[Chapter Size: 2200 Words.]
Third Person POV
Cintra, northern kingdoms.
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Madara followed Sir Varys Current through the corridors of the castle with the wizard and the royal guard, Sir Charles, accompanying them to the courtyard, exclusively for the training of the kingdom's elite.
He was struck by the open space in the middle of the castle, where men were training against each other at the moment, mainly some royal guards honing their techniques, but not many, after all, some were on their shift guarding the queen and the princess.
Sir Varys appeared while some quickly stopped their training to greet him with the castle's master-at-arms.
"Sir Varys," the man greeted him.
"Sir Bartholomew." The Lord Commander greeted the master-at-arms back. "I'm here to see this boy in action, I hope I'm not disturbing." He commented.
"Certainly not, Sir," he said, paying attention to Madara wearing noble clothes but unknown, there were many squires around, watching their knights fight while preparing things for them. "Is this the new castle dweller? The one I've heard so much about in the last few hours, if he's here with you and Lord Mousesack, it means he really is this." The man said.
Madara just looked at him and said nothing. But Sir Varys didn't want to waste more time. "Come on, boy, let's see if you are everything Lord Mousesack says you are," the man said as they approached the place where swords and other weapons were laid out for them to train. Madara nodded silently while following.
"You can choose any weapon," Sir Varys spoke in front of the shelf filled with different types of weapons: hammers, axes, swords, daggers, among others.
Madara felt, picking up a short sword with simple iron, while the man analyzed what he would pick. "You can use your personal sword." Madara spoke while pointing with his gaze to the sword at his waist.
Sir Varys raised an eyebrow at that, "You will first have to prove to me if you are worthy of making me draw this weapon before." He said with a small smile. "Come here." He took a bastard sword and started walking to a circle in the middle of the courtyard that was not being used.
Madara followed him, standing in front of him, all the royal guards who were training got a bit curious about it, stopping fighting and seeing what their Lord Commander was doing, some not yet knowing who the child was and this raised a doubt why the Lord Commander was apparently having a sparring with the boy.
"A new squire?" One man asked.
"No... The Lord Commander is already training a member of his family." Another replied.
"That boy is someone the queen herself invited to the castle, I don't know much about it, but he seems to be an apprentice of Mousesack and was seen walking with Princess Cirilla." Another replied, adding more gossip among them.
The windows began to fill with curious looks from the servants, while in the center of everyone's attention, Madara looked at the Lord Commander as he prepared to fight, while the latter nodded, liking the pose and the stance of the boy. "You have a great stance there, looks even a bit experienced," the man studied him.
Madara did not respond, just staying silent, while his opponent remained calm, Mousesack was looking with interest next to the other royal guard who apparently didn't like Madara much at the entrance of the place, wanting to see the fight.
"OK, let's start then, boy. Show me your true skills, I want to see why Lord Mousesack trusts you so much in you." The Lord Commander got into guard while raising his sword and Madara did the same.
Madara was not a person who attacked blindly, so he waited for the man's first move, who also had a certain pride, not wanting to be the first to attack. However, seeing that the boy remained silent, he launched an attack. The boy did not counter with the sword, but moved his body to the side, dodging the blade, while counterattacking in the opening that was created. But the Lord Commander was not a simple man, he quickly began to parry the sword with a quick shot returning to his position without openings before Madara could touch him.
"Hm?! So quick!" A royal guard knight exclaimed to the boy.
"Who is this kid?" Another said.
While the squires waiting to see that strange boy fallen on the ground, were shocked by Madara's initial skill.
After that first move, both began to parry each other's sword, as the man and the boy moved their feet in that circle with a dance of metals, Sir Varys, initially surprised by the boy's precision, began to crack a small smile while parrying the attacks, loving doing this, as he saw he could let loose a bit against the child and began to move his sword with more force.
"This kid is incredible," Sir Varys murmured, looking at Madara, who moved his short sword at high speed against a man as experienced as him. Even letting loose a bit, the boy was keeping up with his skills.
Even the other people around the courtyard were surprised by this, because the battle began to intensify: swords cutting sideways, from above, thrusting, while one blade clashed against another, generating a peculiar sound, showing that this child was not just anyone. There was no side winning in this combat, neither of them gave in, as the blades danced among themselves.
"You are good, boy, as good as any royal guard. I never imagined seeing such skill in a child," the man had to compliment, while parrying Madara's attacks, trying to counterattack, as Madara defended and even used his body to dodge.
Mandara had not activated his Sharingan, and this limited him quite a bit, feeling a bit of pressure seeing that, although he was still faster than the older man, he lost in strength at the moment. But this did not guarantee victory on the other side as they parried sword against sword.
Princess Cirilla appeared at this moment, with a guard following her as she was practically running to the training field. "Go, Madara!" she yelled, drawing the attention of some people. "You can beat him, kick him!" She cheered, excited for Madara, and looking with shining eyes as she saw him fighting.
"Princess, this is not appropriate," the royal guard beside her spoke sternly, who was an older man, it was not appropriate for the princess to cheer for an unknown in favor of victory over the own Lord Commander of the Royal Guard of Cintra.
"Who cares?! Look at him! He's fighting a Varys in a deadly battle!" She jumped and exclaimed, excited.
The man just sighed, but was also impressed with the child fighting against his Lord Commander at that moment.
"As expected of the boy, impressive. No wonder he has accomplished so much in so little time." Mousesack commented next to Sir. Charles.
In one of the windows, Queen Calanthe appeared, looking out onto the training field as Madara was in a fight, drawing everyone's attention around.
"Haha, look at this boy," Eist Tuirseach spoke next to her, satisfied as he saw the boy fighting and holding his own against the kingdom's greatest soldier.
"Just as Mousesack said, this boy must not be human..." Calanthe couldn't help but comment, since no child could fight with such intensity against an experienced and powerful warrior.
"Look at this battle, Calanthe. Have you ever imagined a child fighting like this? It's incredible. But he certainly isn't a monster, after all, he uses blades and refined sword skills, I just wonder where he learned to fight like this... I'd love to exchange blows with my axe later with the child," The man said.
"That's very much like you," she teased as she returned her gaze to the fight, with a small smile. "If he is all that, I hope Mousesack is right, then Siri will be well protected," She commented, at least with that, her granddaughter would be safe.
The fight continued as the crowd grew, and Mandaram continued to amaze everyone with his incredible fencing ability. The swords clashed and created a music on that field, that until the Lord Commander stepped back a bit, with a satisfied small smile.
"You've proved to be much more than I imagined, boy. I never imagined having a fight like this, against a child," he said. Although not defining a winner, he still had a slight advantage but did not try to finish the fight because that was not the intention. He just wanted to see if the boy really had the capacity as they said.
Mandaram also had not activated his Sharingan, so he didn't care much about appearing as a loser to the people around, and it's not as if it was shameful to lose to an adult when you are a child. Madara, seeing the older man sheathing his sword, did the same, lowering his.
"You really passed the test, boy. I hope Cintra benefits from your sword, after all, I can't see what kind of man you will become, being just a child and having such skill.
"You were amazing, Madara!" Princess Cirilla yelled and jumped from one corner, also wanting to be like that.
Madara went to the weapon rack and stored his sword. He looked at the older man. "I hope to have a more interesting fight with you another time, I'll use my real sword next, now I will leave you with Mousesack," he said as he also stored the weapon he used. "I will have to continue training with my men now, we'll meet later, boy," he said and Madara nodded, heading to Mousesack beside Sir Charles.
Sir Varys began to give orders to his men who were just looking on. "Stop gawking and let's start training again," he shouted, and everyone began to move.
Madara approached Mousesack who looked pleased. "You fought well, boy. Although I doubt you would lose if you used all your power, still our Lord Commander seems satisfied and you impressed him," he said, knowing that Madara had special eyes and that he did not activate them in the fight.
Madara nodded, and before he could say anything, Cirilla already appeared by his side. "It was incredible!" she yelled as she grabbed his arm. "Can I be like that too?" she asked Mousesack, who just smiled a bit, nodding his head to the very energetic girl.
"Maybe," he commented, "but for now, you should first return to your studies," he said, making the girl look with a strange and discouraged face.
"But it's so boring," she commented.
"Then it's settled," he joked. "Come, Madara, let's start studying, since I know you need to learn our language," he said, asking for Madara and the princess, seeing that, was surprised.
"Wait, I also want to study," she said, seeing that Madara was going there and she wanted to stay with him. After all, Madara was not like the children she usually had to be around, who were generally spoiled and arrogant.
"Great, if the princess wants to join us in study, it's fine," Mousesack nodded with satisfaction, after all, this was a good reason for the princess to finally start studying as she should, while he led the way with the two children and Cirilla's royal guard followed.
"Is this appropriate Lord Mousesack..." Sir Charles said. Since this was the princess of the kingdom and the boy, despite looking like a monster with a weapon, was a stranger.
"Yes, it's all right and the queen is already aware of this," Mousesack spoke calmly, continuing to walk towards the castle.
"This is a good way to finally make her study," Eist Tuirseach commented from the window, looking at the children leaving with the mage.
"I'm surprised, but if this is the only way to finally make my granddaughter start studying... then it's fine," Calanthe commented, despite being a bit unsatisfied.
Madara did not decline Mousesack's invitation, having the chance to finally learn the language of the north. He followed to a room where Mousesack had a vast collection of books and which was not his laboratory. There were some chairs where he asked Madara to sit, who walked to one and sat down, while Cirilla quickly sat next to him, following him like a puppy. The royal guard remained outside, since the mage would be teaching the princess, despite not liking much a stranger being with her as Lord Charles had questioned, but had to accept it.
Madara began to learn the basics from this moment, and he spent hours with Cirilla, despite her asking him various things outside of what they were learning. He absorbed quite a bit. Mousesack also saw how quick the boy was to learn and it wouldn't take long for him to master the language, especially when the boy activated his red eyes.