Awakening [GxG]

19b

Wondering if she had made a mistake by taking this too seriously, Narvari’s eyes bulged when the sacros halted mere inches away from Trixan’s tall form and dissipated into a million tiny black specks. Trixan was completely unharmed.

It took a while for Narvari to find her voice again. “What. Was. That?”

“Come at me again. This time, gear up on your own terms.”

Narvari shook herself out of her stupor. The battle wasn’t over. She had to get her head in the game. Game? This was no game. All the kicks and punches she received were real. She had a feeling Trixan had been holding back, but it really didn’t feel that way to Narvari’s muscles. She attacked Trixan using every skill and every move she knew. But each time, Trixan simply shifted out of the way like a mirage. It was like Narvari was just an ant going against a giant. The Elder was way out of her league.

By the end of the training session, Narvari was panting like a dog and sweating like a fish. Trixan had barely moved and yet she had not landed a single attack on the woman.

Trixan stood over Narvari’s body, smiling at her. She said, “Azmel was right. You’re really good, my dear.”

“Obviously not good as you.” Narvari sat up. She was certain that even if everyone in the WPU attacked Trixan at the same time, none of them would be able to touch her. Narvari wasn’t even certain, Yabaga, the strongest person she knew, could beat Trixan. There was a precise fluidity to the way Trixan moved. It was like she was not moving at all.

Trixan chuckled. “Don’t be too hard on yourself, my dear. Not many rookies grasp sacred combat that quickly.” She paused in thought. “You said your father taught you to fight?”

Narvari nodded. “Actually everyone in Sharmandi can fight. It’s a rite of passage. My grandfather made sure of it.”

Trixan nodded slowly. It was hard reading the woman’s emotions but when she was pondering over something, Narvari could see it in her eyes. The woman always seemed to be lost in thought whenever Narvari brought up her grandfather or father. She just wished she knew what Trixan was thinking.

***

Narvari flexed the muscles in her ripped arms. The power pulsating inside her body was nothing like she had felt a week ago when she began training in sacred combat. Even when she didn’t use sacros, she was stronger and faster than her old self. Moreover, she could continuously wield her sacros for three hours and forty-two minutes now. By the end of next week, she was sure she would reach her six-hour goal.

“I’m ready now,” said Narvari, looking intently at Trixan. “You said once I could wield my sacros for an hour, I would start my missions, right?”

“That’s just one of three requirements, my dear.”

Narvari folded her arms and frowned. Now she was convinced that Trixan was making things up as they went. “And what are the other two?”

“To earn your license as a professional vanquisher,” said Trixan, “you have to master sacred combat and pass your Finals.”

So all that remained was her Finals. She had never heard about this but it did make sense that she would go through some form of examination before she could earn her license. She had gone through the Captain’s Test too before becoming captain of the WPU. It shouldn’t be too different. Examinations were her thing. She loved them. “When do I take my Finals?”