Pain of the Flashback
The Never Ending Quest - Episode 65037
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It was wintertime at D'Honaire Castle, and the training grounds were
blanketed in snow. The area was deserted, as most of the men-at-arms
huddled comfortably beside the great roaring fireplaces of the barracks.
Only two young men were still outside in the unseasonable chill -
Frederigo and Earlath, training ceaselessly to become the great knights
they would one day be. "Watch out now, Fred!" Earl grinned, shifting his grip on his leatherbound training sword. "Here I come!" Earl surged forward, unleashing a flurry of relentless overhead blows, driving his younger brother backwards. Fred found himself barely able to block each swing in time, until a sudden spinning slash by Earl knocked Fred's sword out of his hand. "Dammit, Fred!" Earl said. "Pay attention! I know you have great potential! One day, you'll be better at swordfighting than even me, I know it!" "I could never be as good as you, brother," Fred grinned sheepishly, retrieving his sword. "I don't want to hear that! You should never be satisfied with mere mediocrity. You must train, and train some more, and train yet again, until you're stronger than anyone! Stronger than me, stronger than Father even!" "It seems like a lot of work," Fred grimaced. "Frankly, I'm not so sure." "Sure of what?" "It seems all we ever hear about is war going on somewhere. People fighting, dying. Tell me, brother Earlath, for what cause, what reason do men raise up swords against one another?" "For what reason?" Earl said, scratching his stubbly newgrown beard. "Why, for honor, of course. For justice. To protect their loved ones. No one really wants to fight, but we must! Such is the way of this world." "But is that right? If honor is the cause of war, then what need have we of honor? Or justice, or love? If these ideals drive men to massacre each other so cruelly, why do we need them?" "Now you're talking madness!" Earl grunted. "A world without honor... such a thing must not be!" "All I meant was..." "I know what you meant," Earl said. "And I tell you, you are wrong. Now, prepare yourself! I'll give you a good thrashing to knock these fool ideas out of your head." Earl surged forward again, slashing sideways. Fred blocked, counterattacked, and their training kept on into the night...
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Ryu
1/3/2007 7:21:08 AM
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