Volume 1: Arc 2: Chapter 5
AUTHOR'S NOTE
Thank you for your responses! I reconsidered putting a stable thread for Q/A/ Comments but I think it would be helpful.
So, a few hours after I upload this, I'll put that thread up and will continuously update the thread with whatever you guys ask or what improvements or things you like about the story.
Also, please look below after you finish the chapter. There will be a small comment at the bottom.
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Unknown Date, 20 R.E. – Unknown Date
Rajac spent many of his first days improving his strength and stamina in his cell. Much like he had when he was a child, he did pushups, crunches, and curls all within his cell. He also ran, though, it was in a small circle around his cell.
Further, he practiced the Delight of the Unknown and the Truth of the Many religiously. Unlike the Cadence of Jin and Martyr’s Fallacy, they were not intended to be used in unison. Rather, they were like stepping stones. The Delight of the Unknown was an array of a dizzying 128 steps creating billions of possibilities. The purpose of the form, as Rajac had surmised long ago, was to avoid the opponent rather than block him. It could be used, much like the Cadence, in one-on-one and one-versus-many situations; however, just like the Cadence, it required magic to perform the latter. The Element of Wind.
The Truth of the Many only had 8 steps; yet, those 8 steps were used after completing a series of 16 steps in the Delight of the Unknown. For example, Rajac could complete the first 16 steps of the Delight before deciding to move into the Truth or he could continue with the Delight until he reached the 32nd step. This requirement made learning both forms much more difficult.
The purpose of the Truth of the Many was to deliver a withering attack to an opponent much like Martyr’s Fallacy; however, while Martyr’s was more based on frontal assaults, the Truth was based upon maneuvering around an opponent or opponents. Rajac believed that each had a slightly different purpose. Fallacy was used to quickly finish an opponent while the Truth, using the Element of Water, was used to fight multiple opponents at once in conjunction to the Delight. Rajac had been using Martyr’s Fallacy in this way; however, that was never its intended purpose. As he studied the forms in his mind, he began to realize, over the following months, the Unbroken Dance was to defend against many opponents while fighting a single opponent while Stepping Stones was to attack multiple opponents all at once.
Rajac was determined to master the final two forms. No matter the cost, no matter the effort. Months past. Winter turned to summer and Rajac was now considered a veteran of the Circle. A double-edged sword.
He had been in countless fights against countless races. He lost count of the number of races he encountered and the number of men he killed. His name was known well within the Circle and the crowd cheered his name every time he entered; however, it also meant that he was only brought out now to fight the most dangerous of men.
Most of them could use magic; however, Rajac had become better than he was when he first entered the Circle. He was able to use the forms to adapt to any style of fighting-including magic. Once he thought about it, it was not so difficult to defend against.
Inherent magic, unlike the use of a Sadat, was based upon an individual’s inner-strength. Thus, it had to be honed, trained, and strengthened all on its own. Therefore, those who used magic spent all their time training their skill in that area thus they were weak in areas such as close-combat and hand-to-hand fighting. Both of which were skills Rajac excelled at and the Circle gave him the advantage.
As time passed, Rajac was able perfect both forms and meld them into Stepping Stones using both in unison to perfection. By this time, he thought three years had passed but he was unsure. The only thing he had to measure the passage of time was the changing seasons and he had little clue as to what part of the continent he was on. He had heard it was called the region of Abria but he had no idea where that was.
Rajac’s weekly fights continued and, by the time he had mastered Stepping Stone, no one in the Circle posed a threat to him. The announcer only brought him out for truly special events now and he was left alone to train in peace.
There were two things Rajac knew he had to master before he had the ability to escape this place. He needed to be prepared to face anything once he left, even Lord Gaya if necessary. In all probability, he had the ability to escape the Circle with the skill he held just at that moment. His heart yearned to do so. It had been so long since he had seen or heard from his family. In all likelihood, they thought him dead by this point and, all he could do was blame himself for getting in this mess in the first place.
So, he promised himself, he would be as prepared as possible before he attempted to rescue his people and return to his family. Therefore, he needed to master the Ventros Style completely, melding both the Unbroken Dance and Stepping Stone together into one form. Furthermore, he needed to find out how to use his inherent magic.
He knew his race was capable of it as a Greater Race. Over the years here, he had heard much talk about how all the Greater Races had the ability to access it but required a ‘catalyst’ for it to happen. He had no idea what the catalyst for the Ventros was and attempted many things over the years; however, when nothing was forthcoming, he put it to the side as he attempted to master his forms.
Even as he mastered Stepping Stone, Rajac had little clue how to meld the two sub-groups of the Ventros Sword Style. For weeks, he thought on the issue as he sat on the stone floor of his cell, recreating the forms in his mind’s eye as his fourth year in the Circle passed. His name was called only once during those months and, irritated at the announcer for distracting him, killed his opponent in a single blow, before he returned to his cell once more to return to his studies.
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It was not until his fifth year that he made a breakthrough. For years, he thought that the forms had to go in order. Unbroken Dance and Stepping Stones had to stay in their original forms. Each’s attack with each’s defense; however, that was not the case at all. In fact, it was much the opposite. Both sub-groups complemented each other in ways Rajac had not seen until he absent-mindedly watched a hydra fight a man in the Circle. While the man died, Rajac pictured himself fighting the hydra and noticed that the hydra’s heads attacked in unison.
That was when he finally understood. Both of the defensive forms were to be used in unison just as the attacking forms were to be used in unison. This was very different from his earlier assumption that the Unbroken Dance and Stepping Stones were to be used in unison. The Cadence of Jin could be used to block opponents who got too close as he was performing the Dance of the Unknown and Martyr’s Fallacy was the finishing blow after he boxed his opponent in with the Truth of the Many.
With his reverie in his hands, Rajac doubled his training as he interwove all four forms into the Ventros Style. For months, he trained. He knew not how long. Years maybe. At least twice, winter came.
Rajac did not notice, so focused was he upon his training. Time passed quickly, and with it, Rajac was able to master the Ventros Sword Style. As he reached his goal, he thought elation would come with his success.
While there was some joy, he was dissatisfied with his progress. Without magic, the Ventros Sword Style was not complete. And without it, he would not leave the Circle. For years, he had been the fool. Acting before he thought, he landed in this ‘prison’.
He would not make that mistake again. So, even though he had spent years here, he was willing to spend even more if his training required it.
And so, he once again, sat in the corner of his stone cell thinking of what the catalyst could be for the Ventros. From what he knew of the Ventros, they were unlike any race he knew of on Thantos. They were neither beast, elf, nor human in variation. Most of the races were one of the three as they were the most populous; therefore, they had the most variant races.
Ventros were renowned for their sword work. Did the catalyst have anything to do with that? Rajac had thought so, at first, and attempted many times to evoke magic while performing his sword work. To no avail.
He tried many things over the next year. Winter came once again and passed with a flurry of snow. Still, Rajac had made no progress. Yet, he was not willing to give up. He had attempted thousands of ideas, many of which, he had tried previously.
Nothing worked. For the next few months, he thought on the matter. No idea came to him. Frustration mounted in Rajac every day that he failed. For hours, he sat in his corner attempting to will his magic to coalesce. And nothing happened…until something did.
As the second year of his training approached, Rajac felt a small nudge within his heart as he willed fire elemental magic to trail up his arm. At first, he thought it was another phantom feeling but as he sat, with his eyes closed, his arm grew warmer and warmer. As he opened his eyes in surprise, he could see small flames begin to form on his tunic. Surprised, he beat them out with his hand hurriedly.
A grin spread on his face as he knew he had finally found the way to use magic. Admittedly, it was not that hard to grasp. It was much like using a Sadat; however, as he knew, inherent magic had to be strengthened before use. With him trying so many styles of using magic, it was no surprise it took him this long to figure out how to use his magic. Furthermore, the ‘catalyst’ that all spoke of had never appeared so even as Rajac delightedly began to train his magic, he could not help but be curious about the answer to that particular conundrum.
Rajac began to strengthen his magic by slowly using more and more of each of his elements until he felt that they were stronger than they had been when he had his Sadat. Finally, he felt his training was finished. After so many years, after many enemies defeated in the Circle, and after so long from his family, he felt it was finally time to complete his mission and return to his family.
A grim smile on his lips, Rajac opened the door to his stone cage, knowing he would never again step foot in the place that had been his home for almost a decade.
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AUTHOR'S NOTE
As some of you may have guessed, the catalyst for Rajac was completing the Ventros Sword Style. Once he completed it without the use of magic, the seal on his magic was broken. I won't tell you why the Ventros catalyst is on their Sword Style because I may make an arc about the reason later or I may just throw it in at some point. Further, as mastering the style is extremely difficult and time-consuming, even during the Ventros' height, it was rare to meet a master of the style. At their height, only a handful of masters of the style existed during each generation.
So, when Rajac mastered the style, he was able to use his inherent magic. Since he had no idea what inherent magic was supposed to feel like, he was unable to train it properly. Though, by attempting to will it out of his body on the many occasions he attempted to use it, he was unconsciously training it.
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