Ocean's Secret |on hold|

22 | The Calm of Tension

The sun was setting, the breeze cooling the sweat on the back of Kallum's neck. He breathed deeper and lifted his arms again, bringing the sword down hard with a loud clang of metal. It collided with another sword, scraping before he ducked to the left and whirled around. A snarl from his opponent reached his ears before the blade sliced across his shoulder. Kallum shifted his weight and came at him from another angle, the flash in his eyes daring him to push harder. He raised his sword and feinted left, but it swung wide and struck the shield that blocked him, sending a jarring shock up his arm to his shoulder. He grunted and only just managed to duck the blow that came at him from the right, his opponent's large frame blocking the bright sunlight for a moment. Kallum was growing weary, but he couldn't give up. Not when so much was riding on him to win this.

With a growl that reverberated through his chest, he charged towards the man and sliced at his neck, missing entirely but using the man's sudden backwards movement to smash his own shield into him. The man rolled but quickly jumped to his feet, whirling his sword above his head with a precision that made the blood drain from Kallum's face. He could never beat such skill and talent. With a loud cry the man disarmed Kallum and before he could blink even once, he was lying on his back staring up at the sharp tip of the man's sword and his wild eyes.

"You lose," he panted.

"Obviously," Kallum rolled his eyes and pushed himself to his feet. "But I can still beat you with the bow."

"I appreciate your boasting," the man replied with sarcasm as he walked a few paces and threw Kallum his sword. "It will get you a long way in a real battle."

"Ahh, come on, Titus. Admit it; you're just jealous of my wit," Kallum smirked. "You wish you had the guts to talk to Ennariss. A sword can't ask a woman out, you know."

"Shut that mouth of yours, Earthling," Titus spoke with a threatening voice, but Kallum couldn't help teasing him.

"Maybe I could put in a few good words for yo—"

"You will do nothing of the sort. Now quit the chatter and start swinging."

Kallum had to duck before his head could get lopped off, and raised his shield in defence again.

 He had been training with a few other young Cyrians for the past few hours, sparring in the field beside the calm Lake and re-learning the skills and techniques of the broad sword and sharp knives they used in battle. The shield felt heavy on his left arm, but he was feeling stronger with each passing day, the effects of the land infusing his bones and muscles with energy he couldn't describe.

"Is that all you got?" Titus taunted, the man's brown eyes glaring at Kallum daringly.

Kallum launched towards him, his strong legs pouncing like a released spring. Titus shifted his weight and blocked Kallum's blow, forcing him to spin and come from another angle. His attack was sharp, but Titus blocked it also. The men of the land had been well trained before the battle with king Haemon and his soldiers, but ever since the peace treaty between the two peoples had been signed, their dedication and veracity in training had faded. But not for Titus. He had kept up his strength, sure that their troubles weren't over yet, and had been proven partially right in the fact that their land was now being stalked by a mysterious creature.

So here they were, a few dozen men and women training once again for potential skirmishes. After helping the burnt villages for most of the day, clearing the rubble and preparing new timber for rebuilding, they had all come back here for a dip in the cool Lake then spent the rest of the afternoon with swords and bows in place of axes and hammers.

Kallum held his ground and side-stepped Titus' smooth arc, blocking the sword before twisting around and tackling Titus to the ground with a loud grunt. To be honest, Kallum wasn't that good with the sword. He preferred hand-to-hand combat, karate or other weapon-less forms of defence and offence. And the bow and arrow. He still figured that was the best way to take down a flying, fire-breathing, fearsome creature that lurked in the dark skies and even darker woods.