Quantum Scrambled Eggs

Chapter 2

Gourry grunted as his sword blocked Yeal's powerful onslaught, then he counterattacked just as hard and just as fast. They'd been at this for what seemed like hours, and both men were panting heavily as they swung their sheathed swords at each other with enough force to raise big red welts when one scored a hit.

Yeal raised a hand and indicated that the day's sparring session was over. "G-man, you're getting better, much better!" Yeal paused to gulp down some air, then continued, "You're not as good as you were before you lost your memories… but at the rate you're learning you'll be better than you ever were in a couple of months."

Gourry nodded, rubbing at the mass of welts on his arms and sides. He'd made three hits today, especially amazing considering he'd only scored one the previous day. He could tell he was getting better, but he didn't think he was anywhere up to par with where he should be, something about the way Yeal acted seemed to indicate that Gourry had once been the better swordsman.

Gourry and Yeal stopped in a small village to get a bite to eat from one of the local establishments and stay the night. "There's no hurry, Gourry!" Yeal had said with the confident air of someone who just knew what the rest of the week was going to be like. "You see Gourry, there's no reson to rush into things… the job'll still be there when we get there." Yeal shrugged his shoulders, "Or maybe it won't, and then we'll just have to find another one. That's the adventure people call life."

Gourry had scratched his head at that. On the one hand it seemed like Yeal was saying to take chances, but on the other he was acting like you shouldn't get stressed out over things that you can't control.

"Whoa!" Gourry said as his mind was pulled back to the present when he bumped into a small boy, knocking the poor lad over onto the hard, cold cobblestones. "I'm sorry."Gourry apologized as he bent down to help the boy up.

Yeal put his hand on Gourry's arm and held the other out flat. "C'mon kid, don't you know it's bad luck to rob the blind or stupid?"

Gourry bristled at the insult, but the hand on his arm gave an apologetic pat, as the kid reached up and returned Gourry's coin pouch to his partner's hand.

"Gourry," Yeal said, sighing, "I'm going to tell you what you told me once: 'Be generous and give to those in need, but never let go of your purse while you do it.', okay?"

– – – – – – – – – –

It was hardly surprising that the next morning Gourry and Yeal gravitated to a rather large crowd that was gathering around an empty lot with a slightly raised stone ring in the center, which was obviously a boundary for something like a ritual or a tournament, which is what earned Gourry several odd looks when he asked what was going on. That was immediately answered when several men began announcing that the town's swordsmanship contest registration would be closing shortly or about the prizes or about how many legendary swordsmen had started off with local contests.

"What do you think Gourry?" Yeal asked, as he fingered several gold coins through the fabric of one of his coin pouches.

"I don't know…" Gourry said, scratching his chin and observing the contestants stretching out or swinging the wooden swords with iron cores around to get their feel.

Yeal laughed, "Oh come on Gourry! It's a perfect chance for you to get some more practice under your belt, I mean, you don't want to get used to fighting one certain opponent." Yeal continued as he made an almost contemptuous gesture at the participants, "Besides that, I'm sure one of us'll win against these small-timers."

Gourry nodded and pulled out his coin pouch as he started to make his way over to the registration desk. Which, he was certain, was a good thing; Yeal looked like he would 'make' him enter the contest and have fun, too.

After entering Gourry and Yeal sat down on the rough wooden bench just outside of the ring for the contestants. Gourry, as luck would have it, found himself sitting next to a younger man wearing an outlandish getup that looked more or less like he was returning from a hunting trip with the carcases of his slain prey draped on his body.

With a disgustingly white and sparkly smile he offered his hand in greeting. "I'm Lord Kain the Unbeatable, son of the Governor." He said with a haughty air, then added, "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"I'm Gourry," Gourry started before being cut off by Kain.

"No, don't tell me your name," Kain proclaimed, "It will only make me unhappy knowing the name of the one I will so utterly defeat with my own prowess, determination, and charisma."

Gourry nearly gagged on the hubris and sheer arrogance the man seemed to radiate like the sun did light. 'I really hope I get matched up with this guy…' Gourry thought, hoping to take Kain down a notch or two, though he only said, "We'll see how well you do in the ring."

"Ah, you're the first to speak to me so in such a long time!" Kain said in surprise, then broke into a smile, "I do love a good challenge."

Gourry grunted in acknowledgment and let the conversation drop off and die like a small abandoned animal. Not that he did it on purpose, but that he had nothing more to say to the man. Trying to converse with him would give one a headache at best, and at worst it was how he won all his fights.

Just then the announcers declared the tournament to be underway and, after a lot of show and fanfare, revealed that Yeal and Kain would be the first match. Yeal smiled, and raised an eyebrow when Gourry indicated Kain with a nod. Yeal's face blossomed into a smile as he looked at the obvious challenge in Kain's eyes, apparently he thought it would be a rather fun challenge.

Gourry watched the two combatants stretched for a few moments before making their way lazily to the center of the ring, it seemed to be more of a performance for the spectators, letting them know how was going to be fighting than any real warm-up or stretch, they made their way to the center of the field and, after bowing to each other, took up combat stances.

Gourry looked intently at Kain's stance, it was unlike any stance he'd seen before but seemed somehow familiar with the hilt of the blade held above with the blade guarding the body below.

With a sudden insight Gourry realized what his book on swordsmanship had been talking about when he was reading it last night. It was laying out the effective uses of the stance, its strong pints, its weak points, countermeasures, and lots of other things that he wasn't quite sure of, nevertheless he was trying to commit the whole book to memory. It seemed vital that he learn, or rather re-learn as Yeal said, the art of swordsmanship, and as he watched the next few matches he was constantly gaining new insights into swordplay.

Gourry's head was so abuzz with thoughts and realizations that he almost didn't hear that it was his turn up. Gourry took a deep breath and tried to calm his mind down, but it seemed that his mind was insistent on working out how several of the higher mid-level techniques he'd just witnessed could be incorporated into the Gabriev style effectively.

He walked out to the center of the ring and before he knew it the match was well underway, and his reaction time was almost too slow to block the thrust his opponent had just made. Gourry quickly countered with a diagonal slash of his own that his opponent, a fairly large bald man dressed in brown leathers, readily blocked.

After several exchanges it became apparent that Gourry was at a speed disadvantage, though not overly so. Gourry realized that they were evenly matched in strength, and thus it would become a contest of stamina if he could defend himself against the other's speed well enough.

Gourry was still on the defensive, though interspersed with strong attacks to keep the other combatant from pressing his attacks, and his opponent was starting to be sluggish in his movements compared to when they had begun the round while Gourry's had remained nearly the same speed.

Gourry pressed his offensive, knocking the other back with a series of fierce blows that were frantically trying to be blocked, and moved in for what he thought would be the finishing move. It nearly was, though not in the way Gourry expected it. The other man countered with an equally strong counter-swing that nearly sent Gourry's sword flying from his hand and followed up with a powerful kick that knocked Gourry sprawling.

Gourry rolled out of the way, just quick enough to avoid a downward swing that would have been immensely painful blow had it landed. He pulled himself up and jumped back to avoid a back swing and then countered with a series of thrusts, swings, and feints that confused his opponent enough for get a solid bout-terminating blow… but just barely.

Gourry walked back to his bench and sat next to Yeal who nodded at him and said, "Good job, but I see several things you need to work on…" Yeal caught the slight disappointment in Gourry's eyes and quickly amended, "But you did well, very well indeed."

Gourry smiled and replied with a simple, but heartfelt, "Thanks."

Author's Notes:

Well, here it is! … Well, while it is kinda short I thought it a good place to end, Ch. 3 will pick up the pace after the tourny, and get things moving… I mean how many of you are waiting to see Gourry meet up with Lina?

……… Right, I forgot virtually no-one reads this.

Well, I'll fix the lack of story and post some more… and then maybe they well come.