Blades hit, slid then retreated. Another block, another parry, another near-miss. The two wooden swords hit each other once more with a resounding thud, they strained and threatened to snap from the force. They pulled back once more and held for a second then swung.
Arnimos''s sword splintered, small fragments scattered over the training yard, and his teacher''s wooden blade hit him straight in the chest. It stung, and his teacher never did hold back. His swordsmanship teacher, a Luxicon by the name of Shil-Kas, stepped forward and raised the blade to bring it down in one strike upon his head. Arnimos raised his arm to block it and closed his eyes.
He waited for a few seconds before opening one and seeing Shil-Kas with the blade still raised looking at him. Shil-Kas dropped the wooden sword.
"Your instincts will not save you in a fight," Shil-Kas said. "At this rate, I will be old and grey by the time you have mastered the sword,"
"I''m sorry sir," Arnimos said. "I was just... Scared of getting hit,"
Shil-Kas put a hand on Arnimos''s shoulder.
"Fear is a fine thing to have," Shil-Kas said. "Do not let it rule you however or you will not be able to control it,"
Shil-Kas dug a finger into Arnimos''s chest, and for a moment he felt those things inside him stir. His Dichotomies, those horrible things latched onto his soul. All people had them, at least all who were not Shalbross, he was different. Many had only one, such as Shil-Kas who possesses only the one of a Luxicon, some had two, such as his Dichotomy trainer Tages, but unlike many others in the world, he had all 4 types. He specifically was an Archon, the rarest of all the races.
Shil-Kas stepped back and picked up his dropped sword and the shattered remnants of Arnimos''s.
"You are proving to grow stronger, however," Shil-Kas said. "With this growth, it means your Dichotomies are likely to imprint soon,"
Shil-Kas went and tossed the broken and heavily damaged wooden swords. They could always just craft new ones after all.
"Now that is all I have for you today," Shil-Kas said. "Be here at sunrise tomorrow until then you are dismissed to your lessons with Tages,"
"Understood sir," Arnimos said.
He gave a quick bow then rushed off, once his training with Tages was done he''d be free the rest of the day.
He made his way through the palace. It was modest, at least compared to some of their neighbors and the Reborn Lords, large enough to show the city''s wealth and power but not so ostentatious to be an eyesore. He was the child of the lords of this city, one of the many small city-states just beyond Elysium, and his birth had changed it. He could see the city below bustling with people, it wasn''t always like this however.
He had been told that before his birth they were just another minor player in the area but with his birth, the birth of the 20th Archon, they had received much attention. Many other lords wished to seize him when he was young but reportedly one of the Personifications, Demigods, had stopped them. Now the city was a bustling hub on the edge of Elysium, few dared challenge their city now especially as Arnimos grew. Once his Dichotomies Imprinted there would be few in this area that could challenge them.
But such thoughts of conquest weren''t suited for him, he liked sparring and learning sure but war always seemed quite dreadful to him. He didn''t like violence, in some ways he feared it.
He arrived at another training yard, it had a few dummies set up to act as targets and his teacher stood in the center with someone else in a cloak standing right next to him. His teacher wore grey robes with a thing tassel of purple dangling from his waist, his skin was petrified and cracked around his grey eyes to reveal dark almost earthen skin beneath. His teacher was an Oracle, another of the races. The other men wore a cloak that seemed to twist the air around them, obscuring attempts to make out any detail.
Arnimos stopped a few steps from Tages and the other and bowed.
"I have arrived," Arnimos said.
"Yes, a tad late, however," Tages said. "But it can be forgiven,"
"Might I ask who the other man here is?" Arnimos said.
"Someone who shall help us in the lesson today," Tages said.
"What is today''s lesson?" Arnimos said. "You were quite vague last time..."
"We shall awaken your Dichotomies," Tages said. "Forcibly,"
"Huh-" Arnimos said.
He had barely the time to question before the figure removed the cloak and all he was trembled. His mind screeched, his soul winced and his Dichotomies flared, fear pervaded every piece of his being. His body was frozen and his Dichotomies began to produce energy, they fed on fear and now they had it in droves with such a thing standing before him. A being none could match, something beyond the power of any man. A Fear given form. A Fear granted power. A Fear Personified.
The Personification held a timeless yet ancient appearance like it experienced all of time at every single moment. His mind knew not what this represented but his soul did, before him stood the Personification of Time.
He fell to his knees in awe staring at the Personification, his eyes shot over to Tages who stood unfazed by what was happening. The Personification stared at him and it felt like his Dichotomies would tear his mind apart, they intensified his fear so greatly to feed upon that he felt he might go mad. Then with the suddenness that it came, it vanished, his fear washing away like words written upon sand.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
He stared still stunned for a few seconds before the Personification shifted slightly, he feared it might strike but then it offered a hand. It spoke with a voice as old as Shale itself.
"R I S E" It said.
Arnimos took its hand and pulled himself up. He dusted off his pants and looked at the Personification then to Tages.
"What is-" Arnimos said.
"Your Dichotomies wouldn''t Imprint," Tages said. "Despite everything, yours would not find something fearful enough to choose,"
Tages then motioned to the Personification who seemed less and less terrifying by the second.
"So I called upon an old friend," Tages said. "With his help, we will force your Dichotomies into Imprinting,"
"How will that work?" Arnimos said.
Tages nodded at the Personification who stepped forward and with a speed none could match placed a hand on his head. His Dichotomies came alight threatening to tear his mind asunder but then they were cowed.
"I A M J I L K" It said. "P E R S O N I F I C A T I O N O F T I M E"
His Dichotomies then flared to life once more this time not like wild animals but more controlled, he felt them changing and shifting as unimaginable power flowed through him.
"T O Y O U A R C H O N I A M C O M M A N D E D T O G I V E G I F T" It spoke. "T I M E H A S B E E N W A S T E D W A I T I N G F O R Y O U T O A W A K E"
His Dichotomies bent and screeched in ways that he thought nothing ever could, they were being beat into shape. Normally during a fearful event, they would Imprint upon that fear naturally and develop powers but his had stubbornly refused to do so, and now they were being forced.
"I A M N O T M Y B R O T H E R" It said. "I C A N N O T S E E T H E F U T U R E T O G I V E W H A T Y O U N E E D I N S T E A D I G I V E Y O U W H A T Y O U F E A R E D N O T L O N G A G O"
His mind strained at the pressure and he felt his soul bending as his Dichotomies continued to screech, it felt like he was being torn apart.
"V I O L E N C E Y O U F E A R" It said. "I F T H E Y W I L L N O T C H O O S E I T T H E M S E L V E S T H E N I S H A L L S H O W T H E M W H Y"
He felt power surging once more as something began to flow into his mind, memories.
"W I T N E S S M Y K I N Y U L S I" It said. "P E R S O N I F I C A T I O N O F V I O L E N C E"
His mind flashed with images of war. Men and Shalbross butchered each other, Dichotomies and Fear-Made artifacts laid waste to towns and armies alike. Innocents died for the mistake of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Cities burned at the hands of tyrants and liberators. Yet there despite the ages that passed in these flashes he always saw the same figure, one without a true form. He looked like any other soldier yet there was undeniable hatred in him... No, it wasn''t hatred, not as he understood it at least. That figure held no malice, it held no justification for what was happening. Why would it?
It was not a man who could claim innocence or ignorance, it was not some weapon or creature unleashed without the ability to think for itself. It was not a Shalbross fighting to reclaim its home from invaders, it was not a Reborn placed somewhere it didn''t know trying to carve a safe haven for itself. It was nothing that could ever have a true reason.
It was Violence and it scared him, yet not enough.
Suddenly he found himself lying on the cold stone floor of the training yard, bits of ash lightly drifted down onto him that were kicked up when he fell. He stared around dazed, his mind was still reeling. He looked up at the sky feeling different, his Dichotomies felt awake.
Arnimos looked around and saw the Personification, Jilk, standing silently next to Tages. Tages stared stunned at Arnimos.
"Impossible," Tages said. "Your Dichotomies, they didn''t Imprint..."
Arnimos rose from the ground, enraged.
"What the hell was that?!?" Arnimos said. "What did I just see!?!"
Jilk stepped forward and spoke with a voice much softer than previously.
"I SHOWED YOU MY KINDRED YULSI PERSONIFICATION OF VIOLENCE" Jilk said. "TO FORCE YOUR DICHOTOMIES TO AWAKEN"
"And why the hell would you do that!?!" Arnimos said.
"Because we-" Tages said.
"You know what actually," Arnimos said. "Screw this! I am not dealing with you today!"
Before Tages could get another word in Arnimos stormed off. Tages considered following but stayed put and looked over to Jilk.
"There is something wrong here," Tages said. "His Dichotomies should have Imprinted,"
"PERHAPS THINGS ARE NOT AS SIMPLE AS THEY SEEM" Jilk said. "HIS MIND IS STRONG PERHAPS THAT ALLOWS HIM TO PERSIST WITHOUT IMPRINTING"
"Still, they woke up," Tages said. "Even i do not know what a true Pure Dichotomy untainted by fear will do,"
"SHALL WE TRY AGAIN" Jilk said.
Tages stood considering it for a moment before driving off the thought.
"If visions from you couldn''t do it then we''d need something much worse," Tages said. "It is likely only things that could do it would be truly great danger or your brother the Personification of Fear-"
Tages felt the surge of energy as Jilk slightly exerted himself at the mention.
"SPEAK NOT OF MY BROTHER TAGES" Jilk said. "HE IS DEAD TO US H E S H A L L N O T B E M E N T I O N E D"
Tages winced and stepped back.
"I understand lord Personification," Tages said. "Just bringing up things,"
The power flowed back into Jilk.
"GOOD" Jilk said. "NOW I MUST DEPART IF YOU REQUIRE ME YOU KNOW WHERE TO FIND ME"
In the blink of an eye he was gone, with no strong Dichotomies around he could do whatever he pleased. Tages stood for a second and wondered if it was right to force his Dichotomies to awaken like that and what it meant them not to Imprint.
He drove doubt from his mind, he hadn''t the room for it with all that needed to be done. Tages turned and returned to his room, he''d give Arnimos a few days to rest then the training would begin in earnest.