CHAPTER 17: RURIK’S PAST

The cold wind still blew between the trees. But now, the wind carried a metallic smell of blood spread in all directions.

Kyrian dashed with all his speed.

The assassin smiled as the dagger gleamed in a sideways slash, dodging the spear and aiming at Kyrian’s throat.

But to him, everything was clear. His eyes captured every muscle tension, every tendon impulse. Like watching a painting in motion.

The spear rose in an instant.

’Clang!’

The metallic clash echoed in the forest. Kyrian was more prepared this time, instead of four steps, he only took three. He felt the raw strength of the strike vibrate in his arms, flowing into his body.

That man was stronger. Kyrian had no doubts about it. The physical strength was beyond his. And the strikes seemed to carry the experience of dozens, maybe hundreds of assassinations.

Each strike had only one reason. To take a life immediately.

Still...

Kyrian breathed deeply. His eyes let nothing escape his control, there was no attack, no matter how fast, that could surprise him.

The assassin attacked from many unpredictable angles. Extremely fast, thrusts, but nothing worked.

Steel clashed against steel again. Sparks lit up the face of the scarred man. He growled like a cornered beast, the muscles in his neck bulging as he tried to press Kyrian with all his strength.

"You’re strong, but... it seems that’s all."

Kyrian said calmly as he stepped back two steps and spun his spear. Dodging yet another dagger slash aimed at his throat. The man was already breathing heavily, veins bulging on his arms.

"Stand still, damn brat!" the man roared, launching a rapid sequence of attacks.

Kyrian slid between them, before the metal reached his spear. He was already intercepting the strike, or his body was no longer in the line of the slash.

The metallic clash continued for a few minutes in the silent forest.

The assassin began to sweat, his breathing seemed to grow increasingly out of control. The more he lunged, the more it seemed he was trying to attack the wind.

Every time it seemed he would hit, Kyrian was already far away.

And Kyrian... was already bored.

’Rurik was harder... much harder.’

Kyrian thought, as he remembered the fight against Rurik. Even with inferior strength, Rurik managed to follow his movements, predict some of his steps, fight equally for long minutes. Every fight he had with Rurik was like a real battle that made Kyrian’s heart race.

But this man, who was a martial artist before him... was nothing more than a sack of muscles.

"You are really strong. But, you are slow, you have no stamina. And worst of all, your mind is weak." Kyrian said with slight disdain, as he spun his spear deflecting another blow.

The man’s eyes widened, rage seemed to burn in his pupils. He couldn’t understand how a brat could compare himself to him, a brat who hadn’t even entered the path of martial arts.

He lunged with a roar, forcing every fiber of his body, trying to crush Kyrian with pure brutality.

But Kyrian did not retreat. His eyes narrowed, closely following each fraction of movement. The assassin’s arm rose, the dagger gleaming toward his chest.

Kyrian spun his small body and, with an extremely precise motion, the spear slashed upward.

A horrid scream exploded in the forest.

The assassin’s hand and part of his wrist were split in half by the spear. The dagger flew away as blood gushed from the assassin’s hand divided in two.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!" the man screamed, stumbling slightly as he held his bloody hand with eyes wide in terror.

The assassin, driven by survival instinct, stood up and ran.

He ran with all his strength as his legs pounded the forest floor in haste, like an animal in flight.

Kyrian moved, the spear firm in his hands.

’As if you would run!’ Kyrian thought, as in just a few seconds he caught up with the assassin.

His speed already far surpassed the wounded and weary man.

He quickly reached close enough, and when the spear tip was about to pierce the assassin’s nape.

Suddenly...

’CLANG!’

A metallic sound echoed far in the forest. Something intercepted Kyrian’s spear at the last moment, saving the assassin.

Kyrian narrowed his eyes. In front of him, firm and unshakable. Stood a white spear with golden details, that had not moved a centimeter as Kyrian’s was pushed away along with his body.

He looked at the owner of the spear, already knowing who it was.

Kyrian looked with his impassive expression, but his gaze was cold, different from the indifference he usually had.

"Kael. What does this mean?" Kyrian’s voice came out in an icy tone.

The man who stopped his spear was, in fact, Kael, he did not retreat even a step, as if Kyrian’s strike had never happened. His spear still blocked the assassin’s path.

"The assassin must not die yet, think of the bigger picture." Kael’s voice was calm and casual. His slight smile remained on his face.

The assassin, fallen on the ground, trembled. The fear in his eyes grew many times more than before. Not only because of Kyrian. But mainly when he heard the name Kyrian spoke.

’Shit! What a stupid mission! Who the hell would try to assassinate someone protected by this monster?’ the assassin thought before giving up completely on his life and on escaping somehow.

Kyrian breathed deeply, his expression lightened slightly, but he still disliked the situation.

"You don’t seem surprised to see me here..." Kael commented, trying to probe Kyrian’s reaction.

Kyrian slowly lowered his spear, but his eyes never left Kael’s.

"I saw you. When you tried to move from atop that branch at the beginning of the fight." Kyrian said in a firm tone.

"But you stopped when you realized I could handle him, and decided only to watch. But you would intervene if I were losing. Wouldn’t you?" Kyrian completed, already certain of his words.

Kael’s small smile widened.

"Exactly. You are truly special. Just as Rurik told us."

The silence after Kael’s words lingered.

Kyrian, eyes focused on Kael, took a step forward.

"Why were you following me?"

"First, because Rurik asked. And second, because the Royal Order needs a talent like you." Kael replied simply, not trying to hide the truth or evade the question.

The name made Kyrian grip his spear tighter.

"Who... exactly is Rurik?" Kyrian asked, wanting to know exactly how he seemed to have so much influence.

Kael stared at him for a few seconds, in silence. The wind blew through the trees, carrying the metallic smell of blood that still stained the ground.

And then Kael opened his mouth.

"Rurik is known for having been the greatest genius of the country of Valor since its existence..."

"He was born with a perfect body to be a warrior. Strength, stamina, speed, instinct. Rurik had no opponent when it came to fighting technique. A genius, who at fifteen years old was already at the top of the country as the strongest soldier beyond martial artists."

"More than that, he could face the weaker martial artists. It was as if he were destined to be the strongest and the best fighter. But his talent, his brilliance. It went only that far." Kael said with sorrow in his voice as he sighed.

"What do you mean?" Kyrian, who seemed engrossed in the story of his teacher, asked.

"Rurik could be extremely talented in everything he set out to do. But he had zero talent to be a martial artist. No matter how much he tried, how much his body was destroyed and reforged. His body would not improve anymore."

"No, in fact, his strength began to decline. To the point that today. Rurik must not even have a third of the strength of his peak." Kael finished with a sad expression.

While Kyrian was extremely surprised, it was as if he hadn’t truly known his teacher until now.

"Why did he never tell me? Why would such a genius be in an isolated city as a mere captain?" Kyrian asked, clenching his fists.

"Rurik himself decided it, he suddenly disappeared after losing to a swordsman from another country. And isolated himself in Falk, never leaving again."

"He sent no letters, made no contact with anyone. Not even with his own family..."

"But, you know, that changed about a year and a half ago. Rurik, the genius who had isolated himself, suddenly began sending countless letters. There were many, many. And all of them spoke about only one person." Kael said while looking into Kyrian’s eyes.

Which he understood immediately.

’Captain Rurik, he...’ Kyrian didn’t know what to think, but a smile appeared on his lips unconsciously.

"He promised, swore, that his student’s talent was ten times greater than his own. And that he would most certainly have the necessary talent to be a martial artist. And then put an end to the war in the south." Kael said, his smile becoming heavy as he finished.

"War?" Kyrian asked, intrigued.

"You’ll know about it later, boy. For now, I must go, the danger that followed you has already been eliminated. In the next city, another colleague from the Royal Order will await you and take you to the capital. So, don’t worry about your safety. I’ll be going, I’ll take the assassin and discover his origins. See you in the royal capital." Kael said, grabbing the assassin and suddenly leaping high into the branches, quickly leaving his field of vision above the trees.

Kyrian looked at that, impressed.

’If Kael wanted to... he could kill me without me having a chance to react. Is this a glimpse of what a true martial artist can do? Maybe I really am still at the beginning...’

’But it won’t take long for me to catch up to you. Kael.’ Kyrian thought, extremely enthusiastic.

Suddenly, he put two fingers to his mouth and then a loud whistle echoed through the forest.

He didn’t have to wait long for Shadow to appear running toward him.

Kyrian smiled as he mounted the horse and resumed his journey once more.