Chapter 7 - A Duel

I attempted to fight the training doll four more times. Each time ending in a humiliating defeat. I was completely knocked out the fourth time. My mother found me lying on the barn floor when she came looking for me calling for dinner. My body was covered in bruises and scratches. even though the doll wasn't able to cause a fatal wound with the wooden sword, it still hurt to get hit. I also don't think getting hit repeatedly is safe for this body.

I went out for some fresh air to clear my head and try to figure out a way to defeat the training doll. The village was a nice and quiet place and I appreciated that. It was located near the border of the Alure Kingdom and Crune Empire. It was a mining village that traded with both parties so they would often send soldiers to protect us from creatures. So the Village was always peaceful and quiet.

I went out of the village centre to look for a place I could practice and think on my own. I spotted a hill just outside the village. I walked towards the hill and finally reached the top when I could see a tree. I looked around to see if anyone was around. I went and sat right beneath the tree, it looked out towards the village. The whole village could be seen, the view was beautiful.

It had been a long time since I could just sit down and enjoy the view. It was all I had wanted to do as I got older. Those peaceful times were always ruined. It reminded of why I needed to train so hard.

I stood up and drew my sword out of my sheath. I closed my eyes to visualize the doll. In my mind I knew what to do, I could see all the steps I needed to take for victory. I opened my eyes and started practising swinging hard and fast. Still, I could tell my body wasn't keeping up with what I wanted it to do.

I trained for a few hours until my body was covered in sweat. I sat down by the tree and closed my eyes.

When I opened my eyes again I was surprised to see a little girl was looking at me right in my face. I jumped back and hit my head on the tree behind me.

"Are you okay?" the girl said in a worried voice.

"What were you doing staring at me!" I said while rubbing my head where I got hit.

I looked at the girl, she was around the same age as me. Wearing a little red dress with a basket in her hand. She had blonde hair and blue eyes with hair up to her collarbone.

She pointed towards the village.

"It's getting late and the sun is starting to set I think it's better if we go inside now, when I was thinking of how to wake you up, you suddenly did." She said smiling.

I looked at the sky and the sun was already setting. I must have fallen asleep without realising.

"How did you know I was here?" I asked.

"What do you mean? I've been here the whole time."

Seeing that I was confused she had pointed to the other side of the tree to where I was. I started to blush at my embarrassment. The girl started to laugh.

"My name is Amy, this is my spot, I come here all the time"

"My names Ray"

She smiled at me again.

"I know you're quite famous around the village"

I knew what she meant, nearly everyone already knew me here. I was the only son of the two adventures in the village. That wasn't the reason though, they mainly knew me because of my red hair. The cursed Talen Family.

Just as I was starting to walk with Amy down the hill a Group of boys appeared in front of us. One of the boys looked similar to Amy, in fact nearly identical apart from the short hair and clothes he was wearing.

"Get away from my Sister" The boy shouted.

He was walking towards me when Amy jumped in between the two of us.

"He didn't do anything to me Gary"

Gary was checking to see if Amy was all okay looking all over her, even checking if her hair colour had changed. "If I see you near my sister again you're dead.".

The other two boys next to Garry chimed in. "Just do us all a favour and leave this village."

"Curse boy"

"You're mother and father should leave the village as well, for having someone like you"

The blood started to rush to my head I could feel the anger growing inside me. I was fine with insults to myself, but my mother and father what had they ever done. They themselves had done nothing but protect the village for all these years. These idiots in front of me.

I dashed toward the boy who said those words, ready to shove my fist into that ugly face of his. I threw a punch towards his face, he had no time to react. My fist had been stopped by Gary. He had initially put out one hand to stop my attack, but the power was stronger then he thought, and lifted his other hand to support the punch and stop him from falling over.

"Why you getting in my way!" I shouted.

"If you want to fight someone then fight me," Garry said.

"I don't care I'll take you all on!"

I put both my fists up ready to fight.