Training (Part 2)

One hour later.

The five training Adventures climbed up through the valley, to the tallest peak in the Kingdom. They climbed past rocks, through trees, over boulders, and around short ditches. Eventually, they reached the top. A short cliffside that looked over the Kingdom. They each sat staring, eating their lunch, and looking over the vast lands of the world.

Tenosu pointed to another tall peak in the far off distance.

"That is the tallest peak. In all of the world." (Tenosu)

Pon looked up. He took a bite from his peanut butter sandwich and stared out into the distance.

"Isn't that where the Great Shrine is?" (Pon)

Gilbert leaned in, remembering a story about the Great Shrine.

"My Grandmother once told me a story about the Great Shrine. That if you climb to the peak you will gain eternal youth." (Gibert)

Joshua leaned in.

"Did you say eternal youth?" (Joshua)

"It's an old legend. When the sun meets the moon at the tallest point in all the four lands an old monk will grant you the power of eternal youth." (Gilbert)

Gen sat up and listened in on the story. Axel stared out into the sky watching the white puffy clouds sway past.

"Once you reach the peak the old monk will give you a riddle to solve. I think it goes..." (Gilbert)

He recalled the riddle his Grandmother told him.

"The more you take, the more you leave behind. What am I?" (Gilbert)

Pon, Gen, and Joshua all pondered the riddle.

"Is it regret, like you regret something so... No no that doesn't make sense." (Pon)

"Your thinking too figuratively, think more literally." (Gilbert)

Gen stepped up to the challenge.

"Is it a broken bucket, because it drips?" (Gen)

"No no, think harder." (Gilbert)

Joshua thought the hardest, his head split in two, he reached for the summit and came up with an answer.

"Footsteps! Are they footsteps?" (Joshua)

"Correct." (Gilbert)

"Nice one." (Gen)

"I was close." (Pon)

"Not really." (Gilbert)

The group finished up their lunch and headed off on the rest of their journey. They traveled up and down, crossing the mountains peaks, and rivers until they came across a steep decline.

"Our destination. Is through these. Trees." (Tenosu)

Tenosu pointed through a large bundle of trees littering a steep dirt slide leading down to a small cave. Pon immediately jumped in, sliding down the dirt, around the trees and bushes, landing in a perfect formation. Gen and Joshua slowly climbed the dirt hill as Gilbert forcefully strolled past using his own body-weight to counteract gravity. Tenosu magically appeared at the bottom.

Everyone was at the bottom. Gen looked in all directions. Up, down, around.

"Where did Axel go?" (Gen)

Everyone looked up the hill but Axel was nowhere to be seen.

"Did anyone see him go down-" (Gilbert)

"Slowpokes." (Axel)

His voice echoed from inside the cave.

"When did he get there?" (Pon)

"I didn't even see him move?" (Gilbert)

"That guy's weird." (Joshua)

"I know, but he's also strong." (Gen)

Tenosu entered the cave, the rest followed closely behind. He lit a small lantern and placed it on the wet stone floor. Axel turned around unamused and confused.

"Old man, there's nothing in here?" (Axel)

"This cave is known. For its odd effect. With Harmony." (Tenosu)

"What does it do?" (Pon)

"Everyone. Take out your. Conduits." (Tenosu)

Everyone took out their Conduits. Axel slowly strolled back, touching the low ceiling and cold wet walls.

"Now channel your. Harmony." (Tenosu)

Everyone tried their best to channel their Harmony. Gen through her scepter, Joshua through his picture frame, Pon through his bronzed inc pen, and Gilbert through his engraved sword.

No one could release their Harmony.

Tenosu turned to Axel.

"You too. Axel." (Tenosu)

"Huh... Um... Fine..." (Axel)

Axel held out his hand. He tried to push out the Harmony but nothing happened. He looked at his palm, he closed his eye, opened it again. It felt clogged like all the holes had been plugged up and are squeezing to be released.

He tried harder and harder but nothing came, nothing happened.

"It's not working." (Axel)

"This cave. Restricts all Harmony." (Tenosu)

Tenosu pulled out a small wooden sword from his robes. He pointed it at the ground. He channeled his Harmony through it. Sparkles of blue starlight fell from the tip.

"However. If you are strong enough. You will be able. To pass through." (Tenosu)

He looked at the group as they struggled to create a single glimpse of Harmony.

"You have four hours. Learn to channel Harmony. Not create Harmony. Control it." (Tenosu)

He left the cave.

Axel closed his left eye. He thought of the feelings, the void, the darkness in his head. Gabriel appeared.

"Help me with the Harmony." (Axel)

"Nope. The Harmony is your own to control. Not mine." (Gabriel)

Axel looked with a fierce gave.

"Then tell me." (Axel)

Gabriel laid back.

"I will... I will tell you. This cave you are in is cursed. It restricts the output of Harmony and Conduit control. That old man is trying to teach you how to control your Conduit and Harmony so you can make Harmony work not flow meaninglessly." (Gabriel)

"But how do I do it?" (Axel)

"So far you have been walking around willy nilly with no goal in mind. Even when you first used Harmony it was in a huge burst of power without any thought or control. When you fought that old man the other day you were able to control it but not to a degree of being able to understand what you were doing. You understand?" (Gabriel)

"No. But, I got the gist. First I didn't have a goal. Now I have a goal. Now I need to make a plan." (Axel)

"That's basically it." (Gabriel)

Axel opened his left eye. He reached out his hand and pointed with one finger. He pointed and pointed. He focused his left eye on the exact area to where he was pointing. He focused harder, looking, staring. His silver eye glowed. A short white spark illuminated from the point on the stone wall to where he was looking. He stared and stared. The small white spark glowing brighter and brighter before disappearing into a sliver of white smoke.

"Wooah! Axel what was that?!" (Pon)

Pon rushed over staring at the wall where Axel used his Harmony. The wall now inverted, the color pale and bleached.

"Was that Harmony? What's your Conduit? Is it actually your eye?" (Pon)

Axel looked away. He looked at the spot on the wall. He looked at Pon.

"Yeah." (Axel)

"Cool cool! Now teach me how to do it!" (Pon)

"Um... No." (Axel)

"Come on man! I'm not good at this Harmony stuff. This pen isn't really a Conduit. I just stole it from my Dad's workshop." (Pon)

Axel turned away before being pulled back by Pon.

"Please! Pretty please!" (Pon)

He looked at Pon's sincerity. His need to get better, to grow. He saw something underneath. Was it the goodness of heart, something more? Or was it a past memory, a past feeling, or a past event? All he knew was that Pon was sincere, and he liked sincere.

"Fine." (Axel)

---

Four hours later.

Axel at alone on the outside of the cave. He stared at the glowing inside, the warm flicker of Harmony. He sighed leaning back on the half-destroyed log he was sitting on. He turned to Tenosu.

Tenosu appeared from thin air.

"The preparations. Are ready." (Tenosu)

Axel looked up with a nod and a roll. He turned to footsteps echoing out of the cave.

Gen was finished.

"I'm done." (Gen)

Soon Gilbert was walking out with his hands sizzling. Pon walked out third, his face covered in dust and smokey ash.

Five more minutes passed.

The sounds of splashing and waves erupted from inside the cave. Everyone turned to Joshua as he walked out dripping wet and soaked from head to toe.

"What happened Joshua?" (Gen)

"I don't want to talk about it." (Joshua)

---

Back in the Kingdom of Halabatra. Hundreds of people gathered in the center square of the market district. They looked up to the sky, a red cross hung the highest it could be, blood dripping into buckets and tubs below. At the sight of the horrifying display, some screamed in fear, trying to hide the sight from their children's eyes, while others cheered in happiness and excitement for the future of the Kingdom.

It was all in unison, the collective eyes on a single man, a single dead man. The King of the once old Albatra hung high in the sky, dead, dripping, a corpse for all to see.

Slowly a single man covered in shiny silver and gold stood up on a small podium that sat underneath the cross. He pulled out a long scroll.

"To all the citizens of Albatra, as you have probably heard, the King of Albatra is dead and his Holy Knights have fled across border lines. This event was as such, a coup d'état by the Guild of this very nation. And so with no living children or grandchildren left from the previous King's lineage, the Guild/Grand Master has decided to take up the mantel of King of Albatra. Furthermore, this rule/law can not be disordained for any reason whatsoever and has therefore been passed as legislation across the entirety of the nation and all its ruling territories. " (Royal Speaker)

The Royal Speaker shuffled down the long speech.

"And for his first act as King, the Grand Master Reinin Tin has declared the Kingdom of Albatra be renamed the Kingdom of Halabatra." (Royal Speaker)