Tomorrow, I will stand beside those who call Onyx their home. My friends… My family… All in a desperate effort to save this planet we all love. We face a terrifying foe, one unlike anything Fenrir has seen before. A savage who has claimed himself a god. Luckily, we don’t ride into battle alone. If we simple mortals tried to stop Ingvar then surely, we would be slaughtered, but we have a man revered in a similar standing to Ingvar. Lord Kazai, whose legend rivals that of Ingvar.
If you told me a few months ago that I would be fighting in this war, I would have laughed in your face. I was no warrior; I could barely handle the sight of a bug in my home let alone wield a katana with deadly precision. This transformation of mine can only be credited to one man and one man only - Seldrick, the Samurai.
“Again!” He would often yell during training sessions with new recruits. I recall my first day training, Seldrick had to right my stance quite a few times, but I always made sure I was ready to swing when he yelled. I’m sure he respected my dedication to learn despite not giving the appearance of a fighter. I didn’t think I would make it past the first day.
“Again!” I clutched my katana with blistered hands on the second day. Though my muscles burned with each swing, I could feel myself getting better. Less correction needed on my stance and a consistent rhythm with each strike. It was hard to tell at that moment if I would have what it takes to strike down a member of Ingvar’s horde, but with each swing I began to believe that I could. I would try to picture the face of one of his brutes and the crimson blood splatter that would follow a killing blow.
Two days in and I had already felt the bloodlust I imagine the others around me felt. Ingvar threatened the very existence of Onyx. It was obvious he wanted to wipe us out, our history and traditions along with us. I love Onyx too much to let that happen. If I must transition from a scared man afraid to leave his home, to a warrior determined to see my enemies surrender or die… Then so be it.
“Again!” On the third day, I continued to show Seldrick I had what it takes to fight on the front lines. He showed us some new techniques and I did my best to learn them quickly. A few days prior I had seen Sade(Sha-day), one of Lord Kazai’s chosen, practicing in a field as we were escorted to the training camp. As she swung her katana, it didn’t look like she was preparing for a war. The way she moved reminded me of the dancers back in my hometown of Sterren. Don’t get me wrong, you could tell she was a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield, but there was a certain… beauty in the fluidity of her movements.
I wanted to be more graceful, like Sade, but I found it very difficult. Something about swinging a deadly weapon like this made me a different person entirely. I was becoming stronger and more fierce. My friends and family around me joked that they wouldn’t want to fight me in sparring, and they were surprised with how fast I was picking this up. I was turning heads and impressing everyone… Everyone, but Seldrick.
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Day four came. I showed up excited as I always do to practice, but to my surprise I was the only one there. I stood on the platform we had been using to train for a few minutes. Finally, Seldrick showed up and he had Sade with him. Sade stopped further back and waited with her palm resting on her katana. Seldrick walked up to me and didn’t give me any instruction. Instead, he walked back and forth in front of me with his arms folded. I wanted to ask if I had done something wrong, but I didn’t want to be disrespectful. After a few moments, he spoke to me directly for the first time.
“I delayed training today specifically for you,” he began. “You show great promise. You are quickly becoming a fierce warrior. You are feared by your peers. You strike with deadly intent… You act like one of Ingvar’s dogs.”
The praise at first put a smile on my face, but it was quickly replaced with a stern look as a slight chill went up my spine. I feared Sade would cut me down where I stood, but I knew that wasn’t Lord Kazai’s style. I continued to stay quiet. I meant no disrespect by my actions, but Seldrick was right. I wasn’t training to become one of Lord Kazai’s chosen, I was no better than the enemy.
“We won’t fight like them,” Seldrick continued. “Blind rage and blood for the sake of blood… That isn’t what we represent,” Seldrick put his index finger to my temple and pushed lightly. “We will fight with what’s up here,” then he placed his palm against my chest. “And our intentions will be driven with what’s in here. Anything other than this and I don’t want you in Lord Kazai’s army. Do you understand?”
I nodded.
The rest of the fourth day of training went like normal, but I held Seldrick’s words close to my heart. I still do on this very day before we face our enemies. I remember Sade stayed for the entire training that day but didn’t get involved. She didn’t even say a word. I wanted nothing more than to impress them both.
“Again!” On the fifth day I helped some of the other recruits that were falling behind. Seldrick commanded me to, and I knew it was my chance to show him that I was becoming more than just a fighter. As if Seldrick’s words didn’t change my life enough already, this fifth day was special for all the new recruits there. Some people have never seen Lord Kazai in person, but that day he walked through our camp, and I got just a glimpse of him. The same way I was in awe watching Sade practice in the fields close-by, I couldn’t help but be enamored by him. As were the rest of the recruits.
Seldrick gave us a moment to bear witness to our Lord, the man who will save us from Ingvar. He had a very large Orc walking beside him that I had never seen before, and they casually walked through the training grounds before disappearing from my sight. We all trained extra hard that day. None of us will ever live up to the legend that Lord Kazai has become, but by training properly under Seldrick we can at least be a small part of his triumph.
As the days went on, Seldrick taught us many things. Not just about the art of war, but about representing Onyx in the best way possible. We would fight honorably and show mercy if possible. We would be different from Ingvar’s men. We would do whatever it takes to make Lord Kazai proud. We would instill these values in ourselves, in each other… in our future generations… Again, and again.