Rietumimark duel

Pressing on without reprieve, Belinda nonchalantly gave the Ditu a brief overview of the many rooms contained inside the castle, as not to waste to much of their precious time with the Akai Ditu. Ultimately, the entourage were guided by Belinda into a large, rectangular room - which was designed simplistically, without any elaborate designs found in the rest of the structure - located in the far eastern sections of the castle. Relatively dark in comparison to the rest of the castle, the only source of light coming from modestly sized oval ceiling window, a pair of stone faced servant gently opened the entrance into the room, in what turned out to be far different from any other room they’d seen. Emily struggled to put together what possibly the room could be used for, but Hulang would have recognised its use immediately - it had all the signs of being a room for the ancient practice of dueling. With a flip of a switch, the room was illuminated, revealing the space in its entirety.

“From what I have heard, you appears to that you are passionate enthusiast for the arts of medieval weaponry...and well, in honour of your official visit and the sword that we so generously gifted to you earlier today, I believe that it is the perfect opportunity to test your new blade in combat during a friendly duel.” Belinda explained to the Ditu cooly, allowing him to take in the room and the news as she spoken, one eye always trained on his reaction and what details she could abstract from them. “Therefore, I have organised for you to engage in a duel - assuming if that’s what you would like - with Kaspars Gabovs, who served as the tutor to the Baltkalns, the former oppressors and puppets of the bastard Gentries, and whom has admitted to having trained several male members of the now disgraced dynasty on the use of a blade. From what we have seen in practice from him, Kaspars, in at least our opinion, is likely the only person skillful with a sword enough to pose you any significant challenge.”

“I assume my demonstration has helped filter out the others?” Hulang jested in a dry manner, carefully awaiting the end of as he molested the hilts of his new Rietumish blade. “You would be correct in saying that I am a fan of the art of swordsmanship” he corrected with a degree of passion and humanity leaking through his genuine interest. He moved into the centre of the room, his eyes taking note of the old duelist. “I assume you would be familiar with this blade Mr Gabovs,” he spoke in Rietumish, inquiring about his opponent “Please allow me to test it,” he said drawing the ornate arming sword from its sheave. “Do not flatter me with an easy defeat, it would be insulting.”

“It certainly assisted us in determining whose wouldn’t sufficient in a one-on-one duel with yourself. The way you dealt with your guards was most...impressive to say the least. I suspect that it will be discussed among Rietumish Unity Party members and their families for decades to come. I was too be bold, I might say your demonstration may become a cultural reference amongst the younger members of my family as an adjective for a decisive and utterly overwhelming defeat within a few weeks or months. ” Belinda said with a lightness to her voice which for the most part, she’d otherwise lacked when in the presence of Hulang and his Akai entourage. Slowly, her and Emily moved to the far side of the room, close to the door as Hulang moved to the centre of the room.

From the corner or the room, disguised by a thin layer of darkness, Kaspars emerged from the shadows, unveiling himself in full to the Akai and his Rietumish master; Belinda. His emergence had a subtle sense of staging to it, Kaspars - the antagonist - facing the protagonist - Hulang - in one final battle towards the end of a foreign action movie; to which only one would come out alive. Furthering his persona, Kaspars wore darkly coloured light armour, with an emblem of his ‘noble house’, which curiously seemed to closely resembled that of the Gentry coat of arms. His finely trimmed short hair was of a dusky gray, his wrinkly skin - bearing the marks of late age - was hidden under thick gray beard and cartoonishly large eyebrows, and his distended stomach sagged over his belt, his once muscular physique having long devolved into pure fat. His amber eyes narrowed as his gaze laid upon the sword Hulang was poised to strike him with - recognising its design immediately. He has the weapon of the Lord Commander of the Imperial Guard...how the hell did he manage to get his hands of that fine sword...we all believed it was lost. Those Communie thugs most have stolen it from its rightful place among the true Monarchs of Rietumimark, not these criminal, regicidal usurpers.

“It is a pleasure to meet you in person, your perfection,” said Kaspars gruffly, his voice hoarse and rough, the result of years of heavy chain smoking. Although overweight, his steps were light and precise, mirroring the decades younger Akai as he approached the centre of the room. “Indeed I am,” and it does belong to foreign filth like you… “I have come to learn much about it and for a great many year believed it lost during the horro...I mean glorious revolution in 1951/52. I hope you take good care of that blade, too much Rietumish history has been lost already.” he said, pulling out his weapon from its sheave, his steady hands tightly gripping his blade - a weapon of considerably lesser quality than that of Hulang’s sword. “I wouldn’t imagine doing anything otherwise, I may be old but I could never envision just handing you victory on a silver platter...I am much too proud for that.” Kaspars seamlessly transitioned into his starting southpaw dueling posture, one in which initiated a willingness to initiate the first attack. Noticing the substantial difference in height between the two, with Kaspars barely pushing 5’5 in comparison to the 6’3, he would have to use both his decades of experience and his smaller body to its fullest advantage, using speed to out maneuver the Ditu and age to anticipate his movements. Imitating the Ditu’s motions for the better part of forty-five seconds, slowly reducing the space between the two - knowing his significant disadvantage regarding Hulang’s longer arms and far superior reach. Engaging the Ditu with a large space between us will only benefit Hulang. Suddenly, sensing a chance to fully gage the skill of Ditu, he launched his first probe, moving at the speed of a man much younger than himself, he struck his blade towards Hulang, going hard and slow towards Hulang’s left - suspecting him to be right handed.

The Ditu’s stance was one serenely stoic with his intensely focused gaze, yet it seemed to mask a monstrous strength. His eyes seemed to lose any degree of warmth, becoming as cold as the harshest of Rietumish winters. He seemed to watch every single tiny motion of Kaspars - every quiet step and he seemed to lock down any unnecessary motions and movements of his own. He held the arming sword before him in his right hand using it almost like a rapier, spinning it once before Kaspar made his move. And when he did, he seemed either to have anticipated the speed or was used to it; vanishing out of the path of the attack instead of intercepting it. The Ditu then politely asked: “I assume this is to first blood, Mr Kaspars,” as he then began to move for his own attack, looping around his foe’s blade as he moved with almost inhuman haste. The ornate sword began to move like a blur, in a calculated motion as it fell straight towards his foe’s forearm. His voice seemed in breath yet energised, “I assure you I can go further.”

Out of pure instinct, Kaspars just barely managed to pull his forearm out the way, operating subconsciously as he, a mere seconds before Hulang countered his probe with far faster than he ever could. Kaspars pulled back slightly, resetting himself and giving himself some pause to think how he might out play Hulang - whose reflects were seemingly than of an olympic athlete in he or her’s prime and were in a far different league than Kaspars. Why did I ever let myself get so out of shaping, he thought to himself, as he tried to compose his already heavy breathing, preparing himself for the eventual next attack. “Indeed, your perfection. Just testing the waters so to speak.” Kaspars said once his breathing had stablised a bit. Quietly moving one foot in front of the other, he aggressively went for another strike, this time, shifting his dueling stance to an orthodox stance, swinging low, going for Hulang upper right leg before guiding his blade upwards in the direction of his right hand; aiming, in a single blow, to knock the weapon out of Hulang’s hand and end the duel quickly. All the while, Kaspars positioned himself in such a way, to make himself a smaller target to hit.

Hulang’s response was almost predictive and anticipatory in its nature intercepting the strike with as Hulang shifted his body to once move move out of the way. He meticulously used his crossguard to catch the blade, suppressing it with all his terrible strength so he could close towards Kaspars in a vicious Prise de Fer. He himself began to try and suppress and crush his foe’s ability to resist his next few strikes. He then attempted to try and place his leg behind Kaspars’ with it closing in to try and destabilise him. This was the followed with a break with the sword suppression and instead attempted to in a brutally swift motion slice across the chest with great precision coupled with forceful strength.

Hulang intercepted the Kaspars’ strike, shifting his body once again out the way long before Kaspars’ sword could do any damage. He assiduously made good work of his crossguard to catch Kraspars’ blade and suppressing with his far superior strength - it evident more than ever as he struggled to relocate under the brute strength of Hulang. Kraspars watched helplessly as Hulang went from the defensive to offensive, beads of sweat streaming down his face as parried the attacks with his blade or shifted his body out the way to avoid the strike. His old age, however, played against him as he badly mistimed Hulang’s last strike and screamed as the poor quality armour he was clad in shattered with a hard, crack which rung around the door as Hulang’s new blade sliced his forearm. Caught off guard by it, Hulang subsequent attempt to destablise his footing found some success as he stumbled back, but his lower centre of gravity played in his favour and was able to briskly regain his footing - knowing that if he was a larger man, the duel would have ended just then. Falling back slightly, he found himself yet again forced to react to another blow by Hulang - whose sword moved in a slicing motion toward his chest. He maintained, just about, to retort Hulang’s blade, taking advantage of its monument to deflect the strike with his blade, before countering with a riposte - drawing a 270 degrees circle with his sword before thrusting it in the direction of Hulang’s torso.

The Ditu seemed oddly and perhaps unusually to be enjoying this to a careful observer. There was a look to his eyes that seemed to enjoy every successful strike, every slice, every ounce of pain inflicted. It seemed less conscious and more embedded into the deep unconsciousness of the Akai monarch. He seemed displeased when he saw the recovery, his foe made and remaining keenly aware of his foe’s sword. He used the motion of his missed strike and that of his fast reflexes to retreat away from the blade with haste only to perform his own incredibly aggressive counter-riposte, his blade’s motion being conversed as it looped around to perform first a series of feints and then began an unyieldingly vicious push designed to overwhelm Kaspars. Those who could witness it could barely do so, as the Ditu performed a variety of tight, rapid slashes, each aiming from at the various extremities of his foe ranging from the legs to the sword arms - seemingly trying to penetrate the weak armor. And then this began to shift, with each strike becoming stronger and stronger as they fell; with one final strike attempting this time to first to forcefully lock his foe’s blade in the hilt This was followed with another gambit, to pull him towards the Ditu by the blade only to be met with overwhelming force from a shove; exploiting a more Akai style of martial arts to try and get him on the floor. Yet despite all this, Hulang’s face remained mostly stoic and unemotive with the exception of his eyes which burned their crimson red.

One thing kept old Kaspars in the duel was his enormous wealth of experience, tens of thousands of hours of it training, practicing, or teaching his pupils. His ability to anticipate the Ditu’s strikes and adjust his positioning accordingly before the Akai’s sword could do any harm. He just barely managed to dodge Hulang aggressive counter-riposte, countering each of Hulang blinding slashes, each perry taking more and more out of the aged Kaspars. The advantages the Ditu had over him were, in the eyes of the old man, overwhelming. Youth, far better reflectives, and equipment. His only hope to frustrate the Ditu, continuing to avoid his heavy blows and hope he’d make a mistake...unwittingly allow an opening for him exploit. Hulang pressed, seemingly designed to overwhelm the old man into submission or into making a lethal error and thus, he did his best to eschew Hulang’s swift slashes, until finally he attempted to forcefully interlock Kaspars blade at the hilt. Old Kaspars could see what was going to happen before it did. He reacted promptly by releasing his blade from his hand, the sword falling to the ground with a metallic ring. He immediately attempted to grab the weapon and retreated to a far corner of the room; sensing at was only a matter of time before Hulang consequential victory.

Hulang’s response was a simple one, almost entirely predatory in its manner. He watched Kaspar’s retreat and performed a vicious uppercutting kick in order to keep him away from his blade. He then dashed to pick it up with his other hand, gaining another advantage. He speedily stalked his prey before him as he moved forwards with his swords held defensively in one position. He used both blades to create a path of constricting feints, to further push Kaspars into the corner of the room. He then with ease began to beat his foe with his already impressive legs, aiming for his guts before using the ornate hilt to first strike his knees before using it to uppercut his foe’s lower jaw with brutal alacrity. This was followed with his own sword held in his left hand being placed at his throat and the other at his stomach. The Ditu’s eyes glared at him, demanding surrender as he continued his onslaught mercilessly.

Like a predator on the steppes of southern Rietumimark, Hulang brutally pounced upon his prey long before Belinda, Emily or even Kaspars could fully comprehend what truly was happening. Hulang executed a perfectly timed uppercut kick a mere seconds before Kaspars lunged for his blade, sending him flying back upon his arse, recovering shortly after Hulang swooped up Kaspars’ blade - gaining a pivotal edge over his opponent. Old Kaspars began to stumble back, avoiding the Akai’s feints as he staggered back into a corner, eventually tripping over himself and falling hard on the sand floor. Hulang then preceded to beat the old man with an almost amoral callousness to it, seemingly wanting to completely reduce the man to near death. Kaspars looked into Hulang’s cold, dark crimson eyes recognised a look in them, one which demanded his surrender or else. Sputtering on blood from his mouth, he feebly raised his hands his surrender, struggling to pathetically mumble: “I...I surr-” he tried to say, coughing up a fist full of blood into his upperarm. “I surrender...I concede.”

Hulang quickly and swiftly sheathed his weapons and placed his borrowed blade back in his foe’s sheath upon hearing his surrender, withdrawing from his strikes. If anyone could see his eyes, they could see there still was a lingering bloodlust hidden beneath. “It was a good fight, I'd advise becoming lifter on your feet and in your body - you’d handle yourself better if you did,” he spoke as be pulled out a lavishly patterned silk handkerchief from a pocket and began to wipe the blood. “Please use this, you deserve it,” he commented softly as he helped the foe he had so brutally attacked mere seconds ago. He whispered in his ear: “Survive, I assure you the future might be expectedly better than this present. Perhaps this sword might end up with its old owners.” Hulang then moved to the centre of the room and then performed the deep bow of the head before the assembled party. “I hope myself and Mr Kaspars provided a good spectacle and that you enjoyed this duel.” He spoke in his precise and perfect Rietumish as if he had not just beaten a man so viciously a moment before. It seemed almost uncanny how he shifted his purpose so easily. His eyes studiously observed the crowd but Emily and Belinda in particular.

Kaspars was taken aback at how effortlessly the Ditu appeared to transition, from a warrior with unyielding hunger for blood, to finish his enemy to someone who, at least on the outside, was under complete control of himself. “Thank you, your perfection.” Kaspars replied roughly, strugglingly to climb with the Ditu’s help once Hulang had finished wiping most of the blood from his face. “You were a worthy opponent, one of the most technically gifted and talented swordsman I have battled with for a long, long time. Indeed, I once a fit and slim as yourself in my prime, long before than most of you were born. But alas, like so many older men, my once strong frame has given way to all this fat. Perhaps in a different life I might be fitter, however, I never expected to duel again since I retired for teaching the ancient and quite beautiful art of swordsmanship.” Suddenly, once on his feet, Hulang closed in and whispered something which further taken for words at Hulang’s remark....specifically the second part of what he whispered into his ear. Perhaps this weapon may end with its original owners? What he planning, what is going on here, behind the curtains which I able unable to see with these old eyes. Kaspars looked into Hulang’s eyes and gave him a look which told him that he understood what he would have to do before being quietly escorted out of the room with the assistance of two servants who’d been lurking in the background to receive medical attention.

“It was an excellent display of an art which is so unfortunately dying in much of the world with the widespread use of other weapons of war.” Belinda said so confidently, ignoring her regime’s contribution to the face. She glanced at Hulang and observed at how much he resembled his father in a brief, oh so fleeting moment, a nearly psychopathic joy inflicting pain upon others, especially his enemies. It would seem that Hulang is more like Jieke than I previously anticipated, she thought to her beneath a smile, watching Hulang as he moved to the centre of the room. “I’m glad you have enjoyed yourself and Kaspars proved himself opponent, capable enough to offer some challenge. Before we continue, do you need anything, water or some food after your duel?”

The Ditu seemed to be barely sweating and barely out of breath, retaining an alien level of self-control. “I shall need no food, it is better for myself to be temperate in my diet. It sets a good example for my men and is good for my health,” he responded in a calm manner. “Please do take care of him, maybe allow him to train someone. These martial arts are useful for the refinement of the mind,” Hulang added, speaking unusually favorably of his foe.

“Of course, I understand. I will personally make sure that Kaspars will receive only the best medical treatment whilst he recovers from quite a physical and challenging fight. Furthermore, I’ll begin the necessary inquiries to get Kaspars teaching an art which yourself and Kaspars enjoy so much-”