Chapter 19: Chapter 18 Those Who Stumble

(Gill’s point of view)

A hurricane churned the ocean with its wrath. Waves crashed against the rocky shore line in a steady rhythm.

I stood atop an overhang, holding my own against winds that swept away trees, velociters and buildings alike.

Sea beasts of all shapes and sizes were left stranded along the coast, others were flung miles inland, while beasts of the field, taken from nearby farms and villages, were thrown into the ocean.

At the center of all this chaos was the king of the sea. Leviathan, the tyrant.

The great serpent reared his head from beneath the waves.

As his jaws parted a mighty roar cut through the wind. Moments later the force of his breath ruffled my hair and garments.

His beady red eyes seemed to meet mine as two pairs of massive fins flared out behind his head.

In sync with his provocation, lighting struck the ocean repeatedly starting right in front of the serpent and continuing forward until it would’ve struck me. 

Legend says that Irina defeated the beast with lightning. This simulation had shown me time and time again that it was an impossible outcome. 

Even one did manage to wrest control of the storm from the beast, striking him with lightning would only make him stronger.

He’d shown his might and I didn’t back down, but the next strike wouldn’t be a warning.

Elemental magic was almost completely useless against primordial beasts like the Leviathan. This battle was about timing and precision.

Just after the leviathan’s eyes flashed, lightning would strike at my location. I dodged each blast, but never in the same direction. With each burst of movement I was making my way closer to the beast.

After several successful dodges, I was a meer fifty feet from the creature. With every inch it got harder to maintain aerial control.

Another roar signaled a change in the beast’s tactics. It would either be the jaws or the tail.

I never broke eye contact with the creature. If I looked away for even a second, he’d swallow me before I could process what happened.

For a moment the beast swayed with the waves, then he lunged forward. I reacted, realizing too late that it was a feint.

I looked down to see his tail, already raised out of the water. It slammed into me like a war hammer, crunching my bones and sending me hurtling into his open claw.

I felt my bones shift and snap in his tightening grip. Even knowing this was a simulation didn’t ease the pain. Without that sensation it wouldn’t feel real, the mind wouldn’t be fully invested and nothing would be gained from the experience. I didn’t enjoy this part of training, but if I couldn’t overcome it then I couldn’t be sure I was on the same level as the heroes. 

My own pathetic screams were drowned out by the howl of the wind. I felt, more than heard, a low rumbling from the beasts which I imagined to be him laughing. Then with a final wet crunch, I added my ninety-ninth straight defeat to my mental scorecard.

The chaotic scene faded to black, then light flooded my eyes as the simulation chamber popped open.

“You might as well just move into the simulator,” Irina joked. “What are you preparing for?”

As I rolled out of the simulator, Irina leaned against the control desk. Her blue hair fell in waves around her face, outlining her rosy cheeks. Her cyan eyes were as deep as the ocean and filled with an electric energy. Her voice was like sweet music that plucked at my heart.

I knew better than to fall for her trap. I’d seen many men lured in by her athletic build and charms, only to crash into sharp rocks and sink in a sea of despair and gloom. 

That was how she earned the nickname, Siren. 

“Nothing, it’s just that, when you get in as much trouble as I do; it’s never a bad idea to train harder.” I laughed. “What brings you here? Hard to imagine anything in the simulator could provide a challenge to the leviathan slayer.”

I paid careful attention to her expression, refusing to focus lower when she leaned back and unzipped the tiny jacket that stretched over her chest. The shirt she wore covered everything important, it’s low collar boarded on exposing her. 

She met my gaze while casually running a finger along the neckline of her shirt. 

“Perhaps not, but maybe you’d like to challenge me, see if you can handle a hero instead of playing with that petty snake.”

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“You’re kidding.” At least I hoped she was. It was indirect, but I wondered if maybe she knew my plans. “I’d be on my ass before I took a single step.” I said dismissively. I can’t even beat that petty snake.”

Irina gave a coy smile. Her eyes studied me; curiosity flickering in deep pools that begged me to dive in. this was a special look. One reserved for only the things that intrigued her.

Months as her student had taught me not to indulge. Irina was impossible to read. Her fickle nature, like the musing of the ocean, was enough to drive anyone insane.

“Maybe you’re right. It might boost your confidence, but it could also just make things harder.”

Oh fuck, she knows!

“What are you talking about? Why would anything get hard?”

She giggled then leaned close to me. “It’s fun, teasing you, you always make the best expressions.” 

I took a mental sigh of relief. If she was just teasing then maybe she didn’t know about my plot.

I hated that about her. Irina was younger than me, nineteen, but she toyed with me like I was a naïve child.

Even as the youngest of twelve heroes, she seemed wiser and more mysterious. She had been under her tutelage since I first became a hero candidate six months ago, but even now I didn’t really feel like I knew her. Every interaction with her was like playing castle game and it always felt like she was several moves ahead. 

“Why are you really here?” I asked, thinking that she wouldn’t have come just to tease me. 

She smiled again. “Pyro has a new play thing. Just thought you’d want to know.” Then she turned to walk back down the long hall.

‘The bastard moves quick’ I thought, considering that the new students had barely been admitted for three days. Then I realized. “Wait, how did he find a new candidate when all the first class students are away on a mission?”

Irina stopped but didn’t turn to look at me. “Well, I guess one slipped through the cracks. Lucky for her too… from what I hear the mission the others went on wound up being a bit rough.”

“Rough?” I chortled. “Since when have first year missions been rough?”

“Well,” Irina pivoted to look at me before continuing, “Pyro sent them to the hallowed grounds. I haven’t heard all the details yet, but they sent a distress signal and enforcers have been dispatched to rescue them.”

“No…”

If that’s true then…

My Comm chimed to alert me of a new message. It read sorry Gilly, just following orders. If you want someone to blame then blame those lazy heroes. The message was from Virgil. 

I clicked my tongue.

“If it’s your brother you’re worried about, I’m sure he’s fine. Your family has a knack for getting out of tough situations.” Irina teased before walking away.

She definitely knows, but she doesn’t seem to care, so…

“You said you wanted to see how I measure up?” I asked through gritted teeth. “I think now I’m in the mood to blow off some steam.”

Irina’s eyes glimmered with a cautious curiosity. “Is that a challenge?” She asked.

Sensing my frustration, Siena let out a low growl. The frost leopard sat up from her place next to the simulator bed. Her wet nose nudged my hand persistently.

“Relax girl. I’m fine,” I said, placing a hand on her head and scratching between her ears. Addressing Irina, I said, “it’s an invitation to a fight I’m sure you won’t want to miss.”

I strode out of the training facility, emboldened in my anger. My determination was higher than ever and I knew I was fully ready to complete my mission, but not in the way that I was supposed to. I couldn’t be sure if he did it on purpose, if he somehow knew, but there was no doubt that Pyro put my brother at risk.

If he did know about the plans we enacted on the sacred mountain then surely he wouldn’t fall for any deception I could pull. Of course there were several back up plans and contingencies on our end, but since he’d made this personal, I skipped all the way to the last resort.

If Pyro really had found a new girl to groom, then no doubt he’d be showing her around the hero department.

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