And when the clock struck midnight, my life was forever changed.
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"You won't regret it." Nikolai smiled, slipping the cloak off the statue. "Go change, you'll start tonight, or today rather." He added, gesturing to his watch. 12:00 AM.
"Tonight!? You mean I'm killing someone tonight!?" Nikolai, I can't do that just y-"
"You aren't. You're just sparring with Vladimir. You'll start with your hidden blade."
"Vladimir?"
"He's your age. A little further in his training but not by too much. I think you can take him."
"I don't even know how to open the blade uncle..." I frowned.
"Nonsense. Go get dressed, you wouldn't want to keep the boy waiting." He laughed walking to a iron door. "Vladimir and I will be waiting."
When I started to get dressed, I realized there was a lot more to the outfit than met the eye. The entire thing was plated with a light metal. I slipped it on and quickly tied the bow in my hair.
"I'm coming!" I shouted, sliding down the rail of a set of stairs that were behind the iron door.
"Привет." (Hi there.) The boy I assumed was Vladimir smiled. He was in a black cloak similar to mine, except the belt and additional collar were blue and instead of a bow, his cloak had a hood attached to it, the belt also having golden decor instead of silver.
"Hello." I replied, studying his face. His honey colored eyes matched the trim on his cloak, followed by his raven hair that blended into the hood perfectly.
"So, are you ready?"
"Готовы, как я когда-либо буду ..." (Ready as I'll ever be...) I sighed, clumsily sliding the blade out of my sleeve.
"Alright! First person to have the enemy pinned with the blade to their neck wins! GO!" Nikolai waved his hand down, giving us the signal to start. Vladimir stood still, nodding for me to take the first blow.
"Go on."
I smirked at his remark, jumping into the air with the blade raised. He simply stepped to the side, sending me toppling to the ground. I rolled to the side as he smashed his boot downwards, met by his other boot.
"Gyahh!" I choked, feeling blood spew from my mouth. I reacted by grabbing his leg and throwing him off. He flew into the wall, giving me the chance to quickly recover. I threw a punch at his face, which he dodged, and then mirrored perfectly. He remained still as I regained my bearings, aggravating me as I realized he was just playing with me. He was capable of much more than he was presenting.
"Не держитесь ко мне спиной!" (Don't hold back on me!) I panted, wiping blood from my nose.
"If you say so..." He sighed. "I'll give you one more shot before I do..."
I ran full speed, sweeping my foot down in hopes to trip him. He stepped away so fast it almost looked like he teleported. I ducked, knowing that he was probably about to punch me. He saw that coming and delivered a sharp kick to my face.
"I predict your movements. I know how you're going to react." Vladimir said in a dull monotone, matching each of my attempts to dodge him with a painful blow. He then leaped on top of me, using his bladeless hand to render my own blade useless. I felt his blade's tip press into my throat, knowing I had lost.
"Damn." I frowned. His blade left my neck, helping me up off the ground.
"Hey, don't feel bad. I'm a third through my training." He laughed, fixing his hood.
"Nikolai! You said he was only a little farther than me!" I whined, putting my hands on my hips.
"He is. He actually agreed to start his training over just for you."
"He didn't have to Vladim-" I began, cut off by him.
"Please, call me Vlad. And it's fine, I promise!" He smiled, pulling his hood back to where it rested lazily on his shoulders.
"Alright, I'm going to go get cleaned up." I sighed, walking back to the stairs.
"Why don't you just use the washroom in Vladimir's room?" Nikolai suggested.
"He LIVES here?" I asked, shocked.
"Well, yeah."
"Down here...?" I said, dumbfounded.
He pointed down a hallway I hadn't noticed, making me feel like an idiot.
"The bathroom's on the left..." Vlad laughed, walking into his bedroom, parallel to the washroom. "Спокойной ночи!" (Goodnight!)
"Спокойной ночи!" (Goodnight!) Nikolai and I called back in unison. Vlad's door creaked shut, leaving just me and my uncle in the dim lighting.
"Alright Madz, good first day. Get that uniform off and clean yourself up. Rest while you can." Without another word, Nikolai trudged up the stairs, sleep obviously lingering in him. As I was told, I walked into the washroom and cleaned the patches of blood off my face.
"Damn, Vlad knows how to kick." I frowned, noticing a giant boot print on my chest as I slipped the cloak over my shoulders. I put my night clothes on, bandaging my forehead. I walked back upstairs, shutting the bookcase behind me before I went into my bedroom.
"Спокойной ночи, жизнь, как я знал, что это ..." (Goodnight life as I knew it...)
YOU ARE READING
Bloodstains and Betrayal
AdventureI had blood on my hands when I was 15. I've killed hundreds. I've been to hell and back. It's all because of... Well, if I told you that now, this wouldn't be much of a story now would it?
