Hero's Kin

Steel's song sung loud in the open field on that hot day. "Again!" Filavandrel commanded. Veli picked himself back up and swung his blade sloppily. Filavandrel simply stepped to the side and kicked the boy over. Rolling his eyes he repeated himself, "Again, this time keep the sword closer to your center. You never want to be separated from it." The girl watching them laughed.
"Shut up Circi!" Veli whined.
"You look like a drunk snake!" she said bursting with laughter.
Trying not to laugh himself Filavandrel interjected. "That's enough Circi. Get your sword up Veli, you always want to keep your guard up. When you attack always bring the blade back to a guard, like this." he said demonstrating. "Now, again!"
A gust of wind pushed the tall overgrown grass around as Veli went in for another swing. His father dodged and swung himself! Veli spun around and barley managed to block the strike. "Very good, much better. Now agai..." Filavandrel stopped and lowered his sword. A woman was standing a distance away, the town behind her. "That's enough lessons for today. It's time for dinner children."
The boys sheathed their swords and started walking. Circi swung her feet, jumping off the rock she was sitting on and joined them. Filavandrel stood in-between his children, and put his hands on their shoulders. "Tomorrow you will spar with each other." 
Circi bent back dramatically. "Dad you know I hate sword fighting!"
"Enough, I won't have my children not knowing how to defend themselves."
"But I can! I'm learning a lot from Ealda, although she takes forever to show me interesting things"
Veli snorted, "Magic isn't fighting!"
"Yes it is!"
"No way!"
"Come here I'll show you!"
Filavandrel sighed, "Quit it!"
The children fell silent
"I'm leaving tomorrow, you will have no one else to practice with." The father told them
"You're leaving again?!" Veli asked in an outrage.
"Were are you going?" Circi asked quietly
Filavandrel stopped walking and the children with them. "The Golden Land, King's orders."
"I thought you weren't getting involved in the war. That's what you told us, and mom." Veli said sounding a little defeated.
"I didn't want to, but the King asked for me specifically."
"Don't go, tell the King no!" Circi stammered
Filavandrel chuckled. "Don't worry, this is my last trip. What the King is planning will end the war. I'll come back, by the time I do you both better be better fighters, I'll throw you in the river otherwise." He said with a smile. "But if we don't get back to your mother none of us will live to see that happen, come on." ****************************************************************************************************************************************** Six years later and Veli had a sense of deja vu
  The two warriors circled each other around the pond. Veli with his hand raised and ready wasn't giving an inch. His foe gave none either, his blood red armor clinked with each step, his flaming sword grew more wild each second that past. The red warrior lowered his sword and punched the air, a cyclone of fire hurled forward from it! Veli stepped back, shooting one hand up. A small wall of water bounced up from the pond and shielded him from the flame. The steam made from the conflict got into Veli's eyes and blinded him for a moment. His foe chucked his sword full force at the boy. Veli got his vison back in time to drop to the ground, the sword still cut his arm but he lived.
Veli rolled forward and upward, the pond moved with him, the water crashed into the red foe, throwing him down. The red warrior grunted and wheezed, scrambling back up. "Great, you dented my breastplate in."
"You threw your sword at me!"
"You ducked."
"Of the teachers, my father sends me to the one who tries to kill me."
The red warrior removed his helm, letting his brown hair flow down, "Don't worry, I tried to kill him to."
The two stared at each other with intensity, then burst out laughing
"You're getting better." The Red Paladin remarked taking off his breastplate. "The smith won't be happy when I give this to him. 
A roar boomed overhead. A red dragon circled above them and came to the ground with a crash! "What is it?" the Paladin asked approaching the beast, the dragon only roared again.
Veli stood speechless. "It can't be. Behind you."
The Paladin wiped around to see another dragon running up to them, this one blue and wingless. Its body was covered in burn marks and dried blood was coming from it's mouth. When it reach the group it fell to the ground in exhaustion. Veli rushed over the dragon and put his hand on its head.
"Kuthu! What, how?"
The beast raised its head and looked into Veli's eyes. Veli felt cold and slumped down, something wasn't right. The dragon grunted and murmured softly. The Red Paladin staggered back and put his hand over his mouth.
"What happened? What did he say!" Veli demanded
"It's, it's you father, he dead." The Paladin barely stammered out. His shock turned to rage in an instant and he grabbed his blade 
It was if time froze, Veli's heart sunk and it was like his brain turned off.
"I'll kill her myself." the Paladin grimaced
"How, how did he die?"
The Paladin grabbed his helm. "Circi."
Veli brought himself to his feet and looked down at the the dragon. Tears rolled down his face his silence. Kuthu rose again and wrapped his neck around the boy. Veli collapsed in the dragon's grasp and he began sobbing.
The Paladin threw his helmet to the ground in a fit of rage. The Red Dragon grunted. "You're right." said the Paladin. "Veli our training is done. It's time for you to go home. Avenge your father, it has to be you."
Veli separated himself from Kuthu. "No, she didn't do it. Circi, has done of bad lot but she loved him."
"Are you dense boy! Your father's dragon said itself. How do you think it got so badly wounded? It was Circi!"
Veli stood tall and cleaned his face. "I don't believe it. Something else happened.
"It's been three years since you saw her. A lot can change, but you still need to go, but promise me boy. If she did kill him, promise me you will return the favor."
Veli said nothing, he only nodded
"I need to go. Kuthu need's to be taken back to the Riders."
"They can heal him?"
"They can. He is in a bad shape but dragons are more durable and resilient than you or I. He should make the trip if we go slow. 
Veli pet his friend and packed what little he had, he was going home. Circi taken a dip, he knew that. She has gone far enough to attack him, even in her exile. Yet Veli had hope. He knew his sister, he knew she wouldn't do this.
He was wrong.