Chapter Four

“The Duel"

 
 
 
 
 

My heart's pounding heavily against my chest and I was sweating profusely, rolling down my face and momentarily irritating  my eyes.  The clouds were beginning to clear up and the sun is now shining its full brightness upon the whole place.  Vultures were now gathering in the air circling above the valley.  They must have sensed the rotting bodies of dead men and smelled the blood that permeates the air.

The two great knights were now mounted fully upon their stallions with lancers on their right hand and shields on their left.  They remained in their usual stance, still and motionless.  Each one is waiting for the other to make his first move.  Poised to charge any moment.   “I  find it not so difficult to believe that two friends would have to slay each other for the sake of their noble creed, but I found it hard to believe that they would have done the same for the sake of one woman . . . I do not understand it still” I shook my head in disbelief.

Is this what chivalry is all about...? I mused.

“Hah!” suddenly shouted the knight in silvery armor.  He set spur and jerk the steed and on he galloped through the valley.  The remaining armies that have gathered in their respective battle lines watched in all silence.  Here is the moment of truth, what I dreadfully anticipated.

The knight in black armor with the golden breastplate likewise did the same --- He set spur and speed the horse to meet the challenge in the middle of the valley just a few yards away from where I was hiding.

With all eyes wide open, I watched these excellent horsemen galloped through the plains, graceful and as majestic as an eagle, with nary a sign of unsteadiness nor any trace of wavering from their resolute ideals. 

I held my breath as they slowly closed the gap between them.  Then it happened...

“Uh . . .!” I heard myself almost screamed upon witnessing the initial collision of these two formidable knights.

The lancers of both knights collided with their respective shield with such tremendous force the sounds of metals clanging reverberated all throughout the valley...

I then saw the knight in silvery armor flew away from the saddle of his stallion, that he landed on his back with a loud thud.  His shield buckled down and deformed beyond use from the sheer force of the black armored knight’s lancer that hit it.  Whereas, the silvery knight’s lance first grazed the stallion of the knight in black armor in the neck before it hit the shield.  The beast leaped to its feet feeling the pain of the pointed metal and fell to the ground, crashing, mortally wounded, pinning its master.

The knight in black armor with the golden breastplate struggle as much as he could to get out from underneath his dead stallion, but could not.  While the knight in silvery armor remained on his back from where he had fallen, badly shaken from the impact of the collision with his old friend.

Then after awhile, he struggled on his feet, wobbly in the knees and have manage only with the aid of his sword; and yet, he remained standing there for a moment trying to regain his strength --- all the while looking at his “nemesis” helplessly pinned down from under his dead stallion.  By now, the knight in black armor has given up hope from ever getting out from his horse.  He worriedly looked towards the Knight whom I saw started approaching him, gripping tightly the handle of his sharp double edged rod, shining and glistening!

 “Ah... he is done” I said, “he is finished, the knight in silvery armor won’t surely give him any more chances of ever inflicting damage to him.”

Thereafter, the knight in silvery armor stood behind the head of the fallen knight in black armor.  His hand still gripping tightly his sword, while looking down at his opponent.  The knight in black, I saw, yielded himself to the fact that this will be the way he would end.  He stretched forth his hand in hopeless resignation that he is now vanquished!  He waited with his eyes closed, fearfully anticipating the thrust of his friend’s sword upon his chest...

“What an ignominious way to die...” I said, while shaking my head in sympathy for the knight in black armor, “what undignified way to meet an end to an otherwise glorious legacy of a great knight!”

“Do it quickly my friend...” I heard the fallen knight  urging his friend,  “...and be done with it!”

Then without any hesitation from the silvery knight, he raised his sword as high as he can get with the point of his deathly blade aiming downward, and... plunged it!

At that moment I closed my eyes, not wanting to witness that particular event.  I just could not watch it!  I felt sorry for the knight in black armor with the golden breastplate, wasted...

Thereafter, I looked up again, to see if it is over. But to my surprise! The knight in black armor is still moving...!

The silvery knight, I saw, was trying to pull him away from under his dead stallion.  The sword!  Yes, that deathly blade, it did not hit its intended victim, but was deliberately plunged to the ground by the knight in silvery armor.

“Ah... that knight!” I said admiringly, “that knight is really one virtuous, noble warrior.”

Then I heard him spoke to his aging friend while helping him up to his feet, “You promised to give me one good fight --- Did you not say so?”

“Ah, my friend, indeed, you astound me even to this day.  You are still the most noblest and most chivalrous of all the knights I have had the pleasure to do battle” said the knight in black armor acknowledging the help extended to him by the silvery knight.  Then he took one last look at his dead stallion and leaned over its corpse, and with a lamenting voice he whispered, “He was faithful ‘til the end.”

“Shall we call it a day, Sire...” asked the knight in silvery armor.

“No!” sternly replied by the aging black knight.

“This battle will not be over if both of us are still standing --- One of us must die!  The fate of the armies and the lady whom you are seeking after would be decided to whoever would emerge as the victor!”

“But, Sire... please!” insistently begged the knight in silvery armor.

But the knight in black armor with the golden breastplate spoke not any word but responded by pulling his sword from its sheath and shouted, “To the death my friend... to the death!” and lunged at his opponent and swung his deathly blade.

Then I saw the knight in silvery armor quickly fend off the opponent’s sword with his own.  He had no other recourse but to draw his sword.

The sheer force of the knight’s first strike caught the one in silvery armor off balanced, but quickly regained his fighting stance.  Now, they begun that familiar dance of death --- circling each other, looking for opportunity to strike.

I then saw how the knight in black armor swung his blade against his opponent, that I marveled at the strength and power of this aging and antiquated knight, notwithstanding the weight of the sword and the armor that he has.  That pure brute force -- everytime he swung his blade is so strong that the knight in black is the aggressor in the skirmish with the silvery knight.  While on the other hand, the younger knight found himself on the receiving end of every blow the knight in black could throw at.  Three times he nearly fell off from the relentless onslaught of his fearsome opponent.   The silvery knight almost looked like a novice still learning the art of swordsmanship in comparison to his aging and almost antiquated opponent.

Sparks flew everytime their blades meet and the sound it creates is terrifyingly noisy.  The knight in black armor, not wanting to give the silvery knight the luxury of being the aggressor, relentlessly pursued his opponent with such vigor, I thought he is as young as his adversary.  With every strike he issued against the silvery knight, it sends him stepping backward.  I could not believe my eyes the way the knight in black armor do battle, he is truly an excellent swordsman --- No wonder he is a King’s champion, despite his age!

Then suddenly it hit him!

With one swing of the blade, the knight in black armor hit the one in silvery armor just slightly in the head, but strong enough to send the steely helmet flew off!

I witnessed the knight in silvery armor staggered from the sheer force of the strike that flail him.  He fell down to his knees, momentarily lowering the hand that grips the sword, while his left touches the ground.  Blood was dripping from his nose and flowing from his right cheek.  He was in bad shape that his defensive stance was nowhere to be found. He remained in a kneeling position for sometime, thus exposing himself even more to the danger of being vanquished by the aging but mighty knight in black armor.  He was breathing heavily and rapidly, and by now, blood was gushing forth from the wound in his right cheek and nose, bleeding profusely --- his entire lower face is now covered by blood.  I saw him took a glance toward the place where the fair lady is as if trying to say something...

I waited for the knight in black to follow up on his attack, but I was surprised to find him lowering his sword and just stood there staring at his opponent.  I was baffled.

Then I heard this knight urged his adversary,

“Get up, young lad!”

 “On your feet . . . Do not give up on me now!

Then the knight in silvery armor, without a helmet to protect his head, struggled on his feet, still badly shaken.  He barely lifted his sword and took his fighting stance, breathing heavily.

“Is victory slipping away from this virtuous knight?” I asked myself,  “Have I seen the last of him?”

“Fight! young lad... Fight!” urged the knight in black armor.  But the knight in silvery armor could barely lift his sword just high enough from below his waist.  His hands were quaking and his knees were shaking.  He could not get the right footing, and for a moment there I thought he would fall again.  Suddenly that once majestic, formidable looking warrior that I witnessed in the initial stages of the battle, seemed nowhere to be found at this moment.  I never realized how much damage the knight in black armor wrought upon his adversary.

“Ah, the knight in silvery armor is finished,” I said to myself.

“I do not think he can take another strike from his opponent.”

Then I heard again the knight in black shouted,

“Lose this battle, and you lose your love!”

“Fight, my lad... Fight!”

“For the sake of your Queen . . .!”

He then lunged again at the much weakened silvery knight.

Then I saw the knight, gathering whatever ounce of strength he could muster, was able to fend off the oncoming sword of the aging knight in black armor.  The black knight pouring all his strength in that one mighty blow, was not able to control his momentum and fell off the ground.  But the knight in silvery armor, still too weak to seize the opportunity, could not follow up and deliver a fatal strike.  The knight in black armor on the other hand quickly got up from his feet and resume his attack, but this time the knight in silvery armor, for some mysterious circumstances, gathered enough strength to quickly regained his fighting stance.

Thus, the duel is up again on an equal footing.

Now, I saw the silvery knight returns the compliment of striking the knight in black armor.  He retaliates for every blow his aging opponent could throw at him and slowly the tide of battle turns towards his favor.  The years have finally catched up on the aging mighty knight in black armor, for I saw him breathing heavily on his mouth, panting.  For every strike he made, the silvery knight answered it with two of his own,  and it took quite sometimes before he could follow it up.  He is now stepping backward every time the knight in silvery armor deliver his every response to the strike he made. 

But the aging mighty knight, a seasoned warrior, is much wiser still than his younger opponent.  He is clearly pacing himself in his skirmish with the knight in silvery armor, becoming contented in relegating himself to just fend off every blow the knight in silvery armor could throw at him.

I lost count of the time since they started the skirmish, but I know it was already quite some time.  Ah, the strength and stamina of these two warring entities is unbelievable, no wonder they were the best of the warrior their respective side could throw at.  Nobody could match these two in combat.  It is a pity that one of them will have to die.  “How long must they go on before any one of them give way?”

Suddenly, the whole surroundings dimmed.  I looked up, and there I saw, rainclouds were gathering again.  Another storm’s brewing up,  threatening once more to overwhelm the whole valley with tempestuous fury.  A dark foreboding, I thought to myself.

Gusty winds now prevailing once too often.  Howling!  Like a thousand voices simultaneously wailing, grieving.  The sky was furious, with thunderclaps so frightening, I quivered once more from the booming sound it created.  Startled everytime it flashed across the heavens.  They seemed to detest and abhor the event that is taking place in the valley... two friends fighting to the death!  Two of the greatest and noblest Knights this side of the realm battling it out for supremacy of might.

The sun which a while ago stood high in the sky, once again hid himself amongst the clouds.  Even he, I thought, could not bring himself to bear the tragedy that is about to befell any one of these two noble warrior.

Heaven seemed to lament the drama that has unfolded in the plains of the valley, and nobody would have escaped the heaviness  permeating the air.  It is too much to bear for any faint hearted, even those who pride themselves in this line of profession.

The duel between the two knights continued without respite. I could not move from the grassy mound on which I crawled many moments ago.  The two protagonist battled it out for supremacy with all the strength that they could muster against each other.  The intensity of the battle heightened with every strike of the sword. Fast and furious, sparks flew everytime their blades meet.  I can even feel their teeth gritting, their veins angrily protruding from their heavily built bodies.  Their faces were viciously contorted that I can not believe they were the same people with comely mien I admired a while ago.  Nowhere can you find mercy in their eyes, but only death is written all over their faces.  Each is determined not to be outwitted by the other, for it could mean instant defeat --- clinging fast to their own, while trying to send the other to the grave.  I could not believe my eyes that these two were friends who shared the same travails, adventures and even the extremes of life together.

I just do not know anymore to whom my heart goes for among these two warring nobles.  Both of them knew what was right in their own eyes, standing fast to their own creeds and vows.  Both have good reason to wrestle with one another.  Here the conflict between right and wrong was obscurely  drawn, but nevertheless, I resigned to the fact that destiny so ordained that they eventually meet in battle against each other.

“Ah, indeed, life moves in mysterious circles... The knight in black armor was right” I told myself.  “You never really know what lies ahead of you at the crossroads.”

And there, in their own crossroads, these two unfortunate individual met.  Much to their regrets, they have no other choice but to go through with it.  Fate did not just wrought a playful tease upon them, but a cruel script destined to be played along ‘til the last man standing.  They themselves must have it coming. 

Here in this valley, these two protagonist continued their deathly dance, and from the grassy mound where I was hiding, the tide of the battle has now completely shifted in favor of the much younger knight in silvery armor.  He has indeed regained his youthful strength. On the other hand the knight in black armor seemed to be losing the ground.  He moved back everytime the younger knight answered his every blow --- but nevertheless, those many years in battle has refined these two noble warrior in the art of combat.  The way these two battled it out, their excellent swordsmanship stands out more prominently.  Indeed, experience has taught them well.

Then I saw the knight in black armor with the golden breastplate, with one swing of his blade, hit the silvery knight once again!  His sword ripped through the breastplate of his younger opponent, tearing away the tiger’s skin that adorned it, causing damage to the chain mail that he wore underneath his body armor.  He stepped back and momentarily turned away from his adversary, hurting badly and in great pain from the wound that he sustained.  His left hand tending his chest while his blood freely dripped from it.  Then I saw the aging Knight charged through again, relentlessly swinging his sword left and right, seizing the opportunity that he has the upperhand again.  Victory seems to be within his grasp, while death and defeat seemed to be staring at his younger conterpart.  Another strike from this aging knight came the silvery knight's way, this time hitting him in the right shoulder that nearly grazed his neck.  Blood was now all over his right arms that holds the sword and caused him to lower his defenses.

I shook my head in disbelief --- The knight in silvery armor seemed to pale in comparison to the aging and almost antiquated opponent.  He looked like he is almost done for the most part of this duel --- I thought, it is just a matter of time before that dreadful moment. Death!

Whereas the knight in black armor seemed like brimming with confidence, that his younger opponent is nowhere near in winning this battle.  He must have smelled that victory is just one strike away.  His opponent is far from making anything that would pose a grave threat against his life.  But his face somewhat displays quite a different countenance.  I can sense for myself the heaviness he must have felt weighing down heavily upon his heart --- until a moment ago, this was, and still is, his friend,  whose life is now at the other edge of his deathly sword.  He has no other choice even if it runs against his will.  I can only surmised, at least fairly well, a whole gamut of emotions flooding his soul.  He too is in a dilemma... But his duty is far above any affinities he might have for the younger knight.  He must stood by his vows and creeds.

Once more the knight in black armor raised his sword and swung it again.  I saw the knight in silvery armor raised his own, but barely lifting the sword just high enough below his waist, favoring his right shoulder.  He must have been hurting badly and almost weakened from the wounds that he sustained, his arms writhing in pain and his face grimacing when he lifted his heavy sword.  He shifted his blade to his left hand while looking at his opponent, anticipating the strike.  I saw him breathing heavily and rapidly, gasping for every air through his mouth and was spitting blood.  It seems that his blood is coming from all over the place.

The aging knight’s sword did indeed came.  The knight in silvery armor forcefully raised his own to fend the oncoming blade, but tokenly making a valiant stand.  If he is about to die, at least, he will do so with dignity, that is, to die fighting!  He shall in no way deny his worthy opponent a shallow victory.

The sword of the mighty knight in black came with such force, the knight in silvery armor lost his grip on the handle of his sword that it flew away from his hands.  Now, it leaves him more vulnerable and without anything to defend himself except a small dagger tucked on the side of his tunic.

“He’s dead!” I said to myself, already conceding that this battle belongs to the knight in black armor with the golden breastplate.

But he halted his attack and stopped in his track, and just stood there staring at his badly wounded opponent.  Again I was baffled at his gesture...

“Was it customary for a knight to behave in this way when his contender has nearly given up... when victory seems to be at hand...?”  I heard myself in utter bewilderment.  “Or maybe this was an exception he is making...? After all they were friends!”

Then the aging knight slowly approached the younger one.  Sword in his right hand dripping with the blood of the knight in silvery armor that graced it.  He raised it slowly just slightly above his head, held it in the air for a moment, his hands tightly gripping the handle of the sword, ready to deliver that one final blow that would send his opponent to his death.

Thereafter, the aging knight in black with one quick motion, suddenly dashed towards his adversary as quick as a lightning would flash across the skies.  He swung again his sharp deathly iron rod against the knight in silvery armor, while the latter just pulled out the dagger from the side of his tunic and took a token defense, ready to die.  He looked so pathetic in his stance --- a puny dagger on his hand against a long sword.  There is no way he would be able to defend himself with that and evade the rushing sword of the knight in black armor.  Death for sure was staring at him --- greedingly waiting to welcome his guest in his cold, gloomy, pale bosom.

I could not but hold my breath, as long as the moment it takes for the sword of the knight in black to slice through what remains of the breastplate, down through the soft skin of  the knight in silvery armor.  I could not even blink my eyes, watching every moment of it.  I have just found out that I now have grown accustomed to the horrors that my eyes beheld this whole day.  One more, I said to myself, will not surely make any difference.

Then I heard him yelled on top of his voice and swung again his sword... but the knight in silvery armor, whatever last ounce of courage and strength he has left in him, manage to ducked away from the sharp edge of the aging knight’s sword, and escape what could have been an instant death.

I saw the black armored knight accidentally tripped his foot upon a root of a vine protruding from the ground.  He lost his momentum and fell flat on his face.  The knight in silvery armor quickly seize the opportunity and retrieved his sword not far from where he had lost it a moment ago.  He then took another decent stand against the mighty aging knight in black armor.

The black armored knight, again went up on his feet and without any hesitation dashed towards the knight in silvery armor waving his sword left and right, now more determined than ever to finished the duel.  The knight in silvery armor leaned back a little, but just enough for the blade of the knight in black armor to swish by his face, momentarily leaving him wide open for the other knight to make his move . . .

Thus, with a glint of a chance fate must have favored the younger knight, instinctively plunged the cold, sharp, steely rod through the belly of the aging mighty knight in black armor with the golden breastplate!

“What the . . .!” I nearly shouted for this sudden turn of event.  The knight in silvery armor has the last call after all.

The golden breastplate of the knight in black armor gave way from where the sword of the silvery knight made its entry, piercing all the way through his back.  I saw that even he was taken aback from what he just did against his old friend...

He then withdraw the sword  that violated the aging body of the knight and he groaned upon the pain of the steely rod when it was pulled from his belly.  The knees of the old, mighty and equally virtuous knight in black armor buckled down and fell to the ground slowly...

Just then, simultaneous with it, a thunderbolt hit a tree not far from where we are and split its trunk into two and fell to the ground.  It was so sudden that I nearly panic from its blinding light and ear splitting sound it created.  So frightening it was, that I curled up even more from the place where I was hiding.

The knight in silvery armor, in spite of the hurting wounds that he had sustained during his skirmish with this aging, dying knight, broke his fall and catched him in his arms...

He held the dying knight close to his chest while trying to stop the fresh-flowing,  warm blood escaping from the ghastly wound of the knight in black armor.  Life is now just a moment away from leaving its host!

“Sire... Sire...” as I heard this knight in silvery armor tenderly trying all he could to be of any comfort to his dying friend.  I saw some tears rolling down from his bloodied face and not in anyway ashamed of it.

Blood was coming forth from the mouth of the now mortally wounded knight in black, struggling for every breath... gasping with his mouth open.  He grimaced in pain when he tried to speak and coughed out more blood, spilling some of them to the arms of the knight in silvery armor.

“Hush my Sire... hush...” answered the knight in silvery armor, “speak no more please...”

By now, this victorious knight has resigned himself that the vanquished knight in black armor is now beyond any hope of  surviving.  The wounds was so severe that whatever he did to stop the flow is all but futile.  Then again, the knight in black armor tried to speak and the knight in silvery armor just let him indulge whatever few moments he has left in this world.  He would, if that will be of any comfort for his dying friend, to say his piece.  The knight in black armor then pulled the silvery knight closer and said,

“... I thought for awhile there, you would fail me, my friend!” then he coughed out more blood, his face grimacing in pain and that piteous moan of his added more to the tears of the knight in silvery armor.  His voice almost unintelligible, bloodily effervescing in the mouth everytime he tried to speak.  It must have been agonizingly painful for him, but then he would not be restrained.  He spoke, struggling for every word he could muster..

“Haaa...” moaned the knight in black.

“... It was destiny indeed, that you remained standing instead of me” he added.

“I did well in battle have I not. . .?” he asked,

“Yes, my Sire...” answered the knight in silvery armor, “you did well.”  The knight in silvery armor could not help but wipe his tears as would a child grieving over something he treasured the most that he had lost.  His voice quaking when he answered his old and dying friend.

“This battle belongs to you...” continued the knight in black armor, “... and I have now come to the end of my journey.  But remember to keep to your vows no matter what and abide by its creed.  A man’s word will prove to be his own folly or honor.  I have seen many who had fallen to obscurity and risen to good name because of their own words.  See how we have turned out to be...”

“Remember that my friend... ”  Then he coughed again.  This time so severe that the white of his eyes rolled up and his face veering in pain.  His hands grasping the tattered cape of the silvery knight by the back, so tightly he almost pulled it out of the armor where it was fastened.

“Go back and heal the wounds... May God have mercy on us...” and with that he took one last breath of air and breathe no more.  His arms fell to its side and his head limped back. 

I then saw the knight in silvery armor embraced him so tight and yelled out a loud cry, that his bemoaning filled the entire expanse of the valley with his mournful voice.

It was, again, a yell of regret and sorry.

It was no moment of jubilant victory.  Both the armies that gathered in this valley shared something in common upon this lost.  They all shared the pain and the same grief  that has befallen their knights in this whole episode.

Heaven too seemed to convulsed with so much grief that it threw itself on a wild tantrum.  Lightnings flashed across the skies with so much intensity and frequency.  So terrifying --- that the horses of both contending armies went wild, frightened.  The wind blew so hard that the trees almost bend to the ground. 

And for a moment there, I thought all living thing found in this valley would be annihilated by someone who finds everything that has transpired in this valley damnable.  I just closed my eyes and cupped my hands and covered my ears upon the awesome display of natures wrath...

Afterwards, the whole valley fell silent . . .