Cleaned up, Luke stepped back into the Defier’s lobby through the portal. Wayfinder hung around his neck, Xera sheathed to his side, and the Whispering Tome floated soundlessly to the back left.
Sooty flapped in place a short distance above Luke’s shoulder. Denying the servant’s offers of assistance, the Reaver took in the black crystal arch yards away, reliable Runes pulsing yellow like clockwork.
There sat Persephone, the brown-haired woman biting at her nails with worry. Her feet tapped against the marble floor; melodious chimes rang throughout the branch. Interested by the sight, Luke made headway toward the receptionist. The Reaver could practically taste the worry in his mouth from here. The woman before him so lost in her thoughts that she failed to notice him, Luke tapped on the counter, “Something on your mind, Persephone? The tricolored clothes look great as always.”
Abruptly raising her head, Luke swore he could see the woman’s eyes sparkle, Persephone yelled, “There you are! I’ve been trying to get a hold of you to deliver these two notices dropped by addressed to you. One from Master Thundergast, the elixirist, and the other by…” Persephone lowered her voice, aware of its raised state, “one of Iona’s suitors, Galen Miel.”
Sensing trouble already, Luke took the two letters from Persephone, he glanced over both. Making a show of rushing out some air, Luke shredded Galen Miel’s letter to pieces there on the spot, winking at Persephone, the Reaver asked her, “This Galen fellow is completely in love with Iona, isn’t he? What is the guy?”
Persephone’s eyes wandered to the falling shreds of paper, “Galen is a Miel, the eldest son to Jalice Miel, the second most powerful woman in their titled family.”
Pinching between his brows, Luke asked again, “What is he, Persephone, not who and who birthed the silver spooned bastard.”
Wayfinder shook from his chain around Luke’s neck in amusement. Sooty began to pick at Luke’s hair, drastically dropping the Reaver’s aura of annoyance.
Calming herself, Persephone regained a modicum of professionalism, “Galen is a second tier archer. He’s known for learning to enchant his arrows with wind, as well for his overly persistent affections for Defier Iona.”
Placing a hand over his chin, Luke raised his eyes to their right edge, “I see. It’s no wonder he challenged me to a duel in the letter. You did warn me about this happening. The misguided fool can wait for death later.”
Standing from her desk, Persephone bowed to Luke, “I cannot believe his audacity. Forgive me, Luke, had I known the contents, the letter would’ve been burned upon arrival.”
Musing, the foolhardy attempt bloomed feelings in a different direction for Luke, “Iona sure does have it hard, and there’s more than one guy like this sniffing after her? Is there a reason she’s got this issue?”
“That would be best discussed with Defier Iona. I’d rather keep my job than perpetuate rumors or gossip. Especially when those people happen to be one of my bosses.”
Wouldn’t that make me one of her ‘bosses’ too? Luke wondered but sapped the thought of further energy. Turning away, Luke approached the nearby kitchens where the complimentary buffet awaited. Waving off the refusal, Luke said, “Good point, and I’m too hungry to press for more. Go back to whatever it is you do.”
Based upon the foods being served within the dining area, Luke believed it to be past noon. It certainly wasn’t morning anymore, that was for sure, as he grabbed a plate, he listened to Sooty’s input when picking food. Once done, the Reaver noticed a monic woman rapidly waving him over.
With a very obviously drunk demeanor, her other hand holding a half-empty mug of foamy beer. Knowing better than to run off, Luke took one step in front of the other, painstakingly.
Aruna? And drunk too? It’s barely past noon at worst, what’s wrong with her?
Before drifting further into complaint, Luke noted the stress lines under Aruna’s purple irises. The singular hint was like a puzzle piece; another angle altered his train of thought.
Could be she’s under a ton of pressure. Considering the circumstances, is that surprising? I’m saved by ignorance, but Aruna knows what a Tide does.
Raising the mug to Luke as he settled down in the seat across from her, Aruna had an obvious red blush line over most of her face, “There’s the little brother and his little birdie too. Tell me, you icy bastard, how many challenges have you gotten yet?” Aruna slammed back the rest of the drink and set it down on the table. She waved over a nearby servant and said, “Matali, get me more!”
A Tora man with mottled gray fur walked over, slowed by age, but clearly still capable of this position, taking the mug, off to retrieve more ale as requested.
Meanwhile, Luke let Sooty pick at the fruit and seeds on the plate first, while he considered his words, “Funny you say that, Galen Miel challenged me today. The written lines along the tone of ‘how dare you defile Madam Iona’s angelic presence’, and demanded I duel him in three days. I shredded the request, why should I entertain a one-sided grudge?”
Reaching over the table, Aruna strong-armed Luke’s head into a light lock, his face up against her chest, “Hanging around Iona can bring that sort of trouble, but regardless you’ll have others send duel requests. Any novice like you, or an apprentice, like me, deals with it constantly.” Aruna began to laugh in a drunken haze, “You can come to your big sister if they bully you too much, ha ha!”
Trying a short struggle to free himself from Aruna’s rather embarrassing hold, Luke found the drunken Monic had a little too much strength for him to get free, but the woman had to strain to keep him in check. Mentally accepting the temporary discomfort, the Reaver asked Aruna, “What’s the point in challenging us? And why not the other six?”
“Ahh?” Aruna hiccuped, “What’s going on in that noggin’ of yours, little brother Luke? Who would challenge the peak powers in the city? Picking on the up and comers like you and I is all they can hope for!” Aruna laughed uproariously, “The bastards don’t have the balls for more.” Aruna leaned in real close to Luke’s face, while licking her lips, “You’d be the perfect meal to them, little brother. Higher in status, weaker in power.”
Before Luke could try to refute those words, Aruna damn near strangulated him with her arm around his nec. Accepting the new ale while gulping it down again, she continued staring Luke dead in the eyes, her face gone completely flat, “Leave them all broken and bloodied, kill any that show too much disrespect to the Defiers, your big sister will handle any tier three requests for you, I need to sharpen my skills a little more. The rest is up to you.”
Aruna freed the Reaver by releasing her arm crank around Luke’s neck. Luke jerked back, startling Sooty, who had been engrossed in her seed and fruit feasting. Xera laughed at Luke’s expense yet did not verbalize anything.
Tending to the food he chose, a medley of vegetables, cheese, and meat, Luke ate what he could as Aruna downed mug after mug. Once Luke was roughly half done with the plate, he folded to Aruna’s surmounting stare, “Am I missing something?” He asked, not expecting a straight answer.
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Whipping around her hair, Aruna agreed, “That you are, little brother. Plenty have already sent challenges to you, the old bastard, Musai’s been denying them all for the moment.” She licked her lips, “You favored child, ignorant of the chaos you cause.”
Reviewing his recent nights, Luke felt he was not at all ignorant of the ripples his presence sent across Sylen.
Always dumber than a box of rocks, Private Wallace. What will take for you to open your eyes and see before you end up in a body bag? Plenty of more useful recruits have died while you live. A shame.
Clutching at his face, a grimace spread across Luke’s countenance, Shut up. Shut up. SHUT UP. He repeated inside his mind. The severe expression hanging from the drill sergeant wouldn’t leave his mind. Under that influence, the Reaver changed his response, “Give me your advice Aruna.”
Cupping a hand over her ear, Aruna leaned in, “Ah, what was that? I only respond to ‘big sister Aruna’ when my little brother talks to me. Otherwise, I’ll think the dullard is speaking to someone else.” Aruna leaned back, guzzling more ale, wiping off the remnants, “What will it be? Your pride? Or my advice?”
Ice froze over the table in an instant, Luke bore into Aruna’s figure with his eyes, “Play your games carefully, woman. Or I’ll devour you before you know it.” Sooty flapped back from the ruined food, oddly choosing to land on the floating Whispering Tome behind Luke.
Kicking aside the chair she previously sat on, Aruna smashed a leg over the table, cracking into Luke’s ice, wearing an easy smile, she met the Reaver’s cadence, “Does my new little brother need some discipline first? I’ve been itching to fight you.”
Alerted servants rushed, some trying to calm either Defier, while others ran off the marble floor trying to find another Defier to intervene. Two maids and a butler entreated to Luke, but the sentences all sounded like buzzing to the man. A similar number tried to calm Aruna, that she continually causes trouble when drunk.
Aruna snapped at them first, “If there were less sheep than the wolves sharpening their fangs for the Tide, we wouldn’t be so quick to snap. Millions to serve, yet nine to fight. Keep to the sidelines, powerless weaklings.”
A set of decisive steps echoed toward the dining area, yet neither Defier paid them heed.
The Enhancer’s expression darkened, bits of wind coming off her person, only to be frozen over by Luke’s frost essence, white vitality swirled to her legs, and the table collapsed in half, “Try to devour me little brother. You are still a baby wolf before me. I’ll kick down that useless pride and ego you’ve built up. A few rough months beneath my feet should shape you up nicely.”
A manic smile overcame Luke, his Spectral Heart in a madly excited rush, beating rapidly, the ice turned into a deeper blue. Xera, with her nature, was of no help, egging Luke on, “Let me slice and dice this lady up, master. My edge could use some blood. I’ll go rusty at this rate.”
A near indigo clawed ice gauntlet deployed over Luke’s forward right hand, “Perfect, you walking sack of shit. Force me to the next stage, no need for months, why not right now?”
Widening her mouth to release a taunt, Aruna suddenly was blasted back by a blood wave, and Luke found himself thrown to the ground, the marble floor caved in from his body impact. There, between Aruna and Luke, stood a gigantic plate armored man, the red-black spotted tail the only visible indication of his race, a Tora. A full helmet covered his face, and a short mobile lance pointed out to Aruna while his shield faced Luke. A blood barrier rippled and twisted around him.
Jumping back to her feet, Aruna growled, “Jovan, don’t get in the way. Let me knock some sense into our youngest before teaching him what’s best. Isn’t that what a lovable big sister like me is supposed to do? Stop interfering.”
Red eyes with white centers floated in socket openings for Jovan’s helmet. Jovan silently shook his head, returned the shield to his back while pointing up a sign in the background against the walls; an essential list of rules was stated there.
Luke read the very top, put in yellow letters behind a black border were the words, No fighting is permitted in the cafeteria.
Dusting off the spare white and black marble resting against his clothes, Luke couldn’t help but think, Ah shit. This makes for a poor first impression. Jovan should be the eighth, one more to go.
Unsteadily swaying, Aruna stumbled for a second, then continued to argue, “This wasn’t fighting, only sisterly love and a bit of sibling rivalry.” She crossed her arms, closed her eyes, and looked away with a humph.
Jovan scratched the back of his helm, then decided to sheath the short lance. Luke found himself on the receiving end of the unique red-eyed stare. Coughing, Luke sheepishly apologized, “Sorry, it looks like I don’t mesh well with Aruna, not when she spikes unwanted memories.” Luke placed out his hand, “Your Jovan then? Annika mentioned you once, I’ll be in your care.”
The mute Tora grasped Luke’s hand with a metal glove, allowing the Reaver to stand. Jovan patted Luke’s shoulder. Whether on purpose or not, the Tora pressed with enough force for Luke to feel his bones creak. Jovan roughly pointed to a closet in the corner labeled Cleaning Supplies.
Inspecting the destruction his short spat with Aruna caused, Luke slumped his shoulders. It appeared he’d be busy for the next hour or so. Luke picked up a broom and dustpan as he shed remnant anger. He overheard Aruna yelling, “What? I need to go clean up too? But that prideful brat started it.”
Aruna’s answer was a low growl from Jovan.
“Fuck, fine! I get it, picking a drunken brawl in the guild never works out anyway. But—I’m still innocent.”
Like that, the uncanny sight of two Defiers being placed on cleaning duty alongside other staff took place. Jovan sat in a nearby free chair, not allowing either to leave his sight. When the work was done over two hours later, a maid shaking in her heels fearfully couldn’t bring herself to reveal a ledger in her hands to either Defier undergoing the cleaning punishment.
Acutely aware of the surroundings, Jovan snapped his fingers to get the maid’s attention, and relief flowed through the human maid. She hurriedly handed the ledger over to Jovan before rushing off to other duties. The tora flipped the ledger to face Luke as he tapped it, cracking the backboard.
Looking up from the marble pile and wood scraps he’d cordoned, Luke frowned immediately after reading it. Grumbling, he handed Jovan ten gold from his Inventory. Jovan nodded slowly and gestured to Aruna. Luke figured that meant he wanted him to get Aruna to read the ledger as well.
“Aruna, come here for a bit.”
“I only answer to ‘big sister’ from you,” Aruna refuted proudly, hands on her hips.
Instinctively, Luke wanted to flare out ice, or maybe make Xera a happy wand by sending an Essence Lance towards his new ‘big sister’s’ way, but stopped himself. He’d gotten into enough trouble as is.
Shrugging, Jovan handed the ledger to Luke. Roughly understanding Tora’s adamantly silent intentions, Luke marched over to Aruna and placed the ledger in the Monic woman’s line of sight.
Aruna’s expression crumpled before shock came down her face, replaced by unfounded anger next, “Pay for half the damages?!? That shitty wooden table and junk stone is worth ten gold?” She glared at Luke before shivering, survival instincts roaring to life. Aruna peeked behind her, Jovan’s red gaze trained at her every move, a blood wave building rapidly around him.
“But..but..my drinking money…” Aruna began to lightly sob as she dragged herself over to Jovan. She pinched every gold piece out of her spatial bag one by one like life itself was being taken from her. Once payment was received, Jovan let the two troublemakers go after chopping them both on the head harshly once.
Without a further word, the Tora stalked off and out the cafeteria, his tail flicking in annoyance with the pace. The maids, butlers, and staff meekly kept their distance from Luke and Aruna. Sighing, Luke scratched Sooty’s talons, attempting to distract himself from the coming embarrassment. The faint smell of well-cooked food helped him regain rationality. White and blue wall panels called to mind a glimmer of peace.
Gritting his teeth, the Reaver faced the Monic Enhancer. “Aruna, you were talking about Musai withholding all those challenges to me. You made it sound like a bad idea. Why is that?”
Widening out her impressive legs, Aruna took on a challenging grin and winked at Luke, “Need your big sister to clear up the confusion for you? You know what to do. What’s the proper thing to call me, little brother?”
I fucking knew it.
The Reaver exhaled roughly, “I refuse to call you that, Aruna. What a ridiculous name, we’re not related by blood. Be reasonable.”
Wiping up to four inches from Luke’s face, Aruna showed madness in her eyes, “That’s where you’re wrong. We’re related in our blood.” She lightly ran the back of her left hand against Luke’s face, before hanging it in front of his nose. A black pentagram with red dots in its outer third and a yellow mark to its center rose the top of Aruna’s skin, “This means we’re family. And I came before you, little brother Luke, now what does that make me to you?”
Laughing at the absurd line of logic, Luke couldn’t help but capitulate this once, “Fine, fine, good luck getting me to repeat this, Big Sister Aruna. Tell me what’s on your mind.”