The Guard of Men built at the edge of the grass ocean stands only because of the blood of a few brave men. Fort Commander Rohan Owen

13th day 6th month 579th year of the 8th era

Akuchi woke to a soft knock on his door. He opened his eyes and tried to move. The warmth of Hiwot, intertwined with him, caused him to smile. He lifted his head from the soft feather pillow and surveyed the situation.

The soft scratch at the door came again. Akuchi stretched out his hand and braced it against the wall, extracting the rest of his body from that of the captain’s. Placing a barefoot on the floor, he slipped the pillow into her arms. She murmured and settled. He padded over to the concealed door and opened it. Behind the door was the young serving maid. She had a tray in her hands.

She looked up at him and smiled. Akuchi stood to the side, letting her in. She entered and quietly placed the silver tray on the table. She set the table for two and then blushed at Akuchi as she left.

Akuchi stepped up and lifted the cover. The smell of fried meat and eggs wafted into the room. Hiwot stretched and groaned. She stood and bunched her hair behind her head.

Akuchi turned and looked at her. Her soft skin and supple form were striking in the morning light, diffusing through the timbers and reflecting off the polish. She smiled back at him as she looked at him. He motioned for her to take a seat. She glided over to the table. Akuchi smiled as she walked, drinking in her swaying hips. A familiar warmth stirred in his loins. As she sat down, Akuchi leaned down and planted a kiss on her pale pink lips. Her hands went up and wrapped around his neck, pulling him deeper into an embrace. He leaned into the kiss, exploring her mouth.

A quick knock on the door broke the kiss.

Hiwot sighed. “Yes?”

The tall bald butler entered and bowed to them both before speaking, “Mr Tendai wishes to inform you that land has been sighted, and we have reached our destination.”

“Very good. Inform him that we will be right out,” Hiwot dismissed. The bald man bowed low again and left, closing the door behind him. The maid opened the concealed door and came in with their clothing.

They arrived on the quarter-deck, dressed and ready, Hiwot in her naval uniform and Akuchi dressed in a white shirt and a pair of brown trousers, his own clothes washed and neatly pressed.

“I wish you would take some of my grandfather’s clothes,” Hiwot offered. “They are much more presentable than what you have.”

“Thank you for your generosity.” Akuchi smiled. “I couldn’t possibly take away from the memory of your grandfather.”

A ship's boy handed Hiwot and Akuchi their swords before returning to his other duties. Akuchi buckled on his sword, smiling at Hiwot who frowned at him.

“I would like you to take something to remember me.”

“I couldn’t possibly, because I couldn’t leave anything in return. It would be unfair.”

“Fine, at least we will have those days together. I can scarcely forget them.”

Akuchi felt his heart flutter. Flashes of the last several days flashed through his mind. He smiled back at her.

Mr Tendai saluted the captain. She returned the salute and turned to look at the fast-approaching coast.

“You were the only volunteer this time around, Akuchi?” Kwane asked.

“Yeah, this is not a sought-after posting, but it is the shortest,” Akuchi explained.

“You didn’t want to be in the army for very long?”

“Not really. I am more of a farmer, and this was the best way to raise enough money to buy a farm.”

The two men chatted as they drew near to the fort, an imposing bulwark that was Fort Northern Wiles. The fortress was made up of a large fifty-metre wall that connected the impassable "teeth of the world" to the great ocean. To the north was grassland as far as the eye could see, to the south a large thick forest, the famous Bloodwood Forest.

The fortress rose, standing between the four forces of nature, its imposing whitewashed walls reflecting the sun. As they drew closer, the fortress took on detail, three towers standing at eighty metres flanking another that stood out into the water. It was dark grey and different in architecture. This middle tower was the lighthouse that guided the ships into the safe harbour. Just below the lighthouse sat two well-constructed wharves. Behind the lighthouse and between the towers, stood three buildings made from the same stone as the lighthouse.

As the fort came into view, Akuchi stared at it. Kwane bellowed orders as sails were reefed and lines secured. He slowed the ship down for arrival at the dock. The midshipman at the helm expertly nudged the ship into the dock and the crew scrambled to tie it off with large, rough ropes. A ladder was thrown over the side, ready for Akuchi to descend to the dock. Akuchi thanked Kwane and bid his farewell. He turned to Hiwot who looked at him, her eyes misting. He stepped up to her and gave her a quick hug which she returned, leaning into it.

He descended the rope ladder and jumped off the ship landing on the wharf. He turned and headed into the fort.

Two men stood at the end of the pier, talking over some large papers spread out on a simple wooden table. One was short, coming only to the other's shoulder. His body was thick with muscles and he wore dark brown leather armour. The other man was wiry, his head was shaved bald except for big, thick, bushy eyebrows, and he wore black leather armour and sported two long pointed dirks on either side of his hips. The taller man was explaining a concept to the shorter with patience.

“Private Akuchi Rosethorn reporting for duty,” Akuchi declared.

The short man looked him up and down. “Are you all there is?”

“Yes sir,” Akuchi replied.

“Well, that’s a pity. I am Sergeant Salvadore and this is Iwamoto.”

“Thank you, sir,” returned Akuchi.

“Go ahead on over to the mustering yard. They are about to start some training.”

“Through the buildings, sir?”

“Yeah,” responded Salvadore, “go on through and report to Oghenekaro; he is the fort commander.”

“Thank you, sir.” Akuchi saluted.

“Don’t call me sir,” Salvadore shouted, as Akuchi walked past.

Akuchi turned. “Sorry Sergeant.”

He spotted a path of cobblestone leading between two buildings. He followed the path past an arrangement of stone buildings, one with furnaces where metal was clanging. It opened out onto a square with the flag of Cere, a red background with a golden pyramid in the centre and a silver sword in the top left.

In the opening were a large group of people sparring in pairs. Akuchi kept an eye on the sparring partners as he walked along the path. He passed a lady wearing a pair of short shorts, a bandage strapping down her breasts as she twirled with a long sword in each hand. She leapt onto her partner’s shield and jumped over it. Before he could turn to face her, she stretched her sword out behind her and placed it on his shoulder. He lowered his shield and curved sword as he turned to face her again. She smiled as they both took positions and resumed their fight.

Akuchi kept walking. He passed two women both dressed in black trousers and a light white shirt, with a short sword in each hand. Their hair, matted with sweat, clung to their shoulders as they fought each other. Steel clashed as they threw themselves at each other. They moved so fast that Akuchi was surprised to see they didn’t kill each other.

Akuchi arrived at the flagpole and saw a small, brown canvas tent pitched on the other side. Inside was a small table with a man sitting behind it, bent over the stacks of paper covering the desk. Akuchi walked up and saw the man was wearing brown leather armour that covered his legs. On his back was a heavy, two-handed sword called a claymore. Its hilt was a standard-issue leather grip and it was pockmarked with wear.

Akuchi approached the desk and saluted. “Private Akuchi reporting for duty.”

The man behind the desk didn’t lookup. He scratched something into the paper with his quill and then returned it to the inkpot at the corner of the desk. He then looked up, clasped his hands, rested them on the desk and then rested his head on them. Akuchi stood in front of Oghenekaro waiting. Did I do something wrong? Finally, the commander spoke.

“You have come alone,” Oghenekaro commented. “We need many more soldiers for this fort.”

Akuchi was surprised; he had just passed a whole muster yard full of troops, why does he need more soldiers? Oghenekaro rose from his chair behind the desk and moved around to Akuchi.

“Do you know why we are here?”

Akuchi shook his head.

Oghenekaro waited.

“I have not been told, sir,” Akuchi said standing up straighter.

“This fort stands as the guardian against the trolls to the north. The only orders I have is to hold this fort, to the last man if need be. No explanation, no rhyme no reason.”

“How long has this fort been here?” Akuchi asked.

“No one knows. While here I expect your very best. Most soldiers stay on for a year and then leave. If you are good, I will ask you to stay. If for any reason you become unable to fight or contribute in some way to the effort, I will send you away. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes, Sir.” Akuchi snapped off a salute, fist to chest.

“Normally in the Cere army, you would be given a squad to join, they would be your new family,” Oghenekaro explained. “They would train you to fight better. Here it’s slightly different. You are paired with one other person, an experienced veteran, someone who can mould you to become the warrior we need here at Fort Northern Wiles. The basic training you received might be good enough for the army but here it’s no longer enough.”

Oghenekaro strode out of the tent and started walking along the northern side of the muster field. He didn’t look back, assuming Akuchi was following him. Akuchi hastened his steps to keep pace with Oghenekaro’s pace.

“You are lucky we have someone spare to train you,” he concluded.

“Yes, sir,” Akuchi agreed. He didn’t agree. Squad training worked because there would always be someone in the squad you got along with. With this pair system, you could never tell. Oghenekaro stopped at the end of a building. It was made from the same grey stone as all the interior buildings. There were several windows and a plain wooden door was set into the middle of the building. Oghenekaro opened the door. Inside were rows of beds, all made to perfection. A wooden chest sat at the end of each bunk. On a bunk a woman sat cross-legged, facing them, meditating. She was dressed in a thong with a red loincloth. Blonde hair hung down to her bare chest, her skin a deep olive-brown.

“Mayu Kaori will be your instructor. Don’t be fooled, she is a talented warrior.”

Mayu opened her ruby-red eyes when her name was mentioned; she unfolded her legs and arose from her bed. She gracefully moved down to the open door and smiled pleasantly at the two men.

“Akuchi, a pleasure to meet you.” Akuchi extended his hand to Mayu.

“Mayu, nice to meet you,” Mayu returned, shaking Akuchi’s hand.

“Mayu, Akuchi just arrived on the supply boat and he is in need of much training,” Oghenekaro informed her, his gaze lecherously wandering over her body.

“Very well sir,” Mayu replied, not noticing Oghenekaro’s lustful stare. “I will get started right away.”

Oghenekaro walked off, clenching and unclenching his fists.

Mayu looked Akuchi up and down. The action sent a shiver down his spine.

“First thing to do is get you equipped,” Mayu stated. “You can’t fight trolls like that.”

Mayu turned and returned to the bunk she had been sitting upon. She opened the chest and pulled out a “khopesh”, a weapon with a gentle curve and a fine black handle. It was sheathed in a black leather scabbard. She tied it to her belt and then stepped into thick knee-high leather boots and pulled on matching gloves that came to her elbow. She then pulled out a simple leather strip and tied up her hair into a neat bun behind her head.

“Oggy doesn’t like me wandering around the fort completely undressed,” she giggled.

“Why is that?” Akuchi asked.

“He says it’s distracting. Though from my point of view, clothes are distracting.”

“How do you mean?” Akuchi queried, his brow furrowing.

“The time it takes to clean them and put them on,” she listed on her gloved fingers. She finished dressing, closed the door behind her, and then started off back towards the muster yard.

Akuchi followed as she went past the practising soldiers and then past the tent that Oghenekaro had set up. On the other side of the tent was a building, made from the same grey stone. The building was long and windowless. Akuchi followed Mayu into an opening with no door and they stopped just inside. It was a small room barely, big enough for the two of them. The room had a long bench running along the wall. Behind the bench were racks and racks of equipment; weapons of all sorts imaginable; armour; everything from full plate down to padded vests, boots, camping equipment and several types of tools.

A lady stood in front of the racks. She wore a threadbare white shirt that hung off her stringy frame. Her golden hair was held back in a bun, her skin a pale white that was unmarked and flawless.

“Taya, we need some equipment,” Mayu demanded, placing her hands on the bench with a loud slap.

“What? Have you finally come looking for armour?” quipped Taya, putting down several sheets of paper.

“Good heavens, no. New kid needs some.”

“Hi,” Akuchi responded as Taya took notice of him.

“New kid?” Taya questioned. “When did he come in?”

“Arrived today on the supply ship.”

“What does he need in the way of supplies?”

Mayu turned and faced Akuchi. “Did you want to keep using that longsword or would you like another weapon?”

“I have only ever used this one,” Akuchi stated, placing his hand on the pommel of his sword.

“Hmm, best to stay with it if you have been using it for many years.”

“How long have you been using it?” Mayu asked.

“I hadn’t picked up a weapon until I arrived at basic training,” said Akuchi. “About three months ago.”

“Tareem,” swore Mayu. “He could at least give me someone that has actual training.”

“This could take a while,” Taya said, lifting a segment of the bench. “You guys had better come in.”

Mayu and Akuchi followed Taya as she led them through the racks to a small door and down a short flight of steps into a large room. Candles burned on the plain wooden table in the middle of the room. Along the walls hung a collection of weapons and armour. The centre of the room was well lit and covered in a training mat.

“Here we will determine what weapon will suit you, and what, if any, armour you need,” Taya informed.

“How do we do that?” Akuchi looked at the racks of weapons arrayed around the room.

“First let’s see how you use that weapon you have,” commanded Mayu. She drew her khopesh from its scabbard. “This is my weapon,” Mayu said. “It has been passed down from generation to generation.”

“It’s beautiful,” observed Akuchi, drawing his sword.

They both moved over to the training mats and stood opposite each other, Akuchi with one hand holding the weapon in ready position, the other off to his side. Mayu levelled her weapon then charged him. He dodged and blocked, raising his sword to chest height. A clang echoed around the room as the two swords met.

“Good, now come at me,” Mayu ordered.

Akuchi stepped forward and swung the blade in an arc around and attacked with a downward strike. Mayu blocked and then sidestepped, hitting Akuchi in the face with her elbow. Akuchi was dazed as she brought the flat of her blade down on his back sending him to the ground.

“Water attack stance,” Taya noted from the sidelines. “It was unfair of you to change stances mid-fight, Mayu, the kid is still raw.”

“He started it,” Mayu protested, “defending in rock stance, then attacking in water, what was I meant to do?”

Akuchi arose from the mats and spat blood. He tasted iron. He stood again this time with both hands on the sword, braced with legs apart. Mayu watched him for a second before attacking. Akuchi stepped in under her strike and turned, collecting Mayu’s momentum on his back and switching his sword into a reverse stab that slid past her defence. He then brought the blade in towards her and slapped her backside with the flat of his blade.

“Wow,” Taya awestruck commented.

Mayu backed up from her position, looking at Akuchi.

“That was unorthodox,” Taya commented when she recovered from her surprise.

“Where did you learn that manoeuvre?” Mayu demanded, her eyes glowering at Akuchi.

Akuchi turned to face the two women. “I don’t know.” He shrugged. “Everything slowed down, and I just saw your attack and then saw my attack.”

“Well I have never seen a combination like that before,” Taya commented.

“What is it?” Mayu asked.

“It’s a combination fire and water move,” Taya said. “But fire stance is really rare.”

“What is it with these stances you keep mentioning?” Akuchi asked puzzled.

“Well,” Taya began. She paused. “You had better sit down. This is a bit of a story.” Both Mayu and Akuchi sat down on the mat, resting their swords on their laps.

“There were four sword masters; each had a unique fighting style. Water is called the balance of ebb and flow, Earth is called the unmoving mountain, Wind is called the touch in the dark and finally Fire is called the consumption by the sword. Many would travel to learn from one of these masters but would only be able to master one discipline in their lifetime. Until one day a young adventurer spent his whole life travelling and training. He did nothing else until he mastered all four disciplines. He became the grandmaster of all swords and started a reign of terror that wrecked the whole world. How have you not heard this? It’s taught at school.”

“I didn’t go to school,” Akuchi admitted.

“Oh, I wonder that basic training didn’t pick it up.”

Akuchi shrugged.

“Until the master of flame himself came and duelled him one on one. The fight lasted for many days until both grew weary. Finally, the master of fire in a fit of fire-induced rage made a mistake that cost him his life, but he took the master of all swords with him. From that day, the discipline of fire has become rare and it is still considered the most dangerous of all, anyone who masters it is either desperate or has a death wish.”

“On the ship here, an orc dressed in full plate attacked us and the Captain said that he used a fire fighting technique,” commented Akuchi.

“An orc wearing full plate is rare enough. Add that to the fact that he fought with a fire stance, that is a pretty rare event,” Mayu said.

“That is true; orcs believe that fighting should be done unarmoured, so that the rush of battle can invigorate the soul and that the soul on death can escape to the final resting place, the domain of Plith,” added Taya.

“You say that this is the only time you have seen a fire stance fighter before?” asked Mayu.

“Yeah,” said Akuchi.

“Well, from the innate skill I observed you exhibit: I think that your best weapon would be ….” Taya walked to a rack of weapons on a wall. “A falchion.”

Akuchi and Mayu both rose to look at the weapon that Taya had selected for Akuchi.

“A double-sided falchion to be precise. A rare weapon but deadly with the ability you demonstrated here.”

Taya selected the weapon and proffered it to Akuchi. Akuchi looked down at the weapon. It was made from steel and polished to a high sheen. The hilt was bound leather worked around a standard straight handguard. On the other end, the sword curved slightly.

“The falchion is normally a single-sided blade, but this one is a rare double-sided blade. It has enough space on the handle grip to hold it with two hands, but if you had enough strength you could wield it with one,” Taya explained.

“Wow,” Akuchi murmured, picking up the blade from Taya.

He wielded it with one hand and swung it experimentally, testing its weight. He nodded.

“It has a good heft to it,” Akuchi said.

“Here is the scabbard,” Taya said handing it to Akuchi, who took it without looking. The scabbard was red leather with gold paint making out a basic pattern of swirls.

“The only thing left is to get him some armour,” said Mayu, turning to the armour rack.

Akuchi sheathed the sword and walked over to Mayu to look at the armour.

“Normally one who wields a falchion would wear heavy armour,” Taya indicated to a set of complete armours at the end.

“I think that would be too heavy for me,” Akuchi said.

“I agree.” Mayu nodded. “The way he fought suggests quick movements, so flexibility would be needed rather than shock and awe.”

“Yeah, that is true,” conceded Taya. All three moved down the racks of armour. They went from heavy to medium and then to light.

“Do you want to wear armour?” Mayu asked, turning to face Akuchi.

She folded her arms.

Akuchi looked her in the eyes. “I saw a man wearing complete armour and was downed by crossbows. What would be the point?”

“He has a point,” Mayu observed, raising an eyebrow.

“Hmm,” Taya mused, turning to face the racks, fanning her face with her hand.

“No armour can stop a crossbow bolt,” Akuchi continued.

“That is true.” Mayu laughed, placing an arm around Akuchi’s shoulders.

“You don’t wear armour to protect yourself from crossbow bolts; you wear it to protect yourself from swords.”

“That is true, but you become sloppy if you rely on armour to protect you from swords. Also, trolls are large and strong, so we need to be quick and agile to beat them,” Mayu said.

“I think she is right,” agreed Akuchi.

“Well, if that is the way you want it,” Taya said. “you had better get started practising with that weapon then.”

“Right, we will use this room until Akuchi is a little less raw,” Mayu ordered.

Taya frowned at them, then left.

Once she had left, Mayu laughed.

“What?” asked Akuchi.

“Never mind. Let’s get to work; you have a new weapon to learn and not a lot of time.”

They moved to the centre of the duelling ring.

“Rock formation only,” Mayu called out. “We practise only with rock formation.”

Akuchi nodded as they both took a defensive stance. Mayu attacked. Her blows came fast and quick. Akuchi blocked each one of them, then he turned and elbowed her in the chest lightly, causing her to stop. He then took advantage; each of his swings was perfectly executed in the rock stance, firm and heavy, moving with crushing strength attacking Mayu’s position. Mayu then pushed him off and attacked; they again switched positions. Ringing steel echoed in Akuchi’s ears as the swords clashed again and again with each strike. As they duelled, sweat began to glisten on his forehead. The pace Mayu had set was a lot faster than Akuchi was used to, and she was relentless. She didn’t stop or explain the formations to him, demonstrating them in combat and expecting him to then use those same strokes and formations on her in return.

The door opened, and Taya came in. She looked at Mayu and Akuchi duelling, and her eyes appraised the situation. Akuchi and Mayu were both coated in a fine sweat.

“Time to stop,” she called out as Mayu stepped back, creating a space between them and a lull in the clashing swords.

Taya shook her head and said. “Dinner is about to be served.”

“Thank you,” Mayu said, sheathing her khopesh.

Akuchi said nothing, but also sheathed his sword. Mayu and Akuchi left the training room and walked out into the evening air. Mayu turned to Akuchi.

“Rock formation is great for defensive fighting; it allows you to block and defend. It prevents you from getting hurt and makes a great formation to step into when you think that you are outmatched.”

“What formation do I take if I think I am equal with my opponent?” Akuchi asked as they walked down to the commissary.

“I would never recommend that you think that of your opponent,” replied Mayu, “thinking like that will get you killed very quickly.”

“I see.”

Mayu chuckled. “If you want to survive, assume that everyone is at least better than you. Overconfidence can cause you to make mistakes.”

They entered the commissary and collected their food—mashed tubers, beans and roasted legumes.

“What is this?” he asked Mayu.

Mayu shrugged her shoulders, “Your guess is as good as mine.”

Akuchi looked at the size of the food. He sighed. I guess I will be going to sleep hungry tonight, again. He picked up a fork and began to eat his food. The training had made him hungry, and it seemed that everyone else was also as hungry. Once the food was consumed, Mayu and Akuchi arose dropped off their plates and then exited the commissary. Mayu and Akuchi walked back to the barracks.

The barracks were quiet as the sun was setting on the horizon. Many of the beds were full of people sitting on their bunks, cleaning their weapons with oily rags.

“Take this bunk,” instructed Mayu pointing to a bunk next to the one that she had been sitting on when he had arrived that morning.

Akuchi climbed into it and went to sleep.

The next couple of days followed the same routine. Woken up by the gentle shake of Mayu, taken to the commissary for a meagre breakfast, then on to sword training. Lunch was announced by Taya coming down to the training room where they practised. After an inadequate lunch, they went to fighting on horseback, which involved riding a horse down the length of the fort wall waving his sword around. Riding a horse was the easy part; staying on the horse while wielding a falchion was more challenging. A small dinner was followed by more sword training until it was dark. He would then go to his bunk beside Mayu and fall instantly asleep.