"You came up with a song in the old language on the spot? I must admit, I find myself surprised by this. That takes talent." Sigismund admitted and I scratched the back of my head.

"Not really. I didn’t really ’learn’ Ancient spartari and more I recently awakened a power called Linguakinesis. I can understand languages after hearing them."

Sigismund was surprised again. "You underwent an awakening recently? During the war? You just continue to surprise me lad. Come, let’s take a walk, I wish to talk to you away from onlookers."

I saw no reason to refuse Sigismund and we began to move, our respective Praetorians following us.

Upon arriving at the edge of the war camp, we were on high ground, a large slope was before us. Traversable, but still steep. Sigismund turned to the Praetorians and ordered them. "Stay here."

He then turned to me and looked at the danger noodle around my neck. "Leave the snake here as well."

I shrugged and Sithrik got off on her own without being needed to ask and began slithering over to Rhapso who picked Sithrik up and placed her on her Pauldron.

"Come." Sigismund simply declared and began making his may down the slope. I followed. Upon arriving at the bottom, Sigismund turned towards me and asked. "Are you sure you are combat ready, Apollo?"

"I am. I have killed multiple Drakoshi today. I heal fast."

"So I’ve heard." Sigismund said before unsheathing his sword, Doombringer, and taking a lax combat stance. "Prove it."

"What?"

"I need to know you are not lying to me. Prove it. Draw your weapon." He said and as he did so. His body grew from his shorter stature up to my exact height in an instant. I immediately wanted to cut into the man and observe how his body handles his Psionic growth and shrinkage.

Pulling Zircon out, I looked at his sword and at mine. His sword was bigger than mine. A two hander while Zircon was designed to be primarily used with one. He had the reach, I was supposed to have the speed, but I doubted that very much.

Sigismund was powerful. I knew that the first time I met him, even if I didn’t know it was him at the time, I couldn’t beat him, so I didn’t know what to expect.

I had my armour wrap around my body, at which point Sigismund left his combat stance and raised his hand in a stopping motion.

"Sorry lad, don’t wear that armour. I can keep my emotions in check when fighting my own, but that armour; It will spike my hate of aliens. It will be safer for you to forgo it."

I saw his logic and set my armour back to standby, returning to its natural state, encompassing my entire left arm.

I then took a stance with Zircon. A high guard.

Sigismund took a fools guard, his weapon laid out before him. I expected him to make the first move, but he didn’t; he just stood there. I sighed. Closing the gap wouldn’t be easy, but at the same time. He didn’t give me any restrictions apart from my armour.

I closed the distance and let off a low powered flashbang to impede his vision. I aimed Zircon towards his left arm but before I could even comprehend, I heard the sound of two pieces of metal clash together, singing a high pitched wail.

Zircons fuller instantly turned red, in contact with Doombringer, something I wish she hadn’t done.

"Psionic war gear? Apollo, your sword is more impressive than I originally thought it to be."

I didn’t reply, I just fired some Psionic bullets at the King while continuing to assault Sigismund with a flurry of blows.

He blocked and dodged everything. I attempted to leave myself open a few times to attempt to bait a counter attack, but nothing, he just kept his defensive structure. My Psionics were depleting fast as I tried to tire him out with my Gyrokinesis, but his body was so densely saturated with Psionics, it barely did anything.

As I became comfortable with the rhythm. Attack, he blocks. Shoot, he evades. Shoot and attack, he does both with the fluidity of a dancer, he suddenly changed it up.

With a rapid one handed horizontal sweep, I felt Doombringer lurching towards my neck. On reflex, I brought Zircon up to defend, both hands on her hilt, but the blow was absurdly powerful and I knew he was holding back significantly. Even so I found the soil giving way below me and my arms felt like they had just stopped a tank going over a hundred miles an hour.

Before I had a chance to recover, Sigismund began a grapple. His free hand pried my right hand free of my blade, forcing his blade closer to my neck. I could feel a bloodlust coming from the blade. It wanted to penetrate my flesh.

My Left arm was struggling, Zircon was shaking in my hands as I held off the impossible pressure. My eyes turned to Sigismund for a moment. They were right in my face. The red glowing eyes of his helmet made him look bloodthirsty.

But I saw an opportunity. Doing what he asked me not to do. I partially activated my armour. Once my helmet was encasing my head I lurched back before applying as much Gyrokinetic momentum forward as possible

*CRACK*

The sound was violent as my head bashed into his own like a battering ram. He staggered back slightly, I think more surprised than hurt. I attempted to get back into a combat stance, but before I could Sigismund moved at such speed it was a blur to me. His arm then extended to his side as he proceeded to clothesline me, violently knocking me onto the floor.

As I was about to get up, I felt a sharp object applying pressure to my chest. Sigismund then put his cleats onto my chest, removing his sword and asked Gestured at his own helmet. "Good thinking. I had not expected that. But to headbutt your own king? Do you have no honour, Apollo?"

"Honour is a tool the weak use to help win fights. If you show your enemy honour, they will use it against you by utilising tactics outside of your own. I give my enemy no advantage." I admitted. Sigismund just stared at me for a moment before asking.

"I am your enemy? Such treasonous words, lad."

"Until the fight is done. Yes, you are my enemy."

"Hmm, I see. You-"

Sigismund saw from his periphery, Apollo gestured his hand slightly, he removed his pressure from the boy and dodged to the side, just in time for a sword to pass where he just was. Apollo dashed up to his feet, catching his sword as it returned to his hand, entering another combative stance

He glared at the purple haired youth for a few moments before letting out a full bellied laugh. "Oh! HAHAHAHA! You sneaky fucker, you almost had me there. Hahaha!"

Sigismund proceeded to sheathe his weapon and turned away from Apollo, towards the horizon. He folded his arms and spoke, "Apollo. I want you by my side when we storm the fortress tomorrow. Together we will overpower and kill the second warlord before too many of our Soldiers perish against the Drakoshi.

After dismissing Zircon, I walked to Sigismund’s side and observed the horizon with him.

"I barely killed that Warlord, Sigismund. I don’t know how well I will fare this time." I said truthfully.

"Don’t worry lad, from the Praetorians reports, you were up against a seriously powerful warlord. The amount of Praetorians with you should have been no problem if it was a newly advanced one. Besides, Doombringer cut off the arm of the other Drakoshi and her wounds do not heal easily when I don’t hold back. Honestly lad, your role will be more keeping the other Drakoshi off my back while I finish the filthy beast off."

’That is more manageable.’ I thought and began to reply.

"Sure, I can do-"

Before I could finish, the night sky suddenly turned red as a massive laser cut open the heavens and began to shoot out well beyond the planet’s atmosphere.

"The orbital gun? But our ships aren’t even..." Sigismund began before he paused, his helmet picking something up behind the laser. A ship. A Drakoshi ship, leaving the atmosphere.

Once it was out of sight, Sigismund received word through his internal communications that a Xeno ship had entered FTL around the planet. Shortly after the laser stopped and Darkness returned.

I was in awe of the scale of that weapons attack. No wonder the fleet were so afraid of getting close.

After a few moments the wind was blowing towards us from the direction of the weapon. On it were screams of rage and anger. Bestial and feral.

"What was that?" I asked out loud, not expecting a response, but Sigismund gave me one.

"That, my boy, is the sound of battle formations. Come, back up the slope, we don’t have long before they are on us."