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The Marshall explains, mainly through Battle Cant that is later translated to you, that both of you took too long. Your attacker failed to dispatch you quick enough, you survived long enough to raise the alarm and likely long enough for help to arrive. You seem proud of the achievement, but your growing pride deflates as the Marshall then berates you for much the same. If there was more than one attacker, you have found yourself detained long enough for them to go after whatever their true target may be. If the aim was to distract you from your charge, for example a Medusae sorceress being escorted in the palace or another gaining entry to a separate part of the palace, then you have left them vulnerable. One of the other nomads says something that you don’t catch, which everyone except you and the Marshall seem to find very funny.
<span class="mu-i"><span class="mu-s">thoom thoom</span></span>
The grinning desert nomad you were straining against a moment before slaps you on the shoulder and offers you a hand up. <span class="mu-g"><span class="mu-i">“ليس سيئا بالنسبة لرجل شمالي.”</span></span>
You take it gladly, but once you get to your feet you blink and shake your head. You had more pressing matters but you had thought the sound was an echo of the rattle of your armour or perhaps the blood roaring as it pumped to your head.
<span class="mu-i"><span class="mu-g">“ اعتقدت أنني حصلت عليك في الجولة الأولى.”</span></span> Hassan Ibn Arif’s grin slips and he looks at you with a little more concern, motion in one of the sparse words in Battle Cant you recognise. <span class="mu-r"><span class="mu-i"><Hurt?></span></span>
<span class="mu-i"><span class="mu-r"><No. I combat effective.></span></span> You reply, quite pleased you’re getting the hang of this. Although you don’t know the signal for ‘hearing’ or an equivalent, so it takes a bit of gesturing and delay before your sparring partner realises you are asking what that sound was.
<span class="mu-i">thoom thoom</span>
<span class="mu-i">“Ah.”</span> The nomad nods knowingly, his expression of understanding needing no translation. He responds in Battle Cant, a sign that looks like a small bow and touching the forehead, but you don’t pick up its meaning. Finally he points back in the direction of the Crescent Palace proper.
Was that the flap of a colossal wing you saw, the flick of a leviathan’s tail passing through from one giant hall to another? You stare, and keep staring in hope of another glimpse until the Marshall has to drag you to another sparring circle. And so you begin again.
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Drill Rota is one of the reasons why the Dragon Guard is widely regarded as the finest fighting force in the world. One could spend a lifetime among this cream of humanity’s warriors and still not learn all they know on waging war. During your time in the Guard you learn a unique lesson, one that cannot be taught elsewhere
> Individual Combat Bonus. [Single or handful of combatants]
> Skirmish Melee Bonus. [Dozens or scores of combatants]
> Pitched Battle Bonus. [Hundreds or thousands of combatants]
