The Seventh Kingdom

Ch 1

Blood ran down Alun's face, crimson staining his white shirt. Normally when he and his sister Myfi fought, it was a verbal dispute about a trivial placement of an object or maybe even just for the sake of arguing. This time however, both siblings were wielding dull wooden weapons and were instructed to fight like their lives depended on it. Alun hadn't taken the words nearly as serious as Myfi had and thus he'd received a less than friendly slap with a wooden blade to the nose.

With his belief in a simple scrap being quickly vanquished, Alun took a defensive position. This was far from the first time Alun's nose had bleed and it wasn't even the worst either. He'd had a slight left crook to it ever since the old family horse thought the young child had wandering too close. Myfi on the other hand, took an aggressive approach. Not letting her brother prepare himself, she pushed the advantage she'd gained and thrust the pair of wooden daggers up toward Alun's face. If it hadn't been for the earlier strike, Alun may have come very close to losing eyesight. 

Alun wouldn't be done in so easily. He took one step backward before tucking his head and charging in with his shoulder. Myfi was caught off guard and knocked to the ground with a thud followed by a small cloud of dust. Raising his wooden long sword high above his head, Alun prepared to strike the metaphorical "final blow." Myfi lay frozen before him, mind scrambling to come up with an out. She was given a free pass when Alun hesitated to swing. For some reason, Alun couldn't bring down the large, heavy wooden blade on his sibling. Subsequently, Myfi rolled to the side and stood as Alun returned to his defensive stance.

"You would have won if you'd swung." Myfi remarked. 

"I know." Alun frowned. "For some reason I don't have the same ease for striking a sibling as you."

Myfi laughed at the verbal jab. "We are supposed to be fighting Alun."

"Yeah, it's just a bit different when we actually have weapons though." Alun took a tense step toward Myfi, blade resting flat against his forearm and raised to his shoulder. "Shall we?" He taunted.

Myfi smiled. If her brother was good for something, it certainly was lightening the mood. Wanting to take the lead once more Myfi went on the offensive. She pressed forward, unleashing a flurry of precise strikes intended to knock Alun off balance. Alun, much more prepared this time, did a much better job meeting and deflecting blows. He almost looked like he knew what he was doing. Myfi would not be denied however, so she jumped back before hurling one of her wooden daggers in her brother's direction. It wouldn't have hit him but certainly was close enough to make Alun move. As her brother stepped to the side to avoid the wooden projectile, Myfi sprinted forward. She swung her arm around Alun's torso and brought him down. Putting the remaining dagger to his neck, she smiled.

"I think I win." Myfi taunted.

"Well, I would argue it is a draw." Alun smirked.

"What would give you that impression?" Myfi asked, feeling the wooden sword be pushed against her stomach as a response. "You sly bastard."

She climbed off of Alun, offering him a hand. Murmurs erupted from the crowd surrounding the two. Alun took the offering and stood, looking around. 

"I didn't notice them when we started, did you?" He asked as he wiped the dirt from his clothes, blood caked into the mess. "Next time, can you maybe not hit me so hard?" Alun smiled, clenching his nose and tilting his head downward.

"Don't expect me to go easy then." Myfi cast a look around. She hadn't noticed the people, the fellow trainees, surrounding them. Too much tunnel vision on what was going on had made her completely unaware.

The crowd dissipated and shuffled away, going back to the training they were supposed to be doing. The two siblings stood alone, watching those they'd get to know better in the coming months. Today had certainly been eventful. Not only had training started but now they were entering a new phase in their life. It was time to earn their place in a guild, gods willing.