The world of sand

"We should go on. I want to train Hayden but since you are here maybe try to fight him one more time. He can learn a lot by fighting someone of the same level." Estel nodded and then looked at me specifically, is he intending to say something? Learning from someone of the same level will be less about fighting fear but more about fighting real opponents.

"It will, I can also learn a lot about fighting. Since I am a complete newbie and a solo learner, it will be a great experience." Bog added to what Estel said and I won't make it any longer. I will just proceed with the training, the fight before lasted for just three minutes or less. It was a quick fight but made me sweat like a pig that for some people I surely am even if I never was. Just because of me being a royal… A pig having an infinite amount of money and food, someone who wouldn't need to work hard at all.

But those who would ever think of me like that would be ignored, or maybe more if they would persist in saying more about my royalty… The royalty that I didn't lose, no one actually took it away from me, neither my father nor mother nor even my bastard brother. I realized it now… I lost it on my own. I rejected it on my own, the royalty that was given to me and not taken away. I don't want it, take it, mother, father, take it away from me just take it. I don't care about being noble or the son of a general or anything, anyone. I don't need that. I just need myself and the point in my life that I certainly attained, the disease called 'royalty'. I want to purge the world of that disease, alone…

"You ready?" He broke down my thinking process right here and now with just two words. It shows how easy it is to break it and actually how pointless it may seem.

"Yeah," I answered very quickly and looked at the man standing in front of me with the shield. I stared behind myself at the wooden gate and saw a small part of Finn's head and eyes just gazing at the both of us, scared for Bog? Probably. Scared for me? Not at all even though he should be since his strength could probably just push me down to the ground. I am not sure if it would happen but the chances are just very high.

I went into my position looking once again at my 'enemy'. The great gladiator that is about to swing the gladius sword in his hands and pin me down with the sheer force. Not even a lot of style in the swings, just like a beast with only force.

Again the image of him with no shirt, a small belt from his left shoulder to his right part of the waist, a helmet made of bronze, a shield also out of bronze, and the sword, the small gladius made of iron. That very image overriding the current one, one on the another. Once again. I wonder how I look in my position in his eyes. Maybe as an experienced soldier? Maybe as someone of something that I am not aware of? I wonder…

We were making circles, slower ones this time. When we made half a circle I was able to see the Goblin with his thumbs in his fists, I really wanted to give him that… Energy? Or strength rather, more than he already has, that worse could move a buffoon.

I jumped to him with a swing almost from behind my back, that swing, if I thought a normal man and not this kind of muscly creation I could probably break someone's arm with that. If I compare my swing to the heaviness of his… There is just no comparison, with even a, not full strength swing could probably destroy one's bones. Not just break them but shatter them. That thought is scary, I am not even sure if he used his full strength on me. Who are those people? Estel and Bog are both incredibly strong. Seems almost as if I was that small little human, small and weak person… I am weak though…

He blocked the swing with the 'shield' easily and just ignored that even happened. His sword started going in motion this time, it felt really slow again, very weird. I just ducked the sword and hit him in the back but this time he didn't stop the fight but went on. He seemed to get mad out of nowhere and started swinging more and more viciously. But all of those fast swings, they were fast probably but they just felt… Slow. Really slow, saw those swings in the air for several seconds instead of just an almost seamlessly quick movement.

Am I getting better at it or is he really making those swings just slower than he wants them to be? About a minute of just swinging all around the small place and me dodging every one of them, duck, back, or dodge to the side. All possible directions where I would be safe, I had enough time to touch a glimpse of Estel's face and he seemed to be in complete awe. I then started moving between the two stances that I know. A jab, a swing, a dodge, a jump back. Each jump is a change of stances each swing and jab, a change as well. A change… A small thing like jumping makes it easier to change from one thing to another.

Dodging those swings made a small change inside me. In that same instance when I looked around me, it was dark. Only Bog was the only thing different than dark, even though he is also pretty dark… But I can differentiate him from the pitch black void around me. The whole place then, in a second, litten up completely. A golden shine appeared in my eyes, dunes made of golden. And pitch black swords, spears, halberds, and different weapons in them. Once again… I entered the realm. My body felt lighter, my eyes sharper, my perception better, and my muscles stronger. Everything regarding my body felt improved almost tenfold, even the sweat created by dodging disappeared. The stick in my hands as well changed into the sword I was yearning for since the dawn of the road of the sword.

The sword with a silver blade and golden guard… When I think about it… It reminds me of royalty, too much about royalty. Bog was right, the looks of one's blade doesn't define a warrior, but the way he wields it. I don't want to make this blade a one serving the royals, I want it to be the dawn of them. The end of them… But the colors just feel too 'expensive' to think otherwise. What an annoying thing…

When I entered the sword space, the afterimage of a gladiator disappeared from him. Only a big man with strong muscles and a stick, his shield disappeared as well, it was just an arm… My mind can't deceive me here. I achieved this myself, I deserve it. Therefore the bad thoughts can't reach me here. In here, there is only the enemy. One me, and the other me, me who lost the fight and me that never even thought of losing the fight. No reason, just pure instinct of survival. Now I know what brought me here, here, in the dunes. All my pain is between all of this sand, the dunes. My feelings are all hidden behind it. And now only the enemy in front of me, nothing else.

He stopped swinging, all of his rages was unveiled. He was huffing almost like me just a second ago. I looked at him, not tired at all anymore. In my stance unfazed looking at the man who could kill me without any fear.

"I give up." He said and threw the stick back to Estel. Then the big man sat under the tree and looked at me completely tired. Huffing incredibly loud and intense. Estel stood up and started clapping.

"Congratulations! You did it! This was a very good entrance to the sword realm. You probably can't enter it because you were fighting me and the stress was holding you back. But when you fought someone of your experience with a sword? You completely dominated." He explained and it makes a lot of sense… I wasn't able to focus on him but only on my weakness. "That means I am a great mentor." He whispered right afterward. "That was a joke haha." He laughed a little and sat back down. He then took a deep breath because he wanted to explain something probably but Bog interrupted him.

"What was that? Your body seemed so weird… Like silk just going underneath my arms. What is that realm that you are speaking of?" He seems very curious. But I only saw a small smirk on Estel's face and that told me what was coming...