Travelling and Training

As the days turned into weeks, I fell into a familiar rhythm with each passing day.

Kaida would always come into my tent at the crack of dawn to wake me, since I was always the last one to wake up. I had to rush to make sure that all my supplies were packed in time, and once I had finally finished and loaded my supplies onto my horse, we would mount our horses and continue onward. 

Every single day, we would ride our horses constantly, taking some breaks occasionally to not overexert the horses. We only stopped to make camp once the sun began to dip past the horizon, which is when we would stop and set up the tents and fire.

Once everything was set up, Kaida and I would begin our training for the day. She taught me more of the basics, such as how to properly block, dodge, and parry. I grew more proficient in my knowledge of sword fighting, but I still had much to learn, as proven by the cuts and bruises I've sustained from sparring with Kaida. Her training methods were a bit harsh, but she was helping me prepare for the dangers that Tenoria had to offer. 

"Hey, what is Kaida training me to defend myself against anyway?" I asked Zahyr one day after training when Kaida had already gone to her tent. His face seemed to darken, even with the light of the fire on his face. "We call them Duskwraiths and Umbrabeasts." He said in a solemn voice, "They're Consumed Nyorans and animals, and they are extremely dangerous. If either of them manages to claw or bite you, you'll become Corrupted. And to make it worse, they're able to step into the shadows and travel between them, making them nearly impossible to predict."

The fear on my face must have been apparent, because he quickly added, "But you don't have to worry; they're normally more active at night, and Kaida does a great job at keeping guard to make sure none catch us off guard." Although it did make me feel better, it didn't stop my heart from pounding in my chest as I thought of either Duskwraiths or Umbrabeasts attacking us while we slept. 

"We'll stop here for today," Kaida said to us, snapping me out of my thoughts. "We've made good progress; we should reach Elyria in time for the full moon." She continued saying as we pulled off the path and dismounted.

"Why do we need to be there by the full moon?" I asked as I grabbed my tent and set it down. "Every six months, at the full moon, the Nobles meet at Elyria to discuss all that has happened in the Realms." She replied as she started setting up the tents, "They only stay at Elyria for three days, so the sooner we arrive, the better."

Taking a glance at the moon, I noticed that it was nearly full, only a sliver of it was missing. "It's almost the full moon, that means we're nearly there?" I asked her, "Yes, based on our speed of travel we should get there in about three days, which is around the same time the Nobles would get there." She replied.

I gave a nod of understanding before leaving and coming back with some sticks for a fire. Zahyr had taught me how to prepare and start a fire, so I stacked the sticks the way he taught me and used my sword and a rock to make sparks. The wood luckily caught fire quickly, and we soon had a functional fire to use. Satisfied with how the fire was, I took a few steps away as I drew my sword to prepare for training.

Kaida walked towards me a few moments later after she had finished setting up the tents. Giving me a short nod, she drew her sword and said, "Let's begin. I've taught you all the basics; now let's see if you can use those skills in a proper fight. I want you to give me everything you've got, no holding back, and let's see if you can beat me." I gave her a nod and immediately got into a defensive stance. "Let's go," I said to her.

She immediately swung at me, but since I was expecting it, I blocked and responded with my own attack. I was too obvious, as she was able to easily block and use my momentum against me, making me stumble as she slipped by me. I immediately whirled around, ready for her to attack, but she had somehow disappeared. I frantically scanned the area for her, but she was nowhere to be found. It was only when her sword was around my throat that I realized she had slipped behind me and taken the opportunity to attack.

She took her sword off my throat, and I turned to face her. "Again" was all she said. Raising my sword, I took the chance to try and attack her first, but she was too quick; in an instant, she dodged the blow and knocked me off my feet. I tried to get up as fast as I could, but she was already standing over me with her sword pointed at me before I had a chance.

"Again," she repeated, "we're going to keep doing this until you have beaten me."

For the next hour, I tried my hardest to beat her in combat, but she always won, her experience always getting the best of me. By the end of it, my fur was soaked in sweat, and I collapsed on the ground out of exhaustion and pain. "Again," she said. "Kaida, I think it's time that you gave him a break," Zahyr said as he walked towards us, seeing the whole situation from the fire. "No, we're not going to stop until he's beaten me. Do you think the Duskwraiths will go easy on him?" She replied somewhat angrily. "No, but that's not the point." Zahyr shot back, "The point is that you're pushing him to exhaustion; he's trained enough!" Kaida locked eyes with Zahyr, glaring daggers at him, but he stood his ground and glared right back.

"Fine, let him rest, but remember this," she said as she jabbed a finger at his chest, "I am your general, I have the governing authority here, and that means I decide what's best for everybody; never forget that, Commander." Zahyr took a step back, still locking eyes with her. "I can assure you that I have not, General." He replied with a bit of frustration in his voice. Kaida said nothing, giving one last look at both of us before walking to the fire.

Zahyr gave a deep sigh and turned towards me. "Sorry about that, Kaida and I don't always see eye to eye on everything," he said, extending a hand. I took his hand, and he helped me stand up. "Don't worry about it; I should be thanking you. I don't know how much more of that I could have taken." I said as I grabbed my sword off the ground before walking towards the fire.

That's when we heard the howl.