“Ow! My arms hurt, can we take a break Mr. Morgan?” Kalysta panted, drenched in sweat. She was sorely under trained, and I couldn''t help but feel like it was my fault. Was I going too easy on her? I shook my head as I spun the training staff around in my hand. Her sweat created a small puddle beneath her on the training mat.


    “Come on! Erik never trained me this hard. I’m exhausted.” She said in between heavy pants. For a girl with her athletic background, I’m unimpressed with her lack of stamina.


    Kalysta bent over with her hands on her knees, clearly trying to get me to look down her low cut tank top, waiting for me to become distracted. I assumed this is how she had been beating Erik so badly. She kept lifting her head slightly to check if I''m staring, looking for an opening.


    THWACK


    I smacked the end of my staff upside her head for good measure.


    Kalysta cursed at me in Greek and came on fast, whirling forward with her wooden staff. She arced forward and came at me with a straight thrust and I knocked her staff aside, smacking her in the rib, and then I swept her feet out from under her. She landed on her backside and began to pout.


    "That''s not fair!" She shouted at me.


    "Life''s not fair. Get up." I said frankly.


    When she tried to get up, she made a point of bending over in front of me. Her movements were rhythmic and she moved with fluid grace that even her mother hadn''t had. Kalysta had the potential to be an excellent fighter; if she’d stop being a tart for five seconds…


    I glared at her, and I can tell she thinks it''s working.


    “Can’t I go back to training with Erik? I don’t think I’m ready for you yet.” She went to put her staff back on the rack and I hurled mine like a spear, hitting her in the back of the hand. She shrieked and cursed some more in Greek.


    “You will not be training with Erik anymore. You distract him too easily, which is evident by your poor training.” I moved back to the edge of the training mats where I’ve laid out more wooden weapons. I picked up two short swords and spun them, one reverse, and the other forward. She rolled her eyes at me.


    “I get it. You’re some ex-military guy with something to prove. But should you really be picking on pretty little girls?” She batted her eyelashes at me, as I approached. She thinks she has my guard down, but she predicted my feint anyway.


    Just as I was about to slam the pommel of one of the swords into her face, she grabbed a shield from the rack. She blocks the blow and goes low, sweeping my leg out from under me. She smirked, but it quickly faded as I corrected myself with a back flip, that kicks the shield from her hands.


    “I’m not some starry eyed youth that will be won over with your looks Kalysta. Some enemies won’t care for your...charisma. They will beat you bloody until there isn''t any of your looks left to flaunt. You work for the Order of Vigilance. Do you understand what that means Kalysta?” I scolded. She looked at me defiantly and for a moment she looked just like Serena.


    “I know that it was the Order that got my mom killed,” She grabbed up her staff again, and kicked the shield into up into her other hand. She leveled it above her shield, like a Spartan soldier. At least Erik had taught her more than one fighting style while he was ogling her. I wondered how much training they actually got done…


    “I know that the Order recruited her away from her job as a nurse. They told her she’d be saving more lives this way. She told my Auntie that she got a better paying job working on a special team.” She thrusted forward, so I rolled inside of her guard. I ended up rolling into a shield slam. I stumbled back, surprised by the amount of force she had managed. I looked her over and I saw that she was seething. Talking about her mother was making her angry. I could sympathize.


    “The Order is more than just some organization or special team. It has a foundation built on the backs of heroes who shaped the world. It is the driving force that keeps the regular citizens protected from the threats that they believe to be merely folklore.” I tried to explain.


    I went for a double high cross with the short swords, and she brought her shield up high. It’s not a rookie mistake, but I couldn''t help but be disappointed.


    I kicked her in the kneecap and she crumpled.


    Kalysta quickly regained her footing and growled through the pain, raising the shield to block again.


    "Good girl, I bet she’ll kick your old ass." Tyrfing piped up as my adrenaline flared. I pushed the intrusion from my mind.


    However, it costed me, as I was too distracted to block the staff that hit me right in the eye. I could feel it swelling shut almost immediately. The pain urged the sword forward, playing on my anger. But I won’t hurt her. I will not hurt Serena’s daughter. Anyone but her.


    Kalysta cheered and pushed the offensive. She kept coming in on my left side, where my peripheral was blinded.


    "Smart girl. I bet she''ll be delicious."


    “I know why I’m here. Anders expects me to fill the hole on this team that my mother left in his. When he showed up on my doorstep, my Auntie hit him with a skillet. Any man who doesn’t run away after that, at least deserves to be heard out. I’m here because I want to be. I won''t play into any plans to fill shoes that aren''t mine. Whatever the Order was built for isn''t my business. I''m here to make money, and then I''ll be on my way.” She said through clenched teeth as she blocked a hurricane of slashes as I came on hard.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    I imagine growing up as she did, she learned to use everything to her advantage. Even people. To her, the legacy didn''t matter. She saw this as an opportunity to be milked. She had a right to her feelings but it dishonored her mother''s memory.


    She managed to parry one of my slashes off her spear and rammed her shield into my face. I was only faintly aware of my broken nose.


    “Your mother was a great woman. I admired her deeply.” I said, the words breaking her guard completely, and I took the opening. A swift upward slash connected with her jaw and she landed on her back.


    "What do you know about my mother?” She spat blood from her mouth and stood up quickly. She didn''t even notice her speech was slurred. I dropped my swords and hustled to her side.


    "Are you okay?" I asked, turning her head, looking her over protectively.


    She went to talk again and the pain must have set in as she crumpled to her knees in my arms.


    Red flashes go off in my mind.


    All I see is the oil rig interior. The sealed water-tight doors closed on all sides. I can see Serena''s body in my arms, her beautiful face destroyed, my body covered in her blood. My body tingled with pain and fear. I could feel the sword seeping into me and I pushed it back again. I tried the breathing exercises and I curse the countless hours in therapy. How could anyone know what I was dealing with. I tried to look passed the illusion of my past. Kalysta needed me.


    I fought back, stronger than I have in years. I forced the sword down. I forced the memories back.


    I moved quickly to the medical room and returned with ambrosia and bandages. Kalysta sat on the floor in front of me quietly as I patched her up. I made sure her bandages were tight and that she was comfortable. I brought her water and fussed over her wounds. She waved me away when the ambrosia fruit kicks in.


    "You didn''t answer my question." She said, looking at me intensely. I sighed.


    “Serena and I were on the same team, along with Anders and some others. She was brilliant to watch in combat and quite the exceptional healer. Your mother had a knack for helping people.” Her eyes lit up, as I imagine mine do too. Serena blessed every life she had touched. "You two are very similar.”


    “I...didn’t know her very well, I was just a kid when she was killed.” She said, sadness taking over quickly.


    I felt the blood run from my face.


    "She knows." Tyrfing whispered.


    I went to stand up, to put distance between us, but Kalysta frowned and motioned for me to remain at her side.


    “I know it’s probably hard to talk about. Seems like you guys were pretty close.” She shrugged.


    “How much do you know about your mother’s murder?” I asked. My voice cracked as fear gripped me. I could feel my heart rate rocket upward.


    “I know that they had gone out on a mission like normal. But something went wrong. Some kind of cursed weapon. My Auntie had told me that my father was the one who killed her.” She said, wiping a tear from her eye before it could form.


    "She’s yours…" The sword hissed in my mind.


    She’s my daugther.


    A rush of joy and excitement flooded through me and I resisted the urge to hug the girl. My beautiful daughter, who looked so much like her mother.


    “One day, I’ll find the bastard and kill him myself. I asked Anders for the details, but he’s hiding everything from me. Did you know my father as well?”


    Her words sank in and I felt my heart break for the second time in my life. She wanted me dead.


    And why wouldn’t she? I couldn''t blame her. I spent years trying to do the same. When I discovered that the sword wouldn''t let me kill myself, I had joined the military, hoping to die in combat. I proved to be too effective at my job for that.


    “I…not well, no.” The lie was bitter on my tongue.


    "Is it really a lie though? Do you really know who you are, Chase Morgan? Is it not you who said you were lost? Who finishes bottle after bottle to forget? Tell the girl. Let her try and we will show her exactly how her mother died." Tyrfing growls, trying to flood me with aggression.


    I’m nauseated by just the thought. I tried to block the images it projected from my mind, but Tyrfing forced them to the forefront.


    I could see Serena again, kneeling in front of me with the sword piercing her shoulder. I could hear her telling me that everything was going to be ok. That she was alright. She told me to calm down, and that she loved me. I can hear her words and I begged Tyrfing to choose someone else. Literally anyone else.


    I could hear Anders banging on the steel water-tight door, separating the group from the two of us. He was screaming, but it only fueled the sword. Serena showed no fear as the sword hit her in the head the first time, splitting her forehead. Her voice stopped making sense, but her eyes still said ‘I love you’. The second time, I split her head down to her collar.


    “Chase? Chase, are you alright? Hey!” Kalysta was screaming in my face, tapping my cheek as I returned from the horrid memory.


    “Hey, you just shut down, are you okay?” She kneeled close to me and gripped my face in both hands. I only saw Selena.


    I thought about telling her, so that maybe she could end my pain. Maybe this girl, conceived of the most pure love and orphaned by my mistakes, would be the one to save me from this curse.


    “You know who he is.” She said suddenly, staring me right in the eye. She sat back on her heels, moving away. I had a hard time keeping eye contact with her.


    “Another time.” I told her, shuffling away, across the mats. I stood and stumbled out of the training room.


    "It''s always another time! No one will tell me!" Kalysta shouted after me.


    I knew I wasn''t going to make it to my room, so I made the detour to the public washroom in the dorms. I slid on my knees into the toilet just in time, as I projected my breakfast violently.


    "I don’t remember you eating that."


    “I hate you.” I groaned between retches.


    "I know. It makes all this so much better." Tyrfing replied.


    “Free me, damn it! Take some other poor bastard. You’ve destroyed everything good in my life.” I could hardly finish the sentence before I puked again. The cold sweat kicked in and I rocked back and forth.


    "Leave you? You think if I left these memories would leave you? I’m the only thing keeping you alive, fool. You’ve killed hundreds of people as a soldier, yet this one woman means so much. What about the father you killed in Iran, who was the only source of income for his wife and three kids? What about the politician? She was my favorite. Husband, kids, holding up an entire state. And you put a bullet in her head from six buildings away. Never had to look back. Never had to deal with the guy who took her place. All you do is kill. You''ve never thought twice about anyone but her. Suck it up. You''re a killer."


    “Leave me alone!” I shrieked at the toilet as Tyrfing assaulted my mind.


    "NO! You need me, just as much as I need you. You know how this works. Complete the three great betrayals remember? We’ve only got two left to go, my melodramatic friend. You’ll be free of me then, and only then will I be sated enough to leave you. Everyone you kill in between is just sweet, delicious icing on the bloody cake." The sword cackled.


    My rage turned to sorrow and I tried not to cry. Everything I could have been was lost the moment I had been bonded to the cursed blade. Maybe I am just a killer. Maybe I wasn''t suited to be a leader, a lover, a father.


    I selfishly wished Kalysta was Anders child and it broke my heart again.