<div class="floatleft">(https://i.imgur.com/Y3n5ibZ.png)</div>Larissa staggered back as Elaine's strike got through. Cursing under her breath, she could tell this was going to be dragged out duel - she had lost her advantage at the start and she was going to pay the price for it with an uncertain future.<br/><br/>She needed more power - Elaine was not making this easy for her. Maybe if she had Claw, but she didn't. Tossing aside her handaxe, Larissa gripped Fang in both hands, dropping down into a stance her mother favored with her greatsword. "A Ruxvan never admits defeat," Larissa declared and dove in after Elaine.<br/><br/>The fight would indeed be long. For every overhead strike or furious swing Larissa gave Elaine, her beloved took or parried. And then Elaine lunged and struck a vital blow to Larissa's legs, knocking her off balance. And the Bedegar would press her advantage, warding off blow after blow from Fang as she pushed forward and leveled precise, powerful strikes to Larissa's arms and legs. Elaine was quite literally picking apart her defense and capitalizing on each strike.<br/><br/>Elaine had backed Larissa toward the far end of the room. The young Ruxvan's breathing was haggard and heavy. It wouldn't have been the first time Elaine had bested her, but to have such a strong start only to be put to 'death' by a thousand cuts. It made Larissa grit her teeth - if this wasn't one large metaphor for her family's history.<br/><br/>Planting a foot on the wall behind her, Larissa pushed herself forward in one more, adrenaline fueled charge. "For Ruxvan," she shouted. She brought down an overhead strike on Elaine. When the Bedegar raised her sword to deflect it, Larissa followed through with a shoulder check, ramming into Elaine to push her off balance. She planted her feet and brought Fang around, striking true with the flat of the blade right into Elaine's side, sending her sprawling to the ground.<br/><br/>Larissa was quick to follow up, moving around to place the flat of her sword against the top of her beloved's neck. "How about you yield, hmm?"