A World Apart The Jake Thomas Trilogy - By Steven A. Tolle Page 0,131

not be troubled." He continued, a reassuring smile appearing on his weathered face. "You are beyond their reach here and I will teach you to use your power. Once you control that, you will be able to stand against them and their followers."

He glanced over at Dominic. "However, not all of the demons' followers are influenced by their power, so I would like to see you continue your combat training with Dominic. In facing those threats, you may find that your sword is the better weapon. Also, a boy your age needs to have regular physical exercise."

He addressed Dominic. "If that sounds agreeable, you can speak with Moshanna about setting up a training space for the mornings. I will work with Jake in the afternoons."

"That sounds fine, Tomaris." Dominic replied.

The doors opened and Deepwood entered. He came back over to Tomaris. "The rooms are prepared, Tomaris."

"Thank you, Moshanna." Tomaris said, slowly rising. He addressed Dominic and Jake. "You have had a long journey, so I will not keep you any longer. Please follow Moshanna to your rooms where you can rest. We will start Jake's training tomorrow."

Jake and Dominic made their thanks, grabbed their bags and followed Deepwood out of the hall and up another set of stairs. Dominic spoke with him about some training space as they walked. Deepwood responded that he would find some space and that they were welcome to join him and his men for the morning meal. He took them to a hallway with a row of doors on either side. There were a pair of doors set next to each other; Deepwood entered one.

Jake immediately noticed the large window and curtains against the far wall, with a set of doors out onto a small terrace. He could see that the terrace overlooked the courtyard and main walls. There was a small bathroom off to the side that had a small basin and what looked like a bath, full of water. In the room, there was a large bed, along with a wooden dresser and small desk. The room had some paintings decorating the walls. A door was in the wall on Jake's right, which Deepwood went to stand by.

"We have given you connecting rooms." He said, indicating the door. He pointed to a silken cord back near the entry door. "If you need anything, please ring the bell and a servant will come to assist you. Please rest and I will send someone to escort you to the barracks and training areas in the morning." With a slight nod of his head, he left, closing the door behind him.

"What are you thinking, boy?" Dominic asked Jake as the door closed, noticing the slightly pale and concerned look on his face.

"I'm a little freaked out by all of this." Jake admitted, throwing his bags on the bed and sitting down on its edge. "I mean, according to Tomaris, these demons are after me for some power I did not even know I had. As long as I am here, I will have to look over my shoulder for them." His voice dropped. "The one in the city scared me like I have never been scared before." Jake looked down at his hands, saw that they were slightly shaking.

"There is no shame in fear, boy." Dominic said, voice calm and even. "It is what you do with that fear that is important. You have to learn to master the fear, not let it master you."

He paused for a moment, then continued. "We are all afraid at times. One of the purposes of training hard is that it helps condition you to react, even when afraid. If you train well with Tomaris and learn this power, you will have the ability to defend yourself and others from the demons. Like a good sword and armor, it will allow you to feel more confident when you have to face that fear."

"You never seem afraid." Jake said, looking up at Dominic.

"I feel fear, boy." Dominic replied, eyes shining. "My fears just tend to be about things other than my own safety." He opened the connecting door. "Get some rest. We start training again tomorrow." He stepped into his room and closed the door.

Jake felt a little better after listening to Dominic. He unpacked his bags, took off his armor and stepped out onto the terrace. He could see that the terrace was built out from the cliff wall. He went over to the waist-high iron railing that bordered the