Eian felt a metaled fist crash unto his face, his neck cracked. He felt wind on his face, stone on his legs, pain everywhere.

"Ughh..." Eian.

Incoherent words.

'Wait! What was I doing?' Eian thought drunkenly.

Everything snapped back into place, the pain and dizziness melted away.

"What?!" Eian.

"Hmmm... too much strenght that time looks like." Ul.

"AGAIN!" Eian.

'That must have been like the hundreth time.' Eian thought silently cursing.

"Meh stop being a sissy." Ul.

"I AM NOT A SISSY! I SWEAR YOU BROKE MY NECK!" Eian.

"Ain't matter if I did. Can't die in here, s'long as I den't want ye te." Ul.

"How long have I been in here anyways?" Eian.

" 'bout nine days. Every min' be half sec, hour's 'bout half min', and three days s'bout forty min's. Sun ain't changin, so hard te tell exact." Ul.

"FUCK!" Eian.

"HAHA! fer de last time boyo. Noooooo. Ain't ma type! HA!" Ul's aggravating laugh spilled forth.

Eian got up and resumed a stance. He hadn't landed a single hit, which was extremly depressing, but he was determined to try.

He did a a jab which painfully cracked against a metal brace. He moved closer, that was safer, farther out a blow accumilates power. Uls blow caught his stomach, but it had not yet built enough momentum to hurt, much. Eian pushed against the blow and swung again at Ul's face. Ul ducked and suddenly he felt his balance go out from under him. He landed hard on the ground.

"Fuck!" Eian.

"NOPE!" Ul.

They kept at it for hours. Intermingled with moving stone golems of various monsters and people. Ul had a sadistic tendency to make it more than one.

"R'Lax boy. Times almost up." Ul.

"What?" Eian.

"The power begins growing after selection. Can only stay here till it's done, lessons make ye able to use th power proper." Ul.

"So.....? I've been here as long as I can?" Eian could postrate himself on the floor and thank the gods.

"Yep. I'd like a few years with ye te make ye battle ready, but time never gives." Ul.

"Years?!" Eian thought he would faint.

"What ye can't be a master in a few days." Ul.

".....*sigh*..." Eian.

"Den't worry kid. I like ye find me in real life someday. I'll make ye stronger than ye can imagine." Ul.

"I'm not sure the pain's worth it." Eian grumbled.

Ul stood still and silent, watching him sternly.

"It's always worth it. Trust me." Ul looked away.

"What?" Eian.

Ul took a moment to be quiet even though Eian kept asking.

"Ye. Got people ye want safe kid?" Ul looked at him again more serious than Eian had ever seen him.

"Umm.. Yes obviously." Eian.

"What would ye do te keep 'em safe? Don't say die cuz that's stupid." Ul.

"Anything i guess." Eian.

"Ye guess eh? WELL I GUESS, when yer lass gets eat, and yet family b' dyin' that's what ye'll say? 'Annnnyyyytiiinnnn. I GUESS!' " Ul said the last part sarcastically.

".....I don't have a lass." Eian didn't know what else to say to the dwarfs outburst.

"....*sigh*.... look kid get stronger ye'll need it. Ye'll thank me fer it later. Here." Ul.

Ul tossed Eian a large piece of rock.

"Huh?" Eian.

"Be ready next time, as well. Take it till yer safe." Ul.

"....okay?" Eian.

"Focus on the rock. Close yer eyes." Ul sighed.

Eian focused on the rock.

"C-l-o-s-e   y-e-r    e-y-e-s." Ul.

Eian closed his eyes.

"Open yer true eyes. Eye's o earth." Ul.

Eian felt something meta-physical open on his forehead.

'No....it's not a rock.... it's a part. Part of a whole.' Eian thought.

He felt it.  Saw it. Stretching below him, behind him on the mountain, even far far above him, planets away. Even within him, and something, somewhere else, not here and not in a sense of distance. He felt in somewhere strange, a place distant yet close. Earth. Rock, stone, mineral, solid, strong and alive.

"Will it te move." Ul.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

He did.

*****

Eian blinked and opened his eyes. It took a while for his eyes to adjust to the visor. He was not where he remembered being. Eian mentally sighed, they were always doing that. The others were keeping watch through the windows.

"What happened?" Eian.

"Vampire, man." Alex.

"Enjoy your nap?" Jessica asked playful.

"Awake?" Sarah.

"Vampire?!" Eian.

"Shh! There are more outside flying." Sarah.

"You told me to take my time, so I did. How long was I out?" Eian.

"Close to three hours." Sarah.

"That was fucking hell." Eian couldn't express the pain he had just gone through.

"Well the sun probably won't come out untill at least another five hours, probably more." Sarah.

"What do we do now?" Eian.

"Eat man. We left you some meat." Alex.

"Thanks man." Eian mentally cringed Alex's manner of speech was rubbing off.

Eian removed his helmet and ate what remained of the turtle meat.

"Have Alex heal you in-case it's infected with zombie." Sarah.

"Ughhh...Thanks for that..." Eian.

"Welcome." Sarah smirked, seems his sarcasm was rubbing off on her too.

Silence reigned.

"Anyways Eian man. What do you usually do with free time?" Alex.

"Mmmmmmm?... Tv I guess or surf videos online." Eian.

"Tv man?" Alex.

"Yeah. I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm not exactly well-off." Eian.

"Oh no man, thats cool. I usually run a bit or play soccer sometimes." Alex.

"Football." Eian.

"What?" Alex.

"It's actually football." Eian.

"What do you mean?" Alex.

"You use a round ball?" Eian.

"Yeah that's a soccer ball." Alex said smiling.

"That's not what it is to the rest of the world." Eian.

They kept on discussing football vrs soccer for a while.

"Are you boys still talking about that?" Jessica.

"I'm telling you it's football." Eian.

"No-one cares Eian. It's soccer in Canada as well." Sarah said smiling.

"See?" Alex smiled.

"Who cares? We're not in Canada or America at the moment." Eian was still bummed out about that.

"Stop thinking like that man. We'll get out." Alex.

"I agree. Normally I'd prefer thinking the worst, but we have to keep hoping to get out or we're stuck." Sarah.

Everyone was quiet again.

"So are you studying Alex?" Jessica.

"Yeah. Got a year and a half to go. You?" Alex.

"Yes. I'm studying Business-management. How 'bout you Sarah?" Jess.

"......Journalism...." Sarah.

-'Huh thought for sure she would be studying science.' Eian.

"How 'bout you Eian?" Alex.

Everyone turned to look at him.

".......Working." Eian.

"As?" Jessica.

"............" Eian.

"Jess I think that might be a little rude." Alex.

"It doesn't really matter. I'm just saving for college right now." Eian.

"What do you want to study?" Sarah.

"Don't know. I just want something good, so I can help my mom." Eian.

"OH!" Sarah seemed to understand something.

"Oh? That's cool man. So what's your mom like?" Alex quickly changed the subject.

"Alex." Sarah was doing a weird wave-thing.

"...ahh....I don't know......she's just a cool mom I guess?" Eian figeted.

"Hmmm......So what does she do?" Jess.

"Jess!" Sarah whispered and did a funny wave with her hands again.

"...Ummm.....she cooks......at a restaurant. SO! What do your parents do Alex?" Eian.

Eian thought he saw Alex's eyes darken, but it quickly disappeared.

"My father's a surgeon and my mother's a dentist." Alex.

"Oh. That's pretty cool. They good?" Eian.

"I'm not really sure. I've never been to their work-place." Alex looked different than usual.

"You okay Alex?" Jess.

"Yeah, sorry. My parents and I aren't close, sorry." Alex.

"No, no, I understand completely dude, sorry............Sarah how 'bout you." Eian felt his foot somehow ended up in his mouth.

"Dad does logging and mom stays home." Sarah.

"Cool." Alex smiled.

"My dad's a CEO of his company and my mom is a stock investor." Jess sounded proud.

"Rich girl. Congrats." Eian said dryly, remembering stuff.

"The hell man, what's up?" Alex visibly distrubed.

"Nothing." Eian didn't want to talk about it.

"Leave him alone Alex, he's just a jerk!" Jess, Sarah shushed her.

"What's wrong, Eian?" Sarah.

"Nothing. I congradulated her for being rich, how's that bad? Half the world would want to be like her." Eian.

"You were being sarcastic man. That's a dick move, it's not her fault her parents have money." Alex scolded.

"He's right Eian, we've been through alot. We should try to get along at least." Sarah.

"....*sigh*.... Alright look I'm sorry. I have bad experiences with rich people. Okay?" Eian rubbed his face, that was as close to the truth as he was willing to go for now.

"How is that my fault!" Jess,.

"SHHH!" Sarah.

"It's not... I'm sorry okay." Eian kept rubbing his face.

"Calm down Jess, he already apologized. The two of you have to let this go though, we're a team." Alex.

"As long as he stops being a jerk. Hmf." Jess.

"I think the both of you poke at each other and make things worse. You both act like rowdy children. I would know." Sarah.

"I didn't start it!" Jess.

"Shh! Don't forget where we are." Sarah scolded.

"Geez I said I was sorry. What do you want me to do?" Eian.

"I want you to stop being a jerk!" Jessic almost whispered.

"Fine! Sorry!" Eian whispered.

Everyone was quiet. Time passed and with nothing to do, Eian was bummed out remembering shit.

"So you got any hobbies Jess?" Alex.

"Shopping counts?" Jess looked embarrased.

"Yeah. What do you usually shop for?" Alex.

"I love collecting purses, sandals, perfumes, comfortable dresses. I like things that are practical, but fashionable. I like going to new places too, excpet here, this place is terrible." Jess chatted away.

Eian ignored their rambling.

-'I wish I could sleep.' Eian thought.

He remembered ther training Ul had given him. It wasn't much, but he had time. He had removed his armor, it was in the way.

"I'll be downstairs guys." Eian.

"What?" Alex.

"Where are you going to do?" Sarah.

"I'll just be practicing my magic, I'm bored and want some space." Eian.

"But..........alright............just don't make noise." Sarah seemed reluctant.

"Hey, are you okay man?" Alex.

"Yeah yeah. Don't worry I'm really just bored." Eian.

"Be safe man." Alex.

"Thanks. You guys too." Eian.

Eian went to the second floor and took up the stance Ul taught him. He trained how Ul told him. Visualize. IT was VERY hard, especially since he was just working with mental-shadows.