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Shella kept on analyzing the stone in her hand. “So, let me get this straight. This tiny thing, is the reason why you have wings? You can fly with those things, right?” She turned the smooth white stone around and noticed a strange symbol. “What is this marking on the stone? What does it mean?”
“Slow down child. You like to think about everything all at once. Hmm. Yes, believe or not, that tiny stone in your hand is the key for you to summon your own wings. Take your time and take it all in. It is called the Aleeyah stone. The wings will look just like the ones I have on right now.” Grandfather Kiev took a pause, looked to the right over Shella’s shoulder because he had noticed something and continued. “That mark you noticed on that stone is the symbol and crest of the Aleeyah warriors. The symbol represents a word from the ancient Iniberan language, meaning ‘light’. ‘The light that shines bright within the darkness’.” Suddenly Grandfather Kiev started to roll up his right sleeve to reveal something on his arm. “I have the same symbol tattooed here on my arm. Only elites get this marking.”
Shella looked at his arm and then back at the white stone. “Oh. Interesting… ‘The light that shines…. within the darkness’.” Shella repeated what her grandfather said, meditating on his words. She could then hear something in the distance as soon as she said that. She prevents herself from turning her head in the direction of the sound.
“That is our hope, Shella. That one day light will prevail over the darkness…. It is time Shella.”
“Huh?” The mysterious sound in the distance made Shella zone out for a few seconds.
“It’s your turn now to use your own stone. And once you have it all set, you can start the bonding process. Well, once you figure out how to summon your wings of course just like me. When you do that, you’ll have your very own wings for combat.”
“Hmm. Combat. Okay, right. Annnnd…. How do I do that exactly?” Shella scratched her head as she held the stone.
“I’ll explain it to you child. First take that small stone in your hand and place it on the back of your neck.” Grandfather Kiev takes his index finger and puts the back of his neck. He then turns around and shows Shella his stone.
“Uhh… Okay. Like this?” Shella takes the small stone and places it on the back of her neck just like how Grandfather Kiev demonstrated. Right away a flash of light is emitted from the small stone and the stone instantly but gently digs itself into the surface of her skin. Grandfather Kiev chuckles the moment she did it. He could see Shella’s face. She could feel the stone gently digging itself into the back of her neck, into her skin. At first it was odd for her but soon she realized there was nothing to worry about. As soon as the stone was in her skin, she became amazed at the fact that she was no longer holding it against her skin. “Wha-what happened?”
“Haha…” Grandfather Kiev chuckles and continues to explain it to her. “You did it. The stone is now on the surface of your skin, like my stone. That…. That is the easy part. The hard part is yet to come. The bonding process still needs to occur.”
“Wait, I thought that was it. Was that not the bonding process?”
“Hehe… No my angel.” Grandfather Kiev crosses his arms and begins to chuckle. “I wish it were that easy! The bonding process is when you finally start getting used to using your wings. And as soon as you materialize them you must hurry and start using them immediately. Go ahead child, summon your wings now.”
“M-my wings? How?” She had no idea how to do it. “Is there some kind of password I need to say? Like pretty please or something.”
“No. Not at all. Just look at my wings. Think about it. Close your eyes and envision the wings on you. And they should appear instantly.”
“Okay, just think of wings?…. I guess. This is…. silly.”
“No Shella. It is not silly. It is your new weapon for combat. With your wings you can do many things. Sigh…. This new generation, they never take things seriously….. Go ahead. Think deeply about the wings and they will appear.”
“Sigh…. Sorry grandpa.” Shella didn’t feel up for the task. It was obvious something was distracting her, something else was on her mind. She still couldn’t get the incident with Alrin and Klairra out of her mind. She couldn’t stop thinking about how she told Alrin she just wanted to be friends. “I am thinking of a million things besides these wings right now. I am sorry, I cannot get myself to focus at the moment.”
“Do not worry Shella. I am patient with you. Things in this world need time. You cannot be expected to grasp it all in one go.”
“But that’s just it grandpa, we do not have time. I need to figure this all out before time runs out! I am stressed out, a complete mess because I am worried that time is going to run out. And….”
“The Dark One will find what he is looking for, right? That is what’s on your mind, am I correct?” Grandfather Kiev looked at Shella who was consumed by anxiety and stress.
“Yeah…” Her voice was just a faint whisper when she responded. She breathes in deep trying her best to clear her thoughts. She looked away from Grandfather Kiev’s eyes. “The whole world will be under his control and we…. And we once again will suffer like how we did during The Invasion. And it will all be my fault, because I did not train hard enough.”
“Shella, do not think that way. There is still plenty of time. And you are progressing very quickly. Sure, there may be setbacks, but even I went through hard times during my training. We are not perfect. And I do not expect perfection from you. I only expect your best. Every time you return to train, you prove to me that you want to be better. You have a drive to improve. You want to continue despite those setbacks. You’ve shown me your willing spirit, many times during our training sessions.” Grandfather Kiev clears his throat. “Now. Let us begin. Summon those wings of yours! Take your time. I can wait.”
“Right.” Shella nods. She needed to hear those words. It lifted her morale and helped her focus on the task at hand. She closed her eyes and imagined the wings on her and then she thought about her grandfather's wings and in that moment the stone activated and her very own wings materialized behind her.
“Excellent! You did it child!”
“Haha.” Shella gasped then laughed because she was overjoyed. She looked at her new wings. She was excited and fascinated over the fact that she was able to summon her wings so quickly.
That’s when Grandfather Kiev places both his hands around his mouth and begins yelling over Shella’s shoulder. “You can come out, we both know you're there!” From within the bushes Alrin popped his head out, with an embarrassed look on his face.
“Uhh…. Hi?” He waves awkwardly and continues watching from a distance. He gulps hard. Shella turned her head and looked back at Alrin with a serious face. She looked at him as if she was unimpressed. But inside she was freaking out. Alrin wasn’t expecting to be spotted, he just wanted to see Shella train. Shella and Grandfather Kiev knew that Alrin was there the entire time, roaming around in the bushes, unaware that he was making enough noise for them to notice. “Uhh… Umm…. I-I’ll just be going then, sorry to have interrupted you both.”
“Nonsense boy. Alrin, is it? You can stay! In fact, how about you come a little closer. You can watch Shella use her wings in combat for the very first time.”
“Uh.. Yeah, Alrin. My name's Alrin sir. Are you sure it is fine?”
“Oh great, he’s getting closer? I cannot believe this.” Shella looked down to the ground feeling embarrassment.
“Yes, of course it is fine! Shella does not mind. Right, Shella?”
“What!? Grandpa…. n-no, he can leave. Tell. Him. To. Go!” Shella raises her hands in protest. Begging her grandfather not to call him over.
“Huh? Why Shella? It’s just a boy from the village. It would be fun to have someone else's perspective. I want him to analyze your technique. And see how you can improve.”
“Grandpa! What does he know about any of this? He will not have anything to say without even knowing the first thing about being an Aleeyah warrior.”
“Child, remember when I told you I wanted to train others from this village to fight?” Shella thought about what he said, she swallowed hard as Alrin got closer. The last thing she wanted was to see him after she just told him earlier that she just wanted to be friends. It felt so awkward to watch him come over. It was fine for her when he was looking over at them discreetly in the bushes, but now she felt her heart racing in her chest. Her anxiety in her mind was building. She tries to breathe deep to help calm down her anxiety. This was the boy she fell in love with. There were so many emotions she was feeling all at once. Him being there could make things worse for her, especially after that incident with Klairra being fresh on their minds.
“How in the world did they even know I was here?” Alrin thought as he walked closer to them waving his hand awkwardly, showing the most uneasy looking smile he could possibly show. “Shella and her grandfather must be incredible warriors to have sharp senses like that.” Alrin saw her wings more clearly, at a much closer distance. He couldn’t believe it. “This is crazy. I’ve never seen something like this before. Is this what an Aleeyah warrior looks like? Wings, huh? …..Shella looks so….” Alrin was hesitant to get closer. It was awkward for him too. But he couldn’t resist following her to the training grounds and seeing what she was doing.
To him, Shella was so beautiful, unlike any girl he’s ever seen before. He knew it wasn’t just physical attraction. Although he couldn’t quite understand her fluctuating emotions and her way of thinking, he knew she had a kind heart. She was a hard worker and a gentle soul. A very intelligent girl that’s passionate and driven to overcome any obstacle that was in her way. He knew she was going through a lot lately, especially when he found out that her father and brother did not survive The Invasion.
Alrin desperately wanted to be there for her, to help her sort through her emotions. But every attempt felt almost impossible. It would result in an outburst or her not wanting to open up to him. He couldn’t understand why she kept pushing him away even though he could feel small subtle attempts of her trying to pull him closer. These mixed messages, this tug of war, was frustrating at times for Alrin. Shella had her reasons not to try and become attached to Alrin. Her fears and anxiety of losing him was always on her mind. The more distant he was the better, just so she wouldn’t suffer the thought of losing him too, just like her family.
“Alright, that’s close enough Alrin. You can watch us from there, at a safe distance. I’m sure you know who I am.”
“Uhmm yes sir. Your Shella’s grandfather, Kiev. Iron Wings Kiev, if I’m not mistaken.”
“Iron Wings…?” Shella looked at Alrin then back at her grandfather. She had never heard before about any of her grandfather's Aleeyah warrior days.
“Hmm, yes. You must have heard those stories of my early years as an Aleeyah warrior from the Wise Ones. I believe they may exaggerate a thing or two when they talk about my journeys.”
“The stories they tell are incredible. If they are true, you are a very seasoned warrior and a skilled tactician.” Alrin smiles because as a child he would always hear the long tales that the Wise Ones of the village would tell.
“I’m not the best. There were always others much more capable than I could ever be. But those days are long behind me now. I’m not the man I used to be. I have to face the fact that the new generation needs to step in and take over.” Grandfather Kiev turns to face Shella. “Shella, let's put your wings to the test. After you summon them for the very first time, it is necessary to immediately test it, if not the wings will never sync to your mind. This is what we consider the bond.”
“Alright grandpa, I’m ready.” Shella nods.
Grandfather Kiev points his index finger up to state the rules. “Full fight this time. This is not a sparring session, so no holding back, alright? Do not be afraid to hit me with everything you got. I can handle it. Now. Let’s dance.” Shella smiles confidently and tries to ignore that Alrin was standing a close distance away watching her every move.
“Shella’s going to fight with those wings on?” Alrin was getting excited. He had only seen Shella practicing and doing short sparring sessions before with her grandfather, never a full fight.
“Here we go!” Grandfather Kiev focused his energy, pumping himself up for the match. He started the battle first by spreading his wings and charging forward towards Shella. He starts with a short sprint forward then it turns to full on running toward her.
Shella prepares herself by positioning her body in a battle stance and anticipating whatever move he is going to try.
“Okay, judging by his movements he's going to….. punch!”
He knew when to hold back and exactly how much power to use against her. He was a seasoned warrior after all. So he wasn’t going to completely overwhelm her but instead gauge how she is doing and adjust his power accordingly. He starts by throwing a few punches. Making it extremely predictable what he was going to do next, making sure that every single moveset was telegraphed clearly.
He wanted Shella to feel comfortable predicting his moves. It was important that Shella was able to read every movement of his body. As a warrior she would need to read people. Not just their intentions, facial expressions and body language but also every battle move that they were about to do based on probability, skill, and their movements alone.
Shella manages to hold her own by blocking every punch he throws at her. He kept getting more and more aggressive pushing her back with each punch. Shella grits her teeth as she deals with every punch thrown at her, every impact kept hitting her arm as she blocked each one successfully. That’s when she realizes that he was doing the same thing over and over again to force her to think about her next move. She knew she couldn’t block forever.
“Okay. How about this!” Shella quickly tries to sweep her grandfather’s feet to try and prevent him from moving forward. She knew she needed to stop him from pushing her back with more punches, slow down his momentum, and get him to fall to the ground but that was a mistake. He immediately jumps up because it was obvious she was about to sweep his legs and he uses his wings to glide gracefully past her. He lands a few feet behind her in a graceful fashion.
She turned and looked at him in amazement. “Whoa. That was incredible. He can fly.”
“Shella! Focus girl!” He runs up to her at blinding speeds as she snaps out of it after admiring his ability to fly. He continues his barrage of punches. “You did a good job with the sweep, but your move was too predictable, child! Try something else, like this.” He quickly boosts the difficulty by using his wings to thrash at her left and right.
“Ahhhhh, I don’t know how to move the wings just yet, grandpa!” She tries blocking both his punches and the thrashing from the wings.
“You just have to use your mind. Think about it!”
“I cannot!” Too many thoughts are floating in Shella’s mind in order for her to keep up. Her grandfather kept at it, punching and thrashing, pushing her back each time. He finishes his combo of punches by suddenly twirling around, jumping up in the air and kicking her straight in the chest, pushing her a few feet away, straight down to the ground. Although the wind was knocked out of her, Shella immediately gets back up like nothing happened. She grits her teeth and pumps herself up, preparing her body for what’s going to happen next.
“Oh man, that was a big hit.” Alrin was impressed with Shella. “How could she get back up from that so quickly?” She got up and dusted herself off like it was nothing. She still had that serious look on her face trying her best to stay focused.
“Try to thrash with your wings like I did, child!”
“I’ll try but I do not know how to control these things just yet.” Shella was starting to breathe hard but placed herself back into her battle stance. She kept placing doubts in her head. She wasn’t sure if she could accomplish what her grandfather wanted her to. Grandfather Kiev once again took the initiative and went on the offensive charging forward toward her ready to throw another aggressive punch.
Shella grabs his fist and rotates her body in the direction of the punch, both evading and thrusting her grandfather's body away from her in an almost effortless manner. However, Grandfather Kiev used his wings to stop his feet in its tracks, putting a halt to his momentum. He quickly turns around, repositions his footing, and body slams Shella back. Shella slides back and can be seen breathing hard. She places her hand over her chest. The impact of the body slam almost knocked her off her feet, but she remained standing.
“Think Shella, think about your wings. Do not just fight me like it is a normal fight! Try and envision the wings as being an extension of your body. Make them help you in combat.”
Shella was getting frustrated, she tried her best to think about the wings, but kept looking over at Alrin each time her mind drifted off.
“Come on, come on, Shella. You got this. You can do it.” Alrin looked over at her. She made eye contact with him and then looked back at her grandfather.
“I have to… I have to do this. But… what if I cannot?” Shella started to talk to herself, taking a deep breath. She got into position. “I have to think about these wings. Think… think….” Shella kept trying to force herself to think about the wings and how she could use them. Once again her grandfather yells out and grits his teeth and charges full force at her.
“Here I come once again! You better get ready Shella!” Grandfather Kiev runs at an incredible speed, much faster than before. It was so fast Alrin could hardly keep up with how quickly her grandfather was running.
“Whoa! Did he just get faster!” Alrin spoke out loud. He was amazed at how skilled Shella’s grandfather was. Shella was not fazed by Grandfather Kiev’s almost blinding speed. She had witnessed before in their many sparring sessions just how fast he could really go.
“Get READY! This is going to hurt!” As Grandfather Kiev charges forward toward Shella, he jumps up in the air before reaching her. With his wings he glides down with his right fist out, getting ready to punch Shella directly in her chest.
Shella could sense the power behind this punch and she knew it wouldn’t be a painless impact if she got herself hit with it directly. Suddenly like second nature, Shella’s left wing began to fold in front of her, covering her chest defensively. Her grandfather’s punch connected with its target as soon as he got close enough from his downward dive in mid air. However, Shella’s wing got in front of the punch, blocking and absorbing the full impact of the blow.
“Unbelievable, Shella did it!” Alrin could see that Shella finally used her wing to block the powerful punch.
“I did it? This cannot be…. I-I do not believe it.” Shella stood there in shock as she watched the wing spread itself back out behind her. Shella’s heart was racing in her chest. Her adrenaline was pumping. She couldn’t believe she just blocked his attack by using one of her wings.
Grandfather Kiev jumped back from his blocked punch. “Ha. Although you struggled at first to take control of the wings, it looks like you were able to figure out how to actually use them. It was expected that you would struggle at first. All warriors with wings struggle with the concept of trying to control something that is normally not part of their body. But you did it. You did it, my angel!”
Grandfather Kiev was proud of her. He knew that the fear of getting punched hard would block in her mind any other thought that was floating in her head. He knew that’s how Shella’s mind works. Her more stronger emotions would kick in and take over her thoughts. Even though it was a simple move, her left wing blocking the attack, he now knew the bond with her stone was complete. She had full control of her wings.
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