The orc, Brik, landed hard on the next level of rock. His knees groaned. Around him water crashed. His trousers with soaked. He had gone shirtless. His grey-green chest heaved from the battle.
In his burly hand, a four-foot long curved blade with an extended handle. A strange weapon for an orc. His brother’s blade.
His dead brother’s blade.
Roars echoed over the thundering waterfall. Another orc, this one taller and leaner than Brik, with emerald green skin. It carried a cleaverblade with blinding speed.
They slammed into each other. Heavy blades biting into one another. Water rolled off their broad backs. They roared with yellow fangs and iron-hard green muscle.
Brik slid back on bare feet. This was a pure fight. Just them and their chosen blades. The tall one did have the advantage in the chaotic conditions, attacking from above.
Brik rolled and tumbled off the rocky plateau. The waterfall was flanked with shelves of rock all the way down the cliff side. Greenery hung around the falls, swaying in the daylight.
Brik crashed through the pillar of churning white water. He landed hard again. His emerald opponent at his heels.
Brik caught the cleaveblade and let it slide off the curve of his sword. He dug into his opponent’s guard, slamming the hilt into the orc’s throat. It croaked and retreated through the water.
They battled from rocky outcrop to rocky outcrop. Dashing and attacking through the waterfall. The sun blazed high above, sending rainbow colours across their green skin in the shadow of the plateaus. Metal blows clanged across the valley below.
They went back and forth between attacking and retreating, taking turns as metal vibrated their arms and exhaustion tugged at their legs.
His opponent was as skilled as he was strong. They were equals until one would finally tire or make a mistake.
They slammed into each other, losing footing. They both fell over and were sent plummeting down the waterfall. The refracted light glinted with green. They crashed into the low pool, mid-way up the waterfall.
There was still a long way to fall.
The pair gathered themselves up at the edge of the pool, just where the water rushed over the side. Bursting like jets around scattered rocks. They rose in knee deep water and the battle resumed.
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