The Legend of Azhakkstadd

CHAPTER I : KUREZMA

-Kurezma-

    Good day! I'm Kurez, or Kurezma Zhentiini, I'm 17 years old. I belong to the Thunder Tribe, so I have the power of controlling thunder. And additional knowledge, people who belong to the Thunder Tribe are called Trueno. Truenos also serve as the weather forecast for Azhakkstadd as we can sense weather and climate. We can also control the rain and storm.

    As time goes by, only peace and unity are what our tribe wants. We thirst for freedom and connectivity with others. We sought for more openness from other tribes as well as inside our tribe too. Even though I, feel sick when I can't visit the other tribes, my mother used to tell me stories about how beautiful other places are, it's just that they are under other tribes' territory, so we're stuck here up in the clouds. 

    I don't even know what a tree looks like, even animals with feet that can walk, or even a river or an ocean. We started connection and alliance with tribes who seek orderliness too. We coordinate with them because we believe that peace will have its comeback...soon.

    I received my power when I was 14 years old, a little late compared to the other Trueno children who obtained their power years before. My brother, Kuzma Zhentiini was able to learn controlling thunder when he was only 8 years old. Compared to me, he was years earlier than usual. Normal people learn controlling thunder at the age of 10 years old to 12. But I was unlucky to learn it at 14. Kuzma is 3 years older than me which makes him 20 years old now. I'm a female Azhakk being a Trueno.

    All Azhakk children receive enchantment as they reach the age of 8 to be fully equipped in obtaining their power and that they won't get overwhelmed upon receiving it. Then the rituals are repeated on the same date the next year as they reach 9, and the last ritual is done as they turn 10 and strictly on the same date. 

    That's why our first usage of power usually occurs as we turn 10. Sometimes if it doesn't appear at age 10, then at 11 or 12, without the ritual anymore.

    But it's different for Kuzma, as he received his first benediction from our elders, he immediately acquired his power which made us all amazed, that's why no one can deny his exceptional power. He started mastering some great skills and abilities since then, right now he became the strongest student to graduate our batch. 

    And they thought it'd also be the same for me but.... they just got disappointed when I reached my third benediction and nothing occurred. When I turned 12, I had my last blessing but the results failed us all. Everyone got disappointed, even me. 

    We all thought that I'm a mortal since I'm not totally Kuzma's sister, we had the same mom but not the same dad. We thought that my dad was a mortal and his blood dominated my body. I turned 13 but no rituals anymore, we lost hope. The next year, when I turned 14, I woke up electrified. I mean, electricity was all over me. And that made false rumors about me disappear. I received my powers a little late which made me weaker than the others.

    When I learned to use my power, it wasn't easy for me. Until now I can hardly use it. I can't turn a single light bulb on, whereas my brother can turn on at least 20 light bulbs at once. I can't tell the weather, I can't even do self-defense, and I can't control it. Electricity just flows from my fingertips. 

    My dad can't teach me since I grew up not even knowing him, neither my mom because she also died when we were young, teachers also gave up on me, so I only have my brother to help me. Here in Thunder Tribe, we have a school for young Truenos to learn the power. They teach us from the easiest to hardest and lightest to heaviest. 

    But things aren't easy for me. I belong to class 369, because we're the 369th batch, the batch that'll graduate this year.

    Sometimes I lose confidence because after all my efforts I can't still do it. I can't handle my power. But my brother always tells me that I can do it. He tirelessly teaches me everything he knows. He strictly trains me on the ways he was too. He keeps on telling me that I am strong, it's just that I'm not ready yet.

"Kurez, are you ok? do it better so that you won't get scolded" my brother told me as he walks towards me. He had his concerned looks on his face again. I know that my brother loves me that much, it's just that he always teases me endlessly.

"I can't do it, Kuzma, I just learned this recently, I can't do it right. Unlike you, you're the strongest here" I answered him and he sat beside me, I looked at him and gave him more pouty looks to make him pity me more, but I'm just kidding ahahahaha

"it's not like that. You know, if you really want to learn that, you should study hard, focus. You're just too lazy doing that" he said and laughed at me. He always tells me I'm lazy, but you can't blame me, you'll surely lose interest if you keep on doing your best but it won't pay off.

"hey! I'm doing the best I can! I'm not lazy.... but I really can't do it, maybe I'm fine with electric fingers" I defended myself and cracked a joke. Of course, same with my electric powers, I'm also a jolly person, but I do feel anxious sometimes, all because of my power stressing me out.

"You're just doing stretchings, that's just a spark for your powers," he said then laughed again

"You're so arrogant, just because you're strong" I was annoyed and pushed him softly. I'm not annoyed actually, I just get used to him saying words to me, I know he doesn't mean it... Just to lighten up the mood.

"Yea, I'm strong, but you're not. I don't want to have a weak little sister. That's what they always tell me" he explains

"Oh really? so it's a challenge for me, huh?" I joked again and laughed myself, definitely a mechanism if you're failed by your expectations, you just let out a joke to pull yourself up.

"Let's go. Let's train again. Who knows you might learn it by tomorrow" he called me, I've heard this a thousand times, I'm just happy that my brother hasn't given up on me, and still teaches me. He's just so eager to see me finally befriending with the thunder.

"You're always telling me that ahahahaha" I stood up and followed him

    We went to the field where we usually train ourselves and positioned to start my training again. My brother stood behind me to support me. Each day, we go here to train ourselves more, so that if we graduate we are ready to face bigger trials being a Trueno. 

    By making ourselves strong, we also unlock some skills that are thunder-related, just like what I have mentioned earlier. My brother can easily fix technical and electrical problems at home, he can easily measure current charges too. And there are also those Truenos who invent new technologies that make our lives here better.

"Just like that Kurez! You should have a proper posture when you start so that it won't be so hard" he explains.

"Kuzma, I'm always standing wonderfully, I've done a lot of effective postures, but still nothing happens" I answered him "I'm a powerful Trueno, not a model" I joked again, but it's true, I've read a lot of books instructing us about strokes, movements, and postures for more effective power usage, I often follow them but I still suck at it.

"haysss just think positive ok? be thankful I'm not mentioning how weak you are so that it won't be that obvious for you" he said and laughed again

"that's it." I went back to where I was sitting earlier, I'm tired of all these things.

"that's why you never learn" he shouted from behind me

    I sat down and watched the other young Truenos doing a great job in controlling their abilities. They've learned a lot of skills and techniques, while I'm still studying how to produce the right amount of electricity. Just because maybe I'm not a Trueno, maybe I'm a fairy ahahahaha just kidding.

"Come, class 369!" called our principal inviting us to come over the field, we lined up properly as we came to him.

"Starting today, your training will be done by a group. As a protocol of our school, and an important lesson for everyone to learn, that is to fight with each other side by side against enemies. By that, you'll learn the importance of each individual and the importance of unity during battle. Class 369, before you graduate, you need to learn that. Groups will be announced now" explained our principal and stepped down. Then his assistant walked in front of us and started to announce the groupings.

     It'll be such a shame for me, I'm dumb ahahahahaha I hope that my brother would be my groupmate. Like, I always rely on him, I just wanted him to be there so that I can easily move.

"there Kurez, you should train more and more, it'll be shameful upon your groupmates ahahahaha" my brother told me

"I hope you'll be my groupmate. This is your fault Kuzma, I shouldn't be in class 369. I'm only 17, and most of all I'm still not ready for graduation yet" I blame fully answered him. As you can see, I'm a bit early to Graduate, usually the age bracket to graduate every school year is 18-20, but I'm only 17. It's because Kuzma insisted on enrolling me early so that I'd be in the same class as him. I took lessons about doing such things with thunder when I haven't learned using thunder yet.

"why me? ahahahaha yea I hope we're groupmates, I'm the only one who's patient with you ahahahaha" he questioned me, he's really laughing out my weakness

"Stop laughing, I'm getting annoyed, and of course it's you! You know I'm weak but you insisted on advancing me to your batch, now I'm graduating without learning anything, the pressure is getting heavier" I answered then gave him my deadliest glare but he just laughed again.

    Each student of class 369 is being called for their group mates including us. I'm lucky because they decided that I should stick with my brother. It's my brother's responsibility to teach me and make me useful since he's the one pushing me to be part of class 369, and as his sister too. 

    The other members of our group are Ashtan, Nazif, and Aisha. Just like my brother, Ashtan is incredibly strong too, maybe they thought I needed two strong trainers ahahaha just kidding. It seems like I'm the only weak member so I need to train harder.

"Good thing we're group mates, Our most gracious Malikstar must have heard our prayers" my brother sweetly smiled at me, he's ugly eww