Aftermath of the Assassination

[Moonitic]

Hmm...perhaps I should summon Willow, the Sorceress, to help me with this mission.

[Swordsman]

Naekos took a moment to absorb the words of ledgerto, through FencingAngel’s mouth. It was disturbing, the last part most of all. Loves me? he thought. Surely she didn’t mean like that… Then he looked around, noticed Jo’s abscense. “Where’d she go? Where’s Jo?”

Blank stares from Moonitic and the queen. With a snarl, he rose, whirled the cloak back over his shoulders, stopped at the door and turned. Speaking to anybody in the room, “Soon as FencingAngel wakes up, give him something to do, or he’ll go nuts.” He went outside, gathered the guards. “Jo’s disappeared. No armor, light weapons loadout, be ready to ride in five. I want three longbows, too.”

The group broke up, and Naekos made for the stables where his mount awaited. He checked the saddle, then whistled for the stable dog. The magnificent creature was always hanging around the stables somewhere, and partial to Naekos and the horse. He would follow anywhere, and be very handy here. “Corasce, hey there! C’mere!” The regal black German Shepard bounded up, and Naekos mounted and led the horse and dog back to the cottage. Here he met the rest of the force, grabbed a second sword, three knives, a katar, four sets of bolas, and the pillowcase from Jo’s pillow. This he held in front of Corasce’s nose for the smell, then set off with the dog in lead and the force behind, minus FencingAngel.

The dog followed back along their path from the ball of a few nights before, and Naekos began to worry that it was just following that old trail, until Corasce started to go off the path, and into the wood. He followed a winding, seemingly random path for a time as the sun dropped lower, the tops of the trees lit in red. He seemed to be losing the scent, running around just trying to find it, when suddenly his ears perked and his eyes got a strange look in them. Naekos, still just behind, noticed this. “What is it, Corasce…c’mon, tell me what’s up…”

The dog set off straight ahead at a sprint, losing Naekos on the larger horse for a moment. Then Naekos heard a scuffle; yells and a dog’s snarling. He jumped from the surprised horse’s back and ran forward on foot, the rest of the force a few steps behind, following the sounds through the underbrush. After a minute, he found Corasce fighting with an armed man in strange blue and red garb. The dog yelped loudly and sprang back as the man got a foot loose and delivered a good kick to the ribs. The one thing Naekos couldn’t stand worse than Moonitic, ledgerto, or Jo getting hurt was Corasce getting hurt. This guy was going down.

Naekos kicked him in the face, then advanced to pin him down and get a knife on him. However, before he could, the man turned and recovered, kicking away the knife Naekos was in the process of drawing. With his other hand, Naekos grabbed the foot on its way back, yanked it closer, and wrapped his foot over the exposed leg, bringing his heel down on the man’s kneecap. He yelled, then pulled himself closer, the broken knee bending opposite of the natural way it was supposed to go. Naekos marveled at his level of pain tolerance, just before his own knees got pulled out from under him. The man with the broken leg was instantly on top of him, but Naekos got a foot in his chest and pushed up, sending the assailant into the nearest large tree. Which happened to be about fifteen feet away. While he was still a little stunned, Naekos pulled out the shortswords, advanced, and crossed them over the man’s neck, pinning it to the trunk of the tree.

“Who are you?”

“I’m just a traveler, got lost. Your dog attacked me, then you did, so I tried to fight back!”

“Like hell. Corasce is reasonable and friendly. He smelled something on you he didn’t like.”

“I swear, I’m just traveling through!”

“From where?” The man hesitated at Naekos’ question, and Naekos tightened the bladed X over his throat. “Carefully, now…”

“Fine then. You don’t need to know.” The man lunged forward, pushing his trachea and various arteries and veins right into the blades, killing himself. Naekos swore, wiped the blades on the man’s clothes, and sheathed.

Corasce was up by then, little the worse for wear. The rest of the force was just arriving, too. Naekos looked around, recovered and sheathed the lost knife, then inspected the dead man’s weaponry. “Nothing I recognize…definitely not fencingsucks. He fought too well, and he has different equipment. Who is he, how many are there, and where is Jo?” Blank stares, a few shrugs from the force. “Well, don’t just stand there, FIND OUT!!” They scattered, searching through the woods for anything.

Naekos took Corasce and headed up a little ridge to where he could get a better look. Walking along, he could see something of a path through the trees…and footprints. He looked farther ahead, and caught a flash of Jo. He turned, whistled to Corasce, then a different whistle, summoning the force. He pointed for Corasce, showed him the pillowcase again, and the beautiful dog was off like a shot. A second later, he heard his name, in Jo’s voice. “Naekos! Naekos! Help! Naekos, where are you?”

She runs off, then automatically expects me to be in earshot as soon as she gets scared… He sighed, then saw Corasce reach her, startling her at first, then appearing to comfort her. Turning, he motioned for the first member of his force to be silent as he appeared behind him. The motion was passed back, and instantly they had disappeared. A little way behind Jo were two more men, dressed like the first he’d fought, wearing hooded masks. Naekos looked again, noting how well the colors worked for camouflage in the dusk light.

A bank of clouds came over the sun, and looking up, Naekos knew it wouldn’t get any lighter before dawn. He lost the two men for a moment, then found them again. No. They were in a different place. Then he spotted movement, and the first pair. No again, they were in another different place. Then he found the first pair again, this time for sure. Looking ahead of the randomly wandering Jo, he spotted two more pairs of camouflaged men. They moved together, as a unit, and, wearing the same uniform, were obviously of the same command. But who is the lead?

Ten men, against Naekos’ five, plus whatever help Jo might manage to give in a fight. He was dubious about that. As he watched, the two front pairs moved into Jo’s path, and the three arrayed in a semicircle behind her began moving faster. Again, he wondered who the lead was, and how they communicated. But there was no time for that now. He looked back at the four men behind him, then rose and took off. They made scarcely more sound as they sprinted over the terrain than when they had been still.

Racing along the ridge top, Naekos saw that they would reach Jo before him. They were armed, probably heavily, though he could see only a sword on the sash of each. He sacrificed a little silence for more speed, though at their speed, the assailants below didn’t notice. When he was nearly above Jo on the ridge, the first pair reached her. Corasce was with her still, and turned a second before she did, sinking his teeth into the man’s arm. The second man leapt on Jo, cutting short her scream, while the first shook Corasce off, then kicked him savagely just behind the jaw, below the ear. Naekos saw blood fly, and something in him broke. These men would not survive.

Reaching the point on the ridge just above Jo, he leapt into space, drawing a shortsword and the katar as he fell the fifteen feet. Bending his knees and drawing his feet back under him, Naekos landed on the first man, who was advancing on Jo, drawing a knife. He was knocked down, with Naekos kneeling on top of him, his left hand curled into the hood. Yanking back, he exposed the man’s throat, then ripped it out with the katar in his right hand. Rolling off, he regained his feet. Jo appeared somewhat successful, at least for the time, in fighting off the second man, who was trying to establish himself on top of her while tearing at her clothing. Naekos was about to take him when the second pair appeared, demanding his attention. Without the element of surprise on them, Naekos would have a very tough fight, though a little better now that he had his blades out, instead of empty hands.

Before this fight could begin in earnest, the other four members of the strike force dropped into the scene, various blades out and ready. Suddenly the advantage seemed to go to them, but this changed when the other three pairs of assailants also appeared. The game was on; all players present and accounted for.

Seeing the force move to take care of the closest pair, Naekos turned to Jo and her immediate problem. The man had finally gotten atop her, and was straddling her upper body. He seemed to have tired of searching through her clothes while she was still alive. Jo’s arms were pinned, and so she couldn’t even raise them in defense against the dagger the man’s upheld hand held. Naekos grabbed the wrist, then laid his right leg over the man’s arm, his knee at the elbow. Bending his knee, Naekos wrapped his lower leg under the man’s arm and secured his toe in the man’s back just below the shoulder blade. Naekos straightened his leg before the assassin could react, then heaved upward, swinging the man up and around to block the next coming sword with his body. The other attacker’s blade went clear through the chest of the one Naekos had leg-bound, and the force of the blow threw him back, ripping the shoulder out of its joint.

Naekos hurriedly unwound to face the new opponent, who was also using two weapons. As he was the only one of his group doing this, Naekos believed this to be the leader. It was five to eight now, four to seven separate from this fight.

Blocking the first strike, Naekos began a counter-blow, but had to quickly change it to a parry. He settled for a moment into just parrying every attack, blade for blade, until a rhythm began to emerge, then took the half-beat. He scored a good shot to the man’s leg, but was slow on the next block because of it, and took a light cut to the shoulder. A second cut came after, which Naekos blocked, then blocked the next and kicked into the man’s new wound at the same time. He grimaced, hesitated, and Naekos got a blade broadside into the man’s head. Not as good as a real cut, but it would do.

The man was fast, and actually starting to concern Naekos with his speed and ability with dual weapons. He retreated and Naekos followed, wondering for an instant how the other fight was going between his men and the rest was going. This was when he stumbled on a root or rock or something half-submerged in the dirt, and received a pommel-blow to the spine for it. He was just glad it wasn’t anything worse. As he straightened, he had to block suddenly, reacting without time to think. Which was the intention; when Naekos used both blades for the reflexive parry, the man’s other found its mark in Naekos’ rib, where it held for a moment. Naekos took advantage of that moment to parry the other blade that was following and deliver a hard cut to the man’s shoulder, the same shoulder that held the blade currently stuck in himself.

The man tensed and leaned into the direction the blow had come from in reflex. This pulled his blade free of Naekos’ side, and the fight was back to normal, and more or less even. The man fell back into a set of parries; Naekos noticed the same tactic that he’d just used a second before the half-beat attack came, and knocked it aside with his arm, avoiding most of the damage but still getting a nick in the head. These, as one knows, bleed profusely even if just a paper cut.

Making a clockwise circle with his hand, Naekos got the man’s arm in a good bind, and brought his point right into the man’s upper ribs. He blocked the next coming blow with his left, and delivered a knee to the man’s stomach, interrupting his next attack, and train of thought. That was all Naekos needed to pommel-blow the man’s face, knocking him backward, dislocating the arm, and bringing the point of Naekos’ katar, in his right hand, right to the man’s armpit. Pulling him forward again, Naekos sank the weapon in, cutting all of the veins, arteries, and nerves that went to anything below the man’s shoulder. The pain of this slowed the man again, and Naekos got the other blade into his fight, releasing him and ending the fight.

Looking around, he saw that the fight was down to two on two. Jo was doing all she could, which wasn’t that bad, considering. Half-bad, even, making it an even two-and-a-half on two. Naekos jumped in, catching a man as his attack was parried and the Aiovus man struck back. This attack was parried, but Naekos had made it. The two of them turned on the last man, who was retreating from the other Aiovan and Jo, who were coming after him. When he saw Naekos and the first Aiovan turn to him, he dropped his weapons and started running. The man who’d been fighting him pulled out a throwing knife, but Naekos yelled for him to stop, grabbed a set of bolas, and brought the man down alive.

Approaching him, they made sure he was unarmed, then Naekos tied him securely with a leather strap from his bandolier. Finally, the fight was over. It had been a long one; a whole four minutes by Naekos’ timepiece. He took a deep breath, and finally spoke. “Alright. Let’s get this guy back to the castle; we’ll have FencingAngel…chat with him. See what we can find out. Jo, why’d you come out here? We’ll go into the details later, but are you done out here?”

She didn’t respond for a moment, still shell-shocked from what she’d just gone through, her dress and blouse torn and bloody, dirt ground into the fabric. Naekos raised his eyebrows, and she slowly seemed to come out of it. “The letter…you made me lose it! It’s your fault! If you hadn’t dragged me –“

“My fault? We won’t argue that now. But did you find this letter yet?”

“Yes.”

“Then let’s get the hell out of here!”

They returned to the horses, and Jo rode sidesaddle on Naekos’ mount, with him behind her, his arms holding her on while he kept the reins in hand. Corasce led the way back through the dark forest, the horses walking now, happy that they got an evening run, then a nice starlit walk. Jo somehow fell asleep; Naekos couldn’t figure out how that worked after what she’d just been through for the first time. They rode in silence for the next forty-five minutes, Jo leaning to the side against Naekos, who was perched uncomfortably astride his horse’s rump. But he could put up with that. Jo was back in his arms – back in his control, he quickly corrected himself – and safe again, and seemed to have whatever letter it was that ledgerto had mentioned. And they were heading back to the cottage, where the guard would already be doubled. Her training would begin in the morning. He was surprised where she already was; she’d be a natural with a blade. And never had his chair beside Jo’s – his – bed sounded so good.

------------------
Sir Nækos Servaya, leader of elite Strike Force Aiovus

"You can run, but you'll only die tired". -Michael Anson

[Dame d'escrime]

Never had the Dame been so frightened. There seemed to be rustling all around her in the underbrush. She had to move. She had to get out of there.

Cautiously she advanced, or at least thought it was an advance for she had become disoriented in the darkness. She zigzagged a short distance when something dark shot up beside her. It pushed at her legs and she knew instantly that this was an animal of some kind. She froze in terror. Would IT tear her to pieces?

Momentarily she felt large paws and a cold nose going all over her as it knocked her down. That's when she recognized what it was.
It was Corasce, Naekos' dog! He must be nearby. Oh, thank Craig!

She hugged the dog close and and talked to him softly, "Thanks for finding me, my friend. Now where is your master? Shh, I think we are not alone. Something is moving ahead of us, no, behind us.... "

With one swift motion they were upon her and the dog. She shrieked and tried to run, but it was too late. While Corasce fought valiantly with one assailant the other pushed her to the forest floor. He was on her in an instant. She fought back as best she could, but not being training in any fighting arts all she could do was fight "like a girl." She pulled at the man's head, trying to grasp his hair, she clawed at him, sinking her nails into his flesh, she bit him as hard as she could. But he was tearing at her. Was he searching for something or trying to have his way with her?

Jo was in panick mode, adreneline coursed through her body, but there was little she could do. Now, the marauder fully sat on her. Pinning both of her arms with one strong hand, he raised his dagger. Her legs, the only thing left free kicked wildly.

She could hear others around her. A scuffle, a fight, no voices, only snarls and grunts, the sounds of men locked in combat.

She didn't know how, but suddenly her assailant was swept from her body. He lay sprawled on the ground beside her. Then she saw Naekos. Her heart lept. "Thank you," she mouthed.

But the fight was not yet over. She sprang to her feet, holding what was left of her bodice to her and looked in all directions, trying to size up the situation. It didn't look good. There were too many of them. Naekos could never handle this all alone.

Just as this though crossed her mind Naekos' men rushed in. Of course, he had thought of everything. They fought so fast and furiuos that she could not tell who was who for sometime. When it was over, no blue and red uniforms stood.

Naekos rose from the center, breathing hard, holding his weapon over his head in victory.

Jo stood there momentarily frozen then rushed to him and threw her arms around his neck. "Naekos, I am so sorry for ever doubting you. I see now that I truly am in danger, but not from these men. I am in danger of myself. I could not have fought even one of these. I am ready to do what you say and learn to fight."

With that Naekos placed her on his horse and mounted up behind her. His strong arms encircled her as they headed back to the cottage. At no other time had she felt so safe and warm. Exhausted she fell asleep, her head against his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart.

[This message has been edited by Dame d'escrime (edited 06-08-2001).]

[This message has been edited by Dame d'escrime (edited 06-08-2001).]

[This message has been edited by Dame d'escrime (edited 06-11-2001).]

[Fencing Angel]

When i awoke i found that there wasn't anyone i the house. or so i thought. i got up and grabed my sword belt, and put it on.

as i walked about the quiet house i had my hand on my dirk. just in case. i knocked on the bedroom door...nothing. i turned the handle a little and took a step back adn kicked it in. (being very careful not to kick it to hard and brake the door...)

there was nobody in the room...i panicked.
where had Naekos gone. why wasn't Jo here? and where was the rest of the strike force...

i walked out of the room every so slowly. watching to se if there was a intruder. that somehow had gotten past the guards... then i heard a voice in the next room. i didn't recinize then so i stelthed over to the door to the kitchen. i peered around the corner and saw moon there. almost relaxed i walked over toward her...


"So.. what's going on here... where is Naekos and the rest of the strike force??"

"AHH.... don't scar me like that... Well after what happened last night Jo took off the find the Letter..."

"Wait a minute... after what happened last night??"

"i tell you later. anyway Jo took off to find this letter and Naekos went to find her... should be back farely soon thought."

"moon, what happened last night??"

"well i think that i will let naekos tell you that part... i wasen't here..."

"then all i have to do in the mean time it wait.... well i am going to go out and enjoy the beauty of the kingdom... if you need anything i will be around..."


moon went back to what she was doing and i walked outside. i notcied that Naekos' dog was also gone. how hard would it be to find a girl who had no knowlage of the woods??

i started walking about the castle and noticed a person that looked like they where lost. so i started walking over to them and saw that he was looking at the balcany that Ledgerto was killed on... i thought nothing about it. but then it hit me... maybe i should fallow that man... 'cause i had never even seen him before, in or around the castle. i started walking after him. paceing every step.

He walked about the court yard. almost as if he knew that i was following him. but finaly he walked out of the front gate and down the east wall...

he's going to the hole that naekos and i found. with the longbow and shortsword.

Just to make sure i followed him farther before i did anything... sure enough he walked right to where we had found the weapons. he started to dig and i snuck up behind him. makeing sure that he didn't see my shadow. i drew my sword and tapped him on the back...

"looking for something stranger?"

he didn't say a word.

"well you won't find anything there. we already did. now, if you'll just put down the spade..."

he did swung it up and over his head. intending to hit me... thinking fast i parried and tried to disarm him... no luck there.. he knew what he was doing with the shovel. (other then digging...haha)
he swung again i ducked, and he went spinning around in a nice circle. he passed out a few seconds later... unfortinentily he came to all to soon... i was about to tie him, and bring him back for questioning. when he sprang grabbing for my dirk... but i was a little faster. i side stepped and held my blade out flat... my intent was to trip him and then knock him senseless with the pommel of my sword... didn't work either. this man knew what he was doing.

he jumped over my blade and came back again for more. he advancen on me i took a few steps back, he did it again. seeing that i was getting ever closer to the wall. he charged me, i side steped just enough to be out of the way. he ran into the wall and bounced backwards. he landed on his back, tripping over the shovel he had left there.

i put one foot inbetween his legs and the other on his chest. the point of my blade was hovering right above his neck.

"now" i said with a cool and commanding presance. "tell me what you where looking for..."

"never..."

He tried to push his neck on to my sword but he couldn't move his head. because i had my foot on his chest. i tried more interagation tricks that i had learned... nothing worked. finaly i called for the wall guard to send someone to help me with this man... when they came we escourted him to the prison....

What he ever wanted is what we are going to have to find out...

[Swordsman]

Bravo, FencingAngel!!

------------------
Sir Nækos Servaya, leader of elite Strike Force Aiovus

"You can run, but you'll only die tired". -Michael Anson

[Fencing Angel]

thanks... only took me about four hours to write... i had limited brain power... SATs this morning... but now i am out of school...

[Dame d'escrime]

As they approached the cottage, Jo began to stir.

Quietly she asked, "Who were those men, Naekos? I did not recognize their uniforms."

"I'm not sure," he replied, "I intend to find out, but first I need to know the contents of that letter. It must be important judging by the reception in the forest."

"Thank you for rescuing me out there. Running off blind like that was probably the most insane thing I've ever done. I just thought I could do it myself," she said, humbled by the whole experience.

"I won't make excuses for you. That was a foolish thing to do. You couldn't have known which way to go because when I brought you here you were wrapped in a cloak and couldn't see. By Craig, Jo, I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you. Um.. I mean... Promise you won't do anything like that again."

"I promise."

With that he lifted her off the horse and they walked into the cottage now fragrant with the smell of Moonitic's famous venison stew and dumplings.

"Ales all around," cried Naekos, "Here's to another successful mission! Well, that is for everyone but Lady Jo here. We still need to discuss the plum cordial incident."

[Fencing Angel]

yes about plumb cordial, moon... when do you think that you could get me some??

Wait a minute i'm underage... never mind..

[Zelda]

At this point I stomp back into the hut a scowl on my face... "No I DONT want to talk about it, not yet anyhow, I just want to know WHY I tripped over more then 1 dead body coming here the back way....Nækos??? An explaination please!." Also Angel Why are we hold that prisoner under double guard, Jo, WHAT WERE you thinking and Moon can I please have some of that stew. After this outburst, I sank down into the one comfy chair by the fire, curled up in a ball and went to sleep. Nækos, Angel, Moon and Jo just stared at me......wondering WHAT had put me in such a foul mood.

[Dame d'escrime]

Welcome back, your Highness...I think.

[Fencing Angel]

eep.... i think that i will cower in the corner now... (what happened to her??)

[Moonitic]

Umm...I think I'll go get that stew now...

[Fencing Angel]

wait for me lady moon... i come and help you with that stew....

[Dame d'escrime]

I think I'll go try on those pants and tunic now.

[Dame d'escrime]

The next morning, Naekos burst into Jo's room. "Up and at 'em my girl! Today you start your training."

Jo opened one eye and hoped he would go away.
She tried turning over and pulling the douvet over her only to have it mercilessly yank off the bed.

"Oh, what time is it?" she wined.

"Time to put on those pants and get to work. Come on,before I drag you out and dress you myself."

"You wouldn't dare!"

"Want to try me?"

"Okay, okay, just leave the room please."

Naekos exited the room, but hovered near the door to make sure she was moving.

Inside the room Jo held up the pants and took a long look at them. Never had she worn such a thing. These were reserved for men and those like Lady Ledgerto who behaved like men.

She had always tried to avoid unlady-like behavior and hated it when her sister had tried to goad her into even holding a weapon.
How had she come to this?

Slowly she slipped one leg into the pants and then the other, pulled them up and cinched the waist. She felt almost naked wearing so little fabric. Next she pulled the white muslin tunic over her head. This made her feel a little better as it was long and covered her to the tops of her legs.

She took a quick look in the mirror and tried to finger comb what was left of her hair, pulled on a pair of Naekos' oversized boots and stepped out of the room.

Naekos gave her the once over and said, "Out you go," pointing toward the door. "Start running."

"You're kidding, right?"

"No, you will run with Fencing Angel by your side. He knows the route. Follow him and try to keep up."

She started to protest, but Naekos' contenence told her he was serious, so she walked slowly to the door looking for Fencing Angel.



[This message has been edited by Dame d'escrime (edited 06-11-2001).]

[Swordsman]

Half an hour later, FencingAngel trotted lightly out of the woods and back into the yard of the cottage, a panting, sweating Jo staggering behind. She took one look at Nækos, standing in the shade, wearing cut off pants and no tunic, taking a drink of water, and threw up with exhaustion.

"And...just...WHY...aren't...YOU...running?"

"I did."

"How...far? We...just...went...two...miles!"

"Nothing much. Just an easy warmup."

"You could at least go as far as us, hypocrite!"

"I would never ask you to do something I wouldn't myself."

"Then how far did you go?"

"I told you. Short warmup, wanted to be back before you."

"How. Far."

"Fine. Five."

"Yeah, right. Seriously."

"Seriously. Five. See what kind of conditioning you're lacking?"

"Oh, just BRAG about it..."

"You wanted to know..."

She just looked at him and growled. Nækos laughed, clapped his hands together. "Yes! NOW we're getting somewhere! When you can snarl, too, THEN I'll know I did something right!" She wanted to be mad, but the good mood was rather contagious.

The three of them worked on footwork in the yard for the next few hours, her knees and thin calves quivering with fatigue, Nækos and FencingAngel looking restless and ready to expend some energy. After that, they ran her through a short kata, got her started on memorizing that. She was smart, and had the steps memorized, if not quite perfected, quickly.

As the sun reached its peak in the sky, she envied the men their freedom to go topless. FencingAngel suggested with a grin that she could join them, but she declined, and stopped complaining after that.

Shortly after noon, they went inside for lunch, and Nækos said she could be done for the day. "You can't train that well when exhausted. You need to rest; your body can't go from nothing straight to all-out. Don't want to damage it; that would set us back several weeks."

He prescribed her a diet, plenty of meat, green things, and bread. He would have told her to drink plenty, but she was already guzzling water continuously.

She retired to the cool of Nækos' basement, and he and FencingAngel went back outside to drill. That evening, they joined her at her studies, bringing down several weapons to be sharpened, cleaned, polished, and oiled. They spoke, making it difficult for her to read and partake in the conversation, and so she soon closed her book and asked them to show her what they were doing.

Nækos pulled a third chair up to the table for her, and showed her how they were applying the thin coat of oil, then rubbing it in, taking off the excess. She tried; butchered it. Tried again, left gobs on the blade. Both showed her how to do it; she still didn't get it. Moonitic called Nækos upstairs after a few minutes to show her where something went as she cleaned up; then he returned as Jo butchered another one.

"Here, let me show you." He took her hands, guided them as he applied the oil. "See? You just brush it on...like so...work down the blade, rub it in..."

"This is different from how you did it."

Nækos looked, saw she was right. As he sat across from her, he was doing it backwards. She moved over in her seat, and he went around, sitting in the other half and guiding her hands again. She ducked her head under his arm, so that they were on either side of her, and at the right angle.

FencingAngel gave him a look. Revalation broadsided him, and he hastily dropped her hands and stood up. "Well, looks like you've got it. Here, use this on your legs, helps keep off shin splints. Meant to give it to you earlier...ah, crap." He pulled a small tube of ointment out of a pocket in his tunic, then fumbled it as he attempted to hand it to a disappointed-looking Jo. "Oh, and here's a book for you. Study this, get read up on your weaponry, pick one to train with tommorow. Also pick one you want to specialize in." He fumbled again handing her a heavy encyclopedia of bladed weapons. "I've got to go...upstairs...get ready for...tommorow..."

He waited, looking for some response. She was silent. He bolted for the stairs.

Later that evening, FencingAngel came up and talked to him. "She oiled three blades perfectly while you were gone."

------------------
Sir Nækos Servaya, leader of elite Strike Force Aiovus

"You can run, but you'll only die tired". -Michael Anson

[arcon]

No way did this happen Arkons father has been dead for years. Thats why he was only
mentioned when Zelda sought out the time machine. Arkon died many years ago from his wounds after fighting the founder of Fencingsucks. You didnt get his mothers name right either. Geez Space, you need to know you facts before you write these accounts.
P.S. One of the last things Arcons father Arkon did before his death was to hide the
timemachine.
DAAAAAAAaaa try and get it right next time,

Space.

............The arcon

[This message has been edited by arcon (edited 06-12-2001).]

[Swordsman]

Spacey, spacey, spacey!! You were doing so well, what happened? Why don't you just leave us to our story, and go away?

[Dame d'escrime]

Jo sat in silence slowly turning each page, examing the weapons.
"How does he expect me to choose a weapon? They all look the same to me."

It didn't take long before she became bored with the books. It was then that she noticed that sitting in the chair for so long had made her stiff so she decided to try the linament that Naekos left with her. She opened the small pot and brought it to her nose. The strong smell of camphor and menthol attacked her. Gingerly she stuck in one finger. The amber goo felt greasy to the touch. "Does he seriously expect me to use this?" she wondered. Jo hastily closed the pot and put it away. She wasn't going to take this advice.

She looked back to the book and tried to give it one more go. But the long arduous day took its toll upong her. Soon her head lay upon the pages in fitful slumber.

In the morning Naekos once again went to wake Jo, but she was not in her bed. It had not even been slept in. Panick rose in his throat. "Fencing Angel! Be quick! Jo is missing! Search the grounds!"

"Right away, Sir," Angel snapped back and raced out the door.

Naekos began a search of the main house, going from room to room, checking every nook and crany calling, her name.

The comotion soon woke Jo from the table where she had spent the night. When she heard Naekos calling her name she tried to rise from the chair in which she had slept, but could barely move. Her muscles had atrophied over night and she could scarce unbend her legs. "Naekos, I'm down here," she called.

He bound down the cellar stairs as fast as his legs could carry him.
"Have you spent the night here?" he asked with concern.

"Yes, and I'm afraid I cannot move very well. My legs are aching terribly."

"Did you use the linament I left you?

"I'm afraid not. It smelled just awful."

He made a deep sigh, picked her up and yelled for Moonitic to draw a hot bath.

"Why do you insist on NOT doing what I tell you? This is something you could have avoided."

"Who said I wanted to miss this?" she said coyly.

"What?"

Naekos carried her into the room where Moonitic had poured the bath and dropped her in unceremoniuosly with a splash.

"Soak your legs," he said dryly. "Next time you get a cold bath to cool you of.

"Oooh, you!" cried Jo.

"Fencing Angel, call off the search and get in here!"




[This message has been edited by Dame d'escrime (edited 06-12-2001).]

[Moonitic]

What the hell? I'm your SCRIBE, people, not your servant!

Have a toady do your chores. I have epic poems to pen.

::grumbles away:: Told ya, we never have any fun...Someday...someday...