Shadows Over Arcadia Chapter 16: 16. Captain Of The Guard

Read chapter 16 of Shadows Over Arcadia by Zacheas on NovelPedia.

16. Captain Of The Guard I am Gavin, 28 years old, Captain of the Royal Guard of Arcadia. https://shadowsoverarcadia.com/api/storage/objects/uploads/0c350be4-57f7-44d5-b0f3-fb035934c42b The sharp, rhythmic clinks and clangs of swords fill the training room as Ren and I spar, locked in a relentless exchange of strikes and parries. Moving as though in a choreographed dance, we shift around the room, testing each other's limits with precise footwork and rapid strikes. Ren’s only nine years old, yet he’s already a hell of a swordsman. He doesn’t have a grown man’s strength, but his technique is sharper than most soldiers twice his age, and that enhancement magic of his makes each strike hit like a hammer. Every swing of his blade lands with a force and precision that no boy his size ought to have. I shift into Ochs —the Ox guard—holding my blade high to threaten his position. Ren, ever quick, drops low, fluidly transitioning from defense to offense as he slashes at my leg. I barely dodge. I knock his blade aside and counter with a downward blow, but he sidesteps nimbly, pivoting into position for a riposte. The dance continues, our blades clashing faster and faster, until they’re almost too quick to follow. Ren adapts fluidly, his footwork impeccable as he circles me, maintaining the perfect distance to defend or attack. His strikes are relentless yet calculated, forcing me to push myself harder than I expected. I no longer hold back against him. Despite his youth, he's already mastered techniques that many of my guardsmen still struggle with. As the sparring intensifies, I realize there's little more I can teach him about the longsword. "Enough," I say, and both Ren and I step back, letting our swords drop to rest. Ren looks at me intently, expecting guidance or correction. His breathing is controlled but sweat drips steadily from his brow after the hour of intense training. I smile at him and sheath my sword. "Very well done, kiddo," I say proudly. "There isn't much I can teach you about this weapon." Ren lowers his sword, his expression shifting to surprise and concern. "No... Master Gavin, I still have so much more I need to learn to be a master." I chuckle. “You’re far from being a master. That takes experience. But if you keep training like this and sharpening your magic, you’ll get there one day. I’ve no doubt about it.” Ren sheathes his sword as well. I step over and rest a hand on his shoulder, leaning down to meet his eyes. “Don’t look so glum, kiddo. I’m not done training you. I’ll still be your sparring partner.” “So, you’ll keep training with me in the evenings?” Ren asks, a flicker of worry still in his voice. I pat his shoulder firmly, causing him to wobble slightly under the weight of my hand as I let out a booming laugh. "You kidding me, boy? I wouldn't give up seeing my favorite prince." I turn toward the exit of the training room, rolling my shoulders in a post-training stretch. "And I certainly wouldn't give up eating Lady Willow's amazing cooking." Ren hurries to catch up, walking beside me. "Besides," I continue, "I can still train you on other weapons. You've only mastered the techniques for ONE type of sword." I wave my hand ahead of us dramatically. "There's a wide world of weapons out there for you to master, spears, hammers, axes..." A nostalgic smile tugs at my lips. “Ah yes, axes. I love axes.” And I’ve always been partial to axe wounds. “Well, it would be nice to practice dueling with my off-hand,” Ren says thoughtfully. "When has that been a problem?" "Uh, it hasn't… but what if my sword arm were incapacitated?" Ren counters, his tone a bit evasive. I raise an eyebrow, smirking. "That's a pretty big word for a nine-year-old." "I'm eight," Ren corrects with a slight pout. "You were at my birthday." "Forgive me, you've always acted older than you really are." I say with another laugh. "In any case, that's no problem. We can mix in off-hand sparring starting tomorrow." I shrug. I glance back at Ren with