My Beginnings

     He parried my strike with an easy flip of his wrist. But the sweat lining his brow and the narrow focus of his eyes told me he found this fight anything but easy. I decided to take advantage of the latter and moved outside of his field of vision, with in one swift motion I kicked up the dirt to shroud his vision and two steps found me behind him my sword in hand ready to finish the fight. With disciplined control I tapped him on the side of his neck with the flat of my blade.
     I stood there panting waiting for Jenerto to move. After five minutes he stepped to the side and turned to look at me. A scowl was placed on his lips, but his blue eyes were smiling like usual. "Very good," he said gruffly, but behind his rough voice I could hear the pride in my skills.
     "I've learned from the best," I smiled.
     "Yes... but that does not excuse my mistake. I've spent too many years sparring, it's when your fighting for your life that hand-to-hand combat improves. I spent a many great deal of years gathering my skills up to the point of boasting the best in the kingdom, and yet sparring does nothing but let them dwindle."
     I knew what the real excuse was his ever increasing age, something everyone feared was finally catching up with him. He was a tall man, still with muscular arms, though age may have decreased his strength. His hair used to be a pale blond, but now gray hairs made up most of it. He was always clean shaved, and I could tell his skin was a lot paler than it used to be. But his eyes were as sharp and clear as someone in their youth, though the wisdom of his years clearly shone their too.
     I nodded my head and smiled again, though yet with the age difference it was still only my fourth match won out of the previous twenty. Six him having won, and the other ten ending in draws. Though of course neither of us surrendered that easily, most of our draws happened after hours of fighting, one even from dawn of one day to dawn of the next (though with a plentiful enough supply of five minute breaks).
     Jenerto sheathed his sword and I followed suit. Respectfully I bowed (which came to much dismay of my maids who thought it not proper for a young lady to bow, but should CURTSY! Which came to even more dismay to them is I refused to curtsy unless absolutely needed, or to my old nursery maid) and bid Jenerto good night.
     On my way to my chamber I chanced upon Anerisha, my old nurse maid. "My lady!" I exclaimed dropping into a deep curtsy. As was her wont a bright blush over came her face a smile tugging at her lips. I had the deepest respect for this women who willingly took care of me since I was five and was brought here. Although I didn't like curtsying I never minded doing it for her. She used to refuse me telling me she was of no high status. But I refused to show her any less courtesy than I would show a queen. For her acts had shown her equal to or better than any queen I've ever met. This and many other acts had earned me the title of "The girl more stubborn than a mule."
     "Rise," she said nodding her head. Something else she refused to do but I wouldn't stop curtsying unless she said it. Though despite all her refusals I could tell it made her happy. One of the best gifts I could ever think of to give her. Anerisha was coming close to being in her late forties. She had had a hard early life resulting in her prematurely going gray. But now she was well fed and often smiled and her eyes were as warm as melted chocolate.
     She studied my eyes carefully as I met hers. "Oh, my little girl," she cried, "I'm going to miss you. I can't believe my little girl has grown up."
     "Aw... I'm going to miss you to," I said feeling my throat construct. Pushing back tears I said, "But it's not as if I'm going to my execution. Besides it's not for another week."
     "I know, but that's too short of a time." She laughed, "Now I finally know how my mother felt when I left home at around your age. She told me I was still too young to leave, I swear she refused to believe I was sixteen."
     "You're going to make me cry!" I exclaimed, which she knew as well as me that that was a hard feat for I didn't cry that easily.
     "Sorry dear," she said wiping her own eyes with her apron. "I guess there is no need to get all teary eyed." She smiled at me, "You've been training for this your whole life. Just remember I'm proud of you."
     I curtsied again and made my way to my bedroom. I couldn't stop trying to take in every detail of the stone hall and grand arched doorways although I've been her for the majority of my life. When I was just five I was chosen to be the "guardian" of the future Champion.
     Nigh on two centuries ago demons were practically ruling Etenya an area that made up my country and six others nearby. The people couldn't stand it any longer, but the majority of their kings were dead, or cowering for fear of their life. And so the ten countries that existed then banded together. And the brave of all the land together conquered the demons that were creating Hell in the land. They knew it would take more than they had to kill the strongest of them, and so the champions of that time created a prison, one strong enough to contain the demons. The deepest and purest of magics went into it, and it is legend that one of the Champions is still alive, interlinked with the prison, keeping it alive and the demons contained. Some still argue it would have been easier to kill them with all the energy that went into it.
     After the Prison was made trapping all the demons in it my country Tremenku's king knew that in the years of our peace others might see it as a weakness and attack. He did not wish for us to take comfort in the lack of demons and weaken our country's defense. Also he feared that many dangers similar to the rise of the demons would happen again, and so he decided to set up a system to choose a new Champion with every new generation. Though of course he saw that the Champions would need a "guardian" if you will, someone who could equal them in their fighting skills, someone to fight back to back with.
     And so it came that I was chosen for this. And in one weeks time the new Champion of my generation would be chosen. And I will go with whoever is chosen to fight back to back against any foes who might dare attack my country. The thought of all the adventures made me giddy. I'd been training for this for my whole life, and now all my training and practice will come into play in one week!
    

Author's Note

Please tell me what you think, and if you see any grammar problems please tell me.

Reviews

[RachelReaper]

the only grammar problems I saw was that you need to go back and add commas in a few places. And "wont" should be "won't", I believe. Good start to this.

[LunarSong]

Thanks :)

[Aeternal Oceanfire]

But I still am not overly fond of the name Jenerto. That's my only criticism.

[Calibaster]

should have put two o's in the word To(o) and you should have remembered to make the word you're and contraction, but otherwise it was very good.

[Night]

This is great!

[Aeternal Oceanfire]

Wonderfully flowing! I love the way you wrote it! The font was a bit small, you might try increasing it. I like the curtsying and bowing scene. It brought a smile to my face, and I needed one.