[i]Her screams seem to pierce the bestial rage of Gilgalad. His face softens, and for a moment, fear seems to be displayed there, a fear of loss and of his own capabilities. Then it hardens, as he remembers what is at stake for his Kingdom. A brief rest ensues, the both of them huffing and breathing violently through blood-clogged mouths. Then, slowly, his fist raises again, yet this time is angled differently. He brings it down, hard, upon the First Swords shoulder. The fist lifts again and falls again upon her shoulder, and thus a new cycle is begun in the beating.[/i]

[i]Luana had remained still, breathing slowly and aching with intense pain before Gilgalad raised his directed fist towards her arm, where she merely gritted her teeth and closed her eyes. With each crushing punch, a yelp of pain escaped her mouth, her legs thrashing before going still. Soon, the terrible *snap!* of Luana's now broken shoulder rang through the air, as she gasped and nearly screamed again with pain. Her arm was limp, yet still, her hand clutched the sword still.[/i]

[i]Again, the splits shifted, a new cycle of pain starting, this time focused upon the woman's right elbow.[/i] "[b]I am sorry, Luana. But I [i]am[/i] going to break all of your arm. All of it, Luana. Down to the very tips of your fingers. Unless you drop your sword.[/b]"

[i]Collecting her breath through the pain, Luana had taken to laying her head against the ground, as she sorrowfully looked up at the Golden King. She simply nodded, yet her fingers did not let loose the handle of the sword.[/i] [u]"...I-I understand."[/u] [i]Why Luana would suffer through such pain at the hands of her own King, and seem so apologetic and determined, even when acknowledging the inevitable, was something that Gilgalad would have to question himself.[/i]

[i]His face set, a nod being all the acknowledgement he gave her statement. Then he moved the fist once more, and setting it in place, relentlessly began to punch on Luana's hand, crushing it between the gauntleted strike and her sword's own pommel.[/i]

[i]Luana merely clenched her eyes shut, remaining silent yet occasionally thrashing between punches. As her wrist, and likely part of her hand, snapped and broke from pure force, she couldn't hold back a gag of pain, breathing in order to contain her agony.[/i]

[i]The man grits his teeth, beating on her fingers now. His first carried away skin and blood at this point, and his armor was splattered all over with the First Sword's blood, as well as some of his own.[/i]

[i]At this rate, Luana was thrashing, her other hand refusing to attempt to pull the King off of her beaten arm. With the continuous beating, her fingers became looser upon the sword, one by one, until her crushed hand remained upon the handle, the fingers bloodied and mutilated.[/i] [i]Luana, through pain and suffering, motioned for Gilgalad to take the weapon from her right hand's grasp.[/i]

[i]The beating stopped immediately. In his stupor, Gilgalad seized the weapon savagely, tearing from her brutalized hand with callous indifference. Pushing back with his left leg, he lifted himself up and off of Luana. He took the sword in hand, blade pointed to the ground, and stabbed it into the earth, the weapon easily passing through the gaps between the tiles. The King dropped his gaze down upon the shattered form of the First Sword, and sighed.[/i] "[b]I guess we had some...issues...to work through in that fight. I am sorry, Luana. As your King, it is my duty to safeguard my Kingdom and my People. Often I forget that, and often I am reminded of it by my own savage hand. I shall find something within the Vault to tend to your wounds immediately.[/b]" [i]For once, the Golden King's face showed a new emotion, one that had never before been seen there by the woman. It was regret, and sympathy, as well as some amount of shame.[/i]

[i]Luana fumbled up to a sitting position, her bloodied, yet pale face turning up to look upon the golden figurine as he stood before her, the expression of forgiveness etched upon the warrior's face, her limp arm being clutched and repositioned by her functioning one.[/i] [u]"You don't need to blame yourself for my choices, Gilgalad.. my sternness and refusal to submit to defeat is my fault, and mine alone. I.. I thank you, for your willingness to heal me after this event.[/u] [u]...Should I.. Should I explain the reasoning behind my choices? I should, for it would only be right to do so."[/u]

[i]Gilgalad nods, a sign for Luana to continue. After, his eyes lose focus, as though he's not quite seeing what is in front of him. This state lasts for a minute before a slight jerk rocks him, and a slight smile spreads on his face. A golden portal opens up and to the right of the King's head. From it slides a staff, ornate and flowery in design. Four vines twisted around the base, converging about four feet high to form a seven inch grip, then spreading out again. At the top they converged once more, holding between them a flawless white diamond. Taking the staff in hand, Gilgalad leveled it at about mid-height, allowing the head to rest above Luana's. Silent sunlight poured through the conflux of the crystal, forming a golden beam that fell upon the First Sword. Immediately, her injuries began to feel warm around the breakage, as though she'd bathed in the sun for a long time.[/i] "[b]Luana, you may explain yourself. After, however, I have my own question for you, if you would permit such a thing.[/b]"

[i]The First Sword began to slowly move her right arm, realizing that the miraculous capabilities of the rich staff had done their work, and had done it's job in potentially healing her back to her original state. The only thing that Luana returned Gilgalad's blessing with was a silent nod, as she breathed in and began the explanation of her stern, stand-strong thought process..[/i] [u]"...Serving as one of your Knights - and more importantly, the First Sword of your Legion, I first began as a naive, yet oddly capable mind. I had wandered worlds, searched for purpose, begged for anything. And finally, I found a cause - you, something that I could willingly serve and sacrifice for.[/u] [u]With each stepping stone of conquest, I was driven by two things: glory for my King, and your own attention. Each man and woman slain by my sword, each order and act executed flawlessly; an attempt, to further your progression, and to prove myself to be worthy. I know that I had sworn to give up simpleminded virtues of longing and want, yet this ideology remained. [/u] [u]I wanted to prove that I would not be reduced to submission, unless you yourself gave the order. I wanted to prove that I could withstand agony and torture, yet would not submit to those whom threaten your reign. Perhaps it is fear, of your death? Terror that I would be left without purpose once more? I do not know.[/u] [u]...Please, question me if you wish, my King."[/u]

"[b]You have already answered it, Luana. As to your inner turmoil, I am afraid the extent of the staff is physical damages. I cannot offer help other than to reaffirm what we are to each other. You are my Sword, Luana. And despite my behavior, such a personal tool should be maintained and cared for with utter sincerity. I am your King. Your pledge must be certain, else it shall render you a malformed weapon, useless both on your own and by my side. You must be certain, always. To be assured of yourself and your purpose is to be above the common mongrels. And to be above them is to be in alliance with me. Luana, whether you choose fight for your own purposes, or to adhere yourself to my will absolutely, always, [i]always[/i] be sure that that is what you want.[/b]" [i]The entirety of Luana's wounds were healed within seven minutes, Gilgalad then turning the staff upon himself, quickly repairing the few injuries he had. Something was different with this conversation. Gilgalad, for whatever reason, seemed more vulnerable in his thoughts, his ideas. A rare opportunity to truly delve into his mind between the chaos of arrogance and apathy.[/i]