Master Weilder of the Sword ((Open))

[Fadriendel Augcastil]

Fadriendel took three steps forward, his barefeet tamping soundlessly on the dirt as he went. The tip of Camthalion scratched the ground as moved. Before a breath could be taken, he sliced vertically, breaking the silence with the sound of ringing metal. As the sword went up through the air, Fadriendel pivoted, making a horizontal slash. The sash and veils covering his hair and face whipped through the air as he went. He did a complete spin and flowed seemlessly into a series of incredibly quick and aggressive stabs and slashes. He shuffled forward, raising a cloud of dust about him. His initial kata ended and he leapt into the air, somersaulting over an invisible opponent, and landing facing the direction he had been standing moments before.

He changed his style instantly, adapting a more refined and graceful moveset. This style was obviously used for one-on-one duels, unlike the first, which was intended for war. His white robes flowed like an angel's wings, and the golden weapon shined along with the filmy cloth, giving Fadriendel an ethereal beauty to counteract the training for battle.

As the second kata drew to a close, Fadriendel's piercing blue eyes looked around; someone was watching him.

[Dansel]

It was a boring day. Nothing to do, no one to spar with. Dansel had been wandering about the city for at least an hour. The garrison in Uru'Baen was admittedly smaller, as more soldiers were needed at the front lines. As he walked unto the practice grounds, he stopped. A man was there, he appeared to be battling...something. Interested, Dansel sat on the ground, legs crossed. He rested his chin on his hand as he watched the warrior carry on.

But the man's practice was soon interrupted as he appeared to notice Dansel's presence. Dansel slowly applauded, each clap interspersed by around two seconds, as the fighter's gaze drifted upon him.

"Excellent swordsmanship, stranger."

[Fadriendel Augcastil]

Fadriendel blinked with surprise as he saw the man, comfortably sitting and watching him train. Fadriendel's mind was completely closed, and he did not notice the man come up at all.

A silly mistake. And a dangerous one. Fadriendel thought.

"Excellent swordsmanship, stranger."

Fadriendel frowned. Either this man was a very new recruit, blind or stupid. As Fadriendel was garbed, every soldier in the army had seen him. He was always at Galbatorix's left hand, unless sent out on assignment, or training. Most called him simply "Oro, or Arrow", since Galbatorix called him "Ietoro" My Arrow. Fariendel gazed at him for a moment in silence, then finally returned the golden sword to his sheath.

" I am weak, today. " he answered finally in a harsh, deep voice.

Fadriendel moved away, sitting cross-legged in the grass. He delicately re-arranged his robe and placed a gloved hand on either knee. He gazed at the man in silence for a few moments, then spoke again.

" Why are you here? A soldier of your rank should be at his post on the outer wall. " he asked.

[Dansel]

He raised an eyebrow at the man's statement. He wasn't sure what he ment by it, but he mentally switched subjects as he looked at his weapon of choice. A golden sword, average length.

"A Rider, possibly...?" He mumbled to himself. His observation of the blade halted abruptly as the man hid it from view. He started, as if awakening from a trance. He blinked several times, shaking his head slightly and arranged his dumbfounded features into a mask of amusement as the man said something else.

"I am a former Captain, now his Majesty's Weapon Master and humble servant."

He allowed himself a small smile and inclined his head slightly.

"Dansel Nebidor, at your service."

[Fadriendel Augcastil]

Fadriendel's frown deepened as the man mumbled something to himself. He could have sworn he saw his mouth form the word, "Rider" but did not speak his suspicions. It was not a closely guarded secret that the man named "Ietoro" was a rider, but was not paraded about, either. The only secret about Fadriendel was the fact that he was an elf; only four people knew this, Lady Sarai, King Galbatorix himself, Fadriendel and Lord Murtagh.

Fadriendel cleared his throat and fidgeted uncharacteristically when he thought of Murtagh. Fadriendel tilted his head curiously as the man attempted to hide his dumbfounded expression from him, but again did not draw attention to it.

"I am a former Captain, now his Majesty's Weapon Master and humble servant. Dansel Nebidor, at your service."

Fadriendel blinked. He was Weapon Master? He had trouble believing that the King would give a human the rank of Weapon Master. He decided to find out for himself. He sent out frm his mind a tiny tendril of thought, in an attempt to sense his powe, and whether he told the truth.

[Dansel]

As he felt the strange oncoming force, Dansel lowered his head and erected thick mental barriers around his own mind, focusing on a small blade of grass. It was just as King Galbatorix had taught him. The invading consciousness was immediately repelled, and Dansel smirked, his black bangs hiding his face. He realized that this man could probably pierce those barriers if he put all of his strength into it. Of course, this skill was practically the only thing even remotely related to magic that he could do. The grin disappeared as he raised his head again.

"Nice try."

[Fadriendel Augcastil]

As the tiny tendril of thought touched Dansel's mind, he felt a strong mental barrier block his way. He saw only a blade of bright grass. He removed his prodding, now assured that the man was strong enough to be Weapon's Master. Galbatorix taught only his higher-ranking vassals to protect their minds to that degree. He smiled slightly beneath his veil.

"Nice try."

Fadriendel's eyes twinkled as his smile widened. He pulled his filmly shawl closer around him.

" If I had tried, you would be mad, or dead." he answered calmly.

Fadriendel sighed quietly, then gazed at a rack of weapons.

" I would like a demonstration, please. " Fadriendel said, gesturing to the weapons.

He turned back to Dansel and gazed at him expectantly.

[Dansel]

The man must of been more powerful than he at first thought, if he spoke the truth. Dansel really had no way of knowing for sure. He would never have to fight Fadriendel to the death in the near future, so he stopped worrying about it.

Dansel's eyes flickered between the weapons rack and the man as he requested a demonstration. There was an assortment of blades, flails, and axes there, and he did not intend of using them all. It could take till' nightfall, and he wasn't really in the mood for it. Besides, nowadays his responsibilitys were inspecting the King's armory and signing written orders from Galbatorix's Lords and Nobles before they were sent to various smiths in Dras-Leona and Gil'ead.

He shrugged, getting to his feet and walking over to the rack. He hadn't thought to bring his own sword, so he picked up one of the ordinary blades, average length, durable, and overall, pretty reliable. That was exactly why Dansel had issued it as standard issue in the King's army.

Dansel turned, facing the man with the sword by his side.

"I'm not going to swing around the air like a nut just because you want me to, so I'll demonstrate the only way I know how, by fighting another person."

He stepped forward, so he was several meters away from him, and lifted the sword up higher. An open challenge, clearly.

[Fadriendel Augcastil]

Fadriendel watched with interest as the man carefully chose a weapon, then turned to face him.

"I'm not going to swing around the air like a nut just because you want me to, so I'll demonstrate the only way I know how, by fighting another person."

Fadriendel's thin eyebrows met in a frown. This man was not only ignorant of Fadriendel's rank and position, but was boorish as well. He stood, taking his time, and dusted himself off.

" If you insist. " he said dryly.

Suddenly, he unbuckled the golden sword in the leather sheath from his side and tossed it onto the grass.

" Although I am not at my best today, more than a few strikes with that and your sword will be destroyed. " he said.

He turned to face the weapons behind Dansel's back and eyed a sword that was roughly the size and shape of his own sword, yet made of iron.

" Reisa. " Fadriendel spoke.

The sword lifted itself from the rack and soared into his outstretched hand. Fadriendel drew the blade with a flourish and tossed the scabbard aside. He fell in a pose, his left foot before his right, knees slightly bent. The sword was held in his right hand and pointed straight up into the air. His left hand was closed, but his pointer and middle fingers were pointed skyward as he held the hand before his chest.

" Come. "

[Dansel]

If he spoke truly, his blade was incapable of breaking...plus, it was colored and of incredible craftsmanship. He mulled this over mentally, then saw a sword just fly into his hand. Dansel muttered a curse to himself. Not only could he use magic, but it was almost certain he was a Dragon Rider! He might have offended a high-ranking individual. Ignorance would be his excuse to avoid possible punishment, most knew he didn't keep up with current events.

Dansel worried that he may use magic to gain an advantage in their bout. Then again, he could be a honorable man and would fight fairly. He hesitated, then rushed forward and nimbly swung his blade at Fadriendel's side.

[Fadriendel Augcastil]

Fadriendel smiled as he saw clear comprehension fall over the man's face. He was really as ignorant as he seemed, so he could not justly be blamed for his boorish behavior. He elected not to kill the, partly because could still exercise an ounce of mercy, but mostly because Galbatorix would be cross with him if he killed his Weapon's Master. Fadriendel would punish the man by utterly crushing him in his area of expertise.

Fadriendel watched as the man made a slash at his side. He was not supernaturally skilled, or else his attack would not look as though it were going in slow motion. The man knew some of the advantages Fadriendel had over him, which was apparent by his attack at his side, instead of head on. Fadriendel easily met Dansel's sword with his own and with a clash of metal, ruthlessly batted it aside with amazing strength. He smiled, and took a step backwards, ignoring the plethora of openings he had made.

[Dansel]

Dansel's eyes widened in shock as the Rider knocked his blade away as if it were nothing but a wooden stick. No human possessed that kind of strength! A thought that Fadriendal was a creature of magic was immediantly discarded. Unless he was a shade-which he most certainly was not, as he looked much to normal-he could not be inside the Empire's capitol without being detected.

He swore aloud, shifting his center of gravity by changing his stance and thrusting his sword at Fadriendal's left shoulder.

[Fadriendel Augcastil]

Fadriendel contained a chuckle as the boor's fustration grew and he changed his stance in an attempt to catch him off-guard. The man was obviously skilled for a human, but he was hopelessly outmatched. Fadriendel was not completely heartless however.

"If you wish to stop, you need only ask." he croaked.

Dansel thrust his sword towards Fadriendel's left shoulder. He could have blocked the strike, or many other things, but he chose to dodge, lowering himself below the ringing steel and half-spinning off to Dansel's left with deliberate grace. As he reached his side, he was facing the same direction as the boor.

He swung out his sword, in an attempt to smack the man's backside with the flat side of the sword.

"You should not tease him so." a multi-toned voice echoed in Fadriendel's head.

"Why? He is a boor and a weakling. He should be punished for his disrepect." Fadriendel answered.

"He is a grown man, and a officer of the King's army. You should show him some respect as well."

Fadriendel did not answer, but his guilty expression beneath the veils was enough.

[Dansel]

Dansel stumbled forwards, feeling the flat side of Fadriendel's blade strike him on a somewhat unexpected area. He spun about, his ears turning red. Not only did Fadriendel seem to be toying with him, but the Rider was deliberately trying to cause him humiliation!

He wearily glanced at the top of the inner wall-for they were close to Uru'Baen's defenses-, and noticed one or two of the soldiers was watching the duel intently. I have to escape with at least some dignity, I won't be embarrassed in front of my own men!

Dansel saw the weapons rack out of the corner of his eye, his jaw clenched and his eyes narrowed. Reaching behind him, Dansel snatched up a second blade. This was less sturdy, a roughly-hewn short sword, but it would do fine for what he had planned. Using the two blades as one, he swung them upwards at an angle, so they slashed at Fadirendel's chest, both blades were parallel to each other.

[Fadriendel Augcastil]

Fadriendel frowned as Dansel reached behind him and drew a second sword from the rack with an unexpected finesse. We watched as Dansel swung both swords at him in a manner that would make it almost impossible to block or dogde. Fadriendel thought quickly, side-stepped and swung his sword downwards at a very odd angle, knowing the potential outcome.

As the blades collided in mid-air, the force of Fadriendel's blow, coupled with the lack of a strong grip shattered his sword and sent it flying from his hands. Dansel's swords slid neatly across Fadriendel's top chest, and cut through his overcoat, Fadriendel's strike stopping Dansel from perhaps causing more lasting damage.

Fadriendel, with a twirl, reached back towards another sword rack and pulled a blade from it and with one fluid motion swung it, one-handed, towards Dansel's left side.

[Dansel]

Dansel's eyes could barely tack the fluid motion, he cried out and grasped his hand in shock from the power of the blow. Though he had succeeded in marking Fadriendel, his swords had flown out of his hands and on the grass several yards away. Dansel saw the oncoming attack and knew he could not escape it, but he tried anyway. Years of harsh training under his superiors in the army had given him instincts that pulled him out of harm's way of their own accord. Falling backwards, he managed to lessen the impact of the blow. However, it still cut at least an inch into his side.

Gasping and clutching the cut, Dansel fell to the ground. The wound was not serious, but it hurt like a bucket of nails and bled profusely. Doing his best to ignore the pain, he pulled himself up on one knee and bowed his head to the Rider.

"Please...accept my sincerest apologizes, sir...there is no excuse for my disrespect."

Dansel's pride rebelled, he had to force the words out of his mouth. He knew now who he was dealing with, and continuing with his wound would be incredibly stupid on his part.

[Fadriendel Augcastil]

His blade cut neatly through an inch of skin on Dansel's side. Fadriendel straightened himself and watched as the man fell backwards, clutching his wound. Whether Dansel wished it to be or not, the duel was over. Fadriendel returned the sword to it's spot without cleaning it. Fadriendel watched blankly as the man raised to one knee.

"Please...accept my sincerest apologizes, sir...there is no excuse for my disrespect."

Fadriendel gazed at him for a moment in silence, then without warning lowered himself to the ground and placed his face inches from the man's own.

"You are right, there is no excuse. Be glad that I am not your enemy, or you would've been dead before you raised your sword to attack. If you are not already aware, I used no magic during our fight, nor did I use any particularly advanced form of swordplay.

"You are the greatest human swordsman I have ever seen, no man could last more than a second against me, yet you did. But, we are entering a new Age of the Riders, and so to us your skill and strength are nothing. You need to learn to identify your enemy before engaging or fleeing from them, or you will surely perish." he said. His voice was not the usual hoarse growl, but soft, caring and musical.

He raised one of his long-fingered hands and placed it gently on Dansel's stubbled cheek.* His hands were slightly calloused, yet unusually soft.

" Normally, as reward for your cheek, I would place two, or perhaps three fingers inside your new wound, but, because I like you, I will not. I shall heal you instead. " he said even more softly.

The hand trailed down his cheek, before it was removed and placed against Dansel's side. A gentle gold light shone from his hand as he whispered a single word, and, unless interrupted or refused, the wound would close, and repair itself as though it were never injured.

With that, Fadriendel offered a uncharacteristically kind smile, which reflected in his eyes, then stood and strode in the palace.

* ((I'm just assuming here.))

END THREAD