Chapter 19

Brynn watched as various hues of green and blue glittered beyond the ship's viewing pane.

Irelis, the Ulratian Glaive Ship, had high ceilings and wide corridors, designed for people much larger than regular humans. Though it held a kind of emptiness--even more so than Avenger--it was not without its comforts.

She still found herself retreating to Attulanta from time to time, when she felt like there was too much empty space around her, but she'd been given semi-permanent living quarters aboard Irelis.

Her gaze dropped to her hands, where thin straps looped around her index and ring fingers to secure a small, smooth plate resting in her palm. They hadn't told her how it was intended to work, but she assumed she'd learn in time.

The clothing they had fitted her for training clung tightly to her body, wrapping around her arms, abdomen, and legs, even her feet. It flowed high around her neck like a second skin. At first, it had been suffocating, the silk-like fabric cool and foreign against her skin. It still bunched awkwardly under her chin when she moved a certain way, but she had to admit, it felt fantastic otherwise.

The aperture-shaped door spun open behind her, closing again as Korran crossed into the room.

"I see that Delianna finished fitting your combat suit," he said. "How is it?"

She didn't look away from the window as she replied, her voice neutral. "I'm adjusting to it. It's not what I would have picked to wear every day. And I still feel like I need to lose a few kilos before it looks the way I want."

Korran laughed, watching her reflection in the transparent surface. "I'm sure any man would be honored to see you wearing that in battle, even if the battle is with them."

She turned toward him at that, a little surprised. Had he just paid her a compliment about her appearance? She forced herself to look back at the window, her expression regaining its neutrality. "Perhaps. I just hope I'm ready."

He chuckled heartily. "If anyone can prepare you, Master Thelleron will."

She shifted. "I haven't met him yet. What's he like?"

Korran laughed much harder this time. "Well, Auro Phytrelia, she is a cunning warrior. Even Szen Seeker Xedrin takes care to honor her when he has occasion to spar with her."

Brynn blushed. "Oh. I see. I'm not sure why I assumed--"

"I know human women are often bred with bodies lacking the physical strength and force of their men," Korran said in a sober tone, rescuing her from the end of the statement, "but Ulratian women are simply smaller than our men. However, they are shaped differently. Their fangs and claws, for example, are thinner than ours, and thus more likely to slice like a razor's edge than my claws might."

Brynn looked at him again, a little worried. "Claws? You... you don't wear gloves?"

"They are trained early on to master the use of their claws in battle," Korran said, as though it were obvious. "But more importantly, how to keep them out of an opponent when they're practicing."

"Oh. Well..." She turned back to face the window. "That's good. I feel better already."

Korran laughed softly again. "I am sure you will be fine. Tenacious as she is, she is also a very skilled educator. Trust the process."

She shifted uncomfortably, then nodded. "Okay. I will."

He bowed to her a little, then left the room again.

Brynn stood there in the silence, for what felt like hours, watching her reflection in the glass. The suit felt tight across her shoulders, the dark fabric catching the light in sharp lines along her arms. She tugged at the collar unconsciously, her fingers brushing the smooth material. Though it might not have been what she would have decided to wear, ever, she also considered that they had dressed her this way for a purpose.

The door behind her spun open again.

A tall figure, shorter than Korran, but still a few heads taller than Brynn, strode into the room. Brynn turned away from the glass, watching her come closer. "Auro Phytrelia?"

Brynn was silent for a long moment, until the other person leaned their head towards her, signaling for a response. "Oh! Yes. Yes, that's me." She raised her right hand, then felt ridiculous at her reaction.

"Of course." She looked her over, like a breeder examining a specimen before they chose whether to use it in their herd. "You will come with me."

Brynn stood there, waiting for her to say something else, but then she turned her back on Brynn and walked to the door. Brynn caught on, after a moment, and hurried to catch up to her.

She led Brynn down a long corridor, her pace slow and deliberate--at least by Ulratian standards. Brynn, on the other hand, had to focus on keeping up without outright running. As they walked, Brynn noticed large, rounded windows on either side of them, spaced evenly, with two individuals behind each window, always sparing in the middle of the room, always with seven concentric circles, the center circle always black, and then interchanging white to black to white again to the outside.

After they had passed four or five of these sets of windows, Brynn realized they had reached the end of the corridor. She looked at her guide, and hesitated, but managed to get out the words. "Excuse, but I did not get your name."

"I know."

Brynn blinked and then straightened before rocking on her heels a little. "Oh. Sorry..."

She spun around to face Brynn now, a stern expression on her face, her purely white eyes gazing down at her as she seemed to consider her again. "I am called Lianna. I live to serve Master Thelleron. I have been in her service for in excess of ten of your years, and I have seen many come and go through these halls in that time. Ulratian and..." She seemed to be working herself up to saying the word, clearly unhappy with having to say it. "... Human alike."

Brynn watched her, feeling herself wincing at the disdain in her tone. "Humans... like me?"

Lianna looked her over again and pursed her lips in a scowl. "No. None as small as you, but humans nonetheless."

Brynn felt herself instinctively looking to the floor, as if Lianna was chiding her. "Oh."

Lianna sighed, her massive lungs filling with air, before she let it slowly out the two lines above her mouth Brynn assumed was her nose. Her hand, impossibly steady, caught Brynn's chin, lifting it just enough to force her gaze upward. Their eyes met, and for a long, stretching moment, something in Lianna's expression softened... as if against her will. A long, silent moment growing between them before she said, "However, based on what my mate has told me, you are here on your own merits, and so I promise I will endeavor to set aside my emotions in an effort to support you."

Brynn felt her tension relax a little, and she managed a small smile. "Thank you. I am glad to have made at least one friend on this ship."

Lianna rolled her eyes in exasperation, her face looking towards the ceiling for a moment before looking down at her again. She sighed again, and then bowed her head at her a little. "Fine. Friends. I hope that you will not make a fool of my Korran in your time here."

Brynn's eyebrows felt like they were going to fly off her face, her eyes widening. "K-Korran? Korran is your mate?" She blushed as she stuttered, but she couldn't help it.

"Yes. Korran is my mate. And not a single creature in the universe is more diplomatic or compassionate as he is, no matter how much his optimism with people often seems only to frustrate me." She sighed again, the words obviously working her up a little. "But no one else makes me as happy as he does nor can anyone softened my otherwise unbridled rage, or lust for blood and honor even a little as much as he can. And that is why I am here."

Brynn titled her head in curiosity, obviously not understanding. "Why you are here?"

Lianna shifted and clenched her jaw. "Yes."

Brynn shook her head slowly, fishing for more.

"Korran has laid a challenge to me that I will not be able to contain my temper with you, that my... confidence in my superior abilities will end with me losing my patience during the course of your training."

Brynn's head leaned away from her, her face paling. "Oh. Um... I see."

Lianna made a long-suffering face at Brynn, and shook her head. "No, child, I assure you, you do not."

Brynn shrugged, her head hunkering down into her shoulders.

Lianna closed her eyes a long moment, the lids only vaguely lighter than the blueness of her skin that seemed so dark it was almost black. She turned away from Brynn and led her through the large door as it spun open in front of them, spinning shut again as Brynn entered the room, standing behind Lianna.

Lianna bowed deeper than she had seen any Ulratian bow, and then moved off to the side. "Auro Phytrelia, my master."

The Ulratian at the other side of the room turned around to face them. Her skin was the lightest she'd seen on this ship, with the exception of her own. The deep amethyst hues, her eyes that were only white, and the long, dark hair that flowed down her back in a long, tight braid. She wore the same form-fitting one-piece that Brynn had on, those hers was much larger. But hers did not cover her feet. The straight, white claws on each of her eight toes didn't touch the floor when she walked. She had a dark strap around her forehead, the length of which was braided into her hair. Where Brynn's hands only held two straps for her ring and index finger, hers had one for each of the five long fingers on her hand.

She crossed the room to Brynn quickly, but without a single sound. She gazed down at Brynn for a long moment and then looked at Lianna. Lianna bowed her head, but not as far as before. "Master."

Lianna walked past Brynn and left the room without another sound. When Master Thelleron spoke, Brynn noticed that her voice was distinctly different from Lianna's, or any other Ulratian she had met on the ship. Was it age?

"Auro Phytrelia. As you no doubt have surmised, I am Master Thelleron. It is my responsibility, as a leader on this ship, to train you. You will find my methods harsh at times, compassionate at others, but know that it is my goal to forge you in the deadliest of killers your kind can be. Not a killer without emotion, mind you, but one of passion. When I am done with you, you will run into danger. You will crave the tempest of combat. You will face the very maw of death and feel the need to tempt it into battle."

The color in Brynn's face seem to fade with each word. "I... me?"

Thelleron's face changed into one of anger. "Silence."

Brynn's mouth shut in a way that her teeth clicked. Thelleron began to pace in front of her, hands clasped behind her back. "You will speak only when I say so. You will do nothing without my instruction. It will work this way not because I own you, because I have power over you, but because the fires you I will forge you in require absolute obedience and focus from you."

Brynn nodded hesitantly and Thelleron stopped to face her. "Do you understand?"

"Yes." She tried to make her response sound confident, but she almost mumbled.

Thelleron took a step towards her. "When I speak to you, you will answer me, always, with 'Yes, Master Thelleron,' or 'No, Master Thelleron.'"

Brynn nodded once, and then braced herself, her voice a little louder this time. "Yes, Master Thelleron."

"Again. Louder, human!"

Brynn made herself shout this time. "Yes, Master Thelleron."

She nodded curtly at Brynn and then started pacing again.

"Szen Seeker has informed me that you have been defiled, tainted by an agent of Delethire, your powers buried deep within you, though lost."

"Yes, Master Thelleron."

"Few I have trained have come face to face with what has defiled you. I cannot promise you redemption, only the path toward it. Whether you break its hold is a battle only you can fight." She turned to face Brynn again, and Brynn straightened again.

"Yes, Master Thelleron."

"Good. Now, to the ring with you." She motioned off to the side, pointing at another set of concentric circles.

Brynn hesitated for only a heartbeat. Her predecessors had been here for months--some for years. For just a moment, she wondered how long her stay would be, and whether any of this would work. She straightened her shoulders again. "Yes, Master Thelleron."