Chapter 23
SER DUNCAN THE TALL
Duncan's chest felt heavy as he sat on his horse, while his armor glistened from the polish. His helmet weighed heavily in his hands as the Septon finished his prayer and they all took their places.
He was to face Aerion Brightflame, the son of Prince Maekar. The accuser himself. He would be facing a Prince of Royal Blood, one who had been trained by the finest Master of Arms in all the realm.
Him.
Dunk the Lunk. A man who was not even a true knight half a day ago. A man whose own master had not deemed him worthy of the title of Ser. Him. A beggar boy from the streets of Flea Bottom would be facing a prince of Royal Blood.
And the thought of it made his stomach twist as Duncan shifted his head to the side and emptied out his guts while the men around him began to laughed.
"HAAAHAAA!" Ser Beesbury laughed, as Ser Humfrey came and slapped his back jollily.
"Don't die on us yet, greenboy," he teased and Duncan nodded enthusiastically.
"Do not be nervous, Ser Duncan," the Prince's voice came from the front.
"The simple truth is that there is only one rule to fighting," and he nodded as he looked him in the eye.
"What?"
"Do not die," and everyone laughed at that.
"He is not wrong on that," Lyonel Baratheon added as he joined the Prince, as they all began to line up as the herald grabbed his horn.
"Let us win this," and Duncan nodded as he took his place besides Prince Matarys, and as he looked up he found himself facing the accuser himself. He was laughing and as their eyes met he could see him snicker as he shook his head in disappointment.
And the crowd went all silent as they put on their helms, and grabbed their lances. Duncan was still sweating heavily, as he grabbed onto the reins and the herald put his mouth to the horn and blew.
TUUUUUU!
And the crowd roared, and the horses jumped forward. But Duncan found himself rooted to the ground as his body refused to budge. He could see the Prince racing towards him, as his own breath filled his helm.
"RUN!" "RUN!" he heard screams, as a few of his companions turned towards him and prompted him forward, and then finally he moved as he pulled on the reins as his trusted war horse broke into a gallop.
This was a mistake. A grave mistake, for now Aerion had the advantage, and as their lances met for the first time the mistake cost him dearly.
THUNK!
"AGHHHH!" Duncan screamed as he was knocked out of his horse with a single tilt. His shield broke into splinters, as his back hit the ground while Aerion raced past him. The smoke from the fires obscured the arena as pain ripped through his entire being.
He could hear others fight and scream for him and so he pushed himself up to fight, and just as he was halfway through, he looked up and saw a morning star aimed at his face.
THUNK!
"AGHHHH!" Duncan screamed as he pushed up his arm just in time, and the spikes of the morning star pushed through the chain mail and tore through his skin.
"AGHHH!" and this was the disadvantage of losing your mount early, and Duncan screamed out in agony as he rolled on the ground as blood dripped out his arm.
But he had to push through the pain. He had to get up. He had to and so with a scream he pushed himself off the muddy ground and stood tall once more, and saw Aerion turn his horse as he came towards him once more.
He had no shield and so he grabbed his sword by two hands, and even without his horse he was tall, and he planned on making use of that height and Aerion span his morning star and just as he was about a few paces from him, a new rider came in from the side and struck Aerion's side.
"AGHHH!"
Aerion's horse slipped and hit the ground while the prick of a Prince was knocked to the ground.
"GO GET HIM!" and he recognised the banner easily, and it was Ser Humfrey who rode past him and as Duncan's gaze followed the man he saw a lance strike him down in the distance as the man's scream filled the air.
"NOO!" he screamed but he was too far to be of any help, and in that time Aerion was able to push himself up and walk towards him.
"Where do you think you are looking you bastard!" and the Prince swung his morning star at his face but Duncan was able to step back in time, as the ball whipped through the air.
"AGHHH!" and he stepped forward and brought down his blade, and the slipper ground made it hard to strike hard but unlike him, the Prince still had his shield and blocked his attack easily.
"AGHHH!" and Duncan gritted in pain as he swung low, and hit him in the side.
"GUGH!" thankfully the armor protected him from much, but the pain still lingered as he chose to kick his leg.
"AGHH!" Aerion grunted as he was pushed back and he pushed in his sword, but it slipped past his armor, as he swung at his helm with his shield.
THUNK!.
And Dunk stumbled back and the Prince stepped forward.
"You are done!" he roared but before he could swung the mace at ball towards him, two riders rode at them from opposite side.
Duncan saw the blade coming for him.
"JUMP!" and it was Lyonel's voice, and he followed the word and jumped as his face hit the mud, but the blade missed him.
"AGHHH!" yet Aerion's scream filled his ear, as he saw Lyonel's lance strike true.
Still, he had to push himself up again as Aerion did the same, as they both ran towards one another.
"My cousin was a fool to put his life on the line for the likes of you and that whore!" and he swung his morning star at his face and he was too late to jump back, as the ball struck his helm.
"AGHH!" and his head began to spun as he wildly swung his blade.
THUNK!
His blade hit the shield, but he could not stop as he continued to swing blindly.
THUNK! THUNK!
THUNK!
And suddenly the Prince was on the backfoot, as his shield arm was pulled down, Duncan tried to push in, but the prince pushed up his shield angrily.
"GET BACK!" and the shield hit him in the face but not before his blade cut through his shoulder.
"AGHHH!"
Duncan flew back, as his helm rolled of his face as he lay there on the ground while the world above all blurried up. His head was spinning now, and all he could hear now were screams.
"MANFRED! MANFRED!" but he did not know what was happening now, nor did he have the spare energy to look around.
"UGHH!" still he tried reaching for his sword to push himself up, but just as his fingers had brushed the hilt, a shadow came over him.
"NOT SO FAST!" and the Prince came down on him with his dagger which cut straight through his upper arm.
"HAAAAA!" Ducan screamed out in agony, as the blade pushed through his arm, but he rolled himself forward and struck the Prince hard in the face even as his entire body seared with pain.
And just as he pulled up the shield on instinct Duncan grabbed it by the edge and pushed it down.
"AGHG!" and the edge hit him in the face.
THUNK! THUNK! THUNK! THUNK!
He continued to push it down as he overpowered Aerion with his one arm, and as Aerion tried to swing back he caught the shield loose and threw it away, just as Aerion managed to push him off of his head.
"I am going to turn this into your graveyard," and Duncan managed to stand up, but his blade was behind Aerion who spat blood as he grabbed his morning star from his belt.
Duncan had no weapon now, until he gazed a this arm and closed his eyes as he grabbed its hilt and pulled it out.
"HAAAA!" he screamed in pain, as blood dripped down his left arm, but he held the dagger in his arm, and the Prince stumbled forward as he swung the morning star towards him and it was as if the Gods took mercy on him, as his feet slipped on the ground and he fell face down.
The morning star brushed past his head and he used his injured arm to cushion the fall, and it was painful as anything he ever felt, but his dagger struck true as he plunged it into Aerion's thigh while he was falling down.
"AGHHHHHH!" Aerion screamed as the blade cut through his skin.
"NOOO! NOOOOO!' he screamed hard, but he was resilient, and refused to fall down, as the morning star hit the back of his head.
"DIE! DIE!" and just as the metal ball hit hard, Duncan's face hit the ground as his world began to darken. He could feel the blood sipping out of his head, as he rolled on the ground and saw the Prince swing down once more.
This was it.
His body refused to budge even as he screamed at it to move.
"You are done!" Aerion screamed and he was right, for if the morning star struck he would be dead, if he was not already.
But just as it was about to him, a figure appeared before him and blocked the strike with their leg.
"AGHHHH!" and he recognised that scream, and that golden armor.
"Not so quickly young Prince," and it was Lyonel, and he struck hard and fast even as the morning star broke his leg.
"GAHHHH!" and Aerion was sent tumbling back, as Lyonel swung his shield at him.
The Laughing Storm then looked back at him, and his helmet was broken, and his leg was broken now.
"Do not die on my yet, you tall bastard!" he said, and Duncan gave him as well a nod as he could, but his word had begun to darken now.
"I will deal with this bastard!" and then Lyonel waddled forward, as Aerion took out the dagger from his thigh, and threw it to the ground.
"Come on little prince," Lyonel laughed.
"Let's dance!"
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