Ascendants of Ancients Sovereign - By Phillip Jones Page 0,84

and a look of confusion consumed his face.

“You’ve never been in an earthquake, have you?” Sam said as he stood to buckle the belt holding his sword around his waist.

Sam’s weapon was the first to respond. The blade removed itself from its sheath and hovered in front of Sam’s face. Like before, the blade pulsated with a soft-white light as each syllable was uttered. “BJ doesn’t know what you’re referring to, Sam. Perhaps you should follow me so that we can converse.”

Sam did as instructed and waited for the blade to continue. “The people on Grayham have never experienced natural disasters before. The gods have not used them as a way of controlling the worlds’ populations. The worlds don’t have enough beings on them to justify their use. This quake is a result of the Crystal Moon’s inability to govern the worlds.”

“What can be done about it?” Sam queried.

As if irritated by Sam’s question, the blade’s pulse turned red. “You must focus, Sam. You must rise up and become a better man than you are now if you’re to save the worlds. The moments of destruction are looming, and these people will need a champion.”

A period of silence passed as the blade allowed the magnitude of his statement to sink in. When next it spoke, his pulse had returned to white. “You said you’ve chosen a name for me. What is it, Sam?”

Sam’s mind was struggling to accept the sword’s revelation. It was not until after the blade thumped him under his chin that he was able to focus. “Okay, okay. Ummm ... I was going to use the name, Kael. Would this be acceptable to you? It means, Mighty Warrior.”

The sword sighed. “Kael is a strong name, but a leader should be confident in his decisions. I’ve given you permission to train with me. Act like the leader you need to become, and do not seek my approval. Demonstrate your ability to command.” Again, the blade’s pulse turned red. “Until you do, I won’t allow you to fight with me in the arenas. You need to earn my respect, and you must acquire the skills necessary to keep from embarrassing me. I’d rather allow this world to end than be wielded by weakness.”

Sick of being chastised, Sam took control of the sword and then turned to face BJ. He knew he could not divulge the Crystal Moon’s lack of governance over the worlds, so he shouted, “I’ve given my sword a name! It’s Kael! It means, Mighty Warrior!” He lifted the sword and took an offensive stance. “Let’s see how you handle this!” He pointed the tip of the blade at his teacher.

BJ did not respond. Instead, he remained focused on the ground.

Sam thought, This isn’t good. I need to get his mind off the tremor. I have to work harder.

Sam shouted again to capture BJ’s attention. “Come on! Everything’s alright! I’ve been in places where the ground shook on many occasions. It’s not a big deal. Hey! I said I’ve named my sword. Let’s see how you handle the power of the gods, old man!”

Hearing the words, “old man”, BJ shook his head and walked to his bag. He lowered his wooden stave and picked up his blade. “This sword has seen many seasons of battle, boy. You need to be taught humility.”

BJ wiped the sword’s hilt with a towel and then discarded the rag to the ground. Without a word, he lunged and knocked Kael out of Sam’s hand. A quick swipe followed. The tip of his blade was all it took to cut across Sam’s left thigh, just deep enough to draw blood and require stitches.

“Damn it!” Sam shouted as he looked down at the cut. “What did you do that for? You’re supposed to train me ... not kill me!”

BJ’s voice was firm, “Just because you hold a sword of the gods doesn’t mean you understand how to wield the power it possesses! This isn’t a game, boy! You’ll get yourself killed if you enter the arena unprepared. Your stance is terrible, your balance is always off, your movements are slow, and your ears never listen. A pregnant corgan would be a better student than you.”

BJ gathered his things. “I cannot believe where you’re from they call you a fighter. In all my seasons, I’ve never had a worse student. We should get moving before it gets dark. I’m hungry and need an ale. If Mosley wasn’t paying me a substantial sum of coin, I