The City of Fire and Shadows

Chapter 4

It's been a week since that fateful day which changed my life forever. I've been adjusting to life at Raven's Keep and getting to know the people that live there better. It's very impressive what Rebecca managed to build at Raven's Keep - a fully functional society within the stone walls of this old fort. There were farms both inside and outside the walls, a medical centre, comfortable living quarters for families, and even a functional school. I knew this place was amazing the moment I arrived, but when I finally got the time to stop and look around, that's when I truly appreciated it. I had just finished breakfast, and went about my daily strolls, talking to people, asking them if I could help. But in many cases, my offer of assistance was denied. Were the people here just trying to be polite to a newcomer, or did they not think I was capable?

As I pondered that question, I wandered into the training grounds of the keep, which was located at the edge of the northernmost wall. I noticed Brendan and Cailey, sparring with swords, and twin girls I didn't recognize shooting arrows into targets. Both Brendan and Cailey were very skilled, yet fought with different fighting styles. Brendan, with his lighter and thinner jian sword was incredibly quick and was able to rain lightning fast blows onto Cailey, leaving her in a blocking stance the entire time he attacked. In contrast, with her cutlass and its thicker blade, she was able to perform stronger, heavier, and more powerful cleaving attacks with her sword whenever she went on the offensive. On a few occasions, Brendan was close to being knocked to the ground due to the sheer power of Cailey's blows. After a while, they noticed me watching them spar and stopped to look at me.

"Good morning," Cailey waved to me cheerfully.

"Morning," I replied with a weak wave in return, as I walked closer to them. "You're both pretty good."

"We try," said Brendan. "We're still not on the same level as Rebecca. She was truly something else."

"I've only really seen my dad fight," I said. "But his fighting style is very different from you guys."

Brendan pointed to the spatha on my back. "How you fight really depends on the sword you use. I would assume that your dad was strong in slashing and parrying?"

"Yeah," I said as I pull my spatha out of its scabbard. It felt very balanced in my hand. My dad trained me on this very sword, and I was always able to swing it effectively with one hand, the way it was intended. I remember him telling me to slash trees, and him measuring the tree marks afterwards, giving me advice like 'You need to put more strength into your swings'. On occasions where I would ride my dirt bike between the survivor communities of Algonquin Park, the spatha would be invaluable in clearing the brush while riding. My dad always said that cutting trees and clearing brush would be transferable. It was like he was training me to eventually inherit this sword. I suppose he was right. If I can cut through wood, I can cut through a vampire.

"Do you know how to use it?" asked Brendan, with a note of skepticism.

I nodded. "Yeah, my dad trained me on how to use it. Did you know him?"

Brendan shook his head. "No. I don't remember seeing him around Raven's Keep. He must've been part of the Order long before my time."

Cailey took on a sword stance and moved away from Brendan. "Let's see how good you are. Your spatha should match up well against my cutlass. I used to practice with Rebecca all the time and she used a sword similar to yours."

I moved away from Brendan until I was directly facing Cailey. I charged forth at Cailey, but her sword parry redirected my blade. I delivered a series of strong swings, putting her on the defensive. This was similar to when I practiced sword fighting with my dad - when I used this spatha while he used a bush machete. It was a matter of testing your strength, the speed of your blows. To see openings in your opponent and then to go for it, but hold back at the last minute. Trading blows with Cailey, I eventually realized that she left a small opening, a slight vulnerability that left her open after she delivered a strong attack. I went for it, and before I knew it, I had disarmed her, flinging the cutlass from her hand. The weight of the sword created a large clanging sound as it fell to the ground.