Untitled - Chapter 1

(Author's Note: It's my first time trying to write a story like this, so I'd appreciate any opinions or criticism that anybody has. If anybody catches a mistake I'd made, I'd appreciate letting me know so I can fix it. )

(On an unrelated note, so far, one of the characters belongs to me, and one belongs to a friend of mine. It'll probably be a while before I say which one is whose, but if you have a guess, I'd be interested in hearing why you think one or another is. )

Another clear day. The sun was shining through a few sparse clouds, and the forest was silent, save for a few stray animals and the occasional wind. However, the silence was soon broken by the clang of steel on steel.

Through the forest and in a small clearing,, a young man was balancing himself with a steel sword, bleeding slightly from the side. He looked ahead of him, panting and trying to catch his breath. “How many… How many times was it?” He shook his head slightly, trying to clear it.

“Fifteen times.”

He pushed himself up to his feet, clutching his arm a bit. His clothing was cut in many places, and his brown hair was smudged in various places. He wiped his face before pulling his blade off of the ground. “Guess it’s the end here, then.” He ran forward, blade held at his side, rushing, before it flew out of his hands, landing on the ground.

“Looks like it.”

He faced a serious-looking man loosely holding a greatsword. His hair, eyes, and clothing were dark, and a small bit of armor glittered underneath the clothing concealing it. The man placed the sword in the sheath on his back before turning to his opponent, panting for breath on the ground.

“That makes it sixteen, then. Still, it’s a bit better than before.”

He pulled himself from the ground, holding his wounds lightly. “Maybe, but it’s hardly enough. After the last time, I’m not going to be able to just sit around.” He tried to stand up, wincing slightly at the gash in his side.

The man gave a sigh before pulling him up. “You’re going to kill yourself trying to do this, Kata.”

Kata shook his head before motioning toward his bag, grabbing it, sitting down, and beginning to bandage himself with some cloth from it. “Don’t worry too much about me. Just because swordfighting isn’t my strong suit doesn’t mean I’m not used to dealing with injuries.”

He finished wrapping his side before moving on to his arm. “Besides, it’s about as good as it’s going to be training-wise for now. After the last time, it’s best to try and keep a low profile. You’re just lucky you weren’t easily recognizable then, Sonidow.”

Sonidow closed his eyes for a moment before looking at Kata again. “You still don’t plan on telling, do you?”

Kata shook his head while cutting the bandage from the roll, flinching slightly. “Of course not. After that mess, it’s probably better to keep quiet about it.” He stood up, testing his arm to make sure it could still move. It stung, but he ignored it. “Still, it’s only a matter of time before you’ll have to show yourself, you know. With the war going on, they’ll be looking for anybody to help, and-“

“I know, you’ve told me already.” Sonidow walked to him calmly, sitting down nearby. “Still, the army wouldn’t be that bad. At least it’s some payment, and it would at least give me something to do. You already agreed that I can't get a job without being seen soon, and it's not like I'm going to wait forever for the war to die down."

Kata sighed as he picked up his blade, putting it into the sheath hanging on the side of his pack. “Even so, I’d rather avoid the army. I doubt I’d do too well in an actual fight.”

“I’ve seen you fight before, remember? It’s better than the average person, at least.”

Kata shook his head. “I guess, but it’s still not much in a real battle. If I have to fight in a war, I’d prefer to survive it.”

Sonidow shook his head before speaking again. “But once they find me, you’re still planning on following?”

“Yeah. You might have more combat experience then me, but I still don’t think leaving you alone in the army would be a good idea.”

“Is that for my sake, or for-“

“We can worry about that when we get to it. For now, let’s just grab some lunch.” Kata pulled his pack onto his back with a heave, and began making his way through the brush. “It’s my turn to pay again, after all.”

“I’m surprised you still want to keep that bet going. I mean, sixteen times?”

“Hey, we agreed that the loser would pay. Just because I must’ve been totally insane when I made the bet doesn’t mean I can just let it go.”

"It’s your call,” Sonidow replied. “I’m not complaining about a free lunch, though.”

Kata simply smiled a bit and shook his head, picking a path through the wildlife to town. Sonidow followed after him, and the two left the forest in silence again.