Swordmaster's Trial

I sit upon the cold floor, feeling its hard surface pressing against my knees. My blade lies flat on my thighs, its thin edge gleaming warmly. The Gaea, with their weapons, would never know the true power held within the sword. I sigh deeply and let the breath escape me slowly as I close my eyes. I envision only myself and my blade, united. Then it begins. I feel the blindfold lower over my head, over my face. I feel it tighten around my skull. "I trust in the eyes of my blade," I hear myself speak in a hushed whisper. I hear another whisper, softer, like an ethereal spirit trying to contact me from a distant world. I sense bodies moving around me. I know not where they stand.

Fear....terror.....panic, all grab me. I am deafened. A sudden motion....where? I duck my head. Doubt stops my blade from speaking, from singing. I clear my mind. Another sudden motion....from my left? The voice of my weapon crescendos as I grasp its hilt and rise to my feet with a swing. Something falls with a thud. Behind me....more movement. I spin left and cut something across the back and it falls. I thrust forward then back, my blade dancing in my hand. This is not me....this is my blade. Suddenly, the song of steel reaches a fortisimo.

I see again, beyond the blindfold. Shadows of....myself. My doubt and fear lunging and battling me. Frustration striking at me. And all I can do is trust in my blade. I settle. My blade now has my full trust. With a flourish, I parry an attack and slash the shadow across the face, making it spin. A flick of my wrist sends the blood into the eyes of another shadow, blinding it. I kick the shadow in the chest and send it to Lai'garon with a passing thrust. My blade whirls and my body follows. Shadows fall all around. The blade is blazing with passionate song and flames dance along its edge. My blade and I are as one, dancing in battle. I pirouette and stab, I slip silently away.

United, my body and blade beat down the shadows. They stop coming, but my blade lusts for more. Now it is the final test. I command the blade's calm, and the steel song silences. The blindfold falls from my face and the bodies of fallen Dira lay on the ground. Each body possesses lacerations and there are several severed limbs and heads littering the precious floor. I clean my blade and sheath it as my left sleeve falls from my arm. I turn to Kyr'tanon, my mentor, and he nods to me. I am no longer an Ari'ina child, but a newly dubbed Ari'ina Swordmaster. We turn toward home. It is a long journey and a hard fight before we find safety, but my blade and I are ready.