Quin lashed out aggressively at his trainer, batting blow after blow away from himself as he tried his best to make the most opportune moves. His goal, to break his trainer's defenses and go for the strike. But with swords with flat blades, it's just a painful hit. Despite his trainer's warnings about using large weapons, Quin still fought with his claymore as swiftly and easily as a stallion who trained with a shortsword. His blows were ehavy, his movements were a bit slow, but it's just a pattern of shiftign the weight of both blade and body. In the end, it left Quin fatigued and weak, most days, but this was the beginning training battle of the day. He was fresh and had as much stamina as he needed. Rigth until his trainer parried his downward swing into a riposte...
Quin froze, the blade set into the center of his chest, digging into the leahter vest he wore. His blade was halfway in the ground from that overhead swing, yet the stallion before him had managed to counter his strike effortlessly.
"You are dead."
"Damn it!"
"I keep telling you that a larger blade does not mean better chances at success."
"I'll tell you exactly what I always say. 'Tis nay the case! ", Quin pushed the blade away. He hefted his own onto his shoulder, taking a few deep breaths. "Different blade, different fighting style. Bigger sword, more devastating strikes. Doesn't matter if I wielded this sword or a sword twice it's size. All that matters is learning how to use it properly. If I ever had the magic to give myself unnatural strength, I'd wield the damn thing like a rapier and prove to be a force to reckon with."
"But you don't, so you can't."
"Of coruse. Instead I learn how to fight with this blade as it is. It's a challenge, and it's worth it."
"You broke my shoulder with it's weight once."
"I remember. I don't know if I can apologize enough."
"I still fight with my rigth hand anyway."
"But you're a left handed swordsman."
He chuckled, "Indeed I am.", the stallion tossed his blade to his other hand. He struck out and Quin deflected the attack. His trainer used that to bounce his blade backwards, twisted, and landed another blow, striking at Quin effortlessly, ruthlessly until finally, Quin caugth his blade. He simply put his against the trainer's neck and moved his hand to the stallion's vest, grappling him.
"Now oyu're dead. Didn't you once tell me to not repeat my attacks?"
"Eh...I did. That's good you learned that, but one's techniques with a sword are like words. You have plenty, but you can still run out."
"True.", Quin agreed, nodding. He let his trainer go, then they both stepped back, settign their blades ready to fight again. This time, they went at it at the break of a twig. His master was bouncing his blade off of Quin's own when he had the chance, but no where numerous enough for him to predict the blade would bounce off or grind against his own. He switched hands twice, even kicked Quin down, but the younger swordsman rolled back onto his feet, brought his blade up, and with a twirl, sliced his blade across the trainer's chest.
"Aggh!", the stallion reeled. "You got me, you got me. Two for you, one for me.", the stallion rubbed his pained chest. "I'm getting too old for this."
"Old? you don't look that old."
"That old? Keh! When people say "that old", that's when you're getting old. Now, I want you to parry and riposte.", the trainer tooka few breaths. "I'm swing high.", he hefted his blade into the air, performing a slow downward motion. "What do you do?"
"Knock it aside, thrust my sword forth.", quinr epleid. He knocked the blade away by it's flat, using the back of his hand, then placed the tip of his balde in the stallion's stomach.
"you ahve no guard, how would you perform that without getting hurt."
"I don't know."
You might be wearing a wrist guard int he future, but what if you were taken by surprise in the middle of the night?"
"I guess the best I coudl do is dodge it and move out the way, or parry it with my sword, then kick my assailant backwards."
"Parry and riposte. Meanign to deflect his attack and strike back. What woudl you do? come on, you're a deep thinker."
"Why would I have my sword at this point if I'm taken by surprise?"
"exactly."
Quin sighed, tossing his blade aside. "Alright. So, I'm disarmed, and you're comign at me without a weapon."
A loud explosion cracked through the air and both turned to it's soruce. the castle. The front were laiden ina cloud of smoke, and the cries of attack coudl be heard from the same distance.
"No...", his trianer dropped his fake blad.e He drew his onw sword from his side, turning to make his way there. "Grab your sword, Quin. not your trainign sword, a real sword, and meet me just outside of sight of the front doors. We're ill numbered, and it seems that the castle is under attack."
Quin drew his blade, hidden along his back. "Master Blade, need you ask me to prepare? I can see it for myself."
"Well, you'd probably be better trained than any of those attacking us. Most knights don't go through training this extensive. You head for princess Luna's bed chambers. I'll head for Celestia's."
"What?"
"Our garrison is out on orders to fight. Do you think we have anyone here? We're about all they've got."
"Yes, sir!", Quin leapt into the air. He was dragged down immediately after.
"The archers woudl have killed you. you're wings would make you an easy target."
Quin felt stricken. He lvoed his wings. He had pride in them .They were beautiful, they were strong, they were massive. but he was right. He wouldn't be able to fly fast enough, and flying far enough overhead woudl take too long. Yet the stallion beside him hadn't done much but turn to the event before them. Time was running out, and he wasn't doing anything. "what do we do?!", quin asked.
"I'm trying to find the clsoest secret path there. In the bushes on the side of the castle right there, that's Luna's passage to this courtyard. It's a small crawlspace, was never meant for anyone older than twelve. you head there, I'll take another."
"Yes sir.", quin obeyed. He began at a sprint for his, even fanned his wings and soared just above the ground. He backwinged into the bushes, then dragged himself into the hidden opening, making way through the narrow passage as quickly as possible. He came out at the other end, jsut through a book case. Princess Luna were sleeping. "Pricness!", he called, surelly enough to wake her.
"what? What is the eanign of this?", she held the covers to her bare form.
"Someone is attackign the castle. I do not know who, yet. Hurry, we msut move quickly."
"But I'm not even dressed!", una called her clothes to her grasp. As she tried to dress herself, and she got as far as a pair of regalia leggings and a simple undershirt, gryphons burst through the doors, letting out their eagle-like cries of anger. Luna reacted quick. Enough to astonish Quin as he caught the fleeing mare. Both went tumbling into the narrow passage, and it was not pleasant. they got stuck partway, then Quin lossened himself, grabbing her wrist as he puleld her along. No gryphon could enter, their armor prevented them.
Just ont he outside of the passage, Luna spread her wings, and Quin wrapped his arms around her, closing her wings and pulling her back into the hidden passage. Just as three gryphons swarmed the entrance. But they weren't lookign intot he dark apssage, they were simply looking about, as if waiting.
"Princess. I'm goign to try to distract them. I'll kill two, and while I ahve the last, you take off, make it to the barracks, I'll meet you there."
Luna drew a rather large dagger from her boot, offering it to Quin. He took it with a nod, then readied his own blade, getting ready to lunge at the two grpyhons ahead. He kicked forward and planted both dagger and claymore in the napes of their necks, fellign the both of them. He discarded the dagger, then pulled his blade free, rolling out of the way jsut as the gryphon brought his spear down. Not sword, spear.
quin backed away, gave a glance to the pricness, and she left her hiding place, jsut as the gryphon looked her way. He turned to attack ehr, and instead, met the tip of Quin's blade. Mistake. With the deed done, Luna was free, and Quina s well. He grabbed the dagger, set it in his belt, sheathed his blade, and leapt into the air, soaring after the pricness. She had just made it within walkign distance of the barracks when Gryphons descended upon them both. quin was dragged down forcefully, then pricness was jsut apprehended and flown off.
Quin forced his wings outwards, throwing those that had grappled him, to the side. With that given opportunity, he drew the dagger from his belt, hefted it by it's tip, and threw it at the grpyhons holding Luna. As he took fligth, it burried itself into said gryphon's back, and Luna was released. She caught herself, then backwinged from her assailant as the Gryphon drew his own sword. Quin slammed into that particyular gryphon with the edge of his own blade held outwards. They both hti the ground hard, but he had done his damage, he got his hit. Quin was after the next gryphon the moment he turned around. But it was too late. Two held luna, the third had a spear tip to the underside of her chin.
"Stand down!", the gryphon ordered.
"no!", Luna commanded.
Quin weighed his options. That dagger! But it's hilted in a dead gyphon's back a good distance away...He has his blade, but the moment he'd move, she'd be dead.
"It's either you or the kigndom.", Quin tossed his blade aside. The Grpyhon he had recently put down now put him ont eh ground, face first. He held him there whislt the others flew off with Luna. whence they were gone, the gryphon saw no reason to continue playing with it's prey, and so motioned to kill...maybe dig his claws into Quin's neck, but nothing ever came. In fact, he just fell over. Quin rolled onto his side to see the dead gryphon, then grabbed his blade. His trainer offered him a ahnd.
Niether of them spoke to one another. by the sight of them both, it was obvious they lost.
"they ahd already taken her by the time I got there.", Blade sighed. He wiped his brow, then tossed his sword aside.
"I almost had Luna to the barracks."
"I saw. Nice shot with that dagger and all."
"Yeah, well, it wasn't enough."
Blade sat down, then laid down, sprawled along the grass.
"Are you hurt?", Quin asked.
"Just a...small cut."
Quin easily traced the blood to it's center. no. He was stabbed. Pretty deep. Quin knelt before his trainer and began undoing his leather vest. "That doesn't look like a small cut." And blade did not deny it. the moment quin had his leather vest open, he was hard at work with the few materials he had at hand. Luckily, one of those was a bit of healign powder from the guard barracks. The manifestation of healign magic in a power, and it worked a wonder. the wound closed up partially and the bleeding receded enough for him to dress the wound. He wrapped Blade's shoulder, then helped him up. "to the barracks. we've got to get some kind of help."
Not a moment sooner had Quin and Blade arrived did as well the garrison back to the castle. Battle won. Choruses of victory, laughter, everythign of a good time. Yet, it all fell silent the moment the sight of those gates was upon them. The doors were blown inwards, bodies strewn across the castle foyer, destruction all along the walls. Teh captain approached the castle, failure bitter on his tongue. Like the blood of his relatives had been spilled over his own hands.
"No...", he said breathlessly. Those they defeated...just a distraction. "Men...I'm afraid we've...lost."
An angry shout came from the rear, followed by a hefty knuckle-on-metal ring. "Hey!", the receiving stallion growled.
"This...I can't..", the captain fell to his knee.
"What do we do?", Quin asked.
The captain looked at the young stallion, then stood, anger welling in his eyes. "What. Hapened. Here."
Quin took a deep breath, letting out a long sigh. "They blew the doors open. Came in fromt eh front. I went to Princess Luna's aid, but I couldn't save her. Master Blade went for Princess Celestia. He failed as well, even got himself injured."
"And after?"
"You arrived. I flew over here as soon as I spotted you."
The captain looked at the shattered castle doors, and clenched his metal encased fists tight enough to bend the metal in his grip.
"You're...next in charge. What do we do?"
The captian sighed. "You do nothing. You're not a soldier, you're a squire. You won't be helping."
"Of course I won't...", Quin huffed. "Master Blade is resting in the barracks. If you wish to speak to him, do as you see fit. He may be able to shed more light on the subject."
"Thank you...", the captain let his eyes turn forth. Gazing at nothing. Minutes after Quin had arrived in the barracks had the captain done so as well. He marched right up to Master Blade. After a bit of hushed whispering, Blade called Quin from where he'd been sitting.
"Quin, I need you to prove a loyalty to something.", Blade began.
Quin nodded, "It's a difficult time, I'll do anythign to help."
Blade sighed, "First time the princesses have ever been kidnapped. This is not a loyalty you would expect. Swear on your soul to keep your mouth shut. None of which will be revealed to you shall go beyond the three of us. Only speak in private, never speak without making sure no one is listening."
"I take it this is pretty deep."
"How loyal are you willing to be?! Answer me!", Blade demanded.
Quin swallowed. "My loyalty is to Luna. I joined out of a love for Princess Luna."
"I'd say good enough. It's desparate to do this, but I'm injured."
Captain Brace rubbed his forehead, though with a gloveless hand. "He's enough. We jsut need one other person."
"Quin.", Blade began. "We have decided to reveal to you a well guarded secret. Us, really. First, we keep the secret. And we keep it from the public. No more than seven of us know fo the secrets. More than one, remember that. And these secrets...well, you will be told of one. And it's what the gryphons are after.", Master Blade sat up a bit more. "The gyphons are ont eh hunt for the artifacts known as the blades of the gods. Ugh. Aside from the fact that no one was good in naming a sword back in that day, they are godly. Galloping gorge is one prime example."
"Galloping gorge was amde from the strike of one of those blades?"
"From the strike of metal upon metal to one another. When they clashed, galloping gorge happened...