Training Grounds

We all sat along the long stone table, it was littered with various foods. Many laughs were shared, Fjorn and Marie ate and engaged in conversations with different swordsmen. Fjorn was attempting to outdrink some of them and Marie seemed content with not being looked at as a monster. My father, Titus, ushered me to a seat next to his. This massive dining hall was full of Nibirians, all gathered to enjoy the meals as one.

"Boy, I had no idea how delicious the food here was!" Fjorn exclaimed, crumbs finding shelter in his beard.

I laughed and nodded. It was nice to be in one place that felt truly peaceful. No one hunting me, no fighting, just food, friends, and family.

"Your mother will join us shortly, but she had some things to take care of," Titus said.

"No worries." I said smiling.

"In the mean time, let us discuss a little business. This, Hades, also known as Famine, has been wreaking havoc on the outer worlds. The ones closest to Andromeda. I almost sent my other swordsmen to deal with this, but given the severity of the situation, I need you. I am not sure any other swordsmen besides myself and you can withstand the assault from a single horseman, and sending ten for one guy, is still a gamble." Titus took a gulp of his mead and paused for my response.

"Father, what do we know of Famines power? Or even Zeus for that matter?" I asked.

"Oddly enough, whoever this being is, it isn't the real Zeus. I knew the real Zeus. He protected Earth. His son, Hercules and him were to see that the human race flourished and joined the ranks of the other species in the galaxy." Titus said, not knowing, I knew the first half already. "Now Hades, he was the real Zeus's brother. Bit of a bad apple, but necessary in most occasions. Whoever is playing copy cat here, doesn't understand the forces he is truly dealing with. His minions, the horsemen, are pretty straight forward. Hades will force you into a delusion. Hunger will fight tooth and claw at your very soul. It doesn't mean hunger for food, it could be, but mostly it's your hunger for something else. You want power? Control? To lead? He will play on all of those, even desires you know nothing about." Titus was serious now.

I sat there, staring blank at my plate of food. What is it that I hunger for? Adventure? Peace? The ability to do both without fear?

We changed the subject and continued with our feast. Mother showed up and gave me a hug.

"You had me worried son." Mother said.

"I know, I did not expect to be overwhelmed and overtaken to be honest. I am much more vigilant now." I said.

"That's how we all learn boy. We have our own paths, and they lead us to teachable moments. You must adapt and overcome." Father chimed in.

"Have you ever thought of taking sometime and stay home? Join us in the eternal realm. Recuperate a little and train with your father." Mother had a worried look in her deep blue eyes. Her silk dressed flowed evenly and gave her a demanding presence.

"I am sorry mother. The situation has become too dire to give up. I have to stop these horsemen and Zeus. " I said without breaking eye contact.

"The swordsmen have become a part of this realm and galaxy to rid it of these impurities. Yet, here we stand in the shadows, bidding one of our own, to take on these tasks!" Mother said, now directing her words to father.

"Listen, if I could stay and send our forces to deal with these horsemen, it leaves us vulnerable. If this imposter who calls himself Zeus gets Nibiru, the fate of the universe is in his hands. You see the things he has done. He has granted vast powers to individuals who only do his dirty work. He has cursed entire civilizations. He has killed the actual Zeus and almost laid waste to Earth and almost killed my heir. So, if I could have five minutes with him on a battlefield, I would slay him and cheer on his grave. But, I will not risk our people for such glory." Titus said, slamming his goblet down and pacing around.

The room grew eerily quiet. Mother simply stormed off without debate. Unfortunately, he was right. We do not think of the Nibirians a greater species than any other, but that doesn't mean we offer them up like cattle. We must take the fight to the horsemen and end this.

We all departed the dining all. The night was rich with full bellies and eager hearts. I did not feel a desire for slumber, I walked along the streets of Nibiru until I had reached the training grounds. A massive moon had orbited Nibiru, here and in the eternal realm to simulate nightfall. I stood a moment and stared at the star filled sky and full moon that casted its light upon me. I stepped down into the sand pit that was the training grounds and pulled my sword free. There were massive metal training dummies with dents and scraps along its rough surfaces. I swung my sword and sliced through the side of the metal plating. The night was calm and I tried to control my breathing the best I could. Feeling the flow of every move as I did them.

"Can't sleep can you?" Titus said, peering over the wall of the training ground.

"It's hard to sleep when I have only wanted to be home for the last year, and now that I am home, I need to leave to protect it and many others." I said with a slight smile.

"War can be restless. That does not mean you should be." Titus said, stepping into the training grounds. Titus relieved his body of his golden metal armor and unsheathed his own sword. It was much different than mine. It was still a wide blade, but his had etches of a golden glow in it. Titus resembled a rather older individual in the face, but his body was strong and youthful. His stature was muscular, and he carried himself as though he was very nimble.

"Mind if I join you for a nightly sparring session my boy?" Titus asked, holding his sword effortlessly in his right hand.

"It would be my honor, father." I said, grinning ear to ear.

Titus moved swiftly and struck with a force of strength I had never felt before. He simply swung his sword with his right arm and used his left to balance himself. I deflected the heavy blows and tried to counter attack, he swatted my slashes with ease.

"The swordsmen are given these swords from their ancestors. Our lineage lives within these blades. They are one with us, you must strike as if that is so. You have to work with your sword, not against it. It speaks to you, but you have to listen." Titus said, not letting up his barrage of strikes.

One of his attacks nearly missed me and sliced a training dummy clear in half.

"You might see this as overbearing attacks, but in reality, I am simply just casually going with the flow. I have yet to use even a fraction of my true strength." He said with a sense of teaching in his voice, not to berate me, but to rally me to follow suit. "You wish to go on your quests, to fight amongst the gods and protect the innocent. You must unlock your true potential, only then, will the universe feel like it has caged you."

"Caged me?" I said, breathlessly. I was sweating and draining of energy quick, but he didn't seem like he was exerting more effort if he was going for a walk.

"When you are the strongest there is, who is there to keep you balanced? You will desire combat. I took a long time and learned from this. Life is as much about keeping peace, as it is fighting wars."

I soaked in the information he was bestowing upon me. We trained until the eternal realms moon dissipated beyond the mountains. I was hardly able to stand. My body ached in places I didn't think they could. I regretted the night of no slumber, but reveled in the night spent learning and training with my father.

"Listen boy, you have much growing to do. Nibiru will return to the eternal realm by nightfall and you need to be long gone from here. I am afraid I do not know more than Hades' known location. He lays waste to Darru. The planet is preparing for the coming war in a few weeks time. The people there need you. The planet is beautiful, I remember the days of being on Darru, it was rainforest as far as the eye can see. Save those people from the apocalypse they don't know is happening." Titus said with sorrow in his eyes.

"Father, I know there's a power to be unlocked for me, but how do I do it? How?" I asked, almost begging.

"It will come naturally, in a dire situation perhaps. Maybe even on your journey, only fate knows, and fate does not speak to us." Titus said as he donned his armor. "Allow us to feast this morning, and get your comrades together and head to Darru. There is much to be done in such a short time my boy."

The morning passed slowly, my eyes felt heavy and I yearned for sleep on the ship. Marie and Fjorn were happy and talking it up with the Nibirians.

"So tell me, what device sends you folks back to this eternal realm?" Fjorn asked all chipper.

"That my mighty dwarf, will be known to no outsider, with respect of course." Titus replied. Fjorn smiled at the prospect of being called a mighty dwarf by the Nibirian king himself.

We finished our breakfast and gathered our belongings.

"Hell boy, you don't look too good, rough night of slumber?" Fjorn asked me.

"Couldn't sleep, but I will manage."

"Listen, you must take care of yourself. Be confident, save the galaxy from this monster and come home dammit. I understand we didn't have much time, but your father believes in you, and so do I." Mother was getting a little teary. I might have as well, if I wasn't so sleep deprived. We embraced in a long hug and nodded towards my father as we departed the dining hall for the ship.

"Y'know, I felt so peaceful here Xander. Like I wasn't a monster." Marie said with a smile. She had really embraced Nibiru in the day she had been here.

"You are no monster Marie. Exact opposite in my book. Now let us get to the ship and depart already, I need to sleep." I said.

We boarded the ship in the center of town. I took in the rich smells of the market as we passed by. I felt a sense of sadness gloss over me as we took to the skies. I hope to see home again.

"Where to boy?" Fjorn asked.

"Darru, Hades has already began the second step to the apocalypse. We must hurry." I responded.

I laid in the seat as the ships AI confirmed the coordinates and we took off. I laid there staring at the ceiling of the cabin and felt my eyes grow heavy. I nodded off into sleep.