The Year of the Lumin (9 page)

Part 2

Chapter 13

Training

Noir sat in the middle of the large chamber on his knees in front of Fafnir.  Her massive form loomed above him.  After a day, Noir was still in absolute awe of her.  Ratt sat to the side at the table in what had become the two boys’ living quarters.  He silently watched what was happening.

Adeel and Elrid had left early that morning.  Noir was sad to see them go.  They had been friendly to him in this strange new world.  Now that they were gone, he was very thankful for Ratt’s company.

“The three vigors are similar to a plant, fire, and water.  Each conquers and is conquered by one of the other.  The plant drinks water, water douses the fire, and the fire burns the plant.”

“Oh, like rock, paper, scissors.”

Fafnir gave him an odd look like she didn’t understand, then continued with the lesson.  “Lux is very good at blocking the elemental attacks of din, but has almost no defense against sye.  However, a Syeter is vulnerable to the powerful attacks of a din mage.  Lux beats din, din beats sye, and sye beats lux.  You must understand your strengths and weaknesses as a Luxin.”

“I understand.”

“Now, I am not the creator nor source of lux in this world.  I merely brought knowledge of it and developed it here.  People have lux inside them.  I merely guide them to the path of using it.

“Din and sye have their own respective dragons.  Jotunar brought sye to this world and Nidhoggr brought din.”  Fafnir’s tone then betrayed a hint of long held anger.  “And they have sold themselves out to the very people which they were to enlighten.”

She stopped and looked like her mind was far away.  “What do you mean?”

Fafnir gave a rumbling grunt.  “Jotunar resides in Chiron wasting away time.  He dreams and thinks and plans, but acts on nothing.  The people of Chiron feed him well and supply him with minds to connect with so he is lulled into a false sense of ease and security.  In ages past, he was by far the wisest of the three of us.  Now I fear he has given in to slothfulness and idiocy.”

“And what of the dragon for din?  Nidhoggr.”

“I have not spoken to or heard from him in many years.  I know he resides in the Tier capital, though I do not know what he does there.  The Tierians are a brutal people, forcing its occupants into work by abusing din.  Nidhoggr was always brash, but never foolish enough to help those who abuse.” 

She shook her massive head as if to forget the difficult topic.  “We can talk more on these things later.  Now place your hands on the siphon again.”

Noir placed his hands on the carved cone-shaped device again.  Fafnir had explained that it absorbed and absolved lux that was channeled into it.  He put both hands on it as he had already done many times that morning.

“Now remember, if you manage to harness the lux within you, force it into the siphon.  If you grasp lux and then do not use it, it can destroy you.”

Noir saw the dragon’s scales glow slightly.  A faint yellow light emanated from the tips of each scale.  Her body did not glow when she used lux as he had seen Adeel’s.  It was just… different.

Then he felt the pulse of power run through his body.  He had felt it many times so far that morning, but he had not been able to grasp it like he did back in the cave.  He felt another throb go through him and he inwardly grasped and strained at it fruitlessly.

The feeling came and went over and over.  He tried to utilize the power that he felt go through him, but everything he tried just did not work.

Then, somehow it started to make sense.  He felt the throb inside him and he somehow made his body swallow it.  Power rushed through his body making his skin tingle.  The feeling was strongest in the central point of his body, behind his belly button.  Somehow he knew that was where the power came from inside him.

“Yes!” exclaimed Fafnir.  “Now focus it into the siphon.”

As Fafnir had showed him, Noir gathered up the lux inside him and made it flow down his arms and into his hands.  He saw his arms glowing with a faint yellow light.  Then he pushed the energy through his fingers into the object.  The object glowed yellow, then slowly faded back to normal.

“Yes!  Excellent job, Noir.  One day is fast for a new Luxin in training.”

Noir smiled.  “Thank you.”  The whole thing seemed surreal.  Perhaps he actually could use this lux thing.

Fafnir continued.  “Most Luxins, new and veteran, need to focus the energy into something before using it.  Adeel, like many others, uses her hands as focal points.  This adds an extra step which slows down their speed with lux.  This is not ideal, but if it is necessary then it is better than nothing.  Try it again, but this time attempt to move the lux directly from your core and into the siphon instead of into your hands first.”

Noir felt another throb go through him and he tried to grasp it as before.  It took him a few tries, but he was able to do it again.

“Now, let it flow from your core directly into the siphon.”  Noir tried to focus it directly, but did not understand how to make the connection.  “If you cannot, let it go through your hands again.  Quickly!”  He felt the power go through his hands and into the object.

They tried this over and over.  After a while, Noir’s body felt drained as though he had just run a lap around the football field track back home.

He told Fafnir how he felt.  She replied, “That is normal.  Like a muscle in your body, using the chakra inside you requires exercise.  You need to exhaust it frequently in order to reach your full potential with it.  Now, let us do it again.”

~~~

              Day after day, Ratt watched Noir and Fafnir do the same things.  The dragon had Noir sit on the floor for hours on end.  He saw nothing happen or change no matter if Noir received praise or criticism.  He was beginning to wonder why he was there.  He wanted to support his new friend, and he really had nowhere else to go, but this was a waste of his time.

              Within a few days, Ratt had taken to going for walks when he tired of seeing nothing happen over and over.  He would venture out and explore the side of Fafnir's mountain.  He would look for and catch small animals.  He would use his dagger on trees to carve things into them.  Roughly a week had passed since he and Noir had arrived at Fafnir’s lair. 

              One day, Ratt was returning from a walk.  He entered the cave and saw Noir sitting at the table for once, instead of kneeling in front of the large white dragon.

When he entered, Noir said, “There you are, Ratt.  We’ve been waiting for you.  Fafnir wants to do an exercise with you now.”

Fafnir was on her large table-like stool.  “I apologize for all the waiting you have had to do, friend.  Both of you, come now before me.  And Ratt, bring Noir’s sword.”  Ratt looked at the dragon with one eyebrow raised, then went and did as he was told.  He walked to the sword which was propped against the wall.  He pulled it out of its sheath and took it to Noir who was already standing before Fafnir.

“Ratt, I want you to attack Noir with the sword.”  Ratt gave the large creature his most confused look.  She did not respond, so then he looked at Noir.  Oddly, Noir was grinning as if he was a child with a new toy.  Noir made a “come on” gesture with his hands.

Ratt asked haltingly, “So you… want me to attack him,” he held up the sword, “with this?”

“That’s right.”

“You want me to take the sword and go at him?  Try to stab him?  All that?”

“Yes, Ratt.”  Noir spoke that time.  “Do not worry.  I’m practicing a new technique.”

That reassured Ratt.  “I won’t get hurt or anything, will I?”

Noir laughed and Ratt could barely see a small curl of the dragon's lips as well.  Noir spoke, “Why are you worried about
yourself
getting hurt?  You’re coming at
me
with a sword.”

Ratt said, “Well, alright.”  Then he squared off against Noir standing a few paces away.  Noir stood in the same place, though he seemed to be concentrating very hard on the blade.

Ratt took a couple steps forward and slowly swung the sword at his friend.  Noir took a step back and said, “Oh, come on.  I won’t learn anything from an attack like that.  Really go for it.”

Ratt stepped back again.  He gathered himself up and went at Noir.  He closed his eyes and thought, “It’s not my fault if he gets hurt.  They told me to, right?”  He swung the blade from the side at where he thought Noir was.  The blade hit something hard and rebounded back.  Fearful of seeing his friend hurt, Ratt opened his eyes and saw that the blade had struck something about an arm’s length away from Noir, though nothing could be seen.  Noir was smiling even larger than before.  Fafnir said, “Well done.  Again!  And do open your eyes this time, Ratt.  Most enemies that Noir will encounter will not attack him thus.”

Ratt struck air for the rest of the evening.  Each time he swung the blade at his friend, a small, pale shield of light appeared and deflected his weapon back.  None of Ratt’s attacks got anywhere near Noir.

~~~

The next day, the three did much the same until the afternoon.  After they ate lunch, they came back to the large rocky room where they had been sparring.  Noir and Ratt noticed that one of the walls which had been plain rock before now opened into a small tunnel.  The opening looked like it was barely large enough for Fafnir to fit through.

Fafnir’s voice came from the new opening.  “I usually keep this path hidden.  However, we will need its contents.  Please enter.”  Ratt and Noir looked at each other and then entered.  Like usual, Ratt walked slowly to allow his limping friend to keep up.

The tunnel led down and curved slightly to the left.  As they walked, the light from the glow spheres in the main room grew dim and another light from ahead lit their path.  The tunnel opened up into a larger room, though not as large as the main hall.  The room was filled with white light, though no light source could be seen.  Fafnir stood on the opposite side of the room.  In front of the dragon was a pile of objects about as high as Noir was tall.  It mostly consisted of dull iron weapons.  However, amidst the black handles and crude metal, a few ornate, shining objects could be seen.  Pieces of polished armor could be seen in the pile as well.

Fafnir looked on the pile with sadness.  “These are the weapons and armor from my fallen enemies and allies over the years.  I keep them here for nostalgia’s sake and for moments like these.  Both of you choose a good quality weapon and meet me out in the main room again.”  Fafnir walked around the pile and out through the tunnel.

Noir and Ratt exchanged surprised expressions.  Ratt spoke up first, “I wonder how much this would be worth.”

Noir replied, “I can’t even imagine.”  The two both walked forward and started examining pieces of equipment.  Noir picked up a long, golden hilted sword.  He drew it out of its hard leather scabbard.  The blade was a bright, reflective metal.  It had a straight, wide blade that came to a point.  He held it up to the artificial light and examined it.  The sword seemed to be made by the hands of an expert.  It was large and sturdy but felt lighter than it seemed like it should be.

Ratt pushed aside a few dark iron weapons and held up a silvery, intricately decorated axe.  It had one side that came to a broad curving blade, and the other had a dangerous looking spike about the size of his hand.

Noir looked at Ratt and said, “Wow, that looks like it would do some damage.”

He responded, “I think these will work.  Let’s go.”  Noir slid the sword back in its sheath and followed Ratt out into the tunnel.

When they arrived back in the main chamber, Fafnir was standing in front of her stool.  “Both of you come stand before me.”  They stepped forward.  As they approached, Fafnir seemed to look at their chosen weapons longingly.  Noir imagined her remembering old friends who used to hold these weapons.

“You both need combat training.  Ratt, you are sluggish and uncoordinated with a weapon, and Noir must learn offense as well if he is to be a successful Luxin.  I want both of you to attack each other unhindered.  Noir, I want you to block not only Ratt's attacks, but your own.  If a weapon comes close to flesh, it should rebound immediately.”

Fafnir taught them both about proper fighting stances and techniques.  She taught them how to balance correctly and watch for mistakes in their opponent.  Fafnir was patient with Noir’s stumbling and difficulties due to his leg.  The maneuvers were different for Noir's sword and Ratt's axe.  Each attack rebounded back with a shimmer of light.  A few times, Fafnir had to change to her human form in order to demonstrate intricate stances or complex concepts.

Eventually, both boys were smoothly sending attacks at each other.  Most attacks were deflected by weapon meeting weapon, but when one went through, it rebounded against Noir's light barriers.  They went through different stances that they had been taught and began to feel comfortable with their respective weapons.  In the end, Noir felt as though his body would collapse from physical exhaustion and from the constant use of lux.

“You have done well,” Fafnir told them.  “Both of you catch on quickly.  Keep these weapons as your own.  They were once in capable hands, and I believe they are now again.  You are finished for today.  Rest well for the night.”