The League of Ultimate Warriors

FRIENDLY RIVALS

Theseus and Icarus went to a storeroom where weapons were piled in columns and armor stacked on stands. They hung flown their cloaks over a pile of other colored cloaks. Beneath their cloaks was armor.

Theseus was wearing a single breastplate tightened to his chest attached with a pair of spaulder-shoulder armor that hung on his shoulders. His arms were covered with a shirt chainmail. Silver vambraces were tightened so closely to his wrists. The lower seconds of his legs was covered in armor. He was surely dressed as a knight and with little armor to protect his body. He chose a helmet that protected his head and kept a wide opening that showed his whole face.

Icarus was only wearing armor made of leather and shared in a similar design to Theseus's armor. This sort of armor was lighter and more maneuverable around, but it wasn't very durable like Theseus's steel armor. And a helmet he chose to wear around his head was a helmet with a closed gap to protect his face, but this would limit his ability to see; there were several black holes in which the user could see but have limited vision.

Before the boys would go to put on their helmets, they chose their choice of weapons first.

With so many weapons stashed everywhere, they were plenty to choose from. Theseus was fast to pick; he choose a broadsword and a rounded, bronze shield that covered best balance it well with the weight of the broadsword.

Icarus chose a pair of swords in equal balance and the two swords he chose were a duel-wielding type. Smaller than the broadsword Theseus chose and the blades were thin and nicely curved. The hilts were silver painted and Icarus spun the two swords around and tested how well balanced they were.

Icarus looked at Theseus who was giving Icarus a stern look. "You think you can beat me?" he asked.

"You should know the answer to that question, Icarus," Theseus said with a smile. "I will paw you to death."

"Are you going to hat to a friend? Or am I an enemy to you?"

"We both been at each other's throats each we were kids. For years, we both competed to see who the best fighter is. Now, the day has come to see who of us the best fighter is. You can be sure it will be I who will win the fight, Icarus."

Icarus smirked. "Best fighter? Is that what you competing for? I've got my eyes set on something else: the beautiful Princess Elaine. Ah, the princess. Whoever wins this contest will win her hand in marriage and the Human Kingdom."

Theseus ceased his smile. He was thinking the power Icarus would have if he would win the tournament: the power of a king. The king would have royal power to rule over a kingdom. Theseus had the worst feeling Icarus would end up becoming a tyrant than an old, wise, kindly king like the old King, Elaine's father.

Icarus seemed to have no interest in the sport of fighting but the winning the sport of the prize. And it fell between this final battle, and the both of them were going head-to-head in the final contest. This wasn't going to be like fights, roughhousing, or a slap to the face with little consequences such as cleaning the dishes or pulling out weeds from a garden. This was a fight for the future and a potential ruler.

If Theseus would win, he would be a warrior king than a monarch sitting on a throne. He would act like a military ruler than a sitting ruler giving words to small meetings.

If Icarus would win, then he may end up being a greedy ruler. When he wasn't always fighting with Theseus, he always spends gold coins on the best clothes a man of royalty would look like and he would always act like the king.

Now the fight for the future was at stake and both were going for the same prize, and both weren't going to stop at nothing. Theseus wasn't to let his friend be king of the Human Kingdom, and he would have, by any means necessary, to stop his friend and rival. Theseus comes from a military family and the strength his ancestors had is what he inherited and he spent all his life in military training.

Icarus had little military training in his youth and therefore didn't have the experience to beat, but he did show remarkable skill and talent with a blade without proper training.

Both boys had their own advantage of the battlefield. Theseus had a sword and shield for attack and defense, while Icarus had two swords for the offence. Both had their different styles of swordplay and both were aiming to beat each other, wound bleeding if need be.

"You can bet it will be me who will win, Icarus," said Theseus, proudly. "I will end up winning this tournament and you can be screwing around other maidens of the king's court. You'll make better for a duke than a king."

"Really? If you would win, what you do as king?"

"Me? Isn't it obvious? I would go on military campions against the kingdom's borders. There are always conflicts down in the sourthern border and there are always those Gnomes trying to sneak into the Human Kingdom. The King is too afraid to go on the offence and someone has to show the Human Kingdom's strength of means of military force."

"You sound like you want rule all the kingdoms there are. Elves. Dwarves. The Dark Elves. It did occur to me about the Gnomes. You never stop talking about them for eight years since we were eleven years old. It makes me think you have a personal grudge against the Gnomes."

"They killed my mother, and I saw her die when I was eleven. The Gnomes are nothing but monsters looking out for their next prey. I am going to win this contest, and when I am king, I will hunt down those Gnome down to total extinction and make no other son loses their mother at a young age."

"You sound like you're a monster," stated Icarus, wrapping the swords attached to a belt around his waist. He wrapped the belt good and tight and made sure the swords, which were in scabbards. "And a mamma's boy."

"Don't get to tangled naming me that, Icarus. You're still like to have a mama."

"I wish the Gnomes did take her, Theseus; she is annoying as fires of the bottomless pit, and she never shuts up about household chores. You'll the lucky one who doesn't have an annoying mother always beating and pounding you over a small, pointless mess you would have to clean up."

"Then let's stop talking about mothers and get back to the fighting pits," said Theseus, tying the broadsword to his waist. "The members of the royal court are waiting for our arrival, and they would want to see the fight of the century."

"I couldn't agree with you more, my rival," Icarus said with the greatest excitement. He grabbed his helmet and rushed to Theseus. "You can bet with your skill I'm going to win this fight and the hand of the princess." Without a moment of hesitation, Icarus walked passed Theseus and rushed out of the room.

Theseus signed and kept thinking they both may not end up becoming good kings. Theseus wanted to lead the military to endless victories in battles, and Icarus wanted to spend the king's riches on priceless antiques. Both would end up becoming a different tyrant through military gain or greedy intentions.

Then Theseus held his shield with his left hand and carried the helmet in his right hand and left the room quietly to meet with the members of the royal court and his battle with his frenemy.