Victoria The Victorious

• Dulcie Evans, Grade 11
• Short Story
• 2014

The clanking of metal on metal rang through my tentative ears, but it wasn’t gaudy in fact it seemed almost like a quiet melody tiptoeing through my mind. I saw and heard it all and most of all I saw the flow of my opponent as he blindly attacked me with no ounce of style or proper training. But I didn’t care; any opponent who could challenge me seriously was a welcoming distraction from my oh-so-boring day to day life.
2 minutes had passed since we had begun, so without further ado I sidestepped my opponent’s clumsy blow, due to his complete lack of technique. And with a carefree flick of my sabre I landed my final attack to his exposed neck.
“End of match Victoria wins”
There was no applause, just the jingle of coins as the idiots who had bet against me handed over their money. I wasn’t surprised and neither was anyone else there. I was known as the Victoria the Victorious after all why would I ever loose even here at Gazania Private Academy.
Rising from my stance I watched as my opponent hobbled away shoulders slumped as only my eyes followed him, everyone else had already left once his defeat was finalised. I shrugged and headed for the girls change rooms taking off my helmet as I went and sighing as my long black hair cascaded down my lower back. Thanks to the helmets used in fencing I had no problem with the length of my hair.
The change rooms provided showers and solitude that I craved after a long day at school and another challenge from some idiot, came streaming from the powerful showerhead. Luckily I didn’t have to choose between school and my non-existent social life. People didn’t speak to me, and the same applied to my daily life outside of the school gates. Once being part of an ancient and wealthy family really sucked, that didn’t matter now that I lived with no one else but my cat Arlo now.
Stepping out of the shower I dressed quickly leaving my dripping hair out to air-dry and enjoying the way it swished along my waist when I moved.
“I wouldn’t get so comfortable lovely”
I whirred around guard up like steel as I spotted my chaperone from my old family standing in the doorway, his blonde hair slightly damp from the heavy fog that had formed outside, black suit a long sword in his hand.
“So you found me” I whispered wary of the sword in his hand I glanced slightly to my locker at the far end of the room, where I knew my own sword waited. He just smiled at my statement.
“Still on the run after all these years?” he asked leaning further onto the polished oak wood of the doorframe. Always so casual, but I could see his tensed jawline and slightly swollen vein on his temple revealing he was strung tight as a bow. Instead of answering I walked slowly and carefully towards my locker trying to make my motives as hidden as possible, he still followed me, cautious old man.
“Well I ran away for a reason” I said taking slow deliberate steps closer and closer to my locker, I could just see the hilt of my cloth covered sword peeking out of my bag it was all I needed.
“Will I ever understand why?” he said prompting me to keep talking. I had to admit I was surprised at the calmness of his voice when I knew his nerves where the exact opposite.
“Take a guess” I added barely one step away from my sword.
“Enough guessing games” he said. The tone of his voice alerted me and I spun around I saw him draw his sword and bring it down right to the place I had been seconds before. Pirouetting on the spot I reached for my sword and sighed in satisfaction as the cool metal returned strength and peace to my entire being.
The cloth fell of as I pulled it up and unsheathed it to face my new opponent. Excitement coursed through my body along with the coursing adrenaline that heightened my senses, finally a real challenge. Who better to face me than someone from my family’s personal guard? I watched his eyes widen as he saw the weapon I wielded well-designed carvings unmistakable.
“Is that...” he said lowering his own sword slightly in awe. Taking my chance I pranced forward forcing him to block my attack with the hilt of his sword.
“Now that you can see it up close that should answer your question” I said pressing the blade as if to get it closer to his expanded eyes.
“I can’t believe it was you” he whispered almost inaudible.
“That’s what everyone keeps saying” I said leaping back and taking my stance as he did the same. His eyes had changed now from confusion to set determination. That was more like it.
“You bitch” he cried striking forward and hitting my blade with such force I feared his own sword would snap in half.
Changing tactics I ducked under his arm and ran to the gymnasium craving more space. I could hear the heavy footsteps behind me as I parred his blow with ease. I could sense his surprise as he faulted in his attack, taking the opportunity I twisted around and thrust my sword, point first towards his navel aiming to wound more than kill. Confused by the diversity of my attacks he faulted again and parried my blow with little technic. Maybe this fight wasn’t going to be very challenging after all; I thought as I danced forward raining thrusts, jabs and elaborate manoeuvres all self-taught of course down on him, my opponent lost ground as fast as the fog entered the gym through the gaping door.
“I guess I can believe the rumors now” he said stopping his retreat and facing me sword limb at his side. I copied him in stance but kept my sword up, could never be too careful.
“I’d like to hear these rumors that I sadly missed out on hearing” I said reading the way his chest rose and fell and the slight trails of perspiration that marked his face.
“Nothing that exciting” he began relaxing further which I didn’t match. “Just that my masters were murdered by their own daughter, using the sword they gave her for her 12th birthday” he said voice rising in volume until he was almost shouting at me. He pointed his own sword at the one in my hand.
Rage filled my body like lava as the accusation left his mouth. I couldn’t stop myself from seeing red as my grip on the sword suddenly tightened. Stupid old man.
Seeing my reactions he pounced. But the red was everywhere now it was all I could see and it amplified my abilities ten-fold making me see him almost in slow motion. I ducked under his outstretched arm and knocked him a bit harder than necessary on the knock-out point at the back of his head.
I stood up straight as he fell to the gym floor, out cold. “You’re lucky I spared your life, and for your information I never lay a finger on my parents as they did on me, you’ll never understand the pain I went through. You have no right to talk like you know me and my family secrets”
I turned on my heel with a smug grin as I shut the doors on his limp form. “Guess I’m still Victoria the Victorious after all.”