Von

Winning is gonna hurt, but losing would hurt worse.

It may not appear like a hugely important difference, but a dagger changes the dynamic of a rapier duel by quite a bit. Despite its reputation as a light weapon, rapiers can be somewhat slow and unwieldy to use due to their sheer length. Blade movements are slow and that is part of the reason why footwork is so important; while moving that colossal blade may take time, you can deliver many quick thrusts by extending your arm and letting your legs do the explosiveness. This does not make certain actions like parries any faster, however. It also makes the blade particularly vulnerable to a secondary weapon such as the dagger, which can deflect it even if one manages to avoid their opponent’s blade.

My most pressing concern is close-range. If we get into punching range like we did before, then he will have the advantage since he’ll have a dagger and all I’ll have is my open hand. Von felt a storm swell inside himself and he grit his teeth to control it. This Valor Heartbeat is quite intense…right now I feel quite willing to disregard my safety just to watch this bastard lose.

His best option when dealing with an opponent bearing a rapier and a dagger is to focus on counter-attacks. The logic of the act is simple—it matters not the advantage of the second weapon when you can connect a strike against their sword arm in the moment of their offense. The issue was that the fencer with the rapier-and-dagger had no reason to attack.

And Rei appeared quite aware of that. He was humming along, smiling mildly and fixating his eyes on Von’s injured shoulder. The wound wasn’t deep enough to be life-threatening but it was an open wound still. Blood flowed from the back of his shoulder and Von felt both pain come in and power come out—was he losing enough blood to lose strength in his body? I…I have no idea how much blood someone can lose before they pass out. Is this just a flesh wound? Is this too much? Can I just not feel the pain enough because of how fast my heart beats this moment?The mere idea seemed distant to him. As though he were imagining the issue rather than fighting it. I have to finish this quickly. I’m not used to fighting through injuries, I don’t know how much this is going to affect my technique or when I’m going to pass out.

“Out of breath?” Rei asked with a smile. He wasn’t dismissive of him, exactly, but the elf appeared to be very confident. “Seems like you ran out of insults.”

Von refocused himself. “We are swordsmen, you and I. There is no need to use words. Fencing is a conversation. Fear not. My insults will be delivered upon thee by my steel.”

At this, Von suddenly stepped forward, and he could hear the gasp of shock from the stands as well as from his opponent. Attacking an opponent armed with a dagger is foolish. They are all thinking there is no way I won’t get hit. They were likely right, of course. But that’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make—!

Von’s attack had come in a mostly straight line, vaguely angled inward toward Rei’s wrist, and the elf extended his sword-arm in a stop hit. Given their angles of approach, there was no doubt that Rei’s blade would reach Von’s arm first. I could try binding his blade, but that would allow him to hit me with the dagger at close-range. No. I need to fence at a far range, no matter the cost.

Rei’s blade pierced through his bicep and he felt a more intense agony than his memories could reach. The elf grinned for a moment, and Von grit his teeth in determination. NO MATTER THE COST! He forced himself to continue forward, driving his opponent’s blade further through his own arm. If this is the price to take one more step…that is fine. From this distance, you are too far to use your dagger and your blade is already trapped within my body. This means—!

Von’s sword wounded his opponent.

Not by a lot.

It was barely a scratch.

But it drew blood and that was enough.

Von retreated after that exchange, pulling Rei’s blade out of his arm and being met with intense pain afterward. Blood was flowing from his sword arm as well now, but it had yet to affect his ability to hold his blade. It hurts. It hurts so much. I want to quit. I want to go home. I want to be in my room, a voice said in his head. Another voice shouted, Good…good! Blood flowing from my body. A horrified opponent before me. Not knowing whether I will succumb to my injuries or defeat my opponent first. A crowd gaping in terror and excitement. My heart beating ever faster…yes. This…this is how it should be!

It was Valor affecting him, he knew. The Heartbeat that should have driven him mad. Mayhap it had.

“Don’t you dare recompose yourself,” Von muttered at his horrified opponent, and then rushed forward. Again his opponent put his arm forward but Von was no longer willing to repeat that exchange. He thought of his homeland, of Stormkeep, of stony houses and snowy fields. Von called forth the storm in his heart. “Freeze,” he declared.

The Winter Heartbeat triggered then and Rei was affected by the intense cold. The elf who had never left his warm homeland stood still for that single second as if truly frozen by a harsh blizzard and Von took this chance to bind his blade and delivered a wound to his arm.

“What—what was—“ Rei began.

But Von had struck him again and this was enough for his Heartbeat, if not for his heart desiring retribution. “Freeze,” he declared again, and his opponent’s hasty retreat was stopped by a reappearance of that sudden cold. It only lasts one second, but how long do the aftereffects last? How long does it take to feel warm after coming in from playing in the snow, elf? Do you know? Another strike, this time to the sword-arm. Rei cried in pain and panic manifested in his face as he attempted a desperate cutting attack in response as he nearly fell backward, the slash missing over Von’s head without him even needing to dodge. Here he delivered another strike and he saw his chance.

Ah, sure, Von was bleeding heavily as well. But he had long understood with Master Cycle that his ‘winning condition’ was to have two unanswered hits without needing to use his Heartbeat. Now, he was free to trigger the Heartbeat whenever he wanted while still having one in store for emergencies. The reason Rei could take it easy before was because he was winning, Von considered.

“Listen up, kid!” Master Cycle shouted. “A duel is a conversation. When someone refuses to attack, they are telling you, ‘why should I bother?’ every time. The reason for their hesitation changes, but the question is the same. So your job is to give them a reason. Your job is to tell them, ‘Well, I am the one who is winning now, so if you don’t do anything, I will run away with the title.’”

Rei had been fencing defensively because he had the advantage there. But now Von was wounding him numerous times and the elf had lost just as much blood as him if not more. More, Von thought, I can still make him lose more blood!

“Stay—stay away!” Rei cried out.

But Von would not stop for anything short of the words ‘I surrender.’

“Freeze.”

That pause allowed the opening for one more hit. Then two more. Then three more. Three hits at the cost of one use of Winter. I have four uses of it in store now. And then the tide of the match changed. Though Von had only been delivering small wounds to Rei, though the Lord of Stormkeep was the more injured of the two still, the pace of the match was overwhelmingly with him—he was winning every exchange and delivering a number of small hits to his opponent.

They both knew what his Heartbeat could do. Every hit Von scored would allow for a near-certain second hit to land soon after.

Thus Rei had little choice but to shift away from his defensive style and go on the offensive. He was not willing to try to outlast the injured Von in a prolonged match. However, this approach had issues as well.

Von was a defensive fencer from the start, after all. And by the time Rei made the decision to switch styles, Von had four entire uses of the Winter Heartbeat ready. As far as skill went, Rei was likely the superior swordsman. That was not enough to decide the match—his dagger did little to protect him while shaken by the cold and Von’s strategy had forced him to fight under his terms. Every time Rei attempted an attack, Von would block it, and sometimes even score a counterhit.

And with every exchange, Rei became weaker and Von became stronger. Had he used his resources differently, the result could have been different. Yet the falsely crowned Champion of Bosque had made the wrong choices. No, that was perhaps not fair. His approach to the fight was reasonable enough. He merely had not expected the sheer tenacity the fragile Lord of Stormkeep demonstrated even after losing his memories.

Twenty minutes followed of the same careful assassination of Rei’s skills, with cold precision. Every exchange looked more one-sided than the last, and the result of the duel was clear just ten minutes in. Yet this continued for twenty, until Rei first dropped to his knees “You are something else,” he admitted, looking up at Von.

Then he dropped his sword and collapsed onto the ground.

This was his winning condition. To become the storm that suffocated his opponent.

Talla

“Good fortune, my lord. Your wounds are not as deep as they look. Stay still.” To his credit, despite wincing in pain, he did not complain as she wrapped a set of herbs around his shoulder and pressed them tightly. There was a healer among Von’s guards, but she would rather see to it herself. She owed him that much. I haven’t found the right time to thank him yet…but it feels odd not to say anything. “How does it feel?”

“As if a nightmare made its home inside my very flesh, my fair lady,” Von replied, massaging his shoulder and wincing once more. He is back to normal now. It seems as though Valor’s effect was not too long-lasting. It had almost both scared and encouraged her, that duel. Encouraged her, because he almost seemed reminiscent of the Von of the Past. Not in skill, of course, but in attitude. While still far more mannered than the man who competed in Blade Valley, there was an echo of him just now. That self-assured, almost manic way of fighting…that smile when he was bleeding…

That damn smile.

It hadn’t been too different from when Von fought Kai.

And this scared her, because though the Von of the Past would have a better shot at defeating Vandyr, she was really not fond of him as a person. And Von of Now is quite the pleasant company. Easy on the eyes, too, but she thought better than to jest about that when he had only undressed for the sake of treatment. “Where is your friend? Kai, I believe his name was?”

Talla bit her lip and tried to banish her concerns. “He…left to talk to Rei and the Elders.”

“You sound concerned,” Von muttered in a quiet voice.

“You sound in pain,” Talla replied harsly. “Let us focus on that.”

But Von was not having it. “You said it yourself, my fair lady. My wounds are not as bad as they look. My pain will ease within a fortnight, and scars will be my only reminder of the blood I have lost in a few weeks.” His voice grew softer and kinder. “I expect your pain is not the same.”

She wanted to talk, but still she hesitated until guilt stabbed at her heart. He was honest with me. I should endeavor to do the same. “I worry about Kai, but my concerns can be discussed with someone else. You need not hear them, my lord, lest they worry your soul.”

Von shook his tired head. “If I am to feel guilt upon the truth, then I deserve it. If my actions of defeating him at that tournament brought about misery, I need to know it so I can pay for it.”

“You only fought him in a duel. It was a fair match and you did no evil,” Talla insisted. “And even had you done so, you should not have to pay for sins Von of the Past committed.” You don’t even feel like him. You don’t act like him. You don’t talk like him. “It would be hardly reasonable to expect such from you.”

The Lord of Stormkeep did not agree. He remained silent for a moment, then brought his uninjured bicep before his eyes and studied it carefully. “Why not? I reap fruits I did not sow,” he said softly, studying his muscles. “I would not have won this match if not for this body Von of the Past created for me. Master Cycle may have trained me, but it was less than a month, albeit of intense training.” He smiled bitterly. “It is a beautiful feeling, to win a match. It brings about feelings of pride and satisfaction I did not think I would ever experience. It is only thanks to Von of the Past that I can experience those.” No, Von…you can only experience those thanks to the you of right now. Do not say that. But Talla did not say this aloud. She felt as though she had no right to speak of his accomplishments when he knew his body better than anyone else. “If I reap the virtue I did not sow, why should I not reap the sin?”

The noble Ven of Redgrave, Talla thought. There were many stories about the nobility of Von’s father, the man who handled life in the Stormlands with honor to his very last breath. She had never met the man, but looking at Von right now she could only think two things: that he had done a very good job, but also that he had directed Von down a very difficult path. I will not dishonor Von by refusing his wishes. I will not act as if I know better than he does about what would be best for him. She did disagree with his decision, however, even if she would abide by it. “I worry for Kai,” she said, letting out a deep breath. “His confidence shook when he lost to you, but after nearly dying against Vandyr…things changed. His injuries are not the worst of it, it’s his mind. Hardly a day goes by when he does not find trouble somewhere.”

Von was quiet for a long time, only the sound of his heavy breath echoing in the room. “Can anything be done to soothe his soul?”

Talla shook her head. “Are you familiar with Valo of Greytower?”

She had to forcibly grab Von’s shoulders to keep him still due to how furiously he was nodding in response. Though she had been taking care of his wounds from behind, she could still see the faint grin on his face as he excitedly said, “Very much so! One of my last memories before the five-year gap is hearing about his call for all of the Six Princedoms to send him their cripples, bastards and unwanted sons. If there is one blessing for this gap, it is to have woken up and heard how well he did for himself and the others. I hope I can meet him someday, he is amazing beyond words. In fact, the first round of Dragon Tower should take place in the Waterfalls, so mayhap we could—?”

Talla smiled at that. For all he behaved like a lord when the time demanded, these times when Von showed an innocent, almost childlike excitement over famous knights were the most endearing. “Yes,” she said, chuckling. “Valo has done quite well. We will be sure to meet him.”

Valo the Wolf was a noble knight of the Waterfalls until a tragic duel against Gilver of Bluegrave, the demon, cost him both legs. Many assumed it was the end of his story and he would commit to a quiet retirement, or even that he would commit suicide in shame for not being good in battle anymore. Not so. Valo the Sunriser—then still Valo the Brave—used his coin to reform his castle, the Greytower, into a scholarly institute. There, he took it upon himself to fight against the mysteries of the world just as fiercely as he had once dueled men.

But it did not end there. Soon, he established a form of swordsmanship to be practiced while both participants were sitting down, for the sake of sport. His legend truly came ablaze three years ago, when he took part in the jousting tournament in King’s Heart and took first place. It was this very legend that inspired others suffering from whatever made them ill-liked by society to seek his counsel, and soon the Greytower became an inspiration for many who had lost everything. Many lived there as his disciples, and taking the grey cloak was as noble occupation as any. If not more.

“We sent Kai there,” Talla muttered, her smile fading. “We thought that perhaps he could rid himself of his anger. Find a new purpose, mayhap. He did not.” She grimaced at the letter they had received when Kai had been sent back. “He looked down upon those with the same ailments he did, thought himself above them. Refused to commit to scholarly matters, but also to learn to fight again with his new body—used to claim he would eventually heal up enough he could just use a wooden leg and fight as he always had. People were friendly there to him, from what I gather. At one point, he attempted to throw a pot of boiling water on a comrade and only failed because his arm was too weak to do so. When he arrived here, the Elders promised him a spot on the council and he quickly agreed to it.”

Valo the Sunriser, Valo of the Greytower had not allowed his injuries to be the end of him. More than that, he became one of the greatest men of this age after his tragedy. Once ‘Valo the Cripple’ he soon became the subject of many songs, and there was nary a soul in any of the six princedoms that did not respect him and his disciples deeply. The Greytower was now a symbol of hope and pride for many. If Kai had adapted there, if he had acted differently—

Then maybe she wouldn’t feel so guilty.

“I extend my most sincere apologies,” Von muttered, “but they are not enough. I would do the same to Kai, but my apologies would only further wound his warrior’s pride.” He nodded to himself. “I will defeat Vandyr. That is the least I can do for him. May he find peace in that.”

“Me too,” Talla said quietly. “That is the least I can do as well.” She paused. It wasn’t Von’s fault at all. But she understood his guilt. “I—I am to blame as well. Would you mind if I explained it all to you at a later time?”

He fought two duels for me, despite the fact I am stronger, and readies himself to fight an unbeatable god of destruction for the sake of my kind. Whatever he might have been in the past, the Von of right now is a kind man that has done nothing but stand by my side. I need to confide in him, if I wish to stand by his without guilt. He needs to know about how I should have been Champion instead of Kai. “There are some matters in which I am guilty of. And—”

Von did not even allow her to finish. “Take your time, my fair lady. Be it in a fortnight or in another life. Von of Redgrave gave you his word that he would defeat Vandyr, and that will not change regardless of what you say or do not say. Feel not obligated to hurt yourself for my sake.”

“That is very kind of you,” she replied. And just makes me more inclined to be honest. After a moment in silence, she finished wrapping the last bandages around him. “Some rest and you will be good as new in a few weeks,” Talla told him.

Von shook his head. He was sweating, breathing heavily, and yet his voice did show any hesitation. “No. It is time to meet with the Elders and address the incident with the Deathless Elf.” He forced himself to stand, and Talla had to dive to his side to keep him upright. “I need to walk in there on my own two feet. It will project weakness if I need to hold on to someone.”

“You will appear weak because you are weak. Get some rest, the Elders might be…many things.” She had not yet allowed herself to fully accept what those things were, though she had known for years. “But they cannot abandon the city. Their old faces will still be here to listen to your demands tomorrow.”

Von of Redgrave set his mouth in a grim line. “Do you not remember how my guards behaved the night of the Deathless Elf’s attack? My fair lady, they would have buried the mad bastard alive were it not for my orders. Frankly, I fear what they would have done to you had I not been present.” He was silent for a long moment. “My heart fears what theirs might desire. Every moment they exist inside Bosque is a moment longer when they might be allowed to do something foolish.”

Talla’s throat tightened at his words, because she could not deny them. The wintermen had not been fond of elves before, and their lord dueling—and beating—their champion only embodied their courage. “Your soldiers asked me to relay a message to you, my lord,” Talla said slowly. “They mean to celebrate your victory with wine—should your health allow for it.”

Von nodded. “It will. They will not cause trouble under my gaze.”

Whether that meant they would not dare try it or that Von would stop them, Talla did not know. She hesitated on what to say, and Von took this chance to free himself from her arms and stumble toward the door. “My fair lady—I am sorry. It is my duty.” His eyes were not cold, but looking into his gaze felt as though she were staring at an unending snowstorm on the horizon. Von smiled sadly at her. “My duty as a lord is as important as my duty as a swordsman. Much as I could not surrender there, I cannot surrender here either.”

How can this man, she thought, be the same one who dueled Kai?

Kai

Bastard pavement walker. I suppose I will have to wait until Vandyr kills him. It had been difficult to convince the Elders to accept him as their Champion, but it would be worth it in the end. He has to experience what I did.

Kai was panting from both the effort of making it to Rei’s dressing room and the fear in his heart. It was as if he had witnessed a ghost. For much of the match he had watched it with glee, hoping that Von of Redgrave would pay for his mistakes—but then reality had set in. The same issue that had occurred when he first fought against Von of Redgrave. Humans…humans are too greedy. They want everything they cannot have. They have no regard for their own safety. The Valor Heartbeat only encourages their behavior. Much like Von of Redgrave’s Winter Heartbeat was less useful against creatures that were naturally resilient against the cold, humans appeared to be resilient to attacks to their morals.

For they have none. Filthy creatures. That’s why I told that waste of ears to—

“Ah, brother!” Rei called out. He had stripped off his shirt for treatment and walked up to him in good spirits and a rather impressive body. Both upset Kai. “Von of Redgrave is quite the opponent in the end, is he not?” The bastard dared to grin before he sighed. “Ah, well, at least I lost to the same guy that defeated you. Doesn’t feel so bad.”

Kai pushed off the ground with his cane to gain some temporary balance then used it to strike Rei across the face, sending the exhausted elf to the ground and against the wall. “Do not call me brother. We were not spawned into this world by the same creature. And do not dare to compare ourselves, the Von you lost to is much weaker than the one I lost to. And—and I almost won!” he spat out at the end. “You did not come close!”

Rei reached for the back of his head and found a line of blood coming out of it. He studied it with a solemn expression for a moment, then turned to Kai with a wide smile. “Ah, forgive me. I did my best, I really did.”

The furious elf regarded the false champion with an accusing look. “Do you not have pride? Do you not feel shame after losing to the pavement walker? To the human?”

It felt as though he were being mocked. Rei did not reply immediately, instead preferring to bring a thoughtful hand to his chin, painting some of his own blood across his cheeks, and contemplating the question in silence. “Frankly, no. Mayhap I should, brother. But how could I? The man fought me undermatched in arms and skill, yet came off as the winner anyhow. Am I to cry foul and blame myself? That seems poor sportsmanship. Had I the energy, I would have shaken his hand and wished him well for a match well-fought.”

Kai’s cane struck Rei across the face once more. “We—are—not”—another strike was delivered and it launched blood out of the swordsman’s mouth—“brothers!” Kai breathed heavily. Even this much activity left him breathless nowadays. I was once the greatest swordsman in Bosque. They said only I could defeat Vandyr. They looked at me in admiration. Women dreamed of sharing a bed with me. Men dreamed of being me. The Elders had taken it all away. Vandyr had taken it all away. Von had taken it all away. It wasn’t my fault. I couldn’t have known. I couldn’t have known! “You should feel shame,” he roared at him. “I even wasted my time warning you ahead of time—Von of Redgrave is a human! Greed is a human’s blood and raw desire is their soul, it’s like trying to poison a snake with their own venom! Tuning it to a single hit was too little, you needed to go higher. All you did was make him stronger! If only you have listened to me—“

“But brother, I did listen to you,” Rei said in a surprised tone. The innocent honesty in the voice coming out of that bloodied face was enough to make Kai stop and listen. “I tuned it to five hits.”

That didn’t make sense. “I heard you,” Kai thundered, “you—you said it triggered—you announced it after the first hit!”

Rei gave him a massive shrug. “It was a bluff. Valor is a very mental Heartbeat, so I figured if I could get him to think it was active he would start making mistakes. Allowing himself to make bad decisions and blame it on the Heartbeat. You know, brother, like when someone attempts to whisper sweet nothings to a woman’s ear who will likely reject them and blames their recklessness on alcohol.”

“I don’t…I don’t understand,” Kai muttered. “You can’t mean—there is no way.”

Rei spat out some blood and a tooth, then threw his head back and laughed. “Turns out, that had the opposite effect. Von is a right proper lad, that one. Probably follows his master’s orders without question and keeps to his duty every time. The kind that would chop off his own prick before fathering a bastard.” Rei laughed again. “Turns out, you give that sort of lad one chance to cut loose and they run wild on you, eh? Could tell his master that he fought recklessly because he was under the Heartbeat’s influence. Mother of the Forests, he probably believes he was. Convincing himself was most important of all.”

“You mean to tell me Redgrave was not under the influence of the Valor Heartbeat at all?”

“I do. The Valor Heartbeat did not trigger once during the fight.”

End of Chapter 11,

"Fencing is a conversation."