BRETVER 22ND YEAR 548 ASMERIAN CALENDAR
Jackson took off running towards the competition area. Connor grabbed Alice and pushed her with Veronica. Alice was excited to watch him duel other swordsmen, she took in every sight she could. It was disappointing she couldn't take part in any of the festivities but she still enjoyed watching nonetheless and found pleasure in watching others enjoy themselves. Once he made it to the competition, he saw a variety of banners including the Asmerian, Gregorian, and the Greendale banners all hung over the fighting squares. There were a few he didn't recognize, however, a blue one with two pine trees on either side and a snow-capped mountain making up the background. He didn't see Mister Miller yet but he noticed the head judge, he was guarded by three men clad in plate armor and a banner-man that was holding the Judges banner. He saw a Lucc Empire banner being flown in the background and there were a few Asmerian knights surrounding the fighting square. He saw swords ranging from the simple long sword to sabers and Arming Sword. He was in awe by the diversity of the crowd.
When he lived in the Capital there were very few outsiders and even fewer weapons. He knew that he was in for a surprise with a lot of these people. Mister Miller proved that earlier that day."Attention gentlemen and swordsmen!" A man barked from the crowd. "All contestants, please make your way to the stage where the head Judge will announce the rules and prizes!" The announcer barked and was sure to make a grandiose display of every little thing.
Jackson followed the crowd over to the head judge. There were just under one hundred men around him and he was by far the youngest. He made his way to the front of the crowd so that he could hear the Judge.
"Greetings to all of you swordsmen and knights." The judge started. "Welcome to the festival of trade held by the township of Greendale this time every year. We are joined by Swordsmen and knights from all walks of life. We're even being joined by the first elf swordsman I've ever seen. We're joined by knights of the Gregorian Republic and the Lucc Empire. The bowing Wood has sent an elf as you already know. So, expect to see things you've not seen before."
Jackson was getting very anxious at this point; he was looking around at everyone and everything. There was so much going on that he could hardly pay attention.
"Let me go over the rules. First, all fatal strikes are to fall short of your opponent. You're not trying to kill each other, however, injury may still happen. Whether or not it is intentional, will or will not result in you being arrested. Second, you may punch, kick, knee, and beat your opponent. Just don't stab or cut with your sword. Third, you may grab your opponent's sword as long as you have an armored gauntlet, obviously, we can't have anyone trying to catch a sword with their bare hands. Fourth, the first to deal a strike that could be considered fatal will win the round. Fifth, no attacking until permitted. Sixth, no foul play or bribery, this includes all use of magic, peiron swords are the exception. Seventh, all contestants must wear a helmet. And lastly, there are no losers, but there can only be one winner. Everyone, please collect one Asmerian silver from the man to the left." The judge said as he pointed towards a young man with a small chest. Everyone burst out a cheer of excitement and there was a lot of yelling and chanting. The chest was filled with over a hundred silver coins and the young man eagerly handed out every last one so that he could get paid a measly copper coin. But that was quite a bit to a young boy no more than eight years old.
Jackson collected his silver and was told where to go for his first fight. When he arrived at his fighting station, which was no more than a fenced-in square. His mother, father, and sister were all sitting in the front row. Connor gave Jackson a thumbs up. "Go beat them up Jack!" Alice yelled from the crowd. Jackson just threw his arms up in a grand gesture to Alice.
Jackson donned his armor and steeled himself for the competition. He held his helmet out in front of him and the sun reflected into his eyes as he put it on then threw on the black cloak. When he entered the fighting station and saw his opponent. It was a young man a little older than him and he was using a saber which was a slashing and cutting sword. "Get him son!" Veronica yelled. The young boy was shaken by the intimidating sight of the cloaked knight before him.
"Swordsmen, shake hands!" the referee barked. Jackson walked up to the young man and held out his hand. "Are you going to even be able to lift a sword kid?"
"I- I can, you'll see." The lad said as he shook Jackson's hand.
He and the lad walked back to their sides of the fighting station. The man held out his saber and Jackson took a close stance holding the long sword close to his body. "Fight!" The referee baked as he waved a little red flag through the air.
The lad charged Jackson and swung his sword towards Jackson's left. Jackson stepped into the attack and drove the end of his cross-guard into the his stomach. The lad's saber missed Jackson completely and Jackson held the tip of his long sword to the bottom of the boy's chin.
"Round one goes to Mister Scottkey!" Said the referee.
Jackson looked at his family and saw that he had impressed his mother and father. Alice was watching with excitement and rooting for him. The referee himself was thoroughly impressed. Jackson and the man went back to their starting positions.
Jackson took the same stance as before and the man didn't take any stance. "Fight!" the referee barked. The boy rushed forwards for Jackson again and he stepped into the strike yet again. This time he deflected the attack downwards and then quickly swung upwards to meet the his throat with his sword. The boy fell to his knees, terrified. "I give up." the boy said in a sour tone. He stood up and left the arena.
"The winner by forfeit is Scottkey!" The referee announced in excitement.
Jackson left the station so it could be used by the next group of fighters. A man clan in from head to foot in plate armor entered the arena. He walked over to sit with his family. Connor and Veronica stood up, they were shocked by his skill. "That was amazing son," Connor exclaimed. "Did my brother really teach you how to fight like that?"
"Yes, he said I was the fastest learner he'd ever taught." He said as he was embraced by both parents.
Jackson's next round came fast as the man with the plate armor won against his opponent with ease. He entered the fighting and he was met by the waiter from black's tavern. He shook hands with his opponent and went to his starting position. "Fight!"
The waiter was using an Arming Sword which was a one-handed sword that had great maneuverability due to its balance. This time Jackson wasn't carelessly charged at. The waiter took his time and prodded Jackson's defense. Jackson struck first with an overhead swing meant to throw his opponent off balance.
His opponent recovered and backed down and away from Jackson. The waiter lost his patience and charged Jackson. Jackson caught the Arming Sword with his hand protected by his armor and grabbed hold. The man pulled away and lost his grip on his sword. "The round goes to Scottkey due to disarming his opponent." The referee comentitated; Jackson tossed the arming sword back to the waiter and readied himself for the next round. He was starting to build a sweat from the armor and was tempted to take it off but it would mean risking actual injury. Nothing shook his core more than the fear of his mother beating him because he got hurt in the tournament.
The next round the waiter was even more cautious to advance. Jackson made his move first by closing in with the waiter. Jackson had cornered the man and his only option was to attack. Jackson was able to it out the man as he looked for a way out. Once it hit him that there was no way out, he kneed down to summit to Jackson. "Round goes to Scottkey."
More and more people showed up to watch Jackson fight. He was the kid who had yet to lose a single round. He readied himself for the next round, his opponent was about to be eliminated and would most likely try something rash.
Jackson took up a right stance which kept his sword close to his torso on his right side, hence the name of the stance. "Fight!" The man rushed forward but fainted his attack. Jackson didn't see that coming so he quickly disengaged from the man but he kept closing the gap. Jackson took a wide swing with his sword which gave him some room to reposition his stance. The man tripped backward from the swing and Jackson pounced on top of his with great speed.
Jackson won the round and held out his hand to help the man to his feet. "Thank you, kid." The man said as he grabbed Jackson's hand and pulled himself up. With that, he won the second match and was well on his way to fight in the finals. He exited to fighting station drenched in sweat and wasted no time tearing off his armor and the gambeson underneath.
He sat back down next to Alice who was on the edge of her wheelchair in excitement. "Who are you fighting next Jack?" Alice asked.
"Good question, I'm going to find out real fast, I'll be right back," He replied standing up to find out who was next to fight. He walked over to the competition board. His name was on the far right and he spotted Miller on the far left side, he had already won four matches and was waiting for the finals.
His name was next to Sir Thomas Fjord. The Sir in front of his name meant that he was a knight from Asmeria. Other knights weren't given their titles unless they were Asmerian knights. This did upset other knights from Gregoria and the Lucc Empire however, the honor of fighting in the tournament was far greater than the mild disrespect so they put up with it.
He headed back to his family once he was finished looking at the competition board. Jackson sat back down and watched as two swordsmen clashed with amazing skill. Alice handed him back his cloak with a huge smile. It was his turn again; he entered the fighting station and saw the armored knight from before. He was clad head to toe in silvery steel armor that was well polished and taken care of. Hie sword, a longsword, was engraved with words to faint to read from across the fighting station. He walked up to the knight and held out his hand. The knight took his hand and shook it tightly. "I hope my talent isn't wasted on such a young lad." Sir Fjord said.
"I'm just happy to fight sir knight," Jackson responded with great respect, even bowing his head. He was training to be a knight himself and held the Asmerian knight's in the highest regard.
"Well said lad!" Sir Fjord laughed. "I almost feel bad for taking you out of the competition."
"To your starting positions!" The referee barked taking his place in the center of the fighting station. The knight was using a long sword same as Jackson. He started with a low stance holding the tip of blade of his sword towards Jackson and keeping the hilt of the sword near his center of mass. Jackson took up the right stance and was ready for whatever Sir Fjord could send at him.
"Fight!" The referee shouted. Jackson and Sir Fjord clashed in a blur; Jackson leaped straight into the knight. The knight blocked his strike but fell off balance. Jackson struck again and was again deflected. Jackson lunged forward but Sir Fjord thrust into Jackson. Jackson and Sir Fjord paused as both had delivered winning blows. Jackson stopped short of Sir Fjord's throat and Sir Fjord stopped just short of Jackson's gut.
"Scottkey's strike would've been more fatal. Round ends in favor of Scottkey!" The referee shouted in awe. Asmerian sword fighting was all about who was faster and more accurate. Jackson walked back to his start position. Sir Fjord gave Jackson a nod of the head and entered a traditional stance call the flank.
"Are you ready lad?" Sir Fjord asked as he was ready to start.
Jackson nodded and raised his sword. "Fight!" The referee barked and Jackson and Sir Fjord pounced at each other with incredible speed. Jackson swung his sword upwards as Sir Fjord stepped into Jackson's strike. Sir Fjord's sword came down on Jackson from the high left. Jackson instinctively grabbed the sword and thrust forwards into Sir Fjord.
Asmerian sword play was all about speed and aggression. Not allowing either party to breathe even for a moment. It was this speed and intensity that a young boy like Jackson could easily become addicted to. The feeling of danger and risk coupled with the pride and honor that came with knight hood. Sir Fjord managed to kick Jackson in the stomach and knocked the air out of him. The round ended as Sir Fjord held his sword short of Jackson's throat. "The round goes to Sir Fjord!" The referee shouted.
Sir Fjord held out his hand and helped Jackson to his feet. Jackson thanked him for the help and returned to his starting position. He glanced towards his family who were still cheering him on. There was even more rooting for him. The referee asked if they were ready and both Jackson and Sir Fjord nodded. The round started but this time Jackson did not charge forward. He stood his ground and waited for Sir Fjord to close in. Once Sir Fjord started his attack Jackson ducked down and Sir Fjord's strike flew safely over Jackson's head. Jackson then used his sword's pommel and struck Sir Fjords' knee.
Sir Fjord's knee buckled and he fell to the floor and cried out in pain. Jackson planted his sword firmly against Sir Fjord's chest as he laid there in pain from Jackson's strike. The referee announced Jackson to be the winner and Sir Fjord withdrew from the match. Jackson was immediately sent into his next match and was unable to rest. This was the last bracket match for Jackson of the day. If he won, he would face only three more contestants and be able to win the competition.
A tall slender figure entered the fighting station. He wore a green cloak and black pants with knee-high leather boots. The figure removed his hood and drew a long thin sword known as a rapier. The man's ears were pointed and long and the man moved with elegance and was light on his feet as he moved into his starting position.
"Hello, young one." The Elf said. "It will be a pleasure to duel you on this fine festive day."
"Thank you, sir elf," Jackson responded respectfully as he stood at the starting position. Jackson took up the close guard stance as it would provide the best defense against the rapier. The round started and Jackson slowly approached the elf. The elf leaped forward and tried thrusting into Jackson but was easily deflected and blocked.
Jackson stepped out of the reach of the elf's sword and regained his footing. Jackson walked back around to the elf's starting position and the elf stayed in the middle of the fighting station. Jackson approached the elf slowly. The crowd fell silent as they watched in awe of a child standing his ground against an elf.
Even his own family drew silent as Jackson approached the elf for another round of fighting. Elves of the Bowing Woods were known to be excellent swordsmen and archers. Jackson was also aware of the elf's prowess in combat.
Jackson stepped into the center of the fighting station and the elf swung his sword at Jackson. Jackson ducked down under the swing and jumped back up and stopped his sword short of the elf's stomach. The elf smiled and bowed to Jackson as he saw the winning strike.
"The round goes to Scottkey!" The referee said.
The elf was back at his starting position as was Jackson. Jackson noticed some mud stuck to his boot and he scraped it off with his sword. He turned to face the elf who was standing in a weird stance. Jackson bumped the side of his cross guard to the top of his helmet to show that he was ready. The referee gave permission to fight and the next round started.
Jackson stood his ground against the elf's strikes, one after another. The elf swung and stabbed towards Jackson but he deflected every blow. Jackson simply waited for the elf to tire just enough for him to get a good swing in.
His chance came when the elf lost his footing for just a second. Jackson grabbed hold of the rapier with his left hand and dealt a pommel strike to the top of the elf's helmet knocking him to the ground. The round ended as Jackson pressed his long sword against the chest of the elf.
The referee declared the winner and Jackson helped the elf back to his feet. "Thank you, young one," The elf said as he took his rapier back from Jackson.
"You're welcome Mister Elf."
"Please, call me Felaern Jodi."
"Very well Sir Felaern," Jackson said.
The two opponents tool up their starting positions and readied themselves for the next round. Jackson waited for the referee to yell fight but the referee was pulled aside by a man in a blue cloak. Some men who wore blue cloaks were representatives of the crown. This piqued Jackson's interest and Jackson watched the two men talk intently.
The referee walked back to his position on the side of the fighting station. "Sorry for the inconvenience ladies and gentlemen." The referee said. "We will be pausing the events for the day. We will resume tomorrow from where the contestants are currently."
Jackson exited the fighting station. Connor, Veronica, and Alice were waiting for him. "Son, to say that I was impressed would be an understatement," Veronica said.
"Thank you, mother, uncle James taught me everything that you saw," Jackson said as he was embraced by his parents.
"You should've seen him face Mister Miller earlier mother," Alice said. "He was just as good if not better!"
"So, you've said young lady," said Connor.
It had been four hours since the event had started and Jackson was famished. Jackson's stomach growled and Veronica heard it. She walked around him and wrapped her arms around Jackson. "I think someone is hungry." She said softly.
"Yes mother, could we go eat?" Jackson asked. Veronica laughed and took hold of Alice's wheelchair. "Yes, we can."
They headed into the town's largest plaza. There were vendors and food everywhere, Steaks, Briskets, massive Salads, and Pumpkin Pies were all a part of the festival. There were eating competitions for Pumpkin Pies. The first to eat three whole pies would win twelve Asmerian Silvers. "I've never seen easier money boy, you get up there and show off your gultony!" Connor laughed
Jackson watched as four large men competed for the prize along side him. He did his best but the other men were professional eaters. He didn't even know such a thing existed. The largest man ate all three pies at a mind-boggling speed. He practically inhaled the pies. He quickly stood up and took his prize.
Jackson and his family settled down at a butcher's shop across the plaza. Jackson got a large steak and baked potatoes. Alice always ate the same food as Jackson for whatever reason, he never did understand why. The butcher was at the swordsmanship competition and gave Jackson's family a discount for his performance, of course, Connor played a small role in that discount. Jackson spent the rest of the day exploring the town and taking part in all sorts of activities with Alice as the split up from their parents. He returned home late at night and fell asleep. Alice watched him as he was passed out face down on his bed. She covered him in his blankets and crawled up next to him and soon fell asleep herself. His sword was still in its scabbard on his hip, ready for the morning to come.