Disclaimer/Legend:
"Speech"
'Thoughts'
"Chapter 3: Chance Meeting"
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Millicent's second day began similarly to her first. Shifting in and out of the confines of slumber, she gradually felt the constant pinpricks of sunlight prodding at her form. Willing herself from her sleep, the woman was greeted with the same view as the night before.
Light gray boundaries formed the walls around the room. The area was decently spacious for a single person, much more due to the lack of decorations. All that made up the living quarters were the bed she now sat upon, the wooden furniture next to it, and a few strange portraits on the wall –Kina referred to them as 'posters'– plastered on the wall to the left of her mattress.
As drowsiness still lingered in her consciousness, Millicent yawned as she stood up to the side of her bed. Searching for her thin piece of cloth by the drawer, the warrior clumsily tied her hair as she stepped towards the entrance.
Abruptly pausing just a step away from her door, the redhead took a moment to recall the directions her new acquaintance had informed her of before they had both gone to bed.
"If you need to go to the bathroom, it's just the second door to your left."
Walking towards the said location, Millicent pulled open the knob and found herself perplexed by the contents of the room. It was as simple as regular restrooms went in Remnant: a sink with a glass mirror by the door, a toilet for relieving one's self, and a shower to bathe in for the day.
However, Millicent, who was not a native to this world, could only observe them with ignorance.
In the wartorn lands of the Erdtree, where technological innovation was rendered moot by the existence of magic, modern comfort rooms did not exist. So to the woman who had simply cleansed herself in rivers, Millicent was left clueless. Requesting assistance from her housemate was an option, but…
A shame, since it was rather unfortunate that the skilled warrior prided herself in her capabilities.
It took a couple of minutes fiddling with the needlessly complicated levers of the faucet, but eventually cold water began flowing out of the tap. The rest were thankfully less of an ordeal, pressing a button to flush the toilet and similar levers in the showerbath.
After cleansing herself in the bath, Millicent garbed herself once more in her tainted traveler's clothing, her previously loose hair now done up in a waist-length ponytail.
Making her way down the stairs to the living room, the red-haired woman noted that the space was much more creative in its way of furnishing than the room she had stayed in.
Millicent's eyes stayed on the comfy setting of the living room before moving into the next. Neatly displayed on the kitchen counter was a written note, which the woman went over in her mind.
"Had to head to work already. Cooked breakfast for you too if you're hungry."
Right beside the paper note were two white plates, one with food and the other with little amounts of leftovers. The dish left for her was a simple two fried eggs coupled with bacon; a classic staple for breakfast foods on Remnant.
For Millicent, who regularly ate buds of cave moss and dried flesh as her daily meals, she practically drooled at the sight.
Taking hold of the cutleries and slicing a portion of the egg yoke, the taste was an experience she could only describe as otherworldly; fitting with her circumstances. The rest of the meal was no less in comparison, all adding up to be the best food she had ever consumed in her entire life. It was leagues above the scrap she and others were forced to consume for survival in the rot-filled lands of Caelid.
It only took a few minutes before the plate was as empty as the second one. Stacking her's on top of the other and bringing it over to the washing basin, Millicent began idly washing the dishes while peering through the small window above the kitchen sink. Putting aside the life-changing meal and living conditions, there was a question she had been ignoring ever since she made her temporary home here.
What should she do now?
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That line of thought soon lead her back to the streets of Argus. Casually strolling across the sidewalk, Millicent had to put slightly more effort into her surroundings to not bump into the rest of the humans walking by.
Unlike the quiet nightlife she had been privy to, countless faces strode past her by the second, with seemingly no end to the horde. Most of the citizens were steady in their pace, understandably having just awoken to a new day. Some raced through the sea of faces, most likely rushing to meetings, shifts, and the like.
It was yet another new experience that Millicent found herself mesmerized by, costing tons of effort so as to not halt her stride, lest she be consumed by the ever-moving population. Back in the Lands Between, the swordswoman had never seen such a large assortment of humans bunched together. It was a much bigger change in the same way that none of the passing individuals attacked each other with swords and spears, at least in this place.
Paving her way through the sea of people, Millicent looked back down at the map her new friend had left her and took a sharp turn to her right.
In a new place with the freedom to do as she wishes, so long as it wasn't a crime, there were many possibilities to explore with her brand new life here. The only issue was that she did not know where to start.
Naturally, Millicent surmised, the best action to take at this point was to gather information on her environment. Though she had gleaned new meanings from the words Kina had given her, it was not enough to clear the doubt Millicent had about this unknown world. Taking that into account, she was now left with the task of finding that information.
What better place would there be other than a building centered around the gift of knowledge?
Keenly proceeding along the lines her map pointed towards, it was not long until a large structure entered her vision.
Pointed spires atop circular domes all reached out to the sky. A slight feeling of grandeur oozed from the large thing, not unlike the walls that covered the entirety of Argus. Snow decorated countless spots in the architecture, which when combined with the antique feeling, gave off an indescribable sense of chilling warmth.
Greatest in height only bested by the CCT tower in Argus, Sanctum Academy was home to trainees who chose to go down the path of a huntsman. Another particular detail, which was Millicent's reason for being here, was the trainee academy also housed the Sanctum Grand Library.
Being the only library in Argus, Millicent had no other choice but to make her way here. The swordswoman did not mind it, as aside from the learning materials the facility provides, there was the possibility of being able to meet one of these 'huntresses' in person.
Crossing under the wide arch of the academy gate, her entry proved no difficulty as most of the security seemed to be mainly focused around the main venue where the huntsman trainees stayed. Narrowly avoiding the institution by taking a right on the path walk, Millicent was eventually met with a much smaller view, which was the library.
Its size was still nothing to scoff at; standing at an impressive size around a third of the main academy's. Nevertheless, it paled in comparison to the behemoth that is Sanctum Academy.
Pushing through the glass doors and greeting the librarian at the entrance, the sight that met Millicent's eyes did not disappoint. Owning up to its outward size, the library expanded farther than any other of its kind that Millicent had come across. Rows upon rows of bookshelves occupied the spacing, with no end to the amount of information contained within them.
Satisfied by the quality of the location, the redhead briskly walked into the endless aisles with a brimming curiosity. Heading towards a passageway where a hanging sign marked 'History' pointed, leaving her shuffling about the many sections of literature.
Some units of time passed, and Millicent brought a towering amount of books to one of the many public study areas in the center. Sitting herself down on the wooden chair, she grabbed the first book on the stack which was titled 'The World of Remnant: The Great War'.
Pulling open the cover and perusing through the beginning texts, the warrior immersed herself in the story.
The book detailed the happenings of a war eighty years ago, that ravaged the entirety of Remnant. The first few pages contained a summary, along with personal accounts of those who survived the Great War. Judging by the worn-out texture of the pages in comparison to the other books, it was best to assume that this was published not long after the event.
As Millicent reached the middle section of the documentation, where the author described the many skirmishes and sieges of each kingdom, her mind could not help but drift back to a similar war she was acquainted with.
In her homeland, a war of greater scale took place, known as 'The Shattering'. Remnant's war contained an untold amount of devastation, but it did not hold a candle to the ashes left by the war of the demigods. It was a catastrophic event that forever changed the landscapes of her home. In the end, the Lands Between was left in a state beyond repair.
What truly struck a chord in Millicent's mind was when she turned to a page describing 'Vacuo's Great March'. A key turning point in which the armies of Vacuo chose to side with the capital of Vale, marching across the continent of Sanus to help repel the Atlesian and Mistralian invaders.
The march, the armies, the clash that ended in many deaths. Those same descriptions drew parallels to a battle she was intimately familiar with; the confrontation between the demigods Malenia and Radahn, alongside their armies. The fight had started as one of the greatest battles beneath the grace of the Erdtree, yet, as all wars do, it ended in tragedy. The result was the birth of one of the greatest curses known to man.
The swordswoman had to pause her read for a moment, as a discomfort rose to her chest at the memory. After all, it was that very incident that had led to her birth, alongside the spread of the curse that took her life and many others.
Millicent took a long, deep breath. 'That is in the past. What is done is done, my efforts should be spent in the present and for the future.'
Consuming page after page with a much tamer pace than what she started with, it was with a solemn tone that the book arrived at the final battle of the Great War; the destruction that brought an end to the suffering. At the very least, the kingdoms had managed to come to an agreement. They formed the Vytal Treaty, and along with it the festivities of the Vytal Festival. The main result of the peace talks was the establishment of the first huntsman academies in Remnant.
Reaching the end of the page, what was left was a quote from the King of Vale himself. His statements were written with ink: "This was a catastrophe of significant levels. None which any of us had ever wished to occur. We all lament the consequences of this dispute, and we will forever regret this biggest mistake. Yet, we must now look forward to the future and pave the road for generations to come. All so our efforts were not in vain, and none of this shall ever be repeated. That is why…"
The quote gradually shifted to a full-scale interview, detailing the king's explanation of huntsman academies and their purpose. Millicent paid it no mind, as her golden eyes were glued to his first speech.
The quote gave a wrongness the swordswoman couldn't quite pinpoint. The king preached so lightly despite every act he had committed; all the death and pain he had resorted to in the final acts of the conflict. The fact that a person who ordered countless deaths spoke those words made it feel incredibly wrong. Yet, the female warrior related to his words somewhat, or at least his sentiment.
The King wished to move past his mistakes for a better future. Millicent wanted to make the best of her new chance, forging a new future with no worries about losing her sense of self.
Both were different, yet the base concept was still there. That concept was ultimately something she agreed with.
Closing the book and laying it down on the back of its cover, the information and realizations she gained were quite valuable. Already, the redhead had learned more about the new world of "Remnant", its history, and its landmarks.
A short glance at the time told her an hour had passed since she had started. A short amount of time, Millicent mused, when considering the sizeable length of the texts.
With her newfound thirst for knowledge, far from being quenched, the woman took another book from the stack, this time named 'Introductory Guide I: Huntsmen and Huntresses'.
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Twilight slowly broke into the deep horizon as the day had come to a close. Curtains shut closed and lights switched off systematically at the same time. A cacophony of voices gathered around the lobby and moved to the entrance as a group of students made to leave the library.
Millicent was no exception to this, as she followed a ways behind the group, curiously eyeing the weapons some of them had strapped. While the library of Sanctum was open to the public, it was mainly of use for the trainees that attended the academy. That being the case why there was no shortage of weaponry present in the haven.
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Although, that was not the sole reason they piqued her curiosity, "The protectors of humanity… how interesting."
The redhead had made more than considerable progress in her reading venture, finding the meaning of huntresses as one of the boons. The strange runebear that had attacked her during her first night was called an ursa, one of the many creatures of Grimm. The creatures of Grimm were a constant threat that covered the world, inhabiting every corner of the globe and taking every chance they get at destroying humanity.
Of course, humans were never the type to roll over and die. In retaliation to the wave of monsters that threatened to swallow them whole, huntsmen and huntresses were introduced as the shields of humanity. Against such supernatural beasts, they possessed the necessary firepower to aid in their combat against them.
The powers they and most humans on Remnant held were what fascinated her. Aura, which is said to be the manifestation of the soul. It manifested in the form of a barrier against harm, an influence that improved the healing factor, and increased the overall performance of the human body beyond what they were normally capable of.
It was a vast topic to cover, not even including the mention of the infinite possibilities that were Semblances. Individual abilities that are unique only to a single person. The woman herself was curious about these strengths and wondered if she too could come across an aura and semblance of her own.
Aside from that, Millicent was intrigued by the 'bastions of humanity' that were entrusted with humanity's fate. Although she was not as battle-crazed as those knights of Redmane, her inner nature was as a warrior through and through. It had only been a matter of time before they had earned her interest, along with her respect.
Alas, as much as her warrior side wished to entertain the thought of testing their mettle, Millicent had no reason to confront the students. She too was rational, and would not simply challenge these protectors for the sake of satisfying her curiosities.
Watching the group leave through a set of double doors, the redhead followed soon after. The small crowd of trainees changed their direction towards the school's main building. On the other hand, Millicent chose to stay near the entrance.
Facing the now-rising moon, the crimson-haired woman basked in its presence and studied its fractured form. The sight no longer drew shock from her; it had already made its debut the day before. Instead, she chose to admire the unfamiliar view this time around.
Various thoughts flew around in her mental scape. Despite the many things she had learned, the fractured moon was not one of them. It was only stated that it was once whole, but the reasonings for the change was a debate researchers partook into this day.
For a moment, the world stood in complete silence as the foreign woman beheld the foreign object that floated in the sky…
"Hyaa!..."
To any other student that may have passed by, their hearing would have been met with but a faith whisper one would not pay any mind to. Fortunately or otherwise, Milicent was no average person. Her senses had caught the sound, and she became intrigued. It was not a plea for help, that the experienced warrior was certain of.
Rather, it was a tone of expression that Millicent had grown accustomed to; The heartfelt call of one swinging a sword or pushing forward with a spear. Whoever that is was currently putting her all into her craft. Whether it was in defense or not, was something that the swordswoman had to find out.
It was with that reason in mind that she found herself going off the paved road, treading towards the small forest located at the side of the institution.
The more Millicent ventured towards the echoes, the clearer the sounds of grunts and shouts became. Along the way, she had even begun to perceive the faint hints of a blade striking through empty air with a 'woosh'.
Her short-lived adventure eventually came to an end, now stepping before the outskirts of a clearing. Peering further into the opening revealed a familiar shade of red that caused the woman to double-take. That was certainly the fiery color she had familiarized with, yet the girl that practiced was not the mature woman she had previously seen.
"Ha!" With a loud grunt, the fiery-haired teen skillfully weaved a combo of slashes with a short, iron, straight sword. Carefully guiding her blade through the air, the girl followed up with an onslaught from her second weapon. Held in her left hand was a short-length javelin made of the same material as her sword. Capitalizing on the hypothetical opening left by her previous swing, the young teen stabbed forward with a strike aimed to puncture the solar plexus.
The youthful girl staggered back a tired step and reset her footing, then resumed her battle with the empty air. The other redhead stood rooted and chose to observe, for now, appraising the young woman's technique from a distance.
Millicent's unparalleled prowess with the blade allowed her to tell the mistakes in the girl's way of fighting. A misstep to the side with her ride, an over-extended strike that would miss by a slight breadth, a slight mistiming in between each attack that would allow any experienced opponent a chance to counter.
Her stance showed plenty of openings, yet in spite of that, Millicent still found herself impressed by the huntress's capability. Most of her errors were something that could have been chalked up to a lack of experience. Time in the field or some time spent correcting those mistakes would do the trick, but otherwise, the teen's basics in both swordplay and spearplay were of utmost excellence that Millicent had only seen with one other person.
"Who is there?" Unbeknownst to Millicent, the huntsman trainee had long since faced her way, carefully brandishing her weapons in preparation for a possible attack.
Caught in the act, she replied. "My apologies," Seeking to defuse the situation, Millicent quickly stepped out of the shade with both arms raised, "It was not my original intention to intrude on you."
The girl eyed her suspiciously. "Is that so…" A pause, then a visible pressure left the girl's shoulders as her weapons lowered in relief.
Seeing her reaction, Millicent chose to elaborate on her intentions. "I came here to investigate the disturbances, having heard of your exertion from the library." The swordswoman added.
The teen's eyes widened. "You heard me from there? No one has ever heard me here…" She muttered, rubbing the back of her head in slight embarrassment, "I think I was maybe a bit too invested with my training."
A pervasive silence occupied the area. That was until the young teen questioned, "Are you another student from Sanctum? I will admit I don't know everyone attending the school, but I've never seen you here before."
"I am not a student," Millicent replied shortly, "I had originally come here to indulge my curiosities in the library. Just barely, my ears managed to catch your bouts of effort."
"That makes sense," the young girl seemingly understood her explanation. If she too heard what the new woman had described, then the girl would have done the same.
Taking another lack of speech as a queue, Millicent decided to take the head of the conversation. "You are a huntress trainee, correct?" The other swordswoman nodded in response.
Now that she had a much clearer view of the girl, Millicent looked her up and down as she soaked in the other redhead's appearance. Already, she saw the similarities. The girl sported a youthful countenance, most likely a few years younger than the foreign woman. She stood at a height a few inches shorter than her own. She wore the same school uniform as the students from earlier, save for the leggings she had under her skirt. The biggest giveaway, and the detail that Millicent focused on, were the signature crimson hair and striking green eyes she had seen before. Only this time, the teen's hair was done in a style similar to the way Millicent tied hers.
There were few differences, yet the resemblance was undoubtedly there.
"If you do not mind, I have a question I feel that needs answering."
"Yes?" The unnamed girl tilted oddly at the woman's statement.
"Are you perhaps the daughter of a Kina Nikos?" The trainee's eyes widened again, this time with a spark of recognition. "You know my mom?"
"I have met her." The older redhead confirmed, "Yesterday was my first day in Argus, and your mother and I met not too long after my arrival. Seeing my lack of an abode, she offered me to stay in her home shortly after. "
"She did?!" The daughter exclaimed in shock before her face turned thoughtful. "Well, that does sound like my mom."
Milli's expression turned lighthearted at the comment, "Indeed, while I may not have known her for long, I can tell she is a great woman."
"Thank you, I'm sure she would appreciate the thought." The younger woman turned bashful at her remark. "Don't tell her that, she would probably go around telling everyone about it." Millicent chuckled at her words.
The girl then flashed her a bright smile. "I'm not sure my mom told you yet, but I'm Pyrrha."
"It is great to meet you, Pyrrha." the warrior returned the greeting, "My name is Millicent, and I look forward to knowing you."
"Same here." The now-named Pyrrha replied.
The conversation descended into silence once more, both finding the words to say. The swordswoman had many a question to ask, while the daughter wanted to know her relationship with her mom. Millicent went first, deciding to indulge in a previous curiosity of hers.
She started, "Your mother told me a great deal about you," the youth looked over in a worried manner, showing more than interest in her words.
Millicent was amused at her reaction. "You need not worry, for it was mostly praise," the swordswoman continued a second later, "When I approached this area, I was able to witness the tail-end of your performance."
Pyrrha seemed to relax before turning anxious at her last sentence. In her head, she already envisioned the things the woman would tell her.
Millicent, who was oblivious to that fact, could not stop the warrior within her from speaking out, "As a practitioner of the sword, I offer my compliments for your skill. I can see you have already mastered the basics of your form at your age, which is an achievement few can boast.."
'There it is.' Pyrrha had to physically stop her shoulders from sagging.
"Aha, thank you for that." the trainee let out an awkward laugh as her smile became more resigned. It seemed she would be just like the rest…
However, she was not expecting to hear her next words. "But, if you would allow, I would like to suggest some personal criticism of my own." Millicent decided after a moment of thought.
"Huh?" Her statement threw her for a loop. The only thing she could do was remain silent at her words. The huntress-in-training had only received praise for her talent, so it was unusual for someone to offer criticism, let alone about her fighting skills. Even her teachers in Sanctum hadn't done so yet.
Realizing that Millicent was still waiting for her reply, she gathered her response. "Uhm, sure."
Golden eyes visibly glowed at her approval. "My thanks." Millicent contemplated her words before speaking with no hesitation. "Now, I hold a few remarks concerning your stance. First, while your footing may works, there are a few holes in it that can prove fatal in combat. To start, with your back foot…"
Letters flowed out of the seasoned warrior's mouth naturally as if following nature's course. She talked of the improvements that could be made to Pyrrha's fighting style. Small things such as the way she wielded her sword, how it could better work in tandem with her javelin, and how to better the compatibility between the two. It ranged even further to the small openings in her stance, the spacing between each of her attacks. It was as if she had fallen under a spell, and Millicent showed no signs of escaping it.
Pyrrha had initially started skeptical. Even if she hated the constant praise she got, the huntress herself acknowledged that her abilities were something even her instructors envied. For someone to find errors in them meant that they had to be better than even the teachers in Sanctum, some of which were official huntsmen or huntresses.
Yet the advice she gave out held no fault in them. Pyrrha realized that, as she began visualizing the changes. There were mistakes that she did not realize before having been told to her, and the following corrections removed said mistakes.
Slowly but surely, the younger huntress trainee began to listen intently to the warrior's words. The longer she spoke, the more insights the redhead seemed to gain. Most of all, a feeling of freshness started budding somewhere in her mind.
Strict, straight-to-the-point, harsh. Millicent did not mince any words, speaking of things as they were. While others may have felt insulted by her words, Pyrrha, who had disliked the way the treatment for her talent, found the talk a far cry from the usual. It was a refreshing feeling, one she welcomed with open arms.
It was not long until she found herself enjoying the criticism.
"... that action helps to stabilize your frame." Millicent finished with a gesture as if a teacher closing her lecture. She looked back at the other redhead and gave a soft smile, "In the end, your skills are rather superb. I do not doubt once you've grown, you will be an excellent fighter."
The swordswoman stilled her voice, concluding that she had preached of the wrong in the skills of a person she just met. "My apologies yet again, I seem to have taken quite a bit of your time."
She did not mean to take as much time as she did, but Millicent felt compelled to do so. The girl before her brought back memories. Of that time in the ruined church, where she received her first-second chance. The young Nikos reminded her of a time when she first started her journey.
"It's fine." Pyrrha kept her smile in response. Her expression had long turned blissful as she registered the woman's words to heart.
"Thank you, Millicent. I needed that."
"Hm?" She was slightly astonished at the thanks, "It was my pleasure. I must admit, you reminded me of myself when I was younger."
The Nikos giggled at her words, before providing a few of her own. "You must be an amazing huntress with your skill."
It was the same assumption her mother made, Millicent thought. "I'm afraid I am no huntress. Just a mere traveler is all."
Pyrrha was once more shocked at her claim. "You aren't?" It was mostly unheard of for a person of her caliber to not have been trained as a huntress.
"I was never trained a huntress," Millicent confirmed the fact.
"I see, well it's not impossible." The young huntress muttered.
"This might sound weird to ask out of the blue," Pyrrha's tone shifted with slight nervousness, "Can you train me?"
That was a sudden development the older woman was not expecting. She had to comprehend it for a moment to make sure she did not mishear her.
Green eyes stared back expectantly.
Millicent considered the proposal. Taking on a student? She had never done so before, and while she was confident in her abilities as a swordswoman, the same could not be said as a teacher.
On the other hand, there was no reason not to accept. It could serve as a way to pay her debt to Kina and a means to learn more about the existence of huntresses.
Of course, there was the sheer talent Pyrrha possessed. Her words earlier were not for show, and she truly meant all she said. As a warrior, she acknowledged the potential the budding swordswoman had and wanted nothing more than to see her at full potential.
This was a new life, and she wanted to make the most of it. This new proposal would not hurt.
After a few seconds, her mind was made up. "If you wish to seek my tutelage, then I do not mind taking you as my student." The new pupil's face visibly brightened.
"I must hand a warning first," one finger pointed up, "I have never taken on a disciple in the past, as such I have no experience in teaching," a second finger followed, "I respect your intentions. Seeing your skill, I will not hold back in cultivating it.
Her disciple only became more determined at the declaration, "I will not hold back either, Miss Millicent."
"Just Millicent will do." Pleased with her answer, Millicent shook her head. "I'm glad. If so, when do you wish to start your training?"
"Ah," As if remembering that nightfall had passed a long while ago, Pyrrha panicked in her reply, "Would Friday be fine? There's a combat class tomorrow, so I'm not sure if I'll be available then."
"I do not mind those terms." The current day was a Wednesday, in this world's calendar. It would be two days before they started. "I assume we shall meet at this spot then. Now, it would do you best to get to sleep."
Pyrrha agreed with a nudge. Hastily packing her weaponry in a bag, she turned to her new teacher. "It was nice meeting you, Millicent. I'll see you soon!" With a final wave, the huntress departed through the opposite side of the clearing, underneath the shadow of the student dorms.
Now left alone under the foliage, Millicent returned from the path she came through.
A smile still stuck to her face, excitement bubbled beneath her frame as she pondered where this life would take her.