Kenley stood motionless, his kado stalled above his head. Marcus’s hands trembled, his wooden sword rested against his opponent’s exposed ribs.

All was silent.

Kenley was the first to move. He stifled a groan of pain and nodded his approval toward Marcus. Then, bowing his head, he saluted the Squire.

“Mortal blow!” the Drill Master said. “Winner and Tournament Champion, Squire Marcus Zander!”

Still, not a sound.

It was at this point that Marcus knew he had done something wrong. The tired boy glanced up at the audience surrounding him. Their expressions were a mix of shock and confusion—shock on the knights who saw something they should not have, and confusion for the rest who did not know what they saw. But it was the King’s look of utter disapproval that worried Marcus. But that menacing countenance was not directed at him. Instead, Marcus followed the King’s glare across the arena where his father and uncle stood.

“Oi, Michael,” said Sir Anthony from the corner of his mouth. “Did you teach him that?”

As consistent with his character, Sir Michael Zander said nothing. However, entirely out of character, the Chief Instructor smiled.

Finally, realizing the awkwardness, King Vassel Stuart stood, and breaking the silence, he began to clap. Then everyone clapped.

Five years later…

Marcus Zander now faced another beast. However, this gray-haired warrior was no jade lion. He was something far more dangerous. He was the manifestation of raw, overwhelming power. A creature so far beyond human reasoning that only one thing came to the boy’s mind. This man was a dragon—a dragon he needed to slay.

But would the answer be the same? Marcus asked himself. He had tried it once already and failed. Should I try it again? The Trinity Cut?

Marcus squeezed his kado just to make sure he was still holding it. The solid oak sword felt weightless and brittle with his armor’s enhanced strength. Would it work? He pondered. I have never tried the Trinity Cut with Shade armor. Can my kado handle the pressure? If I had a Royal Blade, I could do it. But he did not have a Royal Blade. The King only granted them to full-fledged knights, which Marcus was not.

That is what I gave up. Marcus sighed. He decided to be here, to take this path. The Apprentice would never be a knight, never pilot a NOVA, or possess a Royal Blade. He had chosen something far better. Marcus did not want an imitation; he wanted the real thing—a Kidokane.

“Oi, lad, you still with me?” the General asked. This was a normal reaction. Those who came to Heron looking to join the ranks of the Sacers were never prepared for what they would face. The strongest men and women from the homeworlds would come here, confident in their abilities, only to crack before the awesome might of a Sacer.

“Did I break another one?” Zachariah shook his head in disappointment. “And right after, I found something adequate.”

“One more time,” Marcus spoke, chin down, his voice a murmur. Then he lifted his head. “Just one more exchange, and I will show you how to slay a dragon!” The boy’s eye turned purple as violet streams of Vigor suddenly weaved into them!

Zachariah hid his astonishment behind an act of indifference. “Now, aren’t you full of surprises?” he said, hiding his emotions.

Violet! he thought with excitement. Now, this is a rarity! I wonder what this could be? There are so many possibilities. But, wait… He doesn’t even know what he is doing, does he? Without Shade Sight, it was impossible to see Vigor. Marcus could have gone his entire life without knowing that he was pulling from the Shade. Well, there is only one way to find out… So, let’s hit him with something he’s never seen before. With that, the General attacked!

There are only a couple of ways to experience authentic Sacer swordsmanship, either by training in the Great Hall or confronting it on the battlefield. And those that encountered the latter rarely lived to disclose their secrets. As a result, even Sacer instructors were forbidden to use their techniques during the Trials. But the General decided to make an exception.

This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author's work.

Zachariah struck with Purging Thunder!—an intermediate form that cut from the earth to the sky in an elaborate zig-zag pattern. Not the fastest of the Sacer techniques, but one of the most unpredictable.

The speed the General moved was faster than any opponent Marcus had ever fought. Only two things saved the boy from instant defeat: his armor’s physical enhancement and the incredible ability that Marcus did not understand.

His eyes glowed.

His mind blank.

Tendons, bones, and muscles moved.

Zachariah’s kado carved a forked pattern that glowed yellow for a split second as it cut the space where the boy had stood.

Marcus reacted according to his vision, and his armor provided the agility necessary to avoid the Sacer’s blade. Then, though Marcus had never witnessed it before, he unleashed a Purging Thunder of his own! Marcus cut upwards in a perfect parody of the General’s attack; his kado diced the air akin to crackling lightning!

With ease, the Sacer laced through the attack as if he knew it was coming, then in quick succession, executed Impaling Darkness, Crown of Light, and Consuming Blaze!

Like a mirror of the ancient warrior, Marcus threaded his way through the barrage and battered back with the same three—Impaling Darkness, Crown of Light, and Consuming Blaze!

Excellent! Zachariah exclaimed to himself. The boy has Mimic!

“Gabe, I found a good one!” the Sacer whispered into the Shade, but there was no reply. Captain Gabriel knew not to respond when the General was having fun. “It’s untrained, Gabe, but this boy definitely possesses Mimic!”

And the foray continued, back and forth, between the Sacer warrior and the Knight Apprentice. Every combination Zachariah used, the boy copied and sent back to him. Their kados never touched either wood or flesh; as they twirled, spun, and encircled one another. Every swing of their swords snapped and cracked like whips missing their targets. This was the most fun General Zachariah had had all week, and he did not want it to end so soon. But, alas, time was of the essence, and he had played with the child long enough.

Time to end this… before this cub hurts himself, Zachariah decided.

With a minor increase of Vigor, the Sacer doubled his speed and strength. It happened so swiftly that even Marcus’s eye did not see it. The gray-haired warrior dodged the boy’s last strike, then spun on one foot, executing a side-kick into the boy’s chest!

BOOM!

The blow was a force of nature that threatened to render the Knight Apprentice unconscious, but Marcus felt the effects of the Shade Armor absorbing the impact and healing his body of the physical trauma. The determined boy dug his feet into the dirt as he slid backward, plowing the soil with his heels!

He stopped twenty feet from where Zachariah had kicked him.

He coughed; the taste of copper filled his mouth.

Blood? Marcus questioned. He felt faint. That kick would have killed him instantly if not for the Shade armor. What a monster! he confirmed, closing his eyes. This is my last chance.

Zachariah knew the armor would neutralize most of the kick. However, what the General wanted was some distance between him and Marcus, which he now had. So, in a flourish of illumination only visible to those with Shade Sight, Zachariah whirled around, the wind churning as it touched him, his kado brought low to the left side of his body.

“Knight Apprentice Marcus Zander,” The Sacer General said with approval, “I acknowledge your sword! And as a reward, I will show you something magnificent!”

The wind froze.

Three hundred years of experience struck out with Banishing Darkness!

Only then did Zachariah realize his mistake.

Violet eyes snapped open!

Now! Marcus told his body.

The earth fissured under his feet! His Shade armor, pushed to its limits, tore at the seams but propelled Marcus forward like a blood-stained lightning bolt! The very air seemed to scream in pain as the Apprentice’s kado cut through it.

Three strikes, one movement.

TRI--

Rising Mountain—a cut that severs the heavens!

NITY--

Falling Sky—a cut that divides the land!

CUT--

Cleaving Winter—a cut that shears the horizon!

Three strikes, one movement.

Fully imbued Shade armor.

CRACK!

Marcus’s kado exploded on impact!

The wind blew again.

“I did it,” Marcus could barely stand; his legs quivered. Only his armor kept him from collapsing. “I slew the dragon.” His vision was hazy, but his ears could hear the insatiable laughter behind him.

“EXCELLENT!” the General laughed. “That one almost scared me. Of course, if your kado hadn’t exploded, you might have actually hit me! But… then again, probably not.”

Slowly, Marcus turned his head to view his opponent one last time. And while his sight saw the blurry image of an aging man adorned in a white robe, his mind saw the horrifying apparition of an insurmountable demon.

“You’re wrong, Uncle,” Marcus’s mouth hardly forming the words. “Some dragons can’t be slain.”

General Zachariah did not understand what the boy said, and he did not care. He had found his prize, and that was enough. “Congratulations,” he said, “You pass!” Then the Sacer moved.

Marcus did not see what moved, only that one moment he was conscious, and the next—the Knight Apprentice crumbled to the ground.