Chapter 62

Adrian looked to his side at the fighter closest to him, the knight did the same, nodding in acknowledgment.

A horn blasted, and Adrian’s vision sharpened. Everyone began trudging toward their chosen opponents, Adrian among them.

The opponent’s poleaxe swung first, and Adrian responded with his spear.

The battle had begun.

Adrian swiped his spear. The enemy met the blow and followed with a stab. Adrian sidestepped, returning the favor with a flurry of quick thrusts. The enemy used his footwork to dodge as they circled one another, dancing with their weapons and maintaining distance.

Adrian blocked the enemy’s axehead just below the tip of his spear. The knight twisted his grip, hooking under the spearhead in an attempt to wrench the weapon from Adrian’s hands. He failed, however, as Adrian used the leverage of the axehead to push his spear tip toward the knight’s chestplate, forcing the man to twist his body to dodge.

Several more exchanges made Adrian realize his opponent wasn't trying to pry the spear away, but rather to weaken and injure his grip, hoping to take advantage with a single powerful thrust or swing.

Adrian snorted, tightening his hold on the shaft before lunging forward with more force than before. Taken by surprise, the knight backpedaled, but Adrian kept chasing him.

Kwang!

Thud!

Adrian had closed the distance so quickly he was forced to hold his spear by its middle. He adjusted instantly while the enemy grew flustered. Trying to regain distance, the knight deflected a spear strike, freed one hand, and tried to punch Adrian in the face.

Adrian adjusted his head. The gauntlet fist hit the temple of his helm, making the enemy grunt as his knuckles connected with something solid. Adrian responded with a kick to the knight’s thigh, doubling him over.

Before the man could recover, Adrian swiped at the knight's hand, which was still gripping the poleaxe.

“Argh!” The knight yelped as his weapon was thrown aside. Adrian moved to finish him, using the spear’s momentum to spin the shaft vertically and drive the butt of the weapon into the enemy's chest plate.

Clang!

The knight wheezed, stumbling back and struggling to stay on his feet while reaching for the sheathed sword at his waist.

But Adrian didn't let him. With great speed, Adrian brought the butt of his spear down on the enemy’s helm again, a spray of blood followed as the knight fell onto his back. The man quickly rolled and pulled his sword free, swinging it to push Adrian away, but Adrian held a spear, he didn’t need to get close.

Adrian slammed the flat side of the spearhead into the knight's shoulder, making him wobble and fall once more. Before the knight could recover, Adrian pressed the tip of his spear against the man's neck.

“Yield?” Adrian asked.

The knight took a sharp breath before releasing it in a sigh. “I yield...”

Adrian smiled beneath his helm before refocusing on the arena. He saw that fights were still raging, though near half the participants had already been defeated. He spied the fierce black spear of Lord Corvus and caught a glimpse of Lord Bennett, who was currently locked in a neck-and-neck struggle with his own opponent.

“Hup!”

Not far off, a fighter managed to knock down his opponent, sending him rolling to the ground, unconscious.

The victor, wearing a chest plate emblazoned with the sigil of a tower, turned to look at Adrian.

The tower sigil, symbol of the Tuckstone family, Barons of Cameron. If Adrian wasn’t mistaken, this was the Lord of Cameron himself, Lord Tuckstone, and father to Lord Leland, whom Adrian had befriended the day before.

“Lord Harrow, I presume?” Lord Tuckstone said, panting lightly as he looked at the sigil on Adrian’s chest.

“Lord Tuckstone. I met your son yesterday." Adrian said, planting his spear in the dirt.

“He told me. He admires you a bit, Lord Harrow, especially considering you are so young.”

“I’m sure he admires his father more. Do you need a moment?” Adrian gestured to him.

He had only little information about the Lord in front of him, and most of them told him he was a great fighter.

“I can see why my son said such great things about you, but there is no need. I still have more fire in me.”

Lord Tuckstone brandished his mace and shield, smashing the head at his head with a loud clang, taking a deep breath before approaching Adrian slowly. They began to circle one another.

“They say you took your first life at 15? No, possibly a few dozen lives at that age.” the Lord of Cameron said.

“Circumstances forced me to.” Adrian answered, his grip tightening on his spear, his eyes sharp.

“Ah, is that a hint of regret in your tone?”

“No. I just don’t consider taking a life at such a young age something to be proud of.”

“Truly?” Lord Tuckstone said in surprise. “In the North, lords and nobles are more inclined towards battle, they would boast about it. Pity they aren't here. I guess the South is truly different, then.”

“Or it’s just me,” Adrian said with a wry smile.

Their conversation was quickly set aside as Adrian stabbed out with his spear. Lord Tuckstone, seemingly familiar with spear users, deflected the strike with his shield while stepping closer. Adrian pulled his spear back for a series of rapid stabs, but the Lord kept pushing forward, refusing to let Adrian regain his distance.

Now, it was Adrian’s turn to backpedal.

Adrian shifted his grip to the middle of the shaft as he blocked a heavy shove from the shield. He felt the wood creak, it was near snapping.

Cursing under his breath, Adrian let out a kick that forced Lord Tuckstone back. He didn't stop there, Adrian spun and delivered another kick, hitting the man’s shield and forcing him back another step.

In that brief opening, Adrian threw his spear aside. In one smooth motion, he rasped his sword from his waist while grabbing his shield from his back. He lunged before he had even fully settled the shield on his arm, as Lord Tuckstone was already coming in hot.

The Lord shoved the sword away with a loud clang with his own weapon, but Adrian’s grip was strong, and he followed through with a swipe.

Clang!

Adrian took a few steps back, rooting himself to the ground once he had a proper hold on his shield.

The familiar weight was a welcome feeling. He parried the enemy’s mace and shoved his shield forward with all his might. The Lord met it with his own, but Adrian’s strength nearly toppled him.

Adrian surged forward, using the body he had trained so hard over the year to compensate for Lord Tuckstone’s superior skill.

Despite his efforts, Adrian grunted as Lord Tuckstone feinted a shove toward his shield, only to bring his mace down hard against Adrian’s thigh.

Lord Tuckstone was clearly more experienced, and skilled, and Adrian’s physical capabilities could only do so much to bridge the gap, as the older man was no slouch in strength, either.

Adrian pushed through the pain, realizing he would have to rely on sheer tenacity to win.

Their weapons met and locked. Both men paused, Lord Tuckstone lightly panting while Adrian took deep, steady breaths.

“I must admit, I am surprised by your skill, Lord Harrow.” the Lord of Cameron said.

Adrian chuckled. “I haven’t won yet.”

“Indeed.”

The moment the word left his lips, Lord Tuckstone swiped his mace, shoving Adrian’s blade aside. He then lunged as if to strike Adrian’s shield, but in a surprising move, he hurled his own shield low at Adrian’s legs.

Adrian tripped, falling to his side. He saw the Lord take his mace in both hands and bring it down. Adrian rolled across the dirt and brought his shield up to catch the blow.

His arm went numb from the impact, and before he could recover, the Lord kicked the shield aside. An opening appeared.

Lord Tuckstone brought his mace down hard. Adrian could only block with his sword, but the force was overwhelming. The mace pushed the blade down until Adrian felt his own steel pressed against his gorget.

“Yield?”

Adrian lay there for a moment, indignant, trying to think of a way out, pushing the blade back with his strength. 

To fight.

But, finally, he closed his eyes and exhaled.

“I yield.”

-

Although Adrian had somewhat expected it, he couldn’t stop a wave of disappointment from welling up in his chest. He stood up with a groan, using his sword for leverage.

Lord Tuckstone chuckled from the side. “You fought well, Lord Harrow. Any other foe would have fallen so quickly.”

“But not you.” Adrian said dryly, his throat parched.

“Don’t fret. You are only 16, yes? I can only imagine what you will be like by next year.” Lord Tuckstone retrieved his shield. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, Lord Harrow…”

Adrian looked around the arena and saw that, along with Lord Tuckstone, only four others remained. All of them were taking a moment to rest, eyeing each other warily.

Adrian chuckled, feeling a bit better. ‘I guess being in the top six out of hundreds isn't so bad’ he thought.

The gold prize would have been nice, but this was a respectable showing.

If it was a real fight however, the result would vary, as he wouldn't mind trading an injury he could heal so quickly with victory, but this wasn't a fight to the death.

With a sigh, he shook his head and made his way out of the arena.

--

Soon, Adrian found himself in the stands. He let out a few exaggerated groans, mostly for show to keep other lords from approaching, though his body was already sufficiently recovered thanks to his gift.

“Milord, who do you think will win?” Dexton asked. He had finally stopped trying to comfort Adrian over the loss.

“Lord Corvus, it seems,” Adrian said, looking down at the arena. Only three fighters remained. Surprisingly, Lord Tuckstone was one of them, currently teaming up with another knight to take on Lord Corvus, who seemed more than capable of handling them both.

It was then that Lord Bronsone approached. He wore a look of deep contemplation, though a small smile played on his lips.

“Lord Harrow. I saw your battle. You put up quite a fight against Lord Tuckstone.”

“Unfortunately, Lord Tuckstone proved superior." Adrian chuckled dryly.

Lord Bronsone sat beside him, his expression suddenly turning serious. “Hey, I found out why the High Lords left so early last night.”

Adrian, who had expected Lord Bronsone to keep talking about the tournament, raised a brow in curiosity.

Lord Bronsone hesitated for a moment, as if tasting the words before letting them out. Adrian’s loss and the excitement of the battle were instantly forgotten as the man spoke…

“An elven delegation has arrived.”