Warrior Of Kallasdor Excerpt

• Max Gao, Grade 7
• Short Story
• 2021

Kumi awoke groggily on the icy dungeon floors beneath Castle Rolus. It took her a while to realised what had happened, but when she noticed the rotting iron bars that were keeping her confined to the cramped corner of the enclosure, she let out a cry of anguish. Partly for herself, but also because she realised that she had failed her village- her country.
Her home.
Kumi, overcome with a rage, leapt to her feet and tightly clenched the rusting bars holding her captive, screaming as she rattled the life out of them. She felt hopeless beyond belief, but if she was expecting any comfort, she didn’t receive it from the guards.
And just at that moment, she sensed a tingling sensation in her pocket. It was faint, but it was definitely there. She reached into the torn kimono she wore, and slowly pulled out a miniscule version of the mythical golden katana she had found in Kallasdor. Excited as she was, she soon realised that this mere toy wouldn’t help her in any way. But, as if it was reading her thoughts, the sword suddenly shone with the light of a thousand suns. Kumi squealed in fright and dropped the sword, sending it clattering onto the mossy cobble floor. The light then died abruptly.
In the model’s place, was the golden katana, returned to its former size and glory. Kumi, overwhelmed with a new sense of purpose and ambition, grasped the fiery sword in her sweating palms and sliced through the rotting bars as if they were butter.
The guards that were deployed outside watched, partly in awe and horror, as the scene unfolded. And as Kumi, like the devil herself, destroyed the holding cell with her flaming katana, they were instantly galvanised into action. They clumsily ripped their swords from their scabbards with a whisper of steel. Kumi, however, was unfazed. She could see that the young soldiers were inexperienced. She could also see that end them in seconds, but had no wish to kill innocent people who were just following orders. Kumi had come to end the reign of the cold-hearted Kraton, not to go on a killing spree.
That was why she gave the guards a chance to surrender. One of them took on the offer, and he sank to the ground on his shaking knees. The other, however, was furious. He shouted a battle cry and sprinted at full speed, chainmail armour rattling, sword raised, preparing for a monster of a downward strike that would cleave Kumi from head to toe.
That cleaving never came.
Kumi, malnourished as she was, gracefully stepped to one side and thrust her knee upwards, sending the young soldier flying. He grunted, let go of the sword, and thudded to the ground, groaning.
Startled by her own agility, Kumi took off like a leopard, and stealthily crept through the winding corridors of Castle Rolus, finally bursting out from the back entrance.
Now, she thought grimly, time to kill Kraton.