Sky Blade : chapter six

"Hiagh!" The blade whistled throught the air, speeding toward its target. At the last second it was caught by the defenders long knife. Turning the blow to his left, the leather clad youth launched a furious series of counter strikes forcing his opponent back. After a singularly powerful strike caused the defender to stummble backwards and fall. Taking advantage of his opening the young man darts forward shouting "Yield!". Suddenly the fallen fighters foot shot out and pulled the young man's legs out from under him and sending him crashing to the ground. "Damit! How the hell do you always do that?" he shouted in exasperation. A musical laughter escaped from beneath the defenders face mask. She removed her face plate and helm and turned and looked at the young man she had just bested. "Well, Bax if you did'nt leave yourself so wide open you might be able to keep your on feet more often" she said with a grin. "Baxen, Flairen!" a gruff bass voice called across the combat ring, "Get off your tails, and get over here, NOW!". Baxen heaves himself up with a groan, and turned and helped Flairen to her feet. "Come on Master Karte calls!" Grasping his hand firmly she rises gracfuly and pushes her long, glossy brown hair out of her face and brushes the sand off her leather sparing armor. In front of her stands a grinning Baxen, "Beautiful and deadly." he said. And beautiful she was, stunningly so. She was tall and Lith with Broze skin and a kind child like face. But purhaps her most startling feature were her eyes. They were bright and inteligent and seem far older than her years, but most most startling of all, her right eye was a deep Saphire blue as deep as a still forest pool, while the left eye was as bright and virdiant green as an emerald held up to the sun. She gave Baxen a charming smile and punched his shoulder. "Lets go ," she said "Master Karte seems to be turning a lovely shade of beet red we had better hurry!". "Aye, more scullery duty is the last thing I need, and if we keep him waiting to much longer he'll give me a week!" muttered Baxen as they ran across the sand ring to Karte's side. They arived panting, and bowed respectfully to Karte. "Yes Master, you wished to see us?" they said in unison, "Yes, today we are reciveing two new students, and as members of our first class and aprentice Blade-Masters you have an obligation to be present at their induction ceramony, and... niether of you are properly atired" he told them, frowning disaprovingly. "you two need to Bathe and don your formal garb. The ceramony begins soon. That means MOVE!" he barked. "Yes, master. Right away!" they both said as they bowed. Then they turned and raced off in the direction of the aprentices' living quarters. Chuckleing as he watched them go, Karte turned to the figure standing hidden in the darkness of the cave-way behind him. "Are they satisfactory, My Lord?" Karte asked the man veiled in shadows. "Satisfactory would put it lightly." the man stated with supressed enthusiasm." I've seen few swordsmen at the peak of their abilities who could match these children. You say they're only sixteen? Amazing. Yes their martial skills are un-matched. But there it a distinct diffrence between the dueling arena and the battle field. Have they ever been tested in a true battle?" Karte looked uncomfatorable and struggled to answer the mans question. Finaly he said "No, but they are unmatched in the sparing arena. The only one capable of defeating either of them is their counterpart." The man sighed "There is no comparing life or death combat to the arena. Many seasoned ring fighters would not be able to handle the pressure of fighting for their lives. Before I am certain they are the ones I want, they must be tested in live combat." "What!" Karte exclaimed. "They may be highly skilled, but they've never killed anyone before. They're just children!" The man stared out of the darkness, his gaze deep and penatrating. "Master Karte, were I to take these 'children' and implement them, only to find out that they were incapable of killing, one of the most basic needs for their profesion, then what would I do? No Im afraid there is no other choice, they must be confronted, and soon." The man paused in thought " You said there was a ceramony tonight?" the man asked. " Yes, an induction for new aprentices here at the academy. Its a very festive ocasion." confirmed master Karte. "Good," said the man "I will arange for a little suprise tonight. I will hire a group of assasins to kill only those two, if they sucseed then they are proficient, if they dont..." the man left the consequences of failure unspoken. Master Karte blanched at this but quickly saw the need of what the man said. "Alright I understand, and if we can be of any asistance just let us know." master Karte told the man. " Good, Im glad that you can understand the dire need of these times. I must leave now if I am to have all ready in time for tonight. Farewell". With the florish of his cape the man disapeared down the dark passage way. "What have I just done?" Karte asked himself, his voice full of pain.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The lanterns in the hall cast a gentle light against the stone walls, veins of quarts and other minerals traced across them in intracate patterns across the rock. Standing off to one side was Baxen. His short brown hair was still wet from his recent bath and curly. In the light cast by the lanterns it took on a slightly reddish tint. He stood at about six feet and had muscular build. his face and arms were covered with freckles and his eyes were a deep blue, filled with mirth and inteligence. His fore arms were incased in mail backed leather bracers and he wore a pair of black leather breeches and a black leather vest with paterns of dragons in flight inlaid in silver. Under the vest he wore a dark blue tunic. Strapped across his back was a fine longsword. The sheath was made of black leather and it also had silver dragons soaring across it. The hilt and cross gaurd were in the shape of a dragons head and wings worked in steel and inlaid with gold and two shining saphires for the dragon's eyes. It was just as much a work of art as a weapon. He wore a pair of long knifes across the insides of his fore arms and another pair at his waist. All together it gave him a terrifying look. He stood leaning against the wall across from a closed heavy oaken door, waiting. After a short while the door creaked open and Flairen setped out. She was resplendid in a pair black leather leggings, a black leather doublet and black leather bracers. Her doublet was covered in pheonixes inlaid in silver, and across her back she wore a pair of thin longswords. their sheaths were made of red leather and had pheonixes worked into them. The hilts and cross guaurds were in the shape of pheonixes in flight, with their wings spread wide and worked over with gold. Under the leather doublet she wore a blood red tunic clinched at the waist with a belt cunningly wrought from a series of hoops. She wor a pair of long kinfes on her belt as well as the pair she had straped to her wrists just like Baxen. Her luxuiriant hair had been elegantly braided and swung between her shoulders. "Comon Bax, we had better hurry or we'll be late!" she told him. "Right," Baxen said "Lets go!" so together they took off in the direction of the main hall. As they passed throught the labyrinth of passages and caves that contained the academy the saw few other students. When they neared the hall though, they found that everyone was already ariving. They hurried to their seats, catching disaproving glaces from Master Karte as they passed. " Whew we cut that one alittle close!" Baxen sighed. " Yeah but I would rather be late and look prepared than be early and look bad." Flairen replied tartly. The main hall was an impressive display of craftmanship. One entire wall was a single sheet of quarts polished untill it was as clear as glass, and on the other side lay the waters of the lake. The celling vaulted high over head and the other three wals were covered in murals depicting the great deeds of the Kalinre monks. Crystal chandelires hung from the ceiling and cast a strong light in the huge hall. Servers were spread throughout the room carrying platters ladden with steaming hot meats and vegatables. Baxen called over one of them and filled his plate and began to tear into it. As the evening passed He noticed that Flairen hadn't eaten very much."Hey, whats wrong Fal? You've barly touched your food. Thats not like you" She pointed and said " Do you see those three men sitting over there? The ones in the dark green." Baxen looked where she pointed. " Yeah what about them?" She glanced at Baxen and then back at the men." They have been watching us sice they came in, and they are starting to get very nervous. they wont make eye contact with me." She suddenly stood up. " Common Bax, I need some fresh air these caves are starting to get to me." Baxen got to his feet aswell and followed her, muttering about his stomache.