The Journey, Chapt 18 = previous chapter
Chapter 18: Bold
“Left, Left, Lunge, Parry, Lunge, Parry!”
Nekonata followed the instructions, using a short sword, he struggled, his timing was off, the wooden practice sword to light for him to wield.
“Master Patrick, is there a heavier sword I could use? Like, what about that two and a half hand sword over there?”
Patrick looked behind him to where Neko was pointing. It was a green sword of Elvish make, a long sword sword, with a slightly curved tip, green leather handle entwined with silver leafing, the guard and hilt silver with green emeralds encrusted in the hilt and guard. “This sword has been here for as long as I can remember, no one seems to know where it’s come from. It’s an Elven blade though. If you are to use it, you need to dull the blade with the ancient language, do you know how to do that?”
Nekonata shook his head, “No, not at the moment, but it won’t take me long to find out. I’ll ask Master Timtur after dinner.”
“We’ll pick this up after dinner, for now go and see Jason, I believe has something for you.”
Nekonata stepped back and gave Patrick a small bow, “Yes Master Patrick, thank you.”
He placed his wooden practice sword back on the rack, and walked over to where Jason was practicing bowmanship skills. Jason was a strange character to Neko because he was an elf that had decided to change his appearance to look like that of a human. The only thing that gave him away was that his ears had an ever so slight point at the tip of them
Nekonata bowed, moving his two fingers from his lip to chin in a small arch, then from his chin to his chest in the Elvish traditional greeting of respect to a peer.
“Ah ha! There you are young Neko! I was beginning to think you wouldn’t show up. I have something for you, come, come.”
They walked up to a table, there was a blue satin cloth covering something, Jason lifted it up revealing a dark redwood longbow with a purple leather handle in the centre, with interwoven silver leafing and lining up and down the shaft of the bow, lay beside it was matching quiver, with purple flecked arrows.
“Wow! This is beautiful Master Jason!” Neko gasped in surprise.
Jason smiled, gesturing for the boy to pick it up. Neko lifted it, balanced in his right hand, feeling the weight, it felt like a feather, so light and smooth. He stretched his arm out and pulled the bowstring taught, then letting it go. The string sprang back with a beautiful faint melodic whistle.
“May I try it out, Master Jason?” The bow master nodded, and pointed towards the targets. Nekonata picked up one of his purple feathered arrows, stepped forward, arm straight resting the shaft of the arrow on his index finger as a bridge, notching it to the string he pulled back, the string almost touching his lip, he breathed in, exhaled and let loose, the arrow flying through the air with a whistle as it landed perfect in the centre of the target. Neko shot another arrow and it hit his first arrow splitting it in half.
“Now, now child, no need to show off.” Jason said with a soft chuckle. Neko put the bow down, wrapping it up to protect it.
He bowed low to Jason. “Thank you so much Master Jason, I will cherish this gift forever.”
Vivi surprisingly walked forward. “It’s a beautiful gift, one that I believe Jason made especially for you young man.”
Jason smiled and nodded, prompting Neko to bow and say thank you again, “Dankon, majstro Jason!”
“Come with me, child.” Replied Vivi softly. Nekonata followed him back to where they practiced swordsmanship skills. “Go pick up Flustra Vento.” Curiously Neko went and picked up the green sheathed sword, he walked back up to Vivi gently pulling the blade out. Vivi pulled his own orange coloured sword out from underneath his cloak. “Watch and listen carefully, obtuzu ĉi tiun klingon de tenilo ĝis pinto” As Vivi spoke in the ancient language he ran the tips of his index finger and thumb down the length of the blade, an orange static line followed and then disappeared. Neko did the same thing, but for him it was a purple static line. Vivi tested the edge of the boy’s blade, then nodded his head satisfied.
Vivi suddenly swung his sword down at Neko, who was ready and parried the attack. A flurry of orange and green sparks bounced from each other's blades as they met. A dance of the ages unmatched and unrivaled in the skills of swordsmanship was seen on this day. Lunges, parries dodges, Vivi with a faint smile reveling in how fast the youngster was learning. Now all he needed was to excel in his magic.
“Enough for today my child, you did well!” There was a loud applause from the edge of the circle, as everyone cheered and praised what they had just witnessed.
“A bold choice for you to choose the Whispering Wind” Came a soft clear voice as if sailing through the wind itself. As Elvina walked through the crowd towards them. “I had wondered where this sword had disappeared too, for I once trained with it as well…”
Chapter 18: Bold
“Left, Left, Lunge, Parry, Lunge, Parry!”
Nekonata followed the instructions, using a short sword, he struggled, his timing was off, the wooden practice sword to light for him to wield.
“Master Patrick, is there a heavier sword I could use? Like, what about that two and a half hand sword over there?”
Patrick looked behind him to where Neko was pointing. It was a green sword of Elvish make, a long sword sword, with a slightly curved tip, green leather handle entwined with silver leafing, the guard and hilt silver with green emeralds encrusted in the hilt and guard. “This sword has been here for as long as I can remember, no one seems to know where it’s come from. It’s an Elven blade though. If you are to use it, you need to dull the blade with the ancient language, do you know how to do that?”
Nekonata shook his head, “No, not at the moment, but it won’t take me long to find out. I’ll ask Master Timtur after dinner.”
“We’ll pick this up after dinner, for now go and see Jason, I believe has something for you.”
Nekonata stepped back and gave Patrick a small bow, “Yes Master Patrick, thank you.”
He placed his wooden practice sword back on the rack, and walked over to where Jason was practicing bowmanship skills. Jason was a strange character to Neko because he was an elf that had decided to change his appearance to look like that of a human. The only thing that gave him away was that his ears had an ever so slight point at the tip of them
Nekonata bowed, moving his two fingers from his lip to chin in a small arch, then from his chin to his chest in the Elvish traditional greeting of respect to a peer.
“Ah ha! There you are young Neko! I was beginning to think you wouldn’t show up. I have something for you, come, come.”
They walked up to a table, there was a blue satin cloth covering something, Jason lifted it up revealing a dark redwood longbow with a purple leather handle in the centre, with interwoven silver leafing and lining up and down the shaft of the bow, lay beside it was matching quiver, with purple flecked arrows.
“Wow! This is beautiful Master Jason!” Neko gasped in surprise.
Jason smiled, gesturing for the boy to pick it up. Neko lifted it, balanced in his right hand, feeling the weight, it felt like a feather, so light and smooth. He stretched his arm out and pulled the bowstring taught, then letting it go. The string sprang back with a beautiful faint melodic whistle.
“May I try it out, Master Jason?” The bow master nodded, and pointed towards the targets. Nekonata picked up one of his purple feathered arrows, stepped forward, arm straight resting the shaft of the arrow on his index finger as a bridge, notching it to the string he pulled back, the string almost touching his lip, he breathed in, exhaled and let loose, the arrow flying through the air with a whistle as it landed perfect in the centre of the target. Neko shot another arrow and it hit his first arrow splitting it in half.
“Now, now child, no need to show off.” Jason said with a soft chuckle. Neko put the bow down, wrapping it up to protect it.
He bowed low to Jason. “Thank you so much Master Jason, I will cherish this gift forever.”
Vivi surprisingly walked forward. “It’s a beautiful gift, one that I believe Jason made especially for you young man.”
Jason smiled and nodded, prompting Neko to bow and say thank you again, “Dankon, majstro Jason!”
“Come with me, child.” Replied Vivi softly. Nekonata followed him back to where they practiced swordsmanship skills. “Go pick up Flustra Vento.” Curiously Neko went and picked up the green sheathed sword, he walked back up to Vivi gently pulling the blade out. Vivi pulled his own orange coloured sword out from underneath his cloak. “Watch and listen carefully, obtuzu ĉi tiun klingon de tenilo ĝis pinto” As Vivi spoke in the ancient language he ran the tips of his index finger and thumb down the length of the blade, an orange static line followed and then disappeared. Neko did the same thing, but for him it was a purple static line. Vivi tested the edge of the boy’s blade, then nodded his head satisfied.
Vivi suddenly swung his sword down at Neko, who was ready and parried the attack. A flurry of orange and green sparks bounced from each other's blades as they met. A dance of the ages unmatched and unrivaled in the skills of swordsmanship was seen on this day. Lunges, parries dodges, Vivi with a faint smile reveling in how fast the youngster was learning. Now all he needed was to excel in his magic.
“Enough for today my child, you did well!” There was a loud applause from the edge of the circle, as everyone cheered and praised what they had just witnessed.
“A bold choice for you to choose the Whispering Wind” Came a soft clear voice as if sailing through the wind itself. As Elvina walked through the crowd towards them. “I had wondered where this sword had disappeared too, for I once trained with it as well…”
proud of Neko