05 The Thin Line Between Love & Hate

Five years later - 1617

It's been another five years, this year I'm turning twelve ... and I'm tired as if I've been working in a mine for thirty. However, my training with Jacek Dydyński started to bring effect. I had difficulty running two kilometers, now five kimometers are not a problem for me. When I was ten I got my first saber ... it was actually a wooden stick and from that day I started learning Cross Cutting Art.

The first and one of the most important things I had to learn was to move. My teacher drew a cross on the ground, which created four fields on which I could move ... it looked like something simple, but I was very wrong. It took me almost a year to master it, but it wasn't over. I still had to learn to change direction during the fight, the opponent would not stand and wait for my move, which took me another six months ... I was happy with my progress, unlike my teacher who thought I was lazy.

Only then did I start to learn hip work, synchronizing steps and cuts, thrusts, blocks, parries, wrist movements, cuts with a false blade, drag cuts and bridging the distance ... Of course, this changed my training routine, I didn't run that much anymore, and I didn't drag heavy loads. There was more swimming, but most of the exercises were with a saber, or rather with a stick that was supposed to pretend to be a saber.

One of such exercises. I walked into the river as deep as my waist, then began slashing my saber against the surface of the water ... hundreds of times.

Another exercise was training on wooden poles that were supposed to simulate opponents, first with one, then two, and finally with three. One pole was not a big problem, but two and three required from me good cuts as well good body and leg work ... it was supposed to be smooth movement while attacking targets. It wasn't easy... I had to sacrifice eight years of my life, hundreds of liters of sweat and blood ... blood a tad less. To kill someone in a minute, because duels didn't usually last longer.

"Cut, block, cut ... don't stand still, move your legs. Look for an opening if you can grab your opponent. Cut, block, cut ... and repeat again. Keep your distance." (Dydyński)

"I do what I can." (MC)

"If you talked less and listened more, it would be better. What are you doing wrong?" (Dydyński)

"Everything?" (MC)

"At least you know you're useless, but your father is paying me to change it ... cross cut, one more time." (Dydyński)

"I thought the teacher was doing it out of the goodness of his heart, not for money." (MC)

I was expecting a blow to the back of the head and quickly put my hand over it ... just to get a punch in the stomach. I won't learn to keep my mouth shut.

"Did you say something?" (Dydyński)

"That I will pray for the teacher." (MC)

Training with Jacek Dydyński was not limited only to saber fighting, but also involved everything related to the military or the battlefield. He taught me how to shoot a musket, a pistol, a Tatar bow, as well as horse riding. I wanted him to teach me how to shoot a cannon, but he himself was not an expert in this field and only explained the basics to me.

I was twelve and felt like John Wick, but I was better than him ... he could kill with a pencil, and I could kill with a quill pen.

(Jazłowiecki / Dydyński POV)

"How is my son's learning going?" (Jazłowiecki)

"He has a great talent. He learns quickly, sometimes he even surprises me ... luckily, I have the advantage of strength and experience. Of course, I do not tell him that. I repeat that he is lazy and that he must try harder." (Dydyński)

"Will he be a soldier?" (Jazłowiecki)

"No, he will be able to fight, he will be good in battles, but he will not be a good soldier." (Dydyński)

"Why do you think so? (Jazłowiecki)

"A soldier must obey orders, Wilkomir, if he thinks something is stupid and makes no sense, he will not obey the order." (Dydyński)

"He listens to you and follows your commands." (Jazłowiecki)

"I broke a lot of sticks on his back and got to know him over the last few years." (Dydyński)

(End POV)

This is what my whole world comes down to, but the real world outside the walls of Jazłowiec, beyond the borders of Podolia, did not wait for me to grow up. He was governed by his laws and folly.

In 1612, several Polish magnates, headed by Stefan Potocki, started the "Moldavian Quarrel". Together with private troops, they invaded the territory of Moldova, which at that time was an Ottoman fief ... of course they lost.

In the same year, the Tatars launched four attacks on Poland in retaliation, fortunately these were won by us.

In 1615 another "Moldavian Quarrel" was arranged by Samuel Korecki, who wanted to place his brother-in-law on the Moldavian throne. It was with the consent of King Sigismund III Vasa. After initial successes ... he lost.

That's what I heard from Jacek Dydyński, the Polish-Swedish War is about to begin ... what a wonderful time.

Of course, there were also changes in Jazłowiec itself, Sveta married a woodcutter or carpenter four years ago, but only now was she pregnant for the first time ... I must admit that I looked at her now in a completely different light, maybe I grew up, and maybe because her tits did it... I knew one thing I wanted to sleep with her.

My father and secretary Kowalski were slowly preparing me for adult life. Secretary Kowalski told me about Podolia, cities, trade, taxes, agriculture and crafts. They started sending me to watch trials and public executions ... I thought I would feel something when I saw a human death, but I felt nothing. Well, maybe a little amusement ... even in my previous life I was a bit strange, maybe after death I got worse.