February Challenge #1 - Combat Brevity

[Mordelain]

1st -7th - Combat Brevity
Describe a brief exchange of blows between two individuals - word capped, highlighting short, sharp, and quick action to keep the reader on their toes.

You may enter any number of times, but only once per character.

Each post cannot exceed 250 words.

Condensed rubric, as ever, but wildcard is replaced with 'brief' - the post's accordance with the above synopsis.

Have fun!

[Letho]

Tip of her spear sparks in the sunrise that awakens the misty world. Beyond it, her emerald eyes resonate with determination, and she comes at him with unrestrained ferocity. An inarticulate exclamation accompanies a low thrust. And as sunshine sets her red hair aflame and the tendrils of mist break before her charge, she is perfect. A valkyrie in the making.

But perfection crumbles as they clash. He sidesteps with ease, a move as effortless as breathing. Years spent on the wrong end of sharp things made the burly man aware of every threat, every technique. The upward arc of her follow-up clangs against the flat of his blade. Her brow furrows. His lips crack a smirk.

She breaks away with a grunt, then explodes into a whirlwind of swipes and jabs. She is a colorful blur, like brush strokes of a maddened painter. But wherever she lands an attack, he is not there.

In the midst of this storm of stabs and ripostes, his hand clamps on the shaft of her spear and he pulls her into his embrace. She smells fresh, like dewy dawn around them. The hellion feigns resistance, but her frown soon mellows. And as the fog encroaches upon them, her smiling lips are just a breath away.

Just a breath away.

***

Letho awakens to the nightly terrors of solitude and abandonment. Bed is cold beside him, Myrhia’s scent whisked away. Only threads of her fire remain, woven into his beating heart.

Longing for resumption.

[Red Dawn]

Metal clashed ever so gently, a firm yet graceful grate of knife and axe. Grace, fluidity, the elegant flow of two experienced warriors combating for life or death. Beauty was obscured by the overtones of purpose, the reek of budding panic. The android shifted and his blade was thrust, a silver tongue reaching for the taste of warm blood. The axe responded by twisting in a two handed grip. Again the two met, again their blades rang symphonic. Dale did not budge his meager offense; the ork would not give in his unyielding defense.

Their eyes locked, the world was bereft of form. The muted gallery of onlookers was forgotten.

Brute strength of the green warrior pushed aside the androids blade. Resolve was lost and the hand of the artificial man retreated. Power turned to furious form, willpower warped to chaos. The axe was set in motion, arching as it formed defense and attack almost simultaneously. Dale let his breath go. Beads of sweat formed as he thrust and retreated in turn.

Weighted precision and snake-like dexterity clashed. Fortitude failed as frenzy overtook the barbaric monster. Dale could feel the burden build as his analytical mind flashed. No need for emotion, his advantage was set. The ork turned to build momentum for a savage blow. In the split second, Dale’s knife struck true. The tip found its fleshy sheath. Beneath the armor his blade deflected against bone, it would lodge no further.

[Flames of Hyperion]

Circling, the thundermare contemplated her target. Stark eyes of electric blue, nestled amidst sculpted porcelain, pierced the motionless form. Straight silver glinted in her hands; shadows flowed through her mane, swallowing her whole as she advanced.

The phoenix smouldered weakly beneath her scrutiny. Haggard and weary he staggered to his feet, a solitary spark in the ashen pools of moonlight.

She cantered in from behind, stabbing at his heart. Spinning on the balls of his feet, he batted her firmly aside. Her momentum slid past like water from rock, until the boot to the back of his thighs sent him stumbling to his knees. Parched lips parted in a strangled croak.

She leapt in from above, poised for his throat. He rose once more to meet her, agonisingly precise as if he could spare no more. Thin lines of crimson drew across the pallour of his cheeks, blossomed upon his chest as he reeled. Fans of fiery blood splattered on the stone behind him, clipped wings hissing steam in the icy chill.

She stepped in for the kill, whispers scything in ephemeral crescents. One, twice, again he evaded, desperation mounting. But his daggers remained sheathed.

Doll-like features contorted at the implied insult, the slightest of reprieves. He lurched forth, grabbing at her blades.

Metal whined. Screamed. Screeched. Locked against his arcane power.

Before she could disengage, his eyes flickered open. They caught her flush in their haunted gaze.

She recoiled as a single tear spilled through the bloody grime.

[Duffy]

Apologies for the delay all, and thank you for your entries!

The next challenge will be posted shortly.

[Lycoris]

The monster attacked, throwing it`s tentacles at her with amazing speed. She yelped and jumped back quickly to avoid them. Damnation, that thing had many arms! One of them grabbed her leg and dragged her out of balance. Reacting instantly she hacked her short sword into it and rolled away. More tentacles grabbed after her. She jumped up and grabbed a nearby torch hanging on the wall. Not showing the least worry about the flames the monster just kept on trying to grab her.
Stellyris was getting worried. What was she supposed to do about this? She had just wanted to ask it for directions! Could she distract it? Was it vulnerable to sleep potions? More tentacles grabbed after her. She dodged them all and kept waving her sword and torch at them like mad.
The thing was getting nearer. She could make out the large clumpy form that was its body in the dim light now. A green and slimy thing with a large, large mouth filled with lots of very pointed teeth and a single gigantic eye. It looked like an overgrown octopus. With teeth. And a single gigantic eye...
Ah yes, finally she had a plan.
She changed direction and jumped forward, confusing the thing. Before it had time to react she threw her torch into its eye.
It howls of anger and pain echoed in the tunnels for a long while as she ran for her life away from it.

[Mordelain]

Thread Title: February Writing Challenge #1
Judgement Type: Vignette
Participants: Letho, Red Dawn, Flames of Hyperion

Scores are: Letho/Red Dawn/Flames of Hyperion

Plot

Story ~ 7/6/6
Setting ~ 6/5/8
Pacing ~ 8/8/7

Character

Communication ~ 6/6/6
Action ~ 8/7/6
Persona ~ 6.5/6/5

Prose

Mechanics ~ 7/6/6
Clarity ~ 6/6/5
Technique ~ 7/5/6

Brief: 8/7/5

Letho: 21/20.5/20/8 = Total = 69.5
Red Dawn: 19/19/16/7 = Total = 62
Flames of Hyperion: 21/17/17/6 = 61

Brief: Each of you wrote to the brief, and wrote well. Letho’s visceral, simple, and to the point approach leant itself to the combat nature of the challenge. Red Dawn, you took it upon yourself to go for the gentle, dance like approach, and opening with the ‘subtle clash’ was a clever way of not striking the rider too harshly with the horrors you might find in war. Letho’s vibrant, almost epic heroism approach won the edge as far as story and technique go, and Flames, though your style is usually rich, vibrant, and full of texture, here, it weighed the exchange down to your detriment (though still an excellent written effort). I look forward to seeing where this develops in the longer piece.

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I would be happy to develop on the points above, or provide more in depth examples based on those notes if requested. cydneyoliver@gmail.com, or my Mordelain inbox are both appropriate avenues to do.

If you have any concerns, doubts, and worries, and don’t wish to speak to me directly for whatever reason, then I am sure another member of staff will resolve the matter on your behalf. I am perfectly amenable and open to feedback, as the judge has to develop, as much as the writer put under the scrutiny of the rubric!


Experience, gold, and other rewards will be calculated and added together once all judgements are completed.