Lara sent a hate-laden glare at the tall, blond man towering above where she lay sprawled on the training field. Unfortunately, the man wasn’t the enemy, but her training partner. It was hardly fair since the Pyranni warrior staring down at her was well versed in weapons, fighting, and battle strategy.
And then there was her, who was receiving a crash course. It had been a month since the trial in Malkese, the sovereign city of Kureto. She was homesick for Earth, where she didn’t have to fight with weapons or learn how to fall to the ground without hurting herself. There, she was a college student. The heaviest item she carried was her backpack.
On this planet, danger was the norm, and the only way to protect herself was to learn the various weapons and how to hold and use them. She wasn’t certain how much more her body could handle. She had bruises upon bruises and aches where she knew it should be impossible. Her muscles were so sore Lara could hardly move to block anything during their training session.
She hissed at her sparring partner, showing her teeth to the devil incarnate, when he reached down to help her up. Skye Silverhand, once a Pyranni warrior, was now receiving Tal’Ai training with her. She scoffed at the thought of him needing weapons training. What Lara had not known when she agreed to the Tal’Ai training was that gaining control of her magic was only one part of the training she’d receive. Three weeks ago, she’d become a student again. Since then, her longing for home had increased until it was the first and last thing she thought of each, long day.
Tired of sitting on the ground and feeling every one of her aches and pains, she rolled over and pushed herself up with a breathless grunt. She straightened up only to realize her practice sword was still on the ground where she dropped it.
Lara gave a heartfelt groan. She limped over to the weapon and stared at it like the sword would attack her at any given second. She swore aloud as she dipped down and picked up the current bane of her existence. Why had she ever thought learning how to wield a sword would be neat? The pads of her hands and fingers were raw from the friction of the sword handle from blocking and feinting Skye’s strikes and parries.
Consciously, Lara knew gaining knowledge of how to use weapons was important, necessary. Since being transported to this world, she’d been in enough battles and fights to understand she was lucky to still be breathing. Chion, a large, white paka and her friend, had saved her in many of the battles, acting as her overly protective guardian. She knew she couldn’t continue to expect Chion to save her, but this was ridiculous.
She hurt. Everywhere.
Standing back up, she turned her head to look at Skye again. As if their sparring was nothing but a warm-up, Skye flowed through his forms. She secretly loved watching him as he moved from one stance to the next, his sword looking as if it was a natural extension of his arm. The man made wielding a sword look like child’s play, entering into the realm of artistry.
A paka walked over to her. Though sentient, the Pakas reminded her of giant black panthers the size of tigers. He sat down and curled his tail around his body. Lara, you cannot forget your footwork. That last block left you open. You didn’t shift your left foot back, putting your right foot forward into an awkward stance.
The paka’s disapproving tone made her feel like a recalcitrant child. Lara was trying. But for some reason, she wasn’t learning it as fast as the Tal’Ai pair wanted. The Tal’Ai pair trained all Tal’Ais when they became newly bonded. Her situation was unique. They never had to teach pupils older than nine or ten years of age. Both Skye and her, as well as their two bonded pakas, had received the bond at a much later age.
The Tal’Ai trainers trained all new Tal’Ai pairs how to control their magic and protect themselves. Afterward, each pair was called into the service of the Kurite kingdom. As they gained the necessary skills to survive, many Tal’Ais were chosen to learn more advanced skills, like espionage and scouting. The difference between their training and the younger Tal’Ais’ training was that Lara and Skye had a third component, history.
Every day involved waking up early for weapons training. After a quick bath and a light repast, they were inundated with learning their magical abilities. After a larger meal at dinnertime, a history lesson was given. The next day they were required to repeat what they learned the previous evening. Her days had never been so intensively focused. Lara had often complained about the study load she had for classes in college. Now, she’d gladly take that load in order to get a single day’s reprieve.
“I know, Tryvor. I can’t seem to figure it out. When he is coming at me, I can’t remember everything you tell me. It gets jumbled in my head, and I panic.”
She was losing patience with herself. Lara felt as if she was stumbling in the dark, trying to learn something that was beyond foreign. Next to Skye’s fluid movements, Lara felt uncoordinated and ungainly. She was all elbows and feet. She refused to remember the pure torture of the first couple days. She’d been insanely out of shape.
It will come. You must give yourself time. Tryvor sighed. You must remember you only arrived here three weeks ago. During that time, you have come far since picking up a blade. You must not compare yourself to young Skye.
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She scowled, irritated at the paka’s statement. Of course she compared herself to Skye. Who else could she use as a comparison? They were the only ones receiving training from the Tal’Ai teachers. In another three weeks, a new and much younger class of trainees would arrive following a bonding ceremony in Areth. She felt as if she was somehow lacking in this dangerous place, where enemies would kill you without a thought. She needed to learn how to wield a sword sooner rather than later.
Come, Lara. It is still early yet. I’ll walk you through the form without Skye’s assistance. Your assignment tomorrow morning is to practice this series of moves one hundred times. Perhaps you will gain the knowledge by simple, repetitive practice. Until you have this form, I can’t have you move forward in your weapons training.
She groaned at the directive. It meant she had to wake up earlier than usual, as the assignment was always prior to her actual training time.
She didn’t like being in the practice field early in the morning, especially by herself. The training field was actually above ground with the sun beating down upon the field. Normally she’d have enjoyed feeling the sun and wind. It was a drastic change from her travels in the tunnels. Though she could see below ground, Lara had missed the warmth of the sun and the light it provided.
Except, the practice field abutted the Gais Desert. Although the eerie stillness of the desert didn’t cross over the fine, invisible boundary between the field and the desert sand, she could feel its oppressive atmosphere. Whenever on the practice field, Lara always felt as if hungry eyes watched her, making the tiny hairs on her neck tingle with awareness.
Skye had mentioned his brief stay in the desert after he caught her looking over her shoulder one too many times. He had described the desert as nothing but a wasteland of sand. No animals or plants lived in the barren land. Skye had told her that even the wind didn’t blow and the moon’s light was muted.
When Lara asked Tryvor why there wasn’t any water in the desert at all, he’d explained that rain clouds—and thus rain—never crossed the border of the Gais Desert. It was as if the weather couldn’t bypass an unseen film that covered the land.
On the other side of the training grounds, the barracks housed the Tal’Ai trainees when they were present. The smaller buildings provided housing for the other Tal’Ai teachers, though they were also empty. The other trainers had traveled to Areth to bring back the newest group of trainees. The trainees lived above ground for a year before returning to their home city. From there, they completed the rest of their training over the next several years. There were typically trainees at different stages in their training, leading to a constant rotation of new trainees as the older ones returned home. This rotation had been disrupted, however, as the latest trainees were from the city of Reiner, which was recently attacked by Malirran invaders.
When she first arrived, Lara had been shocked to learn the school was above ground. Tryvor had explained the reason for the school’s location. Only in this one place could the magic be dampened. The grounds closest to the Gais Desert allowed for the trainees to learn how to gain physical control over their bodies without the interference of their burgeoning magical abilities. One’s magical abilities became easier to use the closer the school grounds came to the cliff leading down into the ocean. For that reason, the area designated for learning control of Tal’Ai magic overlooked the wide expanse of the coastline.
With a sigh, Lara turned her attention back to learning the dreaded footwork. Once she was in position, her practice sword held in front of her with both hands, Tryvor walked her through the series of steps until the human Ai called out.
Already leaving the practice field without a backward glance, Tryvor said, Come, Lara, Skye. Audren has prepared us a mid-day meal.
She dropped her arms on a whoosh of air. Her muscles were screaming from the abuse, and her hands and legs shook from the intensity of the workout. She stood there a moment, trying to work up enough energy to follow Skye to the small dining hall. Lara trudged over to the short fence that encircled the practice field.
After racking the practice sword next to the other weapons, Lara strapped on her wide, leather belt and heavy sheath. She withdrew the sword Chion had given her as a parting gift an inch from its protective covering. She had had the sword for over three weeks, but each time she felt its weight at her hip, Lara spent time studying the markings in the blade. Because she was shorter than all but the Kurite children, Chion had given strict specifications to the weapons smith.
When the paka had carefully dropped the sword and sheath into her outstretched hands, he had told her, Respect this weapon, for it will protect you when you most need it. Always carry this sword with you, and soon you will unconsciously rely on its weight.
She’d been struck silent at the gift. Though the weapon was made for war, there was a simple elegance to the line of the blade and its hilt. The sheath was engraved with the marking on their forehead, shining white against the black sheath.
When sent a questioning look, he explained, No one will ever doubt whose blade this belongs to.
Even now, Lara grinned at the white paka’s possessive and arrogant tone. With a last pat to the sheath, slapping it against her thigh, she went in search of the large barrel of water to wash off.
She turned the corner just as Skye dumped a bucket of water over his head. Having stripped off his shirt to cleanse the sweat from his body, Lara watched as the water ran down his back. He shook his head to flick the water out of his eyes. She shook her own head in chagrin. Lara still had difficulties with the cultural openness of public bathing. Although he wore pants—and it wasn’t all that different from people wearing swimsuits—there was a distinctive lack of pretense.
No one thought anything of taking off their clothes in front of the opposite gender. And because of it, Lara was constantly caught off guard at the unaffected actions of her companions. Her two teachers had frowned in confusion when she didn’t join them in the large public bath as they relaxed from the day’s work. Skye had merely looked relieved.
Skye turned when he heard her approaching on the graveled path and studied her bedraggled appearance. He said in a deep voice, “You best hurry. Audren will grumble his disapproval if you are late to mid-day meal again.”
Her mouth drawing flat at the reminder, Lara nodded her head once in acknowledgement.