The Battle of Centarium

"Get up, boy" Aeysu heard, feeling the man shaking him. Grunting and pulling his eyes open, he saw it was still night.

"Wha- what?" He stumbled, rubbing his eyes with the back of his wrist, "The sun isn't even up!"

Christian didn't answer, as he was setting stones around a fire he was building. Aeysu sat up at looked around. The dim light of the fire barely lite the trees around them. Leaves falling from trees and the distant sound of animals were all he heard.

"We must train, boy. Your first lesson." Mr. Neobus finally said, and turned around with Aeysu's great sword in his arms, "since this is the sword that will be used in the battle, this is the sword you'll use in training."

Groaning, Aeysu stood and took the sword, glancing at the great red dragons that made up the cross guard. Annoyed at the time of day he was awoken, he felt ready to swing a sword at Mr. Neobus.

"First lesson, you must stay light on your toes. A slow swordsman is a dead swordsman, and I know you don't want that." he coughed a little and scratched his now growing grey beard.

"The type of sword you have is perfect. Its sharp on both edges and its point. Some are made blunt on certain sides so he you can focus on a certain style of attack."

Christian raised his old, rusted sword. "Now, defend." He quickly jabbed the sword towards Aeysu, who didn't have enough time to react.

Upon landing on his back, Aeysu yelled, "What the hell was that!"

Frowning, Mr. Neobus helped him to his feet, "You have to be ready. Anyone, and I mean anyone, could want you dead. There are people who want Verathor to return, and they would destroy everything that makes you before they let you live out to fight the battle of centarium."

Raising his sword slowly, Christian nodded for him to attack. Aeysu hesitated, but charged with his sword raised over his head.

Will he ran aimlessly, Mr. Neobus spun the sword in his hand to hold it backwards. He then dodged Aeysu's sad attempt of a swing, and struck him in the gut with the hilt and pommel of the blade.
Aeysu's mouth gaped and his eyes widened, loosing breath.

Aeysu fell to his knees in pain, and heard the clank of his sword hitting the stones under them. He then felt the smack from the blunt edge of Christians blade on his back, knocking him hard, and face first, into the dirt.

Gasping for air, he thought of how fast Christian had moved, faster than any man his age should. As he pondered this, Mr. Neobus stopped his attack and waited a moment to let the boy catch his breath.

He rolled over, then stood up to face his foe. The man was holding his sword in a defensive position, and nodded again for Aeysu to attack.

As Aeysu bent to pick up his sword, Christian repeated, "Light on your feet, boy. Don't charge like a bull."

Rolling his eyes, but taking his advice, he picked up his blade. Turning to face the man and contemplating how to attack. He eventually thought to charge as before, but at the last moment change the direction of his strike.

A smile spread acroos his face as he ran forward again. Still, Christian didn't express any fear or dissapointment in what seemed like a repeated act. Instead, when Aeysu was a few feet out, he turned his back to him.

Stunned, Aeysu considered stopping, but realized that might be what he wanted. He charged on, and as planned, turned his swing to hit Mr. Neobus in his right side.

Aeysu's eyes widened when he heard the clang of sword against sword, and looked to see that Christian had carelessly parried his 'master attack'. Spinning on his heels, Christian struck him in the face with the back of his hand, and turned his sword to its upright position as Aeysu took a step back.

Aeysu, disapointed, threw his as well. They fell into each others swords with great force. Sword on sword, it turned into a pushing contest. Pushing and groaning, he tried to knock the man down. Try as he might, Aeysu couldn't throw the man off his feet. He jumped back, and then proceeded to send the blade towards his opponent, his mentor.

There was a smack, and everything turned to bright lights. Confused, Aeysu tried swinging the sword he though he still carried. When he felt himself hit the cold rocks below, he gave up his barrage of attacks.

He was in a daze for a moment, a very long moment it seemed. All he could taste was dirt as he pulled himself from the ground. He looked to Mr. Neobus, who stood with his rusty blade outstretched again.

Huffing, Aeysu turned away from him. "I didn't even see what you did there! How am I going to do this! Its a damned lost cause!" he complained, bending his knees and staring at the rocks on the ground.

He heard a laugh behind him, and the sound of the man sitting down, "Boy, that was your second try. You changed direction and tried to deceive me, and when we clashed you pulled away from the stronger opponent before it was two late."

Aeysu popped his head around to look upon his smiling mentor, "If you keep this up, two years is no time."

A smile crept to Aeysu's face as he stood again. He grasped his sword and nodded at Christian. The sun now showing in the distance. With that, they went at it again and again.

It was over two hours later when they stopped, and decided that it was time to move on. In those two hours, Aeysu came closer and closer to actually hitting his mentor. He failed each time, but the progress made him feel that his swordsmanship wasn't a lost cause after all.

They walked down a deserted path, stopping only to eat and talk directions with many of the traveling merchants. The day started to fade, and the monotonous dirt road they had traveled began to get smaller and smaller. This made Aeysu question their destination even more, where would a small road lead?

As the sun faded, they set up camp. Mr. Neobus made another fire and Aeysu unloaded the cloths they used for beds. After all was done, they sat to eat, and it was at this point that Aeysu decided he would ask about what was on his mind all day.

"Sir, you said there were people who wanted to see Verathor return.", he said, and watched him freeze at the question. It was a few seconds before he resumed eating.

"Yes, when he was sealed much of his army went into hiding. It, of course, isn't an army today, but they still exist.", he finished.

Aeysu watched the flames whip at each other, and it reminded him of the burning sky. Then it hit him, something he had never thought to ask.

"Sir! You said three people would see the flames in the sky a few nights ago. I know me and the owner of the other sword, but- then who else?" He spat out, feeling like an idiot for not asking sooner.

Mr. Neobus, who had laid his blankets.next to a large tree trunk, made eye contact with Aeysu. He could see in the mans eyes that he didn't want to say what he was about to.

With a sigh, he looked to the ground, "I didn't want you to know just yet, boy. I suppose I have no reason to hide you from this." With a grimacing look, he watched for an expression.

"The group I told you of, the one that wants to see Verathor return, have a name. They are called the Ak' Ragni. Their leader, if he hasn't died already, will be Aldor. This is the man who will see the flames." he finished, and seemed saddened to have to tell Aeysu the story.

Confused, Aeysu wondered for a moment what it could mean to make Mr. Neobus upset. If the man could see the flames, what would it signify for him? He wasn't in the battle, he just wanted...
It didn't take long for his thoughts to turn to the awnser, and he shot his gaze at the older man across him.

Christian nodded, "That's right boy. They know the two of you are on the way to the battle. Like I said, they want Verathor to return. The only way to do that.." he paused as he laid into his neatly packed blue blankets, " The only way to do that, boy, is to kill you before you make it there."