Game Of Thrones The Second Bastard - Chapter 8 Fighting Pi

Authors Note:

If you guys can spare the time please write me a review and spare some precious powerstones. I really appreciate it u003c3

Two chapters today as well the next will be posted shortly

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Within the courtyard were nearly a hundred gladiators, male and female alike, were all sparring with one another like savages. Within the pack were two that stood out like a diamond within a pile of coal. They were Edward and William.

It had been three months since Edward had arrived at Meereen and branded a gladiator slave. Within that time frame, Edward had been building his strength and improving his footwork and swordplay with the help of William.

“Keep moving, never stop. Wielding two swords requires speed, and you’re slow when you stop moving,” William yelled at me as he deflected a horizontal sweep aiming for this leg with my right arm.

“You have to start moving before you even hit the enemy! Be two, three steps ahead of the enemy and you will never lose!” he stated as he danced around my strikes.

“William, my swordplay and footwork have already become in sync, there shouldn’t be anything wrong with the way I am right now.” With nothing to do but eat and train for the past three months, my skills have increased tremendously. I seemed to be a completely new man, but even so, I couldn’t beat William.

“You are correct with having mastered a decent understanding of the swordart as a whole, but” he stopped debating to himself.

“The Great Games are being held in a few months! I need the strength to be able to fight to survive and win my freedom!” After calming down my rage I continued, “please William”

Sigh

“A storm. It is ever-changing, and even the best of navigators never truly know when it will hit, and which way the winds will blow.”

“Are you a prophet or something can’t you be straight with me, I always need to wrestle the answers out of you,” though I was complaining, I was grateful. I had been an idiot to focused on mastering the swordplay that I forgot the fatal downfall of swordsmen being one-dimensional. The pace was the one factor that will dictate the flow of the fight and changing it would cause your opponent to falter.

“Thank you, William. I appre”

“Listen up!” I was cut off as I was thanking William, switching my attention to the man talking, “The beginning of a new year is the beginning of all of your careers. All newcomers are now registered in the fighting pit and will begin competition soon!”

Great meaningless killing

“Those that perform well will be sent to attend the Great Games coming up. An event that you should be grateful if you were to attend. Perform well at the Great Games, and your freedom would be yours to take!”

“Arthur, Jacob, Yorrik, Buch, and Edward!” another man listed off a bunch of names including my own. “You have a fight today, prepare yourselves. You’ll leave in twenty minutes.” After making his announcement he quickly took his leave.

My first fight, not including the sparring I had with Jon and William. To be completely honest, I am looking forward to it. Learning how to fight was to kill was it not? Now I have the opportunity to do so.

Noticing my excitement, “Remember what I taught you and maybe we’ll walk out of here together as brothers in arm,” he said with a light punch to my chest over the slave brand. A sign of respect here amongst the gladiators.

“You too, brother,” replied with a light punch of my own, though a little harder than usual to piss William off.

@@@@@

Twenty minutes later the five of us who would be participating in fights today huddled into a wagon which was caged off to prevent us from escaping.

By the time we arrived at the destination, I could tell that there would be a generous crowd of spectators viewing the fight. My blood boiled in excitement as I was the last fight for the event. “Guess they wanted to save the best for last,” I say to myself with a grin as I awaited my turn.

“Maybe the best isn’t you but your opponent,” a soothing voice remarked

“Who’s there!” quickly leaping to my feet looking around for the source. Very few are capable of sneaking up on me without me noticing, even William had a hard time doing so, to much of his amazement.

“Who I am does not concern you, but just know that strength isn’t always a virtue, it can become a sin if to relied upon.” The feminine voice stated and disappeared.

Who was that, and what the hell did she want with me.

As I contemplate the words of the mystery women a guard came to fetch me for my fight.

“Your turn! Move it!” the guard commanded. Guess the other fights lasted shorter then I would have thought.

We quickly reached an armory and I was given a few minutes to suit myself up. I hastily found two well-balanced longswords. I noticed while practicing that broadswords, which focused on brute strength, did not provide me with enough flexibility. The longsword which while a little shorter, and significantly thinner was a much better fit. They were made of plain steel, and while a little dull would still be able to slaughter a hundred men. I also found a decent leather tunic coated with dry blood that fitted me decently.

“Guess its previous owner didn’t have a happy ending.”

Making my way to the entrance the sounds of steel clashing steel became more and more audible, though it was still drowned by the roars of the crowd.

Through the gaps of the gate, I could see Buch fighting a man twice his size with countless bodies littered around the pit. “Damn he is huge.” Donned in full iron plating made Buch, who was already big, look like a little cub.

Crunch

With a swing of his Warhammer, Buch’s head burst into a lump of mush.

I winced. Although I wasn’t the first time seeing someone die since father beheaded a number of deserters I still wasn’t that accustomed to seeing someone I knew die like such.

Sigh

“All of them were good people.” Seeing the dead bodies of friends who you shared a meal with earlier would never be something you got use to.

“Your up kid. Try and last longer than your friends earlier.”

Wait I’m facing this giant? My surprise expression quickly turning into a grin.

“Well, this is going to be fun. Guy watch me avenge your death.” I say to myself as the gate raised over my head and I made my way out into the roaring crowd.