First Blood

This is a Space Marine Short Story I have wanted to write for some time featuring my SM Chapter, the Lindwyrms.

I appreciate all feedback and critiques.

Enjoy!

Chapter 1
Ky'ren shrugged his massive shoulders, loosening the muscles in preparation for the fight to come. He stood, unarmored and barechested, inside the training cage of the Strike Cruiser Ice Wraith facing his opponent, Sal'cir, who was similarly dressed. The air was cold inside the ship, almost freezing, and the breath of the two Space Marines left their mouths in misty clouds as they raised their weapons into a fight stance. While the temperature might have been considered to be frigid for a normal human, but Ky'ren and his battle- brother were hardly normal. To them, the temperature was almost comforting, an ever present reminder of their birthplace, the frozen wastes of Stygia. Ky'ren and Sal'cir slowly circled one another, feeling the hard stone of training cage underneath their bare feet. Neither opponent took his eyes off the other, eying each other like a pair of predators, taking in each other's strengths and weaknesses with eyes that were even colder and harder than the stone floor upon which they stood. Neither Space Marine spoke, neither moved.

Sal'cir made the first move, striking out with the suddenness of a serpent. His weapon, a short- bladed sword, slashed towards Ky'ren's throat. Ky'ren simply leaned back slightly, allowing the blade to miss him by a hairsbreadth, and delivered a strike of his own with his weapon, a one- handed axe. His weapon arced towards Sai'cir, only to be intercepted by a solid parry. Sal'cir, blocking the blow entirely, forced Ky'ren's axe upwards with his own blade, leaving him open to a counter-attack. Ky'ren jumped backwards, disengaging the locked blades, and then lept forward towards Sal'cir, his axe leading the way. Sal'cir sidestepped, letting him rush straight past him. Ky'ren spun around immediately, wary of an attack at his unprotected back. The two Space Marines faced each other once more, weapons up, slowly circling each other again.

"You're favoring your right side." said Ky'ren, his frozen breath wafting up towards the ceiling.

"And you are leaning to much on your left foot." replied Sal'cir, gripping his sword with both hands.

"Well spotted." admited Ky'ren, with a hint of a smile in his voice. "Shall we go again?"

"Whenever your ready, Sar Dayn."

Ky'ren smiled slightly. Sar Dayn was a phrase the Stygian native tongue. It translated to "fellow hunter" in gothic, but there was much more to it then that. Sar Dayn was phrase said to only those who had gained one's trust, the ultimate expression of companionship and willingness to put one's life into someone else's hands. It just went to show how long he had known Sal'cir, and how their bond had developed into a close friendship over the years they had known each other.

"Just try to keep up." said Ky'ren, and the Space Marine resumed his attack.

The two fought for hours, the clashing of their weapons echoing throughout the spacious training hall, their footfalls slapping against the cold stone of the floor. Ky'ren and Sal'cir attacked and countered, striking and dodging in an strangely elegant dance of blades and footwork. But even as the minutes dragged on the two Space Marines matched each other blow for blow, stance for stance. Neither could find an advantage, for both had long since memorized each other's fighting styles. Their sparing continued until Sal'cir lunged forward, slightly overextending himself. Ky'ren, sensing victory, knocked Sal'cir's sword out of his hand a clang of metal on metal.

(MORE TO COME)