He nods, face contemplative. “Very well. Is it correct to assume you’ve never handled daggers before?”
“Yeah.” Why does it matter? Will me saying no change something?
“Change of plans,” Oh looks like it will. Joy. “We will start practice today with the daggers.” At my upturned lips, he explains. “The weapons you manifest from your energy need to take on a form you are comfortable wielding. You are sufficient at using a bow, but it’s not always the most practical weapon of choice. It’s best to specialize in both a ranged weapon and a close combat weapon.”
“So, if the situation calls for it, I will have the skill set to use either one right?” I hate to admit it, but his logic is sound.
He grins. “Correct.”
I rub my arm, feeling awkward. “But I’m not sufficient at using the bow, either.”
“We will work on it. But the important thing is, you’ve had exposure to a bow and are familiar with the weapon itself. Are you at least comfortable holding and using the weapon?”
“Yes.”
“That’s all you need for now. Manifesting a bow is arguably more challenging than a dagger or blade.” He points to his head. “You need to be able to visualize the feel and weight of the bow and how it fires to manifest the weapon from your energy. On the other hand, a dagger is a simple weapon to reproduce. No additional memorization is needed, unlike with the bow and arrows.”
Malik’s hand drops to his side. “Think about how challenging it is to draw Elestal out without the proper handle on the feel and intensity of the energy. It’s the same concept for weapon materialization. You need to be familiar with the actual physical weapon to recreate it. Do you understand?”
I nod eagerly, excited. “Yeah. So that’s why I can’t draw out Elestal, then? Because I don’t know the energy signature well enough?”
I ponder that thought. It makes sense. I understand the feel of Firvo and Mindula just fine. But why is Elestal so hard to grasp, while Mindula came so easily?
“That’s correct, but we aren’t focusing on that today. Now, unsheathe your daggers.”
I do so, the metal singing as it’s pulled free. I grip them around the handles, blade facing out and away. I can’t help my compulsion to study the magnificent blades.
“How do they feel?”
I snap my head up, surprised at the sound of his voice. I think about my answer carefully. “They’re not too heavy, and they fit perfectly in the palms of my hands.”
They feel like they were made for me.
“Good.” Malik moves closer, towering over me. He grabs my hands gently and flips them this way and that, checking my grip on the weapons. “These weapons are a great choice for you. It’s as you said, they fit perfectly in your hands.
“Now you’re going to aim for Zeke while I talk you through the motions.”
Chapter 23
I balk.
Wait, what?
“I can’t do that.” My voice is high, panic settling in. “What if I actually hurt him?”
All three talnarins laugh loudly, but Malik manages to gain control of himself. “You won’t hurt him.”
“Give it your best, though.” My head whips to the side as Adrian speaks. “I want to see Zeke get his ass kicked by someone other than Malik for once.”
A buzzing noise reaches my ears and Adrian jumps. “Ouch, shit!” He backs away from Zeke with narrowed eyes.
Zeke’s rumbling laugh draws my attention. “Anything more and I’ll increase the voltage.” He feigns a lunge at Adrian who raises his own hands in retaliation, both wearing nearly identical smirks.
All traces of amusement are gone from Malik’s voice when he snaps, “Focus.”
We all snap to attention, backs straight, and eyes on him.
Malik looks back to me. “You won’t hurt him. Even if you do manage to land a blow—which I doubt you will—Adrian and I are here to make sure nothing serious happens. Understood?”
I’m still unsure but nod anyway.
“Good. Now why are you holding the blades as you are?”
“Because it’s comfortable this way. It feels natural this way for some reason.”
He rubs his mouth in contemplation. “Interesting.”
My brows furrow. “Is it wrong?”
“No.”
Well that’s good. So why the weirdness?
“Now,” Malik continues, “remember, your weight should be evenly spread between your feet and you should be resting on the balls of your feet. Your front knee needs to be slightly bent as well. Your elbows need to be at your sides, hands up to protect your face. Tuck your throat in to avoid getting slashed.”
I move to mimic his instructions, paling at the thought of my throat being slashed. Malik circles me, adjusting my body into the correct position. His touch brings a blush to my face; it’s softer than expected, protective. I scold myself, glancing down to hide my embarrassment. But, Malik shifts my head back before moving on.
“Keep moving. If you stop, you become a greater target. Remember, they can’t hit what they can’t catch. Zeke.”
Zeke steps in front of me, mirroring my position. I look down at his hands finding them empty. “Why don’t you have a weapon?”
He smirks as he tilts his head. “Don’t want to hurt you, Red. I don’t need a weapon to block your attacks, either. Don’t worry about me, just focus on getting stronger, you won’t get me.”
I nod, apprehension rising in my throat. He must be able to see the stress on my face because he throws a playful wink in my direction.
“Now, the key is to step in and strike when they least expect it,” Malik continues. “It’s important to read your opponent’s movements and predict where they might strike next.”
Malik steps up to Zeke and slaps him on the back. “Always go for the joints, veins, arteries, eyes, or throat.” Malik’s hands follow his words, showing exactly where to hit.
“Make sure to use your wings to your advantage. Use them to push you forward, but be careful not to let them impede your movements. Keep them tucked when not striking to assure they don’t get hit. You with me?”
“I think so,” I reply, my voice wavering. After I had to fight for my right to train with weapons, I hope he can’t see how nervous I am.
“We’re going run through a series of simple attacks. This will allow you to get accustomed to gripping and attacking with the daggers. Are you ready?”
With Malik guiding my movements, I thrust and jab at Zeke for three hours. Sweat beads on my forehead and down my back. My limbs feel like wobbly and weak. Even my breathing is labored and my heart is pounding.
Just as I’m about to keel over from exhaustion, Malik says, “Well done. We’ll break for lunch before diving into weapon manifestation.”
Oh thank gods.
I plop down onto the ground, watching as sand particles puff up at the movement. My legs and arms ache already and I’m dreading the second part of practice. My elbows rest on my splayed legs as I cradle my head in my hands, willing myself to toughen up. It’s too soon to give up. I begged Malik for this opportunity and I’m not about to throw in the towel just yet.
My growling stomach cuts into my thoughts. Lunch can’t come soon enough, I’m starving. I wonder what they’ll bring us today?
Thankfully, lunch arrives on the tray in no time. An unrecognizable dish is handed to me. I gratefully accept, too hungry to be picky. I lean my back against the arena wall and balance the tray in my lap before digging in.
Once the plate is scraped clean and I’m able to breathe once more, I glance up. The three talnarins sit on the stone steps off to the side as they eat their meal. More slowly than I ate, too. I rub my content stomach and watch them interact with each other. They pick fun at each other and get a good laugh at the others expense. It surprises me to see both Adrian and Zeke dishing the jokes back at Malik. It’s even more surprising to see him laugh it all off.
He’s not a complete hard ass after all.
My lips curl into a faint smile.
All too soon, Malik stands and calls an end to lunch. With a small grumble, I push to my tired feet. Grabbing the tray, I walk over the talnarins and set it on the stone before facing them.
“We’ll work on weapon manifestation for your Firvo affinity.”
I nod, keeping all signs of my exhaustion from my face as best as I can so as not to appear as weak.
“It’s the same concept as your bomb,” Malik continues. “You need to concentrate and maintain your energy outside of your physical self.”
He gestures to Adrian, and my eyes widen as red flames flicker to life to form a simple long sword. It’s different than the normal manifestation of Firvo. It’s not exactly on fire, but I can still see the heat radiating from the weapon. I can even feel the heat from where I stand a few paces away. It’s not a solid weapon either, at least not like a normal blade. As Adrian moves it back and forth, I see trails of energy following behind it.
It’s mesmerizing to watch.
“The trick,” Adrian begins, “is keeping it visible and replenished with energy while it’s manifested. It requires a huge amount of energy to manifest any weapon.” He flips the sword through the air. “If you look closely, you can see the energy circulating through the blade.”
He holds it steady and moves it closer for my inspection. Sure enough, I see faint wisps of energy swirling about the blade. It’s almost identical to how I envision Mindula moving from my body to another’s.
“This is the energy moving and maintaining itself. This allows me to keep the blade manifested without having to keep sending energy into the weapon. Otherwise, I would drain far too quickly and the weapon would essentially be useless.” Adrian shrugs nonchalantly as the weapon disperses.
“How do you make it visible like that? My energy never shows.”
“It’s just like your wings.”
Mention of them makes me feel self-conscious and I close them tighter against my back. Adrian continues, oblivious to the direction of my thoughts.
“They’re a physical representation of the energy you possess. With practice, you can hide them. The opposite could be said about the weapons you manifest. With practice, you can make the weapons visible.”
But that still doesn’t tell me how to make the energy visible.
“Bombs don’t have visible energy,” Adrian continues, “because the concentration of energy isn’t nearly as strong. The stronger the concentration of energy the more visible the energy will be.”
My brows furrow and I cross my arms. “But wouldn’t that be dangerous to release?”
A crooked smile stretches across his face. “Yeah, so be careful not to release the weapon suddenly. At least not until you have full control. Otherwise, we will all die.”
I pale. He said it so nonchalantly, like it wasn’t a big deal. My palms sweat and my heart pounds in my ears.
“We’d die if we were any weaker, that is. If it blows up, the three of us will be fine.” My breath leaves in a rush of air. Thank gods. “I’d be more concerned with yourself. You might lose a limb or two.”
Holy shit. What is wrong with this guy? You don’t just casually say that kind of thing to people. I fight the wobbling feeling in my legs, willing them to stay firm in the sand.
Malik cuts into my inner panic. He glares at Adrian. If that look had been directed at me, I might have fled. “Enough.” He looks back to me, his eyes softening. “He’s joking. His sense of humor is... fucked up.”
You could say that again. What a sick joke.
Adrian’s crooked smile returns. “Thanks.” He glances at me and tilts his head. “Are you read to give it a go?”
“Are you kidding me?” I snap. Adrian’s perfect look of innocence would be funny if my anger wasn’t so close to the surface. “You just dropped that shit in my lap and now you want me to ‘give it a go?’”
I look at all three in disbelief. Zeke is, of course, laughing hysterically. Malik even sports a grin while Adrian just looks hurt.
“Just try it. You will be fine.” Malik’s grin disappears. He’s back to his serious self once again. “Remember to use your Firvo affinity. Envision what weapon you want, one who are familiar with.”
I’m so not ready to do this. I huff. “Fine.”
I imagine the daggers I just worked with. The grip and weight are still fresh in my mind. I focus on pushing energy into the space in front of me, all the while picturing the what the daggers look like. I feel the energy leaving me in waves and I snap my eyes open.
Nothing. Not even a wisp.
Frustrated, I bark out, “How much energy do I put in?” I focus on keeping the energy contained so it’s doesn’t explode.
I snap my head up and find Malik watching me intently. “As much energy as it takes.” I nearly growl. That tells me nothing. “You might as well get comfortable.”
Complying, I plop into the sand and watch as the three talnarins follow suit. I envision the energy following me down so it remains at eye level. I once again push more energy into the space in front of me. The image of the daggers remains fresh in my mind.
I’m not sure how long I practice but soon, my exhaustion wrings a yawn from me. Just as I’m about to call it quits for the day, a spark of silver greets my eyes. Thinking the entire thing was just my imagination, I push a little more.
Sure enough, I see a second flicker of energy.
I smile brightly at the achievement and meet Malik’s eyes. “Did you see that?”
A heated look overcomes his eyes as he stares at me. “I did.” His voice his deeper than usual, and his expression makes my face redden. I avert my eyes, ducking my head low.
“Focus, Red.” I snap to attention, face only heating more.
Now is not the time, Alanna.
Looking back to where I envision the energy, I keep drawing more out, hoping to see the flares of silver once more. Twice more, flickers of energy become visible and I stare in awe.
It’s beautiful.
Just as I’m about to keep going, Malik cuts in. “That’s enough for today. You did better than expected.”
I beam with pride at having exceeded expectations, though admittedly, the low bar grates my nerves at the same time. I nearly let the ball of energy go until I remember Adrian’s threat. Panic bubbles up and my eyes widen. My silver eyes meet Malik’s golden ones as my body tenses. “How do I stop it without blowing up?”
His husky laugh echoes through the arena. Zeke and Adrian laugh in tandem too. “Just slowly release the energy. Will bits and pieces back to your core.” I nod frantically. “It’s like how you manipulate your other affinities, just draw the energy back.”
I slowly follow his instructions. Little by little, I pull strands of energy back to my own body. While the panic lessens, it doesn’t disappear completely. How much energy remains in front of me. How will I know when I’ve drawn it all back?
I keep pulling.
Eventually, I’m overwhelmed by a feeling of completion. Something tells me the energy is back where it needs to be. Following my instincts, I release my concentration. When nothing and no one blows up, I heave a sigh and release the tension in my body.
I look back to Malik and say, “It’s finished.”
“Well done. Get some sleep.”
I don’t argue. As soon as I get to my room, I’m out like a light.
Chapter 24
I’m exhausted. Malik was extra tough on me today. What bit his ass?
I had been roughly awakened once again this morning with a rough bark to be ready in five. Sensing his mood, I rushed through the morning routine quicker than usual. Practice was much the same as yesterday, more weapons practice and manifestation. Only this time, I was introduced to another Elite, Orion. He sparred with me in place of Zeke. And once again, Adrian took over the lesson for weapon manifestation.
I stumble to my room and turn on the lights, rubbing at my tired eyes. Just as I move to close the door, I
freeze.
Shudders rack my body. My hand flies to mouth in shock. My eyes frantically flicker around my room in disbelief. Without thinking, I call my energy up. My hands light, flames flickering. I look behind me and down the hall.
Empty.
I slowly move further into my room. Disaster. There’s no other word to describe what I’m seeing. There are bits of animal all over the floor. My flesh prickles and chills skate across my body. There are feathers and fur thrown about, lining the floors and walls. Blood is splattered and smeared over the walls and floors too. It’s like someone gutted the poor creature and decided to paint the walls with its blood.
Even the bed isn’t safe from this abuse and terror. The sheets are ripped and torn, laying in tatters on the blood-soaked floor. Scratch marks line the walls and everything is tossed and broken.
What the Hellvian is this?
Another shudder overtakes me. Without thinking, I sprint back to the arena, praying to the gods that Malik is still there.
Thanks gods he is.
I rush up to him. I grab his arm, chest heaving. He looks down at me, eyes wide and filled with concern at whatever he sees on my face. My panic bubbles over as I blurt, “You need to help me.” I stumble over my words as I describe what I’ve seen. Even Adrian is horrified. In the back of my mind I note that Orion is no longer in the arena. Then I recall that he had left after sparring with me today.
Deciding it’s not important right now, I shake the climbing feeling of dread and focus. I watch as Malik’s face goes hard. “Adrian, gather the others. Search the grounds and report back to me.” With a brisk nod, Adrian makes a swift exit.
Malik turns to me. “Let’s go.”
I follow him closely, nearly stepping on his heels. We make it back to my room in no time. “Wait here.” My heart is pounds and my breathing is labored.
Wait out here all by myself? What if the culprit comes back? I miss my chance to protest as Malik moves inside my room. The silence of the hall is unnerving. The waiting is antagonizing. After what feels like a lifetime, Malik comes back out. His expression is furious, far more terrifying than I have ever seen on him before. I gulp.
Spilt Secrets (A Talnarin Novel Book 2) Page 15