Learning the Art(story)

[Lord Dagger]

The two cloaked and hooded men stood on the hillock and surveyed the plain before them that would soon become a killing ground. The taller of the two smiled beneath his hood as he clasped his almost skeletal hands behind his back. Suddenly he cringed as though from a blow, but the second figure had not moved a muscle until it now spoke

"Do not relish the thought of this battle so much my young apprentice. It is that enjoyment that makes you a coldblooded killer rather than a warrior, and make no mistake, if you are the former rather than the later then I will kill you myself..."

The shorter figure fell silent and surveyed the plain again. He looked up at the sun, it was maybe 2 hours after dawn, now was as good a time as any. He spoke without looking at the tall figure

"Go inform general Talrath that he can begin his assalt anytime, we are prepared"

The taller figure saluted by placing his right fist on his left shoulder and then bowed in this possition and began to move down the hill towards the waiting army behind them. The one that remained threw back his hood, letting the sun bath his elf like features in golden light. He smiled, he didn't get time to stand and enjoy the sun very often, as a warrior of the Death Guard's Order of Death he was compelled to fight as often as there was any fighting to be done. He sighed and his hand dropped to the Dragon sabre at his belt, a weapon like the lightsabre of the anchient Sith who had once visited this planet, but with the added feature that made the Dragon sabres unique in all the universe. The weapons were, in a very limited sense, sensient, no one but the weapon's true master could wield them, this was not some fancy defence system, just that the Dragon would not open its mouth for anyone else.

The being known as Lord Dagger sighed, he was, even at a mear 300 years old, begining to get tired of all the fighting. His lady love had wished him not to fight before she died, but she was gone now so he did the only thing he knew how to do, he would fight.

Dagger reached out with the Force. He sensed the opproaching enemy army, but a quick scan detected no Force users, that was a relief, the Dark Horsemen had only sent himself and his apprentice with this army, a skilled Force user would have caused them problems, but as it was they would win easily, especially concidering the tactics they were about to employ...

[Lord Chryn]

The taller figure moved down the hill, cursing under his breath, the slap his master had given him through the Force still stung, why shouldn't he be excited about the upcoming battle, it was his purpose in life to kill and destroy and he relished it, nothing his master could say would change that.

The figure known as Chryn reached the waiting army below and moved over to one of the mounted soldiers, the opne with a feather in his helmet

"General Talrath, my master says to be ready, the time is now"

The mounted general ignored the figure and began motioning his troops into possition. Chryn snarled at the mortal's arrogance, ignoring him was a slight against him and his honor, and hence the honor of his race.

"Do not ignore me mortal!"

Chryn began when suddenly the general rounded and kicked him in the face with his metal boot. Chryn felt his nose compact under the force of the blow and he was sent crashing back to the floor where he sat with a dazed expression on his face. The general looked down at him and then touched heels to his mount and began moving away, one of his soldiers moved over to him

"That was a dangerous move sir, if he reports the insident to his supiriors the Death Guard will have your head"

The general made a shrugging motion before turning to look at the young soldier

"I have served them as a slave for far too long, I hate their arrogant ways, especially these young ones who think they can boss anyone around simply becuase they are born a Vampyre instead of a gentile. This ones master i respect because he know the value of his troops and becuase he joins us in battle, this young one is far to arrogant for such a young one, he will not report this because it shows he was weak, he can not afford such an image in the eyes of his mastes"

Having finished his lecture the general fell silent as his foot soldiers moved around the hill and into the preprepared possition where their weapons where hidden in the long grass to give the enemy the suprise of their life, his archers moved a reasonable distance behind the foot soldiers and the cavalry moved out of view behind the hillock once more. Then the general sat back and waited for his enemies.

Chryn stood slowly, blood from his nose trickling into his mouth, he spat it out, hate filling is eyes as he looked at the general waiting for his enemy. Chryn snarled and his hand crept towards his lightsabre, being a mear apprentice he did not yet have a Dragon sabre, when suddenly there was another slap through the Force from his master, this time accompanied by a message.

"Leave it be, he is too valuable to loose to satisfy your damaged honor."

Chryn snarled again, angry at his master for stopping him and angry at himself for being so easily stuck by one of the cattle. Chryn began to march back up the hill towards his master

[Lord Dagger]

Dagger smiled to himself as the enemy came into view, he could sense their fear even at this range, it was wonderful, and he relished it. Chryn finally arrived next to him and his hatred overshadowed the fear. Dagger scowled and turned to his apprentice

“There is a time and a place for everything, this is neither for your hatred of me. That will come later, when I have taught you everything I can and the time comes for you to kill me, that is when you will come to hate me, but not here or now.”

Dagger felt the hate drain away, almost, enough for him to sense his enemy anyway. His sense locked onto a rider in the front rank who did not seem touched by the fear, who seemed confident in his own powers, as pitiful as they were in comparison to those of the Vampyre. This was their leader, the head of the snake, the driving force he must destroy. It occurred to Dagger that he could kill the man from here, an arrow or a Force carried projectile would deal a death blow to the commander, but there was no honor in that, and honor was important to the Knight, he would kill the enemy leader in single combat and show his severed head to the enemy forces and they would break.

Dagger held up his hand and his troops moved into their final positions, his archers lined up behind a row of crouching foot soldiers who had their weapons concealed in the long grass. The cavalry were still behind the hill, out of sight, awaiting the command to attack.

The enemy lined up across from them, the leader parading his horse back and forth before the army, obviously giving encouragement to the troops who were probably mostly novices, yet to taste first blood. Dagger snarled, they were hardly worth his time. Suddenly the leader held up his sword and the heavy cavalry of the enemy charged. Dagger held out his hand, steadying the foot soldiers, ordering them not to raise their weapons yet.

Dagger held his Dragon sabre up in front of him, when the cavalry was almost upon his troops Dagger sent a mental command to the weapon, the Dragon’s mouth opened, the alien, reptile mind screaming for blood in side Dagger’s head. He smiled in agreement and ignited the weapon, there was a snap as the weapon flared into life. That was the signal his men had been waiting for and the responded as quickly as they could, pulling the twelve feet long poles with spearheads on them from the grass. The cavalry, unable to stop crashed into the pikes, the ranks behind pushing them further onto the weapons and impaling themselves or their horses as well. Dagger lowered his Dragon sabre and the archers let fly into the infantry advancing behind what was left of the cavalry. Order became chaos as the air filled with black shafts.

Dagger made a sweeping gesture and the cavalry behind the hill charged round it to engage the infantry from behind, throwing them into further disarray. Dagger himself then left the hill, his Dragon sabre cutting a swath through the enemy, for no armour or weapon could stand against the sentient weapon of energy. Finally Dagger emerged behind the enemy lines, all that lay before him was the enemy commander and the open plain. Dagger pointed his weapon at the commander who turned to flee. Dagger felt utter contempt for the man, brave only when commanding from the rear, this anger fuelled his power and the commander’s horse suddenly found an immense force smash into its legs, breaking all four at the knee. The commander was thrown over the front of his horse to land in the grass. He tried to leap to his feet to run again but Dagger was on him already, a foot keeping him pinned to the floor.

“You are a pitiful excuse for a creature, even by the standards of the cattle. So I’m not going to waste my time killing you”

A look of relief spread over the man’s face

“No”

Continued Dagger with an evil smile

“I’m going to let my apprentice do it”

Fear filled the commanders eyes as Dagger stepped aside. Chryn advanced to stand next to his master, a long sword was in his hands as he smiled at the downed commander.