Xenarra: The Dragon Throne - Chapter 39 A Training Dummy?

I walked over to a wooden longsword, that was on the rack, grumbling as I did. I really wanted to try out some different weapons, like the cool looking glaive or even a bow, just something different than a sword.

The sword was heavy in my hand. It seemed like they had been made so that they would be heavier than the real thing. This would enable a ranger to be faster in the field if they are used to using heavier weapons as well as they will be able to pick up heavier objects.

After getting a feel for the weight of the sword. I give it a couple of swings, to see what it would be like. As I expected it was hard, the weight the weapon had meant that allowed my swings would be quicker once I had got the swing moving, stopping was harder than normal, so on both of the swings I did, the sword smashed into the floor as I did both slashes towards the ground.

Then seeing some practice dummies in the corner, I moved over to them. Unlike how I expected them to be made of straw, they were in fact made by a type of wood which I didn’t recognise at all. They looked extremely life-like and had exquisitely carved wooden swords and shields in their hands. I moved one of them over, further into the more open area of the training room.

After I had made sure it was placed on.the ground and wouldn’t fall over if I hit it, I noticed some writing on the back. It read, ‘This apparition was made in the blalk tower of the eighty fourth year of the age of Aurum.’

‘I have never heard of the age of Aurum before, I guess it could be the name of a king or maybe someone powerful, who knows, but whatever this means, it should definitely be old.’

I move in front of it and take the basic sword stance than Erebus taught me. Then I began with the first move of the sword style I knew. There was a massive thwack. When the wood of the sword, hit the training dummy. Taking a look at it, in case I had broken it, I was so surprised that there were no scratch marks on it at all. Then as I was looking at it, some blue lines appeared all over it. Then they went away, but left the eyes of the dummy glowing blue.

As I was looking closely at its eyes, I suddenly felt a sense of danger, looking around I saw that there was no one else in the room, except me and the others. When I looked back, to carry on inspecting the dummy. It was gone.

“What the fuc..”

I was smashed into my back, landing onto the floor. Looking behind me, I saw the dummy. It was moving and had appeared to be the thing that had smashed me in the back.

‘What the hell. I never knew dummies could move. No dummys can’t move. So this must be something different completely, no wonder it was left in the corner.’

I slowly got back up, my eyes never leaving the dummy. Once I was standing up completely again. The dummy moved. It was quick, very quick. I only just managed to bring my sword up in time to block its hit and before I knew it another blow, was raining in on the other side of my body. I took a step back as I blocked to my left side at the same time.

This time it did not attack immediately after, I had blocked it but instead reiterated a little back.Seeing it retreat, I went on the offensive, but wasn’t too rash as I was expecting it to attack at me again.

I stabbed and slashed multiple times, but failed to break through its defense as everytime it would just block but oddly it did not retaliate even though I was definitely leaving lots of openings which it could exploit.

That was until, after I stabbed to its throat, it doged my attack and came straight at my face.

“Damm, what is the thing? How can it be so strong and fast?”

I just move back as quickly as I can, smashing away its blow down to the floor. Seeing that I have no chance of victory if I carry on like I am at the moment, I use a few spells and enhance my body.

When it comes at me again, it seems a bit slower so at least now, I can see its attack coming for me ear;ier. This allows me to counter its attack. I parry its blow, then coming off that, slash towards its head. For the first time since our fight had begun, I heard a thwack.

‘At last, I am glad that worked. If it hadn’t I would probably run out of energy and collapse. Who knows, if it would have stopped its attacks or just kept on going’

After seeing that it was not moving anymore, I dispelled all of the spells I had cast but as was doing this I did not stop watching the dummy. Then it glowed blue again, when the colour had gone, its eyes looked just like normal wood again. Only then did I sit down on the floor, recovering my energy.

Once I felt that I had sufficient energy, I got up and carefully moved the dummy back to where I had found it. Once it was back, I found some normal straw dummies. Casualty hitting one of them to see if it would glow, I got odd looks from the others in the room.

“What did you not see the other dummy I had to fight earlier? That thing was crazy.”

I only muttered in response to how odd and crazy I was, it seemed like they didn’t see what had happened or hear it, which was odd considering the fact that it was insanely loud at least to me.

Shaking my head, thinking that they must be just playing around with me, I turned back to the nicer straw dummy and began to practice the sword moves of which I knew. A Lot of them were fairly simple, so i was able to perform them right fairly quickly. Remembering how Erebus had said that I needed to be able to do them while I had my body enhanced as well as the weapon I was using, I began to slowly practice that. I failed a lot, running out of energy or enough control over the mana itself before I was able to finish casting the spell.

This was until the twenty ninth attempt of which I was able to do it at last. This caused the biggest smile that anyone has ever seen to form on my face.

“Yes, at last I have finally done it.” I yelled this out and my voice echoed around the room back to me. I got the looks of the others again and heard similar mutterings as before that I must be crazy.

Then I suddenly felt really weak, and out of energy.

‘Shit, I forgot to stop casting the spell.’

Then everything went dark.