The Lost King of Geraptiku: Part Seven

     It was breakfast time and Donis was wolfing down more pancakes with Torinia sitting across the table, a stern look in her eyes.

     "Yes," she answered, "War."

     Donis took the last bite of pancake and Torinia whisked the plate to the sink where it began to wash itself.

     "But how am I going to fight in a war? I don't know anything!" Donis said, flailing his arms again.

     "I know, dear," Torinia answered, "That's why I'm here!"

     She smiled and grabbed the sword that lay on the table. She walked to the back door in the kitchen and motioned to Donis to follow her.

     "Come! You have much to learn and very little time to learn it," she said, running out the door.

     Donis sighed and reluctantly followed her out with Zar at his heels.

     ***

     When he reached the backyard, Torinia was standing at what looked like a bag of flour on a stick. She had a chain mail vest on her chest and was painting a mouth and eyes on the bag with a tube of red lipstick.

     "What are you doing?" Donis asked, raising his eyebrows.

     "Er... I was just... this is Vagio!" she cried, jumping up and down and pointing at the bag of flour. Donis stared at her and picked up his sword that now lay in the tall grass.

     "I see," Donis answered, "I'm supposed to attack that, then?"

     "Yup," Torinia nodded, "But first... "

     She waved her hand and Donis suddenly felt a heavy weight on his shoulders. When he looked down, he saw he was wearing the same chain mail vest that Torinia had been wearing earlier. Donis smiled and pulled at the mail with his small blue paw.

     "Ok! Attack!" Torinia ordered.

     Donis ran at the fake Vagio and gave a high pitched scream as he plunged the sword into the flour bag. As he was thrown back onto the grass from the force of the white powder, Torinia laughed.

     "No no no!" she said, cleaning up the mess with a wave off her paw.

     When the flour was cleared away, Donis coughed and sat up.

     "What did I do wrong?" he asked.

     "You can't attack Vagio at short range, he'd kill you!" Torinia yelled, throwing the sword back at him. "Don't you know how to you use that thing?"

     Donis tossed the sword back and forth between his paws and whispered, "I don't remember."

     Torinia sighed and came to Donis' side.

     "Here," she said, taking the sword from him. "I'll show you."

     She then placed the hilt in his paw and wrapped his right paw around the small blue stones.

     "The power comes from you," she said, poking his left palm.

     She then placed his left paw above his right paw and continued, "You must feel the power from the stones on the hilt and use them. Swing the sword," she said, pulling his arm up, then quickly down. As she did so, a shower of water zoomed out in the direction of the bag, but missed just by a few inches.

     "When you swing the sword, the power is exerted in the form of water. Now you try."

     Donis stared at the bag and narrowed his eyes, concentrating on its center. He swished the sword down threw the air and a stream of dark blue water zoomed toward the bag, hitting it straight threw the middle. Donis stared at what he had just done. There, in the middle of the bag was a giant hole about the size of a golf ball. The flour slowly poured out and then the whole thing tipped over and fell to the ground.

     "Wow!" Torinia said, clapping enthusiastically, "You're a natural!"

     "Of course he is," Zar answered, "He's a King."

     ***

     Two hours later, Donis had destroyed all 42 'Vagio' bags that Torinia created.

     "I think that's just about enough bags for now," Torinia said, grinning.

     "Good," Donis answered, walking towards the door.

     "Whoa!" Torinia yelled, running to block his way. "Where do you think you're going?"

     "To take a nap," Donis said. "I'm exhausted."

     "You can't take a nap in the middle of a war!" Torinia screamed.

     "But I'm not in a-" he began, but Torinia cut him off and gripped his shoulders in her white paws.

     "You don't get breaks in a war," she said, turning him around towards the backyard.

     Donis sighed and walked slowly towards the bag-on-a-stick. He lifted his sword to attack, but was interrupted by Torinia again.

     "What now?" he said, exasperatedly.

     "We're done with these bags," she said, ripping the bag off the stick and pulling the stick out of the ground. She threw both of them to the side and smiled.

     "Let's try something a bit different," she said, pulling a red mask out of her pocket.

     The mask looked exactly like Vagio's face, and Donis laughed at this sight. Suddenly, a giant ball of fire zoomed past his head.

     "What are you trying to do to me?!?" he screamed, crouching on the ground.

     "I told you we'd be trying something different now," Torinia said from the other end of the yard. "It's time for some hands-on combat. Don't worry, though. I promise I'll be careful."

     "You'd better be," Donis whispered.

     "What did you say?"

     "I said I'm ready!" Donis grinned, pulling the sword into the air.

     "Are you sure?" Zar asked, slithering to his side.

     "Don't worry," Donis answered. "I have a plan."

     Suddenly another fireball zoomed at Donis, and he narrowed his eyes. When the ball was a couple of feet away, Donis swung his sword at it. In a bright burst of blue flames, the fireball disappeared and the stream of water continued on towards Torinia, who ducked, and the water zoomed harmlessly past her face.

     "Good job!" she said, raising her paws. "How about this!"

     She swung her arms down to her sides and two fireballs zoomed towards Donis, whose eyes were as wide as dinner plates.

     "Uh oh," he whispered.

     "Think of the number two," Zar suggested.

     "How will that help me?" Donis asked, taking his stance as the balls flew ever closer.

     "Just do it!" Zar yelled.

     Donis gulped and concentrated on the number two while also concentrating on the location of the two fireballs. He swung the sword through the air again, but this time two jets of water sprang forth. He grinned as the streams vanquished the fireballs and zoomed towards Torinia who crouched on the ground, the streams whooshing over her head.

     "Good job!" Torinia answered, "but remember this: Zar won't always be there to help you!"

     She sent three fireballs towards him, which Donis again destroyed.

     ***

     After a few more minutes of doing this, the number of balls increasing each time, Torinia clapped and then threw the mask onto the ground.

     "I guess you're as ready as you'll ever be," she said, staring at the darkening sky.

     Donis nodded and said, "I think I should get some rest." He walked back to the back door and turned around, staring at Torinia who stood in the middle of the yard and was staring at the stars.

     "Hey Mrs. Torinia?" he said, as she turned to look at him. "Thanks."

     ***

     As Donis crawled into bed that night, Torinia entered his room and saw another vile of blue swirly liquid balanced on top of his bedside table.

     "What's this?" he asked, picking it up.

     "Something for your sore muscles," she said, winking.

     Donis laughed and opened the bottle, pouring the light green liquid down his throat. He briefly felt a surge of energy run through his veins, and then it was gone.

     "Well," he said, "Good night, Zar."

     ***

     In the morning, Donis ran down to the kitchen to find that another plate full of Torinia's Slorg syrup covered pancakes.

     "Good morning!" he said to Torinia who was already eating her pancakes.

      Donis stopped when he saw the outfit that Torinia was wearing. Instead of her normal bland dresses and purple-feathered cloak, she wore a full set of golden battle armor. On her chest was a giant purple feather that matched the color of her cloak that was draped around her shoulders.

     "Uh," Donis said, sitting down at the table, "when exactly is this war starting?"

     "Well," Torinia answered, "as soon as you finish your breakfast, we are heading off towards the battlefield."

     Donis gulped and nodded.

     As he began to dig in to his pancakes, Zar slithered up beside him and said, "Worrying will only distract you."

     Donis nodded and said, "I know. I'm trying not to, but... "

     "But losing this war will be more likely if you worry. Just try to eat, ok?"

     Donis nodded again and dug into the pancakes.

     ***

     After Donis had finished eating, Torinia lead him to a small room off of the stuffy living room.

     "Another armory?" he asked, turning around and around to stare at the shelves that sat along the walls.

     Torinia didn't answer, and instead pulled a small silver suit of armor off the wall. On the chest of his armor was a large golden 'D' that shimmered in the sunlight that streamed threw the only window in the room. His sword was also in this room along with some other random pieces of armor that seemed to be from all around the world. Torinia handed Donis his armor and his sword and grabbed a small matching shield down and handed it to him also. As she turned to leave, Donis noticed she hadn't taken anything for herself.

     "What about you?" he asked. "What are you going to use?"

     "Magic, of course," she answered. "Now please hurry up and get dressed."

     Donis, with Zar's help, quickly pulled on his armor and grabbed the shield, sword and Zar from the floor, then opened the door. There sat Torinia, holding the crystal ball in her paws while clouds of white swirled around inside the ball. She placed it back down and stared at the swirls go round and round until they disappeared. Donis cleared his throat.

     "Ready?" Torinia asked, standing up a little too quickly from her chair.

     Donis nodded and answered, "Ready as I'll ever be."

To be continued...