Sea Paladin: Kraken Aspect

Ignacio stepped forward. “Blackwell, do you have anyone I can train with?”

Blackwell held out a hand to the rest of the grounds. “Sure, plenty. Just make sure you don’t actually hit anyone, we use no-contact rules for safety.”

“Actually,” Ignacio said, folding his arms. “I need to get hit.”

Blackwell and Pix stared at him blankly.

“Please,” Ignacio said. “It’s urgent. I need to get stronger and learn how to fight.”

Blackwell glanced at Kiyomi, and she gave him a nod. “Just be careful not to kill him. Lady Shidare will be here any minute to watch.”

“Lady Shidare!” he said. “You either did something really good, or really bad.”

“Really bad,” Kiyomi said, rubbing her forehead. “Really, really bad.”

Blackwell sighed. “Alright, Ace. What’s your Aspect?”

“Ronin.”

Blackwell tucked his chin down, glancing at Kiyomi again. “Is he being serious?”

“Dead serious,” Kiyomi said. “I’ve been helping him train for the past few hours. Days in the real world.”

“No you have not,” Koharu said, pointing at herself. “I’m the one who's been training him. You won’t even let him absorb your powers.”

“Sitting under that tree is a lot of work,” Kiyomi said.

Blackwell scratched the back of his head. “I doubt many people would want to do full contact training with a Ronin.”

Pix tugged at Koharu’s sleeve, and whispered something into her ear as she bent down.

“There has to be someone,” Ignacio said. “Please, we don’t have time to waste.”

Blackwell shrugged, mouth twisting to the side. “Alright then, I guess I’ll have a round against you.”

Ignacio nodded.

“Ace,” Koharu called. “Pix wants you to use Kiyomi’s powers.”

“She what?” Kiyomi snapped, placing her hands on her hips.

“It’ll be fun, Ki!” Pix shouted.

Kiyomi narrowed her eyes. “Why do I feel like the two of you worked together on this?”

Koharu and Pix giggled. Ignacio smiled.

Full contact training, he thought.

It wasn’t new. Ezequiel had beaten him just a couple days ago, which was a few hours in the Ethergeist. But for some reason he hadn’t kept any marks or injuries from any of his fights, not even the burn mark from his fight with Chey.

“Who have you fought so far, Ace?” Blackwell asked, stepping away and placing his helmet back on.

“I… lost to a dire-bear.”

“It was a really big one and Kiyomi kicked him off a cliff, to be fair,” Koharu said.

“I sparred with Ezequiel and lost. But after training more with Koharu, I got into a fight with Chey,” Ignacio said, shooting a glare at Kiyomi. “And I beat him.”

Blackwell turned to Kiyomi. “Chey, as in, Chey from the Sixth Sense crew?” he asked, his voice metallic as it echoed in his armour.

Kiyomi nodded, walking towards the first hedge dividing the room. “That’s the one. You boys enjoy, I’m going to find something more interesting to do.”

Blackwell turned to Ignacio, giving him a thumbs up. “That’s impressive, boy. Chey is a Magma Aspect Warden. I assume though that you got him early in the fight?”

“Yeah.”

Blackwell tutted. “That’s the thing with Wardens, they take a while to really get going. Paladins on the other hand,” he said, holding out a hand. A bright, pale blue gem embedded in the side of his anchor glowed, and the thing rocketed into his hand, wind howling around it. It smacked into his gauntleted palm with a clang. “We don’t take long at all.”

“Oh, such a big boy, Blackwell,” a low, feminine voice said.

Ignacio turned. Lady Shidare sat with her legs crossed on the edge of a platform jutting from the wall, her bright red and white robe dripping over it like lava. A pair of katanas were sheathed to her back in a cross, the black handles ringed with gold. They stuck out behind her bare shoulders, a red tassel hanging off each sword’s handle.

“Empress,” Blackwell said, taking a bow. “We are honoured to have you present.”

Shidare rested her elbow on her knee, cheek against her palm. “Blackwell, if he’s lying about being a Ronin, do me a favour and cave his skull in.”

Blackwell paused. “Yes, my Lady.”

Damn it all.

Ignacio held up his fists. Koharu’s blue light ignited from them, but something was wrong. They were dark blue.

What the hell? He thought.

“Oh no,” Daichi said from behind him. “I put my arm around you earlier, didn’t I?”

Ignacio smiled.

“Ho ho!” Blackwell said, voice booming. “This will be interesting.”

Ignacio twisted his boots into the grassy earth. “What’s your Aspect, Blackwell?”

He chuckled. “Oh, I’m just a small upgrade from Chey.”

Something shot off his back; a plate of armour. It flipped as it fell. And a giant grey and blue tentacle snatched it midair.

Ignacio’s eyes flickered back to Blackwell as four octopus-like tentacles uncurled from his back, pointing at Ignacio with clawed tips.

“I’m a Kraken Aspect Sea Paladin,” Blackwell said, raising his anchor. “Ready when you are, Ace.”

Ignacio glanced at Koharu who stared at Blackwell with wide eyes, her lips tightened.

“How come you never do that when you train with me!” Pix shouted, throwing her fists up.

Ignacio lifted his fists higher, and blinked. His fists had turned into claws. Wolf claws with blue fur, Koharu’s light glowing around them.

“Ha,” Daichi said. “Don’t embarrass me, please.”

“One,” Blackwell barked.

Lady Shidare clapped from behind. “Drag it out as long as you can, Ace.”

“Two!” Blackwell said.

Ignacio swallowed. “Just a heads up, I don’t have full control over my abilities yet. Maybe we could-”

“Three!”

He launched forward, swinging the anchor back.

Ignacio rolled to the side, reaching back to grab the man’s leg as he shot past. But he missed, his new claws brushing against Blackwell’ armoured boot.

How is everyone so much faster than me? He thought.

Blackwell landed, sending grass and dirt spraying. He pivoted and launched at Ignacio, his tentacles flaring open.

Ignacio cast his hands out, balls of blue light hitting Blackwell in the chest of his armour and fizzling into sparks.

Oh for crying out loud.

The anchor slammed into the side of his body, sending him flying across the field.

He slid through the grass, groaning as he came to a halt. His vision doubled, blurred, and turned dark.

That’s it? He thought. You’re going to get this far, just to give up in training?

“Ace!” Daichi shouted, the buzz in his ears clearing. “Look at yourself!”

Look at myself?