by T. A. White
Her feet left the ground as she flew back. She hit hard and lay there, trying to catch her breath. What the hell was that?
"Done yet?" he asked, arching an eyebrow.
Jin whistled. "Ooh, them's fighting words. If he had just kept his mouth shut..."
Kira leveraged herself up, ignoring the way her ribs protested. She was past playing nice, the inner demon inside lifting its head. Blood was in the air and she wanted to play. Consequences be damned.
Graydon grinned, telling her without words to bring it.
Kira found herself willing to comply. She was on her feet in the next second, attacking without thought or any sense of self-preservation. All that mattered was shoving those words down Graydon's throat.
"That's enough." The words cracked through the air. The weight of authority behind them brought all movement within the hall to a standstill.
Kira and Graydon broke off their attacks, snapping to attention as they faced the newcomer.
Wren watched them with an implacable expression, reminding Kira of a commander confronted with the indiscretions of his subordinates. Disapproval mixing with displeasure.
The slightest tinge of red stained Graydon's cheeks as Wren's gaze shifted to him. Kira blinked. Was that a blush?
Naw, it couldn't be.
"Commander, I believe you have duties elsewhere." Wren's reserve didn't mask his censure. His eyebrow lifted the slightest bit. "Unless you would like to do my job for me."
Graydon radiated discomfort, making Kira stare at him in surprise. She'd never seen anyone put Graydon in his place as easily as if he was a naughty child.
Who was this man? And could he teach Kira to do the same?
Jin's voice was hushed as he whispered. "That man is my new hero."
Kira couldn't help but agree. Anyone who could do that to Graydon with a few simple sentences was someone she'd do well to imitate.
"Pardon me, commander. I fear my sparring session with Lady Kira was too stimulating an experience to pass up. I apologize if it has delayed your schedule." He sketched a partial bow to Wren before doing the same to Kira.
Graydon’s head lifted before he straightened. His eyes speared hers as his lips curved in a small, determined smile that said he looked forward to the next time they matched blades.
Kira was left with the sinking feeling this wasn't over. A pity since her body ached in places it hadn't in a long time.
Amila took her blade with a look of reverence. "This is the blade that scored a hit against the commander." She cradled it to her chest with a look of bliss. "I'll treasure it always."
Jin chortled. "I like her."
Graydon and his oshota left the room, leaving a charged silence behind them.
Kira caught the thoughtful look on Rheya's face. If Kira had hoped to fly below the radar, that hope was over now. Her battle with Graydon made it clear she was a force to be feared, even if she had little practice in fighting someone who could use air as a weapon.
Silas raised his hands, calling the initiates’ attention. Maida stood at his side, a step behind Wren. Her lips quirked as she studied Kira closely before glancing over the rest of the candidates.
"We've placed you in groups," Silas said. "If I call your name, please step forward."
There was a rustle among the initiates, their excitement palpable.
Silas listed several names, Joule and Blue among them. The last name he called was Blake's before he gestured to Maida. "If you've been called, Maida will be your instructor for this phase of your training. Your seon’yer. It translates to teacher or guide for those unfamiliar with our culture. Blake, having advanced further in his training, will be her second."
Joule cast an uncertain look at Kira, his unease at being separated clear. Blue patted his shoulder and grinned. Whatever she said seemed to relax him.
"The rest of you will seek instructions from Wren," Silas said. "Your focus for these next few weeks should be on conquering yourself and exceeding your limits. I have faith you can do this. Listen and learn. Only your seon’yer can decide when you are ready to take the uhva na, the Trial of the Broken, and the first stepping stone in your pursuit of the adva ka."
Blue's hand shot up. "What is the uhva na?"
"It is a trial and a test that we use to determine an initiate’s readiness for the adva ka," Wren answered for Silas. "There you will face yourself. Only by conquering your inner demons will you proceed."
Kira wanted to ask how long before those present would be allowed to make the attempt but held back. She'd already created enough of a splash.
Blue didn't share her reserve. "How long until we’re ready?"
"I can’t tell you that. It differs for everyone," Wren told her, not even the slightest ripple in his stoic expression hinted at the aggravation he had to feel at being questioned by a human.
"Ballpark it for me," Blue challenged.
Maida stirred. "Typically, most initiates do not attempt the trial for at least four months after arriving here, depending on how quickly their training progresses. Occasionally, their preparation will stretch into a year."
Kira tensed. That was unacceptable.
Jin's hiss in her ear told her the same.
"However, exceptions have been made." Maida stared pointedly at the spot where Graydon had been earlier before smiling, the gesture slow and knowing. "It all depends on the initiate. Some of you have already received training from your Houses. Others gained experience elsewhere.” Maida’s gaze fell on Kira. “Both hold the potential for accelerating your timeline for entering the trial."
There was a rustle as those present seemed to guess the reason for Blue's questions. Kira didn't react, her expression remaining detached and impassive.
So, her goal was difficult but not impossible. Good to know.
It was a good thing she’d chosen to complete the first test. Otherwise, who knew how long it would have been before the Tuann deemed her ready to join the initiates? She could have been here decades.
Maida prowled away, saying over her shoulder. "Look alive, my pretties. There's much work to be done for today."
Those whose names had been called filed out after Maida, leaving the rest of them staring at Wren and Silas.
Raider joined her. "Looks like we're in the same group."
"Yippee," Kira muttered.
"I'll leave them to your care," Silas said, dipping his head toward Wren before departing.
Wren's jaw flexed as he stared at those assembled. His expression was as unflappable and indifferent as it'd been when he'd stared Graydon down.
"Follow me," were the only words he spoke before padding out of the room.
Devon shoved past her, his shoulder knocking against Kira's. "Don't let the fact the Emperor's Face singled you out go to your head."
Kira stared at him, not letting him intimidate her. Raider's expression was careful as he watched the two of them, his hands twitching as if he was restraining himself from acting.
Devon arched an eyebrow. "No response."
"You didn't ask a question," Kira pointed out.
Jin crowed. "The Kira special. A remark guaranteed to send the recipient to Angerville, by way of Fury Road. I like your style, Kira Forrest. It gets me right in my tingly bits."
Jin didn't have tingly bits unless one counted his electronic circuit board. Not that rational arguments ever really affected him.
However, if he didn't shut up, she was going to find a way to reduce him to scrap metal when she finally returned to the room.
Devon's lips tightened as he leaned forward. "You're weak. You shouldn't be here." He flicked the disruptor around her wrist. "This practically announces you as a liability."
Kira's smile didn't reach her eyes. "There are many kinds of strength. If you don't learn to recognize that, you’ll never advance beyond your current state."
Devon sneered before spinning on his heel and striding after Wren. Kira didn't relax, knowing others were still watching.
> The Tuann she'd noticed during the test smiled and waved. "I'm Aeron."
Kira frowned. "Your friend is leaving you behind."
Aeron’s smile dimmed with uncertainty. He hesitated before hurrying after Devon.
"I've always admired your ability to create enemies without even trying," Raider said. "It’s good to see that hasn't changed in the intervening years."
"He's hardly worth considering an enemy," Kira said in distraction as she caught a glimpse of a broad back belonging to a man with the exact same shade of hair as hers as he strode away from the Warrior’s Hall.
An annoyance? Yes. A distraction? Maybe. Someone to fear? Not really.
*
Raider staggered out of an archway; unhappiness written on his features. Runes flashed along the stone sides of the archway as another Tuann stepped through into the forest Wren had brought them to.
Kira didn't know how, but with a single step they'd gone from a courtyard in the fortress to standing in the midst of a lush forest, ancient trees towering overhead, a monolithic stone jutting from the mountainside behind them. It emerged above the trees like a leviathan breaching the surface. Tall and remote.
"Why do they keep insisting on breaking the basic laws of the universe?" Raider groaned.
Alarm colored Jin's voice as he shouted through the coms. "Where are you? Kira, answer me! Your signal disappeared."
The edge of panic creeping into Jin's voice meant Kira couldn't ignore him this time.
She lowered her voice and faced Raider as if the two of them were in the midst of a conversation. "Calm your jets, Tin Man. We're all fine. We went through a spot of teleportation, but that’s it."
Raider looked confused for a second before understanding dawned.
Jin exhaled, audibly calming himself. "Right. Right. Teleportation. Why didn't I guess?"
Jin’s consciousness pushed forward as he dipped into her senses. The experience of feeling like she’d disappeared—if only for a moment—must have been more disturbing than he wanted to admit, if he was riding her senses without asking first.
Kira let the trespass go, knowing being locked in the room while things were happening was difficult for her friend.
"I wonder why we didn't see these in Luatha." Kira glanced around. No one else seemed surprised or uneasy, which meant archways that enabled you to cross a large distance with one step were fairly accepted.
Finn's blank expression caught her attention.
Ah. They probably did. They simply hadn't shown them to Kira or the rest of the humans. Probably considered them too much of a security risk. She couldn't blame them for that.
The other initiates headed toward where Wren had taken up a position at the base of the towering monolith. He gestured at the surface behind him. "All of you failed to scale the wall during the Trek of the Weary. You will remedy that lack now. How you reach the top is up to you." He pointed at the trees. "For those who fail or whose ki isn't strong enough, we've set up nets. They'll catch you should you fall.”
For the first time, he smiled, the expression hard and unyielding. “Let me be clear—you won’t progress until you have passed this stage."
The pale, nearly invisible nets Wren pointed at weren't made of any material Kira recognized. They hummed with a nearly inaudible sound, beams of energy the likes of which Kira had never seen crossing and threading in and over one another.
"You may begin now," Wren said, stepping to the side.
Devon was one of the few who didn't hesitate, charging the wall without question. Much like he had during the trek, he leapt, his feet sticking to the stone as he ran up it. His fellow initiates followed; each person's technique slightly different.
Raider whistled. "I wonder what the purpose behind this is?"
It could be anything from testing their manipulation of ki, to increasing their stamina, to building their problem-solving skills. For all they knew, the task was designed to keep people like Kira and Raider from completing it.
"Does it matter?" Kira asked.
If Wren said they needed to reach the top, that's what they'd do.
"Suppose not, but it does make me curious," Raider said, looking up.
Aeron stood off to the side, shooting glances at them as he rubbed his hands on his thighs. He was one of those who'd taken the stair option during the trek pretty early on. He hadn't even made it twenty feet off the ground before having to switch. This task, no doubt, seemed monumental to him.
"Are you going to try the climb?" he asked them.
"Why wouldn't we?" Raider fixed him with a hard stare.
Aeron shifted in discomfort. "You can't manipulate your soul’s breath."
Raider scoffed at his words. "Humans can't do a lot of things. That's why we find ways to modify the world around us. It might take a try or two, but I'll make it to the top."
"Too bad Blue's not here," Kira said. The other woman would likely already have jury-rigged a device that would make this task a simple one.
"It'd certainly be a lot easier," Raider agreed.
They shared a look.
That was probably the reason Blue was in the other group—so they couldn’t cheat.
Kira followed as Raider started for the monolith.
Wren stepped into her path, blocking her. Raider paused, shooting her a look. She waved him on.
"Not you," Wren said.
Kira blinked, then blinked again, her head tilting.
Wren pointed to the forest behind her. "Your task is different."
Kira glanced between the forest and the monolith, confused.
Impatience crossed Wren's face. "Your bout with Graydon, while ill-advised, made one thing clear. Your endurance is lacking. Your strength is lacking. Manipulating ki takes both. Until you've built them up, you will run."
Kira's mouth clicked shut as a feminine laugh came from behind her. Rheya sprinted forward, flying up the monolith with ease.
Raider met her eyes, caution in his.
"Don't punch him," Jin advised.
The corner of Kira's eye twitched as Wren gave her his back, signaling she was beneath his notice. Her hands curled into fists as she took a deep breath, releasing it before taking another.
Raider's expression was sympathetic. "Want company?"
Kira shook her head.
He grunted before starting up the wall, searching out hand and footholds as he rose.
She watched him for several minutes before facing the forest beyond the arches. Finn was a steady presence beside her as she moved toward the trees at a sedate pace.
"Wait. Are you actually listening to him?" Jin didn't bother hiding his startlement.
"He has a point." Much as it pained Kira to admit.
Her bout with Graydon might have ended much differently if her energy hadn't flagged in the last half.
Kira moved below the trees' canopy, the leaves cutting her off from the faint warmth of the sun. Here, without its light, a chill quickly set in.
Kira didn't mind it. Once she got moving, she'd be plenty warm enough.
The path was dirt and well-trod, meandering through the trees until it twisted out of sight.
There was a menacing atmosphere to the forest. It felt almost sentient, as if thousands of eyes fixed on her as it waited. The trees rustled and whispered to each other. Trickery and deception lay here, waiting to beguile the unwary. It was the essence of every deep, dark fairy tale forest come to life.
Kira bent and clasped her ankles, stretching the backs of her legs.
"Well, yeah, he does, but when have you let that stop you?" Jin argued.
"When it serves my purpose," Kira told him, ignoring Finn as he waited several steps down the path, his expression inscrutable as always.
Wren's order played to her advantage. Right now, the best thing she could do for herself was to build up her strength and speed. Learn her new limits before she began pushing them.
Kira released her legs and straightened.
"My body
feels different," Kira said. "I need to know what I'm capable of."
"I thought you were here to learn how to manipulate ki," Jin sounded querulous.
"We are, but Himoto always said you had to start at the base and work your way up."
Strength. Endurance. That was her base. They wouldn't let her down, even if her ki never reached the level of destructive power it once had.
"Besides, this allows us to get the lay of the land. Find out what's what while I regroup."
There was a short silence.
"That outlook is surprisingly evolved," Jin finally said.
Kira grinned. "Maybe I'm taking a page out of your book."
Jin snorted. "About time."
Kira finished stretching and straightened before setting out at an easy pace, conscious of the way her body felt. Finn was a silent shadow.
Kira was content to let him linger for the first mile. Only once she'd started on the second, did her pace quicken, picking up until she was sprinting. The distance between her and Finn widened as she caught him briefly off guard.
Good. The window wouldn't last long, but while it did, she needed to take advantage of it.
"Jin, I have a task for you."
"Oh?"
Already she could feel Finn closing the distance. She pushed a little harder, her breath coming quicker now.
"I need you to contact our little friend."
"What little friend? You have several."
Kira fought a growl. Now wasn't the time for him to play dumb.
"The little friend who might do something drastic if we don't turn up soon," she hissed.
"Aww, the impetuous and rash little friend," he said, sounding bored.
Kira huffed. He'd known who she was talking about all along.
“You know you can just refer to her by name,” he suggested.
“I don’t want any mention of her name anywhere. It might seem paranoid, but we’ve kept her safe this long. No sense exposing her existence to the Tuann through comms that might be intercepted.”
Jin grunted. “I contacted her while we were still on Ta Da'an."
The tight ball Kira had been carrying in her gut loosened slightly. Their rash friend was still very young and hadn’t quite grown out of the stage where she acted without thinking through all the consequences. The last thing Kira needed was for her to create an incident and expose her existence to dangerous groups who might want to use someone like her.
