Luka – “I do not need to see, for I see all.”
Death is the meaning of life
Many have asked me how I lost my sight. How did the Blind Blade lose the power to see? Well, to understand that story, we must first look back at who I was before that fateful day. We must look back to the time when I was just a boy.
“Luka! Hurry up. Malion is calling for us to begin our training!”
He heard his friend running down the stone hallway. Many others were also running to the courtyard for their early morning training with Malion. He looked up at the clock and believed there was still time. He adjusted his robe and looked in the mirror. How handsome he was he thought. His eyes were as blue as the ocean, and his brown hair was luxuriant.
The clock chimed. Immediately, Luka grabbed his wooden stick and sped toward the courtyard.
Malion had his hands behind his back and kicked the dust beneath his feet. “Luka, you are late a third time this month. You are the last to arrive, and I can see why,” said Malion with an annoyed fatherly tone.
He was about to answer Malion but then found his lips sealed shut, unable to speak.
“Enough, I don’t need excuses. I need only discipline and hard work. I know why you were late. You are a vain boy, Luka. Perhaps I should remove the mirror in your room?” said Malion.
Some of the other boys in the courtyard laughed, but Malion’s glare quickly made them stop. Malion then clicked his fingers.
His lips were no longer sealed, and he burst out an apology. “I’m sorry, Malion!” He quickly bowed, his head so low that it almost touched the ground.
Malion walked toward him and placed his hand on his shoulder. “Rise, Luka. You may be vain, but you are a skilled warrior with much potential. You have everything you need. Only your vanity holds you back.”
He raised his head to look at his teacher. Again, trying to speak, his lips became sealed.
“No talk. Your punishment is to run around the mountains of this monastery three times. If you do not return before the class finishes, then you will do another five laps,” said Malion.
The dust burst up from the ground as he shot out from the courtyard and through the gates of the monastery. The wind blew against his face as he ran as fast as he could, hoping he didn’t have to do another five.
****
It was his third year of training. His arms had grown stronger, and his face had matured. He was still considered a boy among many, but he had already proved he could fight the best the monastery could offer. The mirror in his room glinted as the light from the sun came through his window. He was as handsome as ever, and his deep blue eyes showed a longing for himself.
The clock chimed. It was time. Luka picked up his wooden staff and walked to the great hall where Malion awaited. He pushed through the door. A red carpet had been rolled out from the door to where Malion stood. He was alone.
“Are you ready?” asked Malion.
He gripped his wooden staff and slammed the end on the floor three times. “I am.”
The doors behind him blew shut. His hands shivered as the room temperature dropped. A fog then entered the hall, and his heart pounded. He slammed the floor three more times. “I come.”
The fog thickened as he burst toward Malion, but when he reached him, he was gone. He turned around and ducked as a fist punched the air above of him. Again, another fist from the fog. He brought up his wooden staff and deflected each attack. Malion was fast, but he was old.
“You have grown much, Luka, but you still lack something which will make you great.” Malion’s voice came from the mist in a cold whisper.
He spun around and used his staff to defend himself against a powerful kick from his teacher. The speed and power of each kick increased, and he was now moving in a blur as he matched the pace of the attacks.
“Luka, you have risen among the monks of this monastery in such a short time, but yet you still have trouble in beating me,” said Malion. His voice echoed throughout the hall.
Malion was trying to get under his skin. He knew Malion well. This time, he would defeat him. He cracked his wooden staff in two and held each end with ferocity. In a whirl of fury, he spun like a hurricane, the energy clearing the mist in the room. When the fog was gone, he stopped turning. He could no longer see nor sense Malion’s presence.
“So, you prefer holding two weapons? Interesting, indeed,” said Malion.
He looked around. “Where are you?”
Malion’s laughter caused him to shiver. “You have eyes. Surely you can see? Perhaps, you are blind to what is in front of you?”
A powerful gush of water slammed into his chest, and he slid across the floor. His back landed against the door. The pain was only temporary, and he forced it out of his mind. He returned to his feet and saw Malion standing in the center of the hall. He jumped to his feet and burst toward him while creating a growing ball of lightning. With everything he had, he directed the ball into Malion, but as the ball made contact, Malion’s figure just burst into smoke. A duplicate.
“Not close enough, Luka,” said Malion who now appeared at the end of the hall. Malion then disappeared into the adjoining room.
Malion was more challenging than he anticipated, but he knew he could beat him. Luka ran after him and entered the next room where to his surprise was a room filled with mirrors. Dozens of mirrors were laid out in a circle, and Malion was standing at the center.
“Do you like what you see?” said Malion. He pointed to the mirrors around him.
Luka didn’t understand why there were so many mirrors. Regardless, he moved ahead and brought his wooden sticks to strike.
He blinked in front of Malion and attacked, but Malion moved to the side with ease. Again, he hit, but every time Malion evaded him. With each assault, he could not help but see the reflection of himself from the mirrors. His muscles moved elegantly, and sweat glistened off his perfect chest. He gazed at his reflection longer than he realized. Then it happened. Malion caught him unaware and swept him off his feet. Before he knew it, Malion was standing over him with both of the wooden sticks in his hand.
“Vanity is your weakness. It is a shame you still have not learned this,” said Malion. He offered his hand to help him up.
Begrudgingly, he took Malion’s hand and lifted himself off the floor. Again, he looked at himself in the many mirrors. Then he lowered his eyes to the floor.
Malion placed a hand on his shoulder. “We all have weaknesses, but you can overcome them. Come, I have something to give you before you leave.”
He looked at Malion with raised eyebrows. “How did you know I was leaving?”
Malion’s face was one of calm. “It is easy to a see a soul who wishes to adventure and explore. You have been trapped here for a few years, and I know you want to escape.”
Luka dropped to his knees and bowed. “I do not mean to offend. My heart only longs for the outside world, a world I have yet to see with my own two eyes.”
Again, Malion placed his hand on his shoulder. “You are like my son. There is no need for an apology. Rise, I have a gift to give you for your journey, or gifts I should say.” He walked back into the main hall.
Luka rose from his feet and looked around at the mirrors. Malion was right. Vanity was his weakness. He followed Malion back and found the room filled with a golden aura. A table covered in white cloth was at the center, and Malion indicated for him to join him. Luka approached and could not believe the gifts that were on the table.
Malion picked up the adorned silver twin katanas and wielded them in the air. They glinted under the golden aura. Malion then gave them to him. “Only the finest warriors of this monastery are offered a gift such as this. You have proven to be the strongest we have ever trained.”
Luka’s heart beat increased as he held the twin katanas in his hands. They were as light as a feather, but he could sense the power from each weapon. Tiny etchings were on the hilt of each katana, words inscribed with finesse – weakness can be overcome on one, and vision can come in many forms on the other.
“You are a good man, Luka. Your spirit is strong, and I sense greatness in you. I bestow these katanas in the hope that one day you will overcome your greatest weakness which is your vanity,” said Malion. He then reached down below the table and pulled out a small box. Beautifully carved on the lid was a sun. “Your last gift.”
Luka placed the katanas on the table and opened the box. Inside were two silver handguns as silver as his twin katanas.
“They are a matching set. Use them wisely,” said Malion.
At that moment, Luka wished he could stay. It was an honor to receive such gifts, and he now felt a well of guilt for leaving. He picked up his weapons and bowed to his teacher. “I will not forget what you taught me. I will overcome my weakness, and when I return, I will surely beat you then,” said Luka. He rose to his feet and hugged Malion.
Malion embraced him as a father would to his son. “Go, Luka. Explore the world. You leave still a boy, but I know you will return a man.”
Luka released himself from the hug and with pain in his heart walked out of the hall. It would not be for many years before he would return to see Malion. It also would not be a happy return as he once believed.
****
Four years have passed since he left the monastery, and every day was a wonder. He had traveled the world, and his heart was full of joy. Everywhere he went he met new people, and they all had interesting stories to tell. He loved life and loved himself. Even after four years, he would still look at himself in every mirror and every reflection. He could not help it. He had grown taller since, and his hair had now grown to his shoulder. His beautiful brown locks matched the magic in his blue eyes.
He had just reached a small village in the country of Botswana, trying to offer assistance and aid to anyone who needed it. People were always friendly to him. He was always popular no matter where he visited. But something was awry as he entered the village. It was like a ghost town. The small huts were empty, and he could not sense anyone here.
That was until he heard a scream from the riverbed in the distance. He rushed to the sound, pulling out his twin katanas in the process. When he arrived, his stomach churned and tightened as he saw the bodies of several dead villagers. The smell was horrific, and it was an effort not to throw up. Three figures dressed in white robes were in the middle of the carnage, and they held a little girl. Tears welled her eyes as she tried to break free.
“Seekers,” he whispered under his breath.
The Seekers turned to him. “Another User,” said one of them.
The tallest Seeker among them turned his back on him and forced the girl to move up the riverbed. “He is of no interest. We have what we came for,” he said.
Luka sensed the fear in the girl. He could also sense her energy. She too was a User. “Why is the Shadow Government interested in her?” he said.
The tallest Seeker ignored the question and continued walking with the girl. Another Seeker turned to Luka and raised his rod. “Turn away, User. This matter is none of your concern. All you need to know is that the Shadow Government always gets what it wants.”
Luka gripped his katanas. “Why all this senseless killing? She is but a girl!”
The rod glowed blue, and the Seeker directed it toward him. Luka fell to his knees in pain. He could not concentrate, and he could not even hold his weapons, the katanas dropping to the floor.
“I said, turn away. Never question a Seeker’s authority,” said the Seeker with the glowing rod.
The tall Seeker stopped. “Take the girl. We will punish this User for his disobedience.”
Another Seeker took the girl who was kicking and screaming. Luka tried to move, but his whole body was numb, and his mind was out of focus. The girl’s screams echoed inside his mind. Powerful arms lifted him up, and he looked into the eyes of the Seeker. They were devoid of empathy and compassion.
“You are a handsome man. Handsome but stupid. The Shadow Government will show you mercy by sparing your life. That is not often the case when a User interferes in government business.” The Seeker picked up the twin katanas. “Despite having said that, punishment is necessary, and I have just the one.”
Luka screamed as the blood gushed from his eyes. The Seeker pulled out each of the katanas that had pierced his eyes and threw the weapons into the bottom of the river bed. “Good luck in finding your katanas again. They were very helpful. Don’t worry. You will heal, but your eyes will be gone forever. You are still handsome in a way.” The Seeker spoke with no emotion.
Luka writhed on the ground gripping his face which now dripped with blood. Everything was dark, and his breathing became quicker and erratic. He screamed once more.
The Seeker kicked him down into the dirt before leaving. “We have wasted enough time. We return to the Sanctuary.”
Luka could only see darkness, but he deliberately memorized the vocal tones of the Seeker who blinded him. In the blackness of his mind, Luka could see the face of the Seeker who did this to him. He would remember.
He crawled to the side and found the flowing river. The happiness and joy of his life were taken away in an instant. It would be many hours later before he found his twin katanas, but he would remember this day.
****
Life was hard. The joy of the world was gone. He could no longer see. There was only a blackness that never ended. Even his tears were meaningless.
He fumbled to grab the glass of water on the table. It smashed as the glass hit the ground. His hands were trembling. Months later, he could still hear the screams of the girl who was taken by the Seekers. Malion would be so disappointed in what he had become. How could he ever face his old teacher again?
With his right hand, he touched his eyes. They had healed with his User ability, but there were some things which would never heal.
On his lap were his twin katanas. He had not used them since the day he lost his sight, but they comforted him to be by his side. He caressed each blade with sadness trying to recall their image in his mind. With only blackness, his memory was also fading. All beauty was vanishing. But as he felt for the hilt, his fingers touched the inscription. He drew his finger across the words and he remembered: weakness can be overcome. He quickly drew his finger across the other hilt feeling the words inscribed: vision can come in many forms.
“Thank you, Malion,” he said to himself in the darkness. He rose from his chair and cleared the room, pushing tables and chairs into the corners as far as he could. He would master himself. He would train every day until his arms and legs could no longer move. He would find a purpose again. He would regain what he once lost.
The twin katanas were warm in his hand as he thrust the air. He trained until late in the morning. This day was the first day among many.
****
What did he look like before? He could not remember, nor did he care. With a gentle stroke, he shaved his brown locks from his head until there was nothing left. Below him was a mountain of his hair. He touched the top of his head which was now as smooth as a stone. “My vanity is gone.”
He then returned to his training with a new purpose: to find those responsible.
****
Three years have passed since the day he lost his sight, and still, he had yet to locate the Seeker who took his eyes. He pulled out the katana from the Seeker’s chest, the blood dripping from the blade. What had he become? A man of vengeance? A monster?
In the rain, he could sense the presence of two other Seekers. Their figures vibrant with energy glowed in the blackness of his mind. Every sound, every movement they made, he could see. He could see greater than he ever could, but neither of them was the one he wanted.
“Whoever you are, the Shadow Government will not rest until you are placed in the Sanctuary or killed,” said one of the Seekers.
Soft ripples of energy traversed across the ground, and Luka could see the other Seeker approaching him from the side. The rods of both Seekers were glowing, and they caused him to lose focus, but he had mastered his pain and fought against the power of the Seekers’ rods.
“This one is stronger than the average,” said the Seeker trying to flank him.
Luka pulled out his silver handguns and fired disregarding the pain he was under as the Seekers’ rod tried to suppress his will.
The other Seeker launched himself into him but fell to the ground as Luka’s katana pierced his heart. All three Seekers were now dead and lying in a pool of blood.
Luka wiped his weapons. He then cut his arm in three places to remember the fallen; his beautiful body tarnished with the self-inflicted scars. Luka was a wanted criminal now. The Shadow Government would send more Seekers after him—exactly what he wanted.
****
Another year had passed. Many more Seekers were dead, and he knew the Blades would soon be sent to capture or kill him. None of it mattered, though. He had found himself again. There was a duty he had to follow. An obligation to not only himself but also to the captured girl. Was she even alive? He would follow this path to the end.
There was a flash of lightning outside, followed by a roar of thunder. Rain started to pour down, and then he sensed the presence of powerful energy sources outside his door. The Shadow Government had found him.
A powerful blast of energy blew the hinges off his door. Several bolts of lightning came through his room, and five Seekers entered firing in every corner. Pieces of furniture exploded, windows shattered, and the walls cracked.
Luka had already raised his barrier as more types of elemental energy came at him. The silver katanas vibrated with energy. Seekers around him raised their rods, all directing them toward him. The rods were useless. He forced through the pain and sliced each of the Seekers in half. Blood was everywhere.
And then he felt the powerful presence of energy. It was the greatest he had ever sensed before. Through his apartment door stepped two figures. The blue vibrations of energy surrounded their steps. Finally, the one he was looking for had come. He was as tall as he remembered. But, the other figure was not a Seeker, and his energy was incredible.
He gritted his teeth as he followed the vibrations of their movements. Every breath they made rippled across the room.
The Seeker stepped closer. “I remember you. So, it was you who killed all the Seekers in the last couple of years?”
Luka heard the echo of the girl’s scream inside his mind. “What did you do to the girl?” His stomached tightened as he waited for him to respond.
“Dead. It was painless. I guess we should have killed you back then,” said the Seeker. “I see the removal of your eyes hasn’t hindered your lethality.” He looked across the room at the fallen Seekers.
“Then I have one last duty,” said Luka. The anger was gone, and there was only a calmness that remained. He filled his katanas with energy and threw them toward the two of them by the doorway. With a burst of energy, he then jumped into the air and fired his silver handguns, showering them with a rain of bullets.
As he landed, he could no longer see any vibrations of energy from both of them. Finally, it was over. The Seeker who blinded him was dead, and he could now rest.
But then there was a vibration of energy, a ripple of movement that surprised him.
“What is your name?”
The dominant source of energy remained and it was coming from this man. Luka used his mind to bring his katanas back to him and raised another barrier.
“I have not come to fight.”
His voice was charming, soothing on the ears. The man was eloquent, and there was a warmth that was very different to what he sensed from the Seekers.
“Your skills are impressive. There are not many who can take on a Seeker, let alone a group.”
Luka watched his vibrations, keeping his katanas firmly in his grip. “My name is Luka.”
“Luka,” the figure repeated. “It is a pleasure to meet you.”
“What do you want?” asked Luka.
“The Shadow Government is in need of your services. They have an offer for you.”
“I do not wish to work for them.”
“They will hunt you down. You will never rest, and eventually, you will be captured or killed.”
Luka believed his words. There was sincerity in each tone. “Then I will die.”
“No, you will live. There is duty still to serve.”
Luka breathed slowly. “What is your name?”
The figure was unafraid as he offered his hand to him. “Makai. I am a Blade, and you will be as well.”
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