Sea of Lies

Chapter 13

1720

The clash of metal rang out. One man pressed his sword into his opponent's, leaning his whole body weight into it. The other man stumbled as he tried to push back. He eventually lost his footing and fell back. A sword was swiftly swung straight at his neck, but stopped just inches away. Cheers and groans erupted.

"And Roman wins...again." One of the crew called out, motioning to the victor. After a moment of dividing the betted money, the group quieted again.

"Who's next?" Roman called out, resting his sword on his shoulder and wiping the sweat from his face. The group was quiet.

"You've beaten everyone here, Roman." Someone grumbled. The captain looked up at his crew as he dropped the few coins he'd won from the bet. He looked over at his son sitting beside him. He grabbed Denis' arm and stood up.

"How about you give it a try?" He said. Denis looked up at him then back at Roman in the center of the group.

"I guess..." He mumbled. His father smiled and shoved him into the middle.

"20 coins on my son!" The captain cheered as he dumped coins into one metal bucket. The crew became noisy again as they placed their bets.

"Everyone in?" One of the men asked as he counted the coins. "Alright. We've got 215 on Roman....and 20 on Denis." There was a brief laugh from the group before the captain stepped forward. He walked over to his son, bending down to his level.

"Don't let him fool you," He said. "He may look tough but all you need is one hit. Once he starts to doubt himself, he'll fall apart without you even doing anything." He patted Denis' shoulder before walking away.

"Everyone remembers the rules!" The captain yelled out. "No stepping outside the circle, only one weapon per person, and no major injuries to your opponent."

Mr.Kopotun went over and sat back down on a crate. He took his flintlock pistol out from his belt. The two drew their swords and a moment later the captain shot into the air, signifying the start of the fight.

"Go easy on him Roman! The captain's wife will kill you if you don't!" Someone called out, causing the crowd to laugh. Roman chuckled and looked back at the sixteen year old in front of him.

"This is gonna be easy." He said. He gripped his sword and charged at Denis, swinging at his head. Denis quickly ducked out of the way. He kicked at Roman's legs, causing him to stumble. Denis stood up again behind him.

The crowd gasped and cheered. Roman turned back around. He readjusted his grip and got back in position. He charged again.

This time, Denis held up his sword, stopping Roman's and pushing it back towards him. While Roman was regaining his balance, Denis used the back end of the sword's handle to hit it against his arm, near his wrist. He swung at Roman's sword again, causing him to drop it.

Denis stuck his foot under Roman's, making him trip and fall back onto the ground. As Roman hit the ground, Denis' blade hovered just inches away from Roman's face.

The group was quiet as they looked over the scene. The captain smiled and stood up. He went over to his son, grabbing his wrist and raising his arm into the air.

"We have our winner!" He cheered loudly. The crew murmured in disbelief. A few went over to Roman, laughing in his face for being beaten by a teenager. The captain walked over to the buckets, happily collecting all 235 coins he'd won.

"Anyone else want to challenge my son?" He asked the group. There were no responses. The captain rolled his eyes and looked down at Denis.

"I know a proper opponent." He smiled. "Wait here." He left the field and went over to the water where the ship was docked.