[Solo] The Nosdyn Chronology Chapter 9.

[Nosdyn]

Father...you would have been proud. Nosdyn often thought of the wise old aristocrat demon who had been his father. He thought of how far he'd come in N'Jal's fold. It had started with a simple resolution, a simple promise. Nosdyn thought back to his own youth, his own martial training at the careful guidance of his father's lessons. Nosdyn was teaching them the same way he'd been taught...to honour the legacy of his people...no...to honour his father. He watched the two students spar against one another in the martial tactics of his father. It was an exotic sort of fighting style, far more brutal than the Akashiman martial tactics ever were. Nosdyn observed, he instructed, he helped them adjust form and technique.

More and more he was seeing it...Llukai had something to prove. He will be great someday Lancaster. Me and you together...we did this together. We made something of the boy. When classes were over for the day Nosdyn stood there deep in thought as he often did, thinking about the day's instructions. Llukai walked up to him with his companion. Nosdyn nodded at both. "You're both doing very well."

Llukai didn't even think to ask or question what Nosdyn thought of the fact he'd joined N'Jal's fold. But he wanted to know if his teacher approved. "Instructor...I needed to ask you something." Llukai said.

Nosdyn looked at the boy calmly. "We're equals, boy. If you ever have something you need to share you talk to me."

Llukai nodded. "I joined with N'Jal...you never said anything. I just wanted to know if you approved or not."

Nosdyn ran his hand through the boy's hair as he used to do often in the past. "Me and you walk different paths, boy. Worry not, your woman will take care of you." He looked towards Aelldra and nodded to her. "You two make a beautiful pairing." Nosdyn said calmly and decided to leave the training center for the night after helping them clean things up.

Aelldra walked over to Llukai. "He admires you, Llukai. He sees you as I do."

Llukai nodded...that ferocity and determination was there in his eyes, Llukai knew someday he would have to prove himself to Nosdyn.

***

Tharak son of Nosdyn sat in deep thought that night. He looked at Lilly at about the second hour and kept looking at her with a soft smile on his face. "Father once told me it is our people's destiny to die on the battlefield." Tharak said to her.

She nodded in response. "Yours is a tribe that fights...maybe against life itself." She said with a smile of her own.

"Perhaps. Father was always more gifted in the martial tactics than I ever was. However I was blessed in other schools, other powers." Tharak said to her. "I have been teaching you know for a long time. You have been teaching me as well. I have made it my own life's work to record the teachings of my father for N'Jal and the other children. So come what may, my people's history would be recorded."

Lilly nodded. "Your father has been doing a brave thing. Teaching us the martial tactics of his own father." She said, accepting the ways of Tharak and his people. "He doesn't want his own father's memory to be lost." Lilly said to Tharak.

Tharak considered what he was hearing. "He's afraid of dying." Tharak had a somewhat serious expression on his face, and he placed his hand gently on her leg. "I think all of us are scared of facing our maker someday."

"He is trying to preserve a great deal of knowledge." Lilly said to him. "We're doing a great work together me and you. It's been an honour watching how far you've come in our fold."

Tharak nodded. "Lilly...thank you too." He said calmly to her, he was glad N'Jal saw fit to pair them together. It was only then he was beginning to understand how the master worked on some level.