The Andurin

Krigsain P.O.V.

One downward swing, a turn and an upward slash. Repeat.

“My footwork needs a little bit of work when using a halberd.”

I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to test the many weapons available on the ship. My personal morning workout is tantamount to increasing my core’s energy slowly.

“Still only two cores. At least I can feel the third core starting to form.”

“Three cores by the age of seventeen? Whoever heard you would say you were being very greedy.”

My new customary visitor during my private practice had come, princess Asara.

“Morning, your highness.” I said with a slight nod.

I continued to practice the Reika, the forms designed for each weapon used by the Kotari. In this case, the halberd. The only way to grow is to constantly push your limits.

Swing, turn, block, grab, finish. Rinse and repeat. I started applying my cores’ energy throughout my body and into the weapon. I was quite happy with not having to worry about the material breaking by an excessive infusion of power.

Slash, turn, dodge and a frontal attack.

DOOONG!

The energy blast vibrated against the wall of the training room. Within a couple of breaths, the area went back into stillness. A fully powered kinetic blast and the room was absolutely fine. A whole deck worth of training rooms. This has to be some form of spatial magic.

“A marvel of Zurian engineering.”

I picked up the pace, increasing the speed and repetitions of the movements.

One, two, three, four, five, six. Each motion an extended form of the Reika. This is when I am the happiest, my weapons and the Will.

[She is using her abilities again to dissect you. Your form is off, by the way.]

I finished up my set of forms and placed the halberd back on the weapon rack.

“I haven’t accepted your proposal your highness. I would appreciate a little more decorum with your actions.” I turned to her.

“I never expected that my gaze would cause you discomfort, Krigsain.” She answered back.

[Help me out a bit here, will you?] I asked my spiritual companion mentally.

[A play on words kid? I’ll help you this time but you should become strong enough to do it on your own.]

[Considering the responsibility you placed on my shoulders, I’ve earned a little leeway.]

[I’ll establish the nexus. You have three breaths.]

“You shouldn’t be prying into other people like this princess. Don’t think that those eyes of yours are absolutely undetectable. Except for the gods, nothing else in this world is completely absolute.” The message was sent straight into her consciousness.

Wide eyed, the little princess stood there bewildered for a few sand grains.

“I am sorry.” An almost inaudible apology came from the previously confident girl.

“This may be a bitter pill but I don’t need the crown, the crown needs me.” I put forth my most dashing smile.

“Then why are you entertaining my offer?” She asked puzzled.

“I just appreciate a truly beautiful woman.”

She just stood there obviously thinking. She was probably weighing my words.

“This is not a pact between equals. You will have to submit or you will have to become stronger than me. Only then, can or will I reconsider the terms of my involvement with you.”

Although I tried to soften the blow with my intonation, the reality of the situation probably crashed into her like the waves.

“I understand.” The princess gave a slight nod and turned to leave.

[She is a prideful one, royalty. Haven’t you given her a lot more than she can handle?]

[She will either rise to the challenge or be put under foot.] I replied.

[What if she does? Will you accept following her rule?]

[Of course not. If no man can rule me, what makes you think a woman would? If by some happenstance she manages to be more powerful than me, Kotar will have another formidable pillar to fight what is to come. Let another man deal with her then. A win-win in my book.]

[The convergence in the well of souls is resonating. Impressive my young one.]

[Intuition is more important than logic with women but you knew this would happen, that’s why you sought me out. Let’s put some serious training in, Oh Great Will of Wills.]

The door of the training room opened after several hours.

“It is time to go.” Ciel came to pick me up.

It might seem childish but I tend to forget the passage of time when I am in solitary training. I moved to leave.

“I thought her royalness would stick like glue, you know.” Ciel dropped one of her sarcastic comments.

“Let’s concentrate on Ikrei. We got about ten more days to push the pub.” I dismissed her nagging.

I walked pass her grabbing my sword.

[Avoiding the issue will not make it go away.]

[No amount of insistence will make me yield.] I offered a counterpoint to the ‘Great One’.

[It worked for me, did it not?]

I bursted out laughing. I couldn’t help it; the Will was right.

“You laughing at something, Krigs?!” Ciel did not look pleased.

“Pay no heed. Just something on my mind that’s all.”

[You made an offer I could not refuse.]

We kept walking towards the training room were the rest of our little clique was at.

“Ready for today’s round my man?” I asked Ikrei.

He was already in the middle of the circle prepared. He had a determined look in his eyes.

“Today we are going to retread the basic forms of the Reika. And we are going to mix it up with variations of it tailored for hand to hand combat that I created.” I told him.

He was slightly taken a back with that comment, looking like a puppy who had lost his bone.

“Form and power is paramount against standard fearbeast and normal melee combat. You can get by with just proper execution and overpowering the counterpart. But when you fight on equal footing it comes back to the small details, exclusive techniques, experience and your bag of tricks.”

I stood right next to Ikrei on his right side.

“Follow my movements, shadow me as best you can. When we are done you will spar with Ciel.”

“Alright.” He answered.

Ikrei’s energy suddenly rose high enough that I could feel the vibrations. Freslia just nodded to us.

“Begin!” She ordered.

Punch, kick, dash, finishing punch blow to the abdomen. Repeat with the unused extremities, switching from right to left. Punch, block, dodge, grab, uppercut. Repeat by switching again. Ikrei was trying his best to follow my actions, he was clearly better when right handed or right footed.

“Keep your form, focus. I am just adjusting what your father taught you already. You can do this!”

We replayed the basic Reika permutations over and over for the next hour.

“Relax your muscles!”

“Put more force into your front foot step!”

“One motion when you turn your body!”

Slowly but surely we were cleaning up Ikrei’s shortcomings. There was only so much you could do, but I hoped to create a small yet stable foundation for him.

The next hour passed like this as well.

By the third hour of training, Iru stood in front of Ikrei.

“Repeat what you have learned. Attack him.” Ordered Freslia.

Ikrei faithfully recreated the Reika forms, minus one or two flaws. Iru blocked according to the teachings. Pretty nifty for a magician, I must say. Whoever trained him was good.

“Keep focusing on the flow of energy inside your body. Use your breathing, your heartbeat as a timer. Keep it steady!” Freslia’s voice was loud.

Ikrei was having a hard time putting it all together. He was looking tired.

“Iru pass him the orgon dilution.”

Ikrei drank up the cup in one go.

“Let’s switch it up. Ciel, Iru with me.” We stood with Ikrei in a row.

We started doing the Reika forms as a group, at the same time, together.

“Who do you fight for?” I shouted.

“For Kotar!” Ciel and Iru shouted back.

A string of Reika forms followed from our quartet.

“Who do you live for?” I yelled once more.

“For Kotar!” Iru and Ciel shouted again.

Another string of Reika forms were completed.

“Who do you die for?” I asked again ferociously.

“For Kotar!” Two more voices joined our clique.

It was the princess and her personal guard. They stood at either side of the row. We were now six.

“Give me everything you got Sachears, we might still make great Kotari out of all you.” Freslia said. Her core exploding in all directions, we felt her energy envelop all of us simultaneously.

“Scary woman.” I muttered in my heart.

[She’s a lovely child, you just need time to see it.]

[Really? She is beautiful but that is a bit of a stretch even for you.] I pondered.

[Think of an extremely rare flower buried at the top of the highest snowy peak.]

[Then only an equally rare herbalist will find it. Don’t you think Great One?]

[Ha ha ha ha ha ha!]

Unable to control the combined strong emotions coming from my companion and myself, I laughed like a nutcase.

Since Freslia’s energy was connected to mine, she perceived that I was laughing at her words.

“On the double now!” The pressure from her intensified.

“For Kotar!” We screamed.

The practice of the Reika forms resumed in earnest.

[You are not trying to get me in trouble with women, are you?] I probed mentally.

[No…not intentionally.]

The answer was anything other than reassuring.

We continued our joint practice well past the midnight mark.