"Come, come! Four of you, two of us!" Kurtz laughed, the sound unnaturally loud and wild as Sybyll's potent blood surged through his veins like liquid fire. He could feel strength beyond anything he'd ever experienced, speed that made his arena victories seem sluggish by comparison. The watching soldiers felt like his audience again, and he was going to give them a show they'd never forget.
"Ten tails of gold if you can knock me down!" he taunted, spinning his short sword in a series of elaborate flourishes that would have brought cheers from the crowd in High Fen City. But as he showed off, Templar Ibar hurled the broken remains of his shield directly at Kurtz's face, following right behind the broken scraps of wood and steel with a perfect thrust backed by the full weight and power of his body.
