Dunder Blust vs. Sky Crack| Round 2

[Dunder]

The cold was why Dunder hated the land of the caribou. Now it had consumed him, chilled him all the way to the bone. The necromancy performed on him after his defeat tainted his soul and body. All he felt was cold. Cold room, cold stone bed, cold heart right where the spear had pierced him.

The easy thing to do would have just to stay there, never move again and wait for his body to get thrown out and buried. He refused, flicking one eye open. He saw the drab dirt walls and matching dull wooden struts. Now he could feel himself breathe, as if he were learning it for the first time. It felt good for his lungs to fill. He could feel his body working, blood pumping, nothing leaking out.

Dunder moved his foreleg to feel the dry, cracked blood crumble off his coat in a red powder. Just the sight made his stomach churn. How much blood of his has been spilled?

'Too much' was the answer, or so he thought. The stallion pressed his hoof against the stone bed he was on, pushed himself up by the leg, groaned in agony and fell back on the bed. It seemed that the pain was still there as if he had a spear jutting out of him, and just trying to get up drained all his energy.

"Please... this forsaken place is void of your grace, but please grant me strength...." Dunder murmured, inaudible over his own breathing and the crackling flame of the solitary torch of the room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The wooden door creaked as the metal contraptions hidden by them clanked to life to pull the doors up. Sunlight filled the room, but it was hardly soothing. The wooden door clinked locked in place, queuing the stallion. One hoof after the other, each one digging into the loose dirt as he kept his eyes locked on the bleak sky. Clouds wiped across the sky, falling apart with no pegasi to keep them tidy and strong wind to pull them apart.

He trotted over the ridge that led from the entrance of his side to the open arena. Flat and stained with blood. Nothing had changed.

His wings were involuntarily flared out in the instinctual menacing appearance. If his wings weren't menacing enough, his armor mask was. A metal mask, etched with the same patterns used on calaca depictions. On top of his head was his black, wide brimmed hat with a red feather, leaning back. On his chest he wore a steel chestplate that covered his front, back, and sides with plates of metal skirting off the bottom to protect his upper hind legs and flank. Under the chestplate he wore a pink shirt with loose fitting arms to allow for better mobility.

On his legs he wore the same blue breeches with red panels, and on his hind legs were black leather boots. In the back of his sword belt hung his parrying dagger that matched the rapier.

Upright he stood on his hindlegs and drew his rapier in his right hoof, buckler in the other. The rapier had a cup hilt, and a golden depiction of the sun centered on the blade. His shield was matching , the golden depiction of the sun on the elevated dome of the buckler, the sun rays spreading out to the rest of the shield.

Dunder stared across the field, waiting for the enemy. He slammed his sword's pommel against the rim of his shield to posture. Though he knew his opponent would not back down. "Fancy a dance? I don't bite!" He yelled out to break the silence of the arena.