Johan closed his eyes and breathed in deeply. He stood with his feet shoulder-width apart and held the sword out in front of him. He moved his body and focused all his strength into each movement. Calitio stood in front of him.
"There is something strange about you." Calitio said plainly.
"What is it?" Johan asked.
"Your cuts and bruises... Why aren't you healing them?" Calitio asked.
"I- I don't know how." Johan admitted.
"Strange... You can heal others and even regenerate their lost limbs, but you can't even heal a small cut on your own arm... That doesn't make any sense." he said.
"I'm sorry." Johan said, looking down at his feet.
"No no! It's not your fault," Calitio knelt in front of him, "Where's Gavin?"
"He is on his way." Johan said.
"Good. Let's practice some more before he gets here, alright?" Calitio said.
"Yeah." Johan agreed.
Johan opened his eyes and saw Calitio had moved away. He looked down and saw Gavin approaching them.
"Hey buddy!" Gavin said, hugging Johan.
"Hey Gavin." Johan said with a smile and returned the hug.
"Sorry I'm late. Dad's been held up in the forge again." Gavin said.
"It's okay. You missed nothing." Calitio said.
Gavin was a year older than Johan, but they both shared many things in common. Gavin had brown hair and hazel eyes. He was slightly taller than Johan.
"Gavin, I want you to teach Johan how to self-heal." Calitio said.
"But he knows how, I've seen him do it. Remember when he used raw Energy? His wounds healed." Gavin said.
"No, that's different. He can use healing Energy on others, but he can't use it on himself. Raw Energy is unstable and proven to be fatal to humans and other creatures. I want him to be able to heal himself without risking a disease." Calitio explained.
"I understand... but the problem is I don't really know how it works." Gavin said.
"Try. Try to explain." Calitio said.
"Um... It's like, Johan's body is the forge. His injuries are the metal, and his energy is the flames. The fire is the Energy and like you have to spread the fire throughout your body and um.... it just works." Gavin tried his best to explain.
"That kind of makes sense." Calitio said.
"Can you demonstrate?" Johan asked.
"Sure." Gavin said.
Johan watched as Gavin stood in front of him and cut a small wound in his arm. After a few seconds the wound closed, and the bleeding stopped.
"I didn't see anything." Johan said.
"Healing Energy is not visible to the eye." Calitio explained.
"Oh." Johan said.
"Do you want to show Gavin what you have been working on?" Calitio asked with a smile.
"Yea!" Johan said happily.
"Go on." Calitio said.
"Right here?" Johan asked.
"Yeah." Calitio said.
Johan brought both hands to his chest as if praying. He lowered both ring fingers and pointing fingers and closed his eyes.
"Prison Dome." he said.
Instantly, a barrier of pure gravity Energy trapped them. Gavin was in awe as he saw it manifest. He looked at Johan's body and saw it had fully healed.
"Try to use Energy, Gavin." Calitio said.
Gavin held out his arm and a small fireball formed but was quickly snuffed out. He tried to make more, but the Energy was getting ripped out the second he would try.
"What is happening?" Gavin asked with a little fear.
"Do not worry, the Energy that is being outputted is being absorbed by Johan's barrier and himself." Calitio explained.
"Isn't this awesome!" Johan cheered.
"Let's fight!" Johan said.
Gavin looked at Calitio, he nodded.
"Okay." Gavin agreed.
Johan grabbed his wooden sword and charged at Gavin. Gavin immediately realized that Johan had become faster and by the strikes he knew he was stronger. The dome was not only impairing Gavin and restricting him, but also boosting Johan. Gavin struggled to keep up. What would have been an equal fight, was now completely one sided.
Johan had both hands on the hilt of his sword as he swung at Gavin. He was relentless as he attacked with all his might. Gavin felt himself losing focus, he knew that if he was hit in the face with the sword, he would be out. He had to concentrate and think fast.
Gavin was able to duck under a strike and turn on his heels, swinging upwards. He connected and heard a sickening *CRACK* as he hit Johan's head, but Johan remained unscathed. Johan had a massive grin across his face. He knew inside this dome he was untouchable.
After a few minutes Calitio told them to stop fighting. They both ceased and Gavin sat on the dirt to catch his breath.
"How- how long does this last for?" Gavin asked.
"The longest he was able to hold it before was six minutes. It has been seven now." Calitio said with pride.
Johan's smile grew brightly.
"Can you teach me this technique?" Gavin asked.
The doors slammed hard as Johan paced through the halls. The messenger had a hard time following him. He finally stopped moving and called out Rodar, who was sitting outside. Rodar looked over and Johan walked over to him.
"What's the matter, my king?" Rodar asked.
"Wetherden... it's gone." Johan said with anger and sorrow.
"I- uh." Rodar had no words.
"They took some women and children. But killed the rest and destroyed the city. I was just there! I could've helped them! Saved them! If only I stayed with my legion!" Johan cried with his face in his palm.
"Leave us." Rodar said, looking at the messenger.
"It's not your fault, Johan. Who did it?" Rodar asked.
"Sage Opius, son of Ozul Opius, Lord of Ivorius. Ozul commanded them, but Sage led them. My scouts say that Ozul was nowhere to be seen. Sage crushed many buildings with his own hands and Energy. Apparently, there was a guy there who was skilled with Energy that they have never heard of. That man killed Blick's family... And Blick is nowhere to be found." Johan debriefed.
"Hm." Rodar processed what he had been told.
"They are still there... Sage and his army. It has been a few days, but they are scavenging the ruins. Blick could be there, or at least his body. Captain Harold Briri as well... and all the men I brought." Johan quietly said.
"We could go there. But if Sage is even half as strong as we think-" Rodar was cut off.
"I'll handle Sage." Johan said coldly.
"Then it could work. The average man can only imbue a sword for about a minute or two. The best I can do is heal myself and others, but my well goes dry quickly. That goes for our men and theirs. How many were there?" Rodar asked.
"The numbers were different each time. Around ten thousand maybe, give or take." Johan said.
"What will happen to the women and children taken? Do we know?" Rodar asked.
"It's a cruel fate... I hope they will be treated well, but they could be sold off or used for other things." Johan said.
"We can take fifteen thousand and still have plenty in reserve." Rodar said.
"Good. Good. We leave in two days. Get them ready. We will take back Wetherden, even if it's just rocks and corpses." Johan said.