Forged by Combat

Gerik and Jaecar Landon battle in Lord Pride's living room and discover themselves kindred.

 

Jaecar Landon looked at Gerik’s sword, his demeanor, and instantly knew that he was the one he searched for. “He’s just a kid and he looks like someone I know” he thought. Jaecar Landon positioned himself more into the room and smiled.

“How’s your throat?” Gerik asked.

Landon couldn’t tell if Gerik was trying to be funny “it hella hurts,” he replied.

Gerik hopped over the rail. The living room was silent, except for the sound of Ceri’s screams as they reverberated off the walls of the house. They looked at each other for only an instant before their weapons clashed. Jaecar Landon tried to thrust his staff into Gerik’s stomach, but it merely got deflected. Jaecars staff kept Gerik back and on the defensive. Gerik rolled backwards over the couch to avoid Jaecar’s swipe at his face with the staff. Gerik landed in a kneeling position, ran back over the couch, and flipped when he got to the peak with his sword before him. Jaecar blocked it, holding his staff horizontal in front of him. Gerik passed over Jaecar, and kicked both feet out, catching him squarely in the back as he fell. The force of the blow caused Jaecar to flip over the couch Gerik just hopped off of. Jaecar rolled off the couch seemingly not hurt much.

“You seem to be enjoying yourself” Jaecar said.

Gerik found himself smiling, “I guess so.”

“You are like me; a warrior, you find yourself happier when in physical combat, and are otherwise unhappy until you are. Jaecar mentioned.

“My dad taught me how to fight ever since I could” Gerik replied.

Gerik maneuvered around the couch, thrusting his sword towards Jaecar’s face. Jeacar ducked under the blade, and with both hands on the opposite sides of the staff, smashed Gerik in the stomach. Gerik stumbled back as Jaecar brought the other end towards his head. Gerik reversed his grip on his blade, blocked the incoming strike, and punched out with his left, catching Jaecar in the jaw. Jaecar backed up a little. Gerik came twirled the sword before him in a dance. Jaecar gave Gerik ground, noticed that he was reaching the fireplace soon, and swiped the left side of Gerik’s head with his staff. Gerik easily dodged and snaked his sword to cut low, Jaecar’s staff came back around quickly leaving Gerik unable to put much strength, Gerik hopped back, but not before the leaving a nick on Jaecar’s leg.

Jaecar spun the staff before him “there is more to life than fighting,” Jacear told him. The spinning staff caused Gerik to give room. Jaecar glanced to his side, noticed the foot rest, turned around quickly swinging his staff, catching the footrest, and launching it at Gerik. Gerik brought his sword up in a downward block. He barely got his sword up in time to block the improvised missile. His sword cut through it easily, but one of the halves combined with the force bashed his right arm. Gerik backed away some more and settled into a stance.

“I fight to live” Gerik responded.

“Why do you hate the church so much?” Jaecar asked, even though he felt like he knew the answer.

Gerik fell into his dance. His sword became a blur as he cut through the air with it. “They took away my parents, burned down our house, and act as though they are righteous while murdering innocent people and destroying their lives.” Gerik answered venomously. Gerik came in quickly, suddenly there were three identical Jaecar’s, his sword found no resistance as he cut into the middle Jaecar’s body. The sword passed through the image, it faded away into nothingness. Jaecar smiled as the image faded, seeing his opening he struck brutally at Gerik’s midsection, cracking a rib. Gerik cried out and stumbled down on the ground. He couldn’t breathe well laying on his side, and turned himself to face his opponent.

“We all don’t act innocent. I even want death for my crimes” Jaecar told him. The images of himself faded away.

“So that is why you gave me that look, when my sword was blocked by that barrier” Gerik coughed. ”You are a psychic?”

“Yes I am” Jaecar smiled. Jaecar jumped and brought his staff down with all his might. Gerik rolled on his injured left rib, dodged the blow, reversed his grip on his blade, and stabbed outward. His vision became riddled with spots as pain wracked his body, but his aim was true. Jaecar’s staff cracked the oaken wood floor as he brought his staff down, and Gerik’s sword pierced his stomach. Gerik pulled his sword back and rolled to his feet. Jaecar watched Gerik and smiled. Jaecar’s wound spurted out blood, but he didn’t seem to be greatly wounded.

“Gerik, don’t become only a weapon of vengeance, because if you do then the church really does win” Jaecar told him.

“So now a Jaecar wants to start giving me life tips” Gerik responded sarcastically. Gerik studied his opponent, “wait don’t you want the church to win?” Gerik asked confused.

Jaecar touched his wound and looked down at his bloody hand, “Jaecar’s are monsters created by the church to fight whomever they deem dangerous. They have taken away my name, family, resolve, and freedom. I can only find freedom and repentance in death.”

“You are very different than what I expected you to be” Gerik told him.

“You can become very different than what you are.” He replied.

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Izyan led the way towards Ceri’s house. A huge gathering blocked the way. When the group asked what had happened, a bystander said that Ceri was dragged out of the house kicking and screaming. No one knows what is going on, but a monk entered the house as she was being dragged out. With that news they fought their way through the crowd, and gathered inside. Izyan led them through the hallway towards the living room.

“Brother” Nzingha screamed out. There was no answer in reply. Soon they found themselves in the living room with Gerik and Jaecar talking to each other. Izyan and Duncan eyes blazed with anger as they looked upon Jaecar.

“Sister, Fletcher is hurt upstairs. Ceri’s dad stabbed him” Gerik told her.

Izyan instantly ran upstairs screaming “Fletcher I’m coming.”

Duncan materialized his hammer and strode forward towards Jaecar. “Ahh so you are that one rebel” Jaecar said.

“Yes, I just didn’t have time to wear my mask today. I hope you don’t mind.” Duncan replied.

“Not at all, but I’m busy right now” Jaecar said. Jaecar turned to face Gerik.

Nzingha linked with Jaecar’s body, feeling her psychic energy, he created clones of himself. She fell deeper into her psychic power and spotted his true body. She lifted him and threw him into the wall.

“Stop it now” Gerik yelled at her.

Nzingha paused “why?”

“This is my fight” he responded.

“But brother, he is a- is a what sis” Gerik interrupted.

“He is a psychic and” she paused unsure if she should finish.

“Just because he is a psychic doesn’t mean that I can’t defeat him. I’ve done it before” Gerik yelled angrily.

“I’m not saying that you can’t beat him, it’s just that I’m trying to be a big sister here.” Nzingha replied.

“Have faith in me Nzingha, I have to fight him alone. I can’t explain it.” Gerik said to her.

She looked deep into his light brown eyes, and the fire in them blazed fiercely. “Just don’t die” she whispered and released her grip on Jaecar’s form.

His body hit the floor and he slowly rose. “Now slam me into the wall” Gerik told her.

“No I can’t” she responded.

“You interfered now make it right” he pleaded.

His pride as a man is strong, Duncan thought to himself.

Nzingha linked with her brother’s body telepathically and threw him into a wall. His body instantly screamed, he felt his cracked ribs move, and hoped they didn’t pierce his lungs. Gerik slowly rose and smiled, “thanks sis” he said weakly. Nzingha had to close her eyes.

“You have a strong heart kid. You are already a dangerous weapon thanks to your dad and the church. It’s time you became a person capable of wielding that great power” Jaecar preached. His breaths came raggedly, but he held strong.

“Still preaching huh monk” Gerik couldn’t help but smile. “I’m not a people person. They annoy me.”

Jaecar merely smiled and created a facsimile of himself. The two Jaecars dropped into their stances. Gerik relaxed his body and steadied his mind. They dashed at each other, Gerik swiped at Jaecar’s midsection only to find it was the double. The real Jaecar dodge the attack and brought his staff in a whirling circle towards Gerik’s head. Gerik sensed the move, and launched himself at Jaecar. Gerik’s shoulder crashed into Jaecar’s chest. With Gerik in close combat range, Jaecar dropped his staff, and punched at Gerik with his meteorite gauntlets. Gerik dodged a punch and let one go of his own. Jaecar, a master at hand to hand combat easily blocked the attack. Gerik’s side felt on fire as each movement hurt him. Jaecar’s blood came steadily out his wound, but he his fighting ability didn’t seem affected. Gerik tried to back pedal and use the reach of his sword to his advantage, but Jaecar kept up with him. Jaecar’s right and left combinations came out in devastating flurries, but Gerik dodged equally as quick. Gerik’s left hand grabbed his scabbard from his back. Wielding both his wooden scabbard and sword, Gerik released a flurry of his own, forcing Jaecar back on the defensive.

Duncan watched the fight in awe. “That kid is actually going toe to toe with him” he thought. Duncan could feel their emotions as if they were yelling how they felt. He noticed they were smiling through each hit. Jaecar barely dodged Gerik’s sword receiving a nasty nick above his left eye, rushed inside behind the blow, blocked the scabbard, and punched at Gerik’s ribs. Gerik saw the strike and stepped to the left, turning the punch into a glancing blow on his undamaged side. Duncan applauded the movement and grew jealous that he wasn’t fighting now. He looked over and found Nzingha similarly entranced in the fight.

Gerik dashed for the stairs with Jaecar on his heels. Gerik turned and threw his scabbard at Jaecar. It was a feint and he fell for it. Jaecar caught the scabbard, Gerik stabbed at his throat, but instinct told Jaecar to duck. Gerik’s sword whistled harmlessly as it passed over his head. Jaecar threw himself at Gerik and they both fell on the stairs. Jaecar began to pummel Gerik. His blows rained heavily on Gerik’s face. Gerik lost grip on his sword and it tumbled down the steps. He blocked as many blows as he could, but knew if he didn’t get out of this position, he would lose. Gerik with strength wrought by pure desperation shoved Jaecar, and he tumbled down the stairs.

Gerik stood and said “the end is near monk.”

Jaecar rose, picked up Gerik’s blade, and said “it sucks that you will die before heeding my advice.” He wiped the blood flowing into his left eye and smiled.

Gerik grabbed the long curved dagger out of its hidden sheath on his ankle, and slowly walked down the stairs. He held his blade reversed with the blade curving towards him, and its point downward. Jaecar ran upstairs, and swung the sword down at Gerik’s head. He blocked it, the sword connected with the dagger, Gerik pulled the dagger closer and down, as the sword slid off the dagger quickly, Gerik flipped the dagger in his hand and jabbed it into Jaecar’s chest. Jaecar felt the dagger slide into his chest barely missing his heart, but he refused to go down yet. Jaecar snapped his head forward and smashed his skull into Gerik’s nose. Gerik’s eyes instantly watered up, blocking his vision, and leaving him disoriented. Gerik stumbled, lost his footing, and fell. Jaecar smiled, fell backwards, and both Gerik and his body slid down stairs. Gerik shook his head and struggled to stop the room from spinning. The pain he felt in his side felt almost unbearable.

“Hey kid” Jaecar said. He gasped for every breath.

“Yea I’m still breathing monk” Gerik replied.

Jaecar would have laughed if it didn’t pain him so much just to breathe. “I have something for you.” he whispered.

Gerik got to his knees and looked at the monk beside him. He noticed his dagger was deep in the monk’s chest. Upon a better inspection he noticed that the monk could make it with help, “what is it monk?”  Gerik asked.

Jaecar held up an amber looking meteorite. Its smooth edges reflected their faces back at them Its fitted nicely in his palm. He focused his psychic energy into it. The meteorite’s center swirled with purplish fury, but the remainder of it remained its original color. He put it into Gerik’s hand, “that is for you.”

“What is it?” Gerik asked.

“Meteorites are the reason people are psychics. No one really knows how it works. Some people think it’s the radiation from when they first touched Earth, and others think that the meteorites changed the Earth in such a way that psychics were made possible. No one really knows, but we all know that meteorites can absorb psychic energy. Some can even retain the energy they absorb, this is such a stone.” Jaecar struggled to say.

“You are giving me your power?” Gerik asked.

“I’m entrusting my power to you, in hopes that you will live how I couldn’t” he answered.

 

Izyan stood at the top of the stairs and said “I sealed Fletcher’s wounds with my power.”

“Take a deep breath” Gerik whispered to Jaecar. When Jaecar did he slowly slid his knife out of his body. Jaecar screamed in pain.

“Hurry seal his wound also” Gerik told Izyan.

“You want me to save him?” Izyan asked surprised.

“Yes” he answered.

“Why would you want to help him after fighting him?”

“So that he can repent” Gerik replied as if the answer should be enough.

“I can only find repentance through death” Jaecar whispered. His vision became blurry from the loss of blood.

“That is the coward’s way. Fight for those that would have been your victims. Dying trying to do to me what you did to them is not admitting your wrongdoings. That is not repenting” Gerik screamed.

Izyan walked down the stairs, and knelt beside Gerik. Jaecar laughed even though it pained him greatly. His laugh sounded like a mix between gasping for air and gagging. “The way he puts it fills me with regret. I wish only that I had met this boy before.” Jaecar thought to himself. “What is your name kid?” Jaecar asked.

“My name is Gerik Alameda.”

Jaecar’s eyes widened in surprise, “so you are his son, no wonder.”

“Wait you know dad?”

Jaecar smiled and let the darkness swallow him peacefully.

Author's Note

I'm sorry if you are a fan and I kept you waiting, work has been murder. I hope you all enjoy and I didn't disappoint

Reviews

[Tina Kline]

Like how you describe the fighting scenes, I can imagine them as I read. Great job.

[Aussie]

This was incredibly descriptive,I had very detailed images brewing in my head.Its a fascinating stroy thus far,I don't want it to end. :(

[Abhinav]

i've just read this now, and boy have i been waiting:)
excellent work again, continuing with the flow of the whole story so far

[Coyote Poetry]

The chapter was very good. I like the ending. The discussion of death and forgiveness was very good. A excellent chapter.
Coyote

[karmic]

Wow, nice fight. You put amazing detail into it too. What a way to die. Oh well, Great write.