“I know, but that doesn’t mean they’ll keep it.”
“I guess not. Why does it matter to you?”
“I’d like to avoid more torture and survive all this, and if they don’t start working together that’s not going to happen.”
“I wish there was something I could do about them getting along.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Seriously?”
“Of course. But it’s me and apparently I’m clueless.”
He noted she wasn’t as angry as she had been the last few days. Maybe she was adjusting. But then, she did usually seem the calmest at breakfast, with her anger ramping up as the day progressed. A bath, sleep and a long meditation session probably calmed her each night.
Lu Bei brought her a small bowl of tea. “He has a good point, Lady Purple-Star.”
“If you say so, Sir Tea-Strainer.”
Lu Bei snatched the bowl back and huffed. “Sir Tea-Strainer?! Really, I never!”
Awasa chuckled. “So I’m the last to go?”
“I thought you’d be the hardest,” Turesobei said.
“Because I have two kenja hearts.” She gestured at the star on her forehead. “Are you sure it’s safe to bond with this?”
“It’s not that sort of bond, so I’m sure it’ll be fine.” He stretched his arms out. “I’ll get dressed, and then we can get started.”
“Sure.”
He waited for her to step outside or turn her back to him. But she just stared expectantly.
“You’re teasing me, aren’t you?”
She shrugged. “Maybe.”
“Could you turn around?”
“If I must.”
He threw his inner robe on. “Why does every girl I know enjoy making me feel uncomfortable?”
She turned around. “Because it’s easy and fun.”
He quickly cinched the belt then grabbed the outer robe.
“Why didn’t you change into your training outfit?”
“I like wearing my robes to breakfast.”
He shrugged, stepped up to her and reached out. “I’m going to start with the obvious one.”
“Good luck.”
He touched her forehead. The Warlock’s energy slithered beneath the surface. A vile sensation passed through him. He shivered then made the connection. He stepped back and gathered himself. He felt as if….
“You feel,” Awasa said, “as if you just bathed in a pool of demon blood.”
“Wow, that’s exactly what I was thinking. It’s like you—”
“Read your mind.”
“Yeah.” Wait, that was a statement, not a question. “Did you actually read my mind?”
“Think something weird.”
Turesobei bit his lip and thought about drinking orange tea from a pink bowl while hanging upside down.
“You’re thinking about Lu Bei eating blue sunflowers while bathing.”
“Not even close.”
“Oh, well. Lucky guess, then. I was really hoping I’d developed telepathy. Barakaros had it, you know. The jerk could’ve left me that, at least.”
He opened his kenja-sight and scanned her.
“I can tell you where my heart is.”
“I have to verify the exact location before I bond with your signature.”
He put his hand on her right side and found her kenja heart at her third rib.
“So what does it say about me?”
“Er…you’re intense….”
“Jealous and self-absorbed,” Lu Bei said.
“But those are only tendencies,” Turesobei said.
“That happen to be true?” Awasa asked. “It’s okay. I was what I was and now I am what I am.”
Turesobei tucked the scroll into his belt and stepped around behind her. He put one hand on her ribs and the other on her forehead.
“We’re doing good, you know,” Awasa said. “Before I went evil, our conversations rarely lasted more than thirty seconds.”
He started to agree, then realized she hadn’t said it out loud. She had projected the words into his mind. He thought his reply to her, “So you can communicate telepathically?”
“Sorry I blurted out that bit earlier. I lied on the second attempt, in case the Blood King was watching us. I knew you were thinking about drinking orange tea from a pink bowl while hanging upside down.” She snuggled back against him. Their bodies pressed firmly together. “Sobei! You’re having some very naughty thoughts!”
He stiffened. He hadn’t thought of anything bad, though suddenly it was hard not to.
“I’m just teasing you. I can’t read all your thoughts and emotions. Just the ones on the surface. Oh, now that is a naughty thought you just had!”
“It’s not my fault! You made me think it.”
He could feel her restrain a laugh. “I can’t read your mind anytime I want. You have to touch my forehead for me to do it, and the connection won’t last more than about a minute. I only figured it out by accident while sparring…with Enashoma. I could boost the ability with a mudra, but I can’t risk the Blood King seeing me do that. Also, I’m finding it’s easier with you. Maybe because of your kavaru.”
“Probably, but this also isn’t the first time that I’ve communicated telepathically.” He breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, he had found a small advantage. “With Gyoroe always potentially watching us, this ability of yours could really come in handy. As long as we’re not too obvious about it.”
“Good point.” She twisted and turned her head toward him. “You’d better kiss me.”
“What?! Why?” He’d almost said that out loud.
“Because the Blood King might be watching and we’ve just been standing here for a minute with you holding me awkwardly.”
“Oh, right.”
Turesobei leaned in and kissed her. Was there such a thing as a kiss that was exciting yet friendly instead of passionate? If so, then that was what he’d just experienced. They pulled away and she smiled at him. He spoke the spell and they teleported into the Workshop without any trouble from her having two kenja-hearts.
Awasa took one uneasy step then shook it off. “That was interesting, I guess. Not quite the big experience everyone else had made it out to be.” She kissed him on the cheek and cooed. “See you later, Sobei.”
As she sauntered away she waved to Gyoroe, who was standing at the bottom of the stairs.
With emerald eyes, he stared at Turesobei with a curious expression. “I think I have figured out why you are learning everything I throw at you faster than I had expected: all of your intelligence is keyed into the practice of magic, leaving none for handling girls.”
“What?” Turesobei asked. He had intended to feign surprise to any comment Gyoroe had made, but his surprise was genuine.
“You are an idiot. That is what.”
Chapter Sixty-Two
Two weeks of training passed. Their fatigue grew, as did their mistakes. Everyone except Iniru failed to improve their times. Lord Gyoroe stuck to his word and increased the length of the training period. Every time they ran the obstacle course or fought a battle they got a little more tired and a little sorer and so did a little worse. At this rate they would be training forever—literally, since time didn't pass in the Nexus.
Turesobei didn't know how they were ever going to escape this downward spiral. Zaiporo thought their muscles would eventually catch up and the soreness would fade. And Iniru insisted that each time they mastered one obstacle and soon all the skills they were building would click into place. He didn't see how either one of them could be right. But maybe that was because he was so mind-numbingly tired.
Naturally his spell work suffered too. He had given up practicing spells and maintaining spell strips in his off time. When he summoned the Storm Dragon now he had trouble controlling her. And the gate to the Realm of Fire refused to activate. As for studying the realm teleportation spell, it made less sense every time he looked at it…. But Gyoroe didn’t complain about his slipping focus,
even once he needed long rest breaks in between gate attempts and could only make gates he’d previously mastered begrudgingly flicker on.
As for the girls, he had started having tea with one of them each evening between dinner and the mock battles. He didn't have the energy for anything else and it allowed him to carefully measure the time so he didn't accidentally favor one over the other.
Then one evening they stepped into the Canvas for a mock battle and found thick sodden turf that squelched under their feet instead of the hardwood floor they were expecting. Thick clouds formed below the ceiling and the room went as dark as early evening. Rain began to fall over their battlefield. Barely visible through the wet gloom, sixty straw warriors waited on the other side of the room.
Gyoroe and Hannya climbed to their perch on the viewing platform above, which was shielded by magic. At least Enashoma and Lu Bei, who watched with them as normal, would stay dry.
Gyoroe shouted, “Begin!”
The warriors splashed forward.
“The elements don’t matter,” Turesobei said. “Stick to the plan.”
Zaiporo nodded. “Standard procedure, everyone. Maintain your zones and listen to my orders. Let's get it right so we can get out of this rain as soon as possible.”
Turesobei dropped behind the others to serve as the rover, since normally he would be behind the lines casting spells. Lately, everyone had stuck to their roles except Awasa, who inhabited a plane of frustration and anger now. She wasn’t even calm at breakfast anymore. If Zaiporo ordered a withdrawal or a shift to a different formation, everyone would follow but Awasa. She plowed forward no matter what. There was nothing they could do but let her go and stay out of the way.
“Awasa, stay focused,” he said, trying his best to help. “Don't overdo it.”
She didn't acknowledge him.
Visibility was terrible, the footing worse. Every sword thrust and evasive maneuver seemed to move at half speed. But otherwise, they were doing fine until Kurine overextended. She lunged at a straw man, slipped in the mud and twisted her knee. Turesobei couldn't reach her soon enough. One of the triple-sized warriors clubbed her on the back of the neck and knocked her out.
For some reason, that sent Awasa into a full-blown rage. She took out a third of the remaining targets by herself and then rounded on Iniru. Everyone slowly backed away from her. Once all the enemy warriors were destroyed, she usually started calming down. But this time, she gripped Fangthorn tight and looked at Iniru as if she didn't recognize her.
Turesobei checked on Kurine to make sure she was okay then approached Awasa carefully. “Wasa, you are beyond the anger. Focus on who you want to be.”
She stepped up into his face. Even through the rain he could see the purple in her eyes. The star on her forehead had darkened and veins protruded along her neck. She didn't say anything. She just stared at him.
He took her free hand, squeezed it, then placed it on Fangthorn's blade.
She sighed and relaxed.
“Sobei….” Her focus snapped into place and she glanced around, seeming to take in what had happened for the first time. “Is Kurine okay?”
“Just knocked out.”
Awasa’s eyes dimmed and she seemed suddenly calmer than she had in days. Maybe one of them getting hurt had shocked her back to her senses.
Gyoroe departed without a word.
“Acceptable,” Hannya said. “But barely.”
She too departed.
Kurine stirred. Her eyes opened. “I like the rain.” She blinked a few times, tried to move and groaned. “Did we win?”
Turesobei knelt beside her and drew a spell strip. “We did.”
Since healing spells decreased in effectiveness the more you used them, he had refrained from healing anything but the worst of their injuries. But given the popping he'd heard in her knee and how swollen it was already, he was certain she wasn't going to be able to run the course in the morning if he didn’t help her.
He cast the spell. The swelling in her knee went down and the nasty bruise on the back of her neck disappeared.
“That should get rid of your dizziness, too.”
She stood gingerly and kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you.”
“You probably shouldn’t put weight on it until tomorrow.”
Awasa offered to help him get Kurine to her room. “It’s the least I can do to make up for not helping in the battle.”
They each put a shoulder under one of Kurine’s arms.
“I really could walk on my own.”
“Let me take care of you,” Turesobei said.
She smiled. “Okay.”
Out of the corner of his eye he saw Iniru scowl and bite her lip.
They reached Kurine’s room and lowered her onto her sleeping mat.
She shivered. “I’ve got to get out of these wet clothes.”
“You need a hot bath,” Awasa said. “That will make you feel better. I’ll stay and help you. We can take a bath together. I’ve been wanting to chat with you.”
“If you need anything, let me know,” Turesobei said.
“You could stay,” Kurine said.
He blushed. “I’d better not.”
“You’ve stayed to talk with me while I’ve bathed before,” Awasa said.
Kurine’s eyes ballooned into saucers. “What?!”
Turesobei waved his hands. “It wasn’t like that. And wasn’t my idea. She was already in the bathtub and I sat far enough away that I couldn’t see anything.”
“It’s true,” Awasa said.
“So you could do that again,” Kurine said.
“I’d really better not. This is Iniru’s night, after all.”
“It was,” Kurine said. “But she got her time with you before the battle. Besides, she’d never know.”
“You and I both know she’d find out. I’ll check in on you—” Awasa started to strip Kurine’s top off. He rushed out of the room, slammed the door shut and stood just outside the room, catching his breath and his wits. “—tomorrow morning!”
“Wow….” Whatever Awasa said next was too muffled by the door and the blood pounding in his ears to hear.
Kurine giggled.
And he ran back to his room.
Completely flustered, Turesobei collapsed onto the sleeping mat. Every part of him was warm and tingly. He didn’t feel tired or sore anymore.
“Tea, master?” Lu Bei asked.
“What? Maybe. Sure.”
He picked up the teleportation scroll. The runes might as well have been gibberish. All he could think about was Kurine and Awasa in the bath together. He shook his head and tried again to focus on the spell, but it was no good.
Lu Bei handed him the bowl of tea. “Anything else, master?”
“Er…why don’t you take the rest of the night off. I’m going to drink this and…” he tossed the scroll aside, “…then get some sleep.”
“Er…sure…you got it, master.”
He tossed and turned all night, barely sleeping. In the morning, his brain felt like mush and, since he’d forgotten to take a bath himself, his muscles were even more sore. He was so out of it that he transported Motekeru, Lu Bei and the hounds to the Workshop before realizing what a bad idea it was to try the first hands-off, group teleport in his current state.
At breakfast, Awasa and Kurine kept whispering to themselves, eyeing him then giggling. He didn’t have a clue what to think about it, though it was nice they were getting along. And Awasa wasn’t in a rage to start the day.
Iniru seemed irritated. She didn't say anything but she shot killer glances at Kurine when the others weren't looking. The tension between Iniru and Kurine had increased. And if he could feel it, everyone else probably could, too. The balance had been ruined somehow.
Was it because of Kurine and Awasa whispering to each other? Or had he done something stupid again? Thinking about it felt like banging his head against a brick wall, and his head already hurt.
As long as they
didn’t fight….
Chapter Sixty-Three
The mock battles were never simple anymore. Over the next week, they struggled through wind and rain, fog and blistering heat, barely beating the increasing number of straw warriors. In the process, they suffered scores of bruises and cuts, a dozen muscle strains, two concussions and even a couple of broken bones.
Neither of Zaiporo and Iniru's predictions came to pass. Their muscles never caught up to the strain and they never seemed to master any of the obstacles on the course, much less all of them. Every day saw someone miss out on beating their previous time or fail to complete the course altogether. Worse, the course became steadily harder. The mud balls flew faster, the floating stones were farther apart and the number of straw warriors at the end increased.
The total training time skyrocketed. And they were all on the verge of a collapse.
Then, during breakfast one morning, Lord Gyoroe swept into the Dining Hall. His eyes were a deep, impatient purple. When he saw them leaning or propped against the table, too tired to do more than pick at their food, his face tightened in a scowl.
“It has been pointed out to me that you are unable to cope with physical training the way I had expected. You are neither Kaiaru nor warriors groomed to serve me. And as Hannya reminded me, I used to give even my carefully selected trainees time to rest so that their bodies might recover. So you have this week off. Furthermore, from here on out, you will have one day each week to rest. However, this will not shorten your total training time. Every rest day will be added onto the end.”
Adding days seemed fair to Turesobei, despite how desperate he was to get home. Because at this pace, the training was going to kill them.
They all thanked Gyoroe profusely.
“Apprentice, you must continue studying the teleportation spell, maintain your spell strips and teleport your companions in groups to the Workshop each day,” he said. “When training begins again, I expect all of you rested and capable of finally meeting my expectations.”
* * *
Over the next week, everyone slept in, took long baths and lazed about. Every meal was a feast they ate as if it might be their last. Gradually, the knots in their muscles unwound and a spring returned to their steps. The girls and Zaiporo all got massages at the Bath Hall. Turesobei didn’t, though. He wasn’t fond of having the soulless servants touch him. Besides, he didn’t really have the time for massages between his spell work, the girls and sleeping in.
The Blood King’s Apprentice Page 33