One after another, they exchanged blows. First, he swung at him, which he dodged. Then the roles reversed, followed by a straight punch that was blocked, a grab for the hand, and a throw into the dust.
"How long have they been training?" asked a woman dressed in a mercenary uniform.
"Approximately… hmm," the other one thought while watching them fight, "I'd say at least three hours."
"Three hours?" she exclaimed. "It seems young Captain Niiro is full of energy since returning from Luganor."
"Apparently so," added the other. "I heard the chief captain really scolded him, but Niiro himself knows how badly he screwed up."
Niiro throws a straight punch but misses, his hand ending up wrapped in his opponent's grip. Niiro tried to wriggle free, but the other held him too tightly, then quickly toppled him onto his back, lifting leaves from the ground with the impact. Sweat ran down both of their semi-naked bodies; they were only wearing dusty black trousers and boots.
"Still…" Niiro thought to himself, "I'm nowhere near his level."
"Well… I think that's enough for today." A man of medium height, slightly taller than Niiro but older, in his forties, extended his hand to him. He had short, dark brown, almost black hair framing his round face, matching dark brown eyes, and a thick beard reaching halfway down his neck. His body was muscular yet agile, truly warrior-like. Scars marked every part of his abdomen, evidence of his many adventures.
"Yes, I agree," Niiro said as the man helped him up.
"Thank you for the sparring," he said, bowing slightly. "Chief captain,Niall."
"Anytime, Niiro," he replied, moving towards those watching them. "Let's go, the prince awaits." Niiro ran to the tree where he had hung his belongings and followed him. One of the onlookers held the chief captain's cloak, while a black shirt he had removed earlier lay on the ground.
"Thank you for holding my cloak, Milno," the chief captain said gratefully, and Milno smiled. Milno was one of the younger captain's deputies among the mercenary divisions led by Niall Gunne, their chief captain, who had founded the Dusk Blades twenty years ago. The woman standing beside Milno, arms crossed, was his superior, Captain Iris Aine. She wore a mercenary uniform, a black shirt under her chainmail, which contained her ample chest keeping them safely guarded and hidden. The shirt had a silver embroidery along the edge marking her as one of the captains. Tight black trousers accentuated her strong, muscular legs, showing she never missed training. The final details were black boots tucked into her pants, a black leather belt with a broken sword emblem, and a cloak casually draped over her shoulders for comfort. Her white, round face had a few freckles on her cheeks, and despite her campaigns, she still looked thirty as she was. Her black hair was not too long, usually tied in a bun so it wouldn't get in her way.
"Oh, you came to watch us too, Iris?" the captain asked while buttoning his shirt.
"No," she replied sharply, "I know we need to meet the prince soon, and it's better if we all arrive together."
"Cold as always, huh?" Niiro added as he approached, adjusting his cloak.
"Hah, isn't that the young captain who fucked up his mission?" she replied with a slight smirk, but Niiro didn't let it distract him.
"Yes, I really messed up." he said exhaustingly agreeing,but seemingly not caring. She looked at him, slightly surprised and frustrated that he hadn't fallen for her provocation.
"Well, shall we?" Niall began. "Let's collect our payment and get out of here."
The sun shone, barely piercing the dense foliage surrounding them, just enough to see. They walked on suspended wooden bridges connecting each tree. The trees were enormous, fifty to a hundred meters high, with bridges weaving up and down between them depending on which one is next. Houses perched on the trees formed a city connected by these hanging walkways, covered by leafy canopies. Here lived the Darni, and at this moment, the chief captain Niall, along with Captains Iris and Niiro, walked to meet the prince for payment. Around them, numerous people went about their daily tasks.
"No matter how many times I walk through these forest cities, I never cease to be amazed," Niiro said, walking beside the captain, with Iris and Milno several meters behind.
"I agree," the captain sighed, inhaling the fresh air. "I've always liked how different the air feels here."
"Yes," added the young captain, "it always clears my lungs."
After just over twenty minutes, they reached the main platform where the prince's hall was located, covered by a dome of leaves. Large oak doors carved with various runes and old Tolani motifs marked the entrance. Two guards stood in front, dressed in shades of green and brown, from leather vests and boots to linen trousers and shirts, and cloaks. They held long spears, both taller than average, wearing silver helmets exposing their chins, eyes, and noses.
"Your helmet is supposed to protect your face." Iris thought to herself.
"Stop." They crossed their spears before the group even approached. Niall and Niiro remained calm while Iris gave them a sharp look.
"What is the purpose of your visit?" one guard asked.
"We're here," Niall said, approaching and placing a hand on one of the spears, "to see your prince." He continued calmly, staring at the guard, who began to sweat under his gaze.
"Proceed," he shouted, and the two guards opened the doors from inside.
When the four mercenaries entered, a young man sat on a dark brown wooden throne, which seemed somewhat uncomfortable judging by Niiro's reaction. He wore a light green silk tunic, his youthful face framed by deep blue eyes and long blond hair reaching just below his shoulders, tied in a braid. Faint silver patterns adorned his tunic, seeming as if they might fade at any moment. By his side lay a long sword sheathed in its leather casing. Two men in matching uniforms stood beside the throne as part of his guard. The throne was about half a meter off the ground, accessible by two wooden steps,the rest of the room was empty. The hall was dim due to the leafy dome, and only a faint glow of pale sunlight highlighted the prince's clothing.
"Ah, my apologies," he said, snapping his fingers. "There we go." At that moment, leaves at the top of the dome shifted, letting the sun shine through.
"So," Niiro moved his hand away from his temporarily blinded eyes, "this is the prince."
"Welcome, gentlemen," he paused, looking at them, "and a lady," he added nonchalantly,Iris only smirked.
Captains Iris and Niiro remained behind with Milno, while the chief captain approached the throne and stopped about five meters away.
"You look well today, Prince," he bowed slightly, then straightened. "We won't keep you long. We're here for our payment." The captain was brief.
"You are correct, Captain," the prince nodded to one of the men standing nearby, then retrieved two bags of silver coins from behind the throne and placed them in front of Niall. He quickly checked them and noticed something missing.
"It seems," he said, clearing his throat with a quick cough, "that part is missing."
"Well," replied the prince, "you didn't manage to capture Ogrvol, did you, Captain? It was after all...the main city for our operation."
Iris drew one of her short swords from its sheath. Niiro simply nodded, knowing the captain would handle it.
"I must agree with you," he said reluctantly.
"You have nothing to say, Chief Captain Niall?" the prince asked, and Niall smiled at him.
"Facts are facts, Prince. And the fact is you are correct. I sent an inexperienced captain, and it cost us."
The prince looked at him curiously,leaning forward.
"And you're okay with losing men and money because of him?"
Niiro clenched his teeth, frustrated.
"Of course not. That is my life after all, my men, and my money. But he knows how things stand, and now it's time for him to learn while he's young," Niall sighed, recalling his own failures. "Everyone makes mistakes when young and pays for them. That's the purpose of mistakes: you make them and then learn from them."
"But," added the prince, "usually you also pay."
The captain smiled slightly.
"Well, if we're finished here." He grabbed the bags and turned.
"Soon there will be great changes in our world, Mr. Gunne. Some will oppose these changes, and others will follow them. Which path will you choose?" The prince watched him intently from his throne, leaning on his right hand.
"I don't choose my path, Prince," he said, signaling the guards to open the doors. "My sword chooses for me."
He swings and misses, then the other throws a spear, kicking up dust mid-flight, snapping through the air. Kjaran catches the spear with his free left hand, spins it in his grasp, and throws it back. Osgar catches it,feeling it's weight while Desimir attacks the captain from the side with another swing. Kjaran blocks it and deflects his sword, leaving him open, then knees him in the stomach. He coughs up saliva and air, dropping his sword.
"Good," Kjaran exhaled. "Time for the next two."
"You seem tired today, Desimir," Elstan noted as they switched places with Ervin and Ujiyoshi in the training arena.
"I don't know why," he paused, heading to a barrel to wash up. "Physically, I feel fine." Osgar watched him pass, his face wet.
"It's been two days since they returned from Ogrvol," Kjaran thought as he waited for Ervin and Ujiyoshi to take positions.
"In five days, we leave for Ganalor. Hopefully, they learned something from Ogrvol, besides the weight of loss and real combat experience," Elstan thought, observing them. Niro was present as well, his thoughts sincere about the mission, though focused on training for the moment.
"Captain Slanei isn't here anymore, so they'll train with us for the next few days. Let's see what you've learned from the mission, boys."
This time, Kjaran took the initiative, attacking Ervin first with a swing from the right, but he dodged, leaving space for Ujiyoshi to attack the captain from the side. Kjaran noticed this move and leaned back to avoid the katana, dropping his sword at his feet as the katana went above his torso. Captain felt the vibrations in the air.
"Brilliant, he dropped his sword," Ervin thought and attacked swiftly. Kjaran simply smiled, then in a bridge stance kicked the falling sword in the handle back toward the fox, sending it flying at high speed through the air. Ervin stopped to block, but when Kjaran's sword struck, he felt its weight. In that split second captain Brin sent a vast amount of natural energy in his leg with which he kicked the weapon.
"How heavy it is," Ervin thought, holding his sword horizontally with both hands, gritting his teeth. Somehow, he managed to deflect it, but straight toward the captain, who had returned to his feet and caught it in his hand.
"Incredible, from a defensive position, he managed not only to attack but to put him in a subordinate position," Ujiyoshi thought as he attacked Kjaran with consecutive swings.
"True," Ervin thought, attacking the captain, "but we weren't on a mission for nothing."
Kjaran deflected Ujiyoshi further when he noticed Ervin approaching, then swung at him, which Ervin blocked. He dropped his sword, then quickly grabbed Kjaran's right hand, disabling it.
Kjaran raised his eyebrows in surprise.
"Excellent," Elstan thought.
"Ujiyoshi!" Ervin shouted, but the samurai was already there, in front of the captain, his katana in full swing slicing through the air as it was crackling,muscles in his arms aching.
"Bravo," Kjaran thought, "I can't free my hand because all the natural energy he gathered is focused into his hands holding me. Really clever idea."
At that moment, he used the firm grip to swing with Ervin attached to his arm and strike Ujiyoshi. The force of the blow made Ervin release Kjaran's hand, falling onto the samurai.
"Bravo, bravo, guys," Captain Hino said. "Looks like you've learned something after all. Excellent control of natural energy, Ervin."
"Ah," he replied, getting up, "thank you, Captain Hino."
"Really clever idea," Kjaran added.
"You can see how much you've progressed. To be honest, this time I had to put in a bit more effort; even my men don't often put me in such situations."
A satisfied smile appeared on both boys' faces. Osgar and Desimir watched from the side, happy for their friends, but knowing they needed to work harder.
"Well, unfortunately, that's it for today," Elstan said as he and Kjaran slowly headed to the barracks. "Captain Brin and I have work with our divisions."
The boys refreshed themselves, and Nuro joined in. "I'll train with them."
All eyes turned to him.
"Well," Elstan replied, "if you have nothing better to do, Captain Hino, make sure they sweat well despite the cooler weather." He and Kjaran then left Nuro with the boys.
"Okay," he said, rubbing his hands, "why don't Desimir and Osgar try again?"
"Yes, Captain," they agreed and entered the enclosed training area.
"Desimir isn't at the level today," Osgar thought. "When will he snap out of it?" He took his stance with the spear.
"I'm still all over the place, even though I've come to terms with what happened. It's hard to move on," Desimir still felt uneasy. The wind blew through the yard, carrying leaves fallen from surrounding trees. The season in Tlum was now proper autumn, with rain every other day and the sky constantly painted in grayness, without a lack of chill. Nuro Hino stood about ten meters away, spinning his spear, slowly gathering natural energy,with each spin the ground trembled.
"Let's see if I'm right," he thought, then stopped, extending his right hand and bending his palm to signal the opponents to attack. The young knights didn't hesitate; Osgar threw his spear first, which Nuro stood to block. At the moment the spears clashed, Nuro realized something.
"There's generally no… natural energy in this spear."
Osgar stepped forward quickly feeling the muscles in his legs twitch, shortening the distance, and caught the spear, using the existing momentum to push harder, knocking Captain Hino backward.
"Excellent!" he shouted.
"But I haven't seen—" at that moment, Desimir appeared from his right, his sword swinging down toward Nuro. He had to block it with both hands holding the spear; the impact made the ground crack beneath his feet, a drop of sweat running down his face.
"There it is," Nuro thought, "I didn't feel it again."
Osgar took advantage of the captain's occupied hands, attacking from the side with stabbing strikes, using every bit of natural energy to speed up the attack. But Nuro quickly deflected Desimir's sword from his hand, dodged Osgar's spear, and got close enough to swoop his legs with his own spear, flipping him onto his back.
He placed the spear tip against his neck, and the others could only watch as Osgar raised his hands in surrender.
"Looks like," Nuro thought, "I was right." He looked at Desimir picking up his sword. "Again, I felt no fluctuations around him. He must be one of the rare ones, though he probably doesn't even realize it."
"Now me," Ervin said, entering the arena, followed by Ujiyoshi.
"Fine," the captain said, though his thoughts remained focused on Desimir, who was explaining something to Osgar with his hands as they left the training area. "But why didn't Kjaran and Elstan tell him?"
"Okay," Nuro now said aloud, pointing the spear at the two, "come here."
"Ah, Niiro," Niall began as they descended in a wooden lift held by ropes, everything around it creaking, though more than stable. Niiro looked up, ears perked. "I heard one of the younger warriors that you fought in Ogrvol is similar to me."
"Ha?" he answered in surprise. "What do you mean similar to you, Captain? I was too busy surviving to notice. To be honest, there aren't many people like you, Captain."
"Similar in that he doesn't use natural energy in an ordinary way," he smiled, and everyone in the lift fell silent, their expressions showing astonishment.
"You don't mean…" Iris began, but the captain finished.
"Yes," he sighed, "I hope I'll have the chance to meet him."