Reveal

(A/N: Thinking that I should swap to a third person view to better implement POV changes and such, so I'll be doing this chapter in third person, so let me know if you want to see the rest of this novel in tp or fp.)

Takayoshi's smile was brightening; infectious almost, but the feeling was fleeting for a change, Takahide thought. "Sorry, but I'm afraid I don't remember much more than small bits and pieces of some nonimportant things." Takayoshi's smile didn't fade-contrary to Takahide's beliefs-but instead remained the same, though a sad light was reflected from Takayoshi's eyes.

"Bah, no matter! You remembering my nickname is more than enough for me! I have plenty of questions, like how you became a Dragon's pupil, but that'll have to wait for once I'm actually welcomed here." Takahide wanted to tell his brother about his Darkness crystal, but he felt that the time was far from right, so he decided to push that thought to the back of his mind.

"Yes, I guess it'll have to wait until Xymriss warms up a bit. I'm sure he'll welcome you if I mention that I released him from his prison or whatever, eh?" Before Takahide even knew it, he was starting to look at Takayoshi like he was a brother. Though he had barely even known the man for a day, he had an instinctual bond of kinship with him.

Or was that just his imagination?

Looking back at the endless expanse of darkness that was now Xymriss' hideout, Takahide nudged his brother in his ribs and cocked a grin before saying "So, you've got a sword, shield, and some good looking armor. How about a spar?"

Takayoshi's brows raised as a similar smile appeared on his face. "You sure you up to the task? I've learned quite a bit more than what you and Lord Hien taught me all those years ago!" Both of the men chuckled lightly as they stood to their feet and walked about ten paces away from each other and drew their weapons.

Takayoshi reached into his pocket with his left hand and puled out a little light blue crystal that had a shield engraved upon its surface. "See this? This is a Soul Crystal. A Paladin one at that. Scared yet?" Takahide scoffed and brandished his two swords as he muttered "So that's what Xymriss was talking about..."

The aura in the cave changed dramatically as the two men lowered themselves into their respective stances. It was like their personalities had shifted as they grasped their weapons; the light of competition evident in their eyes.

Takahide dashed forward and slashed out with his main weapon, but it landed harmlessly on Takayoshi's shield. Takahide ducked as he moved his right foot behind Takayoshi's left before moving his offhand sword above his head to deflect Takayoshi's strike and use the force of the blow to knock him off balance.

However, Takayoshi had seen this coming and pushed forward with his shield as he widened his stance, knocking Takahide off balance instead. The two had wide smiles on their faces, even as their swords dipped toward each other's necks, and even as their blows missed their marks and their bodies were bruised by a countering kick or punch.

Takahide rolled backwards and parried a thrust from Takayoshi before following up with three quick slashes. Each blow was blocked by Takayoshi's shield and let out a rhythmic bang each time. Suddenly, Takayoshi spotted an opening in Takahide's defense and delivered a quick side-kick to his brother's stomach before jumping back.

"Let thine prayers be heard, and let thy Power become mine own! I beseech thee, lend my thine strength and smite down mine enemies!" Takayoshi's smile grew even larger as he looked Takahide in the eye and said "Atonement."

Takahide's skin began to crawl as a blinding light erupted from Takayoshi's sword. "I'm getting the feeling that you hate to lose..." Takahide said dryly as Takayoshi raised his sword high; its blade covered in a piercing light that extended to the top of the cave's ceiling.

Just as the blade came crashing down upon Takahide, however, a whip-like tail wrapped itself around the sword and the overflowing light before extinguishing it instantly. "You're too nosy. All that Light makes my head burn..."

Though the person in front of me was undoubtedly Xymriss, he was completely different from before. Xymriss had assumed the body of a rather tall and well built Auri Xaela with swooping blue-black horns and long, spiky dark blue hair that reached down to his elbows.

"Quit your gawking! I'll have you know that almost all Dragons can assume the form of Humans; it's just that most despise the notion. I, for one, quite like this form..." Xymriss grumbled as he released Takayoshi's sword from his tail.

"I, uh...are you sure that you're. y'know, Xymriss...? I mean, if you are, then tell me what you called me when you were yelling at Takayoshi." Xymriss snorted and glanced at Takahide from the corner of his eye and said "You know what I said, and you know who I am. I need not repeat myself."

Xymriss moved over to a decently sized rock and slashed out with his hand, cleaving the top of the chunk of stone into a perfectly smooth platform before sitting atop it and saying "Now, after seeing you two spar, if you can even call it that, I now have a rough idea of what your trials should be."

Takahide sheathed his swords and crossed his arms as he asked "Trials? For what?" A blinding light engulfed Takayoshi before disappearing and leaving the man in a normal white shirt and black trousers; his weapons nowhere in sight.

'I really need to learn how to do that...' Takahide thought to himself as Xymriss cleared his throat. "The trials will be held in a multitude of dungeons around these woods, and you shall complete these dungeons together, but sometimes alone. However, the woods can prove to be more challenging than the dungeons at times. Do be wary..."

Suddenly, Xymriss whipped his head toward the entrance of the cave just before the sounds of footsteps reached the ears of the Sashihai brothers. Soon after, muffled voices could be heard nearing the entrance of the cave.

"-ove it damnit!!" The sounds of a heavy blow landing against flesh and a sharp, yet muffled, squeal echoed across the mouth of the cave as the footsteps got heavier and heavier. "I'll be happier with a bellyful of mead, so feel lucky lads! Tonight, we drink to success!"

The gruff voice's declaration caused an erupt cheer to carry across the winds, and probably to the nearest civilization since it was so loud. "Ahehehe. Oi boss? I know that we can't 'ave damaged goods, but what if we have a bit o fun with the lass for tonight only? Please, boss, the client wont even know, I swear it!"

A few exasperated sighs and laughs followed after the desperate sounding man's voice before the gruff voice said "Alright, fine. Just don't bruise 'er up and keep the damage to a minimum." Another round of cheers erupted from the hidden group as their shadows, casted by the torches they were carrying, came into view.

As soon as a rather ugly man with large, rounded ears, stubble all across his neck and face, as well as large, beady eyes peaked his head into the cave to see if it was clear, Takahide's furious gaze and zealous steel met him head on.

The poor bastard's head was cleaved in two and blood sprayed everywhere, but Takahide paid the warm fluids no heed as he calmly stepped over the bleeding corpse and stared at a party of roughly thirty rugged men all garbed in mismatched armor and either crude or well-worn weapons.

"Oi, who in the seven hells is this bloke? What, you think ye can take us all, eh?" A round bellied man with wild hair and equally wild eyes said as he moved forward while taking a large two-handed axe from his back and into his hands.

Within the blink of an eye, the man's hands were cut off at the wrists before his head was cleanly severed from his shoulders; his gaze showing a mixture of horror and confusion as it landed on the ground with a wet thud.

"I think I can take all of you on rather easily. Give me the girl, and I'll let all of you off the hook. Resist and...well, you'll end up like those two..." All it took from Takahide was a glance at the two corpses for a quarter of the band to dart their eyes about nervously and instinctively take a step back.

After a long minute of silence, one man stepped forward. He was a rather decent looking man with sharp, angular features and stooping brows with long, raven black hair and a well-groomed beard covering the bottom half of his face. The man drew his spear from his back and pointed it Takahide. "I'm the leader o this party. Face me and, if ye live to see the morrow, I'll let ye take the girl and we'll be on our way..."

The man's disgustingly cocky smirk pissed Takahide off even more as the group of bandits behind the man began to cheer and taunt Takahide. Takayoshi and Xymriss emerged from the cave with neutral expressions on their faces as Takahide dashed forward and executed a double slash toward the bandit leader in the form of an X.

The man blocked the attack with the shaft of his spear before kicking out at Takahide's knee, but his attack fell short as Takahide slid his leading foot forward and slammed his back knee into the man's gut, sending him sprawling backwards.

The man recovered quickly, but not quick enough. Takahide's thrust had clipped the man's ear, sending waves of pain coursing through his body. The cursed and yelled out as he let out a flurry of stabs and slashes, but Takahide dodged and parried them all. Takahide's swords snapped out in rapid succession, each slash or stab nicking the man and slowly sapping his strength away.

In slow, deliberate steps, Takahide advanced forward as the bandit leader clicked his tongue and tried to find an opening to exploit. Takahide saw this and leapt forward, intentionally letting his guard slip as he lunged toward the man's neck. The bandit leader laughed wickedly as he ducked under Takahide's strike and thrust out with his spear toward the latter's stomach, however, he was in for quite the surprise.

Takahide reversed the momentum of his thrust and spun to avoid the bandit leader's wild attack before launching a sidekick to the man's jaw; staggering him and leaving him dazed for a split second. Takahide flipped his main weapon in the air before catching it and sending it flying into the man's guts before walking over, pulling the sword free, and unceremoniously beheading the man.

The eager party of bandits was reduced to nothing more than common rabble as they fearfully muttered to themselves as some broke off and fled into the woods. Takahide wasn't interested in those cowards since he knew that both Xymriss and Takayoshi had already took chase. "Now, who else wants to step up?" Takahide asked as he raised his bloody swords to accentuate his growing anger and frustration.

It seemed like years of bottled emotions were flowing out of Takahide like a river, and these unfortunate bandits were feeling the entirety of his wrath; something not even the fabled samurai-servant of Lord Kaien and Lord Hien could even hope to contend with for long.

"W-W-We're sorry ser knight! Please, take the lady and leave me be! I swear I will live an honest life from know o-" Blood filled the man's throat as he tried to speak, but Takahide's blade robbed him of the chance, as well as his life.

"I will not let anyone of you leave here alive. You have commit too many sins as it is. That's what I'd like to say, however, I have different plans. I'll kill some of you of course, but I'll spare those I deem fit to serve me as spies…" A wild, almost devilish grin spread across Takahide's face as his twin swords began to weave a bloody dance and sing a bone-scraping song.