A Journey of Reiki

-Sybis-

“This is ridiculous,” I muttered to Rynvus as I went through the movements. After the first session with Uvesilin, she assigned me work. A series of movements similar to fighting but much, much slower. I couldn’t remember what she called them, but the exercise was both for fluidity, as well as Reiki building. With every movement I made, I had to push back with my own magic, a steady stream of wind to hold my movements backward, making it more difficult to push forward. Rynvus had decided to join me in my morning routine every now and again, and this morning he was finding it more amusing than before. He laughed at my comment, following the same movements as I did, but without the pushback.

At first, I could only manage to do the workout for five or six minutes, but with the first week it mounted to ten, and with week three, it came to twenty-five. By the end of the month, I was striving for a full half-hour of a workout without getting too tired to keep going. Rynvus had taken off his coat, revealing his sculpted body under a plain white shirt. He was enjoying the workout, much to my annoyance. I didn’t mind the workout itself, I had needed it anyhow, but I did mind how absurd it looked to have your clothes and hair snap back with every movement. My magic was getting stronger, however, so I didn’t complain too loudly.

“Well, I’m enjoying myself.” He muttered, smugly, knowing it wasn’t nearly as hard for him as it was for me. I gave him a flat look and sent him a small gust, only enough to throw him off balance. The gust hit him unexpectedly and he toppled to the ground and rolled to his feet slowly, the snow crunching under his body as he yelped. He returned my flavorless look. “Very funny.” I found the right words.

“Well, I’m enjoying myself.” He shook his head, his own sarcasm thrown back at him.

“How much longer do you have to go?”

“Only a little, and then I need to pick up something for Belrae and Uvesilin from Finwen’s, she hadn’t told me what, but she did tell me to bring it back by noon.” Ryn looked up at the sun and made some judgments.

“It’s edging closer to noon, maybe an hour or so left. You might want to go now.” I nodded, I had noticed it was growing late as well.

“You’re right.” I put my armor back on, the fur covering my body with natural warmth, filled with the warmth of my ring. I strapped the straps and slid my bow and quiver back on. I had ditched the empty sheath weeks before, the shards of my sword still stuck on the top of Enlori’s tower.

“Do you mind if I head out with you?” Ryn asked as I stepped out of the yard. I shook my head.

“No, not at all. Don’t you have studies today?” I gestured at his Academy coat that he had brought with him, the white and blue coloring blending in well with his eyes and hair. He shook his head, throwing his coat over his shoulder.

“Not today, my class was canceled. The teacher isn’t feeling very well.”

“So, does the school only train Elves from T’uuk?” He shook his head.

“No, rich and prominent families from all over the world come to these academies. Ours is slightly more remote, but we still see Dragonborn and the likes. But Elves mainly form the student body. In case you haven’t noticed, it’s not in town, but about twelve miles north.” I nodded.

“How long have you studied at the Academy?”

“This will be my fourth year.”

“How long do students normally stay there?”

“Five.” It was a long and intense training at any Academy you went to, from what I had learned. It wasn’t easy, but it was worth it. The best of the magicians were Academy students, though a few gems found their way to the top on talent alone, or specialized training. I had yet to see the full extent of Rynvus’s abilities, but I was curious.

“How did the Academy start?” Ryn thought about it for a moment before he cleared his throat.

“Long ago, back when Magalia Nila was still an unknown place to most, a race called the Pyreh ruled the lands, the only beings to oppose them were the Dragons.” He gestured with his hands as he spoke and water taken from the snow around him began to flow in a stream, circling around his fingertips and moving slowly up his arm in a spiral pattern. “Locked in a bloody conflict for nearly a hundred years, both sides were wiped nearly to extinction, and a bond was made between them. Not one of friendship, but one of common cause and necessity, for both would be destroyed if not for the peace. Eventually, another race found the islands of Magalia Nila, these were the Humans, soon followed by the Orcs and the Elves of all kinds, and before they knew it, the Pyreh were fighting on more than one front, more than one side once again, that ‘peace’ long broken.”

“I’m not sure I understand how this relates to the academy--” He held up his hand, avoiding another Elf walking by.

“I’m getting to that, be patient. You may learn something.” He zoned off again, entranced by his own story as I led us to where we were going, Rynvus in his own world of story and lore and history. I did find it fascinating however, I made sure to listen closely. “Eventually, nearly two hundred years later, the Sand Elves of what is now the Dusted Peaks found Reiki in its entirety; they found it by breaking the Crystal of Maga, which they found on one of the many peaks in those lands. They drank the liquid that flowed freely from the clutches, and thus gained their magical ability, the first in its history. At this time, the Pyreh were nearly wiped to extinction, only a few hundred remaining in hiding. The Reiki was then harnessed by the Thirteen Sages, who believed that the Reiki should only be given to those of power, and by that they inferred the Elves, and the Elves only.”

“How did they ever rise to power?” He eyed me.

“When you had the power they did, you could rule out of fear, not respect. And who was to oppose their strength? Magic wasn’t prominent back then.”

“That’s fair…”

“Precisely, now, soon after that the Humans and the Elves wished for Magic all to their own, and bloodshed again broke out. However, a man by the name of Malcior Broche, the final Pyreh, forged the Everax.”

“What’s the Everax?”

“It’s the only weapon in existence to be able to cut the Strings of Reiki.”

“What’s that?”

“Near the Trees of Forgiveness, far to the south of here, lie a strand of Reiki outlets that look like strings, covered in a bright liquid. The Everax can cut them.”

“So what did he do with it?”

“He split magic, and cast a string on each of the Kings and Queens and Chieftains of the various races, and allowed everyone to have Reiki in its purest form, the rest was up to them. It was the fairest outcome.

“What happened to Malcior?” I was intrigued by the story.

“It killed him, to split the Strings. It was his final wish.”

“That’s… sad.”

“Most noble stories are, Sy.”

“I wish you were wrong, but sadly, you are not.” We continued to walk in silence for a while, the town approaching close. We had entered the town of T’uuk itself when we began to talk again

“So how strong are you anyhow, Ryn?”

“I suppose that would be a matter of opinion.” He seemed bashful at the question, but my curiosity wanted me to press onward.

“Belrae taught me that people have strengths and weaknesses in their magic, and it’s classified into offense, defense, and support. What are you strong at?” He took a moment to answer, and the look on his face told me he was wondering whether or not he wanted to answer.

“I specialize in defensive magic, I’m neutral in support and weak in offense.” He muttered. I didn’t tease him or press.

“Defense huh? So you can make shields and stuff?”

“Yeah, something like that.” His discomfort had grown to a very noticeable level.

“Ryn?”

“Yeah?”

“You seem to hate talking about your magic. Why is that? You don’t have to talk about it or anything, but if you want to…” I let it hang. He didn’t speak for a long time, and we walked through the streets side by side. I watched people walk about, going through the motions of life with little interest. Every person had a story, and I was curious as to what Ryn’s was if he was going to share it with me. He did, though it was a fragment.

“I… am different. I’m not special, like most of the Academy students, and I’m very, very unlucky.”

“What do you mean?” He took a second to compose himself.

“My Reiki is very low. And, my Lotus isn’t something most sorcerers are proud of. I don’t like talking about it because typically it’s not something to be proud of, but rather ashamed of.” I finally understood why he didn’t speak of it often, and sympathy echoed inside of me.

I did the only thing that I could think of at the moment. I embraced him. He recoiled at first, and then reluctantly let it happen.

“Rynvus,” I said, pushing away from him, but holding him within arms reach, “Your magic isn’t anything you should ever be ashamed of. The very fact that you use it, and that you don’t abuse it is something to be proud of. I’m not too good with magic either, so I understand the feeling of the constant struggle that goes into dealing with magic… with anything, honestly… but in the end, you can get stronger if you want. I’ll even help you if you want me by your side.” He genuinely seemed grateful for my words, and nodded, wiping a stray tear away. He hid his eyes.

“Thanks, Sy. That would mean a lot.” I smiled at him, trying to let him know I was serious. He finally smiled back after a second or two. “Come on, before Belrae kicks your ass for being late.”

“Yeah, let’s go.”

***

Finwen’s shop was much colder this time around, though nothing had changed in it physically. Finwen himself was behind the counter again, but instead of working the forge he was just now firing it up.

He was tall and lean, which still confused me, as any blacksmith I had ever seen was shorter and broad. He noticed Ryn and me almost at once, and finished firing up the forge quickly, and then met us at the counter.

“Sybis, Rynvus.” He bobbed his head to each of us in turn. We nodded back to him.

“Finwen. I’ve come to pick up a package for Belrae.” He scratched his head before rolling his eyes.

“Ah yes, that’s right.” He disappeared into the back of the forge, behind the wall and out of sight before returning with a long box. He handed it to me and as he let go of his support, I realized that for a big package, it weighed almost nothing, as if the box was empty.

“Are you sure this is it? It feels… empty.” He nodded.

“Yeah, that’s it, her name’s on it and everything.”

“Alright. Thank you Finwen, it was good seeing you again.” I turned to leave, but before Rynvus could get out the door Finwen called me.

“Sybis! I almost forgot, there’s something for you as well.” I turned, confused. Nobody had told me anything about bringing me something. Rynvus closed the door and helped me by grabbing the light package as I walked back over to Finwen’s counter. He appeared from behind the forge with another package, this one looking smaller but heavier. He handed it to me, and this one had some weight to it.

I ripped open one side of it and drew out another box, this one had a flip-top, with two segments on the sides that secured the top shut. I flipped it up and it revealed a sword of beautiful craftsmanship.

The silver pommel led to a black leather handle, right into a blade with only a little hilt between it, all white silver. A single-edged blade with minimal design matched my armor, and something told me that this was worth more than everything I was wearing currently. A scabbard of white and black lay next to it, and in total the sword’s blade was somewhere between a longsword and an arming sword.

“Are you sure this is for me?” He nodded. He pointed to the top and I saw my name jotted down in flowing, black script. Sybis Glacia. It was my name alright. “Who gave you this to give to me, Finwen?” He scratched his head, thinking as he looked into the distance.

“Oh,” He snapped his fingers. “It was Madame Enlori. Mentioned something about a broken sword or something or another.” I was very surprised to hear her name brought up and realized this must be the compensation for breaking my sword. It also made sense as to why it looked so expensive, it probably was.

I ran my hand along the side of the sword, pulling it out of the case along with the hilt. It wasn’t too light, as some swords could be, and it wasn’t too heavy as that of a claymore or broadsword, and the weight near the hilt was heavier, a sword meant for parrying and striking, not stabbing. It was exactly like the swords I used, only the quality was nicer, and the decal far more grandiose.

I had plenty of questions, the first of which was why did she replace my sword? The second was split between why it was so nice, and why did she not give it to me in person, but instead expect me to come here inevitably? Those questions wouldn’t get answers, I felt. But in the end, I had a new sword, and while it didn’t have the memories like my other, it was nicer, and far more dependable in battle, so it was an upgrade. I was happy to have it.

As I slid it into its sheath, I made a mental note to stop at Enlori’s sometime in the future, and thank her for her gift, regardless if she wanted it or not. You don’t take something this precious and not give thanks to the person who gave you the gift in the first place. I strapped the sheath to my belt, and it seemed just long enough to not trip me up, which I was silently grateful for. I didn’t need another scar on my face because of it.

“That’s really nice work, Sy,” Ryn muttered behind me as he inspected my sword.

“Yeah, I can’t believe she gave this to me. This is probably worth all the swords I’ve ever had combined.”

“It’s your lucky day I suppose.”

“We’ll see.” I thanked Finwen again, and found my way outside, walking back to Belrae’s cabin. Rynvus departed halfway, excusing himself with the need to handle some home-things, and I waved him goodbye, finishing the walk alone. The entire way I observed the sword, holding onto the extra-light box with one hand while I twirled and faux-stabbed with the newest edition of my armory. It surprised me, and deep within I felt I wasn’t worthy of such a fine instrument of death. But it was mine now, and I had to accept that, even if it wasn’t very hard to.

Opening the cabin door to Bel’s hallway, I came face to face with a very awkward situation. Belrae stood in the hallway, while Uvesilin stood over the stair railing, shouting at her. She bore nothing upon her body but a towel, and Belrae was wearing her usual pajamas, a night shift. I immediately turned around to leave, setting the box on the floor beside the door.

Silence rang out from behind me as they noticed my entrance, and I felt a sudden and sharp fear. I stopped in the doorway, facing outside, and attempted to salvage myself.

“I didn’t see anything--” Something very hot bashed against the back of my armor, and I was blown into the snow, clear off the porch. I hit the ground hard, rolling over a few times before I came to rest in the snow. Something hot still stung the back of my neck, and I turned my head to see a black fire singing my fur collar. I yelped, pushing my head down into the snow to extinguish it. I looked through the open door of the cabin and saw Uvesilin’s hand covered in dark flame. At least I knew what her Lotus was now.

“Fool.” Is all she murmured before trudging back upstairs, her towel wrapped firmly about her waist. Belrae walked outside and peered at me from over the railing of the balcony, seven feet up.

“You have terrible timing, you know.” I groaned in response, the wind knocked out of me from my tumble. “Get up here, I have another task for you if you’re ready.” I nodded, raising a single finger to her. She inclined her head and headed back inside. I laid there a moment longer, gathering myself.

“This is the second time Uvesilin has put me on my ass.” I half-heartedly muttered. I sat up and walked into the cabin once again.

I met Bel in the kitchen, the table covered in letters, maps, and notes all strewn about in random order. It wasn’t there when I had left this morning, now you could barely see the table itself.

“What’s all this for, Bel?” She was busy with the shelves, reading another letter. She had her spectacles on, gazing at the letter with a frown on her face that simply didn’t suit her.

“I’ve received a letter from the Council in Hyren…” She trailed off.

“Where’s Hyren?” I asked, attempting to bring her back into focus.

“North of Taralen… East of here.” I nodded, though that clarified nothing for me. I observed one of the maps and saw that Hyren was roughly one-hundred-sixty miles East from T’uuk. That would be a rough journey.

“What’s the letter about, master?” Her face had slowly gone from a frown to a crest-fallen look of fear. She refolded the letter and sighed, rubbing her temples. Without a word, she passed me the letter. I opened it slowly, afraid of what could possibly be within.

Lady Belrae,

I regret to inform you of this, as it is not my place to do so, but I’m giving you a warning of the upcoming Balance Trial, and since you are the Champion, you must attend unless you find someone in which to go for you. If you fail to show, you know of the consequences, Belrae. Don’t force my hand… I do not wish to hunt you.

~Herrek

I read the letter over and over again, trying to make sense of it. I had many questions.

“What is the Balance Trial?” She took a second to answer, but I didn’t press her, she clearly had much on her mind.

“The Balance Trial is our solution to all-out war… A champion from every city goes to Hyren and fights in the arena. It’s… barbaric at best…” I reread the letter.

“What does it mean You’re the Champion?”

“I fought in the Trial previously… and now it has come to haunt me once more.”

“Why must you go again? Can they not pick another person from the Snow Elves?” She shook her head.

“You fail to understand, nobody wants to enter the Trials. Not a single soul ever wishes to, Sybis. It is not fun.” She walked over to me, getting close enough for me to smell her rose petal scent. Her dark blue eyes gazed into mine with a seriousness I had never seen on Belrae before. “They stain you. The Trial never leaves the user whole again. You do not want it.” She gently took the letter out of my hand, stepping away from me. I didn’t know what to say. She set the letter down, and from the hall Uvesilin appeared, looking grim. She leaned in the doorway, gave me a brief nod, and then focused her attention on Belrae. The whole room stood in silence for a moment before Uvesilin broke it.

“Bel, I’ll go for you.” She waved it away before she had even finished the sentence.

“Not a chance.”

“Bel,” Uvesilin pressed, stepping into the room, “You can’t fight again.” Belrae flapped the letter in the air.

“They seem to think otherwise. I have to go, Uvesilin. You know they’ll hunt me if I don’t.” I interjected.

“Who’ll hunt you?”

“Herrek. He’s the Hunter for the Trials. If the Champion doesn’t appear, it’s his job to find us.” She sat down heavily in one of the four wooden chairs, rubbing her temples and breathing in and out. I had never seen her like this before, and it furthered the image I had of the Balance Trials. They had to be really bad to make her act like this.

“When is it?”

“Two weeks time. A week, if we’re to travel there.”

“We?” She nodded.

“I have to take my apprentice, it’s part of your training, to experience everything I do… But if you wish to stay, I completely understand.”

“I still don’t understand why you won’t allow me to ride as your Champion, Bel,” Uvesilin said. I had never seen so much care in her eyes. “I know the consequences, but if you go again, who knows what will happen. There’s no promise that you’ll win!”

“What happens if you lose?” The room fell thick with silence.

“You die.” Now I understood completely. You win or you die, and you can only have one winner.

“Could you not win again?” It felt like a naive question, but one that needed to be asked for my own clarification.

“Only a single Champion has ever won the Trials twice, Sy. Hundreds, thousands of Champions have tried, but only a single one has ever done it. And I am a far cry from Athanasia.” I assumed that was the name of the Champion.

“But it’s not impossible, only unlikely,” I said, walking towards her. “And I’ve never won them once, so that doesn’t apply to me.” I gave her a steady look. I knew I could do this, I had to, for her, and for myself. “I’ll ride as your Champion.” She shook her head, slamming her palm down on the table.

“Absolutely not. You’re my apprentice, and you don’t have nearly the amount of training or skill to participate. Absolutely not.” She dismissed me with a wave of the hand. “Let me speak with Uvesilin alone, please, Sybis.” I didn’t say anything, I didn’t argue or refute. I looked at the letter once more.

“Belrae I may not be good with magic, but I’m skilled with the blade--”

“Leave us, Sybis.” Her look told me that it would be wise to follow her instructions.

“Alright, Master.” I turned on a heel and left, walking out of the cabin with a plan forming in my head, and a flutter of fear, a flutter of choice in my heart. I had much to do in a very short time.