CHAPTER 14: THE FIRST TEST

Norrin stepped down off the podium and headed for the doorway at the opposite wall of the room.

“I hope the second half of the labyrinth holds less surprises than the first,” He mentioned to Nassima.

She gave a small nod in return as she took her position as lead to scan for dangers ahead and glided through the exit. Norrin decided to pause to take a final glance at the artwork on the walls. He admired a mural that was painted with such mastery that he could almost hear the sounds of battle, and feel the desperation of the warriors struggling for their lives. After a few seconds, he started to depart the room when suddenly he felt a strange tingle down his spine that traveled throughout his body. Just as he was about to cross the threshold of the exit, the doorway slammed shut from both sides. However, the small warning he felt enabled him to react with a backwards dash to avoid being caught between the stone doors.

“Nassima! Come quick!” Norrin cried out.

The goddess reappeared by his side just in time to witness what was happening. They watched as the podium at the center of the room recessed into the floor and in its place four large stone columns arose from different sections around the room. The stones of the columns started to crack, turn and rotate in an otherworldly mechanical manner. Until they were transformed into colossal faceless golems made of blocky stone, set on hindering Norrin’s escape.

“Another trap!” Norrin yelled as he searched around the room. “The exits are sealed! There is no way out!”

“You must fight the golems!” Nassima answered with a determined scowl.

“Fight those things?” Norrin puzzled.

Yes! Fight them! Destroy them! Turn them to dust! Another voice popped in the back of Norrin’s mind. What shocked him the most was that the voice sounded like his own, but more aggressive and harder. He shook off the thought and steadied himself for battle.

He called for Light’s Reach which appeared in his hands with a flash, and although he was standing in the shadows of the stone giants, he felt more excitement than fear. He readied the spear in his hands, and the melodic tone he heard before grew louder in his head, as if the weapon itself was singing a war-song in preparation for battle.

“You are ready Norrin, let Light’s Reach lead you,” Nassima spoke to him in a calm but commanding tone. “You will be able to use my abilities to their fullest potential, if you trust the spear. Now, go!”

With Nassima’s words in his ear Norrin charged the colossal figures, the power of the spear surging through his body, willing him into the conflict. The first golem he approached raised its leg high to stomp Norrin underfoot, but Norrin dashed backwards at the last second, avoiding the crushing blow. He skidded to a stop, then dashed forward and jumped up to rebound off the golem’s knee. This move enabled him to leap over the swinging arm of the second golem closing in to attack. He performed a mid-air dash, and landed on to the third golem’s shoulder, where he then catapulted himself up and over the last golem’s head. He twisted his body in space with the grace of dancer, to face the last golem and came dashing back down, thrusting Light’s Reach into its head. The spear let off a bolt of lightning on impact, causing the golem to crumble into a pile of rubble, which Norrin surfed to the ground. The next golem closest to Norrin spun around while throwing a wild punch. But Norrin intercepted the blow with his own strike from the spear, which shattered the golem’s fist in a blast of electricity. He then followed up with another strike to that golem’s knee, which caused it to collapse forward. He finished the monster off with a blow to the head as it fell to the ground.

“Don’t let up, stay on the attack!” Nassima coached from his side, as she moved with him as if she longed to join in the excitement of the battle.

Two out of four of the golems were down but Norrin had no time to celebrate, as the third came rushing forward with its shoulder down to ram into him. The monstrosity moved with surprising speed, but Norrin was able to side dash out of its way causing it to crash into the wall. The other golem lumbered over to try to trample Norrin underneath him. Norrin did another short side dash and spun himself and the spear, swiping the back of the stone giant’s legs and knocking it on its back. From there Norrin was able to deliver a final downward strike to its head.

The last golem recovered from its impact with the wall and again rushed toward Norrin. Norrin sprinted straight into the golem’s charge and at the last second he dropped down on his knees to slide between the golem’s legs. When he was underneath it, he delivered an upward trust of the spear that sent shockwaves through the monster’s body. Norrin finished his slide with a somersault that brought him back to his feet. He spun around and launched Light’s Reach into the back of the giant’s head. On impact the spear crackled with lightning, and the incredible force disintegrated the golem to dust and debris.

Norrin sat down on his bottom with a sigh of relief. He was victorious, and exhausted from the battle, but still, he found the fight exhilarating. A huge smile spread across his face and a euphoric feeling rushed through his brain. Lights danced in his eyes and his body tingled. The doorway which was once blocked slid open and Nassima reappeared by his side.

“For someone not looking for a fight, you sure seemed to enjoy yourself,” she said with a grin. “These golems turned out to be an unexpected opportunity to assess your combat training.”

“Oh yeah? Then how did I do?” Norrin asked with his mind still buzzing from the fight.

“There are many things you can improve,” she said, killing Norrin’s high, “but I am happy with the way you handled yourself. You kept a calm head even though you faced uneven odds. Your movements were smooth and efficient, and you anticipated the actions of your opponents and adjusted your attacks on the fly. Your Chaser training, it included the techniques of Lhet Aeshia, correct? It is a discipline I am familiar with.”

“Yes, it did! All Chasers are taught Lhet Aeshia as part of our preparation for field work. Some of us take it more seriously than others,” Norrin excitedly explained as he returned to his feet, “but we only use it for defense because we are not allowed to carry weapons.”

“And why is that?” Nassima inquired.

“The Chasers started as a brotherhood of pacifist monks who vowed never to carry any instrument of violence. They made it their mission to help travelers cross the wild-lands safely and without fear of harm from man or beast. As the realm expanded the Chasers grew to include other people besides monks, but we have the same obligation to not carry weapons. It installs a sense of trust in the travelers in our charge.”

“So, by carrying Light's Reach you are breaking your vows?”

“Eh, I’m no monk” Norrin laughed, “Besides, it is more of a general rule than some solemn vow. Plus, the definition of a weapon could be subjective. I mean pulse crystals can be seen as weapons, and I have seen walking sticks and climbing hooks used as weapons also. I won’t distress over carrying your spear.”

“You shouldn’t. If those monks trained in Lhet Aeshia, they were hardly pacifist. You may not carry weapons, but your training gives you Chasers an upper hand in a battle. It is a highly effective combat technique against any weapon,” Nassima stated.

“It is? We were just told that it is a way to anticipate an opponent’s movements and avoid their strikes so we can make an escape. I never thought that I would be able to use it to fight like that.”

“This is because you have been only taught the rudimentary techniques. There are many more levels for you to master. You have commanded the basics, now you must learn more. With my powers and proper training you could defeat those golems in a fraction of the time you took.”

“But I was told that my training was at the most advance level available! The Chasemasters that taught me spent years perfecting their technique. You are telling me there is more to learn?”

“Yes, there are many more things for you to learn. Who do you think passed along the knowledge of the Floating Mind to your so-called masters? The Azuri masters of Lhet Aeshia can fight on a magnitude almost incomprehensible to the mind. It is a true sight to behold when two true masters face each other to demonstrate their skills. Before they make a single move, they can ascertain each other actions, and even the final outcome of the fight.”

“Really?” Norrin said with a skeptical look. “If that’s the case, why do they even fight at all?”

“Because they know that nothing is set in stone. They may believe they know the results, but fate is fickle. Anything from a slight breeze to a drop of water can change a battle in an instant. The only way to truly know what is going to happen is to experience it. So, they fight to see if what they predicted is what will happen. You’d be surprised by how often the outcome is different from what is expected.”

Norrin’s mind reeled from this new knowledge. He had no idea his training was based on the lowest fundamentals of an Azuri martial art. The opportunity to learn more about the Azuri turned out to be an unexpected benefit of the bonding. One that Norrin promised himself he would take advantage of.

“So, are you a master of the Floating Mind? Can you teach me more?” He asked.

“I am a higher level, but I would not call myself a master of that discipline,” Nassima replied, again delighted by Norrin’s curiosity. “I studied several techniques, including Lhet Aeshia, which compose my method of fighting, of which I have already shared with you through our bonding. If you want to pursue more knowledge of a particular style, I can have that arranged when I return to my physical form.”

“I would like that very much!” Norrin exclaimed, his mind still taking in all the information he just received. Nassima confirmed his suspicion that the bond gave him her fighting skills. Meaning the muscle memory of her training and battles was something he could now rely on. Her offer to help him learn more of the Azuri techniques was also intriguing. He was not super interested in learning to fight, however, the chance to dive into the history and theories of the different Azuri combat methodologies fascinated him.

Nassima kept her word and gave him more power than he could dream of. Her power. He was in awe of her and can only imagine the feats she would accomplish once she had her physical body back.

“Shall we continue on, or do you want to rest more?” Nassima inquired.

“No, Let's go. I’m ready to get out of this maze,” Norrin replied. He was now more determined than ever to fulfill his end of their deal.