. The sanctions make Waterdeep more of a threat than a hapless city to be plundered."
"That still doesn't give the Harpers the right to interfere and place innocent lives at stake!"
"If there is a rogue Harper that decided to take desperate measures a hundred and fifty years ago, then he's long dead and buried. As long as we keep talking however, you're not going to be seeing that dead man for a long time unless you really want me to send you to see him!"
Chev paused and gave a snort. "You're the one with the foresight, how long are we going to argue about this?"
Pierce smiled. "We're going to stop right now," he responded and charged in, sabers flashing. With Tarrasqueslayer leading the way, the Doctor feinted an attack at Chev's bleeding forearm.
Chev ignored the feint and deliberately pushed both sword and cutlass into Pierce's sabers, holding them off to the side as he sidechecked the older warrior into the wall.
The Doctor only grunted and used his bronze armour to grind it into Chev's side, making sure he took more bruises for his effort.
Backing off for a second, Chev came back with an overhead swing which Pierce blocked easily. Then he brought the pummel of the cutlass down and struck the Doctor in the forehead.
Disoriented, but far from out of it, Pierce leaned against the wall and brought his boot up to connect with Chev's groin once more. Shaking his head to remove the sudden dizziness, the Doctor looked down at Chev's prone form.
A moment later Chev rolled away from him and leapt to his feet beside a statue. He muffled a groan and glanced at the statue in the torchlight. "Its one good thing I'm no longer part of the decor."
Pierce shrugged and followed Chev as the younger warrior backed down the hallway towards the better lighting coming from the dome. They passed between the bronze doors and entered a realm of streaming moon light.
"Where we first met," Chev