I13DT: How To Train Your Dragon

[John Hino]

"I was holding back you know."

[Roland Sackville]

"And that'll get you killed," he said stripping off his undershirt to reveal a rather impressive six-pack for someone of his age.

Well, someone of his apparent age.

[John Hino]

"Well you are an ally."

He's more fit than I thought.

[Roland Sackville]

"Don't be fooled--there's a good chance you'll be spending some time in the infirmary as we get you up to snuff," he said, reaching in and pulling out a very old bronze shield, in good nick.

[John Hino]

"We'll see about that," he said as he armored up and took a much better stance. I would probably look wrong, but he didn't exactly have a standard center of balance.

[Roland Sackville]

Roland then bent down and pulled out a fairly impressive looking mace out of his bag. It was shorter than John's testubo, but approximately the same, proportionally.

"Do you know why these became so popular?"

[John Hino]

"They crush metal armor?"

[Roland Sackville]

"Precisely. They can do damage without penetrating the armor--be it made of steel or some kind of mystic voodoo."

[John Hino]

"My armor works by rapidly dampening kinetic energy. I haven't fully explored its limits but I'm sure it can take a mace."

[Roland Sackville]

"Oh, you'll live. You might find some nasty bruises in the morning, though."

[John Hino]

"Let's do this then," John said, readying the tetsubo.

[Roland Sackville]

"Right!"


Some time later, a crowd had formed around the dragon and the history professor, who had gone at each other quite well.

Roland wiped some blood out of his eyes. "Good! Better--you're not telegraphing the swings so much," he said, catching his breath.

[John Hino]

"Told you," John huffed, " I could take a mace hit." He wasn't bleeding anywhere, but his X-Uniform was pretty torn up and he was slightly favoring on side. Roland didn't need to know just how much was sore.

[Roland Sackville]

"Ready for more then?" Roland said, taking a fighting stance again.

[John Hino]

"I..." he said, fighting a wince, "Think I'll pass."

[Roland Sackville]

"ts what I thought," Roland smirked.

[John Hino]

"I'll have you know, I have other things to... oh fuck it, I'm too sore to blow hot air."

[Roland Sackville]

"You'll want to get that looked at. You're tougher than most people, but I'd ice that knee pretty quickly."

[John Hino]

"I... think I'll do just that."

[Roland Sackville]

"If you have any unusual swelling, call me--I'm a doctor."

[John Hino]

"As long as you know they don't use bloodletting anymore," he teased.

[Roland Sackville]

"Sometimes that's useful!" Roland protested.

[John Hino]

"Yeah... I think I'll stick to the Med Center."

[Roland Sackville]

"Suit yourself. Bunch of crazy machines and whatnot."

[John Hino]

"I, for one, like machines."

[Roland Sackville]

"They take the human element out of healing."

[John Hino]

"And the dying from completely avoidable complications."

[Roland Sackville]

"Pfft. Modern medical propaganda."

[John Hino]

"Propaganda can be true," he said, "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go pollute my body with newfangled pharmaceuticals."

He started walking away.

"And... thanks."

[Roland Sackville]

"I'll be here for the rematch."