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First attacks are never meant to land.

How much? What kind? How fast? How strong? Thats what you learn from a first attack. From this he learned that Ruuvan had strong fighter instincts, or eyes in the back of his head. He learned that paranoia saved lives. It worked for some, but not this man. Paranoia was based on fear, Maximos was fearless.

He very clearly saw the elf turn around. Ruuvan would find Maximos' eyes full of a cold deadly efficiency that defied words. There was focus there, intensity. And beside it, an emptiness.

Ruuvan turned, that meant the target shoulder was moving away. Maximos was focused on his target, he noted it was being moved and was already abandoning his course of action before the bow was swung. Though as the bow was infact being swung, simple logic told him it was being swung in defense. And that should his arm stay in motion, he would have the chance and timing to interact with the bow directly. Pure, cold, efficient, logic.

He did two things, simultaneously, with frightening efficiency.

One. Maximos' hand came down as if it was going to continue its strike, but his hand pulled back slightly, so that instead of the bow hitting his wrist, it would hit his blade. The moment the edge of the shortblade was struck, Maximos released it. Naturally, as his hand was pushing down, and the bow up, the blade flipped and flew backwards and due to gravity, downwards. Back and down, directly back into his waiting hand as it was moving backwards. Where it had once been held in a reverse grip, blade down, it was now held its blade up. And he swung. Directly under the bow's wooden front. He slashed forward, not aiming for Ruuvan at all but something a few inches behind the wooden length...the unguarded, ungripped, and unarmored...bowstring. Even with his elven speed, Ruuvan wouldnt likely be able to move his hands, dedicated to a strike, to pull back the string over a foot away in order to clear the blade. And whats a bow, that cant fire? Or an archer, who cannot shoot?

Two. As the bow went up to stop the dagger, Maximos having already realized his first attack was a failure was already into his next. He brought his right arm down, gripping the shortsword at his side, and in one quick motion he brought it across in a slash aimed to slice a deep line across Ruuvan's midsection. As the elf's bow, and hands were likely occupied high up above the shoulders, he had more than enough room to slash low just above the waist, where the elf was undefended. The black clad man even stepped forward, into the swing just to drive the blade that much deeper. Ruuvan just wouldnt have the time to go for that second bow movement.

A bow.

A bow is a very interesting device, but bound by certain lows of functionality. A bowstring is attached to either side of the bow. If it is pulled at an awkward angle the bow will not tighten, it need be pulled by the center.

Ruuvan could pull his bowstring, but all he would be moving was the center of the string, and the center of the string was no where Maximos was headed. Rather his shortblade slash was aimed for the closer, edge of the bow. The part where string met wood. He did not switch hands, no that would take too long, when the shortblade was struck, it fell free, flipped back and landed in the same hand it once exited. A hand waiting. A hand expecting the release and turn of the blade. A hand directly next to the contact point of the bow. A point possibly retreating and yet still very close. And very much capable of being cut.

If the string was cut, which seemed most likely with the angle of the bow, and the fact Ruuvan would have abandon his attack and defense all together to avoid such a cut. And should it succeed would send the pulling hand, likely flying into Ruuvan's face with the unexpected release.

Should it strike, should bow meet the bone of Maximos' right arm. Ruuvan would hear a resounding metal "dong". That arm was not easily broken, as their last round had revealed. Should the elf have struck his chest, leg, any other bone Maximos might be in for a world of pain. As it stood, the arm would hold, and as the ground was sandy Maximos would find himself slid back back a good 6inches in place.

He would immediately drop, squatting low, making it look very much as if he was catching his footing. His shortblade being brought down with blinding speed, his goal simple. He aimed to jab the shortblade clean through Ruuvan's foot. Could the elf recover, and defend, all at the same time from a stab in a most unorthodox of places?

The string was cut, his efforts were in the wrong area after all, and his hand did indeed fly back towards him. The bottom connection was severed, leaving the thing looking more like a fishing pole than a bow. Of course he was pulling back at the time, force exerted on both ends of the bow was equal, and now it was all on the top.

Ruuvan was pulling it from an awkward angle to begin with, normally drawing back level with his ear, but it was more chest-height. The top of the bow came back, his hand on the string slapping him rather sharply in the gut, the bottom of the bow, however, was sent towards Maximos' crotch. An unplanned move, one Ruuvan was not aware of as the top of his bow slapped his forehead causing him to reel backwards. Enemy's crotch and his own head would be his simultaneously before he took those stunned steps back.

Maximos was a talented fighter; every spar the two had the shadow would draw first blood, this was no exception.

The short blade stabbed through his right foot as he stumbled back, stopping him from taking a further step back and causing him to lose his footing. Elves were renowned for their agility and all that, but the crack to his forehead had seen to a miscalculation. Two swords would've helped a lot better than a bow-staff, but he was getting a feel for it already. Sometimes it took blood to drive the lessons home.

Ruuvan twisted his body as he fell, bringing the staff about and stabbing it into the ground, stopping him from falling any further. His right foot was pinned, but his left was free, and he swung it around to kick the hand holding the sword in an attempt to dislodge it. Yes, it would hurt once it tore out, but he would be able to move again.

And the pain came before his foot came close, tearing from his foot to his brain. Why was he not blocking it out as well as before? Maybe it was the whack to the head, which hurt like a b***h, making him lose control. Not enough to let Maximos slice him from stomach to chin though.

Ruuvan was holding the staff with both hands, his right reached across his body awkwardly to hold him up. Why stay so off-balanced and open for attack anyway? He let go with his right hand, twisting his arm to bring his protective bracer to meet Maximos' blade. His right leg bent slightly, his entire posture sliding down the bow ever so slightly. Pressing down on the blade slightly with his bracer, to stop it coming any further up to meet his skin, Ruu quickly pushed off, hopefully knocking the blade back down, and kicked off the ground with his right foot.

It only got him a couple of feet away from his opponent, but he had both feet free and quickly got his balance back. Pain was dissipating, his head returning to some normality. His eyes were locked on Max, waiting for a move, his left hand holding the bow in the centre as his right felt for the ends of the bow string that had been cut.

As Ruuvan opened up that little bit of distance between them, he brought his right arm back to his side, slightly raised, as he came to land on the ground a few feet behind him. Maximos, however, was once again intended to skewer the elf. Thrusting attacks were always so deadly and efficient.

Once again Ruu brought down his right bracer, swinging his arm down to knock the blade off to the side, away from his gut and into the air. As the bracer hit, and Ruu landed with his left foot, he thrust out his right leg powerfully towards the shadow's gut. The opposing forces, considering Maximos' forward momentum for the thrust meeting Ruuvan's kick, would be enough to separate the two again. Unless the shadow once again adapted, which Ruuvan had no doubt that he would.

Adapt he did.

His sword was knocked away, his hand opened letting it slide upwards, and then quickly closed. Effectively, Ruuvan had just flipped Maximos' sword for him, so that it was now held in reverse. Blade down.

There was a kick. And Maximos was kicked. Now Maximos was going rather fast, charging. So in order to stop him, and not just be bowled over Ruuvan was not only going to have to put serious oomph into that kick, he was going to have to hold it. A simple tap wouldnt do.

The kick would land. A foot smashing into Maximos' gut.

The Shadow immediately adapted, even as his body was recoiling around the leg, his hands swung downwards. The two blades aiming to converge on the assaulting elves leg. If Ruuvan pulled it back now, he was simply going to be bowled over by the force of Maximos' impact. But if he didnt, he'd find, two blades buried in his leg. One for the meat of the thigh, the shorter in the knee.

---

Wow...

Maximos said, clicking his pocket watch shut, and slipping it back into his pocket.

You are...

He just shook his head, at a loss for works.

...your a mess.

Maximos wore a gray pinstripe vest, with a black dress shirt beneath it, its sleeves rolled up, black dress slacks, socks, and shoes. And two gloves, a full glove on his right hand, and matching black leather yet fingerless glove on his left.

Sticking out behind him, was the sheath, and hilt of what seemed to be a shortblade, its actual blade about a foot long. He reached his right hand out, and there was an audible snap as a yet black long sword seemed to soar up from his shadow into his hand. It seemed to be formed of a single piece of obsidian. And as he spun it, its blade carved a swath of black in the air.

...I think its time for a clean up.