The World of Shadows

Chapter 2

My eyes open up as I look around, finding myself in my room. I gulp as I stand up trying to remember what happened last night. I remember going out to the garden and humming that little melody that I found. I look on my body to make sure I still have all my money when my eyes widen to the size of the moon. In front of me, laying on my desk, is the Princess Aria. I visibly gulp as I just blink and stand there in shock. Slowly, she opens her eyes and stares at me.

"You should be glad that I found you and not any of the guards." Aria states flatly as she stands up and rubs her eyes. I awkwardly chuckle as I try and get the thoughts of what happened last night together. "And don't worry, you only fell asleep under the tree." I sigh with relief as she starts leaving. "Why were you in the garden at night, if I may ask?"

"Well..." I think for a bit before I sigh slightly, "I was trying to calm myself down and maybe even find the epiphany I need." I can feel my face burning slightly as her eyes dig into my face.

"Epiphany? Like, to use shadow magic?" I nod my head slowly. She thinks for a moment before laughing slightly. "Most people outside of the Shadow Realm need to have a few years to gain their epiphany. Maybe I could-" A caw sounds through the room as I grab the dagger on my desk and I stare into the raven's eyes. As strange as it is that it arrived, it disappeared in a puff of smoke leaving behind a scroll. I grab and unroll it. The more I read the wider my eyes grow as I gulp once more.

"What happened?"

"It seems that Damian and I are going to have a duel to choose who is going to be the apprentice since the other three already have theirs." I keep reading as my face grows super hot as I read:

"P.s. I know you are a young man, but it would be better if you court the princess before you bring her to your room."

I crumple up the paper and throw it into the trash. I storm out of the room as I get to our personal training grounds.

"Damn it Damian!" I start cussing up a storm as I carve the dummy into ribbons, making it to where no one would be able to use them.

"What did I do?!?!" Damian screams as he approaches me with a mix of confusion, surprise, and maybe even pity?

"Sorry just, gah! I have not found my epiphany and we are going to have duel and ARGH!" I scream again as I decapitate another dummy.

"No wonder you feel like this, well when I win and become a Shadow Lord, you can at least congratulate me." at the end of that little sentence and giving me a shit eating grin, I sneer at him.

Great, just GREAT!!! This is going to be a massacre for him. I grumble as I go to Orpheus's room. I knock three times before I hear a soft 'come in'. I open the door and I see him working at his desk.

"What do you need Jaxon?"

"Master why, why now? Couldn't you-"

"No, the other three lords, are insistent that I choose an apprentice. They even have support from the Empress" He looks at me with a sad look. "I am truly sorry, I would take a few months, or at least for you to get your epiphany." I nod my head as I bite the inside of my cheek. "But they are willing to give me a buffer period." I look at him in surprise as he smiles at me kindly. "A week, that is as much time you will have before the duel. Unless you manage to get your epiphany and your powers, well I would suggest trying to increase your sword skills." I nod as I turn around heading out.

"Thank you master"

"One more thing Jaxon!" I turn around and look at Orpheus confused, "Try to court the princess before she goes to your room next time." He states with an evil smile on his face as I storm out of the room, and I go to the training yard. I pick up my sword as one of the enchanted dummies rushes me and I start swinging away to try and cut it to pieces. After doing this for abit I throw the sword away and into the wall before I sigh and grabbing it and putting it away.

After abit of wandering around the palace, I end up back in front of my room. You know what, I am not just going to go and practice my sword skills! I open the door, and I walk in slamming it down and I grab a few of my books. This has plenty of stories, maybe I can either find my epiphany or a good technique from it. So instead of training, and I rarely went out of my room, I studied and studied. Though I did not find any good techniques without the need for the magic you gain from the epiphany, I did find some interesting, such as the Moon Lotus Cycle:

"The Moon Lotus is a powerful technique, though it has a few restrictions. The Lotus has four phases, the New, the Crescent, the Half, and finally the Full Moons.

The New Moon Lotus is random slashes chaotic and disastrous, not controllable. The most you can hope from it is you are surrounded by many enemies and can be beat by small weak slashes.

The Crescent Moon Lotus is a more controlled version of the New Moon Lotus. Though it is more controlled it is still one of the weakest versions of the Moon Lotus.

The Half Moon Lotus is a strong technique that adds shadows to the equation. The shadows pick up and turn into lotus petals. The petals storm around the area and slash anything though not at a force of a hurricane.

The Full Moon Lotus is the most powerful technique. Much like the Half Moon the slashes are infused with shadow petals, yet unlike the Half Moon, the Full Moon is at the force of a hurricane. It makes it the most powerful of all the techniques and the most controlled."

I could feel my eyes widen in a type of glee. Even though I couldn't use the Half or Full Moon, I could use the New or Crescent Moon. I start looking over how to do them as I write down a few notes on the side.

After abit of me studying them, I got up and headed to the arena. I grabbed my sword and turned on some of the dummies on the lowest settings. I breath in as I follow the instructions. I slash upward, then to the side finally spinning in a circle as the wind picks up. Many of the dummies drop to their knees as plenty stay up.

"Ow!" I grab my cheek as I feel a warm wet spot on my hand. I look at it as my eyes widen slightly, blood was seeping down my arm and into my clothes. I turn the dummies off and I start washing the wound out.

"I knew that it was chaotic, but dang it! I didn't think it would cut me!" I state to myself as I finish cleaning out the wound.

"Hmmm, that is a good idea Jaxon. Though," Orpheus walks over to me clapping as I have my gauntlet off and cleaning it, "You may want to go with the Crescent Moon instead of the New Moon." I nod my head laughing slightly.

"Yeah I just wanted to see what was so chaotic about it, but seriously why was it made like that?"

"I made it to put people through a kind of trial."

"And that trial is?" I grab the bridge of my nose as I wait for him to state what this so called trial is, while I put my gauntlet back on.

"The trial to see if you have enough guts to pull off a technique that not only relies entirely on your own willpower, but also on your own determination without any real magic involved."

"Hmm, I get it. So what do I get now?" I give a mischievous smirk as Orpheus rolls his eyes.

"Not really anything, though again try and get through with the crescent, you are less likely to hurt yourself." I nod my head and stand up, refastening the gauntlet on and I grab my sword and shield once more. "Make sure to keep your head behind the shield, it can help make sure you don't cut yourself."

I give him a thumbs up as I go into the middle of the arena, setting all the dummies to the lowest setting once more, and getting into position. As they get closer to me I slash an X into the air, turn a clockwise 180 degrees, then cutting in a counterclockwise 180 degrees as the wind picks up and I hide myself under the shield as the wind picks up slashing the dummies, cutting up the chests, legs and arms. One in particular got a large nasty slash over the eyes. At this I visibly cringe as the cotton pops out.

"Good job! Now you need to remember this," Orpheus claps me on the back as he smiles widely. "On the nights that the moon is like the technique it is much stronger."

"Gotcha." I nod my head as I start heading out, stretching my arm slightly, since I don't want it getting sore, and I head back to my room. This is going to be a fun duel next week. I better get my gear ready.