Concerning Sword Lore....

[Kell Sangros]

Warvanus watched his Master move towards him, he could have gone on the aggressive but he had the high ground at least for the moment. He gathered the energy within himself letting it flow through him. He recognized the speed that he moved and to the untrained eye he would have been just a flash but Warvanus could see him moving as if he was walking. (Enhance Skills) He knew he would be coming at him and coming at him hard. Warvanus let the Force flow through him, open to its currents (Combat Sense)

His Master was now upon him now he stepped back as he turned to the side to completely dodge the first attack to the knee. In that attack all Jidai Maras would meet is air. In this failed attack Tormentous showed his Mastery, most others would have put all their strength and over extended themselves. That was a rookie mistake, but Tormentous did not do this. His strike was precise, which reflected his immense skill as a warrior, swordsman and as the Emperor.

As he followed through the swung In the upward arc which would have gotten his midsection had he not changed his orientation. Akaan Burkida met Jidai Maras the sound of the two blades clashing was as if thunder was rolling in. The recoil from the strike did make Warvanus back a step to avoid being knocked down in the clash that was pure brute strength. With natural speed Warvanus went on the offensive, bringing Akaan Burkida first at his head, swinging in a downward slash that would go from head to waist which would have surely cleaved him two. He knew he would either do what he just had done and change his orientation or would meet the strikes. Either way this was not the killing stroke. He suspected that it would boil down to one of them making a mistake or end in a draw.

In the eyes of Warvanus Tormentous was the single greatest warrior the galaxy had ever known, to fight along side him and to spar against him both were immensely great honors. Here in battle was where Warvanus felt the most at ease. Not cockiness, but it was almost spiritual, outside of the Force he felt connected to the warriors of the galaxy. It would be something he could never fully explain, at least not without meditation.

[Jacobi Wylcott]

Tormentous wasted no time in recovering from his attack and the clash of the blades reverberated down his arms. The two of them weren’t pulling their blows here - each and every one was a killing stroke. Between the two of them the trials of yesterday was over and Tormentous no longer gave forth tests. No. This was more. This was pure, simple, honest, flowing combat and it was the song of Wylcott’s longing heartache long before it was Tormentous’ and now that it was his the Dark One took it further than ever and employed the vast knowledge of a warrior race to his sword arm.

If one sentence could capture what was occurring here. ‘It was beautiful.’

Coming in next was to be a downward slash from head to waist. It was fast and brutal as per the War-Bringer’s signature. Tormentous though was no longer entertaining the defensive and he met offense with offense. But he saw the opening he’d been waiting for. The strike by Warvanus was brilliant in every regard though Tormentous had been in the midst of warfare for a very long time and the kiss of a hundred stars had graced his sword. He could anticipate and move and maneuver better than anyone during a fight to the extent of being borderline precognition. If he had bothered to carry Force abilities to enhance his skill then he would truly be an unstoppable force.

He saw it and as if fighting a real foe - he would not pass this opportunity by for to do so would have been a disservice to Warvanus for to fight him with any regards for restraint would have lain shame upon him. Tormentous - even the cold hearted bastard that he was - placed value on what honor was even if he wasn’t the most honorable warrior himself. Jacobi Wylcott was a man of great honor. Tormentous may have been as well though the methods of which the Dark Side demanded stole such notations of honor away as many a million and more civilian had fallen to his will. Never-the-less honor was something he understood and it was something he would deliver to Warvanus by reacting exactly as he would have done to a real foe.

Darth Tormentous delivered his response. Meeting the vertical strike with a horizontal sweep, the Dark One’s sword clashed with Warvanus’ in a shower of sparks. He rotated the angle of his sword to now sit atop of the mighty Akaan Burkida. In this position the Jidai Maras had a clear lane of attack to Warvanus’ upper body.

Pivoting right and into Warvanus’ sword he swept his own sword up and outwards aiming for Warvanus’ neck line. If this was the moment - Tormentous would sense victory and his strike would terminate before beheading his Hand. If Warvanus managed to withstand the attack then perhaps this fight’s conclusion was not yet decided.

Either way - Darth Warvanus had proven himself a worthy melee artist and opponent here today.

[Kell Sangros]

Warvanus was locked into the battle, he was beyond sense, the force all of it, all that mattered was him and his opponent, He had parried the first slash , he stepped back a step in this parry. Attack after attack was met with the song of the Sith swords. If they both had been augmenting the Force in this duel it would have been moving faster than the human or humanoid eye could keep track.

Tormentous and Jidai Maras were showered in experience of glorious past battles, duels, foes, Experience was knowledge, knowledge was not only power but skill. Tormentous was unrivaled in the Sith in this. It was why he ruled. No matter the outcome Warvanus had learned a great deal in this duel with his Master, the Lord Emperor. He was the ultimate warrior, It also showed Warvanus that he had much to learn still. He needed experience with his War-Incarnate, The Emperor had went for the neck in a upward and outward attack, Warvanus blocked it with Akaan Burkida but the block had put Warvanus off balance. He then thought that by deploying his lightsaber in addition to Akaan Burkida would give him the victory. No sooner had the thought entered his mind that Akaan Burkida reacted.

Suddenly the sword was heavy in his grip, to where he had to use two hands. On top of the fact he was off balance, it would make his next block very difficult to pull off. He could not gone on the offensive. In the mind of the War-Bringer he felt something odd tugging his mind if it could be described in one word it was

Indignation

Akaan Burkida was a jealous weapon and it would not tolerate being shared by anyone. The more he tried to wield it the more it resisted. He had to dominate the weapon and do it before Tormentous got a stroke in and ended his life.

“Damn You” He thought at his blade, as he poured his anger into the weapon, HE was the Master not the weapon, and now the weapon would cost him the duel.

[Jacobi Wylcott]

Warvanus once more proved the worthy adversary as he slashed up and hammered the attacking blow aside. Tormentous was undeterred and made to consign himself to a reattack though something suddenly had changed. He’d sensed something strange on the wind - he couldn’t place it but as he looked into the eyes of the Warrior before him he could see something was off put. Warvanus’ next movements were with two hands on his sword and they were not as refined as before if only slightly. Anyone else would have missed the alteration in his physique but Tormentous’ eye missed nothing and he could see a severe weight drop upon Warvanus’ forearms which lessened his shoulder square and stance of the feet were not quite back on the balls of them anymore. He was burdened.

Not one to be dismissed of an opportunity Tormentous launched his next salvo and this one he would deliver with a mighty reserve of strength and stamina. His sword attacks came in heavy and hard. From the high left to the high right to transition to a lunge and subsequent blows raining in with absolute needle point precision. The Dark One would not suffer anyone, not even his Right Hand.

It was not punishment - it was respect.

He came in so hard and fast his speed was near blinding at the apex of human capability without use of the Force to fuel him. Laden with the Akaan Burkida Warvanus would be hard pressed this time. Yet the War-Bringer failed - to disappoint. Even experiencing a vast amount of hardship due from his weapon he struggled and managed to fend this series of attacks off though with every blow he was slowing, less able to deliver spot on counters and the strain on his arms and body became apparent.

Tormentous would not allow the Bloody Right Hand to be shamed by getting bludgeoned down to utter exhaustion and pathetic submission. No - if Warvanus was to be defeated it would yet be when he still garnered strength. Darth Tormentous obliged and this time his next attack struck specifically at Akaan Burkida’s midsection of the blade. So hard and violent was this attack that it would surely strike it well out of position and in doing so Tormentous would set his sword tip to his opponent’s chest in finality.

The end was nigh - so strode forth from the fires of hell a titan and his name was Tormentous though he begat one more whose name would be emblazoned upon the stars and his name was Warvanus.

Behold.

Master and Apprentice.

[Kell Sangros]

Warvanus would not quit, to do so would be a disrespect to his position, and to his Emperor. He did his best to stave off the attack but the last strike to the midsection of Akaan Burkida sent the sword flying landing on the floor He was not on his back but he was defeated none the less he looked at Jidai Maras and then to the face of his Master.

He would not grovel, he did not make excuses all he could do is to learn from this battle which he most definitely would.

“You Honor me Master, you have taught me much in this duel, you are the superior warrior Master”

One thing he was sure of, was today in this chamber he had proved that he was worthy of serving the Emperor.

[Jacobi Wylcott]

Darth Tormentous lowered his sword, his opponent had been bested and there was no more reason to continue to duel. The tip set into the stone and he set his hand on the pommel, looking to his Apprentice with approval. “It is you that has proven yourself here today, Darth Warvanus. Your capability with your new weapon so early on is a testament to the talent you carry within you.” He turned and moved to the fallen Sith Sword and from the floor did he collect it. Once more he examined the sword and he appreciated that even though during the duel he’d been striking this steel as hard as he could - the blade carried no nicks nor gouges nor burs. Her blade surface remained solid and clean.

Resuming his place before Warvanus he reversed the sword to extend his hand whilst cradling the blade, offering the hilt to his Apprentice. “You have done well my Apprentice in both this weapon’s construction and its use. Today you have learned to carry it, tomorrow you will shed blood in the name of the Red Cauldron.”

There was always more training to be done. Once Tormentous delivered the sword back to Warvanus he hefted his own and settled back into a stance of battle - he eyed his Right Hand and smiled beneath his mask and gave one single command that he knew Warvanus would accept wholeheartedly.

“Again.”

OOC: That will do it Warv. Nicely done.