Domadred turned back to Aleksi. “And to this day, every time we enter this part of the ocean, I come out here to watch the Diamond’s bow evoke that same radiant beauty again. Come here and stand at the gunwale—you will see what I mean.”
Aleksi went to where Domadred was standing and looked over the side of the ship. As the Diamond cut through the waves, her bow wave was brightly illuminated in the water. The rippling light cast a long trail of afterglow on either side of the hull. Extending for over ten meters at a forty-five-degree angle, the rolling waves of light looked magnificent.
“This, and the flowing path before us, is but one of Terra’s great mysterious marvels you will encounter while out on the open ocean,” Domadred exclaimed, staring out at the glowing waters. “The magic of the Guardians is vast and powerful.”
“I had no idea the algae’s bioluminescence would be so stunning,” Aleksi said quietly.
“Algae?” Domadred chuckled. “Son, you are mistaken. This is no algae but a gift from the Arkai! Terra’s ocean lights up to give us sailors a path through the currents when we navigate at night with no Zeniths to guide us. Without the glow of the ocean water, we would be blind with nothing but the moons to light our way through the currents. But as you know, the moons move of their own accord, possessing no known rhyme or reason for their celestial path. So, under darkness of night, with only the Zeniths’ outlines on a blanket of stars to ground our position, if we had no glowing aquatic path to light our safe passage, all ships at sea would undoubtedly drift off course and into a violent sea channel, which would very likely shatter both bow and body. Because of the innumerable currents and the erratic movement of the moons and stars, a dark ocean would be a fate cruel beyond words.”
“What then do you do during a storm and harsh seas, Captain? Do not rough wind and water obscure the current’s glow even deep under the ocean?”
“That occurs only in the hardest of storms, in which case we have no choice but to do what sailors have done long before we ever set our boats upon the waters of Terra . . .” Domadred paused and looked Aleksi in the eye. “We pray for safe passage.”
“Please excuse my ignorance,” Aleksi said, bowing his head. “I know only what I have read.”
“There is so much in life that cannot be known from a book.”
“Very true, Captain,” Aleksi whispered, looking back to the shimmering brilliance. “A book could never do such a sight justice. This truly is a thing of beauty.”
“I agree, son. I agree.”
Aleksi nodded his head, but he knew the captain was misguided—at least in part—in his understanding of the ocean’s light. The Masters taught that light such as this was chemically induced and came from within a living organism. In this case, the glow was coming from a tiny sea creature known as a dinoflagellate that, in turn, fed off the light of Terra’s moons. Even young students of the Academy were taught that the glow of the ocean was a biochemical reaction, and nothing more. The real magic of Terra was the power of Numina, and the power exposed by that light was truly mysterious—just like Aleksi’s Rune.
Both Aleksi and Domadred stood at the Diamond’s bow for what seemed like a very long time until Aleksi slowly turned to Domadred. “Captain, this might sound like a strange question, but have you ever seen a Runic pendant with a small black stone suspended in its center? It has to do with one of Terra’s ancient houses, but I don’t know any more than that.”
“Why would you ask such a thing of me, Aleksi?”
“Before we left Mindra’s Haven, General Beck told me you would know about it. He told me to ask you, sir.”
Domadred took a deep breath before speaking. “Yes, a very old house, son. Beck and I knew its head well. Many did. But the house was brought to ruin by darkness and wiped from Terra by a mighty gale of anger and wrath. Such things are not meant to be revisited, son. Let the sleeping dead rest. They have earned it.”
“Beck said something similar, but I cannot, sir. I must know the truth; it is very important to me.”
“The truth,” Domadred chuckled. “I wish truth were clearer than it seems to be these days. Only the Howler knows the truth of what happened that day at the great scar of Terra’s Bane. And to one like the Howler, the truth must be a very relative thing. Besides, his truth is not something the minds of us mere men can fathom, son. It’s best to just let it be.”
“I cannot do that, Captain. Do you know a Master of the Academy known as Rudra?”
Domadred did not take his eyes off the ocean, but when he answered, his tone was harsh. “What business do you have with the Resistance, son?”
“The Resistance? None. My business is with Rudra, and its purpose is between him and me alone.”
“Between you two and that pendant, I’m sure,” Domadred said coolly. “Well, many wish to find Rudra for their own vengeful purposes—and for good reason. He has made many an enemy in Terra, and his head fetches a very high price because of his war crimes. There are times I wish I could even cash in the reward myself. But these are things I do not like to dwell on, son. I’m sorry, but I have no further information for you, regardless of what Beck might have led you to believe. Do not ask me again.”
Both Aleksi and Domadred stood in silence until the captain let out a sigh and continued in a lighter tone. “Well, the hour grows late and I have a busy day ahead. Tomorrow we have the dinner celebration in my cabin, and I must get some sleep. You should get some rest, too, for it will prove to be quite the spectacle. That I guarantee.”
Domadred began to walk to the main deck, but after taking only a few steps, he turned back to Aleksi. “Son, what brought you to speak of such things with Beck? It is not, how can I say, normal conversation.”
“My life, sir, has been anything but normal.”
Domadred walked away without saying another word. As Aleksi watched him go, the youth saw the Eastern Zenith begin to give off its first early-morning rays in the far distance.
CHAPTER XIX
Aleksi awoke midmorning. He rolled from his hammock and stiffly stretched his arms over his head. He had yet to get used to sleeping on a woven net, and he felt it taking its toll on his body. After dressing, Aleksi swiftly left his room. Now that he had Domadred’s permission to use the stern deck, the youth looked forward to once again falling into the rhythm of his morning trainings.
As Aleksi continued down the passage, his reverie with the young woman in the Dreamscape vividly sprang into his mind. Even now he could still feel the pulsing energy from when their hands had touched. Aleksi could not recall any dreams from the remainder of the night after he saw the luminescent sea with Domadred. Despite this, there was no mistaking what he did remember. Aleksi had felt a powerful passion—a passion for him—held deep within the young woman.
Just more mysteries . . . A slight smile spread across the youth’s face. But of all of the mysteries in my life, this young woman is by far the most exciting.
As Aleksi climbed the ladder and came above deck, he felt a cool draft blow across his skin. The air smelled wet and salty. Looking above, he saw that there were clouds in the sky and the winds were blowing more strongly than yesterday. Moist and filled with ocean musk, the breeze caused the hairs on his arm to prickle.
Coming out from under the hollow of the ladder, Aleksi looked to the helm and saw Brayden at the wheel. Walking up to the quarterdeck, Aleksi nodded to the boy and Brayden nodded back without saying a word. As Aleksi passed, however, Brayden’s eye hovered on Aleksi’s sword. In the boy’s gaze there was a silent longing—a longing Aleksi knew all too well.
Aleksi came to the large doors of the navigation room. Looking above the carved motif of the Diamond, he saw the seldom-used stern deck. From what Aleksi could discern, the deck seemed to be little more than a glorified roof, and the youth assumed that few ever went upon it, except possibly to fly the Diamond’s flags.
Letting out a sigh, Aleksi climbed up the railing and hoisted himself over the deck’s lip. Coming ont
o the deck proper, he instantly saw the danger of the large boom. Currently held fast by its sturdy lines, the massive wooden pole was tied off wide on the ship’s starboard side. When the ship turned and came about, however, the boom would have only a slight clearance as it swept across the deck. If he did not get out of the way as the boom came about, he would undoubtedly be swept into the sea.
In light of this danger, Aleksi had the space all to himself. Centering in the middle of the deck, he faced the bow and lowered into a kneeling position. Back at the Academy, his training sessions always began with seated meditation, and he was pleased he could finally get back into the practice of doing so again. Focusing his mind on his breathing, Aleksi relaxed his eyes into a soft focus. With his palms lying flat against his upper thighs, he felt his mind settle into stillness.
Concentrating on the rhythmic flow of the wind above, the waves below, and his breath within, Aleksi sat.
His hands slowly glided to his blade. Adroitly gripping the hilt with his right and the scabbard with his left, he inhaled powerfully and his sword exploded from its sheath. Aleksi took a sliding step forward with his right leg, dragging his left knee behind his body. Simultaneously, he used the opposing forces of his arms to swing his blade out in a horizontal slash with blinding speed. Aimed at an imaginary opponent’s temple, the brilliant steel blade flashed in the Zeniths’ light as it cut through the air with an audible swoosh. Aleksi immediately brought the sword’s tip back around his left shoulder. The bottom of the blade faced upward to repel an opponent’s retaliation strike. Then, raising the sword directly above his head, Aleksi firmly gripped the hilt with both hands.
Stepping forward with his right foot and left knee, Aleksi followed with a powerful downward swing. This mighty slash was intended to cleave the skull of his opponent. Aleksi could feel his back and triceps tighten as the heavy blade cut in a tight arc. There came a melodic swish as the edge once again sliced through the air. Next, using only one hand, Aleksi slowly tilted the tip of his sword to his right. He rose to his feet and brought the sword up and around his body in a wide arc. With the hilt of his blade now hovering at the side of his head, he then swung down with a diagonal slash.
This last movement was less of a cut and more of an on-guard swing which would prevent an opponent from counterattacking. It also helped to maintain one’s focus after killing a foe. The Masters said that after splitting an opponent’s skull with such a powerful downward strike, the muscles of the arm, or even the mind itself, would tense up from the severity of the blow. Therefore, they taught that one must release the tension from both the blade and the body in preparation for another attack. It also was hinted that the movement had the helpful effect of dislodging tissue, bone, and other viscous matter from the blade. Aleksi had yet to test that second theory, however.
Keeping the tip of his sword pointed at his fallen opponent, Aleksi switched his stance and slowly brought his left hand to his scabbard. The youth then extended his right elbow and, maneuvering his wrist, slowly slid his blade back into its sheath. As he did, he also lowered his right knee to the deck. This was done to offer a ceremonial bow to his fallen enemy while at the same time not compromising his own martial stance. Aleksi then rose and took several small steps backward, retreating from an encroaching pool of imaginary blood.
Despite the rhythmic rocking of the ship, Aleksi practiced that technique and many others over and over again. He felt his inner and outer states become one. His mental focus flowed with the movement of his blade’s form as his body was united with the serenity of his mind’s inner stillness. There were only the blade and his breath—nothing else.
Achieving unity in motion, Aleksi then let his attention expand. First, he reached out to the ship and felt its rhythmic sway. Slowly, his body’s controlled motion of expanding and contracting muscles harmonized with the ship’s steady movements. Next, Aleksi connected to the sea—the force that rocked the ship and gave Terra its life. He felt the source of the cavernous current of the ocean buried deep in Terra’s heart. Pulsing in rhythmic beauty, Aleksi made Terra’s heart his heart. Lastly, Aleksi connected to the wind—the force that drove the waves and gave lift to the Guardians’ wings. He felt the numinous breeze blow across him, whispering of the mysteries of the great void beyond. Filled with awe and wonder, Aleksi saw that great mystery reflected in his own inner stillness. The sound of Aleksi’s breath and the whir of his blade were united with the ship, the waves, and the wind’s salty spray. There he selflessly dwelt, his mind unbroken in the fluid abiding of unremitting concentration—oneness.
The Masters’ teachings are right, Aleksi realized. You can’t become at one with anything. For you already are at one with everything.
During his training, Aleksi noticed that Brayden had been sporadically glancing backward from the helm. As Aleksi finished the last of his forms, however, the boy openly watched him.
Slowing his movement to a halt, Aleksi sheathed his blade and called down. “Your father says you practice very diligently with your sword.” Brayden remained silent as he continued to look up at Aleksi. “I have finished my personal training for today. Why don’t you come up here and join me? Now that Kefta is your teacher, I am sure you don’t look forward to your training very much. If you agree to teach me the Diamond’s lines and sails, I would be happy to share my sword art with you.”
“I must man the wheel,” Brayden answered, biting his lip.
“Well then, maybe tomorrow . . .”
Suddenly, the doors to the navigation room burst open and Kefta surged to the helm. “Course correction! All hands, prepare to come about!” Shoving Brayden aside, the young man grabbed ahold of the wheel and spun it violently.
The ship’s seamen ran to their stations and the Diamond abruptly cut across the wind. As the enormous ship turned, each sail momentarily luffed, losing the breeze. Kefta then looked up over his shoulder at Aleksi. Upon the young man’s face was a wicked grin.
Suddenly, the ship’s sails caught the wind from the other side and Brayden frantically pointed to the stern boom and shouted, “Aleksi, watch out!”
As the Diamond’s sails filled with air, the booms swiveled on their huge hinges. Although a number of seamen held each mainsheet firmly, thereby slowing the booms’ movement, the massive stern spar picked up speed as it approached the stern deck. Before Aleksi could move, there came a loud snap as the stern boom broke away from its brake line. The sailors holding the line immediately fell to the deck and the boom swung toward Aleksi at breakneck speed. Kefta’s eyes shot open in surprise and Aleksi had only a second to respond. Now free of restriction, the boom, thick as a tree trunk, hurtled toward the youth with blinding ferocity. Aleksi knew that if it hit him, it would surely break his legs before toppling him into the ocean.
Sprinting as hard as he could, Aleksi ran toward the front of the stern deck. Coming to its edge, he dove out to the left of the mizzenmast as the boom violently swept past him. Firmly tied to the fife rail were a series of vertical halyard lines, and as Aleksi flew through the air, he flung out his bandaged hand and grabbed one of the ropes. As his momentum swung him around the line, he clamped his left hand on top of his right to slow his speed.
Aleksi was over three meters above deck, and as he slid down the line, he felt the friction burn through his bandage. Once he was only a meter off the deck, he let go and deftly landed on the wooden planks next to the helm. Instantly, Aleksi’s hands flashed to his sword.
“Kefta!” Searing pain flooded from Aleksi’s Rune and green fury filled his eyes. As he felt his Rune grow and painfully dig deeper into the flesh of his arm, Aleksi used his left thumb to ease his blade several centimeters out of its sheath—readying himself to strike.
Kefta took several hasty steps backward before the navigation room’s doors banged open.
“What in Aruna’s name is going on out here?” Domadred shouted harshly. The captain’s eyes flashed to Aleksi, Kefta, and then to Brayden and the rest of the crew beyo
nd. Although the deckhands had finished tightening the sails and were just now getting the booms under control, they looked on with eager eyes.
“We had to come about, sir,” Kefta said hurriedly. The young man’s wide eyes did not leave Aleksi as he spoke. “I had only meant to jibe, but the mainsheet snapped, causing the stern boom to swing free.”
“Never in all my years have I ever heard of a mainsheet snapping!” Domadred shouted. “Only through sabotage would such a thing happen.”
“He nearly killed me,” Aleksi said angrily, still clutching his sword. “I demand retribution!”
“I don’t know what happened, Captain!” Kefta said, raising his hands. “I swear it! You know I would never sabotage the Diamond.”
“No,” Domadred answered. “You wouldn’t sabotage the Diamond—only her guests.” Domadred paused, eyeing both Aleksi and Kefta. “Whatever tensions you two have, duel them out. I will not have infighting aboard my ship.”
“Gladly.” A bitter smile crept onto Aleksi’s face. With hands still clasping his blade, he took several stalking steps toward Kefta.
“Not with live blades, Aleksi!” Domadred said quickly. “I do not want to have to choose a new quartermaster so soon.”
Kefta’s eyes flashed to Domadred with a look of shame but he regained himself quickly and spoke. “We will settle this tomorrow morning, Captain. I want Aleksi to be well rested so that he does not have any excuses when he loses.”
“Fine.” Domadred’s response was harsh. “See to it that nothing happens before then—lest I use Fa’ell’s whip on the guilty party myself.” The captain then turned around and slammed the door behind him.
Kefta followed Domadred but cast a disdainful eye at Brayden. “Oh, and no need to come to training today; I see you have found a new teacher. I hope he does not disappoint you tomorrow.”
Rune of the Apprentice (The Rune Chronicles) Page 27
