This is the third part of the Sheaf's Chronicles series. Part one is Sheaf Sets Sail. The previous part is Combat Training. The next part is The Belker in Saúte.
Keyreith yawned as she stretched out her arms. Last night had been a late one, and she was still sore from the intensity of her training. She glanced over at her old diary, a thing she hadn't updated in years. Recently, she more often favored extra time to sleep over writing. However, today was the first day she'd had for break in a long time. Today, her family climbed the mountain to visit her.
Once upon a time, it was a monthly occurrence. As times became harder in the village, months became years. Now, she hadn't seen them in three years, since she passed her exam. Still, they had been beaming with pride. She knew they tried to visit as often as possible, but the village needed them more and more.
No sense in dwelling on that, though, she thought. She had an hour until her family was to visit, she figured she'd pick up the old diary, for old time's sake. As she flipped through, she smiled. She used to be very… happy, she realized. Real happiness was rare, these days. She often found herself in a good mood, but not what she'd call happiness.
As she flipped further back, she teared up. Her friend, Sheaf, who had graduated and left Ganden two years prior, was all over these older entries. She remembered her old crush she had on him. She wondered what he was up to.
She jumped as her reminiscing was interrupted by a knock at her door. She put away the diary and opened her door to see Gormon standing at it.
"Hey Gorm, what's up, shouldn't you be training?"
"I am, in a way. Can I come in?" He asked, a tired look on his face.
Key blinked, and stepped out of the way. "Alright, but skipping out on Master Lace doesn't count as Shadow training." Gorm sat on her bed and lay back.
She sat next to him. "What's the matter, Gorm?"
He sighed and put a hand over his eyes. "I dreamt of the Underdark again."
Key's face immediately shifted to concern for her friend. Gorm spent the first five years of his life in the clutches of Underdark slave traders and the next after that escaping to Ganden. She remembered the fatigue he showed his first night in Ganden, when she met him.
"Has it been happening a lot?"
"No, just last night, but it was very specific. It was the night I finally ran away."
Key was silent for a moment. "Do… do you want to talk about it?"
Gorm looked over. "Do you have anywhere to be?"
"Not for a while."
Gorm sighed and propped himself up. He started tracing circles on the bed. "Alright. So, at the time, my family was all together. We were sent from place to place, but always as a group. Our slavers liked to keep some semblance of morale with us, and saw no reason to separate us. Another thing we'd do, for ourselves, was celebrate birthdays. It was never anything big, of course, but it was something. Well, a few days before my fifth birthday, we were sold to some new people, we'd never seen them around. It was a pretty tight-knit community, ours, so we were surprised to see new faces, but whatever, right?
"These guys didn't have the same sense of morale as the old ones. Almost immediately, they tried to send my father to a compound miles away from us. We were uneasy for a while, but the deal fell through. We didn't think much of it, but we probably should have." Gorm shifted and sat up, and started to gesture with his hands.
"See, these guys, they didn't figure that a small bit of morale would be good for the work. No, they figure you do your best work when you're broken and feel half-dead anyway. I guess it cut down on resistance or something. Anyway, when my birthday came around, well, the slavers weren't too keen on that. Slaves, celebrating? Unacceptable. So, they decided to make examples of us. We had a little 'cake' with candles lit by magic.
"They marched us into the square, all five of us, me, my sister, my mother, father, and my grandmother. They figured it was ironic, or something, to burn us. Just like the candles. Five immolated slaves, burning like my five candles." He rubbed at his face, and laughed.
"They weren't even proper candles, Key. They were, sticks, or something we found around.
"Well, they marched us down to where everyone could see us. They set up grandmother first, and they poured lamp oil all over her. I saw a tear roll down her cheek as they lit it. She was the only one of us that didn't scream. She just stood there until she was nothing but ash. They took my parents next, tied together to a post, right over the dust of my grandmother. They were crying and begging the whole time, right up until they were lit. Then all they could do was scream. Their binds snapped in the fire, and behind us was a cliff. As soon as they could move, they started thrashing around, and soon they threw themselves right off the cliff."
He paused for a moment. "For a giant cave, there are a lot of cliffs in the Underdark. Rivers, too." He gathered himself and continued.
"They grabbed my sister next. She was ten years older than me. I'd seen some terrible things done to her. I'm sure I don't have to fill that blank. She broke out of their grasp, and without hesitation they shot her. One second she was running, the next an arrow was in her back and she was gasping for breath through pierced lungs.
"As soon as I'd seen that, I knew I had to do something. While they were all focused on her, I turned and tried to climb down the cliff. In what little free time I had, I loved to climb. I made it a good way, for my age, before they realized where I was. An arrow shot right through my hand and I let go. I tumbled down, luckily I picked a shallower slope. I rolled down a bunch of sharp rocks, I was cut, bruised and had more than a few broken bones at the bottom, but I was alive. A sheer drop, I'd have taken the fall all at once, I'd have died."
Gorm closed his eyes and opened them again, and saw Key's faced stained with tears. "Hey, Key, it's all right. I got out. I'm okay now. I've got you, and Ku, and Sheaf, whenever he comes back." He tapped the bed a few times, and gave her a hug. It wasn't something he did often, but neither was telling his story, so he figured it was the right occasion.
"Thanks for listening, Key. I do feel better now." As he released, he stood up. "In fact, I think I'll go find Master Lace now, I'll make up some excuse for being late."
He strode out the door, leaving Key alone. She wiped the remnants of tears from her face and stood up. She had nowhere better to be, so she went to the lobby where she'd meet her family. As she walked there, a loud ringing echoed through the monastery. It was an alarm, only used when the monastery or its surrounding towns were under a serious attack. As a group of agents ran by her, she quickly followed. If there was an attack, her family could be caught in it, walking up the mountain!
She reached the wide entrance to Ganden, where she saw Masters Jie and Omguri giving orders to agents. As they saw her approach, Omguri waved her away.
"Only agents are going out right now, Sylna, don't you hear the bell?"
She was about to speak up when Master Jie addressed Omguri. "If I recall, Master Omguri, young Keyreith was meant for a visit today. I believe she is concerned the attack could bring some danger to them, as they approach the monastery."
Omguri nodded, and turned to Key. "Is that the case? Well, nevertheless, only agents and masters are permitted to leave right now. You're a good student, Key, but this is too dangerous for a trainee." She caught the attention of an agent. "Balthus! Watch for a group of villagers climbing the mountain, get them here safely." He nodded and bowed, then rushed out the door.
Master Jie smiled at Key. "Agent Balthus was one of my students. He learned well, Key. Your family will return safe, I am sure of it." Seeing the old man's smile comforted Key, and she bowed.
"Thank you, Masters. If I can help in any way, please tell me." With that, she turned and returned to her room. As soon as she closed the door, she had a sick feeling. The danger hare family faced was palpable. She wished she had someone to talk to, but Gorm was busy training, and Ku would be helping his father manage forces for the attack.
For minutes she sat in her room, the bell unrelenting in its ringing. She took her pillow and pulled it onto her head, trying to block out the sound. Minutes on end drove her crazy, and she stood up. She was no longer going to put up with the stress. She decided to take a page from Gorm's book and subvert the rules. She went to her door. As she grabbed the knob, she hesitated. If she was spotted, there'd be consequences. She cast her eyes around the room, and grabbed a white mask she was given years ago. Master Ichagon had given it to her when they were paired, and on it were detailed and intricate carvings of the elements. It was beautiful, and she had kept it on her shelf for a long time. She dusted it off and donned it. Now was the time.
She pushed up her hood, and stepped out the door. With the mask and her robe, the only thing that could be seen was her eyes. She looked around and made her way to the courtyard. She jumped, and pushed a blast of air behind her, sending her high enough to grab onto the roof. She clambered up and ran across the roof to the outer wall. She hopped off and sent ki into the ground, softening the earth below her and landing gently and silently.
As she looked up, she could already see the chaos of the battle. Arrows littered the field, and she could see bodies. She hesitated, slightly regretting her choice, but she was determined now. She ran across the field, searching for her family. As she searched, an arrow hit the ground right next to her. She stumbled and turned towards its source. She saw no one, but then felt another arrow flying toward her. She dodged to the side and ran as fast as she could. She finally caught sight of Balthus, who was fighting three of the attackers. His fists moved at a blur, dodging and responding to attacks. But, to Key's amazement, the attackers were keeping up with him. These were no ordinary bandits, only the harnessing of ki could make someone move so quickly. They must have been monks. They were hooded, but Key could see their wicked smiles. As Balthus fought, his three opponents sprung a trap.
Balthus moved into a defensive position, but this was exactly what the three were expecting. Key watched helplessly as Balthus fell right into their hands. His face twisted into shock as he was stabbed with three blades at the same time. While he fell lifelessly to the ground, the three leapt away to their next target. Key ran to Balthus, whose face was rapidly draining of color. His face was contorted in pain as he pressed at his wounds. As soon as she had arrived, Balthus fell unconscious, a pool of red steadily growing beneath him.
Key tore his robe, fashioning several bandages for him. She applied them and wrapped them tightly, and sighed in relief when she saw the bleeding slow.
She looked around, and saw a small group of bodies a few meters away on the ground. A pang of fear hit her, as she realized what Balthus must have been protecting. She ran over, praying again and again that she was wrong. She reached the first body, face obscured by a cloak. She ripped it off, and saw her mother's face, frozen in terror and stained with blood. Key's vision blurred as tears formed. She blinked them away and checked the other bodies. Her father, brother, her cousin had even been able to make the trip. Now they lay on the ground dead, surrounded by chaos and battle. She was interrupted as she heard a crackling sound moving rapidly toward her.
She turned around to see a massive fireball flying towards her. By instinct, she dodged away, leaping out of the danger. She turned back to see the fireball impact the ground where she was standing moments ago. Instead of her, it hit the lifeless remains of her family, and she saw a plume of ash follow the fire. She wore a face of pain as she tried not to choke on the embers in the air.
Key shut her eyes, and the world around her slowed. The sounds lowered to a whisper and the heat of the flames died. She focused, and pulled on her ki. As she thought of what she had just witnessed, she felt it grow in her. Ki not only flowed through her, she could pull it from around her. It grew until she was brimming with the energy. She opened her eyes and they glowed a fierce green, the light peering through the slits of her mask.
She turned to the source of the fireball and saw a man preparing a second. As he let it fly toward her, she reacted with impossible speed. She pulled from her belt a water skin and flung the water into the air. She pushed her ki out and reformed the water around the fireball, then froze it. The flame was extinguished and what was left of it harmlessly hit the ground. Key gathered herself and ran, pushing herself along on a jet of air. As soon as she met her attacker her jet of air was turned on him, and hit him like invisible fists. He was knocked off balance, and in a second she was on him, punching, kicking and pummeling him into a bloody mess.
He finally fell to the ground, bloody and in pain. As soon as he did, an dart pierced his neck. He was dead. Key shot up and looked for the shooter, and saw one of the raiders putting away a blowgun and signaling to his comrades. They gathered and all cast a spell. As soon as they had, they retreated at incredible speeds, acknowledging their loss.
With that, the plain was quiet again. Monks all around the field somberly gathered their fallen companions and brought them inside the monastery. Some would have their wounds treated, others would be given rites and funerals.
Key stepped away from the corpse below her, knowing he too would be gathered. She looked around at the battlefield around her, and ran. She turned back toward the monastery, without thinking she scaled the wall, jumping gracefully on a jet of air. She silently crossed the roof and descended. Only when she was in her room and the door was closed did she realize what had happened. The glow faded from her eyes as she felt her mind swim.
She took off the mask and set it on a shelf. Her family was dead, friends were dead and no one had gained anything of it. She sat for hours, expecting tears to fall and to start sobbing at any moment, but it never came. She sat, motionless, with a blank stare for hours. Soon her mind was completely blank, simply running image after image, over and over again. The battle. Balthus. Her family. The fire. Her retaliation. His death. Over and over, she saw all of these. She closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, she saw Gorm standing in front of her.
She snapped back to reality, blinking her dry eyes. "How did… when…?"
Gorm had completely unmasked concern on his face. "I've been here for minutes. You were just sitting there. You didn't move at all. I didn't think you were breathing. What was…" Gorm closed his eyes. He took a breath and and told her, "Master Jie asked me to tell you… your family is missing. They haven't found any sign."
Key replied simply. "They're dead."
"We don't know that, Key."
"I do. I saw them. They were dead, then they were gone."
Gorm seemed confused. "How could you…" A look of realization took his face. "You didn't."
Key nodded. "I couldn't stay here. I had to find them. And…"
Gorm shook his head, "And you did. Gods, I'm sorry, Key. I… I know how you feel." He sat next to her and put a hand on her shoulder. "It'll take time, but you'll be alright. I'll be here."
Key shook him off, and stood. "I need to train. This will never happen again."
Gorm's eyes darted around, he was unsure of what to do. "Key, that's not…"
She turned to him, her eyes slightly glowing with ki. "They will pay." With that, Key left the room, leaving Gorm with no idea of what to do.
For the next year, she did nearly nothing but train. She made Gorm teach her to do an elven trance, refusing to spend any more time than needed resting. While she ate, she read, learning combat forms, elemental disciplines and operational techniques. She would break into the training room after hours when Master Ichagon tried to cut her off. She fought through cuts, bruises and broken bones, refusing to stop training at any point. Gorm and Ku alike had no idea how to help her, and she grew more and more distant from them. One day, a year after her family's death, she confronted her master.
She stepped into the courtyard where Master Ichagon was tending to an herb garden, alone.
Ichagon noticed her, and said, "Miss Sylna. I told you, we will not train today. I know that will not stop you, but I will not enable you to push yourself any further."
Key stood in the center of the courtyard. "Master. I have not come for training. I have been reading the code of Ganden. I learned that there are two ways to graduate training."
Ichagon stopped tending to the garden and faced Key. "Miss S-" She hesitated. "Keyreith. You surely do not mean to-"
"I have no time to wait for the exam, Master, I must leave as soon as I can. I challenge you to combat."
"Keyreith. Surely you also know if you intend to go through with this, I cannot hold back. I must strike with intent to kill, until you yield or die."
"I am fully aware. I am ready, Master. Let me prove it to you."
Ichagon shook her head. "I know you Keyreith. You don't intend to yield. Don't do this."
Key shut her eyes. When she opened them again, Ichagon saw a faint glow. After some hesitation, she took a fighting stance. "Very well, if you think yourself ready… prove it."
Key shot through the air, spinning into a kick. Ichagon dodged it and drew water from the surrounding ponds to her hand, forming a whip. She cracked it, wrapping it around Key. Instantly, Key froze and shattered it, conjuring fire and flinging it toward her master. Ichagon easily dodged it, but then realized her student's ruse. While Ichagon had her attention on the fireball, Key had disappeared. She cast her eyes all around, but only realized where Key was when she felt wind attack her like a fist.
Ichagon fell to the ground, and took up the earth around her as an armor. She was slowed, but safe. So, she thought. Key saw this, and drew up the water around her freezing it and sending the shares toward Ichagon. Her armor did little for her against the jagged share of ice storming around her, and she was realizing just how hard her pupil had been training. Key's eyes had a deep glow to them now, as if the ki itself was visible.
Key threw herself at Ichagon, sending a barrage of attacks into her, then jumping away before she could retaliate. A fireball covered Key's escape, and Ichagon choked on the embers as she desperately thought of a way to turn the tide.
She saw Key leaping toward her again, and sent her ki into the air around her. In a moment, the air around her hardened, and she could not move. Ichagon wasted no time and engaged her student, sending a savage barrage of attacks at her. Before long, however, Key broke out of her prison, and caught a kick Ichagon had sent her way. Key spun it off course and once again Master Ichagon was on the ground. Key returned the air hardening attack against her master, and focused her ki, preparing a massive fireball.
"Yield, Master," Key said.
Ichagon searched Key's eyes. She saw a bright glow, and single-minded anger. In Key's mind, Ichagon was no longer the mentor and teacher she had been for years. She was now an obstacle. A target. Ichagon was out of ideas and knew that Key would not hesitate to destroy her.
"I… yield." Ichagon said, defeated and exasperated.
Key instantly dropped the fireball and the prison of air. "Very well. So, I have graduated Ganden and I am free to leave, correct?"
"You are now an Agent. You may serve the monastery or take on your own terms. I am no longer your master."
Key turned around without another word, and strode out of the monastery. She glanced around the hills and fields, before drawing ki and flying across the landscape, to her next target.