Roaring Thunder

Five months have passed since Leon agreed to take me on as his apprentice. My dark brown hair sun kissed by the sun, my arms and legs got bigger from the strength training Leon puts me through, my flat stomach now turned to a eight pack of abs from the core training with Rebecca. I now wear leather hunting armor for protection, and have a steel long sword as a weapon. Every day starts the same, a three kilometer run followed by push-ups, sit-ups, and sword play training. Currentley we are traveling through the Eagle's valley, in hopes to reach the city of Raigo; the capitol of the Eagle clan. The valley is filled with cliffs surrounding us, boulders the size of people everywhere, lack of life is a joke there's rodents that if you aren't careful will jump in your tent, to avoid predators, snakes, and whatever else feels like eating kangaroo rats, and don't get me started on the bugs, breathing is a dangerous thing cause you don't know what might fly into your mouth. As morning sets in and I begin my morning training with Leon his face before clean shavin now covered in a light brown beard, his before youthful and joy filled eyes filled with seriousness, his body chisled like artist depicting what a god should look like " come at me like your ready to kill me, because you know if you don't you just might die" Leon with a smirk on his face warns, but his eyes clearly say he's serious today. I dash forward using the wind to accelerate my movements, I slash forward in a diagnonal degree missing my target, Leon sswings his body left taking advantedge stabs downward towards my spine. I spin on the ball of my foot spining the blade in a reverse position in my hand and aiming for the hilt so I can knock it out of his hands. Leon steps back moving the blade away from my intended mark. "Improvement I like it but you're missing just one thing." As he says that, Leon dashes towards me unlike all the other times before. I breathe and focus all my power "he's moving to fast for me to see so lets do the same." Absorbing all the force I could from the air under my feet, I dash forward in the direction he was miving in, from moving at the same speed I was able to see him arcing my blade to catch his blow. A massive shock wave forms, and I get blasted back landing on my back then flipping to my feet. Leon taking advantedge dashes in to stab me in the gut, I step to my right and slam the hilt of my sowrd into his back effectivley slaming him to the ground. As he rolls to his back I point my sowrd to his neck. "What'd you think of that last move?" breathing hard, with a grin on my face feeling accomplished after one hundred and ten mock fights I finally end it; one and one hundred and eleven. I move my sowrd away and help Leon to his feet, "Ezra that was good, the last move you did taking advantedge of my over extension, and moving to the side you learned to use your enemies weakness aginst them; in a fight for life and death I proudfuly can say that you would've won." I let a giant smile escape and hold the back of my head. Leon waving his hand to head back to camp, I rush over behind him. As we get to camp Rebecca has a beautiful breakfast ready that just smelled A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. "You guys ready to eat?" she asks proud of what she made with the limited spices we had for the journey. "It's venison with chopped potatoes, carrots, and celery so you guys better eat up!" My eyes shoot up with excitement at the sound of the food. "Epic breakfst for an even more epic win today!" Rebecca shocked to hear that I won, looks over to Leon of confirmation. " Yep he beat me fair and square, and I was trying to kill him so, it's fair to say Ezra here should survive a fight." Leon smirking, as he fills his face with the stew, insanely hungry I follow suit and start to stuff my face. After we get done eating Leon starts to clean up the dishes, as Rebecca drags me off to do our archery training. Another startling fact I did not know was, that Rebecca was a huntress. Huntresses are this worlds ultimate bounty hunters; only one out of thirty actually survives its training from what I know. They're main talents involve the bow, rumor has it that they're so good they can hit a pea off you're head from a distantce of hundred meters! We start with simple bow drawing, and stretches to make sure our muscles are nice, and warmed up. I grab my first arrow, place it on the bow string, looking down taking a deep breath I draw the bow the bow to full draw. Aiming at the target I realese POW! The arrow hit it's mark forcing the log to fall over. "Alright onto the true challenge." Rebecca yanks the arrow out of the log, and walks over behind a boulder placing it on the other side. Walking back over to me she gently places her hand on my back. "Alright now to see if all the meditation training we did comes to full use, I want you to focus on the arrow as it flies out and guid the arrow to it's mark ok?" As I look into her hazel eyes when she says that I see if I miss there clearly will be hell to pay. "Yes ma'am!" I grab the arrow out of her hand and aim stright. "Alright the log is one hundred and fifty meters to the right breathe feel the wind and become one with it." I closed my eyes, breathed deep placed the arrow on the bow string, and let out the breath. With my eyes still closed, I took a deep breath again drawing the arrow back to full draw aiming stright, not anywhere near the target. I breathed out realsing the arrow. As the arrow flies, I can sense the wind being cut by the arrow so I force the wind to guide the arrow to its target using the slices of the air that the arrow cuts to drag it along it's path POW! I open my eyes and Rebecca is looking at me with no expression "did I miss?" Asking nervously, thinking about the punishment she could inflict on me. "Let's go find out, and see what fate befalls you today." We walk over and to my joyous suprise I hit the log! A little high, but hey a hit is a hit! "I did it!" I jump screaming with joy. "Alright let's head back to camp, and hit the road before it gets dark." We left the training area and headed back to camp. We all packed up wagon and started our journey to the end of the valley, and the last stretch to Raigo. Leon with the reigns, me sitting next to him in the passenger seat, and Rebecca and Lorraine in the back with the canopy over them. " Man today is a great day what could go wrong?!" thinking to myself with my hand behind my head, my eyes closed, and a smile across my face. That's when everything flipped on it's head; a gush of wind comes from behind us, and the ground infront of us eruptes. I get tossed to the ground, the horse bucks and rears, Leon tries to take control, Rebecca grabs Lorraine to protect her from all the flying goods, and wear. I quickley get to my feet and see a horde of men infront of us; bandits and alot of them if I had to guess easily fifteen to twenty of them. All of which are holding swords, clubs, spears, and bows with arrows at the ready. One man comes forward of the horde of bandits wearing an iorn breastplate and sporting a steel great sword, he yells out " We are the Howlers!" proudfuly annoucing, "give us all of your goods,women, and children!" making a insane demand, Leon replies with retort that clearly says he wants a fight, "what, you guys to scarede to try and take us?" looking at me with a smile. "So Leon do we just not exist, or are they just to scared to acknowlede us; man what a bunch of bandits look like a group of chickens to me!" Looking at Leon with a smile on my face that says I'm ready. The provaction works flawlessly and enrages the bandits leader "KILL THEM NOW!" Both Leon and myself draw our swords. We charge forward meeting the bandits, with a blast of Leon's wind slash he cut's down four of the bandits at once. With my full speed rushing forward and my sword behind me I hop to a full stop, gathering all the force of the air I gathered as I was charging in, I swing the sword forward unleashing a massive strike of my own. Instantly cutting down three badits gravely injuring two, and knocking back two of them. The remaining bandits stop they're charge out of fear and terror and retreat back. As they are running for safety they're leader explodes with with an insane amount of energy, wind circling around him his body radiating a aura. "You cowards!" He shouts at the top of his lungs, causing the remaining bandits to stop behind him and watch as he steps forward. "I Ryu leader of the Howlers shall be your opponet!" Confidentley I step forward gripping my sword over my head preparing to unleash an attack. All the hours, the days, the weeks, all the months training were leading for this moment. I breathe in close my eyes and gather the air around me so I could gather, force the pressure, and place it in my sword. I open my eyes and unleash my attack "GALE SLASH!" Slamming my sword forward unleashing a devestating wave of wind that was tearing the ground behind it; racing towards Ryu. With no hesitation Ryu dashes to the left avoiding the attack allowing his subordinates to get hit with the attack instead immediatley eliminating the rest of the bandits. "Impressive attack now are you ready for mine?" with a grin he grips his massive great sword imbuing with the same pressure as I did he unleashes his attack. With a wave of wind so fast that I couldn't see I imbue my sword with a shield of air hoping to block it. The attack slams into my sword sending me flying into a boulder causing me to cough up blood, "ugh" I let out and fall unconcious. Angered and filled with rage Leon makes a mental note to scold Ezra later, with a smug laugh Leon looks to Ryu, " looks like I have to teach my stupid apprentice the value of not underestimating his opponet; you were a soldier weren't you?" looking directley at Ryu. " What gave it away?" Ryu looking at Leon as if it was, a lion looking at his next meal. "The amount of energy you gave off and the fact that you actually had an aura, tells me you were trained and more then likely in the army at one point or another in you miserable existence." Ryu caught by surprise from what Leon told him this fight now is not going to be an easy one. Leon closes his eyes and a small circle of a dust cloud starts to form around him with his eyes instatnly opening the dust cloud explodes and Leon is engulfed in aura similar to Ryu. "As you can see I'm trained to." Leon sheaths his sword and takes a stance. "Scared? Dont worry I'll kill you quick!" Ryu announces to Leon as he begins to charge forward. Leon focusing on the air pocket inside the sheath caused by the sword causing a vaccum effect, gripping his blade tight and firm he pulls the blade out and as he does unleashes an attack "EAGLE DASH" using the vaccum effect slashing towards Ryu. The attack was so fast it was breaching the sound barrier, with hesitation Ryu reinforces his legs with air pressure from the wind to jump and avoid the attack. As the attack misses Ryu, it slams into the side of the cliff causing part of the wall to explode. Ryu hitting the ground stops for a second to brush off the debris from himself. " There's only one person I heard of able to pull an attack off like that; you're red eagle of Locton the former captain of the elite guard in Raigo aren't you." Shocked to hear that name Leon let of a grin one that wasn't from over confidence, but of joy that he knows now he has a true adverary. "Now that's a name I haven't heard in a long time, how do you know it?" Leon trying to see who his enemy truly is and get a real read of the danger in front of him. "You guessed right, I was a soldier I served for the imperial Eagle army, but the better question is what are you doing here everyone heard you died in the last war?" Leon shrugs with a smile on his face, "it's a shame I was just planning on taking your leg, but seeing as to how you know who I am I'm going to have to take your head instead." A shadow comes across Leon's eyes,as both Ryu and Leon begin begin concentrating they're energy causing the atmosphere in the valley to change, wind rushing all around, debris flying everywhere, Rebecca gripping and holding onto Lorraine to make sure she does not get injured from this fight. Ezra finally awakens to see these two monsters staring each other down, gripping his side Ezra begins to walk forward towards Leon. "Stay back you'll only get in my way!" Fully aware the diffrence in power between them Ezra acknowledged what his master says and sits, watching bareing witness to the battle about to unfold. Both Leon and Ryu dash forward at incredible speeds clashing sword aginst sword, metal aginst metal. Each clash unleashes a blast of wind, shock waves follow with tremendous force. Witnising every kick, punch, a slash here, followed by a stab Ezra's mind goes to the thought of seeing master painters, each slash a stroke of his brush, each attack filled with a beauty he could not describe. Ryu and Leon lock swords, with no hesitation pushes off Leon with a blast of wind. Sending Leon flying into th wall of the cliff. Arrogantly walking over to finish off Leon Ezra gets a flash back of his fathers death. Ezra screaming, "no..I WILL NOT REPEAT THE PAST!" Ezra reaches deep within himself, like he would do when the family were asleep training on drawing out the lightining and mastering it. With a charge of his energy the atmosphere changes around the sky darkens over the valley, winds blowing like that of a thunder storm blow through the valley, the air charged with electricity as if you are standing underneath the spot where a bolt of lightning is about to strike. Ryu confused as to what is happening he stops his march to kill off Leon and looks towards Ezra. "There's no way." Sounding shocked and terrified as to what he is seeing, Ezra's body begins to glow, then CRACK bolt of lightning crashes into Ezra clading him in a pure energy of lightning. Everyone staring in complete shock and utter disbelief; Leon staring completley caught off guard, Rebecca filled with shock, while holding Lorraine who is still screaming from the blast of ligtning all witnessed the true power of Ezra. Ryu turns to Leon, " are you serious he's a variant and not just any variant a lightning variant?!" Leon shrugs at Ryu question, "I just thought he was some dumb rookie adventurer with an intersiting past didn't know this" Ryu turns away from Leon and turns his attention towards Ezra, "this doesn't change anything you're still a rookie with no skill, I'll kill you, and this whole family and claim the bounty!" Fully charged up with lightning Ezra takes in everything Ryu just said and used it to fuel his rage. With the darkest demenor Ezra asks a question, "ready to die?" Looking straight at Ryu. As Ezra steps forward lightning cracks across the sky, followd by the loud bang of thunder. Ezra's hand bursts with lightning, raising his hand and facing his palm forward aiming right at Ryu. For the first time in his life Ryu felt actual fear, fear so strong it made his legs shake, sweat rolled down his cheak. "Who the hell is this guy!" Ryu thought to himself, as if he was facing aginst a monster from legends. Ezra shouts "THUNDER BOLT!" Unleashing a massive wave of lightning at Ryu. As the bolt flies at incredble speeds the ground under it completley seared racing towards Ryu. With his instincts screaming to dogde Ryu uses the air under his feet to launch himself into the air dodging the attack blowing away the wall of the cliff. Where that wall once stood now is a smoldering hole, both Leon and Ryu staring at the hole with complete and utter disbelief. Leon compleley aware and shocked of the situation, looks at Ezra seeing the darkest demenor he has ever seen on the boy. Ezra stares at Ryu who is preparing for another attack, gripping his great sword gathers all the wind and air around his blade slashing and unleashing his attack "HOWLING SLASH!" With a blast of his attack hurdling towards Ezra calmly allows the lightning to enter his body slowing time, Ezra leaps towards Ryu compleley dodging his attack and getting behind him. Pulling his own sword over his head, Ezra unleashes his attack "THUNDER DRAGON!" Leon helpless sits there watching this wave of lightning evolve from a wave to a full fledeged dragon. With a roar the attack slams into Ryu cleanly cleaving him in half. As Ryu's body hits the ground the Ryu's previous attack slams into the wall of the valley. Ezra hits the ground with a force causing the ground to explode under him. Leon tries to get up and help Ezra, but as he does the atmosphere changes to what it was before the fighting began, and Ezra walks forward holding onto his side then collapses. The last thing Ezra see's is Leon running towards him. Ezra awakens in the wagon with Lorraine holding his shirt asleep. It is night time and the fire outside is still going, Ezra with out waking Lorraine steps outside. "So you're a variant huh?" Leon by the fire watching the fire dance across the logs and sparking up. "How long have I been out?" Leon staring right at me with a look to say was if a predator was studying his prey. "two days and don't dodge the question, why didn't you tell us you were a variant." Looking to the ground I knew it was time to tell the whole truth to Leon. So I did, Leon sat there watching the fire absorbing the whole story of how I awakened a lightning user, my fathers death, and my sisters betrayel. "Man you've had it pretty rough huh; going from the clans joke to being hunted by the whole clan, I'm sorry kid." I look down at my feet, and for the first time I began to cry "WHY?!" I screamed l kicking the ground. "This isn't fair everywhere else spec are revered, why am I diffrent?!" Looking to Leon for answers. "Bcause of our ancestors, there was a hidden war between lord Shu and Lord Indra, you're a decndent of lord Indra that's why." Even more infuriated I scream out, "what does that have to do with me a stupid war with our stupid ancestors, what does that have to do with me?!" Leon staring me in the face calmly grabs my shoulders and brings me in for a hug; of which it only makes me cry even more. "Being a decendant of Indra is a instant death sentence in these lands no matter what clan you hail from be; it Eagle, or Wolf the bounty for you guys is dead, or alive and the pay out is massive trust me." sobbing into his chest I grab onto him and cry out more. "This isn't fair, I was litteraly the weakest member our clan!" from which the tears were unstoppable and I crash to my knees, Leon picks me up and sits me on the log. " Allow me to tell you what only a select few know, and what more than likely truly caused your father to desert in the first place."