"Thwack!!"
"Ow!!!..can't be a little more gentle when you strike with your fists r-ranika?!" Luna yelled out while clutching her stomach in agony.
"You told me to be more offensive. It's not my fault you can't take it." I said nonchalantly. My tone was impassive. "If you can't handle hand to hand combat, we can go back to swords?"
"Absolutely not. Look, I'm sorry I said your offense needed work, but is bullying me really going to help you?..." She said with a pout plastered on her face.
Looking at her, I started to feel a little bad for going all out, but she did tell me my offense wasn't good enough. 'I should hold back though, she may be strong, but she is still smaller than me in most departments,' I thought while looking at all the small woman in front of me. Luna was five foot six inches, which was a respectable height in my clan for a woman, and her cream colored skin gave off a pleasent appearance. Her eyes, however, would make someone think she was blind. They were a pure white, as was her hair. It was fitting, to be honest. At least those features let people understand the reason for her name.
"We should probably stop for today anyway. My duel is in thirty minutes or so. I wouldn't want to be late." I said while a dark smile appeared on my face, causing her to step back slightly.
"If you think that's best, I don't mind stopping, but what has you so worked up for a this duel? Usually you could care less about them." She asked a bit puzzled by my excitement and sudeen resolve.
Holding her eyes with my own, I only offered her one sentence without explaining anything. "Just...be there. You won't want to miss this duel."
With that, I walked away from the confused luna and made my way back to my room to get changed while also mentally preparing myself for the upcoming fight. 'You will die today..that's a fucking promise, midnight.' I thought darkly, my rage only slightly suppressed making others in the halls avoid me due to my aura leaking out.
My anger swiftly turned to grief as I passed my mother's portrait, the scene of her laying there with no one to help her while blood pooled under her still fresh in my mind. Not stopping for more than a few seconds I steeled my resolve, and made my way to my room. Once I entered I immediately went to the closet that adorned the one outfit I deemed required for this exact day.
It wasn't audacious or flashy but it would send a message, it was a simple black and red leather armor accompanied by a white tunic that came just to my elbows. The pants were just a stiff black leather with silver steel greaves to protect my knees from strikes, it was the symbol on my back that would draw in the eyes if those watching. In vibrant gold and silver thread was the symbol of my clan, however this symbol was from before my mother had passed. Paired with the cresent moon and blades was a beautiful red rose filling in the moons cresent, it's beautiful petals further enhanced by the petals seemingly falling off from the rose.
This was the last gift my mother had given me, the once proud and beautiful red rose blade of the clan. She told me not to wear it till I had felt confident in my own swordplay, and today I was going to prove that I was more than confident. Hardening my face I left my room after getting changed and left to the dueling arena.
"WELCOME SPECTATORS TO THE ANNUAL DUEL FOR THE POSITION OF HEIR TO THE NIGHT-BLADE CLAN!!" The announcer bellowed through the grainy mic. Turning down his volume he followed it with
"Today we have a special one for all of you! The undefeated midnight! A man who rose the ranks and claimed the title of blade master at the age of only eighteen!"
Following this introduction midnight stepped onto the field tall and proud, his long blonde and black hair flowing with the wind as if they were a team. Standing at a tall six foot eight inches, he truly was the picture perfect warrior for my clan. His gaudy gold armor had the light reflecting off it painfully, making his sharp gold-blue eyes appear dull by comparison. His handsome and elegant features further doused by the beautifully forged silver blades he held in his hands. They were a regal pair of swords, one shorter than the other for a faster and more devastating attack style.
"Now for his opponent! A challenger we never expected to actually see face off with the fearsome midnight, especially considering their history!! Please help me welcome the one and only ranika night-blade, one of the actual blood heirs to our wonderful clan!!" The announcer finished excitedly.
Hearing my cue I stepped out onto the field as well my appearance had caused a stir within the crowd, making the once rowdy and loud audience fall dead silent. Only a few clear whispers could be heard among the hundreds of spectators.
"He can't be serious."
"To have the audacity to wear her-"
"The clan leader will have his head for this!"
'I can hear you, ashholes.' I thought to myself with frustration.
Before the announcer could begin the duel with a few more embellishing comments towards both contestants a loud and authoritative voice had boomed across the arena. It was laced with anger and had enough power behind it to demand everyone's attention.
"YOU DARE WEAR HER ARMOR WHEN YOU HAVENT EVEN WON A SINGLE DUEL!" Taven night-blade yelled out, causing everyone to instinctually lower their heads. I however, did not bow my head nor did I change my gaze. I instead remained steadfast and confident in what I had chosen to do.
"Oh come now father! I think he's only done this to get a rise out of you and the others! I'm sure he will learn the error of his ways shortly after midnight deals an appropriate punishment on him." A gorgeous man spoke out with a lax tone, he rose to stand beside my father.
This was the man once known as the true demon-kin since he held an appearance that made one think of a demon. His onyx horns jutted up and back from his temples contrasting oddly against his light pink hair, his gold plated piercings paired with his tattoo's one of which was plain to see on his neck, depicting smokey tendrils reaching up towards his face eerily. All this only made his appearance more distinguishable from a distance. At six foot four inches and with a defined build it was hard to believe we were brothers, our only shared trait was our piercing golden eyes. This was caleb night-blade, my older brother and the first in line to my father's throne.
"Let's wait and see what little ranika can do father before we go making judgements. Who knows? Maybe he will impress us." He finished with a wry smile.
Without responding my father sat down and motioned for the announcer to resume his duties. His face was still twisted in rage towards me though, but it didn't bother me.
"Well...you heard the clan leader ladies and gentlemen. Let the fight begin! And may the best warrior win!" He finished, then signaled for me and midnight to begin.
Pulling the my sword from its scabbard I held it tightly in one hand, it's soft silver shine turning blue as I infused my aura into it. I took a defensive stance with one foot behind me ready to either move quickly away or put my weight on it for a parry, but rather than rush me midnight only seemed to stay back and gauge me.
"So, you're her only son huh? Makes sense you seem to have inherited her weak looking body after all." He japed, but he wasnt finished. "You know she cried at the end. Wishing for me to have mercy for your sake apparently, of course I didn't oblige. The weak don't belong in our clan, the rose blade was no exception."
"Are you done?" I replied coldly, refraining from lashing out at him.
With a shrug of his shoulders he dipped his front body down and launched forward toward me, both of his swords were at a lax position as though using his full strength on me was beneath him. 'That will be your mistake...' I thought to myself upon seeing his approach.
As soon as he reached me my aura lashed out at him spikes and tendrils of ice attacking relentlessly, and through the flurry of attacks was me stepping through and slashing forward with my sword. The sound of ice shattering and my sword sliding off his armor made an ungodly harmony that sang through the air, reaching the audience easily making them gasp in suprise and excitement.
"I see you hold the same tricks as your mother, the ice and the sword, unfortunately they won't help you in this fight just as they didnt help her." Midnight stated as he walked calmly through the flurry of blows and strikes.
Thinking that he was bluffing I pushed forward with my ice and sword techniques doing anything I could to injure the bastard in front of me, sadly I was to narrowly focused to notice the things at my feet. Feeling my leg get pierced through the heavy leather I winced in pain while glancing down briefly, sticking out of my lower calf was a dark black spike that looked like it was made of stone. Then it began to move and slither around like a dark snake coiling around its current meal, ready to devour anything.
Not hesitating for even a moment I swung my sword down in an attempt to cut the snake away, my attempt didn't yield any results however. Instead of cutting clean through my sword seemed to phase through the snake almost like it was incorporeal, taking a different approach I launched myself backwards off a spike of ice hoping to distance myself from the strange beast. The distance did seem to do the trick as the snake dissipated, but the hole in my leg was still very real and was now leaking with my own blood, soaking the already dark leather.
"You do know how I got my name do you not?" Midnight asked inquisitively. Noticing I wasn't going to respond he went on to explain.
"My aura, unlike the rest of our kind, isn't based on some mundane element. It's based on the concept of darkness, and with it I can mold the dark shadows or anything missing light to my will as a weapon. It also has a nasty little side attribute, it likes to feast on anything with essence flowing throw it." He finished explaining. There wasn't a hint of pride on his face or tone, he was just stating facts, and he knew it.
After his brief little explanation he resumed his attack, this time though it was infused with hundreds of little tendrils of black. They each flowed with surprising speed and force cutting through any ice pillar or wall I put up in hopes of defending myself. Even when my ice couldn't block the tendrils mine and his swordsman ship were on par with each other, with neither of us landing a successful blow to the other. 'As long as I keep his aura busy with my own it'll just be a battle of attrition.' I thought to myself while deflecting his shorter swords strike to my shoulder.
This battle of attrition started to have a clear victor after just a few more seconds of exchanging blows, after a successful block of his double sword strike I returned a blow of my own with my fist. Putting as much essence as I could into my arm, legs, and hips I twisted back and struck his abdomen. With a resounding "crack!!" his armor where my fist landed shattered, sending him flying a few feet away from me. Blood spurted from his mouth with the internal damage I had done to him, he regained his composure quickly then shot me a hateful scowl.
After returning his scowl with a wry smile we went head on again, this time was different. I knew I could hurt him, and if I could hurt him, I can kill him. With this resolve I held nothing back my form becoming a blur of fists and sword swings, never slowing and completely overwhelming.
At least that's how it appeared to the on-lookers, in truth it was taking every fiber of my being just to land a few more hits on the man. While attempting to strike his chest my arm was stopped in its tracks, a black tendril protruding from my forearm. A sick smile creeper on his face as he said, "You got too confident boy, now you'll see the difference between a good heritage and that of your whore mother."
After his insult his short sword swung down from above, leaning my head back as far as I could to minimize the damage, I braced myself for the pain. Then a sudden heat flashed across my face as a warm liquid poured from it, a clean slash now etched itself from my temple to my cheek. Flesh had started to fall away from the ghastly wound, revealing the bone beneath making the crowd gasp audibly. Falling to my knees from the pain I knew that with that one strike this duel was over, or so I thought. Midnight continued standing over me with a menacing glare, "I'll give you the same death I gave the rose blade, may you two meet in the next life."
After I heard his words, my world had gone black.