Chapter Five

Love brews when fate cooks...

"My girl should be ready in two cresce or less. I have gained her full confidence, and by my prediction, she wouldn't let us down."

"I believe in your judgment just like I believe in your power. Get her prepared, and we shall see."

"Yes, Superior."

"My advice for you, Nyla, is that when you put all your faith into a person, be ready to be disheartened."

I still haven't gotten used to his ancient discourses which perturbs my conscience. It's humorous how he is always right.

"I am totally prepared for the consequences. Lest I fall, I arise again."

The Superior grunted and vanished.

Shyva blew air from her lips, surprised at how difficult it was to be a new person with all she had learned from the overseer.

Breathe! Breathe! You can do this. She spoke to herself repeatedly like a mantra.

Her thoughts were directed to the tutor on defense mechanisms.

All sisters queued with ten on each column. All are at attention with eyes forward and hands placed on the other to form an 'X' behind them.

"No one should know of your weaknesses at this point in your training and even after. You wear your weakness; you wear a death necklace."

All ladies listened attentively to the short genetically enhanced pure blood Rego. Half human, half reptili, it walked on two feet, had fingers the length of talons, and had a large face that never wore a smile.

"Weaknesses like anger…"

That's me. Shyva sighed.

"… greed, indecision, lack of vision, lack of cooperation and being ill-equipped. Know when enough is actually enough. Learn to control your emotions and hormones. Forget grudges when you are on a mission, or you put everyone at risk."

"Understood?"

"Understood Master Chynevorachlina."

"Very well then. Shyva and Ona begin your fight."

The other sisters left the combat room to watch from the surrounding glass.

Chynevorachlina snapped his hands, alerting the experts to change the room's scene into the virtual reality of a Siterese. Nyla watched from her abode, holding her chin between her thumb and index finger.

"Heighten your hearing, sight, smell, and touch. This you must use to discover yourself."

"Ona was nowhere within Shyva's location in the Siterese."

They could hear the tutor's voice like he was present in the Siterese himself: "Fight, and whoever wins according to what was being taught today shall wear the medallion of the ancient emblem of Sivatus, the very first woman overseer.

The simulation looked as accurate as it appeared, Tenasus flying in flocks and their red-scaled wings reflecting as they were touched by Sona's rays.

Shyva was still lost in the beauty of the Siterese. She turned around admiring the many colours of flowers and leaves and the beauty of nature she had never seen aside from Master Chi's large field called the 'The Garden of Solemnity.'

"Concentrate." The tutor's voice came as a shriek; Shyva wasn't uncertain. He was referring to her misguided attention.

Shyva had been trained for many years, just like the others. They always tread carefully when advancing a faux foe or a prey. Immediately, the Siterese was quiet: without the sounds of insects, the flapping wings of the Tenasus, or the loud croaks of the Anupluva.

Shyva had a gut feeling Ona had to be near. Her movement had caused the black sand of the Siterese to implode, and a humongous creature emerged. Shyva leapt, climbing to the nearest tree, holding her weight, and disguising herself from the beast.

Shyva had never seen or studied such a creature before.

Chynevorachlina's voice resonated throughout the Siterese: "Ancient Mudala: Large tail; length of seven hundred monilyres; width of a hundred monilyres; limbs armoured and impenetrable; body hardened by daily moult; saliva acidic and can melt aurium. For the wise, people who have much in common, even foes have to overcome a greater evil before conquering the smaller."

Shyva blinked with a slight tremor overruled by bravery.

The creature groaned aloud. Ona hid amongst the green creeping parasitic plants, her face painted with juice extracted from the Silius root, which Master Chi had taught caused cryptic resemblance to plants.

Shyva and Ona had to work together to defeat a bigger foe. The leaves where Ona hid rustled, exposing her. The creature sensed her presence and lashed out its tail, throwing her afar. Its speed was limited due to its weight.

Shyva noticed one of its weaknesses. The simulation caused so much pain as when in the physical world. The creature moved towards Ona. Shyva watched for any other weakness.

They were warned, "Remember you can't do this alone. It takes two to defeat one this time."

Shyva descended the tree and hurried faster to pull Ona away from the creature as they leapt to the same tree.

"Ilenivia." Ona cursed, denying how well she would have failed hadn't been rescued by Shyva's intervention. "Have you thought of how to kill this thing?" she asked harshly.

Shyva disliked Ona because she was always impatient and sought quicker ways to fulfill tasks that never yielded good results.

"Still searching."

"It's slow…" Shyva mentioned focusing on the creature.

"And?" Ona rolled her eyes like Shyva's words weren't helping.

Shyva focused on the creature, "See, see." She shrieked.

"What is it?" Ona enquired.

"It's blind. Chynevorachlina never told us it's blind. It's more attracted to sounds made. That's why it attacked you because it heard, not saw."

Ona was shocked, "what do you propose?"

"Since all parts are leathery or scaled, we should attack from the eyes."

"You must be mad. Its saliva is like lava."

"I know, so we tread carefully. I land on it gently, and you distract it. My weight compared to its size would be unnoticed at first. Then I gouge its eyes and plant explosives within them."

"Very well then. I will be a bait, and you will be a conqueror."

"Our goal is to kill it, or it kills us literally." She shook her head.

"Hm! I never knew anything lay in there." Ona pointed to Shyva's head, "Except for a raging bull."

Shyva didn't take it well, so she ignored it.

"Now!"

Shyva snuck behind the creature as quietly as possible, avoiding twigs and fallen leaves. She crept upon the creature till she was on its trunk while it munched decayed white sporogia.

Vigilant as it was, Ona created a distraction, making it head towards her. Shyva had to grip to its lateral spines as support while she moved towards its head. As Shyva was about to head for its eye, sensing her presence on its back, it rose on its hind leg. Shyva leapt to grip its horns at both sides of its head while she gouged out its thin eye, pulling it out and the tissues connected to it. The creature tossed and turned, throwing Shyva's legs up and about. Its saliva spilled upwards, and some drops burnt her leather gloves. 

Shyva lost her grip on the left horn after the gouging and had to reach for it to prevent falling to her death. She had explosives pulled out from her holster as she grasped one long horn with both hands. She pulled herself upwards and planted the explosives into the hole of the eye socket. Saliva spilled again, but she prevented it from making contact with her apparel.

Ona, who was no longer an object of distraction, thought of how to help Shyva as it looked almost impossible the task Shyva had taken upon herself.

Shyva implanted the explosives, but one dropped, and the saliva dropped on it. Immediately she sighted it, she jumped on the ground, rolling over without planning it, and then an explosion followed.

Shyva screamed in pain as her face had cuts and bruises. The creature was blasted into bits. Shyva tried getting a hold of herself; her sight was impaired and slightly concussed. Ona stared over her face with a dagger in her hand.

Seriously, Ona, I just killed something you couldn't.

"What! You look surprised; you didn't think I'd be ready when you killed that thing."

"I can't- even uhh…" she said between breaths, "Give me time."

"Time!!"

Shyva kicked Ona with both legs, knocking her off balance. Her limbs were retracted and thrust forward to make her stand.

Ona was angered, cleaning her bloody lips from the fall on the ground. She stood in an instant, and the fight began. Shyva was losing strength from conquering the creature, but she had to finish this.

Shyva assessed her opponent: anxiety, viciousness, quickness, and lack of coordination. Shyva needed to finish it with haste before her strength eluded her. Shyva began removing every weapon that weighed on her. 

"Very well," Ona said, dancing on her feet impatiently while watching her dumb move. Shyva removed her belt as the only object of defence and attack.

"Thank goodness no firearm today." Shyva said aloud, "Just knives, explosives, and ourselves."

They circled themselves; Ona held the hilt of her dagger, gripping it, almost bruised her palm. She moved forward, flashing her blade, but with no direct attack,

Shyva pulled backwards at such an immediate show of power. Ona came again, and Shyva lashed her belt to Ona's hand, and then her blade dropped to the ground. Ona cursed at the pain. Shyva lashed at her legs, wrapping its length around them and pulling her. Shyva pounced over her, uncoiling the belt from her legs and forming a leash around her neck.

"Siquadus." Ona cursed, spitting in her face.

Shyva controlled her anger. If she had issues controlling her anger, she would have knocked out two of her teeth with her forehead, but she stared at her sister and remembered the overseer's words first, then Chynevorachlina's words.

"That was astute, Shyva. You have learned to control your anger." Chynevorachlina announced.

The Siterese was gradually replaced with the white combat room it once was. Her sisters applauded with amazement at how Shyva had gotten better overnight. They gave her a standing ovation. Ona bowed reluctantly as the failure to Shyva, and Shyva bowed with tire as the winner.

Shyva had never felt better and full of ambition at how well she handled the matters of the day.

More days had passed with Shyva's rigorous training. She frequently practiced alone to better her anger management and her thoughts as an individual. While Sula passed the combat room after lunch, she sneered, "As such energy wasted upon coordination. She's better these days. I miss her as a vicious Fuccana."

Sula humphed, walking away unescorted by her dogs.

Shyva took advantage of every day to write down the activities of her day and her emotions on her tablet.

Every day, I feel harder on myself, like I am looking for something within myself. But what do I seek? Like Nyla said, I can only seek this myself. I still want to see the face of the other man I once saw. It feels like a connection, but I might be delusional…

Dusk was drawing near, and all the sisters were summoned immediately after meditation to welcome guests. Each sister bowed their heads at the convey pit as many men, a few years older, descended from the tongue dropped from the tail of their air vessel.

They were all well-armoured, muscled, and breath-taking. A few sisters chuckled and whispered as the men passed, not glancing at them.

The commander of the Dome announced, "As you are shocked, you may be the only ones of existence, but just another life lies outside the Dome. The world called Blood Veil, whose inhabitants are male warriors just like you are females."

Vermeen sat in Nyla's office, convincing her that his best warrior fights with her best. Nyla saw no harmful intention and ordered Shyva to fight Vakiyv.

At the last hour, she was informed she would be fighting one of the Red Lords. It was apparent Nyla held her in high regard. Every scholar was summoned to the combat room to watch the fight. Shyva waited impatiently for her opponent. She was grateful she had made quick judgments and mastered the little she could of the bodies of all who had descended the vehicle.

Her opponent had finally arrived, and Shyva wondered when he descended the vehicle like the others. She hadn't noticed him. His face was covered, only his eyes revealed. All parts of his body were covered as well.

She stared at him and knew his whitish pupils were familiar. Memories came flooding, but she wasn't given much time. He knocked her off balance with his first blow.

"Iritivenor." She cursed as she almost fell. His hood hid a smirk he wished she could see.