Convincing the Warrior to bend the knee

Zhu sighed as she was in her room sharpening and tending to her weapons as she usually did. It was something that she loved to do, and it kept her mind and body at peace while she was in the guild hall with nothing to do. Zhu hated being stagnant for any reason, and this was just the only way she could actually continue to do something while not really going outside of the guild hall.

Today was different somehow. The air in the guild hall certainly was different today, and the fact that there seemed to be a lack of a truly powerful aura around meant that Kihia wasn't in the hall today. Zhu didn't know why, and honestly she didn't care, but she had no idea just what happened.

Still she would find out soon enough as someone was coming to her in order to fill her in on the situation as it stood.

Xavier in a previous room was sitting at a desk reading a paper, letter from someone. He had clearly read it several times, the page was bent and the writing slightly smudged from misuse. He carefully folded it up and placed it in his pocket, and subsequently folded his reading glasses and put those away too.

He took a deep breath as he looked out of the door to the room he was in, seeing only one person. It was Zhu, a good teammate of his. He needed to explain this to someone, and it seemed that it was only logical to start with her. He finished buttoning his jacket on his new suit and attire. and walked towards her with a disconcerted look, that he masked with a calm face.

Zhu didn't seem to take any notice of his approach as she was start to reassemble the Pirate King. Her own personal blade that she had gone to great trouble to forge and obtain. She didn't really have a mind for anything but as she slowly put the hilt back on the blade and wrapped it up sliding it into it's sheath she turned and looked dead at Xavier with her one Sapphire blue eye.

She slowly rose from her work another sword still scattered about on the ground around her as she put Pirate King in her sword belt looking to him. She noticed he was wearing something new, but she had no real idea what he was going to say to her. When he was finally close enough to her bedroom door she held up her hand "That's far enough Xavier. I don't let anyone in my room. What is it I can do for you Comrade?" she asked looking him up and down with a neutral expression of blank stone.

Taking again another deep breath as the sudden start in conversation caught him entirely off guard. He glanced about her room, and the two swords she was was intent on working with. That seems just like her. He thought to himself, straightening out. "Zhu..." He started, and his heart began to flutter as he couldn't bring himself to admit the situation, his eyes darting to the side. "Kihia...Kihia is gone. I don't know where, how, or most importantly why... but he left." Almost as if he choking he had to take another breath before continuing. "He uh, left me in charge."

Zhu's eye widened a moment. Horror ran through her body. She couldn't believe what she had just heard. First Zuo a man she trusted and respected was slain and she hadn't been there to help him, or even prevent it. That was unforgivable. She swore him her sword and when he needed it the most she didn't give it to him. She still hated herself for the act. Now Kihia a man she respected considered her comrade, and a warrior whom she acknowledged as far superior to her was now gone. She had sworn him her sword and he had just left her behind without an explanation. No she couldn't accept that.

She looked down to her swords and then stepped over them getting closer to Xavier "Kihia is gone....He is not dead he has just left?....Then who is in charge of the guild while he is away? Who will lead us now?"

Xavier stiffened up, trying to be better about his appearance and looked her in the eyes the best he could without letting them tear up, speaking a bit louder this time because she clearly didn't hear him the first time in her hysteria. "Zhu, I'm the Guildmaster now... Kihia chose to leave me in charge." The gravity of the situation was clearly still dawning on him too, and he looked a little shaken no matter what composure he tried to muster.

Zhu shook her head lightly as she reached for her sword slowly "I see....I am sorry, but I can't blindly follow that order....I know you Xavier, we are comrades, but I do not believe you are stronger than I. I do not believe you are a better warrior than I." when her sword was drawn she lifted it taking a stance that was ready to fight "I swore my sword to Zuo, and he has died. I swore my sword to Kihia and he has tossed it away. I haven't sworn my sword to you Xavier, and I won't until I see the proof that you are stronger than I. A warrior only serves those who are stronger than Himself. That is the way of the Scorekeeper. I am her herald I must serve her in all things, and uphold her traditions and teachings. En Garde Xavier!"

Talk was now over She lunged for him yet her blade wasn't to him the flat of the sword was. She was clearly intending to force him back from her doorway to create a far more advantageous position for herself. Still the look in her eye spoke to how serious she was. She wouldn't submit to Xavier without a good reason, and it seemed that the only reason she deemed appropriate was her defeat at his hands.

Xavier never considered Zhu to an unreasonable individual, far from it. Her logic was usually quite sound. But, unruly? Perhaps. Trying to move out of the way of what he assumed would be the blade he twisted far enough to avoid the sharp edge only to receive the flat to his shoulder throwing him back a few feet. As he tumbled he caught himself in a three point stance as per usual.

"Please, let's not do this..." He looked down at his shoulder, not really concerned with the damage she might have done to him but it definitely made a mark on his suit. "I just got this yesterday..." He muttered to himself. He pulled one of his two hanbo, weapons made with the sole intent of training future swordsmen, and he holds in his left hand out front defensively. "I don't want to fight you. Please, can we use our words?"

Zhu shook her head lightly as she swung her blade "I'm afraid not Xavier. This has to happen or I can never acknowledge you as our leader. If I can't follow the leader of Lamia Scale then I have no business being in it!" he could see in her eye that it was far more wet looking than normal almost consistent with someone who is about to cry. Still no tears began to form, but she did look incredibly sad.

She got into her stance again speaking "I will repay you for your suit after the fight regardless of the outcome." she assured him. With that she lunged for him again this time however the blade was coming at him. She wasn't going to hold back in this fight she needed this to determine where her life was going to go. She only hoped that at the end of it she wouldn't have dealt any permanent injuries to her comrade.

Her swing was a one handed over the head swing aiming for his own head however her other hand was open and seemed to be ready in case of any kind of counter attack happening. She wasn't going to be easy to beat.

The time to talk was over, and that was present. He snorted, the air of naivety gone, and the charm faded from his cheeks. Even if he was going to focus on this battle there was no way he wanted to harm her. Stepping to the side, he swatted her sword away with his hanbo, the clang of metal resounding off of the emptiness of the hall. Immediately after doing so he stepped backwards.

As her blade was slapped away she simply let the momentum spin her around and she brought the blade around in a horizontal swipe against him from what would be his left side. She knew she didn't want to kill him, but she wouldn't let him have it easy for him. She had to do this in order to decide what her future was going to hold. She hoped that he would take this as seriously because it was the only way he could get her to actually follow him.

That was a very clever use of the momentum, and Xavier was honestly not expecting his move that to have such an impact on the fight. he bent his knees getting lower, and put the steel hanbo between him and her sword as he advanced towards her, grinding out sparks. Once he got her arm he put his arm over her's and locked it in place before trying to sweep her left leg from beneath her in attempt to force her to the ground. If he could successfully do that he would just try to hold her there.

The moment he grabbed her arm something began to change in her whole body. Her cells began to change and multiply forcing a very unusual change on her physical form. She grew taller until she stood eight feet tall and towered over Xavier. Her arms and hands grew thicker and stronger looking keeping him from being able to wrap his hand around her arm, and hold it in place. Her feet became two great hooves along with the growth her legs underwent. Finally two great horns grew from her head protruding outwards in front of her ready to skewer people on them.

Her sword however vanished when she took this form, but she lifted her arm up and avoided the sweeping kick looking to throw Xavier off of her with a powerful swing of her arm. If she had him free she would reach down to her belt and summon up another weapon. This weapon a two handed Great Sword known as Dragon Cleaver.

Xavier was already short enough in comparison to Zhu, but now he had to deal with a what appeared to be a giant Zhu satyr, or maybe a demon of some sort. Trying not to hurt her was definately not going to be an option, he soon realized after being thrown against a wall of the guild's hall, observing as she drew a weapon from somewhere he didn't have time to think about.

He tossed his hanbo aside, and retrieved the other staff that he usually only threatens people with from his back, named the Tesla Coil. It hummed with energy when soundly in his hands, electricity cracking from from it. He spun it a bit before solidly grasping it and running back at her. He aimed to swipe at her legs, first the left and then if she's still standing her right.

Zhu gripped her sword tighter and as Xavier got closer to her she swung it with the flat of the blade going after him. However he was just too fast for her and even though she had no problem swinging the blade with her new body, but still she missed.

Xavier however didn't and even though he hit her legs she remained standing her legs much thicker and with hooves now to boot. She grunted and tried to hit him with her large hand now that he was in close quarters.