From Zero to Hero

Chapter 3: Challenge from a Valiant Knight

Recap: Louie has begun his new lifestyle with new friends. Merril the thief, Genie the warrior, and Melissa the cleric. They have journeyed through the demon woods and fought many demons and escaped imprisonment from an elven village by calling upon the demons themselves. Then defeating the demons.

Next the group decided to help Melissa with her clerical pupils. After venturing through the ruins with his new wand, he may finally prove to be ready for more adventures.

Everyone in town seemed not able to resist their wandering eyes upon the elegant blonde haired knight as his horse strut into town. The knight took notice of a tavern while he was in Ohfern and stepped inside after posting his steed.

His wondering eyes seemed to take notice of a lovely lady with red hair that seemed to be shoulder length but had a long red ponytail as well. She sat with a large man with long blue hair. "Good morrow to you nobleman and fair maiden. I know you may find it difficult to resist my unbearable good looks, but I'm afraid you must for I already have a lady as I am her handsome champion. Would you two happen to know of Miss Melissa?"

Louie and Ila watched the knight stroke his hair not interested in what he had to say anymore until he mentioned Melissa's name. "Melissa? Sure we know her." Louie said nonchalantly.

"Wonderful, and would you mind leading me to her?" The knight asked politely.

"Certainly," Ila said as the three of them made their way to the Temple of Mylee. Genie and Merrill were already there with Melissa when Louie and Ila arrived.

"Hey Melissa!" Louie shouted to get her attention. Melissa turned away twitching as usual from her irritation with him. "We found a friend of yours," he continued when he neared her. The knight didn't wait for Melissa to answer Louie. He made his way through them quickly, kneeling before her and catching her hand in his.

"Oh Melissa, I am here, your champion. I've come to take you back to Ronliearth with me." He said with a grin.

"Conrad!" Melissa was surprised to see him there.

"Huh…you mean you know this clown?" Louie said surprised as well.

"Of course she knows me, and better than you think. After all I am her…fi…an…ce…" Conrad said slowly for them to understand.

"What he's your fiancé?" Merrill asked unbelievingly.

"This weirdo?" Genie added.

"YAY!" Ila cheered.

Louie simply laughed at the whole ordeal. Conrad nevertheless continued to assure Melissa that they would return to Ronliearth and wed. She on the other hand refused.

"Man she don't pull back punches," Louie said.

"I don't love you! I have no ties with my family and I'm not going to marry you."

"This isn't about the arrangement if that's what you think?" Conrad continued. "I truly love you and I've changed my ways. I'm a knight and I wish to be your valiant champion."

"Conrad…don't make me judge a book by it's cover," Melissa said breaking free of him. "Besides I already have a champion to be with so you can just go away!" Melissa walked over to Louie and hugged his arm. "This man is my champion!"

Conrad freaked out whining as Louie rubbed his head and shrugged. "Oh yeah, I forgot about that…"

"No you can't be serious! I mean come on take a look at me…look at me, I mean I'm so much better looking than he is that it's not even funny." Conrad flipped his hair with his hand. Louie faced began to steam. "And I'm rich, I have beautiful long legs and the tender heart of a poet!"

"Ok this guy is starting to get on my last nerves…" Louie whispered to Melissa.

"Quiet you aren't much better…" Melissa replied.

"I challenge you!" Everyone's face was in awe. "I'm challenging you to a duel magician." Conrad said pointing at Louie.

"Louie will accept your challenge Conrad!" Melissa volunteered him.

"Hey wait a minute…" Louie began.

"If you win I promise to give up my order and return with you," Melissa continued. "But if he wins I want you to never come near me again."

"Fine! I'll see you in a week!" Conrad bolted off away from them. The others simply watched where he was going.

"Oh he's walking now," Genie narrated. "Oh he's sees us watching and he's running again. No wait he's stopped again. He obviously doesn't know where he's going." They turned their attention away from Conrad and back to Melissa as Louie sighed.

"I don't know I you get me in this mess…" He looked down at her saddened face then shouted, "Well if it's a fight he wants, then it's a fight he'll get!"

Later that night, robbers had finished robbing a jewelry shop and were getting ready to bash the owner's head in. From the moonlit sky along the road came a noble steed bearing the knight Conrad upon it. "Unhand him fools!" Conrad ordered the thugs.

"You got a deathwish idiot?" One of the thugs said.

Conrad stepped down from his horse and withdrew his sword. "Come on…it's time that you and I dance together, shall I lead?" Conrad said with a smirk upon his face. Merrill took notice in the shadows as she posted upon a roof.

Melissa, Genie and Ila watched Louie train himself as they whispered amongst each other. "Just between you and me," Melissa began, "Louie can't possibly lose. I know Conrad and he's not getting any better…not even with seven days of training."

"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh!" Merrill screamed as she entered that morning. "That crazy knight we just saw from yesterday…I just watched him take out four guys in a minute flat! I'd say he was about Genie's skill level and Louie doesn't stand a chance without the proper training."

Louie fell over from the news. He rose immediately after shouting, "then I'll need super training!"

"Then that's what we'll do," Genie agreed. She trained him her way as Louie whined and fell all over the place. "Come on, this is no time to be fooling around!" She shouted and put him through more extensive training. By the end of the week Louie was battered.

"Louie, I shouldn't have drug you into this. I'm going to stop this and call this whole thing off!" Melissa told him after watching him train so hard.

"No Melissa…this is my fight now. This is no longer about you." Louie interrupted. "Now my honor is on the line and I won't back down…not in front of everyone."

"That man's sword…" Ila softly spoke. She walked out of the training area they were in and left them all bewildered.

The day had finally come and the coliseum was full of the town viewing the match to come. Conrad stepped out of the gate as everyone cheered for him. Louie stepped out of the opposite side and received boo's from the crowd. "YOU SUCK!" He heard one of them yell.

"Oh man…and this is my hometown…" Louie moped.

"Go Loulou," he heard his aunt scream.

"Why she have to shout that?" Louie stepped closer to Conrad as the fight began.

"Come, it's time that you and I dance together." Conrad said with a smirk. He attacked fast as Louie barely managed to dodge the blow. He stumbled back with a cut across his arm.

Louie noticed that Conrad and his sword didn't seem united when he swung. Conrad came at him again just as fast though Louie slipped upon a pebble and falling to his butt just as the sword missed him and went over his head.

Ila returned in the coliseum with a sword with her. "Louie! Use this and saw let's dance in the darkness." She yelled as she tossed him the sword.

Louie grabbed the sword and screamed back, "how can you ask me to say something so stupid?" Conrad struck again as Louie barely dodged but blocked with his new sword. He thought of what Conrad said at the beginning of the duel when he noticed the glow of both their jewels from their swords. "Oh I get it…hey Conrad! Let's dance in the darkness!" The sword flew out of Louie's grip and fought on it's own with Conrad's.

"Hey no fair, the porter's cheating!" Yelled one of the three cleric apprentices.

"He's the one that's been cheating!" Louie yelled back as Conrad too lost his grip and both swords fought amongst each other.

Zyrk the swashbuckler was intrigued at first but then was disappointed to have wasted his time on a phony match. "Dancing swords huh…" he shook his head and rose to leave.

Louie grabbed Conrad and smiled, "now how bout a real match?"

"I'm sorry, I'm just a beautiful man with long legs…" Conrad yelped as Louie grabbed him. "Please don't hurt me!" Louie smiled and tossed him through the air as Conrad fell out of his armor.

He was a frail man with no muscles at all. The crowd laughed and called him puny and scrawny. "Mommy!" Conrad yelped as he ran out of the coliseum. The crowd cheered for Louie as all finally seemed to go right for Louie…at least for one day…