Descent into the Abyss

Chapter 21

Marcus stood under the starlight, brandishing the same blade as Kou's memory. Each strike, each thrust, each block steadied the resolve in his mind. Marcus opened his eyes, twirling the blade once before parrying an invisible strike from one of the thousands of Kovekians. His speed, strength, reaction... Nothing could compare to Kou's.

He couldn't keep the Kovekians at bay, he realized as the first of them broke through his defenses. The first strike, a slash from a rogue Davoon, hit his left shoulder, staggering him back on the barren rooftop. The armor blunted the impact, but the force still drove him down to a knee.

"Your memory packs a punch," Marcus remarked, raising back up and rolling his shoulder.

"As it should," Kou replied, continuing. "With proper memory recall, you can associate pain with your mistakes, even if that particular memory doesn't have a moment of pain. Rozans can call on that recollection as a source of training, as we are."

Marcus paused, his mind flashing back to days long past, his chest tightening in response.

"Alright... Let's continue."

Marcus took his stance, the memory replaying and adjusting to the strike of the Davoon penetrating his defenses. This time, however, Marcus stood ready, prepared to deflect the blow.

"One of the most important factors in a fight, Young Marcus, is not just knowing your opponent, but knowing yourself. Everything from your weight, height, reach, strength, speed. Every facet of your abilities plays a part in the grand scheme of fighting. You must know yourself to the fullest extent, so that you never need to question your capabilities."

Marcus chuckled, nodding in agreement, a paraphrased memory flashing to the front of his mind.

"We had a military tactician, hundreds of years ago, that had a similar take on war and fighting. My memory isn't the greatest, but I know he had a quote about knowing the enemy, knowing yourself, and the fine line between defeat and victory that that knowledge wavered on," Marcus explained as he cleared his thoughts and took his stance in preparation.

"Interesting," Kou answered back, starting the memory again.

Marcus again parried the first of the strikes from the Davoons, again almost struck by their talons breaking through his deflections. Abruptly the memory paused, Kou materializing in between Marcus's view and the Kovekians.

"This is what I mean, Young Marcus," Kou began. "The first strike, while close to you, would've missed and given you the opportunity to block the second strike."

Again the memory restarted and as Marcus ran towards the Kovekians, his body maneuvering around the rooftop, a strange sense of peace overcame him. A small backstep to dodge the first led into him blocking the second. As their bloody talons fell to the hardened lava, a screech left the Davoon's maw, muted by the multitudes on either side of them.

Another block and slash, this time across the throat of a leaping Davoon. Blood sprayed the air, misting against the sand blowing around them; falling with the limp, headless body to the ground.

"Good, Young Marcus. You did good," Kou remarked, the world around them accelerating until they stood at the brink of the volcano. "Now I'll show you what true Rozan power, enhanced with their element, can do."

The memory resumed, with Marcus now watching as Kou's body regained autonomy and sped towards their Kovekian enemies. Minutes later, with the horde at their backs, the Rozans traversed up the inclining terrain. With the Dai-Lyn at the head on the Rozan charge, the warrior race scaled the monstrous volcano until they stopped and stared across the molten abyss.