At sun rise, Amir stood outside, ready for the day ahead.
Nikoloas came out, carrying two small wooden swords in one hand, a shield in the other.
"Today, boy," Nikoloas said, "we start real training. No more carrying logs. It's time to become a fighter."
Amir stood, ready, without putting on any shirts, revealing his abs and six packs built over the intense training.
First, Nikoloas showed him how to fight without any weapon.
"Your body is a weapon," he said. "If you know how to move, you can defeat a man twice your size."
He taught Amir how to read an opponent.
"Don't just watch his arms," Nikoloas said. "Watch his chest, his legs. His body will show you what he plans to do before he even moves."
They spent hours grabbing, wrestling, swinging.
Nikoloas showed him how to shift his weight, grab an arm and pull a man off balance, slamming him to the ground in one quick move.
"Speed beats strength," Nikoloas said, flipping Amir onto the grass for the third time. "Move first. Think two steps ahead."
Amir kept practicing, over and over, without getting tired. Always eager to learn, always willing to go the limits.
Then came the punching.
Nikoloas led him to a line of soft tree trunks.
"Punch them," he said. "Again and again. Make your fists like stone."
Amir punched until his knuckles burned.
Nikoloas only smiled and said, "Good. Again."
Day after day, Amir punched the trees. His hands grew red, then hard. Every strike made him tougher, faster.
After punching came defense.
Nikoloas brought out an old round shield.
He showed Amir how to hold it close, how to block strikes, and protect his body and neck. He also taught him how to create a shield wall, a solid and unbreakable line of defense when leading soldiers in battle.
"A shield is life," Nikoloas said. "Hold it wrong, and you're dead. Hold it right, and you can fight ten men."
Amir learned to raise the shield to his face, to cover his side, to keep moving while staying protected.
Nikoloas swung a stick and a sword at him, forcing Amir to block and dodge, again and again.
"Never freeze!" Nikoloas shouted. "A frozen man is a dead man!"
Slowly, Amir's arms grew strong enough to hold the shield without shaking. His feet learned to dance across the dirt.
Then finally, after weeks of pain and sweat, came the sword.
Nikoloas dropped two wooden swords on the ground between them.
"Pick it up," he said.
Amir knelt and grabbed one. It felt heavy and strange in his hand.
Nikoloas said.
"Now, learn to make it part of you."
He showed Amir how to stand, how to hold the sword so it didn't tire his wrist and how to swing it straight and clean.
"No wasted moves," Nikoloas said. "Every swing must mean something. Every strike must have a reason."
They fought slow at first. Nikoloas attacked and Amir blocked, taking his time but staying focused.
"Move your feet!" Nikoloas shouted. "A sword is useless if your legs are slow!"
Amir got better every day.
His swings became sharper, his blocks faster, his legs quicker.
They trained from sunrise to sunset, only stopping to eat and drink.
Some days Nikoloas was rough, knocking Amir down hard. But he would always responded with a counter attack that made Nikoloas surprised at his strength and durability. He was highly durable.
Every day made him even stronger, sharper, better.
Weeks passed like this.
The trees bore the marks of a hundred strikes.
The fields near the house had lines of footwork, on the ground.
And Amir was becoming a true warrior.
One afternoon, as the sun was setting, Nikoloas watched Amir fight.
Amir moved perfectly and fast, blocking, striking, spinning his sword like a legendary fighter.
Nikoloas crossed his arms and nodded.
"Very good, very good," he said with a proud smile. "You're almost ready. You fight like a god of Olympus."
Amir didn't feel tired anymore. He's body had rebuild. He felt strong.
As they walked back to the house that night, Nikoloas put a hand on Amir's back.
"Remember," he said, "the sword, the shield, your fists, they are nothing without your heart. Fight with your heart, and a with the strength of 10 men Amir. It's what will save you when the day comes."
Amir laid down to rest, he looked up at the stars glowing in the sky. He thought of Callista, the villages, the Eaters of the Dead and the battles yet to come.