“She can’t really be her brother’s sister.”

  “Wow, look at that, she should just quit and go back home.”

  “Useless.”

  These were the mutters that filled the air as the dull thud of metal hitting soil sounded for the umpteenth time. And for the umpteenth time, a frustrated frown graced the face of Jin Miran as she stepped forward to retrieve her fallen sword.

  “Kid, maybe you should take a break and learn something simpler. This is too hard for you,” her sparring partner, a lanky senior, drawled, not even bothering to hide the mocking smile on his face as he sauntered off towards the handful of knights that were sprawled lazily in the dappled shade of the trees.

  Miran huffed indignantly as those words as she grabbed her sword off the ground with more force than necessary. “Kid? You’re just one month older, you idiot!” She snapped, moving swiftly into the path of her senior and cutting him off. “And just you wait, you egotistical freak, I’ll be better than you soon!”

  With that, she swiveled around and stormed off in the direction of the barracks, cursing her senior with words that would cause a sailor to blush falling from her lips. She could get into trouble for that, she knew, but she did not care. After all, it was not as if her fellow knights could understand curses in Italian.

  Even in the dead of night, the barracks were never silent. If one listened closely, they could hear the silence being broken by the soft snores of those not on duty, the scuffling of little paws looking for food, and the soft footsteps of a certain hotheaded girl as she inched towards the doors, sword in hand and careful not to wake anyone up.

  Outside, the moon shone weakly in the sky, moonlight struggling to punctuate the long shadows cast by the trees. There was an air of eeriness, and most people would have had the sense to stay inside, if not for the creepiness, but also for the fact that it was difficult to see more than a few feet in any direction.

  But not Miran. She walked the familiar path to the clearing used for sparring, a spring in her step as the damp grass tickled her bare feet. Truthfully, it was nights like this that she felt most comfortable, when there was no one about to mock her.

  Reaching the middle of the clearing, Miran gently hefted the heavy blade in her hands, taking a moment to admire the carvings of two entwining dragons on the hilt. Then she closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and started the sequence of movements she had attempted so many times just hours ago.

  Miran’s thoughts were entirely focused on the task at hand. Every twist and turn of her body, every clean slice the blade made through the air, she cataloged it to scrutinize and improve it. Of course, there were still the occasional mistake, when she mistimed the steps, or when she had forgot just how heavy the sword was for her. But every the blade fell to the ground, all she did was swipe it back up and try again.

  Bit by bit, the sky changed to light, the silence of the night now broken by the sleepy early morning chatter of nature. And it was only when the sun had fully taken the place of the moon did Miran finally stop, panting heavily and with her arms feeling like lead. But her face was lit up with a satisfied smile as she turned and headed back the way she came, back to her bed before anyone awoke and found her missing.

  “You stupid bean, call me a kid again,” Miran stuck out her tongue as she easily knocked the sword out of her senior’s hands. She hooked a leg around his knees and brought him crashing down, a delighted giggle escaping at the stunned look on his face.

  “What was that about this being too hard for me to learn?”

Mars: Would you look at that, the next teaser, finally. Anyways, I hope it doesn't disappoint too much, my writing skills are questionable :P