The Games of Saberhaven
Koobon vs. King Nighthawk
The arena doors open, and Koobon trots out with his bow in hand. At the other end of the stadium, Nighthawk launches into the air, wings beating powerfully as he gains altitude. The crowd cheers for both competitors, as they are both well liked by tournament-goers. After a brief acknowledgment to their fans as the introductions are made, the warriors turn to one another. With a shrieking battle cry, King Nighthawk draws his longsword and dagger and begins a plummeting dive directly at the centaur. Meanwhile, Koobon hold his ground, and with a steady hand draws and looses two arrows, one after the other. Though both find their mark, the arrowheads bound harmlessly off Nighthawk's skin, showing that he has taken sorcerous precautions. Koobon's eyes widen as the king of the Winged Folk drives sword-first into him. The centaur raises his left arm to shield him from the blow, and is rewarded with horrible gashes through his shoulder and wrist.
Koobon drops his bow in the dust and unhooks his twin morning stars from his belt as Nighthawk swoops past him and lands on the earth. Koobon pivots to face his foe, adding the momentum to his swing. Both weapons clobber his winged combatant, but they cause nothing but a scraping sound as they rebound off Nighthawk's bare chest and shoulder. Nighthawk opens his mouth for a witty retort, but before he can say anything, Koobon attempts to silence him with a hoof in the face and ends up kicking his own hand. The morning star flies from his grip, Koobon howls in pain, and King Nighthawk lets loose with a belly laugh, faltering slightly and forgetting to attack in his mirth.
Koobon roars in outrage and furiously brings his other morning star down on Nighthawk's royal head. Were he not magically protected, the blow might have been fatal; as it is, it merely sobers Nighthawk, and with a grim look, the Winged Folk slashes out with his sword and opens another wound in the centaur's foreleg. This causes Koobon's hoof-strike to go afoul and connect with Nighthawk's dagger. An apparently painful chunk is taken out of Koobon's hoof, and Nighthawk's knife goes flying as his wrist twists in an unnatural angle. Despite the injury, Nighthawk follows up with a forehand-backhand combination with his longsword, slashing the centaur twice across the belly.
Nighthawk holds his left arm tightly to his body now, apparently unable to use it. The pain seems to affect his balance momentarily, and as he spins to strike again with his longsword, he trips over his own feet. The centaur takes advantage of this to strike twice with his morning star, and attempts one kick, but the pain in his other hoof throws him off and that blow misses. He noticeably does not even attempt to attack with his injured hoof.
Regaining his balance, King Nighthawk lashes out with his longsword, hitting Koobon again on the left foreleg. The gladiator responds with a powerful blow across Nighthawk's face that should have sent the king spinning, but instead again bounces harmlessly off. Frustrated, Koobon kicks at Nighthawk's groin, and though he hits the Winged Folk's thigh, this blow also does no damage. Nighthawk, grinning fiercely now, slashes at the centaur's flank, but is blocked by Koobon's foreleg. Blood is flowing all down the centaur gladiator's front now, especially from his left leg, and yet King Nighthawk stands without a scratch, testimony to the power of enchantment. Koobon swings weakly at Nighthawk, managing to connect with the king's leg, and the weapon bounces off harmlessly.
The centaur, obviously fatigued from fruitless battle and loss of blood, tries to summon his strength with a roar and a mighty swing from his spiked mace. The blow connects with Nighthawk's ribs and this time, the king shouts in pained surprise, as the spell gives way. Nighthawk has surely suffered at least one broken rib and has a messy wound from the sharpened spikes. Koobon follows up with a kick, but in his dizzy state, manages to kick his already injured arm. He lets loose a cry of agony, then another as Nighthawk bring his sword down once more on the centaur's left leg. Koobon's leg gives way and he stumbles to his front knees, but through strength of will he swings across at Nighthawk's legs, again delivering a bloody blow. Nighthawk grunts with the strike, then responds with the coup de grace, thrusting into the spot where he estimates the centaur's equine heart to be. Koobon slumps to the ground as the crowd cheers.
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