Children of Fyre

Chapter Six

I had no idea what we were going to do. Nor where Damien was taking us. Acacia was quiet as we walked together through the forest. Damien was not saying much to us either. We didn't seem to know what to say to each other. Brothers or not, we grew up in different areas, different backgrounds. He seemed to have a more hardened stance on life, the way he strode with ease in his armor and weapons. Meanwhile, I was just a child still. I never knew I had a brother. I just wanted to enjoy life, not fight. Despite being older than him, he definitely appeared to be the older of us. 

It was hard to match the pace of Damien and his group of, well, I didn't know what to call them. They weren't knights. Perhaps fighters? Yea, fighters seemed to fit a bit. Carrying the chainmail and weapons on top of the items Acacia and I had brought from our home, it weighed me down and slowed me as well. I should have listened better when Habrin recommended that I work on building my muscles up. Definitely regretting it now.

"By the way, Acacia," Damien finally said. "The village you guys were hiding in, it's not safe to go back there, I believe. They're out for blood, your blood. I recently received word that they're looking for you for the death of that pregnant woman."

"Me?" Acacia looked shocked. "Why are they blaming me?" 

"I think what I was told was that they couldn't find you to talk to you and so they automatically assumed you were on the run from the crime you committed. That and you're the foreigner there. They never had a murder on their hands before you joined their village and it's easier to blame the outsider than it is to find out the truth."

"That's ridiculous," she exclaimed. "I did so much to help them, why would I do such a thing?" Acacia looked pissed as we continued moving through the woods. "That's just ridiculous, why would they dare blame me?"

"I'm just warning you, I don't want you to try to go home only to get slaughtered. You saved my life, also his life," Damien said, pointing at me. "And who knows how many others. We'll get it sorted out, but for now, I think you should stick with us. Journey a while, help us." 

"Help with what," she asked. 

"There's a war brewing, I can feel it," he replied simply. "The Children, they're tired of being repressed, tired of having to hide and blend in. They want a strong leader and as of now, they've chosen me." He waved to the group of fighters in front of us. "But I think it should be you. Numerous times you've proven yourself worthy of being the strongest, I haven't proven myself at all." 

"No, no," she replied. "I'm not a fighter, I don't believe in fighting except with words. Even in hiding, at least we live. Violence, it doesn't change anything, it just means we lose our brothers and sisters. We don't earn respect from battling." 

"See, I would have to disagree with that. We've taken over a few of the small villages in the east already. The people of the villages are happy to have us there, protecting them, even helping them make sure they have enough to live off of versus the minimal the king allows them to keep. If we hadnn't fought off the knights, taken control of these places, then we wouldn't be able to show the people that there's no reason to be afraid of us, that we can be the catalyzer for change to come over the nation." 

"You and Kaenas, you're the ones meant to be our Savior or downfall. Please, heed my warning. I don't want to be hunted for the rest of my life. You've both got royal blood running through your veins, use it to your advantage, but don't start a war over it. It's not worth it."

"Tensions are already rising, they've been for years. Now with Kaenas and I of age, tensions are only growing more. Those knights, more will be coming for us. They're slaughtering kids to find us. There's what the enemy is doing. Slaughtering innocents just to find us. We have the advantage right now, we need to seize the opportunity. Are you with us or against us?" Damien looked at both of us, a very determined look upon his face. More determination that I felt I had. 

"I..." I start, unsure of what to say. 

"I'm not your enemy," Acacia says smoothly. She didn't truly answer his question with that response however, which baffled me. Slaughtering innocent children and young men? Just to find us? That just, just no. I couldn't believe it but based on what had happened in the past 24 hours, I could believe it. They almost got me. 

"I want to help," I finally manage out. "I'm pretty good with a bow, but I don't think this sword is going to be of much assistance to me." 

"Okay," Damien says, nodding. "Good." He smiled slightly, pulling his sword out from its shealth. "A sword is a mere extension of your arm, you don't wave it around recklessly unless you want to injure yourself. Perhaps when we break at midday I can show you how to do some simple moves with it." 

With that, Damien jogged ahead to join his group in front. 

Acacia held me back to prevent me from joining him. "Be careful," she warned me. "I trust that he has the best intentions at heart, but I don't wish to see either of you injured, or worse, killed." She released my arm and let me go join Damien if I wanted. 

"Thank you, I just need some practice, maybe we can practice some tricks too later," I suggest. "I know how to influence my arrows pretty good, but maybe we can work on swordplay too?" 

Acacia nodded in agreement. "We'll work on that, yes, but expect to get some bruises and cuts before we work on it. You need to know how to handle that sword first before we go throwing our powers into the mix."

I sighed, reluctant to get even more injuries from training. Alas, I knew it would be a necessary evil in order to utilize the sword properly. "Okay," I agree. 

"Go ahead," Acacia nodded. "Feel free to join the group. I'll be fine back here."

There was a slight bounce in my step as I excitedly joined the ranks.

Pretty soon, we were stopping. The sun was blazing overhead, making it a rather warm day. All the walking had made me break a sweat, especially wearing this gear. The gear was getting uncomfortable but I knew I'd want it when Damien started showing me how to use a sword properly. 

"Kaenas, over here," Damien motioned to me, calling from across the clearing we found. "Drink some water, but I recommend waiting to eat something." Oh no. That sounded like I might be in for a hefty challenge against him. 

Walking towards him, he toss a sturdy looking limb from a nearby tree at me. "Let's start with this," Damien said. "Just until you have a couple of basic maneuvers down. Then we can move onto using the actual sword. The weight will be a little different, but the motions will remain the same, okay?"

I nodded, holding the stick as if it was a walking stick. "Understood," I came my reply. 

"Well, for starters, treat the stick like it was your sword, not a cane," he said sternly. I quickly flip the limb around, holding it with both hands like a broadsword. "Then move your feet apart about shoulder length, dominant foot forward, like so." He moved into a stance, well ballanced and his feet appropriately spread apart. "This makes it easier to move quickly without falling. It also allows you to pivot easier as necessary to avoid your opponent's attacks. Now, find your stance. It might not be exactly a shoulder's width, which is fine, as long as it keeps you balanced and feels right to you." 

Putting my left foot forward, I find a position that feels comfortable to me, without overstretching my legs nor unbalanced. 

"Very good." He nodded, walking around me and carefully looking at my stance. Then he pushed me slightly, making me unbalanced. Not expecting it, I fell to the ground in surprise. "Remember, in the midst of battle, you must always be aware of your surroundings. It can make the difference between life and death," he said, reaching out his hand to help me back to my feet. "To keep you on your toes, I'm gonna keep doing that periodically, make sure you're paying attention not only on the target, but what's going on around you. Do what you feel you need to do in order to stay on your feet."

I nodded as we moved onto learning how to actually use the sword itself.