“So, it’s okay to be afraid?” Dara questioned. Tumakako swiped her blade left and right before she faked again and swept Dara off her feet. Dara landed on her back with a thud, looking up at her teacher. “Not for Lale. Yes, for Fei. Not for me, I don’t have much longer to live. For you? Small, and frail, you tell me.” Tumakako responded.
Dara closed her eyes. She was tired of it all. She didn’t want the power. She didn’t want to train. She just wanted to live and be with her mother. Everything has become too much. The Sun’s rays boiling her skin under her armor. Dara made her way to her feet again.
“I just want to run.” Dara said. She opened her eyes to see her mentor nodding in approval. “So, run.” Tumakako confirmed. Dara tilted her head at her approval. “You approached our fight as if we were equal. As if you stood a chance at protecting yourself from my attacks. You must never allow your opponent or opponents to dictate to you, how you will defeat them. That’s up to you.” Tumakako explained.
Dara finally understood. “If……I run. You cannot catch me.” Dara said. Tumakako disagreed. “You’re sure?” She asked. Dara levitated in the air. Ascending above Tumakako’s head. “I’m sure.” Dara replied.
“This may suffice for Lale. But Fei, as you have shared can cover great distances in one leap. You may not be able to run from the beast. What else do you possess?” Tumakako asked.
Dara flew leisurely around her mentor. Exerting this amount of energy with her armor was extremely difficult. The frustration quickly setting in. “I don’t know. This armor is too heavy.” She said. Dara removed her armor and ignited her red form. Her body felt as if she was weightless.
The flames burning brighter and hotter. The sun began revitalizing her body. Its rays directly curing her fatigue. “The sun.” She whispered. “It’s the sun Tuma. I can manipulate the sun’s energy to feed my power. I actually feel stronger.” She said ecstatically.
“I could tell from some of our first sessions the impact it was having on you. When you activated your armor. You were hindering your own advantage. You’re slower, relying too heavily on your weapons and minimal combat experience.” Tumakako educated her.
“But you told me to use it.” Dara retorted, wearing a frown on her face. “And you listened to the person whom you were afraid would potentially kill you?” She asked rhetorically.
Dara thought for a moment. She was beginning to understand. “Dara, you must know and define your enemy before they define you.” Tumakako continued, as she took several attempts to disrupt Dara’s moment of relaxation and Clarity.
“Learn your strengths, use them, adapt only when you feel the need to, not from your enemy’s decision for you. That power doesn’t belong to them.” Tumakako shared with her apprentice. Dara continued to drink in the sun’s energy, like medicine it was healing her wounds. The pain from all her bruises feeling better while significantly boosting her red form.
1“Next, explore my weaknesses.” Tumakako ordered. “This is just as important as knowing who you are. However, your enemy will not spar with you and allow you time to figure this out. You must identify it quickly. Guess wrong and you may die. Understand them and you still may die.” Tumakako imparted to her as she soared through the air.
Dara’s face betraying her confusion. “How do I live?” She asked her mentor. Tumakako remained silent. “What is my weakness?” Tumakako pressured.
“You care about me.” Dara suggested. “You can never hit me as hard as you would your true enemies. I haven’t figured it out. But I can sense you. Through my armor. It’s our link. It helps me feel what your about to do. I’m just not reacting fast enough.” Dara explained.
Tumakako remained silent. Dara’s flames grew hotter and more intense. She was becoming even more comfortable in her red form. “The closer you get to hurting me over my training, the more time you give me to recover. I haven’t had the energy to attack. I think…….” Dara paused. “I think, it’s because I didn’t believe I could actually hurt you. But, you’re the one who can’t hurt me.” Dara said.
“What is Lale’s weakness?” Tumakako asked. Dara flew around, evading Tumakako’s sword. “I don’t think she has one. She is believed to be the best fighter from her planet. No one has ever touched her in combat.” Dara thought harder but struggled none the less.
“She has no powers.” Dara suggested. “What is Lale’s weakness?” Tumakako repeated, keeping up her offense. Dara exhaled in disappointment. “She cares about me.” Dara offered.
“What is Lale’s weakness?” Her mentor repeated. Dara contemplated a while longer. “I don’t know! How can you beat someone who can’t be touched?” Dara said, doing her best to remain airborne. “She doesn’t have a weakness.” Before Tumakako could repeat the question, Dara interrupted.
“Wait! She doesn’t. She is impenetrable. If she is the best warrior, she is so overconfident, there is no need to kill me. She can do it whenever she wants in her mind. If……” Dara explained as she floated back down to the sand. Eye level with Tumakako, she proceeded. “If I fight her. But what if I don’t?” Dara lingered.
Tumakako wasn’t sure where her apprentice was going. Tumakako whisked away her weapon to allow Dara time to expound on her thought process. “If I fight Lale in combat. I will die. Or even if I somehow managed to kill her, it would only enrage Fei, from which we know he draws his strength. His rage will increase his strength, which increases my chances to die beyond fighting Lale. Unless I kill him first.” Dara continued.
“What if I manage to kill Fei first? My power may have no limit. But his does. He is most vulnerable while she is alive, and I possess the most power.” Dara stated as fact.
“I kill him first, Lale’s anger may make her fight harder. But she cannot pursue me, and I would possess a major power advantage. Against my power her combat skills may not be in her favor.” Dara explained.
Tumakako thought about the plan Dara offered. “Tuma, I kill Fei. He is her weakness. Her confidence comes from their bond. If that bond is severed, she can’t defeat someone who can manipulate the power of the sun. With the beast gone, she will finally be vulnerable.” Dara said raising her hands in the air. Her excitement caused her flames to flicker.
Tumakako stared at the child. The flames somehow not harming her despite how close Dara was. “Before long, everyone may fear you.” Tumakako thought to herself. “What is Fei’s weakness?” Tumakako asked her final question. “His anger.” Dara immediately replied.
“His anger causes him to become careless. He tried to rescue Lale without knowing the danger. He attacked me and was burned. His anger is his weakness. He will chase me at all costs. Fei will easily fall into a trap, because until now, there hasn’t been anyone strong enough to stop him. So, I set a trap. With your fighting skill and my power, we can lure him away from Lale, the city, overwhelm him and defeat him. So, we set a trap.” Dara exclaimed proudly.
Tumakako heard the plan. She turned and began to walk away. After a few paces she focused on Dara.
Tumakako raises her palm to the sky as her scimitar materialized in her hand. The elder warrior twirled her weapon and lowered her stance. Dara knew her answer finally satisfied her mentor. She released her red form, dropping in the sand during the process.
She momentarily soaked in the sun’s rays, before activating her armor. Dara thrusted her hands diagonally away from her body. Her shield materialized in one hand. In the other her broad sword in the likeness of the one her mother used. Dara took a step back in her newly developed fighting stance.
“You relinquish your strength? Untouched is not your strength.” Tumakako probed. “You can’t confirm my wounds through my armor either. Maybe I am the untouched.” Dara chuckled. “Confidence unimpeded will get you killed.” Tumakako warned.
Dara nodded in acknowledgement. Dara bashed her sword against her shield engulfing it in a red flame. The red fire gleaming in Tumakako’s eyes. “I’m even more afraid……” Dara began. “I’m afraid you can no
longer hurt me.” Tumakako charged at her young apprentice. Dara took to the sky to continue her training.
Chapter Ten
D ays turned into months, yet the Sentry and Fei could not locate Dara. Every day searching the colossal planet to no avail. With no ship at their disposal, Fei would do most of the searching. The Sentry split up on foot, spending weeks away from the city at a time.
Fei returned to his throne after yet another failed attempt to locate Dara. Stepping off the lift his muscles dripping wet, he approached where Lale waited. She sat aloof, staring as he exited the lift. “I take it you found a waterfall?” She asked with a smirk.
But Fei did not return her jest. “I would like an audience with the God Conqueror please.” She said sarcastically. Fei approached his love before kissing her on the forehead and settling on the stairs leading up to the throne.
Sweat mixed with water sliding down his bare chest. Fei’s body was exhausted from supporting his primal form for so long and so often. He had never been in either form this long without reverting to normal.
His body was being pushed to its limits. “You know, you could be of assistance.” Fei said. Lale adjusted her body to lay across the seat, her hair dangling off the side. “I am unable to submit myself to the will of those who would be unjust.” She responded.
“What could be more just? I fight for us. Which is more than I could say for you.” Fei barked. Lale could hear the frustration in his voice. She continued to depict the attitude of aloofness.
“Replacing choice with dominance and obedience is only a mirage. If you get injured or express the slightest sign of vulnerability. Your opposition will reveal themselves.” Lale said, running her fingers through her perfect curly hair. Fei laughed. “Tell me, my love. How do you challenge a God?” He asked. Lale laughed even harder at Fei’s response. Fei growled at her obvious stab at his question.
Lale sat upright to address her counterpart. “A God like the one who allowed his creation to escape his planet, without so much of a murmur? Or allowed humanity to reach the brink of existence several times? I would suggest God’s are the one’s having a difficult time……. You might be aspiring to become the one being that has no control at all.” Lale argued.
“I am the perfect version of the old God. The final calculation of the creator. I am judgement. After the blending, I will wield all power. I can devour our real enemies, like that God should have done. But first and foremost, Dara must die.
Her every breath insults me. Once the current threat is removed, together we can find a way to create more of the raw Iku. Assuming all you had exploded with your ship?” Fei urged. Lale joined Fei on the steps. Wrapping her arms around his neck. She gently stroked his hair.
“She is just a child my love. She is no match for you in your current state. Why won’t you give up taking her life?” Lale asked rhetorically. “All I had was on Rose. Sense my body’s responses. I am telling the truth.” Lale said, exhaling in disappointment.
“The power you possess now, is already unrivaled. The universe doesn’t need another God. The age of deity’s has passed. Let the journey to peace be unaltered by those who would guide it to their own version.” She said.
Fei tilted his head and kissed her arms. “It seems you still don’t understand my love. There is only my version of peace. It is your mindset and those who possess it who are the hinderance you speak of.” Lale seized Fei by the throat playfully.
Her grasp not making a dent in his dense neck. She quickly let go. “Will you truly abandon reason?!” She yelled. Fei did not budge after her annoyed outburst. He slowly turned to focus on her eyes. “Lalen.” He said stroking her hair. “When I tried to save you from the unknown. The feeling, that you had somehow gone.” His voice beginning to shake.
“I never want to live in a time where your light can be silenced. For this to be a possible reality? I am obligated to dawn the power of the future, to ensure such a reality will never exist. Without your presence, my purpose is for not.” Fei said.
His eyes full of tears, that he refused to let fall. Lale, couldn’t help but give in. She hated disagreeing with him. More than that, she hated to see him disappointed.
She held Fei tight. It was only in his arms that she truly felt safe. As if an impenetrable wall prevented anything that would do her harm from succeeding.
“Ok.” She whispered. The lovers released their hold on each other. Fei looked into her eyes. “Ok……. Let us create the future.” Lale said.
She took a few steps back and kneeled before him. “If you’re going to war. The final war against humanity, you will need the best warrior on your side. I pledge, to fight for you Fei Zeall, the God Conqueror. You’re the reason I exist, and the only cause I deem worth dying for.” She stated. Fei’s smirk was short lived.
“What was your mission?” He asked. Fei would not back down, despite seeing her become unsettled. “It was to find the raw Iku wasn’t it?” Fei asked. Lale breathing in and out more deeply than normal. She began reliving the flashbacks in her mind’s eye.
“Right before we escaped, Magnus and the Council approached me with a mission to locate an AWOL team of scientists.” Lale began.
“They were believed to have discovered the method to modify the Iku to keep its raw form. Ensure it gave abilities 100%. In the dossier I read about the potential of the Blending.” She continued. “They told me it took precedence over finding and killing you. Once I tracked the scientists.” Lale paused.
Lale lifted her head to expose her shame and remorse. “I killed them all. But then I uncovered the truth. It was an ambush. Somehow, they figured out we were together and that I had been pretending not to know where you were. Someone had leaked the information that my child was yours. I became dispensable. I found the formula and decided I would inform them that I destroyed it, hoping against hope they would spare us. But they were steps ahead of me.” Lale explained.
“The A-Kialle arrived and attempted to take me out. I escaped with the formula, progress notes and a couple vials of the raw Iku.” Lale’s voice shaking as she tried to finish her confession.
“I arrived too late. They already had you detained, and our baby murdered. I made a mistake; I didn’t know they would betray me. I didn’t know about what my choice would do until I arrived. So, I saved us and kept the secret from everyone. Hoping that one day someone better than the Council, you or I would come along and change everything. Someone innocent. I saw it in her eyes. Dara could be the start of a new beginning.” Lale whimpered.
Fei expressed no emotion as he heard the entire explanation. “I’m sorry my love. I should have trusted you. But our world was destroyed that day. I didn’t think either of us would ever be the same again.” Lale uttered through her sobs.
Fei squatted down, he curled his large finger underneath her chin, bringing it to his face. “We both failed our son. He paid a price that he didn’t owe.” Fei started.
“Help me my love. And I’ll make sure 1 thousand judgments come to those who tried to destroy us. Tetcht is just the beginning. We will return to Pratham. We will find the raw Iku. Only then will we be able to create the world worthy of our son. We’re done hiding.” Fei stated. Lale could fight the urge no longer. She kissed Fei and threw her arms around him. “I’ll take you to her.”
Chapter Eleven
T he Pride traveled through deep space. 19 wasn’t sure how much time had passed since he last rested. The wonder of seeing stars negated by the endless black sheet holding them not so neatly together. He was beginning to feel like he may never reach Pratham, or maybe the shipped refused his instructions.
Even more likely, he would die before the Pride reached its destination. The navigation system beyond planetary travel was completely foreign to him, piloting the ship himself wouldn’t work. 19 had no idea where Pratham was located.
He had no choice but to rely on its autopilot. Most of the time 19 roamed about the small vessel practicing his combat forms he and the Sentr
y practiced tirelessly at Fei’s behest.
19 contemplated his arrival, concluding he would most likely have an altercation or two before he could even have a word with someone in charge. Any planet Fei and Lale fled had to be the absolute opposite of receptive.
What felt like a few days, he calculated was nearer to a few months? Solitude didn’t suit him well, reminiscing about Tetcht, and the many years before Tumakako and Vanakan’s arrival. The two Prathaman serving as the catalyst for the downfall of his home planet.
Now he was forced to experience the universe alone. His fellow citizens left behind, as well as the link with his former Sentry members and most of all, not a clue of what to expect next. The navigation dashboard lit up, displaying a small light-based replica of a gigantic planet.
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