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[Dan]

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"Dammit Dan, move faster!" his mentor would yell at him.

"I'm trying, I'm trying!!" Dan would pout in reply, desperately dodging his tactful striking points. Oh how Dan treasured such days, spending time with his peer and his old master. He could remember the arena that they would train in, in a wide open room with many duels and sparring practice that they would hold there. Back in those days, he was but just a pup, learning only the tactics of a journeyman fencer, while his master was so, so far above....

"Dan, fight me like you mean it!" Lancelot would yell out to him, pushing him and pushing him to go take it to his limit. Lancelot, a fellow apprentice of his mentor, was always trying to get the better of Dan, either through intimidation or mere wits when it came to their duels. Despite this though, they were evenly matched, but neither could tell if they had met the approval of their mentor. Clash after clash, they would duel. Anticipation was no factor either, due to the constant difference in techniques that their mentor would teach them. Truly, everyday they were well-tested.

- - -

Dan remembered all of this as he stood there, by himself, in the Dojo of the Freehold. Having his armor off, wearing merely his barkeep skirt, his signature blue sandles, black bandana, and his weighted bone arms for speed training, he stood alone swinging his weapon this way and that, replaying what he was taught. He thought himself to be a warrior, having but few defeat him, and having many others to look up to him. At least that was what he thought, but he truly could not know of what they thought of him. Such thoughts often came to Dan when he was alone, often having him ponder how alone he truly was...

- - -

As time went on, his mentor had lightened up on them as they neared the completion of their training. Soon it came time to when they had enough combat experience to even have a fair chance of taking on their mentor themselves. But even these trials, as progressed as they were, difficult for both of the pupils. Battle and battle again would leave the pupils to their knees, but with a constant anger and one-track mind to take their mentor down so that, finally, they would be the superior combatants. "For every piece of armor I wear, that is what level you are to my equal." Most of the time, he would fight either Dan or Lancelot with his leggings only, but time came to where he needed his gloves, then arms, then gorget, helmet, and finally chest piece. In this period, the Order that he was a part of was preparing for their departure to other lands, and this would finish his mentor's contract with them.

- - -

Someone stepped into the Dojo just then, as Dan was playing through his days. He heard someone, and quickly glanced over to see who, but decided to resume his concentration, after seeing none in sight. A spectator, watching of what made him what he was, could improve his appearance to dedication...

- - -

It was the final dawn, a dawn that he would remember forever. The humble Empire's buildings had been deserted, and where he said that he would meet him, he could only find his master's shield. "What does this mean?" Dan had wondered at that moment, glaring down at one of the arms of his departed trainer. Noticing the imprint of a sword beside the shield in front of him, a billion thoughts buzzed into his mind. Had he graduated the training? Where could have his master had gone? Why no goodbye, no farewell? How would he know if he was truly ready to take on the world with what little he thought he knew? Dan had no answers for these, and could not know if he had reached the optimum of his prowess with fencing, but he knew one thing...

- - -

...and he opened his eyes, looking down at the very shield that his mentor had left him, leaning in the corner. He couldn't possibly know if he would ever be good enough to beat his mentor..., his comrade..., his idol, but he knew he had to keep trying, had to keep his conditioning to optimum if his master would ever return. Perhaps that was why he left without a farewell, and perhaps that is why he had his master's shield that he carried into battles now.

To guard him in case Raziel would return, for the final test.