The Celestial Knight - Battle of Love

Chapter 1: Zion and Corvan

A small paragraph to see how Zion and Corvan feels about Valeriana.

"Oh just go away!" Valeriana exclaimed.

Zion feigned heart break and said, "Oh fair maiden, you have captured my heart. Your beauty surpasses everything I've seen...." He droned on, while Corvan just huffed and stared at them disapprovingly.

"Oh for gods sake, shut up! You sound like Raziel now!" Valeriana shouted, "Corvan, save me!" Corvan merely looked at her and shook his head at her childish actions, nevertheless, he came to her rescue, and felt a small sense of triumph as he saw Zion falter.

She squealed as Corvan took off at an incredible speed. "PUT ME DOWN, YOU IDIOT DEVIL!" 

Corvan rolled his eyes and replied coolly, "Your the one who told me to save you, Stupid Witch!" 

"Arghhh!" Valeriana huffed, "You pig-headed troll!"

"Cry-baby!"

"Wimp!"

"Cold Prince!"

"Roaring Tiger!"

"Roaring Tiger?"

"You should have done better than say Cold Prince. Now cut this babyish behavior out and act like part of the Celestial Twelve!" Valeriana glared at his back, trying to let him feel the heat of her gaze and retorted, "Your the one who's piggy back carrying me!"

Corvan frowned and quickly dropped her, making her fall off his back. Valeriana dusted herself up and glared at him again.

"Having a lover's bickering?" Tamara popped out. her eyes widened slightly at what she saw, which was Valeriana falling off Corvan's back and asked, slightly apologetic,"Am I interrupting something?" Valeriana mentally face palmed herself and said quickly, "It is not what it seems!" But that just sounded like a denial. To make matters worse, Elfre popped in too and screamed, "Nooooo! Team Valiooon!!!" 

Again Valeriana reflected on how she became the butt of the Celestial Twelve's jokes. Corvan however, just shooed them away and frowned at her, "See what you've done, all of the Celestial Twelve has been acting considerably undignified since you've come here."

She stuck her tongue out childishly and slapped playfully at his arm, "You know you love me!"

Corvan shrank away, his permanent frown deepening. She walked away, throwing one more insult over her shoulder, "Smile and say something nice for once you idiot! Or else you will have permanent frown lines!"

Corvan just watched her walk away, still a little mystified at the events that unfolded that day and said quietly to himself, "What on Valemnia is a frown line?" 

Get it? What on Earth is a frown line???

___________________________________________________________________

In the Academy, much was not different. Valeriana was constantly trying to catch up on her work, and practising her sword play. 

Now, she had just finished writing her History Report on the Demon Lord and she rushed out the library. Only to smack into a hard wall. Dazedly, she started to fall and was caught by the waist by the one and only....

Zion.

Yes, I know. MyLovelyWriter wrote that with Corvan, but I wanted to Zion to have a chance too.

"Hello, fair angel."

Valeriana pouted, "I told you not to call me that!"

Zion grinned at her, "Have I ever been the one to listen to orders?" 

In spite of herself, Valeriana grinned back at him. Then she sighed, "I have to go." This time, it was Zion's turn to pout, "Is it because of me?"

"No," Valeriana sighed again, "I have to go practice my swordplay," she paused, then added glumly, "by myself."

"Is that an invitation?" Zion grinned cheekily, Valeriana blushed profusely, "N-no." Nevertheless, Zion offered his hand and led Valeriana toward the arena. Valeriana wanted to decline, but again. Zion was a good sword master, and it would be good practice.

In the arena...

"On guard!" Valeriana shouted as she charged. Zion met it coolly with a clash of metal on metal. 

"Faster!" 

Clang 

Clang

Clang

Valeriana used the water, flowing smoothly, trying to quench Zion's fire. but suddenly, Zion changed tactic. He moved with complexity, with no pattern that water can find. Wind. Valeriana remembered being beaten by this technique during her first weapons lesson.

She remembered that Earth can sometimes block the wind. She stood her ground, trying to be firm and unmoving, blocking the onslaught. Zion smirked, catching on.

"Move your feet, the earth does spin you know!"

Valeriana did not get it. How was she suppose to move and be like the solid earth? Zion saw her confusion and attacked. Now Valeriana was hard pressed. Zion was stronger than her, and she needed to use her agility to battle Zion's strength.

She shuffled back, gradually giving ground, then tried a technique that had worked on Zion ebfore. The Ghost. She feigned and slashed at him, but Zion danced back , making himself like water. Never in the same place, flowing into a variety of moves.

"Be like an valemnian-quake!" Zion shouted. 

Valeriana puzzled, then she understood, "You mean an earthquake!" She shouted back.

Zion shrugged indifferently, "No idea what that is."

Valeriana thought, An earthquake thundered down on the enemy, driving, unrelentless, attacking, but not giving ground, like she had done. Yet, how was she suppose to defend herself?

Drive forward, rain attacks down on him as an earthquake does. Batter him so that he does not have time to recover. Whatever you do, do not falter, use your strength and power for one, exact timed moment, then attack!

The voice had come. It had saved her many times in the past, so she followed the instructions without hesitation.

Stepping forward in one fluid motion, she struck. But she did not withdrew immediately, instead, she sliced ferociously, stabbing and hurling at Zion as she imagined chunks of earth would.

Stab

Slash

Thrust

Strike

Slice

Blow after blow, she rained down, a terrifying figure looming about. throwing every ounce of her strength into the attacks. Zion slowly faltered, for he had never encountered this strategy. It was an extremely advanced technique used only in the final dice, a flurry of devastating blows.

If it failed, then there was no return. But in this case, it worked, Valeriana  leaped up in the air, her tired arms swinging one more arc and knocked Zion's weapon out of his hand.

"Good job!" He said, "looks like you can still beat me, you and lord Corvan would be evenly matched. I have lost again to you!"

Valeriana panted, "Thanks a lot, Zion."

Zion smiled, a genuine smile, not one of his flashy, I-am-so-cool smiles, "You did very well indeed."

"We'll do that again sometime soon."

"I agree."