"It's okay, you can't kill me remember? Just come at me and we'll see how it goes." Max said.
Methos stood across from her on the other side of the Bantos mat, Teyla watched them both. Curious and bored Ronon and John were also watching from the sidelines. Of all of them only Max had seen both Jarod and Methos fight, had seen what Carthis had done to Jarod, and nearly been killed by him as a result. Her heart was hammering in her chest although she appeared outwardly calm and relaxed. She could never forget the painful savage beating she had endured at those big hands and broad shoulders on Carthis.
She stepped on the mat and stood perpendicular to him, presenting a narrow target. Even for a practice run she had no interest in making shit easy.
He licked his lips and adjusted his grip on the unfamiliar batons then nodded and stepped on the mat.
"For the first session please avoid blows to the head, begin when ready." Teyla said firmly. She began to slowly circle the mat studying both combatants.
Their footing was good, both moved and stood with physical confidence. While the room waited, nearly holding its breath, Methos stepped toward Max. Max waited outwardly passive and ready for defense. At well over six foot his reach could be astonishing, Max may have an advantage on speed and certainly was more familiar with the weapons, but both were primarily single blade swordsmen and brawlers. If Methos had any kind of physical competency in his current state it could be an extremely one-sided bout.
The crack of Bantos striking Bantos rang out, he had lashed out at her and been swiftly and firmly blocked. Now the two circled one another, the dance had started in earnest.
Teyla continued to circle them while John and Ronon rose to their feet no longer idly chatting in the far corner near the door.
Max moved this time, fast and low but not as fast as she could, not as fast as she might with Teyla for example. He blocked her, the movement somewhat clumsy, from his new physical state or the unfamiliar weapon it was hard to say.
As they drew apart Methos closed with unexpected speed and nearly landed a blow to Max's left kidney but took a blow to his right knee instead, it was sharp and vicious and nearly dropped him.
"Point!" Teyla called. Max and John had explained sparring scoring to her, and she had agreed to use it as a metric with Methos to enable tracking in a vernacular the Earth personnel could more easily analyze.
The fighters separated, Methos rubbed his knee gingerly and Max smiled encouragingly.
"Don't hold back on this next round okay? Just really go for it. No one hear wants you to fail and you can't kill me. In this one case, pain really is temporary." She grinned.
Methos thought of all the bouts they had fought when she was newly immortal and helpless. He appreciated her returning the favor now.
"Okay." He said and licked his lips then took a slow deep breath, let it out, and stepped back on the mat. His knee was already recovered.
This time they closed at the same time, the crack of Bantos against Bantos rang out almost immediately. A flurry of blows fast but without significant power passed between them until they were both sweaty and red faced. Max grinned at Methos, pleased as his commitment. They danced apart and circled again then closed rapidly and viciously, there was a wet slap and the crack of rod on rod and one went down.
Max sprawled on her back, a gash openly bleeding on the side and rear of her head. She sat up clearly dazed and Teyla called a break.
"Did you see that? I didn't." John mused thoughtfully.
"No, I didn't, that was crazy." Ronon muttered squinting at Max and Methos.
They rested until the wound closed and Teyla checked Max over. Both combatants hydrated then stepped onto the mat again.
"Final bout, one point each so far." Teyla said to the room then began studying them and circling.
This time Max was no longer holding back. That last blow would have killed a mortal and it had been so fast. She suspected some of the freakish speed Jarod had exhibited on Carthis had remained with him. As they exchanged blows, she managed to block him but his weight and strength were coming into play now. His speed had increased but apparently only to match her own. Which while helpful in that he wasn't a human hurricane anymore it also neutralized one of her few advantages in their previous encounters. Without being able to rely on it she was forced to a more tactical and sneakier plan of attack.
She drew him out with a series of fast but light blows intended to require blocks but not do real damage, hoping to tire him out and keep him on the defensive. It mostly worked until he decided to use his weight and strength to advantage.
She closed again foolishly using the same tactic of light rapid blows and this time instead of wasting energy on light repeated parries and blocks he fully committed to the first block and struck with enough speed and strength to numb her left hand on impact, half disarming her then following through with a light for him but still devastating blow to her solar plexus.
She hit the mat like a sack of potatoes.
"Point!" Teyla called as she knelt beside her friend. Max focused on trying to recover her breath. It took a few agonizing seconds but at last she breathed free then laughed painfully and got to her feet.
"Not bad for your first Bantos session." She gasped.