TBATE- A force to be reckoned with

Spar?

By nightfall, when the once distant mountain range doubled in size, we stopped near a cluster of boulders to make camp. It was a good place with rocks blocking off nearly all of the wind and a multitude of fallen branches to use as fuel for the fire.

The worst thing about this body is the amount of sleep it requires, even after sleeping for most of the way I still felt drowsy.

After setting up the campfire father and mother began conversing about the twin horns, me and Art sat at one log alone when Helen sat down between and say nonchalantly, "I heard your old man say that the two of you are prodigies in magic.....have you two truly awakened?"

Arthur replied to this by the truth. She began asking how we felt after awakening and what color our core was, by this time the others have been eaves dropping and Adam asked," Hey Reynold's, do you mind if I test the kids?"

Seriously, normal three year old's would be going up stairs with alternation steps and test balancing on one foot for several seconds

The others weren't too bothered with the idea of having a mock battle with a 3 year old kid.

After hesitating for a bit my father just replied with, "Alright, but be careful. I haven't had the chance to teach him how to properly fight yet. We've just been doing light strength and mana exercises 'til now."

Adam got up from his log and picked up a short stick and said, "Haha, lets see what you kids are made of"

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Retrieving the wooden short swords I had gotten as my birthday present we followed Adam near a clearing at the edge of the camp.

"You both know how to reinforce your weapon right prodigies?" he asked.

The two of us stood side by side inspecting the man standing 5 meters away from us. Flashbacks of my past life dueling representatives and taking down to be assassins for the King came to my mind as my eyes narrowed only focusing on the enemy and my body went to my old stance.

I willed mana into my legs and swords and dashed forward as fast as I could with a with my swords held in front of me, one ready to slash, the other, to stab, from the corner of my eye I noticed Arthur doing the same with his sword held tight in both hands.

Still with the smug look Adam prepared to block the two swings, he blocked the slash but that left him open for the stab so I thrust forward, Arthur meanwhile performed a feint and a special footwork I had only ever seen one person do flawlessly, but he couldn't perform it so perfectly and blinked to his right, Adam who was busy blocking my stab couldn't move in time, while my sword continued its path towards his exposed neck, his expression turned to one of shock. 

That's right you cant avoid both attacks.

Oh, how wrong I was

In a split-second he pivoted his right foot in with near inhuman speed and proceeded and upward swing on Art, while the other side of his stick came to strike me, I couldn't move in time and had to block it awkwardly, even then I couldn't stop it from throwing me back a few metres. On the other hand Arthur dodged it and hit his left ankle hard, this seemed to unbalance him for a moment before he performed a full on split, followed by a roundhouse sweep with his legs.

Adam swung his wooden stick towards him again while I went to attack his open side, I didn't see what exactly happened but Arthur flew towards the ground skidding with as much grace as a flat rock on a lake.

That looks like it hurt....a lot.

On the bright side I managed a hit to his ribs.

A few seconds of silence followed suit with seven shocked faces looking at us.

Mother was the first to recover, she rushed towards Arthur seeing he was the most injured and cast a healing spell over him, not long after she came to me asking if I was hurt which I wasn't so I didn't need a spell. 

Glimpsing to Adam I noticed Durden thumping his head with enough strength to make him stumble forward.

That's what you get for trying to show dominance against two 3 year old supposed genius kids.

Adam's voice cuts through my thoughts, "Haven't taught them how to fight, my ass! What kind of Hellish training did you make them go through?" he groaned, still rubbing his head.

"I didn't teach them that", my father managed to speak.

He shook his head and came next to us asking if we were ok. 

"I'm fine dad" I replied, Arthur just shook his head.

He picked Arthur up and went to pick me up as well but I just replied that I could walk by myself.

He placed Arthur where we were sitting before,  I followed him and sat beside my twin.

"Boys, where did you learn to fight like that?"

"I learned by reading the books and watching you dad" Arthur replied non-chalantly.

Father seemingly satisfied with this answer turned towards me.

"I just went by my instinct and randomly performed the hits" I replied.

Somehow I felt saying "You see, I was the King's right hand man who dueled in his place multiple times as his representative from a   world where diplomatic and international issues are settled by battles. I just happened to be reincarnated as your son... Surprised?" wouldn't sit well with him.

"Sorry for roughing you up there, little guy. I didn't expect I would need to use that much strength to get you off me."

Adam apologized to Arthur.

Would you look at that. Maybe he isn't a total jerk.

"Your fighting style is... unique. How did you do that step after the feint?" a faint voice said from our side.

"She speaks!" I whispered lowly, but Arthur caught it and snickered a bit before responding with "Thank you?"

"Your instincts are quite sharp, I'd reckon you'd make a strong fighter someday" Helen says to me.

Arthur in the meanwhile started explaining how his technique worked. I tuned out the explanation since I had already learned and mastered it in my old life, but this did help solidify my suspicion on who exactly he was. I figured I'll ask him when we are alone.

Adam, Helen, Jasmine and even father went to the clearing to try out his "feint step" as I liked to call it.

Mother looked at us with a proud expression as if saying "You did well".

Angela though came up to us to put us in that death trap again, but I stepped out of her reach before she could catch me. She seemed to pout that I dodged her both times. I like breathing thank you very much

Again Arthur? Do you like falling in near death situations or what?

"Cute AND talented, aren't you? Why couldn't you have been born earlier so that this sister could snatch you up herself?!"

Uh lady you're raising some red flags here.

Arthur blushed and pulled himself away.

Understandable, almost any straight male would do if he found himself in that situation.

Then why do you always dodge it? a little voice in my head said.

As I said I like breathing.

Durden didn't interrupt this time seeing that Arthur managed to free himself and simply gave us a thumbs up, I responded with a nod.

The night passed quickly as the 4 of them tried to master the feint step while the two of us slept in the tent with Mother.