Home to the adventurers who choose to follow the way of swordplay is Izlude. Satellite city of the capital Prontera, this little island connected to the main land by a bridge said to be indestructible is the location of the Swordsman guild. Young Novices seeking renewed strength arrive at this place everyday, to leave it one step closer already from the dreams and power they seek. Sometimes, though, even the once common citizens are allowed to dream further and enroll the long list of swordsmen that spread out to discover the world.
The sun was already high in the sky and the seagulls were flying around like in any other day. At one of the houses in the Southeast town, a blonde, young male dressing like a swordsman knocked impatiently at the front door.
-Hayden, HURRY UP ALREADY! Do you know what time is it? - He yelled, stopping right when the door opened from the inside.
-At this rate the Porings will kill themselves before we reach the field, damn it! - Ryan answered. - Are you done with that now?
Hayden nodded nervously and both headed for the South Bridge. Ryan alread had some battle experience , but for him it was going to be a whole new thing. He didn't have to kill more than a few, weak porings before being admitted as a member of the Swordsman Guild, but now the idea of wielding such a heavy weapon as a sword with only one hand was discouraging him.
It didn't take long until both of them reached the field. Immediately as they set foot off the bridge, they put their eyes on a glitterish, pink creature that looked like a jelly ball with a face.
-Now, what about testing your new abilities on this Poring? - Ryan asked. - It probably won't have the chance to attack you back, anyway.
The red-haired swordsman drew his sword with some difficulty from the hilt hanging from his belt and studied the monster for a few seconds.
"It's rather cute...", he thought, "...but I have killed things like these before! I know I can do it!"
He hit the poring a first time, but roughly cut through his bouncy body. The poring stroke back and bit Hayden's arm, but a second blow completely smashed it.
-What the... Hayden, you could simply Bash at it. - The blonde boy said, scratching the back of his head with one hand. - That's what your training was for. Here, let me show you.
He drew near a white, fluffy creature with big ears and drew his own sword, which was much larger than Hayden's. Holding it with both hands, he raised the sword above his head.
-Bash!!
With a quick strike, the sword hit the Lunatic before it even had time to counter such a fearsome attack. As its furry body faded in the air like a magic work, it left behind a half-bitten carrot.
-Interesting... - Hayden mumbled, drinking the red liquid from a small, glass bottle. The bite mark on his arm dissappeared under his clothes as he threw the bottle away. - I'll see if I can do it, too... I'll start with a Pupa, they are resistant enough for me to test it a few times without being hit back...
Ryan sighed.
-Well, they are actually good for practice, but soon enough you will have to start hitting some real monsters or you won't be able to reach me!Hayden smiled, a little embarrassed.
A couple of hours later, the two arrived back at Izlude, tired but happy.
-So, what do you think of our new abilities? - The blonde one asked.
-They sure are powerful... - Hayden started. - But I hate how they make me run out of stamina so fast!
-That's why you have to be able to tell the right time to use them in a true combat, allright?
-OOOOOY, the two of you! Where have you been? I've been looking for you guys for ages! - Yelled a voice from the center of the city.
The two didn't take long to realize that the loud, rough voice calling them without the least discretion was that of their old friend, Dylan. He stood near a bench, wrapped in a long cape with a manteau.
-What's up, Dylan? Are you back from Geffen already? - Ryan asked, heading towards him.
-Yea, and as you can see from this cape I haven't been just sitting around. I managed to be admitted as an apprentice magician and even polished my skill a little on the way back home.
-Oooh, I'm kinda curious about what the abilities of a magician are like! - Said Hayden with a smile. - Mind to fight me?
Dylan, who had not noticed Hayden's outfit or weapon until that moment, looked at him with some surprise.
-I see, so you actually managed to become a Swordsman. Took you long enough, Bran.
-I told you hundreds of times already, I'd rather be called by my surname...
-Fine, have it your way. But I warn you, I won't hold back just because you've just graduated from being a Novice. - Said Dylan with a slight grin.
The two stood in front of each other. Ryan sat on a wooden, cubic box near a house watching them.
-Hey, Dylan, you'll have to duel me afterwards! - He said before his friends got prepared.
Dylan nodded.
-Are you ready, Hay?
Hayden twisted his nose to what Dylan called him and nodded. Dylan immediately grabbed his staff and a circle of energy gathered under his feet at a slow pace.
-Whoa, what is he up to? - Asked the young swordsman, staring at his friend for a few seconds while running at him with his sword. When he realized it, Dylan was already finishing his enchantment stance.
-Fire bolt!! - Dylan shouted proudly, cutting through the air with his staff towards the ground under Hayden's feet. Ten arrows of fire fell from the sky one after the other, hitting the red-haired boy all over his body. Hayden coughed and fell on his knees, defeated and holding some serious burnmarks.
-That's quite some scary power you got there... - Said Ryan, standing up from the wooden box. - But I think I got how it works. Dylan, duel me now!
-Good, and while those two fight I lay here on the ground, on the edge of consciousness... - The red-haired swordsman mumbled before his burns started hurting too much for him to speak.
The same circle of light from the fight with Hayden appeared under Dylan's feet once more.
-Fire...
He got hit by a swing of Ryan's sword before he was able to finish naming the spell.
-What, you stopped my magic attack?
-So I was right! - Ryan grinned, swinging the sword back. He had already given Dylan a bad injury to worry about.
-Energy Coat!! - Dylan shouted, covering himself in a grey aura of protective energy while falling back a few steps. - Soul Strike!!
Another spell, much faster than the previously used Fire Bolt, took shape at the head of Dylan's wand and flew towards Ryan in the form of five white spheres of light. The swordsman didn't have enough time to dodge them, but all he felt was some sort of force pushing him back and barely hurting him as the spheres passed through his body.
-Crap, I forgot these don't work so well on normal humans...
-Fatal distraction. Bash!!
Ryan bashed really fast at Dylan, opening a large wound with his sword on the side of his body. The magician dropped his staff and took his hands to the wound, trying to stop the bleeding, but fell on the ground right after.
-You magicians are tricky indeed... That "Energy Coat" of yours cut almost by half the damage my sword would have dealt to you. Nicely played, but victory is still mine.
Only then Ryan noticed that both of his friends were now completely trashed on the ground, nearly unconscious.
-Oh, you guys have to be kidding me... - He whispered to himself. Taking both of them on his back with visible effort, he headed to a cottage near the center of Izlude and knocked at the door. A young male wearing a brown long coat, whose eyes were completely covered by his light brown hair, opened up.
-My, my... What have you guys been doing, getting this badly injured... - He said, surprised.
Ryan dropped them slowly on two beds inside the cottage, and the young man placed one hand on each's forehead. Their bodies were involved in light for a second, and their wounds closed right away.
-There you go, all healed and in order! - He said with a smile.
-I'm so sorry for the trouble, Healer Dunham... - Bran Hayden apologised, getting up from the bed.
Dylan kept staring at Ryan Thorvald with an expression of annoyance on his face. He didn't seem to like having been defeated by a close-range fighter. Ryan, on his side, seemed pretty much indifferent to this kind of glare. He was used to it already.
-Ooooh, It's 'kay! - Dunham replied still with the same eyeless smile. - I'm always happy to help adventurers like you guys during your journeys!
-Should we tell him that we got like this because we were fighting each other...? - Whispered Dylan, maybe a little too loud. He was silenced right away by Hayden's elbow hitting his tummy.
As the three walked back to their houses, and after Dylan left them, the recently graduated Swordsman sighed.
-What's up, Hayden? - Ryan asked.
-As I expected, I'm still much weaker than you are...
-Don't worry, with time you'll get the hang of it! - Replied the blonde one, feeling a little embarrassed for being considered the strongest. - We'll leave to Prontera tomorrow, so just focus on your training. In no time you'll catch up, and when we are strong enough we will become Knights!!
-Yes!! - Said Hayden, smiling to his friend and nodding with renewed hope, as the two split up down the road. - Tomorrow's another day.
To be continued...
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