2 Years Later

The air was smooth and crisp. It always was before a good rain. The purple-grey sky was laced with magic and electricity that seemingly danced through its clouds like a leaf in the wind. That is, unlike the usual black-grey darkness of a storm that the city of Kaur was typically used to receiving, this one was a special one. Yes, on a day like this, one would sit down and enjoy the breeze, the static in the grass. And Nekoiya enjoyed every moment of it every time he got knocked on his back. Before getting back up and continuing to take the thrashing he was receiving. Yes, on a day like this, any other day than this one Nekoiya would have enjoyed it.

“Get up boy. We're still going. I haven't gotten knocked down yet.” Tekkon whistled. He stood in the center of the stone ruins holding his wooden sword at his side. He held an eager grin on his face as he looked over Nekoiya and then to Dagan who, unsurprisingly, held the exact same grin. Nekoiya crawled to his feet, bending to pick up the small wooden sword that lay beside him. The once cool air bit at his lungs as he failed to stabilize his breathing. He took in three deep breaths and wiped the sweat from his face. He'd ditched the tunic and poncho long ago and was now barefoot in just pants. And he considered ditching those too.

He spat off to the side and then; “What. . .round is this. . .again?” Nekoiya stammered. His stutter disappointedly still there.

“Aww don't tell me your tired boy. You wanna quit, right? After you begged us to teach you.” Tekkon taunted.

“No. . .no I just-I want to go on the hunt.” The mercenaries of Kaur were tasked with procuring the heart of a Sacha-Runa–the walking tree beasts that roam the outskirts of their empire, The Highgardens. They were rare, they were strong, and they were deadly. But Nekoiya didn't care about any of the information. He had been in Kaur for two years, and he hadn't been able to contribute other than basic tasks. But Nekoiya thought that learning the sword would qualify him for any mission.

Tekkon shot him a concerned glance in between laughs. Everyone told Nekoiya he was far too young to do missions like those, but if that boy was anything it was persistent.

“Donno son. I stopped counting at 5.” Tekkon laughed, ignoring the previous comment. “Dagan?”

“Don't look at me brother, I lost count at 15!” The two of them chucked to each other before bursting into laughter. Nekoiya grew more and more agitated as the laughing and overdramatic arm flailing went on. He sucked his teeth and tried to focus back on his stance.

“You’re on round 27.” Sylvara said softly from the grass. Her tone was nice but clearly attempted to hide her discontent.

“Thank you, Sylvara.” Nekoiya said, clearly annoyed, that time.

“I was just letting you know.” She let out. His eyes softened but he didn't apologize. He just sucked his teeth again and looked away. “Don't let them get to you, just focus on keeping your stances clean and guarding.”

“Easier said than done.” He murmured.

“I don't know Neko, I'm not allowed to fight. Maybe if you moved faster or something then he couldn't hit you.”

The sting of embarrassment knotted itself in his chest. He felt defeated. Pained. He ran through every stance he'd practiced over the past month, every attack, every weakness of Tekkon. Nothing clicked. Eventually all the thinking and the noise became too much for him and he finally felt his body relax. His breathing had steadied and his hands were calm. Screw the lessons. He thought. The two men stood to the edge of the stone square they fought on, casually making fun of him, mimicking his sloppy sword stance and the like. Nekoiya resumed his guard. Now far more aggressive he lunged low pulling the hilt of his blade back to his side. And before Tekkon could notice he took his opportunity. I’ll show him this time. He thought. A hollow drumming erupted in his belly as he leaned lower and lower. The blade was a blur of wood. Every fiber and muscle in the boy curled with power and he made good and well that this advance made no room for escape. For Tekkon it was either retreat or death.

By the time Tekkon noticed it was already too late. He was off balanced, with a step back he spun the sword around Nekoiyas jab with a thwack and parried. Tekkon laughed and let out a clumsy slash up but Nekoiya was ready. He stepped over to the side throwing the blade behind him then with one quick step he slashed at Tekkons side. When it landed he was frozen, he couldn't believe he'd done it. His eyes shot from his hand over to Sylvara who was standing and clapping. Her excitement quickly became horror to Nekoiya’s confusion. He had been so elated at the first strike landing that he completely missed the butt of Tekkons sword whirling around to knock him in the face. WACK! Stars danced through the purple-grey sky as he stumbled to the floor, clutching his nose.

“Pay attention boy! You’ve pressed too far! Poke and release!” Dagan yelled from the sidelines.

Sylvara raced in and grabbed his head. She held it as Nekoiya squeezed his nose. “Oh lord of light, are you okay?”

Nekoiya managed a nod through the pain. Though his pride was more hurt than anything else. “I'm fine.” He muttered.

“Fine?! You just got hit–really hard!” Sylvaras eyes quickly landed on Tekkon who was unsuccessfully trying to hide his shock behind laughter. “And you! Did you really have to hit him like that? Meanie!”

Tekkon took in a deep breath, then spun the sword one end jammed in a crack in the stone, the other on his finger. “Aye, better he learns here than against a bandit, or worse, a Sacha-Runa. Or do you think I should have saved the lesson for our eager friend to find elsewhere?”

Syvara scoffed. Then turned her full attention to Nekoiya. She reached up and patiently pulled the loose strands of hair from his face. “You both need to be nicer to each other.”

Nekoiya couldn't hear her anymore. The hollow drum was ringing off in his ears. The laughter, the disappointment, the pain. The hunger. He was hungry. He looked up at Tekkon, his eyes glowing with purpose. This time he wouldn't let them get the better of him again. “Let's go again. Right now.”

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

Tekkons mask of entertainment broke, replaced then by a soft face of concern and worry. But he quickly slipped it back on before anyone else other than Nekoiya and himself noticed. He tossed a finger to his temple then let out a “Hmmm’. And then he let out a droning “Nahhh.” That sent a boiling rage the ough Nekoiya from his feet to his fresh wound. His fists clenched and cracked. He couldn't believe they were overlooking him again.

“No?!” Nekoiya stepped forward, his sword hanging low but ready to strike. Tekkon studied him carefully. He knew he could beat the boy but there was something burning inside him. The tension between them hung like a stormcloud. Reluctantly Tekkon broke eye contact. He set the sword on his shoulder and let out a low groan.

“You heard correct. You’re not ready.” Tekkon said. His voice, calm but firm. Nekoiya lingered on the stone, glancing back and forth between the two men. They had denied him once again, at this rate he would never get anywhere.

“This…I-” He bit his tongue, letting out a puff of air before storming off.

Sylvara watched him round the hills back to camp before looking to her father and Tekkon. “Be nicer.” Was all she said before dusting off her tunic and chasing after him.

***

Sylvara found Nekoiya slumped under a tree overlooking the camp. His hands were full of little stones. He stacked them. One by one the biggest to smallest until it couldn't balance anymore then he moved to a new pile. He shot her a bothered glance then continued his towers. “Hi.” He said

“Hi.” She sat beside him, leaning partially against the tree and partially against him. “Are you upset?”

Nekoiya froze. His hands trembled as he carefully stacked the last stone on his tower. “No.”

“You're lying.”

“I…am not!” He snapped, his words reverberated, sending the stone tower crashing down. He cursed softly in a language he no longer remembered and then, “Well…M-maybe a little.”

Sylvara chuckled. “Your hands are shaking. Your stutter came back. You’ve got that look like you're gonna cry again.”

“I…I don't cry!” He scoffed then turned away, his face beat red.

She picked up the stones then set them in a pile beside her. “You know you don't have to hide. No one's watching, just me. And I've seen you cry before.”

Nekoiya sighed then plopped his head back against the tree. It had not helped his injury but he didnt care. “Crying won’t…They j-just keep…” He bit his tongue again. On top of all of his embarrassment his stutter always came to finish the job. He growled at himself, then continued. “Can’t fight, can’t h-help. Can’t…prove I'm strong. T-they don't see me.”

“They do see you.” She replied, scooting closer. “It's hard not to.”

“No.” He started with more force than ever. “They see a child. I don't want that. But they won’t let me p-prove I'm n-not. Every day, ‘Neko, pick up these dirty clothes, take ‘em to the stream. Neko, clean my sword. Neko, organize my books. Neko, fetch water. Neko, stay out of the way. Little tasks, like I'm nobody.”

“Neko. You don't have to prove yourself to anyone. Not like this. If you get hurt-” She paused. She didn't even like thinking the thought. “If something happened it would be bad for everyone. But if you take your time, eventually you’ll be right beside them.”

He stayed silent, his eyes never leaving the few rocks he held left in his hands.

Sylvara frowned, then continued. “You're learning Neko. That's all Tekkon wants. He just wants you to be ready so that you don't end up-”

“Dead.” He snapped. “That's what everyone really thinks. That i'll end up dead out there. W-well I survived on m-my own before and I…” He took a deep breath, his stutter threatening to betray him again. “I just want a chance, a real chance to prove it.”

“You matter.” She said, leaning fully into him.

He stiffened. “It doesn't feel like it sometimes. Tekkon…”

Then we’ll make it matter!” She said, leaping up. Sylvara snatched the stones from the ground, measuring them to the millimeter, then stacked them high. “Start small, but put your all into it. If we fight for your keep, they'll have to give you-”

“Everything.” Nekoiya whispered. “Thank you, Sylvy.” He leaned in and crushed her in a hug. “I'm gonna go talk to Tekkon!” He yelled.

“O-okay!” She replied. Without a moment wasted he hopped to his feet and sped off back to the ruins. He could feel the fire in his chest again. Everytime it went away, when it seemed too dark for him to think Sylvara was always there to help him back. They weren't blood. Hell they weren't even of the same family, but she was his sister till death. And he would one day be as useful to her as she was to him.

As he rounded the hills once more, the wind seemingly thrusting him forward. It stopped. There he was, Dagan, and Dagan alone.

“Where’s Tekkon?” He asked.

Dagan turned to him. “Ah boy, you forget somethin’?”

“No…I wanted to talk to Tekkon.”

“Oh, I think he's by the river. Got a little girly when you left, don't tell em’ I told you.” He shot Nekoiya with that same playful smile he'd expected for two years now.”

“Okay thank-”

“Boy.” Dagan stepped to him. “You’ve got fire in you. I see it.”

Nekoiya turned back to the old man, his face growing more and more serious as they spoke. Dagan had always been there for Nekoiya, though he wasn't his father.

“Now I’m not one to tell a man how to raise his cubs, and by light if you were mine I'd have you out there a year before now.”

“What?” Nekoiya said.

Dagan sighed. He shook his head in defeat. Then chuckled to himself. “You wanna prove yourself? Get on that wagon. The world won't wait for a boy to be a man. You’ve got something to prove, prove it then and now. If not to them, to yourself.”

“But-but Tekkon s-said…”

“Oh what does he know? The boy is still a boy himself. In my eyes at least. But you're not a fresh cub either. You've got fire. And fire never wants to sit still.”

A flash of magic and electricity flickered through the air with a pop before dissipating. Nekoiya watched every stream of light as it simmered to the ground. He lingered on Dagans words, then to Sylvaras. He knew what he should do but he knew he possibly wouldn't get a chance like this again.

Dagan shrugged. “We leave at first light. Sneak on, don't sneak, don't come. It's up to you. But once Tekkon sends you Hell send em to me, his old man will sort em out.”

Nekoiya smirked, despite the weight on his chest his decision had already been made. If he was gonna prove anything to anyone it would be to himself, he knew what he was capable of, he knew what he should do, he just didn't know what Tekkon would think.