It was clear to anyone with any sense of combat experience that going hand-to-hand against an opponent with missile weapons is the only way to victory but engaging from a ranged position is a tricky endeavor. Any direct movement to engage would result in a clear target of opportunity from a ranged attacker, and even a tactic like zig-zagging would only be partially effective depending on the distance to be crossed. In general, against a limited supply of missile weapons, staying at the far edge of the weapon’s range and performing lateral movements was the wiser decision, forcing the ranged attacker to use up their supply of ammunition.
Terync knew that Lewis would act quickly, possibly even rashly, to end the fight, and he himself had no intention of delaying the finale any longer either. Lewis’s best move, in Terync’s mind, was to loose three axes in rapid succession, one as a direct throw, and one to each side to catch him if he tried to dodge in either direction. Having anticipated Lewis’s best possible attack, Terync had already begun to race towards his opponent.
At the same moment Terync began to shift his balance in advance of his rush, Lewis let loose with a flurry of throws, as expected. He launched three axes as rapidly as he could manage, and three whirling missiles were soon in flight towards the other side of the ring. Though all seemed to curve and arc slightly in flight, it was evident that each one’s target was exactly as expected.
It was almost amusing to see Lewis’s eyes grow as big as dinner plates as he watched Terync rush towards him against all logic and defying ingrained combat tactics. Still, Lewis had an axe in each hand and even if Terync was able to slip past the thrown weapons, he’d still be at a distinct disadvantage in a melee. In the upperclassman’s mind, Terync had very little chance of making it past the gauntlet of spinning wooden axes unscathed. Even the slightest graze or the lightest touch of an axe would eliminate Terync from the bout as he no longer had any axes left to toss aside.
Terync’s flying dive over the axes was startling, but not completely unexpected. Only the fact that he had begun his run early had given him enough time and speed to clear the weapons with barely any room to spare.
Lewis tightened his grip on his two weapons and braced himself for the inevitable clash. It wasn’t until Terync rolled back to his feet that Lewis noticed only two of the three axes had continued on and clattered against the far wall. It wasn’t until his eyes refocused on his opponent that he saw the one axe that Terync snatched from the air as he dove over it being flung directly back at him.
Given the short distance between the two of them along with the surprise factor, Lewis had no time to move. In fact, the only thing he was able to do before the axe slammed against his chest was to form his lips as if sounding out the letter ‘O’.