Only three days remained before Edgar Baring's transaction. Meanwhile, Armand continued training with his master in preparation for his reunion with the others, scheduled for less than two months from now. They had also discovered a new, even more complex facet of Armand's power: he could use two colors at the same time. However, this didn't work as you might imagine. Armand could infuse an object, created by his orange magic or an ordinary object, with any colored aura, while using another color on himself, as usual.
On this day, they were testing this ability by training against a golem of earth and roots controlled by Master Kaka. Armand stepped out onto the beaten track in the garden, where the golem awaited him. He created a simple stick with an orange aura and concentrated to infuse it with a reddish hue. A sharp pain shot through his head, but he shook it quickly to avoid distraction, then enveloped himself in a bluish aura.
The master gave the signal with the cry of Pica, and Armand launched himself at the golem, which this time seemed more on the defensive. He noticed that the golem was not only made of earth, but also of roots. Cautious, he continued his charge, attacking the golem by surprise with his great speed.
His reddish stick tore through the roots on the golem's back. However, the roots moved and caught the weapon. Armand let go and, before the golem could react, dissipated the stick's magic to make it disappear, then created a new one. This time, he donned an indigo aura on his staff and waited for the golem to attack.
The golem did not hesitate and threw a violent punch to the ground. Thick roots sprang up from the ground, heading towards Armand at high speed. He smiled at the result of his action.
"That old man really doesn't care about his garden," he muttered.
Channelling his magic into the tip of the stick, Armand launched a blow into the air, creating a blade of air. It missed the golem but exploded behind him, leaving a stagnant indigo smoke. The golem, suspecting what it was this time, paid no attention to the smoke and continued to send its roots towards Armand.
He tore at them as best he could with his red-coated fists. However, a root more massive than the others came rushing towards him. Armand smiled, creating an indigo rift with his staff, this time combining the speed conferred by his blue aura. The root rushed into the breach before emerging through the one Armand had thrown earlier, arriving behind the golem and impaling it with force. Armand jumped for joy, convinced that his strategy had worked.
But he was wrong. The golem detached itself from the ground, and the root continued to surge forward with great speed, despite the golem clinging to it. Armand, taken by surprise, lost his nerve. In his haste, he tried to coat his stick with his green aura to protect himself, but it was himself who was enveloped in the aura. The golem, now within range, gave Armand no chance. It struck a powerful blow that destroyed the stick and threw Armand right up to the barrier protecting the house.
Armand collapsed to the ground. Fortunately, thanks to the protection conferred by his aura, he was not seriously hurt, but he was exhausted after juggling the colors. He raised his arm to signal his master to stop, and the golem instantly disintegrated, returning to earth, while the roots retracted into the ground. The master joined Armand and knelt down beside him, observing his condition attentively. Armand straightened up, holding his head, noticing that his nose was bleeding.
"I'll never get used to it. It gives me a terrible headache managing two colors at once and having to change them according to the situation... It was hard enough with just one," says Armand.
"Indeed, it's a totally different fighting style from the one you've learned so far, but if you possess this faculty, it's better to exploit it rather than ignore it," replied Master Kaka.
Armand rose slowly to his feet, wiping the blood from his nose with the back of his hand. He inhaled deeply to calm himself. They continued training for a few more hours. Then came the end of the day.
"We can stop there for today. It's still not obvious to you, but we've got time, don't worry!"
As Armand stood up again, the master tossed a bag containing a dozen coins at his feet. Armand took it, wondering why the master was giving him this.
"I'm not feeling like cooking today, and I'm not very hungry either. Go eat somewhere in Auroria. There are some good restaurants in the northern district," Master Kaka explained.
Armand smiled, finding the master's excuse a little ridiculous, but thanked him all the same. Shortly afterwards, he dressed in his room in the more casual clothes he'd bought a few days earlier. A simple red top with a hood, looking like a hoodie he was used to wearing in his world, and a pair of black jeans he'd obtained at low cost thanks to his master's influence. He then left the house, and by surprise, Pica followed him, rushing into Armand's hoodie, he was surprised by this gesture from the little bird.
"Pica?! Would you like to go for a walk with me?" asked Armand, as if the bird was about to answer him.
The little bird gave a joyful cry and snuggled comfortably into Armand's hood. Smiling, he continued his walk towards Auroria, curious to discover the city in its nocturnal ambience. The streets of the eastern quarter, lit by magic lanterns, create a warm and welcoming atmosphere. Despite the late hour, there were still a few people around, and the sounds of conversation and laughter echoed through the streets. The tantalizing smell of the various dishes prepared in the restaurants or the takeaways tickled his nose.
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Arriving in the northern quarter, Armand noticed a particularly lively restaurant. Tables were set up outside, where customers were enjoying their meals in the cool evening air. He chose a vacant table and sat down, enjoying the relaxed, lively atmosphere.
"Good evening, what can I get you?" asked the waiter as he approached.
Armand perused the menu, impressed by the variety of dishes on offer. In the end, he opted for a pasta dish with local cheese and bread, and decided to take only water, as a drink would have exceeded his limited budget. While waiting for his meal, he observed the surroundings, appreciating every detail of this new district.
He noted the unusual presence of the imperial guard, without knowing why, and observed that the liveliness was slightly more modest here than in the eastern quarter, despite the reputation of the good restaurants in the north.
His thoughts were interrupted when his dish arrived, immediately releasing the delicious smells of melted cheese and fresh herbs. Armand took a bite, savoring every flavor. Pica, huddled in his hood, seemed intrigued by the smell and gave a little cry of excitement.
"Sorry, Pica, it's a bit too much for you," Armand said with a smile.
The little bird remained nestled, curiously observing the surroundings. Armand continued to eat, enjoying the relative calm of the evening despite the greater presence of the imperial guard. The lively chatter of the other diners provided a soothing backdrop.
As he finished his meal, Armand noticed a group of people enter the restaurant, apparently looking for someone. After paying the bill, he got up and left the establishment. He then wandered quietly through the northern quarter, the night being mild and pleasant. At the corner of a small deserted square, he decided to take a break and sat down on a bench.
Taking advantage of this moment of calm, Armand continued his training to create the magic gourd he had still not succeeded in reproducing. Even without the book at hand, he had studied its contents so much that he didn't really need it anymore. After a few tries, he finally felt on the right track.
His orange eyes reflected the light of the park's streetlamps as he assembled the parts he'd created. The pump was working properly, and the canteen's capacity-limiting system seemed operational. He placed it on his lap and let it fill on its own, his eyes turning yellow to check the flow of magic into it.
Miraculously, the gourd closed once full, and all seemed normal. Armand couldn't believe his eyes, but after a moment to realize that he'd finally succeeded, he exploded with joy as he suddenly rose from the bench.
"Finally! After almost a week, I've finally managed to create one!" he exclaimed.
He turned to see where Pica was to tell him the news, but he wasn't there. Armand looked around and, looking up, saw Pica standing in front of a small, open birdcage perched above a lamppost. Inside the cage, a bird of his own species is living out its life. Intrigued, Armand approaches and notices that the cage is inscribed: "Red-headed Cyanocrius: Alarmist". The two birds greet each other, exchanging little pecks, and the bird seems well fed, probably thanks to the grocery store opposite the square that must feed it.
"So that's the name of the Pica species? It looks like they use these birds as alarms," he murmured, "the cage is open, so it doesn't look like he's being forced to live in it."
Pica came back to Armand and rested on his tuft of curly hair, he petted it a little before returning to the bench to pick up his gourd, which he put in his hood due to lack of space.
They continued their little walk, Armand beaming with happiness at his success. Night falls, and the street clocks indicate that it's nearly eleven o'clock. Armand decides to turn back to the east, towards the master's house. However, he is suddenly overcome by a strange atmosphere.
Just as he is about to exit an alley onto a main street, he hears a crowd of people running through it, accompanied by the sound of scuffling and creaking armor. Armand hides in his alleyway and peeks out from behind a wall. He sees a red-haired boy being chased, grabbed and knocked to the ground by a horde of imperial guards.
The boy looks strange, not putting up much resistance. He wears a large yellow scarf around his neck and has a tattoo on his right cheek, looking like an inverted "L", like a very abstract tear. On the ground, he is tied up and lifted without putting up any resistance. The guards put him in a horse-drawn vehicle, and one of them loudly orders him to be taken to the Silver Fortress. Armand remembers hearing this name during his day at the Auroria library, at the macabre Saukel market, which he hasn't forgotten.
He grabs Pica, still perched on his head, and asks him to get home before he does. The little bird doesn't understand, but Armand releases him by tossing him gently into the air, and instinctively Pica flies home. Armand then concentrates a reddish magic at his feet and leaps from wall to wall, weakening every surface to land discreetly on the roofs of the buildings. The vehicle is already a long way off, but Armand, who has decided to follow them, manages to catch up by enveloping himself in his blue aura, while maintaining a certain distance of discretion.
After a few minutes of pursuit, Armand stops on a roof in the distance. The vehicle arrives at a square where habitations are becoming rarer, but an imposing building stands out from the landscape. With a large tower in the middle. The gate opened and on it could be read the famous Silver Fortress.
A woman emerged from the building to greet the procession, her red hair and a large axe on her back, then the vehicle opened and the guards firmly removed the man. The woman consults a poster that Armand can't see perfectly from where he's standing, then she seems to compare the man with it before nodding.
Then they take him inside before closing the gate behind them. For his part, Armand releases the pressure once the entire guard has left. He contemplates the massive walls of the Silver Fortress, wondering what awaits the red-haired man inside.
Armand grabs the map he always keeps with him. He unfolds it, scanning the streets and buildings. He adds a marker where he is in relation to the master's house. After rolling it up, he puts it back in his belt and hurries off before anyone sees him.
Once at a distance, he dropped to the ground in an alleyway and walked as if nothing had happened, looking around to see if anyone found him suspicious, although it was already past midnight by now and there were only revellers on the streets and some night watchmen going about their business.
After a while of walking through the northern and eastern districts, he finally returned to the master's house. The master had fallen asleep in his rocking chair, a book resting on his legs. Pica is sleeping peacefully in his nest, perched on the tree that crosses the house. Armand discreetly enters his room, exhausted by his nightly walk. He collapses on the bed, letting the night's events swirl in his mind.
End of chapter 11.