Sylvia’s heart was beating even faster than before. Afraid that he would hear it, she steeled herself and curtsied. “Hello,” She replied.

“Hi Sylvia!” Anise also called out to her with a big smile.

“Hi Anise.” She returned a radiant smile to conceal her embarrassment.

“So, what were you doing here Sylvia?” Her mother questioned again.

Turning to look at her mother, she saw a big grin. “I–…” She didn’t dare to answer in front of everyone. Her face began heating up. She knew her mother knew why.  

Her mother was the only person she ever talks to about her feelings. She had already made it quite clear that she liked the boy.

“Just kidding, honey. What about you Naleen? How did your match go?” Her mother turned to question Naleen instead.

“It went well, Lady Reanne. I’m waiting for the next match right now.”

“I see. You girls walking around to watch the matches?”

“To the food stalls, actually. We were going to grab a snack before Naleen’s next match.” Jillian answered.

“Ah, why don’t we go together then?” Her mother turned to her. “Or would you rather stay here, Sylvia?”

“Eh? I’m coming too…” Sylvia quickly replied.

“Anise, do you want to go get a snack with everyone else?”

Her eyes lit up upon hearing her crafty mother asking the young girl.

“Daddy, can I go?” Anise turned to her father and pleaded.

“Only if you stay with the group. And Kaidus, please go with your sister.” Troyle answered.

Internally, she was shouting with joy. Her mother knew exactly what to do. By asking for the young girl to join them, there was no way Anise would be leaving her big brother behind. Even if Troyle did not tell him, Anise would have pleaded for Kaidus to join them.

 

…

 

They quickly moved away from the second stage and towards the food vendors. Anise clung to Kaidus’ left arm while Sylvia herself walked beside Anise.

Two guards were in the front leading the way.
Jillian, Naleen, and her mother were walking behind the guards while the three of them followed. There were an additional two guards on each side of them, and two following behind—along with the two Ravon knights.

Her mother was talking to Naleen about Naleen’s parents, but Sylvia wasn’t paying any attention to that conversation.

She was occupied, remembering how they used to walk like this—following behind her mother and Adalina—as they went shopping in the 3^rd ward market district a couple of years ago.

“How are you enjoying the competition?” Kaidus asked her.

Although lost in thoughts, his simple question rang in her ears and brought a bright smile to her face. “It is quite exciting, really.” She calmly answered. “I never thought there could be so many people in one place at the same time. Such a festive atmosphere is truly breathtaking.” She gave an honest reply, having witnessed the competition for the first time.

“It is, isn’t it?”

“Kai look.” Anise pointed to a performer in the crowd.

The performer was an older Gveril man with long gray hair. The man had a broken horn, but his metallic arm was spinning a spear around skillfully. The man called his two assistants to join him and they began demonstrating different spear forms before fighting each other, displaying their abilities.  

“He’s very good.”
She heard him voice out loud his thoughts.

“Is he stronger than daddy?” Anise questioned her brother with a puzzled look.

“Maybe, maybe not. It’s hard to tell from just demonstrations, but he’s certainly adept with the spear.”

“Hey! You guys are falling behind!” Jillian yelled out from ahead.

Looking in front, they were at least twenty paces away and behind a wall of people.

They quickened their speed to catch up.

“Sylvia.” Kaidus spoke up beside her. “Thank you for everything you’ve done for my mother these past couple turns, and for always looking after Anise.”

Her heart fluttered, and her face started burning up. She was not expecting such gracious words. “S-Such thanks are unnecessary… It is Adalina and Anise who’s been taking care of me.” She replied, lowering her head to hide the embarrassment.

Although they were still visiting the Paltos house, it was not because of her mother’s original purpose, but because of a genuine friendship between their two families. She herself had grown quite fond of Anise, looking after the younger girl as a sister. After learning that Adalina was having another baby, she had taken it upon herself to do most of the chores and food preparations whenever they were over at the Paltos house.

She was not working because she coveted gratitude, but hearing the thanks from him brought endless delight and joy. 

“Regardless, thank you for everything you’ve done.” He replied.

“No… I didn’t…” Afraid she would make a fool of herself, she stopped and walked silently beside them.

 

—

 

Naleen swerved to the side, barely evading a strike. She moved around her opponent and launched herself forward, thrusting with her wooden sword.

Her opponent quickly turned around and blocked it with his hand axes, getting knocked back a couple steps.

She moved forward once again and kicked at the man’s left leg while swinging her sword, but the kick was shallow and her slash was blocked once again. The man was larger than herself, and a lot stronger.

She was currently fighting her 3rd match, and it from the way it was going, it was bound to be another drawn out fight.

Naleen quickly put some distance between them and began trying to come up with a plan of attack.

She attempted to ponder about the other boy, about what Kaidus would have done in this situation.

The last time she’d seen him was that morning he departed for Zorin Academy almost six years ago. Witnessing his match earlier, she’d been having a hard time coming to terms with such a thing. Although he was younger than herself, the boy easily grounded a man twice his size with a single blow.
It was done without hesitation nor fear, and the speed of his strike was beyond that of a boy his age. From what she saw, it was like when she watched Horan and her father—two master swordsmen—sparring with no restrictions.

*Thwack!* She brought her sword up horizontally and blocked a vertical strike. The man’s strike pushed down her sword and the head of the axe was edging closer to her shoulder. Pushing and moving her body, she managed to roll away before her opponent’s other axe whizzed by, grazing her legs.  

Naleen quickly recovered out of the roll and darted away to keep her distance.
‘I can’t lose here. I’m here to win this competition.’ She told herself.

Unrelenting, the man charged at her again.

She changed her sword to a two-handed grip. Stepping forward to meet the charge, she attempted a two-handed thrust.

The man struck the thrust to the side and swung his axe at her with an overhead swing.

She felt the force of his first strike against her sword, numbing her hands for that instant.

Instead of moving away to dodge the overhead strike, Naleen ducked forward and closed in on the man. With her sword still out of position, she released her two-handed grip. Using her right hand—that was still holding the sword—as a brace, she charged in front of the man and elbowed his stomach with her left.

It had the desired effect and the man lost his solid stance, instinctively moving one of his hand to grab at where she elbowed him.

Naleen darted behind him, having done some damage.

She saw her chance. Instead of waiting for the man to recover, she swiftly kicked the back of the man’s knees, buckling him forward.

With her opponent on his knees, she quickly swung her wooden sword down to his neck, stopping before the impact. She shot a glance at the announcer, and the match was over.

With haste, she stepped off the stage to a plethora of praises from the audience. Her two house knights fell in behind her as she walked over to where Jillian and Sylvia were waiting.

“Way to go, Naleen.” Jillian commended.

“Are you alright? You seemed to be in a pinch a couple of times.” Sylvia questioned.

“I’m fine. There’s going to be a few more fights until my next match. What do you both want to do?” She asked the two girls.

“Would it be alright if we went to look for my parents?” Sylvia shyly asked.

“Why don’t you just say ‘go look for Kaidus’?” Jillian spoke with annoyance.

“…”

“Sure.” Naleen answered, seeing the silent Sylvia.

They had separated from the others ever since their trip to the food area. At the rate she was going, if she kept winning, she would eventually face off against him sooner or later. It would be good to get some information about his combat capabilities beforehand.

Although she didn’t understand Sylvia’s infatuation with the boy, it didn’t matter to her. From what she remembered, he was a liar and a spineless coward. That match earlier may have tipped her view of him a little, but none of it mattered as he didn’t even remember her.

She recalled him the moment Sylvia spoke his name, but the same thing couldn’t be said about him.

Not only will he remain a liar and a coward in her eyes, now he was also a crass idiot.

The three girls walked away from the stage and their guards followed behind.

 

—

 

The day was well past the afternoon.

An old Knight wearing plated armor decorated with a helmet and sword on his breastplate was walking through the event grounds, making his way toward the second stage.

He was working in tandem with a few others in charge of organizing the day’s security, but had left the position to his son for the time being.

Many of the knights who were working around stage two and came to report at the eastern tent, were clamoring about something extraordinary occurring there. About an unknown dark-haired boy who was single handedly decimating all his opponents. Many were saying the boy fought using both single and dual sword styles, switching between them expertly.

As the old Knight approached the stage, an extensive wall of people impeded his path. The stage had garnered quite the audience, and he could do nothing but watch from afar.

There were currently two people on stage squaring off against each other.

A youth even younger than his granddaughter, and a woman with a sword and shield. The youth had long black hair and was deftly wielding two swords against his opponent.

The young boy flitted around the woman as if gliding along the stage, looking for an opening. In an instant, his swords flickered and his opponent drop the protective shield. Two quick strikes, and the woman fell onto the ground.

He heard as the stage thundered with applause and shouts. The announcer bellowed out the victor’s name, but he was unable to make out who it was through all the noise.

The boy bowed and calmly walked off the stage without any problem.

 

—

 

Midafternoon came around, and the number of contestants had dwindled.

They were only using three stages now, and only those who have been winning were competing against each other. From the hundreds of contestants, less than thirty were still in the tournament.

Rest periods in between each match had shortened drastically, and it was now more a mental than physical competition. Those who had been winning decisively were beginning to lose because of accumulated fatigue through strenuous physical exertion, and many had even given up, understanding that they could no longer continue.
It was truly a competition of the most stalwart of contenders.

Kaidus stepped onto the stage again as his name had been called. He was tired, but not to the point of exhaustion. His matches had been relatively quick, allowing for plenty of rest.

His next opponent was a Gveril man with dull green hair who looked to be in his late twenties. The man’s horn shone in the midafternoon sun majestically, and his metallic arm held a long slim wooden sword.

“I’ve been watching your matches. How is it that a young one like you has come upon such skills?” The man asked as they stood face to face.

“I’ve had some great teachers.” Kaidus replied, giving a courteous bow to his opponent.

“That so? I would love to meet them some day.” Surprisingly, the man also returned a polite bow.

“Contestants ready? … Begin!”

Unlike his other matches, it was he who was taken by surprise this time.

The instant the signal was given, the man’s sword tip shot straight out at him—without warning—aiming to pierce his chest. Kaidus quickly swiped upward with his two swords, cutting at the man’s attack, deflecting it.

With the defensive parry, the man lunged straight at him, repositioning the long slim sword once again for a draw strike.

Kaidus hastily darted to the man’s left side, moving away from the impending slash.

The man fluidly changed his direction mid-dash, slashing out at him once again and the sword veered over to where Kaidus was as if alive with a mind of its own.

He smiled, seeing his opponent’s skills. The man was definitely better than many of his previous opponents. Bracing himself, his own swords shot forth and delivered four quick and consecutive blows to the long sword, stopping it before it could hit him.

He dashed straight for his opponent, evading the next few strikes and moving to get in close for some body blows.

His opponent saw through the plan and moved backwards, keeping him at a distance with flurries of quick precise slashes.

Seeing the futility of it, Kaidus stopped his pressure. ‘It’s almost like fighting uncle Dalzak again.’ He mused to himself and changed to a low stance.

Seeing the switch, the man prepped his own stance and watched cautiously.

He could see that his opponent was breathing heavily, possibly worn out from their exchanges or maybe even before the fight.

Kaidus slowly lowered both his swords, bringing his right to align with the left. In a sudden burst of movement, he launched straight at the man. From a low angle, his right sword flew upward, cutting into the man’s frantic defense. Another upward strike followed behind and ripped the sword out of the man’s hands, hurling it into the crowd. Following Twin Fangs, he jumped and kneed the man’s chest, sending the man backward to the edge of the stage.

The man stumbled, but refused to fall.

Without a weapon in hand, “Wait, wait. I forfeit.” The man cheerfully accepted his defeat. “I saw it the instant I failed to land that initial strike. I dare say, this land is full of surprises. Thank you for this enlightening bout, and may we meet again someday.” The man grinned, gracefully stepping off the edge of the stage.

“Thank you.” Kaidus uttered, bowing once again to the man who was now quickly disappearing into the audience.

“Kai you’re the best!” Anise cried out, hugging him as soon as he joined them.

The Varath couple was no longer with them, having left elsewhere with their daughters. He had asked about Larant earlier, but Lord Varath said the older boy was currently busy with various things for school and had not been coming home for the past couple ryes.  

“Wonder where he’s from. He felt quite strong.” Troyle stated.

“He is. I forgot to ask for his name though.”

“That quick draw at the beginning was quite the technique. I don’t think I’ve seen anything like that before.”

“It took me by surprise, but just a little.” Kaidus replied with a grin.

Troyle gave him a peculiar look. “I know that smile. Don’t tell me you?”

“It won’t be perfect, but I’m sure I can imitate it if I use magic. It’ll probably take me a while before I can do it without.”

“Hahahaha! Come here!” Troyle grabbed him and started rubbing his head proudly.

 

—

 

It was her 8^th match, and her laborious effort every fight was taking its toll on her body.

She had severely underestimated the sheer magnitude of the arms competition. Thinking about it now, her outcry of winning the competition was nothing but arrogance and a general lack of understanding.

Having watched the competition four years in a row, she thought she had a firm grasp of what to expect. Yet, watching two people fighting and being directly involved in the matches were two very different things.

The competition only got harder as it progressed: with the skilled contestants weeding out the weaker ones, each match became tougher than the last, forcing her to put in twice the amount of effort.

Walking toward her was her greatest adversary yet. As she foresaw, the matches eventually paired her up against the boy. Against Kaidus.

Looking at the boy’s relaxed movements, she could tell there was no way for her to win. He had effortlessly dispatched many of his opponents while she had to painstakingly struggle against hers.

“Let us have a good match.” The boy bowed to her as he had done to all his other opponents.

“Likewise.” Taken aback by his nonchalant attitude, she nodded. She took two steps back and readied herself. Grasping her sword with a two-handed grip, she silently waited for the call to start.

“Begin!”

She quickly moved away from her initial position and barely managed to dodge a strike. The boy’s first attack was as quick as ever.

If she hadn’t been watching his matches and didn’t know about his inhuman speed, she would have lost already.

She lurched sideways awkwardly, barely stumbling away from the next attack.

His swords came at her with a horizontal swing. Naleen slashed out with her own sword, blocking the slashes. The impact knocked her back, causing her to stumble a few paces before catching her footing again.

Before she could ready herself, he was already upon her. One of his swords smashed into her own sword, numbing her hand and shooting intense pain all along her arm. She felt a sharp pain in her hands as the boy’s other sword dislodged her grip, causing her to drop the wooden weapon.

“No!” She cried out, instinctively reaching down to grab the sword once again.

The boy also lowered himself, holding two swords to her chest. “Give up.” He told her, not finishing her off.

She jumped back to put some distance between them. Anger boiled up from inside her. “You!” She angrily shouted.

The fact that he doesn’t remember her was incomparable to the way he was treating her now. To look down on her and not deliver the finishing strike was disrespectful. It was disrespectful to her as a warrior, and to the years of hard work she’d put into getting this far.

‘I can’t lose to someone like him!’ She shouted internally.

She glared at him standing over her sword. Her body twitched, and she lunged in head-first for the sword.

“Forgive me.”

She heard as pain manifested across her back, knocking her to the ground.

‘No. I can’t lose…’ Her inner self cried out.

In her anguish, memories flashed through her mind.

Her first meeting with the boy. Her humiliation that night at dinner. Her grandfather’s words and praises. Her many bruises and callouses incurred over countless evenings of practice.

Suppressing her tears, something else came into her mind.

The image of a crystal flower on top of her dresser, sitting there silently for all these years.

Tears began to swell from inside.
The world truly was unfair. Not only was the boy already a mage, he has even surpassed her with the sword.

“Why!?” She shouted out. Not to anyone in particular, but because of her own frustration.
Everything she’s done was to prove herself to those around her.
To her parents.
To her brother.
To everyone who treated her like a princess that needed protecting.
To show her grandfather that she too, was worthy of his praises and approval.

Even her talent with the sword could only take her so far. She saw for herself today what true talent was.
‘They were right… I’m no one. Just a little girl who wanted to be spoiled…‘
She closed her eyes, and tears leaked out.

Suddenly, the image of the crystal flower bloomed into her mind once again.

‘!’ She felt as if a spark ignited inside her.
Her body felt like lightning had struck it.
“Ahhh!!!” The pain on her back intensified as if trying to rip her apart.
Her fingertips rippled with a numbing sensation that started to move along her arms to her body as if alive.

She felt two hands grab her shoulders and turn her body upward. She saw the dark-haired young man’s face staring back at her: his mouth moving, but she could not hear what he was saying.

“AHhh!! W-what’s GUHHH!!!–…”
Flames erupted around her. The pain intensified, and her mind went blank.

 

-Four days prior to the competition. 32^nd of Zali-

Amongst others there for the same reason, a group from the Droxxon Mercenaries rode into Ferrent through the 3^rd ward gate.

Their trip was quite eventful, but it was nothing seventeen trained mercenaries couldn’t handle.

Kaidus was riding at the front of the wagon alongside York who was driving. Another wagon followed them, carrying the other half of their group.

He was silently taking in the familiar atmosphere of the bustling 3^rd ward. He smiled, seeing the many people who were out and about, moving through their day.

Their group caught the eyes of a few pedestrians, but many paid no heed to them. It was that time of the year again. A time when people came from all over Darsus to compete in the Arms Competition, for glory and a chance at wealth.

The group slowly made their way through the busy streets, moving toward their destination.

…

“I’ll be getting off here. Thanks for everything, York.” Stopping at the 3^rd ward market district, Kaidus got off, taking a single bag of luggage with him.

The inns for the hired helps were in the opposite direction of where he is heading, so he chose this spot to part with them.

“No need. We’re the ones who should be thanking you. Say hi to your parents for me alright? It’s going to be busy, but I’ll try and drop by whenever I can. If not before, then after the competition.” York replied.

“Alright.” He waved them off.

““See ya Kaidus!”” Many of mercenaries called out as the wagons moved away.

His time with the mercenaries was over after three long years. Having already said his goodbyes, there was nothing else that needed to be said. Picking up his luggage, he made his way through the market district, moving ever closer to home.

Familiar people looked at him curiously. An instance of recognition here and there, but he could see that many were wondering who he is to have traveled with a band of what looked to be thugs.

He smiled, wondering if he had really changed that much after three years.

—

 

*Knock Knock* Kaidus stood in front of his house, waiting for the door to open. *Knock knock* He knocked once more, uncertain if his mother and sister were home.

He heard a girl’s voice shouting from inside the house and footsteps moving down the stairs. He sensed the familiarity of Hasen approaching along with someone he missed dearly.

“Can I help you?”
Opening the door was a young girl wearing a frilly hand sewn dress. Her usual dull red hair was flaring up into a fiery red color—illuminated by the afternoon sun—complementing the blue dress nicely. Her puffy cheeks were still there, and two dark eyes looked at him curiously. She was tiny for her age, even smaller than he was when he first entered the academy at seven.

“You’ve grown a lot.” He spoke, smiling at his sister.

Upon realizing who he is, a smile bloomed on her face. “Kai! Your back!” She jumped onto him, shouting his name happily.

“Did you miss me?” He asked, hugging her and gently patting her head.

“Uhn.” Anise nodded, suppressing her tears.

“You going to let me into the house?”

With a grin, she took his hand and led him inside.

The house was practically empty as usual. Troyle was undoubtedly at Lord Varath’s, but Adalina was nowhere to be seen.

“Where is mother?”

“Upstairs.” Anise replied with wide a teething grin.

“Let’s go tell her that I’m home.” He suggested, walking toward the stairs.

Holding tightly onto his hand, scared that he would disappear again if she let go, Anise promptly followed.

“Mother?” He called out, knocking on the door to his parent’s bedroom.

“Kaidus, is that you?” A reply came from inside.

Opening the door, he saw his mother sitting in a chair, holding a bundle gently to her chest.

“Mother- is that?” Joy and surprise surged through him.

“Welcome back honey. Come meet your baby brother.” She beckoned him with a welcoming smile.

‘I have a younger brother.’

Picking up Anise, “We have a little brother, Anise. Why didn’t you tell me?” He exclaimed joyously, hugging her.

“Hehehe! Mommy said to not tell you. She said it was a surprise.” Anise replied, laughing at suddenly being picked up and hugged.

“What’s his name?” He asked his mother, carrying Anise closer to get a better view of the sleeping baby.

An opening in the bundle revealed a small face sleeping peacefully in Adalina’s arms.

Like Anise before him, the baby had two big puffy cheeks. Tufts of dark red hair could be seen poking out of the shawl covering the baby’s head.

“His name is Lance. Lance Zakrus Paltos. Zakrus from the Gveril word meaning mighty.” Adalina answered with a sheepish grin.

“It’s a great name, mom.” Setting Anise down, “How come you never mentioned I was getting a brother in your letters?”

“We didn’t know if it was going to be a boy or a girl, and we wanted to surprise you.” Adalina answered with a warm smile.

Grinning, “Anise. He looks just like you when you were a baby.” Kaidus patted his sister’s head. He moved closer to the sleeping baby and softly touched the puffy cheeks. “How old is he?”

“He was born the 3^rd of Zali, so almost a turn old. Do you want to hold him?”

“No, it’s okay. He’s sleeping so serenely, I fear I’d just wake him up.”

Adalina smiled. She got up and moved to the bedside. “Have you eaten yet? You must be hungry.” She asked, setting the baby down on the bed.

“I had a snack while we waited for permission to enter Ferrent, but nothing substantial.”

Adalina walked over to him and gave him a heartwarming hug. “Since Lance is sleeping, how about I heat up the leftovers from this morning and we have an early lunch?”

Adalina’s cooking. He was home. “Sounds perfect.” Kaidus replied with a smile.

 

—

 

“…about you for the past two turns after I told her that you’d be coming back.”

“Momma, no! Don’t tell Kai!” An embarrassed Anise ran to her mother, trying stop the stories.

They were in the living room talking about their time apart.

He’d already spent a good deal of the afternoon telling them about his three years: about his training with the Captain and the various other mercs, the minor jobs he’d assisted with, what he’d learned about survival from many of them, and about learning archery from the mercenary rangers.

He also shared how his healing abilities benefited the mercenaries greatly, and about his many sparring sessions with the others, especially Dalzak and the Captain.

Although the members of the Droxxon Mercenaries have seen him using magic for various occasions, he’d hidden the bulk of his powers, using only what was required. Never anything extravagant, and nothing that would link him to the mage that the Captain and some of the others met in that forest years ago. He stuck mostly to healing the injured; keeping his overwhelming strength and Zion in check.

Currently, Adalina was telling him about Anise’s excitement upon hearing that he would be returning home.

She’d already told him about how Anise was using his name as a threat to those whom she deemed were causing trouble—whenever they were out shopping.

How Anise would yell at the other kids who were playing ‘knights’, breaking up their games because she thought they were hurting each other.

About sometimes catching her just talking to the ring that is Hasen, and many other childish moments.

He couldn’t help but laugh at the plentiful stories of his adorable little sister.

Three long years, and their only form of communication was through letters. It was refreshing to hear his mother and sister’s cheerful voices again, just talking about mundane everyday happenings.

“She’s also been reading your books, trying to start a collection of her own.” Adalina added with a smile. Turning to Anise. “Don’t you want to show Kaidus what you’ve been reading?”

“I wanted to tell Kaidus that, mommy!” Anise pouted. “!” Her pouting face instantly vanished and she quickly left the living room, rushing upstairs.

“Ever since she heard about the baby, she’s been reading a lot. Sometimes I’d come into the living room and she’d be sitting by the window in that same spot you’d always use, silently reading.” Adalina explained with a smile. “She’s trying to copy you, you know? She wants to be a good big sister for Lance as you were with her.”

Kaidus smiled and looked at the window. At the spot where he’d spent a good portion of his days lazily flipping through the pages, absorbing the contents of his books whether they were interesting or not.

“I just realized something. She’s no longer talking in third person.” He chuckled.

“She stopped the year after we left you with the mercenaries. I kept pestering her about it, and she eventually grew out of it.” Adalina giggled.

As quickly as she disappeared upstairs, Anise was back. Carrying a few books in her arms, she laid them out onto the table.

“What’s this?” Kaidus asked, picking them up and reading the titles.

‘The Princess’ Song’, ‘Wandering Phraes of Lizur Woods’, ‘The Woeful Blade’.

The books were geared toward older kids.
He didn’t know what the ‘The Princess’ Song’ was about, but the second book was a story about the haunted Lizur woods of Southern Unotus, and a knight’s adventure to retrieve a lost treasure from its depths. The third book was a cook’s tale about coming across a crying sword that was separated from its creator, begging him to return it.

“Are you reading these Anise?” He asked his sister.

“Uh huh. These are my books that mommy bought for me.” Anise replied cheerfully.

“Did you like them?” Kaidus asked.

“Yea! I like the Princess book. I like it when she beat up the bad mage with her singing.” Anise grinned. “I’m reading this one right now,” She pointed to ‘The Woeful Blade’. “And I don’t like this one. Spirits are nice. They wouldn’t do that to the knight.” She answered, patting her chest.

It took Kaidus a moment to realize she was patting Hasen. “I haven’t read it yet, but what happens in that book?” He pointed to The Princess’ Song.

Anise began regaling it excitedly.

It was about a princess who lost her voice because of an evil sorceress, and was on a quest to find it. The evil sorceress was using the princess’ beautiful voice to lure and trick forest animals and travelers to do her biddings. Another mage teamed up with the princess thinking she was just a regular girl to help her out. They eventually unsealed her voice; which was then used to defeat and undo the spells of the evil sorceress.

As soon as she finished the exhilarating tale, she started taking deep breaths, having been too excited.

“Look at you. Soon you’ll have a whole shelf of your own books.” He gave her a big grin, seeing how enthusiastic she was about the book.

It reminded him of his younger self, excitedly talking about the contents of his books with Adalina. Although his books were more informative and theoretical, involving various philosophies about the natural world instead of mere story books, the excitement was the same. He couldn’t help but cheer on his little sister.

“Kai, can we read this together?” Anise picked up the book ‘The Woeful Blade’.

“Sure.”

Anise got up. Holding the book, she struggled to move her chair next to his. Kaidus got up to help her.

“I’ll go get dinner started. Your father should be home soon.” Adalina told them and left for the kitchen, leaving them with a loving smile.

 

 …

 

A short while after, the door opened and a man walked in.

“Daddy!” Anise jumped up and merrily ran over to welcome Troyle home.

“What’s this? You’re in a good- oh.” Troyle smiled, seeing the reason. “Did you just get back?” He called out to Kaidus, picking up Anise and walking towards the living room.

“We arrived this afternoon. Busy as usual?” Kaidus asked, knowing that this time of the year was usually quite hectic. With the arms competition and the lord’s attendance, guarding him amongst thousands of strangers was always something that had to be carefully planned and coordinated.

“A little. We’ve doubled the guards, so I’ve been busy teaching the new additions to stand in formations and be on alert.”

“Double the guards?”

“Only until after the day of the competition. The whole Varath family is attending the event this year so we’ve had to increase the security.” Troyle replied with a tired smile.

“Really?” He was surprised. He’d never seen Sylvia or Jillian at the competition with Lord Varath.

“Where’s your mother?”

“Lance was crying. She just went upstairs to check on him.” Kaidus replied as Anise came back to sit beside him.

“I see, so you’ve met your little brother.” Troyle gave a delighted grin.

“I did.”

“Well? What do you think of his name?”

“I like it. It sounds sharp and strong.”

“That’s good.”

“Daddy picked it.” Anise interjected happily.

“That I did.” Troyle confirmed with a proud grin. “Were you surprised when you saw him?”

“I was. You guys never mentioned a baby in the letters.”

“We wanted you to find out for yourself.” Troyle gave a mischievous smile, taking a seat across from them. “How about you? Let’s hear all about the last three years.”

The sound of footsteps came down the stairs.

“If you two are going to talk, how about holding Lance while I set the table?” Adalina called out from the stairs with Lance in her arms.

“Well then, bring me my son.” Troyle ushered. A wide smile on his face.

With Anise and Adalina both in the kitchen setting up the table and Troyle listening attentively—with lance in his arms.

Kaidus began recapping his three years.

 

—

 

Her eyes were wide open. She couldn’t sleep.

Today was one of the happiest days of her life. Her amazing older brother whom she adored was finally back, and he was still the same person who left them three years ago. His warm smile was the same, his ever-calming voice had changed a bit, but it soothed her as it always had. Just having him pat her head filled her with glee.

She sat up and got out of her bed, moving to the door. She was unable to go to sleep, afraid that when she woke up, her brother would be gone again.

Silently leaving her room, she moved to the door across from hers.

*Knock* *Knock* without waiting for an answer, she opened the door. “Kai? Are you in here?” She meekly asked, scared that he was gone already.

“Anise?” A little glowing orb manifested, lighting up the dark room.

“Ca-Can I sleep with you tonight?” She pleaded.

“Is everything alright?” Her brother asked, sitting up on his bed.

“Uhn, but I…” She fiddled with her hands, rubbing them back and forth afraid he would refuse.

“You wanna sleep together?” Her brother questioned.

“Please?” She asked again, pleading with her eyes.

She saw his kind smile. “Alright. Come here.” He lifted up his blanket and moved to the side of the bed to make room for her.

Without delay, she quickly jumped in. With a big smile, she grabbed onto his arm and hugged it as she closed her eyes.

Lying next to her beloved brother, sleep soon overtook her.

 

—

 

“Hah…” He sighed. “Why did this happen?” Kaidus asked himself, walking up onto the stage. His name had just been called.

It was the day of the arms competition.

Troyle, Anise, Lord Varath, and Lady Reanne—along with eight guards—were all standing behind him, waving him off with smiles and cheers. Adalina was staying home to look after Lance, saying it was too loud of an environment for the baby.

They’d had the misfortune of running into the Varath couple earlier that morning. After some talks between lord Varath and his father, it ended up with his name being entered as a contestant. He had an inkling the “coincidental meeting” as Lord Varath put it, had nothing to do with coincidences.

Troyle reasoned with the desire to see how far he’d come after three years, and the Varath’s instantly latched onto it. Even Anise enthusiastically begged him to participate after Troyle and the Varath couple managed to coerce her to their side.

With his arms tied and his name already entered, he unwillingly agreed to it.

…

 

“A tyke like ya dares ta cross blades with Arbaile, titan of Katilik?!” His opponent roared as they stood face to face with each other.

The man was quite tall—almost twice his own height—and wielded a wooden twin headed battle-axe. Although his opponent was not all that muscular, the way the man was easily handling the axe showed that he knew how to use it.

“Best ya giv’up before yer hurting all over, boy.” The man warned.

Kaidus bowed as a sign of respect to his opponent before taking a step back and lowering his stance.

He stretched out his left leg and his right bent low like a spring, taking a low aggressive posture. He bent his upper body forward and dropped his left sword onto the stage, bringing his left hand up to his face. His right sword was pointed up towards the sky, resting along his right arm behind his back in a reverse grip.

Kaidus calmly watched the man in front of him.

“Shoulda stayed home, boy.” The man smiled, warning him once more.

“Begin!” The stage 2 announcer called out after seeing their readiness.

“Guh-!”

The instant the call came, the tall man was blown sideways. Moaning and groaning, the man was holding his side, gasping for air and unable to get up. The wooden axe was dropped onto the stage. The announcer stood between them and announced the winner.

Kaidus picked up his sword. He made a curt bow toward the man once more before turning to walk away as the crowd went up into a storm of cheers and applauses.

The instant the signal was given, his right leg had sprung into action, kicking his body into motion and propelling him forward. Twisting his body with the backhand swing, his sword went straight into the man’s left side.

His speed had caught the unsuspecting man off guard. The power in his swing smashed into the man’s ribs, pushing the man off balance and onto the floor. He made sure the attack was non-lethal, but there were undoubtedly a few broken ribs along with a shattered pride.

Kaidus walked off the stage, moving to where his father and sister—along with Lord and Lady Varath—were waiting for him.

Although an unwilling participant, he was still a participant. Especially because his father and sister were watching, there was no other choice but to go for the win. 

“Well done,” Troyle spoke as he approached. “A single strike with a single sword huh? The captain’s taught you well.” Troyle stated with a wide grin.

“Kai!” Anise called out cheerfully, latching onto his arm as he joined them.

“Nothing less from Troyle’s son,” Lord Varath added with grin. “Magic and sword huh? I fear for the man who dares to incur your wrath.”

An embarrassed smile crept on his face at the compliments, but catching the Lord’s festive eyes, Kaidus could see that Lord Varath was already plotting something.

“Way to go, boy!” People shouted around them.

Surrounded by the eight guards, none dared approach them but he could feel the excited eyes of the audience looking their way.

“Mother?” A voice called out from behind them, breaking through the guards.

Turning to the newcomer, “Sylvia?” Lady Reanne answered.

Turning around, Kaidus saw a young lady with long dark blue hair wearing a plain beige dress. The girl had beautiful light blue eyes and fair skin that seemed to sparkle in the light, contrasting her dark blue hair. A wiry frame could be gauged through the plain dress and her long hair was tied to the side in a stylish manner.

“Sylvia, why’d you run off?” Someone else questioned, breaking through the guards.

“Mother? Father?” Followed by another.

Two older girls.
One with light brown hair tied into a tail. The girl was not wearing a dress, but light leather armor and what looked to be traveling pants, boots, and a long-sleeved shirt underneath.
The other was a beauty much like her mother—Lady Reanne. She had long dark blue hair and wore a cerulean outing dress.

Jillian was as beautiful as ever, but Sylvia was slowly growing into a beauty of her own.

He knew at once who the two dark haired girls were, but was uncertain about the other. 

“What are you girls doing here?” Lady Reanne inquired.

“Sylvia took off on her own. We were just following her.” The girl with brown hair answered, looking around and watching him cautiously.

“Is that so?” Lady Reanne’s lip curved into a smile.

“K-Kaidus?” Sylvia stuttered, gazing at him.

“Wha-?” The brown-haired girl’s face contorted with surprise.

“…” Jillian was silently looking at him. Her face was calm, but he could see the surprise in her eyes.

“Hi Sylvia.” He smiled back. Still clutching his arm, Anise’s face was beaming with delight.

Handing over his horse to a new recruit to be fed and cared for, a tall handsome man with short brown hair and a scar on his left cheek strolled into the fortress that he called home.

Making his way toward the back, he spotted a jovial old man sauntering through the halls.

“Captain!” The man yelled out, running up to catch the old man. “Is he training out back?” He enquired.

“Ah, good to see you’re back. The job was successful I assume?” The old man asked, giving him a curious and inquisitive face before walking along again.

“It was. Is Kaidus out back?” He repeated.

Captain Zikale stopped and grinned. “He’s gone already.”

“Gah… So I was too late.” Dalzak replied regretfully.

He had been on a job for the past twenty-nine days and had just returned to headquarters. He wanted to see his nephew one last time before the boy left for home, but unfortunately, he was too late.

“You shouldn’t have taken so long. You just missed his departure by three days.” Captain Zikale replied, enjoying Dalzak’s misfortune.

“Kuh-…” –You bastard. Was what he wanted to say, but Dalzak sighed instead. He knew the captain understood that any quicker was practically impossible. He was not about to dignify the captain’s impossible words with a reply. “There’s always next time.” Dalzak replied, keeping his tone neutral.

It took them thirteen days to ride south to the mining town of Cabalut. One day to investigate about the beast in the mines, and another two to find and deal with them. The trip back was also another thirteen days. There was no way he could have made it in time to see the boy off.

“… Who went with him?” He asked to make sure the young boy was not traveling alone.

“Aatar, Talien, Jakus, and York, along with Vasara’s group.” The Captain replied without turning to look at him.

“Vasara’s group? Oh, right. It’s that time of the year again.” He quickly understood.

“If you’re worried, why not get back on the road and follow them?”

“No, I’m good. If York and Vasara are with them, they’ll be fine. Also, my butt and thighs need a few days of rest before I’m willing to get on a horse again.” Dalzak gave a tired smile.

“Join me for lunch then? You can tell me all about the job.” The old man asked, turning through the hallway and heading toward the mess hall.

“Sure. I could use a warm meal.” Dalzak’s tired smile widened into a grin. He wanted to get some rest after the exhausting trip, but a hot meal and full belly sounded even better now that he thought about it.

“What was it that was killing the miners?” The Captain asked, taking a quick glance at him before entering the canteen.

“A large cave hound. The bitch was feeding her litter of pups with miners.” Dalzak answered, following the captain.

“A cave hound huh? I’m surprised they had no idea what it was when they hired us.”

“The damned creature was smart. Even we didn’t know what we were up against until we baited the thing out into the open.”

Dalzak began his report. His familial regrets about missing the young boy’s departure by three days were already gone, having reverted back to a professional mercenary.

 

***

 

A young girl wearing a beautiful blue dress was running through the spacious hallway to her room. With a bright smile on her face, her years of training were evident in the way she moved: elegantly, silently, and swiftly.

Long auburn hair flowed behind her and underneath the beautiful aquamarine dress, a prominent mound denoted her developing bosoms. Her cute childish face was already transforming itself into a beautiful young lady’s: a straight sharp nose, enticing red lips, and beautiful bright brown eyes.

It was already the beginning of Rinol, and she will be turning sixteen in half a turn.

Her father had just approved her entry into the annual arms competition this year, which was to be held a handful of days after her birthday.

It was what she wanted for the past two years.

She had begged her father for the chance to test her skills against those who would not hold back against her due to her status. Having just learned of his approval from her mother, she was racing back to her room to change and start her daily training, having already finished her academic lessons.

With the incoming freeze of Rinol, a sizable area of farmland outside the city would be primed for the event. Security consisted of mages from all three branches of the Mystiks guild along with hundreds of knights and mercenaries from various mercenary guilds. The event spans a whole day from morning to sundown with hundreds of participants testing their mettle against each other, while thousands of spectators watched and cheered.

Not only was the competition an event to test one’s abilities, it was a great place for skillful mercenaries and commoners to catch the eyes of a wealthy patron—in the hopes of entering into martial service.

Four years ago, after getting engrossed with her training, she begged her brother to take her and was blown away by the atmosphere and sheer amount of people and activities going on.

Vendors sold delicious freshly cooked snacks, merchants sold merchandises obtained from all over the world, knights and sword masters displayed their skills to throngs of onlookers, and thousands of people intermingled without worrying too much about social status and such.

It was unlike her sheltered life of lessons and etiquette within the walls of the 11^th ward.

The competition itself awed and inspired her to work even harder on her training.

Entering her room, she quickly untied the laces to her dress and discarded the beautiful piece onto her bed. Wearing only her underclothes, she moved to her dresser and pulled out a getup unlike her usual dresses. It was her training outfit, and something out of a man’s wardrobe. Black pants, a black lace shirt, and a sash.

Putting the training outfit on the floor, she cupped her developing breasts and sighed. They were beginning to impede her, and were garnering the sort of attention she wanted nothing of. She noticed on more than one occasion, the salacious eyes of the other boys when she is out in the courtyard training with the others. Thankfully because of her status, no one dared to approach her for anything beyond that of a practice match.

Besides the discomfort, there was no longer anyone around her age within the Ravon Manor who could stand up against her. Four years of arduous training and an innate talent for the sword, she could almost fight on par with her older brother Vion who was knighted earlier that year, and is someone who has been learning the sword for more than half his life. 

Taking a long piece of cloth, she bound her bosoms to keep them from encumbering her. She promptly put on the new outfit and tied her hair into a tail before heading to the courtyard.

…

“Right on time, Naleen.” A man spoke, smiling as she entered the courtyard.

“Daaro. You free? Can you practice with me?” She asked, seeing the man was just standing there watching the others train.

Daaro, a spellblade who had studied directly under her grandfather for the past seven years was like an older brother to her. Although no longer learning from her grandfather, the man had stayed in her grandfather’s employ, using his free time to come to the Ravon manor and train with the house knights and students.

“Hmmm… sure. Heard Lord Huin has given permission for you to enter the arms competition this year. Might as well make sure you don’t shame the Ravon name.” Daaro made a mocking grin.

“I will do no such thing. Without you all participating, I’m going for the win.” She replied, full of confidence.

Many of the more skillful knights were not taking part in the competition due to being security for the event. It was the way the knights have always done it whenever the competition came around. Not being a knight, she was free to participate.

“Oh really?” Daaro chuckled to himself.

“What’s so funny? Don’t believe I can?” Naleen inquired.

“It’s not that I don’t believe you can, but you can surely try. There are plenty of strong fighters out there and Vion is entering too, so you might have a little trouble there.” Daaro grinned.

“Vion? What about his duties as a knight?”

“That is his duty. He’s been chosen to display the strength of a knight before the people. If he does well, it’ll go to show that even a newly appointed knight such as him has the abilities to go through such a fierce competition. If he wins, it’ll increase the people’s trust towards the knights.” Daaro replied.

“And if he doesn’t do well or wins?” she enquired curiously.

“Then it can be said that he’s a newly appointed knight.” Daaro smiled.

“Hmph. If that’s the case, I hope he loses on the first round. If he is up against me, I’ll do everything I can to take him down. Even if I can’t, people will see him struggle against a girl, and they’ll laugh at him.” Naleen grinned.

“That’s quite the ambitious plot you got going there, but unfortunately the audience will not care about his struggle, only his victory. As I recall, you’ve never won a single bout against Vion.” Daaro responded with a smug smile.

“I’ll make sure to beat him for the first time in the competition for everyone to see!” She snapped back without hesitation.

“Hehehe. Alright, how about we spar over there by the Azolus trees? I’ll try and help you to figure out Vion’s quirks. Maybe you’ll have a chance at taking him out.” Daaro grinned.

…

Nine-teen days later, a lavish dinner party thrown in celebration of her sixteenth birthday. Hundreds of guests attended, and every corner of the Ravon manor echoed with greetings and pleasant conversations. Food was being catered around to the guests, and a joyous atmosphere pervaded all throughout the manor.

“You’ve grown so beautiful! Oh, how I wish we had a son to accompany you for the duration of the evening!” An overly dressed woman in her fifties exclaimed upon seeing her. “Holtus! Look at how much little Naleen has grown!” The woman pulled a boisterous round man from his conversation with two other guests.

“My, how the years have passed. What a beauty you’ve become.” The man smiled upon seeing her.

“Thank you for both for attending, uncle and aunt Landersfell.” She gave a dazzling smile. “You both flatter me too much. You said the same things last year.”

She was courteously greeting the many notable lords and ladies who attended the celebration.

The Landersfell were longtime friends of the Ravon family and had known her ever since she was a babe.

“Nonsense. Like they say: it is a gentlemen’s obligation to praise a beautiful woman.” The jolly man replied with a smile.

“And pray tell, where might I find this ‘gentlemen’?” Her aunt questioned with a playful tone.

“Hehehe.” Naleen couldn’t help but laugh at the remark.

“Gah! This wife of mine. Be sure to treat your husband better when you’re married, Naleen. Don’t do what your aunt does.” The man smiled, playing along with his wife’s retort.

The older woman laughed along with her. “You probably have many other guests to greet. Scurry along now, we shan’t hold you.”

“It was great seeing the both of you again. Please excuse me.” She curtsied to the two, and continued greeting the other guests.

…

After greeting those she knew—over thirty different pairs of guests—she made her way to the manor courtyard where Sylvia and Jillian said they would be waiting.

She wore a beautiful black gown with red flares and a golden bodice. An intricate golden pattern flowed down her sides, converging behind her back where the dress was laced up. Along with her gentle flowing hair, she drew the attention of everyone as she entered the courtyard.

Spying Jillian and Sylvia gawking at her, she moved to her friends.

“You’re so pretty, Naleen.” Sylvia spoke admiringly as she approached them.

“No, you both are.” Naleen returned the compliment, the corner of her mouth edging into an embarrassed smile.

Sylvia wore a gorgeous silver dress with blue and black inlays. The younger girl was only twelve, and her feminine features have yet to reveal themselves, but she was growing to be a beautiful girl. Over the past couple years, Sylvia had grown out of her timid habit, speaking her mind, sometimes even standing up for herself against those who would attempt to ridicule her at these types of get-together.

Jillian on the other hand, transformed into a cool beauty edging upon the cusps of womanhood. Wearing a simple blue dress with a slanted skirt, the dress conformed to her body perfectly and exhibited her ample bust and waist. Long dark blue hair curled into a fashionable style, leaving a small portion to hang down to the side of her shoulder. Jillian was undoubtedly the bitterness of all the young ladies here tonight, having stolen the attention from most of the young men.

“Did you notice everyone was watching you?” Jillian asked with a smile.

“I don’t care about the gazes of inarticulate fosies who don’t even dare to talk to me.” Naleen replied without looking around.

“Can you blame them?” Jillian replied. “They know how strong you are. I’d bet none of them could hold themselves against you in a sword fight.”

“That doesn’t mean I’ll beat them up just for greeting me.” She retorted.

“What if you do?” Jillian cracked a smile. “Speaking of beating up people, are you entering the arms competition this year?”

“I am. I managed to get approval from my father a while ago,” Naleen grinned. “Are you two coming to watch the competition?”

“We’d love to, but you know our father. He deemed it too dangerous for us to be outside of Ferrent, especially for such an occasion with thousands of people wandering about.” Jillian responded.

“But he always attends. Why can’t you both just go with him?”

“The logic of adults, Naleen. Do what I say, not what I do.” Jillian replied. “Hmm… well… maybe this year we can use you as a bargaining chip along with a few juicy pieces of information I’ve been saving.” Jillian’s eyes widened, and a devious smile crept onto her face.

“Jill… you’re making that face again.” Sylvia spoke up, warning her sister.

The face Sylvia spoke of was Jillian’s scheming face, usually displayed when she’d come up with plans to manipulate events and conversations to her way. It usually always rears its ugly face whenever she is about to verbally crush anyone arrogant and stupid enough to argue against her.

“Hehe, sorry. I was too elated at the possibility of finally going outside of these dreary walls, and seeing the event for myself.”

“Told you, you should have joined me and Vion last year. It’s not like it was just the two of us. All the students were there too, and we always move in groups.” Naleen replied to her friend’s words.

“Maybe this year even if father doesn’t allow us, we’ll hide with you guys.”

“Jill, father would find out.” Sylvia admonished.

“It’ll be too late when he does. We’ll already be there with Naleen and them by that time,” Jillian replied. “You want to go watch the competition too, don’t you? Naleen is entering. Don’t you want to cheer her on?”

“Yea I do…” Sylvia replied, understanding that her sister was not about to give up on whatever she was planning.

“Well then, we’ll plan this more after you ask your father.” Naleen couldn’t help but grin. She was always surrounded by the male students and her brother whenever they went to watch the competition. To have her friends going too, she was excited at the prospect. “Ah, right. I heard your parents are looking for suitors for you, Jillian.” Naleen added, changing the discussion.

“Ugh… I don’t want to talk about it…” The older girl sighed, leaning back against the walls of the courtyard.

“Hehehe. Jill’s been making them run home one after another. Mother’s been having quite the laugh.” Sylvia giggled, answering for her sister.

“Syl!”

“Hahahaha!” Naleen burst into laughter.

The guests in the courtyard turned to look at them curiously.

 

—

 

Sylvia stood in front of one of the five stages, watching the tournament unfold. 

It was the morning of the arms competition, and a few of the matches have already concluded. Naleen’s name had just been called to enter the 4^th stage, and she was standing in the audience with Jillian, shouting and cheering. They were surrounded by four Varath house guards while their mother and father were elsewhere, looking for someone.

Unlike what she and Jillian previously assumed, their father had allowed them to come along and watch the competition, bringing along many of the family guards.

“Naleen! Good luck!!” She yelled out as the older girl stepped onto the stage, making her way to the center. Beside her, Jillian also shouted words of encouragement.

Naleen’s opponent was a bristly and burly man who looked more thug than swordsman. The man was two heads taller than Naleen, and seemed to be shouting pejorative comments at the announcer.

The matches were fought with wooden swords, and went until someone forfeits, could no longer continue, or the judges stops the match. Fatal wounds were an automatic disqualification, but all the participants understood the risks of such an event.

Sylvia watched as Naleen’s match unfolded.

The fight was unlike the guard’s training that she’d glimpse every now and then at home.

Naleen was moving all around the stage, deftly avoiding and deflecting the strikes of the older man. They were only using wooden swords, but the sound of the impacts were even more dreadful than those of metal swords. Every time the wooden swords collided, she feared Naleen would lose her grip and get injured.

Yet, the match did not turn out how she and the majority of the audience had expected.

Instead it had ended with an exhausted man slowing down, and two quick strikes to the man’s chest from Naleen, dropping the man. It was a drawn-out fight, but her friend emerged a victor none the less.

The judge announced the victor, and others began moving onto the stage to prepare it for the next bout, removing the defeated man.

She quickly ran over to where Naleen was stepping off of the stage.

“Naleen!” Sylvia yelled out. “That was amazing! I didn’t know you were so strong!” she exclaimed, full of excitement.

“Thanks, but I can’t celebrate yet since it’s just the beginning.” Naleen gave her a smile.

“I would have never guessed you’d be able to fight someone like that,” Jillian added, following up behind her. “He looked so strong.”

“That man was tough, but he was weak. He lacked the proper skills and training, relying more on his brute strength and body rather than abilities.” Naleen nonchalantly explained. “I don’t think my next match will be coming for a while. You both want to get a snack and watch the other matches?”

“Yes!” Sylvia quickly replied, seeing how comfortable Naleen was in this type of environment.
It was her first time here at the arms competition, but it was Naleen’s fourth. Having her be the guide wasn’t such a bad idea.

They began making their way toward the food stands. Two knights from the Ravon house and the four guards of the Varath house followed behind them.

As they passed the second stage, “Stage two! Kaidus and Arbaile!” A voice resounded through the crowd, calling the next contestants.

‘Kaidus’

Sylvia’s ears perked up at the name. She stopped walking and instantly turned to the direct of the stage.

““Sylvia?”” Naleen and Jillian both asked as she began to move toward stage two.

She saw as a young boy around her age entered the stage from the side.

The boy had long pitch-black hair down to his nose. Parted to the side, they revealed his piercing dark eyes and childishly handsome face. He wore common clothes: a leather jerkin over a black sleeved shirt, and plain brown pants as befit his status. In his hands, the boy held two wooden swords.

He walked calmly into the middle of the stage and bowed to an opponent that towered over him.

Sylvia’s heart fluttered at the realization of who it was.

She’d not seen him for the past three years. Although she still visited his house with her mother, she often wondered about him.

She recalled his composed visage as he calmly rejected her father in the carriage. Their conversation in the garden and his praises, along with his genial attitude that she’d grown accustomed to over the single year before his disappearance.
She never forgot any of it.

“Two swords… I wonder what kind of style that boy fights with…” Naleen stated from beside her.

“What is it Sylvia? Do you know him?” Her sister Jillian asked, unable to identify the young boy.

Without answering, Sylvia watched as the boy promptly dispatched his opponent in an instant.

The crowd went into an uproar with shouts and applauses, seeing the unconventional feat before them.

Sylvia grasped her hands to her chest.
It was really him. It could be no one else but him.

The man had already discarded his plate armor, knowing that it would only slow him down. He ran swiftly through the darkening forest, clutching a young boy to his chest.

“B-Biran, B-Biran,” An anxious and terrified voice called out. The boy’s face was filled with terror, whimpering between the calls. “You’re bleeding, Biran!” The boy finally cried out.

“Hush, my Prince. *Ha…. Ha….*” The man replied, breathing heavily.

“But you’re bleeding! Please don’t die, Biran!” The young boy pleaded, his whimpering turning into sobs.

“I’ll be fine. *Ha…* I am not dying here, and neither are you.” The man calmly replied between breaths, reassuring the frightened boy who had witnessed a gruesome slaughter.
Against his words, the man’s body was wracked with pain. He could feel his lifeblood slowly leaking out from the various cuts and stab wounds he had incurred earlier. As much as he wished to rest and dress his wounds, such luxuries could not be afforded.
Every step he took reimbursed him with a sharp pain, but the man pressed on.

Twenty knights and three mages were the Imperial guards for the young Prince, but now it was likely just him.
A large force of cutthroats had impeded their path on their return to the Imperial capital and attacked them. Within the bandit’s ranks was an unknown mage that decimated their forces. Their three mages could do nothing but try and suppress the destruction of the single enemy mage.
Seeing that they would all perish, the other knights ushered him and the boy into the woods.
He had gritted his teeth as he took the prince and ran for their lives, leaving better men to sacrifice their lives to buy time for them to flee.

He did not know how long he has been running.
There was no stopping to think about it in fear of the enemies on their trail. The forest grew ever darker the further they went, and his surroundings were beginning to blur into a pitch black canvas.

“GYUA-!” The man cried out in pain before quickly silencing himself.
Stumbling over a tree root, he twisted his body to the side so as not to land on the young boy he was carrying. Unfortunately, he landed on something that was protruding out of the ground, causing intense pain in his right arm.

“Oohwww!” The young boy uttered, sobbing and pushing himself off the ground.

“Guh- Forgive me, my Prince.” The man quickly apologized and move to pick up the boy once again, but he could not. Sharp pain ran through his right arm where he had fallen with the boy. Whatever was protruding out of the ground had severely injured his arm.
He turned around and lowered his body, squatting. “Quick, get on.” He told the young boy, guiding the boy to his back in the dark.

With a lame arm, he held onto the young Prince with his good left arm and used his own body to plow through the thick undergrowth, making their way deeper into what he hopes to be their salvation.

 

-Somewhere in the world-

The entity woke up and began rampaging. It was trapped within a large container of some sort, sealed with powerful magic.

Using what little mana it had accumulated from the summoning, the entity lashed out at the side of the container, barely scratching it.

It did not know how many days or years it had slept, but whoever sealed it knew what it was, and knew what they were doing.

The container’s seals prevented the entity from dematerializing back into Lagus. It also siphoned the entity’s essence, using its powers to reinforce the magic seals that were undoubtedly designed to keep spirits in check.

The seals did not deter it though. With every summon attempt from its master, the entity is strengthened. The master’s natural mana reinforcing its own strength, breaking apart the prison piece by piece from the inside.

Having exerted all its strength, the entity fell silent. It would wait for the next summoning before continuing with its undertakings.

 

—

 

-Somewhere else in the world-

A man was rushing down the hall of a castle, heading somewhere with haste.

“My lord!” He shouted, seeing the person he was looking for.

“What’s the rush?” A man dressed in an array of colors asked.

“It’s shaking again, my lord!”

“Not again! Go get the mages!” The lord shouted with irritation.

With haste, the lord ran through the castle, heading toward his family vault.

As soon as he opened the vault doors, he saw the cause of the problem.

A long wooden box: intricately carved and covered with inscribed runes and sealed with innumerable unknown enchantments. The box was seamless and there was no means of opening it.

Although it was made of wood, the long box neither burned nor break. Even destruction magic had no impact on it.

It was his house’s treasured possession, the Iesian Box, and it was now shaking erratically.

The first time it started trembling was half a year ago in the middle of Soqu, but now it was as if the box was trying to break itself open. The two ends were jumping off the floor, hitting things within the room and moving irregularly.

Ever since his ancestors fifteen generations ago obtained it from a merchant, the box had never been recorded to do anything like that.

Having grown up hearing that the runes and magic sealing the long box were to keep a demon inside, when it first began to tremble, they gathered their mages to ready up for battle, but the quivering quickly died down and the box went back to normal.

Today would be the eleventh time it’s happened, and looked as if the box would really crack or blow open.

He watched with trepidation as a group of six mages entered the vault.

“My lord, please stay back!” One of the mages yelled out.

The lord took a few steps back and watched as the mages circled the heirloom.

Before they could even start invoking a spell, the box stopped quivering.

 

***

 

“Too slow!” A man shouted. *Thwack!* the sound of a practice sword hitting leather armor.

He was sparring with a younger man that was in his mid-twenties.

The man had short gray hair and sported a well-trimmed full beard. Not wearing a shirt, his many deeds could be seen scrawled all over his upper body as scars. Stab wounds, cuts, gashes, and burns, each with a story to tell. Although he was already in his fifties, his body was in its prime: rippling with muscle and toned with decades of arduous training and hard work.

His sweaty body glistened in the afternoon sun as he moved about, stepping methodically to evade the attacks coming at him. He fought with a blunt metal sword while holding his left hand behind his back.

His opponent was out of breath but he moved with finesse and vigor.

They were fighting in a separate area of the training yard away from the others. A circle of spectators had gathered, hollering at the exhibition.

He twisted his upper body at an angle to evade a diagonal slash. Holding his sword sideways, he parried a strike and slashed at the younger man’s shoulder. *Shick!*

“Don’t let the sword sway you out of position!” He bellowed, taking a stance.

Grasping the sword with both hands, the younger man quickly turned around to face him again. “YAAAHH!!” Shouting, the man lunged in for an overhead strike.

*CLAANG!*
Without moving, he swiped at the young man’s sword, effortlessly knocking it out of the younger man’s hands.

“Grasp your sword tightly! Your life depends on it!” He barked, seeing how easy it was to disarm the man.

“*hah…* captain, can’t we stop? *hah….*” The younger man asked, catching his breath. “My hands are sore and we’re all tired.”

“You ladies all burnt out? Can’t handle an old man’s sword?” He jeered. There were two others who were already exhausted and slouching against a wall.

The sound of laughter from spectators echoed around them.

“Next time we’re hunting drakalls, I’m putting you all at the front!” he shouted, trying to fire them up.

“You all better start moving guys, the captain will seriously do it.” Someone jokingly added from the audience.

Captain Zikale grinned, keeping his eyes closely upon the three as he carefully evaluated their year of progress.

For a whole year the recruits had been learning how to fight while doing menial jobs for the company. Usually risk-free, they had always been under the watchful eyes of those more experienced. Nut now, it was that time again. Fighting them head on would allow him to understand their progress and their abilities, which would determine the kind of jobs that he will be assigning them and ultimately to see if they could be elevated to full-fledged mercenaries ready for combat or not.

“AGAIN!” He screamed, his grin widening.

Although this was already the 5^th team he’d evaluated ever since breakfast, his fighting spirit continued to flare without end and his muscles ached for more.

“Khug…”
One of the two by the wall grabbed a practice sword and walked toward him, eyes burning with new flames.

“Good! COME!” He shouted.

“Captain!” Someone yelled out, unceremoniously interrupting them.

“What?!” He roared back, halting the fight as a woman broke into the encircled arena.

“There’s someone here to see you.” The messenger replied with a crafty grin.

“Who?”

From amidst of the spectators behind the woman, he detected a killing aura and barely caught the blurs of a shadow moving toward him. Zikale quickly pushed the messenger aside and stepped forward with his left foot, bracing himself to receive the incoming attack with a quick chant.

*CLANG!* the sound of metal exploded as their swords clashed.

He blocked his assailant’s attack, but had to reinforce his own body with mana to withstand the strength of the blow. He grinned, seeing the person who had attacked him.

The spectators around them drew their weapons, ready to intervene. A few others stood and watched with smiles on their face.

“Were you trying to kill me with that practice sword? Or pat me on the shoulder?” He bellowed with a smile.

Standing three fingers width taller and staring at him straight in the eyes, was Troyle.

He’d not seen the man for over a decade, but the defining features were there: Fiery red hair and a sharp handsome face, along with the usual disrespect of a surprise attack.

“Is it just me, or are your arms shaking old man?” His attacker replied with a smirk.

“Picking on me now that I’m an old man? Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten that I used to beat you bloody with one hand tied behind my back.”

“Those were fun times. Allow me to return the favor, Captain.” Troyle returned a devious grin.

Upon hearing what Troyle called him, their many spectators slowly sheathed their weapons.

“HAH! And I will still beat you bloody! I’ll just be using two hands to do it this time!” Zikale retorted. With a quick incantation, he forced Troyle back with an empowered push.

“Resorting to magic?” Troyle countered, jumping back with the push.

“I’m an old man. Remember?” It was his turn to give a grin, pointing his practice sword at the man he was once training to take his position.

 “It’s good to see you again, Captain.” Troyle replied with a grin.

“You too. I heard from Dalzak that you’d be bringing the family around one of these days. Glad to see you, but where’s the family?” He replied cordially.

“Kaidus!” Troyle shouted.

Zikale watched as a young boy with short black hair and piercing dark eyes came through the circle of spectators. The boy walked calmly to stand beside Troyle, staring straight at him without paying any attention to those around them.

“Adalina and my daughter are over there.” Troyle pointed to where they were standing with the spectators. “Captain, this is my son Kaidus.” Troyle spoke proudly, introducing the boy. “Kaidus, meet Zikale Lorvak, one of the greatest swordsmen I’ve ever known.”

“Kaidus huh? It’s a great name.” Zikale replied with a warm smile, walking toward Troyle and the boy.

“Nice to meet you. Thank you for looking after my parents.” The boy greeted him and made a gracious bow.

 

—

 

Kaidus pulled his gaze from the old man, having seen that the man did not recognize him from their previous encounter.

The last time he saw Zikale Lorvak, the man was clad in armor from head to toe. The man in front of him now was an old man with no shirt on, and was only wearing pants. Yet, the old man stood with a domineering posture and walked with a stride that commanded respect.

He felt the magic that the old man used against Troyle earlier. He knew that the captain was not a powerful mage, but from what little he saw, he could tell that the man was a master of using what little capacity he had to the utmost.

With an underwhelming amount of mana, the old man was using his magic in bursts, only reinforcing his body with the most crucial timings.

It was far from the style he himself fought with: sustaining powerful magic and overwhelming his opponents with his immeasurable strength.

“Kaidus, remember what I said?” Troyle spoke.

“Yes, father.” He replied calmly. Inside, he was filled with excitement and anticipation.

“Captain, my son’s been wanting to meet you for a very long time. He also wishes to join the Droxxon Mercenaries to learn as I did.” Troyle looked around. “Uresa tells me you were breaking in the recruits from the previous year. I know you’re probably tired, but would it be alright if you tested him too?” Troyle asked without worry. In contrast, his tone gave off a very confident vibe.

“Really?” The old man’s eyes widened in surprise and his mouth curved into a smile at Troyle’s words. “Have you been teaching the boy the sword?”

“The Formless Blades Style, for the past year.”

“Hahahaha! Just like the mercenary customs!” Captain Zikale laughed heartily. It was as if Troyle had been teaching the boy for this exact reason. He had heard about Troyle’s son from Dalzak and Vick already and would happily welcome the boy but as Captain, he could not favor the young boy because of his affiliation with Troyle.

“So, he wants to join us is it? Hmmm… He’s a little young…” The captain pretended to ponder about it. “Let’s see… If he can land a clean hit on me, I’ll allow it. If not, bring him back in a couple years.” Zikale replied with a grin, not allowing his intentions to be visible. He wanted to test the boy’s skills before making a verdict out loud.

A commotion could be heard as the spectators who were watching the tests started clamoring into discussions. Some laughed at the thought of a boy landing a hit onto their captain who had been fighting all morning without getting struck by any of the others.

Those who laughed did not know the man named Troyle. Those who knew, silently watched with curious eyes.

Troyle turned to his son with a grin. “You heard him Kaidus. One good hit.” He then turned to Zikale. “Captain, I implore you to not let your guard down.” Troyle quickly advised before moving back to stand with Adalina and Anise.

“Tell me young man, why do you want to be a mercenary?” Captain Zikale asked, looking at Kaidus.

“I require the practical experience and knowledge that cannot be found in the city and books.”

“Really? Has your father never told you about the dangers? Being a mercenary is not for everyone, especially a young boy like you who’s barely off his mother’s teats.”

“I am aware of the dangers.” Kaidus calmly replied, not getting pulled into the old man’s provocations.

“Keheheh! Is that so?” Zikale could see the calm determination in the boy’s eyes. “Alright then, let’s see what your father has taught you.” He took a few steps back to put some distance between them. “Begin whenever you want.” He smiled inside. If the child was anything like Troyle, he was in for a treat.

How wrong he was.
In the instant the boy moved, the boy’s presence vanished. Like his father, the child moved like lightning. Zikale blinked, and the child was upon him, cutting upward with the smaller practice swords. Zikale hastily brought down his sword to block the attack. His quick reflexes and physique barely helping him to stop the boy’s blade.

His eyes widen in surprise, as a second slash followed the boy’s first, knocking his sword upward and breaking his guard.

‘Twin Fangs?!’

His mind shouted and he took a quick step back. He quickly lowered his body’s center of gravity into a defensive stance.

It was no surprise to him that a practitioner of the Formless Blades Style could use Rising Talon, but to be able to elevate the skill to Twin Fangs was something else.

Leagues above the difficulty of Rising Talon, the skill required excellent control of both weapons and the body, so as not to be pulled by the weight of the initial strike. The skill consists of Rising Talon and a secondary upward attack with the left sword. If the surprise of the first strike could not do the job, the devastating second attack would surely finish it.

‘So this is why you were so confident.’ Zikale thought about Troyle’s attitude.

The attacks were also quite heavy and unlike that of a young boy. His first assessment had been way off.

‘The wolf’s son is not another wolf, but a ferocious drakall.’ Zikale thought to himself as the boy darted in for another attack.

With his two initial attacks blocked, Kaidus quickly twisted his swords around into a reverse grip. His surprise attack had startled the captain, but with the new stance the old man took, it would not work a second time.

He charged in again.
Swinging his right sword in a diagonal arc from the side, his opponent easily parried it upward. He spun around stabbing with the left sword and the old man rapidly stepped away to evade it. Using the spin, he kicked out with his right foot but was easily blocked by his opponent’s free hand.

He caught a grin on the old man’s face after his kick was stopped.

Kaidus kicked away from the old man.

He changed his grip again to a normal grip and stood calmly with his two swords pointing down.

In the audience, Troyle grinned.

“Was that all?” Zikale goaded.

Suddenly an intense killing aura began emanating from the child and he felt cold sweats running down his back. The boy’s presence vanished again, and a blur came at him.
“GUH!” He grunted.

Scrambling, Zikale oscillated his upper body backward, evading the first horizontal slash. Taking two quick steps to his right, he barely managed to dodge another.
It was too close.
The sound of a sword cutting through the air came from his right side and Captain Zikale instantly closed his mind and allowed his fighting instincts to take over.
Lifting his blade, he barely blocked the attack. Spinning around, he managed to deflect another strike from the back. Not wanting to get caught in the boy’s pace, he slashed his sword sideways in order to break the child’s flurry of attacks but missed as another attack came at him from the front. Hastily contorting him upper body, he barely managed to block it in time.

“How much did you teach him Troyle?!” He shouted angrily, barely successful in his struggle to avoid getting hit. He was glad for all the times he had spent sparring with those of the Formless Blades Style.

The child had just unleashed a blade-form skill: Scarlet Wings. A deadly maneuver that incorporated extreme agility to aggressively attack the foe from all sides. It was called Scarlet Wings, because of the speed which made it look as if the attacker was flying about the target, splashing wings of blood with each slash. It would leave the victim in a pool of their own blood, bleeding to death if they weren’t lucky enough to die during the dance.

In a battle of equals, there was no true counter to the maneuver except to wait for the opponent to run out of energy.

The child was far from his equal, but he could do nothing but defend and bide his time against the fleet-footed boy.

Kaidus continued his flurry of strikes against the old man, relentlessly attacking from every angle he could. He moved like the wind to avoid getting caught, stepping into the old man’s blind spots, moving erratically so as not to be predictable.

It was the beauty of the formless blades style. Conforming and adapting to every little change during the battle, moving with finesse and agility that overwhelmed the opponents and whittling them down without leaving any room for retaliation.

Yet try as he might, he was coming up short of landing a clean hit against the man. His small legs were not keeping up with his thoughts, and the swords were slowly weighing him down little by little.

“Everything! Watch yourself Captain!” He heard Troyle shout, answering the old man’s question.

Kaidus quickly jumped away to stand at a distance again, seeing his attacks were barely missing their marks.

“Ha… Truly your father’s son.” Zikale spoke, taking a breather.
He had managed to barely avoid or defend against the boy’s attacks. It was like fighting against someone who’d been learning the style all their life. His only advantage was his longer reach and legs which were able to move him out of the boy’s range easily. One step for him was at least two for the boy.

Kaidus calmed himself and switched his left sword into a reverse grip before dashing at the old man again with a new plan in mind.

He rushed forward and threw his right sword at the man’s head. The sword was quickly deflected and sent flying. Kaidus jumped up and slashed upward with his remaining sword. The old man twisted his own sword down and blocked the attack. Following the block, Kaidus attempted to knee the old man in midair, but his knee got caught by the old man’s free hand.

Correctly judging that old man had enough strength in the single arm to support his weight, Kaidus leaned forward to offset his body from falling backwards and grinned. He reached up and caught the sword he threw earlier, instantly planting it straight down into the man’s shoulder as he leaned forward.

The match was over. The objective had been accomplished.

Zikale stared blankly in surprise at the boy’s aerial maneuver and the calculated attack.

He had tried everything to not be careless after the shocking opening, but he did not expect the child to throw his weapon. In his surprise, he deflected it but that had worked against him.

His mind quickly played through what just happened.

The weapon was thrown from a low angle with a forward spin to it. When he mindlessly deflected it, the spin shot it upward. It was as if the follow up strike and kick were all ruses to divert his attention from noticing the sword in the air.

As if the boy knew that his short arms wouldn’t be able to reach him, and calculated the sword throw into the attack since it was crucial as an extension for a hit.

“Did you already know the outcome?” Zikale asked, astonished at how many steps the young boy was thinking ahead.

He only wanted to test the boy’s resolve and was going to welcome him regardless of getting a hit in or not, but the result was even better than expected.

“The way you were blocking my attacks looked as if you were moving on instinct. I thought maybe it might work, but I didn’t think it would work so well.” Kaidus replied calmly. Inside, he was exhilarated with the outcome.

The audience watched in silence at the indescribable feat that just took place.

Those who were expecting something from Troyle’s son were not disappointed.

“You should have strengthened your attacks more and used magic to help stop my movements to break my defense… Or is it that you can’t use immobilization magic yet?”

“Strengthen? Magic?” Kaidus looked at the man with a puzzled face.

“You weren’t using magic?” Zikale inquired curiously. The attacks had been too devastating for someone so young.

“You weren’t, so I didn’t think I could.”

“PWAHAHAHAA!!” Captain Zikale exclaimed with joy.

 

—

 

Currently sitting in a room were: Captain Zikale, Uresa—the messenger woman, Troyle, Adalina, Kaidus, Anise, and a few others who knew Troyle and Adalina.

 

Kaidus sat quietly as his parents reminisced with those around them. Anise sat beside him with her eyes drooping, looking exhausted and very different from her usual energetic self.

He was also tired after the long ride from Nultulk and the match earlier, but his mind wandered.

The year had passed uneventfully, and he was thankful for it.
He left the academy soon after telling his parents of his intentions, notifying the headmaster of the impromptu withdrawal.

He had spent the year practicing swordsmanship, occasionally accompanying Troyle to the Varath house, and helping to teach Anise how to read. Overall, just enjoying his time with his family.

He also informed his parents of the black ring with Anise, telling them what it is. Troyle questioned it at first, but ultimately ended up complying with the decision to leave Hasen with Anise.

Excluding Zion who’ll be staying with him, contact with Feziel or Vishan were nonexistent. After a year and a half of his first summon, the two have yet to make an appearance or reply to his call. He was apprehensive about their situation, but there was nothing he can do about it as it is.

He had also sent a letter to Lord Ravon, thanking the kind lord knight commander and notifying him of the withdrawal from the school, returning the sponsorship document with the letter. 

He chuckled, recalling Lady Reanne’s surprised face when she and Sylvia came for a visit. Only to see that he was still at home and not at school.

He recalled the many families who had come to him for help, and he worried about the actions of those whom he had refused.

He remembered the now energetic and optimistic Naran whom he ran into while out shopping with his mother and sister.

He slowly closed his eyes and saw the faces of the many people in the 3^rd ward whom he had gotten to know over the past nine years.

Exhausted, his eyes closed as he listened to the soothing sound of laughter and stories. Understanding that in a couple of days, his parents and sister will be going back to Ferrent, leaving him here to begin carving his own path in life.

He smiled, remembering the amount of trouble he had to go through to persuade his little sister about the parting.

He felt as Anise’s head tipped onto his shoulder as she fell asleep.

He heard as Adalina giggled, mentioning something about them sleeping before following his sister into peaceful slumber.

Troyle moved in to receive the attack.
He parried a downward slash with his left sword and thrust his right sword forward. The masked man swept his thrust away, spinning around to kick him in the chest.

Bracing himself, Troyle took the kick dead on, grunting at the impact and returning the kick with an elbow to the man’s leg, following it up with a sharp downward slice. The man quickly slammed down the extended leg, barely avoiding the slash.

A cross-cut came at Troyle from both sides. Instead of blocking it, he quickly moved backward to avoid it. The moment the man’s two swords crossed and passed each other, Troyle moved forth and aimed to cut into the man’s arm.

The man pulled back his elbows and caught Troyle’s sword with both of his own.

Locking the man’s arms together with the pressure of the attack, Troyle quickly thrusted his left sword out, going for the stomach.

The man saw and easily avoided it by spinning to the side, slashing back during the spin.

Troyle swayed his upper body back, evading the slash while following the thrust with a knee into the man’s body, knocking the man back.

The man quickly recovered and flew at him with three consecutive sword strikes that forced him back a few steps.

““Troyle!”” The other guards yelled out, running over to back him up.

“Stay back!” He ordered the others. The men were capable against bandits, but someone of this caliber was beyond them.

“You’re not a bandit. Who are you?” He questioned the man again. In that brief exchange, he’d discerned that the mystery man also fought using the Formless Blade Style. Yet, there was something familiar. Something he couldn’t pinpoint but could feel.

“And what makes you think that?” The masked man asked with a joyful tone.

“If you were, you’d have attacked us with the others. With your skills, you could have easily taken down a few of my friends in the chaos.” He spoke loud enough so that the guards knew what they were dealing against.

“That’s right, I am not a bandit.” The man answered.

He could see joy in the man’s eyes. “If you’re not with them, why attack me?”

“I told you already. I’m a challenger.” The man dashed at him once more.

“Guard the lord.” He told the others, stepping in to engage the man again.

The masked man came at him from a low angle, running with both swords poised at the left side. Troyle could see the next move.

Rising Talon: it was an attack that employed incredible speed followed by a precise upward slash. It was designed for quick dispatches and surprise attacks.

Troyle lowered his body.
In the instant the masked man’s sword began edging forward, he quickly sidestepped. With a different version of Rising Talon, his sword shot out at the masked man’s with blinding speed.

He saw the surprise on the man’s face as he severed the man’s sword, sending half of it flying away. Troyle’s other sword stopped at the man’s neck.

“Who are you, and who is your master? Why were you holding back? Talk or I put this through your neck.” He threatened.

“What are you talking about? You held back too.” The man answered with annoyance. “Liars, the lot of them.”

“Liars? What are you on about?” Troyle edged his sword closer to the man’s throat.

The masked man held up his hands and dropped his swords.

“I am Vick Laveranus. My master is Geral Kartuh. I heard you two learned the Style together.” The man pulled off his mask and hood, revealing a man of under twenty. “I studied under his guidance for three years.”

“You are quite young…” Surprised, Troyle removed his sword from the young man’s neck. The name brought him back to his younger days with the mercenaries. He finally understood why their fight had felt so familiar. The young man in front of him had fought like how Geral used to fight in their practice matches.

“Not as young as you when you made 17^th chair.” The young man gave an awkward smile.

“You’re with the Droxxon Mercenaries?” Troyle inquired.

“19^th chair, and current owner of the two azurite swords that were previously given to you.” Vick answered proudly.

The guards came up to them, listening to what was going on.

“I see… so they’ve been passed down…” A bittersweet feeling rushed through him. “Why weren’t you using them?”

“I figure you’d have noticed if I did, so I left them behind in Zuels.”

 “… Well? Why are you here?”

“We’re the mercenary company hired by Thurllton to escort the representatives to see this signing through.” The young man replied with a wide smile.

“Why are YOU here?” Troyle clarified his question, gesturing around them.

“I overheard them,” Vick pointed to the dead bodies. “Talking about kidnapping the noble who was coming from Ferrent. On the way here, Dalzak told me you were the bodyguard of the lord who was coming. I’ve heard much about you from my master, and wanted to see for myself if you were half as good as my master proclaimed.” Hearing his own arrogance, “Half as good with one good arm of course…” Vick quickly corrected himself.

“You could have gone about this better. I could have killed you.” Troyle calmly stated his disapproval and glared at the young man.

If not for his curiosity in learning the masked assailant’s identity and the name of the master, he would have killed the foolish boy.

“Yea…” Vick replied in shame, removing his smile. “Injured shoulder my ass…” He muttered under his breath.

Way past nightfall, their group of eleven plus three captured bandits, and a mischievous mercenary entered the proximity village of Zuels.

 

—

 

Kaidus returned home to the sound of unfamiliar voices.

Entering the house, he spotted an unknown face and a familiar one talking with Troyle in the living room. Noticing him, they turned to look in his direction.

“Kaidus, come here.” Troyle stood up and called him over.

The two men also stood up to greet him as he walked toward them.

“It’s good to see you again, uncle Dalzak.” He greeted the familiar man as he shook the man’s rough hand.

Although Dalzak had put on some weight and the man’s previous long curly brown hair was kept short now, he could still remember the delightful man who met them at the Crystal Wayfarer Inn—when they first arrived in Ferrent. Then, the man was slender and handsome, but now he was tall, rugged, and very muscular, giving an indisputable image of a hardened mercenary that has prevailed through many life and death situations. A scar ran down the side of Dalzak’s cheek and a longer one down his right forearm.

Dalzak’s eyes shone with delight, seeing that the young boy remembered him. “The last time I saw you, I could have picked you up with my pinky finger. My words, how you’ve grown!” The man exclaimed happily.

“You remember Dalzak?” Troyle asked, astonished.

“Uncle has changed a lot, but his face remains very much like what I remember.”

“I see… that there is Vick Laveranus, also a member of the Droxxon mercenaries.” Troyle gestured to the man standing by Dalzak.

“Hi there, little man.” Vick gave him a cheerful smile.

“Hello.” Kaidus shook the man’s hand.

Vick was about Troyle’s height, but younger and sported a jolly face. His body was of a slender build like how Dalzak used to be. The younger man had a head of dark green hair and wore simple clothes. If he didn’t know, he would never have guessed that the young man was a mercenary. There was also a chip scar on the forefront of his chin.

“Vick is quite skilled with the sword, and also a student of the Formless Blade Style.” Troyle further supplemented.

Beside the two chairs where the guests are sitting stood three swords. Two sheathed swords with familiar looking hilts, and a longsword.

“Where is mother and Anise?” Kaidus asked, taking a seat by his father.

“Out to get more ingredients for dinner.” Troyle replied.

“Your father tells me you are a mage?” Dalzak questioned with a proud smile.

It wasn’t until their meeting a couple days ago in Zuels that Dalzak learned of it. Even though they’ve kept in touch by letters the past couple of years, there was never any mention about Kaidus being a mage. Dalzak had his own speculations after his first meeting with the boy, but it was an unproven assumption and one he quickly forgot.

“I’m currently attending Zorin academy at the moment.” Kaidus answered without hiding it, shooting a curious glance at Troyle.

“I told them about my shoulder.” Troyle smiled.

It was after all the official business was finished that they caught up with each other. Hearing about how he defeated Vick, Dalzak cornered him with questions that lead to the revelation.

He invited some of the mercenaries to come visit him in Ferrent, but many had to escort the delegates back to Thurllton with the contract, so Dalzak and Vick came in place for everyone. Not wanting to impose, the two are staying at a nearby inn while sorting out some guild business in Ferrent.

“Zorin huh? I hear that place is for the elites. You must be quite the little mage yourself.” Dalzak praised.

“No, I’m just barely getting by.” Kaidus replied.

“Modest, and nothing like your cocky father. I knew you’d grow up to be a better person than your old man.” Dalzak directed a wide grin at Troyle.

“That’s all in the past Dalz. I was young and blessed with uncanny skills.” Troyle defended himself.

Dalzak laughed. “From the look of it, so is your son. Yet there’s a very big difference.”

“Guh… Enough about the past.” A discomfited Troyle tried to halt the topic.

“Did you know? Not ten days after we joined the mercenaries, your dad challenged our team captain to a match after an argument. He got beaten to a pulp and spent the night groaning in pain while our team laughed.” Dalzak started laughing profusely. “Let’s see… what was it you said at the time? ‘Weaklings shouldn’t be leading’? Hahahaha!”

Kaidus chuckled at the story. He didn’t know much about Troyle’s childhood besides what Adalina knew, so the story was new to him.

“She held nothing back. I was literally crawling the next day.” Troyle added to the story, laughing along.

Kaidus asked some more about his father’s earlier years—before Adalina. Dalzak happily obliged at the chance to recount old memories.

“Since he’s a mage, are you planning to teach Kaidus the sword?” Vick enquired after their story session was over.

“I have been teaching him,” Troyle answered with a sly grin. “For the past turn, he’s been learning the Formless Blade Style.”

“You never told us you were teaching him the sword.” Dalzak spoke, bringing forth an issue.

“You never asked. I wanted to surprise the company after I’ve taught him everything so I kept my mouth shut about it, but you both just assumed I wasn’t because he’s a mage.”

“I guess that was my own fault.” Dalzak admitted his mistake. A smile surfaced on his face after realizing something in Troyle’s words. “Does that mean you were planning to bring him to see the captain one of these days?”

“Adalina and I have been talking about visiting her parents in Nultulk. I was thinking about bringing the whole family to see you all in a couple years on our way.”

“Really? I’m sure the captain would like that.” Dalzak replied warmly. “Ah, I’ve got an idea. Why don’t we take Kaidus back with us now? You’re working as a bodyguard so you can’t teach him like you want. I’m sure the Captain would like to see him and teach him swordsmanship. Geral can also help supplement whatever you’ve taught him, and you guys can pick him up on your way to Nultulk.” Dalzak suggested with a lighthearted tone.

Kaidus perked up.

“Adalina would kill me, and Anise will cry her tiny heart out if her brother leaves. Not to mention he still has school.” Troyle rejected with a grin.

“Look at you making excuses to dote on your son.” Dalzak laughed.

Soon after, Anise and Adalina returned. He joined his mother to help prepare dinner while Troyle entertained the guests with Anise.

“Have you got your business sorted out?” Adalina questioned while they were eating dinner.

“Not yet. I’d say another four days or so before we are done.” Dalzak replied, shoveling food into his mouth.

“Four days? Are you two leaving after that?”

“As much as living a life of luxury entices me, freedom of the outside is what I yearn for.” Dalzak grinned.

“Can’t you both stay a little longer? It’s been so long since we all saw each other.”

“We would love to, but we can’t. Two others were supposed to come here for the recruitment after Zuels, but Vick and I took the liberty of doing so. I’m not sure how we’ll face the Captain’s wrath, but it was great seeing you both again, along with your children.” Dalzak gave a shrewd grin. Vick laughed, imagining what they’d be going back to.

Kaidus ate silently, organizing his thoughts.

 

—

 

Two days later, and what Dalzak said was still on his mind. He spent a great deal thinking about the suggestion, weighing his options of: staying here in Ferrent, or asking Troyle and Adalina if he could go with Dalzak and Vick.

The mercenaries had a lot of knowledge to offer, and he could learn many things from them as Adalina and Troyle did. He would need such skills when he ventures off on his own. There was also Captain Zikale whom both Troyle and Adalina deeply respected.

Kaidus thought about the academy.

He was nowhere near finishing all the books in the library, but he did accomplish what he set out to do, which was to find clues about the past. He already has a destination to further his search, and it did not matter to him whether he remained a student or leave the school. All that is left, was to wait for a good opportunity to leave Darsus without worrying his parents.
Even the threat of Tal’hrus seemed to have simmered down. He did not know if they would return, but if they did, Hasen would be here to protect his family.

Also looking at his family situation, Lord Varath is a powerful friend that Troyle could rely on should anything happen within Ferrent. If worse comes to worse, there is always Hasen.

He contemplated the decisions and weighed the different outcomes. There was no clear path to take, but he was sure about one thing: he would have to leave sooner or later.

 

—

 

That night after supper.
“Mother, father, I want to ask you both something.” Kaidus spoke, folding the book he was reading.

His mind was made up.

“What is it?” Troyle questioned from the chair beside him.

“Kaidus?” Adalina who was playing a teaching game with Anise stopped and gave him an inquisitive look.

“Would it be alright if I went with uncle Dalzak and Vick?”

Troyle blankly stared at him while Adalina’s face made a troubled expression.

“What brought this on?” Troyle composed himself and asked. “Is this because of what Dalzak said the other day?”

“A little. I’ve been thinking, and I want to take them up on the offer if they would have me.”

In his heart he did not want to part from his family, but everything is preparation for the day when he leaves them to pursue his own goals.

“You’re only nine, and you’re still going to school. The life of a mercenary is not for a young boy like you.” Adalina spoke apprehensively.

“Your mother is right. You do still have your education at the academy,” Troyle reinforced Adalina’s words. “And why do you want to go with Dalzak and Vick? Are you planning to join the mercenaries?” Troyle queried.

Anise looked over at him with a look of confusion.

“No, I was hoping to learn from them. To see for myself, and experience what I’ve only ever read about in books.”

“Honey, can’t it wait a couple more years until you’re done with school?” Adalina pleaded.

“Mom, I’m sorry but I haven’t been completely honest with you both… I was afraid you all would see me as… as something else…” Kaidus lowered his head in shame at having lied to them.

“Kaidus?” His mother looked worried.

“Whatever you are hiding, know that we will stand beside you all the way.” Troyle replied. His voice filled with conviction.

“…The problem is, the academy has nothing it can do for me. I am already beyond what they can teach.” He confessed one of the secrets he’d been hiding from them for the past year and a half. “You’ve both seen what I can do… and that is but a fraction of what I am truly capable of.”

“Beyond what they can teach? A fraction?” Troyle questioned with a puzzled face.

“Come out, Hasen. Zion.” Words of command left his mouth.

Within the living room, a breeze began blowing and coiling about the four of them. From Anise’s necklace, a dark smoke slowly emerged. Not scattered by the wind, the smoke merged into a dark cloud and moved beside Kaidus.

The look of shock and surprise were visible on both Troyle and Adalina’s face. Anise on the other hand was looking around with excitement, putting her hands out to feel the wind.

“Master…” The dark cloud formed into a featureless figure and kneeled.

“Massssterrrr.” The wind swirled about, converging upon the hand that he held up.

“This is what I am…” He spoke with a hint of fear in his voice, staring at the endless wind around his hand—not daring to look at his parents.

“What are they?” Troyle questioned.

Adalina held a hand to her breast, breathing with relief.

“Yah!” Anise ran over, putting her hands through the smoky figure.

“?” He turned to look at them. He was confused.

Adalina approached and hugged him. “For a moment there I thought you were going to shed your skin or grown horns.” She chuckled, embracing him tightly. “You know, from the moment you were born, I’ve known you were different. There is nothing you can do in this world that could ever make me see you as anything else other than my responsible little boy. Also, if you did shed your skin or sprout horns, we’d still love you.” She smiled.

“Mother…” He had no other words. The woman in front of him truly meant everything she said.

“Papa look!” Anise walked halfway into Hasen’s smoky body, grinning happily.

“What are they?” Troyle asked again, looking at the figure of smoke and the wind around them.

“They’re my familiars.” Kaidus replied.

“Is this what killed that creature and all those korgas?” Troyle asked, remembering the darkness that was consuming everything half a year ago.

“Yes. Hasen, greet my family.”

“Greetings…” The cloud shifted hazily and the raspy voice came out once again.

“This is Zion.” He willed the wind into his hand. Troyle’s eyes widened, seeing the miniature tempest raging on his palm.

“You’re not scared?” Kaidus asked nervously.

“Should we be?” Troyle questioned, looking at him tenderly.

“No…” Kaidus lowered his head as tears trickled down his cheeks. Seeing the accepting reaction from his family, he cried in front of his parents for the first time ever since being able to walk.

Adalina slowly stroked his head, comforting him.

Seeing him cry, Anise also came over, reaching up to try and pat his head.

The warmth of acceptance, the love of family.

The pain of impending loneliness vanished, replaced by joy.

Here was a place he could always return to. Here was a place where the darkness inside of him is nonexistent.

“You know,” Troyle spoke. “Your mother and I will miss you if you leave. Anise will miss you the most. How about waiting until next year? We’ll all go visit your grandparents, and on the way back if you still want to, you can stay with the mercenaries. Join them or just stay and learn from them, it’s up to you.”

“What are you saying Troyle? He’s just a-”

“He’s a strong boy, Adalina. If he doesn’t need the school, think of how many lives he can save just by being in the mercenary camp. You’ve seen the results from many of the jobs, you should understand that his healing abilities could mean the difference between life and death.” Troyle spoke solemnly, having realized that his son was more than capable.

With the two powerful looking familiars by his son, he saw no problem with the boy’s request. A year would allow him to teach the boy everything he knew, and it would give Adalina and Anise plenty of time to come to terms with their parting. He loved his son, but he knew that all boys grow up to leave home. He just didn’t realize it would be so soon.

Adalina knelt down and tightly embraced her son again, not wanting to let him go.

“Lize D. Fotbusen… where have I heard that name before?” Kaidus asked himself.

Sitting down in one of the reading chairs, he flipped the cover.
Underneath was another title page: Exploration Diary – L.D.F.

Kaidus quickly skimmed through the pages, glancing at various words and passages. The words formed what looks to be a continuous string of recorded events. Other than the cover, the small book appeared to be a journal of sort.

‘Why would someone need to conceal this?’ He wondered.
Intrigued, Kaidus turned back to the beginning and started reading.

‘…took two days to scale the mountain. From the information we gathered, it flew in this direction before vanishing…

We found a small magical distortion at the mountain top. It seems to be getting weaker as night approaches…’

His eyes lit up at the contents of the book.

The author was chasing an abnormally large drakall. He/she was staying in a remote village in southern Malpaars when they saw it flying overhead. Along with a friend, they investigated it then gave chase.

The author even noted what the villagers were calling it. ‘Shakara Krauuga’

The name may have changed, but there was no doubt that the person who wrote this journal was witness to something he’d been searching for: a Karuga.

‘Xerit and I both combined our magic, ripping apart the distortion and revealing an entrance into the mountain… The exit vanished behind us. Try as we might, we could not pry it open again. It looks like the only way to proceed is forward…

We took turns illuminating the darkness. The tunnel ran for days, exhausting us of what meager rations we both packed. The smell of rot and death permeates through the tunnel as we ventured forth…

The tunnel-’

Larant walked into the room with a small tray of leftovers from lunch along with a jug and two cups.

“We just had lunch.” Kaidus stated, seeing the older boy placing it on the table between the chairs.

“It looked like you’ll be here for a while.” Larant answered with a grin.

“Was it that obvious?”

“Your eyes were on fire when I opened the door,” Larant replied. “There’s no need to rush. We have until evening before we set off.” The older boy went toward the walls to look for a book of his own.

Sitting back down to the small journal in front of him, Kaidus continued reading.

‘The tunnel ended, and we came upon a massive opening inside the mountain. Lighting up the opening, a magnificent city stood dazzling beneath us…

We spent the whole day scouring about looking for food and any signs of life, but the whole city is empty…

Long slender creatures about the size of a grown man’s arm. They attacked us on our first night in the ruins, but scattered into the darkness as soon as we invoked light magic. Not as empty as we thought. Xerit and I took turns resting…

Xerit killed one of the creatures today. Too hungry to care, we roasted it and ate it. The thing tasted quite delicious even though it was all lean meat. Maybe we can stay here a little longer and look around before trying to find a way out…

The exit is still sealed. No matter what we do, it doesn’t budge. Xerit has brought up that it even feels as if the entrance is absorbing our magic. I don’t know if it’s just the mountain or something is going on here, but it looks like we will have to make a trek back to the ruins for more food…

Twenty-six days in here, and we’re solely subsiding on these creatures. There is no other source of food and it doesn’t look like there is any other exit. Earth magic also doesn’t work, and the distortion that opened for us to get in here is nowhere to be seen…

Xerit is going mad. Says he hears a voice. I don’t blame him. We’ve been here for at least forty days now. Anyone would…

Xerit is dead. I don’t know what happened to him, but he suddenly tried to kill me. I did the only thing I could…

He wasn’t lying. I am hearing the voice now… a grinding voice.’

The journal abruptly stopped.
The majority of what was recorded involved the exploration of the ruins and the author’s thoughts.

What interested him the most, was the beginning of the journal and the ending. The author’s investigation, the Karuga’s sudden disappearance which led them to the otherworldly discovery, and the voice at the end.

Even the location in the journal coincided with what little information he’d gathered about the sightings in Malpaars. A grin crept onto his face, seeing the hard-recorded truth in his hands.

“Well, what do you think of my library?” A voice asked from the doorway. Lord Varath and Troyle walked into the library.

“You can tell from how focused he is on that book in front of him that he is enthralled.” Troyle grinned.

“This is amazing. You have quite the broad collection in here, my lord.” Kaidus replied, not refuting Troyle’s words.

“Would you like it as Sylvia’s dowry?” A mischievous smile erupted on the lord’s face.

“I believe we have already straightened that out a long time ago?” He replied, undaunted by lord Varath’s words.

The lord chuckled. “Forgive me, I couldn’t help myself. Let me know if you would like to take some with you home to read.”

“I gladly welcome that offer.” He grinned back at the lord.

“What do you have there?” Troyle questioned, sauntering over him.

“Someone’s journal of exploration within the mountains of Southern Malpaars.” He handed the small book to Troyle.

“Malpaar’s Forgotten Subterranean City. Quite the title. Is it interesting?” Troyle handed it back after briefly looking through it.

“Father. Have you heard of the author’s name?” He asked, showing the name to Troyle.

“Lize D. Fotbusen… Fotbusen… I have no idea.”

“You mean Malizur Lize Daran Fotbusen?” Lord Varath queried from a few paces away.

“!!” Life and Death of Malizur Lize Daran Fotbusen. He quickly remembered the book that he read more than a year ago on his first visit to the Ravon Manor. No wonder the name sounded so familiar.

The reasons why and how the book was sealed became slightly more discernable.

‘Malizur Lize must have sealed it to make sure the events in those pages stayed hidden.’ He thought to himself.

Judging from the journal, the events must have happened before she became a renowned mage.

How she escaped from this place in the journal, what happened during that period of her life, or why she didn’t just burn the book instead of sealing its contents, he did not know. Only thing he knew was that Lize D. Fotbusen was a real person at one point in history, and he is now holding something that belonged to her.

‘Looks like the first destination will be-’

“Why do you ask?” Troyle brought him out of his thoughts.

“Ah, nothing. The name sounded familiar but I just couldn’t remember where I heard it from.”

“Did you remember?”

“Yes. It was a name from a book I read last year. It detailed parts of her life and how she became who she is.” He replied and sat back down.

“Was that book Life and Death of Malizur Lize Daran Fotbusen?” Lord Varath questioned.

“That’s the one.”

“I have a copy here somewhere if you want to take a look at it.”

“No, it’s fine.” Kaidus looked to the lord, “Have you read it yourself Lord Varath?” he enquired.

“I have. I found the adventurous lifestyle she led a little perilous for my taste, but it was a different time and era. Perhaps that was why she accomplished such feats as she did.” Lord Varath replied, taking a seat. “Have you read Artroloxsi Velantrius by Hinnegin R. Rucin?”

“I can’t say I have.” Kaidus replied, unable to recall the title.

“I don’t have a copy, but you should read it if you ever get the chance. It’s rare, but the book is a composite detailing the many deeds of various mages throughout the centuries. Some of her accomplishments not recorded in the book Life and Death of Malizur Lize are in there…”

To his surprise, not only did the lord have an extensive collection of books, the lord seems to have read a majority of them. The two spent the afternoon discussing about books.

…

As evening came, both Larant and Kaidus departed from their families and left for Zorin academy.

“Are you sure he’s your son?” Lord Varath joked as they were seeing the two boys off.

“Of course he is.” Troyle replied with a proud grin.

               

—

 

Headmaster Nylen sat in his room, silently pondering about everything that had occurred in the past two turns.

With the information gathered from the captured Tal’hrus agents, the guild sent an expedition party to locate Tal’hrus’ current base of operations.

Over the decades, many of the same expeditions were carried out, but none were successful in finding anything useful. Usually the bases were abandoned by the time the guild gets there or the expedition party vanishes along the way, costing them valuable manpower and resources while Tal’hrus just shifts to a different base.

Eleven days ago, the expedition party came back with news that were different than usual.

Tal’hrus’ current base in Darsus was in ruin and there were traces suggesting that a battle had transpired. Who or what they were fighting against remained a mystery, and the most troubling aspect of it all was that such a thing has never happened before.

After contacting the Mercenary guild, they denied any involvement in the destruction of the Tal’hrus base.

Not counting the Mercenary guild or their own Mystiks guild, the criminal organizations rampant throughout Darsus could never stand up to the might of Tal’hrus. Other policing forces could barely defend their own territories, so it was no question about their involvement.

Not only did Tal’hrus’ base get destroyed, messages have been coming in from various sources that suspected Tal’hrus agents were disappearing.

No matter how much he thought about it, there was no explanation as to what was happening on Darsus at the moment.

‘What is he planning this time?’

He thought about the person who was pulling the strings. He thought about the man whom he once called friend, and about his greatest regret.

Nylen sighed.
It was too late now. There was no point in dwelling on the past and what could have been. All he can do now, was use whatever remained of his life to try and secure a place for the next generation.

Nylen got up and walked over to his writing desk. It’s only been two years since their last gathering, but it was time to call for another meeting with the three leaders of the Mystiks guild.

They needed to plan their next move and send words to the other continents.

 

—

 

Instead of going to sleep, Kaidus was looking through his notes and tallies, organizing them on the ground.

With only two classes, he’s had plenty of time to comb through the library records.

The sightings were now: 19 in Malpaars, 6 in Horuns, 7 in Unotus, 7 in Kulis, and 2 from Rovtoss.

With the information obtained from the journal earlier, there was no doubt about it. The mountains in southern Malpaars was a definite hotspot for Karuga sightings over the years, and it would be where he begins his search.

Kaidus got off the floor, having made his decisions. With a thought, the notes on the ground filed themselves onto his writing desk. Walking to the bed, he spotted something on the night table by his bedside.

A metallic ring used by Tal’hrus agents, and the last of three he took from Zavon. The other two, he had already dealt with.

This one on the other hand never contacted him. It was either that the agents knew something was up, or that the person on the other side of the ring was already dead.

Kaidus picked up the ring and cupped it in his palm. With a thought, the ring melted in his hand. There was no need for it anymore as it appears that the threats have disappeared for the time being.

Even Hasen has not detected anyone snooping around his family for the past two turns.

His life was at peace again.

All that was left, was to bide his time and allow his body to grow.

 

—

 

-Thirty-five days later-

In the afternoon sun, a unit of eleven men were riding north of Ferrent along the main roads.

“How much longer until we get to the meeting point?” A bearded man in cobalt blue uniform asked the person riding next to him.

“I don’t know. I hear the meeting place is two days ride from Ferrent, so we should be there by evening.” Another man also in blue uniform answered.

“Isn’t Thurllton at least 15 days of riding from Ferrent?” The man questioned.

“It seems they hired a band of mercenaries for this. Lord Varath and the leaders of Thurllton have already come to an agreement, so all that’s left was to finalize it with an official signing.”

“Mercenaries huh? I guess they’re able to, considering the amount of money they’ll be bringing into Thurllton after this.”

“Having second thoughts about venturing this far outside of Ferrent?” A man in his 30’s with fine short red hair rode up beside them. Everyone here knew the man.

“Not a chance. This right here right now is where I belong.” The bearded man gave a hearty laugh. “Ah, you were once a mercenary Troyle, what’s it like?” The bearded man questioned.

“Hmm… I guess if I have to explain, it’s like that feeling when you’re sitting on your chair, and the chair suddenly breaks. A sudden frightened feeling of some kind. Being a mercenary brings you that kind of feeling, except it’s always there when you’re working a dangerous job, and it’s your life on the line not just your butt.” Troyle replied with a grin.

“Sounds like fun. Nothing boring like sitting in comfort behind the walls of Ferrent.” The man chuckled.

“Let me know if you’re ever interested in becoming a mercenary. I still have plenty of contacts.” Troyle replied cheerfully.

“Better not, Lynor. You can’t even handle your wife. I don’t think you’ll be able to handle the mercenary life.” Another man threw in, riding up next to them.

A few of the men around them laughed at the remark.

“My wife is like a vicious Kalligor. What man can handle that?”
More laughter from those around them.

The men traveled for a while longer until they came upon a clearing. It was a resting place for travelers.

“Let the horses graze and let’s have lunch.  We’ll set off as soon as we can. I want to get to Zuels before nightfall.” Lord Varath issued to the men.  

The signing was to be held in Zuels, a proximity village two days ride north of Ferrent. The original term was to meet halfway for the signing, but with Lord Varath being an important member of Ferrent’s Nobility and traveling that far could provide plenty of opportunities for ‘accidents’ to happen, as previous excursions have proved before, the meeting place was changed.

Lunch was mulse bread, deer jerky, and pickled greens. The men only had water to wash everything down with, as they were on the job and wine would dull the senses.

As if to answer their apprehension, a group of men came out of the forests and charged toward them. The group had chosen to lunch in the middle of the clearing away from the forest for such strategic maneuvers.

“TO ARMS!” Troyle shouted as he and many others spied the group.

The men promptly dropped their meals and gathered up their weapons, forming a wall formation with the lord in the back.

“Leave now if you value your lives!” Troyle shouted at the new group who had stopped a short distance away.

Their assailants outnumbered them, but there was no fear in Troyle’s eyes. The guards were well trained, and it would take more than ordinary bandits to get through them.

“Leave the noble if you value yers.” A man holding a greatsword stepped up and answered.

“I will not ask a second time.” Troyle replied, unsheathing his swords.

On one hand, he held a blade gleaming with a green tint. The sword was long, but not enough to be a longsword. It was slim, but not fragile. It had no guards, but was slightly curved with a plain steel hilt and pommel. In his other hand, was a normal steel sword forged with the same design.

Holding his two swords, he stepped forward. “Four of you with me, the rest stay with the lord.”  He ordered.

Four men stepped forth without hesitation to stand beside him.

“Don’t get careless and show no mercy, because they will not.”  He cautioned before stepping toward the larger group.

“Looks like it’s time for some good ol’ slaughterin’ boys!” The bandits screamed out with joy as they rushed the five men.

“Disperse them and make sure to not get surrounded. Leave those that pass for the others to handle!” Troyle shouted, and the group moved in unison with him taking the middle.

He charged into the enemies with blinding speed. ‘Rising Talon’. From a low angle approach, he swung his sword from the bottom upward, cutting down a man who was unprepared. Using his left hand, he pushed the dead man away and spun sideways, evading a thrust from beside him while slashing at his attacker’s neck at the same time. Not waiting, he sprinted forward and beheaded a man who was focused on one of the guards with a cross slash, kicking the man into another.

He spun the swords around into a backhand grip.

A man came at him with a downward strike, but he easily blocked the blow with his right sword before slicing into the man’s chest with his other, forcing the blade through bones by pushing the back of the sword with his forearm and elbow.

The sound of people gasping for air and dying resounded about him, and the sound of weapons clashing minimized.

He took a moment to look around.

Most of the bandits were laying on the ground except for three who were too afraid to engage, and a man wearing a cloak standing in the back. The man wore a hood along with a mask covering his mouth and had not moved a muscle to help his friends during the fight.

Six bodies lay bleeding and dying where the lord and the other five were standing.

Around him and the other four guards, were another eight. The guards took a couple scratches here and there, and two of them were bleeding, but none were fatally injured and were all still standing.

“Put them out of their misery.” He told the others while keeping an eye on the four bandits who were still alive.

The guards proceeded to end the lives of the gasping bandits.

“Are you Troyle?” The masked man questioned, walking forward.

Troyle took a defensive stance, ready to engage.

“Two swords, and fights with the Formless Blade Style. I’ve heard many things about you.” The man spoke again.

“Who are you?” Troyle questioned, not letting his guard down.

“A challenger.” The man’s eyes lit up with excitement. Two swords popped out of his cloak and the mystery man charged him.

Her outward appearance was that of a calm and confident young lady, but her insides were in turmoil.
It has been half a year since she last saw the boy, and Sylvia was doing all she could to hide how nervous she really was. Everything she learnt this past year and a half was all for situations like this.

‘Right foot, left foot, right foot, left foot.’ She chanted in her mind, remembering her lessons. Catching the boy’s cool and calm gaze, she almost blushed but steeled herself and continued walking to stand behind her father alongside her older sister.

“You called, father?” Her sister Jillian asked.

“Yes. Come greet our guests. You too, Sylvia.”

“Good afternoon Mr. Paltos, thank you for visiting on your day off. Is this your son?” Jillian inquired pleasantly.

“Yes, Miss Jillian. This is Kaidus. I don’t believe you two have met.” The boy’s father replied with a grin.

“I am Jillian Varath. Nice to meet you Kaidus.” Her sister made a curt bow and greeted the boy.

“Kaidus Paltos. Sorry for the intrusion.” Kaidus replied warmly.

“Hello Mr. Paltos. Hello Kaidus.” Sylvia greeted the two after her sister, giving a practiced curtsy.

“Good afternoon Sylvia.”
“Hello, Sylvia.” The boy replied, staring at her as if peering right through her facade.

‘What do I do?’ She thought to herself.
Ever since the outing outside of Ferrent half a year ago, she had worked tirelessly and diligently. Yet, everything she’d learned in all her lessons were crumbling to the ground.
Learning was one thing, but putting it into practice was another altogether.
She was always a timid girl and in front of the boy, she couldn’t help but want to revert back to her old self and hide behind her mother.
Managing to not make a fool out of herself, Sylvia silently took a seat next to her mother.

“Sylvia, why don’t you give Kaidus a tour of the house?” As if sensing her internal discord, her mother threw her a lifeline before she situated herself.

“Ah, that’s a good idea. This is Kaidus’ first time visiting like this.” Her father added.

“Really? If that’s the case, I can show him around.” Her brother Larant volunteered with a teething grin.

“Someone closer to his age should do that. Let Sylvia do it.” Her father objected, smiling at her. “Why don’t you show him the grounds and the library?”

—

“Down that hall is the servants’ quarters,” Sylvia pointed down a corridor, “and through that door there is the kitchen and the storerooms.”

Adhering to her mother and father’s words, she was giving Kaidus a tour of the house. Although not her first time at the Varath manor, Anise also joined them. The three of them were walking side by side.
Standing next to him, seeing how he acted toward his younger sister, seeing his face up close, she was starting to see how he was amongst his family.
Besides the first time she locked eyes with him, she had actively avoided looking him in the eyes, opting to only sneak in glimpses here and there as they made their way around the manor.

Holding onto her brother’s hand, “Shylvia are we going outshide?” Anise questioned as they walked toward the back of the Manor.

She had shown them the great hall, the guestrooms, the four washrooms on the first floor, the guard house, the courtyard where the guards trained, and the various rooms where she and Jillian took lessons. Having toured most of the first floor already, all that was left was the second floor and the backyard.

“We’ve seen most of the first floor. Do you want to go see father’s library?” She asked, playing the dutiful host.

“Look Kai! Flowersh!” Anise exclaimed excitedly, looking outside through the back windows.

“Would it be alright if we go to the backyard?” The boy responded kindly, patting his sister’s head.
Seeing the excitement on the younger girl’s face. She could see that his answer was for Anise.

There was an air of warmth and care around him today unlike the other times she’d seen him. He made sure to slow down his pace and allowed Anise to lead him, he patiently walked beside Anise’s short strides allowing her to choose where to go. He was even smiling and his usual indifferent face was nowhere to be seen.

*Ba-bump*. A different emotion, one beyond the feelings of ‘I want him to notice me’ bloomed inside her. She recalled something from that evening after a day outside of Ferrent.

—

-The beginning of Hiso, 4 turns ago-

She was asking for her mother’s continued help in the lessons.
She apologized for her lackluster performance in her lessons, and explained that she would work hard on them from now on, promising to do her best.

“Something happened earlier didn’t it? Why didn’t you tell me at dinner?” Her mother asked. It was the night after they’d returned from outside of Ferrent.

“Promise you won’t laugh?”

“I promise.” Her mother caressed her cheeks tenderly, giving her an earnest smile.

“I… I think I know why you and father wanted me to m-marry K-Kaidus.” She answered sheepishly, trying to hide her embarrassment. Her mother’s smile widened at her words.

“Honey…” She was embraced. “I would never laugh at you for something like that.” Her mother told her.
After the hug, she was examined closely. There was a glimmer in her mother’s sharp eyes, and she knew her mother saw her secret. “Did my little girl already fall in love?” Her mother asked with a playful grin.

“Fall in Love?”

“Yes darling, with the Paltos boy?” The grin broadened.

She was unsure what it meant. “Like I love you, and father, sister Jillian, brother Larant, and everyone who lives here with us?” She replied quizzically.

“That is different. That’s familial love.”

“Different?”

Her mother thought for a moment, then spoke up. “Do you like Kaidus?”

“I…” Sylvia lowered her head in shame.

“Do you like Kaidus a lot?”

The boy’s name and face ran through her mind and her face lit up like a torch.

“Hehehe.” Reanne giggled, seeing the adorable reaction.

“You said you wouldn’t laugh…” She sulkily rebuked her mother.

“Sorry dear. I laughed because of how cute you are right now, not because you like someone.” Her mother’s warm smile returned. “It’s okay, you don’t need to know what love is right now. One day you’ll understand.”

—

“Sylvia?” Kaidus was looking at her.

“Y-yes?” she quickly replied, trying to remember what was happening before she relapsed into her memories.

“Can we go to the backyard?” Kaidus asked, still holding onto Anise.

“Oh, sorry. Yes, we can.” She quickly walked toward the backdoor to conceal her embarrassment. Her mother’s words replayed in her mind, and she could feel her strong front being whittled away little by little.

 

***

 

He could see the discomfort in Sylvia.
Her confidence from earlier was waning, and he noticed that she kept glancing in his direction whenever she believed he was not looking.
Pretending not to notice and holding Anise’s hand, they followed Sylvia to the backyard.

A wall of metal rods ran around and fenced off a portion of the backyard.
A flower garden with beautiful floras filled the right side of the enclosed area. Two moderately sized Valune trees were shining with golden leaves and already showing deep violet buds that will undoubtedly bloom as soon as Fulta comes around. A patio fit with table and chairs sat between the two trees, overlooking the garden. On the left side of the enclosure was the beginnings of a vegetable garden with tiny green and yellow sprouts.
A stone footpath connected everything together.

“Kai. Flowersh.” Anise pointed to the garden excitedly and they walked toward the flower garden.

Seeing the variety of different flowers, he went straight to a very recognizable one. “I didn’t think I’d ever see any of these inside Ferrent.”
A cluster of pure white Danach flowers with golden streaks bloomed beautifully together, indicating their lavish consumption of sunlight and water.
Danachs were common enough outside of Ferrent, but their coloration was dependent on the amount of sunlight and nutrients they get prior to the opening of the flower bud. Pure white Danachs like these meant that someone had worked extremely hard growing and caring for them. As if in comparison, another cluster of light yellow Danachs sprouted just a short distance away.

“Cerulean Vacadils, violet Gerinnis, white Dafilins, even the coveted silver and red Tasiens… this is remarkable.” He complimented the different varieties.
Flowers he’d only read about in books were here in tight communities, blooming sporadically together.

“Mrs. Hulens, our gardener planted and grew all these.” Sylvia spoke, moving to stand next to him.

“She has quite the gift, being able to cultivate such a stunning collection.”

“Y-yes she does.”

“Kai, look! Thish ish my flower.” Anise came over and touched a Vacadil flower on the edge of the garden.

“Your flower? You planted that?” He asked.

“Uhn! I ashk Shylvia, and she let me.” Anise grinned happily.

“Have you and mother been coming here?” He knew they’d visited the Varath house a few times, but he didn’t know it was a regular occurrence.

“We come with daddy shometime.” She replied happily.

He could see the sense of accomplishment in his little sister. “Good job.” Kaidus smiled and complimented the endearing little girl. “So, this is why you wanted to come outside.” He smiled, understanding why she was so excited to come out here.

“Uh huh! And look, thish ish Shylvia’sh flowersh.” Anise pointed at the light yellow Danachs.

“Sylvia’s flowers? You grew these?” He turned and asked the girl beside him.

“U-uhn…” Sylvia gave an embarrassed nod. “I was unable to get them to turn out like Mrs. Hulens’ though.” She replied, sounding disappointed and turned to look at the pure white danachs.

“You did great. From their coloration, you just barely missed it. It looks like you took very good care of them all the way up to when they bloomed.”

“Thank you…”

“With all these different types, why did you pick danach flowers? They’re easy to grow, but quite hard to cultivate if you’re trying to get them to blossom with white petals.” Kaidus inquired.

“A-Adalina said you like danach flowers.” Sylvia replied, fidgeting with her fingers and turning her head to look at something else.

‘Mother…’ He could see it in his head. A scenario where his mother was telling Sylvia about him.
Seeing her fidgeting, with their close proximity, he noticed that Sylvia’s fingers were marred with scratches and cuts.
“Are your hands okay?”

“Huh? Y-yes! They’re fine.” Self-conscious about where Kaidus was looking, Sylvia quickly hid her hands behind her back.

“Look Kai, red flowersh like Anish hair.” Anise happily called out, pointing to a cluster of low rising red flowers.

He looked and gave Anise a smile, seeing the little girl putting her hair down to compare with the flower. He turned around to face Sylvia with a more solemn face. “I know quite well your parents still have something planned for us, but if it means forcing you to hurt yourself for my sake then you-”

“It’s not that!” Sylvia cried out with a red face. Anise looked toward them quizzically. “I-I wanted to do this… mother and father are not forcing me to…” As if realizing what she just said, Sylvia quickly turned around to face the opposite direction from him.

“I see… that’s very admirable.” He paused, thinking of something easier to talk about. “Are you also planting vegetables over there on the other side?” He asked, indicating the other garden while trying not to undermine her previous words and her effort.

“Y-yes… Jill and I both, with help from-.”

“You three!” A different voice came from behind. Walking toward them was the older sister Jillian in a different and less formal dress from before. “I came to call you all for lunch. Table’s already being set up.”

“You changed out of your dress?” Sylvia was the first one to respond.

“I’m not the one being displayed. I shouldn’t have worn one in the first place.” Jillian replied with a smile.

“Jill!” Sylvia shouted back. Her face was flushed.

“What? It’s the truth.” Jillian replied. “Mother said if you don’t want to keep wearing that, you can change it before lunch. Go ahead and do so. I’ll show Kaidus and Anise back.”

Sylvia turned and made a curt bow to Kaidus. “I will be going ahead. Sorry.” And promptly rushed back into the manor.

“Come on Anise, we’re going back inside.” Kaidus beckoned his sister and she ran back to him, grasping his hand.

Making their way back to the great hall where they would be lunching, Jillian walked beside him.

“Kaidus, do you know Naleen from the Ravon house?” Jillian questioned.

“I’ve met her once. Why?”

“Did you know that Sylvia and I are very close with Naleen?”

He looked up at the older girl who was staring down at him. A glint of something could be seen in her aqua blue eyes. “I did not.” He answered back with a hint of intrigue.

“I talked to her a few turns ago about you.” The older girl’s mouth curved into a smirk.

“I see no reason why two ladies such as yourselves would be nattering about someone like me.” He responded affably.

“My parents think too much of you, my sister is enamored, and my brother is too frivolous to care. I needed to make sure.” The older girl replied.

“Make sure of what?”

“The kind of person you are. It may not look like it, but I am very protective of my sister.”

“I see.” He gave an understanding reply.

“Frankly, I don’t trust you. I can’t put my finger on it, but there’s something off about you from what I’ve seen and heard. I’ll be watching, so behave yourself.” She warned him.

“Your words are duly noted, and I apologize if I may have offended you in some way.” He replied indifferently to the older girl.

“See?! That’s what I mean! You’re just a brat, act more like one. At least then it’ll be more believable.” Jillian exclaimed, pointing at his conduct. “Trying to get close to my family. Just what exactly are you planning?”

“I am not planning anything, and it was not me or my parents who brought up the idea of marriage into yours. As for my conduct, this is who I am. I implore that you don’t misconstrue my behavior for anything nefarious.” He replied, seeing the fact of her objections.

“What is your aim?” She inquired again. Her eyes were just like her parents: very sharp and looking to pick out any subtle nuances belying the truths.

“Kai ish Anish’sh big brother!” Anise cried out from beside them, stepping in between to defend him. He could see that she had no idea what Jillian was talking about, only that it was unpleasant.

“I can assure you that I have no ulterior motives.” He took a step forward and walked ahead, moving to the great hall. “Come on Anise, mother and father are waiting.”

 

—

 

A large table was brought into the great hall, and an exquisite feast laid out on it.

Lord Varath stood up from his seat, holding his earthen cup filled with wine.
“Four years. That’s how long we’ve known each other now,” Lord Varath spoke loudly and eloquently. “And yet this is the first time both our families have all gathered together for a meal. I wish to thank you for everything you’ve done Troyle, and propose a toast to our continued friendship, and that of our children.”
The lord held up his cup to Troyle, and Troyle held up his. They each took a long drink.
“There isn’t much, but everyone please help yourselves to lunch.” Lord Varath added before sitting back down.

“Mommy I want that, and that.” Anise was pointed to some of the dishes.

Pacing a plate of food in front of Anise, “Remember to use your fork. You’re going to get Sylvia’s dress all dirty if you don’t.” Adalina cautioned her daughter.
Anise did not want to take off the pretty red dress even after seeing that Jillian and Sylvia had changed out of theirs.

“Don’t worry about it Adalina. That dress no longer fits Sylvia anyways. If Anise likes it, she can have it.” Reanne spoke up from the other side of the table.

“I can’t allow something like that.” Adalina replied.

“And why not?”

“I wouldn’t know how to wash such costly fabrics if she got it dirty.” Adalina’s mouth twisted into a mischievous smile.

“I’m sure you’ll figure it out,” Reanne returned a grin. “It would just sit in the dresser anyways. Please let her keep it.”

“Well, if you insist.”

“I insist.”

“You hear that Anise? Say thank you for the wonderful dress.” Adalina told her daughter.

Anise lurched off her chair and quickly ran around the table.
“Thank You!” She gave Reanne and Sylvia each a hug before returning to her seat while avoiding Jillian. Her face was beaming with joy.

“Don’t get your dress dirty, you hear me?” Adalina cautioned once more.

“Uhn!” The little girl took a fork and began eating properly, making sure not to drip anything onto her new dress.

“So? What did you think of my book collection?” Lord Varath spoke up after the little display, looking at Kaidus.

“Sorry father, we did not get to the Library.” Sylvia answered from two seats beside her father.

“Oh. Well, that’s fine. There is plenty of time left. You can take a look at it before you and Larant head back to the Academy.”

“Thank you for the privilege.” Kaidus replied graciously.

The lunch went by extremely well. The topic he dreaded never came up, and conversations revolved around Troyle and Lord Varath reminiscing about the past couple years, working together or just telling stories.

With lunch over with, Larant showed him to the Varath manor library.

“We saw the courtyard earlier. A few of the guards were training, do you join them from time to time?” Kaidus asked Larant.

“Not really…” Larant gave a shifty answer.

“Is it because of school?”

“No. I’m ashamed to say this, but I’ve been holing myself in my room just tinkering around, trying to build contraptions.”

“Is it for artificing class?”

“Yea. Well some of them are. Others are- Oh, here we are. This is the library where father’s books are stored.”

Opening a large wooden double-sided door, the majesty of the interior came into full view.
It was a high circular room lined with books from top to bottom with four comfortable looking reading chairs in the center of the room.

“This really is a library…” He gaped at the thousands of books within the room.
To the right of the entrance were stairs that led up to a platform which circled the library, allowing for easy access to the books in the top shelves.

“This room is the cumulative collection of my father, his father, and his forefathers. Four generations of Varath household heads have gathered all these.” Larant proudly stated his ancestors’ undertakings.

“That is quite the collection. I’m guessing there are a few ancient tomes in there?” He joked.

“Not likely. Most are just stories, recordings of past events, or informational books.”

“Would it be alright if I went through some of them?” Kaidus asked.

“Help yourself. I’ll go get us something to snack on.” Larant said before leaving the library.

Kaidus walked about the room, just taking his time and looking at the different books. They ranged from small pocket ledgers to extensive tomes spanning upwards of 20 volumes. He was already familiar with many of the books, but an even greater number of them were fresh to him. There were many foreign books written in different languages that he couldn’t read, ciphers jot down with ticks and scratches that were mysteries to him, even notebooks that recorded earnings and expenses.
Many of the books were quite unique, but as he circled the room, a small book on one of the upper shelves stood out to him.
The book was emitting a very weak mana signature.

With a thought, the small book flew out of its place in the shelf and into his hand.

“Guides to an Intrinsic Lifestyle, written by L.F.” He read the title out loud. The author did not write their name, opting for initials instead.
Opening the book, the pages were discolored with age. It looked to be an original hand written book.
He skimmed through the pages. It was literally a guide on how to live one’s life naturally, and with the elements. The book looked to have been written at least three hundred years ago, seeing the odd suggestions and the condition of the book.

‘There must be something hidden in here.’ He thought to himself.
Kaidus touched the book, channeling a bit of his mana into it. A sharp pain assaulted where his fingers touched the page. There was an enchantment on the book, concealing its true essence.

He poured more mana into the book. With a thought, he broke the enchantment.

The words on the page began distorting, changing into something else. The pages changed their hues and discoloration, reverting back to being almost new.

“Malpaars’ Forgotten Subterranean City, written by Lize D. Fotbusen.”
Even the title had changed.

In the blink of an eye, it was already Lokil the 5th turn, and the end of Alivai.

The Paltos family sat around the dinner table. In front of them was a modest but lavish feast.
Stuffed and roasted qorkos glazed with the sweet extract of kargiz fruits from the previous year, sautéed slices of dronnon meat seasoned and cooked to perfection, a meaty stew with plenty of diced vegetables, a pan of sliced mulse bread, a small bowl of boiled qorkos eggs, and soft roasted derilt root slathered with butter to top everything off.

“Thanks mom.” Seeing the abundance of food for just the four of them, he realized the occasion. It was to celebrate his 9th birthday that passed two days ago while he was still at the academy.

“You’re welcome. Go ahead and eat whatever you can. We’ll save the leftovers for tomorrow.” Adalina replied with a warm smile.

“Mommy, Anish eat too?” Anise questioned from her spot on the table.

Adalina chuckled, hearing her daughter’s question. “Yes. You too, honey.”
Taking a slice of the sautéed meat, she cut it into small bite sized pieces and put them on Anise’s plate along with a slice of the mulse bread. Breaking off the qorkos wing, Adalina picked off the meat and added them onto her daughter’s plate before filling up her own.

Seeing the plate of food, Anise was ecstatic and began digging in.

“Use your fork darling.” Adalina told her daughter, seeing that Anise was picking at the food with her tiny hands.

“I heard Lord Varath is finalizing a trade agreement with the hunting town of Thurllton. How is that going?” Kaidus asked Troyle as he picked up one of the meat slices and placed it onto his own plate.

“Quite good. The town’s been doing really well ever since they got rid of their bandit problem. If everything goes as planned, it may even become an exclusive contract.” Troyle replied, consuming a spoonful of stew. “How’s school coming along? Not as busy as before I presume?”

“Yes. I’m understanding more of the subject matters, so the class works have gotten lighter.” He casually replied while eating.
Not being mages themselves, Troyle and Adalina rarely questioned him in depth about his school and classes. When they did, they didn’t understand his explanations.

“That’s good.” Troyle nodded. “Anything we can help you with?”

“No, but thanks.”

“Kaidus. Your mother and I may not be mages, but let us know if we can do anything for you.”

“You two don’t need to do anything. You all being here is enough.” Kaidus replied with a joyous grin.

“Hahahaha. Alright.” Troyle returned a wide smile of his own.

Hearing her father’s laughter, Anise looked up with a curious face. Her mouth slathered with oil and pieces of food.

“You’re growing up way too fast….” Adalina muttered, a cheery smile on her face.

After dinner, the four moved to the living room. The sun had set, but the room was well lit by candle light.

“Your mother wanted to wait until you were older, but I got mine when I was around your age. You are more responsible than I was, you should be fine with this.” Troyle spoke, taking out something elongated and wrapped in cloth from underneath the low-rise living room table. The sound of metal could be heard as Troyle placed it in front of him.

Kaidus unfurled the cloth. Inside were two swords, each the length of his arm. The swords were neither intricate nor did they look too costly, but he could see they were well-made.
Unlike the broad double sided swords many of the knights used, the two swords were single edge swords. Both were slim and had slight curvatures to them without any guards. The design of the swords were simple but effective in their practicality, and was the type of swords used by mercenaries who favored speed and ease of movement.

“Waaah! Shword!” Anise’s eyes widened at the two new swords. “Ish Kai gonna be knight?” She questioned with excitement.

“Not yet.” Adalina smiled and picked up her daughter to make sure Anise doesn’t get hurt.

“These are for me?” Kaidus asked, looking at the swords.

“They are, honey.” Adalina answered him.

“I know that you may not need it since you are a mage, but it would give me peace of mind that you can defend yourself without using magic. Also, it’s important that you train your body.” Troyle replied. “Go on, pick them up.”

Kaidus touched the deadly metal. Sensations hidden away resurfaced, bringing about recollections of the past. Of an old friend. He quickly suppressed them, focusing on the matter at hand.
He gripped the two hilts and lifted. With their lean design, the swords were quite light. Even though each were as long as his arm, he held them in each hand comfortably.

“How do they feel?” Troyle asked.

“They feel okay. A little long though.”

“Don’t worry about that. It’ll be fine in a year or two.” Troyle grinned.

“Father.”

“Yes?”

“Are you going to teach me the Formless Blade Style?” Kaidus asked. It was the style that Troyle uses.

“I am.” Troyle’s grin widened.

“Father. I’m not ambidextrous like you.” Kaidus notified his father of a large difference between them.

“That’s perfectly fine. There are many practitioners of the Formless Blade Style who aren’t. Being ambidextrous just gives you a slight edge over the others.”

“I see. Alright.” Kaidus affirmed with a bright grin, conveying his excitement.
Troyle has been wanting to teach him swordplay for over three years now, but Adalina had been against it because of how young he was. From the look of things, it seems Troyle was able to persuade Adalina somehow.
He could not hide behind his mother anymore, and his father would not allow him to refuse. Kaidus accepted his fate with a smile.

“Great! We can start tomorrow.” Troyle was thrilled at the chance to bond further with his son.
Adalina muffled a laughter, seeing how happy her husband looked.

“Are you not going to Lord Varath’s tomorrow?”

“The lord is waiting for words from Thurllton and there are a few preparations left, so I’ve asked for the next couple of days off. He also extended an invitation for the whole family to go visit. How about it?”

“Maybe before I go back the academy…” Kaidus replied hesitantly.
Troyle gave a shrewd smile, seeing Kaidus’ reaction. Adalina giggled, knowing exactly what the visit would entail.

Kaidus sat on his bed, deep in thoughts.
It has been two whole turns since his first attempt to contact his remaining familiars. Zion had arrived, but the other two were nowhere to be found. He had tried to resummon them four times, but there was never any answer. The more he thought about what may have happened to them, the more uneasy he became.
Kaidus closed his eyes, entering into a state of calm. ‘There was no way anything thing could have happened to them.’ He reassured himself. Vishan rivaled Hasen—his most powerful elemental—and Feziel was the sturdiest of the four.

Focusing on the lost familiars, he once again pushed forth his mana, pouring it out and into Lagus.

 

———

 

With two moderately sized sticks in his hands, Kaidus imitated Troyle who was also using sticks.

Right foot forward vertical slash.
Back step horizontal slash.
Sidestep evasion.
Left hand thrust.
Left foot forward, right hand upward slash.
Defensive stance.
Reverse grip parry.
Overhead strike.
Low angle diagonal slash.
Counter stance.
Freeform style.
Blade form.

Kaidus went through the motions, following Troyle on each one and resetting into a different pose before following up with each successive attack.

They have been practicing ever since breakfast.
The living room table and chairs had been moved toward the kitchen to make room for them.

Anise watched from the stairs, eyes glued on the funny dances before her.

“Good. Now incorporate them together, and-”
Troyle demonstrated.

Left hand horizontal slash, right foot pivot, right backhand elbow strike, instantly followed by a right-hand upward slash, left hand reverse grip slash, double synchronized downward strike. Reverse grip stance. Strike, slash, parry, low spin evasion, upward slice, and counter, evade, and thrust.

“Waaaa! Daddy!” Anise clapped from the stairs, seeing the flurry of motions.

“Hehe! Thanks honey!” Troyle grinned at his daughter. “It doesn’t matter if you are ambidextrous or not. All that matters is your swords flow fluidly, not disrupting each other or getting entangled in your arms.” Troyle spun the sticks in his hands around his body without so much as grazing each other or his clothes. “Know the length of your sword and feel the placement of their positions as you-”

The door opened and Adalina came in. She was carrying a small cloth bag in her arms filled with grocery. “Are you two not done yet?” She questioned them with a raised eyebrow.

“Mommy!” Anise bolted towards the door at her mother.

“Welcome back dear. We were just about done here.” Troyle replied. “As I was saying, know the length of your sword and feel the placement of their positions as you swing them. Don’t get careless and remember to concentrate on what you are doing. Your swords can just as easily take your own life, as it could your enemy’s.”

“I understand, father.” Kaidus replied in earnest. He knew full well the dangers of a weapon.

“You two! Move these back so I can get started on lunch.” Adalina ordered.

“Yea! Move theesh back! Mommy make Lunch!” Anise also shouted happily.

“Whoops, looks like we’re done here. Go and wash up. I’ll move them.” Troyle shooed him off with a proud grin.

 

***

 

“I know I agreed for you to teach him swordsmanship, but you’re going to burn him out like that.” Adalina chided him as Troyle began to move the furniture back into the living room.

“He’s tougher than we give him credit for, dearest nagging wife.” Troyle replied with a smirk.

“You… That may be so, but he’s just a child.” His wife replied, squeezing into the kitchen.

“I too, was just a child when my father first hired an instructor for me.” He replied, picking up the low table and restoring it to its rightful spot—in the center of the living room.

Adalina laughed at his statement. “You were a troubled child that needed to be disciplined. Kaidus isn’t.” She replied from the Kitchen.

“It’ll be fine. I turned out well enough.” He answered before sneaking into the kitchen.
“I turned out fine, didn’t I?” He questioned, hugging Adalina from behind and pecking her on the cheek.

“KYA!” Adalina shrieked and dropped the stems of green Furuce she had just taken out of the bag. “A-a little bit,” She replied. Troyle continued to kiss her cheek, moving to her neck. “Stop. Stop that, I’m trying to cook.” Adalina scolded.

“Daddy! Anish too!” Anise cried out, tugging on him.

“Does my little girl want a kiss too?” He picked up his cute daughter.

“Uhn!”

“Well then, here! And here! And here!” He kissed both her cheeks and her forehead, moving back to snuggle her cheeks.

“Eheheh!” Anise laughed joyfully.

“It’ll be fine, Adalina. He’ll be fine. I can see it in his eyes.” Troyle reassured.

“If you say so. Just please, don’t overdo it.” Adalina cautioned.

“I would never do anything to cause him harm. He is my pride.” Troyle replied. “And this, is my Joy.” He kissed his cute daughter again, then put her on the ground. “And you my dear,” Troyle took Adalina into his arms. “You are my light, my star, and my life.” He gave her a passionate kiss.
Before she starts gasping for air, he released her and quickly picked up Anise and retreated to the living room.

“Yo-You man-child! Anise was watching!” Adalina yelled after him, but her tone of voice was unconvincing.

Grinning and trying to keep from laughing, Troyle sat down in the living room with his daughter.
He was already laughing triumphantly in his mind. Not just because of the exchange between him and Adalina, but because of his son, his daughter, and his current life. He was happy.

Troyle’s smile widened, thinking about his young son. The boy was not only a powerful mage, but given time and training, the boy will undoubtedly surpass him. Troyle couldn’t help but laugh at his prodigious son’s knack for the sword.
The boy’s movements earlier were nearly perfect. His son was like his very own echo, following every motion almost flawlessly. The only difference was that his son favored the right arm over the left, and he himself favored them both equally. Even so, after only a morning of practicing forms, the child was already grasping the movements effortlessly. There was no telling how long before the boy could fight against him equally.

“Are you a tiny bundle of surprises too Anise?” He questioned his adorable daughter.

“Anish ish a big girl!” The little one replied, beaming with happiness.

“Not yet,” Troyle smiled. “For now, you’re my cute little girl.” He gave her another kiss on the forehead.

 

***

 

Three days later in the 11th ward.
The Varath Manor.

“Thank you all for coming, and welcome.” Lord Alzin Varath cordially greeted them at the door with his wife Reanne.

“Sorry for the short notice, and thank you for having us.” Troyle replied.
His whole family was also here today. Adalina, Kaidus, and Anise.

“Come on in.” Lord Varath propped open the door himself, inviting them inside.

The common room of the Varath manor was extremely different from that of the Paltos house.
Furnished with extravagant and comfortable cushioned seats, a number of chairs ran alongside two intricately designed tables. There were vases filled with plants and flowers, works of arts plastered the walls, and the room itself was as spacious as the whole first floor of the Paltos house.

“Please make yourselves at home.” Lord Varath stated, being the first to take a seat.
“Reanne dear. Where are my children?”

“My lord, there is no need for-”

“None of that, Troyle. I’ve told you many times. In these situations, we are guests and host. And foremost, friends. Call me Alzin.” Lord Varath interrupted Troyle. “And there is a need. You’ve brought your family to visit. It is only fitting that mine shows the same respect and come greet their guests.”

“I’ll go call them. Adalina, would you please join me?” Lady Reanne asked.

“Certainly.” Adalina gave a devious smile. “Come on Anise, you’re coming with mommy.” She picked up Anise and they strolled off with Reanne, leaving the three boys to play together.

A servant came into the room carrying a tray filled with cups and two jugs of beverages, placing them onto the table before being excused by the lord.

“Some wine for Kaidus?”

“Just a little. Something else to mix with it would be great.” Troyle answered.

Lord Varath poured himself and Troyle each a cup of wine, then poured a small dose into another cup and added the contents of the other jug for Kaidus.

“Derilt fruit juice and a dash of Terinthian wine.” Lord Varath spoke with a grin as he handed the cup to Kaidus. “I hear you enjoy the fruit.”

“Thank you.” Kaidus took the cup and sipped it. The sweetness of the derilt fruit overpowered the taste of the wine, but he could smell a tinge of the wine’s rich aroma.

“My lor- Alzin, any words from Thurllton?” Troyle questioned once they’ve all taken a drink and a moment to relax.

“No, not yet. It seems the leaders are still deliberating about the exclusive contract.” Lord Varath sighed. “They’re perfectly fine and jumped at the chance for a trade agreement, but asking for exclusivity has got them arguing amongst each other. It’s not like I’m paying them any less for exclusivity.”

“They’ll come around. No one else would pay that much for pelt and hide.”

“Well, it’ll be fine. Even with a nonexclusive agreement, the trade should still bolster my future endeavors.” The lord smiled, looking at the profits—albeit a lot smaller.

The sound of footsteps could be heard.
“Good afternoon Troyle, hey Kaidus.” Larant came into the common room.

“Hello, Larant.” “Hello.” Troyle and Kaidus greeted back.

“Father, what are you scheming this time?” Larant questioned his father, a knowing grin on his face.

“Guh- Scheming?!” The older man almost dropped his cup. “Boy, we are just having a friendly chat. What a ridiculous thing to say… me, scheming…”

“Father, you were running around like a madman after getting word last evening that Troyle’s family would be visiting. You’re telling me you’ve got nothing up your sleeves?” Larant responded inquisitively.

“You are getting too insightful for your own good. Stop blabbering and come sit down.” Lord Varath sheepishly voiced, taking a gulp of his drink.

“Thank you, I learned from the best.” Larant provoked, sitting down next to his father.

“Where’s your mother and your sisters?”

“Mother told me to come first. She’s making sure Jillian and Sylvia are… presentable.” Larant gave a shrewd smile.

“…” Lord Varath saw the underlying message and couldn’t answer.
His son knew everything.
Even though Larant had been busy learning how to control his newly awoken magic the past year, the young man was very perceptive and could see right through him. The boy loved to torment him just like his mother.

“Have you finished your replica of the academy’s lighting apparatus?” Kaidus asked Larant, changing the atmosphere around them.

“No, not yet. I’ve got the device built, but I don’t know the runes required for the device to function properly. Unfortunately, runes are not taught until Intermediate Magic Artificing. All of us beginners are just constructing devices to help the intermediate students learn how to inscribe runes now.”

“Then next year you’ll be the one inscribing runes, while someone feeds you freshly crafted devices?”

“If I can pass the beginners test, that’s what I’m hoping for.” Larant grinned.

“How is Larant at the academy, Kaidus?” Lord Varath asked from beside Larant.

“Kaidus no. Keep it a secret!” Larant cried out.

“He is very hardworking and friendly. I hear he is one of the artificing master’s favorite student.” Kaidus complimented with a grin.

The sound of footsteps was coming toward them.

“AHHAHAHA!” Lord Varath burst into laughter, drowning out the footsteps. “This one here? A hard worker? AHAHAHHA!”

“See, father? This is why I try to hide my activities from you.” Larant groaned.

The lord quieted down, wiping away a tear. “Ha…. Sorry my boy, you’ve just been such an indolent person, relying on your words most of the time that I couldn’t help myself. It’s a good thing you’ve learned the pleasure of hard work.”

“I have my moments…” Larant muttered.

With the sound of footsteps, a group of ladies came into the spacious room.

Two beautiful women in their prime. One was holding a little girl who had been dressed up in a frilly vibrant red dress that paled in comparison to the silky redness of her hair.

Followed by a tall and beautiful blue hair teenage girl who was currently in the process of ripening into a woman. The defined protrusions of her bosoms were evident through her green dress, and her figure, given a few years, would be irresistible to many young men.

Wearing a blue dress laced with red inlays and golden frills, was another girl with a head of long dark blue locks. Though not yet of an age as her older sister, she was well dressed and impeccable. Her hair had grown longer from the last time he saw her, and she now walked with a practiced and confident gait. She gazed at him calmly as she made her way behind her father.

 

The eastern grounds surrounded the technical buildings, doubling as a classroom for practical hands-on lessons, and a practice ground after classes were over.

By the time Kaidus arrived, there were already a few students quietly practicing magic. A master patrolled the area, making sure nothing happened.

He made his way to where a small group of familiar faces were waiting.

“Alright, Kaidus is here. Shall we begin?” Jorva asked.

“I’m ready, but whose turn is it to set up the arena?” He replied, joining them.

“That would be Mirat and mine.” Jorva answered.

The two older boys looked at each other and nodded. Both began chanting incantations.
As soon as they finished, the ground stirred and four walls of earth rose up, merging together to form an enclosed arena. Rising up to Kaidus’ shoulders, the modestly sized rectangular arena had an opening for where the combatants would enter through. The walls were more to keep out wandering students than to enclose the combatants.
Mirat and Jorva grinned at each other, having accomplished their task. Using compound magic, they amplified each other’s earth magic, strengthening the walls and increasing the speed of the phenomenon.

“Thanks.” Prim thanked the two boys and entered the arena.
Kaidus followed.

“A duel?” Larant asked the others with a puzzled look.
He was relatively new to the group being a first year, and did not know what to expect.

“It’s something that Prim and I came up with when we were first years.” Lisin replied with a grin. “Do your best Prim! Go easy on her Kaidus!” She yelled.

“Oh.” A smile drew across Larant’s face, seeing Lisin yelling for the boy to go easy on someone twice his age.

“When you’re ready.” Kaidus told Prim as they each walked toward their respective side.

“You better be ready.” Prim replied as they separated.

Reaching his position, with a thought, the ground under him rose up and he was standing on a circular dirt platform barely higher than his knees. Kaidus looked over to where prim was standing and soon enough, she also raised herself up on a platform.

The rules were simple:
Two mages, one on each side of the arena, each on a raised platform.
The mages try to push each other off the platforms using magic, and the first one to leave the perimeter of the platform or gives up loses.
Except for lowering the platform to the ground and lethal magic, anything goes.
The separation and distance put between the mages were there, so that competitors could not hear each other’s incantations.

After getting to know one another over the last year, on occasion they would engage in these little bouts of magic, practicing what they’ve learned and applying it in friendly competition. It first began with talking about magic, then practice, then this rivalry.
Of course, the normal rules did not apply to Kaidus. For him, he could only defend while his opponent attempted to push him out. The match would be over once the attacking party fails to disengage him from the platform within a time limit, gave up, or he is pushed out.
With the start of the new school year and Prim’s council work, today was the first time this year.

Kaidus stood on his platform waiting patiently for whatever Prim had in store for him.
He watched silently as the sound of muffled incantations resounded about, and the sensation of the other girl’s mana whirled out, working its way into the world.
Kaidus took a quick sidestep, dodging a gust of wind aimed at his chest. Within seconds of moving, he repositioned himself again as another gust shot at him from the side.

“Massssterr.” Zion hissed in his mind.

‘It’s fine. I am not in danger.’ He thought back to the entity, keeping it down.

The area beneath his left feet surged with mana and crumbled in itself—concaving the platform—in an attempt to stagger him. Kaidus calmly shifted position again, moving to the center of the platform.
A ball of water followed and shot straight at him but before it could hit, a single thought shattered the blob of water, turning it into thousands of droplets that rained on him.
He saw Prim smile.
After a quick incantation, he was assaulted by another blast of wind followed by a burst of lightning magic. Kaidus formed a shield of mana in front of him to absorb the incoming attack. The shield blocked the wind magic, but the trajectory of the lightning bolt was not aimed at him. A small pool of water had collected underneath him due to the concave shape of his platform, and the magic bolt was directed at it. Drenched and standing in a pool of water, his lips curved upward at the attack. Kaidus jumped from his position before the bolt of lightning hit the puddle. In the air, he felt a flood of mana homing in on his position.

‘Amazing. She’s gotten even better.’ He thought to himself. The last time they competed was before the Rjus. Her casting speed, control, and precision were even more precise than he remembered.
A quick wave with his hands and a wall of wind formed, deflecting Prim’s wind magic that was about to blow him out of the air.
Landing onto the platform, he stood on the edges away from the puddle.
Another gust of wind tore at him but was also deflected.

‘Interesting.’
He knew there was no way prim was casting wind magic that fast. Focusing his mind, he sensed the oddity. Because of the flurry of spells in accordance to how prim usually attacks, he was not paying attention to the subtle flow of mana. It was now evident what she had done.

Prim had only casted wind magic once, and had been sustaining it this whole time. She attacked with it in intervals to make it look like she was recasting it, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike him out of the platform.
Invoking, and then sustaining the magic was one of the more advanced forms of control when it came to using an element. The magic required excellent focus and a sufficient flow of mana from the user. To be able to use other spells while sustaining her own wind magic, Prim was truly living up to the prestigious Lithius name.

Kaidus smiled at her progress.
With an indomitable will, he shattered the girl’s flow of mana to her wind magic.
He saw Prim’s look of surprise.

“I give up!” Prim announced from her platform. A defeated smile appeared on her face as she realized Kaidus had seen through her scheme and broken it.
Anticlimactically, it was over.
Prim got off the platform and walked toward the opening of the arena where the other three were waiting—along with a couple of new spectators.

“That was a good try, Prim. You almost had Kaidus.” Lisin tried to cheer up her friend.

“No. He was going easy on me the whole time.” Prim replied. “I never thought I had a chance, but I wanted to try anyways.”

“It was a good strategy. If I’d been slower while I was in the air, you may have taken the win. I was not expecting your lightning magic to go after the water, followed by a sneak attack. Good set up and attempt.” He complimented.

“I see. Then it wasn’t all for nothing. Thank you.” The disappointment of defeat vanished, and in its place emerged the brilliant smile of a beautiful young woman.

“What was that?!” Larant exclaimed excitedly.

“Kaidus won the match.” Jorva spoke from beside him.

“I know that, but did none of you see what just happened!?”

“Ah… Lord Varath never told you Kaidus is a voiceless caster did he?” Jorva added.

“Voiceless caster? He certainly did not…” Larant’s excitement quickly died, seeing the group already knew. Suddenly, a realization dawned on him about something else entirely. ‘That crafty old man… No wonder he’s been so adamant about Sylvia’s training.’

“Well, allow me to reintroduce you to Zorin’s own little….”

Not caring about what was going on with Larant and Jorva,
“How long have you been able to control and sustain wind magic like that?” Kaidus asked Prim.

“My sister taught me over the Rjus, and I’ve been practicing with Lisin in secret.” Prim answered while Lisin gave him a scheming grin.

“I see.” Kaidus knew who Prim was talking about. “I was surprised at how capable you’ve become at controlling your magic. What other elements can you manipulate?”

“Just wind magic for now. It seems I have a higher affinity with it than the other elements.” Prim paused for a moment while contemplating something. “Kaidus. What did you do to my magic anyways? It felt like it just vanished.”

“I severed your mana flow that was sustaining it. You just need to recast it again.”

“Severed? Is that like cancellation magic?”
The other four heard and they swiftly joined in on the juicy topic.

“Something like that.”

“I’ve heard of cancellation magic, but that’s usually along the line of a mana shield or a stronger magic that overwhelms the other, such as using water against fire, or metal to trap and deviate lightning magic. I didn’t notice you doing any of that.” Prim replied.

“That’s because I didn’t. You all understand the principle of amplification and combination magics right? In those cases, two different magic or two different magicians amplify/combine their spells, creating a stronger magic of a grander magnitude, just like what we’ve been doing with the arena. What I did was take it in the opposite direction. Negation of magic. Instead of amplifying your wind magic to create a stronger and more powerful force, my magic worked against yours, disrupting the flow of your own mana and cutting off the connection to your magic.”

“So mathematics?” Jorva sneered.

“Quite so.” Kaidus replied with a grin of his own.

“You and Prim have competed many times. How come this is the first time you’ve done something like this?” Mirat asked.

“There was never a need for it. Sustained magic is troublesome in that it can attack relentlessly depending on the user’s focus. None of you have used any magic beyond the incantation, invocation, and manifestation stages. Today was the first time someone fought me while using a continuous spell.” Kaidus replied with a smirk.

The rest of the group—except for Larant—shifted uncomfortably, embarrassed at his statement.
None of them had the fine control to be using magic like how prim had done earlier. Even if they could, they were not confident about using it.

“Hahaha! Larant started laughing at the sudden awkward silence. “What is this? You all just went numb.”
Noticing how ridiculous they were, Jorva and Mirat joined in on the laughter.

“Kaidus, can you teach us how to do what you did?” Prim asked after they’ve relaxed.

“I can try.” He replied.

…

 

“GAH!! I give up! I’m done with this!” The shrill sound of frustration came out of Jorva.
The other four who had already given up burst into laughter at his outcry. After an evening of attempting to extinguish Kaidus’ fire magic, none had succeeded, and the sun was going down.

“Remember what Kaidus said? Sense the flow of his mana. Maybe you lack the mental capacity for it, Jorva!” Prim jeered with a grin on her face.

“I don’t want to hear that from you, Prim!” Jorva retorted.

 “I know when I’m beat. You should too, before the shops close and we starve for the night.” Prim countered.

“Prim’s right. We’re all getting hungry.” Mirat added.

Jorva looked at the others, then to Kaidus. “Fine. Let’s go get some food.”
Seeing the end of their practice, Kaidus extinguished his fire magic. Mirat and Jorva dispelled their arena, and the earthen walls crumbled down to the ground.

“You’re paying right?” Prim joyfully questioned Jorva after they finished.

“Why am I paying?”

“You kept all of us waiting with your ceaseless demands of ‘one more try’. Isn’t that right everyone?”

““Yes.”” Lisin and Mirat both confirmed.

Looking at those who had been waiting for him, “Alright. Dinner’s on me tonight.” Jorva replied. Taking the lead, he left the practice grounds.

“… Do you guys do this often?” Larant asked Lisin as they followed.

“Only when someone is keeping the rest of us stranded here in an attempt to prove themselves.” Lisin replied happily before moving up to walk beside Prim.

“But all of you could have left whenever you wanted to…” Larant pointed out the flaw in Lisin’s logic.

“Food tastes better with friends, and more so when someone else is paying for it.” Mirat patted Larant’s shoulders and shot him a grin before running off to catch up with Jorva.

 

***

 

-In a different corner of the world-

An old man strolled through an eerie white world, one that he had traversed hundreds of times before.

The same scenery, unchanged even after decades. The same fog that gives the illusion of an infinite space. The same dead trees that stood motionless within the cloud of nothingness.
The realm which he was navigating now was beyond the understanding of men and magicians today. He himself could only hypothesize that it was forged by the gods at one point in time, and sealed by the ancients to preserve its splendor which had deteriorated throughout the ages. Those who have seen this place called it ‘The Eternal Forest’ but for him, it was only a means of transportation.

After endlessly walking, he reached his destination: a small hut in the middle of the desolate and bleary forest. A single candle was burning inside the hut. He entered and closed the door behind him. With a thought, a path opened in the ground of the hut. Another thought, and a ball of light formed in front of him, leading him down into the earth.

Passing through a door and entering into a large chamber, he could sense the tension and alarm in the room.

Six hooded figures stood in a line, awaiting his arrival.
“Report on Darsus.” The old man commanded as he approached the six, and one of them stepped forward.

“It is as we feared, master. The last known headquarter that our people in Darsus were occupying is in rubble. All contact along with any sign of Zavon has vanished completely. Many of the agents within Darsus are in confusion without a chain of command and are running amok.”

“… What about the shard?” The old man asked bitterly.
It was a turn and seventeen days ago that Zavon failed to report in on the situations within Darsus. Fearing for the worst, they had covertly deployed agents into the eastern continent to ascertain the situation, and to retrieve a priceless relic.
He did not care much about his pawns. All that mattered, is that Tal’hrus’ secrets are safe, and the shard was one of their biggest secrets.

“We don’t know, master. Any traces of it has also vanished. Even the hidden chamber which was reinforced with magic had been destroyed.” The hooded figure replied, keeping his head low.

“That imbecile!! Years of preparations gone in an instant!” The old man shouted furiously. He gripped his fist tightly, restraining the impulse to destroy those before him.
He had warned Zavon to tread lightly, and now Darsus was as good as lost to them.
An old enemy’s face flashed before him, mocking him.
Because of Zavon’s foolish endeavors, it had cost them dearly and the shard may have even fallen into Nylen’s hands.

“Get your men out of there. We are freezing all operations in Darsus for now. Collect any of Zavon’s stragglers and add them to your own. Move any assets we still have within Darsus to the other continents.” Through his anger, the old man calmly voiced his orders, keeping a clear head so as not to make any further blunders.

“Yes, master.” The man kept his head low, pronouncing his subservience. “What about our allies within Darsus?”

“Notify them of the change in plans.”

“Understood.” The hooded man bowed and returned to stand beside the other five.

‘Keep your precious Darsus for now, Nylen. We will be back for it!’ The old man vowed in his mind.
“Kaval! I assume you have better news?” He questioned, his anger at Zavon’s failure seeping through.

Another of the hooded figures stepped forward. “I do.” A female voice rang through the room. “The 5th prince and his supporters have agreed to cooperate with us.”

“And what do they want in return?” The old man replied, his fury still prevalent even after the good news.

“Our assistance in the prince’s rise to emperor…”