Brandish, Burn, Slay

Brandish your weapon, burn death into your mind, and slay the demon.

Brandish, Burn, Slay

When you show the blade, set it to face its sides. Its eye should slant up, like a snake's. Let it see its foes. Hold it with both hands, then draw it toward yourself - left or right side, it does not matter. Do what you feel most comfortable with.

Let your arms slack a bit. Let them loose. You don't want to be caught stiff, or the demon'll break your arms when you try to stab it. It's prudent to keep your eyes up, too; don't look down at the ground. You want your eyes to be at its middle, right on the chest. You want to be able to see its red eyes, and you want to be able to catch what its hands are doing. It's a wily thing, that beast.

Now, feel the trigger on the side there? Yes, that's it, boy. That will cover the blade in a flame so holy, so righteous, the demon will cow before it. Why don't you hit that trigger? You should be used to the heat by the time you fight it, so don't be shy.

Hold it steady, son! You'll burn yourself, flailing it like that! Don't ever be surprised by fire; it's your duty to feel the burn. The odds are against you ever coming back from a fight with a demon without losing something, so don't be afraid to lose a limb. Relish in it! Now, why don't you put your hand on the blade and feel the flame your enemy will feel?

Do it, son.

Oh, don't scream like a child, boy! Remember the pain of it! That's what you will do every time you stab a demon with it. You need to understand what they feel, so that you won't ever get complacent or vengeful. This is the worst kind of pain, and the knight knows that we do not instill upon others this kind of pain on a whim. You need to mean every strike, and when you brandish your weapon, you need to mean to burn someone. That is the law of our world.

Now try to stab me. Don't fret, boy! You're a fool, and too slow to hit me anyway! But I know you won't go home to your mama. I know you'll stay here until you drive that blade into my gut. Come on, fool. Show me what you're made of, or I'll make sure you regret it.

Good! Keep it up!

Oh, that was barely an attack at all. You think the demon will let you go if you give him some of that? He'll eat you up and spit out the bones! Hit me, fool! Hit me, and this time, like you mean it!

Stab me! Cut me through, fool, or I swear, I'll give you a reason -

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

Good shot, boy. Good . . . shot. Now, you'd better hope you can survive one back. If you can't, you're not worthy of being a knight.

And you'd better not scream, or I'll finish the job.