He was actually working hard, but he didn’t mind. Mental exercise was something he was well used to and actually missed if he went without it. As long as he didn’t have to run, jump, climb or swim, it still counted as time off to him. So he spent two hours each day practicing spells and renewing his spells strips, plus another three studying the realm teleportation spell. He teleported his companions three times each and evoked the Storm Dragon twice. The dragon hated it. He had promised that he’d only summon it…her…for battle, so she only wanted to come out when there was something to fight. Explaining that he had to first practice the spell didn’t make her any happier.
Every evening, he spent time with either Kurine or Iniru. Lu Bei helped him monitor the amount of time he spent with each of them to keep things fair. But the dates got less enjoyable and more uncomfortable as the friction between the girls grew. Kurine put down Iniru at every opportunity and then got mad if he defended her. Iniru, on the other hand, did her best to pretend that Kurine didn't exist. She was almost obsessed with proving that she was the most fun girlfriend. But at the same time, anywhere he’d been or anything he'd done with Kurine, Iniru refused to do.
After a tense date with Iniru, one night late in the week, Turesobei slumped onto his sleeping mat and groaned. “I don’t understand why things are getting worse now that I have more time to spend with them.”
“Master, if you give a fox a chicken he will want the whole roost.”
Turesobei laughed at him.
“You don’t think that’s true, master?”
He shrugged. “It’s a better explanation than any I’ve got.”
* * *
The following morning, he went to visit Awasa. With each day of rest, she calmed back toward her “normal” state.
“You seem a lot more relaxed. I'm glad the time off is helping you, at least.”
She smiled and he winced inwardly. He hadn't meant to say it like that.
“It is. I'm feeling much more like myself again.”
“Good. No offense, but you were getting a little scary at the end.”
“I know,” She sighed. “I don't like getting angry, but I am glad for the experience. I needed to see how stress would affect my mental balance.”
“Do you have a plan for dealing with it?”
“Meditate even more and….” She shrugged. “There’s not much else I can do. But at least I know what to expect now.”
“That's true. I'm going to start teleporting small groups tomorrow. I’d like to take you and Zaiporo and Iniru, then you and Zaiporo and Kurine.”
“Trying to keep Iniru and Kurine apart?”
“As best as I can. This down time has only made things worse.”
“You knew the peace couldn't last. Maybe once we’re training again they won't have the energy to be jealous.”
“I hope so.”
The more he teleported, the easier it became. Outside of his first attempt, when he had ended up in Wraithspace, there was never a hint of trouble. But he knew from experience the real test would be if he ever had to make a hurried attempt while in danger. And at last he deciphered the realm teleportation spell. Now he only had to memorize it perfectly and make sure he knew it inside and out, since he’d only get one chance to do it right.
On the morning of the final day of rest, roughly three months after reaching the Nexus of the Realms, Turesobei safely teleported everyone except Enashoma from his room into the Workshop. It should have been cause for celebration. But as soon as they arrived, Kurine and Iniru rounded on each other. Kurine drew herself up to her full and very impressive height and started bellowing. Iniru was already bristling with rage, claws extended. She yelled right back at Kurine.
They both were shouting at the tops of their lungs, so Turesobei couldn't understand what they were saying. Obviously, they were arguing over him, but why exactly he couldn't tell. He’d been very careful not to show favoritism. So it couldn’t have been anything he’d done. Lu Bei, Awasa and Enashoma had helped him make sure of that.
He clapped his hands over his ears and closed his eyes as they continued to raise their voices. A headache blossomed in his temples. He’d started getting them whenever he had to be around the girls. The commotion grew and he opened his eyes to see Kurine push Iniru.
He didn’t even try to break them up.
Disgusted, he just turned away and walked out.
He’d had enough.
* * *
Turesobei turned the spigot for the tub then stripped off his clothes and flung them into the corner. He dropped into the basin, leaned back and closed his eyes. This had to stop. He had to do something. Hiding hadn't worked before, and with training sessions about to start again, it really wasn't an option anyway. But he couldn't pick one of them over the other, either. He groaned.
Lu Bei set a bowl of tea on the floor beside the tub. “Can I do anything, master?”
“Get me a coin. I’m going to flip it to decide which girl to be with.”
“That won’t work, master.”
“Why not?”
“Because you missed your chance. Things have gone too far. If you make a choice now, they will keep fighting. It might even make things worse.”
“Then what am I supposed to do?”
“Suffer?”
Turesobei groaned again. “Great. A lot of help you are.”
“Sorry, master. Is there anything else I can do?”
“You're a fetch. Fetch me something.”
“What, master?”
“I don’t know. Anything that can help!”
Lu Be tapped a finger to his nose. “I know just what to get you.”
He sped out of the room before Turesobei could apologize for snapping at him.
Moments later, the girls burst in. Both of them. Still angry. Still shouting.
Kurine pointed at Iniru. “Sobei, tell her to back off!”
“Back off?” Iniru said. “If anyone should back off it should be you! I was with him first.”
“What do you mean, back off?” Turesobei asked. “What are you to fighting about?”
They both answered at the same time, each trying to talk over the other. He couldn't make out a word either of them said.
“Argh!” Turesobei struck the water in frustration, splashing the floor. “One at a time!”
They ignored him and continued screaming at each other. Iniru poked a claw-tipped finger at Kurine, to make some unintelligible point. Kurine shoved her back. Iniru stumbled back into the shelves. Clothing and piles of parchment spilled onto the floor. With a hair-raising war cry, Iniru launched herself at Kurine, knocking her off her feet. They both rolled to their feet and dropped into fighting stances.
“Stop!” He jumped to his feet, splashing water everywhere. “Stop it right now!”
They turned toward him and fell silent. Their eyes widened. Their jaws dropped.
“I’m so sick of this!” He tore at his hair. “I work harder than anyone else. I’m under constant pressure from the Blood King and I barely get an hour of rest each day. Yet you two continuously argue over who gets to spend more time with me. Do you understand how crazy that is? Do you understand how miserable you guys are making me?”
Eyes flaring wide, Iniru bit her lip. “Now that’s more like it.”
Kurine rubbed her neck and panted. “Finally.”
“W-what?” Not only did their responses not make any sense, but both of them were blushing too. He shook his head. It didn't matter. He’d had enough and this mess was going to end right now. “I love you both, but I just can’t handle this anymore. If you're fighting doesn't kill me before we ever get there, it will kill us all on one of the Blood King’s mission. So, that’s it.” He took a deep breath and summoned his courage. He could do this. He had to. “I’m breaking up with you—both of you.”
Their silly grins slowly turned to matching expressions of shock.
“Sobei, you don’t mean that!” Kurine said. “You’re just stress
ed is all.”
“You can’t!” Iniru said.
“Yes, I can! Look at the two of you. You should be friends, not enemies. And until you both learn how, it’s over—for both of you.”
“Sobei dear….” Fangs bared, Awasa leaned against the doorframe with a devilish grin on her face.
“Yes, what?” he snapped.
“You’re naked.”
Lu Bei fluttered in with a gasp. “Master!”
The fetch zipped in front of the girls, tossed the tea bowls from his tray and held it up to block their line of sight.
Turesobei looked down in horror at his exposed, wet body and sank quickly back into the tub. He’d been so angry, he’d forgotten he was in the bath. His cheeks burned and an embarrassed flush crept down his neck and throughout his body.
“I think you should all leave,” Lu Bei said. “And no more arguing.”
Kurine started to say something but Lu Bei shushed her.
“Everyone leave now. Master’s clearly at his wits’ end and needs rest. And no more arguing today.”
Awasa narrowed her eyes and rubbed her hands together. “I’ll see to it that they don’t.”
Kurine reached toward him, pleading, “But Sobei….”
He shook his head and kept his eyes locked on his submerged knees. “Leave…please.”
Crying, Kurine ran from the room.
Her face blank, Iniru shuffled away.
Awasa gave him a thumbs-up and departed.
Turesobei breathed a sigh of relief. “I did it, Lu Bei. I stood up for myself.”
“That you did, master.” Lu Bei patted him on the shoulder. “And it would have been most impressive too, if you hadn't been naked.”
Chapter Sixty-Four
Iniru hardly spoke at dinner that night and left early. Turesobei said a friendly hello and made small talk with her. He pretended not to notice her red-rimmed eyes. Kurine didn’t even show up. According to Enashoma, she’d spent the entire afternoon crying. After dinner, he headed to Kurine’s room to make sure she was okay, but Enashoma met him outside the door.
“You can’t,” she said.
“But—”
“No buts. For this to work you have to be strong. She wants you to come check on her. I guarantee it. And let’s face it, you’ll give in if she comes on to you.”
“No I—” He sighed. “You’re right, I probably would.”
“Of course I’m right.” She kissed him on the cheek. “I’m proud of you, big brother. I never would’ve thought you could break up with them.”
“It’s not easy seeing Kurine and Iniru hurting.”
“They’re not the first girls to have their hearts broken. They’ll survive.”
* * *
The next day, their training began again. It was immediately apparent that the week of rest had paid off. Everyone completed the obstacle course successfully and significantly bested their previous times. And over the course of the week, they continued to equal or better their times. They only struggled against the straw warriors. And that was due to their constantly increasing numbers and worsening battlefield conditions. Despite fighting through snow, howling winds, hail and darkness, they worked better and more efficiently than ever before.
The rest helped Awasa the most. She still got furious during the mock battles, but now she could stick to the battle plan and fight as one of the group. Afterward, everyone left her alone to meditate for about a half hour until she regained her calm. And the day off they got at the end of each week kept the anger from building up and overwhelming her.
Iniru and Kurine were professional and civil with one another during training and both followed Zaiporo’s orders to the letter. But any hopes Turesobei had that they’d quickly patch things up and become best friends were dashed. Iniru hardly spoke to anyone anymore and often wandered off gloomily in the middle of meals. When Kurine came to dinner at all, she often burst into tears and fled back to her room.
It broke his heart to see them like this. But Enashoma and Awasa reassured him that he’d done the right thing and just needed to stay strong. That meant no checking on either girl, and pretending that he didn't see their red-rimmed, puffy eyes day after day. It also meant spending his evenings with Enashoma, Zaiporo or Awasa, instead of the girls.
Awasa actually needed him anyway. While she got along okay with everyone, she only related well to him and Motekeru. And spending time with him seemed to help her connect with her more positive emotions. They sampled various brews Lu Bei concocted, talked about home and tried to pry stories out of Motekeru. That usually led to Lu Bei retelling old legends. Sometimes Awasa showed him the mudras she’d learned.
They weren’t the most exciting evenings he’d ever had, but they were pleasant and drama free and he appreciated them for just that. And the longer the breakup lasted, the easier he found it to not follow Kurine when she ran off to cry or not try to cheer up Iniru when she answered questions with silent gestures instead of snarky comments. It wasn't that he loved them any less. And it wasn't that he felt any less guilty that they were hurting. But it was so nice to not have any relationship problems for a change, that he couldn't help enjoying it.
As the weeks passed Turesobei, mastered opening all eight gates. He memorized every facet of the realm teleportation spell until he felt certain he could cast it perfectly. They fell into an efficient rhythm of eating and resting, then attacking the maze as if their lives depended on it. Zaiporo took on the role of taskmaster and kept them focused while Enashoma and Lu Bei did everything they could to cheer them on and keep their spirits up. Even Motekeru told them, one by one, to do their best as they headed off to fight each night.
Despite their steady progress and his pleasant evenings with Awasa, Turesobei started to feel strangely empty. Iniru and Kurine had left a hole in his life that nothing else could fill. He longed to kiss them, to hold their hands. He missed Iniru’s clever wit and teasing. He missed Kurine’s buoyant spirit and the way her giggle made him smile. But no matter how much he missed them, the most important thing right now was keeping the peace and finishing their training. So he couldn’t give in, no matter how badly he wanted to be with them.
The training regimen remained grueling. The battles were so difficult that someone suffered a serious injury or got knocked out almost every time. And each week, someone still failed to beat their time. But they were making progress now. They could see an end in sight and it kept them motivated.
By the tenth week of training, Iniru could complete the course in less than four minutes. Awasa managed it the very next week. Zaiporo and Turesobei did it two weeks later. Once Kurine’s time dipped under four minutes, they only needed to win one more mock battle and their training would finally be over.
That evening, they fought on an icy plain. Freezing winds blew gusts of snow into their faces. Only the dimmest of lights from above, similar to cloud-covered moonlight, allowed them to see the scores of straw warriors marching towards them.
When the last straw warrior lay wriggling helplessly on the ground, the room brightened and the snow stopped falling. They gazed at each other and it gradually dawned on them that they had done it. They had completed their training requirement at last.
Zaiporo grinned. “We did it.”
They all cheered.
Then Lord Gyoroe appeared in their midst. His eyes were yellow with flecks of orange. Turesobei expected them to be emerald or blue. Something was wrong. His abrupt silence warned the other. They weren’t finished training, not yet.
“Excellent work,” Gyoroe said. His grin made Turesobei shift nervously. “Your training took much longer than I expected, but you did what I asked. I still have concerns, however, so there is one final test to complete. This is a test of heart and teamwork. And you will face an opponent far more difficult than these straw warriors.” He fingered a familiar bronze spell strip. “It is time to truly prove yourselves.”
Chapter Sixty-Five
After breakfast
three days later, Turesobei and his companions, armed and dressed in full battle gear, nervously met Lord Gyoroe and Lady Hannya outside the Canvas. They had no clue what lay in store for them, only that it would be much worse than straw warriors or muck-demons. Just after dawn, Gyoroe had locked Motekeru, Lu Bei, the hounds and Enashoma in the Workshop. When Turesobei had asked why, Gyoroe had merely responded, “You will see.”
They entered the Canvas, not on the bridge as normal but on ground level. The observation platform remained but floated untethered high above. To the right stood a step pyramid that almost reached the height of the observation platform. The top was relatively small, almost the same size as the gate platform. Each step was too tall and deep to be comfortable but not so much that a person couldn’t run up to the top. The floor around the pyramid was normal enough grassy turf.
They followed Gyoroe and Hannya up the wide pyramid steps to the top.
Orange highlights flickered in Gyoroe’s eyes. “Apprentice, you are about to discover how well your team functions under extreme duress.”
“I know that already.”
Hannya shook her head. “While training battles are good for developing your skills, they are not enough. You need to experience the real thing.”
“We have experienced the real thing. We’ve fought yomon and reitsu and that was just in the Ancient Cold and Deep. I think we’re more than capable. We did kill the Deadly Twelve, after all.”
“You scraped through many of those situations due to sheer luck,” Hannya said, “with quite a bit of help from Motekeru and Lu Bei, as well as others who are no longer with you.”
“So this test is going to be a real battle?” Turesobei asked.
The Blood King’s Apprentice Page 34