Chronicles of Valore: First Blood

DISCLAIMERS:

1. This post is over 33000 words long. I do not honestly expect anyone to read it all the way through who hasn't already. This is mostly being posted for my own keeping, and to make it easier to show to people to whom it is actually relevant.
2. Whilst I'm quite pleased with the way I've written this, I have also indulged myself quite a lot since it's primarily a personal project. There are fluffy and soppy scenes and a slightly-too-stereotypical romance subplot that may make you cringe if you do read.
3. I apologise for the lack of consistency in the way I separate scenes. Sometimes it's with ***** and sometimes it's with _____ I wrote it over a long time and intermittently forgot which I was using. It annoys me but not enough for me to bother editing it. :D
4. Vegeta's scouter was unfortunately harmed in the posting of this post.

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Part One: Blooming

"Breathe deeply, let your mind be at rest and free from worldly concerns."

Sunlight, filtered and broken up by the canopy of trees through which it shone, poured down into the clearing where three figures stood together. Two younger and one older, the figures held meditative stances - one leg crossed over the other, their hands in fists pressed together and their eyes closed. Though the wind caressed the treetops and sent a gentle whisper through the area as the foliage danced, they remained perfectly still and balanced. The older of the three figures was speaking, voice steady and wisened.

"When you have allowed yourself to be free of your worries, then allow yourself to be free even of your concept of self."

Though aged in appearance, the older man had a grace to him that seemed to age him far more than mere biology. He gave off an aura of antiquity normally reserved only for the grand trees amongst which he and his pupils stood.

"Embrace the world around you, set your senses and your soul free of your body, and see. The world flows through us all, through all life. It connects us, and when we can find that connection to the world, we can see all that is around us. We can sense life as though it were a touch on the breast, a song on the wind or a figure in our vision."

Across from him, his two pupils were clearly lost inside their focus. One of them, a young raven-haired girl, had an expression of frustration - try as she might, the state which her master described eluded her. Her companion, a slightly older boy, however had a sense of serenity to him that mimicked the elder's. A small smile had formed on his features, framed by messy brown locks of hair, that though small conveyed no small amount of wonderment.

"I can see it, Master," he said quietly.

The elder man nodded his head, "Tell me what you see, Kyran, what company do we have in this clearing?"

"I can see us, the three of us, clearly like candle-flames. And all around us smaller flames... there's a caterpillar in the grass to my left, and a colony of ants underground between us. There are birds... and the trees, they almost dwarf the others. Like bonfires to a match." The boy spoke slowly, strained by splitting his concentration between the two tasks.

"Very good," the elder man smiled, "Lily, can you see anything?"

The girl sighed, "No. No, I can't."

"Not to worry. This is your first lesson in extending yourself, after all. Kyran has had more time to master the meditative technique than you. That will be enough, for now." The man separated his hands and lowered his leg, "Practice your meditation until tomorrow. Lily, I want you to be able to master the void state by then. Kyran, I want you to focus on repeating what you managed today."

"Yes, Master Tae," both youths intoned, bowing respectfully as they returned to normal standing position. With a final nod to them, the older man strode away into the forest.

Sighing with relief, Lily spread her arms and stretched out, "Uhg, I hate meditating!" she exclaimed, "I just can't get it. I can't separate myself from myself, whatever that means."

Kyran shrugged, walking to the edge of the clearing to retrieve a carved bo-staff, "It takes a long time to get. I was very impatient with it when I first started, too, I was so eager to get onto the more exciting magic. I think that's half the problem - you are, and I was, so focused on what we can do after mastering it, that it stops us mastering it."

Lily gave Kyran an odd look, "Huh?"

"I mean, having the goals in our heads, thinking of meditation and the extended state as a tool rather than something more powerful and meaningful, makes it all the harder to enter it. When you manage it for the first time you realise it's a lot more than you expect it to be." Kyran responded, turning and running a hand through his hair. He almost flinched when he brushed against his ears. Where once had been human ears, now the beginnings of bestial, wolfish ear tips were forming. A side-effect of primal magic, Kyran had known something like it would happen, but it was still weird.

"I suppose," Lily said, sighing, "Well, before we have to go back and stare into space for the rest of the day, you want to take a walk?"

"A walk?" Kyran raised an eyebrow.

Lily grinned, "Well, I say a walk... but what I really mean is-" she darted over and pressed a finger into Kyran's chest, "Tag! You're it!"

Before the boy could respond, Lily was off, dashing into the trees with a gleeful laugh.

Kyran laughed, spinning his staff around, "Oh yeah?" he called, "You know you can't outrun me!" He smirked, bending his knees and taking a breath. "Let's go."

He leaped, springing upwards with a blast of wind that propelled him towards the treetops, landing with one foot on a branch and immediately jumping again. He sped through the leaves like his own gust of wind, feet brushing against the branches and trunks without landing for more than a second at a time.

Below him, Lily was ducking and diving through the foliage - her acrobatics were astounding, even without the assistance of more advanced and powerful magic, she had some control over her surroundings. The plants seemed to part before her, giving her a leg-up here, blocking her from view there. Though Kyran had the advantage in speed and height, she was evasive and cunning. Several times he had to double back as he heard laughter behind him betraying her breaking from cover and shooting away in another direction.

The chase continued for several long minutes, forging deeper and deeper into the forest, until Kyran leaped one final time, soaring over Lily's head and landing softly right in front of her. She skidded to a halt, breathing heavily and grinning widely. "Looks like I got you," Kyran said.

"That's what you think!" Lily replied, winking at him before she flipped away, somersaulting backwards. As she moved, Kyran blinked in surprise to see the earth behind her moving to meet her. Her feet touched the rising ground and launched her upwards and away.

Sighing in faux irritation, Kyran shook his head, and was away once more. As he regained the treetops, he noticed below him Lily was now moving far faster - and it quickly became apparent that she was practically skating on earth. Where the roots grew thicker, she would use it to launch herself forwards a dozen feet at a time, and where they thinned she skimmed herself along. The older boy frowned - Lily wasn't properly trained in what she was doing yet. It was obvious this was something she'd picked up herself rather than something Master Tae had taught her. She was only a month and a bit into her training, and it had been well past two months, bordering on three before Kyran had been taught anything about elemental manipulation. It had all been deep breathing and meditation till then.

But he didn't have time to think about that right now, as Lily's flight took them from thick forest into suddenly far clearer land. They were heading into the ruins of Kohran, an ancient city that had been built in the forest thousands of years ago. Nobody knew much about the civilisation that had lived there, but many suspected that it had been a tribe of humans led astray by a malicious fey. There was evidence of sacrificial rituals and inscriptions depicting a hauntingly beautiful woman as some sort of goddess. The elders told people to stay away from the place, citing stories of lost dangers and traps left by the Kohran people.

Clearly, Lily wasn't concerned. The foliage was thinner here, though the city had long since been absorbed by the forest its stone streets and structures prevented the larger trees from growing. There were a few dotted around the area, but most of the plantlife here was smaller - vines, weeds and the like. Lily was using the stone streets to gain speed, riding a wave of rock like a sleigh. Kyran dropped from the branches of the trees and into the streets, sprinting after the clear trail she left. It was time for them to head back, Lily was getting a little out of hand. He needed to talk to her about the magic she was using.

Eventually, Kyran caught up to her, standing cockily atop the mound of stone and earth she had been riding on the edge of a large pit - a quick glance down identified smooth, steeply inclined walls (there was no climbing out of that if it weren't for the vines all over them) and the remains of gates at either end. Clearly this had once been some sort of gladiator ring.

"Lily, we shouldn't be here. This place is dangerous. And when did you start using elemental magic?" Kyran called, pacing along the edge of the pit towards her.

Lily gave Kyran a smile as she turned to look at him, "Aw c'mon, Ky, you don't really believe those ghost stories do you? This place is empty. There's nothing here. I come here all the time when I want to be alone."

"To practice your magic?" Kyran challenged,

"Yes, alright!" Lily rolled her eyes, "But so what? I'm clearly ready for it. If I can do this with earth, who needs stupid meditation crap? We're training to become forest guardians, but how can I guard anything by breathing deeply? I wanna throw rocks and lightning at things!"

Kyran sighed, "I know what you mean, but that's now how it works. Primal magic can-"

"Change you, I know. If you aren't ready for it it controls you rather than the other way around. But look at me, I'm doing fine here. And so what if I get side effects like your fuzzy ears? We're supposed to be one with the forest, and what better way than to have traits of it?" Lily laughed, "Look, I'll come back with you, just don't tell Tae about my learning, okay?"

"Lily, I have to-"

"Dammit Kyran!" Lily stamped her foot, clearly about to continue with her rant, but unfortunately for her, the mound of rocks she stood on wasn't as stable as it had been when she was controlling it. Her stomp caused the edge to crumble, and with a shriek of surprise, she was sent tumbling down the side of the pit to land painfully amongst the undergrowth at the bottom.

"Lily!" Kyran shouted down, eyes lighting up with concern as she groaned, "Are you alright?"

"Just fine, thanks!" Lily shouted back dryly, "I fell down a massive pit, do you think I'm alright? I think my ankle's broken."

Kyran sighed, "I'll come down and get you, but I hope you realise that we'll have to explain this to Master Tae, and we'll have to tell him what got us into this."

"Whatever," Lily muttered, "I suppose I should tell him anyway."

Glad that she was finally talking sense, Kyran carefully planted his feet at the edge of the wall, and using his own earth manipulation started to skid down.

Beneath him in the pit, Lily sat herself up, grumbling incoherently about how much of a goodie-two-shoes Kyran was. She was content to sit there muttering, until a movement caught her eye. She blinked in surprise, lifting her hand away from what she thought had been an insect, but saw nothing but foliage. Mostly vines.

She dismissed it, only a moment later to see another movement, this time on the other side of her. This time, she got a clearer look at it. "Kyran..." she called worriedly, "I think the vines are moving."

Kyran looked up from his descent down to where Lily lay, only for his eyes to widen in horror as he saw what she was talking about. All over the pit, the vines were starting to come alive, lifting from where they lay and slithering over the ground. In the centre, what had previously looked like just a large clump of foliage shifted, and it became apparent that it was far more dangerous.

The greenery peeled back to reveal a jagged, gaping maw, vines trailing out from it and stretching all over the pit and up its walls. Kyran swore, abandoning his steady descent and leaping away from the wall towards Lily even as vines began to wrap their way around her limbs. She screamed as Kyran landed nearby, the plant pulling at her and attempting to drag her scrabbling form towards its mouth.

Kyran took a breath, lifting his hand to his chest and reaching into himself, before he swung it out with a jet of fire, scything through the vines that had attached themselves to Lily and causing them to flinch away angrily. "Grab onto me!" he yelled, shifting his flame to the end of his staff and using his free arm to scoop Lily up.

As he began to back away, the vines came for them again, fended off with a sweep of the flaming staff that send an arc of fire into their midst. Kyran's focus was absolute as each step left a trail of fire behind, setting any vines that tried to grab at his legs ablaze. Lily felt his body growing hotter as he carefully controlled where the flames manifested, slashing at the vines and keeping them safe till they reached the wall.

Glancing upwards, Kyran noticed that one of the smaller trees above stretched over the pit, and bit his lip. "Hold on tightly," he murmured, focusing his efforts on the above tree as Lily clasped onto him, freeing his other hand. With a groan of effort, he pulled at the thin trunk, bending it downwards with a groan of wood. He closed his eyes, releasing the fire even as the vines began to close in once more, bent his knees and jumped.

A pulse of air beneath him propelled he and Lily upwards, his free hand shooting out to clasp the lowest branch of the tree that swiftly swung backwards as he released his grasp on it, lifting them up and out of the pit and flinging them gracelessly to the ground below. They rolled away from each other, panting - Lily from terror and Kyran from exertion. It took a lot of effort to move a tree, let alone bend one over like that.

A few long moments passed as they recovered, before Lily spoke. "Th... thanks." she gasped.

Kyran scowled, "Idiot." he muttered, pulling himself to his feet, "We're going back to the village and you're telling Master Tae everything."

Lily nodded numbly as Kyran lifted her and started on the long walk back home. They didn't speak another word as they went.

__________________________________________

"What you have done goes against everything I taught you."

The scene in the village infirmary was rife with tension as Master Tae stood over the bed where Lily was being tended by one of the village healers, her ankle being dressed and set in silence. Kyran sat to the side, leaning against the wall. Master Tae's expression was a grimace of disappointment and disapproval. "Everything I taught you about the nature of your magic, everything I said was necessary before you could use it to such magnitude..."

Lily opened her mouth to try and speak, "I-" she began before Tae cut her off.

"Do not attempt to defend yourself. Your actions in those ruins, however many hours you spent using powers you were not ready to control, are self-evident in their consequences. The creature you almost lost your life to was no doubt created by the excess magical energy, just as I explained to you. You are lucky that Kyran is a more responsible student than you and took his lessons to heart."

Kyran shifted uncomfortably as he was used as an example. He could almost feel Lily's resentment despite her humble silence.

Tae shook his head, "You are absolutely forbidden from utilising your magic again until you have completed the initial training I have assigned to you. Mastery of your mind, body and spirit is essential to containing the wild nature of primal magic. I do not teach you these things for no reason. Hopefully in the reckless endangerment of your life, you have learned your lesson. Your studies will resume when your ankle has healed." The old man turned from Lily, who remained speechless and glum where she lay, and looked to Kyran. "A word, please. Outside." he said.

Kyran gulped, rising to his feet and following Tae outside. "Walk with me," he said, gesturing for Kyran to follow. As they made their way through the village, Tae spoke - far more softly than he had to Lily. "I believe you when you say you did not know what Lily was teaching herself. I know you are a responsible student and I am proud of you for the skill you showed in saving her today. Now we have a real reason beyond myth to tell people to stay away from those ruins, sadly, it may be too dangerous for us to go there to learn more of the city's people. We cannot know how much of the area has been charged with Lily's magic."

Tae led Kyran through the faux streets of the village. It was a humble collection of buildings, constructed around the trees, small huts and lodges that often seemed to mesh with the landscape where they had utilised existing features like ridges and tree-trunks as part of the structure. There were no more than two-dozen homes that made up the village, housing just shy of fifty inhabitants. People came and went from the village, aside from a core who had lived here for generations, Sometimes villagers left and found love, only to return - others married within the village. Some outsiders came and fell in love with the location and sense of community and decided to stay. Many more set out to see the world when they reached adulthood and never came back.

Master Tae had lived in the village for the whole of his life. Most of those chosen as guardians had done - though there had been a few outsiders in the past who proved their devotion sufficiently. The legends told of the founding of the village, when a group of fey led the human settlers, driven from their home by the armies of another nation, deep into the forest and guided their construction of a new home in harmony with the forest. They learned the way the woods worked, how predator and prey lived together in a cycle of life, and the fey gifted a special few of them with powerful magic, entrusting them with the protection both of the village and the forest itself, for they were soon to pass from the mortal world.

Kyran, like many, was skeptical of the literal interpretation of the story, but there was one tradition which was as much a part of the village as any of his body parts were part of him. However they had acquired it, some of the villagers had seemingly always had knowledge of primal magic. Usually there were no more than two or three practitioners in any one lifetime, passing on the teachings only when they grew older and knew that their passing was near. Master Tae was the last of three previous guardians, and it had fallen to him to select and train the new guardians - he and Lily. It was a significant responsibility to be selected for, and given the honour it bestowed... you could hardly say no. Not that Kyran would have. It was every little boy's and girl's dream to be chosen.

Learning primal magic, and the spiritual connection to the wild that it required, made the responsibility for protecting the forest make perfect sense. What you learned in your training made you value every life amongst the trees - you could sense them all like candles. Even were it not your duty, it was hard to practice primal magic and not want to protect that.

Kyran started as Master Tae nudged him, realising that he had drifted off into contemplation with a rush of embarrassment. The older man chuckled, "It seems that my words bore you, Eirael, so I shall repeat myself only briefly." He paused for a moment while Kyran hastily apologised and insisted otherwise, before holding up a hand to silence him. "I am an old man, and I often feel as though I left my duty to train the pair of you too late. In a few years time your training will be complete. If my time comes before I can do so, I trust you will finish your friend's training yourself. You are a capable young man."

"O- of course, Master Tae, but you'll most certainly live to do it yourself!" Kyran protested, "You're still as strong as ever I've seen you!"

The elderly man laughed, "I am sure. But in old age you become aware of your own mortality. It brings me reassurance to have a contingency plan. Now, you should go home to your mother. She is worried for you after hearing what happened in the ruins."

Kyran nodded, bowing to him, "Thank you master." he said, before turning and making his way through the village towards his home. There was smoke in the chimney of the hut, and as he approached the door it was swung open and his mother, Ella, hurried out to greet him.

"Kyran! I heard what happened in the ruins with Lily. I'm so proud of you for what you did out there." Ella said, pulling him into a hug.

Putting an arm around his mother awkwardly, Kyran nodded, "It's alright mother, it was nothing that I hadn't already been taught to do."

Ella sighed, leaning back and giving Kyran a stern look, "Now don't talk yourself down! There's a big difference between doing something in a lesson and using it to save somebody's life."

Kyran smiled, "Yeah, I guess," he replied, "It was just spur of the moment. I suppose it's the sort of thing I need to get good at if I'm going to take Master Tae's place one day."

Nodding, Ella turned to go back inside, "And an excellent forest guardian you will make. Now come inside! Your father brought back two whole pheasants, and I've cooked them fresh for supper to celebrate after hearing what a little hero you were."

Kyran looked up with renewed enthusiasm, "Dad's home?" he asked hopefully, and his mother nodded.

"He and the other hunters returned while you were with Master Tae, they had a very successful trip. The spirits smiled on us this fortnight." she replied, "He's inside, come on!"

Following his mother inside, Kyran blinked to adjust to the dimmer light inside the hut as she made her way back to the stove. His eyes instantly went to the figure sat at the table, who rose and lifted his arms on seeing him. Kyran ran over and was swept up into a bear hug by his father, laughing, "It's good to see you dad."

Kyran's father, like many of the men of the village, was a hunter. He and the other hunters would go on hunting trips for days at a time in order to provide for the village. Most of the young boys of the village were in awe of their fathers and the other hunters, and would practice their archery and trapping all the time. Kyran almost felt sorry that since he was one of the guardians, he wasn't able to share that with his father. It was still great whenever he was home - he always had the best stories to tell of his hunts.

"It's good to see you too Kyran. I heard about what you did today, son, and I couldn't be prouder. You're a hero already at fourteen, why, that's even beating my record! I wasn't sweeping the ladies off of their feet and saving damsels in distress until at least sixteen!" his father laughed, a warm booming laugh that shook his wide chest.

Blushing, Kyran scowled, "It wasn't like that dad, I don't-"

"Ahh, I'm just teasing you son, I know you're still growing into yourself, and little Lily's still practically a baby. But let me give you a warning - the solstice festival is just around the corner, and after today's little stunt," the man laughed again, "let's just say you won't be short of dance partners!"

Whilst Kyran blushed furiously, his mother interjected from over at the stove, "Stop embarassing the poor boy Sten," she scolded, "He's too young to be thinking about that sort of thing anyway!"

"Nonsense!" his father replied, "Today is if anything proof that our little boy is growing into a man!"

Kyran smiled despite himself, basking in the approval of his father, "Thanks dad," he said, "I just wish that I could start going hunting with you like the others."

Sten smiled sadly, "I know son, I wish you could too, but you've got even more important duties. Even if you can't hunt with me, you know that I'm as proud as you as ever I could be - after all, you'll be the protector of us all one day! That's more of an honour than catching a bloody golden phoenix for supper!"

"Speaking of which," Kyran's mother smiled as she walked over to the table, "Supper is ready. Take a seat, Kyran, and let's eat well in honour of your father being such a great hunter, and you being such a hero. Here's to the pair of you, the heroes Eirael!"

The clanking of metal cups together sounded the beginning of the meal, and a warm and pleasant evening overall. Life was good.

____________________________________________

It was the night of the summer solstice, and throughout the village, festivity was out in force. Decorations hung between the trees and lanterns illuminated the streets. Music played from the main village centre, loud enough to be heard from one end of the village to the other. The festivities would lead up to the ritual of the waning sun, marking the setting of the sun and the approach of autumn and winter. As the elder of the village, Master Tae would be performing it. After the ritual would be the dance, that would last long into the night. The dance was usually the talk of the village for weeks before and after it - who would dance with who, and all the gossip surrounding that. Even Kyran's closer friends, normally much less enthralled with such things, had been talking about it. It all eluded Kyran himself, if he was honest. It was just a dance!

But it was always fun. When he was younger, Kyran had absolutely loved all of the village's festivals, and he still found joy in the music and dancing - it was easy to lose yourself to the rhythm, even more so now he had practiced the technique of meditation, and dancing with barely any awareness of anything but the music was exhilerating. It was coming up on the time where the festivities would come to a crux, and many of the villagers had briefly returned home to prepare.

Kyran's mother was adorning herself with all her hand-crafted jewellery that seldom saw the light of day with the busy days she usually had where practical clothing was necessary and jewels would be a hindrance. Though they were far from exquisite, there was little concept of the value of gems and gold amongst the village and so the quality and genuine nature of jewellery was second to how they looked. His father was running a comb through his beard and hair, and grumbling all the while as it snagged on one of the many knots. Whenever he made to start ranting about the lack of dignity of it all, Ella would hush him with a few words and he'd go back to his incoherent muttering.

Kyran himself was sat in front of a small mirror, carefully applying the traditional paints of the forest guardians to his face. It was a traditional festival, and so such ceremonial adornment was only proper. Tae had instructed both he and Lily to mark themselves as was appropriate. Spending only a few minutes to see to the rest of his appearance - ensuring his braid was in place and his hair not worthy of a bird's nest, he turned to find his parents nearly ready themselves.

"Well then, my two brave men," His mother said as she adjusted her dress, "Let's go and enjoy the rest of the evening!"

As they walked, his father patted him on the back, "One day it'll be you up there performing the ritual you know son," he said, "You guardians live longer than the rest of us, so it'll only be a matter of time before you're the elder."

"A long time, though, Sten," his mother reminded him, "And nothing he needs to worry about for the time being."

Kyran laughed, "It's okay mom, thinking about the future isn't that scary."

His mother gave him a glance, "For you maybe," she noted, "Just the thought of you all grown up is enough to make my heart flutter. It still feels li-"

"Like just yesterday I was a baby in your arms, I know mom," Kyran grinned, "You say that all the time."

Raising an eyebrow, Ella tutted, "Well, it's true after all."

Putting an arm on his wife's shoulders, Kyran's father chuckled, "You'll have to get used to the idea one day, love, but there's no need to rush about it."

The conversation went on, much as conversations with one's parents do, as they approached the village centre and the music grew louder. The talk died down as they neared the throng of villagers, and with a glance to and a nod from his mother, Kyran hurried off to find his friends.

Eventually he found them, sat on one of the logs that had been brought in to use as a bench near the large fire at the middle of the gathering. Sliding onto a seat, Kyran smiled, "Hey guys," he said. They returned the greeting in the apathetic way that teenagers did, a few smiles and waves thrown in for variety. Everyone was in a good mood tonight, by and large.

The three boys who Kyran had joined varied in age and appearance. The youngest, Perin Walker, was a blonde-haired boy of twelve who was always wide-eyed and excited about something. His older brother, Tam Walker, at fourteen - Kyran's age - was a lot more calm and serious about things. Perin obviously idolised Tam, and followed him around like a puppy most days. The third boy, a red-haired thirteen year old named Rayn Ethelion, was the joker of the group and usually the one to strike up conversation. Today was no different, as he grinned to Kyran.

"So, Ky, you got your eyes on anyone tonight?" he murmured, jabbing him in the side with an elbow, "With that hero story last week I've heard that you're more than a little popular."

Kyran blushed, "Shut up, Ray, you sound like my dad. I've not thought about it."

"Aw come on," Rayn folded his arms, "You can't just ignore it and hope it'll go away, spare some thought for the rest of us! We aren't all heroic spirit warriors, some of us have to make do with arrows and pointed sticks to impress the girls."

Giving Rayn a dry look, Kyran shook his head, "Being a guardian isn't about impressing girls, Ray," he started before Rayn interrupted him with a wave of his hand and a roll of his eyes.

"I know, geez Ky, lighten up. It's the solstice, stretch your legs and take a break from being Mr. serious spirit pants all day." the younger boy smirked, and Kyran couldn't help but laugh.

In the meantime, Perin leaned forwards to join in the conversation, "Maybe he's just not thought about it 'cause who he really wants to dance with can't dance 'cause her ankle's broke!" he teased.

Kyran glared at the younger boy, "Shut up!" he protested to a chorus of laughter from the other two, "You're all idiots. Why me, huh? I thought we normally made fun of each other equally."

Tam shrugged, "You were late," he said simply with a faint smile, "We made fun of each other while you weren't here, so it's naturally your turn now."

Though he opened his mouth to speak, Rayn interrupted before he could, "I heard he carried her all the way home in his arms! So sweet and heroic!" he joked, swooning mockingly.

Kyran buried his face in his hands, "You guys are impossible..." he groaned. Thankfully, he was saved from further torment by a rapid hushing in the conversation around them as Master Tae emerged from the crowd to walk up and stand at the altar that had been placed by the fire. He raised his hands into the air for silence.

"Greetings, my fellows," he began, "So it comes that another year has passed, the seasons prepare to shift once more and the sunlight begins to weaken. Much as the forest struggles through the winter, with much that was once green falling to bleakness, we will struggle as we have in winters past. But much as the forest survives, much as the evergreen trees flourish still, we will survive and flourish anew when the spring comes." Pausing, Tae gestured out at the crowd, "The spirits have predicted a bountiful hunting season for us, and it is in thanks for this that I perform this ritual."

Tae reached down to the altar and lifted from it a goblet, "In this goblet I carry the lifeblood of the forest, the sap that flows through the trees as blood flows through us," he called out. He then placed the goblet back down, and picked up a gleaming knife from the altar. "To this, I add my own blood, to represent the life of our people," he said, placing the knife to his palm over the goblet and cutting, allowing his blood to drip out and into the liquid of the goblet. After a few moments the wound sealed itself once more, and he continued with the ritual. "Man and nature mix together in this goblet as we mix with the forest. We are not two entities, but one, joined together. We depend on it, and in turn, we protect it. Even as the sun darkens in the sky and the nights draw in, the forest will provide shelter and sustenance. For this we thank the spirits, and dedicate this night to them."

Placing his hands into the goblet and cupping the mixture in them, he raised it up and held it aloft. With a glow of light, he infused the liquid with spiritual energy and cast it outwards into the fire, where it sizzled with a flurry of sparks to a roar of cheers from the crowd. "Now, let the celebrations begin!" Tae called.

As he stepped down, the music started once more, with renewed vigor, The crowd dissolved backwards away from the fire to create room for the dance to begin, and Kyran and his friends followed the retreat to the edge of the square. The first few couples and groups of friends took to the square, mostly of the elder generation with the self-consciousness of younger years behind them, and slowly but surely they were followed by others of all ages, and the square filled out with dancers.

Rayn nodded to the others after a few minutes of silent observation, "C'mon, we should go out there. Nobody's gonna dance with us if we just sit here not dancing."

The others exchanged glances - or more accurately, Tam and Kyran did, as Perin was as eager as ever to get started. The two older boys shrugged, and the group of four rose to head out to the dance. As they did, before they had even come close to where the majority of the dancers were, a girl had swept out from the onlookers and intercepted Tam. Kyran recognised the girl - she was called Evina, and he had seen her with Tam a lot over the last month or two. He and Rayn exchanged knowing smirks as she led Tam away with nothing more than an apologetic shrug to them as he went.

Perin seemed to briefly consider following him, but for once common sense prevailed and he left his brother to his own devices. Kyran's friends weren't exactly the best dancers, but neither were most of the village, and the night of the solstice nobody really cared how well you were dancing. Kyran himself, though he was hardly aware of it, was very much at home with the music. Dancing, as he had remembered before, was very much in tune with what Master Tae taught him about being free of your perception of self. Allowing the music to take you and guide you rather than attempting to control your movements too consciously made your dancing much more natural and allowed your motions to flow together.

It was only when he caught the tail end of Rayn commenting dryly on him showing the pair of them up that Kyran really remembered that he was with others, and blushed. Seeing him redden, Rayn laughed, "You're too easy to embarrass spirit-pants," he said, "But you should know you've got an audience."

Kyran followed Rayn's gaze, his heart dropping as he noticed a group of no less than a dozen girls watching the three of them - or more accurately, watching him. "What's the matter," Rayn observed Kyran's grimace, "Stage-fright?"

"I don't enjoy being a spectacle," Kyran muttered.

Though prepared to make a smart-alec comment, Rayn seemed to decide otherwise and gave Kyran a sympathetic smile, "Just ignore them. They probably won't have the guts to come up to you anyway, just like none of us really have the guts to go up to the likes of Kari and Leanne."

Kyran rolled his eyes, "They're the two most beautiful girls in the village though," he pointed out.

Rayn gave Kyran a pointedly awkward look, "Yeah, that's what I was getting at. To them, you're the equivalent, hero-pants mc-spirithead."

"Stop calling me that," Kyran grumbled, reddening, "But you really think that just being the guardian does that?"

Rayn shrugged, mumbling something that Kyran didn't catch.

"What?" he asked, and Rayn frowned.

"I said," he grumbled, "That objectively from their perspective I guess, you kinda don't look too bad either. But I don't know how girls work, I'm just going on the way they're staring."

"Oh," Kyran replied awkwardly, rolling his shoulders in a shrug, "Thanks?"

"Don't thank me!" Rayn protested, "LIke I said, I'm just going on what they're doing. I don't think that or anything..."

"Right." Kyran agreed hastily, "Like you said."

A bored looking Perin kicked Kyran in the back of the shin, "If you two are done being awkward, I think your damsel wants to talk to you." he said, nodding over his shoulder to where Lily was sitting on the sidelines with her damaged ankle up. She met his eyes as he looked over and gestured to him to come sit with her.

Kyran grimaced. He hadn't spoken to Lily since the incident and Master Tae's lecturing of her. He hoped she wasn't too pissed off with him. "Oh. I suppose I should go see how she's doing." he said weakly.

"Good luck my friend," Rayn said, patting Kyran on the shoulder, "She doesn't look like she wants to make gooey eyes with you either. Hopefully we get you back alive."

With a half-smile to his friends, Kyran made his way over to Lily, leaving them to the dance floor. He took a seat on the log next to her and they sat in silence for several long moments.

"So..." Lily started, sighing, "What I wanted to say was, I'm sorry."

Kyran blinked in surprise, "You're sorry?" he questioned.

"For putting you in danger. I was stupid and didn't listen to anything Master Tae said and I paid for it. I guess I just spent all those hours practicing in the ruins and didn't see anything wrong. But I learned that just because you don't see what you're doing to the world around you doesn't mean you aren't doing it..."

Nodding solemnly, Kyran glance at her, "And it doesn't mean whatever you're doing isn't going to try and eat you" he added.

Lily laughed despite herself, "Yeah, that too. So, I just wanted you to know I don't hold you dobbing me in against you. And I wanted to say thanks again. You know, for saving me from my own mess."

Kyran smiled, "It's okay. I'm a protector, remember? Protecting people is my job."

"Yeah," Lily rolled her eyes, "Meant to be mine too, but so far I've just put people in danger."

"You're new," Kyran noted, "You'll get better at it before long. We can hope."

Lily laughed weakly, "Yeah..." she said, before sighing. "Spirits this night is frustrating. I want to be up there dancing and having a good time but my blasted ankle is still healing." she muttered angrily, "You can go now, if you want, your fanclub is still waiting for you. They probably think I'm trying to flirt with you or something equally stupid and will be delighted to see you walk away."

Kyran blushed (he was doing that a lot tonight) and grimaced, "I'd rather we didn't talk about them."

Raising an eyebrow, Lily looked up at him, "Not a fan of the attention? Most guys would be in heaven."

With a sigh, Kyran leaned backwards and stared up at the canopy of trees and through to the starry night sky above, "Yeah, well. I'm not most guys, turns out." he said solemnly.

Lily looked at Kyran curiously for a few long moments, opening and closing her mouth as she decided against saying anything more and resuming her watching of the festivities. The two sat there for going on half an hour in silence, looking steadily more miserable despite the atmosphere.

Kyran was jerked out of his reverie by a sharp whistle, and looked up with a start to see Rayn standing there with his arms folded, "I thought you two were going to be talking, not just sitting in grim silence while everyone else had fun," he said, "Tam and Perin were wondering where you were. We all thought you'd wandered off somewhere or found a girl to dance with, or both. I barely thought to check back here. What are you doing here so gloomily?"

Kyran shrugged. "Contemplating." he said, "Nothing exciting."

Rayn rolled his eyes, "For spirits' sake, Kyran, cheer up! It's a festival! Look," the red-haired boy grabbed Kyran's wrist and pulled him unceremoniously to his feet, "You're coming to dance, and that's an order soldier."

Meeting the gesture with an inquisitively raised eyebrow, Kyran got to his feet and found himself being half dragged towards the dance. Rayn glanced back over his shoulder and, seeing the raised eyebrow dropped his friend's arm, suddenly self-conscious. "That is," he hastily added, "With the rest of us. We're a group and all that, if some of us don't have dates then none of us do. Even Tam's rocked back up, I think I said."

Kyran nodded, finally smiling, "Alright. I'd like that." he said.

As the two disappeared into the crowd, Lily watched after them ponderously. "Hmmm..." she mused to nobody but herself, furrowing her brow in thought. Before she could finish whatever chain of thought she was on, however, her parents arrived back from the dance to keep her company, and her musings were lost to the festivities.

______________________________________________

Months passed, and the weather grew colder. The leaves fell from the trees and painted the forest red and gold, before they faded away and were replaced with a dusting of snow. Winter was here, and with it life became harder. The village began to rely more on the stocks of preserved meat saved from the warmer months than on fresh hunts, and much of the vegetable produce they cultivated wouldn't be available for a long time. It was in these months that expeditions were made out of the forest and to the towns of the empire they dwelled within to trade for produce and resources.

Kyran and Lily's training continued. When Lily returned to her lessons, it was with a newfound determination to master herself, and she progressed rapidly. Master Tae guided them both through new techniques and new magics, and though the pace was slow, they had by now learned patience.

It was in late November, when Kyran was walking near the forest's edge, that he heard the whistling of an arrow a short distance away amongst the trees. His eyes widened, and he launched himself upwards into the trees to make his way towards the source of the sound. When he reached it, he was met with an unpleasant sight.

Two hunters, one carrying a crossbow and the other a shortbow, were making their way over to their kill - and it was what that kill was that shocked Kyran. The fallen beast was a wolfstag, a majestic beast that resembled a large white wolf with antler-like horns that had earned it its name. Far from being hunted as prey, the wolfstag was one of the respected predators of the forest.

?Look at the horns on this one,? Kyran heard one of the hunters say, ?They?ll make us a fortune. Get them off, leave the carcass to rot.?

Kyran?s eyes narrowed. Not hunters. Poachers. The village detested poachers, coming to the forest and disrespecting nature by their disregard for the rules of hunting for survival. They came and hunted for pleasure, for wealth. They struck down beasts like the wolfstag that were never meant to be hunted. His decision already made, Kyran jumped from his perch with his staff held ready. The boy landed on the ground between the poachers and their quarry, shocking them into letting out shouts of surprise. ?The heck are you doing, kid?? the man with the crossbow asked, ?Get out of the way, this is our kill.?

Kyran shook his head, ?It is not yours, and you are not welcome here. Get out of the forest now.?

The men exchanged glances warily, ?Look, I don?t want to hurt a kid,? the first continued, ?But I will do if you get in the way. I don?t know what issue you have with us, but-?

Kyran decided not to wait for the rest of the hunter?s sentence, sweeping forwards with a swing of his staff, manipulating a blast of wind to rush past the hunter, knocking his crossbow from his hands and sending it flying across the clearing. The man shouted in anger, and his companion raised his bow only to have it removed similarly. Their hands went for blades on their belts, but Kyran didn?t give them a chance to draw them, planting his foot in the ground and slamming the earth beneath them upwards, somersaulting them backwards to land in an undignified heap. ?Leave!? he yelled, ?Get out of the forest and never come back!?

Though the first man seemed to want to retrieve his crossbow, his companion grabbed his arm and shook his head. He was smart enough to see that wouldn?t end well. Reluctantly, the two men retreated away towards the forest edge. Kyran waited till he was sure they were gone before he dropped his defensive stance and turned back toward the fallen wolfstag. It was clearly dead, the hunter?s shot had at least been a good one. Movement to its side caught Kyran?s eye though, and he walked around it to find a young cub nuzzling at its mother?s side to try and coax her into movement. His heart sinking in sadness, Kyran knelt down beside the cub and reached out to pet it, taking a breath and allowing his sense of self to drift. In this state he was better able to communicate with the denizens of the forest.

?Your mother is gone, little one,? he communicated sadly, ?You need to leave her. I can help you.?

The cub looked up at him fearfully for a few moments before whining pitifully, pressing its muzzle into his hand. Kyran took this as acceptance, and carefully lifted the cub up. ?Let?s get you home,? he murmured, ?You can share my food.? With the cub in his arms, he began the walk back to the village. He wasn?t sure his mother would be very happy with the new arrival considering the difficulty of feeding themselves as it was, but he was sure he could persuade her. After all, he was the forest guardian in training, right? This was practically his job.

______________________________________________

Winter came and went, and the year turned over anew. Leaves returned to the trees and life became easier again. The nights were warmer and the forest?s bounty greater. As Master Tae began to introduce Lily to the elemental magic that Kyran had already learned, there was less time for him to teach Kyran the more advanced techniques - the initial mastery of the elements, and the containing of the side-effects Lily had experienced previously, was challenging even for a gifted pupil. It was for that reason that Kyran began to spend a lot more time alone in practice, meditating or practicing forms and stances. Whilst he was unable to master new skills, he honed his abilities with the elements until they started to become more of an extension of himself than an outward manipulation. It also gave him a great deal of time to think. Though Kyran was disappointed that his learning was on hold for the moment, it did mean he could afford himself more time to spend at leisure, spending time with his friends. On one particular occasion, he, Rayn and Perin were on an ?expedition? of sorts into the forest. Tam was with the hunters, in his final year of preparation for becoming a fully fledged hunter himself, and so didn?t have as much time to spend with them anymore. Taking his place, and very happy about it, was Narin - the wolfstag pup that Kyran had rescued. It had already grown to the size of a normal dog, and bounded along with the three boys happily as they walked.

?I?m telling you,? Rayn was saying, ?It must have been uncovered by the storm last week, because you?d definitely have seen it with all the time you spend jumping around the forest, Kyran.?

The red-haired boy was supposedly leading them to something he had found in the forest on his own. He refused to say what it was, much to the other two?s frustration, but curiosity had gotten the better of them and they?d given into his demands that they let him show them. They were a good half an hour out from the village now, but Rayn promised that they were ?nearly there?.

Just when it seemed like there was never going to be anything, they emerged into a small clearing next to a ridge, in the side of which was - barely visible for the foliage that had overtaken its entrance - what looked like an abandoned mine. There was a mass of earth and rock to the bottom of the entrance that looked like the result of a landslide, which likely caused it to be revealed. ?Wow,? Kyran breathed, ?This place must be ancient. Pre-fall ancient even.?

Rayn beamed, ?I told you it was cool!? he exclaimed proudly.

Grinning to his friend, Kyran nodded, ?Should we check out inside?? he mused aloud.

?I dunno,? Perin said, ?It could be dangerous.?

?Pfff,? Rayn rolled his eyes, ?We have mister guardian-protecty-magic-man with is, what could go wrong that he couldn?t solve??

Kyran gave Rayn a dry glare, ?Stop calling me things like that!? he complained, before sighing, ?But yeah, I?m sure I can handle anything a mine can throw at us.?

Perin shrugged, ?Alright then.? he said, nodding, ?Let?s go have a look around!?

Kyran looked down at Narin and ruffled the wolfstag?s fur, ?You?ll have to stay here for this one. A mine?s no place for you.? he said. Narin looked up mournfully at him, but clearly understood the message, seating himself down at the edge of the clearing and leaning onto his paws.

With a little bit of climbing and shifting of dirt with earth manipulation, the entrance to the mine was reached, and the trio dropped into the darkness. A moment passed before Kyran produced a light in his palm to illuminate the tunnel, casting shadows on he and his friends? faces as they exchanged excited looks. ?We could find gold, and gems, and all sorts of things!? Rayn exclaimed, ?And we could take them and sell them and live like kings anywhere in the world we wanted!?

Kyran laughed, ?Speak for yourself, I kinda have to stick around here.?

The red-head raised an eyebrow, ?Ah, yeah, may have forgotten to account for that. You could at least live like a forest king??

Rolling his eyes, Kyran planted his staff in the dirt and stepped forwards, ?Let?s just see what?s in here first.? he said. The trio of boys walked for several minutes down the tunnel, and were beginning to question whether they?d find anything at all, when a gleam in the corner of his eye caught Kyran?s attention. ?Hey, over here,? he called to the other two, making his way towards the source of the sparkle. As he approached, he recognised it as a small gem, protruding from the wall near the base of the tunnel.

?What is it?? Rayn asked, peering over his shoulder.

?I?m not sure,? he replied, trying to get a closer look, ?It?s turquoise I think, it seems strangely dull though. Hold on, let me put the light closer to it.? However, as Kyran tried to move his flame closer to the gem, he was surprised to find that it fizzled and drained to nothing. He frowned, focusing on reproducing the flame, but nothing happened. Glancing at the gem, a thought occurred to him, and he backed up slightly, moving his hand away, and - as predicted, the flame flickered back to life. ?Well that?s strange...? he murmured contemplatively. He moved his hand back to the gem and once again the flame died - but this time, the gem seemed to steal the light from it, sparkling slightly with light that seemed to originate from within the gem.

Rayn stared with interest, ?Is it absorbing your magic?? he asked, ?That?s so cool!?

Kyran nodded, ?I bet Master Tae would be interested in this,? he said, standing up and relighting his fire, ?I wonder how many more of them there are down here, we sho-?

Whatever Kyran was about to say was interrupted by an almighty crash and a yelp, as behind them Perin stumbled backwards and landed on his rear, a pickaxe flying free of the stone beside a wooden strut in his hands and clattering to the ground. ?What on earth are you doing Perin?? Rayn exclaimed, and was about to continue berating the younger boy when a rumbling sounded above them.

?Oh spirits,? Kyran cursed, ?Whatever you did has messed with that support, I think this tunnel?s about to cave in!?

As if on cue, the ceiling above them started to crack. With the other two frozen in horror, Kyran acted quickly. With a swing of his staff, he blasted Perin with a jet of air, tossing him backwards down the tunnel where they had come from and away from the falling rocks. In the next instant, he grabbed Rayn, and propelled both he and himself forwards into the tunnel. The sound of falling rocks continued for a good ten seconds before either of them dared look up, only to find themselves confronted with a solid wall of stone where the tunnel had been. ?Perin?!? Kyran cried, ?Perin are you alright??

There was a brief pause before an answer came from the other side of the rock, ?I?m okay!? the young boy called, ?Thanks, you saved my life!?

?You idiot!? Rayn shouted, ?You could have gotten us all killed! What possessed you to randomly pull up a pickaxe anyway!?

?I?m sorry!? Perin replied, ?But I?m not that interested in staring at rocks!?

Kyran shook his head, ?Arguing won?t get anything done.? he grumbled, reaching out with a hand to feel the rockfall. He extended himself outwards, sensing the extent of the collapse, and shook his head. ?I can?t move this without risking bringing the entire tunnel down. There?s just too much of it.?

Rayn stared at Kyran in disbelief, ?You mean we?re stuck down here?!? he exclaimed.

Putting a hand on his friend?s shoulder, Kyran shook his head again, ?Only for now. Perin, go back to the village and get help. Tae and the others will be able to get us out of here, though we?ll never hear the end of it.?

?Okay!? came Perin?s voice from the other side, ?I?ll run as fast as I can!? After a few moments, the boy?s footsteps could be heard retreating away, before they faded and were replaced once more with silence.

Kyran sighed, ?So,? he said, ?I guess it?s just you and me for now then.? he said, glancing to Rayn.

?Yeah...? the red-haired boy said, green orbs only meeting Kyran?s eyes for a moment before looking away. Kyran frowned, sensing some sort of tension, but decided now wasn?t the best time to bring it up.

?Shall we make the most of the time and have more of a look around?? he suggested, and Rayn nodded in reply. The two turned and started to make their way deeper into the mine. As they walked, more and more gems became visible in the walls. The tunnel widened until it became more like a cavern, and the support struts disappeared entirely. It seemed like they?d found their way into what looked like natural caves. With each step into the wider space, Kyran found it was getting more and more difficult to maintain his flame. All around them, larger chunks of the gemstone were visible protruding from the walls, ceiling and even the ground. Eventually it looked like Kyran?s flame was about to flicker out all together, and Rayn was forced to hold onto the edge of Kyran?s robe to keep track of him.

?This is useless,? Rayn grumbled, ?Those crystals are making it impossible to see anything.?

?Hold on,? Kyran murmured, ?I have an idea. You might want to stand back.?

Though he raised his eyebrow, Rayn followed Kyran?s instruction and stepped away from him as he allowed the fire to disappear completely, plunging them into darkness. ?I hope you know what you?re doing,? Rayn said nervously.

Kyran took a breath, focusing his magic, and spreading his arms, let fire flood forth from his body almost uncontained. Or at least, that?s what would have happened elsewhere. Instead, slowly all the gems around him and the cave began to light up. The glow started dimly at first, before starting to flood outwards from him in a wave, lighting up the entire cave in an eerie blue-green glow. Finally, Kyran released the magic, panting and leaning over onto his legs. He?d used a lot of energy.

?Wow...?

Rayn?s stunned voice motivated Kyran to straighten and take a look at his handiwork. He wasn?t disappointed. The entire cave was filled with beautifully glowing gemstones, their supernatural light giving the space an ethereal quality.

?It?s beautiful.? Rayn said quietly, smiling.

?Yeah...? Kyran said, sighing. The two stood there in silence for well over a minute, before Kyran blinked as he felt something brush against his hand. He looked down to find, for once, not a strange creature or an evil vine, but Rayn?s hand. His eyes went up to his friend and met his. Rayn blushed and looked away, pulling his hand back and beginning to mutter an apology, but before he could, Kyran reached out and grabbed onto him, locking their fingers and smiling.

Around them, the gems were starting to lose their glow - the energy had been split amongst all the dozens of shards and they couldn?t hold much charge on their own - and the room was being slowly plunged into darkness again. The two friends seemed oblivious to this though, looking nervously into one another?s eyes. As the final shreds of light faded, Kyran started to lean forwards. In the dark, their lips found each other in a chaste first kiss.

Eventually, they made their way back to the cave-in, and a short time later a rescue team arrived and were able to clear enough of the rock for them to squeeze out. Lectures on venturing into such places without telling anyone were given, and apologies were made, and they returned to the village where life returned to normal. Well, almost normal. When a week or so later, Kyran awkwardly tried to bring up what had happened with his friend, Rayn had hastily made an excuse and fled the scene in embarrassment. And so life truly returned to normal, as though nothing out of the ordinary had occurred on that day.

____________________________________________________________________________

It was a few weeks after this event that Master Tae informed Kyran that Lily?s initial elemental training was complete, and they could now start learning more advanced techniques together. Though Kyran was still a long way ahead of Lily, the fact that Lily had mastered the basics meant that she required less one-to-one tutoring and Tae could split his time more evenly between them. Kyran spent his next lessons starting to master things such as pulling water from the air and plants, enhancing his body with animal traits (without losing himself to them) and even the beginnings of communing with the spirits.

One of the most challenging techniques that Master Tae introduced him to as a taster of some of the later lessons he would be providing was the usage of the extended state in combat. Kyran had already essentially mastered the extended state, in abandoning his sense of self to embrace his surroundings, but to use it in combat, he would be forced to learn to do that while still remaining aware and in control of himself and his body.

?Here, I will show you,? Master Tae said. He pulled a strip of cloth from his pocket and in a swift motion tied it around his head over his eyes as a blindfold. He then took two cotton-buds and placed them in his ears. ?Now, I am both blind and deaf. I have no way of relying on my human senses, and so I must rely entirely on the sixth, on my extension into the world around me.? He turned to face Kyran and Lily fully, dropping into a fighting stance, ?I want the two of you to attack me. Do everything you can to land a single blow to me, and you will have won the challenge.?

Lily and Kyran exchanged a hesitant glance before one by one they assumed combat stance. It was Lily that struck first, bending her knee and shifting her foot forwards, sending a ripple of rock out in a line to try and unsteady Tae. In almost the same motion, using that foot as a point of rotation, she swung forwards, bringing her first out in a punching motion that launched a burst of fire towards him.

Tae moved swiftly as soon as Lily?s first strike was in motion, adjusting his stance and pushing his arms forward to catch the wave of rock and halt its progress. Stepping backward, the elderly man raised his arms, bringing the wave upwards into the air like a wall to block the fire even as it left Lily?s hand. The girl?s eyes widened at how Tae seemed to be seeing what she was doing before she had even finished doing it, but in the meantime Kyran had already leapt into assault.

He was in midair by the time that Lily?s flame had been deflected, and he descended with a burst of speed from the wind in an attempt to strike at Tae with his staff. Tae turned on the spot, only to nimbly hop backwards to avoid the strike, lifting his arm to deflect the following upwards sweep of the weapon and the accompanying slice of air with a rush of wind of his own. As Kyran stepped aside and brought the staff around for a final strike. Tae ducked downwards and underneath the swing, catching the weapon and pulling at it to unbalance Kyran and placing three fingers on the boy?s forehead, only to flick them and knock him to the ground in an undignified heap.

Tae spun Kyran?s staff in his hand and planted it on the ground, holding up a palm to indicate the end of the fight. ?That will do for a demonstration,? Tae said, smiling as he removed the earplugs and blindfold. ?In a real fight of course, you will be able to utilise your human senses as well, but to achieve true awareness and mastery of combat you should come to rely on your extension more than on their flawed perception.? He nodded then to Kyran, ?Kyran, you have mastered the extended state. I want you to try and place yourself into it but maintain awareness over yourself as well.?

Kyran pulled himself to his feet and accepted his staff back as Tae proffered it. He nodded at the instruction and took a breath, first slipping into the state and then seeking himself amongst the candle-flames of light that filled the clearing. When he found himself, he tried once more to slip inside and regain control and awareness, but found that as he did so he lost sight of the motions and lives around him. Mentally cursing, he repeated the procedure, but with little more success.

Over the next few weeks, Kyran continued to try and perfect the technique, and finally during a lesson in the summer, he managed it. ?Excellent!? Master Tae exclaimed, ?Now, it is one thing to be aware of yourself in this state, but another entirely to be able to fight as well as you can normally whilst keeping focus on that which is around you.? The older man shifted into a ready stance and indicated for Kyran to do the same, ?Now, I am going to try and strike you. All I want is for you to perform a simple block.?

As Kyran readied himself, Tae approached slowly, before with a sharp movement shot his hand out towards the younger boy. Kyran was instantly aware of the movement due to his state of awareness, but his body was slow to respond thanks to the fact that he had to actively remember to use it, and by the time his arm was in motion to stop the strike Tae?s palm had already struck him.

?Again!? Tae insisted, ?A simple block. We will keep trying until you have perfected it.?

Suffice to say, the training was going to take a while.

_________________________________________________________________

The rest of the year passed without much upset. The guardians? training progressed rapidly, and as the next year arrived, Kyran?s crossing over into adulthood loomed. Sixteen was the age that the village considered a boy to become a man, and normally when he would begin to join

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