Chapter 11: The First Trial
667 Words
The announcement of the Royal Vanguard spread across Azul before sunrise.
In the bustling marketplaces, merchants abandoned their stalls to exchange rumors.
In the barracks, young soldiers dreamed of earning a place among the kingdom’s greatest warriors.
Inside the palace…
Not everyone celebrated.
⸻
The Hall of Blades was unlike any training ground in the kingdom.
Its polished stone floor bore the scars of countless battles, while banners of former champions hung proudly from the towering walls.
Azul stood at one end of the arena.
Bashan stood at the other.
Between them stood an elderly man dressed in deep blue robes.
His silver hair reached his shoulders, and although he leaned on a wooden staff, his eyes were as sharp as a hawk’s.
“This,” the King announced from the royal balcony, “is Master Kael.”
“He trained my father.”
“And his father before him.”
The old man stepped forward, his voice calm but commanding.
“Strength alone has never protected Azul.”
“Wisdom, discipline, and trust are what separate warriors from weapons.”
His gaze settled on Azul and Bashan.
“I’ve heard much about your rivalry.”
“I don’t care who is stronger.”
“I care who is willing to learn.”
Bashan folded his arms.
“With respect, Master, I didn’t come here for lectures.”
A faint smile crossed Kael’s face.
“Good.”
“I dislike lectures as well.”
Without warning, the old man disappeared.
Azul’s eyes widened.
“What—?”
A sharp tap struck the back of Bashan’s head.
“Ow!”
He spun around.
No one.
Another tap landed on Azul’s shoulder.
Then another.
The two boys looked in every direction, but the old master seemed to vanish into thin air.
Finally, Kael reappeared at the center of the arena as though he had never moved.
“If you cannot see your teacher…”
“How do you expect to see your enemy?”
The arena fell silent.
Even the royal guards looked stunned.
⸻
“The first trial is simple,” Kael continued.
“You will fight.”
Bashan grinned.
“Now we’re talking.”
“But,” Kael added, “you will not fight each other.”
The great doors of the arena slowly opened.
A heavy iron cage was wheeled into the center of the floor.
Deep growls echoed from within.
The chains securing the cage rattled violently.
Azul frowned.
“Is that…”
Kael nodded.
“A Shadow Fang.”
The same beast they had encountered in the Forbidden Forest.
Only this one was even larger.
Its black tusks were chipped from countless battles, and old scars covered its massive body.
Several nobles gasped.
One minister rose to his feet.
“Master Kael! That’s madness!”
“They’re only boys!”
Kael ignored him.
Instead, he looked directly at Azul and Bashan.
“You have one objective.”
“Defeat it.”
“Together.”
The cage door creaked open.
For a heartbeat, nothing happened.
Then—
ROOOAAARRR!!
The Shadow Fang exploded from the cage, shaking the entire arena.
Its crimson eyes locked onto the two young warriors.
The crowd erupted in panic.
“It escaped!”
“Protect the King!”
Guards rushed forward, drawing their swords.
Kael raised his staff.
“No one moves.”
The guards froze.
“This battle belongs to them.”
The beast lowered its head.
Its powerful legs dug into the stone floor.
Then it charged.
Azul and Bashan instinctively leaped in opposite directions.
The Shadow Fang slammed into the arena wall, sending cracks racing across the stone.
Dust filled the air.
Bashan sprang to his feet with a confident grin.
“Looks like we’re doing this.”
Azul tightened his grip on his sword.
For the first time…
They wouldn’t be fighting to prove who was stronger.
They would be fighting to survive.
And every person watching would witness the power that had awakened within them.
- Writer
