I walked down the street, whistling softly in celebration. I had just recieved my first Sword, and Enchantment from passing my Second Testing. The Sword was a copy of a God-Sword, used for training purposses. It was already enchanted with the power of speed, so we trainees could get used to having more speed than we humans were gifted with.
The Enchantment was a very easy one, used to increase the amount of fire we create when we cast a spell.
The Second Testing was about ten times harder than First Testing, as we actually had to fight the other trainees. At 15, I was by far the youngest one there, but I was not the weakest. I had been given a Sword, and a sparring partner. I had to beat the person in front of me by cutting her ten times, and breaking her sword. Once the fight was started by the Master, I immediatly cast my strongest spell, Akh sol, Fury Fire. I felt the energy seep out of my body as the spell formed in front of me. A small wall of flames, yet shaped in the form of a very angry face. Each person had a different persona of spells, and mine were always faces. Controlling it with my mind, I loosed it upon my enemy. She easily dodged it's first passing, and begun to cast her own spell.
"Akh ji kodin," she spoke softly, loud enough to hear, though. That was a spell I was not prepared for, Flames of Justice, it meant. The form of it took on a huge hammer made of fire, ten feet above her head. It started spinning, and came at me. I could not deflect it with my Sword, as it was a magical thing, and my Sword reality, but the fear inside my bones caused me to try. It passed through my sword, cracking it with the heat. Oh boy, it was hot. I could feel the hair on my calves burning. I fell to the floor, dodging the spell by a narrow margin. I still had my spell formed, which obviously she didn't realize as it came up behind her, and pierced her body. She screamed a scream to make the dead feel pity. It wasn't over though. My spell wasn't strong enough to kill with just one hit. Getting to my feet in a flash of gleaming steel, and light, I ran over to her now still body, resting on her knees. I cut her arms six times before she had regained enough of herself to start deflecting my slashes. Getting to her feet was hard, obviously, as I was still slashing, and cutting at her, trying my best to get to her. My sword was cracked, so I wasn't swinging as hard as I could. I decided to try using a spell that would break her sword if she tried to stop it. Jumping away after one last final attempt to cut her, I began to cast it.
"Sahk do ji lakio," I shouted, feeling again the loss of energy as it formed. The Spears of Ice came into veiw, frezing everything around them. I kept adding spears, even though I knew I was running out of energy with each one. I formed sixteen spears, leaving me enough energy to jump, and swing, and that's about it. I launched one, two, three, and then a fourth one, hoping so those keep her distracted while I moved others into position to strike at her, making it impossible to dodge, so she would have to try to stop them with her sword. I had to concentrate fully on moving each Spear of Ice into the right area. Having all but two in correct postitions, I launched them. Releasing the hold I had on the first four, she suddenly found herself surround by ten Spears. She would have to deflect one, or two with her sword. Which of course she did. It snapped like a twig, and I immediatly released my spell, saving some energy I would have used to move more. I jumped at her, swinging wildly. She fell back, parrying my attacks with less than half of her sword had to be hard. Within five minutes, I had her cut the ten times needed. I was breathing hard, but she was prostrate on the floor, in sign of defeat.
"Kikon has won the first battle. He continues on." The Master said it in a loud, clear voice.
It continued on like that for a week. I would get a full days rest before my next battle.
I was the first person to pass the test out of two. My reward for passing was the Sword I was now walking down the street with, and the Enchantment I had memeorized. I was at my house without even realizing it. Walking inside, I decided to go show my sister and brother my accomplishment.
Calling out their names, they appeared quickyl. My sister, tall, with redish-gold hair, green-slate eyes, was three years older than me, and took care of my brother and I. My brother, short, with black hair, and black eyes, had a grin on his face. It was his normal expression. He was a trouble maker.
"Hey guys, I passed!" I exclaimed, worn out, but forcing eagerness into my voice.
"Let me see! Let me see!" My little brother screeched, beaming with pleasure. He had only seen my sisters Jokanh, Death Guard Sword, for his life, and he wanted to see mine. I showed it to him with no delay, letting him take it in hand, and play with it.
My sister, on the other hand, was more worried about any injuries I had recieved. Fussing over all my little marks and bruises, scratches and cuts, she exclaimed at the gash down my thigh that I had recieved in the final battle for passing.
"Kiko! How did you get this cut! It will never heal, and it probably stings like devilsroot!" Devilsroot is a posionus plant that if it touched any cut you have, it will make it sting a hundred-fold.
"Yeah, but I gave the guy who gave me it one hell of a loss. I had to cut one of his arms off because he wouldn't yield," I said solemly.
"Brother! Broth -"
"Not right now, Jodo, he needs a hot bath, a bowl of soup, and his bed. You go play with his sword, but you break it, and I will break you!" My sister was a scary girl.
"But sister! He is fine! I wanna play, you meanie," My brother screeched again, storming off in anger, and most likely dissapointment.
I hadn't even realized this before I was undressed, in the bath, with a bowl of soup in my hands, and my sister telling me exactly what I had to do. Women are way to fast for men.
Taking my sweet time in the bath, my sister started telling me about new spells she could now legally teach me. She was a captain in the military, and knew many spells. She helped my brother and I with our spells a lot, and me with the Sword. One spell caught my attention when she said the incantation for it, "Ahk ji ludoun." The Fires of Peninence. It was a high level spell, and as far as I knew, only a handful of people in our country knew how to work it.
"Sister, you must teach me as soon as I am out of the bath!" I said suddenly, making her jump. "I should be able to learn a spell before I pass out, we should try working on Ahk ji ludoun. I know I wont master it in just a few hours, but I have to try." Knowing that spell, and being able to preform it would help me emensely when I take my Third Testing.
She sighed, and nodded. Giving her my hand, she kissed it, and left the room, getting ready to train me, most likely. She didn't like my lust for knowledge as much as she used to, as it was starting to get me in trouble with my peers. Ever since I was allowed to learn magic, and the Sword, I had quickyl advanced beyond those of my age. I had always been smart, but I was even better at learning spells, and the Sword. Some kids my age hated me for it. They were still learning spells like Akh ki, Fire Ball, and Kakh haili, Fists of Earth. Those spells were the first you hard to learn before you could grab a Sword. And some weren't even capable of doing magic.
Finishing up in the tub quickly, I dried off using a towel my sister had left for me, went to my room and got dressed. I picked out a pair of cotton underpants, a pair of black breeches, and a nice black sleeveless shirt, with gold stitching. I looked quite handsom in the mirror. Laughing at myself for trying to look my best when I was about to get my ass handed to me. I was insane.
Drying my hair one last time, I headed down stairs to find my brother, grabbing my sword from him, and walking to the back yard, I saw my sister, ready, and looking determined. She was going to hand me my ass in a golden bowl tonight, it seemed. Walking out further into the yard, I started to pull on the gloves my sister was allowed to borrow. They protected the wearer from harm if you stopped a spell with them.
"Kiko, first we will spar, and if you don't at least mark me, you are not ready to learn The Fires of Peninence," my sister spoke with a grin on her face. I heard my brother gasp as he realized what I was learning. Or trying to, at least.
"Yeah, sure, I'll cut you," I dreamt. I had never been able to mark her, not even once.
She now had her Sword in hand, and I had mine. My brother was commanded to start the match, and he did. I lunged at my sister first, hoping to surprise her with the agility I had gained during my test.I had already formed the words on my tongue, but not the energy needed to form the spell. Striking at her again and again, hoping to penitrate her Sword to get through and mark her, which wasn't working. Not letting up, though, I formed the spell behind her. I only mouthed the words, so she didn't hear them. Lakh sofi hali solk. Eternal Scyth's of Air. She would hear it the second I stopped attacking, or feel it early. I couldn't allow that to happen, so I yelled out, "Akh sol." She was waiting for it, or so I thought. It never formed, and as my Scyth's were coming at her from behind, she suddenly flopped herself on the floor, and kicked my legs out from under me. I lost all the breathe in my body, but I knew I still had to move. Rolling away on the moist grass was odd, and a bit squishy. Jump up about ten feet away from her, I begun to cast another spell, but I decided against it. It would use most of my energy. I instead decided to cast my Enchantment on my sword.
"Alio kooido shajin loklar Akh jiio"
My Sword started to . . . pulse with energy. I now would have to use Fire spells, which hopefully would be good enough to damage her with the extra boost from the Enchantment. Running at her, I formed Akh ki on my lips, parched as they were, and used most of the energy in my body. I created several Fire Balls, not worrying about counting them. I ran head on, and jumped, shooting a Fire Ball at her from the left, and I attacked with my Sword on the left, while a Ball was flying as fast as I could make it go shot from the right. I know she would easily evade it, so I didn't stop attacking with the Fire Balls. One at a time, from every direction, than two in the same. She was destroying the Fire Balls with just a slash of her sword, but with how many, and how fast they were, she wasn't able to pay enough heed to me. I lunged at her leg, and scratched her before she jumped away. I saw the hair-thin line of blood ooze from her cut.
"I win," I panted. That Fire Ball spell used way to much energy. Letting it dissipate, I had a hard time catching my breath. I was completely wasted. At best I would be able to form a spell, if not control it. Good thing for me, though, was that I wouldn't be able to even form the spell I wanted to learn for a few weeks.
"So you do, so you do. Good job, Kiko, I wasn't excepting over a hundred Akh ki to be formed. You must be feeling like **** all of a sudden, right?" I nodded, which she bearly waited for as she continued. "Lay down, and clear your mind. Think of an axe. Picture it, feed it your feelings of justice. Once you can form an axe, one that has been fed all your feeling, it will catch fire, but it will be what you need. I want you to try this for an hour every day until you can form a fiery axe in your mind."
So I did. I lay on the grass for over an hour that night, trying to form it in my mind. AT one point I thought I had done it, but it was just me picturing a burning axe. After a while, my sister came out and pulled me back to reality, "Dinner's ready, Kikon. Go get washed up." I stayed down for a few more minutes, trying in vain to form it again. Giving up for the time being, I got up, and did as told. Dinner was just some beef, with a few green things my brother hated. I didn't care what I ate, as long as it helped me. After dinner, I helped my sister with the dishes, and then went up to bed. I decided to try again. I lay on my bed for hours, trying to form the axe my sister wanted.
I still wasn't even close when my sister came in, yelling about not getting up on time. I asked her what time it was, and gasped in shock. I had just tried for nine hours, and I was no closer than the first time I tried.
"Uhm . . . Sister? Can I stay home? I didn't sleep at all." Dreading her answer, I started to get ready for my every day training. I would have to skip training, and just study. I would pass out as soon as I got home, though.
The Enchantment was a very easy one, used to increase the amount of fire we create when we cast a spell.
The Second Testing was about ten times harder than First Testing, as we actually had to fight the other trainees. At 15, I was by far the youngest one there, but I was not the weakest. I had been given a Sword, and a sparring partner. I had to beat the person in front of me by cutting her ten times, and breaking her sword. Once the fight was started by the Master, I immediatly cast my strongest spell, Akh sol, Fury Fire. I felt the energy seep out of my body as the spell formed in front of me. A small wall of flames, yet shaped in the form of a very angry face. Each person had a different persona of spells, and mine were always faces. Controlling it with my mind, I loosed it upon my enemy. She easily dodged it's first passing, and begun to cast her own spell.
"Akh ji kodin," she spoke softly, loud enough to hear, though. That was a spell I was not prepared for, Flames of Justice, it meant. The form of it took on a huge hammer made of fire, ten feet above her head. It started spinning, and came at me. I could not deflect it with my Sword, as it was a magical thing, and my Sword reality, but the fear inside my bones caused me to try. It passed through my sword, cracking it with the heat. Oh boy, it was hot. I could feel the hair on my calves burning. I fell to the floor, dodging the spell by a narrow margin. I still had my spell formed, which obviously she didn't realize as it came up behind her, and pierced her body. She screamed a scream to make the dead feel pity. It wasn't over though. My spell wasn't strong enough to kill with just one hit. Getting to my feet in a flash of gleaming steel, and light, I ran over to her now still body, resting on her knees. I cut her arms six times before she had regained enough of herself to start deflecting my slashes. Getting to her feet was hard, obviously, as I was still slashing, and cutting at her, trying my best to get to her. My sword was cracked, so I wasn't swinging as hard as I could. I decided to try using a spell that would break her sword if she tried to stop it. Jumping away after one last final attempt to cut her, I began to cast it.
"Sahk do ji lakio," I shouted, feeling again the loss of energy as it formed. The Spears of Ice came into veiw, frezing everything around them. I kept adding spears, even though I knew I was running out of energy with each one. I formed sixteen spears, leaving me enough energy to jump, and swing, and that's about it. I launched one, two, three, and then a fourth one, hoping so those keep her distracted while I moved others into position to strike at her, making it impossible to dodge, so she would have to try to stop them with her sword. I had to concentrate fully on moving each Spear of Ice into the right area. Having all but two in correct postitions, I launched them. Releasing the hold I had on the first four, she suddenly found herself surround by ten Spears. She would have to deflect one, or two with her sword. Which of course she did. It snapped like a twig, and I immediatly released my spell, saving some energy I would have used to move more. I jumped at her, swinging wildly. She fell back, parrying my attacks with less than half of her sword had to be hard. Within five minutes, I had her cut the ten times needed. I was breathing hard, but she was prostrate on the floor, in sign of defeat.
"Kikon has won the first battle. He continues on." The Master said it in a loud, clear voice.
It continued on like that for a week. I would get a full days rest before my next battle.
I was the first person to pass the test out of two. My reward for passing was the Sword I was now walking down the street with, and the Enchantment I had memeorized. I was at my house without even realizing it. Walking inside, I decided to go show my sister and brother my accomplishment.
Calling out their names, they appeared quickyl. My sister, tall, with redish-gold hair, green-slate eyes, was three years older than me, and took care of my brother and I. My brother, short, with black hair, and black eyes, had a grin on his face. It was his normal expression. He was a trouble maker.
"Hey guys, I passed!" I exclaimed, worn out, but forcing eagerness into my voice.
"Let me see! Let me see!" My little brother screeched, beaming with pleasure. He had only seen my sisters Jokanh, Death Guard Sword, for his life, and he wanted to see mine. I showed it to him with no delay, letting him take it in hand, and play with it.
My sister, on the other hand, was more worried about any injuries I had recieved. Fussing over all my little marks and bruises, scratches and cuts, she exclaimed at the gash down my thigh that I had recieved in the final battle for passing.
"Kiko! How did you get this cut! It will never heal, and it probably stings like devilsroot!" Devilsroot is a posionus plant that if it touched any cut you have, it will make it sting a hundred-fold.
"Yeah, but I gave the guy who gave me it one hell of a loss. I had to cut one of his arms off because he wouldn't yield," I said solemly.
"Brother! Broth -"
"Not right now, Jodo, he needs a hot bath, a bowl of soup, and his bed. You go play with his sword, but you break it, and I will break you!" My sister was a scary girl.
"But sister! He is fine! I wanna play, you meanie," My brother screeched again, storming off in anger, and most likely dissapointment.
I hadn't even realized this before I was undressed, in the bath, with a bowl of soup in my hands, and my sister telling me exactly what I had to do. Women are way to fast for men.
Taking my sweet time in the bath, my sister started telling me about new spells she could now legally teach me. She was a captain in the military, and knew many spells. She helped my brother and I with our spells a lot, and me with the Sword. One spell caught my attention when she said the incantation for it, "Ahk ji ludoun." The Fires of Peninence. It was a high level spell, and as far as I knew, only a handful of people in our country knew how to work it.
"Sister, you must teach me as soon as I am out of the bath!" I said suddenly, making her jump. "I should be able to learn a spell before I pass out, we should try working on Ahk ji ludoun. I know I wont master it in just a few hours, but I have to try." Knowing that spell, and being able to preform it would help me emensely when I take my Third Testing.
She sighed, and nodded. Giving her my hand, she kissed it, and left the room, getting ready to train me, most likely. She didn't like my lust for knowledge as much as she used to, as it was starting to get me in trouble with my peers. Ever since I was allowed to learn magic, and the Sword, I had quickyl advanced beyond those of my age. I had always been smart, but I was even better at learning spells, and the Sword. Some kids my age hated me for it. They were still learning spells like Akh ki, Fire Ball, and Kakh haili, Fists of Earth. Those spells were the first you hard to learn before you could grab a Sword. And some weren't even capable of doing magic.
Finishing up in the tub quickly, I dried off using a towel my sister had left for me, went to my room and got dressed. I picked out a pair of cotton underpants, a pair of black breeches, and a nice black sleeveless shirt, with gold stitching. I looked quite handsom in the mirror. Laughing at myself for trying to look my best when I was about to get my ass handed to me. I was insane.
Drying my hair one last time, I headed down stairs to find my brother, grabbing my sword from him, and walking to the back yard, I saw my sister, ready, and looking determined. She was going to hand me my ass in a golden bowl tonight, it seemed. Walking out further into the yard, I started to pull on the gloves my sister was allowed to borrow. They protected the wearer from harm if you stopped a spell with them.
"Kiko, first we will spar, and if you don't at least mark me, you are not ready to learn The Fires of Peninence," my sister spoke with a grin on her face. I heard my brother gasp as he realized what I was learning. Or trying to, at least.
"Yeah, sure, I'll cut you," I dreamt. I had never been able to mark her, not even once.
She now had her Sword in hand, and I had mine. My brother was commanded to start the match, and he did. I lunged at my sister first, hoping to surprise her with the agility I had gained during my test.I had already formed the words on my tongue, but not the energy needed to form the spell. Striking at her again and again, hoping to penitrate her Sword to get through and mark her, which wasn't working. Not letting up, though, I formed the spell behind her. I only mouthed the words, so she didn't hear them. Lakh sofi hali solk. Eternal Scyth's of Air. She would hear it the second I stopped attacking, or feel it early. I couldn't allow that to happen, so I yelled out, "Akh sol." She was waiting for it, or so I thought. It never formed, and as my Scyth's were coming at her from behind, she suddenly flopped herself on the floor, and kicked my legs out from under me. I lost all the breathe in my body, but I knew I still had to move. Rolling away on the moist grass was odd, and a bit squishy. Jump up about ten feet away from her, I begun to cast another spell, but I decided against it. It would use most of my energy. I instead decided to cast my Enchantment on my sword.
"Alio kooido shajin loklar Akh jiio"
My Sword started to . . . pulse with energy. I now would have to use Fire spells, which hopefully would be good enough to damage her with the extra boost from the Enchantment. Running at her, I formed Akh ki on my lips, parched as they were, and used most of the energy in my body. I created several Fire Balls, not worrying about counting them. I ran head on, and jumped, shooting a Fire Ball at her from the left, and I attacked with my Sword on the left, while a Ball was flying as fast as I could make it go shot from the right. I know she would easily evade it, so I didn't stop attacking with the Fire Balls. One at a time, from every direction, than two in the same. She was destroying the Fire Balls with just a slash of her sword, but with how many, and how fast they were, she wasn't able to pay enough heed to me. I lunged at her leg, and scratched her before she jumped away. I saw the hair-thin line of blood ooze from her cut.
"I win," I panted. That Fire Ball spell used way to much energy. Letting it dissipate, I had a hard time catching my breath. I was completely wasted. At best I would be able to form a spell, if not control it. Good thing for me, though, was that I wouldn't be able to even form the spell I wanted to learn for a few weeks.
"So you do, so you do. Good job, Kiko, I wasn't excepting over a hundred Akh ki to be formed. You must be feeling like **** all of a sudden, right?" I nodded, which she bearly waited for as she continued. "Lay down, and clear your mind. Think of an axe. Picture it, feed it your feelings of justice. Once you can form an axe, one that has been fed all your feeling, it will catch fire, but it will be what you need. I want you to try this for an hour every day until you can form a fiery axe in your mind."
So I did. I lay on the grass for over an hour that night, trying to form it in my mind. AT one point I thought I had done it, but it was just me picturing a burning axe. After a while, my sister came out and pulled me back to reality, "Dinner's ready, Kikon. Go get washed up." I stayed down for a few more minutes, trying in vain to form it again. Giving up for the time being, I got up, and did as told. Dinner was just some beef, with a few green things my brother hated. I didn't care what I ate, as long as it helped me. After dinner, I helped my sister with the dishes, and then went up to bed. I decided to try again. I lay on my bed for hours, trying to form the axe my sister wanted.
I still wasn't even close when my sister came in, yelling about not getting up on time. I asked her what time it was, and gasped in shock. I had just tried for nine hours, and I was no closer than the first time I tried.
"Uhm . . . Sister? Can I stay home? I didn't sleep at all." Dreading her answer, I started to get ready for my every day training. I would have to skip training, and just study. I would pass out as soon as I got home, though.
