She dreamed of the same nightmare after a few days of peaceful slumber. The Astral Fissure was beckoning her to come closer, to give in to her fate. She was a dead man walking, it was meant to be.
When Trine opened her eyes, she wasn't greeted by the coastal plains of India. The sturdy tree trunk was missing behind her back, the tips of the grass weren't tickling her exposed thighs. No, her environment was something else entirely. It was an impossible sight. Glancing down, she saw that she was floating in a vast space. She could control her body by spinning it around, but to move from a short distance? There was some unknown force that bounds her on where she was now.
Trine realized that the ground was non-existent. Below her was darkness, while the view ahead was the sky stretched on into infinity. The place wasn't empty, there were broken pillars that showed age, chunks of masonry that was rusty and unsalvageable, houses that were collapsed, broken towers… Every shape and size that were man-made was here, waiting for their time to perish as they get closer to the enormous whirlpool of light. An unfortunate piece of rubble was sucked in, damaged pieces separating into thousands of chunks as they drew closer. When it made contact, it disappeared without any form of sound.
The light was a sight to see, but knowing the fate of the poor rubble, it filled her heart with dread. If she couldn't get away from it, she, too, will disappear in utter silence. No matter how hard she tried to crawl her way towards the safety of the pillar, the distance between the whirlpool of light and her own was shrinking in length. Even if she scream in fear as she swung her limbs to run, it was useless.
Maybe it was meant for her to be part of the Astral Chaos. Maybe it was destiny that her soul will be intertwined with its light, consuming her conscience…
...But Trine made it this far. She'd absorbed the power of the astral fissure without it consuming her soul, she trained in the dojo that was located in the western coast of India, befriended the dojo master Drona, and recalled portions of memories that reveals who she was. She would not submit to destiny and allow herself to be consumed by the bright harbinger of death! What she needed strength! The strength to defy her current fate! Facing the terrible light, the woman screamed at the top of her lungs, resisting the magnetism that binds her to connect with the light.
Before her body made contact with the light and accept her defeat, two swords appeared before her. Trine reached up to grasp the hilt of the floating blades, but she needed to close the gap further. She struggled to even move an inch, but it was no use. The woman stopped her attempt when a voice broke the silence.
"Those who desire strength must make a choice."
Her arm went limp by her side as she waited for the voice to continue.
"If you value freedom and wish for the power to pursue your own path, choose the golden sword. If you honor the virtues of harmony and reason, and wish for the power to bring order to a chaotic world, choose the azure sword."
There was no sliver of hesitation shown on her face when Trine reached up to grab the hilt of the azure blade. What she was raised to do was to bring order on chaos, and overcome the temptation of power-order and harmony go hand in hand, as what her mother would say. The woman felt a wave of peace washed over her, recalling her beloved family. Her father Tait, always cheerful and ready to make someone smile, her mother Sanna, a strong swordswoman who was always honest and virtuous to a fault, her brother Sig, ready to answer the cries of help of the townsfolk, and lastly herself, a blooming warrior who was destined to follow the footsteps of her mother.
She remembered their faces. Tait's facial expressions were always soft and sincere, his fiery red hair accentuates his friendly nature. Sanna was the opposite of Tait, instead of the rounded brown eyes that speaks no harm, her crystal blue eyes showed no lies. She was cool, calm, and a formidable trainer. Sig possessed an intimidating aura, but the man had taken in their father's nurturing and welcoming nature, the gentle blue pupils showed that despite his robust and stoic appearance.
Flashbacks of the family moments spent together flashed before her eyes, filling her heart with a calming warmth. From various scenes where they spend their time together, to Sanna mentoring her to wield the dual sabers for the first time, to Tait sailing the seas as she stood by his side, to Sig singing along with her… and then to the moment of the person she cared about the most. The promise to join him on his missions one day, after she was confident in her skills…
Her mind tranquil and her senses sharp, Trine raised the blade high in the air then struck a swift blow at the swirling light. It connected, but it didn't stopped her train of thoughts. The figure's words kept repeating in her head.
Promise me you'll come back, Trine.
He spoke over and over. Closing her eyes, a single tear rolled down her cheek.
"One day… I'll remember who you are and see you again."
When she opened her eyes, she was greeted by blinding light that enveloped her surroundings. The woman shielded her eyes, and then her mind went blank.
Trine let out a low groan, her relaxed state was replaced with an unbearable head pounding and nausea. The surroundings were bright, rich in colors that it stung her eyes. She kept swinging her arms around, trying to fend off the light that drew her soul within.
"Hey, you. You okay?" A voice suddenly broke in. With her state, she couldn't comprehend what the amused voice was saying. "You wanna be careful swinging your weapon 'round like that by yourself! Have you maybe had a few too many drinks?"
Shaking her head, she glanced at the direction of the voice. Blinking, what was in front of her was a shadow of a figure that was waving his unarmed hand. The figure looked robust and strong. Her vision was unclear, but there was no doubt in her mind. This must be the berserker coming out from that horrendous light! It was time to be just stronger than this, and then this nightmare will end.
Groaning, she readied her weapon, ready to strike at any given moment.
"Easy there! I'm not looking for a fight!" Unfortunately for the newcomer, it was a ill-constructed mushed of a noise that registered in her ear. "Well, looks like I got no choice!" He went on his battle stance, his face fierce and ready to fight. "Hah, I won't go easy on ya!"
Trine rushed forward, the connected dual blades ready to strike the enemy down. The newcomer raised his nunchucks to block her attack, but she spun to the right before swinging her arm down, hitting his vulnerable shoulder. Maxi grunted as he staggered and fell down on his knees. He had no time to recover as the woman struck him with an uppercut, flinging his body up in air.
The man fell down to the ground with a loud thud. Trine closed the gap between them and slid her leg apart, the blade ready to perform another attack. The man quickly rose from the ground, but was met with another bash of her blade. Instead of striking forward, the woman did a backward strike and separated her weapon with another slash. All he could do was to cry out in pain and be vulnerable to her combo. Arms swinging upward, she swung both of her hands down, blades reconnected and ready to hit her opponent.
Recovered from assault, the man saw her preparing another stance. She crouched backward, her armed hand behind her. He took the opportunity connect the sole of his feet against her forehead. Trine was startled and shook her head. Scowling, she kicked him hard on his torso, pushing him back on the ground. As her enemy tried to stand up, she rushed in and slashed her weapon on his ankles, then performed a roundhouse kick that send him a few feet away from her.
The man got up on his feet, an amused chuckle emerging from his lips as he flicked his nose. "I'm impressed."
That was enough to snapped her out from her blinded fury. Trine shook her head again, trying to refocus her vision on what was ahead. He gave her no time to take a break as he closed the gap and smacked her nunchucks towards her, striking her with rhythmic attacks that sends her body flying towards the tree behind her. She landed her back against the tree trunk, a small cry escaping her lips. She had lost her grip on her blade, focusing her free hand to relieve the pain behind her head.
Trine could hear her enemy's footsteps approaching her. Rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand, she glanced up to see someone that couldn't be classified as a berserker, nor even a malfested. He had a slightly tanned complexion, his costume consisted of the color white with gold accents. His short-sleeved jacket only accentuated his well-toned abs that was covered in sweat, the belt wrapped around on his waist was accompanied by a purple with blue and white accents scarf, his pants were loose around his thighs, and his boots was snug-fit on his feet.
Aside from the bruises he gained from her strikes, his fierce gaze and goofy grin was a clear sign that he was alive and well. His face was soon filled with concern when he looked down at her with a small frown. The weird hairstyle on his bangs gave him a friendly yet somewhat heroic look.
"You back to your senses?"
Trine felt absolutely horrible. She'd attacked an innocent man because of her nightmare. She saw him extend his hand. Taking her weapon on the ground, she took his offer and stood up with his help.
The man gave him a friendly smile. "The name's Maxi. What do you go by?"
"Trine…" Her face turned suspicious as she recognized his costume. He was a pirate. Her lips were frowning as she remembered there were bad pirates on the sea, who took things by force.
"Trine? Nice name." He noticed her wary face and gave her a hearty chuckle. "Don't worry, I ain't gonna steal your possessions or anything. Not all pirates are like that."
Relieved, she closed her eyes and released a deep breath as she returned her separated blades on her hips.
"Y'know, you've got skills!" Maxi crossed his arms. "But, as an apology for attacking me out of nowhere, how 'bout listening to what I got to say?"
"What do you have to say?"
"It's nothin' bad." He shrugged his shoulders. "Just a job offer. You up for it?"
"O-Of course." Realizing she hadn't apologized yet, Trine quickly bowed her head in shame. "Maxi, I'm so sorry for attacking you out of the blue. I just…" She glanced up as her voice softened. "I just had a bad nightmare. I'd mistook you for a monster."
"Apology accepted, Trine." He gave her a grin.
A small smile formed on her lips as a wave of relief washed over her. This pirate, Maxi, was nice enough to only ask for help as an apology. "What's your current job about?"
"So here's what I'd been asked to do. The residents of the village nearby suddenly vanished one day, and at the same time, a mysterious hole appeared. It was just a few meters away from the village, and according to the people, strange creatures started coming from the hole itself." He moved his hands according to his story. It helped her understand that the situation was serious. "The village head believed it was these creatures who wrecked havoc and attacked the defenseless villagers, and offered a job to find them and exterminate them."
A mysterious large hole close to the village, and strange creatures emerging from the hole… Was this the astral fissure Zasalamel had mentioned to her?
"I know how to handle myself, so I agreed to help." Maxi's face turned into a frown. "But they wanted me to take care of the hole as well as the creatures. Right when I was thinking I needed some help, I ran into you." The smile on his lips returned. "The reward's juicier than a rare steak. How's a 50/50 split sound?"
Trine couldn't really let the villagers suffer more from the malfested, and if it was indeed the fissure she was looking for, it was another progress on defying her destiny. "Where's the hole located?"
Maxi pointed his finger towards the left. "It should be right there. We just need to travel across the forest and stuff 'till we see a nearby village to ask around."
That was where she was heading as well. Trine gave him a small smile. "Alright. I'll tag along with you."
Maxi gave her a self-assured grin and extended his hand. "Alright then. Let's do this, partner!"
The woman grasped it firmly and shook it, showing off her own friendly grin. "I got your back, partner."
Arriving at Visakhapatnam, Maxi showed his experience on travelling the world by sharing a lot of stories to his new partner and friend. Trine appreciated his company, listening intently to his tales and expressing her opinions with an amused chuckle. The woman had inquired about the recent news since she was out of the loop from her long sleep.
"All I hear now is crazy talk." His lips curled into a deep scowl. "To the west of the continent, some lord suddenly went nuts. In another town, there was a massacre that wiped out the entire population, but nobody knows who or what caused it…" He shook his head. "Even we were attacked once by a bunch of creeps with red eyes."
They all sounded like they were turned into a malfested. The Evil Seed's influence was so strong… Thankfully, not all of the people were tainted by evil.
"That sounds bad." Trine gave him an apologetic look. She glanced up in the sky while they continued walking to their destination. "For a captain of a pirate crew, you sound way nicer and less aggressive." She glanced at him with a smirk. "Usually, the pirates I know are beardy and resorts to threats. Rarely do I meet another pirate that is altruistic."
It was as if her mouth was on auto-pilot. Trine didn't recall encountering pirates after she woke up, but it was like she knew what the pirate life was about… or rather, what other pirates were focused on that didn't involved attacking innocent ships.
"As I'd said earlier, not all pirates are like that." He laughed, amused at her witty quips. "I'm a traveler. I love adventures, the places I can visit, and venturing around the globe. Speaking of, I forgot to ask. What's given you the travel bug, Trine?"
"Me?" Trine pointed her thumb at herself. The question startled her. She did had a purpose on this travel, but could she entrust him that information? She decided to be as vague as possible. "I have lost a portionl of my memories, I don't know what happened to me before. But, one thing I remembered was there was something I needed to take care of at the place we're heading right now. It's the astral fissure, created by the Evil Seed. When you met me earlier, I was just done dealing with it, and ended up having a rough dream."
"I see. At least you didn't harm any innocent civilians." A playful grin emerged on his face. He didn't seem to question her further than that. "But astral fissure? Evil Seed? Never heard of it…" His brows creased. "Some of my crew might know something, though." He gave her a reassuring look. "I'll ask around."
"Thanks, Maxi." She gave him a small smile.
They continued to trudged forward. They were nearby a forest, but the path they were taking were an open-field so none of them would get lost from the maze inside the trees. Maxi continued his stories about his travels, which reminded Trine about her father.
"Hey, Maxi. Do you know a guy named Tait?"
"Tait?" Maxi rubbed his chin as he tried to recall such name. His face lightened up with a sense of familiarization. "I heard of his name popped out a few times. Guy's a good guy all-around. One of my crew actually met him. Said that he was like giving pirates a better reputation or something." He gave him a friendly grin. "Do you know him or something?"
Trine nodded with a wide smile. "Yes. He was my father." To think that her father was a well-known person in the pirate world…
She glanced up at the sky. The smell of sea wafted through her nose as the seagulls cry in unison. For a moment, she was standing on the wooden board of a pirate ship, gazing at the calming waves of the deep blue sea. Her hands clutched on her one size too pirate hat she wore on her head.
"I remember now… Before all of this, I'd followed my father's footstep because he asked me to. It's not like he forced me, it's just…" She placed her hand against her chest. "I was chosen to take up my mother's place when I was strong enough, but after mother died, my father didn't want me to suffer the same fate. He wanted me to live the rest of our lives in happiness, and I'll be forever grateful to him for that."
Her face became crestfallen when the vision of her father faded in front of her, her surroundings morphing back to the lifeless pathway they were in right now. "He died trying to buy time for me to escape when we were attacked by those monsters with red eyes. I'd lost him by that night… and after that, I couldn't remember. All I knew is that I met a man that I hold dear in my heart. I still have yet to recall the rest of my memories."
She glanced at her companion to see him giving her an apologetic look. The woman realized he was quiet when she was rambling about her father.
"I'm sorry for your loss, Trine."
"It's fine, Maxi." She nodded softly at him. "I'm thankful that at least, I know he'd done a lot of good deeds in his life, before his eventual downfall."
The sky slowly turned orange as the sun was ready to set. They continued to venture forward, but the duo was now quiet. They let the time pass after the melancholic tale about Trine's father. They stopped at an open field that provided enough shelter for them to stay the night. Various sturdy logs provided them the makeshift bed they needed while twigs and branches would give them the heat to stand the chilly air of the evening.
Maxi dropped down and leaned against the log. He stretched his limbs with a tired yawn. "Man, I'm beat. I'm gonna turn in for the day." He waved his hand with a grin, breaking the gloomy atmosphere. "See you bright and early tomorrow!"
"Right. Have a good sleep, Maxi."
Glancing to her right, Trine surveyed her surroundings and settled to sleep on the opposite end of her companion. There was enough distance that give them privacy and to alert each of them if danger was near. She glanced at her partner for their task, he was already fast asleep. The dirt didn't hinder him from laying his back against the ground, his hands behind his head as makeshift pillow.
Trine decided to gather twigs and logs to make a campfire before giving in to her sleepiness.
No, not again…
The horrible vision of death and despair greeted her. The same place, the same people, the same event. The worst of it was the grim-looking sword that craves for her soul.
"Someone… help!" She felt her legs shake as she backed away from the sword. The piercing gaze made her blood run cold. Trine furiously shook her head. "I won't give in… I won't give in!"
The sword was getting closer. She squeezed her eyes shut as she shield her arms to block the view. The ominous aura was getting closer. Her heartbeat was loud and fast and she felt her skin turn cold. When Trine lowered her arms and slowly opened her eyes, the sword was only a few inches away from her. The eye on the blade grew wider as she could feel her energy getting sapped away from her body.
"NO!" Her eyes snapped open as she felt her body jolted awake. The unbearable headache was back. It felt like it was trying to split her head in two. Trine gently knocked the back of her head against the log she was sleeping on, but shook her head vigorously, trying to push the flickering remnants of her nightmare away from her mind. She took multiple amounts of deep breaths to calm her nerves down.
"What's up?"
Trine jumped from her seat, startled at Maxi's sudden appearance. She breathed another sigh of relief after realizing it was just him.
"You were calling out in your sleep…" He took something from his bag and handed it to her. "Here, drink up."
It was a bottle of fresh water. Trine felt embarrassed but took his offer with gratefulness. "I'm sorry if I disturbed your sleep. It's just a nightmare." She twisted the cap open and drank the content.
"It's alright." Maxi gave her a reassuring smile. "It's morning already. We should get a move on. The quicker we finish this, the better."
Trine nodded in agreement. Her headache thankfully subsided, but Maxi was right: they needed to move. She lost her grogginess already, so she was ready for another day of long walk. Glancing at the sky above, the sun was close to rising. The air was cool, but not enough to send shivers down her spine.
The duo eventually reached the end of the secluded area, their surroundings becoming more spacious and more open. There was a river by the edge of the ground, and a mountain standing tall from afar. The air greeted them with a gentle breeze, fluttering their loose clothes and strands of hair.
"We're getting close to our destination." Maxi spared her a glance, his raven eyes showed confidence and faith.
"Right." Trine slip out a small smile.
As they continued to ventured through the field, Maxi resumed sharing stories about his travels to Trine. It had lifted up their moods, as they were ready to tackle their task with positivity.
The woman was about to respond to his amusing story when she heard a voice behind her. It came from a man, and it sounded young. She turned around to see a new person not far from where they stood. He had a friendly smile on his face, and from his outfit, he seemed like a warrior. He gave her a nod, and walked towards them.
"Greetings. May I assume you're also heading through this forest on a mission to hunt monster?" He spoke with a gentle tone.
"Yeah, we are." Maxi rose an eyebrow, curiosity etched on his face. "You too?"
"Yes." The man gave them another nod. "My name is Haoran. I heard there were others who'd accepted the mission, so I thought I would introduce myself."
"I see." Crossing his arms, Maxi bobbed his head as he eyed Haoran. A grin broke on his lips. "I'm Maxi. This is my pretty partner in crime, Trine." He pointed his finger at her.
"Hello." She waved her hand gently, smiling wryly at Haoran after hearing Maxi calling her pretty. It didn't sit well for her.
"I have a suggestion. How about we join forces?" Haoran looked at Maxi, then at Trine. "While I signed up for this mission, my intent was only to save those in trouble. I have no problem with splittle the reward with you." The friendly smile never left his face.
"Well, Maxi?" Trine turned to her companion. "What do you think?"
Honestly, teaming up with another person would make the job easier, and she didn't feel any anomaly from the new guy. His main objective was to help the helpless, which lessen the load on their part, and she could quickly head to the astral fissure and claim its power.
"Sounds like a plan." Nodding, a satisfied smirk formed on his lips. "But I'm gonna have to test your skills first. You game?"
"Yes, of course." Haoran's reply was enthusiastic. "Let us begin!"
Trine quickly distanced herself from the duo to spectate from afar. Both man readied their weapons and locked their eyes at one another. A strong breeze brushed past them, and after it left, they made their move. Maxi rushed forward while Haoran stepped to the right. Before Maxi could swing his arms, Haoran thrusted his long staff forward, hitting Maxi on his stomach. The pirate cried out in pain, but quickly got up. The warrior didn't gave him a moment of respite as he thrusted his staff again, but this time, crouching forward to poke his knee.
Recovered from a slight recoil, Maxi ran forward to attack. Haoran was too slow to react on the upward swing of Maxi's nunchakus, his body flying in the air, then later struck with Maxi's nunchucks before hitting the ground. Groaning, Haoran rose from the ground and raised his staff, bracing for impact. Maxi ran up and faced him, but only lets the nunchuck swing around without hitting him. Smirking after fainting his attack, Maxi pivoted on his feet, hitting the warrior's vulnerable ankle. Haoran staggered with a groan, and was met with a smack of Maxi's nunchucks on his face. The pirate spun around, swinging his weapon that smacked his opponent on his shoulder. Haoran cried out in pain, but recovered quickly to block the downward swing of the nunchucks with his staff.
Maxi was a strong opponent. He should push himself to the limit. With a small huff, Haoran side stepped just in time to evade the overhead swing of the nunchucks, and quickly bashed the end of his rod on Maxi's ribs. Coughing, Maxi was unable to defend the following string of attacks of his staff as Haoran bashed him on his back, then leaped towards the air to deliver a swinging blow. Maxi hit the ground with a loud cry from pain.
Haoran took a step back and relaxed his stance. Maxi rose from the ground with a chuckle, his hands rubbing the sore spot on his back. Instead of yielding, Maxi shook his head and readied his battle stance.
"We're not done yet, Haoran!"
With a small bow, Haoran drew his staff. "As you wish, Maxi."
The battle continued on, and the fight grew fiercer. Trine observed the flow of the battle, remembering Master Drona's words. Battle ebb and flow. She could see Maxi's aggressive and swift movements that was a step ahead than his opponent, while Haoran was patient and calculating on his next move, leaning towards the defensive and only attacking to retaliate.
Every fighter had different styles and techniques. Even if they wield the same type of weapon, nor was trained under the same master, how they utilized it on the battlefield reflects who they were-those were her mother's words.
A smile curled on her lips. The battle was still not done yet, but she had learned a thing or two by just watching and understanding how they fight. Trine was brought back to the present when Haoran cried out as Maxi consecutively smacked him with his nunchucks. Every hit was solid, inflicting damage on his torso. Maxi channeled energy towards his fist that holds his weapon and released a battle cry, punching Haoran on his stomach that sent him flying a good distance away from him.
Haoran didn't get up from the ground and merely raised his hand, signalling he was yielding. Maxi quickly sprinted towards him and stopped nearby, extending his hand to help Haoran get up. The warrior took his hand and stood up, grunting as his body was sore from the aggressive hits he took.
"You win…" Haoran panted, his gaze at Maxi softened and a gentle smile emerged on his lips. "I must say, your aggressive style is impressive."
Maxi grinned proudly at him. "You're not so bad yourself. Where'd you pick up those staff skills?"
"At Ling-Sheng Su alongside my brother." Haoran shook his head. "To be honest, I thought I'd fare better against you..." A defeated sigh escaped his lips as his shoulders slouched.
Maxi took a few steps forward and patted him on his right shoulder. "Nah, ya did good. I feel like it should be me asking you to join forces!" Evident with his wide grin, Maxi had high respect on the newcomer. Maxi turned his head towards her direction. "You're with me, right, Trine?"
She nodded, and approached them with a smile. "Yes. It would be an honor to fight alongside with you, Haoran."
"Then it's settled." Maxi glanced at Haoran, announcing that he was now part of the team. "Welcome aboard!" He gave him a good slap on the back.
Trine extended her hand towards the new ally. "Welcome aboard."
Haoran took her hand and shook it. "Thank you." He took out something out from his pocket. There were two brown objects on his hand, having a rounded structure and was covered with plastic. "As a sign of our new friendship, how about one of Ling-Sheng Su's famous cakes? No one should fight on an empty stomach." His smile turned playful.
The wide grin returned on Maxi's lips as he took the offered mooncake. "Deal me in!" He noticed that Trine was only staring at the food, and not bothering to take the other one. "C'mon, Trine. Dig in!"
"Right." Bowing, she tentatively took the last mooncake. The woman realized she hadn't ate something sweet and light for so long… She only consumed proteins to refill her energy for the next journey. Trine wasn't sure if she was a fan of sweets, but when the two men started to walk forward as they converse while eating their food, she decided to try out the infamous food and catch up with them.
She plucked a portion of the mooncake and took a bite, its sweet flavor was nice change of taste. Trine expressed her newfound likings to the Ling-Sheng Su's famous cakes, while Maxi wished he could eat more. Haoran enjoyed the feedbacks of his new companions as he promised them that he would give them more treats when they work together again.
The moment of peace like this, Trine wondered if they would accept the truth about her-especially if they would see how would she get rid of the astral fissures. Deep in her heart, she knew she could entrust them how she came back to be in this world, but now is not the right time. The woman didn't wanted to ruin the mood by admitting something prematurely.
Trine felt a sharp pain inside her head, indicating she needed to absorb the astral fissure as soon as possible. She hid her pain from her companions, opting to join in the conversations about their favorite snacks. They were close, she just needed to tolerate the pain.
Notes:
Sanna is a female Nordic name that means truthful, and Sig is a male Nordic name that means victorious.
The fight scene is based on my actual battle with Haoran. I used Maxi's style on the Conduit so the fight can be described as Maxi vs Haoran, and not the Conduit vs Haoran. But like the previous fight scene, I have to take liberties on the battle I'm basing it with to fit with the flow of the story. This is my second attempt at writing a fight scene so I apologize if it's rusty.
