Chapter 6: Practical Training

Dolan sat with his hands on his knees looking out into the horizon as the sun awoke to its full glory. He had spent the past year living inside a spatial plane inside the spirit world. Basically, he had been living inside of a small world inside of a world. When he thought about the past 5 years it didn't seem real to him. Mentally, he has existed for twenty one years, but his body retained the features and age of his sixteen year old self from when he initially died. He still had curly brown hair, and dark hazel eyes. His height was still nothing spectacular, but an average height of 5'11. He had a nice build, with firm muscles, but he didn't exactly have a physical body to exercise them anymore. All he retained was a spiritual image of what he used to look like. All that actually existed was his soul.

A little over a year ago he had fled from the palace of the spirit king, who is actually the Vulga, a bloodthirsty monster that devours souls. Somehow the Vulga had saved his soul after he had died on the field of battle at the hands of his best friend, Alex. Then after being shown the truth about his past, he began to work for the Vulga (Although he wasn't aware that the spirit king was a blood sucking monster yet). He took on the task of a soul collector, and was given the ability to travel between worlds and realms collecting the spirits of those who recently died, or who were close to death. While doing this he saw many different things and experienced many different era's in time. From the old wooden wagons wheeling down a dusty dirt road, to roaring spaceships zooming across the cosmos. Ontop of learning a lot about the world and different times in history, he also met Emilia. An elf from the enchanted forest. In her era in time her entire clan had been wiped out, and the spirit king (The Vulga) rescued her from death and destruction and raised her to be a servant. She was a tiny little creature. She looked like a human, with dark ivory skin, and a human body, but that was where the resemblance stopped. Her hair was the color of smooth silver, and her eyes were a faded jade green. Her height was no greater than that of a large wolf, and she possessed powerful magic abilities.

Dolan smiled at remembering his times with Emilia. The two seemed to be together constantly for three whole years. She was Dolan's only source of solace and comfort through his death, and his new life as a soul collector. He often thought back to the words that the spirit king had told him, "I'll make you a devourer." At the time, he didn't think much of it, but now after knowing what the Vulga is and what he is, he wanted to ask the Vulga what he meant. But he had chosen a different path. Dolan had met a refugee from the spirit realm hiding away in a hidden fold of the world. His name is Edgar, and he is a broad shouldered man. Strong and brave. Reliable and resilient. To Edgar he resembled something of an older brother, or a really really cool uncle. Edgar was the residing guardian over the spatial realm Dolan had stumbled into when he was looking for souls for the Vulga. After a slight encounter with Edgar, Dolan learned the truth, and decided to hide from the Vulga, and return years later after the creature had died.

Although Dolan knew that was the right choice, he was still torn up by the decision. He felt it wasn't right to leave Emilia with that beast, but he went along with it because Edgar seemed so genuine and sincere. After having lived with Edgar, Dolan began to work as a farm hand for him. He tended to strange animals such as boar cows, and gilled sheep. And although it was grueling and boring work, Dolan learned a lot. Edgar taught him the history of the world, and told him about devourers and their origin. On top of teaching him history, he gave Dolan a weapon, a very powerful weapon. A yari. A 3 pronged serrated blade attached to an elastic rope. The weapons intended use isn't to murder or kill, but to maim and injure. It can fly at crazy angles and turn in weird directions based off of the user's movements.

Dolan didn't find out till he had spent a few months with Edgar that time flows differently than in the real world or the spirit realm. He learned that for a measly three months to pass in the spirit realm, 5 whole years had to pass in their spatial domain. Edgar decided they would wait 5 years their time, and then return to the spirit realm, in the hopes that the Vulga would have lost most if not all of his power, and they could slay him. And so it's been 4 years. Dolan has trained and toiled. Learning about beasts and monsters. Training with the yari and studying about different forms of power. Today was the day Dolan was to be tested by Edgar to see if he was strong enough to face the Vulga. To get a total recap on everything he had learned in his time with Edgar.

"Howdy kid." Edgar said, placing his hand on Dolan's shoulder. "It's beautiful ain't it? I'm gonna miss this place."

Dolan smiled. "Yeah. But I'm not gonna miss shearing those gilled sheep. Yuck."

"Haha! How long have you been out here?"

"Just a few minutes before sunrise. Not long."

Edgar's lips pursed and his face scrunched up. "You never woke up this early to work."

"Duh! Because it's work."

Edgar started to walk away down a dirt road leading into the valley below their house. "Are you ready to start kid?"

Dolan's chest filled with excitement. "Absolutely!"

"Spread your legs out more. They are too close. You'll trip." Edgar walked around Dolan as he stood in a fighting stance. "Lower your hands, it's uncommon, but sometimes you'll encounter someone who likes to kick and they will give you a nice rib sandwich if you don't guard yourself. You can move your head, but you can't move your stomach."

Dolan was sweating. Beads of water cascading down his forehead, across his nose, and gliding down his cheeks, softly dripping off in a continuous stream of effort and determination.

"That's not how you wanna punch. I get you just do what you gotta do, but there is a proper way to do it. Extend your elbows more. Twist your hips." Edgar's hands were correcting all of Dolan's errors.

"Like this?" Dolan questioned.

"Exactly like that! Good! Now try switching stances.

"Stop laughing!" Dolan's face grew red as he looked down at his feet examining his stance.

Bent over grabbing his belly Edgar chirped back, "Sorry. Sorry. You just look like an idiot."

Just then Dolan threw a kick directly at Edgar's bent over face. In the blink of an eye Edgar responded, blocking the kick by shoving it back towards the ground. As he shoved Dolan's foot to the ground, he used the momentum of his shove to launch his elbow towards Dolan's face. Aware of this, Dolan twisted his neck to the side evading the elbow. "That was cocky kid."

Shrugging Dolan said, "What can I say. Gotta try to take my victories where I can get 'em."

"Spoken like a true loser."

"Loser my butt. This loser is about to be a winner after I take you down!" Dolan jumped out at Edgar, but Edgar stepped to the side and karate chopped his neck rendering him immobile.

"Try that move again in the next," Edgar looked at an imaginary watch on his wrist, "mmm million years."

"If you don't try, you'll always fail!"

Edgar sighed and put his head in his hands. "What a hopeless youth you are. Let's look at your yari skills. Show me whatcha got." Dolan stood up straight and pulled out his yari from his pocket. "I didn't realize you could fit that inside your pocket. What's its total range?"

Dolan smirked and popped the yari, causing the rope which had coiled together to fully extend. The rope altogether stretched out at about 15 feet. "Check this out." Dolan began to swirl the yari around his head in broad, but controlled motions. Edgar noticed Dolan constantly scooped his wrist.

"Why are you doing that?" He said pointing at his wrists.

"Oh. Doing that keeps the yari from jolting out in different directions. If I don't rotate my wrist constantly I'll lose control of the weapon and it will start flying wildly."

"Ahh. I understand. Why not show me it's more practical use?" Edgar threw his right fist hard into Dolan's side.

With a spew of blood Dolan retaliated. Stepping back he twist the yari outwards sending the blades flying towards Edgar. From his right hip, Edgar drew a sword and blocked the incoming yari, knocking it to the ground. The expression on Dolan's face satisfied Edgar. "So you haven't thought of what to do if someone blocks your attack? Haha!"

Dolan's cheeks filled with blood, and steam blew from his ears. "No! I have. I just am struggling a bit."

"Well how about struggling less and using your brain more?" Edgar said as he blocked the yari for a second time. "Well what else have you learned? Is this the extent of your training?"

Dolan groaned and rubbed his face. "Can we go on to the memory section of this test?"

With a smirk, Edgar replied. "Of course. But if we go off your current assessment I'll have to say you only have a c… I'm not sure that will be enough to pass."

"Just ask the damn questions."

"Who are the ancients?"

"Easy. Great beings from before time who created the earth and the powers that are within it."

"What is the most significant point in history?"

Dolan looked at Edgar with a quizzical face. "Ah. Hmm. I don't know. Let me think. My birth. What kind of question is that?"

"It's an important question for a devourer to ask himself. So what's your answer?"

"Hmm. I guess I'd have to say that the fall of the ancients."

"I'd agree. What is the strongest form of power on this planet?"

"Soul energy?"

"Are you asking me?"

"Argh! No. I'm just not sure. Maybe… Magic?"

"Eh. Close enough. What's our current goal?"

"To kill the Vulga and retake the spirit palace."

Edgar smiled. "I think you might have passed."

"Might! Whatever. I passed that test with flying colors."

"Mmm. Only yellow and red."

"What?"

"Haha. Come on. Let's head back and get something to eat. I'm starving."

"Edgar! Dude. Come on!"

Edgar turned and karate chopped Dolan on the head. "No sir. I am not a dude. I am a sir. A sir leader master to you."

"Whatever. I'm not calling you that."

"You will one day."

"In your dreams."

Dolan walked past a series of solid black bricks lined up in a strange fashion. "Don't worry about that just yet." Edgar said, resting a hand on Dolan's shoulder. "That's the magic portal we are going to use to travel to the spirit kingdom."

"Oh. I had no idea you were building one. I just figured you could snap your fingers and teleport there. But doesn't a magic circle require, uhh, magic? How are you going to activate it?"

"I'm going to use the energy of this spatial plane." Dolan looked at Edgar and saw his face was saddened.

"Woah!" Dolan stopped and turned to look at Edgar. "Are you serious? Hasn't this place been your home since you fled from the Vulga? Isn't this place your home?"

Edgar shrugged. "I guess. My home is the spirit realm. Not this little branch of the realm. Besides it's just endless grassy plains as far as the eye can see. There isn't anything special about it." Looking to Dolan, Edgar smiled. "Besides, I need a change of scenery."

Dolan frowned. "So when are you thinking we will leave?"

Edgar stopped and took a deep breath. "A week from now."

"Wait really? Are you serious? That's really soon!"

"Not really kid. It's already been three months there, and it's been 5 years here. The Vulga should be on his death bed by now."

"Wow. Honestly, this time has flown by. It's been a crazy five years hasn't it?"

"It's true that it's been five years, but the passage of time flows differently, remember? Specifically for our bodies and minds. It hasn't really seemed like five years right?"

"No. It seems closer to a year. At most."

"Exactly. I'm not sure why but this realm has each individual handle time differently. To me it's been 5 years, but to you it's only been one… It can get confusing. Anyways," Edgar put his hands up in victory. "We are going to slay the Vulga!"

Dolan smiled, putting his hands on his hips. "It's about time." Smiling, he looked out over the fields. But he couldn't help but let the memories of Emilia slip back into his mind. "I really hope she isn't against us." He said out into the fields.