1 Chapter 5: A Night's Wanderings
Hikaru backed away from the blade that Eagle now used to attack her, never showing the slightest hesitation to go for an opening. She admitted to herself that he might actually be better than her with his sword, he was stronger, that was a fact. Not only was he taller, he was almost as fast as she was, more powerful, and able to put more force behind his blows.
Hikaru was tiring after only a few minutes of fending him off and he didn't seem to be tired at all. Although she was at a slight disadvantage, not only was she fighting in a skirt, but she was tired, she pressed on, using her anger to put more force behind her counterattacks.
They didn't speak at all now, Hikaru continued to glare at Eagle whenever she could and he simply looked back, his face taking on that completely calm look that frightened her a little. Most people, even Lafarga when he was under Zagato's control, showed some sort of expression, although Hikaru admitted that it might be because of the low lighting that she couldn't find any sort of expression on his face, but she suspected that wasn't it. The completely closed look to his face was even more disturbing than his uncanny knack of defending himself against her blows before she could even think of going for an opening.
Fighting almost completely defensively was not the way Hikaru liked to fight, but she wasn't sure if she would be able to kill him either. Even if she had been better than he was, would she have been able to slaughter him?
This is becoming more and more like the battle I fought against Lafarga. I wasn't sure if I should have killed him then or not, though it almost killed me, I'm glad I didn't.
Hikaru once again found that her thoughts had interfered with her fighting. Scrambling to defend herself against another slash from Eagle's sword, Hikaru decided to think about the fight later and concentrate fully on keeping herself alive to think about it at all.
It took about three more moments of fighting before she realized that Eagle was intentionally driving her away from the trees; where as she would have more advantage with her speed and smallness of stature he would have to avoid the lower branches and such. And it was doubtless Eagle knew that and was intentionally keeping her away from the forest for just those reasons.
This is not good! In the dim light it's hard for me to see and I can't tell if he's going to try for an overhand strike.
Hikaru was worried, over handed attacks were her weakness, she just couldn't seem to be able to block a slash that came from above. If she had been taller it might not have been too bad, but with her short stature and the dim lighting it was twice as possible for Eagle to slip over her guard. While such a move would leave him open for a crucial two seconds, it was more likely that he was fast enough to dodge and be able to slip in a blow at her head, and then it wouldn't matter if he left himself open for more then two seconds.
All her worries were once again swept away as they fought silently in the meadow, the moonlight gleaming softly off the swords as they flashed against each other.
~ ` ~ ~ # ~ ~ ` ~
Lantis walked as quietly down the halls as he could in armor, but nobody else seemed to be awake. He was almost ready to give it up and wait for morning, if the small girl had any sense she'd be in bed, which was where he would like to be, but the sound of almost silent footsteps came to his ears.
He turned to find that small, fluffy thing that everyone called 'Mokona' hopping quietly ahead of one of the Knights. It was the blond, he recognized her as the one who had ordered everyone away from Hikaru for the night.
Instead of moving on, he waited to be noticed, either the girl had really bad night vision or she was so preoccupied that she hadn't seen him, or the black of his cloak blended in with the walls better than he had thought.
Mokona spotted him first, bouncing quicker it drew the Knight straight to him. Bounding up, with a soft "Puu!" the creature clung to Lantis's cape with a tenacity that never failed to surprise him.
By the time he had finished wondering at the little creature's excellent vision the Knight had seen him and hurried forward with a whisper of sound he had fully turned to her, noting the green gems on her armor he concluded that this must be the Knight of wind.
"I am sorry Lantis-sama, I did not see you there," her formal voice was quiet and grave, deciding to let the formalities slide she continued. "But have you seen Hikaru-chan? She has not returned to the room yet."
"Actually, I was looking for her. It does not strike me well that she would wander off," Lantis replied in an equally respectful tone, figuring that it was better to speak to the girl on equal footing. If she wanted to be formal he could be formal.
"Mokona, I think, knows where she is. He has a tendency to find things that others cannot," surprising him with the casual way that she spoke of Mokona, as though it were an old friend, Fuu, he had remembered her name, looked at the fuzzy thing that still swung off the back of his cape.
"Puu! Puu pu!" Mokona appeared to agree and hopped down off of his back, as soon as it's furry little feet touched the floor it took off again, springing farther down the hall.
Fuu hurried after it, silent as a breath of wind, and Lantis, deciding that it was best to follow them, went down the hall at a more stately pace always going just fast enough to keep them in sight.
Mokona led them straight to another garden, stopping at the huge glass door his small cries became just a bit louder and more urgent, Lantis moved faster, coming up behind Fuu as she opened the door.
Hikaru backed away from the blade that Eagle now used to attack her, never showing the slightest hesitation to go for an opening. She admitted to herself that he might actually be better than her with his sword, he was stronger, that was a fact. Not only was he taller, he was almost as fast as she was, more powerful, and able to put more force behind his blows.
Hikaru was tiring after only a few minutes of fending him off and he didn't seem to be tired at all. Although she was at a slight disadvantage, not only was she fighting in a skirt, but she was tired, she pressed on, using her anger to put more force behind her counterattacks.
They didn't speak at all now, Hikaru continued to glare at Eagle whenever she could and he simply looked back, his face taking on that completely calm look that frightened her a little. Most people, even Lafarga when he was under Zagato's control, showed some sort of expression, although Hikaru admitted that it might be because of the low lighting that she couldn't find any sort of expression on his face, but she suspected that wasn't it. The completely closed look to his face was even more disturbing than his uncanny knack of defending himself against her blows before she could even think of going for an opening.
Fighting almost completely defensively was not the way Hikaru liked to fight, but she wasn't sure if she would be able to kill him either. Even if she had been better than he was, would she have been able to slaughter him?
This is becoming more and more like the battle I fought against Lafarga. I wasn't sure if I should have killed him then or not, though it almost killed me, I'm glad I didn't.
Hikaru once again found that her thoughts had interfered with her fighting. Scrambling to defend herself against another slash from Eagle's sword, Hikaru decided to think about the fight later and concentrate fully on keeping herself alive to think about it at all.
It took about three more moments of fighting before she realized that Eagle was intentionally driving her away from the trees; where as she would have more advantage with her speed and smallness of stature he would have to avoid the lower branches and such. And it was doubtless Eagle knew that and was intentionally keeping her away from the forest for just those reasons.
This is not good! In the dim light it's hard for me to see and I can't tell if he's going to try for an overhand strike.
Hikaru was worried, over handed attacks were her weakness, she just couldn't seem to be able to block a slash that came from above. If she had been taller it might not have been too bad, but with her short stature and the dim lighting it was twice as possible for Eagle to slip over her guard. While such a move would leave him open for a crucial two seconds, it was more likely that he was fast enough to dodge and be able to slip in a blow at her head, and then it wouldn't matter if he left himself open for more then two seconds.
All her worries were once again swept away as they fought silently in the meadow, the moonlight gleaming softly off the swords as they flashed against each other.
~ ` ~ ~ # ~ ~ ` ~
Lantis walked as quietly down the halls as he could in armor, but nobody else seemed to be awake. He was almost ready to give it up and wait for morning, if the small girl had any sense she'd be in bed, which was where he would like to be, but the sound of almost silent footsteps came to his ears.
He turned to find that small, fluffy thing that everyone called 'Mokona' hopping quietly ahead of one of the Knights. It was the blond, he recognized her as the one who had ordered everyone away from Hikaru for the night.
Instead of moving on, he waited to be noticed, either the girl had really bad night vision or she was so preoccupied that she hadn't seen him, or the black of his cloak blended in with the walls better than he had thought.
Mokona spotted him first, bouncing quicker it drew the Knight straight to him. Bounding up, with a soft "Puu!" the creature clung to Lantis's cape with a tenacity that never failed to surprise him.
By the time he had finished wondering at the little creature's excellent vision the Knight had seen him and hurried forward with a whisper of sound he had fully turned to her, noting the green gems on her armor he concluded that this must be the Knight of wind.
"I am sorry Lantis-sama, I did not see you there," her formal voice was quiet and grave, deciding to let the formalities slide she continued. "But have you seen Hikaru-chan? She has not returned to the room yet."
"Actually, I was looking for her. It does not strike me well that she would wander off," Lantis replied in an equally respectful tone, figuring that it was better to speak to the girl on equal footing. If she wanted to be formal he could be formal.
"Mokona, I think, knows where she is. He has a tendency to find things that others cannot," surprising him with the casual way that she spoke of Mokona, as though it were an old friend, Fuu, he had remembered her name, looked at the fuzzy thing that still swung off the back of his cape.
"Puu! Puu pu!" Mokona appeared to agree and hopped down off of his back, as soon as it's furry little feet touched the floor it took off again, springing farther down the hall.
Fuu hurried after it, silent as a breath of wind, and Lantis, deciding that it was best to follow them, went down the hall at a more stately pace always going just fast enough to keep them in sight.
Mokona led them straight to another garden, stopping at the huge glass door his small cries became just a bit louder and more urgent, Lantis moved faster, coming up behind Fuu as she opened the door.