The fool harasses the old dwarf

Lucrezia Iunia Bruta; Somewhere; Somewhen; Honing her skill to fulfill her oaths

One could call me unfilial.

One should call me unfilial.

After all, making an old man, even a nano, fight me, for my own ends, was not something that should be looked upon as virtuous.

“Ivan! I know you have a haft in your shop! Bring it here for the alfar!” The old nano shouted, his long beard betraying the smile in his lips.

That was why I would not call it unfilial, or dishonourable, or unvirtous.

This was a warrior, I knew it when I met him, and I want to see where the people of this place, of this world, stood in martial might.

An old nano with that kind of strength was something that could be necessary to see.

The Peregrino was looking at the sidelines of this, the only one concerned in the small crowd that were the inhabitants of this “hamlet”.

There was a small clearing in front of what was both their temple and their taberna, rocks covering it unlike the mud all around us.

Something that was strange in a small community such as this one, but I would be like my ancestors and not look at the horse in the mouth.

“So alfar, as the challenged, I will be the one to dictate the rules of this bout. It will be at the first touch, there will be no strikes to the head or to the groin, and if I say stop, we will stop. And I will be the one to start this whole thing.” The nano ordered, leaning on his cane slightly, but I knew it was a ruse.

His hands were gripping it strongly and, under the long tunic he was wearing, I could see the muscles bulging.

I am sure they would be more noticeable without the beard, or if the weather was warmer, or if he had been younger.

But the eyes were full of spite, and willingness to show his own ability, like my grandfather had before falling to the northern barbarians, far before I was even born.

So I nodded, no words needed to show this, and waited for the giant of a man to give me a stick.

I would prefer my sword, but one such as I had been trained with the spear as well, and even a staff like the vigiles, so this would be something to train with.

I would have to task this “Ivan” for a blunt sword, or at least for a straw mannequin to use for my drills.

Or maybe I could task the peregrino in finding the bear, I am sure that this time, without the wound I had, it would not be so unfa-

I felt the hair behind my neck raise, and I activated my blessings without thinking, my hands moving on instincts towards my right, waiting for one blink.

Then, after that one blink, my arms shook, and the sound of metal against wood greeted me like I was back at home training, and I could only look in alarm at the nano, who was still smirking under his beard.

Silence for a moment.

“What the hell!” I heard from the sidelines, but I had more pressing matters to care about, for the nano continued his attacks.

First it was, while I was still stunned, a kick towards my right shin, which I moved back and reacted with my own staff, trying to hit him on his left shoulder.

He avoided that and immediately went for my left side, which I stopped by an hair breadth, for which I answered with a knee towards his stomach.

He made space, and put up his guard, slightly to the right, his metal cane ready, leaving my slightly winded after this quick exchange.

He was also winded, but happy, his eyes now full of life while his teeth were visible in a snarly smile.

“No seriously, what the hell!”

This time, I was the one who went on the attack, on his left shoulder, only for him to, before I connected, avoid and punch me to the rib.

Almost.

Almost punched me, because I used all my energy to the blessings on my right leg, which I ten used to kick the ground and go away from the danger, leaving fifteen pes from the warrior in front of me, and making my leg hurt from the old wounds it had.

Only those fifteen pes were not nearly enough, for he charged me while I was still out of balance, and his cane touched me between the third and the fourth rib.

If it had been a blade, or a spear, or if the hit had been real and broken those ribs, it would have gone for my heart, where my mind lies and where my blood is pumped around.

I would be dead in a few minutes, if I was unlucky enough for my blessings to not hold him, and it was possible.

I lost. Badly.

“Stop.” The warrior spoke, and immediately he went back to use his own weapon as a cane, his smirk becoming a calm and serene smile again.

I lost.

“You are well trained.” he started, while I was still reeling for how badly I lost, my mind still catching up to that: “But you fall too easily to traps, and you overuse your gifts. I expect you here every two days, and it will be without your own powers. I saw your leg, and I do not think Victor would wish for more work.” He chuckled.

Chuckle that became a full blown laugh when the Peregrino shouted from the sideline:” If you did not wish more work on me, then why do this fight! You made me lose three years of life, and Grandma will be angry at me, not you!”

I instead, after snapping out from the feeling of shame and embarrassment, bowed in front of him and spoke: “I will be grateful for any advice you will give to this one, oh warrior.”

If I wanted to stop the tyrant back at home, I would need as much training as possible, and this, this was the start.