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Things are not Always as They Appear


Hall of Knights


Sakura, Jewel, and Paula opened the steel doors that led into the Training Grounds. Many fellow trainies were either listening to an elite knight on combat tricks or training on their own. The sound of swords clashing, panting, and armor clanking rang through the grounds. The group walked over to a knight that was handing out the swords. Paula went first and recieved a long arm sword, Jewel recieved a short arm sword, but when it came to Sakura the knight stopped her. "Trainie Sakura, you will not part take in this training. By orders of Commander Glen you are to wait until he arrives." Sakura was baffled by this order, was she in trouble? Was she to be removed from the knights? Terrified she found the stairs on the mound that was on the right side of the grounds close to the door, and waited.
Only five minutes pasted and Glen came in the steel doors. Glen was the Commander of the Knights of Gaian; he was tall, but Sakura came up to his shoulder, light brown hair, a brown beard on his chin, dressed in sliver armor with a green shirt and tan pants, and his heavy long sword mounted on his left shoulder. Sakura noticed the Commander and stood at attention, "Haha. Sakura, at ease. I have a special training excursize for you, Katerina bring the swords in." Katerina came up next to Glen holding two short arm twin blades. Katerina was just about Glen's height. Her blonde hair was tied up into a high bun, her blue eyes almost could pierce through metal, and she was dressed in a dark pink and indgo uniform. "Sakura, you were chosen amoung all of our trainie's to have a friendly spar against the new King of Falena, Ferid. He is visiting our island so that he may meet with Lord Vingerhutt and post a peace tready with Gaian." Katerina handed Sakura the two swords.
Sakura stepped back, untied her regular sword, and layed it along the steps. She then took one of the two swords and tied it on her left side. Sakura almost flet like she had used these blades before once she put on the other one. Glen then said that Ferid would be arriving shortly and to take time to get ready. Sakura leened against the mound, crossed her arms over her chest, and waited.
Jewel and Paula, whom overheard the entrie thing, went over to talk to Sakura. "Isn't it amazing Sakura? You get to spar with a king!" Jewel said as she patted her friend's shoulder congratulating her. "And not just any king, the King of Falena, Ferid. I heard he lead the Falena troops to victory against Armes, the neighboring country." Paula added with her history records. Sakura uncrossed her arms and stopped leening on the mound, "It is pretty amazing I was chosen. Probably the reason that Tal and Kennth are either patroling the market and the sea, and why everyone's on the edge." all three of them nodded in agreement.
Just then Snowe came through the steel doors and he noticed Sakura before anything else. "Sakura!" he called over to her while walking to the group. Jewel jumped into his face before Sakura could respond, "Did you know King Ferid of Falena was coming here today?" Snowe jumped back slightly at her sudden question. "No. Its news to me, father said nothing about him visiting to me." On Jewel's face, was disbelief. "Jewel, leave him be, he didn't blink, he's not lying." Sakura said while tapping Jewel on the shoulder, "*hmf* Your too kind to him, Sakura." Jewel huffed and walked back to Paula, Snowe and Sakura not far behind. Snowe noticed the two blades Sakura was wearing, "Sakura, why are you wearing twin blades?" Sakura leened up against the mound again. "I was chosen amoung all the trainie's to have a friendly spar against King Ferid. *sigh*" Snowe was in shock about how calm Sakura could be, unlike her, he would be enthralled to have a spar with a king. Just like Sakura, however, she tends to be very calm under pressure.
Katerina came up to the group just then, "Sakura, Snowe, Jewel, Paula, report to the docks. Ferid has arrivied." Sakura merely stood and ran to the docks, Jewel, Paula, and Snowe not far behind. Sakura wouldn't show it, but she actually was excited about having a spar with King Ferid. She knew however a knight must never show nervousness or excitement before a match. Sakura found Tal amoung the group of knights standing at attention. Just when Jewel, Paula, and Snowe got there, a elite knight told her to stand by Commander Glen and Katerina. Sighing, Sakura obeyed and ran over near Katerina, standing on the right side of Glen. Sakura took a moment and marveled at the Falena ship; the bow was decorated with red eyes and black flames below, the sails had the Falena symbol as well as the flag, and noticed that it wasn't a very big ship but still big. Glen and Katerina stood at attention so Sakura followed their lead. A ramp was put along the side of the ship, knights dressed in kimiono like clothes that were black with gold triangles on the rims and white pants. There was a total of four of the knights, one female and three male. Then at the top of the ramp another man came down, the knights stood at attention and that was when Sakura knew, he was King Ferid. Another knight followed behind Ferid, but unlike the others he had an eyepatch over his left eye.
Sakura choose to forget about that and followed Glen and Katerina to greet the king. "Good of you to come to Razil, your highness." Katerina bowed so Sakura deciced to follow suit and bowed as well. "Yes it's good to be here again. Glen! My old friend how are you?" Ferid walked so that he was in front of Glen and shook his hand. "I've been well Ferid, what about you Georg?" Glen looked at the knight with the eyepatch and black hair to match his uniform, "Well just getting used to the whole proper thing is hard enough." Glen, Ferid, and Georg let out a hearty laugh. Georg then noticed Sakura standing by Katerina, "And who is this Glen?" Georg said while pointing at Sakura. Slightly nervous, Sakura felt all eyes on her, she looked at Katerina nodded back at her,Sakura returned the nod, and stood at attention. "I am Sakura. A trainie Knight of Gaian whom will be your sparing parter your highness Ferid." With that said she bowed again. "Heh. Well I am honored to be able to spar against you miss Sakura." Ferid bowed at her once she got up from her own bow.
Sakura followed Katerina who was leading Georg and Ferid to the sparing grounds. Once there Sakura saw that all the townsfolk had come into the arena. Sakura knew the grounds and walked over to the far left side, while Ferid and Georg walked over to the far right. As she was walking, Sakura could hear the villagers cheering her on, while on the other side cheering the king on. Once at her side of the arena she took a deep breath and unsleethed her blades in one swift motion that made even Ferid amazed. Sakura could make out on the other side that Ferid had also unsleethed his blade, from the distance she could make out a heavy long blade.
Glen was on the top left side of the arena near a gong, "Fight!" was all he said and hit the gong with all of his strenght and it let out a huge bang. Ferid charged in with is blade in his right hand, Sakura followed with her two blades at hand. Finally the two clashed in the center of the arena. Sakura managed to block his one attack with her two blades crossed into an 'x' form. Ferid tried to kick her off her feet by swinging his right leg under hers. Sakura noticed this and jumped right at the last second causing everyone into an awe-like state. She took the moment and kicked Ferid backwards on his left shoulder and swing with her sword at the clasp of the blade, knocking it out of his hands. In a swift motion; she sleethed the blade in her right hand, grabbed Glen's sword with her free hand, and once Ferid hit his back on the ground just about to get up, Sakura put his blade hovering over his neck to show she had won and with her left blade ready for any trick he might use.
Everyone in the arena was in awe at how fast Sakura could defeat King Ferid. The Falena knights had their mouths open in shock that their king could be defeated by a 16 year old girl trainie. Glen and Katerina were equally surprised at what Sakura was capable of, while Georg wasn't all that surprised. "I give." was all Ferid said, with those words Sakura removed the blade from where it was hovering and sleethed her left blade. With her left hand she reached down at Ferid and he accepted while pulling him up. "The winner, within 5 minutes, Sakura." was all Glen could say, "Well, good spar Sakura, your a lot stronger than you look." Ferid said while shaking her hand. Sakura merely smiled and shook back.