Chapter 8: Beginning of Training

"Where's Prince? I wanted to ask him about training?" "Oh he will be right back." Said Prince's sister-in-law. "Sorry about all this. Coming into your house and then needing to rest from a fever." "Its all good. I'm glad you are ok. Oh speaking of the devil here he is. Prince. Rhylie has something to talk to you about." "How you feeling Rhylie?" "I'm ok I think. I wanted to talk to you about when we are going to start my training." "Lets get you time to rest. In a few days we will see how you are then we will train ok?" "Yes sir. Did everyone go home?" "Yeah. They had some important business. Its just you, me, and the other Centaurs here." "Oh ok." "Lets get you back to my place and rest." "Sure." "Hey Sis. Thanks for all this. Sorry again." "Oh its not problem. I'm glad little Ez has a new friend." "Oh you made friends with Ezra?" "Yeah I did. Maybe after my training or on a day off he wanted me to meet his forest friends." "Yeah they are cute. That would be nice." "Oh can I sing here? Oh never mind. You put that spell on me to be safe." "I'm sorry once this thing with Nina is settled then I will take it off ok? After you clear the fog at your palace, I'm sure you will be able to defeat Nina then you can sing wherever and whenever you want." "Thanks prince."

A few days later I was well enough to start training. My father and siblings were there as well to help me. "Father do you know what was going on when I had the power? Was I scared or mad?" "You just found out Rhylie. I'm sure you were scared and confused. You were only trying to defend yourself, I'm sure." We were in an opened field away from people just in case. I closed my eyes and thought of some scary things. It didn't take me long to think about that thing that attacked me back at the forest where I was from. Then out of my hands became greyish black smoke. Thankfully it wasn't much. "Ok Very good. You got some smoke out. Now we are going to have you take the smoke away. We are going to teach you that. Right now." Said Sage. "Now what is the opposite of fear?" "Brave, Courage etc." I said. "Very good. Now what were you thinking about when the smoke came out? What did you fear?" "I thought about the creature in the forest that attacked me. Where we are from. I don't have a clue what it was and that is what scared me." "OK good. Very good. Now lets picture the creature again. Only this time face him. Be brave. I have an idea. Dad come here for a second." "What is it Sage?" He whispered in his dad's ear something and he said. "I will try. Even though I am an old man I am still an apprentice. I don't know how long or how good it will be." "OK Rhylie. Explain what is was that you saw before you were attacked." Said Sage. "Ok it was dark. There were 2 sets of eyes. Only one of them spoke. The one that attacked me had red eyes that was all I saw. It was red yes and a bunch of trees since it was a forest. Oh and they were In a cave." "OK sounds detailed enough. I know exactly where she was then at the time. Let me see what I can do." "Ok Rhylie. Dad is going to make a reenactment of what happened there. Remember to be brave and that its only an illusion it is not real ok?" Said Sage. "I-I will try." "Ready Rhylie?" I nodded. "Ok then." Father closed his eyes and said a spell then my whole scenery changed.

I walked through the forest like I did before and headed towards the gate. Then I heard a growling sound. "Who or what are you? I know you were the one who attacked me." "I am one of the few tiger humans left. I don't trust your kind. They are the ones that killed most of us off." "How can I make it so you can trust us again?" "Come to the forest and I will tell you. I won't hurt you this time. You are one of the few who even cared." "Do you know anything about my power?" "I do. You should be able to make this little bit go away. It doesn't look like its going to stay up much longer. Remember what I said." "Yes and thank you." Then the scenery changed and I said, "I'm ready now. Lets get this smoke cleared up." I went over to the little bit of smoke and cleared it. Then I felt a little lightheaded and almost fell but father caught me. "Very good Rhylie. Very good for your first time." Said father. "Can you walk?" "I think so." I took one step then my head felt lightheaded again. "I guess not." "Ok let me carry you." Said father. "Okay." I let father pick me up and he cradled me in his arms.

"Where are we going dad?" "We are going somewhere for you to recuperate faster." "Father I…." Then she fell asleep. He looked down to make sure she was still breathing and luckily she was. "We are almost there everyone! Lets hurry our pace." Said their father.

They finally got to their destination which was a place no one has seen before. He laid Rhylie on some straw with a blanket over her. "How will she get better faster here father?" Said Lily. "Just hang on and I will show you. There she should be comfortable now. You see this thing hanging above her?" "Yeah I do it's some sort of charm right?" Said Lily. "Yes it is a charm. To activate the charm, a wizard just needs to touch it. The bad thing about it, is that any wizard or female witch can. If an evil wizard does that person will get worse. If someone like me touches it well we will have to see." So their father touched the charm and it lit up. The light touched Rhylie and she floated in the air a bit. "Father what's happening to Rhylie?" said Lily. "She'll be fine. Looks like its working." Everyone found somewhere to sit waited to see what would happen.

After awhile her body was starting to lower. Father and the siblings went over and waited until her body fully went down on the straw. The light finally left and father checked her to make sure she looked and felt normal. "Well it doesn't look like anything thing is wrong. She is still breathing normally. We will see how she is doing mentally after she wakes up." Not long after he said that Rhylie was waking up.

"Hmm. Daddy?" "Yes I'm here Rhylie. How are you feeling?" She opened her eyes and felt her head. "I think I feel ok. I don't hurt anywhere. I just feel a little strange in my head. Did you use magic on me?" "Yes I did. Your probably not used to it that's why you feel weirder than normal." "I hope that's all it is. Hey father? I have business over at the castle where I was born. I need to meet someone in the forest. Its ok whatever attacked me won't again. I know what happened now." "Before you do that, lets get you better and a little more training done then we will take you there ok?" I nodded. "Sleep here for the night. We will leave in the morning."

The next morning it was time to head back and do some more training. "OK now since it was your first time it was to be expected. If you feel strange at all let us know ok?" Said Prince. "Yeah." "OK lets do this again. Think of something that scares you then face up to it." Said Sage. I closed my eyes and thought of the day I first got my powers. Then when I opened my eyes a little more fog than they wanted showed up. "Oops. Sorry. I will do my best to get rid of it." I closed my eyes and told my little self It would be ok. To be brave I will be brave. Then my hand sucked half of it up and I continued even if my nose bled. Finally it was done. Then Rhylie collapsed on the ground. "Rhylie! Rhylie?! Are you ok?!" said Sage in freight. She opened her eyes slowly. "Did I do it? Did I get rid of the Fog?" She said in a weak tone. "Yes. Yes you did." Said Father. She smiled then closed her eyes again. She was breathing heavily. "I think that's good for now. Lets let her rest for 2 days then train again." Said Prince. "Yes that is a good idea. Let me heal her first." Said father. He put his hand on her head and the blood disappeared. "OK now lets get her back to your place Prince." "Yeah good idea." This time Sage carried Rhylie and took her to Princes' house.

The next morning Rylie woke up. "Huh? Where am I? I thought I was training? Ah I feel strange." Then Prince walked in to check on her and saw her awake. "Rhylie good to see you awake." "Prince what happened to me? Last thing I remember I was training. Then next I'm here. How did I get back here?" "Breathe. Relax you are fine. You just over worked yourself and ending up with a bloody nose. How are you feeling right now?" "I feel strange. I don't know how. I don't know if it's a good strange or a bad strange. Is dad still here? I need to talk to him." "Yes he's here. He's supposed to check up on you pretty soon. Oh speak of the devil himself. Here he is. I will be in the next house down if you need me." "Thanks Prince. Hey dad. Oh Sage and Lily too." "Prince decided to let you rest for 2 days. How are you feeling?" "You said to let you know if I feel anything weird right?" He shook his head yes. "Well since I woke up I don't know how it feels strange. If its good or bad but I felt strange after I just woke up. How long was I asleep anyway?" "Since the training in the morning. So almost 24 hours. Also you said you wanted to go back to the forest where the flower castle is?" "Yes father I do. I have some business there. Do you know about the white tiger men? One of them live there and he was the one who attacked me before. He won't do it again. I can guarantee it. Do you know him?" "(Sigh) Fortunately I do. We used to be friends. I wonder if he still considers me one." Said father. "What about Sage and Lily?" "Oh we are going home. We got families. Be careful out there ok?" "Thank you, Sage and Lily. I will." So they left and it was just me and dad. "Lets get something to eat then we will head over ok?" "Yes father." So we ate our breakfast and told Prince what we were doing then we headed out.

I got Sparkles so we could ride there. Dad had gotten a horse to borrow. "How are you Blaze? You doing ok there?" I said. "Yeah I'm doing ok. I can make it there all right." "He'll be fine. He's strong." Said Sparkles. "I guess you would know him best Sparkles. You two are close." "W-well he is in a stall next to mine. We talk when we are bored." "Hehe cute. How far are we now father?" "A half a day away. Lets rest here." We had been riding for hours and now it was time to rest. "Blaze what do you like to eat?" "I like carrots and sugar cubes." Then Sparkles looked at him funny. "You do?" "Yeah why? Is that strange." "OK you two save if for the stalls." "Sorry Rhylie." "Its ok." Rhylies father was looking at her in awe. He enjoyed seeing her happy.

"Oh father. You know that strange feeling I told you about?" "Yes did you figure it out?" "No but Prince said he put a spell on my singing so I couldn't sing for protection from Nina. I have a feeling something about my singing is important to the castle and that somehow something broke the spell and I am able to sing now. I will try when we get there after we talk to the tiger man." "Good Idea Rhylie that is safer."

"Ok time to go again." I said. "Ready Sparkles and Blaze?" "Yes we are." They both said in Unison. I hopped on sparkles and father hopped on Blaze. "Ok father. Lets go. I remember this road now." So we rode a few hours more and we were finally at the gate.

"OK Rhylie. Lets be careful ok?" "Yes I know. I will be fine." We walked deeper in the forest and I finally got to the cave. "Hello sirs. Its me Rhylie again. I also brought my father."