(A/N): This chapter might be familiar to some parts of CT: Midnight. It is, after all, the story which this fic is based on.
Chapter 9: Lord Knight
Part II: Steel's Hollow
Salendriel gave a salute to Necron and patted him on the shoulder. Since he first began training this knight, he has been treating the boy as a squire.
"A lord knight's status is best suited for you. You shall make another pledge again. This will be different from your raydric tradition. After the oath taking…we will duel…"
His student nodded. The duel was scheduled tomorrow and he still had a day to reflect on everything he learned.
Necron knelt on one leg in front of the lord knight. Salendriel held a thick tome and began to read the lines necessary. Necron was supposed to reply to few.
"Sir Necron Lorthiras, swear then to be a sword for Glastheim; to strike down all her foes."
"I swear on my sword, honor and life"
"Swear then to be a shield of Glastheim; to protect her from all her foes."
"I swear on my shield, honor and life"
"Swear then to be the armor of Glastheim; to display her might to all her foes."
"I swear on my armor, honor and life"
"Swear then with every crimson drop in your veins, with every heartbeat of your existence and every measure of your honor; that you will bear the title "Lord Knight" with every all the virtues and power of one; that you will rise as a Lord Knight and be an example to all knights. Swear it."
"I swear it on my blood, honor and existence. And I swear it on the edge of your blade, Lord Knight Salendriel that I would perish before bringing the stain of shame to the rank you bestow on me this moment. On all these things, I swear."
……………………………………
Later that day, the knight found himself in his room, staring at his gauntlets.
The metal gloves were cleaned right after every battle but they still had faint crimson marks everywhere. Was he removed from the raydric ranks just to become another one of Salendriel's personal escorts or perhaps an elite soldier? Normal lord knights weren't just plucked out of the raydric army and begin their training. There was something Salendriel wasn't telling him but it wasn't a big deal anyway. Salendriel was his teacher ever since he became a knight so his teacher might know what's right for him.
………………………………….
Kael checked the saber in his hands then handed it to Necron. The knight held the handle but kept his stare at the raydric-knight.
"What is this for? I already have a larger one…"
"Just keep it in case. This isn't the only one that supports you isn't it?"
Necron held the medallion in his pocket. It was Kathris that gave him that but it was Kael who made it.
The knight looked at the dawn sky outside the window. It was too early but everyone including Osiris and his swordsman were already in the arena. Necron knew that he had to swear another oath…right after a duel with Salendriel that day. He chose to stay in the waiting room until the lord knight starts the duel.
The knight turned to the red-haired huntress beside him and gave her a menacing grin.
"A scratch or two will leave no scars. Don't worry; I have his sword to use as well as "Commander" Kael's."
The huntress looked at her feet then locked him in a tight embrace.
"I don't care! As long as you can be what you want…or else!"
…………………………………..
"And so he shows his face…"
Salendriel put on his helm and drew his broad sword. Necron entered the arena with the same heavy black sword strapped to his back. A pair of sabers also hung on his sides. The lord knight noticed fear in the boy's eyes as well as doubt.
He has the heart of a raydric but he's a knight nonetheless
Osiris sat on a stone bench and watched the two of them closely. The blonde swordsman was also beside him.
"Lord Knight Salendriel…"
Necron placed a hand on the sabers that hung on his side. His teacher might charge and injure him any moment now.
"Necron, a question before we start."
The knight nodded. It was always customary for his teacher to ask him before they began sparring.
"What I want to know is…are you willing to be a Lord Knight?"
Salendriel took a step closer. Necron's hand clamped into the sabers' handle.
"Anticipating me? I see…"
"I never really dreamed of becoming one. I only accepted your offer because…"
The lord knight raised an eyebrow. Necron appeared to be in deep thought.
"It's because I needed more power to fight for a cause…"
"I have to warn you. Lord Knights are made or broken in battle and very few have bear the right to carry such a title. It is the destiny they adopt when they take up a weapon."
The lord knight smiled menacingly then raised his sword and a shield. His student held his zweihander and made it rest on his left arm.
"Then our talk is finished! Draw your weapon and come!"
Salendriel charged and swung his broad sword at Necron, only to meet the black blade of the zweihander.
"My old sword. I hope it served you well…but don't let it do all the fighting for you!"
Necron didn't speak. He hardly concentrated on any words every time he fought and this was the biggest fight in his life yet.
The knight attacked from below and aimed for Salendriel's hip but what the sword struck was simply air. Necron looked up only to find that the lord knight wasn't there.
'What the…where did he…?'
"You leave your back exposed!"
The lord knight's voice came from behind him. Necron spun and tried to make a successful attack again but his sword was too heavy. The zweihander's tip scratched the black marble floor and sent a few sparks flying before it was raised off the ground.
"Too slow!"
Salendriel stepped on the black blade then ran up its pattern then jumped and swung his broad sword at the knight diagonally; tearing through his full plate and leaving a long gash that stretched from the shoulder to the chest.
'He used my sword as a walking plank to reach higher ground and to make a successful strike…'
Necron withdrew the black sword and whirled it sideward. At that moment, the black blade practically crashed into Salendriel's shield and flames exploded from it. The shield shattered upon impact. The lord knight threw aside the remaining pieces of his shield and spun around, catching the knight off guard. The broad sword slashed through Necron's waist and blood sprayed from the wound right after Salendriel withdrew it.
'He isn't even scratched…'
Before the knight could even think about what to do next, Salendriel had already charged. Having left no choice, Necron kicked up his zweihander and held it protectively over him. It certainly wasn't a shield but it was wide and thick.
"That's the way. Learn to use what resources you have but I don't think that's enough!"
The broad sword fell on the black blade. The force of Salendriel's blow sent the knight careening backward.
"I already took advantage of your immobility for almost three times…"
Necron suddenly noticed another deep cut in his arm.
'Damn, how is it possible? Even his own sword can't…his sword? I see…'
The knight positioned for another strike but held his zweihander the same as before. Necron charged without changing the angle of his sword. Instead of thrusting, he rammed the flat surface of the zweihander into Salendriel. He then let go of the heavy sword, letting its weight press the lord knight down.
'He knows his sword well.'
To the knight's surprise, Salendriel threw aside the zweihander instead of falling down due to weight imbalance. The lord knight raised a battlecry and charged.
Necron drew both his sabers and repositioned for another strike. Salendriel readied his broad sword as well. The two of them circled each other.
Once again, Salendriel charged. An idea suddenly came into Necron's mind as the lord knight approached.
'I have both my arms to use this time like he said…'
The broad sword bolted towards him but his left saber struck the sword's flat edge and shoved it away while the right saber bolted towards his teacher's chest. The lord knight withdrew his broad sword, raised his fist and slammed it in Necron's chest, knocking down the knight.
Salendriel approached the fallen knight and raised his broad sword to deliver the final blow.
To everyone's surprise, Necron raised a warcry and his right leg kicked the lord knight's. The knight sprang up and swung his right saber at Salendriel's feet and at the same time swung his left saber at the lord knight's head. After noticing that Salendriel had managed to sidestep all his strokes, the knight held both sabers in a crossed position near his chest then slashed in scissors-like motion just like an elven assassin would.
"Taking on the unorthodox attacks is efficient but you're too offensive. Your defensive strikes with zweihander were enough to prevent me from counterattacking but with those two blades, you can't manage your speed and your defense is lowered a lot…"
Salendriel reversed his grip on his sword and slammed the hilt towards the knight's forehead. The blow sent Necron meandering backward a few meters. The lord knight reversed his handling again and swung it at the knight.
'Oh damn it….…'
Necron ducked, only to have the broad sword's edge tear through his helm. The knight took off his helm and threw it aside. It was battered and was perforated after all those successful strikes.
'Wasn't that attack supposed to be used with a spear? I knew how bash is used but…'
The knight locked his teeth and lunged at Salendriel once again. As he was expecting, the lord knight strode sideward. Necron shifted his weight and accelerated, the same time slashing at his teacher's feet with one sword and his head with the other. Imitating the khalitzburg's moves was very interesting.
Necron smiled as his lower slash managed to tear through Salendriel's right greave and gashed his leg. Before the knight could swung fully at the neck, something struck him in his chest and sent him flying backward.
The knight staggered backward and reversed his grip on his left saber. This way, he could strike from different angles and at the same time defend his chest. He had seen Salendriel do this before. He switched from attacking to defensive position at will.
The lord knight pointed his sword at Necron.
"Your skills in wielding two long weapons are supposed to be used as an advantage but instead you're being betrayed by it. I already executed counterattack on you twice and yet you kept on striking recklessly."
Necron tightened his grip on his swords. He was right. There was no way he could defeat this lord knight with his offensive attacks.
Salendriel took an attacking stance. The lord knight raised a battlecry and charged. Necron took the same and charged as well.
'I have to meet his charge directly and try to strike while keeping my guard up…'
As soon as the lord knight got within his sabers' range, Necron slashed outward with his left blade raised protectively over his chest, the usual target of counterattack. To the knight's surprise, his sabers hardly made contact with anything. Salendriel was just in front of him and had his broad sword risen.
The broad sword fell on his chest, only to be blocked by the reversed saber. The saber's oridecon blade shattered like glass by the strike's momentum and the broad sword's edge tore through Necron's armor.
The knight staggered backward and clutched his new wound. He also had a long, bleeding cut on his chest, a deep one on the waist.
"Remember that your swords aren't simple daggers. Your strokes aren't wide enough to reach me and even though your attack was defensive, I still mustered the power to break through it. That's because you didn't make a successful stroke at me and allowed me to utilize every muscle necessary thus letting me execute a powerful bash."
Salendriel's voice had gone sterner this time. It was like he was being lectured by his teacher during his basics of swordsman skills.
Necron panted and dropped the now useless hilt of his other sword. After exhaling for the fifth time, the knight and Salendriel circled each other once again.
The lord knight's battle cry sounded more like a terrorizing roar when he charged. Strange golden energies coalesced around him and his sword.
'That's Aura Blade! I've seen him use that before and a hunter was cleaved in two!'
Necron braced himself and kept a lower stance. If he was correct, Salendriel would fling him in the air and finish him off. His teacher was using a Lord Knight's skills now instead of just an ordinary knight's.
The knight held his saber with both hands and charged as well.
'The easiest way to…what the-'
By the time he looked up, Salendriel was already in front of him with his sword raised for a killing stroke. The sword crackled with golden electricity before it fell on Necron's shoulder.
"Not for the fifth time, I'll get hit!"
The knight turned around and reversed his hold on the saber. Necron struck Salendriel's side with the hilt in a vain attempt to push him back. The lord knight seemed amused with Necron's quick moves which were caused by a skill called auto-berserk.
"But you will, when all you think about is winning…"
There was a loud sound of steel clashing. Everyone who was in the arena stood up and watched in horror.
Necron's eyes suddenly widened when he felt something break within his ribcage. The glowing sword was withdrawn, spilling out more blood from the knight's side. The knight fell on his knees.
"Is it over now? Is this how you will let it end?"
Salendriel was still behind him. Necron watched in horror as his saber fell into pieces. Was he going to fall now? Salendriel already raised his glowing weapon to deliver the blow that would end it all.
'It's finished…'
Necron felt something zweihander's cold blade in front of him. He can still move…