Cylus sat with his legs crossed, he was deep into meditation. Thoughts were escaping his head, thoughts of battle, memories of Verion. [i]It's been twenty years, but that does not change anything . . . Verion is gone, all the people who called there home, slew. The demons roam free. Orc bands kill as they please.[/i] Cylus could never accept failure at Verion, he fled when the new king had fallen, he began teaching at Astoria, but that was not the only thing he did there. Cylus served the town the best he could, he was their defender. It was the least he could do to atone for his greatest failure. 

Exhale... Inhale, he allowed these thoughts of failure to drift in the wind away from him. His meditation was coming to a close, the sun was beginning to rise, it's orange rays made chaotic, yet organized, streaks in the sky. Cylus stood patted himself with he intent to rid his clothing of dirt. His garden was full of orchids, he planted them wanting to make a sanctuary as a reminder of Verion and the thousands of people who lost their lives, the thousands he abandoned. But these thoughts were gone from him, for now, he was free to do as he needed. 

"BONG! BONG! BONG!" Cylus spun around to see the emergency bell ringing. This could only mean one thing. An attack. "DEMON!" Followed the bell ring. Cylus' eyes fell, he knew what needed to be done. He ran to his home, kicked his shoes off as he entered, he retrieved his straw hat, his cloak, his leather bound sandals, his bow, his quiver, and his katana. He dressed himself and dashed out the door, his clock billowing in his wake.

"Where is the beast?" He had arrived at the gate. 

"Not far out, I spotted it as I was returning home!" The man was in tears, and it was for a good reason too. "Can you kill it?" He desperately asked Cylus. By this time most of the village was gathered to see what had happened and it seemed that news of the beast was reaching more and more ears. 

"I'm not sure." Cylus replied. This was met with many sad looks. "Evacuate the village! Get everyone as far from here as possible!" Cylus yelled so everyone could here. "I will face the beast, I will do all I can." His head faced the ground, he gripped the hilt of his sword with his left hand. He was almost certain that his end was near. But he needed to give it an effort. He began his walk to the gate. "Open it." He told the gatekeeper. The man did not question he swordmaster. 

"Master!" His students ran to him with their blades drawn. "We can help!" It was Alfred who spoke. 

"No." Cylus said without turning around. "This is not an enemy you can face." They began to speak but Cylus cut them off, "I will not say it again! GO! Evacuate the village!" Everyone began to move, as well as his students.

Cylus made his way to the entrance of Astoria, and stood in front of the thicket of trees that were before the entrance and waited.

Before long his waiting was over. Out from the forest came a large man, but only it's shape was human. The creature's skin was blood-red. It's eyes were black orbs in it's head. The demon had arrived. Cylus wasn't sure if the village had gone yet but he couldn't think about it any longer. He knew that he was about to enter the fight of his life. There was no escaping this, he refused to fail this time. 

"Are you all that has come to challenge me?" The demon spoke, it's voice was split into three tones. "An old man!" It screeched. "I am a lesser demon, I know! But is this it! Come now! I am BILE!" The earth quaked, "I've destroyed cities and slew hundreds! None have bested me! Least of all an old withering man!"

"A boasting match is it?" Cylus was desperately trying to buy time, his sword was still sheathed. The demon seemed to be playing into it. It nodded for him to go on, clearly wanting to play before it killed the swordmaster. "I am Swordmaster Cylus! I served at Verion! I slew thousands of Orcs!" He inhaled, keeping as calm as he could, "I trained under Vilgor the Just, the Mighty, the Merciful, the Slayer of Demons!" The name seemed to ring a bell in Bile's memory. 

"Vilgor you say? He killed Neeh and Enale." Bile laughed, "Have I found myself a challenge? Ohh! And you have a mark!" He had spotted Cylus' right hand. "Marked ones are exceptionally powerful!" He said with a grin. "Let us begin!" He lunged himself at Cylus. Time was up.

His speed was great, Cylus only barely managed to sidestep, as he did so he unslung his bow and knocked an arrow, he aimed and let it fly. This all happened in an instant, the demon was turning 'round when he was met by the arrow, it met its mark in the demon's stomach. It laughed pulling the arrow out, "Is that all? Did Vilgor teach you nothing? He was a swordmaster not an archer!" The beast lunged again, it seemed to not be able to turn once it lunged at full speed. Cylus sidestepped again. He knew that if he faced this beast head on he would not last long, but he didn't know that for sure, he'd faced a demon in Verion it too was lesser. He slew it but was on the verge of death afterward. That was when he was at the peak of strength and the demon had seen battle. 

Bile didn't lunge this time, he casually walked toward Cylus. As it did it held up its right arm, the hand had grown dagger sized claws, the left hand was the same. It chuckled as it approached. Cylus placed his right hand on his eastern made sword at his side. The demon's speed increased until it was running toward him. It wasn't far from Cylus. The old man had to make a decision, could he dodge? Or would he have to fight?

As the beast came closer and closer the thoughts raced through his head. He inhaled and exhaled. The beast was upon him, he drew his sword in time to block Bile's first swipes. Cylus threw himself to the left but kept facing his opponent. He brought his sword up to defend as the monster attacked again. Bile jumped back, "Why isn't your sword breaking? I have destroyed many blades!" He was furious at this.

"You don't know much of eastern blacksmithing do you? My sword is diamond edged!" He lunged himself at the beast sword ready, and stabbed at it. Bile dodged. It's face showed confusion. 

"Diamond." It said aloud to itself. It was confused and that gave Cylus a chance to attack. He wasn't far from the beast now, it was half busy being confused. Lunging himself again he kicked the beast to the ground. "Argh!" It let out as it fell, Cylus quickly brought his sword up and down again, but the demon had moved. His blade hit the ground.

He frantically looked for the beast, he spotted it and brought his sword up just in the nick of time to block it's next blow. He was hit fast and it knocked him back blowing off his hat. He kept his footing and charged again. This time to go past the beast, as he did so he threw himself to the ground and rolled aside he did this quickly around the beast to confuse it. Bile shot out its hand and met Cylus' blade grabbing it and pulling him down. It lifted it's left hand to deal a final blow. Cylus let go of his blade, rolled aside dodging the attack. Unslung his bow, knocked and arrow and shot the beast's hand piecing straight through, forcing it the let the sword go. He then threw arrows at the beast as though the were darts while running forward to collect his blade. As he did so, Bile swiped with his right hand and cut into Cylus' left arm. 

Cylus' eyes fell to his arm and saw that blood was soaking up that side of his body. Sword in hand he turned to the demon his sword held high and brought it down. The demon was too proud to have finally wounded it's opponent to notice in time to save his arm, but he had stepped away in time to not be sliced in half. Bile's arm fell to the ground then it turned to ash. 

"ARGH! How could a mere human sever my arm!" His voice was still in three tones. They both stopped and turned, they had heard something. The clanking, of armor. A Warrior had stumbled by. 

"The old man has skill! Wouldn't you agree Bile?" He said with such arrogance, Cylus took it as no compliment. The Warrior reached to his back and then was wielding a claymore. 

"Stay back!" Cylus shouted at the man, jumping back himself to a defensive position his sword over his head the tip toward Bile the blade toward the sky, his left arm held against his body.

"I can handle myself old man." He replied possibly insulted.

"That is not what I'm concerned about. I must face him alone, now that I know I can defeat him." Cylus stood facing the demon Bile. Bile lunged at him, his aim was at Cylus' shoulder wanting to sever Cylus' arm. As Bile lunged Cylus shot his sword out, stabbing At Bile. The blade went clean through the beast's chest, he was shocked but still very much alive, while Bile was confused by what had happened the warrior charged, swung his sword severing the beast's head. Cylus had moved just in time to keep his arm and dodge Bile's attack. Bile had put his all into severing Cylis' arm, he failed and paid the steepest price for his failure. 

Cylus collapsed on the verge of death again, a puddle of blood forming around him from the fountain that the gashes in his arm had became. He fell into a deep darkness, he could see death's hands approaching and was content. His task was complete, Astoria would live on.