05-10-2008, 09:29 PM
51. Sport
Nimbus was furious now. He paced back and forth across the tiled floor in the sparing room, hoping that it would do somewhat to cool his anger. Though the other soldiers continued their routine training, he could feel their nervousness. He was their captian and was already faltering behind thier own lines without even a threat to worry of.
But Nimbus knew their was a threat. As much as his sister had assured him he could not trust a demon within the castles confines, a Shieto nonetheless. Cato had told Nimbus that the demon could control himself, but it was impossible to tell when something inside him would snap, Nimbus understood that all too well.
And yet, not matter how hard he had argued with his father, the king had ignored the rational words and had accepted the demon. This did not anger him as much as the fact that he knew for a fact that, if Nimbus had supported the demon being welcomed into the city, his father would have been against it. It was this hypocrisy as well as this nagging anxiety that completely infuriated Nimbus now.
And so it was that Nimbus came to be completely on edge when the demon, Shonasha by name, came into the training room. It was silent when he entered. Every Lupnian eye was fized on him as he briefly examined the room and walked to a line of wooden swords hung upon the wall. He pointed to them and asked in his harp-like voice to a man standing nearby, "May I use one of these?"
The man looked to Nimbus out of the corner of his eye and Shonasha followed the look. His angled eyes, thickly lashed widened slightly,"Captain, do I have your permission?"
Nimbus nodded slowly, "Very well then, if you know how to weild it." His voice was filled with disdain that showed that he greatly doubted that.
"Oh," Shonasha said taking down one of the fake blades and testing it with a few swings, "I've had a few years to practice. A few generations of your people atleast." He stepped languidly through a few practiced motions that left him standing in front of Nimbus, "I think I could kill you easily enough if this were a real blade." Voices rose around him but a twitch if the blade brought silence again, "Not that I'd want to kill the prince of the land I have now sworn to protect. I simply meant it in the same terms you people use when you pratice. Why is it so much different when I say it?"
"You are a demon," Nimbus said it as if this explained everything, "And I seriously doubt that you could even touch me with the way you dance around with that sword."
"A wager then. Should I win, then you will trust me..."Shonasha said.
"And if I win?" Nimbus cut in.
The demon shook his head clearly unsure of what to offer, "I will serve you for a week," He offered.
"A month and I'll barter." Nimbus said quickly. Some of the when around him laughed knowingly, he silenced them with a stare. He began to pace a slow circle, his sword held erect in front of him in a tight diagonal to guard his body.
"Fine with me as long as you know that what I want is everlasting." He countered the circling movement, his sword held almost lazily aloft with a wide opening to his vitals.
They circled one another, Nimbus contemplating the possibility of a trick in the demons openness. His foot work pointing out obviously that the man did know somewhat of swordplay. Though what exactly it was he couldn't say. Once he could stand the waiting no more he struck, swinging widely at the man's open right side with a step. The demon read the sudden movementand cast quickly to the side and forward to reach inside Nimbus' guard. The wooden point held aloft on the man's skin above his heart.
"It's taken me years to figure it out," Shonasha said quietly, "But a soldier is most vulnerable when he is impatient," he said then added more quietly so that only Nimbus in their close proximity could here, "As well as when there is a chance of earning something we want. I do not mean to toy with you, but I need your trust." The demon lowered his sword, "I will ask your loyalty when I need it my prince, but there is no need make it a spectacle." He went and placed the sword upon the wall where he had taken it down from.
When he was sure the demon was gone, a soldier remarked, "What do you suppose he seeks your trust for Nimbus?"
"I don't know, but I suppose it can't be good," he brushed a hand gently over the point where the wooden sword had touched him, "But I have been wrong before" he thought.
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