27/06/337

Vasuki

It had been three days since Audra had gotten better, and four full days since his uneventful birthday, where he spent all day walking around the nearby park, sulking. Now the two of them were being trained. Not just by Cabana but by Noelem as well, if Vasuki had to say which one he suggested more? Definitely training with Cabana. With Cabana one could hold the shield and move it in front of her attacks for a good while. You’ll even get a few chances to attack! With Noelem? No, just no. Don’t even consider it.

Vasuki and Audra was brought to an open field, outside of the walls of Daemerall, near the farmlands to the west. The grass and scattered trees were a nice change to the bustle of the city. Vasuki rolled his arm as he got ready to face the familiar feline opponent. She was quick and had very few openings, but he still knew when he could get a hit in. Just as Cabana began to walk forward Noelem put his hand on her shoulder, stopping her.

“I think these two need something new. Audra may not be used to facing you, but Vasuki is. So how about you let me handle him today?” He suggested. He sounded natural when speaking to Cabana, that made it clear to Vasuki that he was purposefully being awkward when Noelem spoke to him.

“If you think he can handle the heat, go right ahead.” She said, backing away, a smug smirk on her face, “Just don’t hurt him, alright?” Vasuki darted his eyes between the two of them.

“Don’t worry about hitting me.” Noelem claimed, removing his shirt to reveal his extremely toned body, “It couldn’t be worse than what Lusalene could do to me.” He held his hand to his side, a stalagmite of obsidian shot from the ground, as soon as Noelem grabbed the rock near the tip it began to disintegrate. The falling rock revealed a terrifying rocky shortsword that was held in a powerful grip.

Vasuki had no idea how powerful Noelem was until that shortsword hit his shield. The resulting sound was similar to a rumble of thunder or a lightning strike hitting a tree, the force of the blow made Vasuki’s arm feel like a wet noodle. In his panic he attempted to push the blade away but found his shield immovable against the force of Noelem’s sword. He moved to the side and sliced at Noelem’s side but found his weapon stopped against the man’s skin.

“What are you made of?” He asked, “What is this shield made of?” He added, noticing the kiteshield seemed to be mostly undamaged. Noelem responded by swinging his sword downwards at Vasuki, his only choice was to side step the attack and counter with a useless swing. He backed away and called a spear of ice to jut from the ground, making sure to keep the tip blunted. It hit him in his gut and he leaned over from the force, if we were talking movement it was the most that Vasuki had made the demon move. In terms of actual physical damage? There was none. It seemed it had just taken Noelem off-guard. He couldn’t block an attack, he couldn’t hurt him with his sword, and his magic simply made him move out of reflex. Wonderful.

Minutes passed and the fight, if you would call it that, had lasted for what felt like hours. Vasuki’s breath was coming out as a wheeze, his sword had lost it’s tip and was now decorated with a few dents of it’s own. His shield was quickly becoming an outward facing bowl, his magic had become too low to use safely. Noelem’s body was exactly as it had been when the fight first started. A few meters away, Audra and Cabana were practicing magic. He looked over at them then began to mock their voice, making sure they both could hear him.

“~Hey Audra let’s go work on your magic. What’s Vasusu going to do? Oh you know practice combat against the most terrifying thing in the world!~” Audra chuckled at his complaint. Cabana rolled her eyes.

“Quit complaining and focus on your opponent, Ice boy!” Cabana commented. Vasuki looked back, not expecting Noelem to continue the combat without his trainee’s knowledge, he was met with a fist. The world spun around him consciousness fading in and out, but there was something else there something...primal; instinctual.

“You gonna let him do that to you?” A deep voice asked. Not Vistrata, someone else. The voice sounded like the cockiest man he had ever heard. He felt a burst of power begin to flow through his body, “Let me guide your bite.” Vasuki caught himself, somehow regaining his balance once again. Vasuki brought the shield up to catch Noelem’s sword, somehow the blow wasn’t nearly as tiring as it was just a moment before. He stumbled back, but kept his footing stable. Noelem looked at him then gave him a knowing smile.

“It’s been a long time, Boreal.” Noelem claimed. Vasuki threw his sword at Noelem, he slapped the blade away with his own as if it were completely normal. He ran at Vasuki, it was the first time he had seen the beast move like that, and he was quick, almost as quick as Cabana, almost. Vasuki quickly grabbed the chains of magic, for the first time they listened with ease, the feeling was one he wasn’t used to. An explosion of ice erupted at Noelem’s feet, it was the first time he had seen something akin to pain on the Demon’s face as he was launched into the air. Vasuki copied Noelem’s act and grabbed one of the crystals of ice, it was as if the ice began to crawl in his hands but he didn’t get to see the rest before he fell to the side, the ground catching his fall. Noelem landed on his feet with a loud thud, rock had formed on his chest to protect himself. Vasuki smiled when he saw a small trickle of blood on the demon’s left shoulder.

“This good enough of a birthday present?” Noelem asked, gesturing towards the small hole in his chest. “From me and Cabana to you as a late birthday present.”

“It was his birthday? Shit, I completely forgot.” He could barely hear Audra over the sound of the ringing in his ears.

“You were...knocked out, don’t worry about it.” It was the first time he was distracted enough to not continue his sulking after his birthday, “Boreal, huh? That was the guy talking to me just now? He doesn’t do that often.” Vasuki pointed out. It was the first time he’s ever spoken to him. Maybe for other kinds of Ascenders it was more difficult for them to speak to their Ascendee’s? He wasn’t sure, he made a mental note to ask Cabana about it later.

They heard a whistle out in the distance. Vasuki sat up and looked out towards the sound, he saw a man walking towards them, it was hard to see who it was through the light of the sun.

“That was one hell of an ice burst. You weren’t holding back.” Zadkiel pointed out, “How the hell you still alive? You a Daosr?” Zadkiel asked pointing at Noelem's eyes.

“You’re very observant. Noelem.” He said holding his hand out. All of them knew that was a lie, but it was definitely a good cover story.

“Zadkiel Agano. Local blacksmith assistant, why you laying there? You tired?” He asked sarcastically.

“Magic Fatigue, I’ll be better in an hour or so.” Vasuki stated, laying flat on his back. Zadkiel looked over to Noelem.

“Not gonna kick him while he’s down? Looks like he got you good too.” Zadkiel said, pointing out the small hole.

“Beginner’s luck.” Noelem claimed.

Vasuki continued laying on the ground while Zadkiel mingled with the rest of the group. Introducing each other and talking a bit about their past and who they were. Never letting on what they were preparing Audra and Vasuki to Ascend. Eventually their talking grew more and more distant, conversations about Daemerall and some of the people Zadkiel knew in the city began to grow quieter as their distance from him grew. Vasuki was feeling like he had recovered enough magic, so he sat up and saw all of them walking away from his location.

“Hey! Where you guys going?” Vasuki said thinking they were just joking with him, none of them turned to look at him. Cabana, Noelem, even Audra ignored him. Zadkiel seemed to be right at home.

“It seems they don’t care all that much about you.” Vasuki turned to look at the old man.

“Fuck off. They just didn’t hear me.” Vasuki turned back to the group, “Heeeeey!” He called, he ran to the four of them and grabbed Audra’s shoulder, he shook her but she didn’t react, simply swatted his hand away like it was a fly while she talked with Zadkiel about his work at the local blacksmith. Nothing; no turn of the head; no acknowledgment.

“Alright guys it’s not funny anymore.” Vasuki said, before Zadkiel turned and punched him in the jaw, before pushing him back.

“Get out of here.” Zadkiel ordered, "Can't you see we're busy?"

“Stop following us, creep, go die in a hole already, pervert.” Audra demanded as they all turned around and walked away from him, that was unlike her. Even the way she was talking seemed like a different person.

“They don’t care about you...look at them. As soon as another person comes in they abandon you.” Vistrata grabbed his shoulders. “They let you fight Noelem, the most powerful demon in all of the Nightmare! They didn’t even remember to celebrate your birthday properly. They let you suffer through the terrible memories of that day.”

Vistrata, as much as Vasuki hated to admit it, was right. He had been alone on his birthday, a day that was supposed to be enjoyed with family and friends, he had spent alone. Most people enjoyed their birthday, he spent his thinking of his mother, and how all he wanted was for her to be there with him on that day. Cabana knew this, knew the reason he was always so sad on that day. How depression had gripped him after his mothers death and was always a constant threat in his daily life.

“They...don’t truly care…do they?” Vasuki asked, he knew Vistrata’s answer.

“Of course not. They don’t care for all the efforts you’ve been putting in, not just to keep Audra safe, but also to keep yourself safe and to improve yourself.” He grabbed the back of Vasuki’s hand and held his palm up towards the sky, “I can help you become better.” Vistrata said, Vasuki felt his magic will itself, bending to his desires. Vasuki grabbed the stock of the flower of ice as his magic called it to existence, the one that he had been trying to make before. He looked past the flower to see them all, laughing at something that was said.

“What would your mother want most?” Vistrata asked.

“She’d want me to be strong.” Vasuki claimed, “She’d want me to be happy. But I can’t be happy with people that would leave me behind the second someone else shows up. No matter how much I care for them, they don’t care for me at all. If they did they wouldn’t just leave me behind.” He said.

“I’ll give you some time to think.” Vistrata said.

Vasuki watched as the four of them disappeared into the city, then he watched as the sun set on the horizon. He looked at the flower of ice, it hadn’t even come close to beginning to melt, it was as cold and solid as ever. He looked at it with furrowed brows.

“They haven’t even come to check up on me.” He claimed, he snapped the stock of the flower in two and threw it on the ground, “So much time in their lives...just to abandon me.” He planted his boot on the head of the flower, crushing the fragile ice.

“Have you made your choice?” Vistrata asked from behind the tree. He hesitated a moment longer. He would admit that he was scared of Vistrata, but it was beginning to seem like he truly was there to help.

“Make me strong, strong enough to show them that I don’t need them, that I don’t need anyone.” Vasuki ordered.

“Strong enough to be able to stand against them?” Vistrata suggested. Vasuki looked back at the old man.

“Yeah.”