The fight

The clang of swords striking rang out like a shockwave through the air. The two fighters stood, holding one another's blades just back from the other's throat, locked in combat. They had been fighting for well over an hour, and they were both breathing hard, covered in sweat and blood. Their arms in particular were covered in cuts, both deep and shallow, and their clothes were in shambles, barely hanging off of their bodies.

Geriad shoved his elbow into his opponent's gut, making him step back, and giving himself the freedom to do the same. They both stumbled away from each other, their strength long since drained. The only thing that had kept them going was an unwillingness to lose. Geriad was determined to make it past this dark knight, and the dark knight was determined to keep him from advancing.

With a shout, they rushed toward each other once again. The swung hard and fast, vertically, horizontally, diagonally. The grunted in agony and rage with each blow, chipping away at what little strength they had left, when suddenly Geriad's blade snapped clean and two, and the end of his sword crashed and stuck into the ground. He looked up, drained, as the dark knight raised his own sword in victory, preparing for the kill.

However, as he swung, Geriad collapsed to the ground, causing the knight to just miss, and as the momentum of the strike carried the sword down and across where his body would have been, the sword crashed into the broken remains of Geriad's sword stuck in the ground, and it too broke. The broken metal clattered to the ground, and the two opponents stared at each other in silence. Slowly, Geriad got back up on to his knees, and the knight did not stop him. They maintained eye contact as Geriad got once more on to his feet, and the prepared to fight with their bare hands.

Blow after blow they traded, making no attempt to block the other's punches. This had long since stopped being a test of skill. The fight would be decided by whoever could stand the longest. Fists made contact with stomachs and faces, plowing away in vain attempts to end the fight. Both fighters could feel themselves going numb.

Finally, both of their punches landed on the other's face, and they fell, hitting the floor simultaneously. They breathed hard, wheezing as they tried to force the air through their crushed bodies. From beyond the door that the knight had been guarding came a tsk, and the door opened to reveal the princess whom Geriad had been coming to save.

"You two," she muttered. "I have been waiting for so long for you two to finish already." She stepped gingerly over their bodies, a knife in her hand. "All of those guards expecting you to com get me. Never expected me to come in from behind." She discarded the knife, letting it drop into the chest of the dark knight, who gasped only for a moment as the blade sunk. "Won't be needing that anymore. You beat the rest of them for me." She danced happily to the door. "Finally, freedom. Toodaloo."