POV: Kael
I threw myself behind a thick tree just as an arrow whistled past my ear.
"LEFT! GO LEFT!" The voice—Leo—screamed in my head.
My legs moved before my brain caught up. I sprinted left, branches whipping my face. Another arrow thunked into a tree trunk right where I'd been standing.
"How many are there?!" I gasped, lungs burning.
"How should I know? I'm a sword, not a pair of eyes! Just keep running!"
This was insane. Completely, totally insane. I was taking orders from a talking sword while being hunted by men who wanted to kill me. Or capture me. Or both.
"There she is!"
Heavy footsteps crashed through the forest behind me. At least three men, maybe more. I risked a glance backward and immediately regretted it. Five soldiers in Sir Gareth's colors. All armed. All faster than me.
"Don't look back!" Leo shouted. "Looking back slows you down! Trust me, I've studied sword fighting for years!"
"You're a SWORD! How did you study anything?!"
"Long story! Very long! Like, centuries long! Focus on not dying first!"
A hand grabbed my shoulder.
I screamed and spun around, swinging the sword wildly. The blade moved so smoothly it shocked me. The soldier jumped back, eyes wide.
"She's armed!" he yelled to the others.
"Barely," another soldier laughed. "Look at her stance. She doesn't even know how to hold it properly."
He was right. I was a terrible fighter. Sir Gareth told me that every single day. "You're hopeless with weapons, Kael. Stick to carrying supplies."
The soldiers spread out, surrounding me. My heart hammered so hard it hurt.
"Okay, new plan," Leo said, surprisingly calm now. "Do exactly what I say, exactly when I say it. Can you do that?"
"I don't know! I'm not a fighter!"
"You don't have to be. I am. Well, I was. Sort of. Just trust me!"
The biggest soldier lunged forward, sword raised.
"Block high! Angle the blade forty-five degrees!"
My arms moved on their own, raising the sword. The soldier's blade crashed against mine. The impact jarred my bones, but I held firm.
"Now push back and step right!"
I shoved and stepped. The soldier stumbled forward from his own momentum.
"Kick his knee!"
I kicked. He went down with a yelp.
"Behind you! Duck!"
I dropped flat. A sword whooshed over my head.
"Roll forward and stand!"
I rolled, came up on my feet. How was I doing this?! These moves were impossible for someone like me!
"You're doing great!" Leo encouraged. "See? You're not hopeless! You just needed a really good teacher! And I'm the best teacher you'll ever have because I'm literally stuck with you!"
Despite everything, I almost laughed. Almost.
Two more soldiers attacked together. Leo guided me through a series of blocks and dodges that made me look like a professional fighter. My body flowed like water, the sword moving perfectly in my hands.
"I don't understand," I panted between moves. "How are you doing this?"
"I'm not doing it! You are! I'm just... suggesting the best moves. Showing you where to put your feet. Where to angle the blade. You're the one making it happen!"
"But I'm terrible at fighting!"
"No!" Leo said fiercely. "You were never terrible. You were just never taught properly! Sir Gareth was a horrible teacher! He made you think you were useless because he's threatened by anyone with actual potential!"
His words hit harder than any sword. Potential? Me?
"Watch out!"
An arrow flew toward my face. Time seemed to slow down. I could see it spinning through the air, coming right at my eye.
"Swing at it! NOW!"
I swung. The sword connected with the arrow, cutting it in half. Both pieces fell harmlessly to the ground.
Everyone froze. The soldiers. Me. Probably Leo too, if swords could freeze.
"Did I just...?" I whispered.
"You just cut an arrow out of the air," Leo said, sounding stunned. "That was... that was actually incredible. I suggested it as a joke. I didn't think you'd actually DO it."
The soldiers looked at each other nervously.
"What kind of weapon is that?" one muttered.
"Forget the weapon. What kind of fighter is SHE?"
"I'm not—" I started to say, but Leo cut me off.
"Don't correct them! Let them think you're dangerous! Now RUN while they're scared!"
I ran.
This time, the soldiers didn't follow right away. I heard them arguing behind me about whether to chase "the girl with the magic sword" or report back to Sir Gareth.
I didn't care which they chose. I just ran until my legs felt like rubber and my chest burned like fire. Finally, I collapsed next to a small stream, gasping for air.
For a long moment, only the sound of water and my ragged breathing filled the forest.
Then: "So... want to talk about the whole talking sword situation?"
I looked down at the weapon still clutched in my hand. The blue glow had faded, but the metal still seemed to shimmer slightly.
"Are you really in there?" I asked quietly. "Or am I going crazy?"
"You're not crazy. I'm really here. My name is Leo. I used to be human. Now I'm... this." He sounded sad. "It's complicated."
"How is this possible?"
"I honestly have no idea. One minute I was alive, collecting swords as a hobby. The next minute I was dead, stuck inside one. That was a very, very long time ago."
I ran my finger along the blade. "How long?"
"I stopped counting after the first hundred years."
My stomach dropped. "Hundred YEARS?!"
"Give or take a few centuries. Time gets weird when you're trapped in darkness with nothing to do but think."
I couldn't imagine it. Being alone for that long. Unable to see, hear, or touch anything. Just... existing. Forever.
"That sounds horrible," I whispered.
"It was." His voice softened. "But then you grabbed me. And suddenly I could feel again. Sense the world through you. It's like... like waking up after the worst nightmare ever."
Tears stung my eyes. I didn't know why. Maybe because I understood loneliness. Sir Gareth always kept me separate from the other squires. Said I didn't deserve friends until I proved my worth.
"I'm sorry you were alone for so long," I said.
Leo went quiet for a moment. Then: "I'm sorry your teacher was awful to you. You deserved better."
Something warm bloomed in my chest. When was the last time someone said I deserved anything good?
"So what now?" I asked. "Sir Gareth's men are hunting me. I have no food, no supplies, and no idea where to go."
"Well, you have me. That counts for something, right?"
"You're a sword."
"A TALKING sword. Totally different. Much more useful."
Despite everything, I smiled. "You're weird."
"Says the girl talking to her weapon."
We both went quiet, listening to the forest. Birds sang. Wind rustled leaves. Everything seemed peaceful.
Too peaceful.
"Do you hear that?" Leo asked suddenly.
"Hear what?"
"Exactly. The birds stopped singing."
He was right. The forest had gone completely silent.
My grip tightened on the sword's handle. "What does that mean?"
"It means something scared them. Something big."
A twig snapped behind me.
I spun around, raising the sword.
Sir Gareth stepped out from between the trees. He wasn't alone. Ten soldiers stood behind him. All armed. All blocking any escape route.
"Hello, Kael." Sir Gareth's smile was cruel. "I believe you have something that belongs to me."