<div class="floatleft">(http://i1205.photobucket.com/albums/bb425/ylauzon/ChrisHemsworth.jpg)</div>Character: Cedric Valda<br/>Location: Proving Grounds stands<br/>Time: Day 1 Noon<br/>Tagging: Aveylin, Ellya, Jacquelyn,<br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/>Cedric would turn and bow graciously to Jacquelyn, "It is a honor to meet you your highness," he said in the same pleasant voice he had been using. While the princesses didn't need to put their sweetest foot forward, for a suitor to be so callous as to be rude right out the back would no doubt mark him a fool for the remainder of the stay that would be no easy task to remove. "Measuring a fighter isn't much different then measuring your general man," he said as the next two contestants were called to the way. "There is much to be told through their posture, their movement, if there is any hint of nerves in them, how fiercely they stare down their competitor, how they might regard a larger opponent," he explained, "generally the best fighters have a more defined stance, don't waver, and keep themselves from becoming overwhelmed throughout the battle advantage or no," he said. "Of course there is no accounting for the size and mass of some men, every once and a while brute strength will overcome anything, but it's not as common as you might think," he added. "A fight is as much a chess game as anything else if you can exploit someone's size, or strength, unnerve them, pin them, make them play your game you'll have a much higher advantage towards the outcome," he finished as the next competitors would take their stances across from one another.<br/><br/><em>The next two contestants were Fernando Whitelaw (http://i943.photobucket.com/albums/ad278/Ghidorah/Suikoden%20V/gavaya01.png) who was known as the Barbarian General of the Eastern Marches who had won many key victories in expanding the empire's reach. As the name suggested he wasn't wearing much armor as he accepted two axes to wield in either hand. He had quite the beastly physique and appearance as he roared at the stands. Standing opposite of him was Matthew Durrah (http://i943.photobucket.com/albums/ad278/Ghidorah/Suikoden%20V/dinn01.png), who was of the noble Durrah house that rested in the capital city no less. There could not be a more obvious difference of classes, Matthew stood defined with a proper posture wielding a long katana that his household was known for. His armor was expertly crafted and etched in blues and oranges to further display his position.</em><br/><br/>"From their sizes and even backgrounds the edge would evidently lie with Fernando," Cedric said turning his eyes to either princess. "He has real war experience, he looks like he was raised by bears, and has a fairly wild attitude, all the makings of a intimidating and impressive warrior," he said. "To make the fight seem more lopsided Lord Durrah is half the man's size and frankly looks like a noble who has never even lifted a sword before," he added. "However that's simply appearance," Cedric explained letting them see what he saw. "If Matthew had no combat expertize his family could simply hire a champion in his stead, yet here stands the man and unlike our last noble he's not even blinking, by all rights he's tuning the world out, he isn't seeing a barbarian he see's a man, he doesn't hear the roar of the crowd he hears his own heart beat," Cedric explained as the fight started.<br/><br/><em>Like one might expect from such a barbarian Whitelaw wasted little time in charging towards Durrah. A wild swing would find the younger lord ducking before getting rolling to the side of another wild string this time vertical. Whitelaw would quickly extend his arms and spin looking to catch the smaller man in a surprise as he did so, however Durrah simply stepped back again avoiding the blow. Then as Whitelaw began to regain his footing Durrah would make his first attempt at a strike. Landing a solid blow on the side of Whitelaw, who would respond with a shout of anger and another wide slash. Which would allow enough time for Durrah to duck away again. Taking his stance once more, again not showing in indication of anything else in the world, focusing solely on the opponent in front of him. <br/><br/>White law again made the first move sharing at the noble throwing his hands behind him as he tried to barrel into the noble, who side stepped the shoulder, but would get caught in the gut as Whitelaw spun around and kicked him. Rolling back the noble would barely of time to stumble to the side as Whitelaw smashed his axes into the ground where the noble should have been. Whitelaw moved as if in a frenzy as he swung at the noble who was only able to move from place to place and try to regain his advantage. One slice at his head was ducked and as Whitelaw slashed at his knee's Durrah would jump avoiding the blow and bringing his own blade down on Whitelaw's shoulder before he'd spin away.</em><br/><br/>"As wild as Whitelaw seems to be there is a method to such madness," he said. "Obviously he has the advantage in strength but it's the savagery of his style that the true technique lies," he said. "It's a intimidation method, take the resolve of your opponent away, as you lose confidence and become more scared you'll find your blade has less impact, never let your opponent set his feet and with a blunted weapon you'll likely take minimal damage," he explained. "On the flip side however you leave yourself vulnerable if your opponent is smart enough, cool enough, and swift enough to land such blows as you've just seen," he added as Durrah landed his second hit. "Still the impact appears weak, Whitelaw is truly a monster," he stated.<br/><br/><em>Whitelaw would throw one of his axes at Durrah as he moved back glancing the nobles own shoulder and sending the noble tumbling backwards. The fight had grown close to the wall at this point as Whitelaw charged at Durrah. This time succeeding in hitting him with the shoulder and leveling the smaller warrior. Durrah would roll further avoiding attacks as Whitelaw tried once more to smash him, however the quick reflexes of Durrah saved him once more. As Durrah rose to his feet he'd find his back pressed against the wall as White law again charged at him looking to use the whole of his strength and smash Durrah into the wall. To the great surprise of Whitelaw, Durrah would move forward dropping law and sweeping his legs to cut out Whitelaw's feet. Instead of smashing the noble with his shoulder, the Barbarian General would fly face first into the concrete wall of the grounds. Sliding down slowly dazed. Wasting no time Durrah would follow jumping and tucking his legs towards his center before extending them with all his might and drop kicking the barbarian's head back into the wall. Fernando Whitelaw would fall to the ground unconscious due to the blow and likely with a nasty concision while Durrah would advance to the next round. </em><br/><br/>"Make no mistake if Whitelaw had landed any of his wild blows by anymore then a glance there is little down the noble would have been taken down completely," he explained. "Instead Durrah managed to keep his cool despite the blows landed and took advantage of take advantage of the environment and Whitelaw's own strength to take him down," he said. "In combat much like politics the cooler head has more of an advantage, and so long as you can manage to keep you it more times then not you'll prevail over the wilder one," he said turning his eyes back to the princesses. "Do you have any specific questions after watching the fight," he'd ask turning to the princesses. Curious to see if they noticed anything themselves that he might have missed. By all rights that was the third bigger fighter to be defeated by a smaller opponent but that was simply chance the fight progressed to the wall and Matthew managed to trip Fernando. If he had spun the other way and in the middle of the square there was a high chance the result would have been different. It was always hard to predict chance and the surprises it brought with it.<br/>