Chapter 3: The art of a Phantom

The next day I woke up early and trotted downstairs, my partner in my arms. I hadn't decided a name for him yet. It was hard coming up with one. Rikkard was leaving and I followed him to the door. He stopped and I stopped too. "Where are you going child?" he asked and I stared at him. He moved towards the door once more and I followed him. He paused for a second, "are you trying to follow me around?" I nodded. "To the training grounds?" he added and I nodded my head looking at him. He crouched down, "I didn't buy you to be a weapon child."

"I am one," I stated.

He chuckled slightly. "that's not why I brought you here." I didn't understand. I needed to be a knight. The only way that can happen is if the King sees me training with the rest of the men. I remember he requested that I become Arhad's knight since we were close in age. Why did he agree last time? I asked myself.

"let's make a deal?"

I could see the shock on his face. "Alright child, let's hear it." I drew in a deep breath, "I'll study in exchange for training. My clan thrives on it."

He grinned at me, "how…?" he trailed off shaking his head slightly. I assumed he was asking how I knew he wanted me to study. I shrugged. I did not think anyone would believe me about reincarnation. It didn't matter as long as I could get revenge on that wretched Duke and Mortin. Rikkard held his chin in a smile, "you're a strange one Elysia."

He grabbed my hand and led me to the training grounds. I could feel the excitement itching all over my skin at the sound of the wooden swords clashing against one another. It wasn't a lie that my clan thrived on fighting. The Phantom clan believed in training their young ones to be warriors. How else would they be able to communicate with the King of the Shadows if they weren't strong enough? All the men stopped training and looked at us. "New recruit sir?" one of the men who wasn't there last night asked. Rikkard nodded, "she wants some exercise. Thane, give the child a sword." I sat on the ground placing the beast down and took off my shoes. Rikkard looked at me weirdly. It was easier to move without shoes on. 'One will move as swiftly and silently as a predator by being one with the nature around them.' That was one of the teachings the grand elder had taught us before the downfall of my clan.

Thane handed me a short wooden sword and I tossed it up in the air. "light." All men turned to me. A wooden sword fitted with an iron rod at the center so as to be the same weight as a normal sword was light to a child? "You think that's light?" Thane asked bewildered. I nodded my head looking at him dead straight in the eye. He grabbed a sword for himself. "Show me," he stated arrogantly. The other knights moved out of the way forming a circle around the two of us. "don't hurt him," Rikkard yelled at me. I nodded my head as Thane scoffed. I crouched down into my stance, the sword in my right hand held a bit farther back from my body and my left hand in front of me. 'If your enemy is bigger than you, go low. Take out their center and legs, victory will be yours.'

I was small. A twelve-year-old child who had been given only enough food to survive by the slave traders. I was slightly malnourished but in no way did that make me weak. I refuse to be weak in this new life, weakness led to the death of my masters. I would not let it happen again. This time round, this second chance I had been given, I willed myself to forget about my surrounding and focused only on my prey, I will not waste it.

"begin," Rikkard bellowed. Thane got into his own stance, sword held in front of him tightly with both hands. Too high, I thought with a smile. Strengthening my legs, I dashed towards him. I aimed for his legs and he fell for it. He swung his sword down preventing my sword from connecting with his leg. I stood up abruptly head-butting him and he fell down. I jumped back away from him and switched the sword in my hand the same way I did during the auction. The wooden blade of the sword was behind me and I crouched down once more.

"How can she move when she's that low?" someone whispered.

"I can't hear her steps," another person commented.

"Is it sword arts?"

"I don't think so. She's from the Phantom clan, remember?"

"I wasn't there last night."

Thane got up angrily and wiped the blood from his nose. He grabbed his sword and pointed it at me. "Enough playing around kid," he spat out. His anger gave me a sense of thrill that always excited me. 'If your opponent ends up being angered, if they give in to their emotions then the battle is already half won.'

I readied myself for his next attack oblivious to the new set of eyes watching me from the library window. The elders voice filled my mind, 'if you are weaker than your opponent, always be on the offensive. Keep them in the defensive.' Taking in a deep breath I realized I was too cocky. I'm not the same as I used to be. I was a child. Weaker than my adult self. I switched my stance holding the sword with the blade forward. 'You are not to take his life,' I reminded myself. Using the same tactic, I went low. He parried my sword from underneath stopping me from hitting my mark. He moved his head back thinking I would use the same trick once more. Sadly, he didn't know it was a feint. I willed all my strength to my arms, using his own momentum against him, I pushed his sword as low as possible gliding my blade against his pushing him down as low as I could until my blade was free. 'You are small Elysia, use your speed against them.' Using a footwork technique that belonged to the clan, silent steps, I spun around as fast as I could and placed the sword against his lowered neck. Some of the knights gasped, "how is she moving that fast?"

Thane let go of his sword in defeat and I removed mine from his neck.

"I apologize," Thane said and walked away. It wasn't his fault. Who would have thought that they could lose to a scrawny child? I turned around and pushed my way through the crowd as my gaze landed at the library window. My heart raced as I met his curious purple eyes staring back at me. I saw him jerk back in shock and walk away. A sigh of relief escaped my mouth. Arhad, I can finally see you again. Alive and well. The joy of winning my match long forgotten and replaced with the warm feeling Arhad had introduced me to. I stood there dumbfounded staring at the place he had occupied wondering how our first meeting this time round was going to be like.