I was holding my weapon tight. The wind quickly running past me as I dashed through the forest. The sound of my footsteps filling the air with light thuds. The repetitive thuds were bothersome since I was trying to go unnoticed, but it wouldn’t matter if I wasn’t fast enough.
I knew the forest like the palm of my hand by now. Each passing tree had been engraved in my memory for a while now. It was important to know about the surroundings if you wanted to move fast enough. And the forest was no exception to this. Many would have gotten lost after a while. Running wildly without a second thought was hard in such an environment. In the end, individual trees were hard to distinguish from each other. It was only when time passed that it all turned familiar. But their trunks and foliage were a mere distraction. It served as a cover for what I was looking for, or rather, who I was looking for.
I wasn’t the only one in the woods, Syl was running further away looking in a different direction trying to identify our objective. It was annoying that things got so complicated, but in the end, I was excited about this.
There were many insects around, but I had learned to see them in the semi-darkness produced by the foliage. Animals ran wild in the surroundings too. On my way, I had crossed many birds, hares and even a fox, but I knew my task wasn’t as easy as catching a wild animal.
I wasn’t sure where to find him. Behind a tree? Inside a cave? Under a rock? He didn’t have much patience so I couldn’t think of him waiting too long anyways, wherever he was. Usually, it didn’t take long to find him, but this time was supposed to be a challenge. Or so he said.
A loud crack resounded through the forest. Birds flying away in the distance.
She found him.
Having set my objective to the source of that sound, I turned my speed up. It would have been less energy consuming to go around the hill, but I hadn’t fought yet, and I had strength to spare. So, I decided to take the straight line over the top. This would give the advantage of the high ground, meaning I would be able to find them faster.
I cut through a tree, chopping it off completely. The red orb on my weapon lit up and I felt the plant’s energy filling me up, propelling me forward. However small that energy was, it still gave me an advantage. I couldn’t do this anytime. Cutting a tree would tell him my position and he could run away. But Syl was already taking care of that.
I reached the summit quickly and I didn’t stop to have a look at the views. It took me just a second to identify the place. Metallic sounds already reaching to my ears. It was all downhill now.
————
Syl
Sparks were shining both to my left and to my right every time he managed to parry my forward lunges. He didn’t seem interested in attacking for some reason. Training with him usually meant getting cuts everywhere. But he was decreasing his aggressiveness this time for some reason.
I leapt back trying to get some distance from him and rethink my strategy. I wasn’t going to get a direct hit from attacking relentlessly like that. But the second he turned away to take the opportunity to flee, I jumped forward with all my might. I couldn’t afford to lose him.
The hit didn’t land at all. He jumped over the blade. And used his right hand to thrust towards my head with one of his weapons. Time slowing down as the blade got closer. I managed to bend down just in time. Its edge only leaving a small hint of its passage through the air.
He rushed away. Running in the opposite direction Nath was coming from. Surely his impatience must have cost him his position again.
I focussed on the race again, only an instant behind him. I couldn’t let him escape before Nath reached our position. The only thing that could guide him to us was the clashing of swords and the rumble of battle. He was stronger and faster than me due to my age. But I was ready for that.
The white light of my sword focussed on the blade. I concentrated on it. Putting all my willpower on the casting of my ability. Mirrors and reflections appearing on the sides of my vital. An occasional rainbow crossing my eye as they rotated around me and my weapon.
I reflected forward, now appearing in front of my opponent. I could finally see his usual grin already on his face.
My forward thrust got deviated by his blade. He held it sideways, letting mine slide on his and deviating it, instead of completely deflecting it with his opposing strength. Our momentum kept pushing us forward. We were going to hit each other, but I knew what he was planning.
He lifted upwards, using his hand to push me down, and in turn boost him over me. My vital was ready. An exact copy of my weapon appearing just in front of him, shining brightly. This effect required me to cast my ability twice. He couldn’t manage to stop it this time. He got crushed by my full strength, although parried with his sword. The tip didn’t reach any further towards him. But the impact pushed him backwards, right where he was coming from. His feet leaving tracks on the ground as he stood back up from the hit.
—Nice one —he said that, but he didn’t look surprised.
Another quick exchange of blades kept lighting up the leaves. Bright sparks flying at each parry. He pushed forward, but I managed to hold him back as I countered his attacks and sent some of my own. My concentration drifted for a second and he was able to throw me backwards, my sword flying up from the hit. He jumped towards me, but this time he held two of his weapons. The two of them getting closer with each instant. One from each side. I couldn’t duck, since I had lost my equilibrium. He was going to hit me with no fault.
He appeared from the shadows, red light reflecting on his face. The newcomer’s sword pointing straight into my opponent’s body. His face was filled with seriousness, his eyes bulging out of his face and his lips sealed with strength. Jonathan didn’t have time to react. Or better, he didn’t have space to both dodge Nath’s weapon and hit me with his.
The man pulled both his blades backwards, creating a cover from Nath’s slash. The metallic sound of the clash bursting into my ears as the sparks burnt away in the air. Jonathan had to move backwards to avoid a second hit.
I landed on the ground, my blade right beside me. Still shocked by the quickness of their movements. Nath stopped right in front of me, his sword over his shoulder.
—Well, seems like you found him —he said, laughing to himself.
As overconfident as always.
————
Nath
Syl was fine. She took but a second to stand back up. Couldn’t expect any less from her.
I held my sword forward—. You better not take it easy —I said towards him.
—Never have I in my life, and it won’t be any different now, kid.
—It’s been two years since you started training us. Shouldn’t you stop calling us kids? —I replied.
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—Only fools think that age is determined by time, skill is the only thing that differs between a child and an adult. You’ll have to earn that right if you want it.
—Won’t take long then…
—Come at me.
My dash was quick, but not fast enough. His right hand’s sword stopped me from hitting him directly. But Syl was already on his back. He was quick to respond, holding his other weapon upwards. We both hit him at the same time, but he managed to deflect both of us.
We both dashed around. Syl was faster thanks to her vital. Shining lights appearing every time she dashed through space. It was hard to lose her since she was so bright, but it was nothing but a distraction.
He turned around to parry Syl again, driving her away. I took the opportunity to slash at him, managing to get rid of one of his weapons throwing it away and getting ready to hit one more time. Syl wasn’t fast enough this time and he leapt towards me as I parried his weapon, both of us pushing forward in a tight clutch. She came right after that, forcing him to back away.
Slash after slash we managed to land some slight cuts, boosting my strength as my weapon’s bloodlust transferred me his strength. He was holding up our assault, but we managed to limit his movements so much that he couldn’t run away. It was only a matter of time before he made a mistake.
But he just didn’t.
He kept pushing our weapons away, connecting each parry with the next, always driving his sword forward. And with the limited space he had, he managed to land an attack on me. It was just a small cut, but at that moment it startled me enough to let him jump away, leaving Syl to hold him alone. I couldn’t fall back anymore.
I slashed to another tree just as I identified the light coming from the reflection on his dropped blade. He still had his other two weapons, but we could pressure him more if I managed to grab a second sword. I dashed towards it, aiming to grab it as fast as possible as to not leave Syl alone with our opponent for too long.
A bright vertical energy cut slashed through the air reaching for the space between me and the blade. The light left a trench on the ground as it sped towards me, its ominous presence scaring me away from my position. He didn’t use his vitals much in our combats, so I wasn’t exactly sure how that ability worked. But it was good that we managed to force him into using it, it meant progress. It didn’t hit me though, since I dodged just in time, but the man appeared just behind it, hidden behind the light and charging with his other two swords hitting straight into my weapon and pushing me backwards.
His bladework left nothing to desire. The movements were smooth and nothing of them felt unnecessary. He was especially strong and fast, so much so that he could handle both me and Syl together. His blades now spinning in a flourish, he grabbed his dropped weapon with a spin, the weapons’ sheaths wobbling at the end of its skilful dance. He now held one of his weapons pointing straight at me, the other two held together on his other hand.
—Nice try though —he taunted me.
My powerlessness blocked me, unable to move forward.
I paid attention to something moving to my left, realising it was just Syl. She held her right arm towards me, her fists clenched with determination.
—Are you sure about this? —I exclaimed.
—There is nothing else left to try. I can manage with just a scratch or two.
I nodded with understanding, realising I had been gritting my teeth in distress. I reached to her arm with my weapon, slightly sliding it over her skin. The blade, now tainted in her blood, lit up as usual. Her smile reflecting the red light.
—Be ready —I said, positioning to battle.
—Whenever you want —her weapon pointing to our foe.
A single breath is all it took.
We crossed the distance to the man in an instant. I slashed low, while she hit upwards. He blocked both, but we kept attacking, like the rhythm of a song. I went first, and then her, alternating our attacks both in time and space. If she hit right, I hit left. If I hit up, she hit left. My strikes got stronger thanks to her small sacrifice, destabilising our adversary’s stance. She, on the other hand used both her blade and its mirrored reflection to hit from unexpected angles, opening the path for my blade to go deeper. Jonathan backed up with every one of my strikes, slower than Syl’s, but more effective.
She was more mobile, jumping and dashing everywhere, even using trees as jumping platforms. I stayed on the ground instead, but constantly moving forward. His movements were amazingly fast though. He was able to use his three blades at the same times with only two of his appendages, dropping or throwing the one he wasn’t using at any specific moment and picking it up again when its position was ideal for a parry. Turning around at each of Syl’s sparkles just in time to block my own weapon with the strength of both his arms.
And then I saw it. His left foot slightly tipping over in what couldn’t be anything but a mistake of his. It wasn’t time to falter or to overthink, it wasn’t an opening I would see again anytime soon. My focus straight into that weak spot, loading my strike with all the energy my vital had left, its orb shining as bright as it ever did.
It was sudden. I thought I hit my objective, but instead, a pillar of piping hot metal had hit my blade downwards, veering it to the ground. The hit itself was close to an explosion. Sparks flying everywhere as the orangish cylinder struck my strike, breaking in the process, but still accomplishing its objective, since my sword planted deeply into the ground.
The sudden stop of the action struck me like an arrow to the heart. Unexpected, quick and upsetting. I was sitting on the ground, still processing what had just happened, my head trying to catch up with the situation. I pulled hard at my sword, but it didn’t move an inch. The ground of dirt holding it tight to itself.
Syl appeared with a flash, its feet sliding on the ground as she stopped her own momentum.
—Ehhh? Come on! It was so close! —Her tilted face showing her annoyance.
—What do you want me to do about it?! It’s the first time he does that!
A loud laugh reached to our ears.
—Hahaha! Good job guys. You’ve improved a lot during all this time. I can’t even imagine it’s been only two years since I took you both in.
Syl jumped on top of a tree with a flash. Her legs crossed and holding her back with her arms on a branch.
—I can’t believe we were so close… —she said, sighing —. It’s been so long and you still haven’t told us about the abilities of those three swords of yours. Can’t you let us know so we can make things easier?
—That’s the point, Silvia. You’re not going to always know about your adversary’s ability. It’s you guys that wanted proper training. We can simplify things, but I don’t think that’s what you want.
She was tired, but she showed her curiosity. I looked at Jonathan, he seemed thoughtful. After a moment of hesitation, he spoke again.
—Very well, I think you guys are ready —he said with a pause—. I’ve been thinking about it for a while, but I think it’s time to tell you. You know about the Guard’s interest in contracting new image wielders, right? —we nodded, not sure what to expect— Then you must know about the Challenger’s Path. A Guard-organised tournament aiming to let young students aiming show off their skills to compete for the organisation’s content. Usually, it’s only popular with universities and academies, but you can enter individually if you request it to the appropriate authority.
Our eyes shining with emotion.
—There is one going on this year here at Marenia. What do you guys think? Would you like to join as a hands-on experience? —he asked happily.
I couldn’t believe it. Did he think we could make it there? I had followed those competitions since my brother started joining year after year, and I kept watching them after he left. It was one of the ways he got so popular so fast and it was an option for us to show our skills too. The competition was hard. The Academy of Image had powerful candidates, and others like the Arkadia’s contenders and other universities were nothing to joke about. I had seen many of them destroy a whole car on their own. Syl and I had gotten comfortable with our weapons, but was it enough?
—They allow weapons, right? Then let’s do it! We also have a slight advantage since I have both an image and a vital, so there is nothing to fear —commented Syl.
—Not like your image will be of much use— I laughed at her.
—Well, it’ll be more useful than you if you keep going like this!
—Hey!
She was too good at replying to me. I had to beat her at something else, then.
I looked at her. She had gotten some new fighting robes. It was wholly white with some details in gold. Similar to the Guard’s, but gold instead of blue. Brown boots over her white stockings. The skirt, made of white leather threads, was now hanging on the sides of the tree’s branch. Her breastplate tightly protecting her bust, an armless silk dress laying underneath. The brightly red wavy hair landing on her shoulders. A silver protection on top of her lower arms. But there was blood running down her arm. The wound I did to her was probably still open.
—Let’s go Syl, we have to heal your arm —I prompted her.
She opened her eyes, as if surprised, and looked at where I had pointed.
—Ah! You’re right! I completely forgot!
She jumped off the tree with graceful skill.
—Let me have a look at it.
The wound wasn’t deep, I had made sure of that. We hadn’t practiced it, but cutting trees had helped me control the deepness of my cuts on unmoving objectives.
—You guys can go ahead and get yourselves fixed. It was a good battle, but you still have things to learn. This new challenge might be good for you. Rest a bit and heal yourselves up, you deserve it.
—You’re not coming? —Syl asked.
—I have errands to do, so I’m not sure we’re going to see each other again today. So, see you tomorrow!
And with that we started walking towards our teacher’s hut. He must have had some healing Items.