Celestial Legend

[kwekmh]

This is an attempt to write a novel with a mix of fantasy and martial arts. I was heavily inspired by Ren Wo Xing and that prompted me to write this story. I have recently finished the prologue and will be posting the revised edition soon. Chapter 1 is in progress and should be ready latest by next week.

Please stay tuned for the prologue, which is coming up soon!

[kwekmh]

A lone figure stood at the edge of a cliff, his long flowing cape flying in the wind. The sun was beginning to set, and soon it would be night. The trees behind him rustled noisily, whilst the figure admired the picturesque scenery.

Kane Bolton was standing on one of the many small mountains of the plains of Azrescene. Silently, he stood there, like a statue, with the occasional sigh. He possessed a handsome face, whose exquisite features did not fit his simple clothing. He wore a belt at the waist, with a sword strapped to the left of it. All that could be seen of the sword was the hilt and the sheath, and both looked bare.

He was a coward, he thought. He would have very much liked to jump down the cliff and end his life, but for the fact that someone was risking his life to save him, he held back that impulse. It was an impulse unlike his usual self, an impulse which had never been present until now. In fact, he had lost much of his confidence, and was no longer the expert blademaster he used to be.

He composed himself, and he shook off all suicidal thoughts. This was not the time for such stupid thinking, he reminded himself. He could only pray that what he feared most would not happen.

Suddenly, his muscles tensed. He had heard an unnatural rustling of the leaves, a sign that meant someone had disrupted the natural movement of the leaves. He listened carefully, and his acute senses kicked in, as he attempted to identify the intruder without letting it know.

* * * * *

The nine blademasters danced around Leon Stormheart in a circle, with their blades twirling around him. There was no chance they were going to let Leon escape from their web of swords.

Each of them took turns to attack whilst the others guarded. They knew Leon’s prowess too well, and they could not afford to give him even one slight opening. Leon deflected blows after blows, as he attempted to escape the encasement of the elite blademasters. He sought a way out, even though he knew the formation was flawless.

They were trying to wear him out, he knew, yet he could do nothing to prevent that. In a one-on-one combat, he would have bested any of them, albeit with some difficulty. The current formation they employed, however, was specially designed to trap and tire an opponent. Once the victim was drained, the aggressors would move in for the kill. This was exactly what was happening in this enclosed room.

There was only one way out, he realised, and he had to take the gamble. His left hand reaching into a pouch in his belt, he ducked for cover as he sprinkled black powder all over the room.

Explosions could be heard, as the room was shrouded in darkness. The powder he had just thrown was a magic powder, which, when used, surrounded a certain radius with darkness.

Using his sharp senses, he navigated around the room with little difficulty. He made his way for the door—only to clash straight into one of the elite blademasters.

Luckily for him, his acute senses alerted him to the danger just in time; in a slight motion, he raised his sword to parry the incoming strike. He gasped, as he got pushed back a few steps. He swallowed back a mouthful of blood as he recognised his opponent from the move. Thorin Wildhammer, the Raging Sword. Thorin was famous for the ferocity of his strikes, and no one within the Blademasters’ Guild dared to challenge his strength. Leon would not have competed in strength with him if he had known it was him he had run into. In the darkness, he was unable to see clearly and that nearly costed him his life.

A dangerous notion struck him suddenly. It was risky, but it could work. As far as he understood, even if he managed to reach the door, he would not be able to open it. There was no doubt the door was locked, and attempting to force it open would leave him open to the elite blademasters.

With a clever manoeuvre, he shifted himself to the back of Thorin. Instantly, just as Leon had predicted, Thorin turned and swung his sword towards Leon, instead of moving away to launch another attack. Leon could feel the tremendous force even before the sword reached him. Mustering all his strength, he leapt upwards and tried his best to stay airborne, as the sheer force of Thorin’s strike shattered the door. When Thorin’s sword moved away, he immediately dropped and dashed out of the exit.

“Give chase!” One of the nine elite blademasters roared. He was the Chief Blademaster, Rogan Steelhand, and he personally led the team to confront Leon.

However, Leon was simply too fast for them to catch up. In a confined environment, they might have stood a chance against him as he did not have much space for movement; however, in this long and winding hallway, Leon was able to maximise his movement speed, which was one of his many specialties. Soon, he had exited the compound. Anyone who had attempted to stop him in his tracks found themselves disarmed in less than an instant. The nine blademasters followed tight behind, hoping to catch up with him before he got away.

Leon did not feel victorious. Even though he had the upper hand now, he knew it was not long before the elite blademasters caught up with him and engaged him in another round of combat. Till then, he ran with all his might.

* * * * *

A dark elf, he deduced logically. Azrescene was the kingdom of dark elves. Moreover, only a dark elf would have been able to get so near to him, even when he was so deeply engrossed in his thoughts. Dark elves were sinister creatures, with skills even he dared not belittle. The sound generated by the movement of the dark elf told him it was most probably a rogue, and a male one at that.

He heard a swishing sound as a dagger struck towards his throat from his back. Without even looking back, he stretched his hands behind and with two fingers, wrenched the dagger free of the dark elf’s hand. The dagger fell to the floor with a clanging sound, which told Kane that the dagger was made of adamantine, the hardest material at that time. Or at least, Kane mused, that was what most people thought.

Kane turned around to face the dark elf. It was indeed a male rogue—as he could infer from his clothing—and his face was full of shock. Apparently, he was startled by how Kane disarmed him. Kane was not in the least surprised by his expression. Many people had shown their amazement at Kane’s skills, and he was no stranger to such expressions. However, he noticed something else, which was also reflected clearly on his face. Determination, he noted. This dark elf rogue was not going to give up easily, despite his previous failure.

All shock disappeared from the face and only determination remained. With an adamant gaze at Kane, his leg kicked the dagger on the floor and it flew into the air. Moving swiftly, his left hand withdrew another dagger from his belt whilst his right hand grabbed the flying dagger. Without stopping, he unleashed a flurry of strikes at Kane—all aimed to kill.

Without as much as a blink of his eye, Kane unsheathed his sword and matched every attack with equal speed. He saw potential in the dark elf, and he did not want to hurt him.

After another thirty moves, Kane moved aside to avoid the rogue’s attacks and shouted, “I mean no harm!”

The dark elf stopped his attacks abruptly and stared at Kane. Kane could not make out what was going on in the dark elf’s mind as he surveyed the rogue carefully. He noticed a pouch on the dark elf’s rogue, whose contents seemed to emanate strong magic. There were dark elf wizards skilled in the art of magic, he knew, but fighters did not normally dabble in such a field.

The dark elf rogue saw Kane’s gaze at his pouch. Instinctively, he moved his hand over to his pouch, covering it. Kane considered the actions of the rogue; there seemed to be something important hidden within the pouch. Normally he would not have been so inquisitive, but the actions of the dark elf aroused his curiosity. Even though this area belonged to the dark elves, they normally did not wander here. This was a dangerous place, for there were foul beasts lurking around. Not only that, but as this was very near the border of the kingdom, unwary travellers often found themselves lost in this strange place, and in a bid to find their way out of the strange surroundings, they often caused trouble.

He must have been mistaken for such a traveller, Kane mused. After all, it was a most logical explanation. Moreover, even though not all dark elves lived in harmony with each other, they shared a common dislike for other races, especially humans. He remembered what he had learnt long ago, a knowledge which made him shudder. Dark elves took the pleasure in devouring any unwelcome visitor, especially those of the human race, whenever they encountered one. Rarely did they let such a delightful feast escape, for it was not often they had a chance to taste such plentiful meat. There were dark elves that did not conform to this tradition, but Kane doubted that he had such luck.

Nonetheless, the magic emitting from the pouch was simply too enticing for Kane to back off. It did not feel like dark magic, which the dark elf wizards dabbled in, but it was the purest magic Kane had ever encountered.

A thought instantly came to his mind. “The Stone of Alfay!” He blurted out involuntarily.

The Stone of Alfay, as he had learnt, was the strongest magical artefact in the whole world; the power it gave off was so powerful that it rivalled that of the demigods. The demigods were otherworldly beings, blessed with the power of the gods. Despite that, the power of the demigods was only a fraction of that of the gods.

Kane could not fathom why an artefact so powerful was in the hands of this young and inexperienced dark elf rogue. It would have surely attracted the greedy eyes of many people, as the artefact was a treasure everyone sought. The Stone of Alfay belonged to the greatest Archmage to have ever lived—Alfay—and it was lost when Alfay disappeared from the face of the world. Many rumours circulated about his sudden disappearance, and many believed that finding the Stone would grant the wielder the power of the legendary Archmage. Consequently, everyone sought the stone for his or her own gain.

Kane had long heard of this legendary artefact. When he and Leon began to study the art of magic, they had decided that the relic would aid them in their quest to combine swordplay and magic. Kane was no robber, however, and he decided against snatching the Stone.

The rogue was obviously surprised at Kane’s outburst, or rather, how Kane knew of the Stone. His curious glance was instantly replaced with a furious look, however, and he entered a combat stance.

The rogue had hoped to chase away the intruder earlier; even though all his earlier blows were killing strikes, he had no wish to kill Kane. However, the situation had changed. He realised that Kane knew about the Stone, and therefore, posed a threat. The rogue could not allow Kane to get away. With determination burning in his eyes, the dark elf rogue struck with all his might.

* * * * *

Leon was tiring, and he knew it. Rogan was not far from him, and soon, he knew, the Chief Blademaster would catch up. He was not going to give up though. As he ran, his mind began to formulate a plan. A smile formed on his face as he devised a strategy. It was going to work, and he knew it.

As the Chief Blademaster neared, Leon prepared to put his plan into action. It was a risky plan, but he knew it would work. It was his only chance. He dipped his free hand into another pouch and pulled out a small crystal shard. Silently, he chanted lines of incantation, which he had learned from an ancient scroll. The crystal shard started glowing brightly, and Leon turned back to face the senior blademasters.

The seasoned blademasters were caught off guard by Leon’s sudden act. They could not guess what the young blademaster had in mind. Their hesitation lasted only a second though, as their instincts kicked in and they noticed the glowing crystal shard. Quickly, they charged at Leon with all their might.

With a confident smile on his face, Leon threw the crystal shard into the air. It exploded into a burst of light, which momentarily blinded everyone in the area. Leon had already known the effect of the spell though, and he spared no time for any delay as he recited another spell. This was a spell more complex than the previous one, and Leon had to concentrate fully to make sure it worked.

When the light cleared, the blademasters saw Leon running back towards the direction of the guild. Without any hesitation, they chased him once again, determined to catch up.

When the blademasters had left the area, part of the air shimmered as a figure materialised. The figure stared at the direction, in which the blademasters ran, and slowly, he turned towards the other direction. The mysterious figure was none other than Leon. During the short period of time when the blademasters were blinded by the burst of light, he had cast two spells. One was to create an illusion of him, whilst the other turned him invisible. The blademasters, experts in dealing with wizards, would not have been tricked by such a bluff under normal circumstances. However, they feared that they would lose the trail of Leon, and did not think twice before they chased the illusion.

Leon doubted that the blademasters would be fooled by the illusion for long. With all his speed, he ran towards the plains of Azrescene, where someone waited for him.

* * * * *

The rogue launched a series of fiery assaults which would have felled most fighters. Kane, however, disregarded the strikes as child’s play. Barely moving, he easily dodged the attacks. He could not deny that the rogue’s attacks were precise, however, even though the dark elf’s speed and techniques were not very good.

The dark elf apparently sensed his disadvantage. His twin daggers were useless against the human blademaster, and soon he would tire. He decided that it was time for a change of battle strategy.

Utilising his best techniques, the dark elf rogue struck at Kane with speed unmatched by what he displayed previously. Kane prepared to avoid the attack when suddenly, the dagger retracted and attacked from another spot. Such was the case with the other dagger. All the attacks were feints, Kane realised, but such feints could turn real if one decided to disregard it.

Kane was intrigued by this new display of techniques. Although he knew that he would have no difficulty in defeating the dark elf rogue and his wondrous techniques, he was curious. It was not often that he saw techniques that could possibly surpass him in the hands of the right people.

His hand moved to the hilt of his sword and slowly, he pulled the sword out. This was the second time he had drawn his sword this day, but it was going to be different from that of the first time.

“Mephas, the Bringer,” he called out silently. Owners who named their weapons were inevitably bonded to them in a special way unknown to others. Such was the case with Kane. He had understood the tradition long ago, but it was not until when he practised the art of magic that he realised the true usage behind the naming process.

A dim glow of light emitted from the sword, as if in acknowledgement. Then, as quickly as it had appeared, the light disappeared. In a graceful motion, Kane drew a circle in the air with his sword and guarded himself from the possible exploits of the dagger.

Every attack was a feint, but Kane understood the dangers behind such moves. He did not let his guard down, and continued his tight defence. He had no wish to injure the dark elf, especially one of such calibre, and he simply wanted to view the entire set of techniques.

The rogue growled in frustration as every strike of his failed. This was the first time he faced such a powerful adversary. He recalled when he had learnt about human blademasters, and the swordplay they often used. Then a notion hit him: blademasters detested magic, and had no mastery whatsoever in the magical arts.

What he did not realise, however, was that his opponent was more versed in the magical arts than he was. Calling upon his inner power, he infused his weapons with the power of ice.
Kane felt the growing coldness even before the enhancement completed. Instantly, he realised that the dark elf was attempting to defeat him through magical means. He smiled knowingly. He understood that the dark elf thought he had no comprehension of such mystical forces whatsoever.

He could feel the icy chill emitting from the twin daggers. He knew very well that if the dagger touched his skin, he would be severely slowed, if not frozen. With deft movements, he avoided every strike swiftly. The strokes that the rogue was display started getting more intricate, and Kane was all the more interested.

The time to truly test his skills has come, Kane thought to himself. His movements picked up speed and soon, the rogue was unable to follow his moves with his eyes. Suddenly, the dark elf felt cold steel brushing across his neck. Kane had started to counterattack.

* * * * *

The rogue felt the sword leave his throat. Truly, he was terrified. Not for himself, but for the stone that his master had entrusted to him. No, he could not lose the stone. With each passing second, however, Kane got faster and every time, the dark elf could only predict where Kane’s next stroke would land. He managed to parry a few strikes, but soon, the whirring sword was simply too fast for him to handle.

The icy dagger should have frozen Kane’s sword when they first made contact. To the rogue’s dismay, however, Kane’s sword was perfectly fine. The dark elf could not understand what was working against the magic, but now he realised that his initial guesses were wrong.

He called upon every single bit of his battle experience and combat expertise. Ten moves had passed, and already he was tiring. He understood very well that the blademaster was going easy for him, and Kane could take him down anytime.

Only one alternative remained, and he prayed that it would succeed. Attempting a daring manoeuvre, the dark elf struck at Kane’s throat with one dagger, and his heart with another.

He was going to go for a suicidal, all-out offensive style.

* * * * *

Kane saw the daggers flashing dangerously towards two of his vital spots, the throat and the heart. In one sweeping motion, he deflected both daggers. He noticed a subtle change in the rogue’s fighting style, and he was curious. He could guess that the rogue’s desperation had sparked this sudden change, but he was curious as to what style the dark elf was going to display.

The rogue attacked furiously without defending. Almost immediately, the truth struck Kane. He had no wish to harm the dark elf, but if this continued, he might be forced to do something undesirable. He had no wish to perish under the rogue’s incessant attacks.

He guarded himself for another ten moves, and he noticed a fatal exploit in the dark elf. He was able to strike at that spot when suddenly, he realised that it was a deliberate flaw. When he attacked that supposedly open exploit, he would similarly be exposed to the dark elf. However, he decided to take the risk; after all, he believed he was faster.

Certainly, he proved himself to be the stronger. The dark elf struck towards him with his daggers when he attacked the open spot, but he saw that his sword would reach the dark elf before the daggers could even get within range.

He felt remorse at the impending fate for the dark elf. What great potential he saw in the young rogue! He could not afford to die now, though. He had an oath to fulfil. He would not rest in peace until he saw that his friend was safe.

Just as it seemed that the dark elf was unable to escape his drastic fate, two stones came whisking through the air towards him. Instinctively, Kane twirled around to face the stone. With a swing of his sword, he deflected one of the stones. The impact generated was so great that Kane fell back a few steps and his sword almost flew out of his hand.

Similarly, the dark elf faced the stone with confidence. He believed himself to be able to deflect the oncoming stone. However, when his right weapon and the stone collided, he found himself collapsing to the floor, with his right dagger flying out of his hand onto the ground.

A figure darted towards them from afar. Before the newcomer had even got near them, Kane recognised him.

“Leon!” He called out excitedly. His friend had survived.

Leon smiled as him as he neared them. The smile warmed Kane’s heart thoroughly, for he was glad his dearest friend was safe.

He heaved a sigh of relief.

* * * * *

Leon had sensed the fight before he even got near. At first, he thought his friend had got himself into some sort of trouble. Certainly, he was not wrong, but when he saw the other party, his face changed. With superb skills, he picked up two stones from the ground and flicked it towards them with unsurpassed precision.

He flashed Kane a smile as he got near. He was also glad that Kane had not encountered any trouble along the way.

Leon walked over to the both of them. The dark elf rogue seemed to be unsurprised at seeing Leon. They seemed to know each other, Kane noted.

Leon gave a wide grin as he patted Kane on the shoulder.

“It seems like there is a misunderstanding,” he said. “Let me introduce you to Hoga Kuwa, the disciple of my good friend.”

Hoga was slightly stunned at the fact that Leon seemed to be very close to Kane.

“Who is he?” Hoga asked Leon curiously.

“He is a good friend of mine. His name is Kane Bolton, and he is a blademaster as fine as me! Not to add that he is also an expert in the magical arts,” Leon replied heartily.

“Who is his master?” Kane piped in. The techniques that Hago demonstrated earlier had aroused Kane’s interest, and his curiosity was not yet sated. Not many people could train a warrior so fine.

Suddenly, Leon’s face darkened. He looked around the surroundings, and after finding nothing, he turned back to look at them.

“I will tell you later. For now, we have to hide first, lest the blademasters realise my deception and catch up with us. We shall go to the house of my friend,” Leon whispered.

Both Kane and Hago nodded in approval. Silently, they crept down the hill and towards the direction of a fairly tall mountain. Leon and Hago led the way up to the cave in the mountain whilst Kane followed quietly behind. Soon, they had reached the entrance of the cave, where a door stood. Kane could sense a magical barrier protecting the gate.

Hago chanted an incantation and the door swung open. They entered quickly and the door closed behind them.

The first thing Kane noticed was a male, middle-aged dark elf sitting near a furnace. There was an anvil nearby, and a hammer laid on it. He did not recognise the dark elf, but he could sense a commanding aura around him.

The dark elf saw Leon and his eyes lit up.

“You have finally come,” he spoke softly. “Long has it been since you last visited me. When you sent word asking for Hago to meet at the cliff, I was worried something bad might have befallen you.”

“I am indeed caught in a precarious situation,” Leon replied grimly.

Leon’s dour demeanour worried the dark elf. Leon was not one to get unsettled easily. Something serious must have happened, he thought.

“Let me first introduce one of my best friends to you,” Leon spoke up suddenly. He motioned for Kane to move forward so the dark elf could see him clearly.

“This is Kane, a fellow blademaster.”

“And a pretty fine one at that,” The dark elf commented casually.

Leon then introduced the dark elf to Kane. “Kane, meet Archulies Yuile, one of the strongest and wisest dark elves to have ever lived.”

The name rang a bell in Kane’s mind. He racked his brains and searched hard for any recall of this dark elf. He was sure he had once heard of that name.

“You may know him as one of the deadliest assassins in the world,” Leon remarked.

Leon’s words immediately enlightened Kane. Of course! He thought to himself. Archulies Yuile was wanted for many successful assassination attempts until he suddenly disappeared. Kane was, however, also curious as to why Leon befriended a murderer.

“I might have killed a lot of people in the past, but all of them deserved to die. They were evil in one way or another,” Archulies explained in response to Kane’s questioning look.

The dark elf’s words cleared part of his doubts. Moreover, he believed that Leon would not befriend a murderer, no matter the circumstances. Even though the answer he got was not satisfactory, he did not probe further as he knew he would understand everything in due time.

Archulies looked at Leon and asked, “What is wrong?”

“Let’s first put that aside. I just want to know how they are,” Leon replied.

Kane was befuddled. He did not know what Leon was talking about. He decided not to ask yet, though.

“They are sleeping soundly. You can enter the room and look for them,” he pointed to a room behind him.

“I shall not disturb their sleep. Now let us proceed on with the Stone of Alfay.”

Archulies and Kane could sense the urgency in Leon’s voice. Something was amiss, they realised, but they could not guess what. Kane understood that it had nothing to do with his expulsion from the Blademasters’ Guild.

Archulies signalled for Hago to remove the pouch on his belt.

“I called Hago to bring the Stone along just in case you needed it,” Archulies said.

Carefully, he opened the pouch and took out a shining blue crystal. Everyone could feel the power the crystal radiated.

Leon considered the Stone carefully. “Not many people can recognise the Stone from the appearance alone, but experienced wizards would be able to sense the strong magic it is emitting. We would have to find some way to contain the power.”

“I was thinking of forging it into a weapon,” Archulies suggested. “With the proper enchantments, only the wielder would be able to control the power.”

Leon nodded his approval. “It is a good idea,” he answered.

Kane could not help but ask, “How did you get the Stone of Alfay?”

“I have no time to explain everything to you now. Just know that I found it in the Maze of Alfay,” Leon explained.

The Maze of Alfay was an ancient place rumoured to have been created by Alfay. Certainly, it was a mystical place filled with ancient magic. Many people have entered the maze only to never return.

Kane was slightly surprised that Leon had entered the Maze of Alfay. He had never known it till now.

Suddenly, the door of the room Archulies pointed to earlier burst open and a woman with a baby in her arms came running out. Kane instantly recognised the lady as Leon’s wife, Sarah, and the baby as Leon’s one month old son, Tyson Stormheart.

Kane then understood what they were talking about earlier. He looked at his friend with admiration as Leon entered into a tight embrace with Sarah, with Archulies carrying the baby.

“You are finally here!” Sarah exclaimed heartily.

Leon looked at her lovingly and said gently, “Of course I am here. I promised you, didn’t I?”

His elated visage suddenly turned grave. “The time is near,” he whispered to no one in particular.

Archulies could stand it no longer. He handed the baby back to Sarah and asked Leon, “What exactly happened? Is it because of the blademasters?”

Leon forced a tight smile. “You know the blademasters are of no consequence. However, I received this.”

He took out a letter from his clothes and handed it to Archulies. Kane leaned towards Archulies so as to be able to read the message.

Both their faces turned grim as they read the letter. Kane looked especially worried.

Archulies was the first to speak up. “Are you going to show up?”

“You know there is no way I can run from this duel,” Leon replied grimly.

Sarah took the letter from Archulies’ hands. Her body shook as she finished reading the letter.

“Why did you not tell me earlier?” She shot a deadly yet concerned glance at Leon.

“I did not want to cause you undue worry,” Leon sighed.

Suddenly, they felt a strange aura from the outside. That aura signified only one possibility: a Death Knight was there.

“It is time for the duel,” Leon announced. Even though everyone had already guessed it, they could not help but shudder at the thought.

Death Knights were swordsmen who had entered into the field of magic, very much like Leon and his friends, but in a different way. They were trained in the dark arts, and the power of their dark magic was devastating. No one had ever seen a Death Knight and lived.

“You should be able to defeat him, albeit with difficulty,” Archulies concluded after deep consideration.

“We shall see,” Leon said quietly. His grim visage was then replaced by a face full of confidence. His eyes shone brightly with unrivalled composure. His poise was perfect.

He opened the magical door of the cave and stepped into the outside. Following the guiding trail of the aura, he soon found the Death Knight. His wife and friends followed behind.

The swordsman was wearing black armour, with a black, gigantic claymore. No other feature of him could be seen. He emitted a dreadful aura which made him look fearful.

Leon was unaffected by him. He maintained his poise and spoke clearly, “I am here for the duel.”

“Draw your sword,” A deep voice emitted from the Death Knight.

Leon’s eyes were sparkling with confidence as he moved his hands over to his sword. A dangerous fire flared in his eyes.

“Aegis, the Upholder,” he called out silently. In a graceful motion, he unsheathed his sword.

Aegis was a long, thin blade. It looked so fragile as though it was going to break any moment. Warriors who had faced the weapon before knew otherwise, though.

At lightning speed, the Death Knight struck at Leon with his claymore. Instinctively, Leon dodged to the side and counterattacked with his sword.

The two swords clashed with a loud sound. Both of them were thrown backwards by the impact. Without hesitation, they charged at each other once again.

The dark knight demonstrated extreme proficiency with his claymore. Each and every of his strike was filled with unrivalled force. On the other hand, Leon moved with the grace of a swan and agility of a monkey. His moves were rapid and unpredictable. His friends watched the battle in awe.

The Death Knight swung his claymore in a dangerously low arc. Leon moved swiftly to avoid the attack and he stabbed towards the knight’s throat. With a lift of his sword, the dark knight parried Leon’s strike.

Leon leapt backwards, and borrowing the momentum, he jumped towards the dark knight, unleashing a flurry of strikes. The Death Knight was forced backwards by his endless barrage of attacks.

Just as it seemed that the dark knight was going to lose, Leon retreated. A strong aura of magic emitted from the knight. His claymore glowed purple.

Wielding the sword with unbelievable dexterity, he struck towards Leon. The blademaster was forced to retreat as he formulated a battle strategy. He realised that the magic the dark knight had imbued in his claymore enabled him to wield it with extreme agility.

Leon continued to retreat as he recited a short incantation. A light blue colour soon permeated his blade. With that, he stopped retreating. He matched the dark knight’s attacks with equal ferocity.

The claymore swept towards his head forcefully. Leon raised his sword to parry the fierce blow. He was forced back a few steps whilst the dark knight continued to advance.

It was time to change battle tatics, Leon figured. His sword twirled in circles and attacked every vital spot on the knight’s body. The movements were too fast to follow and the variations were uncountable. The dark knight began to retreat as he barely managed to avoid the rapid strikes.

It was obvious Leon was going to win. Suddenly, a figure shot out from behind one of the giant boulders. Normally, the experienced fighters would have detected the intruder but they were too engrossed in the duel to notice.

Kane looked at the newcomer and shouted out excitedly, “Raydius!” Raydius Thelmore was the friend of Leon and Kane. He then noticed that Raydius was holding a sword in his hand. Qyura, the Bane. It was the sword of Raydius.

Raydius narrowed his eyes dangerously. He paused for a moment as though he was in deep consideration.

Suddenly, Raydius lunged at the two combatants. Everyone thought he was going to help Leon. They were dead wrong.

Raydius’ sword was aimed directly at Leon’s heart. Too engaged in the duel, Leon was unable to fend for himself. All four people—Archulies, Sarah, Kane and Hago—rushed forward to prevent Raydius’ sword from entering the heart of Leon. Sarah threw the baby to a startled Archulies and dashed forward with all her speed.

Certainly, she was fast. She was faster than most people, but still, she was not quick enough. Leon was engaged in duelling with the Death Knight and did not sense the impending danger. A dangerous glint sparked in the dark knight’s eyes as he saw the sword nearing Leon’s heart.

With unbelievable speed, Sarah rushed in front of the sword. It pierced her heart and she gave a painful moan. Leon heard the whine and he was distracted for a slight moment.

The momentary distraction was enough to cost him his life. The claymore slammed into him, knocking him backwards. Without hesitation, the dark knight drove the claymore into his heart. Leon was dead.

The Death Knight closed his eyes and concentrated intensely. A purple aura surrounded him and he slowly disappeared.

Kane shouted out to Raydius, “What do you think you are doing?”

“Leon deserved that fate for betraying the Blademasters’ Guild!” Raydius shouted back.

With an angry roar, Kane unsheathed his sword and sliced at Raydius. After ten moves, Raydius had his sword knocked out of his hand by the furious onslaught of Kane. Kane’s sword neared Raydius’ throat when he suddenly sensed new danger. With an agile leap, he avoided the oncoming sword from behind. The nine elite blademasters had found them!

Archulies realised immediately that Kane would not be able to handle the blademasters. He instantly leapt over to Kane and handed the baby over to him.

Dangerous flames played in his eyes as he sped towards the nine blademasters. His hands reached out to the twin scimitars hooked onto his belt and he drew them in one fluid motion. He twirled the scimitars skilfully around the blademasters, with the scimitars gleaming dangerously. His movements were like a graceful dance, with every part of his body in perfect complement. The nine blademasters were forced back. Nonetheless, Archulies could not hurt any of the blademasters. They were seasoned fighters and with nine of them, they were nearly unbeatable. However, they also saw that they could gain no advantage in the fight.

They defended against the perfect slices and stabs Archulies executed, and retreated with each passing move. It seemed as though they were losing but in actual fact, they were following a pattern which reduced the effectiveness of Archulies’ strikes with every step they took. Soon, they were back on equal grounds with Archulies.

“Retreat!” Rogan shouted. The nine blademasters moved backwards in a rapid motion. Archulies also stopped his attacks.

Rogan stared at Archulies. “You shall pay for this one day, assassin,” he warned.

The nine blademasters and Raydius moved away from Archulies and soon they disappeared. Archulies made no attempt to stop them. He had no confidence in defeating the blademasters and knew that it would do no good to persist.

He looked over to the baby in Kane’s hands. “I shall raise the baby and make sure he carries on the legacy of Leon,” he thought aloud.

Together with Kane and Hoga, he buried the bodies of Leon and Sarah together. They then quietly made their way back to the cave, where they shall hide from the world.

Young Tyson Stormheart, along with Hoga Kuwa, would carry on the legacies of Leon, Kane and Archulies.

[littleli]

This is even better than invincible sword, plz update

[kwekmh]

This is even better than invincible sword, plz update

Thanks for the remark.

As I am in the midst of preparing for a major exam, I don't have much time for writing. Chapter 1 is nearly finished and will be posted here soon. I hope to complete a few more chapters before I go on a hiatus in preparation for my impending exams.