The Swordsman's Secret

Chapter 3

Callisto startled awake to Presta patting his face.

"Brother, if Father finds you asleep out here and not guarding me you'll get a beating. Wake up."

"Ugh. Sorry, Presta," Callisto yawned and stretched. The moon had already risen, and the fireflies were gone. Presta was sitting next to Callisto. "How long was I asleep?"

"Only about an hour. Father hasn't come to check on us or I would have woken you up sooner. You must be pretty tired, huh?"

"Yeah. Father has been making me work really hard. He says monster attacks outside the village borders have gone up, so I have to learn the way of the sword so I can protect you and the village. Yawn, but it's hard to train all day."

Presta nodded and gazed up at the moon. "Sometimes I wonder if Mother had lived if Father wouldn't be so hard on you. Maybe she would have kept you safe. Father listens to me because he says I look like Mother. She wouldn't have let you get beatings and be in training all the time."

"Maybe," Callisto nodded. "But she's dead, so I guess I won't ever know. Maybe she would have hated me, too, since I'm deformed."

"You're not deformed! You're pretty, Callisto! And I love you like you are!" Presta glared at him angrily. She hated how her father made Callisto feel bad over something he couldn't help. She didn't know exactly what a deformity was or what was wrong with Callisto, but she did know that she loved him.

Callisto nodded to her but didn't acknowledge her words. After years of being belittled for his deformity her words fell on deaf ears. He needed to go to bed so he could prove himself to his father again tomorrow. His sword broke the barrier with his father. His skills did the talking and gave them a good relationship. He had to grow up fast, unlike Presta. He always appreciated her letting him feel like a child, though, since he was never allowed to actually be one. He sighed and stood up, helping Presta to her feet.

"Let's go on to bed, sister. I have to prove myself to Father again tomorrow if I'm going to go to bed with a full stomach again tomorrow night." 

The children strolled back into their house. Their father's loud snores echoed out of the bedroom. Callisto and Presta changed into their nightclothes and climbed into their shared bed.

The next morning Callisto fell out of bed at dawn, still feeling exhausted and went to the washroom to change into his training tunic and pants. He then scurried outside and picked two apples from the tree in front of the dojo, quickly both before entering the dojo and grabbing his wooden sword.

When the sword master entered the training room, he found Callisto already soaked in sweat and practicing with the training dummy.

"Ah, so my son wishes to impress me again today. Very good. However, I will not be the one sparring with you today. The young lad, Hiro, will be joining our dojo today, and you will be his training partner. You have an apprentice, my boy. I'm proud of you." Even though the words were praise, Callisto knew they held no meaning and only bowed respectfully.

"Whatever you say, Master. I appreciate the honor you have bestowed."

"He will be here any time. Choose a weapon for him and set up the beginner course."

"Yes, Master. Immediately," responded Callisto, straightening out of his bow and moving about with precision to set up the room for a beginner. Ezbero left the room and headed out into the yard to greet his older students who practiced with real swords in the fields now, as if they were already in battle.

Callisto finished setting up the room and sat down on his mat to meditate and wait. He was deep into his breathing exercises when an enthusiastic, "HEY!" made him jump.

"Don't ever yell at someone who is meditating. You messed up my relaxation breathing!" Callisto reprimanded the blond boy.

"Sorry. Looked like you were asleep to me. You were meditating? That's amazing! Like a real swordsman!" The blond boy c****d his head and grinned mischievously. 

"If you're mocking me you can run five laps around the room and do twenty push-ups right now. I'm your master. You show me respect or pay the price." Callisto grimaced at the perky boy, jealous of the happiness that the boy exuded. He walked over to the wall and took down two wooden swords.

"This will be your training sword. It is always kept here. You will be tasked with keeping up with your sword, sanding it if it gets splintered, rubbing it down with sap to keep it smooth, and replacing it with another one if it snaps in training. Got it? This is your weapon. If something happens to it, you will be punished." Callisto thrust the sword at the boy and got his own off the wall. 

"Aw. I thought maybe we would get to use real swords. You know. CLASH! CLANG! SHEEEEEEENG! Using the sheath and the sword as dual weapons and all that." The boy waved his sword around wildly like he was fighting off a spider web. Callisto smirked at his antics. 

"Uh, no. Real swords are for when you're closer in age to see actual battle. We use practice swords so we don't die or lose an arm or a leg. The King's army can't use soldiers with one arm, you know." Callisto held up his sword at an angle. "Now meet my sword in the middle. Yeah. Like that. We cross them like an 'X' in the air. This is our stance before we spar. After we're done sparring, we bow to each other out of respect for the duel. Got it? Since you're so ready to swing a sword, let's see what you can do!"

With that Callisto went on the attack, circling and knocking his opponent in the shoulder, at the knees, on the arms, he even took a swipe at his pupil's stomach. With an 'OOF!' the boy went down on his knees panting.

"Now do you understand why we can't just, what did you say? CLASH! CLANG! and start swinging a sword? Swords require strategy to wield. Also some talent." Callisto circled his pupil and paused in front of him. The boy was panting and still on his knees. Callisto felt a little remorseful that he had already hurt his pupil. He didn't want to be the same kind of teacher his dad was to him.

"You're gonna be a great teacher. I can already tell," the boy panted out. Callisto froze in surprise. A good teacher? Really?

"What's your name, pupil?" He asked quietly. 

"Hiro, master."

"Okay, Hiro. Let's start with a vertical slice on this practice dummy..." Callisto helped Hiro to his feet and began his training. 

With Callisto now training a pupil, his father did not bother training him any longer. That meant fewer beatings. Callisto felt a great deal of gratitude toward his pupil and trained him hard but fair. Hiro was a quick study and caught on well. He was motivated and physically strong. Callisto envied him his natural strength but offset it with his own agility, something that Hiro couldn't master. The boys were well matched in every way.