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opponent. The inferno struck only bare ground as Thais rolled away, counterattacking with a fist of air.
***
Valkar are beings who have to ability to transform soul energy into an element of earth, depending on the person. For example, Claire her original element was lightning. Before she extended her studies to other elements, she could only transform her soul energy into lightning. The same applies to the other valkar and three elements of earth: water, earth, and air. Soul energy, as its name applies, comes from the soul of every living thing. From the mighty dragons to the smallest living molecule barely visible by the visible eye, every living thing has a soul. Testament to this fact came from valkar from ancient times, who lived in some of the horrid of places with very few plants and animals around them. They drew upon the soul energy of those plants and microorganisms to survive and live until they found food and water. Soul energy, in a sense, never truly runs out or ends except in death. A valkar can draw upon another's soul energy at will, if and only if, that person is a normal being; not a valkar, dragon, or inspir. If such a being is one of the three, then that being must give the wielder permission to use their soul energy. When a valkar or one of the three uses another soul energy, the host rarely feels any lack of energy or draining. But if the wielder is using another's soul energy for a spell or magic that requires mass amount of energy then the host will feel the draining.
The transformation of soul energy to an element or whatever a valkar, dragon, or inspir uses it for remains a mystery.
***
Claire cried out in shock as the fist struck her in the abdomen, knocking out her breath and doubling her over. Thais flew in, cracking lightning in his right palm. Claire, still grasping for breath, tried to create a shield between herself and her attacker but Thais ripped through it like a sword through cloth; and brought his hand down.
Claire blinked and coughed.
Thais breathed, his hand posed over Claire's heart.
Had this been a real duel, Claire would've been dead.
Claire was stunned. Of all the 'duels' they fought, she had either won or it had been a draw. Never had Thais been able to overcome her. A factor of her constant victories or draws is due to her seniority. She was a year older than Thais; and that, in valkar aging, meant a lot.
***
Claire was a year older than Thais, or so she appeared to be in human age. In valkar years she was close to half a century while Thais was only half of that. With her seniority came faster reflexes, senses, and feats that make valkar seem so god-like. One such feat was Blessed Life, or prolonging life, and/or Heaven Beauty, the ability to keep one’s facial features and body at a certain age and keep it there or grow younger and older at will. Both Thais and Claire had these feats, their soul forever using the feats after weeks of meditation, prolonging their life with each passing year all the while keeping their bodies appearing around human age.
Aside from greater feats, seniority gave older valkar access to greater power because their soul had lived for the longest time, thus it produced more energy giving a valkar the ability to do things longer than it take a valkar below them.
***
Thais dropped his poised hand and gave it for Claire to grab. “A good duel, Claire,” he said, patting her shoulder, causing the grass and dust on it to jump in the air.
“Aye,” she agreed, as he began to dust her off, “with an ending I didn’t expect.”
“Me defeating you?”
“Aye.”
He smiled. “One day or another, dear Claire,” he said. “It would’ve happened.”
She smiled in turn, her eyes flashing jokingly. “Of course in your dreams!”
“Hey!”
She laughed as he tried to fake punch her but missed as she ran away from him.
“Come back her you little—“
“Little?” She pursed her lips. “I do remember being the one who is taller and, um, a day older.” She stressed the mentioning of their difference in age and laughed as Thais ran after her around the clearing.
He caught her by chance (he tripped over a root and grabbed Claire by the waist as he fell) and flipped her over so she was facing him.
Dirt was on her face. Gently as a lover would do to another, he wiped it off. Claire breathed contently as she felt her love’s hands, body, and warmth against hers through their robes. A cool breeze breathed through the glade, Claire’s and Thais dark hair dancing with air. Dark eyes met dark eyes, each peering into each other’s depths into the soul beyond.
The space between man and woman closed…
…and their hearts became one as they kissed.
To be continued…in Balto: Valkar Part II
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