The Mercenary Veteran III

The silence stretched between us, heavy and suffocating.

Kael sat there, his hand still clenched in a fist, his knuckles white. His breaths were steady, controlled, but I could see the tremble in his fingers.

I swallowed, unsure of what to say. How could I respond to something like that?

How could I tell a man who had spent his life drowning in war that I, an eight-year-old, barely capable of wielding a wooden sword, was desperate to leave my tiny village and dive headfirst into that very world?

The fire crackled in the hearth beside us, casting flickering shadows across the room. The warmth should have been comforting, but it wasn't. It only made the cold in Kael's voice feel sharper.

I exhaled slowly, staring down at my hands.

"You said… you don't know how to be anything else," I murmured.

Kael tilted his head slightly, watching me.

I met his gaze. "So, what now? You're here. The war's over. What do you do now?"

He stared at me for a long moment.

Then, he sighed, leaning back in his chair, rubbing a hand over his face. "That's the question, isn't it?" His voice was quieter now. Tired. "I thought I'd just… keep wandering. Find a new war to fight. Disappear. That's what men like me do."

A small, bitter smile tugged at his lips. "But then some kid decided to drag my half-dead body out of the woods."

I stiffened as his sharp eyes flicked to mine.

"That was a stupid thing to do, you know," he muttered.

I shrugged. "Didn't feel like letting someone die."

Kael huffed. "That's a dangerous mindset."

"Maybe." I leaned forward slightly. "But it's mine."

Something flickered in his expression.

Lily perked up beside me, resting her chin in her hands. "Sooo… are you saying you're staying?" she asked, grinning. "Because you don't really look like you're in a rush to leave."

Kael raised an eyebrow. "And why does that matter to you?"

Lily smirked. "Because if you're staying, I want to hear more stories from you!"

Wow, she really had not learned her lesson. 

Kael shook his head, some life returning to his eyes. "Oh, is that how it is?"

"Yup."

I let out a sigh of relief; the dark atmosphere had finally lifted.

His smirk faded slightly as he glanced back at me. His eyes narrowed, thoughtful. "You really want to leave this place, don't you?"

I didn't answer immediately.

Instead, I looked past him, through the window, at the trees stretching beyond the village. At the dark outline of the world that I had spent years wondering about.

Finally, I nodded. "Yeah. I won't spend my life stuck here."

Kael exhaled, rubbing his chin. "Then you'd better be ready for what's out there."

His gaze flickered toward my wooden sword, resting against the wall.

"Tomorrow," he said, voice steady. "You train with me."

....

The next morning, I was up before the sun.

The air was crisp, carrying the scent of damp earth and pine. Mist clung to the ground in thin wisps, curling around my ankles as I walked toward the training clearing.

Kael was already there.

He stood with his back to me, his stance rigid, shoulders squared like a man bracing against an invisible storm. His coat fluttered slightly in the breeze, but he didn't move.

I swallowed. Something felt... off.

"You're early," I called.

Kael turned slightly, his sharp eyes scanning me before nodding in approval. "Good."

His gaze flicked to my wooden sword, still strapped to my belt. "Draw it."

I hesitated, then unsheathed it.

The moment I did, something changed.

Kael stilled.

It was subtle, just a twitch of his fingers, a small shift in his stance, but I saw it. His body locked up, his breath hitching just slightly before he forced it steady. His hand flexed at his side as if reaching for a weapon that wasn't there.

I frowned. "Kael?"

He didn't respond.

His eyes weren't looking at me anymore. Not really.

They were locked on the wooden sword in my grip.

I took a careful step forward. "Hey-"

Kael inhaled sharply, then exhaled through his nose, shaking his head. He rolled his shoulders, forcing himself loose. When he looked at me again, the moment had passed, buried under layers of forced calm.

"Show me what you've got," he said.

I hesitated.

That reaction... what was that?

I almost asked.

But Kael's face had settled into something unreadable, his body relaxed but his eyes sharp. If I pushed, he'd shut down.

So I tightened my grip on my sword and nodded.

"Alright."

I stepped into my stance, feet firm against the dirt, and swung.

Kael easily sidestepped, his body flowing with a practiced grace that made my movements feel clumsy in comparison. 

A blur of motion.

His arm snapped out, knocking my sword aside, throwing me off balance.

I staggered. He was fast.

Too fast.

I swung again, faster this time, aiming for his side.

Kael didn't dodge.

He blocked.

With his bare hand.

I barely registered the sound of wood smacking against his palm before he wrenched my sword from my grip and spun it once in his fingers, testing the weight.

My breath caught.

I had never seen him hold a weapon before.

Kael stood there, staring down at my wooden sword in his hands.

And then, his fingers trembled.

For a fraction of a second, his expression flickered. His grip tightened on the hilt, his knuckles bright white.

His breath hitched, just slightly.

Then, just as quickly, it was gone.

Kael forced himself to move, flipping the sword once before tossing it back to me. I caught it awkwardly, my grip unsteady.

"You're sloppy," he said. His voice was perfectly neutral, as if nothing had happened. "Your footwork's off. Your balance is weak."

I swallowed, gripping my sword tighter. "Then teach me."

Kael was silent for a moment.

Then, he nodded.

For the next hour, he drilled me relentlessly.

Footwork. Movement. Anticipation. He didn't let me swing wildly like I had been. He made me think.

"Your enemy isn't going to just stand there and take your hits," he said, circling me like a predator. "Every movement you make leaves an opening. You overextend? You get gutted. You hesitate? You get gutted. You think too much? Guess what happens?"

"...I get gutted?" I muttered.

He smirked. "See? You're learning."

I rolled my eyes but kept moving.

Kael didn't go easy on me.

Every time I slipped up, he exploited it. He knocked my weapon aside, swept my legs, forced me to the ground more times than I could count. My body ached, my breath shook, but I forced myself to keep getting back up.

And slowly, something clicked.

I started predicting his movements.

Started adjusting.

Dodging faster. Striking smarter.

Kael watched it happen, his eyes calculating.

Finally, after what felt like forever, he raised a hand.

"Enough."

I stumbled back, panting. My arms burned. My legs shook.

But I had lasted longer than I thought I would.

Kael studied me for a long moment.

Then, something shifted in his expression.

Pride.

"You did well," he admitted.

I straightened, blinking. "Wait.... was that a compliment?"

Kael snorted. "Don't get used to it."

Lily, who had been watching from the sidelines, grinned. "Well, well, well. Looks like Alex finally learned how to swing a stick properly."

I shot her a glare. "Lily! Cmon."

Kael chuckled, shaking his head. But then, just as quickly, his face grew somber again.

"Tomorrow," he said, voice quiet. "Be prepared."