Sir Julius did get a better fight out of Chester Brumfield. Julius had always had a dislike for great-swords. While for him they were easy to dodge they always left his opponents out of reach of his sword. And so rather than skillful swordsmanship it was a seemingly endless cycle of waiting for Sir Chester to swing his sword, advance try to get it a hit and retreat before he could swing it again.
Usually, Sir Julius would be able to take them out after they did their first wild swing, but Chester was quicker and more precise than most other men. If Julius had to guess, Brumfield was much stronger than himself. And so he was able to recover faster and swing faster than most great sword wielders. But rather than give Julius an actual challenge, it only delayed the inevitable. Julius knew he was going to win but it was going to take several minutes to do so. It was like chasing a rabbit down a hole. You could spend hours trying to dig it out but would it be worth it for that little scrap of meat?
Julius always was proud that many people thought he was the best in Liticea. He personally thought that was bogus. There were at least ten other people who could beat him, and someday he would face them and he would beat them. But what then? What would he do after he had beaten the best opponents? Would he find more? they say that no matter how good you are there is always someone better than you. But that ladder has to end somewhere. Julius did not to see it as a ladder, but rather as a stack of blocks. Everyday a new one would be put at the bottom and one would fly off the top. Julius thought about his place in that stack, even just as he disarmed Sir Chester and secured his advancement into the third round. The nightmare of falling off the stack too early haunted him in many nightmares. He did not have anything else to contribute.
Lady Era returned to the Prince's side with her battered son. Bruons had no visible wounds, just wounded pride. He was met with encouragements that he put up a good fight.
"Feeling nervous, Lord Desmond?" Lord Davey jeered. Desmond Gaule pulled his long wet lips into a grin, showing his surprisingly white and well-placed teeth.
"He's nervous," Yorod Dayvey whispered to Prince Tauron. Sir Julius for the second time amazed the Prince. If Baldrick Gaule was half as good as his father says than it should be a fight to remember.
Sir Baldrick took care of his opponent almost as quickly as Sir Julius. Nakbar Nazeen also disposed of his opponent even faster than he took care of Brunos Heflite. And so the second round came and went.
Jon Maverick spent the match watching it with Jergan, Eliza and the others. He managed to not get himself spayed by Locke, but he still kept his distance from the brute of Horcaster.
Julius and Helg stuck together in that room through the rest of the match, Julius was not keeping his eyes on Sir Baldrick Gaule, but rather on the Userian sellsword. With that pronged spear, the Userian toppled his opponents off their feet and sent them to the ground. They would try to get up, but only find the tip of his spear sticking into their neck.
Nakbar's next opponent would be Sir Boldrik. The winner of that fight would be fighting Sir Julius in the final bout.
When the hour was four past midday, it was the end of the third round of the Tournament of Steel. The final four were Sir Julius Caniber, Sir Stanley Waliser, Sir Boldrik Gaule, and Nakbar Nazeen.
When it was four and a half past midday, the semi-final bout began with Sir Julius against Sir Stanley. Stanley was an able-bodied fighter and a friend of Sir Julius. Both knew who was going to win, but Stanley made sure Julius had to work for it, and work for it hard. They had sparred many times in their years growing up at Blackfield and in the School of Chivalry. Stanley was a formidable swordsman, but he was not near the level of Julius.
It was a good fight, and both Julius and the crowds got enjoyment out of it. In truth he wanted it t end quickly, for he wanted to know who his final opponent. If it were anyone else, he would have put his bet on Sir Baldrick, but the seemingly effortless way the Userian defeated his opponents made him unsure. He had never heard the name of Nakbar Nazeen before this day. Usually anyone with a special skill would be a well-known name. Perhaps fame and glory are less sought after by the Mercenaries of the south.
"We'll see how your son does here, Lord Desmond," Yorod said.
"So we shall, my Lord."
"We shall indeed," Arhan Saud spoke up, giving a grin as if his sellsword already won.
Sir Baldrick's armor might have been considered ridiculous to some, but it was worn by his ancestors for hundreds of years. The shoulder plates were covered with suds that were worked to look like the bumps on a frogs back. On his breast plate was the sigil of House Gaule, a Frog on a lily pad. Some thought it was a joke to have such a creature as a symbol for one's house, but that banner led armies into the fiercest battles in Liticea's history. The helmet was what most people laughed at. It was in the shape of a frog with big bulging iron eyes on top. When Nakbar stepped into the arena, he thought he was fighting the court jester.
Nakbar had the same clothes as when he first stepped into the arena against Brunos Heflite. He not only had his spear, but a sheath sword hung at his waist. He had heard the reputations of his two remaining challengers and put on an extra weapon in case they closed the distance of the spear. Contestants were allowed a maximum of two weapons.
The familiar sound of the trumpets sounded in the air, and the last of the semi-finals began. Boldrik quickly approached the center, looking to cancel out Nakbar's reach advantage. Nakbar kept his distance, and circled around Boldrik with the tip of his spear facing towards the knight.
Baldrick had the advantage of a shield, and with it he took the offensive. With it he forced Nazeen to step back as knight blocked and parried his thrusts. The Heir to Toad keep was confident that if he forced the Userian to draw his sword, he would dominate this fight. But despite the blocking Nakbar still kept his distance, far out of range of Baldrick's morningstar.
"With that weapon he'll send your sellsword's head flying back to Useria," Lord Desmond said to Arhan Saud.
"With his scarf on that knight won't touch him!" Arhan rebuked!
"You think a scrap of silk will protect your boy? HAH!" laughed Yorod, "He's not even wearing proper armor. Next time tell him to bring some cold hard steel instead of the skin from the backside of a cow!"
That skin the Userian used for armor had year to be hit or penetrated by Baldrick's weapon. Again and again he blocked the spear and flailed his weapon, but it never found its mark. Baldrick loved weapons that had a lot of weight and did a lot of damage, but he soon began to realise that would not bring down this Userian rabbit easily.
His fighting arm began to feel the weight of fatigue and he let it hang for a moment to rest. He still held his shield up against Nakbar's spear, and then Nakbar began his own offensive.
He shot his spear forward three time's to the left of Baldrick, forcing it away from his right. A fourth shot shot towards the now unguarded area, and the tip caught the tiny space between Baldrick's breastplate and the tasset guarding his waist.
From the helm came a cry of pain that made everyone in the stands go silent. The thin, wet smile that covered Lord Desmond's face vanished as he shot to his feet and shouted his son's name.
Baldrick was still for a moment as the tip entered his body. After a second his arm swung that morningstar again and this time it hit its target. Fortunately for Nakbar it caught it on the shoulder where he had a little bit of steel armor that probably saved his arm. The blow was glancing, but it did not stop the Userian from crying out in panic. Upon hearing that the smile returned to Lord Desmond's face.
The morning star did not destroy the armor, but it was now hooked on it and Nakbar struggled to get free. The Userian went flying when Baldrick took his shield and slammed the side of it into Nakbar's ribs. The impact sent the Userian to the ground clutching his ribs. He guessed that at least three were broken.
He did not have much time to think of it for Baldrick was now coming for his full force, his eyes red and filled with the intent to kill. With his spear still in hand Nakbar shifted it over his foot and kicked it up, and held it firm with both hands. It caught the knight just below the neck as he was about to deliver the killing blow. The force of the knight charged forced it in deeper than even Nakbar expected. All the stands erupted in gasps and screams as the heir of Toad Keep came to an abrupt stop.
Almost half of the ten-inch front prong was buried in Baldrick's body. He froze and stood there with the spear in him with both his weapon and shield raised, until Nakbar jerked his spear to the side. The knight went limp and fell to his side, blood was now dripping in between his armor.
"Baldrick!" Desmond Gaule was already on his way into the arena to get to his fallen son. Nakbar fearing the worst lowered his spear and crept towards the edge of the ring.
Both of the twins covered their eyes and Lady Era screamed louder than before. Even Brunos was awestruck at what just unfolded.
Desmond and his subordinates surrounded Baldrick's body. He quickly undid the straps on the helmet and found a face that was dripping blood from it's mouth but was still taking in breath.
"Father..." Baldrick said.
"GET THE HEALERS! NOW!" he shouted, they were already struggling to get through the masses.
"Father..."
"You're going to alright, Baldrick," Desmond hastily assured him, "You're a Gaule of Toad Keep. You will not die like this. You will not!" he said, looking into his son's fading eyes.
Prince Tauron was dumbstruck. He had seen people get hurt in tourneys, but never had he seen it to this degree. Half of the bystanders believed Sir Baldrick Gaule to be dead, the other half believed that he was dying.
The Prince glanced at Lord Dayvey. Yorod's chins were all bunched under his gaping mouth. He caught the Prince's gaze and turned to him. They both stared at each other, not speaking anything as Lord Desmond's howls of grief filled the air.
The healers arrived, and confirmed that Baldrick was still alive, but he had to be taken to the treating room immediately. They brought a big slab of wood and hoisted the lifeless knight on it and carried him off with Lord Desmond close behind.
"Lord Yorod," finally spoke Arhan Saud. His man had come out on top,but his face had no sign of joy, only frozen with stunned, wide eyes and a hanging jaw that stayed open even when he talked.
"Mr. Saud, I believe you should stay away from Lord Desmond," Yorod warned, "He becomes... irrational when he is grief-stricken."