The Master Warrior

CHAPTER ONE

The first thing I felt was the power. My entire body pulsed with a barely contained energy. The second thing that I felt was the pain and with it came the memory of what I had gone through. Every part of me ached, making any sudden movement a vivid reminder of my ordeal. All of my senses were heightened. The too bright sunlight filtered in through the windows and blinded me as the room came into focus.

I moved my head slowly and took in the room. An earthy scent filled my nostrils, like wet grass after a rain. The bed I lay in held me tight, convincing me that the best course of action was to remain in it indefinitely. I was in a Mikai home. Deep browns and reds made up the colors of the simple furniture. Beneath it all, I could see the glyphs floating just beneath the surface. I felt the power, a lazy cushion of energy that enveloped the entire space.

I could sense others close by. I tried to focus and the pain crashed into me, snatching my breath. Drops of sweat formed on my forehead as I tried to sit up.

Seems like I survived the bonding.

Indeed. It has been some time since I bonded to a vessel.

Shadowstrike.

Were you expecting another? a female voice responded.

Dante—my name is Dante, not vessel.

Don’t ask me how I knew, but I could sense her smiling.

Dante, then. You must leave this place. By remaining here, you place yourself and those you care about in danger.

The voices of the others reached me.

How can I hear them?

Your abilities have been enhanced. There is still much for you to learn.

“Is he dead?”

I recognized the voice but couldn’t place it. The throbbing in my head kept a steady pace with the promise of continued moments of agony. I closed my eyes again to shut out some of the discomfort, hoping it would allow me to focus. Then it clicked. Devin was wondering if I was dead.

“Not yet,” answered a voice I knew to be Mariko. “But it’s still early.”

“How long before we know if the bonding was successful?” It was another familiar voice, different from the first.

Sylk. I heard the inflections and subtle nuances. He was worried.

“Well, he isn’t dead and that is a good indicator. We don’t know if the bonding was accomplished or if we have another threat before us—a greater threat than any of us could comprehend.”

Lady Ono. She was the one who had walked me through the agony of Shadowstrike. I remembered wanting to die and begging for it. The funny thing about pain is that it’s never as vivid in recollection. I knew the scars were there, invisible to the eye but etched into my psyche. Every part of me protested as I moved. It was a sharp reminder of what I had just gone through.

You do not have the luxury of rest. Time is our common enemy and we have precious little of it.

What are you talking about? You almost killed me.

Yet here you lie. What are you waiting for? The pain has subsided by now and you have full use of your faculties. Those around you cannot help you to achieve the mastery required.

What do you mean?

In order to wield me fully you must learn two very important skills. You must learn to wavedance and timeskip—skills that take time to learn. None of those surrounding you now is equipped to teach you these skills. We must leave this place.

And go where?

In addition, you have not learned how to keep my presence hidden. Enemies will arrive soon—powerful ones.

The voices were approaching me now.

I opened my eyes and looked around. Those who had stood by me ever since my life had been turned on its side still surrounded me. I made to get up and several hands pushed me back on the bed.

“I need to go,” I said. “It’s too dangerous. I need to—”

“Get enough rest,” said Sylk. “Welcome back, warrior.”

“He can’t stay here,” said Mariko. “Mother, his energy signature—”

“I know, Mariko,” answered Ono. “He cannot mask it yet.”

I sat up and was rewarded with a tilting of the room that made me thankful for an empty stomach. Ono placed a hand on my shoulder and pushed me back down. So much for having full use of my faculties.

“What do you mean he can’t stay here?” said Sylk. “Where else is he to go?”

Zanshi entered the room and looked at me for several seconds before giving his wife a short embrace.

“Are you well?” I heard the concern in his voice.

Ono waved away his question but blushed. “Of course I am, Husband.”

“This was no small matter,” he pressed.

“We were well guarded,” said Ono, looking at Meja.

Zanshi nodded and sat on the edge of the bed, next to me.

“What she means, Karashihan,” Zanshi said, turning to Sylk, “is that he contains the third focus and does not know how to mask it yet.”

“So he is now a beacon to all who would be attracted to this power,” said Ono. “Especially among the Mikai.”

“Do you not sense it?” asked Mariko.

“It is too soon. They would only sense the transformation if they were Mikai or if they were—” began Zanshi.

“I sense it,” said Meja, looking at me and speaking barely above a whisper. “You feel the way you were when you held Maelstrom without the taint of corruption.”

Ono nodded. “The same hands forged both so they would feel similar. However, they each have a different purpose.”

“Without the ability to mask the focus, it’s only a matter of time before it will be more than just the Mikai who can sense it,” said Mariko. “You need to be gone before then.”

“Why can only the Mikai feel this?” asked Devin. “A weapon with this much power should be impossible to mask on any level.”

“He is not the one masking it right now,” said Sylk. “We are in a glyphed room, correct?”

Ono nodded and stepped closer to me.

“The glyphs here diffuse his energy signature, which makes him difficult to read for you and any who are not Mikai or bonded,” said Ono. “They will not be enough to hide him indefinitely. We need to move him to another location.”

Zanshi placed a hand on my chest and closed his eyes.

“Once out of this room, this power will draw them to you,” said Zanshi. “They will know where you are. We must prepare.”

“I can take him to the mirror,” said Sylk. “I can place him in one of the interstices.”

Zanshi shook his head. “Not even there would he be safe,” he said. “The Watchers would find him. It’s too risky. You would need a dead zone.”

“I may have a solution,” said a voice from the doorway.

It was Samir, and behind him was a young woman. She was of medium height with dark brown hair and vibrant eyes. Around her neck, she wore a chain attached to what appeared to be a large black prism.

“Samir!” said several voices in unison.

Sylk and Meja walked over to greet him. Samir touched his hand to his forehead and then his heart in a return greeting. I waved from the bed and he approached.

“It’s good to see you,” I said. “Who’s that?”

“This is Nina, and she is looking for you,” he said, looking at Meja.

“Me? Why?” Meja asked and she took a step back as Nina closed the distance.

“I have to give you this,” said Nina as she removed the black prism from her neck and held it outstretched to Meja.

“A prism? Who told you to give this to me?” asked Meja warily.

“He was my friend,” said Nina. “He said to give it to you.”

“Does this friend have a name?’

Nina shook her head slowly. “He never told me his name, only to give this to Meja of the house of Aumeera. That’s you—I can feel it.”

“You can what?” said Meja with an edge in her voice. She began to focus her chi. It was a subtle shift in energy but I could sense it. I sat up in the bed.

“What are you doing?” I asked. “She’s no threat.”

“No one is supposed to ‘feel’ me,” said Meja. “For all I know she could have been sent here to kill me—to kill us. That prism could be deadly. You of all people should know how dangerous they are.”

I remembered my experience with prisms. Both times I almost died. I opened my senses and looked at Nina with my innersight. I sensed no malicious intent, but what I did see surprised me: she had immense power, layered in various ways.

She is a wavedancer, Dante. You need her.

“You’re a wavedancer?” I asked, barely understanding what I was saying.

Nina held the prism out to Meja, who stood next to my side of the bed. She cocked her head to the side in confusion. “I don’t understand. You are Meja of the house of Aumeera. This is for you,” she said.

The pain must have clouded my thinking because I reached out and grabbed the prism, saying, “I’ll hold it for her until she’s ready to take it from you.”

“Dante, no!” yelled Meja too late.