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Farris fought bravely in the local tournament, reaching the final. But waiting for him was Marvin, the best swordmaster from the city. Farris' fears turned real. The fight was short, lasting only twenty blows. In less than a minute, Farris fell on his knees, his blade broken.
Marvin removed his helmet and looked at Farris with pity.
"I thought you could do better," he said, lips curved downwards as if he had just tasted a lemon. "Well, I guess this is your level."
Marvin turned and left the arena, leaving Farris in tears of shame.
The prize ceremony was brief. Marvin received new armor, a Ketnian-made sword, and a Taibanian horse. The second prize got Farris a Ketnian sword, too. It came just in time to replace his broken one. The sword was better than the one he had before, but it wouldn't put food on his table. And it would take him months to fix his battered armor.
"Damn it!" Farris thought. "I will have to train even harder. But how? And with whom?"
His home was at the edge of a forest, far from the city's martial gyms. And no master would train him, anyway. He was too poor, too busy, and too old. Winning the City Tournament meant joining the Duke's guard with a generous stipend, a complete turnaround for his life. How he hated Marvin, the arrogant prick who took it away from him! And for what? Marvin was rich. He would never need that job. For him, it was only having fun. A matter of showing off.
"I will have to work harder," Farris kept mumbling on his way home. "Much harder."
***
That summer, a drought gripped the city. The river nearly dried up, many crops failed, and some cattle died. Famine was knocking on the city gates. There was no time for training. Farris had to work hard to survive. By summer's end, he had saved his crop and kept his cattle but barely had enough food for winter.
Autumn came, and the drought worsened. Forest fires started in the mountains. One night, the forest near Farris' house began to burn. The heat and smoke woke him in time to save his animals. But by dawn, his house was gone. Everything felt like Marvin's fault, but the man wasn't even in the city. He was staying at his seaside home.
"Forget about Marvin," Farris thought. "You have to build something before winter comes."
He slept all day, then began searching for construction materials. Thankfully, his crops were safe in the cellar. He needed to build a shed for his cattle and horse. He could sleep until spring. Wrapped in the silver moonlight, he trekked through the charred forest and found enough wood for his shelter. In a month, he could have something ready to survive the winter.
At dawn, Farris began working. It took the whole day to cut and carry five trunks. It would take more than a month to finish. Exhausted, he slept on the ground.
Something pushed him, squeezing his shoulder. Farris opened his eyes. "What's going on?" he asked, his vision blurry.
"It's time to learn how to fight," said a familiar voice. Farris rubbed his eyes and sat up. In front of him stood Marvin, dressed in a green uniform and smiling. A few steps behind, his Taibanian horse was grazing.
"What are you doing here?" Farris asked. Marvin was the last person he wanted to see now.
"I came to help," Marvin replied.
"Wait! What kind of help?" Farris asked.
"I will teach you how to fight," Marvin said.
Farris had thought the man hated him. What had changed?
"Why would you do that?" he asked.
"Because there is a real knight hidden inside you. I planned to do it this summer, but other businesses kept me away," Marvin said.
Farris opened his mouth to say something, but no words came out.
"I thought you despised me!" he finally said. "And you gain nothing by teaching a poor lad."
"I never despised you," Marvin said. "I only tried to push you harder. Now, with your house and stable destroyed, it's only fair I help you get back on your feet."
"Look," Farris said. "I have nothing to pay you with. And I think I can manage somehow."
"Perhaps," Marvin said. "But I need skilled fighters around me, and you could be one of them. There's going to be a war next year."
"Enfield, again?" Farris asked.
"Yes. The bastards plan to invade in the spring."
"Even so, I need to shelter my cows and horse for the winter."
"I will help you rebuild your house and stable," Marvin said. "You can stay at my house until then."
Grateful, Farris took Marvin's outstretched hand and stood up.
"They should be arriving by now," Marvin said.
Two carts loaded with construction materials, followed by a dozen workers, appeared on the path from the city.
"Show them what to do," Marvin said. "I will come back tomorrow for our first lesson."
The men shook hands again before parting ways. Farris took a deep breath and stepped towards the incoming carts. Marvin's galloping silhouette was already fading away, surrounded by the halo of the sun rising above the city.
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