Sword clanged on sword and a heated fight began. Everyone around us held their breaths and, bit by bit, training came to an end for the men to watch this combat. With several masterful parries and blows I could make up for my initial starting problems; and yet, I cannot deny that my rival was an excellent swordsman. Whoever he was ... because all I saw of him was a mass of black clothes rippling round him and lying graciously around his body as he moved adroitly. Whoever he was ... because he must have known me pretty well. 'I watched you fight. You have learnt a lot. You have developed well and you've become a lot better since the last time that we met.'(Un) I perceived the stranger's words inside my head ... but not as a voice that I could place but as the expression of my own thoughts that I just could identify as my own mind's sound but not from my mind's origin. Nor did I have many occasions to consider his statement ... I had still not been able to recognize any detail about this mummed stranger but the black attire he was wearing ... until ... yes until he did a move ... a single hip-emphasized turn that raised my red flags. Well, that was he - the Knight of the Dark ...