“Very well,” Ezio kept trying to get closer to him but Altair wasn’t about to let that happen and kept moving back, further into the courtyard. “You say you want to fight. Then stop running,” Ezio growled.
Altair just grinned, “I am not running, simply—” and he sprang forward, finally, his short sword sweeping out in front of him. Ezio managed to side step but they both heard the sound of cloth tearing. “Planning my attack,” Altair said as he turned on the spot and faced Ezio again.
“That was rude,” Ezio said holding out the end of his cape to inspect. There was a six inch long cut in it.
“I am known to be such,” Altair said and made Ezio jump away again as he pressed his advantage of a distracted Ezio. Ezio threw up his sword and caught Altair’s blade just in time. Altair then put him on the defensive. “You’d think you’d know to keep your eyes on an opponent by now Ezio. Did your uncle nor your years teach you nothing?” he asked and when Ezio tried to make an attack Altair just batted it away as if it was nothing more than an annoyance.
“I know well how to fight,” Ezio growled back.
“Oh you do? Perhaps you should show me then?” Altair openly teased him. He knew unlike himself Ezio was easy to tease and set off. “Instead of just waving that sword around. You’ll hurt yourself,” and as it to prove his point he slipped into Ezio’s defenses and grabbed Ezio by the wrist. “Or everyone around you,” he added softly, leaning close and tapped his short sword to Ezio’s chest.
The younger man swung to land a punch on Altair’s face but he saw the flicker of yellow from the side of his eye and in a move of acrobatics simply flipped out of the way. Ezio stared after him. “How did you do that?” he demanded trying not to sound impressed. Altair just put a finger to his lips, now with both feet back on the stone. “What?”
“A good Assassin knows how to get out of any situation. He can move like water and leave his opponent spinning in circles. I learned from one of our eastern brothers. He taught me many things,” Altair said slowly circling Ezio. “Can you leave me in circles Ezio?” he asked cocking his head.
Ezio just growled, taking the bait and now Altair let himself take the defensive. Altair’s blade moved through motions that no one this side of the world had seen. He imagined he held one of the oriental blades he’d once trained with, with it’s graceful curve and dark steel that flashed like rippling water at the end of his wrist almost bending under the force of his motions. This short sword did not react like those blades but it was still familiar and responded to the graceful motions of Altair’s arm and wrist.
Ezio didn’t land one hit, or even get close.
“You are better than I expected,” Ezio ground out from between his teeth.
“You should always expect your opponent to be better than you Ezio.”
“Do you?” he snarled and pressed down on Altair, using his superior height and bulk to gain a slight advantage.
“Always,” Altair said softly, leaning forward so their faces almost touched. “Even if they never are,” and in one fluid motion Altair unbalanced Ezio but suddenly dropping to the ground and rolling to the side. Ezio fell forward but tucked himself into a roll as well, popping up a moment later in time to leap away from Altair’s sword aimed right at his throat.
“You’re very cocky Aalam,” Ezio said voice wary now.
“Confidence. Do not confuse the two,” Altair said moving forward again and making Ezio have to defend himself. “An Assassin always acts in confidence, even if deep inside he is at a loss and doesn’t know what to do,” he said. “For to panic is to be vulnerable and to be vulnerable is to allow the Brotherhood to be compromised; the third tenet of the Brotherhood,” his words were punctuated by the sound of ringing steel as Altair slapped his sword against Ezio’s brutally twisting it into holes Ezio didn’t even know he had until Altair’s blade almost met his body.
“The third tenet,” Ezio repeated and to most ears it was a statement, to Altair’s it was a question. A subtle one, as though Ezio had never before heard of such things, the tenets. “You will find I have confidence in spades Aalam. I would never allow harm to come to my Brotherhood,” and he tried to get on the offensive.
Re: Two Eagles (127/?)
Altair just grinned, “I am not running, simply—” and he sprang forward, finally, his short sword sweeping out in front of him. Ezio managed to side step but they both heard the sound of cloth tearing. “Planning my attack,” Altair said as he turned on the spot and faced Ezio again.
“That was rude,” Ezio said holding out the end of his cape to inspect. There was a six inch long cut in it.
“I am known to be such,” Altair said and made Ezio jump away again as he pressed his advantage of a distracted Ezio. Ezio threw up his sword and caught Altair’s blade just in time. Altair then put him on the defensive. “You’d think you’d know to keep your eyes on an opponent by now Ezio. Did your uncle nor your years teach you nothing?” he asked and when Ezio tried to make an attack Altair just batted it away as if it was nothing more than an annoyance.
“I know well how to fight,” Ezio growled back.
“Oh you do? Perhaps you should show me then?” Altair openly teased him. He knew unlike himself Ezio was easy to tease and set off. “Instead of just waving that sword around. You’ll hurt yourself,” and as it to prove his point he slipped into Ezio’s defenses and grabbed Ezio by the wrist. “Or everyone around you,” he added softly, leaning close and tapped his short sword to Ezio’s chest.
The younger man swung to land a punch on Altair’s face but he saw the flicker of yellow from the side of his eye and in a move of acrobatics simply flipped out of the way. Ezio stared after him. “How did you do that?” he demanded trying not to sound impressed. Altair just put a finger to his lips, now with both feet back on the stone. “What?”
“A good Assassin knows how to get out of any situation. He can move like water and leave his opponent spinning in circles. I learned from one of our eastern brothers. He taught me many things,” Altair said slowly circling Ezio. “Can you leave me in circles Ezio?” he asked cocking his head.
Ezio just growled, taking the bait and now Altair let himself take the defensive. Altair’s blade moved through motions that no one this side of the world had seen. He imagined he held one of the oriental blades he’d once trained with, with it’s graceful curve and dark steel that flashed like rippling water at the end of his wrist almost bending under the force of his motions. This short sword did not react like those blades but it was still familiar and responded to the graceful motions of Altair’s arm and wrist.
Ezio didn’t land one hit, or even get close.
“You are better than I expected,” Ezio ground out from between his teeth.
“You should always expect your opponent to be better than you Ezio.”
“Do you?” he snarled and pressed down on Altair, using his superior height and bulk to gain a slight advantage.
“Always,” Altair said softly, leaning forward so their faces almost touched. “Even if they never are,” and in one fluid motion Altair unbalanced Ezio but suddenly dropping to the ground and rolling to the side. Ezio fell forward but tucked himself into a roll as well, popping up a moment later in time to leap away from Altair’s sword aimed right at his throat.
“You’re very cocky Aalam,” Ezio said voice wary now.
“Confidence. Do not confuse the two,” Altair said moving forward again and making Ezio have to defend himself. “An Assassin always acts in confidence, even if deep inside he is at a loss and doesn’t know what to do,” he said. “For to panic is to be vulnerable and to be vulnerable is to allow the Brotherhood to be compromised; the third tenet of the Brotherhood,” his words were punctuated by the sound of ringing steel as Altair slapped his sword against Ezio’s brutally twisting it into holes Ezio didn’t even know he had until Altair’s blade almost met his body.
“The third tenet,” Ezio repeated and to most ears it was a statement, to Altair’s it was a question. A subtle one, as though Ezio had never before heard of such things, the tenets. “You will find I have confidence in spades Aalam. I would never allow harm to come to my Brotherhood,” and he tried to get on the offensive.