Magnum was flying. Well, floating, but it was non-the-less amazing.
He hovered over the ground suspended in the air, at least three feet from
the hard packed soil. I stood stock-still and remained Hidden in the
shadows, anxious to see what he was doing.
Magnum at first seemed to be perfectly silent, but I began to notice a strange whir. I peered closer, straining to see what he was doing, and almost gave my self away with a small, shocked gasp. The sword that Tuff had given Him was cutting through the air so fast it was hard to see. Backwards, forwards, over his shoulder and back again. And his Eyes were still closed. CLONK! There was the noise again!
I noticed for the first time that Magnum was not the only thing flying. Large pieces of wood were hovering around him, and every so often would soar at him. The noise was the wood hitting his sword, Which seemed to seek the target without the guidance of his hands. The ground beneath him was littered with split wood.
I was confused. What was happening? How.? I hadn't taught him this, and I knew for sure that Tuff was no great hand with a sword, and neither was Claris, or Samarra. Then who?
Suddenly, Magnum's eyes opened. His eyes were completely gold now, no pupils, nothing. Blank gold. The sword stopped and hung quivering in the air. His entire body was covered in sweat, and he shook with exhaustion. He drifted slowly to the ground and sat down, closing his eyes. Behind him, I saw a dark shadow.
I heard a faint voice, like whispered wind. It was so familiar to me. The shadow shifted, and golden eyes, brighter and wiser than those of Magnum's stared into my soul. There was a strangely out of place sound of a rustling cloak, and the shadow was gone. I shivered, and stepped forward to carry an unconscious Magnum back to the bunkhouse.
+ + +
The next morning, I rose tiredly from my bed. Many of the younger students I could hear were already up and about, chatting and what not. I stretched and felt my muscles awaken, a refreshing feeling tainted only by a slight pain across my chest. The war against NME had left its mark on me. I wondered for a moment. Will my students have to suffer the way so many of my friends did? And then I remembered Magnum. What was he doing?
I entered the children's section of the bunkhouse, and told those who were up to rouse those who slept on. I checked a small clock on Triston's bedside. It was already 6:30, even though the children usually woke me at 5:00. Apparently, they had shut off my clock. But none of my students were that stealthy. But then who had shut off my alarm without my notice? I thought back for a moment on the shadow, and it's familiar golden eyes..
The mountains were beginning to glow with the first rays of the sun showing over their peaks, and mist was starting to rise. The grass was still wet with dew. Today. I decided, remembering the incomprehensible speed at which Magnum's sword had flown. It had taken me years to gain that level, but here he was, nine years old, and he had nearly perfected his style. Today, I thought again, Magnum will finally face Dimitri.
I gathered the students around the marked sparring circle, and made my announcement. "We will be doing some thing completely different today. I will choose two students who I feel have made tremendous progress, and they will spar using real weapons. Also, we will not be using the circle. No space limit, nor time limit. The first one to lose the ability, or will, to fight, is the loser. Other than that, the same rules apply."
I saw intrigued faces and heard excited whispers all around the crowd of trainees. My eyes fell on Magnum. "MAGNUM!" I bellowed. "COME FORWARD!" Magnum walked proudly to my side, and waited stiffly to find out who his opponent would be. I spotted Anastasia, and saw that she was extremely excited. I moved on and glared upon Dimitri. "Dimitri!" I yelled. Dimitri rolled towards me with his characteristic swagger. Magnum didn't move, but seemed to be both pleased and angered at my decision. Dimitri seemed simply to be disgusted.
"BACK UP!" I shouted to the remaining students. The circle quickly widened. "YOU MAY BEGIN!" I yelled. Dimitri and Magnum approached each other, and stood with swords ready. Magnum squared off his shoulders, and I noticed something odd. his eyes were changing..
His pupils dilated, then shrunk until they seemed to disappear. He had plain, golden eyes.. Dimitri didn't seem to notice. I watched intrigued and now curious as to see what would happen. Magnum started.
Magnum darted forth, and vanished just as he was about to collide with Dimitri. Dimitri took a confused step back, then moved forward a few quick paces and barely avoided an attack from behind. Without pause, Magnum moved again, this time to Dimitri's side. Dimitri sidestepped, and swung his sword low. Magnum countered, and forced Dimitri's sword back up so fast and hard, that the two interlocked blades quivered against Dimitri's cheek.
Dimitri used his foot to trip up Magnum, then using the other one, spun around so that he gained a few inches of distance away from Magnum. Magnum overthrew his weight, and stumbled, much like Goliath had in his first match against Dimitri. Dimitri ducked down, and began his throw technique. I heard many students mumble disappointedly, as if they knew that Magnum was going to lose. Not yet..
Magnum let him self be carried upwards, but turned his sheath and rolled. The hardened leather sheath dug into Dimitri's exposed stomach, and I heard Dimitri gasp. Dimitri collapsed, and Magnum smothered him for a moment until he was pushed off again. Magnum didn't stop for a second.
Dimitri came at him again, and was apparently going to repeat his attack. At the last possible second he turned: and using his long blade, he vaulted with his feet slamming forward into Magnum's face. Magnum went down hard, with blood quickly soaking the sand around him. He was up again in a flash though, ignoring the crimson downpour rushing from his broken nose. He roared in anger, and was infuriated further by a quick, smug smile from Dimitri. I predicted the next series of events, seconds before they began.
Magnum's sword began to flash, in the mystifying way that it had the night before. His eyes glowed a darker gold, more like bronze now, and the sword whistled dangerously through the air. The paths it cut shimmered behind it, and distorted Magnum's face. His eyes now burned with blue fire, and his face was torn with not a look of his own anger, but the anger of one much older, one who knew something about his current opponent that caused him to want to crush him. But something the rest of us knew nothing about.
I saw Anastasia throw me a terrified look, as if to say please! Stop this! But it wasn't yet time. I turned to Dimitri who now wore a similar look of terror, but this one was laced with defeat, and a poisonous sort of hatred.
Magnum charged forward, feet lifting from the ground, and assaulted Dimitri. His glowing eyes left comet tails in the air behind him, as he hacked and slashed with a fatal grace. "MAGNUM! STOP!" I Bellowed. The distorted face turned to me in a scant second, revealing something that flooded me with both horror and amazement. It wasn't Magnum. The new figure, the exquisitely deadly fighter, continued to move in on Dimitri. A sudden flash of lightning lit the area in violet hues, and stopped us all, even the not-Magnum, to stop in our tacks. The sky had visibly darkened, and billowing mist filled the area. I heard strange howls all around us, and horror filled me again.
"Meta Knight! NO!" I screamed. I could barely make him out in the dark fog. Wolf wrath wrapped his jaws around him, and I cried out in anguish and fury. Lightning flashed again, and the battle continued. with everyone fighting for their lives and everyone but wolf wrath, NME, and myself oblivious to my former master's demise.
Lightning flashed again, cutting a jagged path threw the now impossibly thick fog. I heard my students screaming in terror at something I couldn't see: but that something that was obviously attacking them. I heard huge, pounding paws approach me, but stop where I though Magnum and Dimitri were. "NOOOOOOOOO!!" I heard Dimitri cry. Then there was a horrific sound. the ripping of flesh, the sound of a sword flailing out. I heard one of the giant creatures howl in pain and fury. I heard Magnum roar in reply, a cry filled with battle rage, but in a voice that, again, was not his.
I ran blindly through the fog, and could make out the hulking figure of a tremendous wolf. It turned to me and gazed with a terrifying sentience. It had eyes of (light. tuff murmured.)
I continued to charge at it, but it shifted and vanished into the fog. I tripped and fell onto something warm, and unpleasantly limp. I tried to move but forced my arm deeper into the invisible thing on the ground. The fog had thickened to the point were I was practically blind, but the realization of what I had stumbled on dawned on me like a rogue wave, and I stopped breathing.
(So how do you like that? Tell me. My reviews are getting old. TALK TO ME PLEASE! Before you read the next chapter though, I would like to warn you all that it is going to be gory. so those with weak constitutions, please leave the chapter alone! I gave you fair warning!)
Magnum at first seemed to be perfectly silent, but I began to notice a strange whir. I peered closer, straining to see what he was doing, and almost gave my self away with a small, shocked gasp. The sword that Tuff had given Him was cutting through the air so fast it was hard to see. Backwards, forwards, over his shoulder and back again. And his Eyes were still closed. CLONK! There was the noise again!
I noticed for the first time that Magnum was not the only thing flying. Large pieces of wood were hovering around him, and every so often would soar at him. The noise was the wood hitting his sword, Which seemed to seek the target without the guidance of his hands. The ground beneath him was littered with split wood.
I was confused. What was happening? How.? I hadn't taught him this, and I knew for sure that Tuff was no great hand with a sword, and neither was Claris, or Samarra. Then who?
Suddenly, Magnum's eyes opened. His eyes were completely gold now, no pupils, nothing. Blank gold. The sword stopped and hung quivering in the air. His entire body was covered in sweat, and he shook with exhaustion. He drifted slowly to the ground and sat down, closing his eyes. Behind him, I saw a dark shadow.
I heard a faint voice, like whispered wind. It was so familiar to me. The shadow shifted, and golden eyes, brighter and wiser than those of Magnum's stared into my soul. There was a strangely out of place sound of a rustling cloak, and the shadow was gone. I shivered, and stepped forward to carry an unconscious Magnum back to the bunkhouse.
+ + +
The next morning, I rose tiredly from my bed. Many of the younger students I could hear were already up and about, chatting and what not. I stretched and felt my muscles awaken, a refreshing feeling tainted only by a slight pain across my chest. The war against NME had left its mark on me. I wondered for a moment. Will my students have to suffer the way so many of my friends did? And then I remembered Magnum. What was he doing?
I entered the children's section of the bunkhouse, and told those who were up to rouse those who slept on. I checked a small clock on Triston's bedside. It was already 6:30, even though the children usually woke me at 5:00. Apparently, they had shut off my clock. But none of my students were that stealthy. But then who had shut off my alarm without my notice? I thought back for a moment on the shadow, and it's familiar golden eyes..
The mountains were beginning to glow with the first rays of the sun showing over their peaks, and mist was starting to rise. The grass was still wet with dew. Today. I decided, remembering the incomprehensible speed at which Magnum's sword had flown. It had taken me years to gain that level, but here he was, nine years old, and he had nearly perfected his style. Today, I thought again, Magnum will finally face Dimitri.
I gathered the students around the marked sparring circle, and made my announcement. "We will be doing some thing completely different today. I will choose two students who I feel have made tremendous progress, and they will spar using real weapons. Also, we will not be using the circle. No space limit, nor time limit. The first one to lose the ability, or will, to fight, is the loser. Other than that, the same rules apply."
I saw intrigued faces and heard excited whispers all around the crowd of trainees. My eyes fell on Magnum. "MAGNUM!" I bellowed. "COME FORWARD!" Magnum walked proudly to my side, and waited stiffly to find out who his opponent would be. I spotted Anastasia, and saw that she was extremely excited. I moved on and glared upon Dimitri. "Dimitri!" I yelled. Dimitri rolled towards me with his characteristic swagger. Magnum didn't move, but seemed to be both pleased and angered at my decision. Dimitri seemed simply to be disgusted.
"BACK UP!" I shouted to the remaining students. The circle quickly widened. "YOU MAY BEGIN!" I yelled. Dimitri and Magnum approached each other, and stood with swords ready. Magnum squared off his shoulders, and I noticed something odd. his eyes were changing..
His pupils dilated, then shrunk until they seemed to disappear. He had plain, golden eyes.. Dimitri didn't seem to notice. I watched intrigued and now curious as to see what would happen. Magnum started.
Magnum darted forth, and vanished just as he was about to collide with Dimitri. Dimitri took a confused step back, then moved forward a few quick paces and barely avoided an attack from behind. Without pause, Magnum moved again, this time to Dimitri's side. Dimitri sidestepped, and swung his sword low. Magnum countered, and forced Dimitri's sword back up so fast and hard, that the two interlocked blades quivered against Dimitri's cheek.
Dimitri used his foot to trip up Magnum, then using the other one, spun around so that he gained a few inches of distance away from Magnum. Magnum overthrew his weight, and stumbled, much like Goliath had in his first match against Dimitri. Dimitri ducked down, and began his throw technique. I heard many students mumble disappointedly, as if they knew that Magnum was going to lose. Not yet..
Magnum let him self be carried upwards, but turned his sheath and rolled. The hardened leather sheath dug into Dimitri's exposed stomach, and I heard Dimitri gasp. Dimitri collapsed, and Magnum smothered him for a moment until he was pushed off again. Magnum didn't stop for a second.
Dimitri came at him again, and was apparently going to repeat his attack. At the last possible second he turned: and using his long blade, he vaulted with his feet slamming forward into Magnum's face. Magnum went down hard, with blood quickly soaking the sand around him. He was up again in a flash though, ignoring the crimson downpour rushing from his broken nose. He roared in anger, and was infuriated further by a quick, smug smile from Dimitri. I predicted the next series of events, seconds before they began.
Magnum's sword began to flash, in the mystifying way that it had the night before. His eyes glowed a darker gold, more like bronze now, and the sword whistled dangerously through the air. The paths it cut shimmered behind it, and distorted Magnum's face. His eyes now burned with blue fire, and his face was torn with not a look of his own anger, but the anger of one much older, one who knew something about his current opponent that caused him to want to crush him. But something the rest of us knew nothing about.
I saw Anastasia throw me a terrified look, as if to say please! Stop this! But it wasn't yet time. I turned to Dimitri who now wore a similar look of terror, but this one was laced with defeat, and a poisonous sort of hatred.
Magnum charged forward, feet lifting from the ground, and assaulted Dimitri. His glowing eyes left comet tails in the air behind him, as he hacked and slashed with a fatal grace. "MAGNUM! STOP!" I Bellowed. The distorted face turned to me in a scant second, revealing something that flooded me with both horror and amazement. It wasn't Magnum. The new figure, the exquisitely deadly fighter, continued to move in on Dimitri. A sudden flash of lightning lit the area in violet hues, and stopped us all, even the not-Magnum, to stop in our tacks. The sky had visibly darkened, and billowing mist filled the area. I heard strange howls all around us, and horror filled me again.
"Meta Knight! NO!" I screamed. I could barely make him out in the dark fog. Wolf wrath wrapped his jaws around him, and I cried out in anguish and fury. Lightning flashed again, and the battle continued. with everyone fighting for their lives and everyone but wolf wrath, NME, and myself oblivious to my former master's demise.
Lightning flashed again, cutting a jagged path threw the now impossibly thick fog. I heard my students screaming in terror at something I couldn't see: but that something that was obviously attacking them. I heard huge, pounding paws approach me, but stop where I though Magnum and Dimitri were. "NOOOOOOOOO!!" I heard Dimitri cry. Then there was a horrific sound. the ripping of flesh, the sound of a sword flailing out. I heard one of the giant creatures howl in pain and fury. I heard Magnum roar in reply, a cry filled with battle rage, but in a voice that, again, was not his.
I ran blindly through the fog, and could make out the hulking figure of a tremendous wolf. It turned to me and gazed with a terrifying sentience. It had eyes of (light. tuff murmured.)
I continued to charge at it, but it shifted and vanished into the fog. I tripped and fell onto something warm, and unpleasantly limp. I tried to move but forced my arm deeper into the invisible thing on the ground. The fog had thickened to the point were I was practically blind, but the realization of what I had stumbled on dawned on me like a rogue wave, and I stopped breathing.
(So how do you like that? Tell me. My reviews are getting old. TALK TO ME PLEASE! Before you read the next chapter though, I would like to warn you all that it is going to be gory. so those with weak constitutions, please leave the chapter alone! I gave you fair warning!)