93 Duel II (2/2)
The fight was over. Azhar could not have taken a hit like that. This was not like the game where only a set value of damage occurred for every attack. Real world mechanics such as physics applied here, and Azhar had not only taken the damage from Launcelot's kick, but had essentially doubled the damage with his own reckless charge.
But when Li was about to raise his hand to call the match, he saw Azhar raising himself up. The hinterlander could not breathe and probably had felt a strong enough impact to rattle his brain, but he still stood.
Slowly, but surely Azhar pushed himself up with shaky arm and legs, and though his body might have been in shambles, his eyes were still defiant, narrowed on Launcelot in challenge.
Li did not call the match.
Launcelot almost mercilessly rushed forwards and tackled Azhar down to the ground. Azhar had no real strength to resist, and Launcelot wrapped his burly arms around Azhar's neck in a headlock.
”Halt the duel!” Jeanne tugged at Li's shirt, but he shook his head.
”He hasn't given up,” said Li. ”If I stop the match while he still hasn't given up, he won't listen to you. Call him hardheaded or stupid, but it is what it is.”
Even now, Azhar was struggling, using his shaky hand to claw at Launcelot's arms, trying to pry them from his neck.
Launcelot's hold was unreakable, restricting blood flow to Azhar's head, and within ten seconds, the hinterlander went limp, his head hanging over the nobleman's arms.
”Duel is over,” called Li out to Launcelot.
Launcelot nodded and slung an unconscious Azhar over his shoulder, bringing him out the ring and towards Li and the rest of the group.
”Good sir,” said Launcelot as he approached Li. ”Can you spare healing elixirs for the warrior?”
”Is this your way of feeling better about beating him down? You could have stopped after that kick, and yet you continued your relentless assault,” said Jeanne.
Launcelot shook his head. ”It would have been an insult to him to have ended the fight there. He wished to fight to the very limits of his ability, and I merely granted that wish.”
”You hurt him far more than you should have!” protested Jeanne.
”I am sorry. I did try my best.”
”Try your best for what? To show off your strength?”
Li stepped in between Jeanne and Launcelot. The wyrm did not follow him, afraid to get between so many powerful people. ”To stop from killing him. Launcelot had plenty of chances to flat out kill Azhar. Imagine if he had angled his kick towards the head. Towards the liver. Or let's not even think about that. What if he had angled it towards a leg or arm? Broken a bone or two? No, he precisely determined where to hit to disable, not to maim.”
Launcelot nodded and bowed his head to Jeanne. ”I understand it is painful to see one close to you fall in battle, but he would not have had it any other way. I will carry him to his room in the Golden Flagon and provide any measure of assistance for his comfort. In return, I swear that I will lead your party to success in the Chattering Forests and, if needs be, in Duvin.”
”In return?” Jeanne looked aghast. ”We have not even agreed to take your help. And now, why should we? Come, Sylv, let us take Azhar and see to his recovery. This whole idea was terrible in the first place. We should have given up on the Gigantopede hunt the moment Azhar injured his arm.”
”If that is your wish,” said Launcelot with a slight bow, taking care not to shake up Azhar on his back.
”No.” Sylvie spoke up. This whole night, her voice had wavered with guilt, but now, it was surprisingly resolute.
”We cannot abandon the hunt. All five gold and platinum parties in Duvin have moved to Trieste for the Kraken hunt. We are the only party capable of engaging the Gigantopede, and abandoning the hunt is abandoning the people of Duvin to fall further under its fangs.”
Jeanne bit her lip as she tried to protest against Sylvie.
”Az would not want us to stay here,” said Sylvie. ”In the first place, he went through all this trouble, took this beating, all to prove he could keep us going on our hunt. How will he feel to know that in the end, it was him that made us stop?”
”She's right,” said Li. ”He fought this hard because he didn't want to hold you back. I know you care about him. I know you can't stand to see people getting hurt, but if you're going to hold yourself back for him anyway, then he did all this for nothing.”
Jeanne looked at Sylvie, then at Li. She seemed conflicted, but then sighed, her shoulders slumping.
”You are both right. I wish I had tighter reigns over my emotions, but alas, it is who I am.”
”We appreciate who you are because it is you,” said Sylvie with a smile.
”If we're in agreement, then let's act quickly,” said Li. He waved Launcelot over. ”Jeanne, heal Azhar with your priest-class spells. I'll brew a few elixirs to help with his recovery, though I doubt he'll need it. Whatever he has to recover from, it'll be mental, not physical.”