The next day Cealum could not escape hunting training. Night had fallen on the forest of Arkhadia, shrouding the trees in a cloak of darkness. The song of the nocturnal creatures echoed through the woods, an eerie murmur that seemed to grow louder with every step Caelum, Aldric, and Lyra took. The group advanced silently, their senses on high alert.
They were no longer in the relative safety of the shelter, but deep in a dense and dangerous forest, far from any protection. Aldric and Lyra had decided that this was the perfect time to teach Caelum how to hunt and fight one of the most fearsome creatures on this world. An Arkhadian carnivore was not simply an animal, it was a force of nature, a beast as old as the planet itself, and as deadly as a weapon.
Caelum, despite the tension that tightened his shoulders, felt an excitement rising in him. Tonight was a rite of passage, a crucial step in his journey. He knew that if he could overcome this ordeal, he would be one step closer to mastering the skills necessary to survive and protect his people.
Aldric took the lead of the group, scanning the darkness for signs of the creature. "A carnivore from Arkhadia is extremely intelligent, the one we hunt is a Noxferus, it is diurnal." He explained in a low voice, his eyes scanning the ground for tracks. "It is as fast as it is silent. You must be ready to react at any moment."
Lyra, who brought up the rear, watched Caelum carefully. She knew that this training would be difficult, perhaps even dangerous, but she had confidence in his abilities. The young prince had proven time and time again that he was capable of surpassing himself, of overcoming fear to achieve his goals.
They walked for several minutes before Aldric suddenly stopped, holding up a hand to signal the others to freeze. He crouched down, examined the ground, and pointed to a barely visible footprint in the damp earth. "It's close," he whispered.
Caelum knelt beside him, studying the footprint. It was huge, much larger than he had expected. The shape of the paw, with its sharp claws digging deep into the ground, indicated a predator perfectly suited to hunting.
"Stay focused," Aldric whispered as he stood up. "A single mistake could cost you your life."
They continued on, the silence of the forest growing more and more oppressive. Every rustle of leaves, every crack of branches seemed to amplify the tense atmosphere. Finally, they came to a small clearing lit by the pale light of Arkhadia's moons. Aldric stopped at the edge of the trees, his gaze fixed on the darkness beyond the clearing.
"He's here," he whispered.
Caelum squinted, trying to discern something in the shadows, but all he could see was a shapeless mass, an imperceptible movement. But he knew Aldric was right. He could almost feel the carnivore's presence, an aura of danger and menace emanating from the darkness.
Aldric handed him one of his slightly curved double swords. "This is your fight, Caelum. We'll be here if things go wrong, but you must show that you can defend yourself."
Caelum gripped the sword's hilt, feeling the familiar weight in his hand. He took a deep breath and slowly advanced toward the center of the clearing, every muscle tensed, ready to react. It was completely silent now, not a sound, not even the whisper of wind.
Suddenly, the noxferus leapt out of the darkness, a flash of fur and fangs. The creature was even larger and more terrifying than Caelum had imagined. Its eyes glowed with a fierce gleam, and its powerful jaw snapped shut with a sinister snap.
Caelum rolled to the side just in time to avoid the attack, straightening up quickly, sword at the ready. The carnivore landed with surprising agility, turning immediately to face its opponent. Caelum knew he had to keep his cool. Fear was a weapon the beast could sense, and he must not show it any weakness.
He remembered Aldric's lessons: a carnivore in Arkhadia always attacked at the throat or belly, looking to bring down its prey quickly. Caelum had to use the speed and precision he had developed with the dual swords to counter this brute force.
The creature leapt again, and this time, Caelum was ready. He lunged forward, striking with the sword. The metal met the beast's thick hide, but it only managed to scratch it. The carnivore let out a grunt of pain and rage, spinning around with blinding speed to try to grab Caelum with his claws.
Caelum backed away quickly, but not quickly enough to completely avoid the attack. One of the carnivore's claws grazed his arm, tearing the fabric and leaving a thin line of blood. He winced, but didn't have time to dwell on the pain. The beast was upon him, its jaws snapping mere inches from his face.
Focusing on Aldric's teachings, Caelum leapt back, dodging the attack, and immediately counterattacked, this time aiming for the creature's head. The sword cut through the air with a hiss, but the beast turned away at the last moment, avoiding the killing blow.
Aldric and Lyra, still standing back, watched the fight with intense attention, ready to intervene if necessary. But they knew that Caelum would have to fight alone to overcome this ordeal.
The carnivore, frustrated by its repeated failures, took a few steps back, its gaze fixed on Caelum. There was intelligence in those eyes, a recognition of the threat this opponent posed. The beast then changed tactics, attacking faster, more unpredictably.
Caelum did his best to dodge, parrying the blows with his sword, but he felt his strength waning. Each movement became more laborious, each attack harder to counter. He knew he couldn't keep up this pace forever.
The creature leapt once more, this time aiming for Caelum's belly with deadly precision. But at the last moment, he managed to deflect the beast's course with a swing of his second sword, unbalancing it just enough to give it an opening.
With a cry of determination, Caelum drove his sword into the carnivore's exposed side, the blade sinking deep into the flesh. The creature let out a shrill howl, a mixture of pain and anger, and staggered back. But before it could recover from the attack, Caelum delivered the final blow, his second sword slicing through the air and slamming down on the beast's neck.
The creature collapsed heavily to the ground, its breath turning into a strangled rattle. Caelum stepped back, panting, his entire body shaking with exhaustion and adrenaline. He had defeated one of Arkhadia's most fearsome predators, single-handedly.
Aldric stepped closer, placing a reassuring hand on Caelum's shoulder. "You fought well," he said simply, but his gaze was filled with pride.
Lyra joined the young prince as well, her warm smile lighting up the night. "You are stronger than you think, Caelum." »
The boy nodded, too tired to answer. He felt drained, but also strangely at peace. He had faced his fears, and emerged victorious. But more than that, he understood now that strength lay not only in mastering weapons, but also in overcoming the challenges that lay before him.
That night, as they returned to the shelter under a starry sky, Caelum felt closer than ever to his destiny, ready to face the challenges that lay ahead.