Universe Wars (on hold for a bit)

Chapter 1 - Welcome Aboard

I wielded my sword and took my stance, hands at the grip and the blade directly in front of my face, just a hair away from my nose. I took a deep breath in and closed my eyes, exhaling through my nose. Breathe in... and out. In. And out. Once I was mentally prepared, I opened my eyes and stared straight ahead. Turning, twirling and slicing through the air, I showed what I could do with my weapon. I'd been raised, since I was five years old, on knowing how to defend myself and my family with my sword. Everyone in my town had, so it was no surprise that the art of swordsmanship came naturally to me. It was bred into me.

I didn't like to use my blade unless I had to, which to this day had only been one time. My little brother had wandered off alone into a field that was close to our house. Luckily for him though, he didn't know that I was following him. I stayed far enough behind so that he couldn't see or hear me, just keeping a watchful eye on him. He liked to go exploring, but he really shouldn't do it by himself. He just doesn't realize he's too young.

Distracted by a small tree with little white flowers on it, I stopped, but not letting him get too far ahead so that I couldn't see him. It was an almond tree. My parents had kind of named me after the tree. There weren't but a few left in the whole world and no one but me and my family knew that this one was here. I picked an almond off and drew my sword, cracking it open with the tip of the blade. I popped it into my mouth, savoring the delicious flavor that most in my world would never get to taste.

Just then, I heard a scream. I snapped my head to the direction from where it came and saw a hooded figure walking off with my brother over his shoulder. Immediately I began to run towards them, sword in hand with all intent to seriously harm whoever was trying to take off with my brother. I was forced to a halting stop by a blinding light shining onto the field. I shielded my eyes with my hand, unable to see anything but white all around me from its brightness. When it dimmed, I saw a guy dashing through the field towards the hooded figure and my brother. He lunged after them when he was close enough, tackling them down to the ground.

My brother broke free and started running back towards me and I called his name so he would see me. Another hooded figure came out of the trees at the edge of the field and was running our way. I called my brother's name again, frantically, to get him to run faster and took off towards him, bypassing him and going straight for the hooded thing. It had its own sword raised above its head as it hurdled toward me, so I prepared to strike. Never did I ever think that this day would come. This was what I'd trained for my entire life up until this point. This day, that I could protect my family. My brother.

I stopped and sent the tip of my blade right through my brother's assailant's stomach, sending him straight to the ground on his knees. I looked up just in time to look into the dark brown eyes of the boy that had saved my brother from his captor. He had slain the other hooded creature with a sword too, and this astonished me.

I didn't recognize him. I knew everyone in our town and we were all sword wielders, but I did not know his face. I silently thanked him with a bow of my head before he turned and dashed off into the trees without a word.

I clutched at the small rock hanging from my neck, rubbing it with my fingers, and silently thanking it for keeping me and my family safe again. My good luck charm, as I liked to call it.

Now those brown eyes were staring back at me once again as I demonstrated my sword mastery. For my finale, I threw my sword up into the air, letting it flip a few times as I spun head over heels myself, landing on one knee and it landing right in my hand. The last part was mostly for show, but I figured it couldn't hurt. And I stood and took a bow, and then waited for their decision.

Two young guys, about my age, were seated at a long table in front of me, judging me, one of them being the brown eyed boy, the other a tall blonde with broad shoulders and a defined jaw line . They talked amongst themselves, picking my routine apart and critiquing every little thing I had done. Speaking as if I weren't there, when actually I could hear every word they were saying.