Chapter 23: Getting Stronger

Our scientists were very interested in the Great White Dragon, especially because of the immense amount of energy it was giving off; radiation levels greater than a sun. And yet, despite the power within the giant creature, there was no radiation sickness of any kind. As I thought more about the monster and everything we had seen it do up to that point, I somehow got the feeling that it was protecting us. Too bad my theory was not shared by the team of researchers.

Ryan watched the training droids buzz around him in various forms and shapes. Some had wings and tails like Dragons as they flew through the arena with as much grace as Tork. Others crawled on all fours, sniffing the ground with long, metal snouts and pointed wolf ears. One was even a perfect likeness of Thisimius in metal form. Only then did Ryan realize the truth.

            “You made all these.”

            Thisimius beamed with pride “Of course. I’m responsible for a good 50% of the hardware of this Ministry, lad. Did ya think blacksmiths just dealt with handheld weaponry? Our trade is the advancement of all kinds of weapons. I daresay that as long as me beauties are running properly, even if the Ministry is attacked, the blighters won’t make it near the front door. Why, it would take a full-scale invasion to even scratch the surface of the defenses I have around this dome, and that's not even including the Elemental traps that Eramar and the others set up.”

“Ahem,” Eramar coughed politely.

            The Ogre blushed like he had just said something he shouldn't have. “But enough about matters that don’t concern a young pup like yerself. Now then, time for a little visualization, eh lad? Tork, me old bosom friend. Would you be so kind as to demonstrate to our young protégé?”

            Tork blinked in surprise, but quickly recovered. “Oh, well, if you insist.”

            The young Dragon pulled out his buzz-saw shield and strange baton-shaped sword. Ryan was interested to see what the Dragon was capable of. With a flick of Thisy’s switch, all the metal droids turned on Tork with intent to kill, but the Dragon seemed as calm as if he were taking a stroll through the park. There were at least a dozen or so droids on the ground, and half that number flying through the air.

            Tork launched into the air swiftly in a grand show of aerial acrobatics. With unparalleled grace that seemed impossible for such a large creature, Tork slashed one droid above him with his sword while simultaneously slashing one below him with his shield and its spinning blades. The move split the two droids completely in half as if they were made of paper. At the same time, two droids jumped from the ground at least thirty feet in the air to attack Tork from his front and his back.

            It looked like Tork had been cornered with nowhere to go, but the Dragon was ready for their counterattack. As one droid came from behind, Tork batted it to bits with his tail while sucking in his breath as he charged the second. Just before the droid reached him, Tork unleashed his Dragon’s breath in all its fury. The flames were so hot that the droid’s metal skin began to melt as it dropped to the ground in a torrent of fire and liquid iron. Only then did Ryan realize just how far he had to go to reach that level of mastery with his own flames.

            Ryan sat dumbfounded as he watched Tork efficiently and methodically dispatch the remaining droids using various methods. Tork slashed and spun in midair to destroy the last of the aerial enemies while at the same time launching a barrage of flames to pick off the ones on the ground.

A few managed to dodge his attacks, but most would explode as soon as he fired his magnificent breath. Tork didn’t seem prone to one method over the other; every one of his body parts became a lethal weapon almost as deadly as his sword and shield. He used his fangs, the claws on his feet, the horns on his head, and even his wings as both shields and battering rams.

            Tork seemed to know what the droids would do before they did. Even when a few droids managed to attack with swords and laser slugs, Tork anticipated their movements and he wielded his shield superbly to block all incoming attacks. The shield itself seemed to be indestructible as its surface remained spotless. Within a few seconds, Tork had dispatched a small army of twenty, and he did it without even breaking a sweat … that is, if Dragons even could sweat.

            Eramar applauded. “Well done, Tork. However, you still leave yourself too open when you swing your right arm or when you use your left wing. You should work on that. And try to use your fangs as a last resort only. It exposes your throat too much which is your most vulnerable area.”

            “Thank you, master,” replied Tork. “I still have a lot to learn.”

            Ryan was astonished. If Tork is only a student, I wonder what the masters can do.

            “Alright, young pup. Yer turn,” said Thisimius as he leaned towards Ryan. “I hope ye were paying attention. Tork has much the same fighting style as you in terms of weapons. Try to do the same, but don’t imitate him. Develop your own unique style.”

            “Oh, that’s not at all contradictory,” muttered Ryan to himself. He took a few deep breaths and started bouncing on his feet, getting himself pumped. “Any advice?”

            “Try to analyze their movements,” advised Tork. “If you pay attention, they should be pretty easy to predict. They have relatively simple programming, so they shouldn’t be too difficult to overcome, even for a beginner.” That kind of cheered Ryan up.

Then Tork scratched his chin and said, “Although, Thisimius has been known to have a nasty habit of putting in a few random algorithms in the programming that makes some of the droids dangerously unpredictable and twice as deadly. Better watch out for that. Cheerio!” That was not so cheerful.

            Taking a deep breath, Ryan stepped into the center of the arena, and instantly confronted at least nine droids. Ryan remembered the first thing that Tork had done. He tried to pick out the ones with more complicated movements. The first rule of combat was to take out the leader, and the rest would dissolve into chaos. That's what Eramar had taught Ryan. Problem was, Ryan couldn’t pick out the leaders by observing the droids’ movements alone, and they didn't wait for him.

            There were at least three flying droids, and six grounded droids. As the first ground droid reached him, Ryan instinctively raised his left hand with the gauntlet while at the same time pouring psions into it. If Thisimius had been wrong about the weapons, the iron claws would probably blow up.

If that happened, the gauntlet might take a few droids down with the explosion, but it could also incapacitate Ryan, if not kill him. These thoughts ran through Ryan’s head in a flash as he raised the iron claws to defend against the first attack. As the droid’s metal claws clashed with Ryan’s iron claws, the gauntlet burst into flames, and the droid exploded.

I didn’t blow up, thought Ryan, almost shocked.

After seeing the other droids coming at him from behind the first one, Ryan raised his right hand and slashed with his sword while pouring his psions into the blade. A wall of flame erupted from his sword and leapt towards the droids. At least three were instantly destroyed. Ryan felt so overjoyed that he didn’t notice the next wave of droids approaching from his blind spot.

Ryan turned to his left just in time as a large droid kicked him in the stomach. It was the droid that looked just like Thisimius and it had all his strength and speed. Ryan barely managed to recover as a quick droid that looked like a grasshopper jumped on him and tried to pin him down.

The droid managed to keep its foot on Ryan’s sword hand, but his claw hand was still free. Ryan slashed the droid’s head off with the two iron claws on his fist. He got up quickly and launched another slash with his sword, the blade slicing cleanly through an attacking droid’s armor.

This time, the sword only took out one droid while the others dodged, but the machine simply fell to the ground without exploding like the others. The fire seemed weakened somehow, and only then did Ryan notice how tired he felt.

I’m using too many psions in my attacks. I should use physical attacks from now on without psionic aid; otherwise, I’m going to burn out.

As two more droids came from either side, Ryan hopped off the ground, turned sideways, and spun in a circle, swinging his sword and claws like helicopter propellers. Ryan had to use his physical strength alone to slash one droid across the chest with his claws and the other in the head with his sword.

It took nearly all his strength to finish his two swings. Ryan was completely out of breath when the big Thisimius droid came behind him to give him a bear hug. Ryan's chest became crushed as a sudden pang of fear washed over him.

Eramar quickly commanded the droid to disarm itself with a whistle. The mechanical Ogre let Ryan go and disappeared in a hole that appeared in the ground. Ryan panted furiously with sweat running down his face.

Thisy grinned a toothy smile from ear to ugly ear. “Didn’t I tell you? The lad is a natural with my weapon choice! He even managed to score higher than most rookies on their first try. Most get five out of nine, but our young pup shot a wee bit higher. Just one more droid and he would have got nine out of nine. And all thanks to yours truly.”

            Eramar offered Ryan his hand, who took it gratefully. “Not bad for your first try. We will have to work on your technique and psionic control so that you'll not tire yourself out so quickly. Over time, the amount of power you can unleash will increase as you mature. Until that time, we have to toughen you up. That means that I want you to destroy at least ten droids a day on top of your normal training regime and studies.”

            Thisimius looked troubled by that. “Hey, ya know these things aren’t cheap, right? And besides, don’t ya think that's a wee much for the lad? Most start out with less than half that number for regular training.”

            Eramar shook his head. “If he is to be fully prepared for the exam in three months, then it must be ten a day. Unless you want to wait until next year, Ryan”

            Ryan sensed that Eramar was testing him. He got the feeling that Eramar was always testing him in some way. “Not on your life,” he said defiantly.

Every day, the old fart got Ryan up when the sun rose and he didn’t let him go until the school bell rang, which started in the late afternoon. First, they would do some sparring and then Ryan would go a few rounds with the training droids.

Ryan would either spar with Tork or Eramar randomly. Tork was a tricky opponent since he had a tail and could fly, but Eramar was a much cleverer fighter; and besides that, he had a lot more psions than both Tork and Ryan combined.

Ryan decided that, little by little, he would become Tork’s equal first. And as a plus, Tork had been schooling him on how to properly control his fire so that Ryan wouldn’t burn out like he usually did.

Ryan asked Tork if he’d ever be able to shoot fire out of his mouth, to which Tork replied while laughing hysterically, “Your sense of humor never ceases to amaze me, Pyro-hands.”

Grafael seemed to be slowly warming up to Ryan. He even showed up to watch Ryan spar a few times, but when Ryan challenged him, the Wingless Dragon would sniff and say, “I will fight you again when you are worthy, Grunt.”

Ryan even saw Leon watching sometimes from a distance, as if the guy wanted to hide or something. Ryan still didn’t know what that dude’s deal was, but he got the suspicion that many considered Leon the strongest member of Squad 99.

If I can defeat him, then it will go a long way to increase my standing in the Ministry, and a bonus would be if Éclair finally noticed me.

As for Éclair, she had become distant. Ryan sensed that something bothered her. He wondered if anything happened between Éclair and Rachel since the two didn’t even bother to trade insults anymore. However, Ryan suspected that it probably had to do with Leon. Every time Ryan walked down the hall with Éclair as she tutored him, if they saw Leon at the other end, Éclair would grab Ryan by the sleeve and lead him down the opposite hall.

As they sat alone in his room while Éclair went through his lessons with little interest, Ryan decided he couldn't take it anymore. Under any other circumstances, being alone with Éclair would be an ideal situation for Ryan, but she acted more like a zombie than a love interest.

They sat on the floor surrounded by thick leatherbound textbooks that Éclair read from, explaining some of the finer points for Ryan’s benefit. Surprisingly, Éclair used actual books with paper for their lessons. Ryan hadn’t seen a real book since being home-schooled by his mother. He suspected that anyone else tutoring him would’ve simply used datapads like everyone else did. The fact that Éclair was old-fashioned enough to still use physical books made her seem all the more enticing to Ryan. Taking a textbook in his hand, Ryan purposefully slammed it shut as hard as he could, breaking Éclair from her trance.

“What in the name of the Abyss is your problem?” demanded Éclair in both surprise and anger.

“This has got to end, whatever it is,” said Ryan. “You are not leaving this room until I find a way to make you feel better!”

Éclair had a blank expression on her face. “What?”

Ryan harrumphed as if it were obvious. “You've been acting like a zombie and I'm sick of it! I picked my nose like seven times, and you didn’t even tell me how gross I was. I miss the old Éclair who would jump at the opportunity to wound my ego. It’s what keeps me on my toes. Unless we deal with whatever girl problem you're going through, then I am not going to stop bugging you until you start acting normal.”

Éclair's violet eyes seemed to say, ‘How dare you have the audacity to address me in such a manner,’ as she glowered at him. “Has anyone ever told you that you are the single most disastrous event to ever haunt this Ministry with your insolence and impertinence?”

“Pbth. Sticks and stones! Come on, that was nothing! Where are the big guns?”

Ryan figured that the best way to help Éclair was to allow her to unleash the pent-up frustration that had been building up inside her.

Éclair rose in anger. “Ryan, seriously, don’t test me. If you think fire is painful, you have no idea what ice can do when used properly.”

Ryan crossed his arms and sniffed. “Oh, now come the threats. I remember a time when it took at least three or four taunts to come to this point. You’re slipping and you know it.”

Éclair ground her teeth and clenched her fists, much like the way she did five years ago when she was but a little girl. “What is wrong with you? Do you have some kind of mental deficiency? Could you possibly be any more stupid?”

“Could you possibly be any more stupid?” said Ryan, mimicking her accent.

Éclair seemed beside herself with fury. “What?”

            “What,” replied Ryan grinning wickedly as he put the final phase of his plan into action.

            “Ryan, I’m warning you,” said Éclair coldly.

            She was almost at the breaking point. One more push. “Ryan, I’m warning you,” mimicked Ryan.

            “That’s it!” Éclair shouted.

Éclair raised her palm, and a blizzard blew Ryan against the wall, freezing him in place. Ryan had expected this and had been slowly raising his body temperature with his Fire Elemency to prepare for the onslaught, but it was still pretty cold, and the ice got into his pants.

            Ryan cried out in his most theatrical voice. “Oh, it’s in the bloodstream! My wounds haven’t closed up yet!”

            Éclair’s anger melted into fear as she realized that she might have hurt him. “Oh my God! Ryan! I’m so sorry!”

            “So this is the end of Ryan Uruks!” cried Ryan, riding this train for all its worth. “An icy death! Pinned against the wall while his manhood succumbs to a cold prison! Oh, woe is me! I shall never know what love is!”

            Éclair didn't catch onto the joke as she screamed, still hysterical. “Oh, Ryan, hang on! Just give me a few minutes! I can find a way to withdraw the ice from your body!”

            Ryan shook his head. “It’s too late for me. The ice is already in the bloodstream. You would pull out my own guts and then my heart would be as hollow as my last words. Go, Éclair. Promise me that you will live your life as it was meant to be lived. And do have mercy on the court jesters. They mean well with their innocent jokes.”

            Éclair actually started tearing up a little. “I didn’t mean … I didn’t know … Oh, Ryan! I’m so sorry! I’m so sorry!” Éclair fell to her knees and buried her face into her hands.

Okay, maybe this went a little too far, thought Ryan, deciding that the joke had run its course. Hopefully, it will have the effect I desire, but you can never tell with women.

Ryan extracted himself by adjusting his flames ever so slightly. Éclair had only blasted him with a thin sheet of ice that wouldn’t kill anyone.

As Éclair sobbed, Ryan put a hand on her shoulder. “Tears for me? Why, Éclair, I’m touched.”

            Éclair stared up at Ryan, taking a few moments to comprehend that he stood in front of her unharmed. “Ryan, you’re okay!” she exclaimed, smiling as she hugged him tightly.

Ryan reveled in this short, but sweet, moment. Then realization came as Éclair withdrew herself and saw the mischievous grin on Ryan’s face.

“You’re okay!” Éclair repeated angrily before punching Ryan in the stomach so hard that he doubled over. “You deceived me, you little worm! I thought that…”

            Ryan almost hoped that Éclair would remember something from their past together when she paused. He started laughing to lighten the mood. There was no way for him to know how it worked, but somehow, his jovial spirit reached Éclair who started chuckling with him. At one point, her laughter grew even louder than his own as she held a hand to her mouth.

            Through fits of girlish giggling, Éclair managed to say, “You’re such an idiot!” Despite her words, she still laughed.

            “I try!”

            It felt like they laughed for hours. The sound of Éclair’s laughter was the most beautiful thing that Ryan could recall, and he treasured every moment of it. Éclair’s mirth-filled voice soon subsided, but the jubilant expression never left her face.

            “I cannot believe I fell for that,” said Éclair, gasping for breath from laughing so hard. “And you were using such ridiculous lines too. I feel foolish.”

            Ryan shrugged. “Don’t be. I’m a pretty good actor even with the worst material.”

            “Where do you come up with stuff like this?”

            “I watch a lot of dramas,” explained Ryan, turning a slight shade of purple.  

            Éclair chuckled one last time. “More than I do, obviously.”

Their eyes met, and Ryan felt a closeness to Éclair he hadn’t experienced since they first met on his home. Given the sweet moment they shared, Ryan couldn’t help but think about what Eramar said about Fire and Water-Type Elementals passing down bloodlines.

Éclair uses ice. That’s the water spectrum, right? I still can’t figure out why she’s at the Fire Ministry then. I guess I have met a few people here with Elements outside the Fire Spectrum, but not many. At least now I know what to expect if we have kids. Ryan quickly dismissed that thought. Thinking along those lines was just plain creepy.

Éclair tucked a strand of silver hair behind her ear, her face growing slightly serious. “You planned all this just to cheer me up, didn’t you?”

            Ryan could feel Éclair’s piecing violet eyes boring into him. But before he had the chance to answer, he heard Eramar's voice on the intercom.

            “Emperor Chissler will be paying a surprise visit to the Ministry of Fire. You have until the end of the day to prepare for his arrival.”