The Demon Trials (The Demon Trials #1)

Chapter 17

For almost an hour, I continue my practice with Mal. Training hard as we had been doing combat skills. I tried to strike first, but Mal is quick enough to block my attack by crossing his arms; every time I try to strike lounging my fist to his face, then to his stomach; he blocks with that crossing arm  and counters with a move of his own. It is a very strange move. He moves forward his left leg in between my legs and then he grabs hold of my left arm; then turns himself around pushing me forward. I turn in a weird angle as I fall to the ground with Mal kneeling down to my abdomen and then bring out a dagger of sorts. He then places hovering in front of my face.

“You let your focus go.”

“No I didn’t.”

“I sensed you and then I notice your eyes were away from me. When you were away, I seize my chance to make this move.”

“You are going to train me with that.”

“Of course.”

He grabs my hand to bring me back up. He then places some sort of cloth over my eyes. “What is this?” I yell out.

“This is another session. Blind attack.”

I’m seeing nothing but darkness as I can only hear Mal’s voice creeping around me. “You telling me I’m going to fight you blind.”

“Always check your surroundings. Sometimes demons might attack you in the dark.” He continues, “That’s why you need to watch out because anywhere, anytime, you could be facing a demon from the shadows when you are at your most vulnerable.”

“So what I should do?” I ask. I did not hear anything no responses from Mal. I turn my head, but my vision is clouded by nothing but dark. “Mal?! Where are you?” I then feel a smack across my head. “Hey!”

I then feel frustrated as I feel another smack. “Mal?”

“Follow my voice, Caden.”

Listening to Mal, I sense his voice is coming from the left side of me, so I turn to my left and then I feel a smack of my head from the other side.

“Again!” He says. I follow that voice from behind me, but thinking it was a trick, I turn back around to my left where then I feel a smack from my other left and as I turn I feel another smack this from right. I stopped not turning around. Mal seems to play with my mind because of my limited blindness. Getting agitated, I’m getting really sick of this. And then when I remembered he said follow his voice. I stand there waiting for my chance.

“Caden…”

I hear my name and that voice is coming from the north which is on my right. I then moved on my hand and grabbed hold of…Mal’s arm. I got him. I take my blindfold off to see him, and I was right. I crackle a smile knowing where he was.

“Good job.” He says.

“You said follow your voice.” I reply.

“And after numerous chances, you finally did.” He responds. “Let’s do it again and like you did before… focus.”

I place the blindfold back over my eyes as I hear Mal’s voice again.

“Remember, you are in control.” He says.

As I can only see nothing but dark, I can hear him and those words, that I’m in control. Seizing on that comment, focus on what I need to focus.

I’m in control.

I’m in control.

Repeating that phase again and again and again; using that as a momentum push, I focus harder than I had done before. When I hear Mal’s voice, I directly move left arm and hand and grab hold of his arm coming right to me. I take the blindfold off and, I notice Mal sort of shellshock in how that happened.