Chaos: Genesis

Six weeks drift by and Darius fails to land a single blow on Cyrus. He gets knocked down time after time. As training nears its end for the day, Darius makes one last attempt. Lunging towards Cyrus, his uncle's sword comes crashing down and Darius blocks it, sending himself tumbling to the ground. Skidding past Cyrus in a cloud of dust, he scoops up some dirt in his hand and hurls it at his uncle. Cyrus shields his eyes and retaliates with a kick of sand. Darius covers his face, only to be quickly hit with a shoulder thrust from Cyrus. Darius manages to latch onto Cyrus' arm, but he easily parries the sword swing from his nephew with his sword. He then swiftly sweeps behind Darius' knee, tripping him onto the ground. Darius refuses to release his grip, spinning his body and attempting to slash Cyrus' legs with his sword. Reacting quickly, Cyrus kicks Darius' wrist, successfully knocking the weapon away. Cyrus swiftly wraps his arms around Darius' head and chest, trapping him in an armbar. Darius desperately clenches his hands together to stop Cyrus from locking in the hold, frantically searching for a way out. His gaze falls upon the sword lying just a finger's length away. He releases his grip and reaches for the hilt of the sword with his fingertips. As he touches it, Cyrus violently yanks on Darius' arm and tightens his hold. Darius' muscles strain as he reaches for the sword, his fingers just barely able to grip its handle. With a final burst of effort, he brings it down on Cyrus' knee with a slight tap, completing his task.

"Well, you touched me with your weapon, so you win." Cyrus laughs,

"You may have lost the actual fight but a deal is a deal. Tomorrow you will begin actual training with Cyrus and me", Spero announces.

Darius strains to heave himself up, his lungs laboring as he pants for breath. A smile curls the edges of his lips in relief, knowing that he has passed his first trial.

The next few months of training prove to be rigorous and Darius is struggling to keep pace with Cyrus. Spero demonstrates the techniques, drilling them on how to respond in a wide variety of scenarios.

"Before engaging an enemy, it is important to analyze your surroundings. Can you escape if things go south? Will the terrain impact your mobility? Can you use it to your advantage? Once you've gathered all the necessary information, assess your opponent. What race and species are they? Are they known to wield mana or spirit energy? Which weapons do they have in their arsenal? You need to be prepared for any situation and opponent. Once you have mastered your techniques, forms, and defenses, you can then focus on the power of your attacks."

Darius hoists his shield and Cyrus barrels in, pummeling Darius with multiple strikes and delivering a hefty front kick to his shield, sending him flying backward. In an instant, Darius realizes that he won't have enough time to raise his defenses. He slides the shield forward desperately in an attempt to stop Cyrus from advancing. Yet Cyrus easily evades the shield and strikes. Darius jumps up to block the strike, desperately dodging his opponent's blows. He can feel the sheer power radiating from every strike, sapping away at his defenses. He quickly becomes winded as he struggles under the onslaught, feeling a sharp pain in his arms as he tries to keep up with his assailant's powerful attacks. Exhaustion and pain become too much to bear, and finally, Darius drops his sword in defeat.

"When defending, learn to slightly redirect the attack to avoid taking its full power. Failing to do so against an Orc or Giant could result in your arms breaking. At times, it is best to back away and readjust your approach."

Cyrus turns to Darius and reaches out to hand him back his weapon. Spero strides up to the pair, the sound of their boots crunching on the gravel beneath them.

"You may experience times when your defenses become weakened. A good strategy is to allow your opponent to tire themselves out first, turning the tides in your favor. However, there are races such as Reptilians and Elves who are known for their endurance. They can outlast you. They will deplete your energy and slip through your defenses if you let them. As Cyrus had previously mentioned, it is not feasible to defend against attacks from Orcs and Giants. A single swing could easily break through a wall of men; the best way to avoid their attacks if unable to create distance is by counterattacking and parrying."

Two years pass and Darius spars with Cyrus every day, his skills improve at a speedy rate.

Spero approaches him, "Darius come here. It's finally time you face me."

Cyrus quickly halts him, leaning in close, "Spero fights unlike anyone you have seen before, he will sneak in a few punches and will grab your clothes to control you when he gets the chance."

Darius nervously nods toward his uncle before cautiously approaching Spero. His heart races with anticipation as he feels his knees trembling and the sword in his hand quivering.

Spero immediately notices, "Take a deep breath and relax. When facing an opponent you know is of a higher caliber, the last thing you want to do is show them you're nervous."

Darius inhales deeply, feeling the tension in his body slowly dissipate as he readjusts his grasp on the handle.

He readies himself for battle and gets into his fighting stance, "Are you ready?"

Darius nods in agreement, leaning forward. In a flash, Spero vanishes, SMACK, his vision goes black. He blinks open his eyes to find two blurry figures looming over him. Gradually his vision comes back into focus, and he realizes it is Spero and Cyrus looking down on him with concern.

"Oh, he's alive!"

"Maybe I should have held back a little more."

Darius gets up confused and dazed, "What the hell happened?"

Cyrus hits Spero's shoulder, "My brother knocked you out."

"But we didn't even start yet, how did he..."

Spero scratches his head, "Let's try this again, I'll go easier this time."

Darius and Spero square off, their weapons poised and ready. In a blur of motion, Darius is struck five times and crumples to the ground. He quickly springs back up, yet Spero dodges his sword swing and grabs him by the collar. With a powerful heave, he throws Darius back onto the ground once more. Darius stands, grabbing a fistful of dirt from the ground. Before he can throw it, Spero snatches his fist, stopping him. Spero punches him in the jaw and kicks him away, sending the dirt spiraling to the floor. Darius is helpless against his power; his blocks are unable to stop Spero's sword from gliding past with ease.

"You're easy to read, you're loading your attacks for too long, without the proper speed and strength I know the direction of your movements."

Spero lectures Darius as they fight, "Watch your back foot, make sure it's firmly planted on the ground when you move forward"

Spero snatches Darius's sword and swiftly swipes his back foot, sending Darius crashing down to the ground. With a determined grunt, Darius rises and lunges at Spero. But Spero quickly kicks the blade out of the way with his right leg, then deftly performs a backspin kick with his left, landing the blow to Darius's ribs. Wincing in pain, he holds onto his side as he grits his teeth in agony. Darius desperately swings his sword in a controlled, yet frenzied manner, keeping Spero at bay. His frenzied movements are surprisingly precise and calculated as he strives to stay unharmed. Spero charges in and deflects the sword away with a quick swipe, but he pauses for a moment. Darius, sensing his hesitation, stands his ground, clenching the handle of his sword tight and swinging it forward with all the force he can muster. As the wooden blade comes crashing down, Spero stares at Darius through menacing eyes before dropping his own weapon. Surprised by this sudden action, Darius misses a beat and begins to lose composure. Spero grabs his wrist to halt the sword's approach. He swiftly bends Darius's arm behind his own back, and with a swift kick, sends the handle of the sword flying back up into his waiting hand. In one fluid motion, he slashes it toward Darius's throat, stopping a mere hair away from its deadly edge.

Spero lowers his sword, "What you did was the correct move."

Darius a bit agitated looks at Spero, "Correct? I got my ass handed to me"

"When I hesitated, you seized the opportunity to strike me at your best. Your form was great and your attack had just the right amount of power behind it. That would have been the right approach against an average fighter; however, when facing an advanced opponent, hesitations are bait. You can tell when someone is truly hesitating by the look in their eyes."

Darius gathers his belongings as Nefarious enters their training grounds, "Darius, your father summons you."

Spero stares from afar and tries to dissect him, but he is unable to read his demeanor.

Nefarious approaches him, "I believe we still haven't met, I heard many great things, Spero of the Red Sand. I am Nefarious, one of the thirteen mages of the Divine Covenant."

"Pleasure."

"I have heard your abilities are unique and your fighting style is...unorthodox."

"Yes, well I learned to craft what best suits me."

Nefarious pauses and a slight smile sneaks across his face, "Your parents must have been great instructors, creating a warrior of such high stature."

Spero's eyes glare at Nefarious with distrust, "Yes, my parents taught me very well."

Nefarious nods his head and turns to Darius, "We must leave, the boy has an important meeting."

Nefarious leaves with Darius.

Cyrus approaches Spero, "He's a little creepy isn't he?"

"He's hiding something." Spero spills out.

Cyrus and Spero leave the training grounds.