Perfect! Satisfied with the way things are going, even if it's not all according to plan, Ling is just about ready to claim his victory already, when that axe hits the dirt. He doesn't actually want to hurt O'rhok, after all - and isn't this enough of a surrender? Ling can be the bigger man (as if...), and allow O'rhok to call things off.

Except he never even gets the chance to be a smug bastard about his one successful move.

Sawdust isn't something Ling is used to, but he can see its benefits as a surface to fight on - and the scent isn't altogether unpleasant (especially after the chlorine). He is not, however, counting on it being quite so easy to use in backhanded ways, which is his miss. Stumbling back at the sudden cloud of dust and debris flying at him, he tries to guard his face from it with his free hand, but still ends up coughing, his eyes hurting. Eventually he thinks to release his sword to make it spin it in the air, hopefully blowing the sawdust away, but by then it's kind of late.