Zangulus stared in awe at the scene. With a moan his mothers face tilted to the side, her eyes caught her sons and glared with a desperate question. Zangulus felt he had to show her that he had his sword and deftly lifted the hilt into view. As soon as he did this his mother pulled a dagger from her sleeve and grabbed the back of the green swordsmans' light brown hair. With a shriek of pain she whipped him around and touched the dagger to his throat immediately drawing a trickle of blood. The swordsman grunted in frustration and Zangulus' mother kicked the back of his knees to bring him to the ground. She craned his neck in order to see his eyes.
"My, my, my, lipschein! You do have a lot to learn don't you? Well here's your next lesson. If you do something I don't like this dagger fulfills its purpose." A Clanging of steel diverted the boys attention and he ran to the kitchen. The sorcerer rose and was moving towards the battle between the swordsman as if he were floating over the sand. The wind blew against his cloak against his body to reveal the spidery hidden in its folds. Zangulus started to run run with the next clash of blades, not knowing what to do or how to save his father. The sorcerer stopped in front of the battle between Zangulus' father and the red swordsman.
"BOMB DI WIND!!" he said raising his hand and a gust of wind deflected off the sand enveloping Zangulus' father in a dust storm which knocked him to the ground. The red swordsman backed away shielding his eyes and spitting sand out of his beard.
"Seanro! You idiot! I almost had him! Tibers' death is to be mine!" He wiped his eyes and advanced towards Zangulus' father. Seanro pulled out a dagger and threw it into his shadow, stopping the red swordsman in mid-step.
"What is the meaning of this" he yelled, frozen, unable to move" release me!!!"
The sorcerer ignored his plea and took out the sword that was sheathed on his side, and speaking as if acid were dripping from his tongue said "What you have been unable to do Ypsan. To fulfill your masters wishes." Zangulus' father recovered from the magic attack, his fierce eyes fixed on the sorcerer, ready for anything. Unfortunately, he wasn't ready for this.
"LIGHT COME FORTH!!!" The steel blade fell away and was replaced by a beam of white light. The flash of which cancelled the shadow snap freeing Ypsan.
"How did....Where the....Light!!" Stammered Ypsan.
"It was changing hands, and well,...I....got in the way. There is no way you can win Tiber. Why don't you surrender and I promise to kill you quickly." said Seanro as he advanced towards Zangulus' father, who was ready to do what must be done.
"I will never surrender to the power of that cesspool of a throne!" Yelled Tiber.
"Now Tiber, that is no way to talk about your great uncle." said Seanro as the Sword of Light Hummed. Seanro levitated into the air and came down onto Zangulus' father. The sorcerer thrashed at Tiber who blocked all of his blows. Zangulus' realized something: the sorcerer had no idea what he was doing! He just kept slapping at his father with the Sword of Light like it was a magic wand and was hoping his opponent would disappear.
"Stop!!!" said a female voice, and everyone's attention turned towards Zangulus' mother who had the green swordsman with a dagger to his throat. "I have your prince!" she threatened, "Let Tiber go!!"
Seanro faced them and said "Well, look at this, I can't have a farm girl with a mere dagger executing my final task for me. That would give me a bad reputation." At these words the fearful look on the green swordsmans face turned to terror.
"Seanro! What are you talking about!" cried the prince " I thought..."
"That you could have your father assassinated and not get any blood on your hands?" Seared the sorcerer. "You are stupid Wahdriff, always have been. Why do you think your father agreed to let you come out to the Desert of Destruction with me?? He knew about your plan weeks ago. And out here," he said motioning to the wasteland, "I can Make up any story i'd like about your death. Your mother trusts me completely and won't be surprised to hear about your demise after all the foul ups you've concocted in your life. She was worried about the kingdom wasting away in your hands as it was."
The words of Seanro made Zangulus' mother slowly lifted the dagger away from Wahdriffs' throat, realizing she was holding on to a doomed pawn. But she was too slow.
"BLAST ASH!!!" A ball of darkness left the hand of the sorcerer and enveloped Wahdriff and Zangulus' mother with an evil roar, it shrank to nothing and left two piles of ash which the dagger fell between from mid-air.
"NO!!!!!" Cried the boy as he rushed towards the sorcerer. Seanro levitated in the air just as Zangulus' sword came down only to strike the sand. Floating towards Tiber, Seanro barked.
"Make yourself useful Ypsan, get rid of the boy!!" and he came down onto Tiber again. Zangulus, still in his position, was breathing hard and seething with anger like a cauldron of dragons' blood. Thinking of his mother and hating the red haired sorcerer.
"Come on boy!" said Ypsan "wouldn't be fair to to kill you like this. I'll give you the first shot." Zangulus closed his eyes and thought about his mother, burning into oblivion. Then, his fathers words came into his head:
"Remember........Survive!"
He composed his head and turned around with frightened boys eyes, faced his opponent and moved into an uneven stance. With eyes closed he rushed towards Ypsan and thrashed in his general direction which was blocked by his sword. Ypsan retaliated with a furious shower of blade strikes. Zangulus blocked all of them with with his head turned as if he didn't want to see what was going on. Then it hit him, he was having no trouble blocking the barrage of attacks. Ypsan was grunting with every strike wrinkling his forehead. This was the best that he could do. Ypsan was nothing compared to his father which was the anvil that zangulus' abilities were forged on. Zangulus let him thrash a few more times then caught his hilt. The crossed swords were locked in place and their eyes met over the shining blades. Zangulus' frightened little boys' eyes stared into the berserk glare of the frustrated Ypsan. Zangulus' eyes then shifted, from the scared child to those of the warrior he was about to become. And at that moment was born what all his opponents would see before they lost. The cocky smile of Zangulus the Swordsman that was one of the last sights an opponent would see in their lives.
Zangulus shifted his weight and pushed back Ypsan. Ypsan regained his balance and saw the Young man salute and then assume the proper stance for a swordsman. Zangulus thrashed at Ypsan with blows that were meant to wear him down. The retaliation was less than reciprocal. Zangulus struck twice and when Ypsan expected something else, thrashed his sword high and drew from his cheek and shock from his mouth. Ypsan Breathed in exasperated breaths as the boy prepared to end the duel. Zangulus gave three quick blows and then snaked the tip of his blade into Ypsans chest with a thrust landing on one knee. He pulled put his sword along with Ypsans death scream. Zangulus stepped back as his opponent fell face forward into the sand. He had fought his first battle, and he had won.
Seanro silver eyes met the scene with fear in them. This was not part of his plan.
