Enjoy. . .

Down in the village they left their horses and walked side by side. It was clear the girl was terrified of everything. She stayed directly behind Ramirez and jumped at every noise. Despite her fear of everything around her, she was still terrified of human contact and kept a small gap between them. He would often look behind him and see her staring at everything like a frightened mare, big eyes and nostrils flaring with each breath.

At one point a group of loud men walked past and she stumbled into her only friend. She grabbed his red cloak and buried her face against the soft fabric. He turned and put his arms on her shoulders.

"Nadia, no one is going to hurt you anymore. No one is looking for you except Immortals, and I have you now. As long as I am with you no one will touch you ever again." He looked into her eyes earnestly.

She flinched` at his touch but allowed it. Looking at him, he saw the fear remained. He let go of her and instead offered her his arm. She hesitated and then took it.

"You said I will need a weapon. Can't I use anything?" She asked.

They stopped at the village well and she sat down while looking to him for an answer. He unsheathed his own sword; a strange design with an ivory handle made into the shape of a fierce creature. The blade was thin and elegant looking, she was afraid to touch it.

"I was married to a princess once, in a strange land far from here. Her name was Shakiko, her father was Masamune, a very gifted sword maker. On our wedding day he gave me this. An Immortal's sword is an important piece of their history as a being. It is what defines them and decides if they live or die. We live by the sword, our swords. You will have one too and you'll find it makes a very hearty companion."

He held his weapon to her and she ginger took the handle. Despite its appearance it was a light creation. She swirled it in the air a few times and inspected it closer. After looking at the hilt she gave it back to her new friend, he put it away.

"How will I come across mine? If it's this important I don't believe I will find just any sword to use."

He smiled, "Too right, you understand the importance of it now."

They continued on until they reached the blacksmith. Entering his forge they saw many fine swords hanging from the walls. From dirks to daggers, to half blades to broad swords. Ramirez walked along the rows of weapons and smiled at the craftsmanship, complimenting how passionately they were made. She took his words to heart and knew that what she chose would have to be very carefully chosen, it would have to be as close to her as her bow was.

Blade after black, from dull and rough to bright and polished, nothing took her heart. She left the forge with a heavy heart. They made their way to the tavern instead. He wanted to have her around people, to help her come out of the fear she still had. He was close to her every step of the way and his presence seemed to ease her nerves. When they were on the steps she froze.

He turned form the step before her and turned around, "It's alright." He said soothingly. "I'm still here." He held out his hand.

She took it slowly and they went inside. The atmosphere was thick with the stench of men. The men gathered were all burly warriors, drunk and causing a ruckus of their own. They seemed to have just returned from some sort of battle, most still wore armor and they were grabbing at the tavern wenches with sticky hands. Ramirez and Nadia made their way through the crowded space and found a place near the front at a lonely table to sit.

One man started raising his voice and took out a dagger to stab the table with. He was an older man among the fighters, and seemed to be getting excited with the story he began to tell. While her friend ordered drinks, Nadia listened in fascination to his tale of fighting dragons and man alike. Of glorious battles he had fought and lived through. He pulled out two sword he had on him, one a mighty sword of grand make. Gold and black hilt, strong silver blade, that was his pride and joy. The second was a smaller blade, silver hilt, silver blade, he didn't have much to say about that one.

The two new comers had barely enough time to drink their mead before a couple of the men broke out into a fight! Whether it was a hearty fight between men, or a serious fight out of anger and foul words no one would ever know. But before anyone knew it, men were fighting, swords were drawn, and the owners and those who worked in the place fled. Ramirez drew his sword, not to fight, but to deflect any excited man who came looking for a fight.

Nadia ducked under the table and held herself in a tight ball. Ramirez was soon lost in the crowd and the two were separated.

"Ramirez!" She shouted desperately. He was nowhere to be seen and she began to panic. A searing pain flared up her spine and she cried out from the shock of it. She reached her hand around and felt the wound she received long ago. . .

Suddenly the table was flipped! She was exposed. The man towering over her was a large waisted man with a full red beard, red hair and dark green eyes. He laughed loudly.

"Fight me boy! My heart is still in battle so get a taste of what being a man is like!" He shouted joyfully.

Nadia realized that with her hair tied back and in his drunken state, he must have mistaken her for a boy. Not to mention that she was certainly dressed as one, abandoning her dresses for tight trousers and loose brown shirt. She was thankful the flowing fabric covered her chest well enough. She gasped from her place on the floor and quickly crawled away from him. But he wasn't deterred, he followed her, turning over tables that got in his way and knocking down chairs.

She quickly found herself backed against the wall with nowhere to go, the shaft in her back dug in and made her flinch. He raised his sword and laughed loudly. She dove to the right just as his sword struck the ground where she had been! As she rolled forward she came to a stop on her belly a few yards away from the man, but he still followed. She was about to accept defeat and let him kill her when she heard her name.

"Move girl!"

She looked around and spotted Ramirez to the right of her. He had a shorter sword in his hand and threw it to her. She caught it by the handle and had a split moment to look at the silver blade before looking up. She found the man bringing his sword down to her again, this time, she blocked him. She closed her eyes when the metal blades collided and when she opened them again the blades where inches from her face. In a moment of sheer instinct she gathered her strength and was barely able to fling the man away from her. She got to her feet and the man engaged her to battle.

She blocked him with surprisingly quick movements of her own and found a strength she didn't even know she had. Soon the man, drunk and getting tired, began to slow down. He stumbled in a moment and she didn't let the chance slip by. She raised her sword high above her head- and brought the hilt down on the other man's head. It hit with a hard thump and the man instantly fell to the ground.

Ramirez was suddenly by her side and grabbed her arm as he ran her outside. Once in the open air Nadia began to have another breathing fit. She put her hands on her knees, doubled over in the middle and breathing hard. Ramirez came up besides her and put a gentle hand on her back, he felt a bump in her spine that seemed very unnatural. She screamed and flung herself away from him, falling in the dirt and scrambling to get away from him.

He was taken aback; she was so terrified of him, curled up in a ball. It was near pitiful. He went over to her and crouched down, looking into her eyes.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

She began to control her ragged gasps for air and nodded. "I-I'm alive."

Ramirez laughed. "Yes, of course you are."

She suddenly noticed the sword she still held. When the two looked at it they saw it was all silver, the hilt and blade. The blade was simple enough, it was the hilt that was meant to attract attention. In the design of two dragons entwined around a silver branch, the necks reached up along the blade, their heads resting a few inches past the cross guard. Rubies for eyes, and each scale in stunning relief, it was a work of art. The bottom of the hilt held a clear round crystal, and the dragons' wings spread out to form the cross guard itself.

She looked up at Ramirez and he stood up. "Is this what it feels like to find your sword?" She asked.

He nodded, "Indeed. And you found yours rather quickly, a sign of good things to come." He held his hand out to her.

She took it and he hauled her to her feet. She allowed him to wrap an arm around her shoulder in a comforting way and held her close as they went back to their horses. With the purpose to their visit fulfilled they could leave. Along the way she rode beside him and had her sword tucked into her thin, braided leather belt, she didn't want a scabbard for it.

"Is this really happening Ramirez?" She asked suddenly.

"Learning what you are? It may seem too quick," he said. "But there is no other way to go into the Game. Death takes us and turns us into an Immortal. After that we have no choice but to move at the pace we are given. Now that you have a sword you will be safe."

"Safe. . ." she whispered. "Is he. . .Is The Kurgan dead?"

The man hesitated to answer and when he did his voice was flat. "No."

She frowned in misery at memories of her past, "Then I will never be safe."

"Your training will change that."

Her eyebrows shot up and she looked at him in surprise. "Training?"

"Why yes," he looked back. "I'm going to teach you how to fight and how to survive the Game."