Gorm and Ari's duel began under the bright sun of the early morning upon the Rhydian Pass.
As the two men circled each other, Gorm was already beginning to feel the weight of his sword grow lighter in his hands with the adrenaline that coursed through his veins. His pupils were dilated, and his heart pounded like a horse's hooves on a dirt road. Ari, too, was beginning to feel the same way, as he knew he had the support of his king and the army behind him.
I cannot afford to lose here. This situation might make life for my family harder if I fail to uphold the strength and honor bestowed upon me. I can tell he's a formidable warrior who knows what he's doing. His defense is air-tight with an astounding presence of mind and murderous intent weighing on my shoulders like an extra set of armor, he thought.
Gorm, on the other hand, single-mindedly thought only of his desire to kill his opponent. He continued to watch his opponent, whose face was locked in a state of pure hatred for him, but as he was observing his footsteps, he noticed a slight insecurity in Ari's footsteps.
Heh, he's scared shitless, Gorm thought.
Just as he finished the thought, Ari quickly dashed towards him, who stood his ground like a boulder stuck in the ground. Gorm judged the distance between himself and his attacker, and adjusted his guard to match his opponent's attack.
The sword's pommel was at waist height, while the point of the sword was tilted slightly forward. His legs were firmly planted on the ground at a comfortable width as he awaited the incoming blow.
Ari shouted loudly as he struck from above, his mighty blow carrying his full force behind it. Gorm raised his sword, deflecting the scimitar off to the side, and immediately stepped in towards his attacker to hit him in the nose with his large, wheel-shaped pommel. The blow drew blood from Ari's nose, who saw it as a wake-up call, forcing him to dodge an incoming slash.
That was foolish. I thought he would have moved differently, Ari thought.
He struck again from below, and Gorm easily deflected it, pirouetting out of the way of the following blow that just missed his shoulder to counter with one of his own, which Ari was forced to use his shield to block. Gorm raised an eyebrow and sneered as Ari attacked repeatedly, but the blows either glanced off Gorm's sword or hit nothing but air.
"Fight me like a man, you coward!" Ari shouted. "I will not fight an arrogant child as a man, because I would utterly destroy you. Right now, all I want to do is enjoy this kill," Gorm replied menacingly. "You can puff out your chest all you want, but it will not save your life. I will not be killed so easily," Ari said angrily.
"Maybe not, but it will make for one hell of a show. Watching you struggle against someone much older than you is also incredibly amusing to me and my men," Gorm replied. "Struggle?" Ari questioned. "You have tried to strike me again and again, and yet you still haven't been able to land a meaningful blow," Gorm snickered.
That bastard, Ari thought.
Ari angrily charged at him once more, striking quickly, desperately trying to find an opening, but Gorm's sword flowed through the air, parrying strikes as it went.
Time to teach the pup a lesson, he thought as he moved from defense to offense.
After dodging another overhead blow, he countered with a strike aimed at Ari's gut, shoulder, and leg in rapid succession. Ari deflected the majority of the blows with skills he hadn't previously shown, but Gorm decided to thrust, aiming at Ari's neck. He barely managed to redirect the tip of Gorm's sword, scratching his armored shoulder.
Oh? Maybe he's not so bad after all, Gorm thought, aiming another barrage of strikes to wear his opponent down.
Gorm noticed Ari's focus begin to improve, demonstrating his true skills as the duel raged on. He attempted a side cut aimed for Ari's liver, but the blow was deflected, and he responded with an elbow to the face, drawing blood from Gorm's nose. "Now we're even," Ari said. "Sure, but this is just going to make me enjoy killing you even more," Gorm snorted the blood that ran down the back of his throat, and spat it in Ari's direction.
He was pissed.
It was Gorm's turn to dash in for yet another blow, only to be deflected by the gleaming scimitar. Ari responded with a strike coming from the left, which Gorm could barely deflect in time. Ari began a rapid succession of strikes from the left, and Gorm realized he had found Ari's weakness.
Ari aimed a blow for Gorm's head, but he ducked out of the sword's path, taking a few steps back, and swiftly avoiding another one aimed for his gut. "You fight well, for a child," Gorm said with a malicious chuckle. "You're not so bad yourself, old man," Ari retorted with a grin.
"It's just a shame you're going to die today, even being as skilled as you are," he said mournfully. "Is that pity I hear in your voice?" Gorm asked. "It is indeed. I have never met anyone who could match my blade so well," Ari responded with a shrug.
"As much as I hate to admit it, you're much better than you let off at the beginning of the fight. Did you need to warm up a bit? Was that why you allowed me to strike your nose?" Gorm asked, genuinely curious.
"I struck in anger, as I had underestimated you. However, I recognize your skills and acknowledge you as a true warrior. I still think it's a shame you will have to die, as you would have made a great addition to our forces," Ari admitted. "That would never happen," Gorm quickly spat. "I could never work with your kind," he continued, disgusted at the thought of working under Harutian leaders.
"I take great offense in that comment, so I will fight you with everything I have," Ari responded grimly, entering his guard. "And I will repay your offer by dancing in your blood," Gorm responded maliciously.
Behind the duel that was taking place, one of the riders from Bashir's army spotted a moving object coming from the northern trail.