Xander parried Thea’s downward swing. She quickly stepped back, far quicker than Xander would have believe possible from an older woman, and dropped into a sweeping kick. He leapt into the air and caught an updraft that launched him over her head. He landed gracefully behind her and spun in a swing that should have connected his wooden training sword with the side of her head.
Instead, his sword cut through empty space as Thea dropped into a crouch. She drove her own training sword forward and jabbed him in the gut with the blunted tip.
Xander exhaled loudly and doubled over. His sword tumbled from his limp hand and clattered onto the tiled floor seconds before he joined it.
“Are you okay?” Thea asked, though Xander doubted she really much cared.
He held up a finger and begged her to wait a moment as he regained his breath. When he could finally catch a breath through his deflated diaphragm, he pushed himself up onto his knees and blinked away the tears in his eyes.
“Are you okay?” she repeated.
“Yeah, great,” he groaned.
He stood against his body’s protests. His legs felt like jelly, not just from the sparring he’d been doing with Thea but also from the flight lessons with Giovanni, the wind sculpting with Alicia, and the defensive techniques with Patrick. His training was nonstop, leaving little time for rest. Most opportunities to sleep were stolen from him with thoughts of Sammy, Sean, and his family.
“What’s the point of learning to swing a sword?” he asked as he rubbed the spreading bruise on his stomach. “We’re Wind Warriors. Shouldn’t I be learning another skill involving wind?”
“This is a lesson that involves your power. The biggest difficulty when learning to swordfight is being able to keep a clear mind and think through your parries and counterattacks. What you’re learning with the others is important but it won’t keep you calm in a fight. If you can’t keep your thoughts straight when fighting for your life then it won’t matter how many wind skills you’ve mastered.”
Xander sighed but she shook her head unapologetically.
“Again,” she demanded.
He snuck away in between his lessons and slipped into the middle dome of the island. The dimly lit interior was cool compared to the sunbaked exterior. The marble outside reflected the bright sunlight, which left the exterior of the buildings hot but left the interiors comfortably cool.
Xander paused in the entryway and let his eyes adjust to the dim light. As the room came into focus, he could see his grandfather moving around a seated figure. The man in the middle of the room had a beard that reached past his knees as he sat. His hair was long and unkempt, though his grandfather affectionately brushed out some of the knots that had formed. Gray streaked the man’s hair and his skin was wrinkled and peppered with liver spots.
He hadn’t realized anyone in the clan was older than his grandfather until he met Robert. As far as Xander could tell, he never left the chair and probably hadn’t seen the sun in years. It was his power alone that kept the island afloat and the waterspout concealing their location.
The energy in the air was palpable. He could practically taste the electric charge as he moved toward the two elder men.
His grandfather looked up as he came close and the old man flashed a smile to his grandson.
“How is your training going?”
Xander shook his head and laughed to himself. The simple chuckle hurt his body. “It’s going well. Brutal, but good.”
His grandfather looked down as he pulled the brush through Robert’s hair once again. “You look worried.”
“I guess I am,” Xander said. He walked over to one of the crates nearby and sat down with a grimace. “I’m worried about my mom and dad. I just wish I knew they were okay.”
His grandfather nodded. “Bart’s been watching them closely. If they were in trouble, he’d let us know right away.”
Xander didn’t seem relieved.
“Would you like me to bring Bart back and let you know they’re still safe?”
“No,” Xander admitted. “I’m glad we have someone taking care of them. It’s just… well, a month ago I was a normal, unmotivated college student. I couldn’t even decide what to do with my life. Now I’m thrust into the middle of an ages-old war between elemental powers. It’s just a little daunting.”
“I wish I could say it’s going to get easier.”
He nodded. Looking over, he gestured toward the seated warrior. “Can he hear us?”
His grandfather looked down as he pulled the brush through Robert’s long hair. “Of course. He’s deep in concentration but he still knows what’s going on around him.”
“What if he stopped concentrating?”
His grandfather arched an eyebrow. “I guess the island would crash into the sea and everyone who couldn’t fly would be killed.”
Xander swallowed hard.
“It’s a good thing everyone on the island can fly, huh?” his grandfather joked.
Xander stood and walked back toward the door, squinting as he emerged into the light. He looked back over his shoulder into the cool depths of the room.
“I’m glad you’re here with me, Grandpa.”
“I’m glad I’m here with you too.”
Smiling, he turned back toward his next Wind Warrior trainer.