Chapter 31

  Fruits of Training

  Titanic masses of stone were the very core of mountains. They seemed unshakeable, unmoving, unknown. Massive as they were, their shadows stretched far, their surfaces wide, and their caverns numerous. All around were the peaks of the Drakmor Mountains, enormous monuments to impassive facades. Yet even mountains moved. Comparing the two, at least for this very moment, the ancient mountains could not be seen as stoic as Hyato.

  In the courtyard of dexterity, Hyato was as still as the mountains, perhaps moving even less. The motion of the petals in the air was the only proof that time had not stopped.

  “How can he be so still?” Wolf wondered, watching alongside the others. “I thought only a Kuldo could be that still.”

  “While true it is something they can be known for,” Sebastian said, “Perhaps the Kuldo are not the only ones who can do it. Or perhaps it is a skill he developed.”

  Michael held out a finger, “Shh. He’s moving.”

  The petals continued to move in a slow serene dance, and Hyato strode forth. He moved at a walking pace, casually reaching out to grab petals. They seemed somehow suspended in the air, not falling any faster. “How is he doing that?” Wolf said.

  “Perhaps, sensing a space in the flow of wind?” Sebastian suggested. Hyato continued to move, collecting petals. Then he vanished without warning. Sebastian and Wolf snapped their heads around looking for him, as did many of the onlookers. Michael, as well as Aeroth on the other side, kept a steady gaze.

  The petals in the courtyard went mad, flailing about as they had in the beginning, dancing through the air and twisting about as they made their way to the ground. A tree next to Sebastian shook, making the man flinch. Then he gasped, “Michael! He’s doing that!”

  “I can see.” Michael said, watching as Hyato soared through the air, kicking from tree to tree to propel himself. He zipped around the courtyard, gathering up the petals as they danced about. Many teetered near the flagstones, but the stoic swordsman scooped them into his hands before they reached the ground.

  What started with several minutes of stillness erupted into a frenzy for just a few seconds. Then, Hyato landed in the center of the courtyard, casually snatching the last petal out of the air. “Victory.” He said, as his coat and hair settled down behind him.

  The moment of silence broke as a few people watching cheered out, clapping and hollering. Hyato smirked, letting the petals fall from his hands. “Smug bastard.” Wolf said, grinning wide as he entered the courtyard.

  “Great job Hyato!” Michael said, patting the victorious man on the shoulder. Hyato’s smirk widened.

  “Excellent.” Aeroth said, stepping near. Nayo and another woman also approached. “You pass the Trial of Dexterity. I suppose congratulations are in order. When you feel you are ready, we can tell you what type of training to do for the next Trial.”

  “The Trial of Technique.” Wolf said. “Bring it on, I’m ready.”

  Surprise washed over Aeroth’s face. “You... already know it? What do you mean-”

  “What I mean is,” Wolf said. “The next Trial was assigned to me. I trained all yesterday for it, and am ready to take it on now.”

  “Well, then...” Aeroth nodded. “Okay. I’ll lead you there in an hour. Meet at the central square.” He started to walk away.

  “Why do I have to wait?” Wolf asked.

  “Because it’s breakfast time.” Aeroth said, giving an idle wave.

  Nayo chuckled, “In that case, we should also consider getting something to eat.”

  “We?” Sebastian said.

  “Indeed.” Nayo said, “My treat. Come with.” Nayo led the others, walking between two of the narrower trees. Michael followed after, and the others came with. Nayo slipped through the indigo leafed trees, walking along no path in particular. Following after her, the party made it back to the village much faster than the winding path.

  “Nice shortcut.” Michael said, stepping onto the road from the trees.

  “Right? Follow me everyone.” She continued to lead everyone along, soon arriving at a shop with a counter and stools out front. Nayo chose a seat, and Michael sat as well. Nayo began speaking to the man behind the counter, placing orders for everyone.

  The others sat too, including the woman who had been following Nayo. Michael turned to her, “Oh, so who are you?”

  The woman chuckled, “I’m Lin.” She said, “Just wanted to meet the outsiders everyone’s been talking about.”

  “Nice to meet you Lin.” Michael said, smiling. “I’m Michael.” Lin smiled.

  Wolf turned to her, “The name’s Wolf. Don’t forget it.” He said with a huge grin.

  “And my name is Sebastian, a pleasure to make your acquaintance Lin.” Sebastian said, giving the woman a short bow.

  Lin smiled at everyone, then looked to Hyato. “And what’s your name?” She asked.

  “Hyato.” He said, not looking anywhere in particular.

  “Order up.” The man behind the counter placed a plate of steamed mushrooms and grilled meat in front of everyone. There were some spices, sauces, and various other fried vegetables included in the dish as well. Wolf began to dig in as soon as his plate hit the counter.

  Michael scooped up a bite of meat and mushrooms, then paused. “This is really good.” He said, eating more. Sebastian sampled his dish as well.

  “So, Hyato.” Lin said. “Enjoying your time in the village?” Hyato shrugged, prodding at his food with a fork. Lin chuckled.

  The boys ate. Wolf and Michael finished their meals around the same time, followed by Sebastian. Hyato ate half of his, and took the rest in a small disposable container. “So, where is this central square place?” Wolf asked, stretching to the left and right when they stepped onto the road.

  “It’s over this way!” Lin said, leading the party. Sebastian followed first, examining the woman. She was a Valon, a little on the shorter side. Her black hair bobbed about in a ponytail.

  “So, Lin.” Sebastian said, “Surely you aren’t simply curious about meeting us. What brings you by?”

  Lin flashed another smile. “Truthfully, I want to become an adventurer.” She said.

  “I thought that members of the clan couldn’t leave.” Sebastian said. He rubbed his chin.

  “Well, yes.” Lin said, “That’s true. The Elders want to stay isolated from the outside. Only Masters are allowed to leave at will.”

  The party continued to walk past fenced fields and other buildings through the village. Sebastian rubbed at his chin while deep in thought as a village boy waved at Michael. Michael waved back. “That seems like a raw deal,” Wolf said, arms crossed.

  “Chief Odai wants to change things.” Lin said. She didn’t seem very confident. Nayo remained silent, walking at the back of the group.

  “I’m sure everything will work out.” Michael said. “Don’t give up hope.” His words made Lin stop, and he continued to walk past, stepping into a large open area surrounded by benches and poles holding chimes and lanterns. “Is this the central square?”

  “It is.” Nayo said as everyone entered the area.

  “We came through here the first time we went through the village.” Sebastian said.

  “Yeah, there was a strange place near here.” Wolf said, looking around. He spotted what he sought, pointing it out. “What’s that area for.”

  A walled off area surrounded by raised seating was adjacent to the central square. “The arena.” Lin said. “It’s not used much, some official matches are held every now and then. The last one was months ago.”

  “It certainly needs some repair.” Sebastian noted. Wolf went over towards the arena as Michael took a seat on a bench. There were a few guards around, and some villagers passing through the square.

  “How much time is left?” Hyato asked.

  “Not too long.” Nayo said. Hyato sighed and sat on the bench next to Michael.

  The party waited out the last ten minutes of the hour, and then a few more minutes. Sebastian was telling Lin some tales of his, while Nayo listened in. Wolf had finished peeking around the arena and returned to the others, doing some stretching. Hyato’s foot tapped on the ground while he sat waiting next to Michael, who had his eyes closed.

  “Sorry for the wait.” Aeroth said, stepping into the square. “I will show you to the Trial site now.”

  “Finally.” Wolf said, standing tall, “It’s my turn.” Aeroth led the party down one of the roads towards the canyon wall. Several nearby villagers stopped to follow too. The Trial of Technique was nigh.

  With a sharp clack, ash was emptied from the end of a long pipe. The wizened old geezer began to stuff the end with another dried plant. The other four windbags sat still, collecting dust behind the bamboo screens that covered their faces. After a full minute of slow deliberation, Elder Gyoto pulled the pipe into his mouth. “No.” He said.

  Odai let out a long exasperated groan, “You aren’t even considering it.” He said, his eyebrows furrowed in an annoyed glare.

  “It’s not our way. The gates stay closed.” The Elder said.

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  “Times need to change, old man!” Odai said, “You’d really let our clan wither away in the mountains for nothing?”

  “The gates stay closed!” Gyoto repeated. “Our people have remained safe on that policy for over a century.” The other four elders all murmured in agreement like brainless puppets.

  “The Dark War ended almost a century ago!” Odai said for the hundredth time. “The outsiders have completed half the Trials and insist on doing the next one today. They’ll be open whether you like it or not.”

  Elder Gyoto slapped the ash bowl with his pipe, “You’re going too easy on them! Outsiders cannot complete our Trials! It takes years of dedicated training to overcome them!”

  Odai shook his head. “I’m not overseeing them. Aeroth is. You really think he would allow cheating on our sacred traditions?”

  “Hmph. Aeroth has proven himself. But he would listen to you. You told him to go easy on them!” Gyoto accused, pointing his pipe at Odai.

  Chief Odai slapped the pipe away, “Old fool. He would disobey such an order in a heartbeat.”

  “How dare you! I am the Elder of this clan!” Gyoto screeched.

  “And I.” Odai said, “Am the Leader. Or do you wish to challenge my seat? A Trial of Combat, perhaps?” Three other Elders flinched, shying away from Odai. Elder Mimori gave a small smile, grinning from her seat at the end. Elder Gyoto flinched as well, then trembled in silent fury. Odai continued to speak. “I thought not. And if you cannot stop me, do you really think you have a chance against her?”

  “Of course not.” Gyoto spat, hands clenching. “But I still think you are taking this too far, Odai. Your Mother would never allow it.”

  “No, she wouldn’t.” Odai said, “But she had to live through the Broken Times, and the Dark War. A war torn Iagorothi, of course she would object.”

  “Yes!” Gyoto said. “The Dark War was truly terrible. You youngsters could not understand...” the Elders all stared off into space for a few moments. They were all in their hundred thirties, except Mimori who was a hundred forty one. Gyoto let out a long sigh. “It was a different world...”

  “Yes.” Odai said, “It was. Different enough that my Mother chose to close our walls. But my Grandfather...”

  “Don’t bring him up!” Gyoto snapped. “If he hadn’t abandoned his duty to his daughter to chase stories and legends-”

  “We don’t know what would have changed.” Odai said with a firm voice. “This is no time for idle speculation. If the outsiders complete the Trials in time the gates will open and Yan may go with them. Just like we agreed on.”

  “We would never have agreed if we knew they could win!” Gyoto snapped.

  Odai arched an eyebrow. “Oh really? And you say I was cheating?” The other Elders all murmured. Elder Gyoto shuffled in his seat, slumping away from the imposing young leader.

  “Well. Yes. No...” Gyoto said.

  Odai shook his head. “It may be time for you to retire. A change of scenery would be good for your health. There are some nice houses out by the peach trees.”

  “How. Dare. You.” Gyoto said with a hissing sound through his teeth.

  “Now now, don’t get all worked up.” Odai said, walking towards the exit of the dim room. “I wouldn’t want you to open any old wounds.”

  The Chief made it halfway across the straw mat flooring, never stepping on the edges, when Gyoto sprang to his feet and knocked aside the bamboo screen. He threw with an agility reminiscent of his younger years, bellowing a screech of defiance. Odai spun and caught the Kunai on the end of his finger, spun it once, and returned it. The blade dug into the floor at Gyoto’s feet the blink of an eye later. “Don’t test me, old man!” Odai snapped.

  “Trial of Combat!” Gyoto said. The elders gasped, and Odai looked stunned.

  “What?” Odai’s voice rang with disbelief.

  “Your precious outsiders. If they should perform a miracle and complete the other two Trials of adulthood, they will then need to complete the Trial of Combat!” Gyoto said.

  Odai blinked, “That makes more sense... Huh. Very well. If they win, you will agree to go along with all of my decisions. You may advise, but we must at least try them before you object.”

  “Fine.” Gyoto said, teeth gritted.

  Odai straightened, then frowned. “Who will they fight?”

  “Who else?” Gyoto said, “If there is really something to be gained from opening the way for these outsiders,” He huffed in a breath, “They must prove our traditions wrong. They must fight the strongest member of our clan!”

  “You can’t be serious...” Odai said.

  “Oh I am. And there will be no punches pulled. We must not let the honor of our clan be stained by a rigged match just so you can break our traditions.” Elder Gyoto said.

  “I agree.” Elder Limin said, his old voice rasping, “The Aeronemar Kairaetsu must act with honor. I do not want a fight to the death, but the battle must be true.” The other Elders nodded.

  “Very well.” Odai said. “I will begin making preparations.” He left the hall of Elders without another word, hiding the twitch on his frown.

  “Mmmmm.” Elder Siyona hummed, “Mmm. Hm. We should attend.”

  “Agreed.” Elder Momori said. “Trial of Combat, it has been... too long.”

  Elder Limin nodded, speaking again in a rasp. “That old arena needs some fixing up.”

  “Correct. Djan!” Elder Dormin said in his deep voice. A young ninja landed in the center of the room, kneeling. His arms and legs had blue bandages.

  “Djan,” Elder Gyoto said. “Go speak with the master carpenter and have the Combat Site repaired. And get that old painter off his butt to spruce it up a bit. Alert the vendors to start preparing food. A Trial of Combat will be happening in a few days.”

  “Will that be all?” Djan asked.

  “Yes. Go.” Dormin said. Djan departed into the shadows, slipping away. The Elders all watched his departure, each with over a century of combat experience.

  “Hohoho.” Momori said. “There will be? You already think Odai’s little group will succeed, Gyoto?”

  “Peh!” Gyoto said, “It doesn’t matter, Odai will let them try over and over. If they fail, we’ll just hold a tournament to boost morale among the apprentices.”

  “Mmm.” Siyona said, “This is going to be exciting.”

  Gyoto snorted, “We’ll see.”

  The cliffs on the south end of the village leaned towards it, casting the rocky area with a rich deep green. The large collection of people made their way to a particular stone clearing centered around a very tall oblong stone with rounded edges. It was a pillar of dark grey stone with a bumpy textured surface. The base was wider than the top by about a foot, but the whole thing was over twice Wolf’s height.

  “The Trial of Technique.” Aeroth said, laying out a collection of tools on a carved wooden table. “Using the tools provided, and your wits, you must collect the cloth from beneath the stamp stone.”

  Wolf looked up at the huge pillar of stone, unable to identify the markings etched into it, then he looked at it's base. A thin red cloth made of some silken material was trapped beneath the stone. It seemed fragile. “Okay, I get it.”

  “Good luck Wolf!” Michael said.

  “You may begin.” Aeroth said, leaving the clearing. He joined the crowd of people encircling the area to watch. Michael and Hyato sat on a rock, watching as Wolf looked over the tools. Sebastian had somehow convinced Lin and Jess to sit on either side of him. The gals watched the Trial begin as Sebastian rested his arms on their shoulders with casual confidence.

  The tools laid out on the table were well made. Wolf examined the various items. Kunai knives with those little loops at the ends, some kind of braided cable thing, a satchel of marked papers. Wolf didn’t really know what he was looking at for the most part. He turned to look at the huge pillar of stone again. “Stamp stone.” He said to himself. “Funny name.” He walked over to the monolith.

  The Phanokai Champion pushed against the Stamp Stone. It was heavy, very heavy. The rock didn’t even budge. Wolf nodded to himself and walked around the thing. It was too wide to get his arms around, maybe about halfway.

  As Wolf examined the stone, Michael watched from the sidelines. “I think he is supposed to use the tools to tilt it.” Michael said.

  “That appears to be the intended solution.” Hyato said. “The trick must be finding the way to secure it.”

  “Think Wolf will figure that out?” Michael asked.

  “I don’t know.”

  After walking around the Stamp Stone a few times, Wolf stepped up to it. He put his arms around the stone and crouched, pressing close to it. He stood like he was going to pick it up, while many of the watching Ninjas shook their heads from the crowd.

  The rough surface of the stone was easy to grip, Wolf dug his hands into the sides. He sucked in a breath and tensed his arms, trying to stand. The weight of the monolith was insane, Wolf used all his might trying to lift it, straining against the massive rock.

  Wolf fell to his back with a groan as his hands slipped from the rock. His legs and arms felt sore from the effort of trying to lift the thing. He didn’t notice the snickering from the villagers as he stood up, though Michael had his head in his hands.

  With a tilt of his neck to the left and right, Wolf limbered up and stepped forth. He brushed his hands clean and gripped the rock again. No way was some hunk of stone going to beat out a Champion! With greater pressure, Wolf dug his hands into the stone from both sides. He tensed up, ready to lift.

  ‘Wait, lifting is harder than pushing.’ Wolf thought. He grinned and started to lean his body into the Stamp Stone, intending to tilt it out of the way. As he put in more effort, he started to let out a long grunt.

  Aeroth leaned down to Hyato and Michael, “Is your friend an idiot?”

  “Apparently.” Hyato said. Michael sighed, and noticed even more snickering from the villagers and ninjas watching.

  Wolf’s grunt turned into a roar, then a loud warcry. The Stamp Stone shuddered, and the crowd silenced as dust fell from the old monolith and bounced off of Wolf’s shoulders. Wolf continued to let out a tremendous scream of defiance as he increased the effort of his strength. A fierce sharp energy began to thrum along his body, flickering in the amber hue of Wolf’s color signature.

  The Stamp Stone shuddered again, then started to shift. Wolf let out one final bellow of force and pushed even harder into the monolith. With one last push, the Stamp Stone tilted far enough, and Wolf collapsed onto his back. He grabbed the frail cloth and held it up with one hand, panting and sweating on the ground.

  Michael traded a look with Aeroth, both men were stunned silent. Then cheering erupted from the crowd. People ran forth to Wolf, helping the man to his feet. Between the cheers and praise and an offered cup of water Wolf seemed to gain a second wind. He began posing and laughing, flexing his muscles.

  Sebastian laughed, “He could have just dug a small hole under the rock to extract the cloth.” He grinned, and looked at Aeroth. “That’s our third Trial done, right?”

  “That’s right...” Aeroth said, staring at the tilted Stamp Stone.

  “I want to undergo the Trial of Stealth.” Sebastian said, “As soon as possible.”

  “Of course you do.” Aeroth said, rubbing his forehead. “I should have prepared it ahead of time.”

  “At this rate, we’ll be headed out by the end of the day,” Michael said, standing up. “I can’t wait.”

  “Don’t get ahead of yourselves.” Aeroth said, “Do you really think any of you can be as stealthy as a trained Ninja?”

  Michael shrugged. “We have to. We’re going to complete the trials and leave.” He walked over to Wolf in the crowd.

  Sebastian stood up as well, “Well, we should get to it. How long until the Trial is prepared?”

  “I’ll go get it prepared right now. Nayo, you show them the way there, please.” Aeroth said.

  “Of course, dear brother.” Nayo said, giving a small bow. Aeroth rolled his eyes and departed. Nayo turned to address the crowd. “Everyone. We will now be moving to the Trial of Stealth site.”

  Jess and Lin walked back over near Sebastian from the crowd around Wolf. “Oh, already going to Stealth?” Lin asked.

  “Well, they did spend all of yesterday training to do all three.” Jess said. “Except Michael, since he already finished one.”

  Nayo began to leave, so everyone followed. As they walked, the boys of the party gravitated towards walking next to one another, with Jess and Lin right behind them. “What kind of training did Michael do then?” Lin asked.

  “Something called Techmotion, it’s how he won the Trial of Agility.” Jess said.

  “I’ve been working on my combat techniques,” Michael said. “And helping Sebastian teach Jess Elemancy.”

  “Elemancy?” Lin asked. Jess nodded.

  “I’m not really qualified to teach though,” Michael admitted.

  “You made for a fine aide, Michael.” Sebastian said. “And got some practice of your own in. Speaking of, you should be training now.”

  “Just had to open my mouth...” Michael said. He focused on the area in front of him, creating a small tornado. Hyato walked in front of him, leading Michael by peripheral vision.

  Lin gasped at the mini tornado, and Jess giggled. “Wooooah!” Lin said. “Can you teach me?”

  “I’m sure something can be arranged.” Sebastian said. “If there is enough time after I ace the next Trial, perhaps I could treat you and Jess to some... private lessons.”

  Jess blushed, and Lin nodded. “Okay!”

  The wind began to die down as Nayo led the outsider party and the gawking villagers through the woods, on towards the Trial of Stealth.