Illiera
Three Years Earlier
The sun set to the west of the sea in a brilliant flare of orange and red, bathing the ocean in an ethereal twilight glow. For a brief moment, the sun flashed down at the faces of the two figures standing near the edge of the shore, the waves lapping at their booted feet.
Momentarily blinded, Valkyria closed her eyes against the glare, and at that moment, her opponent sprang. His weapon, a curved sickle made of shadowy steel, slipped through the shadows, aiming under her guard. Valkyria whipped to one side as the dagger flashed past her, quickly recovering from the attack.
Her adversary, fellow Ix apprentice and Illieran Xhallin Naar, tensed as she resumed the offensive, the longer scythe he carried in his other hand blocking her next blows easily. As she blocked his next blow with her dagger, he swung the scythe around, aiming at her neck.
Valkyria winced. While the training weapons had been designed not to permanently injure an apprentice, they could still hurt. As the blade was about to strike, she easily evaded the blow and, as their daggers met midair, reversed her grip on the weapon and twisted it out of his hand.
Watching them, her mentor, Scrall Vhokyn, gave a nod of approval from his position among the group of Ix. Valkyria, knowing such praise did not often come from an Ix warrior, felt his pride for her achievements run through the currents of the aura field itself. Acknowledging the praise with a small touch with her aura abilities, she quickly returned her focus to the duel.
Xhallin, while unable to grab his weapon, was still holding his own with the scythe. His weapon was simply too long for her to easily block without being wounded in retaliation. Once again she was forced back onto the defensive by his sheer strength. However, despite his strength, she was easily holding her own. Speed and grace were her allies, and she used them freely and easily.
Then Xhallin changed tactics. Instead of continuing to force her back so he could retrieve his weapon, he reached out, into the aura field, trying to draw the weapon to him. Valkyria easily blocked his attempts; his aura skills were crude compared to hers. As he tried to draw the weapon to him again, Valkyria attacked.
As her dagger slashed down, aiming for his heart, Xhallin jumped toward her, slamming the hilt of his scythe into her leg. As she staggered away from his sweeping scythe, Xhallin grabbed his fallen sickle and slashed at her again. This time, Valkyria only narrowly dodged the attack. As Xhallin brought the scythe down again, she knew she couldn't evade him forever. She needed to regain the offensive.
As Xhallin Naar, an expression of triumph on his features, readied to finish her off, Valkyria lept into the air. As Xhallin's scythe slashed through empty air, Valkyria, her jumping distance augmented by both auric and elemental strength, landed lightly behind him. It took Xhallin a few moments to realize what she'd done, and as he turned around, an expression of realization on his face, Valkyria smiled at him, dagger at his throat.
Xhallin held her gaze for a few moments, gazing into her emerald green eyes. His expression, unreadable in all but the aura field, revealed nothing but good humor at his defeat. He and Valkyria had been friends since before their apprenticeship, and she knew he felt no shame at being beaten by her.
"You're getting good, Xhallin." she said, breathing only slightly. While their long duel had tired her, she showed no signs of it, as befitted an Ix apprentice.
"The same to you, Val." he answered. "That final move...I'm going to remember that, the next time we spar."
"It's always fooled you." she said playfully. "I-"
She broke off when she sensed her mentor, Scrall Vhokyn, approaching them. He was wearing black armor, a stark contrast to Valkyria's green-brown scouting garb. While his face betrayed nothing, he let Valkyria know how proud he was for her victory.
"You did well. Both of you." said Scrall. "However, Apprentice Naar, you need to work on being less of an easy target. You're slower than she is, but that's no reason for her to defeat you with her speed every time."
Scrall Vhokyn turned to Valkyria. "You did well defeating Apprentice Naar. You recovered well from his attack, and your skills in the aura field are nearly unmatched, even among the senior apprentices. As such, you will be joining our next mission."
Valkyria was able to keep her surprise under control, but beside her a jolt of shock ran through the aura field from Xhallin. Scrall gave her a slight touch in the aura field that confirmed he approved of her emotional control.
All Ix apprentices were taken from their parents at a young age. Valkyria knew that her Clan of Ix families was called Rhae in the same way that Xhall's was Naar and Scrall's was Vhokyn. But otherwise she did not- could not- know her family. Scrall Vhokyn was her mentor, and the Ix law required she remain loyal to him and his Clan until she was a full Ix warrior and could join her own Clan.
"We will be leaving within a few days," said Vhokyn quietly. An Ix strode up behind him, followed closely by two Illierans. While the Illierans had once been the slaves of the Ix, now the bloodlines between Ix and Illierans had become so closely tied that few Ix on Valkyria's home plain of existence, Illiera, could claim to have full Ix blood. She herself was half Illieran. Whispering in the nasal, rasping Ix tongue that was so different from the voices of their servants, the Kodax and Illierans, the Ix said something to Scrall, who nodded before turning back to Valkyria. "I will let you know when we are ready."
Valkyria nodded acknowledgement. "Continue," ordered Vhokyn. "Soon, apprentice, you will have your chance to fulfill your ambition- and help bring about the rise of the Ix Empire once more."
