Chapter Two: Self-Discovery
"Who'd imagine there was civilization all the way out here," Blackfire muttered quietly to herself as she stood at the top of the hill overlooking the village. Unlike Robin before her, she had the benefit of having somebody who knew which part of the world to go to. It had taken a while but Blackfire did succeed in talking Robin into pointing the little village out to her on a map. With the exception of a few pieces of advice though, Robin didn't give Blackfire any idea on how to find the legendary True Master or what she should expect. Having spent the past half a year working to improve her fight skills, the final thing Blackfire wanted put under her belt was the best martial arts training known to man. The near-death experience of her fight with the powerful warrior known as Kronos had…humbled Blackfire to a degree. It only humbled Blackfire long enough for her to double her training efforts. Blackfire might not be the hardcore martial artist like Robin was but she was a Tamaranean warrior and that had to count for a lot. Ever since Blackfire was a young child, she had been undertaking formal training in a variety of Tamaranean combat styles.
"Nestled at the intersection of 'middle' and 'nowhere'. What's with legendary martial arts masters and making their homes in such remote villages? The Ven-Zo master lived at the bottom of a gorge and my old Tamaranean war master lived at the top of a freaking mountain," Blackfire continued griping to herself as she headed down the path to the village. Blackfire figured that, knowing her luck, this True Master probably lived at the peak of the mountains that provided a backdrop to the picturesque landscape.
With her duffle bag slung over one shoulder, Blackfire tiredly made her way into the village. In hindsight, Blackfire wished she had taken the time to sleep the night before rather than just complete the final leg of her journey so she would reach the village at early morning rather than late evening. If Robin's advice was accurate, she was going to be in for a long, tiring trial with this True Master and being as tired as she was at the moment, Blackfire actually had some doubts about her chances of success…not that she would admit it openly.
Blackfire had never been in a village of such a small size before. She was so used to living in palaces, large cities, or on her own in the wild, Blackfire was intrigued by the quaint little life the farmers had in this village. So preoccupied with their own little lives, nobody even noticed that an orange-skinned alien walking through the front archway of their village. They didn't even give her a passing glance as she walked through the village. Blackfire found it a bit odd but didn't give it a second thought as she headed to the large statue at the far end of the village as Robin had advised her. She stood before the statue for a few minutes just admiring the workmanship of the stone warrior. Was this homage to the True Master, she pondered and ran her fingertips over its granular surface.
"Now to find that True Master. How hard could it be? Robin did it easily so it shouldn't be a problem a Tamaranean warrior like myself," Blackfire said confidently, smirking to herself. Of course, Robin gave her no advice on what to do once she reached the village, aside from finding the statue but that was mostly to confirm that she was in the right village. The first thought that crossed Blackfire's head was to just start asking around for information, but part of her was too proud to lower herself to asking blindly like some lost tourist. It was bad enough that she already stood out like a sore thumb; she didn't want to make it more apparent that she had no clue what she was doing. "I knew I shouldn't pressure Robin for more information," she grumbled indignantly.
"Robin, it's about time you showed up – I've been waiting for almost half an hour," Blackfire remarked as she folded her arms across her chest with an annoyed look on her face. She leaned back against the railing of the roof of the Titan's Tower. The crescent moon hung high in the cloudy sky on this cool winter night.
"You didn't really give me much notice Blackfire, you just called and told me to meet you up here in ten minutes."
"I didn't think that it would be this difficult of a task for you."
"I was on the other side of town. You're lucky I managed to get here this quickly," Robin remarked, moving to lean up against the railing near Blackfire. He didn't know why the Tamaranean had returned to Jump City, though the nature of Blackfire's message suggested that it was more business than recreation. The fact that Blackfire had asked for Robin to come along and specified not mentioning her presence to Starfire puzzled Robin as to the nature of her business.
"So…how have things been with Starfire?'
"They're fine. I'm sure you didn't come all the way here just to ask me that."
"Of course not, but I'm required to inquire frequently about any relationships my little sister is part of. If you have any idle chit-chat you wish to make I suggest you do it now."
"What have you been up to?" Since the incident with Kronos six months ago and Blackfire ventured out into the world with a new outlook on life, Blackfire had only made contact with the Titans once every few weeks and mostly just with her sister.
"The usual really – training hard, seeing sights, meeting new people…those sort of things. Oh, I visited Terubia about a week ago. She's been doing a pretty good job of fitting in with this world." Terubia, the nkrath demon who decided to take up residence on Earth, had settled in nicely after a fairly lengthy period of adjusting to new surroundings and cultures. "Visited Tyrael, too, in Germany. You should see that monastery he's got. Spent a couple of weeks training with him and his co-workers. Um…aside from that, nothing much that's noteworthy."
"So to what do I owe the pleasure?"
"I…um," Blackfire paused on her words for a few moments, struggling to find the right words. "I need to ask you a favor."
Robin smirked and shook his head slowly, finding some amusement in Blackfire's still struggling attempts with humility. "A favor, from me? I guess I should feel honored that the great Blackfire is asking something from me."
"Oh can the sarcasm," she chuckled lightly. "I'm here because you're the only that can actually help with this…issue."
"And that issue is?" Robin asked, growing more curious as to what she was leading up to.
"I need you to teach me martial arts."
"Uh…did I hear you right?"
"Drop the stupid act, okay? There's no gain from staring stupidly at me like I just asked you to drop your trousers. You're one of the best martial artists I know and I need somebody who can actually teach me something new – all I have are sparing partners that I can beat down easily." Tucking her arms behind her back, Blackfire stepped closer to Robin and narrowed her eyes. "Yes or no - You gonna help me or not?"
"I don't think you really need any help with that. You're already pretty strong."
"I need to be stronger!" Blackfire snapped before taking a moment to calm down. "Now quit avoiding the question and answer me."
"Alright, alright. I'll help. I'm just…confused. You made it sound urgent earlier…"
"It is urgent you half-wit! I need to get stronger and all my other skills are as good as I can get them at the time, so all that's left is hand-to-hand combat."
"You've had almost six months to train that, why ask now?"
"Uh…c-cause…I just realized that my hand-to-hand is still leaving something to be desired."
"You got beaten in a hand-to-hand match, didn't you?" Robin pressed with a sort of triumphant smirk on his lips – the kind you hold when you trap your prey in a corner. Blackfire only ever displayed such humility when she got her butt served to her on a silver-platter, so Robin was able to deduce that Blackfire had recently had her ego injured. Blackfire's furrowed brows and brief pink glow in her eyes confirmed Robin's inquiries.
"The…paladins at Tyrael's order are a lot tougher than I thought. It's been a while since I've really studied with somebody at a master's level."
"Well if you really want to train at a master's level, there's somebody better than myself I could direct you too. It'll be tough, but if you succeed you'll get far better training than anything I can give you."
"Well I can't linger here any longer, I've got a master to find," Blackfire said as she finished lingering on her thoughts. She had a few days to find this True Master and train before she needed to head back to Jump City for an important event she had promised to attend. As she turned around, Blackfire was startled by the presence on an old woman standing directly behind her. Of course, like every other person who sought the True Master, she didn't suspect that the weathered old woman with a walking stick in one hand was actually the True Master she was looking for. "Gah! Where'd you come from?"
"I live here," the old woman replied, frowning slightly at Blackfire. "Besides, I should be asking you, strange girl, where you came from."
"If I told you, you'd have no idea where that place is so let's just leave it at 'very, very far away'," Blackfire retorted. The old woman was grating on her nerves a bit, but for the time being Blackfire intended on keeping herself out of trouble. "I'm looking for the True Master, you wouldn't happen to know where I can find him?"
"Bah," the old woman scoffed as she dismissed Blackfire's request. She strolled on past Blackfire and into the fields to tend to her garden. "Another impatient, hot-headed young child looking to train with the True Master…"
"When you have a reputation as impressive as the True Master's it shouldn't be a surprise that people want to train with him. Now could you tell me where I can find him?"
"Be patient young one. Life is not a race you know. Everybody is always in such a hurry these days, if you do not take the time to do things right, then there is no point doing it at all," the True Master lectured as she checked on the progress of her vegetable garden. "If you wish to see the True master, you must reach the top of the mountain by nightfall."
"Uh…didn't you just say life wasn't a race?" Blackfire muttered, though mostly to herself, as she looked to the mountain. "Piece of cake, I'll just fly up there and I'll be seeing the True Master by lunchtime."
"The True master will not teach you unless you walk up the path," the True Master's curiosity was piqued slightly by the girl's remarks. She walked back to Blackfire and eyed her carefully. "I have not seen one quite like you before. Perhaps the True Master will teach one so unique as yourself – but you must prove that you have the mind and body of a warrior."
"I was raised to be a fighter old woman, no mountain path is going to stand in my way of my goals – even if I do have to do it on foot."
"Don't speak so boldly child. The path to the top is very challenging and many have tried and failed in the past," the True Master retorted as she gave Blackfire a quick and precise strike to the forehead with the end of her cane. "There is more to martial arts than muscles and technique and if you do not lose that arrogance of yours, you will not succeed in ascending the mountain."
"I can and I will make it up that mountain old woman!" Blackfire snapped back. "I am a Tamaranean warrior, trained by the greatest war masters on my planet and even still all I ever got was doubts and second-guessing about my abilities. So pardon me if I do not wish to listen to more nay saying as to what is and isn't within my grasp. I will see the True Master and not even X'Hall herself will stop me!"
Surprisingly enough, the True Master did not seem to be taken back by Blackfire's outburst. Instead, those dry, wrinkled lips of hers curled into a quaint smile. "You have much passion in your heart child…you remind me of myself when I was your age. The path up the mountain will put you whole character to the test – body, spirit, and heart. All of these parts must be perfect if you wish to train with the True Master. I can tell that your heart is in the right place and that your body is without question, the only factor that will be put to the true test is your spirit."
The True Master's response calmed Blackfire and actually managed to instill some inspiration in the fledgling warrior. "Could you please show me the path, I'd like to get started right away."
"Very well, but first there are a few things that must be taken care of first before the True Master will see you."
"White cotton? Not only is this damn thing not fashionable at all, it offers no protection for me…" Blackfire grumbled bitterly to herself once she had parted ways with the old woman and began her ascent up the mountain. The white garbs felt very strange upon Blackfire, who was used to wearing her body armor all the time since she was a young warrior. She followed the wooden path up to the river, stopping at the edge of the wooden dock where it looked as though a bridge should be.
"Who the hell puts this here and doesn't bother with putting up a bridge? I certainly hope this isn't as tough as those challenges get," Blackfire remarked as she stood at the very edge. She was about to fly across when she remembered the old woman's words – the True Master would not teach her if she did not walk the path. "I have to swim across? I hate water!"
"The path to victory is always filled with things we do not like. Victory means overcoming the obstacles we dislike the most," a deep, baritone voice spoke up behind her. Looking over her shoulder, Blackfire saw the towering anthropomorphic bear standing behind her. "A girl? Well, this is a first."
"Uh…who are you?"
"I am the Guardian of the River – if you wish to reach the top of the mountain, you must get past me."
"I was expecting a challenge," Blackfire smirked as she took a few steps back and readied herself for her first challenge. "Shall we dance big boy?"
"Well you certainly are confident," the Bear answered with a grin. "I hope you have the strength to back up such bold words." Blackfire charged at the beat, aiming to end this fight quickly with one powerful punch. Despite this size though, the Bear proved to be remarkably fast, stopping the Tamaranean's fist by grabbing her around the wrist. Blackfire was lifted off her feet as the bear spun her around in the air for a bit before slamming her down on the ground. What the bear didn't count on though was Blackfire regaining her composure while in the air. She managed to land on her feet when the Bear slammed her into the ground. The Bear was quite surprised by this quick recovery and more so by the fact that she was now holding onto his wrist.
"Hate to break it to you, but I have more strength than you!" Blackfire grunted as she used her Tamaranean strength to lift the Bear off the ground and slammed him hard into the docks, causing the word to crack from the force. Blackfire quickly grabbed the fur beneath his neck and raised one hand up in preparation to strike. "You've been beaten Guardian, now let me pass."
"I have not seen such strength from somebody so small in many years," the Bear replied. "However, yours appears to be just raw strength – wild and uncontrolled. You rely too heavily on your imbued super strength."
"You're just annoyed that you got beaten by a girl."
"What fuels your strength?"
"My confidence. When a Tamaranean's confidence is unwavering, their strength becomes insurmountable."
"Typically, I am to test the warrior's resolve, physical strength, and their ingenuity when facing a much larger opponent but I do not believe that such a test is appropriate for a person of your…unique background."
"Wait a minute, you can't just change the rules on me! You said I could pass if I beat you and you've been beaten!" Her anger distracted her for a moment, which was long enough for the Bear to knock her off of him and get back to his feet.
"Relax, I will not be handicapping you any more than those that have come before you," the Bear explained calmly. "Show me your discipline and skill by defeating me without using your super-strength. After all, the True Master will only teach a student who shows self-control and humility."
"I can't believe I'm agreeing to this," Blackfire muttered bitterly as the warriors readied for battle again. It was going to be difficult to let go of her confidence during the fight. Her best bet was to simply avoid anything exceptionally strenuous. The Bear made the first attack with a powerful swipe of his claws. Blackfire moved in closer and brought her arms up to block the strike. When the Bear tried to strike again, Blackfire used the close distance to get in a quick, precise punch to the soft spot beneath his rib cage on the lateral side. It stunned the mighty warrior long for Blackfire to quickly spin around to his backside and drive her elbow right into his right kidney. It was a staggering blow to the mighty warrior but instead of dropping to the ground like she had expected, the Bear swung around with arms out wide, backhanding Blackfire. Bouncing across the wooden dock, Blackfire almost fell over the edge but managed to grab hold of the ledge at the last moment.
"I am not going to be beaten by you…" Blackfire growled after pulling herself back onto the dock. As the Bear slashed at Blackfire again, she jumped high and landed into a handstand upon the Bear's shoulders. All the Bear could do was watch as her knees came down together and smashed right into his face, toppling the might Bear over.
"Well done," the Bear congratulated as he rubbed his sore face. "You may proceed. If you wish to turn back though, now is the last chance you can do so." A wooden bridge rose out of the water and Blackfire wasted no time in continuing on her way up the mountain.
Blackfire panted softly as she leaned against the mountainside. She had been walking for a couple of hours now and the exhaustion from having rested very little before starting her trip was taking its toll upon her. Her legs were already beginning to feel heavy and her feet were aching – the flyer was not used to this much walking. "Maybe…just a few minutes…" she sighed softly as she sat down on the ground and put her back against the stone.
"You should not be resting," the familiar voice of the old woman caught Blackfire's attention.
"I haven't slept in almost eighteen hours so give me a break," Blackfire muttered in response.
"The True Master will not teach you if you are not willing to give it your all," the True Master explained, followed by a few light pokes with her walking stick. "Now up on your feet, you still have much to do before you can reach the mountaintop."
"Quit poking me!" Blackfire snapped back as she rose to her feet. "You can just ask nicely you know?"
"And when do you ask nicely of people? I know your type – you take what you feel you deserve and do what you want. You don't let anyone tell you want to do. If you want to see the True Master, you must learn the difference between what you want to do and what you truly need to do."
"Great...now I'm getting life lessons," Blackfire sighed under her breath as the two continued down the path. Blackfire spotted the red archway that marked the path up the mountain and mentally sighed in relief at the excuse to get away from the old woman. Not even saying good-bye, Blackfire hurried along the path that led into a darkened cave through the mountain.
Blackfire wasn't a huge fan of narrow spaces as it greatly limited her mobility. Searching for an exit through the cave, it soon dawned upon her that the pathway that needed to be opened for her was an exit to this cave. When the cave entrance sealed behind her, Blackfire began to have doubts about this cave and wondered what challenge awaited her. The sound of movements began to echo through the cave, prompting Blackfire to slow her advance through the cave.
"Greetings young child," a hissing voice pierced through the air. Blackfire spun to come face to face with the hooded Guardian. "I am the Guardian of the Cave and if you wish to reach the mountaintop, you must get past me." The Snake drew backs it hood in preparation for the challenge.
"First a giant bear, now a blind snake. So what advantage to you having going for you?" she asked as she braced herself for the fight. "I'm guessing from that single candle that you're going to take out the lights."
"Very perceptive m'dear."
"Hate to break it to you but I've got my own light source – these are called starbolts," she informed him as she charged a starbolt in her hand. "I could just blast you with these right now, but now I get the feeling you're going to add a stupid twist to this little challenge that prevents me from using it…"
There was silence in the cave for a moment as the Snake digested her words for a moment. While he didn't exactly want to prove her right, it would defeat the challenge of the fight for her to have her own light source. "No, I won't. You may use your starbolts for this but you may not use them for a light source and if you can hit me within three shots, you may pass." The Snake reached over and snuffed the candle out, engulfing the cave in total darkness. Blackfire felt rather confident about this fight – she had spent several days improving her accuracy with her starbolts and she would make good use of her three shots. Total darkness in an echoing cavern made her two most useful senses next to useless but she wasn't going to give up as she waited for a chance to attack.
She could hear the Snake moving around her, though she couldn't pinpoint the exact direction. She tried to focus on the source of the noise, trying to decipher which direction presented the loudest noises. An increasing volume tipped her off that the Snake was closing in on her and, taking a gamble, she charged her starbolt and fired it ahead of her. It was close but the Snake was expecting it and the starbolt impacted the wall past the Guardian. The brief moment of light let Blackfire know that she was only a few inches off…so at least she wasn't completely wrong. She used the light from her last starbolt to correct her aim and quickly fired her next starbolt seconds after the first, though once again the results were similar due to a quick-thinking Guardian.
"No patience whatsoever," the Snake taunted as it continued circling around her, trying to coax her to waste her last starbolt. Blackfire didn't want to let it go to waste so she bided her time and held her ground. The Snake realized this too and used it as an opportunity to launch a few quick strikes on the Tamaranean. The Snake darted past her twice, head butting her both times with effective results.
"I hate snakes…" Blackfire groaned as she pulled herself back to her feet. Though she was aching to exact some payback, she knew she had to wait for the perfect opportunity. That was when she got her newest idea. Calming herself down, she continued holding her ground and making herself an ideal target for the Snake to strike at. Right on cue, the Snake struck again with speed and precision and while it stung greatly, Blackfire kept taking the hits. After the fourth consecutive hit, Blackfire had the Snake's attack pattern down pat and she waited for the next strike so she could end this annoying challenge. Flanking in from the rear, the Snake rushed in for another attack upon what appeared to be an unsuspecting Blackfire. At the last second though, when the Snake had committed totally to his attack, she spun about and unleashed a starbolt at point-blank range. The Snake collapsed like a rag from the blow, ending the challenge for Blackfire as the candle relit.
"A most cunning strategy," the Snake complimented as it drew its hood back up. "You may continue on your way," the Snake said as he motioned towards the opening cave door. Blackfire only groaned weakly in response as she hurried on her way out of the cave. Now on top of being tired, her whole body was aching from the blows. Many hours had passed and she had to hurry if she was going to make it to the summit in time.
"Third…time's…the charm!" Blackfire's aggravated grunts echoed throughout the mountain range as a battered hand staggered reached over the edge of the cliff and grabbed hold of it firmly. With several more grunts and a variety of profanities later, Blackfire was able to pull her battered and tired body over the edge and onto a flat surface. For somebody who's had the ability to fly since they were able to walk, forcing them to climb the side of a mountain was almost asking a person to run before walking. Twice she had lost her footing on the mountain and fell back to the bottom: the first time she thankfully was only a few meters up while the second time she was able to grab hold of the mountain again before falling too far. She figured she probably cracked another rib on the second fall to go along with the already fractured rib from her fight with the Snake; it hurt just to breath but she knew she had to keep pushing on.
"On your feet Blackfire," she barked as she struggled to get herself back on her feet. She was getting so tired now and she still had a long way to go and another challenge still left ahead of her. "Just one step at a time Blackfire…one step at a time." Blackfire kept whispering those words to herself over and over again as she managed to work herself up from a dazed stagger to a semi-conscious jog.
Now Blackfire knew she had taken a couple of knocks to her head during the trip up the mountain so it didn't surprise her that every so often Blackfire would find herself in a somewhat unfamiliar part of the mountain with no recollection of when she got to that point. Her mind was fading in and out of awareness and while her body kept moving, her mind was having trouble keeping track of everything around her. One second she was walking along the same old dusty mountain road and when her mind started paying attention to her surroundings again, Blackfire found herself half a foot from walking over a cliff.
At least her mind was still able to kick back into gear when danger was afoot. A hand shot out to catch the large red post next to her, leaving Blackfire leaning overtop of a towering bamboo forest. "That wasn't there five seconds ago…" Blackfire muttered as she glanced down at the bamboo tips that decorated the gorge ahead of her. The layer of mist made it impossible to tell how far the bamboo went but it was safe to say that it was a very, very long way down. She figured this was another ideal point for a challenge to test her mettle and that many a warrior fell to an untimely demise at this point.
"You don't look so good," a strange voice spoke from above her. Blackfire tilted her head up and saw the final Guardian, the Monkey, hanging from the red archway from his tail. "Been having a hard time climbing the mountain I take it?"
"Does the blood, bruises, and half-glazed look in my eyes make it that obvious?" Blackfire quipped sarcastically as she took a few steps back from the ledge. "I take it you're my next challenge to beat?"
"They always seem to know by this point," the Monkey remarked to himself as he hopped down onto a nearby bamboo tree. "Are you sure you wish to continue, you do not look like you are in any condition to keep fighting. If you haven't noticed…it's a very long way down. Wouldn't want you to fall and hurt yourself."
"I can fly so if worse comes to worse I can at least stay alive," Blackfire answered as she slowly walked out onto the bamboo forest.
"Fly huh? You do not look like you have wings."
"I also don't look like I can bench-press eight hundred pounds but I can do that with one hand," she smirked as she raised her fists in preparation for her final fight. "Before you say anything, yes I do know that the True Master won't teach me if I use those advantages and I don't plan to. Now can we get this party started?"
"Of course – I, the Guardian of the Forest, shall be your last challenge," the Monkey answered sternly as he punched one fist into his palm. Both warriors managed a confident smirk before racing towards one another. Despite all the wounds and aches in her body, Blackfire was still able to put them aside and focus on her task ahead. As he closed in, the Monkey clung firmly onto a bamboo, causing it to bend forward beneath Blackfire, catching her by surprise. When the bamboo snapped straight, the Monkey was catapulted into Blackfire. He had tucked into a tight ball, making the impact extremely forceful and knocking Blackfire off her footing. She grabbed onto a couple of the nearby bamboo trees to keep herself from falling, though it left her in a precarious position.
"This would probably be easier if every inch of my body didn't hurt," Blackfire cursed under her breath as she hurried back to the top of the forest. She quickly took to the offensive and charged the monkey with her fists flying. The Monkey was agile though, dodging each of her swings as she chased after him. When her punches caused her to lose her balance, she fell forward and caught the tip of the bamboo tree; she then used it to swing her legs around, taking out several bamboo tips out in the process as she tried to take the Monkey's support out. Her attack was just too slow though as the Monkey leapt back out of her range.
"What's the matter? Getting tired little girl?"
"I'm not through yet," Blackfire sneered, rushing in again with another flurry of assaults. The two warriors began to chase one another across the treetops, exchanging shoves, kicks, and simple tosses but with little result on either side. Blackfire tried using the Monkey's tactic against him, using a bamboo tree to launch herself into the air at her opponent. However, the Monkey leapt back at her, scoring a direct hit with both feet right into her face. The impact knocked her trajectory right off and Blackfire plummeted towards the forest tops. Blackfire reached out to grab the nearby bamboo but the exhaustion and injuries caused her vision to blur too much and she couldn't reach it. All she could do at this point was to let out a shriek as she disappeared through the mist.
"Oh dear…" the Monkey sighed softly as he waited patiently atop the forest for any signs of her. Everything was silent though except for the mountain breeze that ruffled his fur. "What a tragic waste of a young life."
Minutes ticked by and the Monkey had pretty much given up on resuming the fight with his rather unique opponent. "I'm not through with you yet!" Blackfire's voice rang out through the mist, though the Monkey saw nothing through the mist below him. He was actually not surprised to see that the girl had not given up despite all odds and her physical condition. The Monkey desperately scanned to try and find her but with no avail – at least, until a bloodied hand shot up through the mist beneath him and grabbed the Monkey by the tail. A battered Blackfire emerged from the mist, her hands and feet bloodied from friction burn after she had slid down the bamboo several meters. Tugging sharply on the Monkey's tail, she separated him from his bamboo perch and began spinning him around rapidly. Blackfire released the Monkey, sending him smashing through several bamboo trees before springing off the last one and landing hard on beneath the red archway.
"Ooo…that smarts," the Monkey groaned, still dizzy from Blackfire's impressive comeback. "You may continue." The Monkey snapped his fingers and the bamboo forest extended to span the length of the gorge, granting Blackfire access to the final leg of her journey. Wiping the excess blood off her hands, Blackfire hurried on her way – ignoring the burning pain in her feet now.
The sun was close to finally setting for the day. The orange sky stretched before Blackfire as she staggered up the last stairs that led up to the home of the True Master. Her goal was so close and yet still felt so far.
"Just keep walking Blackfire," she groaned softly, swaggering side-to-side with each step. Each step felt like having to lift a lead weight and her soles burned as though she was walking up burning coals. It was agony…but she wasn't going to give up – not now, not ever. As her former teachers taught her, the resolve of a Tamaranean can never be beaten so long as they believed in their strength. "Come on…just a few more steps." Things were reaching the point where Blackfire was literally grabbing her leg and pulling it off the ground to the next step. Her vision was starting to blur on her again…as if she didn't have enough making things tough for her already.
Blackfire missed a step, stumbling to the ground and scuffing her hands further upon the stone steps. Even not upon her feet, Blackfire kept pulling herself up each step one at a time. At long last though, Blackfire pulled herself past that last step and reached the final plateau of the might mountain. Awaiting her at the top was none other than the True Master, pleasantly surprised to see the Tamaranean still going after enduring so much. Blackfire managed to pull her eyes off the ground and up to the True Master's face.
"I…had a feeling it was you all along…" she muttered weakly before her head collapsed to the ground.
"Rest young warrior, you have endured much for today. Tomorrow, we shall start your training…"
Blackfire managed a very weak and very feint smile of triumph, holding it just long enough before she slipped into a blissful slumber. She would finally get a night's rest…for tomorrow would be a tough day of training.