Rise of the Blade - Charles Moffat [88]
Chev paused, lowering his blades and yet keeping them at the ready. In the moonlight, only feet away, the warrior could see tears streaming down Pierce's face beside the blood dripping from the cut in his forehead. In all of his years, the bodyguard had never seen a grown man cry. He knew then that Pierce spoke the truth.
"Not so long ago, a warrior named Witter died defending Waterdeep," Pierce said slowly, his voice cracking. "He was my mentor, but not the only one. Beside him lie Diego the Wistful, Shamuni Dioune, and Vicet Tor'Gamon. The first was a bard who taught me to read and write. The second was a paladin from the east who taught how to kill, but only when necessary. The last was an elven gladiator, a slave who taught me how to use my skills to their greatest advantage. Witter though-" Pierce stopped to wet his lips. "Witter was just a man. A man that stood for something and believed in it."
"You can stop Pierce," Chev said abruptly. "I respect you enough that I do not want you to feel pain. You might even say that I care for you, but I wouldn't go that far. I've had my share of comrades die and I never cared for that feeling of emptiness afterwards." He gestured about the dome. "Obviously your emptiness was greater than mine."
Pierce snorted despite himself and wiped away his tears, confident that Chev would not attack while his guard was down. Looking at his gloved hands, the Doctor saw the blood in the light from Sidekick. His blades flashed up, and looked at Chev squarely. "It is time we finished this."
Chev shrugged and help both swords out to meet Pierce's sabers. He came in slowly, weaving a path with the cutlass. Pierce met both blades and pushed them away easily, when he tried to move however, he looked down to see Chev's foot firmly clamped over his own.
The bodyguard brought his longsword down and stabbed into Pierce's held left foot. Pulling the blade back out, he dodged backwards before Pierce could respond. He watched from afar as the Doctor bit his own tongue from the agony and maintained his stance. "How much pain can you endure Pierce?"
The old warrior shook his head. "I don't know and I don't particular care to find out." With that said, he took one step forward with his injured foot and grimaced as he put his weight on it. Looking up at Chev, Pierce narrowed his eyes. "Hurry up and kill me. You claim that my pain is something you do not desire and yet you draw this fight out?"
"I know better than to charge you when you're like that," Chev whispered into the quiet. "You might try something desperate and we'd both end up dead faster than you can say tarrasque."
Pierce gritted his teeth and deliberately stomped on it several times. When the pain subsided, he felt easier as he took several quick steps towards Chev and held his sabers out.
"Impressive," Chev smiled and charged at Pierce.
It was Pierce's turn to retreat and he did so by backing towards the eastwing. The lack of good lighting in the eastwing would be to his advantage due to his foresight and to Chev's disadvantage. With his foot slowing him down, it was a very long painful retreat too.
Backed up against the closed bronze doors, Pierce leaned up against the right door as he blocked Chev's attacks and kicked the left one open with his good foot. The warrior knew what he was doing in terms of light but didn't know what Pierce was also planning. It was just a question of whether Pierce could keep blocking Chev's intricate attacks.
When the jumble of wood came into view Chev got a vague idea of what Pierce was planning and charged in immediately.
Pierce was ready for him and dropped to the ground at the last possibly moment and rolled forward, tripping the charging man in the shadows.