Dwarfslayer

13

The Guardian’s Tournament was for the Westlands’ best fighters. The winner would be granted a spot as a Guardian of the Crown for the king.

The king had finally made his appearance for this tournament, and he would call the names.

On the day the tournament began, Damon stood side-by-side with the other fifteen contestants, along one side of the fighting arena. The stands were filled to the brim with screaming spectators. Damon smiled, knowing that his father was one of them.

The king stood, and the crowd went silent.

He placed his hand in the jar and pulled out two slips of paper.

“Broderick Stonemason,” he boomed, “and Damon Dwarfslayer.”

Damon and his opponent stepped onto the field as the crowd reconvened their cheering.

The two took their places on opposite ends of the small battlefield, and readied themselves.

The king raised his hand, and the crowd went silent once again. He took a long, deep breath.

Damon crouched a bit, and held his sword with both hands.

“Begin,” the king bellowed.

Damon attacked, but Broderick parried. As quickly as he could, Damon swiped from the other direction, but was, again, met with resistance. He raised his sword, and swung downwards.

Broderick stopped it with the flat edge of his sword. Damon pushed down, twisting the blade towards Broderick’s face.

Broderick side-stepped, pulling his sword out of the lock. He spun.

Damon attacked, but Broderick came out of his spin in time to stop the sword. Damon pulled it away, swung in the other direction, and, when it was met with resistance, attacked from the opposite side.

As Broderick went to parry the swing, Damon pulled away, and swung the opposite direction, hitting Broderick’s knee with the flat edge of his sword. The leg buckled. Damon quickly disarmed Broderick, and pushed him to the floor. He placed the tip of his sword to Broderick’s neck.

Damon was on to the quarterfinals.