Tales of PulchraGea, Vol. 1

5: Strength From Within (final/3569)

I could see the gap between myself and the kids Bridge trained daily. Their movements were fluid like dancers. They practiced every day in hand to hand, with weapons of various sorts, and some of the older kids were allowed to use laser pistols. I'd have to work hard to keep up with them. And not only that, but I also knew almost nothing about the history of PulchraGea, the geography, technology, biology, or anything. I was supposed to be king of a land whose borders I didn't even know and of whose towns and citizens I was unaware?

So I spent every morning at the Library with my nose buried in an almost literal mountain of books. First, I learned to read in Narakh-thal, the almost-English everything in PulchraGea is written in. Then, I learned the history of PulchraGea from Gershom to Gavin Rinnal, and as many legends as I could find. I learned about biology of PulchraGean animals, of which there were a large number of dragon varieties. I frustrated myself trying to learn some pretty complex sciences, the basic concepts of which were simple enough but relied on mathematics so complex I couldn't even begin to solve them with self-study alone. I learned the geography and geology of the country, as well as how the economy works, some culturally significant stuff, and where the food comes from; I vowed to never drink milk again.

In the afternoons I trained with Bridge until I was so sore I couldn't handle it. Basic strength training was brutal. I was never a very physically strong guy, despite being quick, wiry, and relatively athletic. Bridge said that was okay because precision often prevails over force. He taught me an old, almost forgotten, martial art called Narakh-jut, which means something close to "fighting techniques of the Silver Tribe." According to Bridge, warriors of the ancient Silver Tribe weren't particularly brawny and used a lot of pressure points and joint locks in fights against rival tribes long ago. He also said that only a few masters still practiced it, that to learn it was considered a great honor, and that I was the first King to learn it.

"No King was ever permitted to learn it by the Masters because they exist to keep peace and tranquility, which is anathema to what Narakh-jut is," he explained. "Narakh-jut is quick and brutal, it was invented to maim and kill, and to disable an opponent as quickly and viciously as possible even when used nonlethally.

"The only reason I'm teaching you is because the night before you arrived in Argentum, I had a vision in a dream of an angel, " he confided. "It told me I had to train the next King as the best warrior possible to guide the land through tribulations ahead. It specifically instructed me to teach you Narakh-jut."

The way Bridge taught me was pretty brutal, though less so than the ancients apparently learned it. I was made to stand on the gravity pad at double the gravity of Sirrenth (the planet PulchraGea exists on) until I was ore and exhausted from merely standing. Then, when my muscles were shaking from exhaustion and I could barely move, Bridge would teach me the stances and techniques. Apparently the Ancients wore weights made of gold instead of using a gravity field, and the point was to teach the body to be able to perform the techniques even beyond the body's physical limit. Bridge also explained that it helped eliminate useless movement from the outset by forcing me to conserve strength and energy. When I had it down relatively well unarmed he began training me with weapons.

"A lot of different weapons have cropped up over time. Many were brought through the Gateway with the various kings, but some are unique to PulchraGea," Bridge said. "The kelt, for instance. It literally just means 'sword,' and it's the oldest design we know of. They were originally just paddles with various sharp objects lashed or glued to them. Rubark, dragon teeth, natural glass, stones, anything. Then when we discovered metal working, the paddle became just an ornamental spine to hold the blade in place."

He taught me how to use a sword the same way he taught me Narakh-jut, explaining that the sword should just be an extension of the arm. Bridge taught me to first practice the movement without a blade and recognize that Narakh-jut used the same movements with or without a weapon, and that a weapon was just a tool to extend my reach.