User blog:ChaosWyvern-i/Lava and Vargas' First Meeting.

"You may begin," stated the referee as the two knights stared each other down. On the right stood Vargas, young man that became a Knight of Agni, following in the footsteps of his late father. On the left stood Lava, a young woman trained from birth to become the ultimate weapon of the Agni Empire at the cost of being distanced from others until her training was complete. Over the years, both had acquired some fame due to their skill in battle and ability to lead others so, when they met for the first time. a rivalry of sorts was born.

Vargas looked at his opponent and smirked, his training over the last few years had prepared him many things. When he saw Lava, he decided to hold back, not much, but enough not to hurt the young woman in front of him as a formality. Vargas did not think that she was weak, he thought that she nearly as strong as him or equal in strength, but she definitely didn't have the trump card he had acquired.

Vargas entered his stance, one that his father had taught him before his untimely passing. He turned to the side and hefted his long sword across his shoulders with his right arm, facing his opponent. A few gasps escaped the audience, many of the people recognizing the Vargas' stance as his father, Anrhi's. Vargas ignored the audience and focused on Lava, who held her sword at her side, gesturing for her to make the first move. When she did not, he made the first move.

Vargas rushed Lava, appearing to be gliding to her. Lava immediately jumped back to avoid him, missing the smirk that formed on his face the moment she took to the air. Switching his grip on his long sword to a reverse-style grip and pivoting on his left leg, Vargas sprung after Lava and swung his blade upwards, catching her in the midst of her aerial evasion due to the length of his weapon. Vargas' blade struck the female knight twice, first with the edge, which dragged her higher into the air, then with tip, which pushed Lava back, before he released a burst of flame that sent her skidding backwards. He quickly returned to his stance and beckoned for Lava to make a move with his free hand. This time, Lava obliged.

Faster than Vargas could react, Lava was upon him and delivered a swift, but heavy, slash that he could barely avoid, leaving him open to her follow up attack. Lava sheathed her blade and jumped away from the knight, confusing him until a series of three small explosions sent him to his knees. Lava did not wait for Vargas to recover, she capitalized on his broken stance by jumping and thrusting her, now unsheathed and burning, blade at him. Vargas clumsily blocked the attack with his weapon and managed to push Lava back with a well timed swipe, but now he knew not to underestimate Lava. Getting back into stance, Vargas waited a moment then charged, Lava doing the same...

~0~

Vargas laid on the ground, defeated. Lava nursed one her knees as she kneeled from Vargas' last attack, a miniature firestorm and swordplay combination. Their battle had been close, if Vargas had timed his last few attacks better he could've defeated her, staining her perfect record of zero losses. Unknown to Lava, her heart was not beating faster from adrenaline or exhaustion, but from the pleasure she had felt fighting against someone that had the potential to best her. When the knights under her command came to aid her, she graced them with a smile that made many of them wonder if Lava had changed from a simple battle or if she was simply happy for the help.

"Captain, are you alright," asked one of the knights, genuinely concerned for his captain's well being. Immediately, Lava's smile became the scowl that the people around her had become accustomed to.

"Yes," she snapped, "Is it not alright for me to smile every once and awhile?" When the knight could not respond, her scowl deepened. "Fetch me my night wear, I am going retire for the night." The knight nodded hastily, before running to get Lava's gown. Once he returned, Lava ordered all of the knights under her command to have the night off, free from drills and combat exercises, before going to her room. Once there, the knight changed out of her armor and into her night gown, then fell asleep and dreamt of Vargas...

~0~

Vargas awoke inside the infirmary of Castle Agni with a headache. He was confused by his location until he remembered that Lava defeated him. Seeing his own weakness, Vargas got up and left the infirmary to hone his skills. When the medic attending to him asked where he was going upon seeing Vargas leaving, he received a simple answer.

"Training until I can best her." Without another word, Vargas grabbed all of his equipment and belongings and left the castle, keen on training until he could surpass the knight that defeated him. Unbeknownst to him, his face had reddened from the thought of crossing blades with lava for a second time.

"Lava, I'll defeat you someday," he vowed before vanishing into the wilderness.

"Vargas, let's meet each other again in battle..." she whispered in her sleep...