Strena The Youngest Dark Lady Arc Part Five

 Graduation

Strena spent the next three months reading all the books that she could get her hands on. She mainly skim read each one first and wrote down as much as she could remember which was a surprising amount even to her. She studied hard and diligently. She hardly took a break, no her mind was far too focused on that. She hardly went to the loo or time washing herself. She made sure she wrote down everything that she could to a point her fingers and hand hurt. Paying attention to every word. She did not want to miss anything out. She then would go on to read each book deeper.

"Lady Grasharlo, at what age was the youngest Dark Lady when she graduated?" Strena asked, slowly and cooly.

"Sixteen and that was me."

"And could you tell me anything about yourself?"

"Sure. W hy are you so interested?"

Zaryb chuckled bitterly.

"Girl's curious, that's all. Just humour her."

She smiled.

"Oh? I suppose I could. By the way I suppose that she's asked you about yourself?"

"Once or twice."

Her lips curled up higher.

"And what did you tell her?"

"Just the basics. So not much."

"Alright then, I will!" She sang as she curled her finger and motioned it towards her. 

She got up and followed her to her bedroom. Her eyes lit up after seeing a black leather book. Which she gave to her.

"Here. Read this. It'll quench your thirst for knowledge. Also do well to learn all that you can. You should not let silly little things like a conscience get in the way to quench your curiosity."

"Alright."

 She soon returned to her reading. She soon learnt to read fast and gather as much as she could and soon she wrote down an abridged version of what she had read.barely within the day she gave them back to her.

"Tell me, have you taught me all that you know?"

"Yes. Yes I have. I must admit that you have proven to be a good and diligent student and you have progressed faster than even all my students combined! Even Chash' yet he was a loner too. Although he was more of an observational learner."

"So can we spar some time soon?"

"Sure. When?"

"Seventh of Octmoon?" 

(The seventh of August in our world.)

"Why?"

"It is my birthday. I think it will be a good present."

"And how old will you be?"

"Thirteen."

"Anything else?"

She thought about it and then looked at Zaryb. She knew immediately what she wanted as she walked up to him.

"When it is my birthday,  I want you to call me by my real name. I mean every birthday, not just this one."

He looked at her. His eyes were filled with shame. They became watery. Yet he looked left and then right. He thought about it and smiled.

"Alright. But do you remember it?"

"Of course I do. That's the one thing I kept remembering!"

"Good. Then you won't mind a little game. I want to test you." He took out three pieces of paper and wrote three names down.

Relin Chro

Shardi Sharé

Arielsa Zuvé 

She immediately pointed at Arielsa Zuvé. He smiled and clapped.

"Good girl! Then yes. I will." 

She smiled.

"Thank you."

She spent the rest of the month both studying and training with her magic every morning. She would also train with Darkector in the afternoon. Then she trained with Zaryb in the evenings as hard as she could. She even found that she started to enjoy the sessions. She even started to look forward to the times when she would not have to spend her time training. Uet she knew by that point she would earn that. By the time Octmoon the seventh came, she knew that she was ready.

 The moment that she woke up, after an early night and staying awake since three o'clock from excitement, she had finally entered into a light sleep and dreamed of a hot land with many pools. She saw that she was as tall as in her previous dreams. 

She sat down in front of a man with black hair, sunburnt skin and crimson eyes. A man that she could have sworn that she had seen before but she could not quite remember where. 

Next to hom was a strange man in funny clothes. She did not look at him but she knew that he was there.

"Don't worry." He purred, pulling out a shell. "They'll be fine! Here, have a drink. It will help cool us down."

The man rolled his eyes as they drank. Her eyes opened.

That was that all about?

"Good morning."

"Good morning. Tell me, what time do you want to start the fight?" Grasharlo asked.

"This morning." She mumbled, as her mind became as sharp as a blade.

"Now remember, magic only." She said.

"I know!" She moaned as she yawned.

She walked out of bed and put her clothes on. She then walked into the kitchen and they both started cooking. That was when she noticed that Grasharlo looked back and she quickly poured a potion into the soop. It was a potion of her own design that would excite the magic within anyone that ate it. Then they took their time to set the table and started to eat when Zaryb came down. Strena gave him his portion as she could feel her heartbeat in her ears. She felt both giddy and sick. She let out a deep breath as she knew that she had to appear as calm as she could.

"Good morning Master Zaryb."

"Good morning St- Arielsa." 

She smiled.

It was strange , being called by her real name again. She could feel a strange happiness rise within her as he remembered and kept his word. She was glad beyond what she could put into words. She would have, at least, one day where she would have her true identity back. This, for now, was enough for her.

Yet she knew that she could not let this excite her too much. She has to act as calm as she could. She could feel her giddiness build within her. Yet she did all that she could to look as calm as she could. She noticed that Grasharlo showed no sign of giddiness either. So they soon finished their meal.

"Are you ready? Lady Grasharlo?" She asked.

"Yes. In fact, I am quite excited about this."

"Then let's go. Master Zaryb, finish your food in your own time. Maybe if you're fast enough you'll be able to watch."

He smiled.

"Then I better get a move on and good luck girl. Remember all that you have been taught. You will need it, Arielsa."

She felt her happiness rise slightly.

"I will."

 They walked to the corridor to the waterfall. They passed it and walked to a metal staircase and then climbed up them. This led to a large field with a large river to the left and there was nothing else but lime green grass.

They looked at each other. Strena ran to her. She fired a ball of water at her. She closed her eyes and then fired a ball of fire at her. Yet Grasharlo flicked her wrist away. This tld her that physical attacks were allowed. So she thrust her fist into her gut. Yet she stood there unaffected by it. Grasharlo caught her wrist. She then pulled her up and she was blasted by a wave of light. Suddenly pain entered her every pore in her head. She would have cried out in pain but she had become tougher than that.

 She then blasted her with fire. Then she thrust her fist into her throat. Only for Grasharlo flicked the side of her hand to her throat. She ducked and dived down and thrust two fingers into her hips. Grasharlo flicked her elbows down. Strena jumped back and threw fireball after fireball at her. She threw her arms in front of her face. 

She then went to punch her yet she felt something around her throat. She looked down to see that there was a snake around her throat. She looked down further to see that the snake was growing from a blade of grass!

I didn't know that that was possible!

She then felt the snake coil tighten and tighten. Her hands dropped slightly. She then looked up and fired a ball of black smoke at her. She then fired a ball of green smoke that stunk of urine and dung at her.

"Urgh!"

The snake let go. She then fired fire at the snake's head. She could feel the giddiness rising up in her. She then, just to calm herself down, gathered her magic to form a ball of rock and lava and threw it at her. She saw it and used her magic to pull it in half. She threw both halves at her. She ran on and then let a blast of smelly smoke at her. She then threw another. Then she threw a ball of fire at the girl. She hit and blood fell. She then saw a blast of lightning and spun in the air, filled with pain. She then was about to land but was then hit by another strike. Then she was back high in the air. She felt another and another and another, not even having a moment touching the ground. Then she landed with smoke rising from her body.

She was about to get up when she felt fangs strike her body, sinking her teeth into her flesh. Then she felt more and more strikes, again and again. She could feel panic rise up within her as she felt their coils around her body.

Need to-

She used the panic and giddiness to release a large pulse around her, turning everything around her to dust. She quickly got to her feet and she soon met the sight of Grasharlo's palm. She was blasted away before she could react. Then she rushed to her and was hit by the side. She was flung to the right. She saw another and willed the water to her. She then willed the water to boil and Grasharlo cried out in pain. She then splashed her with the boiling water, again and again. Then she felt the giddiness rising up more and more. She had to release another pulse. Grasharlo was blasted away. Then as she fell, she ran and released another pulse. she spun as she fell.

She could feel sweat all over her. She started panting as her body started to shake. Suddenly she felt sick. She could not allow herself to give in. She then ran to her and then noticed that Grasharlo was twitching and vomit was pouring out of her mouth. She coughed and coughed and blood poured from her mouth. She looked up at the girl with both outrage and yet pride too. She spat everything out.

"Congratulations Dark Lady Strena Azlok, no, Dark Lady Arielsa Zuvé!"

She collapsed.