Excerpt from 'Merlin - The Legacy #1' - Rise of the Dark:

Merlin felt the slight kick of a boot in his side.
“Come on you lazy bugger! Time to get off your backside and 'play' knight.”
Merlin tried to cover his eyes from the dawn sun, and then Darius noticed something,
“My God boy, why are you sweating so? What were you doing last night?”
Merlin sat up wiping the sweat off his forehead. It was no surprise to him, he always greeted morning with sweat dripping off him, but he knew better than to tell Darius of his dreams.
“I've always been like this, it's nothing.”
“Well, in any case, while you've been lazing around, I've already been out to find you a stick you can use as a sword. It's about the right size for you. Here you are.”
Darius tossed the stick at Merlin, forcing him to catch it clumsily.
“Right then! First lesson, grip the sword like this.”
Darius showed Merlin the classical grip and then what he called “the crazy b******” grip. A one handed grip that allowed the wielding of two weapons, as the heavy sword would be strapped to one hand with some leather cord, while the other was free to grab, strike or take up another implement of pain.
“But for now, because you're such a green beginner and all, we'll just concentrate on the basic grip and strikes. I just wanted you to know how truly dangerous I can be.”
Merlin raised his eyebrows as Darius got into his guard stance,
“Follow me, there's a good lad!”
Merlin mimicked Darius' each move. The stances, the strikes and the parries. He didn't really understand them, but after an hour, he could do them on command.
“Right then,” Darius rubbed his forearm across his brow, “now I am going to attack you. Hard.”
Merlin felt his stomach turn.
“Parry one!” Darius shouted as he ran toward Merlin with his broadsword in a downward striking movement, with a devilish laugh.
To his own surprise, Merlin instantly brought the stick up into the right position.
Darius began to strike across Merlin's body,
“Parry two!”
Merlin again, blocked it. With Darius stopping just before his blade made contact.
“No bad, not bad at all. We may make a knight of you yet.”
Darius saw that what Merlin was lacking in strength, he made up for in speed and agility.
“Now, attack me.” Ordered Darius.
Merlin didn't want to. The look of that blade Darius was now wielding with gusto and a devil-may-care-look in his eyes, told Merlin it was the last thing he wanted to do.
“Aren't you hungry Darius, don't you think we should eat.”
Darius put his guard down and leaned on the sword for a moment,
“Come on boy, don't be a coward, what would that girly of yours think if she saw you now? Think she'd be impressed?”
Merlin felt a spark inside him grow, a spark that ignited an ember that would go on to become a furnace in future years. Taking a swing a Darius, Darius hopped backward to avoid it easily...

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