Dragon Sacrifice (The First Realm Book 3) by Klay Testamark Page A

aside.
     
    Serrato grinned. “I see you’re using Drystonian footwork. You’ve trained with a royal marine.”
     
    “I thought it fitting, considering the rolling deck.”
     
    “Naturally. A wide, careful stance at sea is advisable for both parties. Unless, of course—”
     
    He ran up the rail and somersaulted over my head. He jabbed me in the kidneys and I parried wildly.
     
    “—they’re just that good!” he said.
     
    I roared. He gave ground in the face of my berserk charge.
     
    “Wonderful!” Serrato said. “You have a rare passion.”
     
    “Then why— huff —are you smiling?”
     
    “I know something you don’t.”
     
    I menaced his face with my sword. “And what is that?”
     
    Pushing my blade aside with a low parry, he completed the movement by switching the sabre to his other hand. His left hand, which the bell guard fit perfectly. It was a left-handed sabre.
     
    “I am not right-handed!” he said, and sprang at me. I couldn’t dodge this time, he sliced across a forearm and nicked a rib. Fighting left-handed, he was better than before and all his cuts came from strange angles. I parried low and gave ground. I was running out of deck but still he pushed me back.
     
    “Ha!” he said, and kicked my legs from under me. I fell to the deck and landed hard. Only a wild swipe kept him from pressing the advantage. I stumbled to my feet, grabbed his wrist, and threw him over my shoulder.
     
    “Whoops!” he said. I dashed forward and our swords crossed. I powered on and crushed him against the gunwale.
     
    “Looks like you made your first mistake,” I said.
     
    “Looks like. But you’ve forgotten something.” And he vanished.
     
    “D’oh!” I said. I slammed into the rail and nearly lost my sword. A wave broke and drenched me.
     
    “You forgot I was a teleporter,” he said from behind me. “There’s something else I should tell you.”
     
    “Tell me,” I said, turning around.
     
    “I’m not left-handed either.”
     
    He produced another sword out of the air, this one a right-handed sabre. I almost smacked myself for forgetting that Serrato Alva was a dual-wielder. Granted, the person who told me about
     
    Serrato turned out to be lying about some important things. Afterward I hadn’t trusted anything that he had said.
     
    Serrato sliced intricate patterns in the air. He spun his swords forward and back, each one moving independently, never getting in the other’s way. His bare feet were sure upon the deck.
     
    He danced and leaped, steel flashing. Elves were known for their dexterity but I had never seen one so agile.
     
    He grinned and stood on one leg. I took it as an opening and lunged. The raised foot kicked out and checked my momentum. Back and forth we went, my opponent fencing as skilfully as when he held a single sabre. It was like fighting three men. Serrato’s swords never went the same way, they wove in and out of each other’s arcs, supporting and reinforcing. For every one I would parry the other would strike from a different angle. I was cut many times, but never in a way that would disable me.
     
    “Don’t toy with me!”
     
    “Would you rather I just kill you?” he asked.
     
    He broke rhythm and lunged. I parried low but he hooked my sword and wrenched it from my grip. I tried to rush him but he put a blade between us. The gunwale was behind me. I had to get out! I turned to run and he pricked me in the buttock.
     
    “Aaah!”
     
    “A virgin, eh?”
     
    I hit the deck rolling and scrambled for my weapon. Got it! I came to my feet with murder on my mind. Serrato smirked and moved in for the kill.
     
    Again we clashed. Steel rang on steel. I attacked him from the left side, shuffled and attacked him from the right. It made no difference. His defence held. I hacked away at him but he ducked, parried, and leaped out of the way. He hit me in the leg and I retreated on my hands and knees.
     
    The half-deck ran out and I tumbled into