Long after the lamps had gone out Vi stirred. Taking care, she eased the blankets aside. Squeezed her eyes shut, as she was blinded by the candlecore. The small light was warm in her hand, casting the room in a soft orange glow. After a few moments she opened her eyes.

  Already dressed, she clambered out of the bed, wincing when the tick mattress let out a slight “slump.”

  She crossed the room like a shadow, her feet steady on the hardwood as she made her way to the door. It was slightly ajar and she eased it open, stealing through the crack. Her mom’s sword hung dully, suspended on the wall by two iron hooks.

  Taking the candlecore’s leather cord in her mouth she stretched upward. She reached the handle, sliding her other hand beneath the blade, lifting it off the wall. It was heavy, the familiar weight felt good in her hands.

  She held her breath before her father’s door, lest he hear and send her back to bed. It had become a ritual, their game of cat and mouse. She did her best to practice with the sword and he did his best to stop her. She made it to the door with nary a sound, gently lifting the latch. The door swung open soundlessly, and slipping on her sandals she disappeared through the doorway.

  She glanced up at the inky expanse of sky, at the faint pulsing cracks of light, the Moonveins.

  Free as a mouse she made her way to the courtyard. Taking care to step softly on the grass, she set the candlecore by the apple tree and took up her stance. The first guard of the basic earth style. one shoulder forward, blade held level in both hands across her chest. She could almost feel the soil beneath her sandals as she settled her feet.

  Slowly, carefully, soundlessly, she began to go through the form. Stone legs of the earthen wall, the sword moved to block a strike from her lower left. Her wrist twisted as she turned over the blade, blocking the lower right. Stone arms of the earthen wall, she parried a blow from her left, switching to her right, her weight sliding to her back leg as she twisted. She took a moment to steady herself before repeating the form, smoothing the transition. She raised the sword above her head, finishing in the stone crown.

  She repeated the forms until she managed a perfect sequence. Setting the sword down she fetched a waterskin from a pocket. She took a sip, sidling over to the tree, glancing over the litter of small green apples.

  Taking care not to rattle the tree she plucked one from the branch. The sour-sweet flesh was perfectly crisp, and she took another bite, soon tossing the core into the grass. Her father always ate them, but she was fairly sure he only did it around her, like he was trying to get her to do it and look like a lunatic in front of people.

  Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand and feeling a little she took the sword back up, settling into her guard. She let out a breath, running through the movements of the earthen wrath in her head.

  There was a crisp squish as an apple core was crunched underfoot and Vi flinched. Slowly she turned.

  He stood beneath the spindly apple tree, the candlecore glow illuminating his scars, the nightshirt and checkered boxers. “Come on, let’s go.”

  Vi stood there for a moment, as she dug her canines into her inner mouth, teasing the tenuous flesh between the upper and lower tooth; it hurt.

  “Vith,” he said with a tone “inside.”

  Setting her jaw she met his gaze “Dammit Dad,” tears threatening to blur her vision, emotion choking her voice.

  “Come on,” his voice laced with warning.

  She just stood there, glaring furiously. Her grip tightening as he reached for Mom’s sword. And to her shame tears began to run down her face.

  He paused and his shoulders seemed to droop “Oh Vi,” he sighed, wrapping her in a hug. She leaned into the embrace, face buried against her his nightshirt. After a long moment, his arms slid away.

  The corner of his mouth twitched “You know you’re never gonna kill a monster like that right?”

  Her nostrils flared, and she resisted the urge to throw the sword at his feet. “Well, maybe I would if you’d ever teach me anything.”

  Dad let out a quiet laugh before another sigh. He turned taking a step away. Vi free hand curled into a fist. He paused by the apple tree, and still in his checkered boxers, slowly took a seat beneath the apple tree, brushing away a bit of dirt before sitting down.

  Vi hesitated, as he rested his back against the slender trunk, looking up at her. After a moment He patted the dirt next to him “Sit with me, will you.”

  Hesitantly she joined him beneath the canopy. “What?” she asked, as the silence seemed to stretch.

  He looked over at her “Please put that down.”

  She glanced at the sword, the blade, the reflecting the candlecore’s dim glow. She set it to her side, out of Dad’s reach.

  He cracked a smile, looking back up at the canopy. “Why tonight, of all nights,” he paused, running a hand over his face “What’s one less day of practice.”

  Vi remained silent, looking at her hands.

  He glanced back at her, pensive? Resigned? Sad?... “I never wanted to teach you how to fight.”

  “I know” she muttered.

  He chuckled, the corners of his mouth rising “Vith…” he paused, looking for the words “You’re going to enter the trials?”

  She fiddled with a piece of grass and nodded “I plan to,” a wry smile stole over her face “and it would go a lot better if I actually knew how to fight.”

  Another chuckle and a pause. “I don’t want that life for you, Vith… You don’t know what it means.”

  Vi started to tear the grass into small pieces.

  “I can’t stop you?”

  Vi didn’t answer.

  “Oh! Chaos take me!” he punched the ground, shaking the tree, a couple apples fell around them. “Fine, I’ll teach you how to fight, but if you aren’t ready, you don’t fight.”

  “Deal!”

  “Great” Dad said flatly, getting to his feet with a groan “now let’s get some sleep.”

  “I thought you were gonna teach me!”

  “It’s the middle of the goddamn night Vi.”

  “Fine,” she groaned, taking his hand.

  ***

  Dad was gone before she woke up, though a pot of last night’s stew sat near the hearth. She stuck a finger in, checking the temperature before poking at the fire and setting the pot on the hot coals.

  While she waited for the stew to warm, she changed into a roughspun tunic. The food was as good as ever, and she took a moment to savor the broth as she ate the pieces of potato and carrot.

  Jittering she busied herself around the house, sweeping the floors, cleaning the hearth, and adding a couple more pieces of firewood to the pile until the sun was high in the sky. Barely restraining her excitement, she fled the house, rushing through the streets.

  The paved roads turned to the hard packed dirt of the market district, brick and wood buildings giving way to the tents and stalls of the travelling merchants. She had no eyes for their wares as she weaved through the increasing traffic.

  Pausing, she practically bouncing on her feet as she waited for arbites to finish crossing, escorting an indignant noble in green, whose shouts fell on deaf ears. She practically had to elbow her way out of the watching crowd as weaved through the middle city, making her way to the arenas.

  The arena stood in the shadow of the high city, the fighting pits bordering the sandstone cliffs, the training yards stretched around them. Running into the rapidly forming line she looked out over the crowd of kids. In a moment she caught Riley’s spikey blonde hair in the crowd, and waved at her wildly.

  “Riley!” she shouted, jumping up and down.

  “Vi!”

  Riley shoved her way through, getting more than a couple grumbles “Thanks for letting cut,” Riley elbowed.

  “Anytime,” Vi said, elbowing her friend right back, the pair devolving into a minor scuffle as line continued to form, doubling back on itself.

  “Still doing earth style?” Asked Riley

  “Yup, sticking with wood?”

  “Yup, and you should give it a chance! Trust me,” Riley looked her dead in the eyes “it’s the best.”

  “How’d you know? You aren’t any good at it.”

  Riley crossed her arms and turning her head “Yes I am,” she said, the picture of indignance.

  “Duel me then!”

  The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

  “You’re on!” similar conversations were spreading through the line, occasionally mollified by an accompanying parent, as the sun slogged through the sky.

  At the head of the line a halfling hopped from foot to foot as a deeply tanned man raised a hand, measuring the sun’s position “alright, shuffle in. No pushing!”

  The gaggle flowed across the sand, breaking into groups, as they made their way to the individual masters. There were a slew of instructors for the five elemental styles, the most common martial technique in the kingdom, while the beast styles only had a scant handful. Vi settled in a group in front of a swordswoman who wore loose robes, and a mineral sword belted at her waist.

  “My name is El. Today you will call me master.”

  “Yes master!” came the response.

  El waited for a moment, looking them over before nodding. “Grab a practice sword.” she commanded, gesturing to the bin of wooden practice swords. Vi was one of the ones vying to be first while cooler heads waited out the scuffle. She was among the fastest to retake their spots on the sand.

  The instructor worked them through the basic forms, showcasing the movements of the earthen wall and earthen wrath before having them copy her. Vi was entranced, today’s teacher was good. El’s balance was solid as she moved, and Vi could almost feel the weight of the sword as it danced through the solid blocks and shifting strikes, stone arms indeed.

  Setting them into orderly rows El had the group do repetitions, each time transitioning from stone crown to falling stone, the high block turning into the first strike of the earthen wrath, an overhead cut.

  She walked through the lines, occasionally calling a halt as she corrected balance, grips, and gave advice. Twice she stopped by Vi, making minor adjustments to her stance both times. Vi didn’t know if it was pride of embarrassment that flushed her cheeks, but she continued.

  After the third repetition of the basic earthen forms, she called a halt to the practice, letting the tired kids get water and take a break. Unlike earlier, Vi waited her turn at the trough, taking the ladle a larger boy handed over. The warm water was blessed on her parched throat, and she sat heavily against someone’s knees, simply happy to be out of the sun.

  It was about fifteen minutes later that kids began to return to the earthen sword instructor who seemed content to sit in the baking heat. Vi absently wondered what level she was as she jogged over to take her place. The instructor waited a little longer as the occasional straggler joined the group before beginning the second phase. This time instead of having them practice the techniques in order she called out individual forms, occasionally pausing to help a student smooth their transition from form to form, block to strike and strike to block.

  “Left stone legs!” 20 blades shifted down “Right, stone arms!” 20 blades blocked an incoming cut “Stoneslash!” 20 blades cut the air, wrists twisting as defense turned to offense. El paused for a moment, Vi could see the woman out of the corner of her eye, it seemed she was satisfied. “You’re dismissed, but I would talk to each of you first.”

  Almost immediately a circle formed around the instructor, quickly transforming into an orderly line.

  “You rush, this is earth, not fire. We are solid and steady. Slow is smooth, and smooth is fast. Practice the earthen wall, do not let offense become your only defense.”

  “Yes master,” bowed the big kid who’d handed her the ladle, he had sandy blonde hair, and she thought he’d been good.

  “What about me master?” Vi asked.

  El took a moment, her eyes falling this way and that as she thought “Your stance is grounded, strong and steady as befits the earth, but you lack mobility. It takes you too long to ground yourself. You would do well to work on your footwork.”

  “Thank you master,” she said, bowing her head, and clinging to her broken pride as she left the field. So what if she couldn’t move, she could beat Riley into the ground standing in one spot.

  Vi found Riley lying in shadow near the sandstone cliff empty fighting pits to either side.

  “Hey Rai” she said with a tired smile “how was your instructor?”

  Riley glanced over pulling herself to a sitting position with a goofy smile that threatened to eclipse her face “He was amazing! You should have seen him move! Winding through the forms like a serpent, persistent and domineering, like some great oak!”

  “Ooh, did he give you any good advice?”

  “Meh, it was okay. You?”

  Vi smiled, it was her turn to rave all about El “She was fantastic! All her moves had this weight to them. It was like watching part of the earth shifting in front of us. She was totally using skills, but still!”

  “What’d she say?” asked Riley,

  Vi froze, mouth half open, about to tell her friend her biggest weakness “You first, what’d Master Oak say to you?”

  “He said I should look into the basic fire style, but I don’t think it fits.”

  “What? it totally fits! I always thought you were more fire than wood anyway.”

  “Hey! I’m way more wood than fire! Now you.”

  “Oh. Uhm, well.”

  “Was it bad?” asked Riley, with a half grimace.

  “No, no, just that I need to work on mobility. Apparently, it takes me too long to steady myself.”

  Riley looked at Vi, her mouth slowly falling open “You can’t move around?”

  “I can move around!” Vi said, a little indignant as the corners of Riley’s lips turned up, the flycatcher turning into an amazed smile “I can move around!”

  Riley collapsed, laughing, in front of a stony Vi “how did I never see it!”

  Most of the instructors had left by the time Vi and Riley made it back to the sand. They scanned the field, looking for Gil’s telltale robes. Riley spotted them first; a group clad in the red of the Cain family made their way into the arena. The pair hesitated, Gil was one thing, his family was another. Gil, however, didn’t seem to share their reservations, waving at them wildly. He stopped, exchanging a couple words with his mom who seemed to give him leave.

  The young master ran down the shallow slope to meet them, stopping a couple steps away from them, his face flushed. “Hey how was the training?” he asked, a little out of breath

  “Amazing, way better than your family lessons,” said Riley

  “You know I’d rather be here with you guys.”

  “Are we gonna fight or not?” asked Vi

  After a small squabble they figured out the matchups. Vi would fight Gil and the winner would fight Riley, then the loser would fight Riley. Riley tried to say she should fight Vi and the winner should fight Gil, but Vi outright refused to fight Rily first.

  As Riley took her spot as referee Vi squared up against Gil. the boy wore loose red robes that sent a pang of jealousy through her, had a mop of curly brown hair, warm brown eyes, and was boyishly handsome; she could see why Riley liked him.

  His feet shifted, knees bending into a low guard as she took her own. They paused readying themselves. He moved first, charging forward; spear scraped against stone arm, she twisted into upward cut, meeting only air as Gil was backpedaled, putting distance between them, Vi grimaced taking a step. The spear darted in meeting stone arms, the third strike forced her back, and under the barrage her form fell apart. Riley declared the match after a thrust took Vi in the chest.

  “I’ll get you next time” Vi said, rubbing her chest where she could already feel a bruise forming

  “You say that every time,” laughed Gil

  “Spears are just dumb, why don’t you fight me with a sword, like a real classer.” She egged.

  Vi moved outside the circle, taking Riley’s spot, waiting for the two to start. The stood two sword lengths apart, frozen as they sized the other up. Riley moved first, closing with a sweeping strike. Gil blocked, spear whirling like a staff as they fought close quarters. Their weapons clacked at speed. Both hands on her sword Riley blocked a descending strike, flashing forward, in an overhead cut. The spear-end knocking the blade aside, Gil sent the butt of his weapon into Riley’s gut. There was an oof and Vi called the fight, jogging over.

  “In a real fight, I would’ve cut your spear in half,” said Riley, rubbing her stomach

  “Not if I had a good spear.”

  “Not if I had a good sword.”

  Vi patted Gil on the back “Nice moves you two.”

  “Thanks,” he smiled “Sorry about the bruise though. I can take a look at it later.”

  “It’s fine,” she waved the offer away, “I’ve had worse.” Vi smiled “From you,” she said, jokingly accusatory

  They took a moment for Riley to catch her breath, Gil taking the spot of referee while Vi practiced her footwork. She was on her sixth try of the sliding step when Riley got to her feet and the pair settled into guard.

  Vie took her friend in, the stained roughspun, blonde hair matted with sweat, and piercing blue eyes. She settled into the familiar wood guard, supple, almost graceful. Vi took her own stance, solid and steady, at least Riley couldn’t attack her from range.

  Vi took a step and Riley was on her. The stone crown fell into falling stone while Riley danced away, as quickly as she had come. Vi took another step, her sword flashing into stone legs and arms, blocking the strikes and slashing out, meeting nothing. Vi grimaced as Riley began to circle her. She rushed forward, falling stone sliding off a supple block she stumbled and cried out as Riley’s wooden sword cracked painfully against her back.

  “That was tooo easy,” Riley said, propping her sword on her shoulder.

  “I’ll show you too easy,” Vi grumbled as they walked over to Gil who seemed to be in a nonverbal conversation with his mom.

  “So what’d you think, any advice?” Riley asked

  “Nah, you guys looked good” Gil said

  “Come on, give us something, we only get to train once a month.”

  “Oh, right, uhhh. Hmmm.” He paused thinking for a moment “Riley, you have good forms, but you’re more flowing that supple, you almost remind me of water style and Vi, you kinda, don’t move around a lot,” Vi glowered and Gil raised his hands “I’m just saying, you might’ve won if you’d been able to follow up with your attacks. Instead of just taking hits.”

  They fought another couple bouts, Riley and Vi took Gil on as a pair, forcing him back and eventually trapping him against the cliff, and after that the trio parted ways, Riley heading back to her father’s shop while Gil headed over to the healing tents that were taking care of anyone who’d suffered an actual injury during the spars. Vi waved them off, heading home.

  To her surprise Dad was waiting outside for her, measuring the evening sun.

  “Welcome back kiddo.”

  “Hey Dad.”

  “You still up for training?”

  Vi blinked “almost more stunned than she’d been last night.”

  “Alright, let’s go.” he said, pushing off the wall. He grabbed two sticks leanining against the wall. The were crudely cut to resemble swords, Dad definitely didn’t have a woodworking skill, that was for sure. “Come on, let’s head to the back.”

  Dad led her to their shady courtyard, and after all day in the baking heat, it was a relief to get out of the sun.

  “How are your forms?” he asked

  “I’m pretty good at the earth style just- I just need to work on my footwork a little.”

  Dad nodded for a sec “Show me,” he said, tossing her one of the practice blades

  Vi caught it, groaning as she settled into her guard. Her knees ached, and her arms burned.

  Dad was nodding “Not bad, I guess sneaking away to the arena all those times paid off.”

  She jerked her head to look at him “You knew?”

  “Of course I knew, I used to be a ranger for Duri’s sake. Now forms.”

  She ran through the 5 blocks, transitioning smoothly into the 3 cuts, and lunging forward she finished with a thrust.

  “Good stance,” Dad hummed “you chose a good form. Erde seems to like you,” there was a faint smile on his lips, and rolled his shoulders, hefting the other carved sword.

  Vi shifted to face him, her feet settling into the earth. Her father settled into his own guard, almost reminded her of Riley’s wood, but closer to water. She waited for him to make the first move. He moved with fluid grace, but struck with the force of a battering ram. She blocked two more cuts that rattled her bones.

  She winced, cringing slightly as the fourth blow came. It didn’t fall.

  “Do you see the problem?” Dad asked

  “She opened her eyes and lowered her sword “You mean the fact that your like fifty-fold stronger than me.”

  “No, also never close your eyes in a fight,” Vi rolled her eyes “Yes. I am significantly stronger than you, but think about it. The earth style is only one of the five elemental forms.”

  Vi blinked

  “More water could’ve turned my blows, you might’ve even turned my strength against me. Earth on the other hand… it has more give than metal, but you won’t last against something with overwhelming force.

  “You mean I have to learn all five styles?”

  “Not exactly, but yes.”

  His next strikes had less weight behind them and she executed a series of blocks, drawing strength from her feet. It ended the moment she slid, on the backfoot she was just barely able to block his strikes.

  Blades clacked as downward strike met and upward block, smooth slash met frantic parry, and without an anchor her moves lacked weight.

  He let up, his sword coming to rest while the sweating Vi stumbled, falling to her knees and planting her blade into the dirt.

  “What went wrong?” Dad asked, walking over to the apple tree and looking over the branches.

  Leaning on her blade Vi struggled to catch her breath “You’re, way, stronger, than me,” she huffed.

  “True, but that’s not what lost you the bout. What might’ve changed things?” He plucked an apple off the tree

  She let out an exhausted breath, half sigh, half raspberry. “A couple levels certainly wouldn’t hurt.”

  “Yes, but barring that,” he rubbed at a dark spot on the apple with his thumb “here, catch.”

  Gaius winced as the apple bounced off his daughter’s head “Oops, sorry.”

  She glared at him.

  “Okay, enough training for today. I’ll get dinner started.”