Continuum: Dawn (The Chantry)

[Valeric]

Christian managed to divert her thrust with a desperate move with his sword, and immediately following up with a horizontal slash aimed high. In the split second timing, there was no time for slow analysis. Esfir's instincts kicked in, making her duck low. She raised her shield just for good measure, in case Christian decided to change his swing downwards.

However, in the move that seemed defensive, she was already moving into her next attack. As Esfir crouched, she brought her right leg back in a sweeping arc so that she spun clock-wise, her shield still held out to obscure her moves. Then her left foot moved, allowing her to continue the spin into Christian's right side. At the same time, she lashed out with her weapon, attempting to strike at his exposed legs. The extremely low attack and fast execution would leave Christian with very few options. In this state, she didn't feel like she needed to hold back against the Seneschal.

[MelonHead]

With his wooden sword whistling through the air he felt sure he would strike but Esfir surprised him. She was certainly nimble, an advantage Chris did not share for it was a cost to his strength. As was proper, he did not engage in brutal close combat like he may have if suited, but instead allowed his momentum to drag back and threw his legs backwards followed shortly after by the rest of his body.

This was common practise in avoiding an attack you were not equipped to deal with, and he chose well as the wooden blade of his opponent just barely missed his legs as it swept past, the blow launched as Esfir made a move he had never encountered before. He did not let it bother him as he backed up and allowed her to stand while he regained face and restored his poise.

“That was… interesting.” He said, his breathing somewhat quickened by the brief but heavy exertion of the past few blows. He reset his stance to mid-guard, and looked up at Esfir as she chose her fighting stance. By now most in the training room had stopped to watch two of the best fighters in their order exchange blows, but the Seneschal ignored their audience.

As soon as Esfir was settled, and assuming she had finished saying whatever she may decide to say, Christian would lunge forward with a simplistic ‘slot’ in the gap between her sword and shield. If she made the move necessary to deflect it, he could quickly follow up with a high cross to her left shoulder above the shield.

[Valeric]

Esfir managed to pull off her move, but her training sword sang through thin air without hitting its mark- Christian had backed away in a startling display of foresight. She stood back up, recovering from the brief but intense exchange, ready for his next attack.

“That was… interesting.” Christian said, his breathing ragged. Esfir found her own heart thumping against her chest, and her clothing already stained with patches of sweat.

"I'm afraid I might have to cheat a little," she said with an enigmatic smile. All it took was the will of her mind for the spell to activate. In an instant she felt a surge of energy course though her body, making it feel lighter, faster. This was one of the miracles God allowed her to perform: with sheer willpower she can empower her own body beyond human limits. Right now she merely unleashed a small trickle of her powers, enough to boost her strength and speed by a small but noticeable amount. Christian would still overpower her in raw strength, but the gap has been decreased.

"Come!" Esfir uttered her challenge as soon as she was ready. Christian obliged with a lunge forward towards her. This time, in stead of setting up for a counter-attack, she simply stepped out of his path, still in a defensive position, but her sword arm was ready to strike at any moment.

[MelonHead]

With his slot easily avoided he drew his sword back with a quizzical expression on his face as he repositioned himself to face her.

“You’re very quick.” Chris backed away slowly and the Crusaders in his path made way in respect. With a brief glance he caught sight of what he was looking for, and with a brazen lack of regard for his safety within the parameters of the duel he passed his sword and shield to two nearby warriors and had them hand him a polearm. The thick wood shaft was just over two meters in length, with a blunted end like a club to prevent serious damage from being caused. As the weapon settled into his hands he gave her a brief smile and span the weapon with obvious skill. Testing its weight, satisfied, he settled into a defensive stance with the pole pointed outwards towards Esfir.

“You wouldn’t mind if I cheat a little then as well?” He grinned, adrenaline flowing as he carefully made his way back towards her. At a little over two meters between them, he would fix his standing position and wait for her move.

Assuming she remained stationary and sized him up instead, he would lunge without warning throwing his strength into launching the polearm forward with his right arm alone. It should collide with the edge of her shield, and assuming it cleared some space he would press the attack afterwards.

[Valeric]

Esfir was expecting a follow-up to his attack, but Christian merely backed away. She was almost about to interrupt his retreat when he began to speak.

“You’re very quick.” He commented. Esfir watched on in silence as he traded his sword and shield for a long pole-arm. She whistled playfully as Christian returned with the weapon in hand. Around two meters in length, the wooden pole-arm could be swung with immense force. Esfir doubted she could parry a blow without her hand going numb.

As she still stood motionless, her eyes keenly watching her opponent, Christian took the initiative to launch a straight thrust with his right hand. Esfir dash in at the same time, trying to force the fight into a close range affair where her faster weapon was at an advantage. She angled her shield to deflect the pole-arm off its wide surface, but still felt the substantial impact travel to her arm.

It was nothing she couldn't shrug off, and she had now closed the gap between them, enough for her to jab out with her sword at his abdomen. However, even as her movements might have suggested that she was betting on her speed advantage to seal the first strike, the jab was merely a feint to bait Christian into blocking it with his only weapon. As soon as he lowered his guard against the low attack, Esfir would retract her weapon with lightning-quick reflexes to send a narrow slash towards his neck with deadly precision.

[MelonHead]

His plan worked to general perfection, for he had no intention of keeping her at arm’s length despite his choice of weapon. As his pole arm collided with her shield he stepped forward and to the left to meet her advance, his right hand gripping the weapon pulled back ever so slightly and slid forward as his left hand rose to grip the shaft at about halfway. As Esfir closed on him he slid his hands further so they were near the head and forced his right hand out, causing the shaft of the weapon to swing towards her right arm and sword as she neared him.

The superior length of the polearm meant she would not have the easy opportunity of striking at his abdomen, and it was possible her attack would be disposed of altogether in favour of some other counter attack to his new move.

Provided his attack missed or failed to stop her he would stop the arc of his swing and bring the weapon back sliding his hands down as he did so to regain his original stance.

[Valeric]

Christian swept his pole-arm back up to deflect her sword thrust with blinding speed. This was precisely the reason betting it on a single strike was a bad idea. As she originally planned, she stopped her feint, and whipped her blade towards his neck. She was not about to let him widen the gap between them; although Christian could parry her blows at this range, his striking power was severely limited by the lack of swinging space. In this fashion, she would continue to lash at him with a barrage of strikes, attempting to overwhelm him with her speed.

[MelonHead]

As his polearm missed her hand by a narrow margin as she feinted, he prepared to counter her attack. The polearm continuing its revolution until he half swung it round to block the sword on the head of the weapon. She then proceeded to test his skill to the very limits, and he continued to twist the polearm to meet each strike as it came, only just managing to recover after each lightning fast blow. Eventually even his skill failed him, and the fastest strike he had even laid eyes on slid under his guard. Only by twisting his body did he make a theoretically lethal strike into a minor threat, as the blade brushed against his side.

However, that was not enough for him to end the spar and it was apparent he was seeing the best the High Cleric had to offer. In that respect he decided it was time to take full advantage of his strength, something he had not done until this point. As she moved forward in another strike like the one which had almost brought him down, he drew the polearm to full height in the ‘Roof’ and darted to the right to clear enough space for what he had in mind. He pushed forward powerfully so he was past her and then swung downwards and at a slight angle (right to left) with a vicious amount of force, capable of breaking bones in lesser men. The polearm would collide powerfully with her nearest shoulder, which would be dependent on if she turned to face his new position or if she attempted to keep moving forward.

She would probably raise her shield to protect herself from such an attack, but there was no doubt in Chris’ mind that if she did his attack would be more than enough to stumble her. Fair payback in his mind for the light ‘wound’ she had inflicted on him.

[Valeric]

Evidently her enhanced speed was more than a match for Christian, as she slowly pushed him back with her strikes. As his guard faltered, she managed to snake in a slice that managed to glance his side. As expected, the Seneschals weren't as great as what the Templar's tall tales of them would suggest. All those stories of besting an army of undead had to be a lie, and she had just proven this fact. There were but human, just like everyone else.

Of course, Esfir wasn't about to underestimate him just because she managed a hit on him. Christian managed to take advantage of a pause in her assault to step backwards, giving him a split second's respite, enough for him to raise his pole-arm for a downwards strike. Esfir gave him a toothy grin and thrust her sword straight at the center of his torso, raising her shield to meet the oncoming attack at the same time. She was too far gone in the flow of the fight for much rational thought, although she still had the sense to aim at a non-lethal position. She really didn't care if his attack was going to hurt.

The pole-arm came crashing down with an impact that shook her to the core. It made contact with her shield- and simply went past it, shattering the specially-treated wood in half. Esfir clenched her teeth in anticipation of what followed. The wooden shaft met with her forearm and both gave way at the same time. Her bone snapped with a horrible crunching noise, while the polearm was bent at a perpendicular angle just below the clubbed head. Overwhelming pain instantly followed, nearly causing her to black out. It was only the adrenaline pumping through her veins and sheer determination that allowed her to stand her feet and continue pivoting her body to deliver the strike into his body.

[MelonHead]

Chris realised at the last moment he had once again allowed his fervour of battle to take over his actions, and he heard fairly audibly the crack of her bone as his polearm made brutal contact. The assembled Crusaders gasped, perhaps for the first time realising why the Seneschal avoided such skirmishes with his fellow warriors of god.

Or perhaps their surprise was more in regard to the near impossible feat Esfir then performed, one which was so impressive that even Christian lowered his guard in respect. Her strike already launched, she followed it through despite the intense pain she must have been feeling. Christian had but time to twist his body enough so that as the wooden sword collided with his chest, he only felt a massive amount of pain and the smallest of shifts. It was altogether possible from the burst of agony which he clenched down on mentally that his rib had been fractured.

Although he could have followed up with a finishing blow with his polearm at this point, he allowed her to withdraw and stood his own polearm on the ground as he leant on it.

“Enough, your skill is unmatched with the blade High Cleric, I would not have us do undue injury in our desire for victory…” He paused and the assembled Templars groaned in annoyance as their spectacle came to a close. Their wish for a decisive end had been taken from them as the Seneschal stopped the spar.

“Your bone is surely broken, and I believe I myself have sustained a significant injury. I will visit the healer now and can only suggest you do the same.” He nodded mutely and handed his polearm to a nearby Crusader, clutching his injured rib with his free left hand. “It was an honour to spar with you High Cleric and I would be grateful to have you by my side on the field of battle.” He said finally, walking away.