Rise of the Young: Warriors are not made; they are forged (The Ascended Book 2)

by Bygott, Hugo C.

  Her father had not known of the brainwashing when he advised her to take the job. She had known nothing of her father’s plans with Bellum, and he did not do anything to defend her when he found out Bellum was going to brainwash them all. She hated her father for this. There were times when she thought he cared, but it was soon replaced with the constant reminder of his ambitions and the protection of his clan. The Dragon Wang-Tu came first; she would always come second, even if that meant she would have been brainwashed by Bellum or left for dead by the banks of the River Thames.

  Rhea stared up at the metallic ceiling and recalled the powerful iron grip of Dominus around her throat. She was sure she would die at that moment, and it was foolish to have tried to strike him, but it happened so fast that she did not realize her own actions. She had wanted to stop Dominus and to help Kry and Eclipse, but when the calloused hands of Dominus wrapped around her throat, she only felt helpless and weak. In the realization of her death, she thought of Kry and how little time they had together.

  When she fell from the bridge and hit the water, the churning waves swallowed her up, and she cried as she rolled over and over again in the raging waters, her tears lost in the chaotic motions. Then there was only darkness and silence. But then she heard a voice—a faint whisper inside her mind. It told her to fight, to fight until she could no longer breathe. She listened to the inner voice and found herself alive on the banks. She was bruised, drenched, and close to death, but she was alive. She did not know how long she had lain by the bank, but her body was numb and unable to move. The last thing she remembered was the cold rain on her face before succumbing to exhaustion.

  When she finally awoke, she was no longer on the bank, but in a warm bed. The storm had gone, and so had her friends. The first thing she saw were the red uniforms of Bellum—they had found her. She panicked and tried to get out of the bed, but it was then that she saw the man sitting by her bedside. The eye of his dragon tattoo stared back at her. It was her father. She thought he would hug her or say some kind words, but all he had done was look disappointed and then left her alone. The look of disappointment on his face remained with her for many days after that. He did not come again until her body had healed. Her heart, on the other hand, was something that may never heal.

  The small compartment of the Purifier soon reminded her where she was. She was glad that there were no more explosions. Each blast had sent shivers down her spine, and she had tried to block out the sound by covering her ears. She feared for Kry’s safety. Was he even down there? She hoped he was far away from this place, but she could never let her father know her real feelings. She knew her father loved her, but his love was not unconditional—it came with a price. She knew that price when she saw his look of disappointment.

  What could she do? She was trapped just as much as Rush. Her father was aligned with Bellum, and she had to be the good daughter—who would be quiet, passive, and meek—while he worked with Bellum to help capture Kry. And Michael? She could not believe what Botulinia had done to him and how she had turned him against Kry. It was different to the way Cole had been brainwashed. What had happened to Michael was all due to Botulinia. She could never trust that woman, no matter how much her father wanted her to believe in their cause. And Kry was down there somewhere, fighting for his life.

  She knew what she had to do. She was not just going to lie here and be the good daughter her father wanted her to be. Her father also wanted her to be strong as he was, so she would show him how strong she could be. She needed to speak to Rush, but the Seekers never let him out of their sight, and her father had a guard outside her room.

  She went over to the door of her compartment. As soon as she opened the door, her father’s guard blocked her path.

  “I wish to see my father,” she said.

  “Not now. Your father has asked for you to stay here for the rest of the day. Go back inside.”

  “Tell my father that I’m not an animal that can be locked up,” she said, angrily.

  “You can tell him tomorrow after all this is settled.” The guard slammed the door on her.

  She was furious. She banged on the door. “I won’t stop until you take me to him!”

  The door opened, and the guard grabbed her wrist. “You’re going to hurt yourself banging like that.” He came in and forced her to sit down.

  “Get your hands off me!” she shouted.

  “Father’s orders.”

  Rhea flipped his wrist and used her other hand to strike his neck with the side of her palm. The guard choked and tried to gather himself, but he was not ready for what she was about to do. She leaned in and threw him over her shoulder. He landed hard on the floor and became unconscious as soon as she struck his head with her elbow.

  “The daughter of the Dragon Wang-Tu is not as harmless as you think,” said Rhea, looking at the guard she had taken out.

  Since her very early years, her father had given her special training in the family’s dragon style of martial arts. Her father had no son and wanted at least his daughter to have the knowledge to protect herself when needed. Her one regret was that she had not used her skills back at Tower Bridge sooner. She wanted to keep it a secret of who she really was. Fighting the brainwashed Bellum employees was one thing, but when she made her attempt on Dominus, even she was not ready for his speed and strength. Thankfully, her father’s guards were not in the same league as Dominus.

  She grabbed the guard’s keys and locked him inside. Down the narrow corridor, she could hear the mechanical rumblings of the machine at work. The control room was one floor up, but she needed to go down. She quietly walked toward the ladder to the lower floor. The Purifier was a giant machine with several levels all connected with ladders. She knew there were only five Bellum employees inside, and they were all operating the machine from the control room. Her father had a couple of guards with him on the upper floor. Aside from them, the only other people inside were the two Seekers in charge of guarding Rush. She climbed down the ladder carefully and moved toward the compartment where Rush was being held.

  ****

  The university was crumbling all around him, and many of the buildings were on fire. The blasts from the Purifiers had ceased, but the fighting on the ground continued. The bodies of many students lay across the courtyard; death was everywhere.

  Kry and Ren ran through the courtyard toward the entrance of the Chamber. When they arrived, they found the iron gates had been blown off and lay deep in the rubble. Kry could sense Whisper and many others still trapped on the other side. He used his mind to reach out to Whisper. “Whisper, are you hurt?”

  An immediate response came. “Kry? You’re still here?” Whisper’s voice was one of relief but also of confusion.

  “Ren and I are here to help,” replied Kry.

  “Thrace is hurt, really hurt. He was close to one of the blasts from the Purifiers, and his User ability isn’t healing him enough. There are many of us still trapped, and we heard some of the Purifiers have already landed on the stadium field. None of us can use our minds to blow away the rubble,” said Whisper.

  Whatever was hindering their abilities was affecting him as well, and it was getting stronger. “I don’t sense Eclipse with you. Where is she?” asked Kry.

  “You mean you didn’t see her get out?” replied Whisper with worry.

  “No, I can’t sense her nearby. Whatever is affecting you in there is also disturbing my thoughts,” said Kry.

  “She left the stadium during your fight with Abel. She was already gone by the time the Purifiers arrived. What’s happening, Kry?” asked Whisper, his voice now showing signs of fear.

  “Ren and I are still able to use our minds to a certain extent from outside. Just hang on.” Kry then turned to Ren. “We need to blow it open.”

  Ren nodded.

  “Whisper, I need you to tell the others to step back from the entrance. We’re going to blow it apart,” said Kry.

  “I’ll tell them,” replied Whisp
er. He paused. “Thank you, Kry.”

  Kry, once more, had the strange sensation of caring. It was an emotion he thought he had got rid of with Zero’s help. It left as soon as it came. “For what?”

  “For coming back for us,” said Whisper. “You’re still the same Kry I first met in Baker Street.”

  “I’m different, Whisper. That Kry is no more.”

  “No, if that were true, then you would’ve left us already. You being here shows us you care still,” said Whisper.

  “I don’t care. I do this only because…” Kry struggled to find the words for his reasoning.

  “Actions are louder than words,” said Whisper.

  Was he doing this because he cared, or because Zero had asked him? Kry was not sure anymore.

  Suddenly, there was a sound of a roaring engine.

  “What’s that noise?” asked Whisper.

  It was larger than he remembered. A Purifier was descending from the air and was trying to land in the courtyard of the seven paths.

  “We have to do this now, Ren,” ordered Kry.

  They began to create a ball of energy to launch at the rubble.

  “Get back, Whisper!” warned Kry.

  Whisper obeyed and led the students deep into the Chamber away from the blast. Kry and Ren launched the ball forward, and the impact broke through the rubble. Immediately, they ran through the hail of dust and into the breach. The students inside were coughing heavily from the dust. Kry saw Whisper standing there with Akira, Inessa, and an unconscious Thrace.

  Whisper ran up to him. “You did it!”

  “We don’t have much time. We have to go, now.” Kry then reached the minds of all the students. “Everyone, follow me. There’s a way out.”

  “Thank you, Kry,” said Inessa, who had Thrace in her arms.

  Kry turned to her. “He’ll be OK. He’s a fighter.”

  She smiled and brushed Thrace’s hair. Akira then came to Kry and held his hand in a firm grip. No words were shared, but there was a quiet respect for what he had done for them. Akira then turned to Ren and shook his hand, too. Despite their differences and their history, there was no bond that could not be repaired.

  The students followed Kry outside, but as they entered the courtyard, the Purifier had almost landed. Some of the students ran in different directions in panic.

  “Stay together!” shouted Kry.

  It was no use, and the students who ran did not come back.

  Ren lifted his katana in the air and tried to generate energy. No energy appeared, and he tried again. “I can’t focus my User powers anymore!”

  Kry then focused his mind and targeted the Purifier in the air with all the energy he could create, but this time there was a disruption in his concentration—he had felt this feeling before. “There are Seekers here. Their rods are stopping us from using our abilities.”

  “What do we do?” asked Akira.

  The Purifier landed and threw dust into the air.

  Kry wanted to fight, but without their User powers, they had little chance. He turned to everyone with urgency. “We run.”

  ****

  “He’s too fast!” screamed Svana as she plunged her sword into thin air.

  “Maintain the pressure!” Professor Seranay spun her iron staff like a hurricane.

  Eclipse had fought many blade masters in the past, but Luka, this Blade, was unlike anyone she had ever faced.

  Luka deflected all their attacks with precision, and his movements were coordinated and calm. He made no mistakes in his attacks nor in his defense.

  Eclipse thrust Kuro to Luka’s flank but was met quickly by the sound of his silver katanas. Seranay pressed the attack as Svana and Eclipse attacked from multiple sides trying to wear him down. However, no matter what they did, Luka did not seem to tire, nor did he seem to lose focus. He knew every attack before it came, predicted every moment before it happened, and he was everywhere at the same time.

  “I can’t break through!” shouted Svana, her anger overcoming her.

  “Anything is possible! Don’t give up!” said Seranay, deflecting a jab from Luka.

  The three of them continued their attacks hoping for some opening in Luka’s guard, but as the time passed, they grew slower and less aware. Luka jumped into the air and spun around in a flurry of attacks. The sudden maneuver took them by surprise, and their weapons were thrown out of their hands; each one of them was now disarmed.

  Luka landed with his katanas piercing the barriers of Svana and Eclipse. A silver katana was pointed toward each of their necks. “There has been too much death,” he said. “I do not wish anymore.”

  Seranay watched Luka carefully. “How will you end this, Luka?” She eyed her staff lying on the ground.

  Luka noticed the movement in her eyes but never moved his katanas away from the necks of Svana and Eclipse. “You won’t make it in time.”

  There was a moment of silence as the four of them stood watching each other. Eclipse knew any movement she made would be her last. She knew of the skill that was required to cut a person’s throat, and Luka had that skill in abundance.

  “You fought bravely. A much better fight than I’d expected. There were some mistakes in your fighting styles, but I see the potential of these students,” complimented Luka.

  Eclipse was unsure of how to take his comment.

  Luka looked at Eclipse. “Especially you. I see much of myself in you when I was younger. Your style is not so different to my own. It makes me wonder how a fight would’ve turned out with your mother.”

  “If she were alive, then you would be dead,” said Eclipse.

  Luka looked on thoughtfully. “Then it would’ve been a glorious death to die by her black blade—a warrior’s death.”

  Seranay burst forward, and her iron staff flew to her hands, but before she could reach Luka, he kicked the floor and knocked Svana’s sword into the air. The sword knocked Seranay’s staff from her hands. With his other leg, Luka kicked Seranay in the stomach pushing her backward. Svana tried to move, but Eclipse used her eyes to dissuade her.

  A slow clapping came from behind. “A powerful display of skill.”

  Eclipse could sense the power of the man who appeared from the stairwell. His hair was dark black, and his well-trimmed beard covered his chiseled face. He looked at Professor Seranay with disappointment.

  “Makai, you disappeared again,” accused Luka.

  Eclipse grimaced as she saw the Seekers appear behind Makai.

  “I come with the Seekers. Viktor wants answers, so I’m going to have to stop anymore killing. The powers of all Users in the university have been disabled while the Seekers are present. Only the Blades are unaffected,” said Makai.

  Luka twirled his katanas back into their scabbards. “As he commands.”

  Eclipse took a deep breath.

  Makai offered his hand to Seranay who refused it. “A Blade is no gentleman,” said Seranay.

  Makai gestured to the Seekers who came forward and grabbed Seranay by her arms.

  “The Shadow Government never changes,” said Seranay with disdain.

  “No, they never do,” replied Makai. He looked to his partner.

  Luka, in an instant, wrapped ropes around the hands of Svana and Eclipse. It happened so fast that neither of them could resist.

  Makai came toward Eclipse with admiration in his eyes. “Eclipse, isn’t it?”

  Eclipse stared into his hazel eyes.

  “Your mother was my partner before Luka joined,” revealed Makai.

  “And?” said Eclipse, distrustfully.

  It seemed that Makai wanted to say something, but his eyes turned to Luka who was watching him carefully. “Nothing.” He looked around the corridor and at the blood-stained walls. “Too much blood has been spilled already. Let’s hope we can resolve this without any further bloodshed.”

  Seranay struggled against the Seekers. “You’re a strange Blade. A Blade who doesn’t love killing is no true Blade.”
<
br />   “A stereotype which has unfortunately stuck due to my colleagues’ desire for death, but not all of us are the same,” assured Makai.

  “Never trust a Blade,” said Seranay, making sure Svana and Eclipse understood the comment was meant for them.

  “A wise decision and one which I do not disagree with.” Makai turned back the way he came. “It’s time.”

  “Time for what?” asked Eclipse.

  Makai looked into her eyes. “To join the others.”

  ****

  “Something’s blocking us from escaping,” said Akira as he tried to press forward.

  Kry placed his hands against the invisible barrier which was blocking their path to the next courtyard.

  “Without our User powers, we’re dead!” cried Inessa. She continued to stay beside Thrace who had yet to open his eyes.

  “Yujin, Aiyax, and many others are on the other side fighting the Blades and the New Order. We must find a way through,” said Kry.

  “Sonus is fighting against us?” asked Whisper in disbelief.

  “He’s joined the Blades in the fight against us. He’s already killed many students. The other factions have joined together to fight them, but I don’t know how long they can last,” said Kry.

  “Sonus…a man with no honor,” said Akira.

  “The only way out is through the central courtyard and past the Professors’ Tower. The Research Center at the far end of the campus is where we need to reach. Zero told me there’s an exit into the mountains from there,” said Kry.

  “You trust Zero?” asked Whisper.

  Kry did not like Whisper’s accusation. “I do.”

  Whisper noted his angry tone and said nothing more.

  The Purifier machine sat motionless at the other end of the courtyard watching them. Kry placed his hand on the barrier once more and tried to generate his energy. The feeling of energy rising came to him and then it was gone as if something had sucked it away. There were no Seekers in sight, so why could no one use their powers? A terrible realization then dawned on him. “It’s the Purifier. It’s interfering with our minds somehow.”