Cormac crossed the distance flat out. A spike came up out of the floor behind James's heels and took the retreat away.
He went high.
James got Durendal up and blocked it.
And a second formation came out of the ice around his rear boot and held it — not much, an inch of new ice around the heel and the sole, but it stopped him moving for half a second.
Cormac's fist went into his stomach.
`[JAMES GANNER — HP: 1,718 → 1,508]`
Every bit of air James had went out of him. He came off the ground and back three metres and he did not go down.
Six Endurance points. He would not have described it as strength. It was closer to being a heavier object.
Cormac was already there with the blade coming at his throat.
James got Durendal across it.
**CLANG.**
They locked with both weapons a foot from both faces, and Cormac leaned on it and started forcing it down, and he was strong and he was on ground that agreed with him.
Behind them, the shell broke.
**BOOM.**
