[center][color=#008b8b][h2]Fionn MacKerracher[/h2][/color][/center]
[hr][@Crimson Paladin] [@Psyker Landshark] [@HereComesTheSnow] [@Raineh Daze]
[hr]

Beating their way deeper into the Talderian lines had proven both a quicker and slower prospect than he'd imagined; quicker in that the strain was showing on each individual warrior among their midst far faster than he'd have expected, though their skill at fighting in formation was proved far more of a counter to the knights' individual prowess than he'd hoped for. Thus, slower. Overall the groups found themselves fairly evenly matched, though it was no secret which would tire first.

Renar led the way as they naturally formed into a small wedge, driving the push into the Talderians; Fionn hadn't let up on the momentum once since his first swing, falling into a rapid rhythm of alternating [i]mandritto[/i] and [i]roverso fendenti[/i] hammering downward into the uplifted shields and blades of the foes before him as they slowly pushed in, careful not to let his footwork carry him away from the other three. Gerard was there to watch their backs and keep any opportunistic fighters from penetrating and breaking the wedge, and the only protection he had on his other flank was Renar's own furious assault.

The Talderians took blows, tried to riposte, took more—fell back, and more came and took their place instantaneously, flowing back in like water.

Or pushing forward like sharks' teeth renewing, depending on how aggressively they came in.

Gertrude's fire continued raining down; he continued to attack, taking advantage of each opportunity to force another legionnaire to be pulled back, another to replace them at the front. If it had to be attrition for the moment, then so be it. He had more tricks up his sleeve.

[color=#008b8b]"I've got the rear, lads!"[/color] he growled in response to Renar's urging them to reposition. Gerard pushed off of him as he turned to more squarely face the wide arc of soldiers left behind; he let his last cut carry his blade down below the midline of the assault, the tip coming low left, whirling back up in an arc—thrust forward rapidly at the first Talderian to advance, who retreated again instantly. The blade fell back, tracing the reverse of its prior path under Fionn's guiding hands, and he covered their retreat with a series of rising steps nearly the exact inverse of his prior assault. [i]Roverso sottano[/i] with the false edge, [i]mandritto sottano[/i] with the true; the blade became a shield wall all its own, both warding the enemy's blades with its speed and heft and presenting enough of a threat from the same that they didn't dare come too close.

Gertrude flew high above them, raining a hailstorm of magical blasts down upon the Talderian host. Fionn's blade rose again from his lower left; this time he didn't turn it fully for the pattern, instead only coming down partway before redirecing into a rapid [i]mezzano[/i] from the right to fend off a legionnaire who'd escaped the initial starry assault and send him back to his allies. His blade redirected again, up into a high guard, [i]posta di finestra sinestra[/i]. Point forward, but not thrusting again; Renar lunged forwards, swiping low horizontal at their legs, Fleuri just beside him.

Fionn lunged forward as well, capitalizing on the sudden threat of his allies to advance. Gerard was barely a step behind joining the attack, and Fionn wouldn't be left lacking by the other three. He advanced as well, one step, two, turning his blade to be ready for a fierce downward blow and regathering his breath and energy as he did so—and he delivered a forceful lunging stomp into the ground, with an accompanying bark of [color=#008b8b][i]"Krini!"[/i][/color] His training with Erich had helped him to capitalize on the knowledge that Fiadh had imparted to him so abruptly, even that of her own, nature-focused fae magic, such that he could direct it more effectively. With more [i]intention.[/i]

And just as he'd intended, mana poured out from his foot, setting the ground to shake and destabilize immediately beneath the feet of the same front row of Talderians that Renar and Fleuri were aiming to topple and dispatch.

[hider=Glossary of Terms]
[list][*][i]Mandritto[/i]—Initiated from the attacker's outside line, aimed at the defender's inside line. From right to left for the majority of attackers.
[*][i]Roverso[/i]—The reverse of [i]mandritto.[/i] From the attacker's inside line to the defender's outside line; left to right from the attacker's perspective, normally. Southpaws begone.
[*][i]Fendente[/i]—A sharply angled (as in the text above) or vertical descending cut. Can be done with either the true or false edge.
[*][i]Sottano[/i]—A sharply angled (as in the text above) or vertical rising cut. Can be done with either the true or false edge.
[*][i]Mezzano[/i]—An attack between a [i]fendente[/i] and a [i]sottano.[/i] Can either be diagonal with a shallower angle, or completely horizontal. Here, horizontal.
[*][i]Posta di Finestra Sinestra[/i]—The left window guard. Point forward, hands held high, cross protecting the head. Here held more forward and up, more akin to a [url=https://www.thearma.org/essays/newstancepics/LOls.jpg]left [i]ochs[/i][/url] from the German school than the traditional Italian stance of [i][url=https://www.swordschool.com/wiki/images/7/7d/Fenestra.jpg]posta di finestra.[/url][/i][/list]

And for Snow:

[list][*][i]Vom Tag[/i]—"From the Roof;" an offensive high guard in German school longsword fencing. The point is high, with the blade either [url=https://grauenwolf.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/image_thumb6.png?w=348&h=484]on the shoulder,[/url] or [url=https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/xgRpTxXbT371MtqR08mo3SRIp9_8hEtND8iev0aGek3LGKvm3U_msy4oDNodRl6iob5OeNwg_Sjg7NATxluIknlfoMY4Glq6TlxrW0WPCQ]held higher[/url] with the crossguard and [i]forte[/i] protecting the head, or even held [url=https://secondgenhema.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/phm_longsword_lvt.jpg]almost directly vertically over the head[/url] in preparation for, most commonly, an [i]Oberhau[/i] or [i]Zornhau[/i].
[*][i]Oberhau[/i]—An overhand, descending strike. Essentially the same thing as a [i]fendente.[/i]
[*][i]Unterhau[/i]—The reverse of the above. An underhand, ascending strike. AKA [i]sottano.[/i] Either an [i]Oberhau[/i] or [i]Unterhau[/i] can be with the true or false edge.
[*][i]Mittelhau[/i]—A very shallowly angled or horizontal strike from either right or left. Roughly equivalent to a [i]mezzano[/i], though the Italian [i]mezzano[/i] encompasses a wider range of angle to the strike than does the German [i]Mittelhau.[/i]
[*][i]Zornhau[/i]—Wrath Strike/Wrath Hew/Wrath Cut. The first of the [i]Meisterhauen[/i], or master strikes, of German longsword fencing. Still an [i]Oberhau[/i], but not quite as steeply angled—the attacker steps offline, bringing their blade down at a nearly forty-five degree angle, usually aimed towards their opponent's arms when done offensively. Can also be aimed for the opponent's blade, either offensively to force it off the center line, or done defensively as the response to an attack, beating aside an opponent's [i]Oberhau[/i] to enter the bind and deliver a thrust in response—the [i]Zornhau-Ort.[/i] Very brief overview, ask me if you want more options of how it can be used, I can talk for at least fifteen minutes on just how to do a good [i]Zornhau.[/i]
[*][i]Wechsel[/i]—[url=https://grauenwolf.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/image3.png]Another guard[/url]; right foot forward, with the blade held low with the point out to the left, hands close in to the body with the false edge facing the opponent. Can be mirrored on the left. Usually the ending point of a [i]Zornhau[/i]. Can be thought of as a wider variation of [i]Alber[/i].
[*][i]Alber[/i]—the [url=https://grauenwolf.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/image2.png]"Fool's Guard."[/url] The blade is held low, with the false edge facing up towards the opponent, the point is forward rather than off to the side like [i]Wechsel.[/i] This is the ending point for a full length [i]Oberhau[/i] from either right or left; a full right [i]Oberhau[/i] ends in left [i]Alber[/i] and the mirror follows.[/list][/hider]