Forged Destiny [Book 8: Ch. 6]

Jumping over the blade, I dashed past him, up onto the steps he'd just come down from. While the footing was uneven, the height advantage was still one to try and hold against a strong opponent. His blade flicked out, testing my guard, but when I drove it down into the step below and nearly took his head off, he decided against it, dashing to the other set of stairs to even the odds.

I hurried up to the helm, running across the railing to try and cut him off before he could reach the same level as I. Waves splashed up the side of the ship to make it lurch and groan in the water, creaking against the Wind's Fury and splashing salt water to make our footing treacherous. I grabbed the railing to steady myself, and even he, pirate captain that he was, had to grab on with one hand and use it to haul himself up.

I reached the top first, held the advantage, and prepared to use it. He could only strike at my feet and legs, while I had all the strength and height to take on his head and upper shoulders. Prepared to use it, I thrust down.

The captain's eyes flickered with light.

He was on me a second later, sliding his sword under my guard in a Skill-based thrust that had closed the distance faster than I could ever hope to predict. I managed to turn, enough to lessen the damage, but it still scored a deep groove into my armour, nicking and drawing blood on my flank where the breastplate didn't cover me.

While painful and bloody, the wound wasn't a dangerous one, cutting through flesh and fat rather than muscle. It still hurt and I gasped, grappling his arm and using my superior Strength to hold him still as I drove my forehead down into his nose.

[...]

"Twisting Crocea Mors so it pointed directly at him, I tried to end the fight quickly. My leg might have been injured, but I didn't entirely need it to close the distance. "Piercing Thrust."

Instantly, I was sweeping across the deck, lunging for him.

That he managed to dodge was a miracle. No. It was because he knew what to expect, because he had the same Skills as me – or some similar – and thus knew exactly what I was about to do.

—Forged Destiny [Book 8: Ch. 6]