Ways to keep one's skills sharp. [Semi-Open]

Garen had gladly accepted the invitation to train with the Iron Ambassador. Poppy needed something more intensive than simple weight lifting for her rehabilitation after the injuries she took in defence of Demacia against the Shadow Isles, and Garen needed something to show his men how things were done. It was win-win. Besides, what kind of fighter would willingly give up a chance to cross blades with a champion of the League?

Clad in his ordinary blue and yellow armour, sword strapped to his back, the Might of Demacia strode into the barracks with a few of his men trailing close behind him. New recruits into the Dauntless Vanguard who had never seen what a champion could do. This was as good a chance to show them as he was ever going to get, short of arranging another serious battle off the Fields of Justice.

"Sorry I'm late, Poppy. Any ground rules you want to set down before we begin?"

"Very well. En garde, Poppy!" Garen nodded and stepped forward, his broadsword flashing in a diagonal arc towards the yordle without any hesitation. Garen had never seriously fought a yordle off the Fields of Justice and he doubted if he would ever need to, but there was no reason not to figure out how trying to hit somebody half his size worked.

The Might of Demacia knew the champion known as the Iron Ambassador was strong. She was a champion after all - none of them could ever be called weak. It was time to find out just how strong she actually was, and how tough those iron defences of hers truly were.

Garen pushed right on despite the guard that Poppy had put up, sending himself hurtling forward past the range of Whomper. His armour would be of little use against that warhammer of hers, and he did not particularly relish the chance to find out just how well his suit would fold beneath her blows first hand.
The hammer grazed against his side as he just barely managed to get out of the way of her strike, and he quickly re-evaluated his options. It would be extremely difficult for him to break through her defences between her compact frame and huge shield.

His greater size meant greater reach so if he was Fiora he would dance out of her range and try prodding in, but for all the things that Garen was, a Laurent was not one of them. What he could do however, was to put the shield as far away from him as possible, to put himself on her right, where she held Whomper and not her shield.

So he did, stepping to his left - her right - and swinging his sword in a large backhand arc towards her side.

The Sentinel had arrived late to the practice duel. Though he had heard of the impending match of blade and hammer beforehand, he had other duties to attend to first before coming to the training grounds. He circled the pair once, before landing to the side, far enough away so as to not distract them nor interfere.

He touched down lightly--belying his bulk. Settling himself, he sat and watched the proceedings, never missing a movement either of them made. Being tactically inclined, Galio hoped to perceive any mistakes Poppy would make, and then perhaps offer advice. He would examine Garen's fighting as well, but he was unsure as to whether or not the Might of Demacia would be willing to take advice from the gargoyle.

Though he rarely took sides in such tests of skill, he secretly hoped Poppy would win, or at least best Garen in some way if there was not a clear victor.

Galio had nodded without a word to both contestants as they had acknowledged him in their own ways. Nothing more needed to be said, nor done. It was enough. The Sentinel's Sorrow was merely a spectator in this match of skill.

And speaking of the match, Galio had been careful to observe the way Garen and Poppy had fought so far. He though Poppy's "underhanded" attack to be a smart move on her part, due to the fact it forced Garen to block a blow coming from an unusual direction. No doubt the Might of Demacia did not have the chance to be attacked by Yordles everyday, and such experience gained through Poppy would be beneficial. However, the gargoyle had noticed Garen took the full blow of Poppy's hammer on his sword, which caused him to lose his balance for a moment. Moments in battle were crucial, and perhaps after the practice duel he would suggest to Garen that next time he should try to deflect such a blow to the side which would put the attacker on the back foot. This would in turn give him the upper hand, and not the other way round.

Now, he watched closely as Garen charged the armored Yordle. Perhaps a direct attack was not the best method of going about fighting such an armored opponent. Certainly, he would have a hard time cleaving through such armor--not to mention the shield itself--and as such perhaps he should have tried getting past her shield by circling to her right. Though undoubtedly she would turn in the opposite direction to keep him in front. If he had been quick, he might have been able to take advantage of the fact it is hard to block with a hammer.

Yes, analyzing a battle is what Galio did best. And one in which particular skill was displayed only added to the intensity of it all.