The Emerging Part I: Dream
CHAPTER LIII

Vaiqon is standing on the edge of the Lake where he controls air currents around him so as to prevent the heat from affecting him. He allows himself to fall into his aura where he connects with his Qigid, his Mentor, then conjures a sphere of air that he balances in his hand. He begins to move fluidly maintaining balance of the sphere on multiple parts of his body. First his knee, then his thigh, then his elbow, his fist, his head, his foot.

Suddenly, he hears a window crash in the distance, forcing him to lose control of his sphere of air. He curses as he uses ire to enhance his vision to gaze at the source of the broken window.

When he sees the shattering glass from a ten story window and two figures soaring through the air, he curses again believing his class is the reason behind the broken window.

He rushes towards the Central Complex where he replaces a crowd has gathered around two figures in the center. Vaiqon reaches out with his sensing hand to feel Hawk and Desert fighting each other with their zoltind abilities.

Hawk and Desert drip with sweat as they grunt through their attacks.

Hawk sends rapid wind streams at Desert, but Desert counters with stone walls that neutralize Hawk’s attacks. Hawk releases three air bombs at Desert. One bomb collides with Desert’s arm while the others explodes after Desert sends a volley of stones at the bombs. The stones tear through the air bombs and collide with Hawk. Hawk stumbles, recovers, then sends air waves, bombs, and vortexes rocketing towards Desert. Desert unleashes stone throws, walls, and spears. The attacks are fired with such force and intensity, that even after Hawk and Desert are struck by attacks, they have already launched more attacks.

Hawk watches as his attacks zoom through the air to collide with Desert just before Desert’s attacks strike him forcefully. Hawk flips in the air to slam on the ground. He rises quickly before Desert can observe him flat on his back.

Desert turns on his heel after being slammed to the ground. He glares at Hawk through his scarf, the sweat dripping from the cloth. He swears to himself as he readies another set of okit attacks.

Vaiqon finally emerges at the front of the crowd. He watches as Hawk and Desert have prepared attacks well past their skill level and throws an air barrier between the two, forcing the two boys to glance at him.

Expecting the two boys to cease-fire, Vaiqon is caught completely unaware when Hawk tears his spiraling air vortex through the air barrier straight towards Desert and Desert unleashes a quaking seismic shock through the ground.

The two attacks strike and explode upon the boys, forcing Hawk and Desert to their backs yet again. They each rise before the other can witness the success of their attack.

Hawk creates and stores an air mass that he prepares to unleash upon Desert at the opportune moment. Desert strains all of his muscles as he prepares a quake that could rock the entire Injhihato to its foundations.

Desert unleashes his quake to erupt upward at Hawk, just before Hawk unleashes his thundering air mass at Desert. The seismic energy tears through Hawk’s lack of defense, forcing him to flip through the air and land on his back. Desert is forced off the ground ten feet where he then slams into the ground, bouncing once, his breath knocked from him.

Each boy rises for the third time, this time witnessing the success of their powerful attacks. They glare at one another when a figure appears in the middle of them.

Vaiqon holds his hands out to both boys as he yells, “Enough! Have you gone mad! I allow you to retreat to the sanctuary of the Central Complex to escape this infernal heat and still you must duel one another! Very, well, Hawk, Desert, you are to come with me!”

Vaiqon then connects with Hawk and Desert’s auras where he flashes to the desert where the sun beats down ten-fold hotter than at the Injhihato. Vaiqon wipes his forehead as he yells at the boys, “Perhaps you will learn to respect your Daijok’s command whilst you are in this monstrous heat! I leave you, Hawk, Desert!”

Just before flashing away, Vaiqon believes he saw Desert charging at Hawk.

Vaiqon appears in the Chamber Rniti where he shakes his head in astonishment and embarrassment. He looks to the far side of the Chamber where he sees Vulcan, Shark, and Rhino standing behind the stone map of Munda Luna. He observes their sudden end of conversation as he appears.

“Yes, my pupils were dueling maniacally,” Vaiqon spits. “Do not feign that you were not just discussing that!”

“Yes, apparently, it was quite a spectacular little duel,” Vulcan mocks.

Vaiqon grits his teeth but holds his tongue.

“We heard the sounds of it even in here,” Shark adds. “In fact, we were debating whether we should intervene when we heard your booming voice.”

Vaiqon smirks, “Yes, well. I heard the window crash and when I investigated, I found my pupils dueling one another deliberately disobeying my commands. However, as consequence, I flashed them to the desert and abandoned them there.”

Vulcan smiles wickedly, “Ah, the desert punishment, most effective.”

Vaiqon nods, “Hopefully when I return, Hawk and Desert are either too dehydrated to move, or unconscious. Either event, they will not disobey me again.”

“Do not believe that for a moment, Vaiqon,” Rhino booms. “You have witnessed their rivalry as easily as any of us. You know they will always oppose one another.”

Vaiqon shrugs, “I fear they may exceed a limit one of these days...”

The Daijoks shrug from the foreboding feeling they suddenly feel.

“Er, Vaiqon,” Shark says, “how long ago did you leave them there?”

Vaiqon glances at Shark with worry, “I shall return, hopefully with my pupils,” he says as he flashes away.

Vaiqon watches with equal fury and fascination as Hawk and Desert attack one another with their swords and shields. He watches as Hawk parries an attack from Desert, then bashes at Desert with his shield. Hawk then swings his sword quickly at Desert’s head who is forced to duck while pushing Hawk away. Hawk grunts, but digs his feet into the slippery sand and charges at Desert. Hawk’s shield collides with Desert’s that nearly sends Desert tumbling into the sand. Instead, Desert stands his ground, holds Hawk, and swings his sword at Hawk’s head. Hawk ducks, then kicks off of Desert, performing a reverse somersault through the air to land on his knees

Hawk and Desert glare at one another with blood-lust in their auras.

“You still are not done!” seeing the boys still attacking with aggressive energy, Vaiqon shouts “How are you still able to fight in this heat! This desert is over a hundred degrees!” Disgusted, Vaiqon flashes back to the Chamber Rniti, leaving the two boys still fighting vigorously in the desert.

“No Hawk and Desert?” asks a curious Vulcan.

“No, those two are still hacking away at each other as if they never paused for even a second. No matter, another ten minutes should do them in,” replies Vaiqon.

“What if it does not, Vaiqon? I know you recall the last time a student was not done in by the desert,” Shark says.

“I do, Shark. But as you all have affirmed me at one point in time or another, Ragefier was a unique child and can not be repeated. It is not his fault he was the only one of his class to have survived.”

“I still believe he had something to do with his friends’ deaths. He was a troubled character.”

“Shark, I never want to hear that talk again. Ragefier was a good boy.”

“That grew up into a terrible man,” Vulcan grinds.

“That cannot be proven,” Rhino says. “Terrible is a matter of perspective. Some Keer and Rniti, now Rniti and Jayyojjeks, even looked up to him.”

Vulcan replies, “I would not be surprised if they want to join him in some way as well. He commanded quite the following after the explosion.”

“That unfortunate occurrence in the armory?” Shark says. “That was a tragic day for us all. Not only did we lose the blacksmith, but we also lost four extraordinary children. Its a miracle even Ragefier made it out.”

“Which is why exactly I feel Ragefier had something to do with the explosion,” Vulcan says.

“I do not believe Ragefier was capable of such a great evil in his childhood,” Rhino states.

“Oh, but destroying an entire village later in his life to save one person is much easier to accept,” Vulcan spits.

“That one person was Teqqc if you do not remember,” Shark rebukes.

“The Oqoponh would have risen again, as you very well know. His ends never have justified his means, such as the time he let Qino flood just to achieve peace between two inferior societies,” Vulcan argues.

“Those societies have provided us with food for centuries, they needed peace between them,” Shark counters. “Qino was their home, they had to work together to salvage the city.”

Vulcan feels his frustration grow. He says, “Well, then, what about allowing Rizq to lay siege to Mouyo for nearly a year? That city is full of monks and nuns. Rizq is Ragefier’s home filled with murderers and thieves, they wanted the rich mines in the mountains behind Mouyo. We set Ragefier in charge of ending the siege and he joined them! Mouyo has never been the same since.”

Rhino and Shark both look down as they have forgotten that incident. They glare at Vaiqon remembering all the times Vaiqon defended his ill-fated pupil.

Vaiqon glares back at his fellow Daijoks. He ends the debate with,“That is enough, all of you. Shark, how long has it been since I have returned,” Vaiqon inquires.

“Ten minutes, Vaiqon,” Shark answers.

Vaiqon nods then flashes away.

Upon arriving in the desert, Vaiqon gapes seeing that Hawk and Desert are still attacking one another with vigor.

Hawk unleashes a devastating air slice directly at Desert’s head. Desert reacts quickly to raise his shield just as the air slice rips through the air. The air slice collides with his shield where he channels seismic energy through the ground, into his shield, and neutralizes the air slice. Hawk then unleashes a massive air current channeled through his sword as he slashes outward. Desert reacts viciously with his own stab that sends an earthen sword towards Hawk that springs form the desert sand. The air current and earthen sword collide in a fury of opposite energies. Desert then uses the momentum of his last stab to strike the earth with a powerful blow and the earth rises thirty feet in the air. Desert lashes his sword outward with a forceful strike that sends the earth column directly at Hawk. Hawk counters Desert’s attack by pulling in as much as as he can before the column lands a crucial blow upon him. Hawk concentrates the air he is puling in to coalesce flat on his shield, and, after a few moments, the air resembles a pupil and eye of ire upon the shield. Hawk unleashes his stored air and explodes it upon the earthen column. The two opposing forces scatter sand throughout the vicinity. As the dust settles, Hawk and Desert are revealed with their swords sheathed, their shields lashed to their backs, and their hands primed to unleash their respective zoltind.

Vaiqon watches as Hawk then sets about in conjuring a gigantic vortex out of an air mass and concentrating it to a small point in his hands. He sees Desert slowly moving his right arm in a circle and his left arm slowly ticking back. He looks at Desert’s feet and sees a massive whirlpool of sand revolving around the boy.

Vaiqon stands amazed at the level of skill displayed, connects to his Daijoks through their auras, and says, ‘You must witness this.’

Vulcan, Shark, and Rhino flash next to Vaiqon and are mesmerized by the attacks about to unfold before their eyes. They feel the attacks’ power and realize that even some of the strongest Jayyojjeks could only dream of conjuring such an attack. They observe that Hawk’s air mass will erupt and Desert’s sand storm will gale forcefully.

The Daijoks retreat a few yards where the two boys then unleash their stored attacks. Hawk’s eruption resembles an hour glass in the air with the stored air mass behind him, bending to his hand’s location, then bursting outwards towards Desert. Desert’s gale reverse its direction and whips out from behind him, forming a massive wave of sand barreling at Hawk.

The two opposing forces of ire and okit collide with such force, that even the Daijoks a hundred yards away, are sent flying another hundred yards from the shock wave the collision ignited. The sand and air mix into a wondrous and terrifying mushroom cloud. Thunder sounds as the sand hits the air particles. Dry lightning forms in the top of the cloud.

Hawk has made a bubble to protect him from the attacks’ aftermath. He walks towards the center of the explosion. Desert is moving the sand away from him as he strolls towards the center of the explosion.

When Hawk and Desert feel they are at the center of the explosion, they cease their attacks and watch as the sand slowly filters to the ground as a perverse snowfall. They look forward to see that they are not more than ten yards a part. They nod at each other once in respect.

The Daijoks appear next to them and flash them back to the Injhihato. The Daijoks leave Vaiqon, Hawk, and Desert to themselves outside of the Central Complex. Vaiqon does not say a word and silently walks away. Hawk recognizes the disappointment, but also pride in the Daijok’s expression.

Hawk glances at Desert, who merely shrugs.

“So, believe me when I say that neither of us is the stronger now?” Hawk asks.

Desert shrugs again.

Hawk creates a wind current and forms it into a hand ready to be shaken. Desert smirks behind his scarf as he creates an earthen hand that takes Hawk’s hand of air. They shake three times in respect of their incredible power before allowing their connections to fall.

Just as they sever their connections, the two hands suddenly fuse together and drop to the ground. Hawk and Desert admire the fact that the earth is perfectly encased inside of the air as a fist.

Hawk chuckles in amusement, then walks away from the hand, leaving Desert alone.

Desert picks up the hand where he can still feel his okit inside. He sees that the fist is three times the size of a normal hand, and shrinks the earthen fist to the size of his fists together. To his astonishment, the air tightens around the newly shrunken earthen fist. Desert’s eyes widen.

Desert then tries to expand the fist, but replaces it barred by the air. He shrugs. He shrinks the fist to the size of his palm where he places the earth and air fist into his pocket. He glances around him to see glass slivers sparkling in the sunlight. He shrugs as he turns on his heel and walks towards the stair case that leads him to the bed chambers.