Chapter 63: Hive Mountain
Kaelor stood on the training ground, gripping his longsword with one hand, a quiet testament to the terrifying strength he’d nurtured. The weapon, Ignis, once a symbol of balance and lethality, now felt laughably light in his grasp.
At five pounds, it had been perfect back when he first held it as a fresh Adept. But now, as a Swordmaster, the blade had become little more than an extension of his arm, weightless and almost beneath him. It was no longer a weapon, it was a reminder.
He needed something new. A new sword, perhaps something custom-forged and monstrous, two hundred pounds at least. Something that wouldn’t risk snapping or being knocked clean out of his hand in a clash with another Swordmaster wielding true mastery class sword.
Across from him stood Vi, her silver hair glinting in the late sun, eyes steady and sharp with anticipation. Around them, a ring had formed, Guardsmen and Bloodstone Archers, all pausing in their training to witness what promised to be a duel worth remembering.
"Shouldn’t you try the straw men first? It’s a bit of a jump if you’re challenging me," Kaelor said, his voice calm as he pointed the tip of Ignis toward her face, not in arrogance, but honest concern.
Vi scoffed, tossing her head back before darting in like a silver bolt, her sword slicing through the air in a diagonal arc. Kaelor didn’t flinch. He simply leaned his weight slightly forward and pushed his arm into her swing, parrying it with ease. The clang of steel rang out like a bell.
Vi adjusted swiftly, shifting her footing to absorb the force of the deflection, distributing the impact through her core and knees. It was clean, practiced. But Kaelor hadn’t even broken stance.
Without a word, he stepped in, a fluid, precise movement, and swung for her torso with a wide, horizontal slash. Vi reacted instantly, lifting her sword to block, but Kaelor suddenly shifted his momentum, brushing the tip of his foot beneath hers.
She fell backward with a startled gasp, her defense ruined.
And before she hit the ground, Ignis was already at her face, its edge gleaming just inches from her nose.