“Let’s see how well you can flash that thing around when I turn you into a frog!”
Lex laughed. Somehow, these two didn’t seem much like strangers to him. He felt a genuine happiness that overshadowed his confusion and puzzlement.
Clover walked past Lex toward the last of three beds that were lined up. Lex inhaled her scent, which gave him, for that short moment, indescribable bliss and contentment. Lex sat on the middle bed, realizing that it was his. It felt soft and comfy, even homely. He bounced on it a little, and pressed upon it with his palms in examination. “Nice!”
“Grandpa made them himself!” Clover said with a near boastful tone.
“Cool! Pretty crafty, I see!” Lex looked to his left and right at the siblings. They were lying in their beds. He gazed for a moment at Clover’s hair as it graced the white pillow.
“So!” Clover began, snapping Lex out of his gaze. He gulped heavily, wondering if she saw him staring. “Tell me about your family! Where’re you from?”
“Well… I live with my mom… She’s… Ha! She’s really nice, but she treats me like too much of a kid!”
Clover giggled.
“My father… Don’t have one… She always get upset when I try to talk about him, so I leave it alone… She’s enough, anyway!”
“Sounds nice! Be happy you got to live with even one of your parents… You’ll miss her quite a bunch, though,” she said in a soft tone of compassion.
“Miss her?”
“My parents…” Clover began.
Kyle sighed, knowing full well what would happen. He didn’t even bother to look at her. Lex’s heart sunk and he grew silent as he saw tears run down Clover’s face.
There was a pale expression on her face. “Nine years ago, my parents and grandpa lived in Baiku, a village fifty miles from here… I can’t remember--”
“Well I can,” Kyle came in sternly, a frighteningly sober tone in his voice. “Clover was a baby back then, but I was a boy, and I remember at least bits and pieces of what happened quite clearly. There was an attack on the village. It was at an ungodly, dark hour of night. I remember the loud, heavy bang that woke me… I woke up and crawled out of bed and peered down the stairs. There was chaos and noise and smoke… Soldiers in black and red were everywhere… I was afraid… They were Magmalian soldiers sent on a rampage by King Aragan, probably on a gold hunt. They often raid small villages and kill and steal at random because of the size of their forces. I watched… as they slaughtered my father… He had a sword, but he was no match for the soldiers… I can still hear my mother shouting…”
Lex noticed Kyle’s eyes beginning to moisten. Seeing this made Clover sob even harder.
“…Daddy… Daddy… The babies… Grab them and run… But there was no saving herself; the soldiers had already grabbed on to her. As the man raised the sword to kill her… grandfather grabbed me up. He already had Clover. He dived through a window with us and started running… Our grandmother… this great witch my grandfather rants about… she wasn’t there to defend my mother and father with her great and famous magic. She just had to go and die a year before, when it was peaceful…” A tone of deep resentment was palpable and coarse in Kyle’s voice. “Grandfather ran straight ‘til dusk before he stopped to rest… The next day, he took us to this village, where he captured land and built this house with his own two hands… That old geezer, although he’s quite the annoyance with his senseless stories and ideas… he’s been our mother and father since then, and he’s taught us everything we know…”
A long moment of pensive silence passed.
“Alright!!” Ben’s voice tore through the thick silence from behind the door, “Rise and shine! Come on, come on! Training time!” The three rose from their beds quickly. Kyle drew his sword from its case. Ben burst the door open, a grin of excitement on his face. “Listen up now, Lex! The very moment you step outside, your training begins. First of all, there’s no more ‘Ben’ or ‘Old man’. You will address me as Master Bengushi! Or Your Excellence Bengushi, or even King Bengushi if you please!” Clover covered her mouth to stifle her laughter.
Lex made a sharp salute at the old man with as stern a face as he could find. Kyle wondered if Lex was smart enough for this to be sarcastic “Alright, old man Ben… gushi… majesty…sir…” Lex rambled.
The old man sighed, making Clover giggle some more. “Close enough I suppose.”
In no time, the three students were standing shoulder to shoulder before their master. “Kyle, you’re up first!” Bengushi began.
“Right!” Kyle stepped toward the old man.
“Draw your blade!” Kyle drew his sword excitedly. He was glad his ‘real’ training had finally began, being tired of learning the ‘basics’.
“Good,” Bengushi said, “you two at the back, unless you trust this young novice with your lives, stand clear!” Without needing to be told twice, Lex and Clover stood clear.
“Huh?! Even you, sis?!”
“Focus, Kyle!” Ben snapped, making Kyle face him again. Lex looked around. He saw a few houses in the distance all around him, and could make out no definite road. Little meadows and overgrown bushes were everywhere, and there were many trees about. He inhaled the cool, crisp air, and the distant chirping of birds made his mind calm and clear. This place redefines country.
Ben bent down and took up a few pebbles from the ground.
“These are pebbles – tiny stones that can inflict minimal damage at this distance if used by the average opponent. See how many you can deflect with your sword. Keep in mind that you will fail the succeeding challenge miserably, so don’t mess this one up.” Kyle hissed, taking his defensive stance. Ben pulled his hand back and flung the first stone. Lex grinned as Kyle flashed his sword and deflected the small projectile. There was a sweet zing as the sword sent the pebble off its course. Ben sent another, and another, then he began throwing them a bit more rapidly, but his grandson knocked away each one.
“Not bad, Kyle!” Lex cheered him on. The proud boy snickered, then made a hiss, sounding like the challenge was beneath him.
“Heheheheh! You probably think you’re better than the six year old version of myself, but pay attention to this next stage.” Kyle looked on intently with great focus, ready to finish this challenge and walk away like a cool guy. Bengushi dug down into his pockets and withdrew a brown sack. Kyle, Lex and Clover looked on with suspense. The man emptied the sack of what looked to Lex like purple matches into his hand, tossing the sack aside. “These are real poison darts,” the man said. Kyle’s eyes widened at this, though he tried to seem unfazed. “If touched by one of these, you’re a dead man in seven seconds.” Kyle clenched his teeth and his brows narrowed. “Of course, seeing I am sure you will fail this challenge, the poison on these darts are very dilute, just strong enough to paralyze you for a few hours.”
“Hmmm… Doesn’t sound too peachy either,” Kyle muttered to himself.
“Get ready!” Ben tossed the tens of little sticks up in the air before him, then, with movements too swift for any of the watchers to follow, sharply and forcefully jabbed each one with one of his middle fingers, sending them off at high speeds toward Kyle. Clover and Lex watched with wide eyes. While Ben set the fifty sticks in rapid motion before gravity could affect them, Kyle could only make one swing with his sword. Anticipating perfectly the boy’s movement, Ben aimed the sticks that none would be touched by Kyle’s sword. Kyle was still holding his sword out, staring in confusion toward his grandfather.
“Uh… What just happened, Clover?” Lex asked. Clover shook her head.
Kyle felt the fifty sticks stuck to his body.
“Of course you missed,” Ben said bluntly and with no tone of surprise or even insult, “but this was a test of observation; what colour are the sticks?” Kyle continued staring out at Ben, a clueless look on his face.
Dammit… How could I miss something that obvious? I was so concerned about the paralysis that--
Ben laugh
ed aloud. “Time for Xashi training!”
“Finally!” Lex sighed with a bright grin. Kyle looked down at the sticks attached to him, realizing that it was just glue that was at the tips. He sighed in relief, trying not to feel too stupid.
“Xashi, huh? Rest time for me, then,” Kyle said, and went around the back of his house, taking his attack stance quickly, beginning to strike at the men in black and red. They were the only imaginary enemies in his inventory.
Clover and Lex stood before Ben. “Now Lex, in order for you to realize the power you have within you, you must reach a state of complete mental stability… a state of oneness with yourself.” Lex nodded, though he didn’t know what his teacher was talking about. According to the prophecies, he should have *that* ability, the man thought. “Also,” he continued, “you must have a faith and belief in yourself that is absolute. Faith is the gateway to possibility. Now relax your muscles… Feet further apart… Good! Now relax your mind, and clear it of all thought, all emotion…” A cool wind blew on Lex’s face, and he felt a tranquil calmness. “Breathe in…” Bengushi instructed in a low voice, “Hold it, hold it… Out…In… …Out… Good. Just like that – deep, steady breaths.” Clover was already in this position, her mind as clear as she could get it. “Think of nothing at all… You will realize that clearing your mind is not as easy as it sounds, but it is necessary… Do not think of a colour, or a girl or your mother, or a pink unicorn riding a three-legged horse. Just think of nothing; empty your mind of everything… Close your eyes – sight will distract you.”
For around an hour, the only sounds there were the calm, deep breathing of Lex and Clover, and the sound of Kyle’s blade slicing through the crisp, cool wind.
I can feel that he’s already at Clover’s level of mental calm… At this rate, he will be realizing that blood-chilling power in a matter of days… His potential is immense. “Now listen very carefully…” Ben breathed, walking closer to them, “Bring your fingers together – only the tip of your fingers should touch… Index on index, middle on middle, all of them… Leave a hollow sphere between your palms… Now believe and be sure that a special energy is coursing through you veins… ready to manifest in that space between your hands…”
Kyle quietly walked around to where his sister and Lex were, sweating and trying to keep his panting quiet. He sat on the step, leaning on the front door, his sword spread across his lap.
“Slow, steady breaths… Inner tranquillity… No excitement or stimulation… Only clarity of mind… This power you have is in your spirit… Your spirit and mind are becoming one… Your mind and body are becoming one…”
Almost suddenly, Lex felt an unusual chill rush through his body. He felt coldness running along his veins, toward his hands; but this coldness he felt, this feeling close to numbness, was somehow exhilarating. He didn’t feel like he needed to warm up, but he felt the desire to feel an even denser, deeper cold. After minutes of this feeling intensifying, the cold he felt became frightening and even more exciting. He felt his palms grow stiff with intense numbness. Bengushi and Kyle stared on with wordless lips and unblinking eyes. Lex’s eyes flung themselves open suddenly, and he stared down at his hands, or at least what was in them. Down before him was a misty orb of faint blue, almost white. It appeared to be a dense ball of cold air, and it grew denser by the second. Unmoving, the frightened boy stared at the mysterious ball of coldness. Then, he slowly looked up at Bengushi, who was staring on with an even more awful expression.
“Holy mother of Oga…” Kyle whispered to himself, “What the hell…”
“The boy in the prophecy…” Bengushi muttered to himself, still in a frozen state of shock, “…is an Icemaker… This boy… He just made an orb of ice energy…”
Suddenly, Ben’s expression changed from that of awe to that of exuberant discovery. “Bloody hell, kid! You’re a goddamn Icemaker!” The man finally hollered. Clover, in all this excitement, was still shut up in her own mind. She didn’t even hear the loud outcry of Bengushi. Kyle got up and took a few steps, his brows wrinkled in disbelief and still in scepticism, trying to get a better look at the mysterious thing housed in Lex’s palms. His awe and wonder silenced him. He was forced, in that moment, to consider all the doubts he had about his grandfather’s tales over the years.
“I am an Icemaker…” Lex finally spoke, chilly mist appearing from his mouth as he uttered.
“Yes… That orb in your hands…” Ben moved closer to inspect it. “It is an orb of ice energy, a sphere of elemental ice… This is an amazing element, said to be Kizer’s favourite, as its purpose was not to destroy, but to preserve… Such splendour…” the old man continued to awe at the beautiful sphere of chilly power.
“This is unbelievable,” Lex breathed, his heart racing with excitement and pride, even with vision; in a flash, he could now see himself as a hero, a saviour, at least much more than an ordinary kid whose biggest worry was a science test and a fat kid named Jester.
“Alright, concentrate,” Bengushi said, his tone returning to that of a master. He pointed at a good-sized tree a few yards off. “Slowly condense the sphere,” Bengushi instructed. Lex brought his hands closer together slowly, but he felt more pressure and resistance than he could oppose. Still, the slight blueness of the ball grew richer, and he could feel more ice energy rushing into it. The ball grew more and more defined, and the mist around it lessened.
“Good, now pull it back, and push it off. It will move through the air faster than you think. It’s not about strength, but direction and focus.” Lex narrowed his eyes slightly, fixing them on the leafy target up ahead, and pulled the icy ball back with both hands, bringing it to almost touch his chest.
“Hmmm… He should miss the first few-- What?!”
Lex pushed off the orb forcefully, and it moved through the air with great speed, as the old man had expected. It hit the bark of the massive tree Lex targeted, then something quite incredible happened immediately after. The ball of ice energy, on hitting the tree, underwent rapid expansion. Ice spread from the point of contact swiftly, and in a second, the entire tree was covered in a thick layer of ice. Icicles hung down from the tips of the frozen leaves. Lex stared out at his wondrous work.
To be so accurate on his first attempt… Ben was certainly impressed. The ice is even more parasitic than I imagined. The elemental ice, which is merely a dense, fluid energy, quickly converts to natural ice on contact, diffusing rapidly with the power to imprison almost anything…
“I did it!” Lex rejoiced, looking on proudly at his masterpiece.
“Marvellous! We have in our midst an Icemaker!” the old man announced proudly. The boy looked down at his palms. Icy mist clouded off from them.
“This cold… It feels… so natural,” Lex contemplated, noticing that he had no desire for warmth. Lex looked over at Clover, then jumped back in fright, his eyes wide. Lex, Kyle and Ben watched the girl keenly.
“She’s finally found it,” Ben marvelled. “To think all this would happen in the same hour… Truly unthinkable…”
“Clover…” Lex awed, a wide smile crawling up on his face. Kyle could only stare at his little sister. A bright green light, that the spectators could hardly behold directly, enveloped the girl’s hands. She opened her eyes finally, with an abruptness that frightened the watchers. Her eyes underwent a slight flash of green that only Bengushi noticed, since he was looking out for it.
“Her mana is finally awake,” he said to himself, smiling, pleased and more than impressed, taking into account her age.
Without instruction, Clover flung her hands toward the icy tree ahead. The green energy, like a contained light, swiftly left her hands and moved toward the tree much faster than Lex’s iceball did.
“Abingush!” the girl shouted. As the green light touched the tree, something probably more amazing than the preceding events occurred. In a split second, there was a huge bang, and the frozen tree was blown to bits. The force from the blast sent Lex and Kyle fl
ying back, but somehow, Ben and Clover held their ground. Kyle landed on his feet, skating back until his back hit the front door. Lex landed on his back, quickly rising to his feet, ignoring the pain and bruises. The frozen tree was no more. The lookers, even Clover, spun around, looking at the tiny bits of ice and water and wood scattered about a wide area.
“Wow! What the hell?!” Kyle finally blasted, his eyes fidgeting. He grabbed on to his head tightly, trying hard to keep himself from going mad, or believing he was mad already.
Suddenly, Lex burst out into a crazy-sounding laughter, unable and having no reason to contain his excitement. Bengushi, being even more thrilled, began outdoing Lex with the wild laughing. He ran to his confused granddaughter, and grabbed her up, spinning in her in the air rowdily.
“Did… Did I do that?!” she questioned on reaching her feet again, “I blew up a tree?!”
“Damn right you blew up a tree!” Lex came in.
“You two have unlocked your hidden gifts, and have now begun your journeys through the art of Xashi!” Bengushi declared.
“You too, Lex ?!” Clover blasted excitedly, now grinning away. “Yeah, I totally turned that tree to ice! And you totally minced it up!”
“That’s amazing! Real sorry I missed it!” She grabbed Lex tightly, whose body was still quite chilly. His eyes widened as Clover embraced him for the short while. She pushed him off quickly, and ran to her unmoving brother, throwing herself at him, hugging him. “You see that, Kyle?!”
“Heheheh! You did pretty good, lil’ sis!” Kyle congratulated, “All that training is finally beginning to pay off, ain’t it? Seems you really did have it in ya all along!” He managed to hide his ambivalence, his feelings of jealousy and unfairness from Clover and Lex, but Bengushi noticed it in his voice and in his eyes, for he had expected it.
“That green light around my hands!” she began, releasing Kyle, looking down at her now plain-looking palms.
The Seventh Spirit Page 3
