Hello everyone!
It’s been just over a week since NaNoWriMo started, and I have been super busy writing as much as I can (12,455 words as of yesterday!) Anyways, I’ve had a few people asking me about getting to read what I had been writing, so I thought I would share a portion of what I wrote yesterday. This is a sparring match between my two protagonists, Azrael, an angel who lost his wings and is hunting a particular fallen angel, for reasons unknown at this time, and Seraphina, a nephilim (half angel) with the power to summon a fiery sword and wings. Sera wants to learn to be strong enough to fight the angels who have been hurting people, and this is their first spar, where Azrael will begin to show her what she’ll be up against. This snippet is about 1,200 words (~4 pages double spaced with 12 pt. font). This is a first draft with no revisions, but I wanted to let everyone see a bit of what I had been working on.
I hope you all enjoy!
-Colton
“This looks as good a place as any,” he said. “Try to hit me.” He drew his swords.
Sera looked at him. “I haven’t got a sword.”
“Summon it,” he replied.
“But what if I hit you?”
Azrael laughed. But not his usual, mirthless laugh; a genuine, actual laugh. She wondered if that was the first time she’d heard that from him.
“You won’t,” he promised.
Sera felt something else sparking within her, but she must have still looked uncertain, because he spoke again, “Look, when we get to town, I’ll get you a more mundane sword to practice with, but trust me when I say that, for tonight at least, I won’t need it.” He smiled at her coyly. He was egging her on, coaxing her in. He drew his swords. “Now, try and hit me.”
Sera let out a long breath, and searched for the fire within her. It burned away all the nerves, all her uneasiness, and left her only with that thing she had felt sparking inside her at his words: the desire to win.
Closing her eyes, she reached out her right hand and called, the sword appearing in it. She opened her eyes again and brought her sword in front of her, grasping it with two hands. She looked at Azrael, who stood casually, swords pointed to the ground, a trace of that smile still on his face. He cocked his head slightly. “Well?”
Sera decided to try what she’d thought of before. Surprise him with her strength, as she had the angel before. She took a couple cautious steps forward, but Azrael didn’t react, he stayed relaxed. She felt that competitive spirit urge her. If he isn’t going to take this seriously, I’ll make him regret it. She hoped that she would be able to enjoy the look on his face when she disarmed him of one of his swords. Maybe then he would take this seriously.
Seraphina charged forward, looking for any indication he’d bring up his defenses. He still hadn’t reacted. Knowing he was right handed, she decided to come in from his left. She would come perfectly horizontal, and when he brought up his sword to parry it would be ripped from his hands. She lunged and swung, waiting to feel that sword come up to parry, only it never did. Her eyes widened when she met no resistance, and for a moment she thought she would seriously wound him; however, that notion left her mind as soon as it came when she’d realized he hadn’t moved to block at all because he’d moved backwards. Not only that, but he made it look leisurely. She tried to reverse her swing, but she’d put too much into the swing, she had too much momentum. She moved back to retreat, but found a sword at her throat, along with that damned smile.
“Dead.”
Frustrated, she backed off and tried again. She came in as she had before, but she was careful not to overcommit this time. When he stepped back again as he had before, she stepped forward as well, keeping pace with him. However, this time her sword was met with resistance, his left sword had caught hers, just above the hilt; her blow came to a complete halt. She found his right sword at her throat, and that cocky smile never left his face.
“Dead.”
She huffed and took a couple steps back. Charging wasn’t working, time for a different approach. She decided to try a flurry of blows, growing in strength. She came in high and from her right. He knocked it aside with his left blade, bouncing it off hers and coming for her throat.
“Dead.”
Without hesitating, she repositioned her blade, coming in horizontally from the same direction. His left sword left her throat and knocked her blow down and past him, while his right came across just an inch in front of her abdomen.
“Disemboweled, and…”
She reversed her strike, making a diagonal attack, rising towards his chest. His right sword was there to meet it though, its trajectory altered ever so slightly to catch her swing perfectly, while his other sword came to her throat.
“…dead.”
His cocky smile had become an arrogant grin. She glanced down at the sword at her throat. With that second blade, she would never be able to break through his defenses. As if sensing her thoughts, he stepped back, and planted his left blade into the sand. Then he turned to face her, sword in his left hand, right hand out wide for balance.
“At least use your right hand,” Sera said, feeling a bit annoyed. His eyes twinkled with mischief.
“Why?”
“Because you’re right handed,” she replied, a little of her frustration leaking into her words.
“Some days,” he said, tossing his sword to his right hand, his mischievous gaze sill upon her. “Some days I’m not.” He tossed sword up in the air a bit, like a juggler, the sword making a full rotation before he caught it again with his left. His eyes never left her, and that coy smile was back. Sera sighed, letting her frustrations melt away. She steeled herself.
She came in fast and strong, and his sword was there to meet hers. She dipped her sword under his and then reversed, coming in from the other direction, but again his sword was there, waiting. Frustrated, she pulled back her sword and thrust it at him. He swung his left foot back, turning sideways as her sword went past him, and then he brought his right and down and chopped her wrist, loosening her grip. He then kicked, sending her sword up into the air. Her eyes followed it for a split second before his sword was at her throat.
“Dead.”
“Is this necessary?” she asked, angry and embarrassed.
“Yes,” he said, no more levity in his voice. “You need to understand what you’re wanting to go up against. Besides,” he continued, “I need to see how you fight. I can’t just teach you how to fight like me, you’ve only got the one sword.” He paused thoughtfully. “You can only summon one sword, right?” Sera nodded.
“Ah well, lesson number one is universal anyways. Look at your opponent’s eyes. Your eyes are giving away where you’re going to swing. Look at their eyes, but don’t focus too hard. Relax your eyes a bit. Allow yourself to see their movements in your peripherals. This will help you in a few ways: against a lesser opponent, their eyes will give them away, you will be able to predict their movements and see through their feints; against a greater opponent, you will prevent yourself from doing so. I’m going to spar with you in as many ways as I can. For tonight, I’ll stick with one sword.”
Sera nodded. Over the next couple hours, Sera came up with a new goal for herself. Her aim was no longer to attempt to strike Azrael. Instead, her goal was to end an altercation and not hear the word ‘dead’. They sparred all through the evening and well into the night before he stopped them.
“Dead.”
Sera had not been successful.