Chapter 15: The Old Guard

  Corin adjusted Natwar’s grip on the blade.

  “I am used to holding it with one hand, but you are supposed to use both hands when wielding it.” Corin spoke to Natwar as he adjusted his hands on the blade.

  He had negotiated with the escaped Natwar. In order for his return to the group Corin would teach him the basics of swordsmanship.

  “I see, you keep a free hand for that other weapon you carry, is that right?” Natwar asked.

  “Yes, he thinks he is quite dashing when he wields a pistol in one hand and a saber in the other.” Nanaua interjected with a slight smirk. “Like his own version of a heroic warrior.”

  “No. It’s only for practical purposes!” Corin replied.

  “Of course, Corin, of course.” She nodded as she spoke.

  “Do you think I could get a weapon like that?” Natwar asked.

  “Why we just started with the blade!” Corin replied with exasperation.

  “I was just asking.” Natwar relented.

  “By tomorrow he will be asking how to fight atop a drake.” Nanaua chimed in.

  “Really? That’s a possibility?” Natwar’s eyes welled with excitement.

  Nanaua laughed in response to the child’s excitement.

  “Let us focus on this right now, shall we?” Corin said as he tried to refocus the boy’s attention.

  Despite his young age, the boy was tall, taller than Corin, but he was still growing and his frame was thin. He moved his frame awkwardly, like a newborn deer.

  “Alright hold it like that.” Corin said as he helped the boy with the weapon. Corin stepped away and studied him.

  “The most important thing when you are fighting is your base.” Corin began. “The moment you lose your footing is when you are most vulnerable. Any experienced fighter will use that opening to attack.”

  “How so?” Atwar asked.

  “Come at me and swing.” Corin told the boy.

  “But, but you have no weapon.” He hesitated.

  “I have this.” Corin said as he picked up a stick.

  Natwar hesitated as he looked at Corin.

  “Just do it.” Nanaua told him.

  Zaire stood next to Nanaua, observing. He himself was curious to learn more about how to fight, although he did not want to admit it.

  Natwar looked at Corin and did as told. He took a step forward and swung. Corin easily avoided the swing. Natwar put most of his weight into the swing and tipped forward. Corin kicked his leg out from underneath him, and Natwar fell forward.

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  “Agh!” The boy cried as he hit the ground.

  Corin poked Natwar’s exposed back with his stick.

  “Dead,” Corin said.

  Natwar was quick to get up.

  “I was trying not to hurt you and you kicked me down!” Natwar replied with anger rising.

  “You won’t hurt me.” Corin replied with a smirk.

  “Try it again.” Nanaua shouted at the boy.

  The boy lunged at Corin who smacked his hands, and he dropped the blade.

  “Ouch!” Natwar yelled.

  Corin then hit him in the head with the stick.

  “Dead twice.” He said.

  “Ouch!”

  “You didn’t even hold the blade the way I told you to!” Corin said as he picked up the blade.

  “Pick it up and try again.” Nanaua told the boy.

  “I thought you were supposed to be teaching me, not beating me up!” Natwar shouted with frustration.

  “Well that’s how I learned,” Corin replied.

  Natwar turned to Nanaua.

  “We are trying to instill in you how to end another’s life.” Nanaua said. “If you think that this is too much, then this is not for you.”

  He turned to look at Zaire.

  “Don’t even try to ask for my opinion on this boy,” Zaire interjected.

  Natwar picked up the blade once more and faced Corin. This time he gripped the blade as instructed and swung once more at Corin. Corin avoided the slash and tried to kick the boy off balance, but the boy saw it coming and avoided it.

  “Hah!” He shouted in accomplishment. As he did so Corin hit him in the head with the stick.

  “Three times dead.” Corin announced.

  “Ouch!” he said as he dropped the blade and covered his head.

  “Try again.” Nanaua told him.

  “But I have learned nothing!” He protested. “You just keep hitting me! I don’t even know if I am swinging my blade appropriately.”

  “We don’t have a lot of time before reaching the army, so I just want you to understand the most important things.” Corin told him. “Number one in a fight to the death is, don’t die. The second most important thing is, make sure your opponent does.”

  Zaire nodded in the distance as if hearing a deep truth that was unveiled to him for the first time.

  “Fine!” Natwar yelled as he stooped to grab the blade once more.

  He gripped the blade and prepared himself before lunging again at Corin, who avoided him easily. Corin was about to hit the boy, but Natwar avoided Corin. Instead of gloating, he held the blade at the ready, awaiting to see what Corin would do.

  “Very good.” Corin told him.

  Natwar stood still and then eased his stance.

  “Is that it?” Natwar asked.

  Corin replied by smacking Natwar on his hand, forcing him to drop the blade.

  “Ouch!” Natwar yelped.

  “Dead four times.” Corin said as he then poked the boy on the top of his head.

  “I never said we were done sparring.” He clarified. “I just said you did good.”

  Natwar picked up the blade once more and lunged at Corin. He continued attacking while Corin avoided him, yet despite not hitting Corin he did not leave any opportunity to strike. He kept swinging at Corin, but Corin avoided every attack. Eventually Natwar was left holding the blade and panting heavily. Corin stood still.

  “Another important lesson.” Corin said while Natwar struggled to breathe. “You need to know your own limitations.”

  Natwar took a deep breath and lunged once again at Corin, but his movements were sluggish and Corin merely tripped him and Natwar fell face flat on the ground.

  Natwar turned over and looked at Corin.

  “I know, I know dead five times.” He said to Corin.

  Natwar slowly stood up and grabbed his blade.

  “Again!” He shouted as he rushed Corin.

  Corin and the boy continued the session for a while longer.

  “Six.” “Seven.” “Eight.”

  They continued until Natwar could no longer hold the blade upright.

  “Not bad for your first time.” Corin said feeling slightly fatigued.

  Natwar sat down, exhausted from the beating and training session he underwent.

  “I need to be better.” Natwar snapped back. “If I’m going to be of use to the furtive Legion.”

  “The what?” Corin asked, confused.

  “That’s what they referred to themselves as,” Natwar quickly interjected. “The furtive army.”

  “Oh, I wasn’t aware of that.” Corin replied.

  He felt a strange conflict arise within him. His own desire wanted to rise to the surface and to express itself. He thought of himself standing next to other furtives fighting against the titans. But he quickly thought of something else.

  “Some food first will be of help.” Corin added, changing the topic.

  The four of them set back to camp and ate their meal. Zaire was preoccupied as he spoke to Nanaua on various topics relating to swordsmanship.

  Corin sat next to Natwar who ate his meal furiously, as if it would run away from him the first chance it had. He eyed the boy as he ate his meal, a strange sense of pride welling up inside him.

  “What?” Natwar asked Corin, whom he had noticed had been staring at him.

  “Oh it’s nothing,” Corin replied with a smile.

  “I was just remembering my time learning how to wield a blade.” He lied to the boy. “You did very well today. You have much room to improve, but you have strong fundamentals.”

  “You really think so?” Natwar asked seemingly unconvinced by the praise.

  “I really do.”

  His response brightened Natwar’s face, which swelled Corin’s pride. He remembered Cyril and all the times he and Corin had sparred.

  “That weapon you have,” Natwar followed up. “Where did you get it?”

  “Oh this,” Corin said holding up the blade. “It’s quite the story, actually.”

  “No, I meant that one,” Natwar said pointing towards Corin’s waist.

  “Oh, the pistol.” Corin replied. He put down the blade and picked up the pistol.

  For close to the last two years this weapon had been nothing more than a glorified weight Corin wore around his waist. It felt strange to think that he could use it in combat once more.

  “A pistol?” Natwar replied.

  “That’s what my wife called it; she was the person who crafted it.” He added.

  “Oh,” Natwar said. “I didn’t realize that. I’m sorry.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I’m sorry I didn’t know your wife passed, but I knew a handful of people in the fortress like that,” Natwar replied.

  “No.” Corin interjected quickly. “It isn’t like that. My wife isn’t dead.”

  “No? Is she being held by a Titan?”

  Corin paused.

  “It’s hard to explain.” He replied at a loss for words. “But I hope to see her soon.”

  “I hope you get to see her soon as well!” Natwar replied with a smile.

  Corin smiled, and the two resumed their meal in silence.