Once I Called You Brother Ch 1

Current entry: synthesized from the journals of Darius and Drusus

After the enlistment came testing. A couple days after they gave their names as volunteers and were given their uniforms and armor, they went to the coliseum with the weapons they were able to get a hold of. Drusus had gone back to his father to get a kopesh, while Darius relied on the kindness of a local blacksmith to obtain a simple shortsword.

When they entered the arena, many people turned to look at the pair. Drusus stood out greatly because of his weapon of choice as well as his head, bald except for a single ponytail and goatee. He wasn’t afraid to return any glare that came his way with his narrow green eyes.

Darius provided quite a contrast to his partner. He smiled at everyone they passed, his blue eyes always friendly. His full beard and free weapon spoke of his simple life. His humility was evident, and the pride of Drusus was equally so.

On their way to the check-in table, they were interrupted by a young woman in full uniform and an older woman in plain clothes carrying a pencil and paper. “You are here to be tested, correct?” the older woman asked.

“Yes, Shoshannah,” Darius replied with a bow, immediately recognizing the pair as Carla Degrais, the heir to the throne, and the prophetess Shoshannah.

“I see. And you are Darius and Drusus, am I right?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“I see.” She took a moment to write on the paper she had brought over, folded it up, and handed it to Drusus. “Read this after the testing is done. Now, before you get to that, there is something I need to say to you before I go. This is the word of God. The two of you will one day be great leaders. Both of you will one day be kings, but that is not all. Drusus, you desire for peace and have the potential to bring it, but Darius must be your light. If he is not, you will live by the sword, and, consequently, die by it.”

Drusus lifted his head slightly, looking the pair of ladies in front of him over, sizing them up. “The word of God? I know not this god. I may live here in Basileia, but I am a prince of Mitsrayim, and I do not recognize your god.”

Darius’ eyes were wide, and his mouth tried to form words but couldn’t do it. He knew of his friend’s opinions, but didn’t expect such a blatant lack of respect.

Shoshannah simply smiled. “I think that will change, given time. Just know that your decisions will have great weight for the future of these nations.” With nothing else to say, she walked off to continue whatever business she had that day.

“How dare she propose to know my future!”

“Drusus, calm yourself. There is no point in getting angry. We still have things to do here.”

His words did little to change the attitude of his friend, but did allow him to regain focus on why they were there in the first place. “Fine” was all he had to say.

Finally, Carla spoke up. “You two are here to be tested, which means you will be fighting me. Which one of you will be going first?”

Drusus responded without hesitation by drawing his weapon.

“Alright. Mitsriy prince it is.” She put her left hand on the handle of her sword and pulled it out, preparing to flip it into proper orientation, but Drusus saw his opportunity and he took it. He started swinging quickly and aggressively, doing his best to ensure that Carla would have no chance to correct her weapon and move onto the offensive.

Carla, however, refused to allow this to decide the match and quickly adapted to fighting with her sword backhand in her non-dominant hand. Her defense was solid against the onslaught in spite of her disadvantage.

After spending some time observing her opponent, Carla took several quick steps back and did a couple handsprings to create the distance and time she needed to spin her sword around and move to the offensive. As soon as she was on her feet, she rushed back in at Drusus.

In that moment, any advantage Drusus had vanished. Though he had skill in offensive fighting, as soon as things turned around, his ability waned, as was the case in that particular fight. It ended seconds later, leaving Drusus unarmed and standing with a blade pointed at his throat.

“Third Class, Level Four. You have potential and some prior experience but need some refining. You also need to learn how to respond when not on the offensive. All in all, I expect good things from you.” As soon as she finished, she turned to Darius and pointed her weapon at him. “Now it’s your turn, Farmboy.”

He drew his sword and started thinking. He knew he didn’t have enough skill to gain an offensive advantage or a defensive one. He would have to find a way to confuse her or throw her off. He began checking the pouches on his belt as Carla made her offensive move, but he didn’t find anything.

The fact that he had never held a sword before was obvious. He didn’t know how to handle it at all. He almost dropped it several times. He quickly got backed into a table and tripped backward over it. That moment ended his testing.

Carla reached down and helped Darius up. “Look, Farmboy, you may want to reconsider. If you do not, you are instated as Third Class, Level One, and please train with Kopesh.”

Once on his feet, Darius smiled at her, in part for his determination, and in part for her beauty. “I will not quit. If one is to do a job, one must see it through to proper completion, and that we plan to do.”