Chapter 7 – Sparks of Rivalry
1138 Words
Lincoln's POV:
The courtyard of Castle Duskbane seemed different this morning. Not because the stone walls were different or the banners waving overhead displayed new crests, but because it was the first time the eight of us were grouped together side by side as… whatever we were being positioned to be. Chosen. Weapons. Heroes.
"Align." Sir Cedric snapped, his cloak flowing behind him as he marched across the training field. His voice was like iron, and even smug, arrogant Amir straightened at the command.
I stood between Sky and Ayaana, my own nerves are shaking but I tried to make a calm face. Honestly, my heart was pounding against my chest like it want to escape from my ribcage. This was it—our first as a team. Not in the field yet, but training together in front of knights and nobles who don't believe each word of the prophecy that bound us.
Cedric's eyes raked over us like a hawk. "Today, you find out whether you can exist as one. Each of you are talented, sure. Each of you has strength. But power is worthless without discipline. Without trust."
"Trust?" Chris grumbled beneath his breath, with a smirk. "We're lucky if we know the other's name."
I gave him a glare. His silver eyes sparkled with amusement, as if this was all a joke. Shadows clung lightly to his boots, twitching like restless cats.
"Pair exercises first," Cedric went on. "You will spar in twos. Familiarize yourselves with each other's rhythms. Those who are unable to work with someone else will pull the rest into the ground."
Ayaana stiffened at my side. Sky emitted a nervous laugh. Amir, of course, crossed his arms over his chest and smirked. "Sounds easy enough. Let's hope some of you can keep up."
My jaw clenched. Why did every sentence that fell out of his mouth sound like a challenge to me?
"Lincoln," Cedric snapped, gesturing with his sword to Amir. "You and Hansley. Step forward."
Great. Of course.
The watching knights stirred as Amir and I stepped into the courtyard center. He flip his cape behind him with the bored look and arrogance. I shrugged my shoulders, attempting to shed the burden of expectation.
"First strike wins," Cedric declared. "Start."
Amir didn't wait. He charged forward, his sword shining in the sun. But it wasn't merely steel he used—it was voice.
"Yield!" he bellowed, and the word hit me like a command dressed in thunder. My knees folded before I could fight. His power—Compulsion—wasn't sound. It was force.
I clenched my teeth, my chest is burning as I made my body remain vertical. "No," I spat, and the Forge within me flared, a torrent of heat coursing through my bloodstream. A delicate lick of flame danced along my arm, and Amir's smirk wavered for an instant.
I charged, swinging my sword. He counter it effortlessly. Our blades crashed into each other over and over, the clashing ringing through the courtyard. He was faster and stronger. But I possessed something he didn't—raw stubbornness.
"You fight like a blacksmith," Amir jeered as he pushed me back. "All muscle, no skill."
"Better than fighting like a pampered prince," I retorted.
His eyes narrowed. His second strike was sharper, angrier. For a heartbeat, I feared he'd kill me. Then instinct took over. The Forge blazed, my blade igniting in fire. Real fire. The knights gasped as flames danced down the steel.
I struck upward, sparks spewing between us. Amir sprang back, eyes wide. For the first time, his confidence cracked.
“Enough! ” Cedric’s voice cut through the air like thunder. The fire winked out instantly, leaving my blade plain again. My chest felt heavy, my lungs burning as though I’d swallowed the flame myself.
Amir lowered his sword slowly, glaring at me like I’d stolen something from him.
"Impressive," Cedric replied, although his face was stern. "But foolish. Both of you allowed pride to drive your sword. Had this been a fight, you'd be dead men serving the crows."
Ayaana ran over, putting a hand on my arm. "Lincoln, is everything all right? That energy—it depletes you if you're not careful."
"I'm fine," I lied. My head feels like wobbling, my body shuddering at the backlash of the Forge's surge.
Amir drew his sword with a swift motion. "You were lucky."
I matched his glare head-on. "If that's what you want to think."
The next two stepped out—Sky and Akira. Sky grunted a swift prayer behind his teeth, the air around him rippling slightly with starlight. Akira curled her fingers, her nails extending into silver-tipped claws as the wolf within her awakened. Their battle was quicker and more fluid, but my mind registered little. My mind seethed on the fire that had burst from me.
The Forge. Cedric's cautions replayed in my mind: it was not a gift to be used lightly. When I touched it, it was like plunging my hands into the core of a volcano. How long would it take before it destroyed me?
The training concluded with all of us drenched in sweat. Cedric sent the knights away, but his gaze stayed on me. "Lincoln. A word."
I trailed behind him into the barracks' shadow, my gut clinching.
"You tap too heavily into the Forge," Cedric replied in a low, serious voice. "That magic is ancient enough to be beyond your understanding. Every time you call forth fire, you're inviting it to burn you. Do you get it?"
I gulped. "So what—am I just supposed to ignore it? Pretend it doesn't exist?"
"You have to master it," Cedric retorted. "Or it will be the one who master you. And if it does, it will not merely ruin you, but also the ones you love."
His words hit deep. I remembered Ayaana's concerned glance, Sky's tensed laugh, and even Amir's anger. If the Forge ran amok…
"I'll master it," I asserted, though fear gnawed at me.
Cedric watched me for a long time before nodding. "It's for all of our sakes."
When I returned to the others, Amir stood off to the side, his eyes icy, his jaw clenched. He regarded me not as friend, but as impediment. I had a dismal feeling this was just the start of a rivalry that would push far more than my sword arm.
As the sun dipped behind Duskbane’s towers, a chill ran through me. The prophecy bound us together, but trust? That would take much longer to forge.
And fire—fire could either temper steel or shatter it.
- Writer
