Eclipse Core (School of Swords and Serpents Book 2)

by Gage Lee

The problem tumbled through my thoughts as the light of the afternoon sun faded from golden red to the velvet purple of dusk. I was still no closer to an answer and closed my eyes to rest them. Just for a moment...

  A shrill bleating exploded next to my head. The sound jolted me upright, and I bounced off the mattress and onto the floor in a fighting stance. My Eclipse core churned inside me, eager to fight off whatever had surprised it. Serpents burst from my core, and my fusion blade appeared in my hand unbidden.

  The alarm clock on the nightstand next to the bed unleashed another shrill tone, and I groaned. I’d fallen asleep.

  It took me a few moments to figure out how to shut off the alarm clock, by which time I was ready to kill the thing. At least I’d never have to worry about oversleeping and missing class with that obnoxious noise blasting in my ear.

  “Five in the morning?” I groaned. Who had set my alarm clock for such an ungodly hour?

  A dull booming echoed through the cottage. I went to the front window of the second floor and peered out through the glass. The booming repeated, and a faint flash of yellow-green light washed across the terrain outside my cozy little home. I couldn’t see through the trees, but I instinctively understood the origin of the noise came from someone banging on my door.

  “Ugh,” I growled. The rich meal from the day before had left me feeling sluggish. I wanted to crawl back into bed and sleep off the meat hangover.

  The booming came again.

  “I’m coming,” I grumbled.

  I shrugged out of the robe I’d fallen asleep in and crossed to the closet. There were a dozen robes inside, and I flicked through them to find something suitable.

  Three of the robes were long and formal, my name scrivened down the left lapel in glowing thread and the words “School Champion” embroidered down the right lapel. A double string of glossy black buttons ran from the high-collared throat all the way down to the hemline. Fancy, but impractical.

  The next three robes were still long, but the buttons only went down to the waist, and they had a pair of matching black pants, perfect for more casual occasions.

  The next group of three robes also opened in the front, with a shorter skirt that would have hit me just above the knees. Rather than buttons, they had a concealed zipper that vanished when they were closed. The pants that went with these were loose-fitting and comfortable, perfect for everyday wear.

  The final three sets hardly qualified as robes at all. They didn’t even have sleeves, and the skirt was so abbreviated, it barely dropped below my waist. There weren’t even buttons or zippers. The super casual outfits were made from a fabric so stretchy I could just pull them over my head. The pants were knee length and made of the same material. Those must have been meant for workouts.

  A sudden rush of excitement ran through me at the realization of what those were for. I snatched the exercise gear off its hanger, pulled it on quickly, and slipped my feet into the short black shoes on the floor of the closet.

  The booming came again, and I rolled my eyes and took off down the stairs. The cottage’s door had no lock, and it didn’t need one. No one could get into my private quarters without going through the dormitory tower’s front door, and that wouldn’t open for anyone but me.

  The booming came twice more as I ran across the bridge and wound my way through the forest. The trip back to the dormitory tower was much shorter than the trip to the cottage had been. I wasn’t sure if that was because I was more familiar with the area or if there was some sort of time and space bending weirdness going on. It wouldn’t have surprised me either way.

  “You’re going to make us all late for our first martial arts class,” Eric said when I threw open the tower’s door. “Let’s go!”

  “Lead the way.” The doors slid closed and locked with a click behind me as I stepped into the hallway. “Far be it from me to keep anyone waiting.”

  Eric took off, and Abi fell in beside him. Clem and I followed them, and she slowed down to let them get far enough ahead of us that we could speak without being overheard.

  “Where did you go?” she asked. “I saw the portal suck you away, but not where you went.”

  I wanted to be honest with Clem, but the geas would only let that go so far. I mulled over what I could tell her for a moment, then rolled out an abbreviated version of yesterday’s events.

  “The portal took me to a fancy meal with the elders,” I said quietly. “They want me to work for them.”

  Eric’s single-minded determination to get to class on time pushed the school’s shifting architecture harder than I’d ever seen it before. We didn’t take a single corner or go down any steps. The hall rearranged itself just ahead of us as we made a beeline from my dormitory tower to the dojo. I filed that little tidbit away for later experimentation. If it was possible to get through the school faster, I wanted to learn that trick.

  “What do they want you to do?” Clem asked, her eyes wide with curiosity.

  “I learned a lot of stuff working for Tycho last year,” I said honestly, then lied. “They want me to do the same sort of stuff for them.”

  “Are you going to do it?”

  “I don’t know,” I said, which was also the truth. “It would take so much time, and I don’t want to spend another year slaving away. I want to enjoy at least some of my time at school, you know?”

  “This is a big opportunity for you,” Clem said thoughtfully. “Working directly with the elders of your clan will be a prestigious feather in your cap.”

  “Maybe,” I said with a shrug. Everything I did would be a secret. I wasn’t sure how much of a reputation boost that would give me. Still, it would help people, and that was important, even if it was dangerous. I just wasn’t sure what I should do.

  “I’m sure you’ll make the right choice,” Clem said. She threw an arm around my shoulders and gave me a quick squeeze. “Oh, we’re here.”

  The School’s dojo had an elaborate arched gateway instead of a door. The wide opening in the stone wall revealed an open floor covered in a soft, somewhat springy material. Older students were already practicing with one another, while the younger upperclassmen had gathered in small groups where they chatted nervously.

  While no initiates ever saw the dojo, we’d all heard stories about what went on there, and spotted upperclassmen with bruised faces and bandaged limbs at mealtimes. This room was where Empyreals truly learned how to harness their martial capabilities.

  As soon as we passed through the gateway, a gong reverberated through the dojo. A tall man with his long gray hair pulled up into a topknot entered through a door across the room from us. His robes, like those worn by the rest of us, were clearly intended for comfort and ease of movement. His gaze swept across the fifty students gathered in his domain, then stopped to meet mine.

  A faint smile quirked his lips, and he gave me a short nod.

  “Welcome to the dojo,” the man said. “I am Professor Song, and I’ll be instructing you this semester. Please, form a semicircle around me. I’d rather not shout to be heard.”

  The professor waited until we’d gathered around, then launched into the first class’s teachings.

  “You should all be familiar with your aura, serpents, and swords.” He crossed his arms as he spoke and paced back and forth inside the semicircle. “Your aura is your defense against jinsei attacks. Your swords are your most potent offense and will become more so as your cores advance. Finally, your serpents are the most flexible tool at your disposal, capable of attack or defense, and so much more. My goal for this semester is to help you understand how these three work together to become more than the sum of their parts. Today, we’re going to start by having you integrate your serpents into your defensive maneuvers.”

  While all of this was interesting, I’d already covered most of it with Hank and my trainers during the Five Dragons Challenge. While Professor Song explained how to summon serpents quickly, an art I’d mastered weeks ago, my mind drifted back to the convers
ation with the elders.

  Their offer was an opportunity for me to do real good for Empyreals. Stopping the anti-Flame protestors would make everyone safer and stabilize a society that had been dangerously upended by my actions last year. And, if I did a good job, maybe the Shadow Phoenix Elders would help me find my mother. The danger from defying Tycho had passed, and I wanted to bring her in from the cold. She deserved a better life.

  There were so many dangers to the job, though. If anyone discovered who I was, they could go after my friends or the school. They might even hunt down my mom to use against me. And then there was the very real danger that someone would discover my Eclipse nature.

  I had no idea what I was going to do.

  “Now that I’ve explained the concept to you, let’s see it in practice,” Professor Song said. The sudden weight of his attention on my core dragged me out of my thoughts. “Mr. Warin, would you care to help demonstrate the use of serpents as a defensive measure with Mr. Vilrose?”

  “I’d be honored to be part of your demonstration,” the Disciple of the Jade Flame said as he stepped out of the semicircle and up to Professor Song. “I will be the aggressor.”

  “As you wish, honored Professor.” My friends clapped me on the shoulder as I stepped forward. “I suppose I’ll be on defense.”

  Everyone chuckled at that, including the professor. He stepped back, letting the Disciple and I square off with one another. It had only been two days since my last fight, and I fell easily into a ready stance.

  The Disciple’s eyes burned with excitement as he raised his clenched fists to protect his head. Aspects of energy and anticipation flickered in his aura along with a few dark sparks of fear. He was looking forward to his chance to prove himself in front of the rest of the students. If he could land even one punch on the undefeated School champion, his clanmates would consider him something of a hero.

  That wasn’t going to happen.

  “Jace.” I offered my opponent my hand.

  “Kyle.” He gave my fingers a squeeze but decided not to try to crush my hand when I squeezed back.

  “Good, good,” the professor said as he stepped into the space between us. He raised a hand to each of us. “This isn’t a fight, it’s a demonstration. Mr. Kyle, your goal is to strike Mr. Warin at no more than half strength. Mr. Warin, you will defend yourself using only your serpents. Ready?”

  We both nodded.

  “Begin!” the professor shouted, and leaped back.

  The Disciple pushed jinsei into his legs to fuel a gliding step that covered the space between us more quickly than I’d expected. More of the sacred energy glowed around his right fist, which was cocked back to his shoulder. The power grew in intensity as he approached until the entire length of his arm shone like polished gold.

  That was a lot more than half strength.

  My Eclipse core responded to the threat instantly. The Borrowed Core technique lashed out to rats beneath the dojo’s floor. The connections clicked into place easily, and I cycled beast aspects through my core and into my aura with a single breath. My training during the Five Dragons Challenge had made me much more efficient with my use of aspects, and I used the minimal amount I’d gathered to conjure a pair of thin serpents.

  The Disciple planted his feet, and his fist rocketed toward my face. The golden glow around his arm shifted to a deep shade of red as he activated a potent striking technique. He grinned with wild glee, sure there was no way my meager defense could block his powerful assault.

  My Eclipse nature raged at this unwarranted attack, and my serpents struck without conscious thought on my part. One of them looped around the Disciple’s arm, and the other speared into his core.

  My blood ran cold. It was Singapore all over again.

  The Disciple tried to push through the coils of the serpent I’d tangled around his arm. He leaned into his punch, beads of sweat sprouting from his forehead as he poured every ounce of effort he could muster into the attack.

  Against most opponents, that might’ve been an effective tactic.

  Against an Eclipse Warrior?

  It was pointless.

  My serpent leeched the jinsei out of his arm’s channels before he knew what had happened. My unique power stripped the aspects from his technique and used them to harden my aura. In the same moment, my other serpent hit his core and began to siphon away the jinsei it found there.

  If I didn’t stop it, my Eclipse nature would suck every ounce of sacred energy out of the Disciple. He’d be dead in a heartbeat.

  Darkness erupted across my vision. I blinked hard to drive it away and willed my core back into submission. The urge raged against me, hungry for the sacred energy in my opponent. It was confused and hurt by my unwillingness to finish my foe. The Disciple had attacked me, and it was my duty to defend myself to the utmost of my ability.

  The Disciple gasped and fell to his knees. His face was white, and his eyes rolled back beneath fluttering lids. His breath came in shuddering gasps, and he collapsed onto his face.

  I banished my serpents and severed the connection between me and my opponent. Denying the urge sent a shock of visceral pain through my core, and I stumbled away, hands over my face to cover the darkness I knew had flooded my eyes.

  “Give me room,” Professor Song shouted.

  “It was an accident,” I choked out. “He was going all out. I had to defend myself.”

  “Class dismissed!” Professor Song barked.

  My heart raced as I pushed my way through the semicircle of students and headed toward the dojo’s door. Clem called my name, and Eric and Abi echoed her.

  I didn’t stop. My control over my Eclipse nature felt weak and uncertain as the stress inside me mounted. Denying the urge had felt like tearing my core in half. I wasn’t sure I could do it again so soon. I needed space.

  I didn’t want to kill anyone else.

  The Offer

  MY CORE THRASHED AND churned within me as I stormed out of the dojo. It urged me to go back, to make sure my fallen foe wouldn’t rise again. To the Eclipse Warrior, winning wasn’t enough. Any foe who still lived could be a threat again in the future.

  I was beginning to realize why the other clans had been so terrified of people like me. Every time I slipped up, someone got hurt.

  “Jace!” Clem called as she raced up behind me.

  “I need to be alone,” I said. “Please.”

  Clem ran ahead of me, then turned around and planted her feet in my path.

  “Jace, what happened?” she asked. “It was over so fast.”

  Eric and Abi caught up to us and flanked Clem. Eric looked confused and upset, while Abi just looked angry.

  “He activated a technique,” I said. “Two days ago, I was fighting in the Five Dragons Challenge against contenders who didn’t follow rules like half-strength. When I saw that attack coming at me, I overreacted.”

  “You saw him activate a technique and reacted before it could hit you?” Eric asked. “No wonder you won all those fights. All I saw was a flash of light and then Kyle was on the ground.”

  “I think that’s all any of us saw.” Abi eyed me with open concern. “Will he be all right?”

  “He’ll be fine,” I said defensively. “I used my serpent to deflect the jinsei from his technique. It stunned him, but he’ll recover. Won’t even have a bruise.”

  That explanation was mostly the truth. I’d done a lot of reading on the road and had learned there were several techniques that could temporarily disrupt jinsei. That had been a relief, because it made it easier to hide what I was really doing.

  I hated lying to my friends, but no one could know the truth. I’d be dead before dawn if it came out that I was an Eclipse Warrior.

  “You’ve grown very strong since I last saw you, my friend,” Abi said with a rueful chuckle. He seemed to have accepted my explanation. “I’ll be careful not to surprise you when we are sparring. I’d hate for you to take me down like that.”

  �
�It won’t happen again,” I said, too quickly. It couldn’t happen again. “I guess I’m still not wound all the way down from the challenge. Would you guys mind if I took a little time alone? I need to meditate, clear my head. I’ll catch up with you at breakfast if that’s all right.”

  The three exchanged concerned glances, then gave me slow nods.

  “Sure,” Clem said. “Take however long you need. While we were all enjoying our summer, you were fighting contenders all over the world. Sorry, I should have been more considerate.”

  She blushed a pink that almost matched her hair and threw her arms around my neck. She squeezed me tight, and the hug caught me by surprise almost as much as Kyle’s technique had.

  At least my core didn’t respond to the surprise as a threat. That was a big relief.

  “We’ll see you at breakfast, man,” Eric said as Clem released me and stepped back. “Take it easy.”

  He offered his fist for me to bump, and I brushed my knuckles against his. Abi extended his hand, too, fingers open for a firm shake.

  “I feel your turmoil,” he said as our hands clasped. “If you need to talk, you know where to find me.”

  He held the shake a few seconds longer than was comfortable, then let go with a sharp nod of his head.

  “Thanks for understanding, guys,” I said. “I’ll see you soon.”

  We all headed off in different directions, my friends dispersing along with the rest of the students, who were clearly glad to have some of their early morning free after I’d disrupted the class.

  I caught more than a few curious glances tossed in my direction and ignored them. Let them wonder about what really happened. It might make all of them think twice before taking a shot at me to prove they were tougher than the champ.

  I headed back to my room, where I could be sure I wouldn’t be disturbed. I threw out connections from the Borrowed Core to the School’s rats as I walked. Some of them recognized me and were eager to help. Others were from new litters, small and spry, curious, but cautious.

  I passed the same message to all of them: find Hahen.