Something wet hit his face; he raised his hand to calmly wipe it off. The red haired woman was held by two Dinolfos, one at each side of her, she struggled like a caged Tigris. She growled at him, revealing a row of tiny white teeth, her golden eyes flashing wildly, he appreciated the fighting spirit. "Woman, you better calm down." Xino warned her with a sly grin as another Dinolfos aimed a spear at her bare belly.

She only seemed to resist more, teasing them and laughing at their threats, he realized it wasn't going to work this way. "Give her back her swords," he said quietly, but he spoke so rarely so his hoarse voice caught everyone's attention.

Xino raised a curios eyebrow at him, wandering what the black demon had in mind, but spat "Do as he says." A second later a Dinolfos returned with her swords, looking at Xino with slight anxiety.

He spoke again, "Put them on the ground and walk away." He commanded the lizard, "You two, let her go." The exchanged worried looks, but released her simultaneously and ran away, keeping a safe distant from her. She immediately grabbed the swords, getting in position, and eyed him suspiciously.

"We fight. If you find me worthy, you'll teach me everything you know. If I fail to impress you, you're free to leave." He offered her, his crimson eyes sparkling in challenge. Xino watched him fascinated, the kid had some qualities.

"Agreed." She replied with a dangerous smile, crossing her two swords in front of her. He watched her moves carefully; she was well balanced on slightly bent knees, taking small, light steps as he circled her, adjusting her position to his. She didn't attack first.

He gave a short, rather weak blow, only testing her reaction; it was easily blocked by one of her swords, and she lashed forward with a spine attack, he had to maneuver and react quickly to block the two spinning blades one after the other. He used the second her back was still in his direction, but the sword that hit him first already completed a full circle, just in time to stop his blow. He retreated, estimating his rival again. His sword was longer and heavier, giving him forceful hits and a longer range, but she had two lighter ones and her speed and agility were impressive.

They exchanged a few hits, and she managed to lock his sword between her two blades. She was about to continue her motion and twist the sword out of his hands, but instead of resisting her move and losing his sword, he loosened his grip and followed her movement while carefully pulling backwards, freeing his sword from her iron grip. He saw her smiling at him with entertainment. He heard some of the lizards cheer for him; he chuckled at the thought that the one thing they hated more than him was the Garudo.

She launched forward again, her sword so fast it seemed blurry, lingering in place even after they moved on, and he leaned forward to hold back her attack. He raised his sword to block a vertical high blow, but her other blade was aiming low, horizontal cut in the thigh. He couldn't tell how exactly he did it, but her blade hit nothing but air, as he jumped, pressing his legs to his chest. She lost her balance and stumbled forward, at his feet, his sword aiming at her neck. "That's enough," she said through gritted teeth.

He stepped back, returning his sword to its sheath, and watched her as she got up, face flushed from the effort and the embarrassment. He watched her, waiting for her answer, silent as ever. "You're surprisingly good for a man… or whatever horrid crossbreed Ganon has created. " she spoke with cold voice, her expression shouting revulsion. "I will train you. Garudo keep their word."

He nodded formally, taking a step closer to her, "Your name, miss?" he addressed her in a polite manner; he loathed the dirty talk of the soldiers.

She cocked her eyebrows at his gentle ways and replied in a friendlier tone, "Nabooru."

He gave Xino a meaningful glare and turned to her, "Dark," he introduced himself, "It would be an honor to learn from you." With that he left her, walking toward Xino, who looked at him waiting for an explanation.

"You do realize she is a political prisoner and not a random Garudo thief?" Dark hissed, as they both watched her. "You should personally see to it that she is treated properly." He motioned his head towards the low ranked lizards surrounding her.

"Of course I know who she is," he said with a wide grin, "I personally led the raid where she was arrested." He remarked, caressing the scales on his chest, "I thought you'd appreciate my pick, she's one of their best warriors."

Dark thanked him, lowering his head in gratitude and submissiveness; even with his quick promotions, Xino still outranked him, holding one of the most important positions in Ganon's army. He knew Xino favored him, as much as a Dinolfos could favor anyone, and gave him more freedom of action and speech than any other commander would. Xino was frustrated by the soldiers' narrow minds and the lack of initiative, and was fond of Dark just because he dared to think and disagree.

He saluted his superior and walked away, stopping in his room for a quick shower; he was always mocked by the others for being so clean and tidy. His uniform was always ironed, his boots polished and his sword shiny, he was pedant and high disciplined and he despised sloppiness. He washed his body and hair as well; a while had passed from the first day he could remember and ebony bangs rested on his forehead, gracing him with a mysterious charm.

Red eyes glared at him from the mirror, for a moment he thought he recalled something, but he immediately forgot it again, the memory escaping from his hands like a butterfly. The eyes closed, and a heavy sigh was heard. He hated not knowing.