forum The Captive Prince (o/o) closed

Started August 12, 2019 by Deleted user

tune

Edit topic

“Hah..!” Levi sputtered, “That’s so much like him. He told me the scar one recently. Either this morning or the other night.” He grinned, “So that’s just what he does? I just thought I was special,” he joked with a snicker.

Cadmus snickered, letting himself droop back into his more relaxed posture. "I mean, he wouldn't have given you the advice if he didn't care at least a little bit, but yeah. He spouts that stuff a lot, and… to be fair, a good 75% of it is pretty solid."

“It is pretty good advice. When I get home I’ll definitely remember it. Even use it,” he seat back into his seat, turning his eyes to the arena again, wondering if Fiori was going to fight in the next one. He had to admit, it was entertaining.

Cadmus nodded. "He's weirdly wise for a guy whose only hobbies are fighting and helping me bake." He settled back in his seat, watching as a new challenger approached. He snorted when he recognized who it was, giving a loud whoop of support as the two began to circle one another. "This dumbass challenges him every year," he told Levi, eyes never leaving the ring. "He's pretty good, they call him leòmhann."

“Is he better than the last one?” He laughed and craned his neck to get a better look. He sat forward again, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees. “If he is, this should be even more entertaining.”

"Much. That last one was… Callian? His daddy had some beef with Fiori's uncle but Fi fills in for his uncle in duels so they duked it out instead." The two began to circle one another, matching their movements step for step as they waited for the other to budge. "Leòmhann, on the other hand, has personal beef with Fi. He cares a lot more about winning the fight."

As soon as the words were out of Cadmus' mouth, Leòmhann dashed forward, swinging his sword down in a quick strike. Fi blocked it but the force sent him sliding backward, off balance and at a disadvantage. For a few seconds, it was a flurry of blows, rapid attacks from Leòmhann that Fi just barely managed to block until he saw his opening and took it, ducking one of his swings and dropping his swords to tackle his opponent to the ground.

Cadmus cheered his approval.

“Damn, I can see the tension,” he lifted his head. This man definitely seemed to have a shot against Fiori, at least for the few seconds where Fi was disadvantaged. Johan would absolutely love something like this, he thought. “What kind of personal issue does he have with Fiori?”

(Me, someone who avoids writing combat scenes because they're something I'm ass at: sweats nervously)

Cadmus laughed in delight as Leòmhann tried to swing up with his sword only for Fiori to pin his wrists, turning to Levi once it looked like Fi had the upper hand. "He thinks Fiori stole his land to help build housing for the peasants who live in his province. And he also happens to resent the fact that Fi was given generalship over him."

Leòmhann managed to force Fiori off of him but before he could get a solid pin Fiori was tackling him again, slamming him up against the wall with a sickening crunch that could be heard even from the seats. The fight was over rather quickly after that.

(Lmao! Same, but this is great!)

“Ohh, I suppose that makes sense for him to be angry. Not that he’s in the right but…” Levi trailed off, too interested in the fight to bother thinking about an intelligible response. He winced at the horrid sounding crunch, his smile inching from his face as he wondered what happened. He squinted at the scene again, silently glad that Fiori won, but was something wrong? That’s and he wasn’t as much one to scream and holler.

(lol, glad I'm doing a good job)
Fiori offered Leòmhann a hand but was quickly batted away as the man forced himself to his feet, hobbling out of the arena with a face as white as fresh paper. Cadmus watched him go with a grin, whooping at Fi's win and then continuing to speak unbothered. "He's a fucking dick at parties too, you should see the way he torments the serving girls. I hope he broke a rib."

Levi sat back in his seat, letting out a breath as he saw the man walking by himself, “Sounds like he did. He must have at least broken something.” He laughed a little bit, “He deserves it too, then.” While the arena was between fights, he looked down at his ring. “How many fights are there in a day?”

Cadmus shrugged. "As many as they can fit in between seven in the morning and seven at night. The rest will spill over into tomorrow and then as the clock strikes seven Fiori will face his uncle." A new competitor walked out into the ring, a woman with her blazing red hair tied back in a complicated triad of knots on the back of her head. "Fi'll fight in 5 of them, I checked before y'all got to me."

“So this is his third…” he echoed in a whisper, mostly for himself. Then he asked louder, “Seven at night or seven in the morning?” He eyed the new competitor curiously. He hadn’t seen red hair much in his lifetime, except for any visitors that came to talk business in the castle.

"Seven at night. It's a lucky number so lots of shit tend happens in sevens if people can help it." The new competitor didn't even bother to circle she surged forward so quickly Fi barely had a chance to parry her attack. It was clear he wasn't as strong as he was but that didn't matter, more than making up for it with her speed and ferocity.

For the first time that day, Fiori started to lose ground. It was slow at first, a few strategic steps back to keep out of the way of her blade, but then he was backed up against the wall with her sword coming at him to fast to parry. She landed a cut on his chest, then another, and then she was swinging forward with all her might, intent on ending the fight with a blow too serious for Fi to fight through.

Fi parried so hard her arms shook, something animal in his eyes as he shoved her back. She was on the defensive now, all her speed no match for Fi's desperate determination to win.

“That makes sense,” he nodded, but kept his focus on the arena. The way this woman fought reminded him somewhat of his own country’s technique, which relied more on speed, agility, and using the opponent’s strength against them. In this fight, he almost hoped that she would win. Although he would never admit it out loud, especially next to Cadmus.

Cadmus was on the edge of his seat, cheering loudly for Fiori as the woman forced him into the defensive and then had to shift quickly to the defensive herself as he swung at her. She was starting to dodge instead of parrying, not strong enough to hold out against Fi's brute strength, but even that wasn't enough. As the fight dragged on she started to get tired, stumbling and slowing, but Fiori, who had just gone through two years of military conditioning, stood strong. Eventually he disarmed her, swinging up against one of her strikes so hard the sword flew from her hands, and she dropped to one knee, panting out a ragged "I yield."

Levi’s eyes widened as the fight dragged on. But when it came to a close, he sat back, breathing as if he had been the one fighting, “Damn. I think she was his best competitor yet,” he ran a hand through his hair. His scalp was still a bit sore, but it at least felt better now. “Do you know her name or who she is?”

Cadmus nodded in agreement, watching with fond eyes as Fiori helped the woman to her feet. The two were talking quietly, and then the woman tilted her head back and laughed so loud even Fi seemed surprised. "That's Alessia LaRue, she's a pit fighter champion. She and Fiori are friends, he always makes me say hi to her at parties before I drag him off."

“I wouldn’t have guessed they were friends with those nice size cuts she gave him,” he chuckled to himself. He cocked his head slightly. He wondered what Fiori said to her that made her laugh so much. That was the second competitor he’d made laugh. “But now I see it.”

Cadmus laughed. "That's how you can tell they're friends, Levi. I mean, besides how chummy they are outside the fight. They're not scared of hurting each other because they know there won't be any hard feelings about it later." He gave Fiori, who was now meandering back to the center of the arena to meet his fourth opponent, a careful once over. "Besides, they're not even that deep."

“That’s good,” he hummed thoughtfully, looking towards where he assumed the next competitor would come from. “I wish I could invite my brother here to fight,” he laughed, “Even though he doesn’t like this country I think he would love something like this. It just wouldn’t fit well in our society…” he crossed his legs, tapping his chin with a finger. When I get back I might have half a mind to send him here, he thought with a small smile. Of course he’d never actually do that, it was just a nice thought to have him get a taste of his own medicine.

Cadmus smiled, whooping loudly when the next competitor came out. He was tall, slim, and clearly trying to force down his fear, shakily running his hands through his short black hair. "Yeah, Widonians are more prim and proper than we are out here. You think he'd do well in the arena?"

“Yeah, he’d do well in the arena. He’s not as prim as the rest of us are. Dare I say he might even have a chance against Fiori?” He laughed, eyeing the new competitor. He didn’t look as promising as the others Fiori fought. “And who is this?”