The Knighted One

Standing in front of each other stretching their shoulders and knees a bit to warm their muscles and tendons up in the cold breeze. The night sky above them was painted with an endless canvas of stars, each one twinkling like a tiny spark of hope in the vast expanse of darkness. The air was still and calm, with only the occasional rustle of leaves or the distant hoot of an owl breaking the silence.

Before they began the fight, Israel was still feeling nervous. However, he didn't exactly know or understand why he was feeling that way. His years of knowledge throughout the battlefield and his rationality tells him that this fight would be easy to win, but his instinct and intuition was telling him differently. Despite knowing Phos since by the time Israel was promoted to commander, he had never really seen Phos fight before. 

There was an instance where Israel did hear many rumors and gossip about Phos from his soldiers under his commands. He remembers one of his soldiers told him that a squad of elite soldiers who were in another commander's leadership got heavily injured by Phos. From then on he was seeking out Phos to recruit him into his platoon under his commands, but of course Phos rejected him many times. However, that's how they started to get to know each other more often inside the faction. 

"So… How do you want to do this?" Phos asked nonchalantly, showing no fear at all standing in front of Israel who's an exceptional martial artist in the faction's academy. 

"Anything goes." Israel responded, as Israel gave his knowledge and rationality more benefit of a doubt than his instinct and intuition. "Anyhow, I have a question for you after we're do-"

Before Israel even managed to complete his sentence, a fist came flying forward directed towards his face. "Fast!" Israel thought to himself as he blocked the punch in a split-second out of his seasoned instinct. They were standing 4 to 5 feet apart, but in a moment, Phos was able to close the distance between them through explosive footwork, almost landing a sharp jab. 

"A war doesn't wait for anyone to be prepared... But you've already known that." Phos smirks as Israel is shaken up a bit by the surprise attack.

Israel took a huge breath in calming himself down as he lowered his guard, glaring at Phos with a serious look. Israel knew, if Phos was holding anything sharp as a weapon, he would've gotten injured badly just from that surprise attack alone. War is cruel, as it awaits no one to be ready for it and only those who sees it coming will truly be prepared. Israel understands this well, many soldiers under his command and his old friends died "unfairly" this way because they were unprepared for the chaotic nature that war embodies.

"You're right, that was a close one." Israel did not see the surprise attack as something weak or dishonorable. In fact, he respects and is glad that Phos understands the nature and essence of war itself, for he holds Phos in high expectations.

Israel and Phos circled around each other, carefully observing each other's movements. They were sizing each other up, testing each other's reaction time through foot work and feints, gauging distances with their arm length and hands, while the bottom of their boots were covered partially by the snow from the day before.

"It seems you've finally started to take me more seriously, that's good since I didn't want things to end so soon." Phos quickly threw a high roundhouse kick in the midst of his sentence, aiming for Israel's head but Israel ducked and dodged it by a hair as he was expecting Phos's unpredictable timing. Before Israel had time to recover his stance and make a move, another kick shot from underneath right in an instant. "A back kick after a roundhouse!" Israel was completely puzzled; he didn't expect such a combination with an excellent execution of techniques from the priest.

A loud thud echoed through the forest as the kick landed right on Israel's chest, sending the 6ft man flying back by a couple of steps. If the soldiers in the faction were to witness this scene right now, they all would have their jaws drop. For Israel to fall for such a basic combination of techniques like this would be ridiculous for them to even imagine.

However, the reason why the kick landed wasn't because Israel didn't know how to deal with the techniques or the basic combo, it's because he didn't expect from Phos who had never trained martial arts at all in the faction's academy to even know all the basics, let alone a combo. Phos was using this very knowledge to his advantage, because the deciding factor was their insights on each other's capabilities and physical prowess.

"You surprise me further and further every time I interact with you, Phos…" Israel was genuinely amazed, "If I win this fight, you'll have to tell me where you've been learning martial arts, do we have a deal?"

"Sure, I'll even tell you what kind of martial arts I've learned if you beat me." Phos replied confidently.

As the fight goes on, Israel is able to see more and more interesting CQC (Close Quarter Combat) techniques from Phos that he has never even seen from the faction's martial art. Realizing this in the midst of trading punches and kicks, Israel stepped back and created distances between them. 

"Do you fear the unknown? You're making it too obvious." Phos knows that the academy of the Daoist Church does not teach the martial arts techniques and movements he was using. But it seems like he does not intend to hide it either. Letting Israel know about these foreign techniques wasn't to discourage or cause Israel to be cautious, but it was to let Israel know that he possesses grander knowledge and secrets than Israel thinks. Phos's goal wasn't to just win a fight, but he intended to also make Israel submit to him.

"You're interesting, I have no words to describe you, Phos." Israel praises Phos as he continues, "But I can tell that even though you do have a lot of cards up your sleeves, you still lack actual experiences." Israel begins to take off his uniform's blouse which has various badges of honor and sophisticated designs on it, revealing the scars on his hardened and muscular body. Phos could tell what sort of hell Israel had put his body through just from witnessing the cuts and a few bullet wounds on his body from the back to the front. It was like looking at statues that Michael Angelo himself sculpted, the cut wounds were like a painting of bamboo leaves as some were long and some were weirdly small and short. Israel started folding his blouse before he took a few steps away to put his blouse down.

Phos upon seeing this understands that Israel has gotten even more serious to win this fight. However, he couldn't help but to feel even more thrilled that Israel of all people will be the first piece to his grand scheme. "Israel, how about becoming a knight and working under me if I win?" Phos proposes a deal in return. 

Israel thought about it for a second but since he was confident that he's going to win anyways he ended up agreeing to the proposal. "Deal." Israel smirks as he knows it would take a lot more to bring him down. "Let's cut the chit chat and get serious, you should stop sizing me up also." 

Israel begins to take the initiative this time and closes in the gap, throwing an over right-hand punch which causes Phos to show a reaction to the punch. However, the punch was a feint all along to cause a lag reaction time in Phos so that he's able to get even more closer. His real intention was shooting for a takedown aiming to take Phos to the ground as he plunges towards Phos targeting his legs. 

No matter how great a martial artist is at CQC, being grappled and taken down to the ground means death knocking on one's door If they don't know how to deal with their opponents' strength and size. Israel not only trained in military CQC but his aptitude for wrestling and judo has always been first class

"It's over, you're done for." Israel had already determined the outcome of the fight in his mind as he got closer to Phos's legs. Suddenly his vision was covered by snow and dirt particles which burst up from the ground.

What usually determines the outcome of an amateur fight is the fighters' athleticism, strength, endurance, skills, and reaction timing. But for martial artists of Israel's caliber, the outcome of a fight would be determined through knowledge, experiences, and deception. Tactics are the most important in a fight as it can bring about unpredictability for an opponent to adapt, but Israel had underestimated Phos to be less of a tactician than he is in a fight. His face was blasted by dirt and snow that Phos kicked up as he had already anticipated the takedown attempt from Israel, which caused Israel to miss the takedown and even staggered for a split second to get back on his feet.

Phos immediately took the chance and mounted on Israel's back taking him down to ground. His legs were wrapped tightly around Israel's waist simultaneously as he sneaked in an arm around Israel's neck fully putting him in an inescapable chokehold, swiftly, like a python tightly wraps around and crushing their prey with their slithering body before devouring them whole. 

"You underestimated me, Israel, and that was your mistake." Phos was rubbing salt into Israel's wound as he put more pressure into the choke hold, "If you tap, I'll let you go."

Israel was suffocating, as time went on every second felt like a minute and a minute felt like an eternity in Israel's position. He tries his best to hold out as long as he can, hoping Phos would get tired before he loses his consciousness. "Looks like you want to fight a battle of attrition, I'll play along." As Phos vocalized Israel's thoughts out loud, he knew that Israel's strength was greater than his and if Israel keeps pulling on his arm, he will lose strength in his arms before he makes Israel lose his consciousness. Even so Phos used all his strength to put greater pressure on the lock as Israel tried to gasp for air like a fish out of the water. His face was red in the beginning but as time slowly went by it became purple.

"I'm starting not to feel much sensation in my arms anymore, how determined are you to win against me, Israel…" Phos ponders to himself as he feels his arm going numb and slipping away, loosening his grip. After 10 minutes had passed, Israel's grip on Phos's arm was still tight and strong; his hands were like steel bars wrapping around his forearm. "Israel, you are a man who'd even wrestle with God. Your perseverance is your greatest strength, and which is why it seems like I still can't win against a man like you." He then let's go of his grip before he fully loses all sensations in his arms.

"It seems like you've won this fight, Israel…" Phos was breathing heavily as he let go trying to get as much oxygen into his lungs in order to bring oxygen back into his muscles. But a moment passed by and he still did not hear any response from Israel. "Hey, Israel…" there was still no response, "So that's it, you've already passed out a while ago…" As they both laid on the ground covered with leftover snow from the day before, a sense of solace and peace hovers into Phos's mind and soul. Just a moment ago he was wrestling and struggling with a beast full of energy and spirit, but now everything is quiet, calm, and steady. 

Phos watches the stars as he recites a poem, "Silence has no morals, for the Tao can't be named. War only brings chaos and suffering from where I came, to conceptualize the Tao finding God is the only way. But life is so feeble which brings my body to decay, as I lay here under the glistening stars, leaving my soul to rest under the moonlight afar…"

"What a splendid poem. If I didn't know you, I would've assumed that you're an old sage from that poetry alone." Israel responded showing Phos that he's awake.

"It seems like you're already conscious, how was your nap, my friend?" Phos teases Israel a bit from getting choked out.

"Don't get ahead of yourself, I lost because I underestimated you which is something I never allow myself to even do with any of my past opponents. But still… To think I lost against someone so young, who has never even stepped foot on the battlefield even once, and a priest at that…" Israel let out a sigh as he tries his best not to feel too disappointed about himself. 

"Life has always been that way, even if you don't think the very low chance of something ever happening, that very low chance of an event will still unfold on your doorstep. Even if you try your best to lessen its chances, you can't ever reduce it to zero. Only a higher power can do such a thing." Phos explains as Israel begins to doze off a bit and starts reminiscing about his past of events where he was able to avoid death many times despite all odds. Israel who has seen and been through countless miracles and tragic events understands what Phos' words meant.

Knowing is not the same as understanding, most people would think that being exposed to ideas or concepts means they understand the ideas or concepts itself, however it's simply wrong for one to think or perceive it that way. Humans are not all-knowing creatures as we're limited by storing data and our intelligence, however we humans are still blessed with capabilities of comprehension. We may intuitively try to understand concepts and ideas, but we can never truly understand something without some type of experiences towards it. So, to other people, they might just perceive Phos' words to be vague and somewhat religious. But to Israel, who had an extreme encounter with life and death many times, he felt it in his soul. 

"Men can strategize and plan, but the outcome is of heaven's will." Israel recalled what he had studied and learned before in the faction during his time as a commander. 

"Exactly, Proverbs 16:9, The mind of a person plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps… They have the same meanings to them as a message. Israel, would you believe me if I told you that I was sent by God himself?" Phos brushes off the snow and dirt off of his uniform as he stands up.

Israel laughed as he jokingly said, "If you told me that you were an alien, it'd be more believable." He looked over at Phos to see his reaction, but what he didn't expect was for Phos to not show any sign of laughter or emotion. "Wait, a-are you serious?"

"How can I lie, especially when you're my knight?" Phos smiles, he walks a few steps towards Israel's military blouse as he continues to tell Israel how he was originally from another world, and that he still holds memories from his past experiences in his previous world. Israel was skeptical but he knew of Phos's nature, Phos wouldn't make a joke or lie about something so ridiculous considering Phos has always been a realistic man as he is. 

"Here, put this back on." Phos handed Israel his uniform as he got up patting away the snow and dirt off of his back. But before putting his uniform back on he kneeled down on one knee with his head held low, "From this moment onwards, I will serve you as long as my life and soul can carry me…" 

Phos took a moment to take in this scenery, his mind was telling him that this is only just the beginning. He finally found his first piece of the puzzle, in order to reform this world, he needed someone who has potential and the aptitude of being his knight to walk alongside him in this endeavor. Every great king needs great knights, a great commander needs great soldiers, and a great master needs great disciples. Before Phos transmigrated into this world, he had spoken with God, and God needed someone who has the potential and aptitude to reform what was once lost in humanity. God would not have chosen Phos if he had not seen anything in him, even though Phos wasn't a believer of God in his previous life he has always been a seeker of truth. 

"Is there something wrong, my lord?" Israel questions Phos's silence. 

"No, I was just reminiscing about the past and was wondering why God chose me instead of the people who were more religious in my previous life." 

"Maybe it's because they all went to heaven, my lord." Israel jokingly said with a dry sarcastic tone.

The timing of the joke made Phos burst out laughing for a bit, as he noticed Israel was still kneeling. "You can stand up now, how long do you plan to kneel there for?"

Israel proceeds to get back up on his feet and start putting his blouse back on. "So, you were planning to leave the church and head to another city, right?"

"It seems like you've already noticed… Yes, I had already intended to leave Baldwin and continue my way to another city by this morning, but it seems like my encounter with you took a bit out of my strength more than I imagined." It was already midnight by the time they finished their fight.

"How about finding a place to stay for the night here and then head out by sunrise? I will also stay close so there won't be any danger." With Israel's reputation as a military commander in one of the greatest Taoist Church factions, anyone would need to think twice before they speak to him let alone making any form of assault. 

Phos contemplated for a bit before agreeing with the suggestion, "Sounds like a good idea, I'm not in any rush anyway. Let's find a place for us to rest and we'll also discuss some things a bit before we head out by sunrise as well, lead the way."

"Yes, my lord." Israel responded with his right hand placed on his left chest, showing his respect and acknowledgement in Phos's command.