Untold

10. Gifts

Bang bang bang!

I rolled over, groaning. The bangs came again. I blinked a few times, the morning light coming in through a chink in the curtains. I pulled the covers up over my head, cocooning myself in warmth. The bed was soft and comfortable. I didn't want to leave. "That's it, I'm coming in!" I head the doors crash open and bounce off the wall. 

The blankets and sheets were torn off of me. "Get up," the voice from earlier commanded from the foot of my bed. I groaned again and rubbed my face. I opened my eyes to find Nicodemus standing there with his arms crossed. "I've been knocking for the past five minutes," he complained. "Your training starts today."
"What?" I sat up and pushed my hair out of my face, watching him going through my closet. 

He came out holding a pair of leather boots, a sleeveless shirt and black pants. "Put these on."
"You were much nicer last night," I grumbled as I hopped off the bed. "Much less bossy." I snatched the clothes out of his grip and went into the bathroom to get changed. I came out a few minutes later dressed and with my hair braided back out of my face to find him perched on the arm of an armchair. "Let's go." He held the doors open and I ducked under his arm.

Nicodemus led me up multiple flights of stairs. He stopped at a large stone door. "It's going to be windy outside." He motioned towards me and his green liquid surrounded us. It didn't feel like it was there and it soon evaporated. "What was that for?"
"To keep us warm outside." He pulled the door open and a gust of wind blew in a drift of snow. 

I stepped outside, looking around. We were on top of the mountain, at the very top. It was flat and a good kilometre wide, almost as if someone had cut off the peak. I couldn't make out the surrounding landscape because of the snow and mist. "You'll be able to see it in the spring, don't worry." Nicodemus stepped up beside me and I nodded. "Now, for your warm-up. Two laps around the yard."

I sighed and started jogging. He passed me multiple times before I was halfway through with my first lap. Stupid, perfect fae. Too fast. Abruptly, I stopped jogging and plopped down on a rock. I didn't need to do this. I already knew how to wield weapons. Evaris could take his 'Fae Ways' and shove it up his-
"What're you doing?" Nicodemus stopped in front of me with his hands on his hips.
"What does it look like I'm doing?"
"Why did you stop? You were doing fine." He wasn't even panting. Stupid fae bodies.
"I can fight perfectly fine, thanks. I don't need Evaris to have you waste your time on me."
He sighed. "Just one lesson? And if you don't like it we can stop." I shook my head. "Fine. Have it your way." He walked into the middle of the yard and racks of weapons appeared. 

He selected two thin-bladed, slightly curved swords. I watched him lunge and slash and hack at straw mannequins that matched his movements. His movements were swift and graceful. After a while, I felt the cold creeping in again. I tried to ignore it and focus on his movements, but it became too much to bear. My teeth started chattering and I was shivering violently. "Cold?" He called. I didn't answer. "Come have a go and you'll warm up." I sighed and stood up, my joints stiff from the cold and where I had been sitting in the same position for so long. 

As I made my way over to him, warmth pooled into me again. I saw a flash of green around my torso. "Thanks," I said sheepishly.  He was only trying to help me. Not my fault Evaris is making him do this. "You'll have fun. I promise."
"Alright," I chuckled. He handed me a sword off of the rack. Thin-bladed and slightly curved like his. There were engravings along the base of the hilt. "What does it say?"
Nicodemus shrugged and moved behind me, placing his hand over mine on the hilt. His hands were rough with calluses, but his touch was gentle. "It's in Draelic. The language demons speak in the Darkworld. I can't read it, and Evaris won't tell me what it says."
"This is a demonic sword?" I looked up at him, shocked. I know I agreed to train, but I didn't agree to use demonic weapons. "It's not. Fae blade. Draelic engravings."