Sword Training

"Once upon a time, there was land. The land had no rules, no life, nothing. From the sands rose up mountains, from valleys came out seas and from all of them were born the beings. Elviden with pointy ears, Alakins green, blue and yellow strong people with tusks, Humans frigid and weak and the last Wyvern Born they have wings, fangs, claws and can breathe elements like fire, ice or lightning. Creatures of sand, water, earth and air wandered the world in peace. The humans were good builders, so they build up homes, the Alkins were strong so they were guards and hunters, the Elviden were good farmers and the Wyvern Borns were solidary creatures, but when in need of them they alway come."

The story was told by an Elivden bald man dressed in red and yellow noble clothing.

"I've heard this story before dad!" Said a young girl, dressed in a gray night dress. Her hair was long and let loose.

"It's the story of our kind. And as a future empress, and for your brother who also need to know how our world was made."

"It was proven wrong once."

"And I will still tell it, why? Because this is how our people lived in harmony with other races."

He kisses her and the little boy on the forehead.

"Good night Zariel. Good night Redrick"

He leaves the room slowly closing it.

Zariel walks out of bed, makes sure her brother sleeps and goes at the window. She looks outside. The moon shined through it. Zariel looks down and sees one of her friends talking with her mother. The window couldn't be opened, but either way she could never hear what they said, as the distance was high, 23 average height Alakins tall. She takes three steps back, gets in a military straight position. She makes a 180 degree turn. Walks over to her bed, goes underneath her bed and pulls out a sword. She takes the sword out, gets up and enters a fighting stance, takes some deep breaths and strikes the air. The movements were clean, she made sure not to make lots of noise to wake up her 3 years old brother. The sword falls from her hand, and makes a loud *BANG* then *Cling* one after another. The guards heard it and came into their room. Zariel was caught in action.

"Princes! What are YOU doing?"

She giggles.

"Just… Well training."

They take Zariel to her father.

"Zariel, what time is it?"

"After bedtime…" She said with an innocent tone in her voice.

The guards bring the sword in.

"Her eminancy was using this sword. Her ladyness said it was for training.

Her father raised an eyebrow.

"You like swords my child? You know swords kill people?"

"Swords don't kill people dad, people kill people, using swords."

One of the guards chuckled.

"What's so funny!"

"Nothing LORD EMPEROR Magnus Enverius Tetranimus. Killer of Derthal and lord of 25 kingdoms!"

Zariel looks at her father.

"If you fancy swords, we'll meet tomorrow with an instructor, for better practice."

They bring her back to her room. She gets in bed and starts sleeping.

The next morning she was dressed in a shirt, black pants with no pockets, and a pair of boots.

She was holding her sword in her hands. She had a big smile on her face. The people at court were shocked, she was a lady, but she acted like a boy.

She was now in front of her father.

"Hello father dearest!"

"Aren't you ashamed to be dressed like this?"

"This are the only clothes I can train in, you want me to train in my sleeping dress? I can go back and~"

"No, you're good. I was just wandering about how you think about others talking about you."

She laughed.

"I'm 15 years old. They can think whatever they want. I am my own woman, I take my own decisions on what I wear and what I fight."

He clears his throat.

"Brin the trainer"

An old human man in leather armor comes forward. He brought a training dummy.

"I am Jovin, personal trainer. I was told you are an eager fighter."

"Can't say I'm eager, but I like to swing my sword a bit."

Jovin nods. Her father goes under a tree in the courtyard.

"I'll give you a test, if you fail, I won't train you anymore."

He grabs a sword and hits the dummy three times. The dummy was now on the ground. He puts back the sword.

"If you put it down in less than 3 hits you're gonna be my student."

Jovin raises the dummy back.

She takes a stance. Breathes air in her lungs. Her hands were shaking. She strikes once, she lets out a bit of air, the sword tumbled and the head was chopped off, she continued with another blow, the blow made the dummy fall.

Jovin was impressed.

"Not only you killed your enemy, you also made sure he fell down…"

She nods in approval.

"I guess you've done good."

Her father was looking at her somewhat disappointed.

"For your knowledge, your father expected you'll fail. I said you'll do it in less than three. Now your father is mad at his own master for knowing what I'll have in my face."

She was looking at her father, and he was not showing any emotion.

"For your knowledge I was his teacher, too. When I did the test with him, he did it in 5 hits and almost cried."

"So you still trained him?"

He chuckled.

"Yes, sadly, you were forced by your grandfather. But I won't say your father will do the same for you. Your stance was good enough, your breathing was good even the hits were good. Where have you learned?"

"Well I alway looked at the boys in the arena, the best ones used similar techniques, so I figured I should copy them. So did I do that well?"

Jovin nodded. He grabs her sword and puts it on a stand. He gives her a wooden rapier.

"This is a rapier. A rapier is a straight, two-edged sword with a narrow pointed blade, designed especially for thrusting. Not your style as I saw, but with me in a year you'll know how to wield any sword of any weight, and how to defend yourself.

He takes control of her hand and makes her point it forward. He holds it in the air.

"How does it feel?"

"Easy, I can do this all morning."

He takes the rapier and switches it with his own sword.

"If the wooden rapier was easy, how about my sword."

The sword was heavy but she held it tight.

"I can see on your troubling arm that it is troubling you."

"Not enough!"

She hold the heavy sword all morning, she tried to hold it more but when the sun hit the center of the yard she dropped it. Her hand was sore.

Her father comes to her in panic.

"Are you well?"

"Yes, I feel a little pain, but I want to do it again." She looked at him with a smile.

"Your father when he hold my sword drops it after I let it go."

"Enough, don't embarrass me, I was 10 years old, If you trained her when she was the same age as mine back then the result would've been the same"

"I've trained kids of many ages, but she is a prodigy, she is no woman to keep away, she is a woman that craves battle. Like your mother, Emperor."

And so, Zariel continued to train day and night, honing her skills as a warrior. She would dreams to become one of the greatest fighters in the land, and her name to be remembered for generations to come.