(OOC: Sorry. I thought it was clear. He was bent over from the earlier blow. Then he brought his sword up and rushed forward in a sneaky head-on attack. As the sword came toward Galliban it suddenly appeared not to be a practice sword = the blade was metal rather than wood.)
Galliban's sidestep worked, as Lot had committed fully to rushing straight forward at full speed. The paladin's attempt to trip her opponent did not work as well: Lot saw her tactic and leapt over the outstretched foot. Of course this sudden change sent him tumbling when he landed. He rolled over and managed to regain his footing a few body lengths away.
In the meantime, Galliban found herself facing the female adhiel's sword. As with Lot's, this sword too suddenly seemed to be a real blade. The young woman brought it up in a lazy swipe at Galliban's right side.
Galliban's mind was racing. She couldn't believe what was happening. She never thought elves to be capable of falling into the shadow of Darkness, but it was apparent at that moment that they were as susceptable as any. If she wasn't so caught up in the moment, she would have been furious with herself for being so naive and unable to sense the evil within the two adhiel. Obviously, it was not the time to obsess over such things.
When Galliban suddenly found herself facing the female adhiel, it had already occured that she could not depend on her practice swords to stop a real blade. Her only option was to evade the blow. She back instantly, simultaneously dropping her practice swords. She reached down to her sword sheathes and drew out her swords. Galliban's eyes remained transfixed on her opponent, though she was aware that the male adhiel would likely be coming in for another attack.
"Attack! Attack!" she shouted at the top of her lungs, hoping that someone would hear her.
OOC: I wrote part of the post on the assumption that my PC successfully dodged the blow. If not, I'll edit.
"Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear."- Mark Twain
The woman's blade passed harmlessly by as Galliban jumped to evade it. Apparently it had been a feint designed to cause just such a reaction. The pair had kept moving and were now in position to attack the paladin from opposite sides. Lot approached from the left while the female kept an equal distance from her on the right.
The courtyard was strangely silent - apparently no one else was practicing at this time. Galliban switched weapons, drawing the two finely crafted swords. As she held them out a cool white fire seemed to outline the blades. The act of unsheathing the blades had not caused the customary sound of blade sliding across sheath. In fact, Galliban discovered that no sounds were reaching her ears. Her own words passed her lips but no sound was audible.
The courtyard seemed smaller somehow, as if the danger had focused Galliban's attention to enlarge even the little details of her attackers and the circle that they now attempted to walk around her. The twin adhiel moved in silence, with deadly precision, each one's steps perfectly matched by the other. The paladin's battle-sharpened senses kept noting odd details of their appearance. They were taller than they had first appeared, almost too tall for adhiel. And the light from Leyle's swords reflected oddly off of their skin, making them appear paler - almost translucent.
Suddenly a blade thrust came in high on Galliban's right side. It was matched precisely by a high strike from her left.
Galliban's eyes darted around when she had safely evaded the strike. Panic seemed to suit the situation very well, but the achadhiel paladin novice forced herself to calm down and concentrate. She knew that panic would likely be lethal in the current situation. She had noticed the changes in her surroundings as well as in the features of her opponents, making it even more difficult to remain calm. The surreal manner of the situation was enough to throw most off-balance, but Galliban simply had no choice but to remain composed.
As her opponents moved around her, Galliban brought her mind to her core, the very center of her power. As she did, she pictured the light-immersed form of Illuminatus and the plaza she had seen whilst in the Pool. The Light One had told her before to remember that place, for that was where He was found. If Galliban had ever needed the aid of Illuminatus, she needed it right then and there. Even as her opponents prepared to attack, she prayed silently. She spoke no word, for her prayers echoed from her heart.
Illuminatus, my Lord and patron, I pray now to you in a place of dire need. Give me power so that I that I may vanquish those who seek to destroy me. Give me strength so that I may stop those who would strike against You and those who seek to do Your most divine will. I place my faith in Your holy Light now and always, and I shall fear no Darkness.
As the blades of her attackers came towards her, the young half-elf acted without fear, for her faith made her courage unbreakable. She brought both of her swords up in an attempt to block both blows, using enough force to deflect both blades should she succeed in meeting them.
"Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear."- Mark Twain
Galliban's current predicament did not allow for much in the way of evoking inner calm and prayer. Still, she sent her simple intent forth into that core of her being. It was enough to bolster her resolve in the face of two attackers.
Her blades flashed upward to block her opponents' swords. Somehow there was balance and each movement reinforced the other so that she was able to turn both of the strikes away. However, Lot's strike was significantly less forceful than his sister's. The difference undid the balance of the paladin's block, sending her left hand sword spinning out into an extra arc and almost losing it from her grip.
The female's blade slid free from Galliban's block as she took a step back. Lot mirrored the move and both continued circling their prey.
Galliban quickly regripped the sword in her left hand in her attempt not to lose it. The last the she needed was an even greater disadvantage. She drew both swords in after the blocks were completed in an effort to not leave herself exposed. Her head turned side to side as she watched her opponents step back. It had occured to her that Lot had purposely tried to unbalance her, rather than having simply been weaker than his female counterpart. This possibility concerned Galliban, as it meant that her opponents had had experience with working as a pair. Normally, the young achadhiel would not have been confident in her ability to defeat one of her opponents, much less both of them together. However, her faith in Illuminatus wiped all thoughts of doubt from her mind. Failure was not an option.
As Galliban's foes circled her, her mind went to strategy. She had little experience in combat; only her training on the Isle and some training in the basics of martial arts by her father many years before. At that moment, her father's words echoed in her head.
Two is greater than one. This applies not only to mathematics, but to combat. For one to be greater than two under normal circumstances is nigh impossible. However, combat is not absolute like mathematics. In combat, one can reduce the effectiveness of two by forcing each individual to hinder the other.
It was a long shot to attempt it on an experienced pair, but it seemed to Galliban to be the best idea at the time. First, she would have to get her opponents close to each other. The only way that seemed to be possible was to get them to attack her simultaneously again. Galliban raised her swords and waited for the next attack. She would have to be quick on her feet for her idea, so she did not plant herself too firmly. As she waited, she used those precious few moments to bring herself back to her core once again and let her energy flow through her freely. She was not afraid, for she was still confident that the Light was with her. Faith was the shield that would protect her when all else failed.
Last edited by Galliban Tyren on Fri Nov 12, 2004 11:15 am, edited 3 times in total.
"Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear."- Mark Twain
From Galliban's inner core came the reassuring calm that all would be well. In fact, there was a hint of another emotion - amusement? - coming from the Light within her.
The pair circled. One full circle. Then two. The paces quickened. Suddenly, the female pounced up from directly in front of Galliban with a two-handed overhead strike. Galliban's peripheral vision noted Lot moving in from the right rather than attacking in direct opposition to his partner.
Galliban did not question what she was feeling at the time, but embraced it. Instead of impeding her energy by trying to mentally pick it apart, she let it flow naturally.
She responded quickly to her opponents' oncoming attacks by combining a dodge with a block. She pivoted to her left and jumped back in an attempt to evade the blade that was to come down upon her, then used the sword in her right hand to hit her attacker's sword hard on the blade, then kept contact with her opponent's blade. Her goal was to hinder, or possibly injure, Lot with his partner's own weapon. Of course, Galliban was ready to use the sword in her left hand to defend herself should her plan fail.
OOC: Again, I'm assuming some stuff here. I know that I shouldn't be, but I don't want this to a huge, time-consuming exchange of two-liner posts. As before, I will edit if you had something else in mind.
"Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear."- Mark Twain
Galliban's movement could easily have caused her own demise. She felt herself almost lose balance in the weight of the new armor. Her recovery was tenuous and brought her into position with barely enough time to raise her sword. Her blade met the woman's. If she had been standing in the original spot the two-handed strike would have had enough force to break the block. However, the need for Galliban's oponent to adjust her strike meant a lessening of the force - enough so that the paladin's strategy worked and she was able to bring both swords crashing over in Lot's direction.
Lot brought his own blade up in defense and all three blades caught in a crash that sent shockwaves up Galliban's arms. Sound rang out - a single dissonant chord. Where the three swords met, light flared up, more bright in intensity than anything the novice had witnessed thus far.
The three combatants stood frozen. Still. The sound faded out. Galliban felt energy well out from herself, from the place in herself that was home to Lumi's blessing.
The two attackers looked first surprised and then.. perhaps guilty. It was hard to read their expressions in the light that seemed to envelope them. Words wer spoken in a whisper in oddly accented adhiel. Galliban caught only the word "father". Then the light consumed the two visitors, gathering them up and reforming into a massive ball of energy which then shrank down to the size of a small coin.
The sound of a coin hitting the ground brought Galliban back to her normal senses. It rang out from the flagstone tile like the sound of a schild's laughter. She was standing, alone, in the courtyard, sword raised high to catch the sun's light.
The sound did indeed alert Galliban, almost as if she had been awoken from a trance. It was then that a great sense of relief came to her. She did not understand exactly what had happened. All she knew was that she was alive and her opponents had been defeated. She sheathed her swords, then bowed her head in prayer.
Praise be to You, Illuminatus. I give thanks for the blessing You have bestowed upon me. I live still by the glory of Your holy Light as Your faithful servant.
The thanksgiving was short but wholly sincere and heart-felt. After she finished her prayer, she looked down to see what had become of her attackers. She picked up the coin and stared at it for a few moments. It then occurred to her that she should report what had happened to someone. Since Helen was already expecting her, she decided that she would speak with her. The situation seemed urgent to the young paladin, as it seemed to be a signifigantly aggressive attack on the Temple Order. As such, Galliban rushed immeadiately to Helen's quarters, going as quickly. as her body would allow.
"Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear."- Mark Twain
The "coin" was of no type that Galliban had ever encountered. It seemed to be made of glass or crystal. A thin, palm-sized disc. Transparent with little motes of light that danced around inside.
Of the attackers there was no sign. Only footprints in the dust - none of which lead away from the spot.
As the novice paladin hurried along, somewhat sweatsoaked and unkempt from the life-threatening exertions, she drew more than a few curious glances. Still, no one stopped her from reaching her destination.
Helen was strapping on her gear when Galliban arrived at her room. One look at the younger woman changed her easy demeanor into a business-like sharpness.
"What has happened? Are we under attack? There's been no alarm."
"I was attacked... in the courtyard," Galliban replied quickly amidst an attempt to catch her breath. "There were two attackers. They looked like elves. We were sparring, but they attacked me with metal blades. I yelled for help, but no one came. We fought, and I stand here now by the grace of Illuminatus. Energy came from inside, there was a bright light. This was all that was left." she continued, sounding quite a bit less articulate than usual. As she finished speaking, she handed Helen the disk-shaped object that she had found. Galliban then took a moment to compose herself, realized that she must have looked and sounded rather odd.
"Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear."- Mark Twain
Helen slowed herself down a bit when she found that the threat was, probably, past.
"Slow down, Galliban. Light? Disappeared? Adhiel assassins in the courtyard? And what is this?"
Helen looked at the disk for a few flickers. And then brought it outside and into the courtyard to view it under the sun's light.
"Come, Galliban. I think we'll need a full report. This is a token of some kind. Show me where you were and describe exactly what happened. Everything you saw or felt. Even the slightest detail might be significant."
Galliban followed closely behind Helen as she went to the courtyard. She listened to her mentor speak and nodded, then walked over to where the fight had taken place.
"This is where it happened." she said, pausing for a moment before continuing. Galliban proceeded to recount what had happened to Helen, from her brief meeting with Father Gamble to the disappearance of the attackers and her finding of the token on the ground. She included every detail that she remembered, every sight and sound. She went on for a few burns before she finished speaking, then turned to Helen and waited for a reply.
"Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear."- Mark Twain
Helen made a thorough inspection of the area, before turning to listen to her charge’s account.
“Gamble? Was here? Working with a weapon- a staff... And then two adhiel... we have no such recruits as you describe currently serving on the Isle. And this coin...Ooh, that meddler Gamble: he should have been an Aurelian.â€
She took a few flickers to make a decision about something. The brief fury she had let show faded and was replaced with calm resolve.
“Well. We shall have to pay Gamble a visit. He is our expert on such artifacts as this disc. â€
Helen led the way back inside the Temple complex. They walked a long while, through passages both familiar and new. Down stairs into an underground section. There were guards at every portal in this deep part of the temple. Helen greeted each guard by name and spoke a few words of oddly casual conversation before continuing. More stairs down. They were well below surface level.
Finally they came to a door. Massive and covered with steel plating thicker than any armor. Helen banged a gauntleted fist upon it, causing a clamor, before pushing it open and strolling into Father Gamble’s ... area. It was not quite a laboratory and not quite a library. There were shelves and pedestals and locked cabinets filled with books and weapons and carvings and many other strange things.
Gamble was bent over a loing marble table. Before him was the great staff he had been carrying earlier and several open books. He was writing something on a scroll with an ornate quill pen.
“I’ll be with you in just a moment.â€
Helen's words only served to make Galliban's confusion greater. Even as she followed her mentor through the temple, the young achadhiel was lost in thought.
What does she mean to say by referring to Father Gamble as a meddler? Could he have had something to do with this? It didn't seem as if he wished any harm to come to me when we spoke. Still, it was odd that he knew my name. What interest could he possibly have in me? None of this makes any sense.
When the pair finally arrived in Gamble's "area", Galliban had started to get the feeling that he had been expecting them. They had entered the room without waiting for him to answer the door, yet that fact did not seem to bother him. Galliban was becoming increasingly suspicious of Gamble. While she did not think that he had any connection to the enemies of the Temple Order, she did sense that something was afoot. She did not suspect Gamble of malicious intent, but rather mischievious intent. In any case, Galliban remained silent, and did so mostly out of ignorance of the situation. Never one to make giant leaps to hasty conclusions, she would let her mentor do the talking for the time being.
"Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear."- Mark Twain
Helen waited a few flickers before tossing the disc onto Gamble’s table and causing him to drag ink across the length of his scroll.
“Are you mad, woman? It’s taken me days to- eh? What’s this? Oh.â€
He set down his stylus and took the strange crystal disc in hand.
“Wherever did you find this?!â€
“Am I mad, he asks me! Look, you crazed archivist. You’ve endangered the life of a novice and allowed something to breach Temple security. Would you like me to take this higher up or do you think you can dig your head out of the bookshelf and take us seriously for a flicker?â€
Helen then proceeded to tell the priest all of the details that Galliban had related earlier- peppered with a nice mix of insults and curses that the novice would never have uttered. When she ran out of steam, Gamble took the opportunity to consult a stack of worm-eaten books that looked as if they had recently been dug up out of the dirt.
“Hmm... yes. Yes it must be... Of course you realize this isn’t my fault Helen. Unless you think I have the power to control the whims of Ith and Kryn? Did you not see it? Twins... called Lumi father? “Lot†- another word for Fate or Chance? Indeed you may have to go quite a bit higher up to solve this little mystery.â€
“And you, Galliban. I am sorry but this is not likely to be the last great mystery to come to the woman who wears that armor and carries those weapons.â€
“I shall keep the disc here for further analysis. I believe those are portal symbols at the center. I’ll have to check it out. No great mystery as to what has happened: two semi-divine beings having a bit of sport with a paladin in addition to bringing ... something - possibly on Lumi’s own orders. We just need to figure out why...â€
“Enough!†Helen obviously had no intention of standing and listening to Gamble’s theories all morning.
“We’re due at the excavation site for guard detail. You think on it and perform your research or whatnot. I’ll send Galliban for a briefing later today.â€
She turned and exited, holding the door for Galliban to follow her. She slammed the heavy metal door behind them after the novice had exited the chamber.
“Talking to him always gives me a headache. His theories are like swarming bees buzzing around in his head and I cannot tune them out due to their intensity. So, Galliban, do you think what he says is true?â€
Galliban remained silent as Helen told her story to Gamble amidst a rather enthused chewing out. Though she spoke no word and her facial expression did not change, she was chuckling on the inside. Had Gamble actually had something to do with the whole situation, Galliban did indeed believe that he deserved what he was getting. Gamble's reactions did, however, catch her special attention. It seemed to her that Gamble knew at least a little more than he let on.
When Helen turned to leave, Galliban did so as well, but not before giving a respectful nod of farewell to Gamble. She walked through the doorway, uttering an elvish phrase of thanks as she passed Helen. Galliban watched without surprise as her mentor slammed the heavy door, then nodded in agreement when she commented on Gamble and his theories. She did not speak until Helen had asked her a direct question.
"I am not sure. While I have heard that Ithrainne and Krynsathis have been known to meddle in people's lives and delight in it besides, I do not understand why I would catch their attention. If what Gamble says is true and they came with the intention of bringing that token to the temple, I still do not understand where I should rightly fit in," Galliban replied in her native tongue. Her expression then changed slightly, as if she had just remembered something. "Pardon my curiosity, but I am beginning to feel that there is knowledge unknown to me that I have the right to acquire. I sincerely apologize if I seem disrespectful, for that is not my intention. However, I feel that I should ask you if there is something about this armor and these weapons that I wear that I should know. Father Gamble previously suggested that I should take the time to learn about Leyle. I was planning to do just that, but as I said before, I cannot help but feel that there is something that I should know presently for my own safety." she continued.
"Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear."- Mark Twain
“Knowledge unknown to you... Ha! You almost sound like your Aurelian friend. I understand. But believe me, we are concealing nothing from you that some digging in the library won’t turn up. Hmmm... come to think of it, Gamble can probably help you out as well.â€
The pair walked out into the village and surrounding woods as Helen revealed what little she knew of Leyle. Little more than that she was a rare adhiel female who had excelled as a paladin. There were many tales of her fighting demons and the more gruesome forces of darkness.
“Inspiring tales actually. I rather think I would have liked the old girl.â€
They arrived, after a long walk, at what might be called either a hill or a huge pile of rubble, depending upon one’s experience and outlook.
There was a perimeter of paladin guards spread out in a rough circle at some distance from the hilltop.
The hill itself was rocky. Large white-and-gray streaked rocks that looked in places as if they’d been stacked in an intentional pattern. There was a strange musty smell about the place.
Galliban thought for a moment about Helen's comment about her sounding like Barrett. She took the comment to mean that she was starting to sound paranoid, and the achadhiel could not disagree. After all, Galliban's recent experiences would be likely to make almost anyone a bit hypervigilant.
"I will take you at your word." Galliban replied with a nod. She did not believe that her mentor would put her in danger by deceiving her.
Galliban followed Helen out of the temple. As they went on their way, she walked beside her mentor with her arms behind her back. She listened intently as Helen talked about Leyle, nodding occasionally. Learning of Leyle's exploits left Galliban feeling even more honored to be wearing her armor and wielding her weapons.
When they arrived at their destination, Galliban took a moment to survey her surroundings, noting the odd smell and placement of the rocks on the hill. She finally turned to her mentor, looking as steadfast as ever.
"I am honored to perform my duties here, but I am hoping that they will be less... hectic than the events of the past few days." she said.
"Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear."- Mark Twain
Helen’s reply was in an uncharacteristic hushed tone.
“I cannot promise less hectic times ahead: indeed at morning service tomorrow, you shall hear quite the opposite. Some trying times are on the way for all who serve the Lord of Light, and our allies. but I shall try to make sure you have the freedom to study and learn what you need before you are deployed.â€
A tall man in shining plate and a dazzling silver cape approached the pair. He was quite tall and his hair and face were reminiscent of Barrett’s - the coloring of Dort. However Captain Finn was easily three times the Aurelian’s body mass.
Helen raised her voice in welcome.
“Captain Finn! I trust things are going well here. I have brought Galliban for her tour.â€
Helen took her leave claiming duties back at the temple.
“Besides, I believe you’ve had sufficient sword practice for today.â€
Finn took Galliban around the site. The “hill†covered a large round cavern structure that descended well into the ground. The entrance was on the other side at the top of the hill. The captain explained that the origin of the cave was believed natural but the concealing hill had been built by someone within the past two generations. Who or what was unknown. Magical energies seemed to shift erratically in the vicinity of the hill, and the paladins had decided that it was important enough to be a restricted area.
“I am informed that you have some small experience with energy perception? If you’d like to give it a try I will be standing by to help you out.â€
"I am grateful for that," Galliban replied to Helen. "I should like to learn as much as I can before I am deployed."
Galliban turned when she noticed the large man in armor approaching them. She nodded respectfully to Captain Finn when Helen introduced her to him. She had never been one for unnecessary pleasantries, and she had found that others in her order were not either. She gave a similar nod to Helen before she took her leave.
Galliban followed the captain around the site in silence. Her eyes scanned the area, attempting to take in as much as possible as well as noting any interesting landmarks. She listened to the captain's explanation of the cave and hill, her eyes staying on him as he spoke.
"Yes, I do have some small experience, as you say. I shall do my best, but my experience in this area is indeed small." she replied when he spoke to her of energy perception. Galliban knelt down on one knee, letting her shin lie nearly flat on the ground. She lay her left forearm across her left thigh and closed her eyes. She brought her mind to her core, letting her energy and thoughts flow freely and without interference. She concentrated as best she could and attempted to reach out mentally and feel the flow and quality of the energies around her without trying to influence them.
"Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear."- Mark Twain
Galliban had little trouble finding her inner core of energy: it blazed with the fervor of her devotion to Illuminatus. From the central light at the center of her being, she looked out upon the swirling energies that seemed to gather strongly in this area.
Lumi's presence was strong here, as evidenced by the several "lanterns" burning with light similar to Galliban's own.
Faint, wispy strands of energy also seemed to be numerous, floating about and winding around all of the other energies before floating off to be replaced by other strands.
Light green bands of energy surrounded the entire area.
A warm core energy radiated from the ground and stones, brown and amber mixed to filter the light and lessen its intensity.
Finally, the strongest impression was a swirling pool of energy off to one side. It seemed neither light nor dark, living nor dead. Just restless and.. contained. Foreboding.
Galliban took a moment to take in the scene that was before her, the world in its true form. She guessed that the strands in the air were simply natural, ambient energies, but she made a mental note of them in any case. She also made note of the green bands of energy, as she ws unsure of their origin. Galliban was sure, however, that the brown and amber of the ground and stones was the energy of nature and Mother Earth, so she did not see them as unusual or out of place. What obviously caught her greatest attention was the pool of energy that was set off to the side. The achadhiel paladin had never felt anything quite like it. When she was confident that she had seen everything important, Galliban drew herself slowly out of her meditative state. When she had regained her normal senses, she rose to her feet and turned to Captain Finn.
"I feel the presence of Illuminatus strongly in this place," she said, looking the captain in the eye. "There are faint strands of energy all over this place. They do not seem important to me, but I know little of this subject. There are also light green bands of energy surrounding this area, though I cannot guess their purpose. The natural energy of the earth seems normal to me. What seems to be strongest to me is a swirling mass of energy over there," Galliban continued, pausing to point out where she had seen it. "I do not know what to make of it, but it troubles me. It seems chaotic yet concentrated, and it does not resonate light or darkness. Rather odd, in my opinion." she finished.
"Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear."- Mark Twain
“Let’s see if I can give you an evaluation... Of course, with so many of his devout followers in the vicinity. Lumi certainly will have an increased vigilance. You add to that by your own presence as well. Also, the Light it what you can sense most clearly and will always take precedence in your perception of spiritual energies.â€
Faint strands and green bands... well, here we run into the problem of relative perception, Clearly you have focused on interpreting the energies manifested as shapes and colors. That is very common and nothing to be ashamed of. However, my own ‘sense’ of such things is more musically oriented. I suspect you are sensing the natural energies of air and living growth that surround everything here on the isle. Of course the energy of earth and stone will be palpable near such a structure.â€
“As for the Disturbance. Observe how you say it resonates neither light nor darkness. One of the limitations of our perception through Lumi’s light is a tendency to classify things as either Light or Dark: helpful or harmful, benevolent or malicious. Many energies do not fall cleanly into either category and our ability to perceive and interpret them is thus cloudy at best. But even those most skilled in our order have failed to classify the manner in which the old energy is being wakened. Thus we stand guard against any who would seek to manipulate it: or any who are manipulated by it. There have been instances of people being drawn to this spot with no knowledge of what motivated them. We keep them safely in check lest they hurt themselves on the rocks or by falling into the great hole beneath.â€
I thought it was clear. He was bent over from the earlier blow. Then he brought his sword up and rushed forward in a sneaky head-on attack. As the sword came toward Galliban it suddenly appeared not to be a practice sword = the blade was metal rather than wood.)