I was. . . Somewhere new. I was sitting in the middle of a scorched area as if I had been burning with the intense heat of a star. It was a rainforest but the trees and bugs were like nothing I could find on earth. You are an idiot.
“What the hell?” I screamed at the voice that had popped in my head as if it was my own thought, but it wasn’t. It was a man's voice.
I am Aurinko. I chose you to become a warrior of the sun, well, the only warrior of the sun. I am known as the sun dagger to most, but you may not call me that.
“Where am I? Who are you? Where are you? How did you get in my head? Get OUT!” that last part was a scream.
You do not have to speak to me out loud. And you cannot go home. This is a world in between dimensions. Things you know as the “laws of physics” change every day based on what dimension it is currently closest to. Right now it is closest to your dimension, luckly, but you can access it from any dimension at any time. As for your other questions, I am Aurinko, I am in your hand you dumb ape, we are connected, mind, body, and soul, and finally, no.
That was a lot of information at once so I dealt with it one at a time. His name is Aurinko, he’s a dagger, we are one entity now, and he wont get out of my head. One question left.
Why can’t I go home?
You must train. I can only initiate a jump once every thirty years. You are lucky I had so long to charge. Come. You must train.
Then Aurinko set to work teaching me the basics of fighting with a knife. First you must perfect your stance.
So I got in my best knife fighting stance.
That stance sucks. Widen your feet, stand at an angle, hold me like this. Then he sent a picture of someone in a perfect knife fighting stance. So I copied it. Your stance is better now but you need to go lower. I lowered my stance. It hurt my legs a little but it was nothing I couldn’t handle for a short time. He lowered me, made me twist in odd ways, and eventually I was in an almost comfortable stance, should I build up some muscles.
You will be waking up in this stance. You will fall asleep in this stance. You will walk everywhere in this stance. You will forget to stand like a regular human being until I say so. This is how you stand now.
Next I learned to walk. Aurinko told me to walk towards a tree as if I were going to attack it.
No. Try again. I tried again. It was wrong again.
“What am I doing wrong now!” I finally yelled. I was still in my stance and my legs were starting to burn.
This is not something as simple as a stance. I can provide very little insight on a fighters personal battle style.
That gave me pause. I could fight in my own way, as long as it was effective.
You fight with a dagger, speed is your best friend.
I sat down and thought. “So I’m like a quick murderhobo?”
Roughly, yes. . . though I would not use that comparison.
So I got in my stance and advanced on the tree from one hundred feet away in some sort of zig-zaggy steps and just before I got to the tree I jumped over it and turned in midair and slashed it from behind. It exploded into flames and was nothing more than ash in moments. The entire encounter took two seconds.
Wrong again.
I tried again, trying to really feel like a fighter.
Good enough. You will refine it over time, I’m sure. Two more years maybe until you graduate from the basics.
“Two years! I can’t be practicing for two years! I don’t have two years!”
You only have one week. If your job is what you mean. And you won’t be going back to your job. You are the protector of all. You protect the-
“I don’t want to protect anyone! Screw this! Take me back!”
-multiverse. I cannot. I can only initiate a jump on my own once every thirty years. I will teach you nothing of any other powers I have, including jumping, until you have mastered your fighting style.
“Faster I master fighting, the faster I can go home.” I muttered under my breath. I set back to work with twice the vigor I had before, which still wasn’t much due to the fact that I had so much reluctance plaguing my mind.
You will practice your basic fighting technique that you will later build upon to have a flexible fighting style. Flexibility and speed are what make knife wielders dangerous. And most knife fighters don’t have my awe inspiring amazingness.
Oh great. I had just taught a magic knife to be a self confidant ass hole.
I am no magic knife. I am a being formed from the very energy and power resonating between dimensions. I am a being that has formed a symbiotic relationship of sorts with humans, the most honorable species in the galaxy. You may be the most honorable, but you are far from saints.
“Fine.” I let the whole exchange drop. That said, I forgot nothing of what was said. Aurinko was a being that, if I was correct, can die. I help him and he helps me. I protect the universe-
-multiverse-
Whatever, then, what do I get? I brought this up with Aurinko and he responded with vague promises of power and then immediately got me back on track with my training. You help me protect, I give you the power to do it. You want to go home don’t you?
That got me on track faster than anything else he could have said, or thought. I tried to maximize my stances power and speed.
It was weird that every day something would change. It was slow but definitely noticeable. Some days I breathe harder because of very little oxygen in the air. Some days the opposite. Some days there would be low gravity, some days high. It all contributed to making me strong, physically and mentally.
It was eight months later when he decided I was fast enough to practice dodging against a target that was actually attacking me, where as previously I was dodging air, not even moving air, mind you, just empty space and a tree. That also did not move.
Here, I can have him train against you.
Then, right in front of my eyes was the man. I had almost forgotten about him. It’s been so long. I thought. Then suddenly he was holding a sword and was getting ready to swipe at me. I had to block several attacks with Aurinko before I finally got to dodging in proper form. I had noticed that, well, what I was doing was very physically and mentally taxing, I was gaining what I imagine as storage space in my brain faster than normal and my physical capacity was increasing as well. The problem was, he was faster and stronger than me, and I didn’t know how to properly attack so I was just dodging every attack he threw my way. I slid in between his legs and tried to catch my breath for that millisecond that had bought me. He spun around and I dodged two more attacks before he ran me through with his illusory blade.
You survived almost a full ten seconds of his attacks. He sounded surprised. That little narcissistic ass. That is a lot longer than I was expecting for you to be dodging. You have grown exponentially faster than I was prepared for. You may be able to learn some of my powers in only two more years.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Oh. I thought he was being. . . Whoops. . . “Great. I can’t wait to go home. It’s all I want.”
Then train harder. You are still four years from going home.
“Four years!” I was going crazy at this point. There was no way I still had a job, I had missed a bunch of rent, and I’m pretty sure all my friends think I’m dead. At this point, I didn’t have much to go back to. “You know what. Fine. I’ve got nothing left. Why not train like hell for the next four years?”
Next you will practice some basic fighting maneuvers. You will be doing this on a tree.
“Ugh.” I groaned. I thought I was past practicing on trees but I was wrong.
I trudged on up to a tree and did some basic swiping without actually touching the tree, but I got close. I started slow at first, I mean the first few weeks. Eventually though, I was slashing and thrusting (get your mind out of the gutter) with great ferocity and speed. After about a month I was attacking that tree without really touching it in a massive blur of destruction until I finally stabbed it. Just like the others it went up in a blaze for just a second and was gone.
“I think I’m ready to fight a moving target now.” I said after four months of training with breaks of only rigorous strength training.
That might be best. Aurinko responded. That was the first time he had actually agreed with me on something training related. I felt accomplished. We still need some trees left in this dimension. He finished. Jerk.
Then the man was in front of me, sword ready. This will be fun, I thought.
Especially when he wins. Thought Aurinko.
"Oh, sure. How about when I win, I don’t practice on trees anymore until I finish my training."
Hee hee. Deal. He sounded like he was scheming. I may have just made a grave mistake.
He attacked. It was fast. I could barely comprehend it, even with my enhanced senses. We were suddenly a blur of death. I swear I got several hitts off on him but he kept going. I got him pinned against a tree.
“I win.” I said.
He’s not dead yet. Hee hee.
I had pinned him in such a way that if I moved he would have a free attack. I had to make a decision. I backed off of him and tried to block his attack. I barely managed to divert his attack from my heart and it instead was shoved into my shoulder.
I win.
“I’m not dead yet.” I responded. I ripped his sword from my shoulder and spun to stab him in the neck.
It was obvious enough that Aurinko allowed it as a kill.
Damn it. You win. No more trees. Unless it’s for making more space.
“Fine. I’ll allow it.” I told him.
Time for your next phase in training. I want you to study anatomy. You must be able to name every bone and muscle and vital organ in the human body.
“Why? This is totally ridiculous. This isn’t health class. This is martial arts or however you want to describe it. Why should I have to study? Plus, I don’t have a way to study. Ha.”
You need to study so that you know how to kill and how to hurt without killing, Beatrice. He told me like a parent telling a small child why they can’t have ice cream for dinner. Damn. You’d think that I was talking to a kid. You embarrass me.
“Oh. Oh I embarrass you. No. You embarrass me. You aren't smart enough to think of a good way to educate me. Ass hole.” right then my vision was dominated by images of humans and skeletons and muscles it all made my head hurt.
What were you saying? Ass hole.
He got me. He got me good.
“Fine. I will learn what you want me to. You know, I did a whole lord of the rings style walking trip to find you and this is how you repay me?”
Yes.
That one word was the sum of all the reasons I hate that stupid ass hole of a dagger.
“Can’t argue with that I guess.” I said as I sat down to study.
Ah ah ah! No!
“What!” I responded, alarmed.
You will be studying while doing your alternate day strength training at the same time.
On days that I wasn’t working on my fighting style I was strength training. At this point I was lifting eight hundred pounds easily. Well, it was still hard but I could do it without being unable to do anything else for the rest of the day.
“So I’ll be working on my strength every day now! That can’t be healthy. I must be well over the strength of the strongest person on earth.”
No. But if you try, you might be able to match him.
“Oh. Really?”
Yes. The record deadlift weight is one thousand one hundred and fifty five pounds.
So then I did all sorts of exercise and learning.
Two months later, I had finally learned anatomy to the point where I could probably become a doctor with my enhanced mind.
Now that you have mastered that, let's put it to some use.The man appeared. Render him unable to move, without killing him. We will be ignoring the fact that I have abilities.
“Okay. Whatever you say, oh great one.” that last part was sarcastic but I don’t think he cared.
That is what I like to hear! Please, train. I would like to finish before I'm a million years old.
“How old are you anyway?”
Frankley, older than a million. No matter. Train or I might not teach you to jump.
I got to work. I sliced tendons and dodged his attacks with almost a casual grace. I had trained so long I had learned to fight better than any human on earth and I have a weapon with almost no range and has quite honestly no practical use in a battle.
He was unable to move nearly instantly.
Now. You will be learning to use me in a less. . . brutal fashion. You will be learning to hold back my burning to the point where you only cauterize, not melt entirely. First we will start small with. . . normally I would say cut a tree without burning it but that’s out of the question.
“It's fine. I’ll practice on a tree. It was only a small victory anyway.”
Great. Imagine my essence flowing through both of us, as one entity. Then try to bring the essence back away from my blade and try to spread it across the rest of us evenly.
“Okay, easy enough.” I said. I had no idea. I closed my eyes, imagining energy flowing through the two of us. I. . . Couldn’t do it. My mind didn’t work that way. Never did. ”Why can’t you show me? It would make it all a whole lot easier.”
Sorry this is something you must do on your own. I cannot create how you see my essence. That is yours and only you can find out what you see it as. I also cannot tell you how to redistribute the essence, that depends on how you see it.
Great. I couldn’t just piggy back on Aurinko this time.
Okay, I thought. How should I focus? What is the best way for me to envision this? I reiterated. An image of me sitting cross legged with Aurinko in between my hands, making a fist with my pointer fingers up along the blade of Aurinko flashed in my mind. This wasn’t his doing, this was all me. I got down in that position, closed my eyes, and focused. Not just thinking really hard about it, but really focused.
I sat there for three days. Unmoving. Looking into empty space as all time had no meaning anymore.
After what seemed like only ten minutes I found it. The essence was in veins. Like blood. Flowing like magma, yet to see the surface. There were small holes all over the both of us as one entity. Not physical holes, but ways to let the magma out. I had a sort of clumsy control over the magma. I pulled. It didn’t move.
What do I need to. . .
I rerouted the flow of the magma, leaving only a small amount inside of Aurinko and connecting that vein to a different vein, adding more of the magma to the rest of the veins.
I opened my eyes. Now I could see and reroute the magma with minimal effort now that I knew what to look for. I threw Aurinko at a tree as he had taught me. He hit the tree with a thunk and dropped through on the other side of it. That tree was hollow, must have always been, but it didn’t burn to ash. It was black around the edges of the hole but that was all. I couldn’t fully drain every ounce of magma from him.
“Yes! It only took me ten minutes too. Suck it you stupid dagger!” I bragged as I walked over to get him while giving him some essence back.
Actually, it took you three days of which you haven't eaten, which means you're pretty hungry, huh?
Damn it. He was right.
It wasn’t a necessity for me to eat, but not being hungry kept me focused. I could only guess but I would say that he was going to make me go for a very long time without eating to get that habit out of my system.
Ah yes! I almost forgot! You will not eat, drink or sleep for the rest of your training. Now, we will work on incorporating my essence into your fighting style. Start pushing the essence ahead of me when fighting, burning all the air away, leaving a near vacuum with less resistance and therefore more brutal attacks as well as burning the flesh before cutting it. We will continue with other moves later.
“Why did you have me hold back your essence if you want me to blast it recklessly?”
You won't. Holding something back is the best way to gain as much control as possible from the very beginning. And you're not “throwing it around recklessly”, you're pushing the essence out and not letting it go any farther. Throwing it around is something a toddler could do.
“Fine.” I responded. I practiced. Many times I destroyed miles of forest before I finally got it right. Mostly. I resolved that I would perfect over time and requested the next set.
If you insist. . . I don’t fully think that you will practice this to its full potential in actual fights though. . . I need you to understand the power that this simple move grants you. If you go much faster with your moves than chances are, you could break the sound barrier with the help of this technique.
“I promise. I will use this technique in any battle I come across, unless I want them to live.” I told him.
Okay. . . if you insist. Next you will create shapes with the essence, mostly for protecting yourself in the most efficient manner possible and getting into armor with specific kinks that can only be reached by oddly shaped weapons.
So I practiced until I got it mostly right and requested the next move.
And so it went for three years until I got to the last move before jumping.
This is almost the moment you have been waiting for, though this will take much longer than any of your other tasks thus far.
I groaned. Several moves have taken several months to learn and I didn’t want to take too long on one move.
You will make a lattice of essence over your skin. Keep it tight and connected to your skin. Make sure it is a lattice, that’s very important.
“Why a lattice? Why not just engulf myself in flame? It seems a lot easier.”
You need the lattice so that you can breathe and the lattice can continually protect instead of dying instantly after eating all of the oxygen. The lattice allows for places to let the air in.
After the first time of practicing I blew up everything within a mile and decided to file that away for later use, thinking that that could be useful, before hearing.
“Curazo” click “riesia?” click “miure” click “miuriemia” click “rerasia” click “shaerauraule”click “siaraushoeriesiare?!”