Chapter Two, Learning the Ropes!

Ezra came to get Alderon before dawn, just as promised. The vampire wore the same black outfit and pale face as the first time they met and it was only how the vampire looked at the little blacksmith skeleton now that was different. While the Skeleton knights, Aemoras and Bemores, were disdainful toward him because he was a skeleton, the old vampire with a young face treated him like a peer, at least acted like he did.

This made Alderon's cold heart become warmer.

Ezra was the first creature from the underworld he had met here who didn't despise him.

"Call me Ezra," said the Vampire as they walked. "and feel free to ask me about anything."

The Black Castle was situated on barren land, and everything Alderon could see as they exited the castle was endless sand and some mountains on the horizon. After all, there was a reason to why this region was called the eternal wasteland. Nothing could ever grow here, and it was still a mystery to how the beastmen were able to survive without the ability to grow crops and raise cattle.

In fact, the beastmen was the most mysterious race in the whole mortal world.

The elves, dwarves and humans still communicated now and then, though less than before, but there had been no communication between the beastmen and the other three large races of the world.

"Ezra, do you know where the Beastmen live?" asked Alderon.

He was quite curious to how they could tolerate the scorching heat, every day, every night, without taking cover in mountains or forests. So his best guess was that that the world was falsely informed about how the beastmen lived, or that the beastmen had their homes inside great canyons.

"No, I'm not sure, no one is actually. " said the vampire. "every battle we've fought with them – as they attack the Black castle once every month or so with a moderate sized army – they've just appeared out of nowhere. They also have a very strong tradition of never being captured alive, because we've never taken a single prisoner. Like never. Which is why we've never had the chance to interrogate them and find out."

"I see," said Alderon. "by the way, aren't you vulnerable to sunlight?

It was only now, after they had a couple of miles, that Alderon was reminded of the most famous weakness of vampires. Sunlight. Well, except for the piercing of an oak stake, but that was a whole different story.

The red sun that shone in the sky was burning the sand like hot metal. They could even feel it through their shoes, and it was lucky for Alderon that he was a skeleton, a race that had an innate resistance to pain. After all, they had already died once, and wasn't that the greatest pain ever?

"That's because I'm a noble," said Ezra. "only vampires with common blood fear the sun. We who originally walk the night don't do it because we can't during the day, but instead because it's easier to find prey when everyone's asleep. Especially in human towns. Ahh, I get thirsty just thinking of getting some fair, maiden blood for refreshments. Tell me Alderon, don't you ever get the urge to bite into a fresh, ripe throat?"

"Erm, I'm a skeleton." Alderon said slowly with a smile. "a skeleton blacksmith at that. I think that only you vampires have those kinds of urges, Ezra. Also, this is the first time I'm outside the black castle for a while, when would I ever get the chance to prey on humans?"

"Well, you do have a point there, I guess." admitted Ezra.

They set up camp at noon to escape the heat as well as to avoid being targeted. Ezra was over level 100 so no fatigue was visible on him, and the same went for Alderon who was an undead and had limitless stamina.

The problem was that there were beastmen scouts riding around in the desert on their prairie wolf mounts, and it would be a huge hassle if the Ezra and Alderon were discovered. They were far from reinforcements and Ezra couldn't protect the level 1 Skeleton Blacksmith if they were to be under attack from all directions.

"Ezra, do you know swordsmanship?" asked Alderon the vampire as they had taken cover under the side of a canyon.

"I do," said Ezra. "why do you ask?"

"Well, I was wondering if you could teach me?" Alderon continued. "I have a sword but don't know how to use it, and I find it to be a waste not to learn when I have the chance."

Ezra seemed to be in deep thinking for a moment but then nodded. "Sure, If It will increase the chance of us getting to the Nightfall camp without you dying, why not."

"Me," asked Alderon. "why would I die?"

"Aren't you a blacksmith?" Ezra said, grabbing the sword from his waist strap. "If scouts find us, do you think they will just kindly guide us to the camp and then leave? No, if they find us, they will attack, and they will attack with rage for what we creatures of the underworld have done to them."

Alderon also grabbed the handle of his iron sword. The weight of the sword was quite balanced, and the sharpness looked, well, sharp. He didn't wear the armour as they were travelling since that would decrease their speed, so he wore the shabby rags instead. The chestplate was safely stored in his inventory, just as his round shield was.

"Come at me, let me see what you can do," said Ezra, and raised his sword.

"Ok, take care," said Alderon and charged.

He held the iron sword in one hand and slashed from the side.

Ezra parried with ease and deflected Alderon's sword with even less effort, causing it to slip from the skeleton blacksmith's hand and spin in the air before landing a few meters away.

After the exchange of blows, the vampire seemed thoughtful for a moment before nodding.

"I see, you certainly would not last even a single blow from a beastman." said Ezra.

Alderon gnashed his teeth. "I know."

"But we should be able to do something about that," continued Ezra, pointing at Alderon's iron sword. "Pick it up and try again. First, however, look at my stance."

Now, as Ezra told him to look carefully, Alderon noticed how the vampire stood a bit different from how he used to stand. His knees were deeper than normal and his whole figure was a bit crouched. He stood in a position where his sword arm was in front of his chest and shoulder, making his figure twisted.

Almost as if the sword was a shield, protection the body.

Alderon tried to copy it, first bending his knees and crouching down. He noticed how he felt to be able to generate more explosive power from his legs. He then raised his right arm (which was his sword arm) and held it in front of his body, turning his torso forty-five degrees to the left side, still keeping his head facing forward.

Congratulations! You have learnt a new skill from observing Vampire Ezra!

[Active] Basic One-hand Sword Stance – lvl 1 (0/10)

A stance widely spread across the world, used by all races.

Effect: +10% damage, +5% agility.

"Ahh!" shouted Alderon, coming to a realisation.

"Good, now pick up the sword." ordered Ezra.

This ability with blue boxes really made life simpler.

As Alderon held the sword after picking it up, (standing in the stance Ezra had shown him) he felt much lighter. He wondered what damage means. It also read damage on the blue box of the Iron sword he made.

As he inspected the iron sword as carefully as he could to see if he could figure out what damage was, a blue bar slowly floated up above it. He was once again jolted by surprise.

Inferior Iron Sword (Common)

So it's like that. Then... Alderon changed his focus and instead gazed at the sword Ezra was holding. And just as expected, a blue box also appeared the obviously better quality sword.

Nightstalker (Rare)

After looking at Ezra's sword, Alderon began to inspect the other things Ezra was wearing.

Nightstalker Coat (Rare)

Nighstalker Leggings (Rare)

Nightstalker Boots (Rare)

Cape of Blood (Epic)

"Why are you staring at me?"

Alderon snapped out of what he was doing and said. "I was just checking your stance. Please don't take offence."

"No worries," Ezra said and nodded. "come at me"

"Ok, here I go!"

Alderon stepped forward with his right foot and then followed with his left foot from behind, never once breaking the stance. Ezra saw this and inwardly praised the skeleton for his quick learning.

Alderon quickened up the last step with his right foot (followed by his left) and swung his sword in the same path as he did earlier.

+ Basic Sword Stance (1/10)

Sadly, the result was the same.

"Better, but you must use your waist and not just your whole arm," said Ezra after parrying and dismantling Alderon of his weapon. "Like this!"

Ezra stepped forward with his pivot foot and swung the sword, twisting his whole body toward the direction the sword was slashing at. It was the same swing as Alderon had performed, but the result was very much different.

Before Alderon could react, Ezra's sword was already by his throat, just an inch away from drawing blood.

"Only by using your waist as your core, letting your arm follow your waist, and your sword follow your arm, will you be able to exert the maximum amount of strength," explained Ezra. "do you understand?"

"I think so," said Alderon, using his bony index to push away Ezra's sword.

"Think about it like this," said Ezra after noticing Alderon's hesitation. "Imagine that your power starts from your feet and moves through your whole body. From your feet to your knees, from your knees to your waist, from your waist to your elbow, and from your elbow to your hand, which will work as the controller for where you want to hit."

"Okay, I think I understand what you mean. Let me try one more time," said Alderon.

"Wait, just one more thing." intercepted Ezra. "If you are going to swing from your right side with a diagonal slash, your last step must be with your left foot. In the last second, put the opposite foot from where you are striking from and press down with it before you do what I told you to maximise the power. This action will make sure you have firm balance as well as more power leading through your body and out through your sword. If you don't use your left foot and instead hide it behind your right foot, your body will be much more closed, and you won't be able to generate a lot of power nor have the ability to chance your striking target with your wrist in the last second."

"Okay, so if I'm making a diagonal slash from the right, I should move my left foot last, and if I make a diagonal slash from my left side, I should move my right foot last?" asked Alderon.

"You got it." smiled Ezra.

"Okay, so like this?"

Alderon stepped forward with his right foot and then quickly with his left, placing it in front his right, and pressed down. He then used the momentum from his foot and lead it through his body, using it to diagonally slash down from his right.

Congratulations! You have learned a new skill from observing Vampire Ezra!

[Active] Diagonal Slash – lvl 1 (0/10)

One of the most commonly used sword moves.

Effects: +15% damage

Congratulations! You have learned a new skill from observing Vampire Ezra!

[Passive] Twisting Power – lvl 1 (0/10)

An uncommon method that maximises the usage of power.

Effects: +30% Strenght

During the day when the sun was at its peak and beastman scouts were riding around in the scorching, Alderon and Ezra trained together. While it wasn't much of a training for Ezra, who already was level hundred, it was for Alderon.

He learned a couple of more new skills as well as becoming more used to holding a sword in his hand. Pierce, Parry, and Sidestep, were each a skill that had their own, special effect in battle if used with the right timing.