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Kharn Wolfson Vice Captain
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 Posted: Fri Jun 01, 2012 9:43 pm
Ten years ago: Varhn's story
There were cheers of congratulations from the on lookers. ‘Naturally they cheer for me. I am the best after all,” Varhn thought to himself. He turned slightly and waved to those watching.
He loomed over Kharn and watched him wipe the sweat from his brow. Varhn smiled remembering when a much smaller Kharn had wiped tears away instead. ‘I bet he still cries inside,’ He thought chuckling.
Varhn swung his sword in a few easy swings and then made a few tight figure eight patterns with just the tip. He grinned and told his half-brother, “Stand up. Let’s go again.”
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Posted: Sat Jun 02, 2012 4:18 pm
Ten years ago: Kharn's story
Kharn didn’t like the look his brother gave him. He was about to give up when he happened to look up and see his father had joined the spectators. Their father hadn’t come to watch them in a long while.
Earlier that year his father had sent away the master smith and his family. They had people that Kharn had enjoyed the company of. Arrik, the master smith, had always had time for Kharn and had even taught him some of his craft. Kharn had assisted him when he made the sword that Kharn used now. His wife, Anya, was a maid in the castle and had always been kind to him like a second mother and the daughter, Aryla, had been ben his confidant and friend as he grew up.
A while ago they had been accused. Their quarters were searched and they found some missing items of value. Anya was accused of being a thief. Father had sat in judgment and he had sent them into exile. Kharn had never believed that she had been capable of the theft.
Kharn had been sad lately. News had come of a raid on the border and that the village where they had moved to had been attacked. The raiders had burned it to the ground and the reports said there were no survivors.
Kharn knew it was pointless to blame his father but he had to admit it hurt him inside. Kharn gripped his sword tightly and stood up.
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Kharn Wolfson Vice Captain
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Kharn Wolfson Vice Captain
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Posted: Sat Jun 02, 2012 4:18 pm
Ten years ago: Varhn's story
Varhn saw there was something different about his brother. Perhaps it was the way he held his sword or the stance he used? He looked around and saw his father watching them. Varhn understood and smiled.
Father hadn’t come to watch them spar in a while. Soon Varhn would be leaving to join the border patrols in catching bandits and hunting raiders. The time would come soon when father would have to choose his successor. ‘It is time to show him who is more worthy,’ thought Varhn as he turned to face his half-brother.
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Posted: Sat Jun 02, 2012 5:15 pm
Ten years ago, continued
Like a crash of thunder the two combatants met and crossed blades. Varhn sought to over whelm his half-brother right from the start but this time he found that Kharn wouldn’t move. The two strained and pushed against each other with their crossed blades.
Then something happened that surprised Kharn even more than it did Varhn. Kharn could see it and feel it. Varhn’s knee was trembling and his right foot was sliding back. Kharn was elated! ‘I’ve never managed to gain ground on brother before!’ he thought. He started to grin and that was when Varhn struck.
Varhn was baffled. ‘Where did that whelp find the guts to push back like this?’ he wondered. He saw Kharn grin and it enraged him.
Varhn suddenly lifted his right foot and lashing forward stomped on Kharns foot while shifting his weight to his left foot and turning at the waist. Kharn felt the pain in his foot and was suddenly caught off balance as his brother turned using Kharns momentum against him. Kharn stumbled forward to the side past his brother and was overextended. As Kharn went past he saw his brother completely pivot around and bring his blade ready to strike.
“This is for that stupid grin of yours!” snarled Varhn as he struck. Kharn's eyes grew wide as he realized that this was no more a simple competition. Varhn’s attack was serious and had the potential to be a fatal thrust from behind. Kharn let his left knee drop to try to dodge the blow as he desperately tried to bring his own sword up to deflect, knowing that it would be too late.
Varhn sneered and Kharn felt a searing pain across his cheek. There was a shout from the attendants signaling that Varhn had won the match and they rushed forward to see to Kharn's wound. Kharn raised his hand to his face and the agony doubled and made him bite his lip to keep from crying out. When he moved his hand away it was wet with blood. He looked up at Varhn stunned and said, “Brother… why?”
Varhn spit and simply said, “I suggest you stay down, my dear brother,” his words dripping sarcasm like venom.
Kharn wiped the blood off his face and waved the attendants away. He shouted, “I am alright and would like to fight on.”
“What is the point? I’ve beaten you yet again,” said Varhn.
Everyone there was surprised. The eyes of all those in attendance there turned to their father, the king.
“Father, this is pointless,” Varhn stated. Their father turned his gaze towards Kharn.
“Please, Father,” Kharn said simply.
King Marn rubbed at his chin and thought before finally nodding his head and raising his hand. “I say two more matches and we shall decide the winner. Second match! Contestants ready? Begin!” The king brought his hand down as the signal to begin.
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Kharn Wolfson Vice Captain
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Kharn Wolfson Vice Captain
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Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2012 2:31 pm
Ten years ago, continued
This time the two of them watched each other carefully, trying to predict what the others first move would be. Varhn studied the change in his half-brother as he did. ‘Where has this warrior spirit come from?’ he wondered.
Varhn was not the only one to be asking that question. Many of those watching asked themselves the same thing. The king looked at his son and said softly to himself, “I knew that you had the will and now the desire, that reason to fight, is awakening within you, my son.” King Marn smiled just a little. “So you will fight to protect and you will fight against those who are stronger and use that strength to hurt others. What else will you fight for? What are your other reasons to fight, my son. Show me. Show them to all those here now.”
Varhn made a few tentative swings, followed by a strong overhand strike. Kharn dodged the former but stepped in to block the later high into the swing which brought the two of them close together. Varhn went to stomp on Kharn’s injured foot again, thinking he was a fool who would fall for the same trick. He wasn’t. Kharn had been waiting for that ‘trick’ and had hoped his brother would try it again. When Varhn lifted his foot to try it, Kharn had already turned to the side, ducked down and drove his shoulder forward into his brother’s middle.
Varhn was very surprised and his feet weren’t in proper placement due to the failed trick so he got knocked over and away from Kharn. Varhn rolled away and tried to regain his feet but his Kharn was giving chase close behind him. Varhn got one knee up and turned and thrust the length of his long blade towards his on rushing half-brother.
Kharn had to throw himself to the side to avoid being impaled on the length of his brother’s sword and he hit the dirt hard. Meanwhile Varhn had regained his feet. They’re positions had now reversed and to make matters worse Kharn had lost hold of his weapon in the frantic dive to the side!
Varhn seized his chance and began to hack at Kharn like a man trying to cut down a tree. Kharn ducked and rolled trying desperately to avoid the blade as he scrambled belly up to get away. Finally Varhn grew impatient. He turned the sword upside down in his hands and stepping over his half-brother he prepared to finish this fight with a double handed downward thrust.
Kharn knew he would only have one chance. As his brother drove his blade downwards, Kharn planted his hands on the ground and pushed forward as hard as he could. His muscles strained against his weight and that of the armor as he lifted forward of the ground. He had just managed to roll forward and get his feet under him in time. The blade had passed downward through his hair as it flowed behind him, just missing his back. He rolled forward between his brothers legs and then kicked backward hitting Varhn in the posterior while he was off balance. Varhn fell to the ground while Kharn retrieved his sword and turned to face his brother. Despite his panting and fatigue Kharn seized the moment and charged.
Varhn shook his head and grabbed hold of the hilt of his own sword which was plunged halfway into the ground before him, using it to pull himself up. He was also breathing heavily but he forgot his tiredness upon seeing his half-brother charging at him. He parried the blow and their bodies crashed together as they locked blades once more.
Varhn looked into Kharns fierce eyes and he felt his own limbs start to slowly tremble under the relentless attack of his brother. ‘Where did he summon this strength from?’ Varhn wondered as he began to realize that as things were now he was going to lose! Infuriated by the idea, Varhn’s mind sought desperately for a way to gain the advantage. He thought back to earlier and smiled as he looked his brother in the eye and said, “I am the one who accused and framed the smith and his family of stealing! It is your fault. He was too busy wasting his time on making arms and armor for you!”
The shock of those words struck Kharn like a blow. Varhn felt Kharn slacken on the pressure and he shoved back with all his might. The force of it forced the edge of Kharns own sword back and against his face as he was knocked off of his feet.
Seeing more blood the order was given to hold their positions and that Varhn had won the match. Varhn breathed heavily but he was smiling in satisfaction. He had won two of the three matches. There was no need to fight a third. He knew that he was the victor. “But the best part is the look on that idiots face as it’s covered in blood!” He said to himself as he looked at his half-brother and then he began to laugh at Kharn’s pain.
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Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2012 7:22 pm
10 years ago, Kharn's story
Kharn was in pain but he felt nothing at all of either the second or the first wound. Something inside of him hurt terribly and cried out like a wounded beast. His own brother had taken the people he had loved like family and framed them for a crime that sent them into an exile and cost them their lives. Kharn had never been close to his brother but he loved and even respected him. The anger he felt at the unjust and ultimately lethal conspiring of his brother, mixed with the pain of their loss and the ‘death’ of the love he bore his brother.
Kharn stood and again waved away the attendants. He fixed his eyes upon his brother. Kharn could not let him get away with this. He turned to his father and said in a steady and clear voice, “Third match?”
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Kharn Wolfson Vice Captain
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Kharn Wolfson Vice Captain
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Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2012 7:23 pm
Ten years ago, Varhn's story
Varhn turned to stare at Kharn. What he saw there was such a cold look of resolve that it made him shiver. Varhn turned to his father shouting, “I have already bested him twice now. What would be the point of another match? I have won two matches already so declare me the winner and stop this foolishness now, Father!”
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Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2012 7:25 pm
Ten years ago, continued
The king listened to Kharns request and saw the same resolve that the others had and now whispered about. He hadn’t been able to hear what Varhn had told Kharn that had shocked him so but the king could guess. He also hadn’t believed the Smith’s family had committed the crime but there had been no evidence to the contrary. That is why he had banished them rather than cut off hands for theft. King Marn had thought it a kindness at the time to spare them their livelihoods. He had felt guilty when the news of their deaths had reached him. He bristled at Varhns tone and said, “Foolishness? Does my own son show neither his father nor his king any respect?! Very well! I said three matches and three matches it shall be!”
He ignored Varhns sputtering and turned his gaze to Kharn. ‘I see. The other reason you will fight is for ‘justice’, my son,’ he thought. He nodded and looked at both of his sons and said, “I will remind you two that this is not to be fought ‘to the death’ no matter how passionately both of my sons seem to fight today. Vharn nodded and stalked to grab some water being offered by an attendant.
The king turned his gaze to Kharn. He had always wondered about when his son would show him the measure of who he was. It seemed that today was that day. So far he had to admit that he was much more proud of the spirit that Kharn had shown then he was Varhns wins. He held his sons gaze a moment and nodded to him and mouthed the word, ‘justice’, before he raised his hand to signal that the fight was about to begin.
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Kharn Wolfson Vice Captain
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Kharn Wolfson Vice Captain
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Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2012 7:27 pm
Ten years ago, Varhn's story
Varhn missed the exchange between his father and half-brother as he sputtered with anger. In most fights consisting of three rounds the one to win the first two was declared the victor. ‘What is father thinking?!’ Varhn thought furiously. He turned and stared venomously at Kharn. ‘What makes that weakling so special?!’
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Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2012 7:28 pm
Ten years ago, Kharns story
Kharn barely saw his father as he mouthed the word ‘justice’ to him. He understood. ‘Father is giving me one chance to fight Varhn in the name of ‘justice’. One chance to prove myself. Just one chance,’ he thought as he walked to his starting position. Kharn took his place and gripping his sword tightly he turned and saluted his father who nodded back at him. Kharn turned to face his opponent. ‘I only have one chance to defeat bro-‘ Kharn stopped that though and felt the heartache inside of him. ‘No, not ‘brother’. I have only one chance to defeat Varhn! If I told father what Varhn told me it would just be my word against his. Father must suspect what kind of person Varhn is. And he couldn’t put Varhn on trial. It is up to me. I have to beat him. For justice!’
Kharns mind raced with these thoughts and as his fathers hand dropped he realized that he understood several other things now as well. First was that his brother, Varhn, had never loved nor cared for him. Second was that his father knew it. Third that Varhn was a creature of cruelty and viciously delighted in suffering. And finally fourth was the realization that Kharn had never fought so well ever before. He could beat Varhn! If he put everything he had into this fight it was possible he could beat him. Kharn clenched the hilt of his sword, now sticky with his half dried blood from where it had run down his face and arm.
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Kharn Wolfson Vice Captain
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