10 The Essence of the One Who Wields a Sword
CHAPTER TEN – THE ESSENCE OF THE ONE WHO WIELDS A SWORD
Ryan diverts the topic as he didn't want to make the crimson-haired woman feel uncomfortable.
He took the woods that he placed on the other side and place them at the center as he starts to create a fire as Ryan takes some stones from the nearby area.
He starts to scratch the stones to make a fire but it would take longer since the stones are only creating some sparks and the fire would not ignite that yet.
Scarlette saw this and she shook off her head as she sighed.
She snapped her fingers and in an instant, a crimson magic circle appeared at the top of the woods that made Ryan startled as he looked at Scarlette with wide eyes.
After that, a fire has been created and the magic circle had disappeared.
Ryan looked back and forth to Scarlette and the wood; "Scarlette, are you a mage?"
He asked as he looked at the crimson-haired woman but the woman just shrugged off her shoulders as she took the fabric and went over to the other side.
She laid out those fabrics on the ground and the woman didn't bother to look at Ryan again as she went to sleep.
Ryan had another confusing question that appeared through his mind.
'Those are…chantless magic, right? Aside from her frightening skills in combat battle, I heard that she is also able to use chantless magic but I thought those are just rumors because only higher mages are capable to do that.'
Ryan had an inkling about Scarlette's origin but he couldn't conclude anything yet as he didn't sure himself.
Scarlette is also Ryan's second clue on finding "that person" that his master is looking for and he set aside those trivial thoughts as he focuses on observing the woman.
Now that everything is settled for tonight, Ryan looked around the forest and it would be a good exercise to practice his swords.
He looked at Scarlette's place where the woman is facing him back; "I'll be the one to watch for tonight. Take some rest"
Ryan said as he took his sword and the crimson-haired woman didn't say anything.
He thought that she fell asleep that fast as he sighed and walked over to the other side of the forest that he won't disturb the woman's resting time.
When he thought that he wouldn't disturb Scarlette's resting place, he stopped as he looked around the area as the winds passed by at the night.
Ryan took a deep breath as he unsheathed his sword and began to train.
He concentrated his aura on the sword as he made a piercing form and a slashed form at the same time.
He remembered what he learned from his father during his childhood and he tried to make his new sword form as he put it to a test to see how far he had learned and how his thinking skills would be put on used in the battle.
Each time he made his sword form, the wind follows in every flow that he made and there is an energy that gathered around him as he concentrated well.
In each form that he makes, there is a magic that flows in every time he swings his sword as he performs another one.
He wants to create something that he would be called his own.
He is too concentrated well that he didn't mind his surroundings and sweat drops are continue to flowing out in his body but still, he didn't stop himself from practicing.
After some time had passed, he stopped practicing as stab his sword on the ground with heavy breathing.
Sweat drops are keep dripping from his head as he wipes them off and puffed.
'It seems like I became rusty for not practicing that long since I arrived here.'
He thought as he breathed heavily and looked up at the night sky and there, he saw the stars that twinkling the night sky as his mind flows somewhere else.
It's already been five months since Ryan left the kingdom for the mission that his master ordered him and he almost searches the whole Miris Continent and the clues only lead him here, in Silveria Empire.
Upon accidentally meeting Scarlette Overland, Ryan marked the crimson-haired woman as his primary key to find the person that his master is looking for when Ryan took notice of the item that Scarlette is wearing around her neck.
'If the person that I am looking for and Scarlette had a connection then, the search would be that easy.'
He thought and he didn't want to rush things because it could make worst if that happens.
"Sloppy. Stiff. Not perfect"
"AHHH!"
Ryan jerk in his place as he snapped back from his thoughts when he heard a voice from behind his back.
He immediately looked around and draw his sword from the person who just talks out of nowhere.
"Who are you?! Come out!"
He shouted and he didn't let his guard down as he pointed in the direction where he heard someone's voice.
In the darkness of the night, bushes of the trees can be heard as the wind came across and Ryan saw the familiar figure leaning against one of those trees behind.
When he knew who it was, he sighed in relief as he put back his sword on his scabbard and looked at the crimson-haired woman's place as he noticed what the woman is holding into.
'A tiny tree branch? What would she do about that?'
He thought as he took a deep breath once again because he felt his heart race faster because of nervousness.
"You scared the hell out of me there, Scarlette! I didn't notice you were there. I thought you were sleeping?"
He exclaims as he is not that far from the crimson-haired woman where she is and because this woman just popped out everywhere she wants.
This is not the first time that happens to him.
'I didn't notice her presence at all! She's a dangerous woman. Thank God that I am with her and if not, I don't know what would happen to me in this place.'
He thought as he sighed to relieve the nervousness that he felt from earlier.
Scarlette just looked at Ryan's place with a blank stare and Ryan noticed that the crimson-haired woman is back to her usual cold and quiet nature.
Her crimson-lilac eyes are like a piercing lance because of her intense gaze at him.
As he wanders from his thoughts, he felt something coming in his direction and he tried to avoid it but after that, he winced in pain as he felt something from his face.
*DRIP!
*DRIP!
*DRIP!
He touches his face as he felt something like liquid and he looked through his fingers to see it.
He saw blood dripping from his left cheek and his eyes widen in shock as he looked in the direction from where it came from.
There, he saw Scarlette.
The crimson-haired woman is still leaning on the tree and still holding that tiny tree branch on her palms.
Before Ryan could speak, Scarlette cut him off.
"You had a powerful built yet your sword form is a bit lacking"
The crimson-haired woman stated as she walked forward in the direction where Ryan is still stood at his place.
"When you hold the hilt of your sword, it looks stiff when you looked through with it"
She continued as she keeps on walking in Ryan's direction and Ryan could hear every single word that the crimson-haired woman is talking about as he made a frown expression.
"Your body is not fit for that kind of sword formation"
As she reaches where Ryan stood still, she stops in front of him as she finished her statement.
"Swinging without thinking can lead to your demise"
Scarlette said nonchalantly as she pointed out Ryan's mistake and the man stood still in his place while touching his face that is bleeding from an unknown source.
He didn't know what the crimson-haired woman have done because he saw that she didn't move to her place earlier before she got in front of him.
'Wait a minute! Am I getting a sword lesson from her?'
He thought as he remembered something once again.
From the stories that he had heard, Scarlette Overland is also a master swordswoman and some other adventurers would want to learn from her.
Scarlette looked at the chestnut-haired man as she circled the man and looked at him from head to toe as she nodded.
"You are restraining yourself to reveal your force. There is something that makes you hesitate to unleash your power and that is the reason why your sword form is a bit awkward to watch"
After she said those words, she made a battle stance as she charges forward and swung the tiny branch that she is holding and she makes a slashed form to attack Ryan.
He manages to avoid the incoming attack with his reflexes as he withdraws backward from the woman and unsheaths his sword to defend himself.
'Are you serious?! She is using that tiny tree branch as a sword?! Are you kidding me?!'
He thought as he looked at the crimson-haired woman who is preparing for another attack.
Both clashed with each other with their weapons that make a blast of energy that they are unleashing and a heavy atmosphere surrounds them as the battle between them continues.
Ryan looked at the tiny branch that clashed with his sword and he is shocked to see that the branch didn't break at all!
He felt an overwhelming force within as Scarlette keeps on pushing him back.
'I know from the stories that she is strong but I never expected to be this kind of strong! What a tremendous force indeed!'
He thought as he keeps on withstanding the force that Scarlette is using against him.
Before he could make a counterattack, Scarlette jumped backward but still attacked Ryan once again.
He had no choice but to fight back if he didn't want to lose the battle!
*SHIING!
*WHOOSH!
*CLANG CLANG!
Ryan keeps on defending the attacks that Scarlette gave but he can't keep up the pace she is doing and he felt his muscles are being strained because of the fight.
Scarlette's eyes seem like a predator and Ryan felt shivers because of that and her intimidating aura that keeps adding up to the intense battle that they had.
The way her sword form demonstrates is, elegant yet fierce. It feels like she is dancing on a battlefield when she swirls around and her crimson hair that dances along the way follow her every movement.
"AHH!"
Ryan jerked in pain as his sword went up in the sky and after that, his sword went to the ground and he stumbles down because of the pain he felt during the battle.
Scarlette's tiny tree branch pointed at Ryan who is now on the ground, panting heavily as he received bruises and wounds from the fight between them.
Tired from the battle, Ryan still looked up at Scarlette who stood in front of him.
Under the shade of the moon that shines within the sky, he saw how magnificent the woman is.
Even though the woman is wearing a veil that covers her lips, she had a firm yet elegant standing that is worth being respected.
'This is my first time to be defeated in sword fighting and to think a woman would defeat me. It felt my pride hurts but as a swordsman, it is an honor to fight someone stronger than him and this would be his lesson for himself'
Ryan thought as he sighed in defeat and Scarlette withdraws as she looked at him and speak.
"You have a talent, Ryan. However, your sword form and your body is not incorporated with each other and you need to work with that. Remember that is the essence of the one who wields the sword and doesn't just rely on your sword"
