Arnum kept his sword held in front of himself, but with each swing from the old man, his guard was broken and all he could do was recover just to barely block the next swing. This guy was relentless. He only used one arm to swing, leaving his other hand in his pocket as he completely overwhelmed the youth in front of him. Karl, Camille, and Clara, who's wounds were healed with magic last night before going to bed, had been watching him closely. They didn't see much potential from this display as all he was doing was blocking instead of taking action, but it seemed he did have an instinctual level of skill with guarding since he was in a proper stance, indicating he had some experience with a weapon and using it for defense. Arnum grunted as each swing got stronger all of a sudden. More strength was put into it, and it staggered the young man. He lost his footing, but moved his leg back and swung his sword in response to make sure that Kristopher didn't take advantage of his broken stance. His eyes widened, and he quickly changed into a defensive stance, blocking the boy's swing. Arnum stood back a few inches away, and regained his composure. His sword still held in front of him, he waited for a response. Kristopher smiled and let out a hearty laugh.
"Ha! I see now! You do have some potential. You clearly have the instincts all warriors possess. You merely need some more teaching to heighten your senses and skills. This will be entertaining to see your growth!" He said, giving praise to Arnum which the boy was surprised by. He did not know where it came from, but nonetheless, he could see that his new teacher was more interested in helping him. He smiled. The rest of the day was filled with constant fighting, the two would cross swords throughout the many hours that followed. Soon after ten o'clock at night, the other three that watched in the shade went to sleep, but Arnum and Kristopher remained awake. After it struck midnight, the two laid down their swords and sat down in sand. They crossed their legs and sat across from one another with their hands resting on their legs.
"What are we doing now?" Asked the boy. He was hushed, and ordered to close his eyes and have his head facing downward. A sigh escaped Kristopher's lips. With his eyes still closed he held his head up. "This is meditation. We will be using this to help bring out your inner potential by yourself. I can only bring out so much. So, after an hour of mediation, then we will resume our battle, then train in Dragon God's Lament until we become tired. By that time the rest should be awake and we can eat. Do you understand?"
The boy nodded. He knew that he could easily try to go to sleep in this position but he was serious by what he said. He could not go back on his word, so he did as directed. The way mediation worked in this world was more about using the mana contained inside the person, and essentially removing the locks that the soul had placed onto the person in order to release that mana. It was all about willpower in this situation. The only way to help with the process is taking the mana from the outside world and bringing it inward. Arnum couldn't feel anything about himself changing. He did not even know how many locks were placed on himself. He just knew that with each one being removed, he could gain access to latent power. It seemed that this was the real first step to his training. That fighting just moments ago was just practice. This was the real deal. Arnum stayed in this position for what felt like hours. He was then tapped on the shoulder, and he looked up to see Kristopher standing over him.
"It is time, my apprentice."
Arnum nodded, and stood up. He retrieved his sword and prepared himself for the next battle.
Kristopher did the same, and he dashed for Arnum. Upon seeing the swing, Arnum quickly moved to the side and swung his sword down, bringing the blade to the ground. He used the pommel and struck Kristopher in the chest. He stopped back and looked at Arnum with a smirk. He retaliated with a much faster swing, and Arnum just barely blocked it. "Ha ha! You have unlocked one of your locks! I didn't expect this much improvement, I must admit!" He said, and prepared for another swing. Arnum could feel that his reaction speed had gotten a bit better. But he knew this wasn't enough to fight on par with a master like Kristopher. After another hour of this, they stopped. Kristopher had finally begun to teach the ways of Dragon God's Lament. Apparently, not many people can handle the training of practicing this style, so intense training before even learning the style for a long amount of time was important. He could not possibly understand the extent that people had to go through in order to become an expert at this, but he knew he had to get as much practice in as he could before the week was up. Arnum gripped his sword and stood side by side with Kristopher. The two would practice a multitude of different sword swings. The basics of the style revolved around swings that were both powerful and incredibly fast. Kristopher had to slow himself down to show how each swing was executed and Arnum had to try his best to keep up when the man got serious.
"This kind of stuff is pretty intense."
"Indeed. But do not worry. By the time we are done, you should be ready to fight against the Black Beasts. Be sure to not doubt yourself."
"I won't. I'm getting a handle of this pretty well."
Arnum and Kristopher went over the basics for a few hours, and then commenced the next round of fighting until the three from before came out to watch. Luckily, they came out with some food for them to dine on. Clara folded her arms and looked up at Arnum. "How is your training? Regretting your decision on not sleeping? I bet you want to sleep in a nice, comfy bed right now." She spoke with this high and mighty tone. Arnum drank the juice that was contained in a large jug.
He drank the entire thing after everyone poured themselves a drink. "Nah. I'm fine with my decision. Lady Camille, is there any magic that can heighten stamina?"
"Hmm… I believe so. I think there's a book in the library I can study. Why do you ask?"
"I don't intend on asking you to cast it while I'm training. I would like you to cast it right before I leave for the attack on the Black Beasts."
"You can't be serious! You are taking advantage of my mother, you fool!" Clara said, completely misunderstanding the situation. She drew her dagger and swung it at the boy, who caught it with the hilt of his sword. He sighed and moved away after grabbing a piece of chicken on the table. He took all the meat he could off the bone and dropped it into a trash bin. He held his sword in front of Kristopher, and they commenced their battle.
"I can't believe him. Barely even a full day has passed since we slept and he's already able to block my attack… with just his hilt?" Clara asked herself. She couldn't believe this. Karl looked over at his daughter and chuckled, along his wife who sat next to him. Camille would look at the boy, and she smiled. "I can tell how seriously he is taking this. The boy is making sure he holds his word the best he can before he must depart. That must explain why he only wanted a day of rest and planning before the next day. He might not look it, but it is obvious he has some talent as a tactician. I do wonder where he hails from. It is clear that he is not of this world."
"Yes. It is obvious that the world he lived in is unlike ours. He seemed to have lived a peaceful life prior to arriving. Although, maybe this world could open the doors to what he is meant to be? Or… is there a reason why he arrived? So many questions … so little time." Said Kris.
Clara was completely enthralled with the battle, so she couldn't hear what her parents were saying. All she could do was watch. He seemed alarmingly calm for someone fighting a trained swordsman; the best one she knew since she was a child. If she blinked, she knew that she would miss something. The girl looked down at the dagger still in hand, she gripped it and grit her teeth. A lively fire started in her heart, one that began to bloom.
Something else stirred within her.
The longer she witnessed this, the larger the fire grew and became more wild.
Arnum slammed his foot into the ground, dug it into the sand, and brought his sword downward with great strength. Kristopher blocked the strike and moved back, then retaliated with a swing of his own from the side. Arnum turned his foot, and vaulted over the blade, spinning around in the air, and then swung his sword. Another block, another swing, another block, another swing. This repetition went on for many minutes. The two swung in unison. Now locked in a power struggle, the two stared in each other's eyes. They were reading one another through the contact. To see if one would move back to try for another swing, or to see if one would overpower the other and bring the other down. Kristopher was gaining the upper hand. Arnum was then brought to one knee, but did not dare wish to lose the struggle no matter the odds stacked against him. He slowly stood back up, little by little, and finally regained his footing. Arnum directed his blade to move the swords off to the side. The two leaned in, and their heads touched. The boy would move his head back, and slammed it into the forehead of his teacher. Kristopher moved back, clearly disoriented. Arnum took this opportunity to attack him.
It happened so fast he couldn't register it until a few seconds later. His sword was stopped…
"With just your hand?"
A smile curved upon Kristopher's lips.
"You think I wouldn't have prepared for this? I'm old, you know. I've seen it all." He said.
Arnum's eyes widened, and he was kicked in the chest. He fell to the ground with a thud. This was something familiar: the tip of a blade held at his throat. The boy slowly stood up and that smile on Kristopher's lips was still there on his face. "I will say though… I was surprised that you got back up. You got some strength in your arms and legs." Kristopher spoke, sheathing his sword.
"Track and field at school helped with that. I had some time at the gym there too for a bit when my friends were up to it. I guess all that amounted to something besides passing my required classes down with."
Kristopher, Camille, Karl, and Clara had no idea what he just said.
The two would sit back down and resume their meditation.
"They are already working on bringing out his inner beast." Said Karl.
"Inner beast?" Asked Clara.
"Not an actual beast. I'm merely referring to the well of mana he has yet to release. There are ten locks that the soul and body subconsciously place within. Not many people are aware of this so they live their lives without knowing their true capabilities. Arnum has already removed one of them in such a short amount of time and it is easy to tell that the results were greater than what was expected." Explained Karl. He looked at Clara who was clearly showing irritation in her face. She had this feeling radiating off of her that concerned her parents. They looked at each other and sighed together. "Train with them."
Her father looked at her in the eyes as he said it. Clara's eyes opened with shock and awe. She stood up and looked at her father. "Really?" She asked. Karl nodded and smiled.
"However… you must abide by the same rules at Arnum, and must assist him in the battle against the Black Beasts." Karl demanded. Clara grew anxious. She did not know if she could actually go through with this. But, seeing that human grow stronger each passing hour so quickly made her jealous. She wanted to be strong as well, so she sat down with them and meditated alongside the two.
"You wish to train as well? I see. Luckily for you, there is a way of teaching those of Dragon God's Lament that use daggers. Do not worry, Clara, for you will be strong like Arnum." Said Kristopher. Clara still had her doubts, but she nodded and resumed her concentration. After a few hours passed, night soon made itself known to the three. Karl and Camille went to sleep. Clara and Arnum fought each other as they returned to their rooms. Kristopher sat down on a chair and watched the two battle it out. "Damn. I wasn't even sure I could go these next few days without sleep. With Clara here… I can finally get some rest. I'll definitely teach them more of Dragon God's Lament. Before long… they'll be masters." He thought to himself. As the night was still young, the two stood side by side and were practicing their swings. Arnum was able to practice on a wooden dummy, while Clara had to be directed on the swings, like Arnum did initially. She got the hang of it rather quickly, and soon went on to practice on a dummy as well. As the two of them wailed on their wooden practice partners, a smile once again appeared on Kristopher's lips. He felt a sense of accomplishment. The two were learning at about the same rate. While Clara may have begun training a day late, she was already catching up to Arnum. "Kurei! Do you have any family? You must have left someone behind when you came here!" Asked Kristopher. Arnum, while he swung his sword, nodded in response.
"Yeah. I just got done with school, and I lived with my mom and dad. I have an older sister who is studying overseas. I hope that they are okay. I left at a bad time. My parents went on vacation to the same country my sister is at, so they chose to visit her for two weeks." Arnum said.
Kristopher put his hand on his chin and said, "Hmm. What do they do?"
"My mom is an assistant to the CEO of some company. She is supposed to be promoted soon. My dad is a police officer. They are kind of like the guards you have here that uphold the law and catch criminals."
"I see. You must love your family, I'm guessing? This is the last question I'll ask before we continue on to something else."
"Yep. My family is pretty close. We always play games every weekend and talk all the time, and we eat together. I wouldn't give them up for anything. They are the best." Arnum reminisced of this family the more he talked about them. He stopped swinging his sword and a tear rolled down his cheek, and dropped into the sand below his feet. He rubbed his eyes and shook his head. "I'll… I'll see them again. I swear it."
After drying his tears, Clara and Arnum faced a wall with multiple targets painted on. It was riddled with scratches, holes, and the colors were dulled. These have been used for quite a long time. Kristopher stood behind them.
"Since one of your locks have been removed, then you should have a decent level of control with mana. Concentrate it into your palm and fire it at the targets. These have been used for a long time so they will be replaced… destroy them completely and your magic training will be complete for the time being. Remember: concentrate your mana into your palm and release it outward. You must imagine what it will look like, and then you will be able to do the rest."
Kristopher then sat back down in the chair and observed them. Arnum held out his hand, and Clara did the same. The two concentrated as hard as they could but to no avail. In just a few minutes they already felt like giving up. Arnum turned around, and he heard a gasp, then an explosion. "I did it!" Clara exclaimed. She jumped up and down in excitement. Arnum looked back and saw that one of the targets was completely destroyed. His eyes widened in shock. "How did you do that?!" Asked Arnum.
"I don't even know. I think I just visualized what I wanted to make, and it shot out as this green ball!" She answered.
Arnum faced the target, and held out his hand immediately. He was more motivated than ever upon getting this kind of news. He closed his eyes, and visualized a ball. He hears another gasp, and opened his eyes. An orb did not appear, but something was still made. It was a spike with jagged edges, and it was pitch black. His eyes widened, and the spike shot forward, destroying two of the targets. He looked at his hand. He had no idea what just happened, but if that got a reaction out of Kristopher, then it must have been something he hadn't seen before… or maybe he reacted for a different reason. He became skeptical, but regained his strong composure. This made him stand up and approach Arnum. He placed a hand on his shoulder. "What you did just now… you cannot show it to anyone outside of this house. Not when the Black Beast Clan. Try not to use magic when you fight."
Arnum didn't understand. Kristopher was worried? Why did it matter that he used it against the Black Beasts? He couldn't understand this. Despite his confusion, he nodded and they resumed their training. Clara stood there, unsure of what to do. But she tried her best to focus on her training with Arnum. Though, in the back of her mind, she was cautious of her training partner. The two would continue fighting and learning Dragon God's Lament while also meditating for the next two days. There were still a few more days to go.
A man in armor walked down the hallway of the house, and knocked on a door. A voice called in response, and he opened the door. "Sir Karl and Madam Camille! Word of the Black Beast Clan has arrived! We have seen multiple guards slain in the forest! We assume that an attack is coming soon! It might even be before Sir Arnum and Lady Clara are finished training!" He exclaimed loudly.
"What?!" Karl yelled. Camille held a hand over her mouth. Neither of them could believe the news they just heard. Carl opened the blinds of a window, and looked down at the two fighting Kristopher as a duo. "We must hasten this. If we don't, then the village will be done for as well, not just our family. After today, we will halt their training, and will devise a strategy." Karl continued, then looked back at the guard. He nodded in confirmation, and closed the door as he left the room.
"Damn. This was unexpected."
Beyond the training ground, he looked to the mountains. Down at the base of it, he could see a cave entrance. As he looked at it, he could feel something stare back. This made him close the blinds, and step away in terror. "Please… Arnum… Clara… get as strong as you can."