Aetherian(Part 1): A War Begins

Melody

 The blade of a lightsword had no weight to it, and a glow as bright as the sun, but it was more than a blue, glowing blade of sunlight. The color of a blade had meaning to it, symbolizing what a Guardian wielding it fought for. The color of the blade that Melody held in her hand was blue, like Trevor's, and it represented resolve. The Guardian with a blue blade fought against evil because they feel as if they have to. There are other colors of Guardians' blades, such as pink, green, gold, silver, and teal, but blue blades were mostly seen by Guardians that were born aura-sensitive, like Melody and Trevor, which were mostly rare. When Melody made a swing with the blade, it made a soft humming sound. She wasn't worried about hitting anything, since she was on a large platform near the top of the Ivory Tower, and she wasn't worried about cutting herself, either, since she made a suit of leather armor with a crystal of radiant malakyte in the center of the chest, creating a barrier around her that would bounce a lightsword, or anything right off. Melody also wore long, black boots, shoulder pads and gloves made with leather, and long, dark sleeves. She had her dark hair tied into a short tail on the back of her head it wouldn't get grazed by her lightsword. In Snowfall, Melody would always watch as Trevor and Karlon played in the fields of snow with toy swords made of wood, but when they started practicing with metal sparring swords, she paid attention to what they did. Trevor used a broadsword since he would become a Guardian, and Karlon practiced with a greatsword, so he could learn how to fight with Blizzard, House Vestarr's zweihander, a greatsword made from glass malakyte, and enchanted with a crystal of frost malakyte. Trevor would always stand his ground against a sword the size of him, and Karlon, less disciplined, would always attack first, and he'd lose. Melody wouldn't make that mistake, not that she would be able to lift a greatsword like Blizzard, anyway. When she began to look back to those times, she remembered that Trevor always held his blade to his side, pointing to Karlon, and when her brother shifted his sword to another side, Trevor did the same. Melody put herself in the stance that she had always seen Trevor fight with, with her feet spread apart, her side facing her enemy, and her blade pointing her forward. She then made a downward swing out in front of her, and brought it back to her shoulder, pointing forward again. The lightsword's weightlessness allowed her to swing it with speed unlike any Knight had used their own blades. Melody then swung upwards, and ended up turning around. She couldn't do that when she was in a fight. Overhead swings outward were easy enough. Melody raised her blade above her head, and made a spin as she swung it forward. Suddenly, she heard Trevor's voice from the canopy that hung from the door to inside.

"Not bad," he said, and Melody practically screamed.

"Trevor!" she shouted. "I could have killed you just now!" Her father had arranged for Trevor to show her how to properly use a lightsword.

"You aren't wearing armor," Trevor observed, stepping towards Melody.

"It's too heavy," Melody complained.

"You're right, it is heavy," said Trevor, pounding his chest plate with his fist. "It's as heavy as it needs to be, to save a man's life."

"I'm not a man," Melody corrected, smiling.

"True," agreed Trevor. "And you probably wouldn't be able to wear armor, anyway."

"I am wearing armor," said Melody, looking down to her leather cuirass.

"You're wearing a piece of leather," Trevor corrected. "There should be some chainmail under it."

"What about this?" asked Melody, pointing to the radiant crystal in her cuirass.

"And that alone generates the barrier?" said Trevor.

"I have the crystals in my gloves and my boots, too," Melody answered.

"I hope so," said Trevor. "Your move."

"What?" said Melody.

"Well, come on," urged Trevor. "Take a swing at me." Melody had watched Trevor spar with her brother. He always won because he didn't attack first. She sensed deceit from Trevor, but she did what he asked. She lunged at Trevor, screaming, and he casually turned to the side, then she suddenly ended up on the ground, with Trevor's blue blade at her throat.

"Lesson one," Trevor instructed. "Wait for your enemy to attack first."

"I know," snapped Melody. Trevor flashed a blue light around himself and appeared in the center of the balcony as she brought herself to her feet.

"You know what my General at Ice Spear used to say to me?" said Trevor. "There's no such thing as an easy target. Now, let me see how you grip the hilt." Melody raised her hand, with her fingers on the hilt of the lightsword facing Trevor. Her fingers were close together, tightly gripping the weapon.

"Wrong," Trevor scolded. Melody loved how he was acting like a teacher, even though he was as much of a child as she was. "Have your fingers further apart."

"Okay," said Melody, and she spread her fingers, gripping the lightsword more loosely. "What if it flies out of my hand?"

"Then you'll die," answered Trevor. "Unless you know how to snap necks with your bare hands, you cannot lose your lightsword. Remember that."

"Right," agreed Melody.

"Now, your stance," Trevor instructed. Melody put herself in the same stance she was practicing with before. "Nice foot spacing, but only use your blade with one hand, and have it out in front of you." He put one of his feet out in front of the other, and held his lightsword out in front of him to the height of his hip, and pointed his blade up and away from himself.

"I see," said Melody, and she tried to mirror Trevor's stance.

"Alright, now," said Trevor, and he took a swing at her. Melody stepped back. Trevor swung at her again, and she blocked the attack.

"Good," Trevor congratulated, then lashed again. He continued to swing at her, and she continued to block until she missed one swing. Trevor's blade bounced off the shields over her leather armor. After she parried one more swing, Trevor flashed a blue light around himself, disappeared, and she suddenly ended up on the ground again.

"Oh, give me a break," snapped Melody, as Trevor stood over her.

"Another thing we need to work on," Trevor mocked.