Chapter 2
Fast!
The fist connected with her elbow, sending waves of pain down her arm and rendering it useless for precious seconds. She dodged back and the shadow followed, awaiting her move. Stalking and circling, the shadow waited for the moment to strike, sensing her weakness like blood in the water. She would not leave without cost. So she attacked. Throwing her body forward, arm still paralyzed at her side, she swung the silver dagger at the hunter only to let it fly in the last moment and rotating her body to shift into a kick. Her strike precise, deadly, efficient. Burned into her muscle and bone through years of blood and sweat. The darkness shifted. Recognizing her move as desperate, the humanoid reaper rotated its body off the blades trajectory, dodging without a hairs width to spare. Fuck. Her body still in motion to hit the blurry target, she knew it to be for naught. The hunter was prepared. Its gaze flashed up, facing her. Eyes predatory, sharp with violet sparks roaming beneath the surface, eerie and alien. It could have dodged. But in the last of her moments, it seemingly decided to mock her one last time. A hand moved, redirecting her blow with ease and sending her tumbling on the cold surface. There she lay, on the cold metal floor, gasping for air and waiting for her enemy to finish the fight. It walked up, steps silent and movement unhurried. Damn it!
Stopping a few steps from her head, it just looked down. As if she was no danger. Fuckkkk. She fast frustrated. Familiar laughter echoed in her mind, reminding her of the training when she was younger.
At some point she would laugh at the memory, they said. She didn’t. It only reminded her of bruises and pain. And that stupid laugh. The thought causing a dull ache in her chest.
Bastard. Someday I will get you for that.
She knew to be talented among her peers, but here, it was worm and bird.
So she lay there, catching her breath and letting the adrenaline fade from her pumping veins. Her heart, still agitated from the action slowly returned to a normal rhythm as the tension slowly left her body. She recalled the fight. Going through alternatives and mistakes, and sighed.
“Worried again, princess?”
The shadow spoke. It had a deep voice, rough, though not excessively. It would have been quite pleasant, were it not for the missing emotions. The room brightened. The shadow faded, replaced by the man “sparring” her for the past hours, tho she insisted it to be abuse and entertainment. No training ever saw her bruised this much. Not even her brothers and she still held enough grudges about that to fill books.
She breathed out, deeply. Getting rid of her concerns and focusing her totally reasonable fury on the person at her front. “I do have feelings, you know? Could at least look a bit tired for my sake?”
Confused, he looked back. His brows furrowed in trained perfection. “My apologize, Miss. I thought it was at your request we increased the tempo? If I understood you incorrectly, I offer my deepest regrets.”
“Tzk” No humor in them. Maybe it’s my brother’s influence, or maybe they're just dense. Doesn’t matter. They're all crazy anyway.
“No, you’re right, Ahri. Sorry, this isn’t on you.” he offered his hand and she took it. “I am just worried and it stresses me.”
Now, he smiled with what may have been a trace of real sympathy. For what reason she did not dare to guess.
“Oh, I get it. He’s a bit ...intense at times. But don’t worry—he can handle himself. Probably.”
She shot him a glare, her bruises already aching.
Although his reply added a new concern to her already overworked mind, this was not what she had meant.
“What do you mean by that? I am worried for his safety. What exactly are you concerned about?.”
He blanked, then laughed. The slightly crooked line of his mouth telling its honesty. A rarity. “His safety?” More laughter. His grin growing more deranged, amusement clear in his eyes. A sign to warrant worry. They rarely showed emotion in her presence, or any presence in that regard. Like a big mole on your skin. Rare, not pretty, and maybe a sign to start thinking.
They tried to include her, at times. Nothing of importance, minor things that were unconnected to their circle or her brother. She learned early not to dig to deep or press too much. They castled up fast. But the last six years showed clear improvement and she forced herself to be patient.
Everything a farce. A mask, donned to hide and forget, merely imitations for the audience to ignore. Even to her they were selective in revealing anything about their kin and time spent beside her brother. They tried to include her, at times. Nothing of importance, minor things and odd details. She knew them to be deeply loyal … or fanatical, depending on your point of view. So she decided to ignore their behavior. And definitely not because it made her worry for her sanity. … But those early days… The heads. The spikes. Ahhh...deep breaths. I am the Calm.
Close.
When he abruptly stopped in his hysteria, he answered deadpan. “ I, or we, were more concerned with some … aspects of his personality. He tends to be a bit - “ he paused in thought. “ particular , in his behavior. But you need not start to fear now. He managed so far, so he should be able to hide until the rest. Hopefully. Maybe.” His voice not so certain towards the end. “Maybe?” She couldn’t believe it. If they thought he was weird, what did mean for their peaceful life. Did they even know what “particular” meant? Now she was nervous. Before she could press however, Ahri already turned to walk towards the halls exit, his steps as silent as a predators gait.
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Hurriedly she followed. The hall that donned as her training ground was rather large. About 50 meters in width and 100 in length, with multiple magical engravings and formations to hide and protect from notice. It contained multiple racks filled with weapons ranging from normal to exotic to “what the fuck is this”. From experience she knew her assigned sparring partners to be comfortable with a score of them. At the side stood dummies in various forms and material. Engraved and enchanted to repair with energy and fight with programmed skill they were extremely expensive. In the Volgh Empire, living under steel and stone to the south, golems were commonly used as soldiers and protective detail or even errand boys and pack mules. Geared for war, they made terrifying enemies. Those dwarves sure knew how to make their toys.
She hurried to catch up with Ahri, moving towards the stairs that led to her new home.
Not to long ago she had resided in a small apartment, issued by her institute near the academy grounds. It had been small, but she was never one for wasted luxury. Her new home was less modest. At the edge of the city, it was not ideal for her commute to the kingdoms institute for magical research and combat or the occasional work she carried out for Ahri and his kin. It was, however, quiet and isolated. A compromise she had to take in order to live with her brother soon after his return, which was not far out. A thought that made her as exited as it worried her. She heard about some of his “problems” from her new acquaintances that arrived six years prior. It looked … not great, and she had no delusions that they confided her in all and everything about him. They told her so, in fact, right in the face. Bit rude, she thought as she caught up with Ahri’s unhurried gate.
The staircase was not long, made of the same steel as the hall there were no cracks or sounds as they climbed towards the closed door at the apex. The walls were were mounted with few lamps, glowstones, as they were commonly known. Those in particular were dimmed by design, only giving enough light to see the steps ahead.
Reaching the last steps she barely noted Ahri’s lips curled up slightly at her sights edge, and his eyes filling with some excitement to form a visage that sent chills down her spin. Then she froze, realizing with certain horror what was about to happen. Not again… They had reached the door leading into the house. To her, the door looked evil and full of trouble. A first for her. Normally she tended to feel not that strongly about doors, except the ones that sounded like haunted pleas. Right now, she would prefer it sounding like the gates to hell. Ahri gripped the knob and her body tensed. He twisted and threw the door open with enough force to shatter any hardened wood and wake the dead at the same time. The door held, however, and crushed into the wall with vehemence. She took a few steps down the stairs and watched.
The moment the view cleared, what greeted them was not the rooms spacious interior, but a curved dagger aimed at the still grinning man at her front. His hand shot forward and with precise movement curled around the throwing dagger centimeters from his heart, expression unchanged. Light danced upon the blades surface, the edge sharp enough to cut dragons hide. Then, the next moment his right hand shot forth as well, towards the empty right corner of the door. Snapping ready just in time as above a small shadow materialized, already in motion to strike. Darkness and arm collided in a small shock-wave that made her hair flutter meters away and sent trembles though the rooms sparse decoration, fortunately breaking nothing. They had prepared the room for this, clearly anticipating similar events and another reason for taking residence at the cities edge. No one to complain about a small fight.
Shadow and man parted. Watching.
Then the shadow clicked its tongue in obvious disapproval, letting the darkness fade around to reveal a body no taller than a teenage child’s. With disheveled brown hair, some remaining baby fat and lips turned down in clear disappointment, the only telling feature were the eyes, brown and hued with the same violet streaks as the man facing him. And currently filled with annoyance.
Ahri spoke first. Body completely relaxed and without hints of distress at the sudden confrontation.
“Good morning, Jack. How nice to see you.”
Jack just huffed. “Shut it, stupid snake.”
Mock hurt adored Ahri’s eyes. “Now now, thats just hurtful. I do read quite a lot.”
“You are still stupid.”
“How would you know, little one?.”
That seemingly had an effect on Jack. “I will grow you bastard. And think of something new, would you? That’s why we all think y’re stupid.”
“Oh dear, and here I thought to be popular.”
Jack snorted. “ Yeah, sure”
She stepped up, ignoring the casual bantering. The room was spacious, its layout simple yet inviting. To her left, the main entrance—a plain wooden door—stood quietly. Directly ahead, about five paces away, a large sitting couch faced an old ebony table, flanked by two chairs at each end. A plant and silver prisms adorned the dark wooden surface. Between the stairs at her back and the entrance, a small cabinet filled with plants and various decorations completed the room's interior. On her right, a few meters away, a hallway and door led to the kitchen, with a staircase winding upwards beside it. The walls and roof were built with wood as well, a few tones brighter than the dark table. Morning light shined threw the sparse windows, illuminating the room and showing more than a bit of dust. Ughhh, more work.
Turning right, she moved in the kitchen, grabbing her cold morning coffee and quickly perused the documents laying on the kitchen table. Reports, intelligens and – oh, a bunny. Cute. Teering her eyes from the poster she turned to look at the clock -9.30, she had enough time.
Taking a quick shower and breakfast, toast and eggs, as well as a second cup of coffee, she was ready to head out. From the living room she could still hear the argument thirty minutes later. Apparently having shifted to the best flowers and their uses, which involved strangling the other party. The argument was getting heated. Soon, knives and magic would fly, no doubt.
Before it could devolve, or evolve, she stepped into the living room and turned to Ahri. “ How are the preparations?” He turned to her, his eyes in thought. With black hair, sharp features and a hawk – like nose he was quite handsome. He also carried himself with predatory elegance that was somewhat common in their … group, and his black-purpleish eyes always had a cocky glint hiding just beneath. She knew, however, that he was about seven generations her senior and his mind was a complete nutcase.
“It is going quite smoothly. We have finished or initial assessment a few days ago and everything with priority is handled as well. Our network is spreading and some interesting secrets are flowing in. It makes us a bit … jittery? Nothing we do ever goes that … bloodless. Its quite boring.”
That did sound good and maybe a tad concerning. She could feel some tension leaving her muscles. Huh, who would have thought. They looked pretty unreliable. Looks can be deceiving, I guess. And that blood thing? Everyone has their quirks, right? Right. Yes.
She walked towards the door and turned. “If you need something, tell me, alright?“
Then she left.