Norvin… Garridan saving me… my first, rusty sword… my training… Garridan’s proud smile… Garridan giving me my new sword…
‘For you to be a true warrior… that fear must be overcome…’
Garridan’s words ringing in my head, my mind snapped back to reality and I opened my eyes. The first barbarian swung his axe, but I blocked the blow with my sword and swung the axe, the blade landing in the Natuma’s ribcage. The next one swung for my head, looking to decapitate me. I ducked easily, and stopped him with a slash of my sword through the chest. Before I knew it, all four Natuma warriors were dead all around me.
Then I heard another barbarian war cry, and a group of Natuma tribesmen, who had witnessed what I had just done, were heading in my direction. My initial fear forgotten, I exulted in my newfound strength, the glory of battle flowing through my veins like lightning. I flipped my sword over in my right hand, allowing it to do a full rotation before catching it by hilt again. One by one, the advancing tribesmen met their fate on the edge of my weapons. I parried, slashed, dodged, and stabbed, killing barbarian after barbarian.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, I heard raucous cheering, and I could see the Natuma tribesmen retreating. The survivors of our army were celebrating, though I could see by the piles of bodies strewn throughout the battlefield that we had sustained heavy casualties. I could see Garridan, standing triumphantly, sheathing his sword. Derrick was still close by me, watching the barbarians make their hasty exit, then he raised his spear in the air, and screamed a glorious victory cry.
Suddenly, I became lightheaded, and I dropped to my knees, exhausted. I took in several deep breaths, trying to clear the haziness from my mind. Closing my eyes, I tried to relax, but with the memories of the battle still fresh in my mind, calming down was just not going to happen.
When I opened my eyes, Derrick and Garridan were standing over me, scrutinizing me with concern.
‘Are you hurt?’ Garridan asked.
I shook my head. ‘No, just tired.’ I stood back up, and my vision dimmed a little, temporarily.
When the fog cleared, I looked around at the carnage. I saw a couple of faces that I recognized. I didn’t know them personally, but I saw them, getting ready in the armory. They had woken up this morning, a normal day like any other, and they had gone about their business in town, tailoring or shop keeping or whatever it was that they did — then these barbarians decided to attack our country. Now their corpses, literally shells of their former selves, lay on this battlefield. Their wives and children would be waiting for them to come home, but they never would.
Garridan’s hand was on my shoulder. ‘Aidan… are you okay?’
I didn’t realize I had been staring. My voice was a whisper. ‘Yeah.’
‘Look at him!’ Derrick exclaimed, smiling broadly. ‘Not a mark, not a scratch, save for those he sustained falling off of the horse. You truly are a marvel, lad. Everyone in Delmar will hear of your valor on this day!’
‘Where is your shield?’ Garridan asked, looking around.
I shrugged my slumping shoulders. ‘I tossed it — decided I didn’t want to use it.’
‘Yeah,’ Derrick said, sobering. He rubbed the back of his head. ‘I’ve been meaning to talk to you about that — there was no reason to hit me in the head with it.’
I put my hand to my mouth, my eyes wide with shock. ‘I’m sorry, Derrick — I threw it without looking.’
Derrick brushed it off with a wave of his hand. ‘Ah, don’t worry about it. That’s why I wear all of this armor anyway… it’s not the enemies that scare me, it’s the friendly fire.’
‘We must return to the castle,’ Garridan said, shaking his head at Derrick. ‘The king will hear of our victory.’
With that, I was back on Derrick’s horse, and we were riding back toward Delmar. As I entered the main hall
‘For you to be a true warrior… that fear must be overcome…’
Garridan’s words ringing in my head, my mind snapped back to reality and I opened my eyes. The first barbarian swung his axe, but I blocked the blow with my sword and swung the axe, the blade landing in the Natuma’s ribcage. The next one swung for my head, looking to decapitate me. I ducked easily, and stopped him with a slash of my sword through the chest. Before I knew it, all four Natuma warriors were dead all around me.
Then I heard another barbarian war cry, and a group of Natuma tribesmen, who had witnessed what I had just done, were heading in my direction. My initial fear forgotten, I exulted in my newfound strength, the glory of battle flowing through my veins like lightning. I flipped my sword over in my right hand, allowing it to do a full rotation before catching it by hilt again. One by one, the advancing tribesmen met their fate on the edge of my weapons. I parried, slashed, dodged, and stabbed, killing barbarian after barbarian.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, I heard raucous cheering, and I could see the Natuma tribesmen retreating. The survivors of our army were celebrating, though I could see by the piles of bodies strewn throughout the battlefield that we had sustained heavy casualties. I could see Garridan, standing triumphantly, sheathing his sword. Derrick was still close by me, watching the barbarians make their hasty exit, then he raised his spear in the air, and screamed a glorious victory cry.
Suddenly, I became lightheaded, and I dropped to my knees, exhausted. I took in several deep breaths, trying to clear the haziness from my mind. Closing my eyes, I tried to relax, but with the memories of the battle still fresh in my mind, calming down was just not going to happen.
When I opened my eyes, Derrick and Garridan were standing over me, scrutinizing me with concern.
‘Are you hurt?’ Garridan asked.
I shook my head. ‘No, just tired.’ I stood back up, and my vision dimmed a little, temporarily.
When the fog cleared, I looked around at the carnage. I saw a couple of faces that I recognized. I didn’t know them personally, but I saw them, getting ready in the armory. They had woken up this morning, a normal day like any other, and they had gone about their business in town, tailoring or shop keeping or whatever it was that they did — then these barbarians decided to attack our country. Now their corpses, literally shells of their former selves, lay on this battlefield. Their wives and children would be waiting for them to come home, but they never would.
Garridan’s hand was on my shoulder. ‘Aidan… are you okay?’
I didn’t realize I had been staring. My voice was a whisper. ‘Yeah.’
‘Look at him!’ Derrick exclaimed, smiling broadly. ‘Not a mark, not a scratch, save for those he sustained falling off of the horse. You truly are a marvel, lad. Everyone in Delmar will hear of your valor on this day!’
‘Where is your shield?’ Garridan asked, looking around.
I shrugged my slumping shoulders. ‘I tossed it — decided I didn’t want to use it.’
‘Yeah,’ Derrick said, sobering. He rubbed the back of his head. ‘I’ve been meaning to talk to you about that — there was no reason to hit me in the head with it.’
I put my hand to my mouth, my eyes wide with shock. ‘I’m sorry, Derrick — I threw it without looking.’
Derrick brushed it off with a wave of his hand. ‘Ah, don’t worry about it. That’s why I wear all of this armor anyway… it’s not the enemies that scare me, it’s the friendly fire.’
‘We must return to the castle,’ Garridan said, shaking his head at Derrick. ‘The king will hear of our victory.’
With that, I was back on Derrick’s horse, and we were riding back toward Delmar. As I entered the main hall
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