Rise Of Pandora

Rise Of Pandora: XXX. Where Their Words Could Not

"Do you want to know what is bad about being a man? You can die. Want to know what is bad about being a man in charge? You die faster. Want to know what makes me immortal? I am on both sides. Want to know what is bad about immortality? Absolutely nothing."

-Alareiks Menhara

XIII. Poet

Now the two of them remained, their tempers swelling on their faces. However, one was overwhelmed with thrill. The man smiled and sneered. He was utterly enthralled by the soldier's audacious demeanor and his indelible perseverance. Though separated at a small distance, they peered pensively into the other's choleric eyes.

"Back from the dead?"

The soldier grunted angrily and rushed for the man's neck with his swords.

He dodged and quickly retreated back some steps to evade those sharp blades.

Amidst the gloomy atmosphere, they stood upon the earth unshrinking and unyielding. They broadened their shoulders and reinforced their stances. The man stood with a fervid poise. The soldier breathed in and out calmly in the attempt to still his truly jittery nerves. He maneuvered slowly towards his excited foe whose wicked grin curved ear to ear like a crescent moon.

"Who are you people really? Puny humans do not move as you do nor do they bear wings."

He shook his head suddenly. "Never mind," he said, "You are not worth the effort it will take to shoot you down." He huffed. "Flee from my sight or else..."

He slapped his hands hard and his bow burst back into his hands. He crunched his fingers out while never removing his attention from the soldier who still flinched slightly at the sight of his strange power. The soldier pulled small breaths to calm himself.

He began shouting as loud as his lungs would allow, "I will not say it again," he said this but his eyes were not fixed upon the soldier, instead they were focused in the direction Gaijin had run off to.

"If you think you will cause Gaijin any more harm, then you will be truly disappointed."

There was a look on the man's face that communicated conceit.

"Is that so?" He laughed. "You can hardly speak. You can hardly even stand. If you think-"

Suddenly the soldier jetted off into a burst, snow flying from his heels. He swung his swords wildly but he did not do so in the manner that suggested he was desperate. He swung meticulously and carefully, each swing of the blade drawing nearer and nearer to his target. But the man was fast. He moved like smooth like a passing breeze. The soldier could hardly even touch him with the ends of his swords, let alone graze skin.

He dodged and ducked and with very minimal effort of his own. 

"If you wish to slay me, then you must try much harder than that, human," he said before hurling a heavy fist at the soldier who blocked it with the handles of his swords. He was pushed back some distance away. He gasped as he felt the lingering impact of his foe's fist, leaving the sensation of edged chills sprawling throughout his body. The soldier stopped for some seconds to collect much-needed breath. His eyes suggested that he was drained. His heart was thumping and his legs wobbled and wavered under his weight. Sweat poured like rain down his chin and to his neck which irked with throbs and sores.

Carefully observing the soldier who moved slowly about, he rose his dark bow and lifted it high.

The soldier was ready. The man was ready.

They looked into one another's intimidating eyes once more, each intent on becoming the victor. He smiled suddenly and tugged on the string of his bow and discharged four arrows, each one blasting through the chilly air with such unwavering force. He raised his swords with both hands grasping tightly on the swords' hilts.