Altiris Knights:Civil War

Book 4:Chapter 3:Test

"Judeor, I think Alkaeta is ready" said Valhares. "Perhaps. But in the case that she isn't, I would be responsible for taking her away from you" sighed Judeor. "You are being pessimistic. She can handle herself. You have seen it with your own eyes" Valhares replied. "Perhaps. I will test her abilities myself, and then decide, if she can come with me or not. This mission is highly dangerous" said Judeor.

Alkaeta took a deep breath, and raised her staff, waiting for Judeor to attack. She was nervous-he was the most powerful Altiris Knight, and had bested dozens of both Legion and Altiris Knights respectively. She knew that the moment he started wielding, the spar would be over. Of course, she also knew he wouldn't. Not that it would matter.

Judeor attacked, and she blocked, and evaded his next strike. She thrust, but he sidestepped and swung, his blade slicing off a few strands of hair. Alkaeta flinched and was sent back with three powerful kicks to her chest. She dropped on one knee, unable to withstand the power behind the attacks, but managed to recover, and attacked, though of course, her staff was deflected.

Judeor blocked her next strike and retaliated, bringing his blades down on her staff. He ducked under a sloppy attack and thrust his fingers into her sternum, stunning her. Before she could recover, he clenched his hand into a fist and slammed it into her.

Alkaeta staggered, and barely evaded his next strike. She managed to push him away, but of course, she knew he was toying with her. She blocked his next strikes and brought her staff down on his shin. He grimaced and retaliated with a palm slash to her neck. She brought her hand up in time, blocking his strike and landed a few hits on his shoulder with her staff. She did not see his saber staff, and the weapon cut her on the forearm, though Judeor altered its trajectory before it could do any major harm to her. She swung, but he caught her staff with his arm and pulled it out of her grip, throwing it aside. He lowered his weapon to the ground, and entered a classic Aka Valaar stance.

She mimicked him, and they attacked, blocking each other's strikes, her injury distracting her slightly. Judeor capitalized on it, and delivered a palm slash to the area, making her flinch. He kicked her in the shin and and delivered several more to her neck and shoulder, and slammed his elbow in her gut.

Alkaeta dropped to the ground, winded by his attacks. He stepped back, waiting for her. She flipped back on her feet and attacked, pummeling him with fast palm strikes, and kicked him in the chest thrice. He locked her foot in his hands and pulled, and his fist connected with her sternum. She attacked again, but he blocked her hook and wrapped his arm around hers, his palm pushing down on her shoulder. He released her and attacked. She crossed her wrists above her, blocking his attack, and rolled to the side, and her palm slashes connected to his shoulder. He moved her arms to the sides and struck her in the chest, his fingers as hard as steel.

Judeor delivered a barrage of fast punches to her forearms and chest, and leapt over her counter. He grasped her shoulder and pushed down on the back of her knee with his foot, pushing her on her knees. Before she could recover, he placed his palm on her chin and pushed, pushing her to the ground and held his foot to her neck, inches from crushing her trachea.

"You've done well. Get some rest and meet me at the hangar tomorrow" said Judeor, helping her to her feet.

"You were only toying with her" said Valhares, once they were out of earshot. "At the beginning, yes. However, she had enough skill to force me to start being serious" Judeor replied. "As I suspected" said Valhares, chuckling.