Rupture: Rise of the Demon King (4 page)

“How could we have met before? Perhaps in a different life or in a vision from the gods … But I’ve never seen you before today.”

Maybe Physis was playing dumb. “Okay. So, what’s the plan to make me into a hero?”

The emperor rose. “We will train you over the next few months in archery, swordsmanship, and magic. The prophecy is somewhat vague on how exactly you will save us; I will research the matter in more detail.” He placed a hand on Seeko’s shoulder. “You may become a hero yet. I’ll check on your progress periodically. Come now, I’ll have Tenumi take you to your quarters.”

Physis guided Seeko outside the room and soon they were in the hall again. The emperor motioned for one of his guards—the woman, Tenumi—to lead Seeko in one direction while he and the other members of the guard headed in the other direction. Seeko watched him leave, and then followed Tenumi, wondering the whole time about both his future and his past.

4: Mori

11 Mir, 112 AV: Day 20

Seeko popped up in bed the next day when the sun rose. His room was small, but one wall opened to a balcony that faced east. Unfortunately, this made the rising sun his alarm clock in this world. He shuffled to the balcony and pulled the curtains closed, then flopped back to bed.

A knock on the door stopped him from returning to sleep. The guardswoman from yesterday, Tenumi, opened it and poked her head in. “Are you ready to begin your training?” she asked.

“No.”

“Hurry up. You have a busy day today.”

Seeko forced himself off the bed and slipped into his Irenic tunic. When he finished, Tenumi led him to a large training ground outside the keep. Even at this early hour, soldiers were training all around him. He heard the clash of metal on one side of the area and the twangs of bowstrings on the other.

“This way,” Tenumi said.

She led him past the trainees and into a smaller courtyard. This one was empty. “I am going to teach you how to use magic,” she said once they had stopped. Seeko was skeptical, but knew he had already seen
magic
done by Kazuma.

“Magic is split into four elements: fire, water, wind, and earth,” Tenumi continued. “Each person has access to one of these four elements. They access the magic through their soul, their spark. Magic is a powerful tool, but most of us are not very skilled in it. As we use it, we tire, and your spark dims as you use more and more of it. If it goes out, you will die.” She raised a finger. “But using it is the only way to train it, like a muscle. A very powerful muscle.”

“So there is a spark in me as well?” Seeko asked as he stifled a yawn.

“If you are sentient. You are a sentient being, are you not?”

He furrowed his brow. “Very funny. So, what do I do to use magic?”

“Just reach inside yourself and find the spark. Call upon the magic and it will come to your beck. The only trick is you will only be able to enter the spark from one ‘side.’ This side will determine what element you can use.”

“Okay, so I just reach inside myself? Sounds easy.” Seeko took a deep breath. He stood there for a moment, concentrating on nothing in particular. “So … what exactly do I do?”

Tenumi sighed. “You’ve got to feel the spark within you and reach for it,” she said.

“What spark?” Seeko asked. “There
is
no spark!”

“No no no. Close your eyes. Visualize a spark in your mind. Is it there?”

“Yes, but how does that have anything to do—”

“Okay. Until you can actually find yours, you will just have to pretend. Reach for the spark. Try to touch it.”

“I don’t understand. How can I reach for something in my head?”

“No! You don’t.” She shook her head. “This is why you’re hopeless.”

Seeko struggled with it for a while, listening to Tenumi’s coaching. He never reached his spark, however. He had trouble just listening to Tenumi. She was intent on bringing Seeko down, making him feel worthless. And she succeeded.

After finishing his training in magic, he was pulled into archery training. Tenumi led him back into the large training courtyard, and then left, leaving Seeko alone, but not for long. Soon an older man stood in front of him, healthy and intimidating and holding a bow in each hand. He gazed at Seeko and shook his head in disappointment. Seeko didn’t care. He was already used to their lack of faith after Tenumi’s training.

“I’m Raltz, but you will call me ‘sir,’” he said with perfect confidence.

“Yes, sir,” Seeko replied in a slightly annoyed voice.

Raltz threw a bow at Seeko, who clumsily caught it. “You will be learning how to use this.” Raltz strode to a rock that marked the firing line, nocking an arrow as he walked. He drew back his own bow and, after a few seconds, fired. The arrow flew through the air before hitting its target, dead center. “Now it’s time to see what we have to work with.” He held out an arrow to Seeko.

Seeko grabbed it out of his hand. “Alright, I’ll try … sir.” He stood next to Raltz and drew back the bow, struggling to pull the string. He had no idea how to aim it, so he guessed where the arrow was going to go. Seeko let the arrow fly, but it fell slightly short.

“Well … that’s fixable,” Raltz said as he looked back to Seeko. “A little training and some hard work.”

A compliment? Maybe he didn’t completely suck at this.

“Again! Fire the bow!” Raltz commanded.

This time the arrow hit the target.

Raltz nodded. “So you’re not absolutely useless. That’s a start. Again!”

“Enough!” yelled Raltz after maybe two hours. “You’re done for today.” Which was good, for Seeko’s arm burned from pulling back the bowstring.

Seeko looked over to see Kazuma standing next to Raltz. “Kazuma, what are you doing here?” Seeko asked.

“Still with the questions? I’m here to get ya.”

Seeko ran over to meet him. “Finally, I need a break.”

“Don’t thank me yet,” he said as someone in blue and white robes walked up to him. A puzzled look crossed Seeko’s face as the man placed a hand on Seeko’s arm.

“Wha—” Seeko cut his words short as he watched water seep from a pouch on the man’s side into Seeko’s hurting arm. It flowed like a snake into his arm, and soon the pain died away, leaving Seeko in awe. “Thanks,” he said, looking at his arm. The healer acknowledged the thanks and left with Raltz.

Kazuma looked away, placing hand on hip. “I’m here to teach ya how to use this,” Kazuma said as he pulled out his sword, “at least until I leave.”

Seeko groaned, walked over, and reached for the sword, but Kazuma pulled it away.

“This is mine. Besides, we’re starting with wood.”

Seeko slouched as he suddenly wished Kazuma hadn’t shown up. Kazuma led Seeko to a training area that appeared to be empty. Seeko looked around at the dummies and training equipment and wished for his training to be over already. He was not looking forward to this. He looked over at Kazuma, who was now only wearing an undershirt and pants.

“Grab a training sword and dress down.” Seeko did as told and stood, facing Kazuma. “Ya start with a basic stance for wielding your weapon.” Kazuma held out his sword in both hands, facing Seeko. “Hold your sword in front of ya like this.”

Seeko followed his example, trying to match his position.

For the next few hours, Kazuma taught Seeko basic sword handling. By the end, Seeko was slumping, barely holding his sword up. His hair was drenched and his muscles burned. Kazuma lowered his wooden sword.

“That’s enough for now,” Kazuma said.

Seeko dropped to the ground, holding onto the sword for support. He breathed a sigh of relief as he watched Kazuma gather his stuff together and move to the door.

“Get your things and head to the bathhouse.”

Seeko nodded, but Kazuma left without looking back. Heat overwhelmed Seeko as he walked into the male half of the bathhouse. The room was large, with two long tubs leading down to the opposite wall. He stepped onto the red tile, thinking how this was the nicest thing he had seen so far in this savage world. Soldiers lounged along both tubs, alone and in groups. Seeko found a spot separated from the rest and slid in. Soldiers stared as he got in, apparently curious about their hero. Seeko looked around, afraid he had done something wrong, but soon the others went back to what they had been doing.

Seeko lay back and listened to the people murmuring around him. Most of the conversations were about him and his laughable training. He closed his eyes and pursed his lips. Why were the soldiers mocking their hero? It was not his fault … was not his choice. He heard a nearby splash and opened his eyes. Kazuma was near his side.

“How ya feel? Hope it’s not too bad because ya have a long ways to go,” Kazuma said as he sloshed over to Seeko.

Seeko looked back up and replied, “I hate it! Being a hero isn’t what I imagined.”

“Suck it up. Ya get to sit here and rest. Getting to take a bath is better than fighting the Halcyon and demons all day like the rest of the army. You’re getting royal treatment compared to the rest of us. We live with the aches and pains, whereas ya get personal trainers and healers.”

“I never asked for this.”

“Did any of us?” Kazuma said while staring into the water. “We never wanted war or to watch our friends get devoured by demons. We don’t have a choice, and neither do ya. The only choice we have is whether or not to try, and I’m not about to give up and let the Halcyon overrun the world with demons.”

Seeko couldn’t look at Kazuma. He knew he was right, but did not want to admit it. “I know I have a reason for being here, and I’ll find out why.” He pulled himself out of the bath and walked back to his quarters, leaving Kazuma alone.

/ / / / /

Seeko was quickly thrown into a strict training regimen: wake up, magic, archery, sword. The training felt useless, however, and Seeko quickly burnt out over the weeks. Was he making any progress? He hoped so. The weakest part of his training was magic. He just didn’t understand the silly concept. At least the sword and the bow were physical objects that made sense to him. The spark garbage was useless. He didn’t even know what element he was.

He was best with the bow. After only a week, he graduated to smaller straw dummies, hitting them proficiently from thirty yards away. Raltz was impressed with his progress and, honestly, so was Seeko.

Seeko dueled with Kazuma when he got the chance. But Kazuma was busy often, so Seeko sparred with other soldiers. He lost most of the time, ending up with bruises and welts, which were later healed by the Irenic healers. He lost emotion during these battles, keeping a distant look. Seeko tried to intimidate his foes, with some success. They feared him because of their expectations of their hero, and because they couldn’t accurately gauge his strength. And Seeko was fearless in battle. The healers wouldn’t let anything happen to him, and he knew that. So he fought recklessly, and was often chastised for it.

The emperor would check on Seeko once a week. Seeko strove to learn more about this man, but his guards were ever vigilant, and he found it hard to get alone with the man. When he was, the emperor was mysterious about his past.

Seeko also questioned about the empress. Something had happened to her, as no one would even mention her. Kazuma and Tenumi were equally silent on the matter, and Seeko did not want to ask Raltz. So, Seeko kept wondering about his family, questioning his heritage. He was adopted on Earth. He never knew his real parents. The emperor could have been his father if his memories were to be believed.

So Seeko believed. He had no other memories of them, so they might as well have been royalty.

Still, he had questions—questions with no answers.

/ / / / /

“Well, kid, see ya around,” Kazuma said as he walked toward the rest of his company. The time had come for Kazuma to return to battle. “General Todd needs us back there as soon as possible.” He faced Seeko, standing at the edge of town. “Don’t worry; Raltz will continue your sword training where I left off. Ya get along with him from what I hear. And, just between ya and me, I think that you’ll make a fine hero someday. Maybe even beat me!” With that, Kazuma saluted, then led his company off into the distance with a smile.

Seeko didn’t want him to go, but he knew he couldn’t stop him. There went his first friend in this world, and he wished him luck in his struggle.

He looked back at the city of Asilis behind him. This was the first time he’d really had a chance to roam around on his own since he’d arrived. He walked through the town, observing the people around him. It was mostly elderly and children.
All the young people must be in the army
, Seeko concluded. The people watched cautiously as he wandered, so he avoided eye contact with them, enjoying his time alone.

He did not wander for long before getting hungry. He had skipped breakfast to see Kazuma off. Looking up at the castle grounds, he decided to head back for food. Once in the courtyard, the guards sealed him in, trapping him in the castle for his training. He frowned, savoring his final moments of freedom.

Before long, Seeko was dressing down for his daily sparring match with the soldiers. Today, he would face off against a girl, which was not surprising to him. The Irenic army consisted of both genders fighting side by side.

“Today, you will be facing Mori, daughter of Luxant. She’s uses a different fighting style, so stay sharp,” said Raltz, leaning against a wall.

Seeko looked back toward Mori and held out his wooden sword. “Alright, I’ll stay on my guard.”

She held out her wooden sword with one hand, standing with her side facing Seeko. The two touched weapons to signal the start of the sparring. Seeko swung quickly, but Mori spun her sword around his and jabbed him hard in the gut. She smiled at Seeko, her red hair flowing between her eyes.

He retaliated with another swing but was met with small, quick jabs to his chest and stomach. “Fencing? That’s not fair,” Seeko said, then coughed.

The girl smirked and went in for another jab. Seeko pushed this one away and stabbed her back, landing a blow on her chest.
I’ve seen this in movies before,
Seeko thought. Mori looked amazed that he actually managed to hit her.