Chapter Twenty Four
"I have found you, at long last!" says the figure in the door. Stepping forward, both Grandfather and the boy could now see that it was the man wearing the feathered hat, that the boy had described from before. "I found your children, and now I see that there is but one more after you…" the man says, with hate behind his eyes as he looks to the boy.
Not waiting for more discourse, grandfather, quick as cat, drew out a fine blade from somewhere within his clothes, holding it in his left hand. "As I told you, Percival, that all you need do is look to your Shadow to find me, and so now you have!" Grandfather, moving amazingly swift, grabs his grandson with a sudden spin, setting him back, close to the open window, out of the way of the impending battle.
Sir Otto, just as quick, defying his age, draws his weapon, a mighty longsword, as well. Each opponent, wasting no time, and no further words, begin their dance of death. Grandfather, spinning low under a backhand horizontal sweep of Sir Otto's blade, lashes out with a kick, tripping Sir Otto, forcing him down to one knee. Grandfather, at that same moment, pushes Sir Otto's blade out wide, continuing Sir Otto's horizontal sweep, with his dagger. Leaving Sir Otto's face wide open for a punch aimed as his nose.
Sir Otto, seeing his mistake, manages to block the punch with his free arm. He then pulls his right hand in and down, the longsword vertical to the floor, aiming a hilt-strike at Grandfather's pivot foot, holding too much of Grandfather's weight to move it in time. Amazingly, Grandfather kicks the foot out, just as the hilt comes in, forcing him into a horizontal split on the floor, but saving his foot from harm.
Seeing his advantage, Sir Otto, who is still on one knee, strikes out with his free arm, this time attempting to punch Grandfather in the nose. But the old assassin, ever on guard, sees the fist coming, and grabs it right before it strikes!
The boy, amazed, clutching the Raven totem, scrambles back to the window, ready to jump out should the battle go wrong. Struggling, both Grandfather and Sir Otto push off one another, the Knight coming back to a standing position, and Grandfather rolling into a backward summersault to a low crouch, dagger at the ready.