The Coiled Spring: Up close and personal...

With battle joined, Johann was operating on some instinctive, almost feral level of consciousness. He was aware of a blur of bodies diving for cover, the whistle and thud of arrows and bolts. Werner's axe whistled through the air in slow motion, cleaving the shower of embers cascading from his torch. A hostile face loomed out of the confusion...

Bringing his sword up into a lunge, Johann let his momentum carry him on into his opponent. Suddenly everthing jolted back into focus as the shock of the impact travelled up his sword arm.

He started at the sudden din, as the sounds of the struggle returned to his ears, barely having the time to wonder at their temporary absence or the fact that his throat was hoarse with a cry he was unaware of shouting.  Shaking such incongruous thoughts from his head, Johann jerked his sword back from his adversary's torso. The man staggered backwards clutching at the wound, reaching for his own weapon.

Johann wasn't about to give him the time to react and pressed home his attack. Resuming his battlecry, he rushed forward bringing his sword down in a wide, swingeing arc towards the Tilean's kneck.