Part Three: Early Adventures of the Black Paladin
In the six months that followed his changing, Saifir and Radnor traveled the lands that surrounded. Saifir soon learned how to use the white rules against those that followed them. He also became a master at absorbing honor and converting it to ronoh, and also at using his voice in a hypnotic tone to get the strong willed to do his bidding. He slowly began to hate everything he enjoyed in his past life, especially music. He would often just sit in a pub, looking for victims. Then he would take them into an alley and steal their honor, leaving them a dried husk. For when you take honor, you also take all memory of having built that honor. His eyes, he learned, worked extremely well in the dark, but in the light they were very painful because they were dilated so far. He could bear the pain, but only went out in light when he needed. Another thing he learned about his eyes was that he could now see people's honor around them, like an aura. This made it easier selecting targets. But, he also learned what it was to be hunted. Those whites that still acknowledged the existence of blacks made it their duty to extinguish them. He had his first encounter with a lone white Paladin one night returning from a meeting with Radnor, just two months after his changing. He was walking quietly, when suddenly he heard a voice bark out:
"Stop where you are, traitor!"
Saifir turned, and saw a white Paladin in full armor, a cross painted on his shield, and his sword ignited in a brilliant blue flame.
"What do you want of me?" Asked Saifir.
"You know what I want. Your life!" Said the Paladin.
"That's not very honorable, is it?" Said Saifir, mocking.
"One needs not deal in honor with one such as YOU!" said the young Paladin.
"Ahh, but there you are wrong. A Paladin such as you must deal in ALL things with honor. And killing a man in cold blood is not very honorable." Said Saifir, using the white rules to his advantage.
"It is my duty to exterminate you and all of your kind." The young Paladin said.
"Do you have a name by which I may call you?" Asked Saifir innocently.
"My name is Steven."
"Well, Steven, how would you like to be helped out of the grave you are digging yourself?" He asked. Radnor had told him: Always try to convert before you combat.
"I will not take your help! I am a hero!" Said Steven boldly.
"Ahhh, Steven, don't you understand? The hero's are always the first to die!" Saifir retorted quietly.
"I'll listen to no more of your lies! Prepare for battle!"
"So be it, young one. Your honor is mine!"
Saifir ignited his sword, lighting it into a magnificent black flame that had come of his changing. He swung it in an arc that left a trail of flame across the air between them. Saifir could sense that Steven also had an honor shield protecting his body to go along with the soft blue glow of his shield. Saifir invoked his own ronoh shield, a black orb encircling his body.
"Let us begin." He said in a deep voice.
Steven advanced, and swung his sword at Saifir's legs, hoping to catch him off guard. Saifir parried, then drove the blade of Steven's sword into the ground and kicked Steven in the side. Steven retreated a step, then attacked again, charging with his sword held high. It went on like this, Steven attacking and Saifir parrying and countering with a weak attack for some time, all the while Saifir figuring out what Steven's weaknesses were. Then Steven did something unexpected. He attacked high, and before Saifir could counter he jumped back and quickly thrust his sword through Saifir's shield into his shoulder. He pulled back, and watched as Saifir's black blood slowly trickled from the wound.
"So you HAVE been paying attention. Good lad. But, that will cost you." Said Saifir. The injury burned badly, but Saifir ignored it. He quickly healed the wound and advanced. He thrust high, swung low, then parried Steven's attack. As Steven was bringing his sword up for another attack, Saifir tripped him, and brought his flaming blade up towards Steven's descending body.
"You fought well, young one. A pity you could not be converted." Said Saifir. He quickly cleaned his blade and sheathed it. Then, he laid his palm on Steven's fore head and slowly absorbed his honor. He could feel the strength seeping into his body. It was his first Paladin. After he was done he took a moment to recuperate. As he was kneeling, he heard a voice say:
"Very good, Saifir. You are progressing quite nicely." Saifir turned, and he saw Radnor standing there, surveying the scene.
"How long have you been watching?" Asked Saifir.
"Long enough to see you take the honor of the dead. It has never been done. That is why we are always taught to maim, take, then kill. Only the oldest of us can take from the dead. There is something special about you, boy. You are very powerful, nearly as powerful as I am, after only two months! I was not that powerful after two YEARS! Yes, there is something special about you, boy. Come, let us return to home."
In the four months that followed, Saifir took all the knowledge that Radnor had to offer. Then he said good bye, and went out to adventure on his own. But, no matter how many white lives he took, it always bothered him. They had something special. They would rather die than be converted. It bothered him. They had a strength that he would never possess. As he sat in the pub, remembering, he suddenly felt a source of much honor that had not been there before. He turned his head slowly, and saw a minstrel walking through the door. He got up, and walked to the corner where the minstrel had sat.
"Come with me, minstrel." He said, indicating the side door that lead to an alley.