The monks above stopped firing, dropped down and surrounded him. More monks appeared from within the monastery.
“Are you sure you wish to proceed with your duty, my former student?” Malion’s voice came from the shadows.
Once, he had loved Malion like a father. He returned his guns to his side and withdrew his two white katanas from his back. “I do what I must; that is all. Please forgive me for what duty forces me to do.”
“Your gifts were never meant to be used this way,” said Malion.
The monks formed barriers of energy around themselves as they began their attack. He could sense each and every movement the monks made, even before they knew themselves. It was over in a matter of seconds as his katanas whistled through the air breaking every barrier.
All over the courtyard was the blood of the fallen monks. With a heavy heart, he wiped his katanas clean.
“You have fallen greatly. You have slain your brothers and tainted sacred ground. What has happened to you in all these years?” Malion stepped out from the shadows and dropped down to the courtyard.
What did happen to him? It all seemed a blur now.
“As your former teacher, it is my duty to stop you. The last time we fought, I defeated you, but I can see that vanity no longer holds you back,” said Malion.
Malion had always criticized him for his vain nature. The vanity he once had was no more. “And it is my duty to do what I must. I am honored to be your opponent, and I thank you from the depths of my heart for all that you have taught me long ago.”
No more words were shared as Malion began his attack. The two of them moved as shadows, almost unseen under the eye of the moon. Malion used only his arms to defend himself. Both men moved like lightning in the courtyard.
His teacher was faster than he anticipated, and he was surprised as Malion’s fist knocked him to the ground.
Malion was about to strike again but suddenly stopped. “What happened to your eyes?”
The blow was a powerful one, and the force had knocked his sunglasses off his face. The sunglasses were never for show; they were there only to hide the two deep scars that kept his eyes closed forever. “My eyes are no longer with me. The vision I see comes from my other senses. Eyesight makes you weak; blindness makes you stronger,” he said.
The surprise took Malion off-guard, and he was unable to deflect the blade from his former student. The katana pierced Malion’s stomach, and he fell to his knees.
“Duty is the strongest bond.” With sorrow, he brought his other katana down severing Malion’s head from his body.
Before he left the courtyard, he counted the number of dead bodies and carved a scar on himself for each one he had slain. There was a loud chime, and the monastery disappeared. Images of family and friends all melded together in a blur, and then everything faded.
He woke up in a cold sweat. Was it a memory or a dream? He could not be certain. He sat up and touched the scars on his body. The phone by his bedside vibrated. He picked it up.
“The Blades will come together in council. You are required to attend. If you ignore, you shall be punished. I look forward to meeting with you again, Luka. Let duty guide you to us. Regards, Viktor.”
Luka touched his scars once more; each had a story.
“Once again duty calls,” said Luka.
****
“Do you always have to smoke?”
He looked at his partner, chuckled and then blew rings of smoke into the air. “Do you always need to complain? Smoking is one of the few pleasures left to me. I feel alive when I feel the white smoke in my lungs,” he replied as he lifted the cigar from his lips.
“That white smoke will turn black in your lungs, my dear friend,” said his partner.
They walked together down the sandy beach. The light of the ocean glistened like a sparkling pool of diamonds. From their appearance, both men were in complete contrast to each other, as different as black and white. The man who held the cigar was slightly shorter than his partner. He wore a well-fitting silver suit, brown leather shoes, and a dark blue tie. His hair was short and brown, but his face was edged and rugged, and he gave off an air of a man who had some bitterness about him. The other, a taller man with long white hair, showed more experience on his aged face. His long gray robe covered him from neck to toe, and around his neck was a black cape which scaled down his back and onto the sandy beach. In his left hand, he held a white hammer with a single skull carved on the hilt. The two men were nothing alike.
“Don’t you ever get tired of carrying that?” He pointed to his partner’s hammer.
“A man of religion is never tired when God’s work must be delivered,” said his partner.
They had walked a fair way down the beach before they came across several palm trees covering a cluster of rocks.
“Finally.” The man in the silver suit smoked his cigar once more.
“Time to bring the wrath of God down upon those unworthy,” said his partner.
“Can you stop with the nonsense about God? There is no such thing.” He lit another cigar.
“I feel doubt in your words. I don’t think you really believe that. As you know, God is all around us.”
He took his cigar out of his mouth and threw it to the ground, stamping the butt out. “You know, I’m sick of your religious mutterings.”
“Do not be angry; anger is the first sign of losing an argument. Let God calm you.”
He raised his hands into the air, agitated by his partner’s words, and kicked the sand.
“It looks like you two are having a dispute. I hope we can end the conflict for you.” From the palm trees, a man appeared with a glowing barrier around him.
The two partners stopped arguing and turned to him.
“Looks like we were right in assuming you were here,” said the man holding the hammer. “Where are your younger brothers?”
The man who had appeared pointed behind them. As they turned, they noticed two others with glowing barriers around them.
“The Aegis brothers, I’m pleased we finally meet. You are ranked quite high on the wanted list,” said the man in the silver suit. “Where is your youngest, the fourth?”
“We three will be enough for you. Don’t worry about him,” said the eldest brother.
“I love your confidence, but you underestimate the envoys of the Shadow Government.” The hammer began to glow in his hand.
“The Shadow Government will fall.” All three brothers spoke in unison.
“I’ve heard that before.” The man in the silver suit looked to his partner. “You take him, I’ll take the two behind.”
His partner gripped his hammer. “The hammer of God shall crush you where you stand!”
The man in the silver suit rolled his eyes as his partner rushed forward. He moved aside just as a huge rock struck the sand, barely missing him by an inch. He rolled up his sleeves and pulled a small ball out of his pocket. The ball transformed into a long bow, his fingers controlling the blue strings of energy. Casually, he stepped to his right, avoiding another massive rock which crashed into the sand. The two other Aegis brothers ran across the sand directing hundreds of smaller rocks toward him. He raised his barrier and prepared his bow as the rocks shattered on his barrier of energy. A bolt of lightning formed on the bow string, and he took a deep breath. “Fly,” he said.
Lightning bolt after lightning bolt left the strings of the bow. The Aegis brothers did their best to evade the bolts and raised their barriers, but the speed was too much. A lightning bolt pierced the barrier and struck one of them in the leg, burning his body to ash. The other brother screamed in anger, but it was too late as another lightning bolt struck him from behind, piercing his barrier and turning him also to ash.
“It seems your brothers have fallen.” The man with the hammer pointed it toward the remaining brother.
The brother said nothing, but his face was one of silent rage. His glowing barrier vibrated with energy as he focused his mind.
Small rocks started to form around him in a whirlwind whipping up the sand into a vortex. Momentarily, the man with the hammer was blinded by the sandstorm. The man in the silver suit did nothing to help his partner and lay on the beach, lighting up another cigar.
The vortex grew in strength, and inside, the brother roared with anger. He raised his arms into the air, increasing the energy around him, but as he did so, a giant ray of red energy erupted within the vortex, dispersing it and throwing him to the sand.
“God’s wrath is swift.” The man with the hammer blinked next to him and brought his weapon down on the man’s skull, extinguishing his life forever.
“Took your time, didn’t you?” He came over to the last brother and stubbed his cigar on the man’s chest. He then pulled out his phone and sent a message.
“Targets eliminated.”
Within seconds the response came.
“Thank you for your contribution. Your next task follows this message.”
Both men’s phones vibrated.
“The Blades will come together in council. You are required to attend. If you ignore, you shall be punished. I look forward to meeting with you again, Kade. I hope you can bring some of those fine cigars. Regards, Viktor.”
“Great, a summoning. We have to meet the rest of those bloodthirsty, cut-throat devils,” said Kade.
“The Blades will come together in council. You are required to attend. If you ignore, you shall be punished. I look forward to meeting with you again, Rafal. Your faith in God is a true testament to your prowess. Regards, Viktor.”
“This shall be exciting. My heart will be reunited with the beautiful Botulinia. God is on my side,” said Rafal.
Kade pulled out another cigar. “What about the fourth brother?”
Rafal had murder in his eyes. “His time will come.”
Chapter 1 – Arrival
The burning ache inside would not go away. It was an endless pain filled with a thousand thoughts, never failing to cease.
“We love you, Kry. We love you so much…” The words brought joy but equally as much anguish.
In front of his eyes, his parents shared their final moments expressing their love for each other, and for him. So much blood had been spilled.
“Please! Save us….” Their distant voices echoed inside his mind. Fading images appeared of Michael and Sarah being taken away as he stood there helpless.
“No! Let me go! Kry! I—”
Kry woke up suddenly in a sweat. His muscles were numb, and his body felt as if it were on fire.
“Kry, what’s wrong?” asked Eclipse, who was sitting beside him.
Kry controlled his breathing and looked out the window. The night was an ocean of stars lighting the darkness in the sky. “It looks peaceful up there.”
“I’m worried about you. You haven’t slept once without breaking out in panting and sweating. We’re only a few hours away from our destination,” said Eclipse.
They were soon to arrive in Japan. The cabin lights had been switched off, and passengers slept peacefully around him. Everything appeared normal, but to Kry, the reality of his life was a shattered glass. It was broken and fragmented into pieces; each piece was a memory of his former life. He did not answer Eclipse and continued looking up at the stars. A silent tear rolled down his cheek as he once more fell back to sleep.
****
Two young boys stood together within a forest of trees pounding at the stumps. The cold breeze touched their tanned skins, a welcome relief from the burning sun. Mounds of leaves lay around them, signs of the constant hammering of the trees.
“Not there. Strike at the center!”
“I am striking the center!”
One of the boys laughed. “Not like that! Watch me! This is how you do it!” Red autumn leaves fell from above as he struck the tree with his fist.
“You’re just as bad as I am,” said the other boy.
The sound of crunching leaves alerted the two boys toward the figure approaching from behind. The dominant figure strode toward them, his golden cape dragging across the leaves. His bright blue eyes pierced their very souls. “It appears you two are lacking the key component of this exercise.”
The two boys turned to one another in confusion.
“It’s not the center you should aim for,” said the man.
“Then where should we aim?” asked the boys in unison.
“Watch carefully.” The man positioned himself in front of the tree and expanded his chest as he took a deep breath. He closed his eyes and remained motionless, standing still as a statue for several minutes.
“The only thing you’re going to break is our patience,” said one of the boys.
The man remained still and ignored them. The boys grew tired and began to walk away, but then there was a thundering crash, the force so powerful that it also knocked them both to the ground. They rose to their feet quickly and were shocked when they turned to see nothing but the stump of the tree remaining. The entire spine of the tree lay on its back, resting in deep slumber.
“How did you do that?” asked the boys. Their faces were animated with excitement.
“Patience and focus,” said the man. “It is not the center that you need to attack, but behind the target is where you should focus your energy. Imagine your fist striking a target further away than it actually is. This will create a force strong enough to penetrate the thickest part of the tree.”
They ran toward separate trees with renewed enthusiasm and began striking at them as hard as they could. Nothing but the sounds of failure returned.
“I said patience and focus. First, patience. Relax your body and mind. Visualize what is beyond the target and bring it forth. Do not rush,” said the man.
The boys listened and relaxed their bodies.
“Focus,” the man said.
The forest became quiet with only the sound of the wind dancing through the trees. Hundreds of trees surrounded them, the two young boys standing with the towering oaks above them.
“Focus,” the man repeated. “And patience.”
A golden ray of sunlight broke through the clearing of the forest. With one step, both the boys in unison pulled back their fists and struck the trees. A thundering sound louder than before resonated throughout the forest as two gigantic oaks fell to the ground.
“Good. Very good,” said the man, looking at them with pride.
Suddenly, all the trees uprooted from the ground; the wind turned to an icy chill, and darkness filled the once peaceful forest. It was pitch black, and a foul smell drifted through the air. The silence ended with a horrific scream. Never had there been a scream so filled with pain and despair.
A voice in the dark followed the chilling scream. “Don’t be scared, my boy.”
An unending laughter echoed in the darkness with terrifying fear.
Wake up.
Wake up.
The screams. Please stop the screams.
“Kry! Wake up!” Whisper’s voice entered his mind.
Kry jolted awake, panting heavily. Passengers were leaving their seats, and he noticed several of them were glancing at him with strange looks. That dream was more vivid than any other he had dreamed before.
“Thank you for flying with SS-Bombardier. We do hope you enjoy your stay, and we hope to see you again.” The captain ended the announcement.
Whisper and Eclipse already had their bags and were ready to leave. Eclipse looked at Kry with more worry than before. “A nightmare again?”
Kry rose to his feet and grabbed his bag from the overhead compartment. “It’s nothing. Just stupid dreams.”
The cabin was almost empty now.
Kry turned to Whisper. “How long did you try to wake me up?”
“Long enough,” replied Whisper, the words forming in his mind.
He did not want to make Whisper worry even more, especially when Geminae had taken his father.
“Let’s move. Rush’s contact will be waiting for us at the exit
,” said Eclipse.
They were the last passengers left on the plane, and the remaining crew members were waiting for them to leave. Eclipse led the way with Whisper close behind. The images of the nightmare remained in Kry’s mind as he left the plane. Nothing ever seemed to be normal for him. He was just barely keeping his emotions under control considering all that had happened. But when he looked at Eclipse, he saw the embodiment of complete calmness and strength. How did she manage to gain control of herself? She had also lost her mother, but she seemed at peace. It was not until they had said goodbye to Rush that the reality of what they were doing hit them.
The memory of splitting from Rush seemed a long time ago, yet in reality, it was only a few days. Rush had told them that the three of them would go on to Japan and train at the special university. When Kry had asked where Rush would go, Rush only answered that he would follow Geminae and rescue Whisper’s father. Somehow Kry felt that was not the only thing Rush was planning but decided not to seek further answers. Rush was always secretive.
The three of them were now going through customs, and Rush’s contact was supposed to meet them. Rush had said a man by the name of Yujin would meet them at the gate. When Eclipse had asked him what Yujin looked like, Rush just smiled.
“Trouble ahead,” came Whisper’s voice.
Kry was already aware and prepared himself as he watched several officers go through Eclipse’s bags.
“Look, I told you there isn’t anything there,” said an agitated Eclipse.
A Japanese customs officer searched through her bags with suspicion. Kry overheard the men speak to each other in Japanese, and then Eclipse found herself surrounded.
“That bag,” said the officer, pointing to the long bag strapped to her back.
Kry had explained to Eclipse that bringing her weapons was not going to be a good idea.
“Whisper. Just as we had done with the scanners, you know what to do,” said Kry.
Whisper nodded.
With uncertainty, Eclipse placed the bag on the table for the officers to check. The bag had been quite heavy with both Shiro and Kuro wrapped up inside. Everything that could get her into trouble would, in fact, get her into trouble.
Rise of the Young: Warriors are not made; they are forged (The Ascended Book 2) Page 2
