Curse - Septiplier

16: Switching Sides

Mark's POV

My hand went up to my forehead as I checked the weather, and I had a feeling today would be another warm day, maybe one of the last of its kind with the cold season approaching quickly. I noticed my hands were dirty, the creases filled with mud and bits of flowers as I had helped my mother last night in her garden before heading home for some rest. Before crossing the bridge to the castle, I knelt down on the bank of the river and washed my hands, flicking my fingers and wrists violently in attempt to remove the cold water once I'd finished. It was definitely getting less and less warm as the days passed.

I stood back up, letting my sword rest back at my side as I walked over the bridge and headed towards the training fields. I noticed quickly how silent it was, how few people appeared to be awake and moving at this time of day. It was interesting, considering I was late to training and the sun was well up in the sky already. I pushed this odd feeling of discomfort away and continued into the fields. The grass was growing tall, and frost still covered the tips of the stalks, not yet melted away by the sun. I looked up and saw Jack, and my pace quickened only to slow at the same speed. He was shirtless, the sun glistening off sweat that had clearly been built upon with hours of practice, and his sword was held tightly in his right hand. My discomfort grew even further, and I stepped towards him once more but paused; he was breathing heavily, glaring down at the dummy in front of him.

"Jack?" I asked, and I reached a hand out to grab him, concern and fear suddenly taking over my discomfort. Without warning, the man whipped around and swung at me, his sword mere inches from removing one of my hands, and I stumbled backwards in surprise. My heart began to race, and suddenly I noticed the dead and tired look in the man's eyes. Underneath the bags under his eyes and hiding behind the exhaustion dragging him down I could see anger, frustration, and disbelief. He was hurting, and I wanted to know why.

"I now know why you're my friend." Jack snarled the word, spitting it from his mouth as if it left a foul taste there. I felt confusion and for some reason fear run through my body, sending a chill up my spine. "My father ordered you to, you were never actually here for me." Jack wiped his nose, and I could see now that this was paining him more than anything. He must have found out about this the previous night, and I felt guilt nearly sweep me off my feet as I realized he had this all backwards now; I was the bad guy.

"Jack-." I began, my hands falling to my side in disappointment mostly at myself. I should have told him about this, or at least explained it yesterday when I was too busy dealing with my own decisions. I should have told him that I chose him over the Kingdom I swore my life to, but I didn't get a chance as he swiped again at me with his sword, this time it knocking against my armor and leaving a scar there. My eyes widened, and I saw Jack's face once again screw up in anger. "You're a traitor!" Jack snapped, and this time he leaped forward at me, swinging his sword in a full arc.

I threw my own sword into the air, catching it between my fingers and bracing myself for the impact of his attack. The sound of metal on metal reverberated through the field as Jack struck and nearly sent me toppling over. There was no doubt that he'd been practicing when I wasn't there to teach. I stumbled backwards as he struck a second time, quicker than I expected, and he tore into the dirt where my torso had just been resting. He was clearly trying to make a point, but I wasn't going to let him get away believing something that was no longer true. He swung again and I blocked his attack, pushing against his sword as he attempted the same maneuver to try and imbalance me.

"You're too quick to assume." I told him, sighing and closing my eyes. How was I supposed to go about explaining this? Jack stepped back, removing his weight from me, and I opened my eyes to look at him. Sweat dripped from his hair, making it stick to his head and flattening it from its original unkempt position. He looked at me, confused and trying to make sense of what I was saying. I let the breath that I'd been holding out in relief, hoping he was finally making sense of what I was saying, only to watch as he swung at me again. I cursed under my breath.