I awoke to a hand raised above my head, emanating a warm fire and constant low humming. Considering how close it is to my head I figured it should be burning but it was just a pleasant warmth.
“Get up princess.” She said,
“My fucking nose,” I groaned. “I think you knocked a few IQ points out of me!”
“Eh, you could stand to lose some.” She sniffed and stood up. “Now, why do you think I knocked you out at that?”
I paused at her tone. This was a test. Okay, It obviously wasn’t for training. There is no way I could improve that fast. It was more of a demonstration if anything- Oh, that’s literally what it was.
“It was a demonstration, to temper my expectations. Show me how fast a real fight is.” I said, rubbing my nose.
“Ding ding ding. See, you didn’t lose a few IQ points. I did that to show you exactly how fast a fight is, you don’t have time to think. So you need to rely on training, so you don’t have to think and can act.” She said, rather horrifyingly I could see the logic.
“You can just say you wanted to knock me out.”
“Oh yeah, that too.” She said simply. I rolled my eyes.
“Alright, now get up.” I climbed to my feet and dusted myself off. “Your entire sword is your weapon, every single part of it. From the tip of your blade to the pommel of the handle. Each part of it has a certain circumstance you can use it in. The flat for mercy, the tip for piercing and the pommel for battering. Don’t limit yourself to just the blade.”
“Now, the most important part of fighting- or one of the most important parts, is footwork. So what you’re gonna want to do is-”
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Mom’s style is interesting. It’s centered around momentum and rotation, which by itself is disorienting and agile but she told me there are rhythms that this style was built around. It fits in quite nicely with my path since the dexterity you need for the rhythms.
I panted as I lay on my back in the long grass. The cool night air gently blows against me. She kept healing up my muscles with that healing fire and kept working me to the bone.
I couldn’t land a single hit on her! Every single time I thought I had her she twisted out of the way and followed up with a pommel strike to my chin and rattled my brain.
At Least I had some of the footwork down. The main idea is to constantly be able to pivot on one foot or the other. I managed to dodge one strike from her the entire time. Yay, progress.
I collapsed in my bed, my muscles thoroughly used. Despite that, I was feeling hopeful and excited.I couldn’t wait, despite how dangerous I knew it was. I just wanted to get decent with the sword, then I could set out.
No, I wasn’t stalling, shut up!
I closed my eyes and let sleep take me, awaiting my mindspace.
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I was beginning to understand just how powerful a tool the mindspace was. I reviewed the things I learned during practice with my mom and tried to replicate the movements the best I could.
It was amazing, being able to review everything like I had an eidetic memory.
THUD.
Ow, fuck. I stood up, rubbing my ass and tried it one more time.
Okay, center your balance, keep your feet apart and PIVOT!
My right leg lifted off the ground as I twisted and leaned to the left to balance myself. I felt myself go unsteady before I adjusted my foot and very narrowly kept my balance. Fuck yes! I actually did it!
My head slammed into a bookshelf I got too close to and I collapsed to the floor groaning.
Despite that, I was still grinning. Pshaw, it’s not even that hard once you know what to do. I got up and kept practicing it until I could pivot flawlessly. It’s incredibly important to the style and if I can’t do it I might as well give up and become a farmer.
I kept repeating the movements and ingraining every bit of advice I got into my psyche while quadruple checking everything from the book just in case.
It had to be perfect, or I should kiss my dream goodbye.
So I continued, and practiced and practiced. Finally, the sun rose. I woke up, and started my training.
Just like that, a month passed.
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I woke up with a bucket of ice water being poured on me. “Motherfucker!” I shouted as I jumped up off my bed- actually not my bed, just a random patch of soft grass. Oh yeah, I passed out during training and collapsed on this.
“Wake up, pipsqueak! Today is the day your training is finally over. Now instead of being a maggot on a piece of shit, you are a maggot not on a piece of shi-”
“Okay can we cut the military instructor bullshit.” I cut her off.
She pouted. “Oh come on! I’ve wanted to do this for so long and you deny me the right of-”
“You forfeited that right as soon as you woke me up at the crack of dawn with a bucket of ice water. So get on with it.” She pouted. I stared. She pouted. I stared. She pouted. I stared-
“Ugh! Fine! You never let me have any fun, you know?”
“I’m pretty sure you’ve been having fun this entire time so this is a small win in my book. Anyways, I’ve passed your rigorous training?”
“Yeah, pretty much. I’ve taught you everything important like how to find edible food, how to light a fire, how to fight, how to sail and whipped you into shape. You’re pretty much as ready as I can get you without babysitting you through cadence one to five and I know you would hate that.”
I nodded. “So that’s it?”
She nodded. “Yup.”
I took a deep breath, threw my head back and- “FUUUCKKK YEAH!!!!! WOOOOOOOO!!!” I jumped with joy. Finally this awful month was over. I thought the first day was bad, but hell no. I had to do daily runs while dodging and fighting off her attacks, waking up at downright inhumane hours to train. Everytime I thought I couldn’t keep going, I just couldn’t push past my body’s natural limit, she healed me up with that flame and made me do it over again.
She smiled fondly at me as I finished celebrating. “Got it all out of your system?”
“Yep!” I said, popping the p. I felt on top of the world.
“Alright. You’ll leave tomorrow. I’ve packed everything necessary. Let’s celebrate.” I nodded eagerly.
We trailed back to our house, talking and laughing. When I got back she even baked another cake and it was above average! It tasted like victory.
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“Alright, don’t tell anyone I did this, but,” She crouched over and opened up a cabinet. She retreated from it and brought out a large bottle, alcohol, I’m guessing. “This is something I got down on the fourth step, probably one of the best bottles of wine in the world. I was saving it for a special occasion and I guess this is it.” She opened the quark off the bottle and poured us glasses.
I picked it up and inspected it. It was a vibrant orange hue, like honey. It smelled amazing, like honey and flowers. We clinked glasses and I took a small sip-
Holy shit.
Tears came pouring out of my face. This was the best thing I’ve ever tasted in my entire life. It made me weep with happiness that I ever got to taste such a thing, and despair knowing that I would never taste anything better. I looked up and my mom was crying too. Big ugly tears. It tasted like summer and happiness, if that even is a way of describing it.
I went in for another sip and kept drinking until the glass was empty. My body felt pleasantly warm and I felt like I was laying on a cloud.
“More.” I held out my glass eagerly. “We’re going to drink this entire bottle.” I declared.
She nodded in agreement. “I don’t think I can physically stop myself. I was a damn fool for not drinking this earlier.”
After my third glass I stopped thinking, just riding the high of happiness I was on. I was laughing hysterically at my mom and I can’t even remember the reason why.
Glasses started to stitch together in my memory, and eventually the last drop was poured from the bottle into our glasses.
We downed it eagerly, and started ugly crying over how we had no more of it left. Eventually my head hit the table and I Was out like a light.
What a way to end my last day at home.
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I woke up and immediately felt pain in my head and soreness in my neck, probably because of my chosen sleeping position. I sat up with a groan. My first hangover, yay. I mean, it was worth it for a sip of that.
I looked across the table and saw my mother stirring from her slumber as well. I leaned down on my chair and kicked her leg from across the table. She jumped up.
“Heal me, now.”
“Whu-”
“Heals, now!”
“Alright alright, fine. I was gonna do it anyway.” She quickly casted her healing flame, and we both sighed in relief as the aches and pains wore away.
I just sat in my seat, bubbling excitement forming in my stomach as the full weight of the day dawned on me. I was leaving home and going on an adventure- This is fucking stupid. I could just stay at home and be safe for the rest of my life- Yeah, no.
I meant it when I said it was my dream to see the final step. With sluggish movements I started to get ready and prepare, squashing bits of thoughts bubbling up into my mind. Maybe you should wait till tomorrow, fully get rid of that hangover. Are you sure you’re ready? Maybe you should practice a bit more.
If I stayed longer than today, I wasn’t leaving. I had to leave today.
It was early enough in the morning, and I got my pre-packed bags and quadruple checked everything. I started walking towards the front door, each step feeling heavier than the last. It felt like I was traveling through honey, my own doubts weighing me down. My hand reached the doorknob, and I let it rest there for a second. Gathering my courage and a deep breath, I turned the doorknob and pushed the door open.
I was greeted with a gentle breeze and the sight of the front yard. I ventured a few steps out, and felt someone behind me.
“Missing anything?” My mom said, leaning on the door frame.
“If I did then I can buy it at a store on the way.” I stood up, making sure my bags were firmly secured. I looked at her.
“This is goodbye, for now.” I said. She looked at me with a pained expression.
“I’m coming back, I mean it.” She sucked in air through her teeth. “It might take me a while, but I will. I won’t abandon you like he did.” I said, very narrowly avoiding tearing up.
She couldn’t. “I know. Just- Just be careful, ok? Your life isn’t worth gambling.” She said with that warbly tone, it seemed the sound of her own voice pissed her off.
“You know I can’t promise that.” She looked at me for a moment, then nodded.
“I know. I thought I might try, maybe I could knock some sense into your skull.” She chuckled hysterically, tears streaming down her face.
We hugged each other tightly. I vow right here, right now that I will return from that Abyss of death. I will go to the final step, and find a way to come back. I vow it with everything I can promise.
She was shorter than me, My nose pressed into her hair. She gave me one last squeeze then released me.
“Just go already you bastard, before you make me cry anymore than I already have.” It was the hardest thing I’ve done to date. I pulled myself away from her and began walking out of the clearing, through the jungle and to the docks.
I got on my small sloop, checked the wind and sails and pushed away from the docks. The sky was gray and overcast, mirroring my mood as I watched the island sink into the horizon away from me.
Okay. Time to go.
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I navigated to the closest spot to access the first step, Poseidon’s garden. Once you go down far enough into the ocean, the water becomes attuned with the song and begins harboring life under the waves, impossible by normal means.
The water gets repulsed by your soul, allowing you to actually breathe and operate normally down there. You have to go up in cadence ten times to progress to the next step on each step. If you don’t, the song attuned water is stronger down there and will rip you apart and crush your soul.
The song is stronger down there, allowing you to increase levels in cadence. Interestingly enough, if you go down farther and come back up your power adjusts accordingly. You still keep all of your rhythms though, just weaker versions.
On dry land, you can only be cadence one. My mother never told me which step she ended her journey on, but I’m guessing it was a pretty far one considering the sheer strength and skill she has.
Anyways, I needed to get to a spot where the deep water reaches up to the surface far enough to where I can swim down and enter the Trench.
Thankfully, this island was pretty close to a spot. I just needed to sail for about half a day to get to it.
Idly I pulled out my book, checking for the umpteenth time that everything will line up perfectly. I swear it would suck a vast amount of hairy balls if I got to step seven and ruined my path because I had a minor oversight. I need to make sure it will never happen.
I passed the day humming to myself while making sure I was on track, checking my book and eating some dried berries I snatched from home.
My heart already ached thinking of home, I hoped it would get better in time.
On a brighter note, the wind was with me, roughly speeding up my journey an hour or two.
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As the sky turned orange I could finally see the spot on the horizon. I knew because of the empty ships that littered the ocean, and some populated ones approaching it.
It was noticeable, breaking away from the islands and the shallow waters to waters you couldn’t see the bottom of. Just complete darkness all the way through.
The biggest visual clue was the lack of islands, just sea as far as the eye can see. Heh, sea what I did there?
My boat sailed over the blackness, and I had this primal fear of danger. It's hard coded into our minds- the feeling you get when you see a dangerous predator or looking into a dark forest. It's a warning sign, a gut feeling honed over generations. It was strong here, ever present. The longer I stared the more my courage shrank. I took a deep breath, if I stared into the abyss for too long I would lose my nerve. I made sure I had all of my equipment, took a deep breath and jumped into the freezing cold water.
As soon as I made it into the water I started swimming down as fast as I could, hoping to save as much breath as I could.
I opened my eyes and nearly swam up right then, I was swimming into complete blackness. Stop doubting yourself and go!
I kept pattling, going further and further down until-
I spared a glance up, I couldn’t see the surface. I felt my heart start to beat wildly in my chest. Oh shit! What if I drowned!?
With effort I calmed myself down. Sadly I couldn’t do any breathing exercises but focusing helped. I blew a small bubble out from my mouth and watched it rise to the surface.
Okay, I was a little of course but still on track. I started to feel the need for oxygen, the need to take a deep breath but banished it.
I kept swimming, blowing bubbles occasionally and adjusting as necessary. It feels like I’ve been swimming for hours, when it’s probably been around two minutes.
The water was so, so cold.
Eventually I felt my lungs screaming for air. This is it, I’m going to die. Drowned before I could even make it into the Trench.
Pathetic.
I bet I would see my vision darkening, if there was light around me. It was completely black. I was going to die alone and cold down here.
I felt the urge to open my mouth crawling up my throat. Any second now I would either pass out or open my mouth to fill my lungs with seawater.
I kept swimming.
I thought of my mother, waiting until her death. Sitting outside waiting for her child to return, knowing that he never will.
That thought hurt more than dying like a bitch.
The feeling around my head changed, like rising above the water. I knew that was impossible. I opened my eyes to see-
An enormous open landscape, gray gravel and pale sand with bright patches of coral. It was rocky and mountainous, filled with many small spots to hide in the crags and coral- and I had a great vantage point.
Considering I was in the sky.
Falling.