Chosen: The Legend of Saqui

BOOK I CHAPTER IV

CHAPTER IV - SPIRIT OF THE MAGEEAC

The mageeac was an animal similar in stature to a gorilla, but without hair. It was the strongest of all the animals on Larunda, with the strength of ten men.

The journey took half the time of her trip to Leyati. Sayarumi was a very different city than any she had seen before.

Nielol was kind of a drab city. Leyati was full of bright colors. Sayarumi, however, was a dark city, like a presence hovering over it.

The first thing Peyeche noticed about the people was that they were very nice. She expected everyone to be like Amaru, rude and uncaring. It was a pleasant surprise to see they were no different than anyone else she had met.

The sun was setting as they met Guisa the tribe elder. He did not want to believe that she was the Chosen One. She proved to him she was by showing him the two spirits she had been trained on.

"Well, it is getting late. We will start our training tomorrow."

A servant escorted them to their sleeping quarters for the night. Peyeche and Inalef stayed awake late into the night, treating it like a sleepover they had when they were little.

They got an early start the next morning. They were at the elder's house before he was awake. He was a bit groggy when he answered the door.

"Now then, Saqui, you will learn the spirit of strength. I will teach you not only how to use it, but also how to control it."

She was eager to begin her training. Though she was not a weak woman, strength was an attribute she felt she needed to learn the most.

The elder pointed to a cabinet. "Do you see that cabinet? I want you to lift it over your head."

She walked over to the cabinet and wrapped her arms around it. She struggled and strained, but the cabinet did not budge.

"That is okay, young one. Now, try picturing that the cabinet is as light as the air around you."

She closed her eyes and concentrated. She was able to move the cabinet but still could not lift it.

"Good. Concentrate harder."

Her eyes closed tighter. She lifted the cabinet inches off the ground.

"Better. Now, use the full power of the mageeac."

Instead of straining harder, she relaxed and cleared her head. With very little effort, she lifted the cabinet and slammed it against the ceiling.

"I am sorry," she said. "I did not mean to break it."

"No. you did very good. You know how to use the power. Now, you need to know how to control it. You will not need its full power often."

Guisa gave her a metal bar, one that the strongest Tobbi could not bend.

"I want you to bend this, but just enough to make a slight bend."

She closed her eyes and bent the bar in half.

"That is okay. We will teach you control."

She bent the bar back to a straight beam. They worked with her to control her strength. They told her to picture the bar bent at a ninety degree angle. After a few attempts, she bent it to a right angle, then a forty-five degree angle.

"Can I try something? she asked the elder. She pulled out her father's sword. What was once too heavy for her to lift and keep upright, now she could wield with ease.

"Very good. You can use your new gift in battle. Now, let us give you a gift to use in battle."

One of them went into a backroom and came out with a shield.

"Though you possess the power of the vidrüsse, you will need protection when you use the power of the mageeac. This should do very nicely. May the gods watch over you in your journey."

Peyeche showed Rimac the shield Guisa had given her.

"Very nice. We must leave quickly."

"Are we not going to fight?"

"There is no reason to fight here. Their king will soon return, and these people do not wish to kill their own. We know that Amaru already possesses the Quesmi of strength.

"We have a boat waiting to take us to Aa Tlorec and it will take us some time to get there."