Chapter 3: My life
Since I first encountered Razel, my life has been an unending rollercoaster of duels, fights, and out-and-out glaring matches. The two of us can display airs of such disdain for each other that it makes those around us choke. He shows no personal interest in me, no sign of having any caring soul at all. With Razel, it's all about the dueling and raising my potential as a Psychic Duelist. No matter how I did it, or what I did, Razel always found something to criticize. I soon began to just nod and agree. It saved me time, energy, and my sanity.
It was akin to having a math professor nagging at you to get the formula right over and over again when you have no intention to really listen. I know I mentioned that Razel hates to be disobeyed. I also mentioned that the encounter after the energy exchange was the last time I ever did so…that's a lie. Of course I ignored him. How could I not ignore him? Imagine having a mentor hound you over the stupidest mistakes. "You did not do this correctly," or, "have I not thoroughly explained this to you enough?" or "You're still not paying attention!"
All the time, every day, I heard his comments. It was worse than having parents. I remember one time I was focusing my energy into objects to make them float or move. Sort of like telekinesis only this was more magic based. Razel told me that his master needed to know all forms of Psychic Dueling. So, I tried. And one day I was able to make a flower pot move three inches. I was so excited (and a little tired) that I ran to tell him. Well…when he heard of my "minor feat," his face frowned.
You see, when Razel frowns…it's not a usual frown. There is so much utter disappointment etched all over that blue face of his. His red eyes narrow and the tattoos grow threatening. He has a tendency to tighten his lips into a thin line which is when I know I have a reprimand on the way.
"Only three inches?"
I tensed. "Yea. Considering how it was my first try, I'd say that's not bad."
Razel, without saying anything else, moved past me to "show me how to do it correctly." I followed him asking what he was going to do. He ignored me. That's another thing that irks me about my Duel Spirit, when he's upset with me he ignores me. It drives me nuts and so I pester him all the more. The Chaos Mage walked through my den, opened my back door (as if he was master of my house) and proceeded to advance upon one of my favorite trees. It was a tall maple that glittered in the summer sun. I loved to go out when I was frustrated and smell the musky wood scent only trees can give. It soothed me and it was my special place. Razel stopped in front of the tree and ordered for me to accompany him.
"Why? What are you going to do?" I asked
"Don't ask questions. Just come."
In my mind I cursed him and went over. I glared up at him and I hated how he dwarfed me by several inches.
"Now watch."
"What am I watching?" I said to poke him.
"Be silent!"
I had something great to shoot back but when Razel grew quiet I stopped. A pressure built up in my chest and I instinctively put my hands on my sternum. It didn't hurt, just felt heavy. It then dawned on me that what I was feeling was my energy connection with Razel. I was feeling his strength build inside him. The growing pressure made my heart thud hard and I began to get dizzy. This must be why he did that Energy Exchange, I thought, to keep tabs on how my Energy developed. No wonder he was always so unhappy with me, he "Energetically" knew that I was slacking in my lessons!
When the pressure was almost too much, I felt it release into the air. There was no mental command, no forced surrender, it just went. But it was where it went that made me cry out.
Using his Energy, he bent back my favorite maple tree. With horror I heard the trunk of the great tree snap and watched as the top half floated to the ground. My heart raced and my mouth opened to release an anguished scream. I couldn't say anything. My eyes burned and my lips quivered. I could not believe he just destroyed my tree. I was in such a speechless rage that I stomped over to the top half of the maple. Deep inside my chest I felt the pressure build again. Only it was not coming from Razel, it was coming from me. Razel felt it too because through my anger, I saw his eyes make the smallest shift. I focused my energy and, without command, sent the tree top flying right at him like an arrow. He stopped it with ease but was nonetheless impressed.
"If all it took to get you to perform the right way was to decimate a tree, then let us move to a place in the forest." He smirked at me.
I was so furious and sad that didn't speak to Razel for weeks. I completely shut him out. When he spoke I sat at my table and stared ahead. From that day on, I took my training seriously. I never gave half my all. I pushed myself to the limits. Sometimes I collapsed I was so drained. I was determined to go against Razel in a duel and defeat him. I learned while in my semi-catatonic state, a very tasty fact. I heard him prattle on that if a Master defeats their Duel Spirit in a duel of power, then they have completed their training and have earned the absolute respect from their Duel Spirit. I took this as my fire and tackled every task he gave me.
Before long I was able to levitate not just myself but a few other choice objects (like household things, etc.). I could send waves of energy at speeds that left crevices in the ground. I could project myself at great distances. I was beginning to sense other Duel Spirits usually hidden to most humans. And, my favorite, I could control my energy into a condensed ray that, when I released it, broke the sound barrier. You're probably wondering how I achieved all this without being seen. After the tree incident, Razel and I moved to a secluded place in the forest, like he jested.
I knew the time of our battle grew closer. I could sense it in Razel. He was readying himself to take me down. The Magician of Black Chaos is one of the most powerful Spellcasters in the Duel Spirit World, he was not going to go down easily. But I was ready for him. I was so ready my mouth watered for it. He killed my maple tree; and I was going to have my revenge.
