Life Giver

As the spectating students and instructors saw Casmir herding the Boar around the boulder, they couldn't help but speculate what Casmir and Zaya were planning.

"Is he simply baiting the Boar?" A new student suggested.

"Perhaps he's going to climb onto the boulder? This type of Boar isn't good at climbing. All it could do was jump at them but that would be risky for both of them." A senior students commented.

"Maybe they're just trying to wear the Boar down?" Another student said.

Many potential tactics were suggested, yet none were correct because these spectators didn't understand Casmir's strengths.

"Closer.. Closer.." Casmir quietly whispered to himself as he watched the Boar inch closer to him.

'Now!' Casmir thought as he turned on the spot, then pressed his feet forcefully into the ground propelling his body straight at the Boar.

The Boar was unprepared for this sudden attack, it lowered its head positioning its tusks below Casmir's shield to pierce into his body.

The spectators were shocked, they didn't believe Casmir would be able to take the half tonne, muscular Boar head on. Even if he could, the Boar's tusks jutted out widely, Casmir's shield wasn't wide enough to block both tusks.

Casmir would be seriously wounded, if not killed, if he collided with the tusks.

Yet Casmir continued to charge and with a loud "THUD!" Casmir's shield collided with the Boar's tough skull. The force of the collision knocked both of them back a step, nearly everyone watching was shocked by Casmir's display of strength and his lack of fear for the Boar's tusks.

As it turned out, the gap in between the Boar's tusks was wide enough for Casmir to fit into. The tusks were suited for Combat with other large beasts or Boar's, not for the relatively small body that Casmir had. So when Casmir collided with the Boar he passed unharmed right in between the Boar's tusks and collided with it's tough skull.

The Boar was outraged by being pushed back, it tried to roar at Casmir and intimidate him but before it could, Casmir rushed towards it bashing his shield into the Boars thick skull once again.

They were evenly matched in strength and because of the short distance of their second exchange they did not knock each other back, they each held their ground as they pushed against one another.

This sudden stand still was exactly what Zaya and Casmir had hoped for. However Casmir was constantly using up his Qi energy to maintain this stand still, he wouldn't be able to last forever.

Fortunately, Zaya had been tailing behind the Boar waiting for it to focus all of its attention in an exchange with Casmir, her speed and manoeuvrability made her especially suited for such a task.

As the Boar contended with Casmir, Zaya appeared like a wraith from behind the Boar slashing at the Boar's hind legs three times before darting backwards out of the range of the Boar's legs.

"EEEIIEK!" The Boar screamed like dying pig as it felt the pain from the slashes.

The Boar quickly kicked backwards at Zaya but it was too late, she had already retreated. All the Boar succeeded in doing was give Casmir an opportunity to push back.

With the Boar's powerful hind legs no longer contributing to the Boar's strength, Casmir was in complete control of the Boar's balance. He didn't push it backwards though, he shifted his shield below the Boar's head lifting the Boar up and throwing it to the side.

"EEIIEEK!" The Boar screamed again as it fell onto its onto its side.

Casmir quickly took this opportunity to thrust his spear into the Boar's exposed belly.

The sharp spear powered by Casmir's powerful strength pierced deeply into the Boars belly snapping one of its ribs as it tried to snake its way into the Boar's organs.

However the Boar's hide was thick and its bones tougher, Casmir managed to create a deep wound but it did not cause any serious damage to the Boar's vital organs, only some blood lose and a broken rib.

Similarly Zaya's earlier attack, although aimed at the weaker tendons in the Boar's legs, only manages to seriously damage one of its legs.

Casmir and Zaya backed off together as the Boar started thrashing its legs about wildly, it was too dangerous to continue attacking it while the Boar was like this.

The Boar squealed and rolled over quickly as it raised itself back onto its feet, its back right leg was wounded and caused it to limp.

This was exactly what Zaya and Casmir wanted to see, without its ability to gather momentum and charge the Boar was much less dangerous.

Zaya called out to Casmir when she saw this, "Let's go again!"

Casmir nodded and rushed at the slightly weakened Boar before it could assess its wounds, bashing his shield against the Boars head and knocking it back. Only this time, the Boar started to wildly shake its head, its tusks turned into deadly clubs as they swung towards Casmir.

Naturally he couldn't stay near the Boar's head anymore but Casmir and Zaya had predicted this would happen already, he only collided with the beast to distract it and give Zaya another chance to attack.

Zaya couldn't attack the Boar from behind like before, the Boar was weary of her and it's kicks were incredibly quick. If the Boar was prepared, even with its injuries Zaya wasn't confident in being able to dodge its kicks.

This wasn't a life or death battle after all, it was only a test, there was not point in endangering one's self for victory.

Instead Zaya attacked from the side, she circled around it and dashed into the Boar's flank as it wildly shook its head. The Boar was limiting is own perception by shaking its head, giving Zaya the best opportunity to reach her attacking range.

Five quick slashes created 5 bloody lines along the Boar's side in quick succession, sadly they were not very deep. The Boar's hide was too thick for her sword to penetrate into it deep enough with slashing attacks, Zaya didn't want to risk thrusting her sword into the Boar because the Boar's thick muscles would easily trap her sword leaving her short handed.

Zaya's slashes did nothing but infuriate the Boar further and cause it to loose some more blood. She quickly backed off and instead of repeating the same tactic, Zaya decided it was time to give Casmir an opportunity to attack.

"Your turn!" Zaya called out to Casmir.

The Boar had turned around and was looking at Zaya threateningly now, Zaya rushed towards it as the Boar rushed towards her at a still impressive speed for its injuries.

As they neared each other, Zaya slashed out at the Boar while the Boar swung its tusks towards her.

Zaya's short sword and the Boar's tusks scr.a.p.ed against each other as Zaya nimbly avoided colliding with the Boar head on.

Zaya and the Boar then circled round and charged at each other, once again exchanging sword for tusk like medieval knights in a jousting completion.

Patiently crouched nearby Casmir was waiting for his opportunity to pounce on the Boar, he lacked Zaya's speed and manoeuvrability so all he could do was wait for his chance.

Joust after joust occurred between Zaya and the Boar, Casmir stayed as nearby as he could without becoming the Boar's target.

Suddenly as Zaya slashed the Boar's tusk once again, her sword accidently splintered of a small part of the Boars tusk. Presumably a weak point in the tusk resulting from battle or malnutrition at a younger age.

The tusk's splinters showered the Boar's face, many shards fell into the Boar's eyes causing it to shake it's head about as if confused for a moment.

This was Casmir's opportunity.