“His screams still echo in my mind.” Etria stared out the window at the broken warrior as her eyes began to well up with tears she fought to hold back.
“His last visions of home are of Kara in chains at his father’s feet as his father and brothers smiled at their victory. Ryaal’s father told the Akirian people that Ryaal and his grandfather had conspired with the Ishra to enslave them. He told them that Ryaal had murdered his mother and grandmother as well as the members of the Royal Guard and the war council because they stood in his way. He told them that when he arrived to stop his son, Ryaal and his grandfather fled like cowards. He imprisoned Kara in a tower high enough for both cities to bear witness to what would happen should anyone stand against the Akirians. Over time though, people started to question whether or not Ryaal would do something like that. There are many who are still loyal to him and who know the lies that Syrk has spread. In Ryaal’s absence, our home world has become torn apart, more and more each day. ” Etria said, returning her gaze to the humans.
“Ryaal does not only feel the pain of all this, but as he is connected by soul to Kara, he feels all of her pain as well. Any other being would collapse into madness and ultimately die were they to bear the weight of his pain. But Ryaal is something different. His love for her far outweighs his pain and he will not stop until she is safe. I want to prepare you now. Should you prove yourselves tomorrow and join us on Theros, you will see a side of him you never thought possible.” Her look intensified as she turned her gaze back to the warrior.
“He is without question the greatest warrior among the greatest warriors. He will deliver a great amount of death to his own people should they stand between he and Kara. His father and brothers do not know this yet but they have created a most incredible monster. They have created their own perfect destruction. Prepare yourselves for what you might see, for Ryaal will have his vengeance and it shall be a cascade of bloodshed. When it is all over, I would not be surprised if Ryaal were the last Akirian in existence. He is driven now, but when he sees what they have done to her, he will decimate everything in his path.”
“Now…” She started, returning her full attention to her young students. “…there is something else I must teach you in addition to the physical aspects of combat. The Akirian’s are much bigger and much stronger than you and even though you will possess their battle knowledge, you will still be at a great disadvantage. I am going to teach you something that they do not know. I am going to teach you something that not even Ryaal knows. My people have kept this secret from the Akirian’s in an effort to keep their strength in check.” She hesitated for a moment, considering the ramifications of what she was about to tell them.
“You are surrounded at all times in all places by an ocean of energy, not just on this world, but on all worlds. Should you learn how to harness and control this energy, you could become an incredibly formidable opponent. In order to do this, you must bring a great peace into your mind. You do not need to clear it of thought as thoughts will be what attract the energy to you. However, you must be at peace with the events surrounding you, especially in combat.” Etria instructed.
“How exactly are we supposed to be at peace when fighting giant, super strong, warrior aliens?” Connor asked.
“That is where your thoughts come in. Keep in your mind a clear picture of why you are fighting. Focus only on what is important enough to you that makes you want to fight. The love you have for your friend. Imagine the energy that surrounds. See it attaching itself to you. Sort of like a suit of armor. When you strike, do so with the energy attached to you. When you defend, defend with the energy attached to you. Imagine the energy strengthening you, feel the energy strengthening you, and when it is time to strike you will do so with incredible power.” Etria answered.
“Sound’s easy enough.” Connor joked.
“That is enough for today. I believe you two should get some rest. Tomorrow you will have to prove you are ready to Ryaal. If you do not, he will not allow you to go. I must tell you in all honesty. He needs our help. The anger and rage he feels could very well cloud his judgment. Now go, rest.”
Connor and Alina headed off to bed as Etria made her way outside to Ryaal.
Chapter 16
It was dark in the back yard but Ryaal’s massive frame and ghost blue skin helped silhouette him against the night. Etria saw him kneeling beside his grandfather’s garden.
“Ryaal.” She approached slowly.
“Yes Etria.”
“Are you alright?” She asked sincerely.
“I miss her.” He said in a low tone.
“We will get her back Ryaal.” She attempted to comfort but was met with silence.
“Are they going to be ready? I cannot lose them. Aside from my grandfather, they have been my only family here. If you don’t feel that they are capable of protecting themselves, then I cannot put them in danger.” Ryaal asked, now looking Etria directly in her liquid green eyes which stared back at him in silence as she gave great thought to her answer.
“I was very wrong about them Ryaal. The fem… Alina is incredibly strong in heart and has a protective nature very similar to your own when it comes to those she cares about. She fights with ferocity and creativity as though combat were an art form. She is very capable.” Etria informed.
“What about Connor, he has never fought before?” Ryaal inquired further and noticed a sparkle in Etria’s eyes upon the mention of his friend. She smiled and answered.
“He is a very interesting person. He is far more intelligent than I previously thought and when I trained with him individually, I found myself distracted. The way he looks at me…no one’s ever looked at me the way he looks at me. It is though he can see inside me, past this form I’ve taken. It is difficult to explain exactly, but…it makes me feel peaceful, happy.” She seemed to stare off at nothing in particular, with a smile on her face.
“I meant is he ready to fight.” Ryaal asked with a bit of a confused look on his face.
“Oh!” Etria said, blushing a bit.
“There is an air of arrogance about him. I didn’t know why at first but after sparring with him a few times I figured it out. He can tell what’s coming. He quickly figures out the most reasonable attack coming from his opponent and easily defends against it. When he is attacking he does the same. He seems to calculate in his mind what strikes would have the most damaging effect in the quickest amount of time, coupled with what his opponent may expect and then attacks very proficiently. I have not seen anyone who can who can think that clearly, that quickly. The only times I put him on his back were those in which I increased my speed and fought more unorthodox. However, he is very capable as well. I have to say Ryaal, while I am very happy to see them learning so quickly, it shouldn’t be so.”
“What do you mean?” He asked.
“I knew that the transference would help them, but not to the level it has. You have known them the whole time you’ve been here?” She inquired.
“Yes, since we were small children. Why?” He answered.
“Ryaal, I believe they are more than you know. More than maybe they even know. It’s as though they were meant for this. I don’t mean fighting, I mean fighting for you.”
“I guess we’ll see tomorrow.” Ryaal said, turning his gaze back to the garden. Etria stood and turned to walk away when Ryaal asked.
“How was she when you saw her last?”
Etria thought for a moment before a tear glided down her cheek.
“Do you really want to know?” She answered with her back still towards him. Ryaal was quiet for minute, contemplating whether or not he could take any more pain.
“Yes.” He answered.
Etria turned and stood behind him. She did not want to tell him the truth, but he deserved to know, he would find out soon enough anyway. She began.
“Her entire body has turned as black as this night. She was on her knees with her head down and her hands in her lap. She hasn’t
moved since you were taken away. She hasn’t spoken. Her sadness is so much that it has caused revolts against your father by his own people, demanding he let her go. Our people and our home are being torn apart by her complete despair. They feel for her Ryaal. Some tried to free her but the tower is too well guarded. Your father had them executed in front of everyone as a warning to any who would try to help her…his own people. He had them hung where she could see should she ever raise her head again, in an attempt to cause her more pain.” Etria hesitated before putting her hand on the warrior’s shoulder.
“She is dying Ryaal. Our home world and our people are dying with her. We must not fail.”
Ryaal stood. His towering frame turned towards Etria and with his eyes of deep royal blue, looked at her and declared.
“We will not fail. I will save her no matter the cost.”
Etria felt a sense of relief as Ryaal turned and headed back towards the house.
Chapter 17
The next morning the sun rose with its fiery light shining brightly over the vast field, adding a sparkle to every drop of dew, which seemed to turn the ordinary field into a sea of diamond. Etria and her two students had begun training early to prepare for Ryaal’s test.
“Remember what I said of using the energy around you. Its flow is as abundant as its power. Use it. Join it with what you’ve learned and unite it with the reason you fight. Feel it become an extension of you. Make your opponent feel your strength.” She instructed as the three began sparring.
“Both of you attack me.” She ordered.
The two looked at each other, smiled, and then ran at Etria who cast them both aside as though they were more annoyance than threat.
“You’re not concentrating. You’re not focused. Why do you fight? Will you smile when your friend is in danger? Will you think it a joke when you face your enemy? When you feel my sister’s sadness, will you smile then?” She asked loudly while raining blows upon the two.
Harder and faster she attacked before knocking the two of them on their backs for what seemed like the hundredth time.
“Time out. Time out.” Connor exclaimed breathing heavily.
Etria ceased her attack.
“There is no time out in war. You fight or you die. Are you unfamiliar with the concept?” She asked.
“At the rate you two are going, Ryaal will be dead by tomorrow night! Is that what you want?” She inquired angrily.
Their playful expressions quickly changed to those of determined focus. They jumped to their feet and began attacking again. This time faster but only landing a few blows which left Etria unphased.
“Feel your anger. Embrace it. Couple it with why you fight and the energy flowing around you and stop fighting like pathetic humans!” She demanded loudly.
Hearing this Connor reared back his fist which he noticed felt both lighter and heavier at the same time. He threw it catching Etria in the chest and sending her flying back fifty feet and knocking her off balance. Connor stopped, scared that he may have hurt her.
“Finally! Again, come at me.” She ordered.
Alina sprinted forward faster than she had ever moved. She jumped in the air and landed a kick to Etria’s cheek which sent her spinning to the ground.
“Excellent!” Etria exclaimed pushing herself back up.
“You’re getting it…and by the looks of it, just in time.” She added.
The two noticed she was looking past them. They turned and saw Lucian heading towards them. Excited to see the friend they grew up with, the two ran quickly towards him.
“Luc!” They both yelled excitedly.
As the two approached and opened their arms to throw them around their smiling friend, he instantly changed back to the massive Ryaal who swatted both of them away like flies.
“You must be prepared for anything.” Ryaal scolded the two now getting back up from the ground.
Connor became furious. He ran towards Ryaal and threw the punch that sent Etria reeling backwards. Ryaal caught it with no effort and threw his friend as though he were discarding a gum wrapper and continued moving forward. Alina sprinted and attempted her flying kick. Ryaal caught it while she was still in the air and using her own momentum, threw her even further in the direction she was already travelling. By this time Connor was back on his feet and stood waiting for Ryaal to attack.
“You said they were ready?” Ryaal commented as he stopped and stood next to Etria.
“They are just warming up and, in all fairness that was a bit of a dirty trick.” She said, looking at Connor with a smile.
“Would you have thought it a better idea for me to walk here in my regular form? Besides, my grandfather gave me a gift and it is proving more difficult to use than I thought. I can only stay in another form for only a few minutes.” He replied.
“I am sure you will figure it out, but for now Ryaal, go attack him.” She instructed.
Ryaal headed toward his friend intent on proving why they should not come with him. He did not want to hurt them, but if it were to save them in the long run, he would do what he felt necessary. Connor looked past Ryaal to Etria who continued her smile at the young human and added a wink. Connor saw this and felt something different…a new reason to fight. Ryaal threw a heavy punch at his friend who had already expected it. To his surprise, Connor dodged and threw a heavy blow of his own to Ryaal’s chest. He felt it.
A second later Ryaal felt a crushing pain in his lower back. Alina had landed a very powerful punch of her own and Ryaal never even heard her approach. It was as though she danced her way there atop the blades of grass. Ryaal recovered while holding both his chest and back. He smiled in approval of his friends and spoke.
“Now let us get serious.”
Ryaal threw another punch at Connor who again expected it and caught it. He also caught a thundering kick with his chest which he didn’t expect. As his foot left Connor’s chest, and Connor left the ground, it swung back ferociously and found its place on Alina’s chin. The two went sailing through the air. Ryaal stepped back so both of them were in his field of view and when they began their descent he figured that was the end of it for his friends. They would not get back up…they would not go with him...they would be safe.
However, Ryaal was quite surprised as he watched both of his friends land on their feet and as soon as they touched ground sprinted at him from opposite directions. He thought, for a second, about how fast they were moving towards him and that second was all they needed. Alina slid taking out his legs while, at the same time, Connor delivered a smashing blow to Ryaal’s jaw. The two sent their large friend crashing hard to the ground. Ryaal stood, still a bit surprised, and looked approvingly upon his friends. He turned and headed towards the tree line frustrated. Not because they put him on his back, but because he may have to take them with him, ultimately putting them in great danger.
They looked at Etria with confusion. She shrugged her shoulders in response and their attention turned back to the Akirian who was now snapping branches off trees. After gathering a small stack he turned and faced his friends. He dropped the branches on the ground in front of him, all but one. He looked at Alina and smiled. She saw this and felt comforted. Ryaal’s smile quickly turned to a grimacing smirk as he launched the makeshift spear at his friend. Her eyes widened as the branch flew through the air towards her head. She quickly leaned back as it flew over her left shoulder.
Connor saw this and turned his attention to Ryaal and noticed a branch now soaring towards him. Connor smiled, as he expected this. He stepped right and grabbed the spear in mid air. With the momentum gathered by the flying object, he spun and threw it right back at Ryaal with even more speed. Ryaal grabbed it in return stopping it instantly in his vice like grip. He tossed it to the ground bent down to the woodpile in front of him and grabbed three more branches in each hand.
When he stood, he threw one handful at Alina. She jumped and flipped in the air as all the branches sailed towards her.
While upside down she caught one as it passed, righted herself while still in the air, and launched it back at Ryaal before her feet even touched the ground. Etria let out a little jump of excitement upon seeing what her student had just performed, then quickly regained her composure.
Ryaal dipped to the right letting the spear pass and it slammed into a tree, sticking there like an arrow shot from a bow. Ryaal nodded his head in approval and then turned his attention to Connor.
He launched the second handful. Connor watched the projectiles approach. He had no intention of moving out of the way. He clenched his fists, then his jaw, and threw three of the quickest punches Ryaal had ever seen, each finding their mark at the front of the makeshift spears and shattering them completely. Etria clasped her hands together as she tried to contain the excitement and pride she had for her students.
With stone faced expression the two stared intently at Ryaal as if to say. What else ya got?
Ryaal bent down to the pile of wood and grabbed three long staff like branches and began to approach his friends. As he got closer he tossed one to each of them and the instant it touched their hands he began his assault.
He swept Connor’s legs out from under him and continued the swing towards Alina’s head. She ducked and Connor was back on his feet swinging for Ryaal’s head. He leaned back and as he did, Alina saw her chance. She swung her staff at the back of Ryaal’s legs and brought them right out from under him. Anticipating this move, Connor immediately struck Ryaal in the chest sending him crashing even harder to the ground. As he brought his staff back up he knocked Ryaal’s from his hand and into the air. As his back hit the ground, Ryaal’s friends each put a foot on his chest. Alina caught Ryaal’s staff on its descent and all three branches were held against the warrior’s neck.