Classy, Controlled Chaos - The STEAM Team Adventures

🪄 Foresight [4/7] 🪄

Sir Blackthorne's POV:

I was being challenged by the revered Captain Tia Aquaticlaw, slayer of leviathans and sailor of the fiercest storms.

Well, I challenged her, really, but that is irrelevant to this entire event.

We circled one another in the grassy clearing just outside the double doors, getting ourselves in our respective battle stances.

If I won, I'd get to take out this lovely damsel for a date.

If she won, however, I'd have to leave the island and never return.

Little does she know, this is a win-win situation for me.

Even if I have to leave the island, she was offered residence in Northwynd, my home kingdom.

And if she accepts, I'm going to get to see her by King Arthur's side almost daily.

"Before we begin, do you prefer wine or beer?" I asked Tia, giving her a cunning smile from under my knight helmet. "I'd like to know for our little date tonight."

She shook her head, glaring me down with her piercing, icy stare. "I'm not an alcoholic, can't you see?"

I ignored her statement, wielding my arming sword. "Ladies first."

The captain gestured for me to come forward, beckoning with her free hand. "Well don't just stand there, come at me!"

"Did you not just hear what I said?" I asked, lowering my sword. "Ladies first. You're a lady."

"That's a cowardly rule; In Baywharf, we like to say sharkbait goes first." Tia snarled, tightening the grip on her trident. "So go ahead, you move first."

I dipped my head, tensing myself up to spring. "You're very courteous, you know that? Makes you a keeper."

"I've clearly given you too much mercy..." She muttered under her breath, a hint of rosy blush tinting her cheeks.

Before I could make my move, she abruptly barreled into me, slamming me flat on my back.

I had the wind knocked out of me for a brief moment before I got up, countering a swing from her trident. "You're pretty strong... Pretty and strong."

"I'm gonna tear out your vocal cords so you can't flirt with me anymore," Tia snapped, jabbing at my chestplate while I countered her move.

She was fighting with close combat, risking hits to her abdomen while trying to force me back.

After a few moments, she had me by the edge of the floating island, pushing me closer to where the moonflowers gave way to open air.

I parried more of her hits, deflecting them with my arming sword.

To my surprise, I was doing better than I initially thought I would be.

"Are you holding back at all?" I mock-yawned, feigning boredom. "I'm getting awfully sleepy..."

"I'm not," Tia began, countering a swipe from my sword. "I'm just lowering the chances of you dying, that's all... If this was a real battle, you would have been dead ages ago."

"Love the confidence," I smirked, sweeping her leg and causing her to lose balance. "Now if you excuse me..."

I promptly prodded at her thigh with the tip of my blade, not sharp enough to hurt her, but just enough for her to feel it. "Ah, you aren't wearing armor under your clothing? Not a smart move, tsk tsk..."

She caught herself, stumbling against the willow tree by the creek and covering her leg. "I would have liked it better if you actually tried to draw blood."