Aunty Sara charged for me and swung at me with her sword and I blocked but she was too fast, before I could blink, she swept her legs from under me, sending me crashing onto the ground, it has been two weeks of hard, vigorous training with Aunty Sara, she showed no pity in training, though I knew it was important but I was starting to want to take a break.
"I need water, just water" I pleaded and Aunty Sara gave me the stink eye.
"You don't need water now, boy" she said and pointed her sword at me, "Focus!"
She charged again, and this time, the training she gave me kicked in as he brought down her sword and I blocked and countered, back and front we went, then I remembered a trick she taught me, as she shifted her weight, i feigned a thrust at her stomach then attempted to swipe her legs from under her, but she saw the move and jumped, but that was what I wanted her to do, as she landed on her feet, slammed the hilt of the sword across her mouth, she stumbled back and I dropped my sword in guilt.
"I am so sorry I...…" I said, but she smiled.
"That's alright, Liam, you are a fast learner, we might have finished in a week or so, I'm gonna be sending you on real training, not this , you will meet real monsters, then die" she said and I glanced at her nervously.
"You are not joking about this death stuff are you" I asked and she smiled at me sadly
"Jeez! What kind of people are you? I get to die before I get to an heavenly abode for warriors who butcher each other at first sight in war games, that's crazy" I said, and Aunty Sara burst out laughing
"This is what you call crazy? You haven't even started Liam. I can assure you that" Aunty Sara said and I groaned.
* * *
I balefully chewed down my breakfast of scrambled eggs and bacon, Aunty Sara sipped a glass of wine.
"I have never heard of anyone talk of my mom" I blurted out, Aunty Sara drank the whole wine in a gulp and didn't answer
"I said...."
"I heard you kid" she retorted and shoved a glass of wine at me, "Finish your food and come along I have things to tell and show you. She stood up and stormed out, I shoveled the remaining eggs into my mouth and drank the wine and rushed to the fields we used for training, Aunty Sara stood at a cave and motioned for me to follow. I jogged up to her and we entered the cave, we walked deeper until we got to a dead end, Aunty Sara pressed a panel in the wall an the wall opened and shifted revealing an armory, we walked in and I stare at the hundreds of weapons stashed in here, Aunty Sara walked up to me and gave me a ring, I glare at her.
"Proposing to a younger boy?" I teased and Aunty Sara slapped me hard. The sound echoed in the armory
"That ring is a magical item boy, it is more than a ring, it is a lost sword, a weapon of beauty and mass destruction like you father's hammer but it has been dormant as ring, this ring will never be a sword, until it finds someone worthy" she explained and I glared at her,
"Fine! But you didn't have to slap me, you must not do that again Aunt Sara" I said and she narrowed her eyes and grabbed her sword hilt, I closed my eyes and the sky darkened and thunder boomed, "Now tell me who my mother was" I whispered.
"Are you threatening me. Boy!" She challenge, "Look here Liam, I don't really know your mom, all Thor told me is that she is in trouble and you need to rescue her"
I nodded sadly and she grabbed my shoulder and stared at me, "I believe in you Liam, I have trained generation of heroes, but I have never seen one as worthy as you" she said
I stared at her: "You said generations, how old are you Aunty Sara," I asked and she grinned.
"I am One thousand, one hundred and fifty one years old" she said, I stared at her in shock, she laughed when she saw my face, " You should...." She stopped and stood then she tackled me hard as something whizzed past my ear I turned to see a creature holding sword on his hand, other creatures dropped in as well surrounding me and Aunty Sara, she turned to me,
"I'll give you an opening, run when I do" she said.
"I am not leaving you to fight this things alone" I said watching as more of this creatures came, it seemed like they haven't feasted in eons if they wanted me this bad, i flipped the ring but nothing happened and grabbed a spare sword, I stared at Aunty Sara, then we charged, Aunty Sara training kicked in and i sidestepped as one brought his claw for my face and cut off his hand, the creature grabbed for me but I slipped away and stabbed the creature through the belly, Aunty Sara was a whirlpool of destruction, the creatures fell left and right but she left her back unprotected and one of them kicked her hard sending her flying, this particular one seemed more muscular and bigger than others it roared out in challenge and charged for Aunty Sara, I yelled out and a blast of lightning hit the unsuspecting creature who obliterated to Ashes in my eyes, Aunty Sara jumped to her feet like a cat and we faced the remaining and charged, Aunty Sara spun round taking down monsters as they swarmed around us, I closed my eye and with a roar, the sky darkened and lightning rained down obliterating any monster within range of where I was, but the action weakened me and I collapsed, Aunty knelt beside me in concern then a Creature sneaked behind her.
"Watch out!" I yelled, but it was too late, the creature stabbed her in the back with a knife, drawing the last of my strength, I cut off the creature head
* * *
I sat beside the sleeping form of Aunty Sara. I had carried her( I don't know how) to the house and tended to her wound while she gave me instructions. As soon as I finished tending to her wounds she had fallen asleep.
I glanced at the window, watching, it wasn't safe for me here anymore, those monsters had surely come for me and I knew as long as I stayed here, I was endangering the life of Auntie Sara and Grandma Ann. I wished I could see my mom, I was sure a mother would know what to advise in this kind of situation.
Aunty Sara opened her eyes and stared at me proudly, but I didn't feel good, I felt guilty, like this was all my fault.
"I am so sorry, I ...…."
"Shut up brat" Aunty Sara interrupted and scowled at me. "You did well Kid, but I know what you are thinking, you want to go out into the world, and find Valhallal" she said, I nodded and Aunty frowned.
"You haven't finished your training" she said and I rolled my eyes
"I know, But if I stay here, they will attack again, what if they attacked Grandma Ann.
"I heard that" Grandma said and i smiled and I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep, and sure. I dreamt.