The Castle of Stromgard was busy as usual. At the castle courtyard, soldiers stood in rows, responding to commands from their trainers. Sound of metal clashing and heavy boots thumping on the ground filled the air. The instructors drilled the soldiers vigorously, yelling and screaming all the time, and were quickly answered with the same intensity. For most people, they found the environment noisy and annoying, for the sound could be heard throughout the city beneath the palace gate.
For Maya Murdock, the sound was extremely annoying. She was a nature girl. She loved being in places where everything was natural. She loved being alone in the forest or vast grassland or near caves and waterfalls where she could hear the sound of life around her. As a slave at the busy town of Tiras, she had been confined from that freedom for a long time, but since she joined Atrus' cause, she had had plenty of time to unleash her heart's desire.
Atrus... Atrus White Lion... Her master and hero. She could remember the very first day she met him. She could remember the fear, the amazement, and the excitement she had, blended together in their first encounter. Her vows remained that she would serve him completely, even if it would cost her life.
Her hands grasped the metal talisman in her neck. Her father's last memory, the talisman had proven to be magical. Anna had confirmed it that the talisman magically increased the wearer's speed and agility, enabling her to move and run faster than normal humans. The talisman should indeed be useful for her, for speed was indeed her most valuable asset.
Her mind shifted to Anna, Adriana Freesland, her mistress. As a priestess of Lycra, her magical ability was impressive. She was very smart, too, and in fact her vast knowledge impressed her the most. Just like her, Anna shared the same fate of her childhood. She was raped when she was only seventeen, and was therefor banished from the shrine. Yet she rose up from her grief and had become Atrus' most trusted ally.
The noisy sound stopped, but the training was far from over. Instead, the soldiers grouped together near the fountain where Maya was sitting. Today was a special day in the training schedule, for there was a special event being held. It was a joust between Atrus White Lion and Captain Hawk.
Captain Hawk was the head of the royal guard instructor team. Being the youngest captain in the royal army didn't mean he was incompetent, for he was the best man in lance and spear fighting. No one could match his spear skill. Atrus, however, was not good with spear, so he used his Rainbow Sword. He received the sword from Baron Stoke when they were battling the demons to save the town of Blackwell from destruction. Anna could not confirm it, but the sword was indeed magical. The metal was heavy and strong, but it was incredibly light in his hand.
From her spot next to the fountain, Maya got a perfect view of the battleground. Anna was nowhere in sight, for she was taking a private lesson with a knight on how to ride a horse. Maya couldn't help but laughed, thinking of her mistress, trying to control the horse. Well, she is going to miss the fight...
The soldiers sat quietly on the ground around the battleground. At the center, Captain Hawk stood proudly with his spear on his hand. The spear was real, with sharp blade at the end. Atrus stood defiantly, facing him. His Rainbow Sword rested on his back.
"This is real, Atrus... Real weapons and real blood..." Hawk warned.
"Indeed." Atrus answered calmly.
"I've never fought a Ranger before... Let's see how awful they are..." he taunted.
"Admit it, Hawk... You're too old for this..."
The battle started as dashed at each other and swung their weapons. The weapons clashed together and the two warriors broke their engagement. As soon as they were apart, Hawk's spear broke into two parts. The crowds grasped as the sight.
"Boy... this thing is pretty strong..." Atrus inspected his sword.
"Guards! Get me another spear!"
Quickly Hawk wielded a new spear with curled blade at the end, and charged Atrus with it. He played his spear with amazing skill, but Atrus also played his sword well, blocking every blow. Hawk was very skilled in using both ends of the spear and often surprised Atrus by using the other end. Atrus was indeed faster and was able to dodge the attacks. Suddenly Hawk leaped forward and swung the spear over his head. Atrus escaped the blow just in time as the blade sliced through the hard ground. He imitated the attack and made an overhead strike, but Hawk saw him coming and moved out of the way. The sword penetrated the ground and met the spear blade with a loud clash. When Hawk lifted the spear, the blade had been cut into two. Again, the crowd was amazed by the sword's strength.
"Oh my... I'd better be careful with this..." Atrus wiped the dust off his sword.
"Guards! Get me a lance!"
The fight continued as Atrus charged for attack and put Hawk completely on defensive. The lance's thick body offered more protection to the sword's blow, and Atrus held himself back a little bit. However, whatever in the sword's way wouldn't last for long. The sword cut through logs, metal posts, and even water pipes, which were made of solid stone. Hawk answered the attack by continuously jabbing the lance on the ground, targeting Atrus' legs, but never found his mark.
After fifteen minutes of harsh battle, the joust was decided a draw. Both men were exhausted, but no one scored any hits on each other. The losses, however, were high. Among those were 3 flag posts, 2 banner posts, 4 wooden benches, 8 lances, 11 spears, and a battleground itself. The entire battleground was filled with holes and cracks, that it badly needed repairs before it could be used again.
The soldiers clapped their hands as both warriors bowed. Then the crowd was dismissed for a short break. Atrus sheathed his sword again and faced his opponent.
"I have to say, that was a wonderful match. You are very good."
"You're not bad yourself." Hawk smiled. "Your sword is very deadly."
"It's rather new, but it keeps me alive until now..."
Their conversation was interrupted when somebody approached. It was Anna, and she was not in her best shape. She walked limply, with bruises all over her arms. Her priestess costume was full of dirt. The satin dress was ruined by the dirt. Her short satin skirt was torn here and there. A wide bandage covered her forehead. Maya quickly jumped on her feet and ran to her to help, but she brushed her away.
"Mistress...? What happened? Are you hurt?"
"Is that an honest question, Maya? Or are you just mocking me?!"
Maya stepped back quickly and Anna felt terrible. "Sorry..."
When Atrus saw Anna, he was completely shocked, but Anna cut him off pretty quickly. "Don't say anything, Ranger, or you're toast...!"
"What happened with you? You got stumped by the horse?" Atrus asked anyway.
"Yeah... twice... And got pulled by the horse all the way across the field..."
"It can't be..." Hawk grasped. "He was the greatest cavalier trainer..."
"Well, I'm not a cavalier." Anna grumbled, then looked at Atrus. "Don't give me that look."
Atrus snickered. "I know I should have been the one to train you..."
Again, their conversation was interrupted when a royal guard approached them. "Captain Hawk, Sir White Lion, the king wants your presence inside the courtroom immediately."
Hawk turned to Atrus. "They must have finished making the alliance proposal."
"The sooner we leave, the better. Come."
Both men left for the castle leaving the girls. Anna just stood there, watching as Atrus walked away. Maya's hand softly caressed her shoulder.
"Don't take it personally, Mistress... You know he didn't mean to insult you..."
Anna reached out for the earrings on her ears. Atrus had given them to her on her birthday. She loved them. She treasured them. They were the sign of Atrus' unspoken care to her.
