Furion's Trials (Book Two of the Items Trilogy)
Page 10
Alex’s anger had erupted as he billowed “I’LL NEVER LET YOU!!!”
His abilities were activated and what Gerieg said would never happen as long as Alex continued to draw breath. He gripped tighter on his staff and charged a suddenly startled Gerieg. He twisted the staff and knocked the tip of the blade far to the left and attempted to slam his right foot into his master’s chest. Gerieg wasn’t surprised for long as he twisted away from the powerful strike. The attack missed and continued to pass beyond him. With his free left hand, Gerieg grabbed Alex’s throat and slammed him to the ground. His blue eyes were calm as the wind crashed from his opponent’s lungs. He then released his hold on Alex’s throat to stand. Gerieg moved swiftly despite everything seemingly slowing. It was quickly understood he was using his Furion abilities as well. His sword suddenly came into Alex’s field of vision and was arching around to remove his neck from the body. For sheer luck, the staff remained in his left hand. Twisting it with his newfound strength, he surprised Gerieg by slamming it into the side of his left knee and was brought to the ground. As he recoiled from the impact Alex took the chance to roll to his stomach and quickly gained his footing.
Knowing what his master’s true plans were for him and for who Alex cared about fueled him in knowing his master cannot be allowed to live. Their distance from each other was perfect. He grabbed the end of his staff with both hands and brought the knot of the staff back until it touched the ground. Upon that solid sensation Alex heard it whistle in the air as he brought it over his head, aiming for the crown of Gerieg’s skull.
Suddenly Gerieg looked up and saw the final result of his actions. As the staff moved perfectly he brought both of his hands up and caught the head of the staff. The forceful impact traveled through him and drove his knees four inches deeper into the ground. Alex tried pulling the weapon from him, but Gerieg’s grip was inhumanly strong.
Just as he was about to release his grasp Gerieg smiled in a disarming way. “That is enough. It worked.”
“WHAT DID!” Alex yelled in anger.
“My story to trigger your power, of course.” He said while standing up, slightly favoring his left knee. “I will tell you more when you return. For now run with Elo and Shade until you relax.”
He was still radiating anger and rage as Elo approached with a look that told him to follow. “Come.” He rumbled with calmness.
Elo suddenly bolted into the forest. Shade looked at his red-faced brother and with a jerk of his head stated “Let’s go, I’ll tell you along the way.” As Shade took off after his master Alex stole a look to Gerieg to see him smiling in a profound way. This was all planned again. Before the spasms began to crash he released the staff and bolted behind Shade.
Within a few paces Alex remembered how Gerieg and he ran earlier, and soon found the proper bounds while dodging through the trees and jumping clear over thick brush. Soon he was almost at his peak of speed as Shade and Elo ran through the forest. When he arrived Elo glanced at him and nodded his approval to run by his side. Shade quickly sprinted to his brother’s other side. While he talked he focused on running and the obstacles before him. “I’m sorry for what Master Gerieg said, but it is part of your training. Like he’s told us those many stories every night, this one was no different. He didn’t mean what he said, but he told me there was no other way. If you thought he was joking your abilities probably wouldn’t be triggered, so he needed to act the part. Do not fault him because your trigger is so specific. He said that for a Furion that their unbridled fury is the initial source for their abilities to be honed and trained. When you understand your item, you can control it without getting so angry.”
His words helped, but the images Gerieg gave weren’t easily discarded.
After a minute Elo said proudly “It has been many years since my partner has been brought to his knees so unexpectedly. Though you surprised him I’m astounded to see how well you fought.”
“Master, you were able to see them?” Shade asked as he began panting.
“Of course,” Elo said with a calm certainty. “A Furion is much faster than any human, but compared to a fiend lord, their speed is similar to our own. Some masters are faster or slower, but not by much. If you were to see the speed of a Furion from a distance you would see his every move, but up close the eye has a difficult time keeping up. Their speed is similar to ours, but their physical power will forever exceed our own no matter how much we train. With practice and patience you will be able to see your Furion move as clearly as me.”
For the next two hours they remained silent and circled the camp a hundred times at least and well passed nightfall. If it weren’t for excellent night vision Alex wouldn’t have been able to run so effortlessly through the woods. After another pass or two he began to feel weaker. Alex told Elo and they altered their course and found their way back to camp. When they arrived Gerieg had both open palms holding either side of his bare knee as he kept it outstretched, beside the fire. When they arrived he told the three of them to use the stream again. They did and it was cooling and also served to quiet Alex’s temper even more.
They arrived later and silently calmed themselves for another hour.
Gerieg’s voice finally brought Alex back to reality as he explained himself and supported exactly what Shade said earlier. He wasn’t truly wasn’t going to do as he said, but he had to sell himself. He apologized and Alex told him that he now understood the reasons. The last things he said for the night was “Although what I said was a lie I will continue to make up these stories until you learn to bring them about yourself. Tomorrow we will begin again and this time I won’t be so surprised. It has been a long time since I’ve fought a Furion for an opponent, but I won’t soon forget this defeat. Sleep well, you are both going to need it.”
Shade and Alex knew that this day’s reprieve would be short lived. They glanced at each other and groaned. They quickly found themselves asleep to prepare for the days to come.
Chapter 5
Before departing the next day Alex wondered how his master’s injury fared. Ashamed for his earlier reactions, he asked Gerieg if he could continue the journey. The elder Furion grinned and showed that not a single mark was left behind and the joint bent without any discomfort, not even a bruise revealed itself. It was amazing to see how quickly the injury recovered, for a normal person the knee would not only be shattered, but also the recuperation would take many days, if not weeks, to move without relative tenderness.
Alex hesitantly asked “Master, how have you healed so swiftly?”
“Unlike normal humans, we Furions can call upon our abilities to expedite the healing process. A minor injury, like what you did to my leg, was easy to repair during the night.” Then Gerieg remembered his student’s recent injuries that are only weeks old. “Alex, when you were at the border of life and death you too unconsciously used your abilities. Normally you heal like everyone else, but when your training reaches a point I’ll teach you how to take any injury and heal it in less than a few days, if not sooner.”
Then they rode through the entire day, Shade doing his upmost to keep pace with the masters.
That night, when camp was built and a filling meal consumed, Gerieg and Alex did another rigorous stretch before the next lesson. Though Gerieg unsheathed his ornate sword and spoke with calmness, his story about ripping Marlin’s eyes from their sockets and turning him into a eunuch forced Alex’s abilities to be triggered again. Though Alex could hear and see that his master would never do those cruel things, the images he painted in the mind couldn’t be forgotten. Though not in a blind rage like the day before, this episode was different for Alex. His mind was oddly calm while his body had been heightened.
In this sparring session against his master he was outclassed and overpowered right from the start. Alex fought with all of the skills the staff could create, but the speed and precision of the single handed blade was superior to the stick. The cuts, thrusts, slashes, parries and form alterations of the
blade left the twirling and whipping of the staff a relatively useless weapon in a combat situation. The battle lasted only a handful of seconds between two triggered Furions, but the master received not a single blow because his speed, precision and extreme flexibility that far surpassed his student’s.
Though Alex received seven shallow cuts on his legs and six rising welts from getting smacked from the flat of the blade, it was obvious Gerieg was holding back his true abilities, while Alex fought with everything he was capable of doing.
Once Gerieg thought Alex’s sparring session was sufficient and his injuries weren’t going to dampen his continuing training for the next day he had Alex go for a run through the forest with him. Alex grumbled, but followed his master to burn off the building tremors. For the next hour and a half they ran until the spasms were manageable. Then they bathed in a nearby pond and went to sleep.
For the next three days they trained like this. The only thing that slowly seemed to improve was that Shade and Elo ran slightly faster and longer. And Alex’s sparring with Gerieg increased to twenty seconds before they ran off the excess and went to sleep. Sheer kept a watchful eye for hidden dangers and also helped locate the group’s next meal. Kikren stayed to himself most of the time and allowed his lord and protégé to do what they needed. He didn’t say much as usual, but he did more than could be credited. When Alex was too tired to even stand he’d do everyone’s laundry and cook a proper meal and keep their belongings in proper order.
Nearing the end of the third day they all caught a sight they were hoping for. The opposite side of the Widow’s Forest.
Both Alex and Gerieg thanked their hosts for expediting their travel through their land. The many Xeal trees shook with gratitude and would soon inform the Central Mother that they made it safely.
Like before, there was an obvious border dividing the normal, sparser forest, from the forbidden one. The acres of wild grass would be an appropriate resting place for the night, Gerieg thought and decided to call it. No one protested. They set up camp and continued with the routine.
The next morning they continued heading east, crossing into the lands of Gagiat. Elo said that since they were no longer inside Alluan’s boarders that they would continue traveling together for safety purposes. That didn’t slow the training by running in the least.
Though the lands remained mostly of sparse pine forests, they traveled east for the next eleven days. Training continued with miniscule alterations to Alex and Shade’s strict regimen.
Each passing day both siblings had faintly begun to grow. Thinking back to their very first week, they can already see the improvements. Shade could now continue running at his fullest with only two or three breaks to rehydrate and relieve himself and when finally making camp he’d crumple to the ground, but no longer did his muscles shake from the over-exhaustion; also his recovery time shortened by almost half.
Alex now sparred for an entire minute with his master, but the staff remained ineffectual despite its ability to deflect the hundreds of strikes. When Gerieg said it was time for another run, he did and sometimes Shade would join them while also trying to keep up their rigorous pace. During the nightly run, in an induced state, Alex’s new way to run became more lithe and natural to him. Three or four times he tried running like that in his normal condition to only find himself off balance and in awkward footing positions. Apparently the lunging only worked with a more powerful thrust only the increased leg strength could supply. Sheer commented he looked ridiculous hopping around like a one legged rabbit.
Both brothers wondered when they’d do something different, but they finally began to trust their masters and didn’t voice any mundane opinions.
On the twelfth day their silent questions were realized, but not in the way they were expecting.
The routine changed as Elo came to an abrupt halt in the midmorning day. The dawn air was warming in the heavily wooded area. Many animals were silent, too silent and barely made whispers. Like they were waiting for something that needed to be decided on. Hard running also came to a grinding halt in the eerie silence. Before anyone could bear break the silence Elo’s supine tail whipped back and forth like he does when he goes for a hunt. His round ears turned and his snout turned up to scent the air. Following by example, Shade too sniffed. When he caught what his master did, his lips slightly pulled back into an angered expression.
“What is it, my friend?” Gerieg whispered to Elo.
A deep growl escaped his pure white teeth. “Smoke, but something more vile is mixed in the scent.” He said, turning his head to his partner. “That hidden village you got provisions from on our journey to pick the young ones up, I believe something bad has happened.”
“What do you mean?” Gerieg asked, instantly serious.
“I smell more than just the usual amount of smoke that a village that size is normally capable of. Plus there’s blood and decomposition in the air, much of it.”
“Master,” Shade said, walking around to look at Elo directly. “I think we should go see what is going on. I’m getting a bad feeling from this.”
“As am I, young one.” Elo admitted. He then looked back at Gerieg and Kikren. “It is our duty, Gerieg. We need to check on them.” Without further agreement Elo turned back to Shade. “Follow me and remain silent.”
Shade nodded once.
Feeling the atmosphere darken, Gerieg drew his sword while explaining the situation to Kikren. The aid also drew his sharp dagger from his boot. Alex gripped his staff from behind and drew it from his back belt loops.
Gerieg whistled and Sheer swooped in, he told her to see what the problem was and she took off again.
Elo began silently stalking through the thinning woods and altered the direction north. Shade followed, also using stealth learned from hunting.
For a half hour they moved silently through the trees, Alex and Kikren still hadn’t smelled anything yet. During that time Sheer flew back, disgusted beyond words, but she managed to say before dry retching “It’s terrible… The village… There is no one about.” With that both Elo, Shade and the other’s increased their pace.
Then the wind shifted, bringing the smell of burnt wood, iron and excrement, but most of all the early smell of decay overpowered the other scents.
When they found a break in the trees they peered into the expanse.
Vultures and crows circled over carrion, shouting for joy for a feast they’d have. Below the circling birds was rising black smoke, but from a flame that burned out and died long ago. Smoldering ash seemed all that remained. In the distance were small black mounds surrounded by farmland. The size of the village would support no more than a hundred people. The crops were also blatantly burned. Ash and soot covered the ground for acres. Even from the distance, they could all see the overwhelming destruction.
Gerieg dropped to the ground, almost in a daze. Alex slipped down from Shade’s back and even Kikren landed. Sheer continued lazily circling over them, chirping angry curses.
Without waiting, Alex took a step toward the village, but suddenly came to a halt. Being jerked back, Gerieg filled his vision. His master showed an emotionless mask, but his tone was tense. “Alex, before we check on the village I must warn you. Things will likely anger you in there and I need you to control yourself. Your trigger is for protecting the weak and already I can see how bothered you are. If you cannot keep your abilities in check I will leave you here alone to stay until I return. There may possibly be survivors, but if you become furious and go on a rampage I’ll send you away to cool off. Am I understood?”
“Aye, Master.” He said, wanting to get there as quickly as possible.
Gerieg nodded and released his firm hold on Alex’s arm. The elder Furion then looked at everyone to nod for them to proceed. “Keep an eye out. There may still be survivor or even worse, the bastards who did this.”
Then they began their trek towards the village, wary of any attackers that still may be lingering in the area.
Within minutes the mounds they saw became clear as burned huts that were consumed, along with the home’s belongings. It didn’t take long before they saw the carnage left behind.
Elo stopped once they reached the border of the village. He turned to look back at the others. “Spread out and check for any still living. I’m going this way.” He raised a paw to indicate he’d go left.
“Master, I’ll check those broken dens.” Shade said, pointing his nose in the opposite direction. Elo granted him permission.
As the two went their separate ways Gerieg looked up. He placed two fingers in his mouth to whistle for Sheer. She heard the high pitched shrill and spiraled down. Gerieg then ordered when she landed “Sheer, go with Kikren and help him. Check by the lake, there is a protective cave by the western shore that they would go to for safety. If they made it there they may require some assistance, maybe there might be a clue as to what happened.” She nodded and hopped over to the aid’s side.
Kikren knew what to do and Sheer accompanied him to the small lake that lay to the eastern side of the village.
When they were alone Gerieg said “Alex, we’ll work together. On the way to the village’s center, we’ll see what we can do.”
“Alright,” The repulsive odors were nothing more than an annoyance. Searching for survivors came first.