Chapter 13

The Great Black Dragon grew in size until even the planet of Tarrus itself seemed like a pebble to him. His wings of night darkened the skies and blotted out the sunlight, plunging the inhabitants into pitch darkness. Only Maranu’s power kept the people of Tarrus alive as the warmth of the sun was extinguished. Graymor forcibly drew strength from the other Celestial Beasts and their Guardians so that he could outmatch the power of the Orb. When Maranu began to falter, Balvor and the Elementals did the same, offering up their psions willingly so that he could continue the struggle. The Celestial Beasts and the Elementals, now drained of their power, could only sit back and watch the battle between the two titans. The cosmos shook. The peoples of the universe quaked in terror, cowering as an unknown and primal fear foretold of a coming doom that they were powerless to prevent. Balvor called out to Graymor, decrying his reckless actions that would not only lead to humanity’s destruction, but his own and all their children ... yet still he would not relent. The struggle between the incensed Graymor and the Orb-wielding Maranu grew to such a fever pitch that even the Realms of Light and Shadow felt the reverberations of power from the pair. Someone had to intervene. And thus, Rhuknor, feeling the anguish of his son and all those he sought to destroy, rose from his resting place.

Ryan lunged for Zand once more, and the old man easily sidestepped his attack just as he had a dozen times before, but Ryan had learned a thing or two. As Ryan zoomed past Zand, he erected a pillar of red flames in front of himself. On the flat, white crystalline plane, Ryan didn’t have many footholds or debris to bounce off of if he needed to change his trajectory, so he had to get creative. Ryan had discovered in his fights with Zand that his flames could become tangible at times, almost like solid objects similar to the way that Monks used Light Elemency. Shifting in midair, Ryan kicked off his flaming pillar to head dive right back at Zand, hoping to catch the old man by surprise.

Zand simply waved his hand, and Ryan veered off course. He slammed shoulder first into the ground, his body denting and cracking the crystal floor, adding to the dozens of scars across the field where Zand had slammed him down ... a testament to the many times Ryan had failed.

Damn it! cursed Ryan at his remiss actions. I lost focus and wasn’t charging my psions enough! What did he use: Telekinesis, Wind, or Water Elemency?

Ryan growled savagely as he absorbed the pain to bounce back to his feet. The momentum continued carrying him away, so he threw fireballs at Zand using both hands. He had to shake whatever control Zand had over his body, so that meant forcing the old man to defend himself. Zand blocked Ryan’s fireballs with small, pointing gestures as tiny sparks of light shot from his index finger. He continued to hold his other hand up towards Ryan, and Ryan lurched away as if a great wind had pushed him back. Ryan’s body kept getting pushed further and further away from Zand despite charging psions throughout his body, forcing Ryan to reconsider. Zand stood perfectly still with his feet almost glued to the floor, and the way his cloak fluttered in front of him said it all.

Not Telekinesis, Wind, or Water Elemency! He’s pushing me away by shifting the gravity! Well, I know how to deal with that!

Kicking off from the ground, Ryan concentrated psions to his boots until two jets of flame appeared, shooting him back towards Zand at the speed of a starfighter. His scarlet cape billowed behind him as he flew through the air. He continued peppering Zand with flames as he closed the distance, hoping to finish this battle with one decisive hit. Zand continued his irritating finger-pointing defense with his other palm raised towards Ryan. It seemed that one hand was being used for defense while the other was being used for offense. Fortunately, Ryan had come to surmise that Zand could only use one power per hand, at least during their current sessions, so he wouldn’t be able to whip out multiple types of Elemency with one hand. Zand’s gravity manipulation intensified, slowing Ryan’s progress and making him feel like he was pushing against a stone wall. Ryan ground his teeth as he continued to push against Zand’s power with his jet propulsion. Zand’s gravity hand changed slightly from an open palm to a pointing gesture, meaning that he was likely using a different type of Elemency. Ryan’s insides lurched as he veered slightly off course. He recognized that sensation all too well. Zand was using Water Elemency to take control of the liquid in his bloodstream. It felt like Ryan’s internal organs might come bursting out of his stomach as he instinctively held his side and gave a cry of anguish. Remembering what Zand taught him, Ryan simply concentrated his psions to flow through his armor. A protective field manifested over him in the form of red flames that enshrouded his whole body, and the pain soon subsided. He had to always keep his guard up, constantly shifting his psionic frequency to account for the various types of ways that Zand could attack his body from the inside out.

When Ryan was close enough, he put his plan into action, willing his helmet over his head as he prepared to ram Zand right in the chest with more force than a locomotive. Zand shifted his stance, closing his fists and twisting into a form of Vok’Gar. Ryan, surprised that a scholarly type like Zand even studied Saurian Martial Arts, was temporarily caught off guard as Zand twisted his body away from Ryan’s headbutt to smash his fist straight down on Ryan’s temple at precisely the right moment. It’s a good thing Ryan was wearing his helmet, or his skull might’ve been cracked (again) as he slammed into the crystal floor, creating yet another crater. Ryan tasted blood on his lips as most of his helm splintered apart, but he somehow managed to remain conscious this time. He had been expecting a great deal of damage to his cranium from the headbutt anyway, so he concentrated psions there to increase his durability. Now he could put his real plan into action.

Zand hesitated for a brief instant as Ryan’s body briefly went limp, and that was all the time Ryan needed. Bouncing back from Zand’s blow, Ryan shot jet flames from his hand to twist himself back upright in an instant. Zand seemed surprised for a moment as Ryan whipped around, summoning his new Psionic Sword. Thisy had done his work well. Ryan wasn’t sure he’d like his new sword, but after testing it out, he could tell that it had much greater energy efficiency than his previous weapon which got destroyed on Black Star. The golden cross guard and pummel had a depiction of a lion’s head on one side and a dragon’s head on the other. Red flames ignited on the silver blade strewn with glowing psionic runes. His helmet had been cracked so that most of his face was exposed, but Ryan no longer cared as he gave a mighty roar and swung at Zand with all his strength in a horizonal arc.

It took me a while to figure it out, and when I did, I decided to hold it back until the most opportune moment! I’ve waited all this time to use my sword so that I could bring it out when you least expected me to! You never said I couldn’t use a Psionic Weapon! You just assumed I wouldn’t because you weren’t using one! Never assume the rules, right?

When Ryan’s blade smashed into Zand, he also charged his Explosion Elemency into the attack, creating a blast wave that shook the whole plane and covered everything in smoke and flame for miles in every direction. Ryan shifted the explosion’s blast away from himself so that he wouldn’t get blown away by his own power (he knew from experience how much that tended to hurt). The blast was more powerful than even Ryan thought it would be. He’d have to thank Thisy later for his weapon’s upgrade. The black smoke from his attack was so thick that he couldn’t see what happened, but he still felt tension on his blade, so Zand was still standing there. The question was, had he taken any damage or not?

When the smoke cleared, Zand had a strange smirk on his face. It was similar to the smile that Grafael got whenever Ryan was giving him a good workout during their sparring sessions. This added a whole new layer to Zand’s persona that Ryan had not thought was possible for such a supposedly enlightened individual. Zand liked fighting. Zand liked it when his opponents pushed him. It seemed so out of place from the kindly old man that he acted like most of the time.

As Ryan looked down, he realized the absurd way in which Zand had stopped his sword -which had been charged with enough psions to rival the heat of a sun. Zand had used a finger. He stopped Ryan’s powerful Psionic Blade with only one finger. The man wasn’t even wearing Psionic Gloves for protection, and still, Ryan barely nicked him. Granted, that finger was bleeding ever so slightly with a small trickle of blood dripping to the floor from where the skin touched the blade, but the ridiculousness of the whole thing infuriated Ryan to no end.

“Superbly played. You turned your defeat into a victory,” Zand said proudly. “Thisimius has outdone himself with the modifications to your new Psionic Weapon. I was wondering when you would summon your sword. I never told you not to, but you assumed that was a rule when we first began since I came at you barehanded. It seems that you’re truly beginning to understand this game.”

Ryan sighed as he lowered his blade and cracked his aching neck, turning his head to the side to spit out some blood. “Didn’t do me much good in the end, seeing as how I only managed to give you a paper cut.”

Zand shook his head with a mirthful chuckle as he rested his arms behind his back. “Ryan. Do you have any idea what an enormous accomplishment it is to make the likes of me bleed? My skin is usually harder than diamonds. Most weapons can’t faze me even without my armor. I can’t remember the last time that anyone besides my rival managed such a feat.”

Ryan knew Zand was only trying to make him feel better, and it was partially working, but only partially. “Don’t try to butter me up. I’m starting to get a feel for your psions. I can tell that you’re still holding back ... a lot. If it takes everything I’ve got to barely nick you when you aren’t even trying, then it’s clear I have a long way to go before I’m ready to take on the Dark Dragon Lord.”

Zand frowned for a moment, his face going grim. “You mean ... you’re starting to comprehend my psions?”{br}

Ryan was confused by Zand’s concern, but he shrugged offhandedly and said, “Well, yeah, I mean ... we’ve been fighting like this for so long. These last few weeks, I’d have to be an idiot not to get a feel for your psionic signature.”

Zand shook his head slowly, looking somewhat alarmed for some reason. “You don’t grasp the implications of this. Even most sensory types aren’t able to comprehend the vastness of my powers. When they try to assess my strength, all they can see is a great void. Not to sound too boastful, but for most who try to understand me, it’s like microbes trying to understand the human body that they reside in. They are so infinitesimally small compared to the whole that they are a part of that they have no frame of reference. But you ... you can actually see the limits of my abilities ... and so soon into our training.”

For some reason, the way Zand said that had Ryan feeling more scared than encouraged, but he tried to blow it off with a joke. “So you’re saying that I’m ... what exactly? Not just a super special chosen one, but a super-duper special chosen one because I can kinda tell how much tougher you are than me. Come on, lighten up already, gramps.”

Remembering himself, Ryan coughed uncomfortably as he gave a polite bow and said, “Sorry. I meant to say, ‘lighten up already, Master’.”

I can still make fun of him a little as long as I add the honorific of ‘Master’ in at the end, right? As long as I don’t cuss, I don’t think he’ll punish me ... much.

Zand smirked in that peculiar, competitive way again, and it sent shivers down Ryan’s spine. The fact that someone as strong as Zanderius had a competitive side was too frightening to put into words. “Well, then. Now that you have your old bravado back, I get to enjoy myself some more and bring you down a few pegs.”

Zand brought his hands from behind his back and took up a fighting stance that kendo practitioners would use, only he had no sword. Ryan noted, with a bit of annoyance, that the little scratch on Zand’s finger had already healed.

Ryan pointed at his bruised and bloodied face. “Before we start again, you wanna patch me up a little first?”

“Afraid not. So sorry.”

Ryan frowned and pointed at Zand’s hand. “But you got to heal your finger!”

Zand looked at his finger, as if surprised that the blood was gone. “Oh, yes! I did, didn’t I? Well, if you’re so cross about it, I suggest you simply learn to do the same. I can’t hold your hand over every little thing.”

Ryan grumbled a bit to himself as Zand resumed his fighting stance. Guess that means I can probably heal myself now, I just haven’t figured out how. I’ve done it before on Black Star ... when my powers were going all crazy and random. Stupid superpowers! Why do you have to be so mystical and mysterious all the freakin’ time?! It’d be so much easier if I could be an overpowered badass now without working my ass off for every little ability!

As Zand folded his hands over an invisible or imaginary sword, a white light emanated from his knuckles. Then a white beam of light slowly grew from within his hands. The beam of light solidified to form a white glowing blade that resembled a broadsword in shape. This blade ... it was different from most Psionic Weapons Ryan had seen. It didn’t have Psionic Runes, a cross guard, or a hilt. It didn’t even seem to be made of metal. It looked like the blade was made of pure energy, kind of like the Corrucks that the Monks used, but seeming even less tangible somehow, like it wasn’t a physical object.

Shoving back his fatigue, Ryan blew out a breath as he took a fighting stance, brandishing his still-burning sword. He knew Zand wouldn’t wait for him just because he felt tired. In all their sessions, Zand would relentlessly punish Ryan until he literally dropped from exhaustion, and it never mattered how much Ryan asked for a break. Didn’t make it any easier to keep going, but it did put into perspective the uselessness of whining.

“So, we doing this with swords now, huh?”

“You’re the one who decided to up the ante in that department, and as a longtime medieval enthusiast and fencing aficionado, I’m more than happy to oblige. Swordsmanship has long been a cornerstone for those who practice the ancient arts of Elemency. The final act of the First Plane of Battle. In actuality, finesse with the blade is perhaps more imperative than hand-to-hand combat. A master boxer will always be at a disadvantage against a master swordsman.”

Ryan grinned, somehow feeling excited that he got Zand to draw his weapon. It felt like he was getting closer to drawing out Zand’s true power. The closer he got to fighting Zand at his best, the closer he got to Zorron.

“Sounds good to me. I always liked dueling with weapons better than fist-fighting. Makes things seem a little more final ... more real with the threat of a blade cutting through your skin. I’m just glad that I got you to take me seriously enough to draw your weapon.”

Zand held out his sword of light with one hand with his other hand behind his back in a new stance similar to a fencer. “Not quite. Take a look at this sword. You’ll find that it’s not a Psionic Sword. Weapons forged for the warriors of the Ministries are crafted tirelessly by master blacksmiths like Thisimius. They require special bonding metals, Psionic Runes, and Sun Gems to grant them maximum durability and destructive prowess. When infused with the user’s own psions to enhance their lethality, it allows Psionic Weaponry to surpass even the most advanced of laser-based technology. This, however, was created solely from my psions. It is a construct of my Light Elemency, so it does not possess the same proficiency as my true Psionic Weapon.”

Ryan groaned in annoyance, his stance slipping as the tip of his sword burned into the floor. He usually knew better than to treat his sword so poorly, but he was so tired and so frustrated that he couldn’t bring himself to care that much. “If that’s true, then my sword will cut through that thing like butter. I’ve seen what happens when elemental constructs go head-to-head with Psionic Weapons.”

Zand nodded, his sword of light tilting dangerously to the side in a way that Ryan took note of. “Normally, you’d be right ... if you were facing any other opponent. However, the vast chasm between our psions will make up the difference. If I were to face you now with my true Psionic Weapon fully imbued with my power, your sword would shatter from the first blow.”

The way Zand explained things got Ryan thinking. “Wait a minute. Does that mean ... when I summon a fireball or create lava, the power of my elemental construct depends on the power of my psions? Which means, theoretically, a rock user could throw a stone that can stand up to a Psionic Weapon if the rock guy’s psions are that much stronger than the other guy.”

Zand suddenly lunged forward with a thrust, and Ryan barely parried the blow even though he had been expecting it. Zand angled his weapon around, forcing Ryan to do the same to keep from getting sliced across the chest as he continued to block Zand’s blade. Zand then put his weight against his sword to push Ryan back. Ryan had to use his other hand on his sword’s pummel to hold his ground despite Zand only using one hand. The two blades sizzled and fumed from the conflicting energies. If Ryan hadn’t known any better, he’d say he was clashing his sword against another Psionic Weapon instead of a mere construct. The blade of light seemed just as solid as his own as the two weapons pushed against each other.

Zand gave an approving nod, speaking in a low voice that was almost threatening. “You’re catching on. As in most things in life, the weapon is not as important as the skill of the hand that wields it. However, there are still certain limitations in every field that skill alone will not be able to overcome. A masterful martial artist will never be able to turn his fist into a pistol no matter how hard he tries. So we shall hone you until you’re strong enough to wield a far greater tool ... then you might be ready to face my blade.

Ryan grunted a little, struggling against Zand’s strength even as the man was lecturing him. “Tell me something,” said Ryan between breaths as a thought occurred to him. “If you held a normal Psionic Weapon in your hand, what would happen?”

Zand shoved Ryan back with his shoulder and aimed a diagonal slice that would’ve taken off Ryan’s head had he not jumped back a pace at the last minute. Zand rushed forward, attacking Ryan with powerful one-headed swipes from every angle. Ryan only managed to fend off Zand’s lightning-quick attacks as he was slowly forced back step by step.

“It would turn to dust in my grasp. A rudimentary Psionic Weapon is designed to adapt to its user’s psions, but there are very few instruments in the universe that are strong enough to withstand the psions of a Vessel,” explained Zand as he continued battering away at Ryan, not even breathing heavily as he delivered devastating blows that shook Ryan’s whole body. “For that reason, master blacksmiths of ancient times sought to create armor and weapons worthy of Vessel-Level entities such as myself. I can only bring my full strength to bear when wielding my power through one of these ancient crafts that have come to be known as the Divine Weapons.”

Ryan had never heard of these ‘Divine Weapon’ things, but they sounded cool as heck. “Does that mean I could be as strong as you if I got ahold of one of these Divine Weapon thingies?” asked Ryan as he blocked a savage vertical slice and twisted it into a counterstroke, forcing Zand to block for a change.

As Zand effortlessly parried and dodged Ryan’s powerful two-handed strikes, he said cryptically, “If you tried to grasp a Divine Weapon as you are now, then you would be the one to turn to dust. The wielder must be stronger than his tool. You don’t become strong by wielding a powerful weapon. You must first become the weapon yourself. Until you understand this concept, you will never be worthy of such a gift.”

Ryan growled as he pressed his attack. “The weapon is only as strong as its user, but at the same time, the user is only as strong as his weapon! That doesn’t make any sense!”

“Yes, it is rather paradoxical,” Zand said with a hearty chuckle as he continued to block Ryan’s every strike. “But then again, so is life at times. Learning the contradictions in this world is the first step in understanding its harmony. Thus is the path to wisdom ... the path to balance itself.”

After using a one-handed riposte to increase his range, Ryan lost the initiative as Zand shifted from defense to offense, using powerful thrusts in a style that Ryan recognized from Eramar’s skillset. Ryan changed up his footwork, backing up in an arc to draw Zand in and get at his blind spot, but Zand always knew where he was even when not facing him directly. As their blades swirled and twirled, Ryan noticed that Zand was trying to get his tip pointed at Ryan’s chest even when out of range for a thrust. Almost too late, Ryan realized why. Without warning, Zand’s sword suddenly extended, going from three feet long to thirty in an eyeblink. Ryan barely managed to dodge as his ribs were nearly impaled. Zand’s sword retracted in an instant as he resumed a more conventional sword fight, but Ryan was weary of the growing blade. Eramar had taught Ryan that he should think of the tip of any Psionic Weapon as a gun barrel that could discharge a ranged attack at any time.

“Seeing as how you avoided that fairly well, I assume that Eramar already schooled you in a similar technique,” Zand said with a smirk.

Ryan smirked as well. “Yeah, but his way was a little more practical for fire users.”

Taking a cue from a trick he learned from Eramar, Ryan channeled his psions through the tip of his sword. The red flames on Ryan’s sword condensed and shot out, keeping the same shape of the blade and its hardness as Ryan swung in a wide arc. It wasn’t a conventional fire attack. It was as if Ryan’s blade itself had extended as his fifty-foot flaming sword construct laid waste to everything in its path, cutting and burning a huge swath of their crystalline arena. Zand jumped high into the air to avoid the destruction as the floor became a burning heap below him, but he didn’t know how fast Ryan could change the trajectory of his sword even with its added size and weight. Almost instantly, Ryan swung up at an angle to cleave Zand in half (though he was pretty sure that wouldn’t kill Zand even if he did manage it).

Zand tipped his light sword vertically to block the blow. Even though Ryan’s extended blade was made of fire, Zand blocked it as if it were solid. Ryan wasn’t surprised when that happened. Eramar once did the same when he first taught the move to Ryan. As Zand held Ryan’s sword off with one hand, he pointed a finger down with his free hand, sending down white laser blasts.

As Ryan retracted his flaming sword to its normal size to roll out of range of the laser bolts, a thought occurred to him. I guess some people can turn their fists into pistols after all. Or at least Zand can do it with his finger.

When Ryan rolled to his feet, he found that his boots were no longer touching the floor. Instead, he seemed to be falling from a great height. His hair and his cape swirled in the breeze. A bright sun shone overhead as a rocky landscape spread out beneath him. For a moment, his heart stopped as he remembered this happening to him once before when he and Éclair were trapped on Black Star. The only difference was the giant, flying Parasite in the sky with him this time, swooping up to eat him as he fell straight towards it. The creature screeched and opened its four house-sized jaws, rotating teeth appearing in its maw ready to tear Ryan to pieces. Ryan was startled only for an instant before he realized what was going on.

Growling in anger at Zand for exploiting his memories and fears like this, Ryan screamed, “STOP SCREWING AROUND!”

Ryan gripped his sword in both hands, swinging in a vertical swipe at the image of the Parasite and the falling world. For a moment, it looked like the Parasite, the planet below, and the sky itself, had all been cleaved in two as red flames split everything in half. Then in an instant, the illusion vanished to be replaced by Zand who caught Ryan’s blade with his own.

“You’ve used those mind tricks one time too many, old man,” Ryan said with a grin.

“Just keep in mind the subtler ways of using telepathy that aren’t so obvious,” lectured Zand as he and Ryan exchanged a flurry of blows. “For instance, altering your perception by just a hair so that my blade appears a few more inches to the right than it actually is. Such a slight adjustment could mean the difference between life and death. So even if you can break through telepathic spells, it’s better to keep your mental defenses up at all times so that you’re never caught in an illusion in the first place.”

Scared out of his wits now, Ryan took that to heart. Even as he and Zand traded physical blows, he was constantly checking his mental defenses for any signs of psychic tampering. He was fairly familiar with Zand’s telepathic influence by this point, so when he felt even a smidge of Zand’s presence in his mind, he attacked it ruthlessly by using a mental projection of his father wielding a big sword. It happened several times even as they sparred physically, forcing Ryan to divert his attention between Zand’s physical attacks and his mental ones. Ryan began to realize that high-level battles with Elemency often entailed multitasking, making them stressful as hell.

Ryan decided to go on the offensive again, jumping back to gain some distance. His jump carried him well over sixty feet, and as he flew back, he threw his sword. Zand easily deflected Ryan’s blade and extended his light sword once again to catch Ryan even from his long distance, but Ryan was ready for that. Raising his left arm, Ryan summoned his clawed gauntlet, which appeared on his arm in a shower of red flames. Thisimius had done some modifications to his new gauntlet as well, for as he charged psions into the Psionic Weapon, the red flames around the gauntlet coalesced to form a shield made of fire. The shield took on physical traits just like his extended sword flame, allowing him to block Zand’s blade which would have punctured his heart otherwise. Knocking away Zand’s long sword with his flaming shield, Ryan pointed the two claws of his gauntlet and closed his fist. The iron claws, also wreathed in red flames, suddenly fired like the bolts from a crossbow. Even after both claws fired, more claws appeared on the gauntlet, allowing Ryan to continue firing. Zand retracted his sword to block the claws, but when the flaming claws made contact with the light sword, they exploded with Ryan’s combustion ability. However, Zand was uninjured as his whole body got covered by a white forcefield made from Light Elemency. Still, Ryan was certain he could break through Zand’s forcefield eventually, so he just kept firing his exploding claws, all the while controlling his sword with his other hand which was still flying through the air. Ryan kept Zand busy with his exploding claws aimed at his front flank while the flaming sword came spinning towards Zand’s rear flank.

Just before the flaming sword took Zand from behind, another Zand appeared in a flash of white light, deflecting the projectile and protecting the real Zand. Ryan blinked, wondering if he was seeing things correctly. Ryan was so flabbergasted that he paused his assault for a split-second, and then the original Zand raised his hand, and the ground around him shook, probably indicating the use of telekinesis. Ryan called back his sword and caught it, prepared to defend himself against any unforeseen tricks. As Ryan jumped back to avoid a particularly vicious telekinetic blast that ripped across the landscape, his battle instincts told him of the presence of another entity. He raised his sword just in time to block a light blade from yet another Zand standing behind him.

Thinking he was caught in another illusion, Ryan flared his psions, hoping to shake Zand’s control by jolting himself awake. The Zand doppelganger smiled kindly before slicing Ryan across his backside. Ryan screamed as the blade of light penetrated through the armor to cut his skin. It didn’t get too deeply thanks to the Psionic Armor, otherwise Ryan was certain he’d be cut in half.

That pain was no illusion! That was real! There are really three Zands here! Is he using Psionic Doubles? I thought you needed to throw a Sun Gem for that, and I didn’t think you could make more than one at a time!