Luck Weaver

4. Puppet Master

Chapter 4 - Puppet Master

The instructor gave an impatient cough, so the teenager turned around, and walked to a decorated rack, with one weapon on it.  A pitch black sword.

Picking up the revered Eclipse from its ceremonial rack, the teenager got into a fighting stance.  Breathing calmly and steadily, he let his nervousness fade along with his awareness of his audience.  Reaching a concentrated state, he snapped his eyes open.  He lunged at the instructor who deflected the stab with ease.  The instructor’s face changed for a second.  A normal person wouldn’t have caught it, but the teenager wasn’t a normal person.  What was it that the instructor felt?  Was it regret and guilt?  Why?

As if the instructor read his mind, he taunted, "You'll have to do better than that if you want to win.  I actually want a challenge."

"Let your weapon do the talking," the teenager replied while ducking under a clumsy swing from one of the students.

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"This is impossible!  How can Jay have the Solstice?  It was lost hundreds of years ago on Earth," shouted the leader of the mephs, known as Gree.  In his anger, he kicked a tree, reached up, and tore off an immense branch.

"This obviously is the work of the gods,” a voice beamed out from the fire.  Suddenly, the fire took shape into a tall man.   The fire turned into a dark purple, with blue flames flickering at the edges.  All the mephs backed away.  It was the master, the only person who could control Gree

"Yes, you’re definitely right, “Gree muttered sarcastically, “When was the last time they were seen?  A hundred years ago?  Since they closed their borders, they haven’t been seen at all.  The power of the heavens?  Yeah right, who knows whether they even exist?”  He took the branch, and swung it as hard as he could against the tree. A meph in the way just barely managed to duck fast enough to avoid getting brained.  The branch shattered into thousands of splinters that flew through the air.  Gree froze, expecting tiny cuts everywhere, but they froze in place. 

“Sometimes I don’t know why I bother,” the master muttered as he thrust with his projected hand.

The mephs watched with amazement as the splinters, started to go backwards, gaining momentum as it flew.  The master took every opportunity possible to show off his powers.  It kept Gree in check, intimidated enough to follow orders.  The splinters once again slowed down, and formed together into the branch again.  It seemed straighter than before, and it suddenly flashed white.

The mephs were momentarily blinded, but as they regained their sight, they stared at the now reformed branch on the ground.  It was straighter than before, and glowed white.  Gree started to stoop to pick it up.

“Stop, unless you want to die a painful death.  Only someone as magical as me could pick it up without dying.  Do you want to give it a try?”  the master taunted.

Gree frowned and stopped.  He hated how the magician would taunt him every chance he got.  Someday, he would pay, when he wasn’t paying any attention, but for now, it wouldn’t be wise to challenge his authority.  Fuming at his inability to fight with his master, he decided to pick on someone else.

All the other mephs backed away slowly.  It wasn't a good idea to be near Gree when he was in a bad mood.  Only the master could control him, and he enjoyed watching Gree in an angry state.  Suddenly Gree lunged at the meph who volunteered to spy on Jay, who barely escaped.  With a look of horror, the spy knew what was coming, and wished he never volunteered for the job.

"Don't kill me, it's not my fault.  I didn't do anything," the spy quickly babbled, but it was useless.

The other mephs averted their eyes, knowing they couldn't do anything.  No one wanted to go against Gree.  He was their leader for a reason, and it wasn’t his intelligence.  Realizing Gree didn't care, the spy whipped his two daggers out and swung at Gree in one fluid motion.  If he could only scratch him, the poison would do the rest.