Part 37
Sparring Match
“Now,” Seeker continued, clapping his hands together. “Time for a demonstration.”
What do you mean?” the girl asked.
“Practical application,” Seeker said. “Instruct your Kazan to Stage.”
The girl nodded to Sworder who, with a bright flash, Staged. Then the Vassal of Wind stood before them, his bow slung around his shoulder over his green cloak.
“Tell me what do you see with your eyes?” Seeker asked.
“I see Sworder, standing in front of me with a bow and his cloak has changed,” the girl said.
“Each and every part of him is a piece of his Form. While they generally form together while staging, if separated, they may be dispersed to conserve strength. However, then it can not be recalled until he changes stages.”
“You mean like his cloak?” the girl asked.
“Yes, and if he should be separated from his cloak, the cloak would remain in the stage it was formed until it was returned to him or dispersed,” Seeker answered, before continuing. “I do not remember a quiver being described. What do you use as your Ammo?”
“I summon and condense the wind, using it to attack any target I wish,” The Vassal of Wind explained.
“I assumed as much,” Seeker said. “That is a Focus.”
“It’s a Focus,” the girl repeated.
“Indeed. While Focuses are a concentration of effort they do not need to be overwhelming but rather any action which allows them to go beyond their physical limits. Furthermore, the strength of a focus is not set, rather it can be stronger or weaker depending on the effort allocated to it.”
“This is one of the weaknesses of that form,” Namic said.
“The constant expenditure of strength?” Ranin asked.
“Correct, unlike many of his other forms he can not do battle without relying on Focuses. Rather this is more of a utility form.”
“Every form has their strengths and weaknesses,” Ranin noted, “and is not, having a limited number of shots, normal for an archer?”
“Now, his abilities would be harder to pinpoint,” Seeker continued. “Abilities are more subtle and complement the Kazan’s fighting style. An example would be Garnet, here, has the ability to grow and shrink at will. Though he is not a Shadow Warrior, the concept is similar.”
“So each form would have different Abilities just like Focuses?” the girl asked.
“That depends on the Kazan, for both of those. While new forms will have new Focuses and Abilities, they will often share those of previous forms,” Seeker explained. “Now for the next phase of your training. Garnet.”
At his word the large stone figure stepped forward, approaching the Vassal of Wind.
“Wait,” the girl said. “What are you doing?”
“Those were the fundamentals of Kazans, everything else will simply build onto that, thus you should begin learning to command your Kazan while seeing all that I have spoken about in action.”
As he finished, Garnet sprung forward with surprising agility and smashed the ground where the Vassal of Wind had been. However already the Vassal was twenty feet away drawing his bow.
The Vassal released his grip and the bow string sprung forward with tremendous force, sending an arrow of wind towards the Geode. Garnet braced himself against the strike and after it harmlessly buffeted him, he charged the Vassal.
As Garnet swung at the Vassal and the Vassal leapt back to avoid the blow, the Geode’s arm elongated as his opposite arm sunk into his body. The blow, slamming into the Vassal’s chest, before he could escape, sent him spiraling across the ground.
The Vassal found his footing and came to a stop with his bow already drawn. He fired again at the charging Geode, who simply charged through the bolt, unaffected by the wind.
As the bout continued, Seeker spoke about how to properly command a Kazan in battle. The Vassal of Wind continued to use his agility to avoid the Geode, while Garnet continued to brute force his way through the Vassal’s attacks.
After several more bouts, Seeker tapped his cane onto the ground and spoke, “I think a rest may be in order. This should be good for the day.”
“No,” Sworder said, “Again.” Without hesitation the two combatants locked themselves in combat once more. However no matter how many arrows the Vassal fired, none seemed to faze his opponent.
“Sworder, No!” the girl said. “Stop!”
But her words did not reach him, instead he drew back his bow and when he released the string. A gust blew towards the Geode, blowing like a hurricane.
The Geode braced itself, using its arms to shield itself. As the hurricane winds racked at the Geode, stones flew from Garnet’s arms. He was pushed back but his defenses did not break. The Vassal landed panting heavily but Garnet did not let him rest. The Geode barreled onto him, striking him straight into the center of his chest.
Sworder landed heavily onto the ground as the girl cried out, “Sworder, stop!”
“No, again,” he said, slowly rising, holding an injured arm.
“He’s not listening,” the girl said to Seeker.
“You are not infusing your will into your words,” Seeker explained, “Words alone do not command, will does.”
“Will?”
The girl looked at the two fighters as they reengaged. “Sworder,” She began, her voice kept breaking off. Again and again she attempted to regain her voice but always failed, “I-I can’t do it.”
“Do you know why he fights?” Seeker asked.
“Why… he fights?” the girl said softly.
“You can not command his will if you do not understand it.”
“His will,” she said. “He wants to protect me.”
“Is that so?” Seeker asked, “Then do you understand why he will not forfeit this fight?”
“Why? Garnet is not attacking me.”
“For most Kazans they increase in power as they age; they learn and grow,” Seeker began. “And Garnet is the youngest of my family. So how can he protect you when he can not even defeat the weakest of the Geodes?”
“Is that true?” the girl asked, looking at the skirmish. The Vassal stumbled back from another blow, but Garnet did not relent. The Geode lunged forward but the Vassal of Wind did not raise his bow, but rather made no attempt to defend himself, seemingly too exhausted to even raise his head.
“Sworder!” the girl cried, “What are you doing? Move!” Suddenly, the Vassal’s body tensed and he leapt back, but his head did not react as if he moved on impulse alone. “You have the strength for one more arrow.” The girl continued, “Focus everything you have into one more.”
In an instant the Vassal of Wind’s bow was raised along with his head. The bow string was pulled back to a full draw. A moment passed as the Geode continued to charge only long enough for a single breath.
Time froze for a single moment; Garnet in mid stride, preparing to strike; the Vassal aim set; and the girl, Seeker, and Ranin and Namic watching. A light burst from the Vassal and it faded just as swiftly. A gale erupted from the figure at the epicenter of the light. His cloak flew back along with his lengthy hair. He was significantly taller than the Vassal of Wind and the short bow the Vassal wielded was now a massive longbow nearly six feet in length.
In the same moment the light faded, he released the string of the longbow. The bow loudly rushed back to true as it sent a slim stream of wind only identifiable by the dust it carried with it, rushing towards the charging Geode.
The wind stream struck Garnet in the chest, boring a hole the size of a thumb into the Geode. Immediately, the back of Garnet erupted into a shower of powder and fragments. Garnet collapsed to the ground, his momentum halted the hollow chest almost crumbling under the weight of his own body. The girl’s Kazan jumped into the air as he drew his bow once again.
“I am the call you hear from afar,” the green cloaked figure said. “I am the Voice of the Wind.”
“Sworder! Stop,” the girl commanded, as the Voice of the Wind landed on top of Garnet, his bow at full draw but he did not release the attack.
The two combatants laid there motionless. Then slowly the Voice of the Wind released tension on his bow string and stepped back. The girl rushed over to him even as he collapsed. His leather armor ripped and tore as Sworder fell out and into the girl’s arms.
The girl smiled down on the still Kazan in her arms, “Sleep well,” She said, then looking at the Geode who was just now rising, the hole in its chest slowly sealing, continued, “Sorry for injuring Garnet.”
“He will heal quickly; I would not have sent him to fight if he could be severely harmed that easily.” Seeker said, “However, we should end for the day. Ask any more of your Kazan and his spirit might break.”
“What do you mean?” the girl said turning towards Seeker.
“We should discuss that next,” Seeker said, motioning for her to join him again. “Kazan’s are tough but not indestructible. If you push them too far their soul will shatter. They will be lost, unable to return.”
“What do you mean?” the girl asked. “I thought the bonds were not easily broken.”
“The bonds between Master and Kazan are indeed strong but rigid. It will hold tight and is difficult to bend its purpose, an immutable thing it is, but if forced too hard it will shatter, breaking apart everything that it held together.
“When a Shadow Warrior has reached a new stage, he is at his strongest but also most vulnerable. After the fight he is drained, and a single decisive attack could be enough. As such I think you should let your Kazan rest in your shadow. Time is the best medicine for Kazans.”
The girl set Sworder down, “Sleep well,” she said before turning back towards Seeker.
“There is one more thing I want to discuss with you today,” Seeker said.
“Without Sworder?” the girl asked.
“It may be better to have this discussion without him,” Seeker began. “You said before, your will could force your Kazan’s actions. While this is true to an extent the principles are far more serious; control. You have the ability to directly control your Kazan.
“While the degree varies depending on the force of your will, however, it is not that simple. It is possible for you to completely supplant his will with your own; this is called Domination.”
“Why would I do that?” the girl asked, shocked.
“You have little reason to, nor, without experience commanding, would it be effective. But as with all parts of your connection with your Kazan, it goes two ways. Just as you can supplant his will; so can he supplant yours; thus Dominating you,” Seeker said.
“He wouldn’t do that,” the girl said, anger creeping into her voice.
“It is not a matter of whether he will or will not,” Seeker said, “but that he can. You must be aware of all the dangers of holding a Kazan.”
“But Sworder’s not like that,” the girl insisted.
“That may be true, but even the kindest of Kazan’s have their own goals,” Seeker said.
“People have said that before,” the girl said standing. “But do the Pixies not join the Marshals to help guard towns. Is that not selfless?”
“It does seem like that at first,” Seeker agreed. “However, Pixies obtain a great deal of enjoyment from their time with their Marshals; something they value greatly. But they also feed from the positive emotions from those around them.”
“You’re just like the other aren’t you,” the girl said angrily. “You can’t bear to trust Kazan’s anymore then the Calts can.” Without saying another word she turned and stormed off.
“There is no helping it,” Seeker said, answering Garnet’s unspoken comment, “Her mind is set and nothing I say will change that. My hope is she will never need what I just taught her, and maybe she will not.”
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