The Blackmire Chronicles (fantasy)

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Well, my turn to post a story. Don't think my English is as powerful as Shura's but what the heck.

Note: Although Arkados Blackmire and Shura appears in both The Blackmire Chronicles and the Legend of Shura, there are many differences in both characters in both stories. This is due to different ideas of how my character is like and how Shura's is and the lack of communication between us in these points. If ever he or me would publish a book, i think he would replace "Arkados Blackmire" with some other name and i would do likewise for "Shura". Anyway, for shits and giggles, Shura will be in mine. Cheers, and bring on the critisism.


Prologue:
The villager squirmed, spasmed and jerked, his body paling with every wave of life-stealing force the unholy rapier emitted. Black, glowing, and unfortunately, inside him, the intricately designed demoness on the hand guard grinned evilly. And fittingly, the character grasping and torturingly twisting the rapier grinned just as wide. Black was the word. Blacker than black, a colour could not describe the shade. All over, his darkness seemed to absorb the light, refusing to reflect it. His hair was straight and parted neatly in the center. Its length allowing it to flutter dramatically with every gust of wind, trailing over his waist. And on his left hand, a gauntlet. A gauntlet designed with writhing bodies placed in gruesome positions. Every so often, it would give a spasmodic jerk, its chaos clashing with its owner’s lawful tendencies. Arkados Blackmire looked down at his wounds as they healed.

“Hmm. Good enough.”

He glanced back to his opponent, a friend from long ago, and picked up another suitable branch.

“One more round?”

Although initially disgusted at the way his companion used the villager, the white haired warrior was elated at the thought.

Arkados begin his sequence again. Thrusting, then pulling back, the wooden weapon flickered at a blazing speed. But not fast enough for Shura. Never fast enough for Shura. With a risky forward thrust, throwing his weight to his right leg, he aimed his weapon at the right shoulder of Shura. Shura expectedly twisted his body and simultaneously sent his katana towards the blackguard’s left, but only to be deflected by the gauntlet. Through his flowing mane, the dark eyes stared out at Shura, smiling and challenging. With a steady step back, Shura deftly spun the other way to give a backward slice with his oriental weapon. Arkados was caught in surprise, but manage to duck the incoming blow. He could not, however, dodge the foot that followed. With profound grace, the dark warrior rolled backwards with the blow and stood, beaming. Then, after steadying himself, his face turned to seriousness and he adopted a deadly stance.

Shura stared hard. In all his experience in fighting and swordplay, he had never seen such perfection. The wooden weapon and the gauntlet waited in position, complementing each other so perfectly that there were to be no openings in the defense, yet were ready at anytime to provide a quick and decisive strike. Its effectiveness however, all depended on the warrior who adopted the stance, for a weak foe would fumble in any following strikes. Shura knew this, and the fact that his opponent now was by no means weak.
Arkados smiled at Shura’s hesitation. “Come!” he bellowed.
Shura accepted the challenge with a grin. He drew back, then threw the wakizashi in his left hand at Arkados. A simple flick of the wooden weapon deflected it to the side. Arkados let out a hearty laugh, “Hahahaha!! Enough! Come!”

“Worth a try,” Shura shrugged.

With immense concentration, Shura gripped his katana well and mentally prepared his attack. Taking a few deep breaths and summoning his inner powers, he rushed forward, sending his katana in a straight line towards Blackmire. So fast was the katana’s movement that it whistled through the air like an arrow. Impressed but not unprepared, Arkados sent his weapon towards the oncoming katana, bringing the branch’s edge parallel to the katana’s. As edge contacted edge and before the sharp end could cut his wrist, the blackguard flicked his weapon in a circular movement and threw the oncoming strike aside. With another quick flick the branch lay next to Shura’s neck and their game was over.

“Why didn’t you deflect my katana with a simple parry? Why go through so much trouble?” Shura asked as he sat on the grass, playfully twirling his wakizashi.

“Hmm?” Arkados looked up from wearing his armor. The dark, heavy metal seemed to shape and conform to his body, its weight somehow carried easily by the fairly slender figure. A few large spikes protruded in unencumbering locations, giving an intimidating look to its wearer.

“If I had done that,” he answered. “The speed of your attack alone would shatter the wood, and your attack would not have been deflected an inch.”

Shura smiled, thinking back on the times that had fought side by side. With a laugh he remembered the time Arkados had stared with his mouth gaping wide with shock as Shura’s attack crumbled a knight’s heavy platemail armor to dust. The blackguard watched him laugh, and laughed along with him. He took up a position on the grass next to Shura and they both stared into the distance, eyes glistering upon recalling fond memories.

“I noticed the gauntlet is more under your control now.” Shura commented.

Arkados grimaced as he thought of the many times he almost got killed because of the gauntlet. Still he kept it because he was in love with its design, and had seen its awesome powers in use.

“My guess is it has something to do with the new state of my pact.”

“Your pact?”

“My contract, with darkness.”
Shura stared in confusion at that statement. Seeing this, Arkados stared back with almost equal confusion.

“I have never told you of my past have I?” The blackguard laughed as he tried to recall.

Shura shook his head enthusiastically, wondering why he never bothered to ask.

“I was once a knight. A paladin. A servant of God.” Arkados closed his eyes and lay back onto the grass. Shura could only feel wonder, amazement, and disbelief at that point. He too lay down, eager to hear this story.

 

ah sorry missed this. i cant wait to hear all about Shura's esteemed friend, the grand overlord, Blackmire