Chapter 33

  Dungeons and Duels

  The party erupted into battle! Wolf jumped forth and swung with pyromade weapons, slamming into the Arkwarden at the front of the foes. It blocked with its triangular shield, but Wolf was too determined. As his attack connected the Phanokai champion unleashed a thunderous impact of flame. The Arkwarden slammed into the ground and burned away into static.

  The other shield bearing Arkwarden moved forth to stab Wolf in the back, only to be cut down by Hyato. The swordsman delivered a blow to the Arkwarden’s sword and made it lose its balance, then he followed up with four successive slashes to center mass. The Arkwarden faded into the air as a cloud of sparks.

  The rest of the party moved forth and stopped as the two took out the first foes. “Get to the center!” Sebastian ordered, and everyone followed. The party moved to the center of the plateau. Michael and Jess stood at the front in defense of the others as the remaining four Arkwardens closed towards one another to form up.

  “Easy pickings!” Wolf said with a grin.

  “Don’t underestimate them.” Sebastian said, assessing the battlefield. The two spearmen stood in a defensive line ahead of the tall one and the brute. Why would they do that? The brute should be in front. “They’re up to something.”

  “Then let’s cut them down! Hyato, Michael, clear me a path!” Wolf rushed forth. Hyato rolled his eyes and shot past him. Michael’s Dark Blade launched the two spearmen into the air, and Hyato leapt in. A red wave of energy surrounded Hyato’s sword as he cut the two airborne foes into static. “Just two more!” Wolf roared, bull rushing the huge brute Arkwarden carrying the pillar. The enemy made no move to defend.

  Shadows zipped forth from the five pillars, all bearing down on Wolf. Five more Arkwardens, all wielding spears, rushed in to skewer Wolf. His grin faded to panic in the moments before his imminent demise, and he closed his eyes.

  Jess appeared behind Wolf and grabbed him by the waist, then the two flew back from the ambush, pulled by a rope attached to Jess. Lin let go of the rope the moment the two were out of harm’s way. “Idiot!” Lin said.

  “Ah, I would have been fine.” Wolf said, wrestling to his feet. The five pillars spawned two more sets of Arkwardens, and the party was surrounded by the foes. “Err, thanks though.”

  “We need to bust the pillars. Lin, Jess, Hyato, and I will focus on the Arkwardens. Wolf, Michael, you two destroy the pillars.” Sebastian said.

  “Got it!” Michael said, slashing down a Dark Blade to launch the enemy out of his path. Michael rushed forth, while Hyato cut down the enemies in his way. He reached the first of the pillars in no time. Michael slammed a kick into the pillar.

  The tall Arkwarden Pillar reached the ceiling up above, and Michael’s kick had no visible effect on it. Michael tried twice more, to no avail. This was a predicament, Michael frowned. How was he supposed to break something like this?

  The pillar was not made of the same material as the walls. It was lighter, and seemed closer to crystal. Whatever it was made of, it felt alive with energy. Some kind of conduit for the Arkwardens then, they seemed to be made of energy and metal for the most part. Michael took a rooted stance and focused on the earth. The stones and rocks and soil that made up the element of Earth could disperse energy, Michael thought. Michael’s focus caused an ethereal casing of violet elemental stone to appear around his right leg. Michael kicked the pillar with all his might, sending a wave of concussive force from the point of impact! The pillar shook, but remained solid.

  “Use your sword!” Hyato called from nearby. Michael chuckled, the thought hadn’t occurred to him. He refocused his elements to his sword. The black crystal blade seemed to leak darkness, which then formed into a rigid black shell of elemental earth. The sword’s energy color was stronger than Michaels. Michael gripped the handle harder and swung, moving his whole body in a half flip to crash his attack into the pillar! He cut at the base, cracking the pillar and causing it's faint glow to fade away. A half spawned Arkwarden burst into static, and Michael knew he had succeeded.

  A high pitched tearing sound rushed through the sounds of battle, and with it a red beam of energy blasted into Michael’s right arm, knocking him to the ground! From the other end of the plateau the tall horned Arkwarden regained composure. Flecks of red energy sizzled from around it as it cooled from it's sudden attack. The red glow of the orb in it's head was growing again, preparing for another beam.

  “Are you okay?” Hyato asked, helping Michael stand.

  “I’m fine.” Michael said, wincing as he stood, “Focus on the battle.” Hyato nodded and turned to face another of the Arkwardens. Despite their efforts, more of them had appeared to replace the ones that had fallen. Wolf had destroyed one of the other pillars, but he destroyed it to the base. They really only needed to be cracked, the party would be overwhelmed if Michael didn’t finish off the other ones fast!

  Michael rushed towards the next portal, but the massive brute Arkwarden slid before him, swinging a broken pillar as a weapon. Michael dropped to the ground to avoid the sudden attack. With Michael now prone, the brute lifted his pillar to slam it down. Michael gulped, drawing energy around him.

  A red slash sundered the brute’s arm and caused it to stagger. A blue blast of force struck it moments after, knocking it backwards into the standing pillar. Michael shot to his feet and slashed at the Brute with all his might! A powerful attack unaided by surges or elements, Michael cut into the Arkwarden and sundered it into naught. His slash carried forth and shattered the pillar as well!

  A quick assessment of the battle showed that things had swung into their favor. Lin and Jess had cleared the way to another pillar and managed to break it, leaving just two Arkwardens and a single pillar. The tall horned Arkwarden was charging that dangerous red energy again. Michael stabbed the ground in his foes direction and unleashed a wave of black energy.

  Dark Blade launched the two remaining Arkwardens into the air, where they were taken apart by kunai carrying frightening waves of energy with them from the ninja gals. Sebastian and Wolf eliminated the last pillar, and all of a sudden the battle was over.

  To be at one with the world was to gain Synergy. The power of Iagorothi itself, growth, change, a catalyst capable of enacting the will of those using it. Scholars had studied it for centuries, millenia, but could find nothing conclusive of its origin. Was it divine? Was it mortal? Was it alien? Whatever Synergy originated from was a mystery unsolved.

  Synergy rushed into Michael, a feeling of warmth, comfort, and accomplishment. The feeling was fleeting, but the power was there. Michael could sense it, the untapped power of the world, waiting to be woven into growth. Then he looked at Jess and Lin. “What was that last attack you did?”

  Jess giggled and held up a finger. “Secret Ninja technique. Sorry, can’t tell you.”

  “Aww, but we passed the four trials. We’re honorary members of the clan now.” Michael said.

  “Still, you have to learn these from the Chief or an Elder. We aren’t even allowed to teach each other.” Jess said. “So if you want to learn, you need to ask them.”

  “That can wait for later.” Sebastian said, fixing his shirt. “Wolf. Why did you charge forth like that earlier?”

  Wolf blinked, then shrugged. “I fight my enemies head on.” He said. “I don’t like being all tricky.”

  “Being tricky...” Sebastian said, “And being wary are very different. You could have been killed in that ambush!”

  “I’ve faced worse and come out on top.” Wolf said. “It’s too late to worry now, it’s already the past.” He looked around, and saw faces displeased with him. Wolf sighed, “I’ll follow your lead going forward. Check it, there’s a door now.” Wolf pointed out a door heading forward that had appeared, and the others came near.

  “Let’s keep going.” Jess said, and stepped through, and the others followed.

  Sebastian followed, watching Jess’s backside with a slight smirk on his face. They passed through another dungeon corridor when Sebastian blinked. “Oh crap!” He said. “I forgot!” He turned back, but the previous room was already gone. He let out a frustrated sigh.

  “What’s wrong Sebastian?” Lin asked, leaning over to look up at him.

  “I forgot to check that room for secrets.” He said, slapping his forehead. “And this dungeon isn’t letting us redo rooms for some reason...”

  “Just check the next room.” Hyato said. “Look.” The room they had entered was larger than the previous rooms. The floor was broken up into sixteen sections, a massive four by four grid of tiles. Each tile was at a different height from one another, and large enough to support four or five large carts. The party stood on one of the corner tiles, and both adjacent tiles were a little higher up. One was at knee height, the other waist high. The walls went straight up and were smooth in a suspicious way, then curved to be a domed ceiling.

  Michael looked over the walls for patterns, guessing that was the theme of the dungeon, but did not find any. Sebastian rubbed his chin. “I don’t see what to do right off the bat, but I am going to start by looking for secrets.”

  “Okay!” Lin said, “And We’ll solve the puzzle again! Right Michael?” Lin flashed Michael a grin, pumping her arms at her side.

  “Right!” He said with a grin to match He hopped up to the next tile, waited a moment, then began to poke around the room. The party spread out amongst the various tiles of the dungeon floor.

  “Why are there even puzzles in dungeons in the first place?” Wolf wondered as they poked around. “If the walls can't be broken, shouldn’t they just build walls and not let anyone in?”

  “If they do that, then no one can get out either.” Sebastian said.

  “Zori cannot solve puzzles.” Hyato said, “It is safe from them.”

  “No use wondering about why they exist.” Michael said. “We just need to solve it, right?” The party continued to search the room. On one of the tiles, they found some cubes like they had seen in the first room. These cubes had no patterns to them, and there were five of them. As Jess investigated one, Lin carried another to a different tile. The floor sank beneath her fet as she moved to the other tile, making her flinch and grip the cube tighter.

  “Oh, the floors move!” Michael said.

  “Maybe we need to balance out the floor to solve the puzzle.” Lin suggested. “It will be a lot of trial and error.”

  “There may be hints around the place,” Sebastian said, pulsing near the walls. “You should ex-” He trailed off as his arkpulse returned a strong signal. He uncovered a hidden latch in a floor tile, and opened it. Inside he saw something that made him beam. “Everyone, come over here for a moment!” He said.

  Drawn by Sebastian’s excitement, the others came near to see what he had found. In a small nook in the floor were three identical objects. Small four sided objects that seemed to wrap in on themselves in an endless loop. They gave off a faint white light, and shimmered with many colors, like a crystal of a thousand faces.

  “They are Ulprisms.” Sebastian said. “Hidden items you can collect in dungeons. It's usually very hard to find them, but they have many uses. The first use is to acquire the Arkpulse skill. And they are easier to find by using Arkpulse, so it's like the first wall of dungeon delving.” He looked at the five others with him. “We have three here, so three of you can acquire the skill. Cool right?”

  “We can learn that pulse ability too?” Lin asked, reaching for one of the ulprisms. Sebastian caught her wrist.

  “Yes.” Sebastian said, “But these cannot be transferred once you claim one. We should discuss who gets to learn.”

  Lin nodded, drawing her hand back. “Okay. But, I really wanna learn, if that matters.”

  “It could be interesting,” Michael said. “But how do we decide?”

  “You four discuss it.” Wolf said, “I don’t need it. I don’t plan on doing any solo delving anyways.”

  “Likewise.” Hyato said. “You three should each claim one.”

  “Oh, really?” Lin said, glancing at the reflective prisms that floated off the base of the nook, shimmering like rainbows. Hyato nodded, and Wolf stepped away to the cubes.

  “That’s settled then!” Sebastian said, “Okay you three.”

  “I didn’t even get a chance to speak,” Jess said, “But hey, I wanted to learn new things.”

  Jess, Lin, and Michael each reached out and grabbed one of the ulprisms. Instead of moving into their hands, the small glowing objects vanished into their palms! Michael looked at his hand, shock written on his face.

  “It’s a bit like Synergy.” Sebastian said, “You’ll have to focus on it to sense it.”

  Michael closed his eyes and focused. He thought of the ulprism, and could sense it. He had one of them. It felt more like his energy, not synergy. He thought about the ulprism, wondering what could be done with it. And he knew. He sensed it. He could use it to acquire Arkpulse, the ability to emit pulses and to draw them in. The pulses could be attuned to different frequencies. To seek, the pulse sought hidden things, and could be focused. Arkwardens would be able to sense this.

  The Arkpulse, Michael sensed, could also be used as an attack. The pulse would harm those around him, and it's range would be short, but grow as his understanding of the skill did. Michael also detected that ulprisms had other uses. If he used five of them, he could bypass a dungeon from the surface, and head down to a deeper dungeon. Michael wondered how that worked. Would he need to know of the other dungeon already? The last thing Michael sensed about the ulprism involved Arkpulse itself. He felt using one could enhance the potency of a single pulse.

  With a deep breath, Michael concentrated on learning Arkpulse. He focused on the idea of knowing it, and then he did! It was so simple, like spending synergy to grow. Michael looked at his hand, and then created a pulse, tinged purple, that spread out from him. It made his hand tingle. “Ah... so that’s what it’s like.” Michael said.

  “Good job, Michael.” Sebastian said. He then looked at the two ninja girls, who both sat in concentration. It took them a bit longer, but they both let out a pulse a minute later. “Great job you two.”

  “Now I can help you search for stuff!” Lin said.

  “Don’t abuse it too much,” Jess said, “It can summon Arkwardens.”

  “Let’s split up and try to solve the puzzle.” Michael suggested. The others nodded, and returned to their original objective. Sebastian continued a slow walk around the edge of the room, letting out gentle blue pulses to seek secrets. Lin followed his lead, checking other areas.

  Michael focused on solving the puzzle. He began moving the cubes from tile to tile, looking for hints, instead of checking the balance. They moved the tiles around, placing all of them on a single tile. Each one they placed pushed an adjacent tile higher and higher. Once all five were on one tile, another moved up to be as tall as Sebastian. Near the base of the raised floor, Michael spotted a pattern. “Ah ha!” The pattern was a grid of circles, with one replaced by a square. Michael noted it down, and moved all the cubes to the next tile to look for another hint.

  As the last cube was set on the tile, the floor flashed red, and from it a spiked Arkwarden emerged. Before it had a chance to threaten the party, Michael, Wolf, and Hyato struck with ferocious efficiency. They destroyed the Arkwarden, and Jess checked the raised tile. “I think we aren’t supposed to set all five on some of the tiles.” She said, pointing out a hint that showed an X mark in front of a 5, and a triangle symbol at the corner of a square.

  “Well, how do we tell which is which?” Wolf asked.

  “You follow the rules of the dungeon, look for the patterns.” Michael said. He checked the tile they had moved the cubes to, and in one corner found a small triangle imprinted. “See, this one is off limits.”

  “This isn’t really stuff I’m good at.” Wolf said, “Just tell me where to move the tiles.”

  While Michael and Jess led Wolf around to look for hints, Hyato stood guard, ready to strike. He watched the others move about, then switched to watching Sebastian and Lin. They moved through the room at opposite ends, using their pulsing every few feet. Hyato yawned.

  After checking an entire wall, Lin moved on to the next. She wanted to be thorough, pulsing out her pink energy often. She wondered if she would find an ulprism, or perhaps a secret doorway. Excited, she grinned as she worked. Lin took another few steps and pulsed, glancing across the room at the blond haired Evari, Sebastian. He looked like he was having so much fun, how could she not? Lin continued to emit an Arkpulse.

  A pulse sounded from her left, an angry pulse of warning. Lin jumped back into a defensive stance as an axe of volatile energy crashed through the wall. An Arkwarden pulled itself from the wall as Lin’s pulse returned to her. She had drawn it near! Lin readied her weapon.

  The Arkwarden vanished, replaced by the silent swordsman. He looked at her, eyes flat as always, “Careful.” He said, sheathing his sword. Lin hadn’t even seen him move, and she was a Ninja. The Valon swordsman, Hyato, stepped back over to the entrance of the room.

  “You alright Lin?” Sebastian asked from the other side of the room.

  Lin nodded as she returned to where she had been. “Yeah. Sorry.” She started searching with the pulses, being more careful this time.

  “No need to apologize.” Sebastian said, “As long as everyone is okay.”

  Jess and Michael had made most of the room a level surface as Sebastian and Lin finished with the walls. The two puzzle solvers were looking for the location of the last cube now, while the seekers sent out Arkpulses along the tile surfaces. It was easier to search the tiles, now that the floor was almost level.

  A pulse returned to Lin, and she almost shook in excitement. She crossed over to where she had sensed it and took a closer look. The returned pulse came from the crack between two tiles. Lin tilted her head in confusion as Sebastian approached. “Hey, Michael.” Sebastian said. “Can you raise this tile for us real quick?”

  Michael looked over, “Sure.” He and Wolf brought over some cubes, causing the tiles to shift off balance again. They set out the cubes and lifted the tile, and Lin found a small secret compartment.

  “It’s... three letters.” Lin said. “VIG”

  Sebastian pulled out a notebook and jotted them down. “Zur and Vig.” He said. “Zurvig? Vigzur?” He rubbed his chin. “Well, it’s progress. Let’s solve this and continue.”

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  “Okay.” Michael said, grabbing the cubes.

  “I hope we finish soon.” Wolf said, moving the cubes, “I want out of this place.”

  “Seconded.” Hyato said.

  “No sense of adventure, boys?” Sebastian asked, smirking. “Some dungeons are really big you know.”

  “I’ve had about enough myself, for one day.” Jess said. “Is there a way to leave?” They moved the cubes back to where they had determined and started moving the last cube around again.

  “Well, the doors on the way back don’t usually vanish.” Sebastian said, “When they do, it’s more often than not a rather short dungeon. We should be getting close.”

  “That’s good to hear.” Wolf said.

  “There’s just one problem.” Michael said. “We figured out where four of the cubes go, but the last one didn’t work on any of the open tiles. We checked them all.”

  “Really?” Lin asked, looking around. “Are you sure you didn’t skip one?”

  “We checked them all twice already.” Jess confirmed. “We’re missing something.” She frowned and looked over the tiled floor. There were only so many floor tiles. They were all big enough for the five of them to stand on one, with elbow room. But there were only so many. Sebastian chuckled. “What’s so funny?”

  “Well, you’ve missed something obvious.” He said. “Why do you think there can only be one cube per tile?”

  Jess and Michael blinked, then Jess slapped her forehead as Michael groaned. “Of course!” They moved the last cube from tile to tile, the ones that already had a tile. On their second try, the floor became level at last. An ornate door appeared a moment later, as the party felt that same sense of accomplishment as before, the feeling of acquiring Synergy.

  “We did it!” Michael cheered, pumping his fist.

  “Then let us proceed, shall we?” Sebastian said. The party agreed, and all entered the dungeon door. A short dungeon corridor of shifting walls led to the next true door. “What will it be?” Sebastian wondered, opening it.

  The door opened to a set of stairs leading up into a bamboo grove. A breath of fresh air hit them, as they returned outside. “Finally!” Wolf rushed up the stairs and collapsed onto a patch of grass.

  “We’re... back outside.” Jess noted, “Did we get turned around?” The party went up the staircase.

  “No.” Sebastian said. “We cleared the dungeon. And we were returned to the entrance as a reward.”

  “So, that dungeon is only three rooms?” Lin asked.

  “Unlikely.” Sebastian said. “The true dungeon is almost certainly more rooms, but the dungeon in it's state of flux was only those three rooms.”

  “Well, we got a bit of Synergy out of it.” Michael said, “So I guess it’s like training.”

  “And we can clear it again to get more.” Sebastian said. “But the rooms will be different. Shuffled. We may end up in the same situation another time, but it will probably be variations of the same more likely. What we should do is clear it for real.”

  “Well how do we do that?” Jess asked.

  “The words that Lin and I found are the key. If we find all the words, we can find out the name of the dungeon. That is the first step.” Sebastian explained.

  “Well then, let’s clear it again.” Michael walked back down the stairs to enter the dungeon. He placed his hand on the handle, but it didn’t move. “Huh?”

  Sebastian called from the top of the stairs. “Dungeons are locked for a time after being cleared.” He said. “Use your seeker pulse on the door.”

  Michael nodded, and sent out an Arkpulse on the door. The door returned a pulse, so Michael drew it in. Twenty Five hours. He walked back up to the others. “Twenty Five hours.” He said.

  “Over half a day.” Sebastian said, looking at the noon suns above. “We can come here first thing in the morning tomorrow then, and clear it again.”

  “Okay, what do we do until then?” Michael asked.

  The food that Lin served back at the house was somehow tastier than normal. Michael wondered if it was because they had all been delving for a while. Wolf had eaten two plates and now lounged in a hammock. Hyato finished a small serving and went off to practice with his sword. Sebastian had somehow managed to sit between Jess and Lin, eating and talking. Michael ate his second plate, and glanced over towards the castle on the hill. The wooden fortress dwelling of the chief. It sat there, overlooking the whole valley.

  “Thinking about Yan?” Sebastian asked. He was looking at Michael, while leaning back on his hands. He was smirking, though Michael couldn’t tell why.

  On Sebastian’s right, Jess spoke, “You don’t need to worry, Michael, Yan is really strong.” Lin nodded three times from the left of Sebastian.

  “It’s not that.” Michael said, “Well. Kind of.” He set down his plate. “One of us has to do the Trial of Combat. We need to win, in order to help our friend.” Michael looked at his hands, and folded them into fists.

  “Who will fight?” Sebastian asked. Michael looked up at him, arching an eyebrow.

  “I will fight.” Wolf said, still lounging on the hammock.

  Michael turned to face him, “You?”

  “Well yeah.” Wolf said, “I’m the strongest.” He rolled out of the hammock and onto his feet.

  “I should do it!” Michael said, rising to his feet. “I’m strong too.”

  “Not as strong as me.” Wolf said, puffing out his chest.

  “Well, what do you think?” Michael asked, turning to Sebastian.

  The tactician rubbed his chin in thought, glancing at Jess and Lin. He continued to rub his chin, pondering, then getting distracted again. Jess shook her head and chuckled, rising to her feet. “Come on, Lin. Let’s go make some snacks.”

  “Oh, okay.” Lin went with Jess to the kitchen, out of sight.

  Sebastian shook his head as they left, clearing it. He looked back at the fervent Michael and confident Wolf. “Let’s see.” He said. “Wolf... is stronger. He has more combat experience, and more training in his chosen style.” Wolf grinned, chuckling. “Michael is much faster, has far more stamina and recovery than anyone I have ever met, and can be very tricky, especially when determined.” Wolf’s grin faded, and Michael nodded.

  “So, who should it be?” Michael asked.

  “It’s got to be me, right?” Wolf said. “You said it yourself, I have more experience. We are fighting an unknown foe, and I have more training or whatever.”

  “We’re fighting the strongest warrior of a Ninja village.” Michael said. “They will be fast and tricky too. Your strength doesn’t matter if you can’t hit your target.”

  “They can dodge all they like, I’ll get a hit in. And once I do, it’s over.” Wolf said. “And I can prove it.”

  “How can you prove it when we don’t even know who we are fighting?” Michael said, taking a step towards Wolf.

  “Do you really wanna do this, Michael?” Wolf asked, stepping even closer. Wolf was taller than Michael, and broader too. He had a muscular build, raging muscles developed from brutal combat. Michael felt small in comparison, even though he had a fair bit of muscle himself.

  “Perfect!” Sebastian said, “A perfect solution.” Michael and Wolf both looked at the skinny tactician. Sebastian wasn’t underweight, but he was leaner than the other guys.

  “What’s that?” Wolf asked.

  “Sparring.” Sebastian said. “In order to determine who will fight.” Wolf blinked, and Michael nodded. Sebastian glanced over at Hyato, who had been listening in. “Do you want in, Hyato?”

  “No.” Hyato said, “I can’t guarantee I will be myself that day.”

  Sebastian nodded, rubbing his chin. “Fair enough.”

  “Sparring huh.” Wolf said, “What good will that do?”

  “To determine who will undergo the Trial of Combat, of course.” Sebastian said.

  “And it’ll be good training!” Michael said, nodding. “We can hone our skills through practical combat.”

  Sebastian shook his head, “That’s not-”

  “It’s brilliant!” Wolf said, “A good workout, good training, and we can settle who will do the battle.”

  “Wait-” Sebastian said, raising his hands in front of him.

  “Let’s go spar now, Wolf!” Michael said, grabbing his sword and heading out to the training yard.

  “Don’t need to tell me twice.” Wolf joined Michael in the battle area.

  Sebastian followed after, “We should set some rules first.”

  “Good idea.” Wolf said. “Full contact, try everything you can to win, don’t go for the kill.”

  “Okay!” Michael said, taking position in the yard.

  “No no no!” Sebastian said, “We can’t risk further injury. You guys need to have a safe match.” Wolf took position and created clubs of lightning, dropping into a combat stance. Michael took a stance of his own. “Hyato, help me out here!” Sebastian said, turning back towards the swordsman. Hyato, Jess, and Lin all stood on the porch.

  Hyato shrugged. “Too late to stop them now.”

  “We’ll observe to make sure you boys don’t take it too far.” Jess called out. Wolf and Michael nodded.

  With a sigh, Sebastian stepped over to the porch and sat down. “Fine. But don’t come crying to me when you break something.”

  Wolf took an aggressive stance, bearing his twin lightning clubs at the ready. At the other side of the circle of dirt in the grass, Michael stood in a limber pose. He held his black crystal sword in a defensive manner, and he himself looked ready to jump or tumble at a moment’s notice. A calm silence stretched out between them as the two empty eyed warriors assessed each other. Neither made an opening move.

  “Fight!” Hyato said. Wolf charged, and Michael jumped to the side in a preemptive dodge. Wolf swung at empty air as Michael soared past him with another speedy jump. Michael swung his sword, sending two quick surges at Wolf. The Champion of fire and lightning struck his clubs together, creating a concussive boom of thunder that knocked Michael to the ground. Wolf’s attack sent sparks of amber lightning in every direction, but Michael avoided them by rolling to his feet.

  “Graaah!” Wolf roared as he rushed Michael to follow up. He had almost reached Michael when dark cracks from the ground punched him from below with waves of energy. Wolf was launched into the air by the Dark Blade. Michael almost vanished as he jumped, kicking up dust and soil from the sheer force of his takeoff. He swung his sword too early, and shoulder bashed Wolf in the chest just before the Phanokai warrior started to fall again.

  Wolf grunted in surprise as he took the impact to his belly, but forced the pain away. Wolf grabbed Michael, pinning him around the arms, and started to crash towards the ground with Michael below him. Michael tried to break free, but Wolf’s grip was too much. The ground approached with grim haste. Michael blinked several times as he thought, then inhaled.

  Michael vanished from Wolf’s grip before they reached the ground, and Wolf crashed into a tumble by himself. Michael appeared fifteen feet away, sword extended like he had finished a swing.

  “How did he do that?” Lin asked.

  “Impressive.” Sebastian said, “He used Flash Blade to escape a grapple. Michael is already using Techmotion in combat.”

  The brief respite from attacks did not last long. Michael sent out another Dark Blade, which Wolf avoided. Wolf began to charge again, then dodged aside and threw his clubs at Michael. The lightning clubs dispersed into a wide crackling arc of bolts, scattering all around. Michael jumped to one side, but was struck by several bolts. Wolf entered melee range before Michael could recover, and slammed a fist in Michael’s gut, knocking the wind out of him.

  Three more punches connected before Michael recovered enough to land one of his own. Wolf didn’t seem bothered by the blow and returned a strike that ripped open Michael’s shirt. Wolf reared his arms back to slam both palms into Michael, then faltered as Michael lifted his left arm with a ferocious roar. Michael’s sword arm slashed upwards, and Wolf pulled his hands back just in time.

  The upwards slash did not end skyward as Michael let the attack carry further. He rolled his arm back, lifting his legs in a slow backflip. For a moment Michael’s feet touched Wolf’s chest, then Michael jumped! The full force of his Tech enhanced jump using Wolf’s body as a surface sent Michael rocketing back over the ground, and hit Wolf hard enough to send him skipping along the ground! Wolf slammed into the side of one of the large boulders that served as jumping stones, while Michael hit the ground and impacted into the stone wall at the end of the training yard.

  Both warriors were bleeding and panting with the strain of combat. The first of them rose to his feet, swaying to the left and right, before recollecting himself. Once he was standing, Wolf summoned a club made of amber flames, and one of lightning to match. Michael remained limp against the stone wall, eyes going in and out of focus. “That all you got, Michael!” Wolf asked.

  “No...” Michael croaked, his voice raspy. “No!” Michael forced himself to his feet, and fell forward onto the ground. His free hand clutched the grass and he hefted himself up, while Wolf stood and waited.

  “I thought Wolf said he would try everything to win.” Sebastian said, “Yet he just stands there.”

  “Really, you don’t see it?” Hyato asked.

  Sebastian looked closer, and then at the other three members of the audience. “I guess not.”

  “Wolf is recovering.” Lin pointed out. “He took a ton of damage from that kick. Look, he’s covered in sweat.”

  Glimmering with sweat, illuminated by the amber elemental weapons he held, Wolf was unsteady. His breathing was controlled, unlike Michael, but he did not press his advantage. Sebastian wondered if Wolf knew breathing exercises for recovery.

  Michael pushed himself up to his feet. He was panting, but his breathing went from ragged to pained, getting better at a noticeable rate. Wolf hid a gulp as he shifted stances. What an insane recovery rate. “Ready for round two?” Wolf asked. Without speaking, Michael raised his sword into an aggressive stance that held no defense. His violet eyes flickered, flashing black for a moment, and Wolf felt the sweat trickle down his brow.

  Wolf rushed at Michael, only to be slammed in the chest as Michael rushed in faster! Wolf was pushed back as Michael charged in and swung his sword. The first strike fell short, but Michael let loose a surge from his back as he swung again, connecting with Wolf in the arm! Wolf howled from the slash and twisted away from Michael.

  The pursuit that Michael attempted fell short when a wall of flames erupted between the two combatants. Michael tried to force his way through, but was pushed back by the sheer force of the flames. Conjured water did little to sway the fires away. On the other side of the wall, Wolf built up energy and reforged his weapons. They grew more elaborate, and looked almost solid after the moments of focus.

  Michael twisted his sword with a flutter around his hand, then stabbed at the wall of amber flame. A crack appeared in the air as the Dark Blade was modified. The spreading cracks glowed with white light, then an explosion of force spread out in all directions! Michael was only pushed back a few feet, but the wall was obliterated!

  Wolf sprung into battle the moment his wall fell. He moved into Michael’s range and began to move his clubs in a continuous series of blows. Michael swung his sword to parry, to deflect, and dodged the attacks, but was unable to block. Wolf moved in a continued chain of attacks, pulling one club back the moment it was blocked as he snapped forth with the other. Each of the brutal hits made Michael’s arm shake as he backpedaled to keep from getting hit.

  Michael didn’t last, taking a solid hit to the shoulder, then another to the chin. He managed to deflect a few more hits, but never had enough time to attack or use his jump tech. After another heavy hit, Michael realized he would lose! With a roar of defiance, Michael dropped his guard and attacked!

  The black crystalline sword was wreathed in wind and shadows as Michael rushed into Wolf’s combo. Michael cracked the earth with a forward jump and swung his sword, emitting a surge and elemancy from the blade. Michael’s other hand glowed a fierce white as he changed it to light form and sent a flash out towards Wolf’s eyes. Michael slammed into Wolf with his mashed up attack, knocking the Champion off his feet and back into the wall.

  As they collided, Michael felt the two clubs strike the sides of his head. His vision blurred and warped, and he found himself lying on the ground. He tried to blink the pain away, but his eyes didn’t open. No... Michael thought.

  After the two warriors fell to each other's attacks, again, the onlookers watched with their breaths held. Michael’s breathing became steady, while Wolf was panting. Hyato’s fist was clenched, and Jess’ mouth hung agape. After a long minute, Wolf stirred and rose to his feet. He wobbled as he walked over and knelt beside Michael. Wolf let out a sigh. “He’s just unconscious.” He said, reassuring himself.

  “Well. I guess you won.” Lin said.

  “I guess so.” Wolf said. He picked up Michael and carried him towards the house. “But now it’s time to rest. Wake me when there’s food.” Wolf took Michael inside.

  Sebastian shook his head. “What am I going to do with those two?” He said.

  “Teach them.” Jess said. “Help them grow.” Sebastian chuckled, and nodded.

  “Well.” Sebastian said after a few minutes. “I suppose we should all get some rest. We had a busy day.”

  “And tomorrow will be busier.” Lin said, “We’re gonna clear the dungeon early, right?”

  “We will certainly try.”

  The Aeronemar Castle stood atop cliffs overlooking the whole valley. A pagoda rising up from the castle proper had a view of every entrance and exit from the valley. The night watch could see one another from the watchtowers all around the valley. The pagoda at the castle and the six other towers stood in locations that allowed the guards to keep an eye on the whole valley at once.

  Many citizens of Myrrh would not look at the Aeronemar Castle and call it such. It was not made of metal and stone, nor did it serve as a fortress. The Aeronemar Castle was a large wooden building on a foundation of soil and stone. Many of the doors and walls were made with bamboo, due to the abundance available to the mountain dwellers. Despite it's simple appearance, the castle was guarded as well as any. Patrols of Ninja moved along the baileys with rigid authority, despite the fact that no intruders had breached the village since the Broken Times. Some of the Ninja Guards even took position on the curved roofs as they kept lookout.

  The watchful eyes of dozens of guards did not bother Yan. She slipped out of her room and across the veranda like the shadow of a falcon. Her movements no longer so much as disturbed the grass as she rushed to the crenellations of the inner bailey. Without a hint of hesitation, Yan leapt.

  The winds carried Yan through the darkness over the castle. Using a skill she had been forced to learn, Yan’s limbs were surrounded in a flexible sheet of energy. She glided through the air, above the guards that watched the ground, far below the gaze of the towers above.

  It took several minutes for Yan to land in the grove of blue cherry trees. They were not bearing fruit at the moment, but the light blue flower petals indicated that would not be true for long. Yan dismissed the energy of her technique and moved through the shadow of the trees, taking a pathless route through the grove.

  The eldest daughter of the chief of the clan crossed the rope bridge and approached the house that had once been called hers. Now her friends used it to train. As Yan approached the house, thoughts of Michael, Hyato, and Sebastian sprang to mind. Amusing memories of the boys being silly. Exciting memories of battles alongside them. Peaceful memories of meals and training in camp.

  A depressing memory of almost losing Michael to the bandits.

  Yan shook her head and took a deep breath as she approached the house. She had been so busy with training today she couldn’t remember if she even had time to ask about her friends’ progress in the Trials. She would get to learn anyways.

  Sitting on the deck by himself, Michael had set up the board with a game of Command. Under the yellow light of a lantern, Michael moved the pieces on the board himself. “Practicing on your own?” Yan asked as she stepped into the light.

  Michael looked up and smiled. “Hi Yan!” He said, looking as bright and cheery as usual. “Yeah, I figured I could try some moves I thought up.” He started moving the pieces back to their original places.

  Yan took a seat on the small cushion across from Michael. “So, how did Trial attempts go today?”

  “Oh yeah, it went really well actually.” Michael said, bouncing in his seat a little.

  “Sounds like you guys managed to pull off the Trial of Dexterity then.” Yan said, smiling, “Your special training work then?”

  “Yeah! Hyato was amazing! He stood there and let the petals move into the position he wanted, then he collected them without disturbing them.” Michael said. He seemed rather excited, and Yan couldn’t help but keep smiling.

  “Glad to hear it. Going to attempt the Trial of Technique tomorrow then, right?” Yan said, moving her Command piece now that the board was set up.

  “Nope. After Hyato completed the Trial of Dexterity we moved on to the Trial of Technique. Wolf did it. He did it the hard way and just moved the big rock, but he managed to do it.” Michael moved a piece, and Yan studied the board.

  “He moved the stamp stone with sheer force?” Yan asked. “That’s... crazy. And awesome. Only one Trial left!”

  “Well, kind of.” Michael said. “After Wolf completed the Trial of Technique we had Aeroth take us to the Trial of Stealth. Sebastian used a skill called Arkpulse to move through the crater, and managed to win. He found the comb that Aeroth hid.”

  Yan blinked, dropped the game piece she was holding. “You did it?” Her face lit up with joy and she launched at Michael, knocking the Command board aside and sending pieces everywhere. She wrapped her arms around Michael’s neck and tackled him to the deck. “You did it. You did it!” She said, letting out a giddy laugh.

  Michael’s face flushed red and he chuckled, “Y-yeah?”

  “Michael! You guys did it! You completed the Trials, we can finally leave!” Yan laughed some more, panting from excitement.

  “Ah...” Michael said. “That’s what we thought too...”

  The note of resignation in Michael’s tone squashed Yan’s excitement. She sat up, her curious eyes bewildered. “What? What happened?”

  “Well, after the Trial of Stealth, your dad showed up.” Michael said. He began to explain that the party would have to undergo the Trial of Combat, in three days.

  “The Elders!” Yan said, clicking her tongue in annoyance. Pouting, Yan moved to regather the game board and set it up. As she finished, she spoke again. “So, who do you guys have to fight?”

  “Odai said that one of us would be fighting the strongest warrior of the clan.” Michael said. Yan’s eyes widened and she looked at Michael. “Yeah. So we decided to work on getting stronger. We delved a dungeon with Jess and Lin in order to get Synergy.”

  “Jess and Lin? Oh cool. I always envied Jess, she is one of the few allowed to leave the village for supplies and make contacts.”

  “They wouldn’t let you do that?” Michael asked.

  “No, because I’m the daughter of the Chief.” Yan said with a frown.

  Michael made a move on the board in silence for a moment, “Well. She was really helpful in the dungeon. And she takes lots of notes.”

  “A dungeon?” Yan tilted her head, then nodded. “Oh yeah, I remember. There is an old dungeon in the back of the valley, isn’t there?”

  “There is.” Michael said. “We are going to head in again in the morning to get even stronger, hopefully.”

  “I see.” Yan said. She placed the game pieces where they had been before and made her move. “So, who is going to fight...?” Yan asked, trailing off.

  “Wolf.” Michael said.

  “Why him?” Yan asked, arching an eyebrow.

  “I wanted to.” Michael said. “But we decided to spar. He is stronger than me, so...” Michael clenched his fist and scowled, “He beat me fair and square. I tried my best.”

  “You okay Michael?” Yan asked, reaching out to touch his knee.

  Michael let the tension go from his fist, “I wanted to help you, Yan.”

  Yan nodded, “Don’t worry. You still are.”

  “I wanted it to be me. But.” Michael looked into Yan’s eyes, “If Wolf will have a better chance, I’m fine with that too.”

  Yan gazed into Michael’s violet eyes for a long moment. “Thank you Michael.” She said. Michael smiled. Yan extended the gaze for another few moments, then looked back down, “Okay. Let’s finish a game, shall we?”

  Michael and Yan spent some time playing Command. Michael regaled her with the adventures spent in the dungeon, and the new skill he picked up. He then went on to describe his battle with Wolf in more detail. After Yan defeated Michael in Command for the third night in a row, she departed in order to get some sleep. Yan made her way back through the night and snuck back into the castle, so that no one would ever know she was missing.