Home. It had been a long time since Kitaya had been back in the savanna. Too long. She wondered what things had changed in her absence. Would her people be angry with her? She was the bearer of one of Kon's greatest treasures, yet she'd kept it off of its home soil for so long. Would everyone welcome her with warmth and opened arms? Or cold stares and indifference?
Of course some things never changed. The lush swaying grass, flowing rivers that cut through the rolling planes and stands of monolithic trees were just as she remembered. The air was crisp and cool like a drink of water after a long day in the desert.
The sun was setting behind their little travelling party, making the shadows stretch long. They were about to cross into an area frequented by predators, so Kitaya's senses were on high alert. She was hoping an old friend of hers would be able to help them get the rest of the way to Kon safely.
Aldeheid walked along beside her with half his focus on the way ahead and the other half on trying to leech magic from her. Being able to use a capes magic without bonding was truly something. T'was a feat she thought only possible through the use of magical tools. Yet Aldeheid held this unique ability.
How and why – she didn't know, and at times she felt unqualified to help him. Perhaps he was different in the way that she was different. Perhaps there were other magicians like him. But until they found said magicians, they had to rely on wit and intuition to get him in top shape.
He was afraid, Kitaya knew. Afraid of hurting her or others, like he had done to so many before. But those fears could only be mitigated through knowledge and understanding. Once he understood how his abilities worked, he'd understand how to control them.
"I think I got it," Aldeheid said and opened his fist to show her a handful of ether stones. The tiny pebbles of pure magic glowed with every colour imaginable.
"You did." Kitaya nodded her approval. "But that magic didn't come from me."
"T'was I," Leandyr said from behind them.
Aldeheid exhaled a sigh and pocketed the ether stones. When he raised his fist to try again, Kitaya placed a hand over it.
"You're frustrated right now. Take a break."
He looked like he wanted to argue, but he nodded. "How much longer until we get to Kon?"
"If we can find a friend of mine to help us out, it'll only be another day. Otherwise we might run into some trouble that will set us back by a day at the very least. The predators that lurk in this area tend to be quite aggressive." She glanced around at the grass, her heart skipping a beat every time it shifted with the movement of a small insect.
"I see." Aldeheid thumbed the lion's head pommel of his sword.
"Why don't we try a little exercise?" Leandyr asked. He caught up to them and started walking backwards in front of them. In his marked hand, he held a single leaf which he place between his fore and middle fingers. "I want you to cut the tip off of this leaf."
Kitaya arched a brow. There was barely any leaf sticking up above his fingers. Then again, she never claimed to understand Leandyr methods. And she didn't need to, the end result of his training spoke for itself. So she inched away to give them the space they needed.
"Are you sure about this?" Aldeheid asked as he drew his sword. The white flecks in the midnight blue surface of the blade grabbed hold of the diminishing sunlight and tossed it around.
"Come on." Leandyr nodded to his hand. "While we still have the light of day."
Aldeheid took a swing, but the Swordmaster moved his hand down at the last second. "Why did you move?" He swung again, and again Leandyr pulled his hand away.
"Because you were about to cut off my fingers. And while I'm quite comfortable wielding my sword with one hand, I'd still rather have both. You need to focus and measure the height of your swings. Don't just throw your sword around in hopes that you'll get lucky. Go again."
No matter how he swung, he missed every time.
"No, no, no, Aldeheid." Leandyr pinched the bridge of his nose. "You need to be more intuitive with the way you utilize that blade. Every move, every swing, every adjustment needs to be deliberate. No wasted effort, no wasted energy." He flicked the leaf up and sliced through it with one blinding swing of his sword.
Kitaya caught one half before it fluttered away and gave an impressed whistle. It was cut cleanly down the central vein. "I think you're expecting a little too much from him, a little too early on, Leandyr."
"I agree." Aldeheid sheathed his sword. "Mellidius didn't work me nearly this hard. And he was competent with the blade."
Leandyr snorted. "I could be blindfolded, hog-tied and set on fire, and Mellidius still wouldn't beat me in a sword fight."
"I don't disagree with you," Kitaya said. "But you could lighten up on Aldeheid a bit. At least he's trying and learning."
"Excuse me? I've taught legions of men and women the art of the sword. That includes people were slower, clumsier and more pathetic than him." He pointed at Aldeheid.
Aldeheid glowered at the Swordmaster. "What kind of backhanded—"
"Shut up. You want to mold him into a force to be reckoned with? You're not going to find anyone better than me." Leandyr gave Kitaya a challenging look, as though daring her to name one person who could best him.
But she couldn't. "Alright, Leandyr. You win. You're the Swordmaster. Do what you think is best."
"That's what I thought." With that, he gave them his back and sauntered off ahead.
"I apologise," Ayzel said. "He takes his sword stuff a little too seriously sometimes."
"No!" Leandyr whirled and pointed an accusing finger their way. "It's you all who don't take it seriously enough. This isn't just some silly hobby you can pick up and put down whenever you feel like. It's a way of life."
Kitaya rolled her eyes. "Alright Leandyr. You win."
They continued their long trek in blessed silence, with the Swordmaster choosing to brood by himself and everyone else engaging in short, quiet bursts of conversation.
Night fell and luminescent insects clung to the blades of grass and the trunks of trees, lighting up the landscape like stars. Their chirps filled the air with the music of the savanna. A half moon rose up in the east, its silver light casting dull, misshapen shadows.
Kitaya clenched her jaw, eyes straining to see. Small sounds kept assaulting her ears and setting her nerves on edge – a rustle of grass here, a small puff of air there. She bit down on her bottom lip and glance back in time to see a flicker of movement. It was barely there, almost as though she'd seen a ghost.
There you are. "Tighten formation," she called.
The creatures emerged like apparitions through the dark. Scores upon scores prowled closer, their low growls like a haunting chorus from the other side.
The first one lunged at Kitaya and she sidestepped before throwing a punch to its ribs. The crack that resulted was loud enough to send insects flying away. The beast bounced through the grass before falling limp.
She scowled at its feline body and spotted fur. Kiboura. "Head for the stand of trees in the east. We're better off fighting them there. Leandyr and I will take point."
Together, they made a mad dash for the trees as the small army of predators descended on them. Their footfalls were like the deadly roll of thunder, and their howls like the haunting screeches of ghosts.
Kitaya pulled her dagger from her belt and was about to cut her hand open, but Aldeheid stopped her.
"Allow me, kitten." He held up a fistful of ether stones and chanted a cadence of ancient words.
"Look out! Aldeheid's cooking up a spell," she yelled.
Sparks jumped across the blades of grass as his spell reached a crescendo and Kitaya felt a tugging sensation ripple through her marked hand as he pulled on her magic. Sharp bolts of lightning ripped through the air with a boom the shook the ground. Kitaya had to squint lest she be blinded by their light. The pained screeches of the Kiboura disappeared behind them, but footfalls still sounded in their wake.
They made it into the stand of trees and regrouped, forming a tight circle. Aldeheid's spell had taken out a good chunk of the beasts, but there were still so many. Too many. They circled them, growling and gnashing their teeth in contest.
Leandyr was matching their movements, his sword poised in front of him. Deadly calm emanated from his posture, despite the taunts from the beasts.
What can we do? Kitaya knew that the best way to deal with these beasts was to take them out quickly. No doubt Leandyr could kill more than half on his own. Aldeheid could use another monstrous spell and do just as well, with less blood to boot. Then the rest of them could deal with the stragglers.
Just as she was about to relay her plan, the ground shook, rumbling with a fury to rival that of the gods. A crack snaked by their feet, and the smell of freshly dug earth filled the air. Kitaya stumbled back against Aldeheid and watched a shadow rise up in the east, blocking out the moon. The Kiboura scattered, retreating through the grass like startled insects.
"We need to run!" Aldeheid screamed. We need to—" The rest of his words were lost in the trumpeting roar that ripped through the night. It blew back grass, toppled trees and sent flocks of birds and hives of insects flying up and away.
Kitaya dug the balls of her feet into the ground and held an arm up against the pressure. The sound vibrated through her, shaking her bones. When it was finally over, her heart was hammering and she had to lean against one of the few trees still standing to regain her equilibrium. It felt as though someone had locked her in a barrel and send her careening down the side of a mountain.
"What in damnation was that?" Aldeheid had a hand on his chest, over his heart.
"I think I know." Against better judgment, she walked towards the shadow looming over them, and summoned a small flame to her hands. The first thing she noticed was a hulking foot that was as wide as the trunks of the trees that had fallen. She knew that foot, with its tough, grey hide and plates of silvery metal.
Her heart danced in her chest. "Bellyn!" she squealed like an excited child. She looked up at her old friend. "It's been ages."
"I'm confused," Aldeheid said. "What's a Bellyn?"
"Not a what, but a who." Kitaya took him by the arm and led a ways away. "Now look."
He didn't look, so much as gape in awe. That was the reaction Bellyn usually got. The castle-sized elephant shook the dust from her body. It was hard to make out her sharp tusks, or the plates of silvery metal decorating her head, trunk and legs. But the silhouette of the tree on her back stood out against the moonlight.
"Is that a monolith?" Lady Hiroh asked.
"Indeed." Leandyr pat her on the shoulder and waved at Bellyn. "Hi Bellyn! It's been a while!" A huff escaped the beast, and she swung her trunk at him.
Leandyr dashed out of the way, hiding behind Kitaya. "Dear gods, I've apologized a hundred times. How can you still be angry."
Kitaya chuckled ad gave Leandyr a pat of pity. "She holds grudges, sorry. But surely you two can get along for one day." She left his side to stand with Bellyn. "Alright, let's not dally here. With Bellyn's help we should get to Kon some time tomorrow. Then we'll have ample time to slack off before the bonding ceremony."
[A/N]: Please tell me if this chapter makes sense or not. I kind of rushed through it. *goes back to suffering through NaNoWriMo.*