narrowly avoided a similar fate as Korvos lunged in at him. They had recovered from being knocked senseless, and like idiots, Joven's family had forgotten them in the aftermath.
Balen swung his sword behind him, but was at a nearly impossible angle. Davik skipped back out of the way, letting go of the sword and drawing a long dagger. Balen's wound spurted blood as he swung, and he sank to his knees, grimacing in pain.
Joven rose, lifting his sword. Leona started to rise, but Korvos came at her from the side, a solid kick connecting with her head. She dropped to the ground silently and was still.
The only one left standing was Joven; against the man who had fought him to a standstill in a duel, and that man's father who had trained him. Balen fell to his side, trying to keep from bleeding out.
"If there ever was a time to need the Inheritance," Joven muttered under his breath. "It'd be now."
There was one difference from the last time he fought Korvos. It was no longer a duel.
Joven knew if he failed now, Daelen would come home to find his entire family dead and what had once been a comrade, the new ruler. He couldn't let that happen.
"Give up." Davik urged. "You couldn't beat my boy, what makes you think you can beat both of us?"
Joven smiled. "You want to know what?" he asked. "Now, I just don't give a damn."
He lunged towards Davik, swinging with his sword. While he moved, he pulled the battle axe from his belt. Davik juked back, avoiding the long reach of the sword. Joven let the momentum carry his swing in a circle and swung out with the battle axe as his back was momentarily exposed to Davik. Korvos still had a sword and was able to deflect his swing; however, it disrupted his own attack. Davik, seeing his back exposed, lunged in to stab at him.
Joven's axe caught him in the side of his face, the instant after the man saw it coming. Joven felt a satisfying thunk as the weapon hit home and dug deep. Blood sprayed across his hand and forearm as he let go of the weapon, leaving it in the man's corpse.
Korvos skipped back, his eyes wide with surprise. "You..." he started.
"Why would you want to have a fair fight?" Joven repeated. "You know you can lose those?"
His opponent's face reddened in rage.
"This is your only chance, Korvos." Joven said, taking a defensive stance. "You are the last one left. Give it up."
"For what?" Korvos retorted. "Execution? No, I think I'll take my chances killing you."
"You're never going to beat Kalenden." Joven replied. "With your family at your back, you might have stood a chance."
Korvos shook his head slightly. "No!" he exclaimed. "You should be helping me! Why are you helping him?"
Joven's face was set in stone. "You have betrayed our people and our ways! Gurn could be a harsh king, but we have our duty! You could have been king if you just fought him openly! You could have changed everything that way!"
"You can't beat him that way!" Korvos replied. "He's a monster! A beast!" He raised his sword, taking a step forward.
Joven readied his weapon. "We are barbarians!" he screamed in response. "We kill monsters! We slay beasts! That's what we do!"
They swung at the same time. Joven put every ounce of his remaining strength into the swing. The blade sang as it sheared the air towards Korvos' neck. Korvos swung in the same arc, their blades colliding at the midpoint. Sparks flew, and for a split second, the blades seemed to hang in the air, time suspended. Joven and Korvos exchanged one last look, and Joven saw a fleeting moment of acceptance in his opponent's eyes.
This time, Korvos' sword shattered under the force of the colliding blades; bits of shattered steel biting into Joven's face and pinging off the chest plate of his armor. Joven's sword continued its arc coming to a stop on the other side, the last eight inches of the blade streaked with blood.
Korvos, headless, fell to the ground. Joven slowly turned around the courtyard. The only other person in the yard that
Balen swung his sword behind him, but was at a nearly impossible angle. Davik skipped back out of the way, letting go of the sword and drawing a long dagger. Balen's wound spurted blood as he swung, and he sank to his knees, grimacing in pain.
Joven rose, lifting his sword. Leona started to rise, but Korvos came at her from the side, a solid kick connecting with her head. She dropped to the ground silently and was still.
The only one left standing was Joven; against the man who had fought him to a standstill in a duel, and that man's father who had trained him. Balen fell to his side, trying to keep from bleeding out.
"If there ever was a time to need the Inheritance," Joven muttered under his breath. "It'd be now."
There was one difference from the last time he fought Korvos. It was no longer a duel.
Joven knew if he failed now, Daelen would come home to find his entire family dead and what had once been a comrade, the new ruler. He couldn't let that happen.
"Give up." Davik urged. "You couldn't beat my boy, what makes you think you can beat both of us?"
Joven smiled. "You want to know what?" he asked. "Now, I just don't give a damn."
He lunged towards Davik, swinging with his sword. While he moved, he pulled the battle axe from his belt. Davik juked back, avoiding the long reach of the sword. Joven let the momentum carry his swing in a circle and swung out with the battle axe as his back was momentarily exposed to Davik. Korvos still had a sword and was able to deflect his swing; however, it disrupted his own attack. Davik, seeing his back exposed, lunged in to stab at him.
Joven's axe caught him in the side of his face, the instant after the man saw it coming. Joven felt a satisfying thunk as the weapon hit home and dug deep. Blood sprayed across his hand and forearm as he let go of the weapon, leaving it in the man's corpse.
Korvos skipped back, his eyes wide with surprise. "You..." he started.
"Why would you want to have a fair fight?" Joven repeated. "You know you can lose those?"
His opponent's face reddened in rage.
"This is your only chance, Korvos." Joven said, taking a defensive stance. "You are the last one left. Give it up."
"For what?" Korvos retorted. "Execution? No, I think I'll take my chances killing you."
"You're never going to beat Kalenden." Joven replied. "With your family at your back, you might have stood a chance."
Korvos shook his head slightly. "No!" he exclaimed. "You should be helping me! Why are you helping him?"
Joven's face was set in stone. "You have betrayed our people and our ways! Gurn could be a harsh king, but we have our duty! You could have been king if you just fought him openly! You could have changed everything that way!"
"You can't beat him that way!" Korvos replied. "He's a monster! A beast!" He raised his sword, taking a step forward.
Joven readied his weapon. "We are barbarians!" he screamed in response. "We kill monsters! We slay beasts! That's what we do!"
They swung at the same time. Joven put every ounce of his remaining strength into the swing. The blade sang as it sheared the air towards Korvos' neck. Korvos swung in the same arc, their blades colliding at the midpoint. Sparks flew, and for a split second, the blades seemed to hang in the air, time suspended. Joven and Korvos exchanged one last look, and Joven saw a fleeting moment of acceptance in his opponent's eyes.
This time, Korvos' sword shattered under the force of the colliding blades; bits of shattered steel biting into Joven's face and pinging off the chest plate of his armor. Joven's sword continued its arc coming to a stop on the other side, the last eight inches of the blade streaked with blood.
Korvos, headless, fell to the ground. Joven slowly turned around the courtyard. The only other person in the yard that
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