A Dance with Dense

Tecovis winced as he massaged his legs.

Slide leaned against the wall next to his seat. "You sure you're good, bossman? You haven't stopped groaning since you sat down."

"I'm fine, all of you can stop asking."

Rox examined the straps between his mantle and breastplate. Without looking up, he said, "If he says he's fine, then he's fine. Endurance training leaves you sore, but it's what it takes to make sure we live up to our reputation."

Pan interjected, "That wasn't training, that was unfair punishment."

"Unfair or not, it serves the purpose of making him stronger."

Slide scowled and shook his head. "That's a load of bull-" He caught a glimpse of an officer turning his head to look at him. "load of garbage."

The officer turned back to face the dueling rings, and Slide sighed before muttering something to himself that Tecovis didn't hear.

Commander Lions' voice sounded from the other side of the dueling rings.

"Round two of the duels is now commencing! First bracket recruits to your positions!"

Tecovis glanced at his copy of the assignment list to see he was up next. He quickly replaced his thigh plates, grabbed his equipment, and walked to the corner ring where he'd fought Pan. Corporal Kitt stood, arms crossed, as both Tecovis and Dense arrived with a salute.

"You two know the rules. Get to your positions."

Dense and Tecovis walked to opposite ends of the ring. Dense drew his sword and cracked his thick neck. His shield bounced as he shook out his arm.

"Battle stances!"

Both combatants readied themselves.

"You're mine, Teacup."

"Not even in your dreams fatso."

Dense glowered.

"Best two of three! Round one, begin!"

Dense ran across the ring with his shield raised.

Too easy.

Tecovis sidestepped and tripped him, causing him to tumble out of the ring.

"Point Tecovis!"

Tecovis grinned and said, "Predictable as always."

Dense stood up, his face red with either rage or embarrassment, Tecovis couldn't tell.

From the sidelines he heard Slide howling with laughter, and when he looked he saw Pan and Rox also struggling to contain theirs.

"Positions!"

He gave them a wave and sauntered back to his spot in the ring. His left leg began to vibrate as it had earlier.

"Battle stances!"

Tecovis took his stance, though didn't crouch as low as normal.

"One to Zero, Tecovis. Begin!"

Both combatants immediately ran to the center of the ring and attacked with a flurry of blows.

Slash.

Slam.

Parry.

Clash.

Tecovis and Dense ended up in the bind, both trying to maneuver their blade into the other but neither succeeding. Dense broke the bind with a shield shove, pushing Tecovis back two paces.

Dense rushed to attack.

A heavy impact on Tecovis's raised shield caused him to mistep and a searing cramp rippled through his leg. As he faltered, Dense took advantage and struck at his chest, sending Tecovis to the floor.

"Point Dionis!"

Tecovis layed in the dust of the ring gripping his leg, immobilized by pain.

When he didn't get back up, Rox shouted, "Teco!" and his team rushed to his side. It took all his will to not swear as the spasm pulsed through his thigh.

Dense mocked the grounded recruit. "Aww, what's the matter baby Teacup. Does he need his mommy and daddy?"

Tecovis twisted his head to face him, his teeth gnashed, and a growl escaped him as he attempted to stand through the pain, though a fresh wave kept him grounded.

Rox said, "Don't, Teco. It's not worth it."

Slide guffawed, "What do you mean!? That piece of mapache crap needs to be put in the-!"

"What's going on here?" The voice of commander Lions approaching sent all of Brave squad to attention, minus Tecovis who was nursing his thigh as the muscle only now began to release.

Tecovis breathed heavily as Pan explained his perspective of the situation. Corporal Kitt stood by, brow furrowed.

Dense threw his hands wide and asked, "Does this mean I win?"

"No," said the Commander, "at least, you don't if he can still stand on his own. So recruit, can you pick yourself up?"

"Of course he can't. He's a weak willed coward. Your mother should be ashamed of you. Can't even handle an Itty bitty charlie horse."

Tecovis met the commander's gaze when Dense mentioned his mother. He sat up and began to slowly move to his knees, and then carefully stood back to his full hight.

The commander grinned.

"Good."

He motioned to the rest of Brave squad and they left, Rox patted Tecovis's shoulder as he did so. The Commander stepped close to him and whispered, "Show him what you can endure." Then he nodded to the Corporal and walked back to his where he had been previously standing.

Tecovis limped over to his side of the ring, and as he did so he spotted all three of his squadmates looking at him with concern. He gave them a thumbs up and shook his leg before turning around to face his fuming opponent. 

"Positions!"

Dense grit his teeth a bit, returned to his own and readied himself. 

"One to one! To the victor go the spoils! Begin!

Dense rushed towards Tecovis yet again, wearing an aggressive snarl on his face.

As he got close, Tecovis lunged.

Dense expected it and parries with his shield, then goes for a strike.

Tecovis slips under it, wincing as he moves.

Dense and Tecovis matched eachother, parry for parry, shield bash for shield bash, swing for swing, neither gaining an advantage over the other. Tecovis's legs screamed at him begging him to stop and take a break, but he ignored them.

I will endure.

I must endure.

I've been through worse than this.

Finally after almost a solid minute, swords struck armor.

"Draw!"

Both Tecovis and Dense recoiled from the other's blows.

"You little- AAGH!" Dense slashed at the air wildly as he shouted.

"Hey! None of that recruit! To your positions!"

Tecovis and Dense went to their spots and readied themselves.

This is for you Momma. Nobody gets to disrespect your memory. 

"One to one! To the victor go the spoils! Begin!

Dense and Tecovis circled the ring. Neither willing to advance into the other's reach for the opening seconds.

Once they made it to the other's starting position, Tecovis charged.

Dense sidestepped and swung for the head.

Tecovis struck the sword with his shield's rim.

Flash from below.

Tecovis deflects with his sword.

Dense strikes his weak.

Tecovis backs away to avoid losing in the bind.

Dense evades a counterstrike.

Tecovis spies the edge of the ring.

Slash.

Press him back.

Duck right.

Fient.

Clash.

Tecovis attempts to trip Dense, but he's too slow.

Swing.

Bronze rings as they enter the bind, crossguard to crossguard.

Dense wrenches Tecovis's blade from him and it gets thrown to the other side of the ring near the edge.

Uh oh.

Dodge left. 

Block overhead strike.

Tecovis is operating on instinct, allowing himself to weave and flow around Dense's flurry of attacks like the smoke of a candle.

Dense thrusts his blade.

He catches Dense's sword in his shield, and twists.

Dense fails to keep ahold of his blade. 

The added weight throws Tecovis off balance, Dense attempts to take advantage but is pushed away.

Tecovis grabs Dense's sword with his padded glove, rips it from his shield and swings it hilt first towards Dense's torso. 

Dense evades, the pommel whistling as it nearly clips a single plate.

Tecovis flings the sword around and catches it by the hilt.

Downward strike

Dense dives past the blow and rolls, grabbing Tecovis's blade.

He attempts to stand.

Tecovis takes two rapid steps.

Side kick.

"Victory Tecovis!"

Dense clutched his stomach, his teeth bared as he stumbled backwards out of the ring. Tecovis felt a sharp stabbing pain in his left thigh as he attempted to regain his balance. He quickly grabbed it and grunted.

"Recruit?"

"I'm fine Corporal. It's mild."

Corporal Kitt nodded.

From behind him, Dense crowed, "Hey! He cheated, that kick shouldn't count as a point!"

"It didn't Recruit Dionis, you stepping out of the ring did. Watch your step next time."

Dense seemed like he was about to boil over into a fit, but before he reached the point of screaming, he simply released his breath in a long drawn out sigh. Tecovis walked back to his spot on the wall and sat back down.

All three of his squadmates congratulated him on his win as he arrived, and Tecovis was blessed to drink water and watch the rest of the matches go by without another spasm.