BlueBlade (prelude)

The sound of swords clashing rang through the trees as two men fought a desperate battle. One, dressed in blue, had the upper hand as the older looking man franticly blocked everything the man in blue threw at him. Blow after blow was met with steel, sparks flew as the two swords collided time and time again. They both showed no signs of fatigue, the blue man was attacking in a manner that at a glance may seem berserk-ish but on closer inspection it was noticeable that every swing was calculated. As the older man stepped back he lost his footing in a ditch, his feet sliding down the steep bank. Even while sliding backward he still kept his eyes locked on his opponent. Still blocked every swing that came his way. Suddenly they clashed and held together, deadlocked. There they stayed for what seemed like an eternity. One man on the floor somehow holding back the weight of the other. Their swords making a horrific grinding sound. Suddenly, without warning the man in blue broke the deadlock, pushing the other man's sword to one side. He threw his blade high in the air above them. Then he spun on his front foot, brought his back foot in the air to crash into the other man's sword hand, knocking it from his grasp. The man on the floor looked up hopelessly as his foe's blade span in the air, end-over-end, he knew that he was powerless to stop it. It started it's seemingly slow decent, the point turning to face him. He wanted to close his eyes or turn his head, anything to stop him seeing this falling doom. Suddenly there was the sound of rushing wind and he forced his eyes shut as he braced for the moment when it would all be over. Then there was silence...

Slowly he realized he could still feel himself breathing. Opening his eyes he was met with the point of a blade. His heart seemed to skip a beat. As he looked up the sharp blade he saw a hand on the handle of the sword. He breathed a small sigh of relief that was cut short when he saw the look on the man's face.
"I win." He said with a grin
"Congratulations, I have been surpassed. Just get it over with."
"Why? I have shown that I'm the better man. Why should I have to kill you?"
"That is how this army works, that is how the world works. You can't change it and neither can I."
A contemplating look crossed his face, then his body sagged, "I can't! Look, we all know I could if I wanted to so what's the point? It's over!"
Slowly the man in blue took the sword away from the other's face and helped him to his feet.
"The game is over, why take it further than you have to?"
The older man sighed, "I thought I'd taught you better than this"
He walked to pick up his sword and stood to face the man in blue again. Suddenly, there was a flash of steel too fast for the eye to see, a blur of metal seemed to flash from the older man's hand. The man in blue felt a searing pain. As he looked down he saw blood pouring from a wound in the chest.
"The game is never over! You would do well to learn this. Farewell, my son." He turned to leave, going back to his horse without even the slightest glance behind him.
The man in blue fell to his knees, clutching at the wound in his chest with one hand, vainly reaching out toward the departing man with the other,
"Father, father... Why have you forsaken me?" With that he passed out.
The other man mounted his horse, took one last look at his fallen son, grunted and then galloped off through the trees. He had business to take care of.