The Princess's Hidden Power

I can't help smirking a little. I think I got in her head with that one.

"Hmm...I hadn't thought of that, actually. I wouldn't want to mess up your garden, so that's out."
I fold my arms and think about it for a second. Hey...I think that place could work, actually.
"Yeah, that would do nicely."
I mutter under my breath and nod. Then I look back up at Celest.
"How about old Fanghorn forest right outside town? It's pretty dense, so not many people go to it. I've been there a few times, there's a nice little clearing near the middle of the forest that'd be perfect for a duel of epic proportions."
I give her a wry smile.
"So, what do you say? Are you in or are you starting to have some second thoughts?"

 

I think back as I eat some more of the stew.
"Let's see...well, ever since I could hold a sword, pretty much. When Father found out that I was a natural with it, he got me started on sword lessons as soon as possible."
I can't help feeling a little melancholy as I think about Zyxll.
"I just wish he would've paid as much attention to my brother as he did to me. I mean, the guy's got a real talent for healing magic and I think that's something to be proud of, you know? This world's got plenty of warriors. We could do with a few more healers."
Whoops...I think I might be starting to bring the mood down. I wave my hand dismissively and laugh it off.
"Ah, whatever, you don't need to hear about my family problems. More importantly, let's finish up here so we can be on our way."
I go back to eating the stew. It really is good...maybe I should've asked for the recipe as my victory reward. Okay, that might be pushing it, but I am thoroughly enjoying it down to the last drop. Speaking of, my bowl's almost empty so I pick up the bowl, tilt it and drink up what's left. Then I put the bowl back down and let out a contented sigh.
"That was great! Thanks for the meal, I've had some good stew in my time but that beats 'em all out for sure."

 

Cereza sat in her bay window, with her head resting on the window frame as she stared up at the stars. "It's only going to get worst; isn't it?"

 

Zyxll closed his eyes and thought of the incantation he created earlier. Raising his hand he moved it in a short motion, and almost instantly his spell was casted. Asami was incapable of moving, He was still standing and would continue but his entire body went numb, It was a paralysis spell, Luckily it was already perfected before casting. He walked up to Asami, and put his hand on his shoulder. He could feel it, Asami was as stiff as a corpse but still breathing. He was absolutely fine.

"Don't move, Asami. You will hurt yourself If you try." Zyxll send a force of energy flowing through Asami, It brought his body back to life. He was not only repaired from the paralysis but we'll rested. It was like he caught a second wind without doing anything Zyxll smiled towards Asami and let out a chuckle.

"Thanks Asami, you're a good friend I'm glad I could count on you to let me test something. I gave you a little extra in terms of healing, anything weighing you down should be gone including illness, bleeding, or fatigue. You're a new man..." Zyxll sighed though there was a sadness that was coming over him. "You know, My father's choice really bothered me. My being older secured me lordship but because of the path I walk I was deemed unworthy, It's truly discouraging. So I've decided to become a scholar, I will learn all forms of magic and what each class has to teach. Though I will always further my interest in Healing, I always feel there is a better way to handle situations other than killing. Mother always told me life is precious and I always believed her. I do believe life is precious. In fact I wonder what my brother is doing right now."

Zyxll shook his head to snap out of his ramblings. And turned his attention back towards Asami. "Hey Asami, Sorry for rambling. It was nice to see you, but for now I must return to my studies." Zyxll walked back towards his desk and opened a master tome for healing. He was close to perfecting this school and wanted to get it done by the end of the night, As it would show his capability in the future.

 

"Oh...sorry to hear that."
War. Now I can see why she'd be so reluctant to pick up a sword again. I'm starting to wonder if this was a good idea after all. But hey, there's no sense in turning back now, right? Besides, I'm dead set on getting at least one match with Celest! I've never been one to back down from a challenge and I get the feeling she'll give me a great duel, even if she is a little out of practice. I pick up my sword and turn back to her.
"Alright, let's get moving."
I smile and nod to her.
"I hope you were serious about that offer, 'cause I'll definitely take you up on it. Hanging out with you tonight has been a lot of fun and I'd definitely like to get some more of that stew."
I can't help laughing a little.
"How about that? No matter how this duel turns out, I guess you're pretty much stuck with me. I'll try not to give you too much trouble, but no promises."
With a wry smile, I open the front door and we start making our way to the forest.


Lucius walking and occasionally stumbling through the castle, trying to keep his focus as he went on patrol. He wasn't scheduled for a patrol, but he occasionally took a walk around just to personally make sure that everything was in order. However, that was becoming very difficult to do in his current condition.
"Ugh...that priest...I swear he's going to be the death of me..."
He leaned on a nearby wall, trying to regain his balance.
"Just one more drink, he said. Just a little something to take the edge off, he said. I don't know a whole lot about the church's laws, but I'm pretty sure they can't do stuff like that."
He grumbled to himself as he held his head. After waiting there for a while, he started to steady himself and sober up a little. That's when he noticed that he was close to Zyxll's room.
"Oh, right...I wonder how Lord Zyxll is taking today's news."
He decided to wait a little longer before checking up on him.

 

Asami was suprised at how well the spell had worked. He didn't think that would be fully paralyze him, but he knew Zyxll well and knew that he would never try anything out that would be harmful. He slowly got up after Zyxll had healed him, taking in a deep breath as he made sure he was alright.

"Thank you for giving me a little extra. I really needed it for tonight." He smiled as he stretched a little. He felt great and better than ever. there where perks of letting Zyxll experiment on him.

"No, its okay. sometimes we just need to talk about things. I'm sure the lord had his reasons and in these times, especaly now, there's more threats of demons in this land among other things. He just wants to be sure that the person who takes his place will be able to protect everyone from the demons, thats all."

Asami sat in the room silently for a little and then remembered what he was assigned to do.
"but anyways, I'm on guard duty tonight for the princess tonight so I have to get going. I'll just leave you to your studies now." As Asami headed for the door, he thanked Zyxll again for the extra healing.

 

I smile when she says that.
"I'm glad you think so."
After a little while, we arrive at the edge of the forest. It didn't take very long but honestly, I think the anticipation is getting to me 'cause it sure felt like a lot longer.
"And here we are. Let's see, the path was..."
I take a quick look around.
"...This way! It's been a little while since I've been here, but I know the place like the back of my hand."
We make our way through the dense forest. It's a good thing we've got a clear path through this place 'cause it'd be a real pain if we had to cut through all of this. After a little more traveling, we make our way to the clearing. It looks exactly like I remember it.

It looks perfect.

The ground is solid and this clearing spreads out far enough to give us plenty of room to move around. The thick plants around the edge seem to form a natural wall, almost like a barrier that separates us from the rest of the world. It's almost like nature itself hand-forged this place as the perfect arena just for us. Celest and I stand in the middle of the clearing, keeping a little distance between us as we get ready for the duel. I smile confidently at her.
"Let me give you a fair warning before we start. My fighting style is pretty uncommon, so try not to be caught off-guard too much. I hope you're ready for anything."
I crouch into my signature Iaijutsu stance, with my left hand holding my sheath and my right hand resting on my katana's grip.
"Since you're a little rusty, I'll give you the first strike. Make it count!"


While Lucius was leaning on the wall, he noticed Asami walking out of the room. He waved to Asami and smiled.
"Hello. Did you just finish talking to Lord Zyxll?"
His expression darkened slightly.
"How is he? I was just thinking that...Lord Centurion's decision today must have come as quite a shock to him. I couldn't help but wonder how he feels about it."

 

As Cereza sat in her bay window, staring out at the stars, she could feel her eyes begin to get heavy. She fought sleep for as long as she could, until she could not fight it anymore. To anyone who would check in on her, or in the room with her, she'd look somewhat peaceful, though the worry that had kept her awake this long was still written upon her pale complexion.

 

OOT: Cool, don't mind if I do. I'm planning on making this a pretty epic duel so I'll probably divide it up into multiple posts. Feel free to jump back in and take over or you could just add some flavor text if you want. It's showtime!


Just when I'm trying to figure out how easy I should go on her at first, Celest quickly rushes towards me and takes full advantage of the first strike I offered! That...that was pretty fast. She said she was completely out of practice, but I'm having a hard time believing it now! I draw my sword and block hers at just the right time. She smiles at me.

I smile back at her.
"Good."
With a hard push, I manage to force her back a few steps. She comes at me with two quick strikes to the torso, which I manage to parry. She tries to go for another lunge, so I leap backwards to put some space between us. I take the opportunity to sheathe my sword.
"Alright...my turn!"
This time, I lunge towards her! I draw my katana and slash in one motion with blinding speed. This move alone has ended more than a few battles in my favor. But, just like I expected, she manages to block it.
"Not bad...not bad at all! And this is you when you're rusty? Now that's a scary thought."
We break off and I try to go for an overhead slash. She dodges to the side. It looks like she's about to go for an attack of her own, but I slash towards her lower torso before she can. We start trading blows back and forth. With each exchange I'm pushing her back further and further, so it looks like I have the advantage. But I can tell right away that it's not that simple. She's still warming up...each one of her blows is a little stronger than the last, her movements are becoming smoother and quicker by the second, her stance is looking more composed rather than falling apart. She's good, alright...real good.

But I'm not really as worried as I should be. To be honest, I'm having the time of my life! I can't remember the last time I had a sparring match that was this much fun. All of my other teachers, friends and sparring partners hold back. They're afraid they'll slip up and injure me and they can't even come close to taking that risk because I'm a prince. Man...I hate that title sometime. If it wasn't for that, I might be able to have this much fun more often! But hey, there's no use worrying about that. I've gotta stay focused and enjoy the moment! An epic duel with a worthy rival, just like I've always wanted. I'm gonna take it all in and enjoy every second of it as much as I can!

We've locked blades again as we look directly at each other. I don't even try to hide how much I'm enjoying this.
"So, how was that for a warm-up round?"
We break off and leap backwards, putting somewhere around ten feet of distance between us.
"I'm gonna be honest, I didn't think you'd come out that strong at the very beginning! But hey, that just makes it even better."
I quickly sheathe my sword and take a fighting stance. I can feel it...my blood is burning up, my eyes are sharper than ever and my whole body is tingling with anticipation. This is what a real duel feels like! At this point, I don't even care about the bet or my hidden identity or any little details like that. The only thing I'm focused on now is giving this fight everything I have. Win or lose, this is going to be a duel to remember for the rest of my life!

Moonlight floods the arena, reflecting off of Celest's sword as she prepares herself. The stage is set. The real fight is about to begin.
"I hope you're ready, because now...now it gets serious! You'd better give this everything you've got because that's what I'm about to do!"
With my sword at the ready, I charge right towards her!

OOT: Yep, I think that'll do for now.

 

OOT: Alrighty then, don't mind if I do.

Once again, she blocks my first strike from the sheath. She's fast...about as fast as I am, and my fighting style is centered around speed. I'll have to work hard to create an opening! I follow up my first attack with two quick diagonal strikes from the left and right, both of which she deflects. She counters with a thrust, which I manage to dodge completely. Thinking that I might have a chance, I follow up my spinning dodge with a quick slash aimed at her torso, but she blocks with an upward swing...right before bringing down her sword in a fierce overhead strike! I jump backwards to avoid it.

I quickly sheathe my sword and we circle around each other for a few moments, looking for some kind of opening to strike. I can't find anything...her stance is flawless. She must be thinking the same thing about me since she's taking her time, too. After studying each other for what was really only a few moments but felt like much longer, we both charge towards each other at same time.

Our blades clash and we start to push each other back, both of us trying to overpower the other, both of us taking a few steps forward and being forced to take a few steps back. We're not making any progress, so we break off and start trading blows. *Clang!* *Clang!* *Clang!* *Clang!* Our swords crash into each other at high speeds, moving like a blur to the human eye and throwing off enough sparks to heat up the air between us. We both hold our ground, neither of us even budging an inch as we keep trading blows over and over again as the sound of our blades rings out in the night.

Just then...finally, I see what I've been looking for! The opening I needed!

After the last blow connects, she falters ever so slightly and takes a single step back. It might not look like much to the untrained eye, but we both know it's actually a golden opportunity for me. And of course I'm gonna take it! I lunge forward and prepare for my next strike, but it's actually just a feint. Instead of going through with it, I jump high into the air and come down for a heavy slash! It seems I've caught her off guard...

...At least it seemed that way for a second. But like I said, she's good. Real good.

With both hands on her blade, she does a quick 360 spin and swings her sword with a tremendous amount of force, countering my attack! She manages to push me back and I land on the ground, slightly stunned for a second after seeing just how strong she really is. Unfortunately, it looks like that was the opportunity SHE was looking for. Seeing that I've let down my guard ever so slightly, she charges towards me and unloads with a flurry of blows! I deflect every one of them, but every time I do she pushes me back another step. This isn't good. I need to break out of this and I need to do it now!

It's time to bust out a little evasion technique I've been working on. After deflecting another attack, I drop to the floor and start rolling to the right. Then I push myself into the air and start slashing in a spinning motion, putting me in a better position while deflecting a few incoming attacks. When I'm back on my feet, I dash backwards to give myself a little breathing room. Speaking of breathing room...both of us are sweating and breathing pretty hard, so we take a moment to catch our breath.

"Well...this was fun before...but now, I'm having the time of my life!"
With my sword in both hands, I take a fighting stance.
"I think it's about time for the final round. But before we do that, I just want to say...no matter what happens, no regrets, nothing held back, alright? This has been one of the best nights of my life and I want to finish it off in style!"

OOT: It's almost time for the grand finale.

 

Zyxll overheard Lucius talking, he already could hear in his tone that he was drinking a little, he knew Lucius didn't have guard duty and so Zyxll interrupted his studies once again to help another person, Knowing his father wouldn't mind anything that Zyxll requested he got up and walked towards the door.

"Lucius, Come on in. You're far too noisy and I am lonely tonight, you're also drunk, for everyone's sake just come in my room and spend the night, Asami is on guard duty and I know you're not on duty tonight, it's off the clock for you to continue working. I've already got a bed set up for anyone who may need rest."

Zyxll left his door open in anticipation Lucius would accept his offer and went back to his study, waiting for Lucius to come in he eagerly awaited any question that could be thrown at him. He was studying his tomes again. And playing around with the magic he already knew.

 

Lucius was humiliated, to the point that he was completely speechless for a few moments. He couldn't even looked Zyxll in the eyes, he just kept his head down to the floor.
"It was really that obvious...? Lord Zyxll, I...I apologize. This is a pathetic state for the captain of the guard to be in."
He then muttered under his breath.
"I'm never going out with that monk again..."
He managed to turn his head up slightly.
"I will...gratefully accept your kind offer, my lord."

He walked inside and sat down on the bed as Zyxll studied his magical tomes. He was already off to a rough start so it was even harder for him to bring up the difficult subject of Centurion's announcement. He decided to start off on a different subject.
"If I may say so, I've always admired how diligent you are with your magical studies. I'm sure that one day you'll become an exceptional magus! In fact, I was just discussing this the other day with Lord Turin--"
He stopped himself and trailed off, unsure of how Zyxll would react to hearing Turin's name.

OOT: Too tired to write the grand finale this time, next post for sure.

 

Zyxll finished up his studies before turning around in his seat. "Lucius, just because you're captain doesn't mean you can't enjoy the leisures of life, in fact I quite enjoy seeing you stumble around in drunkeness, it's your night off, and the only time you're needed is to coordinate, yeah sure you're always on call, but you still sleep. So why not get drunk, one night You, Your monk friend and I can all share a drink."

Zyxll's expression went from delighted to slightly sad, he let out a sigh. It was obvious he was upset by his father's decision. "Thank you for your kindness, Lucius, Your words are always welcomed and encouraging. If only everyone in the castle saw it that way, We're in a state of war, Ceaseless battle if you may, against the demons, No mam challenge the throne for quite some time. Everyone underestimates the ability of magic sometimes, I've learned a ward that slows down demons and they lose some of their strength upon entrance, but I don't have the mana pool to cast it quite yet. As for my Brother..."

"My father did what he saw fit, he will become a seasoned warrior and is likely to lead the royal military eventually. I know my brother is skilled with a blade, I just hope his skill doesn't cloud his judgment I could prove I am deserving or the throne, but Father has already made up his mind."

Everything went silent for a few moments, as if there was nothing further to say. Finally Zyxll blurted out. "I could use a drink."

 

Lucius quietly listened to what Zyxll had to say. Much like Turin, Zyxll was a very good friend to Lucius and he hated seeing him depressed like this. He wasn't sure what to think of Centurion's decision, his only thought was that he wish this could have been resolved without hurting Zyxll. When he heard Zyxll say something like a drink, he nodded and stood to his feet.
"Well...then maybe we should go and do just that! Surely, I could handle a few more--"

Just then, he started to feel a little dizzy, so he leaned on the wall for support.
"...Then again, perhaps we should wait for tomorrow night."
He looked up to Zyxll, laughing awkwardly and trying to force a smile.
"I'm sure everything will work out. Besides, a person is so much more than their title or rank. You are a kind and just man, and it is truly an honor to be in your service, and to guard you with my life."

Worried that he might have crossed a line, he quickly straightened up.
"Ah...I hope I haven't spoken out of turn, Zyx--I mean, lord Zyxll."

OOT: No epic conclusion yet, wanted to clear something up first.