Liam woke with a start. The sun was shining in his eyes as it crept over the horizon.

Jrasta and Jep were already up, making some breakfast. Liam glanced over at Ezra to see him pull himself out of his blankets. Liam got up and started to roll up his bed and stuff it back into his pack.

After breakfast, they hopped on the horses. Liam was a little sore after the short ride the night before and after his night on the hard ground, but it felt good to be on the road again.

They traveled in silence for quite a while, taking in the scenery and giving Liam a chance to get used to his horse. One of the first things Liam noticed, aside from the trouble he had controlling and staying on Lenny, was a growing pain. He kept getting cramps in his thighs and hips and the more they rode, the more his butt hurt. He knew when they stopped he would be in a lot of pain, and he feared that on the morning of the next day he'd have trouble walking.

He adjusted himself in the saddle a bit and noticed Ezra doing the same. Even though Ezra had spent a great deal of time on a horse over the years, sitting on one for a number of hours straight was obviously a new experience for him. Only Jrasta and Jep seemed comfortable with the transportation.

By mid-morning, they reached the top of a large hill and Liam looked back. From that height, he could still see the city off in the distance, but just barely. They had a lot of ground to cover over the coming days or weeks or months or years. He actually hadn't had a clear answer given as to how long the quest would take. When he would ask, he would get answers from Jrasta or Jep like, "It'll take as long as it'll take!" or "What's the rush?" or "Squawk!" The best he could figure from what he had pieced together was that they would be at least a week. He hoped his family didn't worry too much.

His thoughts were interrupted by Jrasta a moment later. "We'll break for lunch up ahead. There's a spring just on the other side of those rocks."

They came around the rocks, and it was just as Jrasta said. They hopped off their horses and Liam just about collapsed. Everything hurt, and he was exhausted. Over the last couple of days, his entire life had been turned upside down. Now he was on a different planet, traveling on horseback and sleeping on the ground. It was a lot to take in.

They had a lunch made up of some of their supply of fruits and vegetables, as well as some cheese. Liam worried they would get right back up on the horses right after lunch without a break, but Jrasta had another idea. "Alright, boys, stand up!"

Liam and Ezra got to their feet while Jrasta pulled out the sticks he had packed, the very ones he had used to fight off the kitchen lady. He handed one to each of them and kept one for himself. Liam saw that each had a handle on the one end. The sticks looked well-worn as though they'd been used to beat the side of a tree.

Ezra looked just as confused as Liam felt and asked, "Jrasta, what are we supposed to do with these?"

"They're practice swords. They're made of wood so that you don't cut off a hand or foot while learning how to fight."

Liam and Ezra both realized they were about to learn swordplay and both their faces lit up. This was going to be a lot of fun.

An hour later, neither Liam nor Ezra thought it was a lot of fun. Jrasta had taught them various moves, footwork and more. They had learned how to jab, thrust, parry and slash. He would stand across from the boys and, one at a time, practice a sword fight with them, and they would have to try to block his sword and attack. They never had a chance, and they were now covered with bruises from head to toe where Jrasta's practice sword had connected over and over.

Liam and Ezra had practiced with each other as well. Liam found not only could he get through Ezra's defenses without too much difficulty, but Ezra could also get through his. Each boy was left with many bruises.

Liam wondered if any of what he was learning would come in handy against Harry, if he ever managed to get back home. In the past, the only way he could stand up to him was to try to talk his way out of the situation. He didn't want to use a sword on the poor guy, but he had a feeling the next time he met Harry, he wouldn't be scared of him.

At the end of an hour, Jrasta informed them they were done for the moment, and he put his practice sword away. Jep sat there, on a rock, where he'd been the entire time. If a chicken could laugh, he seemed to be doing just that.

The boys were about to strap their practice swords onto their packs when Jrasta told them to keep them out. "I can't practice anymore. It hurts too much, Jrasta." Liam rubbed his arms and shoulders and chest. He thought everything had hurt when he climbed down off his horse, but it was nothing compared with what he felt after an hour of swordplay.

"Listen! Not only are we after a key for the magic king box thing, but we are about to enter into some dangerous territory. You have to learn how to defend yourself and fight off an attacker. If you don't, you die. It's that simple. Now, do you want to keep practicing or not?"

The truth of the question settled in for each boy. The quest was going to be dangerous. They understood that if they practiced, they stood a better chance of survival. They each kept their practice sword out.

After they had loaded up their packs and horses, they climbed up again. Liam and Ezra both winced at the pain in their legs and backside. As the four of them set out, the boys found every move the horse made hurt them more. Liam hoped he would get used to riding a horse soon.

"Here's what I want you to do..." Jrasta began. "I'm going to show you a few swordplay techniques, and I want you to practice them over and over and over again. The key to fighting with a sword is to learn the techniques and moves so well that you don't even have to think about them. When someone thrusts the sword at your chest, you need to be able to parry and then attack. This needs to happen as a reflex. The more you practice, the longer you live."

Jrasta showed them a technique and then directed them to simply practice that move repeatedly while they rode. Now and then the older man would ride up to Liam or Ezra and adjust their moves a little bit or correct the way they turned their wrist. Something slight and something that seemed so unimportant, but Jrasta insisted it was necessary.

"Jrasta, where did you learn all this?" Liam asked.

"That's a story for another time, Liam. But I'll tell you this, I have fought in more battles than I remember and I have been on quite a few quests with quite a few travelers. You are not the first traveler I've taught how to fight with a sword. But enough about that, you're letting your shoulder slump too low. Keep it high! And Ezra, keep the tip of your blade in the center, pointed at your opponent."

They rode on in that way for most of the afternoon. As the days passed, each lunchtime and supper, they would practice, and each day they would receive new bruises. By about the third day, Liam and Ezra both noticed there was the occasional thrust or jab from Jrasta that would not get through their defenses. They were learning, and their skills were growing.

Liam wondered how long they would have until they needed to use these skills in actual combat. He also wondered if the small amount he had learned so far would be enough to keep him and Ezra alive.

I hope you are enjoying Arestana: The Key Quest. Keep reading to find out what happens next! If you want to get a hold of this entire story, you can pick it up from Amazon, Chapters, Foyles or just about everywhere else!

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