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If I don't do something soon, this is not going to end well for me. With this thought in mind, he charged at his father. He swung his stick with as much speed and skill that he could possibly manage. Every flurry of attacks he sent at his father was blocked by his shield. Annoyed, Xaine took the stick in both hands and brought it down upon his father as hard as he could. Xaine thought he saw a glimmer in his father's eyes just then. Next thing he knew, his stick was being knocked back, as Gordon parried the blow. With Xaine off balance and his defense wide open, Gordon charged a shoulder into Xaine, sending him tumbling into the dirt. He hit his head upon a rock, causing a small trickle of blood to leak down his face.

 

This is hopeless. Xaine gave up in his mind. He knew he had no chance to beat Gordon. At this point, he knew Gordon was just toying with him, or somehow, testing him. He must know that I have no chance of winning. Then it hit him. Gordon wasn't testing his abilities in combat, but rather, testing his patience. If I were to lose my temper, they're betting that I might start using demon abilities. Xaine smiled. Xaine could see Gordon question his expression from beneath his helmet. He closed his eyes. All things around Xaine became silent. He could no longer hear the wind. He could no longer hear the crowd. All he could hear was Gordon. He opened his eyes, looking upon Gordon once more.

 

Gordon noticed Xaine's posture, and once more, he charged Xaine to release a variety of attacks. Xaine was entirely focused on the battle now. His reflexes were proof of this. Gordon appeared to be moving slow. His attacks seemed clumsy. Now is the moment to strike, he thought. And with this, he ducked a horizontal slash from Gordon. He moved in closer to his father, moving right past his shield and stick. Xaine then front kicked his father with all of his might, sending Gordon stumbling backwards. Xaine watched as what he had anticipated came into fruition. Gordon lost his composure. His hands went over his head, in an attempt to retain his balance. With the kite-shield over his father's head, he charged in, and thrust his stick into Gordon's stomach. Gordon tumbled backwards, dropping his shield and stick. Xaine moved in close, and delivered the final blow. He held his stick inches from his father's exposed neck. 

 

Both of them stared at each other for several moments, breathing in short, ragged breaths. This fight would've ended very differently, if my father had wished it. He knew that if this had been a real fight, he wouldn't have won. Still, he was proud of what he had achieved. Gordon had stood up now. He took off his helmet, sweat glistening in the sun. He walked forward, and held out his hand. Xaine met his, and they stood, shaking hands. The crowd cheered. Despite everything that had happened, he was still himself. The village was still his home, and his father was proud of him. It was everything he had dreamed of, and more. Xaine became aware of a small clap coming from someone walking towards them.

He turned to see Arixae standing a few feet from them. 

 

 "Well done Xaine, you showed immense skill and patience, especially fighting someone who was much stronger than yourself." Xaine ducked his head in embarrassment at Arixae's words.

"I did my best." Arixae smiled at Xaine's modest words.

"Well, now we know that you're still human. A demon would've killed Gordon for sure." Arixae looked at Gordon now, with a slight amount of amusement. "I don't know why you would hold back so much, if you had used the full extent of your abilities, Xaine might have been forced to use his powers."

Xaine caught on to what Arixae was saying. "So you mean, if he had pressured me further, I might have lost control?" Xaine was beginning to doubt himself once again.

"No, I believe you would've had the same amount of control, because in this situation, your humanity is more powerful than the demon inside of you. If the opponent was different, the outcome would have changed." And with this, Arixae bid his farewell, congratulated Xaine once more, and walked out of the arena.

 

Xaine stood dumbstruck. He didn't know whether he should be happy, or worried. He didn't know if this gave him a false sense of security, or if this was the true control he held over his abilities. Gordon must have sensed his emotions, as he placed a hand on Xaine's shoulder. "Don't let it concern you too much Xaine. I believe your heart to be pure. I don't think a demon's evil can corrupt your mind, or your heart. Believe in yourself. You are my son. You have a strong will. Don't let Arixae's words break your will."

 

Xaine cherished his father's words. Once more, he spoke wisely. He spoke the truth, as he had seen it. However, deep in Xaine's heart, he felt doubt. He let all of his negative emotions leave him as he and his father left the arena. They walked past the crowd, who had begun to see Xaine as a normal person once more. They shook his hand, obviously relieved he wasn't a threat. 

 

Several days passed, and Xaine had returned to work with his father. Customers had started coming in again. Nobody is afraid of me. He was relieved that everyone trusted him again. Xaine had noticed a great deal of change in his strength over the next few days. Objects that used to be impossible to lift, were effortless. He could run faster, and he didn't run out of breath so easily. He felt strong. He smiled, happy his abilities didn't hinder his work. Every so often, he could feel his senses sharpen temporarily. He was becoming accustomed to his improved hearing and sight, and was able to drown out loud noises that had bothered him before.

 

A week after his fight with Gordon, he noticed something peculiar. He was down by the river, cleaning some of the tools his father and himself had used for the day, when he saw his reflection. His hair had become much longer. While it had been shoulder length a couple weeks prior, it was now almost to his mid back. With everything that had happened, he hadn't noticed it until now. He touched it, feeling the thick, smooth hair beneath his fingers. He thought he saw a few gray hairs, but ignored them.

 

It was almost two weeks after his fight with Gordon, that, for the first time, he realized he had completely forgotten about the soldiers that had brought the supplies. They had given the supplies to the village, as he had anticipated, but they hadn't left. What are they waiting for? He wondered if they were waiting for Guual. They might not have realized that he isn't coming back. With curiosity getting the best of him, he walked over to their camp. Their banners held the obvious markings of the empire. Black with a red lion. The empire chose black, so when they laid siege to castles at night, all their enemies could see is the furious red lion. 

 

 The horses were tied to a post outside the tent. The tent was almost as big as Xaine's house. He could hear voices inside the tent now. He knocked on the side of the tent, the wood producing a hollow sound from the other side. The voices hushed. A soldier threw aside the tent flap, exposing Xaine to the inside of the tent. Several soldiers stared at him with blank expressions.

"What do you want? You have your supplies, beat it!" The soldier was in Xaine's face, and spit landed on Xaine's face as he talked. Xaine fought the urge to wipe the spit off, to prevent from being rude.

"I was just wondering if you were waiting on something." Xaine spoke quietly, attempting to sound polite.

 "No. We are resting up for the long journey back."