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Character of the Season
Frail in body but dangerously quick of mind, Nikandr is the sort of character who proves that curiosity can be just as perilous as any weapon. A necromancer, inventor, and problem-solver with more ambition than self-preservation, Niki approaches the world like a puzzle box begging to be opened, even when what’s inside has teeth. Blunt, dry-witted, fiercely independent, and carrying a history best left partially buried, he has a knack for making even failure feel fascinating. Whether he’s raising the dead, moving across Caido to King's End, or experiencing a hangover for the first time, Nikandr brings a wonderfully strange spark to Caido, and we can’t wait to see what trouble his brilliant mind wanders into next.
Congratulations, Niki!
Credits
Court of the Fallen was created in October of 2018 by Odd, Honey, and Crooked.
OG Skinning provided by Kaons, with functionality and many custom plugins made by Neowulf!
It was always intriguing to see what others would try in varying situations. Deimos could calculate all day long about procedures, potentials, and possibilities, but without any other knowledge of Zavien, they would eventually only come down to guesswork and estimations, rather than what he would truly try when faced with different circumstances.
Knowing his strength would easily overpower the younger man, Deimos simply waited. The Dragoon seemed to take his time though, putting forth considerations rather than acting on impulse, and eventually strived to break the hold with sliding and shifting. Had the Sword not been prolific in his control, or been any other person, it likely would’ve worked in the Dragoon’s favor – but he was much too experienced to go sailing or toppling beyond. Instead, he simply ceased, shifting off to the left a little and granting praise where he could. “Good. You are thinking,” to which he gave a small smile.
And promptly swung at Zavien’s knees.
we exhume our enemy's bones we are battling, hungry beasts
'Thinking' was an understatement as Zavien analyzed each aspect of the fight. He tried to take in Deimos's movements, hoping to predict the man's next move. And failing terribly every time. As they broke apart, Zavien gave a smile of appreciation for the compliment. Even if his action hadn't been quite as effective as it would have been on others, at least it had gotten the Sword to give him some distance.
Just like before, he didn't see the blurred wood coming for him until the strike was nearly in contact with his kneecaps. Taking a page from Anju's book, he swept his blade down and knelt along with it, creating a wall of sword and body. The low center of power made for a great base as he swung his own blade towards Deimos's legs in return.
While the Dragoon might not have believed he was thinking, his movements said otherwise. Muscle memory was a significant thing, and something he applied to his constituents and soldiers often. When it became routine, the body found it easier to adjust; then they could amplify the motions, for Deimos was never one for complacency.
He granted Zavier another respectful nod and smirk at the next set of movements; blocking himself from another siege upon vulnerable knees. So the Sword shifted out of range, continuing to up the ante on the movements and adjustments, and spun his wooden blade directly towards the Stormbreaker’s spine, intending to see what he’d make of it.
we exhume our enemy's bones we are battling, hungry beasts
He latched onto the momentum, letting his sword swing around, past the point of impact. Deimos had easily avoided the attack and Zavien's outreached arms made it difficult to pull back into a new block against the incoming blow to his spine. The twisting of his arms let him swing it behind his head, protecting his back, but causing him to lean forward out of his stance. As the wood clashed with his own, he stumbled forward. Although he'd kept the strike from making contact with his body, he now found himself kneeling in the dirt, arms over his head, being pushed forward by the weapon at his back. He'd be hard pressed to make any sort of offensive or defensive movement from the position.
Frozen in place, he just let out a groaned laugh. "Ugh. I got myself in quite the situation, didn't I? Any tips?" His voice was strained and tired, but a good-natured smile still played on his lips as he looked up at his instructor. This was supposed to be a learning situation anyways. He just wondered where he'd gone wrong and how to get out of it. Should he roll out? Power through? Try to stand? There were so many options, yet none at the same time.
Deimos watched as the series of movements jostled the Dragoon into the dirt, pausing entirely as Zavien seemed frozen and stilled by the performance. Arching a brow and lowering his blade, the Sword shook his head, coming around to face the younger man. “You had several options,” he began, permitting the smallest of smiles to peek through the corners of his mouth. “Adjusting movement to shift out of my range,” which would have been difficult given momentum (precisely what the Warden had in mind), but not entirely impossible. It called for a more prepared approach, which hopefully Zavien would keep in mind for the future.
But he’d meant multiple choices, and so he persisted, not unkind or unjust, but calm and measured, speaking from worlds and beacons of experience. “You could have taken the attack, which sometimes works well when setting up for another.” Just as Deimos had done before, absorbing the blow to ensure his following volley would have equal, if not a slightly more formidable return. “Sometimes it does not, but that takes some risk evaluation.” A blow to the spine might not be better suited to an alternative. “You could have adjusted yourself to be hit somewhere minor as well.”
This wasn’t the end of his calculations, but he also didn’t want to overwhelm the Stormbreaker. “As for now, you can roll away and reset yourself. Would you like to try that maneuver again?”
we exhume our enemy's bones we are battling, hungry beasts
As Deimos moved around to his front, disengaging, Zavien rose to his feet and stretched his limbs. The movements didn't keep him from hanging on every word of suggestion. His head nodded along as he considered the possibilities. Running a hand through his hair, images of other outcomes played out in his mind. "Getting out of your range would probably have been best." Although he trusted Deimos not to actually injure him, he didn't think taking a blow of any kind from the man would be good for his physical wellbeing. Just the thought had him letting out a grimaced chuckle.
Set on getting everything he could out of the session, Zavien pushed past the urge to rest. They hadn't been going long enough for him to feel ready to stop yet. Not until he was too weak to stand. So, with a bright smile, he said, "As long as you're willing!" Then he leveled his wooden sword again, ready to work through the motions again.
Deimos always relied heavily on his bouts of control; he had no use for decimating others who weren’t as strong as him, unless it was an enemy. Zavien was no such thing – just another portion of a duel and skirmish. He’d much rather have people willing, open, and comfortable to practicing their defensive maneuvers and techniques, rather than leaving in fear of being properly destroyed. There’d be no point to it other than ensuring his own ego was content and satisfied, and he’d never been one of those cretins anyway. Confidence was not amongst his flaws.
Listening to Zavien’s choice, he nodded, and moved to regain his former stance. “When you are ready.” From there, they could alter approaches, methods, and facets; improving upon other means and measures to ensure further success.
[FIN]
we exhume our enemy's bones we are battling, hungry beasts
