The Dragon King's Servant: Rise of the Daemon King

Chapter Twenty-Three: PTSD

"Three minute rounds. One unarmed and one armed. All set?" Maalceus asked.

"Set." Shauna said.

"Set." Lucian nodded.

"Begin."

Shauna moved in first, she was, like her father, a solid wall and moved as such. Keeping a close guarded defense, she pushed at Lucian who stood with a half open and half closed guard. Shauna whipped her leg out aiming for his ankle or knee. Lucian stepped over the quick snap and shifted into a wide arking downward pivoting kick. Shauna avoided it easily and moved in to take advantage of the moment between positions.

She knew there was a pause from when a strike ended to when a reset could take hold. It was less than a fifth of a second but a well timed strike lasted only a tenth of a second. She rushed in and launched into a straight right, followed by a left hook. Lucian spun and blocked them both. How he moved so quick was beyond her understanding. Most people had limited control over their body. She had a tight rein on how, when and where she moved.

Lucian showed her how much more she had to go. Rather than close the distance, she backed off and analyzed. Lucian allowed her the three breaths it took to readjust before he moved in. He struck forward with a fast flurry of punches that put her off balance but she kept her tight guard not letting any of them in. After twenty quick paced punches he pulled back.

"You are doing very good." He complimented.

"And you aren't even giving it a quarter of your effort are you?" She asked.

"Ha! I am definitely giving it at least a quarter. Don't short yourself Shauna. You are formidable. Take it up a notch."

"You asked for it." She smirked and redoubled her efforts.

Lucian watched through senses he wasn't fully aware of as he saw an energy rise. Hot as fire and supple as flames dancing over coals, her energy surged. As though responding on instinct, his own body reacted in kind however it did not equate to the scales. Shauna's fifty percent was only equal to his thirty five percent. Her skill and training had not reached his level and would not for several more generations.

Though there was something else to it. Some kind of extra essence that raised his pure draconic energy to a higher level. Before he could explore it further, Shauna was upon him. Her testing blows had transformed into staggering attacks that could easily dent metal and break skin. Lucian, on edge about the subtle but noticeable shift in his power was pushed back to his heels. Even unfocused he didn't allow any strikes to get through his defense but it was obvious he was distracted by something more.

Maalceus was the first to take notice. His dark eyes shifted from a soft citrine to a dark crimson. Through the draconic senses that pierced the veil, he saw the aura that surrounded his brother.

"Maal?" Kelly asked, noticing his intent stare. "What is it?"

"It's...it...there's..." he wasn't sure how to explain it. Lucian had always had a strong auta. It burned over his body in a blend of red and black. Now however, it moved like flames. Black and red flames with a shimmering energy around the edges. 'Is that...divine...energy?' He wondered.

"Maalceus? What is wrong?" Kelly asked again.

"His aura is...something is different."

Not understanding what he was talking about, she focused her own eyes which turned a bright greenish yellow. Slowly, the colors of everything brightened. Objects became clearer and energies became visible. When she saw the growing fires of Lucian's aura, she noticed the silvery white essences that glowed along the edge.

"Maal? What is that?" Kelly asked.

He shook his head, not wanting to give an answer to something he wasn't sure about.

"Shauna. Stop. Pull back." Maalceus said.

Shauna wasn't hearing her father though. As she ramped up her fighting, somewhere in her mind, she had gone from sparring to fighting. Her attacks had gotten faster and harder.

"By the great lady. Look at her aura!" Kelly said.

Maalceus stared at his daughter. Her body had become distorted in a thick red and orange energy that was quickly growing out of control. Steam rose from the pores of her skin as she had started pulling on emotions from only a day prior. Lucian could see the fury in her eyes. He knew, both from experience and from knowledge that Shauna was no longer fighting him. He could see that she had shifted back to the battlefield and that in her mind, Lucian had become an enemy.

It was clear too by the force and speed of her attacks. No longer was she sparring as she moved in furious fighting configurations that would have put most warriors down without even an issue. Lucian was a seasoned warrior. He had led whole armies and fought off entire armies single handed. However, there was an extra power hiding inside him that was trying to come free. It pushed at the boundaries of his own control.

Shauna launched into a low kick which Lucian had no choice but to block. As her foot met his shin, there was a clash of energy and force that sounded like two metals clanging together. The resonating force echoed off the walls. Shauna, locked within a PTSD daze, ignored the sound and fought on. She struck out with a series of straight and hooked punches, each one he deflected. Lucian grabbed her wrist and twisted around, snapping his leg against her knee and forced her to the ground.

"Shauna! Shauna! Ease! At ease!" Maalceus screamed.