The Emerging Part I: Dream

Blocking, parrying, striking, three figures train with one another. The figure wearing a dark crimson cloak awaits in a defensive position, ready for any strike from the dark blue cloaked figure or the dark gray cloaked figure.

The dark blue figure leaps into the air and brings a sword down hard upon the crimson figure. The dark gray figures charges at the crimson figure, bringing a swift stab towards the crimson’s stomach.

The crimson figure wields two blades, two fingers wrapped on the handle and two fingers wrapped just over the guard on each blade. The crimson figure blocks the dark gray’s attack, spins to maneuver away from the continuous charging momentum, and places a blade above its head to block the dark blue’s attack.

A midnight black cloaked man watches intently, capturing every movement made by the crimson figure.

The crimson figure then goes on the offensive and charges with fury. The crimson figure clashes between the dark blue figure and the dark gray figure with blinding fast speed. The crimson figure uses only the right blade until releasing a blazing, wide strike with the left blade, blindsiding both opponents.

The dark blue and dark gray figures are too slow to dodge the attack and are swept to the ground, their armor sliced clean through. The fallen figures rise slowly, holding their sides with blood covered hands.

The midnight cloaked man claps slowly, a rare applause.

“Excellent, excellent. You have been practicing on your own,” the midnight man nods to the crimson figure.

The crimson figure bows to its knees, sheathing its blades.

“You two,” the midnight man says to the dark blue and dark gray figures, “go see Untoka and get yourselves cleaned up. I have a mission for you.”

The dark blue and dark gray figures nod before hobbling off, their hands still clutching their sides.

“Ah, my apprentice. My favorite apprentice. It seems Untoka has fixed you up even better than before since our last training session. Now, I must see your progress for myself.” The midnight man rises, wielding his blade with a quick motion. The silver blade gleams in the dim light, it’s blood red veins hidden in the darkness. “Now, prepare yourself!”

The midnight man lunges unexpectedly, giving the crimson apprentice hardly any time to defend. The midnight man strikes quickly, skillfully wielding his blade. The crimson apprentice, already drained from the previous training session with two highly skilled swordsman, feels itself becoming exhausted quickly.

The crimson figure wields its two blades expertly, using both as one, where one falls, the other is surely to follow. The midnight man observes this and quickly counters, drawing his apprentice to attack, then quickly jamming the second blade.

The apprentice retreats a few feet, receiving a few nicks from the sudden counters of the dark master. The apprentice breaks away from the dark master and changes to holding the blades in a reverse grip. The apprentice holds the blades in front of its body, the points of the blades posed ready to kill. The dark master charges without hesitation.

The apprentice punches the right blade at the master’s head, but the master ducks and brings his blade into the apprentice’s right thigh. The apprentice astounds the master by quickly blocking the attack with the left blade, holding the master’s blade just centimeters above the meat of the thigh.

The apprentice throws the master away and follows. The apprentice wields the blades with a normal grip again and hides the left blade behind its back. The apprentice attacks with solely the right blade. The master knows his apprentice’s trick well and merely waits for the apprentice to unleash the hidden blade and begin fighting with both blades yet again.

At that moment, the apprentice unleashes the hidden blade and nearly slices clean through the master’s neck, but the master was ready for the strike and blocks the attack with mild difficulty. The master knocks the blade and away and brings his sword down to block the impending strike from the right blade.

To his amazement, all he finds is air waiting to block his blade and tumbles over. The apprentice quickly capitalizes on the opening and brings both blades down unto the master’s throat. The apprentice’s blades are suddenly stopped by the master’s blade appearing from nowhere.

The master summons fire to his blade and unleashes a torrent of flame at his pupil. The apprentice is consumed in a blaze of fire and does all it can to prevent the flame from burning its skin.

The master then removes the flames and looks at his smoldering apprentice. The master feels the anger and disappointment brewing inside his apprentice. The master sheathes his sword and disappears in a fog of black smoke.

The master reappears behind his apprentice. The master sits on his chair and speaks, “Do not be disappointed, my apprentice.”

The apprentice turns around slowly to face its master. The apprentice’s cloak has been burned away, the smell of burnt hair hangs in the air, the apprentice’s armor bears horrid black marks.

The master smiles though the apprentice cannot see it, “You performed admirably, however, there are still a few skills I must teach you. Swordsmanship alone will not defeat all of your opponents. You must learn to control your sigo and summon it to your blade.”

As if in show, the master wields his sword with fire blazing on the sword. The apprentice watches with the fire dancing on the master’s sword twinkling in the apprentice’s eyes.

“Meijen, the next tier of your training begins now.”

Meijen watches her master smoothly summon and extinguish flames on his sword time and time again. She feels a boiling inside her aura and knows her anger is energizing her sigo to a peak.

She is suddenly flat on her back, her master’s flaming sword hovering over her forehead. She knocks the sword away, rolls to the left and rises with swords at her sides. She glares at her master, anger dancing across her face.

The master attacks again, vanishing in a fog. Meijen watches with confusion in her eyes. Suddenly, she feels a sharp pain in her back. She collapses. She rolls onto her back quickly, ready to defend against her master’s next attack, but she is bewildered by the sight of the wall behind her.

She rises to her feet only to be slammed into the wall with fire licking at her skin. She tries to push herself off of the wall, but the flames keep her in place. Anger shoots through her aura.

Meijen connects to her sigo, and uses all her strength to break the flames holding her to the wall, by pushing hard against the wall and then striking at the flames with her swords.

She breathes a sigh of relief as she stands with regained control of her body. She glares at her master, anger still wafting through her aura. She feels her skin reddening from the fire that surrounded her.

She blinks trying to rid her eyes of the after image of the fire still haunting her vision. She blinks again, rapidly. The fire after image does not diminish at all. She looks around her and suddenly realizes that flames are ignited on her swords.

Meijen nearly drops her swords in astonishment. Her master is clapping slowly again, his blood-vein sword still in his hand. “Excellent, you are progressing much more quickly than I thought possible, but then again, you do have powerful blood. Now, extinguish the flames and ignite them again.”

Meijen stares at her master with confusion.

“You must learn to calm your own aura and then ignite it again in a matter of milliseconds. For now, that is the only way to ignite your blades in flame. Further in your training, you will be able to do this without even a thought, but for now...”

The master disappears yet again. Meijen slumps, ‘If only he would teach me how to move as fast as he,’ she thinks to herself.

Meijen then gasps as she is slammed to the floor, a ring of fire around her body. She hears the master’s voice, “If I taught you to move as fast I, then your training would be expedited faster than necessary. You must first suffer to control your sigo, then I will teach you the pleasures of speed.”

Meijen curses to herself, summons her sigo, and extinguishes the flames around her. She calls flames to her blades and attacks her master with a blood lust roar. The master smiles inside his hood, and readies himself into a defensive position.

The master and apprentice trade blows, fire infused strikes clash into one another. Fire licks at their clothing, blistering Meijen’s already charred skin. The master makes a quick movement, dodging a powerful two bladed strike by his apprentice, and explodes an orb of fire at Meijen.

Meijen is instantly slammed against the wall and falls to the floor unconscious. The master shakes his head in his hood. He calls for Untoka through telepathy. Untoka appears in a few seconds and disappears with Meijen in tow.

The dark master returns to his chair. He lays his blade across his lap, the flames still dancing on the shining metal. The veins happily glowing with a smile. The dark master leans back in his chair and closes his eyes.

Vaiqon watches the Pentad training before him. Sparring with one another in pairs, Hawk and Santhemum, with Fox alternating when either Hawk or Santhemum become tired, and Desert and Pork.

Vaiqon watches each movement made by the Pentad with the utmost scrutiny. He observes Hawk first, then Desert, Santhemum, Fox, and Pork and then back to Hawk. He sees very little flaws exhibited by Hawk, merely a few missteps that only experience can overcome.

Santhemum makes hardly any mistake in her footwork, swordsmanship, or technique. Vaiqon watches Santhemum much less than the others, but cannot help but notice the fact she always seems to get the better of Hawk.

Vaiqon shakes his head and moves to observe Desert. He watches as Desert still appears as if he is wielding a hammer, slamming his sword against Pork’s shield with astounding force.

Vaiqon nearly stops the sparring session to instruct Desert, but then sees Hawk trading places with Fox. He makes a mental note as he has noticed that Fox replaces Hawk much more frequently than he replaces Santhemum.

Fox does not hesitate once and attacks Santhemum. Both favoring the reverse grip style of swordsmanship, the two fight with similar techniques. Vaiqon watches as Santhemum quickly implements her own technique of deliberately missing her opponent with the blade going behind her opponent, and then snapping her blade back quicker than a blink, causing confusion among the struck opponent.

Vaiqon watches with curiosity as he has observed that Hawk has had quite a measure of difficulty against Santhemum’s technique. He watches as Fox knows Santhemum technique, and braces for every attack, quickly turning to block the incoming attack. But, the constant spinning and evading is exhausting Fox. Soon, Hawk and Fox interchange yet again with Santhemum hardly breathing hard at all.

Vaiqon smiles and looks to observe Pork whom is engaged in a vicious lock with Desert. Desert and Pork’s shields are slammed against one another, Desert wielding his shield in his left hand, while Pork wields his shield in his right hand.

The two opponents mirror each other and engage in a quick jabbing contest on their open sides. Desert blocks and parries Pork on his right side while Pork blocks and parries Desert on his left.

Soon, the two become tired of forcing their strength against one another and break their deadlock by retreating a few feet. Vaiqon notes the power between the two okits. Vaiqon turns his attention back to Hawk, Santhemum, and Fox and watches with great interest as he sees Santhemum now sparring with both Hawk and Fox.

He watches as Santhemum has shed her shield and is moving with great agility, blocking a strike from Hawk and then quickly moving to parry a strike from Fox. Vaiqon realizes that the Pentad is ready for much greater techniques.

“Enough!” Vaiqon’s voice booms over the clashing of blades and shields. The Pentad reluctantly ceases their sparring and makes their way to where Vaiqon is standing. Vaiqon looks around the massive first ring and nods to himself.

“Pentad,” Vaiqon begins, “sheathe your weapons, you are done for the day.” Vaiqon waits for the Pentad to sheathe their swords and stow their shields. He speaks again, “Tomorrow, you will begin training with the weapons of your choice. Tomorrow, you will join various other Rniti in your training. You will learn a great deal. I am sure the next time you spar with one another, you will each shock the other. But for now, enjoy the rest of your day.”

The Pentad nod and slowly filter towards the exit of the first ring, looking towards the other, smaller various rings scattered throughout the Injhihato grounds.

Hawk trails behind the others. He is the only one that senses something amiss. He hears his name being called. He looks ahead expecting one of his Pentad to be calling, but instead, his name is booming from behind.

Hawk pauses, turns slowly, and sees Vaiqon strolling towards him with a stern expression.

“Hawk, do you have a moment?” Vaiqon asks.

Hawk looks at Vaiqon with a puzzled expression. “Yes, Vaiqon.”

“Excellent. Well then, I supposed I shall be blunt. You overheard a Daijok conversation earlier today.”

Hawk looks up at Vaiqon. He remains expressionless, “Yes.”

Vaiqon blinks, “You do not try to deny it?”

“Why should I? I am not that skilled of an ire. I am sure you felt my presence as soon as I tried to pry my way into the room.”

Vaiqon nods, “Your suspicions are correct. I could.”

“But, if you felt my intrusion, why did you not block me out completely or even cease your conversation? Better yet, why have such an important conversation in a random room rather than the Chamber Rniti where no one is allowed except for you Daijoks?”

Vaiqon blinks. “You need not concern yourself with the business of the Daijoks, Ummkoniyo.”

“Do not throw rank in my face that means absolutely noth-”

An air current silences Hawk. Vaiqon holds the air current on Hawk, forcing him to the ground. When Hawk ceases his struggling, Vaiqon releases his hold on the air and allows Hawk to rise.

“You will respect me, Hawk. Just because the Edge Run and various other physical punishments will not affect you, it does not mean we do not have other means to discipline you.”

Hawk nods reluctantly, anger on the brim of his aura.

Vaiqon nods as well, “Very well. Hawk, I must ask you, what exactly did you hear?”

Hawk mumbles nearly incoherently. Vaiqon shoots another air current at Hawk, sending him toppling him over the ground a few feet. Vaiqon relents and allows Hawk to rise.

Hawk glares at Vaiqon and spits, “I heard that Teqqc and a man named Uxxok are on a mission to stop a slave trade.”

Vaiqon appears perplexed, “Surely that was not all that you heard?”

Hawk glares at Vaiqon, but remains expressionless.

“Hawk, I can sense you know more. What was it that you heard?”

Hawk hesitates and speaks carefully, “I also heard that you have been feeling a dark presence and that a man named Uxxok has been on a mission to find the strongest ire of all time.”

Vaiqon freezes. “Thank you, Hawk. That is all.”

Hawk shrugs his shoulders, kicks the ground, and walks away with anger heating his aura.

Vaiqon looks on as Hawk walks back to the Gallery. A smiles plays at the edges of his mouth before flashing away.

He appears in the Chamber Rniti where his fellow Daijoks await expectantly. Vaiqon nods to each one individually. He walks to stand behind the stone model of Munda Luna.

He turns back to face his fellow Daijoks. “Hawk heard everything we wanted him to hear.”

Vulcan smiles, Rhino nods with a solemn expression, but Shark stares at Vaiqon with contempt.

“Do you really believe it is wise to deceive a child in such a way?” Shark assaults.

Vaiqon nods, “For this purpose, yes. We need to plant the seed for him to accept the fact that he is the strongest ire. He has too many doubts for himself because he has already overheard many say he is extraordinary. He wonders to himself why that is so. We are merely expediting the process.”

Shark shakes his head, “I still believe we should allow Hawk to develop on his own terms. Manipulating him could have disastrous consequences.”

“Please, Vaiqon, do not make the same mistake twice,” Rhino chimes in.

“I will not, Rhino,” Vaiqon deems. “I have learned my lesson. I will inform Hawk of our deceit, but only at such a time I see fit.”

Shark sighs, “He is your pupil, Vaiqon. And you are an ire. But, you do not have my support in this endeavor.”

“Nor mine,” Rhino says.

Vaiqon feels his anger rising. He turns to Vulcan who has remained suspiciously quiet during all this. “And, Vulcan, what are your thoughts on the matter?”

“I understand your thoughts and motives, Vaiqon, but I am afraid manipulation has never been your strong suit. I will support you, but nominally,” Vulcan says.

Vaiqon nods, “Well, thank you, Vulcan.” He looks at Rhino and Shark with dark looks. “I must make my leave.”

Vulcan, Rhino, and Shark nod at the purple flash left in Vaiqon’s wake.