Echoes of the Abyssal Blade: Path to Free Will-Chapter 88: Kedes

The next day, Jonan went to meet up with the chief, who, along with elder Monuu, went to a training field built by them.

Unlike Jonan’s barren training field in Dreavows, this one was equipped with multiple equipment.

There were weighing rocks that they used for lifting and increasing their strength; there were multiple wooden spears to practice with.

At first Jonan found it weird that everyone in this colony only uses one weapon, and that is a spear, but after meeting the chief, he came to know that the members of his tribe were inherently faithful to their god, due to which they never dared use other weapon.

Jonan also came to know that it was also one of the forbidden practices in this land to practice any weapon other than the weapon that the members of the colony pray to.

And after talking to his three teenage friends, he came to know that by being faithful to one weapon, it also somehow resulted in their members being able to learn and master ’intent’.

Entering the training field, Jonan noticed that a man was already present, and he was practicing his throwing of the spear; he was none other than the Native Hunter, who brought Jonan to the Dragon’s Tooth colony.

From others, Jonan came to know that this man’s name was Kedes, and he was a fearsome hunter of this colony.

Being the son of the chief did not make him complacent, and unlike others, he preferred to hunt alone, and his strength was almost equal to that of the elders.

Even Jonan could sense it with his perception that this man was in a league of his own; the stages of strength did not bother this man; he could feel that this man was just like his extremely talented brothers and sisters in the Starfall family, except for Freya of course, she was a monster that had no equal.

The oozing confidence and dominance released by this man unconsciously shows how strong he is in real life; this is also one reason Jonan did not bother fighting this man when he was in the jungle.

Jonan kept a respectful distance as Raerin approached the man, raising a hand in greeting. "Kedes!"

Kedes stopped mid-throw, turning his head toward them. His expression was calm, impassive, but his eyes turned respectful as Raerin drew closer.

"Training early as always," Raerin remarked with a grin. "The colony owes you a debt for your dedication."

Kedes arched a brow. "What service have I done now? I haven’t brought in fresh game yet."

Raerin chuckled and gestured for Elder Monuu to step forward. The old man’s gait was steady despite his age, and the moment Kedes saw him, his expression shifted to one of formal respect.

"Elder Monuu," Kedes greeted, bowing his head.

Monuu waved a hand. "No need for formality today, boy. In fact, I came to tell you something you might find astonishing."

He turned to Jonan, then back to Kedes. "Do you remember the young man you escorted to the colony?"

Kedes glanced at Jonan, assessing him again with a more critical gaze. "I remember, I brought him, because he looked too different from the people of our land, and I felt that he was too weak to be there at the edges of the dark forest."

Raerin leaned closer, lowering his voice slightly as if the winds themselves might carry their words to unwelcome ears. "Haha, much has happened after you left. We had the boy attend the blessing ceremony. Not only did our god react to him, but our god has awakened thanks to him."

Kedes’ brows knit in confusion. "Wait, our god? You mean...?"

Elder Monuu nodded gravely. "Yeah, our god was gravely cursed by the abyssal essence blood of a fearsome being. It was keeping our god’s spirit dormant for countless cycles. Last night, through no intent of his own, Jonan destroyed it. The god’s spirit stirred and, pleased by its liberation, bestowed a rare blessing upon the boy."

Kedes’ eyes widened, a rare flash of surprise breaking his stoic facade. He let out a breath, shaking his head. "And all this... because I decided to escort him in."

"It seems so," Elder Monuu affirmed. "A single act setting wheels in motion that none of us could foresee. The ancestors must have guided your hand."

A rare smile tugged at the corner of Kedes’ mouth. "Then it was a good thing I listened to my gut." He turned his gaze back to Jonan, this time less with curiosity and more with approval.

Raerin clapped a hand on Kedes’ shoulder. "That’s not all. We want you to train him. Personally."

Kedes blinked. "Me?"

"Normally, we would’ve assigned someone else and let him learn from the basics," Raerin explained. "But the boy’s potential... Elder Monuu believes it would be a waste to leave him to standard training. And you, Kedes, are the most accomplished of our younger generation. If anyone can draw out his talents and mold him in our ways, it’s you."

Kedes didn’t answer immediately. He crossed his arms, studying Jonan. "He’ll have to start from nothing, and although I am grateful for your help in my colony, I will be ruthless in training you."

"I’m fine with that," Jonan replied without hesitation.

That earned him a short, approving grunt from Kedes.

"Good. Come here."

Jonan stepped into the center of the training field. The other warriors and apprentices paused in their drills to watch. Whispers passed between them like dry grass in the wind, they were all curious about the outsider.

Kedes picked up a practice spear, one of the heavier ones meant for seasoned fighters, and tossed it to Jonan. Jonan caught it awkwardly, feeling its weight pull at his arms. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

"We start from stance," Kedes instructed. "Forget everything you know about other weapons, I have seen you carry two sickles. From this moment forth, the spear is your everything, you have to use it only to face your enemies."

Jonan mimicked the stance he’d seen others use, with wide footing, the spear held at chest height.

"Too stiff," Kedes criticized, circling him like a predator appraising its prey. "Loosen your grip. The spear isn’t a club. Feel its balance."

He stepped in, adjusting Jonan’s hands, his feet, the angle of his shoulders.

"There," Kedes said. "Now, thrust."

Jonan lunged forward, the spear tip stabbing at the air. Kedes’ hand shot out, catching the shaft mid-thrust.

"Wrong," Kedes said calmly. "Again."

So it went. Hour after hour under the relentless sun, Kedes drilled Jonan on stance, grip, thrust, parry. Kedes was a hard teacher, offering no praise, only corrections. Every mistake was met with another repetition.

And through it all, Jonan endured, but Jonan could feel that with every movement, he could move the spear far better than before. While he had learned the basics of spear in Dreavows, the way the natives of this land used the spear was different.

They moved along with it, they were entirely one with the spear, they even used the spears as an arrow, shield, a sword, maybe just focusing on one weapon led them into finding far more creative ways of using the spear.