Samuel flinched as the blade passed by his face, slicing his right cheek as it shot forwards. He turned to find Nick, sword drawn, standing directly behind him. Samuel pulled out both of his swords.
"Nickolas, what do you think you're doing?"
"What I was told to do."
"Nickolas, this is absurd! You know better than this!"
Nick spun his sword around. "I am loyal to my king, not my friend."
He sliced Samuel's left eye, who returned it by kicking Nick back into a tree of bamboo. Nick sliced it down as he rose and tried for Samuel again. Samuel kicked him back down and held his sword to Nick's face, touching the cold blade to his nose.
"We're done here." He twirled it once, and slid it back into its sheathe. He turned and started off.
Nick rose and rushed him. Samuel instinctively drew his sword and stabbed the blade into the oncoming threat's chest.
"Samuel...I only did this for my kingdom..."
Samuel's gaze went to his friend, then to the blood running down his sword to his hand. "Ah!" He let go of the hilt. "Nickolas!"
Nick pulled Samuel's sword out, the blood rushing harder. "Don't. I deserved this." He used his sword to hold himself up.
Samuel scooped him up. "No, no. You'll be fine."
He laughed half-heartedly. "It's over for me. Tell my king I died bravely."
"Nickolas! You'll be alright! I'll get medical help! D-don't leave me, please..."
Tears streamed down his freckled cheeks. "Here, take this." He held out a long green scarf. "I made it for you a while back and had never gotten the chance to gift it."
"Nickolas..." He rested Nick on the ground, the blood staining the grass. "I cannot take this!"
"I insist. Something to make me live on." He gave Samuel a smile. "Promise me."
Samuel sadly accepted it. "Nickolas..."
He touched Samuel's cheek, the bleeding stopping its flow. "You've been a good friend, and I wish to see you again. Just not too soon, alright?"
His hand fell limp. Samuel grabbed it and shook his arm.
"Nick! No, this cannot be how it ends!" He wiped the tears from his face. "Nick..."
He stood and stabbed Nick's sword into the ground next to the fallen knight. If only he hadn't been from the other kingdom, this wouldn't have happened. Samuel could do nothing to stop this now and headed for the opposing side's castle.
He tossed Nick's helmet onto the ground, the metal clacking loudly against the marble. "Nickolas has fallen! Call this battle off!"
The King's eyes beheld the truth, and he called the war off. Without Nick to lead their troops, the King and the troops went unprotected and they were to be easily defeated.
Samuel decided to not head back to his home kingdom. Nick wanted to help others, so Samuel would take that duty as his own to make sure Nick achieved his goal in bringing peace to all of the little towns within Japan.
It lasted for years.
