by ylugin
The sound of Zorin's sword cutting the air brought her attention back to the reality before her. Lana eyed the people watching, her eyes met with Kaiden’s sending a jolt through her.
Don't pay them any attention. Pretend you are practicing with Kaiden. Ardin’s words entered her thoughts.
Lana wished that she were only practicing with Kaiden.
Slowly she pulled the sword from her belt and took a defensive stance. Zorin raised an eyebrow but said nothing. After a moment he took a step towards her. He saw that she was not going to be the first to make a move, so he swung his sword at her. Lana reacted, her steel clanked against his creation, stopping his assault. Zorin stepped away while she stepped to the side and then towards him, swinging.
Zorin ducked away with ease. He was quicker than she had imagined. She became bolder with her attacks but Zorin, without much effort, blocked each or ducked away. Their game with swords was becoming. She was not getting anywhere with him and by the looks of it she wasn't even giving him much of a challenge.
Suddenly, in the midst of Zorin swinging down at Lana his sword vanished into dust in his right hand, only to reappear in his left. He switched blade hands in one effortless motion. Lana watched with shocked eyes, amazed at his talent. Moving swiftly like that, switching hands so easily and without limitation was not something she had thought to be possible.
The trick happened too quickly, she didn’t have enough time to fully grasp what was happening before it were too late. It threw her off, allowing Zorin to get her to tumble over with a loud thump onto her back. The impact forced the wind out of her. After a moment on the ground Lana was able to regain her breath and get back on her feet. Her eyes darted at the crowed, feeling embarrassed.
Keep your eyes on Zorin. She heard in her head.
Lana heeded Ardin’s advice turning her attention to a gleaming blade coming down on her. She managed to block his attack. Zorin again switched sword hands, as his blade vanished from one hand only to reappear nearly instantaneously in the other. He came at Lana in a similar way as before. This time she succeeded to block him and dive out of the way while keeping her balance. In the process she got a closer view of his sword, it had the same detailed markings as the first one he had made.
With quick breaths, Lana straightened, watching him cautiously, finding his talents remarkable.
"Good, you are a quick learner," Zorin observed.
The sound of his voice foolishly caused Lana to let her guard down, just slightly. It was enough for him to manage getting her sword out of her hand in a single easy maneuver, sending it flying several feet away.
To her surprise Zorin continued his assault after she had lost her sword. He swung again and again as Lana dodged every movement, moving even further from her weapon. The last swing cut her arm, it would have cut a lot more had she not dodged to the side.
Was Zorin trying to kill her? Panic flooded through her, suddenly feeling extremely vulnerable. Rage followed right after the initial panic.
Lana had ducked and backed herself up against a tree. Zorin raised his sword and swung it down at her without hesitation.
He really is trying to kill me! Lana internally screamed. She had had enough of this.
Fight Back! Ardin spoke to her.
Raising her hand in defense from the blade’s assault, Lana sent her anger infused with strength into her palm. A silver sword erupted in her hand stopping Zorin’s attack with a loud ring. The force of the hit was strong enough for Lana to feel a sharp pressure in her wrist, vibrating through her. Pushing herself upright she found her footing, never taking her eyes off of her foe. Zorin stepped away for a moment, his gaze set on the blade in her hand, while Lana's head spun from the energy pull of creating the sword.
If she hadn’t formed the blade in her hand, then he might have actually gravely injured her. She questioned why he was doing this and whether he was actually trying to hurt her for there was no way for him to know she was able to wield her power into a sword, to block him. Yet he kept attacking.
Lana could feel the anger and rage pulsing through her veins. She was not going to allow Zorin to lead their dance any longer. With her head now spinning from the pull of creating the sword, she needed to end this immediately.
With a grunt of strength, she attacked. Zorin blocked her move as she had expected him to. She attacked again, he blocked in a similar manor, and she attacked a third time but this time as he moved to block she could feel energy pooling in her free hand. Pressing her blade against his, she rendered it useless for what was to come.
A second silver sword formed in her once free hand and stopped at his throat.
A gasp came from the audience around the arena and a slight one escaped from her. Lana stood with two blades, shocked that she had created the second blade so quickly. Just a month ago it would take her minutes before she could create and hold two blades at once. However, she remained composed, so that no one but she and Ardin would know just how unexpectedly the second sword had appeared.
Everything seemed to freeze in time. In that one breath of a moment Zorin stared back at her with no fear in his eyes but pure surprise. The entire arena seemed to have been holding its breath, not daring to move. Then Zorin let his sword fall away into dust, a silent claiming of defeat.
No sounds came from the arena as everyone waited.
The swords in Lana’s hands turned to shimmering dust as she released her hold on them. She gave Zorin a hard look, but he portrayed nothing after his release. She thought she could see a glint of pleasure sparkling in his eye.
Hushed voices filled the arena. Taking a step back from Zorin, Lana’s gaze fell upon the eyes surrounding her. They were all watching her, judging her. Swallowing back nausea, she turned and swiftly walked out of the arena without looking back.
Lana was furious. She liked Zorin and he was attempting to kill her! Not only that but where was her Aorra or even Kaiden for that matter? Had they not seen Zorin swing his sword down at her when she had no weapon? The man even drew blood. She felt as if they all had played some cruel trick on her.
Walking through the small wooded area near the north end of the castle, the side where her room was located, she made her way to a small pond that she had seen sparkle in the morning sun from her window. To her surprise there was a steam just above the water. Lana lowered her hand and felt warmth. It was a hot spring.
There was a gentle nudge in her mind as Ardin gently probe, trying to find her, to talk to her. She pushed him away, needing time to calm herself, to be alone for a while. After a short moment Ardin retreated, leaving her to herself.
Unlacing her boots, she took them off, sticking her feet in the warm spring before laying down on her back in the soft grass. A calming scent of fresh grass filled her lungs as her breathing steadied. For the first time in days Lana managed to not think of anything at all. A calm peace fell over her as she lay in the grass without a single thought. It was glorious.
Lana wasn’t sure how long she had been there before she heard the footsteps approaching. She continued to lay with her eyes shut until the steps stopped right next to her and she forced her eyes open only to see Zorin standing above her. Shutting her eyes with a sigh, Lana hoped that he was an odd figment of her imagination.
“May I please have a word with you?” Zorin asked, indicating that he was indeed real and shattering any hopes that he was an illusion.
“Sure,” Lana grumbled, opening her eyes and sitting up. She did not want to talk to him, but he was an advisor to the council, to the people that she needed on her side. Noticing how wrinkled her toes have become, she pulled her feet out of the crystal clear water, bringing her knees up to her chest.
“You did really well today.”
“By not letting you kill me? Thanks.” Lana sourly retorted before noticing Dorian, Zorin’s Aorra, sitting a few paces behind Zorin. Her eyes glared at the silent beast.
“I was not trying to kill you. I wanted to push you, to see your
skill set. You were never in harm’s way.”
“You didn’t even know I could make a sword.”
“That is not exactly true.”
Lana turned, looking at him, waiting for some sort of an explanation.
“Of course I knew you could. Don’t think of us as ignorant and locked up here in Alogrin, unknowing of what goes on in the world. I wanted you to show me. I showed you kindness at the party and so you did not want to hurt a nice old man. Also many tend to underestimate me just because I am not as youthful as I once was, so I cut you.” He looked at her arm “To make it real, to anger you, to trigger you to give it your all.”
Lana sat in silence, what he said made sense, however it hadn’t done much to take away her anger. Upset that he knew more of her than he let on, she felt tricked.
“It is not every day someone is able to catch me off guard as you did in the arena. You even managed to impress Dorian and that is very rare that anything impresses him. Catching me off guard the way you did will never happen again. I too am a fast study, but consider yourself to have earned points with the council and all of the people of Alogrin.”
Lana stared over the pond at some distant trees without a response.
Zorin turned to leave.
“Where did you learn to fight?” Lana asked, stopping him.
“From my father and he from his father and so on and so forth.”
“You were all a family of swords men?”
Zorin laughed quietly while Dorian made some sort of hardly audible sound. “I suppose we were something like that. We were all required to be masters of the sword.”
Lana looked at him questioningly, “What were you?”
The way he looked at her, she wasn’t sure he would give her an answer. His eyes squinted as if in thought, like he was contemplating of a move to make. Briefly he glanced to his Aorra before looking back at Lana with an easy smile.
“Kings” He replied so very casually.
Lana looked at him, eyes growing wide. Of course.
“You’re a decedent of King Rogan Donyerth?” She gaped.
“I am. Rogan Donyerth was my great great great grandfather.” Zorin Donyerth simply stated.
Lana jumped to her feet. This man was a decedent of legends, a descendent of the great kings that used to rule all the lands during a time of peace.
Bowing before him, she hoped that she had not offended the man in her time in Alogrin. Her father would have probably been turning in his grave if he knew how she acted towards a Donyerth.
“Oh stop that silliness! I am no king.” Zorin spoke while his Aorra approached, taking a seat next to him. Dorian seemed to be intrigued by the turning of events.
“But you--” Her mouth was suddenly so dry.
“Had an ancestor who was a king. My grandfather gave Alogrin to his trusted council so long as a Donyerth will remain as an advisor to the council. That is what I am, an advisor and a swords man who trains the people of Alogrin, nothing more.”
“Do the people here know who you are?” Lana asked, terrified to have held a sword up to the man’s neck in front of everyone. A king’s neck.
“Only the one’s it would be important to.”
Lana felt somewhat relieved at that.
“I better go.” Zorin Donyerth said with a gentle touch to Lana’s shoulder. “I am sure I will be seeing you again soon.” He added with a smile.
Lana could only return a small smile as she speechlessly watched Zorin, the decedent of the great Donyerth family, walk away with his Aorra. Like a statue she stood, her eyes following them until they completely vanished from sight.
Remembering the stories, she had heard as a child, Lana sat back down on the ground. Everyone knew the legends of the old kings long before the lands were split into two, the Rami and Madonian side. They were stories people told their children. The great king lived in Alogrin, a massive fortress that was hidden from all except the selected. The king’s bloodlines were known for their ability to forge their powers into the most extraordinarily intricate things. They were blessed and incredibly powerful.
That was until one day a void broke out between the people of the lands. Two cousins of the king, blinded by hatred and jealousy, wanted the crown for themselves. They started a war. They tricked the King at the time, King Rogan, killing him. But in their haste, the murder was complete before they ever learned all of the secrets of how to get into Alogrin on their own.
The cousins blamed each other for the fault, mistrusting each other. A rift grew between them, deep enough to crack the lands in to two. One had the gift of power, the other had Aorras. They divided the lands, culling those who did not belong from each side, creating a Madonian and Rami side.
But King Rogan Donyerth had a pregnant wife who was never seen after his death.
Come find me. Lana called to Ardin, who immediately began heading towards her. She felt exhausted, even after her small nap in the grass.
When Ardin arrived she told him what she learned of Zorin Donyerth to which Ardin implied he had no knowledge of. Her wolf lay next to her, placing his nose on her belly. Thoughtlessly Lana ran her hand over his head, stroking his fur. They laid like this in silence for a while, finding comfort in each other’s company.
It was not until the sun began getting lower in the sky that Lana realized she was starving. The two began walking from the hot spring towards the castle.
When they emerged from the woods they could see Clyte standing between them and the entrance, as if waiting for something. Lana glanced over her shoulder, she and Ardin were alone, and no one else is coming from their direction.
Is she waiting for us?
“You fight fairly well, for a princess.” Clyte yelled to Lana before she arrived at the door. Lana cringed, why was everyone constantly trying her. She wished she could return to the hot spring and just hide there. Her stomach grumbled in protest.
“Thanks,” Lana mustered, the most decent response she could.
Clyte began laughing. “Forgive me, I know you did not wish to be called a princess, I couldn’t resist doing it just once. In all seriousness you did well this morning, much more impressive than Kaiden.”
Lana wanted to leave. Just hearing Clyte say his name with such ease, as if they had always been friends bothered her. But her curiosity thirsted for more. “How’d he do?” She asked, unable to resist.
“He did well, he has good form, seems pretty agile but didn’t get the upper hand on Zorin like you did.”
“Zorin simply underestimated me, it will not happen again.” Lana said with a small shrug.
“Yes, but were he a true opponent, he would only have been able to underestimate you just that once and you would have slayed him. Being a woman, people think us weak, it is an advantage if we use it properly.” Clyte said with a warm smile.
Lana’s stomach grumbled again, reminding her of her hunger. She glanced at the entrance a moment before turning to Clyte. “Mind showing me where I can get some food?” Clyte seemed to be in an agreeable mood and was a powerful person in Alogrin. Lana figured at least she could try and sway her to help her cause.
“Not at all, come with me I was about to head there myself.”
Lana followed Clyte through the hallway answering various questions about Ardin and her life outside of Alogrin.
“Zaichick!” a voice shouted in a thick layer of sweetness, stopping them. The word was one Lana had heard of before. It was from an ancient language that was nearly dead, meaning bunny. It was a pet name.
A short Rami woman with red hair and tanned skin approached them. She eyed Lana with cool green eyes as she passed her. Her hand reached out, pulling Clyte aside. “You never showed to today’s practice.” The woman whispered, her voice filled with rich annoyance, loud enough that Lana could hear.
“I told you I might not be able to today.”
“Might not is not an answer! I waited for two hours for you to maybe show!”
“Could we please not do
this right now?”
“Oh it’s a bad time?” The woman turned so quickly on her heels it could have create wind, and stormed off, clearly angry, leaving Clyte standing alone.
Clyte turned back to Lana. “That was Rika, she is having a bad day, and normally she is very pleasant.”
Lana looked at Rika walking away and then back at Clyte and burst out laughing. She could not contain the humor she found in this situation. Clyte looked at her with an odd expression. “Forgive me, I don’t mean to laugh it’s just… forgive me. It isn’t you it is me…”
What is the matter with you? Ardin asked.
Don’t you see? Rika called her Zaichick and was far angrier at Clyte’s practice absence then a colleague or a simple friend would be.
Clyte’s facial expression suddenly changed from confusion to understanding. “Oh, you need not worry. Kaiden is all yours, not my type.” She said with a wink.
Lana blushed at Clyte’s comment. “It isn’t like that.”
“No? I see the way you two stare at one another.”
“It’s complicated.” Lana looked at the ground with the memory of the other night replaying in her mind. Warmth rose up to her cheeks.
“It is only complicated if we make it so. And for what it’s worth he seems taken with you. Anyways food’s this way.”
Lana followed Clyte down the hall to the dinning room where they then ate together sharing some stories from each of their pasts. Clyte told her how she had met Rika. How the two had only been an item for a few months and she was not yet used to being so accountable to another. Lana talked to Clyte about her and Kaiden, where they met, how it was to see him again after such a long time.
As time passed Lana forgot that she was talking to an Alogrin council member and for the first time felt like she was just talking to a friend.
Chapter
Fourteen
The rays of sun shone into Lana’s room, hitting her face, waking her from her peaceful slumber. Rubbing her eyes open she looked around her room, she was alone. Ardin must have gotten up and was probably playing with Nila somewhere. The two of them had become quick friends over the time of their journey and now in Alogrin.
