Idem grimaced as a darkness covered his vision for a time and a weakness enveloped him but he stood perfectly still, his head raised in defiance. The men stood shaking but none of them cried out. They would be killed if they did. Weakness was not tolerated among the Tije.
The darkness left Idem's sight and he saw, seated on a skillfully carved ivory throne, the emperor. He wore black silk trousers, his massively muscled body unclad, covered with tattoos. His beard was braided and bits of cowries were intertwined in them. He had fierce, almost glowing red eyes and his face was calm and unmarked. He was sorrounded by cursed guards. It was rare for a commoner to be born cursed but the emperor went to great lengths to gather them and transformed them into his guards though he could not extend their lives as he could with his cursed sons.
Idem felt a wave of nausea smash into him and he felt his consciousness stretch, accommodating another, causing him to wince as he tightened his fist. Elek's face turned hard and expressionless. He felt it too. They heard a voice, the emperor's voice speak into them. It was soft, quiet, almost feminine but laced with an undertone of violence and danger that constantly sent shivers down Idem's spine. He yearned for the day when he would be able to handle it as well as Elek did.
"Where are Tuli and Mmuo?" He asked. Idem heard it within himself, deep within and Elek did too for he shook his head, communicating that he did not know. Idem did the same, gritting his teeth. He never seemed to think right whenever his father was within his head, he felt stretched, torn into two perspectives and it hurt him in ways that he could not understand. Suddenly, he felt a wave of anger lash through him, causing him to gasp. It stretched him, rising like something solid. He knew it was not his emotion but that of his father, transferred into he and Elek. He hated the fact that his father's displeasure was often transferred to them. The emperor nodded, his face calm, handsome. He ordered them, without words, to duel before him.
Suddenly, the ground caved in and smoothed out, forming a pit in which the princes would duel. Elek jumped in, his face almost bored as if he was sure of the outcome. Idem felt irritation and annoyance tear through him, these were his own emotions now and he leaped into the pit, landing lightly on his feet and taking the fighting stance of Aranta with his head tucked in, his legs spread apart and his knees bent to keep him low.
He stretched his hand and felt his curse roar through him, coming alive, coursing through his leanly muscled frame and he reached deep into the earth with his mind, feeling all the seeds within and he infused life into them, causing them to sprout long lines that shot out of the earth, stretching far above him, thickening like unnaturally thick, extremely flexible ropes. He broke off a part, weaving it quickly into complex armor which he wore on his body, increasing the density until it was almost impenetrable.
Elek shrugged and came at him, drawing sand from the ground, locking them until they formed large rocks and he threw them at Idem. Idem blocked with a vine shield and at the last moment, the rocks broke off into a million tiny arrowheads. Idem jumped on a vine and threw himself up and out of range. He landed on a thick vine and shot it forward, carrying himself to Elek. He reached behind the man and caught on to a seed, sprouting a vine which he immediately swung at Elek. Elek formed a sand wall behind him,deflecting the vine then he threw himself to the side as an extremely dense vine stabbed at him. He slithered into the ground and Idem froze.
He could not tie him with an underground vine because of the sheer speed and force with which the man moved whenever he was beneath the ground. Idem leaped off the vine he was standing upon and onto another, shooting himself off to the side. Almost at the same time, a thousand sand Spears tore through where he was before from beneath the ground.
Elek smiled and launched the Spears at him. He leaped to the side, blocking himself with a vine shield which he transformed into a wide web- like structure and shot at Elek. Elek immediately covered himself in a sand cocoon, letting the web wrap him. Then he burst the cocoon and the web along with it, spraying a cloud of sand, blocking Idem's vision. Then from the thick cloud, hundreds of sand Spears launched in a frightening stream. Idem blocked again with a vine shield but he was tiring fast.
Vining was the most physically demanding of all the curses and it had started to take it's toll. He blocked all of the Spears but when he looked up, Elek was smiling. Then he felt it, a small, daggerlike structure of sand was pointing at his chest. He sighed in frustration and fatigue, letting himself fall to the ground. Elek nodded at him, clasping his hands behind his back then bowed deeply to the emperor before slipping underground. Idem felt his mind stretch again, eliciting a groan from him. This time, it was disappointment that was conveyed. Then the voice, ever soft, ever calm, ever dangerous, spoke to him.
"You have lost your duel and your brothers have missed theirs. You will suffer the same punishment. Meet me on the singing rock after sunset, bring your brothers with you."
Idem nodded and a darkness hovered around his sight for a moment. When it left, his father and his guards were gone, leaving only the Tije. Idem stood up, fighting the dizziness that welled up in him. He understood why they trained and duelled constantly and mercilessly. It was the only way to keep them alert, sharp, strong. It was a preparation against the armies of the whip masquerades and the formless priests.
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