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She happily hugged him, holding herself close to his chest. Kaito found the best spot was a small roof hatch that allowed him onto the top of the house. Clearly this was a fixture for the traditional Badofoku who liked to roost on their roof. Kaito, not having talons like a badofoku, would have found this fixture worthless. But it was the best place to watch the sunset from. The city was calm, the air warm and humid, there was no one around aside from the occasional passerby. Regardless, it was a peaceful evening.
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Kondoru perked up a bit, finally he could talk about something he knew about. “I was thinking something heavy but manoeuvrable. I’ve been watching the mighty warriors typical of these lands and they seem to favour a good defense over everything. Even going so far as to limit their own mobility. I come from a land far away, where armour is heavy but allows for fast movements and speed. This is what I task you to forge.”
Kaito didn't mind the uncomfortable architecture. He was rather used to the inconvenience at this point, having lived in a society built for Avians for quite some time now. Besides, being uncomfortable wasn't an issue to him so long as he and his daughter got to see the sunset together, which was the true joy of such a situation. A peaceful way to end the day.
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The larger Rigonian seemed to be making mental notes in his head, giving some nods, "Good observations, Rigonians are quite preferential towards heavy armor. The idea is simple. You can't keep dodging forever, particularly if your enemy has a lot of bows or crossbows, so it's better to just avoid dying when you do get hit. Lack of mobility is not a problem however when you work in groups and you can protect eachother. Still, not everyone does that. And your frame would be better suited to mobility, as you seem more flexible than the average sort here." Dulfian nodded as he seemed to crystallize the idea in his head, "Yeah, I can make something tough yet mobile. You won't be as tough as a superheavy knight, but I'll see to it that you can't die to some stray arrow or lucky spear thrust. Your horse will probably be happy at least to not carry as much weight."
The days continued like this for quite a while, and Kaito experienced normalcy for once. Working his new job as a courtier to Benjiro, or in theory anyways. Kaito knew that Benjiro was more of a figurehead at this point, so aloof to governance. Regardless, in the passing days Kaito dealt with things such as reports of two Daimyo on the island of Shisutamon beginning a territorial feud, which Kaito was told to promptly ignore. After that, not much else happened. But then it was the night for the Kabuki. While Michiko was not invited herself, she helped Kaito get ready for his important evening. She helped Kaito get dressed in very formal and luxurious robes. Even tying a ribbon on his horns. That morning Kaito was even forced to take a bath! Michiko was just finishing the last touches on tying his belt, before brushing his shoulders with her hands.
“Are you ready for the evening, husband?”
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Kondoru bowed his head again, “Many thanks, Dulfian-san. I understand the trade off of protection for speed, and I make it willingly. I am most happy you can craft such armour. While I do not believe that I need the armour to have many overlapping pieces, I would ask that the plates of armour you use can withstand an arrow, bolt, or direct blow. I shall rely on my speed and retinue for the rest.”
Kaito was not the sort for formal events. Even back in Eversteen, he preferred to avoid the parties and major feasts whenever he could. He was much more comfortable doing actual work, be it leading troops or even more menial tasks. Unfortunately, this didn't seem to be possible in this case, and so he resigned himself to the preparations of his wife. And while he did not like such events, since he had to go to this one anyways, he did put in some effort to look his best, although he wasn't fond of the ribbon. All the same, he nodded, "As ready as I can be, I suppose. How long does this last, again?"
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Dulfian nodded his head, "You certainly are an odd one, lad. But this should be a more interesting project than usual, so it should be somewhat fun. Have no fear that the armor won't hold, I know how to make the plates tough. Just avoid getting hit with a ballista bolt and you should be quite fine. Now, I'll take about a week to craft such a suit of armor. But you don't have to come back here for that, I'll be sending it off to your family's castle. I have to deliver them a supply of spearheads as well as another suit of armor I'm almost finished with anyways."
Michiko seemed pleased with Kaito’s appearance, and she backed away from him to get a better look, then nodding. “Kabuki is a special event, it could take several hours. But you might enjoy it. Especially tonight’s performance. I’ve heard the story is about a warrior who seeks vengeance after his father and brother are killed by their cousin. Or something along those lines.”
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Kondoru bowed to Dulfian and when he rose from his bow he spoke again, “thank you once more, Dulfian-San. You honour me with your words and craft. I must now ask for you to accept some form of payment, yes?”
Kaito sighed, but nodded his head, "Perhaps I may enjoy that. Such tales of family revenge seem to be rather common ones around here, as they were back in Eversteen. Revenge for a lost Father seems to be something all people hold important. At least such a performance means I'll not have to interact with other nobles so much. I should get going, now that I am all prepared."
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Dulfian shook his head, "Your family pays me, young lad. It's part of the big contract we have. I supply good armor and weapons for your family's membership, and in return I get hefty amounts of cash. Although, if you are offering, there is something I could use some help with, which you knight folk are better suited to handling. Recently tried to get in a shipment of some horseshoes. I know, odd thing, but these are special ones. Those Human Nomads make them, and they're purpose built for their breed of horse. Hard to craft because of that, and so they sell well. Unfortunately seems a batch of bandits raided the shipment, which dents my coffers a fair bit. If you could go and recover those, I can cut down on the price of the armor for your family. And since you seem to prefer this type of horse, I'll even let you have a couple. How about it?"
Michiko bowed to her husband, to give him honour as he left the bedchambers. “Enjoy the evening, my husband. I look forward to seeing you tonight and hearing your tales.” She smiled. As Kaito left the home and entered his backyard to meet Toru on the island between their properties, Toru was wearing similarly fancy robes, smoking a pipe as he watched some fish in a pond.
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Kondoru raised his hands and sheathed blade to about chest level and bowed to Dulfian. “I would be honoured to retrieve your horseshoes, Dulfian-san. These Bandits will not be allowed to rob anyone ever again, I pray to Venocar for strength in assisting a craftsman of Viola! I will move swiftly to bring you honour. Do you know along what route these bandits happened upon your shipment?”
Kaito was indeed hoping he had some good tales to tell by the end of this. Tales would mean he had least saw something interesting enough to remember. If he came out of this lacking tales, that would mean this evening was a major waste, and that was certainly the worst option of all. At least a bad experience allowed him the chance to complain. Regardless, he approached Toru and waved out in greetings, "Toru, watching the fish? I hope they aren't more exciting than the performance we are supposed to go see."
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Dulfian was rather surprised at the bow, being a smith and not a noble, so he just waved for Kondoru to raise his head, "Easy there lad, I'm not some liege lord. So, erhm, don't gotta bow. Anyways, seems you remembered who our city's patron is, so seems you're quite good at learning! You would not believe how many people forget that we are the city of Smiths, and so obviously Venocar is our God. Peasants are apparently too daft to make the connection... Ah, anyways, as for the bandits. It was along one of the eastwards roads, in sight of the Drakos Mountains. Hopefully said bandits didn't end up getting grabbed up by a Dragon, definitely ain't getting back those horseshoes if that's the case. Just check the roads that go from here to Dresisa."
Toru snuffed out his pipe and looked up, “Aah, friend. No, no. Just more interesting than waiting for you.” He smiled and bit as he stood up and fixed his robes. “Please, follow me to the theatre.” He smiled and started walking through the city. Eventually arriving at a luxurious red wood building with a black tile roof. There were crowds of gentlemen and lords around the building. As they got inside the theatre and found some seats the show started.
It was an interesting performance. Kaito would be in for a surprise, with the overly dramatic poses, elaborate costumes and make up, the signature patterns of speech. But it was a very good story. A young man, Ashikata, and his brother, Ashijigo, were both young lords and aspiring military leaders during an unspecified time and unspecified land. Their father, Fumitaka was warring with an unnamed lord far to the east. The war was not going well, but Fumitaka had convinced his brother, Takasugu, to bring up reinforcements. Poised to finally win the war in the east Takasugu betrays Fumitaka and kills him and Ashijigo in an ambush. Assuming control of the army Takasugu ceased his war in the east and decided to oppress the lands under his control. Revealing his true intentions of taking over the land given to his younger brother and rule his own kingdom. In a spout of arrogance, Takasugu decided to not kill Ashitaka. Ashitaka would travel across the lands, learning from a monk named Zenkichi. Zenkichi was clearly supposed to be a caricature of Benjiro. Zenkichi wore the monk like robes similar to Benjiro. Zenkichi was wise and calm, very different from the actual Benjiro. Probably due to the cult of personality around Benjiro skewing his personality to be more divine, thus creating this tribute character. After months, Ashitaka would confront his uncle in a duel. After an exchange of speeches, the two fought with wooden sticks, duelling with one another until Ashitaka slew his uncle and restored peace and prosperity to the land.
Thus concluding the play.
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He raised his sword and smiled, “Of course! My path has been shown and I shall fulfill it. My retinue and I shall go now, and I shall retrieve your horseshoes!” Kondoru bowed again, as it seemed he used a bow as more of a polite gesture than as a sign of respect. Kondoru turned to his retinue and smiled, “Let us go forth!”
Kaito followed him to the theater, noting the heavy drama of the performance. It was certainly quite more elaborate than the more simplified plays back at Eversteen, which primarily relied on the actors and simplicity to get across their stories, lacking the elaborate costumes here. As such, he was interested to see what other differences there were. The story was one he could understand well, as he had heard similar tales back home of evil uncles, a favorite villain for tales about rightful rule. He wasn't surprised to see Benjiro's stand in being far more divine in nature, as it was only sensible. Such a perception was useful to keep order, even if it was not quite accurate to the far more eccentric Benjiro. The play was satisfying, and he supposed this was indeed a worthwhile event. He was also happy that he got to watch it undisrupted.
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Kondoru's retinue saluted him, banging their spears in acknowledgement of the task. Taltoro chuckled at Kondoru's little show, "Well, you seem quite ready for a little bandit hunt. I will go with you as well, nephew, but I shall have you take the lead. This is a good chance for me to observe you in action, and gauge your skills in a fight. So Kondoru, you shall head out first, and this time I will follow." With that, he moved out of the forgery to get back on his horse, with the retinue waiting for Kondoru to do so himself before following.
The performance came to an end just as quickly as it began. But it was an experience that kaito would not soon forget. The actors seemed to be well respected and trained in this profession. However, at the end, as Toru stood up he looked to Kaito. “So my friend, how did you enjoy the performance? Was it what you expected?”
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Kondoru nodded happily as he mounted his horse. He raised his Odachi far above his head in triumph. Before sheathing it on his back again. Spurring his horse lightly and setting off for the road described by the blacksmith.
Kaito stood up, stretching his back after sitting down for so long. He looked to Toru and nodded, "It was what I expected in terms of story, but I will say I was impressed by the visuals and the acting. The story was quite similar to what I have heard back home, evil uncles are apparently quite the popular villain in general. But the outfits were beyond what I was used to back home, far more detailed. The acting was a good deal more dramatic as well, gave greater weight to the scenes. So, I will say it was overall enjoyable."
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The road in question was not far from the city, and Kondoru could tell he was getting closer as the cobblestone roads started to lose quality, and the terrain got more difficult. In the distance he could see a great mountain range, and he was entering a rocky area. The road went through a valley, on either side of which were cliffs, and a narrow entrance on either side of the valley, with large bushes to boot. It was all in all the perfect location for an ambush, and the scattered, rusting weapons thrown to the side of the trail here confirmed that plenty of bandits had realized this.
“I am most pleased with the performance. It was everything I had hoped for, as this theatre company is most reputable. I had hoped for exceptional quality of the play, and am most satisfied. It was an honour to have shared this experience with you, noble friend.” He smiled but soon grew grave in the face and spoke in whispers, “I was instructed to inform you we leave tomorrow evening. Our departing point will be the docks near the palace. You are to bring your holy blade and... and your daughter. I wish you not to be alarmed. But there are hungry ears nearby.” He stopped speaking in whispers. “Yes! Most wonderful performance! What did you think?” Kaito would subtly notice two men walking slightly behind them, but they were not what Toru referred to. Kaito’s keen senses as a warrior revealed a man clad in dark blue robes, blending in with the night sky, crouched low to the rooftops and stalking them. He was practically invisible to most people. A shinobi...
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Kondoru kept his eyes firmly on his surroundings. His sword never far from his hand. “Vigilance will protect us, friends. Vigilance.” He spoke confidently, as he looked to the sides of the road. “Men, keep an eye for signs of that shipment. Anything from a wagon, Viola sigils, anything. Every stone must be turned here.”
Kaito realized that they were being traced, and that was the reason for the sudden secrecy. It would be foolish to give away the fact that he realized they were there, better to let the Shinobi think they were unnoticed. So he gave a open nod with a smile, "It was quite enjoyable, and I look forward to coming to see another one day! Perhaps we can go together again? After all, this was such a good experience, so it would be quite the honor for me to join you again for another outing! Perhaps in a few days, as I doubt either of us will be going anywhere soon!" He didn't whisper, but with a more serious expression on his face he gave another nod, which was more clearly in response to his whispered request.
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The Retinue Soldiers nodded their head, dismounting from their horses and readying their spears. This was a popular spot for ambushes after all, and they were prepared. Taltoro stayed back, on his horse, watching Kondoru work. They'd find a few signs of the lost caravan, such as a broken crate, a few broken wheels from a wagon, and a spear that was broken in two. No bodies however. One Soldier however then called out, "Lord Kondoru! I found something!" He found a section of hardened mud, which had footsteps in it. The various types of feet showed Human feet, Rigonian Feet, and the Feet of Horses. All those footsteps led into a more out of the way path into the forest.
Toru patted Kaito on the shoulder and the two found themselves back at their estate. By which point the shinobi on the roof had broken off and returned to their master. Toru nodded, “Good evening, noble friend. I shall convene with you again tomorrow evening.” He bowed to Kaito and went to his estate. Leaving Kaito on the little island between their houses.
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Kondoru kept searching around, seeming to be interested in every detail he could find. Running to his man woth the evidence. “Good, very good work. Right, mount up. We’ll follow this track as far as it goes!” He bravely announced and jumped to his horse. He had a dashing grinnon his face as he raised his hand high.
Kaito bowed back to Toru, "Indeed so, see you then, Toru." With that, he sighed and started walking home. He wondered who the spies worked for, and why they were keeping their eyes on Kaito and Toru. That and he didn't know why Toru needed him to bring both his blade and daughter to a meeting, but it did seem important. So he went home to make sure his sword was where it should be, and to check up on his family.
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The three soldiers responded with a combined, "Yes, my lord!" With that, they went to get back on their horses as well, so they could follow along. Taltoro stayed at the rear, keeping a hand on his blade, now that they were likely approaching danger. Moving along the forest path, they could see more signs of activity, such as broken blades thrown to the side of the trail. They were approaching was looked to be a cave, and they could hear shouting within. It was jovial, sounds of celebration, with glasses clinking and the sounds of brawls. The bandits didn't were quite unaware of the mounted warriors arriving, too busy celebrating among themselves.
When he returned home, he found Michiko watching over his daughter. Or so he was told by his guards. Upon entering his house, he found Michiko where she was said to be. Knelt down over their daughter’s bed, almost as if she was praying. But Kaito’s sword was also in its proper place. “Husband? I am glad you returned, did you enjoy your evening?”
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Kaito remained low to the ground. His hand on his Odachi, ready to strike at any moment. But first he would survey these bandits, assess their strength. He wanted to know their numbers, special holdings, loot, were there any causes of concern, weapons, armour, and if they had his prize.
After surveying his surroundings, his next focus came to his men, looking back for a moment to survey if they were also prepared.
Kaito was happy that the legendary blade was where it should be, as it would be quite bad if that weapon had been stolen. After grabbing it to look it over, just in case, he then went over to Michiko and smiled, "Well, as for the show, it was interesting. Nothing groundbreaking, but it was a good experience for showing the differences between plays done here and back home. Although the evening was messed up somewhat, as I believe somebody is keeping an eye on me. A Shinboi was shadowing me, and Toru made an odd request for me to meet him tomorrow evening at the docks, with my blade and daughter. I am not sure what is going on."
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The bandits, not being particularly alert right now, were fairly easy to recon. He could tell there were perhaps nine of them awake, with perhaps a few more out of sight. Their loot was stored in the cave, just horded towards the back in a pile. They were not a very organized bunch, rather savage. This carried over to the makeup of the bandits themselves. They were mostly Rigonians, with one human member. They wore leather and fur armor, roughly put together to give them basic defenses. Most of them just seemed to have iron tipped spears, but two of the Rigonians had hunting bows, and likely knew how to use them. The single human was the only one who had a sword instead of spear, a longsword likely stolen from somebody else. As for his prize, it was hard to tell, due to their disorganized nature and the fact it might just be buried in the pile.
As for his own three troops, they were quite prepared. They wore proper iron armor supplied by the Skylax lords, with steel spears and shields. Their true advantage however was that they each carried two javelins to toss at foes. Unlike the bandits, they knew how to properly care for their equipment, so it was in good condition as well. While they were far from battle forged veterans, they still had more training and discipline than the bandits did for sure, being recruits from Skylax lands, and the Skylax family was justly known for having the best drilled troops. Then of course was the strongest ally Kondoru had, his uncle Taltoro. Taltoro was an experienced warrior, his heavy full plate armor showing the signs of his history of battles he had fought and won. He carried his well tempered longsword, a sturdy shield, and had a lance as well to strike at foes from horseback.
Michiko listened to her husband, but grew more concerned as he kept talking. “Shinobi... your sword, and Sumire? I don’t question the will of our divine emperor. I... cannot just give up my daughter, like I was forced to do with my son... Not even the emperor’s divine wind can just take her from my arms. Not this time! No one will have her...”
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Kondoru’s Odachi was tied to his back, though in this stance with his armour, and just because of the size of the odachi in general it was impossible to actually draw his sword without assistance. He would need one of the members of his retinue to actually hold his scabbard for him. Regardless of who held the scabbard, Kondoru would draw his blade and signal the retinue to move forward and attack. He wished to surround the group of bandits and block the exit of the cave. “I am Kondoru Masataka Skylax, I have been dispatch by the craftsman Dulfian to recover a shipment of horseshoes that you wrongfully took! I give you a chance to end this peacefully. Lay down your arms, surrender your loot. And you will be allowed to run free and regain the loot you have amassed here again. Should you choose to fight, I will be bound by honour to defend myself and take my objective. Make your choice.”
Kaito didn't really seem to object, nodding his head, "I am of a similar opinion, I refuse to lose a child again. So I will bring you as well, you're going to come with me and we will go as a complete family. That is my stance, because I am not breaking from my family yet again. We leave together or we stay here together, no more splitting up."
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After one soldier helped Kondoru draw his blade, they spread out with their weapons so as to surround the cave entrance, cutting off escape or at least forcing the bandits to confront one of them before they had the chance. Taltoro moved forward as well, staying mounted on his armored horse and keeping back, preparing his lance. He was primarily here to observe Kondoru's progress, but Taltoro was still a proper Skylax, which meant he did enjoy the chance for shedding bandit blood. As for the bandits, they were rather surprised that somebody had found them, much more so that it was a group of soldiers and nobles they were confronted with. Despite having the numbers advantage, they were visibly intimidated by the armored foes. But while some shrinked back, considering the option of just getting let off the hook, one of them overcame their intimidation, pointed to Kondoru, and yelled out, "Screw off you noble bastard! I'll sell your corpse to the Death Cult!" He then picked up his spear and charged at Kondoru. This gave some confidence to a few of his compatriots, including one of the Archers who jumped to grab his bow, and the Human who moved to attack one of Kondoru's soldiers with his sword. The other bandits however seemed hesitant, waiting to see the results and gauge their chance of victory.
Michiko hugged her husband and held him. “Good, excellent. I shall not be broken from my daughter, not now and never.” She let a long sigh escape her beak. “If we are to depart soon we should get sleep.” Michiko laid their daughter between herself and Kaito on the bedroll, and awaited her husband to join them.
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Kondoru’s resting stance with his Odachi was with it elevated above his head. His massive blade kept high in the air as it was most comfortable to support it this way rather than hold it low and exert strength to keep the blade point up. Easier to wield it and hold it level. He would feint his attack at the charging spearman, stomping his dominant foot, he pulled his arms back as if to thrust his massive blade at the charging spearman, only to change his footing at the last second and bring the blade from a forward thrust to a quick sideways slash. The spearman, if he was smart, would halt his attack and bring the polearm to its best use for keeping distance, using the tip to force the incoming slash to the ground. Kondoru managed to bark orders however, “Dispatch the archer, immediately!”
Kaito gave a nod in agreement, "Indeed so, we have to leave early after all, this is the only time to rest we shall get. In the morning I believe I will also get my armor, since I believe the blade is not quite the same without the armor to match. But that is for when I wake, the sleep must go first." With that, he went to join his family on the bedroll, and get some quite needed sleep.
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The Spearman was, unfortunately for himself, not too smart. He was just a bandit, not an experienced soldier. He was clearly used to a foe being more panicked, so Kondoru's feint and following strike caught him off guard, and then the blade easily broke through his ineffective armor. And so he fell dead, but Kondoru was not done just yet. His soldiers acted according to their own situation. One soldier, facing the bandit with a sword, easily pierced his heart by using his spear's superior range to strike the first blow. As for the archer, another soldier of Kondoru's responded by taking out one of his javelins, throwing it at the archer before he could draw his bow. The thrown weapon struck him in the chest, sending him to the ground. The bandits were worried, but two more of them decided to fight. They grabbed their spears and they charged at Kondoru together.
She gave her husband an embrace as he laid on the bedroll. Though Michiko did not sleep much that night, and infact she was awake when Kaito woke. She was already wearing outer wear. A Black outer robe that ended at her knees, which was loose. She wore a red robe under this, which was tucked into a black skirt. Between her skirt and inner robe was a white belt. And she was kneeling over Sumire.
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Kondoru’s blow was clean. And it went all the way through. His blade and the way he wielded it would yield two possibilities. Either he cleaved the man in half, or his sword went clean across the chest and left a significant cut. After his blade finished the blow, he returned it to a resting position. He watched the two men charge him, and he charged back. Raising his sword to a upright position with a slight forward angle. The moment he was in range of the first man, he performed two downward slashes. One came too soon, as it was meant to intimidate and his blade stopped before hitting the ground. He stepped forward and performed another downward slash, this time he hoped the attacker would either, sweep his spear away to prevent it from being broken in Kondoru’s downward attacks. Or the man himself would charge right into a downward slash and have his spear broken in the process, or pushed into the ground. For the second man, after his second slash, he delivered an upward diagonal slash. Aimed for the hip, and if it connected it would catch the spear, push it into the air, and leave the second attacker open.
Kaito was surprised to already see her up, as he was expecting to wake first. But he slowly got up, to get his own proper clothing on. As he did that however, he spoke back to Michiko, as he was a bit concerned with her, "You are up early, and you do not seem to be in the best condition. What is troubling you right now?"
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The first man fell straight into the trap of the technique attempting to charge and so losing his spear, falling to the ground in surprise. His companion did little better, losing his spear as fell and stumbling backwards in surprise. Both of them were disarmed now, and bewildered. They however did not get much chance however to consider their next actions. For Kondoru would hear the pounding of hooves behind him, with Taltoro charging his armored steed forward. The bandit still standing was impaled on the tip of the Skylax Lord's steel lance, which was soon pulled back, only to strike straight downwards at the neck of the bandit on the ground. With his shield-hand, he pounded his armored chestplate twice, the clanging sound being quite loud, with him yelling out soon after, "Any further challengers!? My blade has yet to taste blood, and I would hate to draw it without letting it get a taste!" He then looked back to Kondoru and spoke more softly, "Apologies for the stolen kills, nephew, but it was hard to stay back for so long!"
Regardless, it did seem the fight was over, as the bandits were quite cowed by the display. The soldiers had proven themselves capable, and the bandits knew the danger of trying to fight a fully armored knight. But of course Kondoru was what intimidated them most here, as they did not recognize his blade, form, or name. A true unknown, and that scared them. With him having proven that he was dangerous as well, that fear finally hit its peak. The remaining bandits threw their weapons down, stepping back. They were surrendering, and Kondoru's soldiers moved forward to seize the dropped weapons, ensure the bandits could not pick them up again. Taltoro seemed a bit disappointed, but gave a nod to Kondoru, "And that is that. A good first skirmish. Your blade is quite a fascinating one, nephew, it was enjoyable to see it in action. For now however, we should secure what we came here for. Oh, and decide what to do with these dregs."
Michiko looked to Kaito, “Oh, husband. You are awake. Forgive me,” she bowed her head “I did not mean to startle you or upset you. I just wanted to prepare myself early. I did not sleep much last night. And I admit I am suddenly feeling troubled about our daughter’s safety.”
-
Kondoru jumped out of the way of his uncle’s horse. He was shocked at first, instinctively readying his blade to use it for its true purpose of slaying mounts, but once he realised it was only his uncle, he moved out of the way. Having secured the bandits, Kondoru sheathed his blade and held it almost like a staff. Bowing to his uncle. “You bring me great honour, uncle. Gracing this minor battle with your presence. You appreciate my blade? It makes me deeply happy to hear that! You may have noticed I carry three blades on me, uncle.” And it was true! Kondoru had an Odachi which he carried in his hand, and a katana, and wakizash in his belt. “I would be honoured and truly delighted to teach you the ways of combat that my father and my mentor, Nishiouji of the Sainted Swords, taught me.” Kondoru would order his men to secure the horseshoes, before looking to his uncle. “I promised if they surrendered they would live. I believe I should offer this still. The ones who fought have been punished. The ones who did not have learned many truths today.”
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