by Aaron Thomas
“I feel alive,” Joahna the elemental smiled. When Kilen was prepared, the process was a lot less daunting. The world spun but he quickly regained his hold on reality. Kilen stood in the room and looked at Joahna, before reaching out his hand with an open palm.
“Nice to meet you, my name is Kilen.” The elemental smiled. Kilen grasped his cold icy hand and they shook. “How long do you think you can keep that form?”
“I am pulling energy from the water itself, and from the water around me. I think I could keep this up for days as long as there is water near.” They stood staring at each other for a while as Joahna got accustomed to his new body. “Do you feel me draining your energy at all? You should feel tired if I am.”
Kilen thought for a moment, “I feel nothing. I’m not even using the water vision, although I can.”
Can you hear me talking Joahna? Max said inside Kilen’s mind. When Joahna did not reply, Kilen asked him a second time for Max.
“No, I cannot hear him or feel him. It seems once we are put into the elemental we are separated from your mind, a small disadvantage to a great advantage.”
“A great advantage?” Kilen asked.
“Kilen, if you can summon me an elemental body and you remain in your body you are more powerful than you know. I can use magic while you fight with your full mental capabilities. Imagine the next time we face Mary. Summon me and she will face a wizard that cannot die and a weapon bearer.”
“I don’t think it would be wise to let people know we can do that. They might see what I am and execute me.”
The elemental spoke in Joahna’s voice, “Great wizards and weapon bearers are able to split their conscious between an elemental and their own body. Their movements are limited, but they can see through both eyes and cast spells with the elemental while fighting in their body. Only the most skilled and wisest know how, but if we wait to reveal ourselves I believe that it would not seem to unusual.”
“How will we practice? I cannot do it here in the room. Eventually we will need to be out in the practice fields or outside of town,” Kilen said.
“We will worry about that later. I do have an idea though.” Joahna’s voice sounded excited, “Before you go to sleep each night you will summon one of us into a elemental form. That way, while you sleep we can keep watch and practice. We will have to find a way to do so without drawing Leroy’s attention.” The elemental moved and stood on the washstand and slowly melted into a puddle of water in the basin. “I am still here. I can practice using water magic and become accustomed to it while you are sleeping. When I become good enough I will be able to show you everything that I know. Max if you can hear me, tomorrow night you will assume the elemental after I have given you instruction on how to use water magic.”
I will count the seconds until I get to resume my own body, but I agree, Max sounded somber.
“Max agrees with you but what if I don’t?”
“What part do you not agree with? If you wanted to see everything around you even while you slept this is better than one man could do alone. You’re body is protected, even while you sleep.”
Kilen took on his most confident voice “What if you begin to drain my energy? You could kill us all without knowing it.”
“Max has become accustomed to knowing how much you can handle and has even aided you when your body has been pushed too far. Tonight we shall know. Max will wake you if you start to weaken and we will cease the exercise.”
Max spoke to Kilen in the back of his mind, I can do that Kilen. I will not let you die and I am sorry for before.
Kilen spoke looking into the mirror, “I was scared about losing you too, Max. There is no need to apologize. I’m sorry I had to kill you again.”
“What, now that I can’t hear what he said he becomes as soft as clay. I thought that the crimson was supposed to be the toughest of the King’s army,” Joahna spoke with laughter in his words.
“What is the crimson?” Kilen asked.
Max spoke in return, The Crimson is the Fire Realm’s most elite warriors. I am…was one of them. That is how our kings are chosen. The king is the best of the Crimson. King Rekkan and I have fought and trained together my entire life. We are elite fighters, raised and groomed to fight battles and guard royalty.
“The king is chosen in the Fire Realm?”
The Fire Realm’s queen chooses a king that she would see most fit in being her champion. He leads the army and does her bidding. I was glad that I was not chosen to be the queen’s champion. It is a life of solitude.
“Brent was investigating incidents where spies from the Fire Realm were coming into the earth kingdom. That is when we encountered you. Tell me, are you two spies sent to report back on our weaknesses?”
Both were silent in the room. Then Joahna finally sighed and spoke, “We are not spies, necessarily. We were sent to find out if a Wind or Water Realm’s king had risen. Our queen was the first to start the canal from the Water Realm to the Fire Realm and she was betrayed by their wizards. She seeks peaceful means to complete the task, but as our realm dies she grows more and more desperate. Our mission was to end when we met King Rekkan at the Fire Realm’s edge with any nobles the King would send to represent him. I am afraid we failed. This realm is confusing to navigate. We got lost in the woods too many times. When you found us Max had a break down and used his fire magic inadvertently. He didn’t mean it, but I knew that the moment we revealed ourselves we would be seen as enemies. I was trying to take his armor so that we could return to King Rekkan and report of our failure.”
Max broke in, Failure is not an option for the Crimson.
“If we are not there to report to King Rekkan, the terms of negotiation could turn ugly. Especially if he has to march through the Earth Realm to meet King Atmos. The two realms lay on the brink of a war, because we have failed to complete our task.”
Max broke in, We can still complete our task if you finish your training on time. The meeting is still some time off. It will take a long time to cross the Fire Realm by horseback. It will take many weapon and armor bearers to pull water from the ground in some places.
“Well, we might just have to try and prevent this war,” Kilen said flatly.
“Prevent the war? What nonsense is Max putting in your head now?” Joahna looked concerned.
“He said that King Rekkan is on the way to the Earth Realm and if we are able to meet him we might prevent a war. Only after our training is done,” Kilen added quickly. Joahna nodded his clear liquid head. Kilen laid down for the night as Joahna started to work with the water in the room to improve his abilities. Kilen felt a small chill up his spine a moment later.
“Sorry I thought I would try and help heal you a bit before you started to sleep.” That is how Kilen found himself falling asleep. Trying to ignore the chills in his body as the fire wizard turned water, improved his ability to heal instead of burn.
In the morning, Kilen found himself being woken by a tap on the shoulder. Joahna had taken the form of a full person and had woken him. “Leroy left moments ago to fetch your breakfast. He placed coins back in your purse earlier. I think he put more in than you had given him. That boy is a strange one to me. I think it would be wise for me to let go of this form now. That way I can be with you the rest of the day.”
Kilen, still a little groggy, nodded his head as he braced himself for the concussion. I’m here. I will help this time. Joahna melted himself back into the basin and pushed some water into the air causing the room to heat with steam. Then he felt the concussion in his brain and he felt a small portion of his brain filled with emotion. He recognized it as Joahna. The world spun a little but not as bad as before. He was happy that he had stayed awake. When he could stand without vomiting he began dressing himself. He even started to put on what armor he could. When Leroy came in and was surprised to see Kilen awake.
“Looks like you were stronger than they thought, eh.”
“Or your food does a better job than mos
t people know. Will you help me get this chest piece on?”
“Of course,” Leroy helped strap it on and tighten it while talking. “Almost everyone is up on the recruit side of the camp. I heard a few people talking. The King is going to start the training today. I am glad to see you up because you’re probably going to need to be out early if everyone is already rising.”
Kilen grabbed the steak that Leroy had brought and his water skin. He shoved a hardboiled egg into his mouth as he left the room, uttering through the food what sounded like, “Thank you.”
Leroy was right, the camp was in a flurry with soldiers pulling new recruits out of their barracks. Mary was flinging fire at torches to light the too early morning. Men in armor assembled and began counting off for their superiors. Inspections of armor, uniforms, and weapons were being conducted. Kilen weaved his way through the panicked recruits to find Gortus kneeling on the arena. The torches made his face easy to make out. Unsure what Kilen was supposed to do he knelt beside him placed his sword on the ground in front of him, and began the prayer. Gortus joined him in the prayer and moved quickly to his feet when they were finished.
“We must hurry and get you into position. The King will address us soon. After that we will begin your training for the day.” They walked towards the mass of troops and recruits assembling in a formation on the wizard training grounds. “I hope to leave you enough time today that you are able to begin your first classes. Jace told me that you had intended on passing a few quickly so that you could make time to train in weaponry. I will see to it that you have time to complete these other classes.” The air seemed to be thick with nerves. Officers were nervous try to make their troops look good enough for the king and the recruits were nervous because they were seeing a king for the first time. Kilen, couldn’t remember being in awe of the King., only scared that he would be viewed as a traitor. He was sure that some of the men never expected to leave their home town, let alone stand in front of a king as they joined his army. Today they would begin their journey in becoming something bigger than themselves. They would become the defenders of their nation, protectors of the people, and a symbol of the realm’s power. Commanders and officers formed the first row of soldiers looking up at the balcony in wonder. The second row was made of weapon and armor bearers, and behind them stood the few second generation armor and weapon bearers like Kilen. Chit was being escorted by Captain Lorsuk and stood beside Kilen receiving a couple of instructions.
“Well, looks like we will be training partners. I hope you can use that sword. The one you bought me is much larger than yours and fits me well. It would be a shame to see you get beaten by a sword you put in someone else’s hand.”
“Good morning, Chit. I’m afraid to tell you that this section is for wielders,” Kilen said in retort. Chit held up a bracer with an earth mark on it.
“Looks like you’re not the only one to impress people. Don’t worry, though I wouldn’t want to embarrass our hometown. I won’t beat you too severely.” He smiled while looking at the balcony, waiting to see the king. Kilen tried to ignore him. Soon Brent, Mary, Brandon, and another wizard walked out onto the balcony, followed by King Atmos. He had already begun to perspire in the early morning breeze. Kilen wondered if it was because of what Leroy had mentioned about the castle being hot. The king came to the edge of the balcony and leaned down on both fists to rest, while admiring his new recruits. The commander in front snapped to attention, followed by the rest of the fully trained soldiers. Three loud resounding “OH! OH! OH!,” sounded in the early morning. Birds went flying as the training grounds echoed with shouts. Silence settled across the grounds as the sun started to break the horizon, illuminating the king.
“Welcome, new recruits,” Atmos started. “Today you begin your journey to join the most powerful army in the land. Today is the first day into changing your history, becoming a part of legend.” He paused, letting the words sink in, “Some of you do not come for glory, or riches. You only come for the honorable reason of protecting the ones you love, fighting for what is right in this world. I will give you the opportunity for all of this. I ask only that you train hard, protect the people of this nation, and represent your countrymen well. To all those already named a soldier in this army I remind you that these men will fight alongside you or your brother. They will protect your families and loved ones. Train them well so that they can complete this task. They could save your life one day or you could save theirs. Train them, teach them, and mentor them. You are all now brothers in the struggle for civilization in this nation.” The king saluted his troops and turned out of sight back inside the castle. The wizards followed. The officers started shouting as troops and recruits split into multiple directions to comply with their orders. Chit turned and tried to knock Kilen out of the way as he went his direction. He was surprised to see Kilen didn’t budge when he was bumped. He grunted as he walked his way. Kilen laughed as he looked at the sword strapped to Chit’s back.
Kilen moved through the throng weaving in and out as the day breathed of tension, nerves, and urgency. Commanders and officers moved large amounts of soldiers and recruits as they shouted commands organizing classes, schedules, and sleeping arrangements. None shouted at Kilen as he moved towards the sword arena where he knew Gortus was waiting. When he arrived at the bloodied sword ring, Gortus stood at its center. Recruits and soldiers alike avoided its perimeter. The other arenas were trampled with the foot traffic of recruits kicking the rocks that lined them. Whether the recruits were weary of Gortus or of the path of blood that lined it was anyone’s guess.
Behind Gortus was a set of greaves, new shield, armor for the arms and hands to match Kilen’s various pieces. “It’s a shame you forgot to bring your helm today,” Gortus said, tossing the arm guards to Kilen. “You had better pay particular attention to protecting your head today.” Kilen fumbled with the metal, trying to put it on with little luck. Gortus grunted and moved to help put on the pieces. “As I said, today we start a new age, with you standing. It will be considerably harder but you also gain the ability to talk.” When Kilen was standing in the full armor and hefting the shield to test its weight, Gortus stepped in front of him. “Today, all you have to do is stand. Do you understand?”
“Just stand here?” Kilen asked, thinking it was some kind of trick. Gortus smiled a wide vicious smile as he nodded his head. Kilen wondered if it was a strength building exercise or testing him to follow orders. He soon came to find out the wicked truth. Gortus stepped outside the arena to a stack of wooden practice swords that Kilen hadn’t noticed. He tossed one to Kilen and then without a moment’s notice, he hit Kilen’s shoulder with an upward arcing swing. The wooden blade shattered as it struck home on Kilen, sending him to the ground. Kilen looked up at Gortus, who was walking to retrieve another blade. Kilen stood quickly and readied himself. At that moment he remembered how Sgt. Wells had hit him repeatedly during his short stay in Keepers. If Gortus hit him with that force the same number of times as Sgt. Wells did, he knew that he wouldn’t be able to stand much longer. This was a defense building exercise, he was finally learning the blade.
Gortus returned with another wood sword in his hand and stood in front of Kilen. “I believe in learning by doing. So I will teach you to defend yourself because you will have no other choice. When you have become sufficient enough to defend yourself while standing we will start moving. Do you agree with my training strategy?”
Kilen smiled raised his shield, “I don’t have a choice.” By luck, Kilen managed to block a couple swipes of the flurry that came at him. The second round ended when Kilen received a blow mid-body doubling him over, followed by an attack to the back of the legs. The attack to his legs swept his feet out from underneath him and sending him sprawling onto his back. His head hit hard on one of the pebbles that Gortus had scattered in the arena for Kilen to crawl on. His head spun. Max was unable to help this kind of dizziness.
“The dragging and crawling ages were to teach you to
overcome pain and gain a sense of what your body could handle. Unfortunately, I don’t think that you would have stopped dragging yourself until you were dead. Being able to block out that much pain means you will be able to finish the standing age a lot sooner than I.” Kilen reached up and found the pebble still lodged in his skin and mass of hair. He pulled it out and felt the trickle of warm blood go down his neck. He took his time rolling to all fours while the blood changed directions to the front of his neck and chest.
“Are you going to stand, or do we need to go back to crawling?” the sentence was simple but it said mountains. Kilen rose to his feet and took a fighting stance, still dizzy from hitting his head. The blows continuously landed as Max tried to help Kilen by shouting, Dodge, shield, or sword to counter the attacks. It seemed like forever before Leroy arrived with the noon meal, which Gortus immediately attacked just as he had been attacking Kilen. Leroy began rubbing salves into the bruises and scrapes that he could find along Kilen’s exposed areas. He wrapped a bandage around Kilen’s head, warning him to clean it later that day. Kilen looked up from eating and noticed Mary stomping along the training grounds, splitting any group of soldiers that stood in her way. They had obviously been warned of her temper as a fire wizard. When Mary stepped into the blood ring, her emotions took on a look that Kilen had seen only once from her. The day he had fought her and won in battle. Gortus grunted at her and she smiled at him. Kilen then remembered that any wizard or weapon bearer that comes near Gortus loses their ability to use magic, and with that they lose the emotional detriments. This was the first time that Kilen had been around Mary with no anger, no wizard attributes. It was just plain Mary.
“Kilen, I hoped I would catch you during a quiet moment. I wanted to let you know that I met your sister and she is doing well.” She smiled a devious smile, “I also gave her a bit of work to do. I have found that she is performing very well.” She pointed at the plates of food they were eating, “She’s the reason the cooks can’t get the temperature right, the reason the castle is sweltering, and the reason why no nobles have been able to get into bath water the last couple of days. She provides the castle’s heat a little too well.” She smiled again at the deviousness of her training style.