Chapter 6

Even though Lycurgus knew they could get the fish onto the shore he still had to prepare himself. The average Lancer fish could weigh up to 1,500 pounds, but the Red Lancer was a fish of legend on the island of Tiziano. Lycurgus thought to himself that the fish must have been at least 2,000 pounds or more.

Lycurgus and Lysander got into position each with a handful of rope. Infusing their tired bodies with the dwindling supply of Tarmata, they pulled. The force and weight could be felt in their backs, arms, shoulders, and legs as they grimaced in pain. They weren't just fighting the weight but the seas, who wouldn't relinquish their bounty. Lycurgus focused his Tarmata in a burst and let out a scream. He freed up the fish as Lysander kept pulling and finally got it on the shore.

It was huge, over 24ft long, partly explaining the struggle of getting it to the shore. Its fin was marvelous, housing a varying array of reds that looked amazing in contrast to its black and grey body. Its snout was massive and explained why its name was the Lancer-fish. Its "lance" was about 9 to 11 ft long making Lycurgus wonder what kind of weapon his mother would make his craft.

"We have to carry this thing back to the cave?" Lysander made a disappointed face.

Lycurgus gave a tired laugh to his little brother.

"Yea, but this fish can help us survive. Tell you what, we'll camp out for the night, rest, and get started towards the cave in the morning." Lysander gave a sigh of relief

"Thank goodness."

The journey back to the cave started before sunrise but served as a perfect kind of training. Both brothers had to manage their Tarmata at a constant rate to carry the fish that weighed over ten times their combined weight along their journey.

"Think we can go faster, Sandy? It may take us longer than half a day at this rate."

The burden of carrying his portion was tiring out Lysander the thought of going faster made his load feel heavier but the thought of it taking more than half a day made his stomach tighten up.

"If we go faster, we may have to take more breaks but let's do it."

Lycurgus glanced back his at little brother and smirked. He thought back to when his little brother first started training and how he would always whine when things got too tough. His growth, and the fact that Lycurgus was getting to witness it, gave him a sense of pride that filled his heart. Lysander on the other hand was focusing to the best of his ability to maintain his load. Lycurgus could sense his brother's Tarmata struggling.

At first, he thought he'd allow him to simply struggle through and figure it out, but as he homed in on his brother, he realized it may be best to say something.

"Want some advice?"

"On what?"

Lycurgus began to slow down his pace signaling to Lysander that he was getting ready to stop. Once they came to a complete halt, they placed the fish down slowly onto the ground.

"Ok, I'm going to teach you a technique mom taught me."

Lysander raised an eyebrow. Not so much in interest but more so in question.

"Aren't we wasting time?"

Lycurgus chuckled and shook his head no.

"If you had better mastery of your energy, we'd be further along the path."

Lysander sighed he knew his brother was about to give him some long speech about Tarmata, so he sat down on the body of the Lancer. Lysander waved a hand at his brother to begin his lecture while Lycurgus looked at him and rolled his eyes. He noticed that even though Lysander seemed lackadaisical his resolve was focused. His sigh and comfortable nature showed that he knew he needed to be comfortable listening.

It made another smile creep onto Lycurgus' face.