28. the test

Draco pov. I couldn’t sleep. All I could think of was my test. I wonder what the test would be. I am expecting it to be duelling with someone. But would I be able to do it? They were all really good with swords. They most probably had been practicing for an awfully long time while I’ve only had roughly two months of training.  I just hope I can do it. I lay on my bed lost in my thoughts when I finally fell asleep and when I woke up, I was already late. It was a good thing that I no longer had to cook. I rushed to freshen up and ran towards the kitchen to have a quick breakfast before sprinting towards the training arena. My trainer was already waiting for me. Fortunately, I was not too late and my trainer too seemed to be rather fond of me. I guess paying attention and working hard truly pays off. “Hey. You’re here! A little later than usual but that’s okay.” He smiled cheerfully. “So, laps?” he said and gestured at me to run. Yup. Laps it is.  I started my daily training routine, and duelled against Harold as usual. He seemed to be going harder on me than he usually did. I tried my best to keep in mind what the princess had told me yesterday. Try to avoid the blade rather than blocking it.  “You truly have improved and I am impressed.” Harold said after our session. I smiled through my gasps of breath and wiped away the sweat that was trickling down my face.  “His majesty told me last night that I would be tested next week. So if I pass I would be sent on an expedition.” I told him and he nodded. “I have told you before. He did tell me about it earlier. So you will be tested next week and I’m sure you will do it.” He replied.  “What if I fail?” I asked but he only chuckled in response.  “What if you win?” he replied. I looked at his smiling face. He sure looked confident.  “Look Draco. The problem with you humans is that sometimes you are too pessimistic. Be positive. I’m sure you will pass.” He told me.  “Well. Ok. But I have to be realistic right?”  He just raised his eyebrows and shook his head.  “Whatever. Just remember, whoever your opponent is, always read his actions before you move. That way it would be easier for you to defeat him.” He advised and I nodded. “Let me remind you of a few tips. Keep your feet firmly on the ground and hold the sword with both hands. That way it would not be easy for the opponent to knock it off of your hand. Then don’t let anything blind you. If the fight is outdoors, remember to keep the sun behind you. Never, ever let your opponent out of your sight.”  He then patted my shoulder. “You have it in you human. I just know you will do great.” He said and walked away from the arena.  The week passed by sooner than I anticipated. The entire week was filled with intense training and quick lessons from Harold on how to win a duel. Soon, the day of the test arrived. Harold was right beside me to give last minute instructions. The king and queen sat on a throne specially prepared for this day. It was a good thing that there weren’t many spectators. Just the royals and some knights, whom I had by now gotten used to. The only one whom I felt wouldn’t want me to win was Killian. And he was sitting beside the king while the princess sat beside the queen. “What should I expect?” I asked Harold, feeling anxious. I had never been in such a place in the past. Never had I seen two people fight using swords. I only witnessed the knights doing crazy stunts in the training ground near the garden. It was a good thing that the duel was indoors, in the arena where I had been training for the past two months. At least I am a bit more comfortable in this place. “Just focus on your opponent. Pay attention to his body language and do your thing. You can do this.” He prepped me a little and patted me on my shoulder before retreating to his seat.  I felt my heart pound in my chest as I walked into the centre of the arena. Of course I was nervous. I felt as if I would puke. I saw my opponent approach me in full kit and holding a long sword similar to mine. At least we were given similar weapons regardless of the difference in our attire.  He walked straight up to me and faced the royals. I also faced them and we bowed. I could sense Killian snickering in my direction. I bet he was hoping that I would lose. Gritting my teeth, I tightened my grip around the handle of the sword. I must win this. I wanted to prove Killian wrong. The fear and anxiety slowly dissipated and my resolution strengthened.  I faced my opponent and waited for the whistle to blow, indicating that it is time for us to start battling. The whistle was blown and the duel started. I focused on his moves and to keep up with him was easier than I thought it would be. I made sure that kept my feet firmly grounded. I reciprocated each of his moves, keeping in mind that I avoided the blade rather than trying to block each attack. Just like the princess had told me. I had become pretty good at mimicking them, so it was nothing new for me.  The duel continued for longer than I thought it would and I started to feel tired. No. I cannot give in now. I must not give Killian a reason to taunt me. I must prove him wrong.  I must win. I saw a split second when my opponent loosened his grip on the handle. I used it to my advantage and knocked his weapon out of his hand. I saw his expression change to shock which he quickly covered with a blank one. Once again, we faced the royals and bowed down. I saw how Killian’s face was contorted in fury. His eyebrows were knitted and his eyes reflected the anger that was building inside him. Holding back a satisfied smile, I looked at him through the corner of my eyes to see how his knuckles were turning white as he gripped the arm on his seat. “Congratulations. You have proved that you indeed are one of a kind, human.” The king lauded my victory and the contentment I felt doubled. I felt as if my heart was swelling with pride.  “From now on you no longer are a slave. You are a special trotter in my service. I raise your rank and reward you with a thousand gold bars and a thousand gold bars to Harold too, for doing an awesome job in training you. I expect you and Harold to meet me in my office within 1 hour.”  He announced and all I could do was freeze on my spot, astounded by what I had heard. Thousand gold bars! Holy guacamole! I wouldn’t have even dreamt of that.  I stood on my spot dumbfounded as the king and the queen teleported and the princess walked past me whispering “congratulations” as she passed by.  “I am so proud of you!” I felt that I was pulled into a crushing hug by none other than Harold. I was still in shock. I had never anticipated that the reward would be such a high amount.  “Hey!” Harold called and shook me a little, chuckling to himself.  I looked into his eyes which were twinkling with excitement.  “You won!” he exclaimed and laughed at the same time, clearly amused by my shocked state. “I knew you would. Let me tell you a little secret. You honestly are the only student I had taught who had learnt so fast. You still have a long way to go to master the art, but still, you have already achieved a lot within a short amount of time.”  “Yeah....” I managed to utter, make Harold chuckle.  “Now let’s go to meet the king.” He urged and pulled my hand. I followed him, still finding it hard to believe. What was I going to do with a thousand gold bars? I had no idea. Before I knew it, we were at the king’s office. I bowed and lowered my head when I found myself in front of them. The king, queen and the princess were all seated in the office. “Well done! So I expect you to arrive at this office tomorrow morning right after breakfast. Your expedition starts tomorrow. You will be provided with everything you need which includes a map and some dry food you can take with you.” The king paused for sometime. “Do you have any experience in trotting through a forest?” he asked. I thought about the time I traversed through the am*zon forest. It was a memorable experience. I remembered how I had inspected several new species of plants and animals from the depth of the thick foliage of the wilderness.  “Yes. Your highness.” I replied. However, I had a feeling that exploring this particular forest would be nothing like that. I now expect everything to be strange in this place. I still haven’t forgotten about the bizarre pond that I drank from on the day I had come here. It gave me the energy and freshness I needed at the moment. I honestly had no idea what to expect. Perhaps talking trees? Or walking weeds. Who knew? Whatever it was, I was more than ready to face it.  “Good. Now human.....”  “His name is Draco, father.” The princess interrupted. “Uhhh...okay. Draco, I want you to bring any kind of treasure you manage to find. I know for a fact that some long lost riches are hidden there. Many have tried to find it in the past. But no one has succeeded so far.” He shifted in his seat. “I...uh... actually, since you had managed to find Lord Tristan’s treasure and his sword, I believe you would be able to find the rest as well. But the thing is, a lot of dangers lurk in the forest. It is called the forbidden forest for a reason. So be careful. And I....I give you this. You found it and it is only fair that you take it when you go on this expedition.”  The king said and handed me the sword I had found in the garden. I bowed down and accepted it. I was certain that it would be useful. My eyes landed on the fine piece of art on its handle. So this was Lord Tristan’s sword huh? They must be having high hopes if they were trusting me with such an important piece of weapon. “I will try my best, your highness.” I promised. I sure would.