Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Dreamers & Legends ❯ Falic's Lone Tamer ( Chapter 7 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

"Welcome travellers. I presume your trying to cross the mountain?" He looked from one to the other "than you must pass the challenge of the monks. Our temple is at the top of the mountain, overlooking the Lunar Plains."

"I never heard anyone mention anything about the monks of Lir." Rebecca said

"Thats probably because nobody has ever lived to tell about them. Whats this challenge" Kitan asked slightly annoyed.

"We challenge all who try to cimb the mountain, for its shear height is only surpassed by the treacherous tales of death and sorrow that surround it."

"Whats the challenge" Rebecca asked

"It is a simple match between two of us, as most of the people travelling through here travel alone. All you must do is choose who will take the challenge."

Kitan looked at Rebecca, she looked like she was still recovering from last nights drinkfest.

"I will do it" she looked at him, as if to protest "you're in no condition" then raising his voice as if to test his theory "ARE YOU?" As he expected, she winced from his voice, penetrating inside her head and stabbing repeatedly. "Fine just...don't do that again."

Kitan unsheathed his blades and got into his ready stance. His opponent, who didn't give his name did as well. He had a large staff with detailed designs along the surface that depicted a bird rising into the sky and shining as brightly as the sun.

"I shall begin" he said sprinting towards him.

Kitan dodged his attempt at a downward thrust from the sky and swung his left sword at his shoulder, he didn't want to kill him after all. He moved swiftly and countered with a series of jabs. Kitan and his opponent exchanged blow for blow, yet neither landed a single one. The two of them were currently locked together, pushing against the other trying to see who would give the other an opening. Neither he nor Kitan budged an inch, it seemed they were evenly matched. The two of them jumped back. As Kitan regained his composure, his opponent seemed to be bowing.

"You have proven yourself strong warriors. You may pass, but be warned I am only one of four challenges. My fellow Lir monk brothers will be waiting to challenge you, to see if what I saw in you was real." He moved from their path and waved them to them to continue.

"Wait what?" she said confused.

"If you were somebody with evil intent, you would not have waited to take my challenge. As a result Kitan there did not try to kill me. Thus I did not have to use my full force in return" he stated trying to clear the confusion.

"How do you know I didn't try?" Kitan asked still skeptical.

"Your first strike, it was at my shoulder and not my head. I deliberately put myself in harms way to test your heart. You passed, you may continue" he said.

They passed him cautiously, wondering if it was a trick. All he did was smile, bow once more, and said "good luck, and may god guide your way."

They continued on the path they had chosen and was forced to traverse the steep cliffs they had heard so much about from the other people at the inn.

"What should we do? How are we going to climb up?" Rebecca asked looking from him to the cliff wall. He also took a look at the obstacle that was before them. He was dumbfounded, how would the two of them climb? If they made one mistake, they could become a story told at the local tavern. Wait...

"Do we have any rope?"

"I think so, do you have a plan on how to get up this thing?" She asked searching her pack for rope.

"I may, if we both try to climb there is a chance one of us may fall. If I go up first I can climb to that ledge there and tie the rope off, then you can climb up and we continue like that until we reach the top, and as we climb we have the rope tied to us. That way if we fall the rope will keep us from getting too beat up on the way down."

"Yeah cause I would rather get all beat up, coming as close to death's door, than actaully going to the other side" she said rolling her eyes.

She foound the rope they had packed and handed it to Kitan. He tied it around his waist and began to climb. As he climbed he looked carefully for any areas that may be not be able to handle his weight. Once he got to the ledge, he tied it off then tested it by tugging on it. It seemed fine. He then tossed the free rope down to her.

"Alright do as I did, tie it around your waist and climb. If you fall then the rope will keep you from falling the whole way. I also got you so don't worry" he yelled down to her reassuring her. She tied it around her waist and began to climb. She was halfway up when she stopped to look down.

"D-did I tell y-you that I am a-afraid of heights?"

"No, just don't look down"

"You know everyone says that, and what do you do? You look down!"

He smiled, she had a point.

She continued climbing and reached him shortly after.

"See that wasn't too bad."

"See that wasn't too bad" she said mocking him.

He ignored her taunts. He took the rope from her and repeated the process. They did this about three more times until they reached the top. What awaited them was something they had dreaded. The two of them stood as stiff as a tree. For before them stood a giant.

"I commend you on reaching my perch. I come to this spot every so often and think about the important things in life" the giant man said. "Like what kind of food do I want to eat?"

"Well, we have some fryed kelp fish, and some water from the spring at the bottom of the mountain, is that alright?" She asked not waiting for Kitan's acknoledgement.

"Aww yes, that sounds grand" he said with a smile that stretched from one side of his face to the other.

They unrolled a blanket, pulled the food out, and sat in silence eating fryed kelp fish.They washed it down with some cool spring water, and When they finished the giant stood up and volunteered to clean up the area. As they were watching him Kitan whispered into her ear.

"Why do you think he is being so kind and generous? What do you think is his challenge, he is obviously with the other guy?"

"I don't know, but I get the feeling that he isn't trying to test us"

"That is where you are wrong" the giants voice bellowed from across the way. "I am indeed with the Lir monks. The man at the base of the mountain is just an apprentice who has been with us for some time. His final test was to test another, and have them pass. For we monks do not wish to take lives, but protect them. As he has tested you, I have tested you also."

"How, we never unsheathed our weapons?" Kitan asked confused at what it was the giant was getting at.

"'The battle less fought, is always the harder to be fought'" He said. "When we encountered each other I had just completed setting up a few traps. If you had wanted to fight, you would surely be dead." He gestured for them to watch. He kicked a small rock a few feet from where Kitan was standing and immediately the cliffside crumbled and fell to peices, falling to the base of the mountain. Kitan was stood frozen with amazement, he never guessed something like that was there. They would have been killed if they had sat any closer than they did.

"So did we pass or not?" Kitans asked keeping his gaurd up. In case another trap would be sprung.

"I believe you have passed. Helping another is not weakness, but strength. One cannot go through life alone. They need the comfort of another to bring joy to their lives. I appeared before you alone, with the image of a hungry hermit. Your lady friend had decided to help me without hesitating. For that you have passed, that and the food was delicious!" He said with a bellowing laugh. They looked at each other than shrugged. He moved from the path and as the first man did when the two of them passed him he bowed and said "good luck, and may God guide your way."

They continued on and noticed the sun had sunk to nearly behind the mountains in the distance.

"We should make camp, I want to be fully rested when we reach the next challenge these monks have for us, I don't want to be caught off gaurd like that again" He said thinking back to how defenseless he felt as he watched the mountainside fall from underneath him.

They set up camp, made a fire and began cooking dinner. By the time they had finished the sun had set and their bellies had been filled.

"I will take the first watch" he said getting on top of a rock overlooking the camp site and the surrounding area. From there he could see if any intruders were getting ready to pounce on them, expecting travelers to be unprepared. I will wake you when its your turn."

She nodded and went to sleep. The night seemed to linger on forever. He sat there, listening to the soft sounds of the wind, blowing the branches back and forth. He listened to the chirping of the crickets, and the beat the made when rubbing their legs together. He listened to owls and other birds that were awake at night. As time went on so did his boredom. So did the memory that continued to haunt his dreams. The dream of Gnal dashing into the darkness, his screams of pain, and then the face of his killer. Every night that face would appear and say one thing. "You must become....STRONGER." At that point Kitan would wake up sweating and afraid. He tried to think of something else and came up with his childhood. When the moon was sitting at its heighest point in the sky, he went and woke Rebecca. She grumbled and pushed him away, but he continued to wake her. When she finally woke completely she nodded and took over as watch. He woke to her shaking him gently. She was standing over him, weapon in hand. Instantly he was alert. He grabbed his blades and the both of them stepped out of the tent.

"Well, well, looks like the love birds are finally awake. you two sleep well together? Not too well I hope" avoice said.

Kitan looked around and saw nothing. He turned to see where the intruder was and found nothing. He must be using the rocky cliff side as a barrier, thats why he couldn't see him.

"Come out, let us be done with your challenge so we can continue on!" Kitan shouted trying to bring him out of hiding.

"Ha you think petty taunts will get me to show myself, youmust be dumber than you look. Whatever, I got a little time to kill before that monk guy gets here"

So he wasn't with the Lir monks.

"Why are you bothering us then, we have nothing of value."

"I was told by a woman, wearing a red cloak, that two travelers would be here. If I defeated you...I would be given...what I need to save her" the man said coming out of hiding. The man had somewhat long, dark red hair. He was waering a sleeveless shirt with an rune emblem on the back of the shirt. He looked to be about Kitans height, and was somewhat bulky. He carried with him two quarterstaves.

"Who is this woman? was a man with her? Tell me, Who are you!" Kitan shouted unsheathing his weapons. The man jumped down off his perch and landed just feet away from Kitan.

"I don't care if there was a man or not with her. The lady said if I Kill you then I will get what I need to save her! Thats all I need to know, because I will do... whatever it takes to get her back!"

"Heh, your so un-informed. Yo really think she will give you what you want? Once she learns we're dead she wont need you, and then she will throw you away like an old, broken toy."

The man ignored him and attepmted to take his legs out from underneath him. Kitan jumped and slashed towards his attacker. He missed but slashed again and cut his shoulder. The man quickly put space between them and examined the cut, it hadn't cut too deep, but he could tell this man had skill.

"You asked me who I am earlier, didn't you? My name is Axel, Axel Trung. I come from the village of Falic. It was a quiet place at edge of Dralgo's borders to the south. After the Great Divide, my mother gave birth to my sister and I. We are twins you see. A few months back my sister was kidnapped by bandits whos hideout was south of the Forest of Pain. I followed one of the more moronic members. There, I took back my sister. As we were returning to Falic, one of its other members had followed us, one that escaped my judgement, he had shot an arrow...it was intended for me but...at the last minute she threw...in the end I killed him and buried her on the hill overlooking Falic. She would always go there, it made her happy. Soon after that, a woman wearing a red cloak came to me. She offered to bring her back if I did something for her. Of course I was skeptical, but she did something that...changed my mind. I don't want her back for me, but just to say those words she never heard me say to her." Axel was bearing his soul to him. Why?

"Why do you tell me this? are you trying to persuade me to sacrifice my life for the return of your beloved sister? No I refuse to give up. I also have something I must do" Kitan said feeling that anger he felt once before, was again rising to the surface. "I propose an offer to you, Axel. If you beat me, then I will submit and offer myself for your sister."

"What do you want in exchange?"

"If I defeat you, then you will travel with us."

Rebecca interrupted then "What the hell are you doing? This man is trying to kill you, and you want him traveling with you?" Kitan nodded, not taking his eyes off Axel. "Alright" she said shrugging her shoulders "I just wanted to make sure I heard you clearly."

"Heh, why if I might ask are you saying this?" Axel said.

"'You keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.' An old friend, who once used to be my biggest rival told me that saying as he helped me off the ground. Ten years later we became close friends. He was the best ally a man could have."

"So, your thinking you can replace him with me? Whatever. Lets get this over with, I have to bring your heads to her as fast as I can."

"Wait, not only will you travel with us but you may not try to take our lives, understood?"

"Yeah I got it, like I am gonna lose to you though."

They resumed the fight they had postponed. He lunged at Kitan and Kitan thrust Hirohira at him. They canceled each others attack. Kitan then slashed with Byarin and missed, Kitan continued to strike with Hirohira and Byarin until an opening revealed itself. The feelings once again boiled to the surface and instead of trying to push them down, he embraced them. He gave himself fully over to those feelings. As he continued to meld with his emotions he grew faster, swifter, and more out of control of his actions than ever before.

"How? How are you doing this?!" Axel said unable to keep up with Kitans attacks. Axel was getting pulvarized by the sheer force behind each blow. Kitan then thrust the butt of Byarin into Axel's chest, knocking the wind out of his lungs and making Axel take a knee. As Kitan was about to finish the final blow, he regained a small bit of himself back under control. In mid-strike, he stopped himself. Axel used this moment to his advantage. He clumsily got to his feet and sent a barrage of attacks Kitan's way. Kitan dropped to the ground after Axel stopped hitting him, as he was out of strength and fell back to his knees. Kitan lay on his back when Axel crawled to where they could see each others face.

"Heh, I told you, I would win....now I am going to take your head, then hers, and bring her back." he said trying desperately to lift Hirohira.

"You really think you won? look at yourself, you can't even lift his blade" Rebecca said taking her own weapons out "What makes you think in your current state, you could take me on?" She then began walking to where the two of them lay.

"Stop, this fight isn't over" Kitan said retrieving Byarin from the ground. Axel was unable to defend himself even if he had the strength. Byarin was lifted and sent to Axel's throat.

"You, my friend, lose" Kitan said panting heavily. "A deal is a deal, from now until I release you from our deal, will travel together."

Axel looked down at Kitan's face with such a look, he almost lost his grip on Byarin. Axel then let out a sigh of submission, and said "Damn, I guess...shes going to have to wait... a little longer" He then got to his feet and helped Kitan up off the ground. "So, where we going?"




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