Echoes

Chapter 18

Shae led me to one of the doors branching out of the room that opened to reveal a set of stone steps. I stepped down and turned to see if she was behind me only to find her watching me from the other side of the doorway.

"You're not coming?" I asked, feeling myself beginning to panic.

Shae shook her head. "Fighting isn't really my strong suit. I'm a diplomat, I fight with my words. I only pick up a weapon if it's life or death," Shae explained.

"OK," I said, before I could break down crying like a baby being separated from her mother. The least she could do was walk me down. I continued down the stairs, feeling for the next step as I went. The stairwell was mostly dark, save for a torch every few feet, which combined with the rough asymmetry of the stairs made it a slow, nerve wracking journey down. Up ahead, I noticed the steps becoming illuminated, opening up into a large room.

I hopped off the last step onto a polished marble floor. The room had no windows, being underground, but was still brightly lit by thousands of chandeliers and braziers. The majority of the room was empty, except for racks pushed against the wall, containing various weapons and types of armor. Metal clanged from every inch of the room, dozens upon dozens of soldiers sparring. Most were men, with a few women scattered throughout. Some wore heavy armor to practice with weight, but most of the Guardsmen wore as little as possible, with many of the men being shirtless.

I tried not to blush when a young swordsman approached me, gawking in the doorway. He was probably only a few years older than me, sweat dripping down his bare chest.

"Lost?" He said, slipping his sword back into the scabbard on his belt.

"I'm looking for Sanus," I said. "Shae sent me to spar with him."

The young man's face dropped. "You're the pure blood?"

"That's me, I guess," I replied through gritted teeth.

"Come with me," he said, motioning for me to follow.

We weaved our way through the duos of Guardsmen training with a variety of weapons. Some had spears and maces, others simple daggers or bows. I could hear a chorus of complaints erupt from the far wall every time a stray arrow landed in another person's training spot. We found Sanus in the thick of it, to my surprise, on the floor with a crystal sword pointed at his neck.

"What was that, thirty-seven?" Pix said, outstretching her arm.

Sanus grabbed it, pulling himself up. "Don't patronize me, little girl."

I cleared my throat. Sanus and Pix both turned their attention to me and the other Guardsmen.

"Nisa, good to see you again," Sanus said, wiping the sweat from his forehead. His collared shirt was slashed on the arms with a few splotches of blood here and there.

I eyed his shirt. "Are you OK?"

"For the most part, my body is fine. My pride though, well that's been taken by your friend here," He answered, jerking his head at Pix.

Her grey hair was pulled up in a loose bun, with a few minor scratches on her arms and chest to complement the healing marks from the Beast in Krie, but for the most part she was unscathed.

"General Sanus invited me down here after seeing my sword," she said, beaming with pride.

"I did, and I completely regret it," Sanus stated, shaking his head. "I've lost just about every match. Granted, she's much younger than me and her fighting style is unorthodox, but I shouldn't be making excuses for myself. She's bested the General of the Winoan Guardsmen more times than I can count."