Ravela sat in the small forest behind her house and watched the sky above her, resting in the strong branches of an old tree. It had taken some time to find a spot that allowed her to sit relaxed, observe the sky above, and additionally afford her adequate cover. Thankfully, she had arrived so early that time wasn't an issue.
She lazed motionless in her hiding place, her only regret being that the armor prevented her from enjoying the warmth of the sunlight.
'Enjoy the sunlight? Being irradiated is hardly what I would call enjoyable.' The voice in her head commented on her musings.
'Exactly what I'd expect from someone who hates fun.' Ravela shot back.
'I don't hate fun. You and I just differ in our definitions. I enjoy pleasant feelings while you enjoy barbaric rituals of antiquated vitamine generation.' Her companion reiterated her point.
'In light of your more advanced state of having access to such advanced methods, you will have to get used to it. Maybe I'll build a sunning roof on one sides of the house and get your true body a tan. Skin isn't supposed to be that pale, you know?' Ravela considered.
'Don't you dare! I already hate the hair. If you scorch my skin, I will-'
'What think insults at me? Relax, I was just jesting. Don't be such a diva.' Ravela interrupted the agitated voice inside her.
'You- Well- That's just so... How do I deserve this?' The frustrated yet flustered voice in her head struggled with Ravela's humor.
'I don't know. You tell me.' She inquired with actual curiosity. 'What are your people like? From what I gather, you are very strict, narrow-minded, and somewhat religious about the amber crystals. Why don't you tell me more about that?'
'Narrowminded? We are a people of tradition and high culture. We're not strict. We are disciplined, something your chaotic kind has very little idea about. And we aren't somewhat religious about those „crystals“. Those are shards as old as the universe, any universe. They are creation’s embers, and they chose us to carry their light. No other species ever proved compatible. Else, we wouldn't have been so alone in the void.'
Ravela twirled a small twig between her fingers. 'The humans of this planet proved to be very much compatible, more compatible than I thought possible. Care to weigh in on that?'
'It is sacrilege.' A stiff reply came from the voice inside her, but she detected a hint of insecurity in it.
'So, if they aren't compatible, they're unworthy, but if they turn out to be, then it is heresy?' Ravela prodded. 'I was so in awe at the number of these shards of creation on this planet and so certain that the numbers I saw were unheard of that I must conclude that those were your memories lending me a hand. Following that logic, these humans on this very planet are more chosen than your people were, or at least worthy of the same consideration as your kind.'
She waited for an angry response or refute but found only silence. It appeared she had driven off her companion or given her something she had to think deeply about. Ravela felt conflict in her and concluded that she was on her own for now, watching the bird, twiddling a twig.
A small dot came into view, breaking through the clouds, and quickly approached the tree line. Finally, the teenagers arrived, and it was time to begin her surprise lesson.
Ravela stalked to the projected landing place of the teenagers with ease. Safora touched down in the small clearing without much hesitation, and Laena had her eyes closed until they landed. It was to be a teachable moment for both of them, Ravela thought.
The moment Laena jumped off Safora’s back, she jumped between them. Their surprised yelps were amusing.
“Good morning!” Ravela’s distorted voice announced as she swiped Laena’s feet and, in the circular motion with a slight push from her supporting leg, went to deal another kick at chest height to the not-yet-turned Safora.
The teenager was promptly sent off flying into the forest.
Ravela immediately returned her attention to Laena, who, now finally, with her eyes open and adrenaline rushing through her, seemed alert and ready for a fight.
Branches broke behind her as Safora rushed back to avenge the attack from before. Ravela felt her enter her outstretched sixth sense. To them, the minuscule resistance in their movement would be unnoticeable, but to Ravela, it granted a new and heightened awareness of her opponents' movements.
It was far easier to uphold this slight field than the strong shielding, and now that she was in her armor, she had protection that she could rely on.
Ravela dodged the incoming Safora with little effort. The teenager, now barreling toward Laena, looked startled. Laena dodged her friend, too, with her gymnastic flexibility, but her expression betrayed less of her emotions and instead showed a rapidly analyzing mind at work.
Someone had to be the brain between the two, and Safora, as of now, appeared way too impulsive to be the duo's mind.
“I’m so glad you two made it here on your own,” Ravela announced while taking a skipping step back. “Now, Safora, you see, this isn’t going to be like the other training bouts we had before. Today, I am in my armor, and I will take full advantage of every dirty trick and ability my powers afford me. You will see that it will be quite different from the usual training. But because I am generous, you two may fight together. That should give you a slight chance.” She paused, then waved her hands dismissively. “I am sorry that was a lie. It is just as one-sided as though you fought me alone. Don’t leave the forest or treeline, and don’t pull out any of my trees.”
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With that, she came for Laena and the now hovering Safora.
The moment they ran toward her, she put up an invisible wall between them, halting in front of it, watching in roaring laughter both running into the wall. Though they broke through, they were holding their noses instead of fighting her. Ravela rewarded their loss of concentration with varying responses. She once more managed to sweep Laen’s legs from under her. This time, she used her telekinesis while she gave the floating Safora a dropkick into her side. As Safora flew off into the trees once again, Ravela landed gracefully with a flip and strong form at the edge of the clearing.
“Really, somebody flicks your nose, and you let down your guard entirely?” She taunted the girls.
Laena still lay on her back, rubbing her nose. “Not much I can do about you sweeping me off my feet with thin air, is there?”
Ravela put her arms out slightly to her side, palms open and pointing upward. “Seems like a you-problem, Laena. I am your enemy right now, and you will have to learn to fight me all on your own. Ideally, you will figure something out before I put you through a tree.”
She slowly made her way over to the still-prone Laena. Speeding up while asking, “So, why are you still laying there like I won’t punch you while you’re down?” Ravela followed the rolling Laena. “No, please hold still.” She punched the ground right beside the girl's head as she rolled.
She felt Safora return and used the little time left before she had to react to stop Laena from rolling. The look of shock on the girl’s face as she saw the fist move down was quite something. Ravela had expected her to pick up on the danger after having been sent to the ground right after running into an invisible wall.
She had timed her punch well, as she pulled back just short of Laena’s face just in time to dodge Safora’s attack. “Welcome back Safora. What took you so long?”
Ravela lifted Laena off the ground while tracking Safora’s turn and trajectory. “Catch!” She declared as she threw Laena helplessly, struggling in the air toward her friend.
‘Stop the showboating and get to the teaching part.’ Her companion disapproved of her method, as Ravela set after the teenagers.
‘This is part of the human process. Some lessons are best not told but experienced.’ Ravela joyfully thought while going after Safora for a while, using her mistakes and flaws.
‘How can you be sure they learn from this? You also reveal all your possible tricks. What if you have to fight them?’ The voice in her cautioned.
‘That's why I’m showboating. If they knew how ruthless I could be if I was serious, they would become scared of me. Confrontation is bred on fear, insecurity, envy.’ Ravela pulled herself backward from one of Safora’s kicks and watched the expression turn from triumphant to frustrated. Then she flicked her plated finger right under the girl’s nose, leading to a pained yelp followed by a whole slew of curses.
Ravela laughed, noticing Laena coming at her from behind her. She once more tried to sweep her leg and was surprised to feel Laena leap over her sweep. Quickly, she turned, and while blocking the jump kick to her head, Ravela spotted a bunch of dust whirled up through which a clean line had betrayed her attempt at a third sweep to Laena’s heightened reflexes.
“You seem to adapt just fine,” Ravela quipped, still holding onto Laena’s ankle. She waited till the girl jumped to deliver another kick, then just lightly pushed her away by the held ankle, leaving her to fall on her butt a few meters from Ravela.
‘You’re enjoying this too much.’ Her companion commented dryly.
Ravela laughed in response. The distorted voice made it sound much more menacing than it was. This armor warped even well-meant advice or happy laughter into villainous malice.
She didn’t dislike it. Ravela grinned unsee by all but the one with her inside the armor, not that she would snitch on her since she probably found it entertaining, too.
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Dr. Ito slowly stroked the canvas with a slick brush. The thick, oily colors she had specifically ordered glistened with every wet or dry layer. In another life, she could have lived the life of a successful artist.
That is how many rich people or single-minded people would excuse their lack of pursuit of perfection and new ground, but to Himiko, it would have been a waste of her talents.
The door behind her opened. It barely registered in her meditation-like state. This was a therapeutic endeavor, as much as it was a purposeful preparation.
She felt her assistant's gaze upon her creation, specifically on the object of her obsession.
Himiko had seen others react to her most recent series of paintings with similar hesitation. The reactions they had somewhat disturbed her. The cold sweat and their inability to tear their gaze from the canvas. Most forgot why they even disturbed her work.
With a sigh, she put down the color palette and her brush and picked up the wet towel to clean the paint that inevitably got on her fingers while turning to her employee.
„Mr. Go, I believe you've seen this particular painting often enough now that I could expect from you a certain level of acquaintance.“
The man swallowed and tore his gaze from the picture. She could almost see the elevated heart rate on his face. Himiko had wondered why most of her employees were reacting in that manner to seeing. She looked over at the female woman with black eyes and pointy ears holding two children in her arms, while Himiko herself remained entirely unmoved by it.
Maybe it was because she had seen her just as she sees her assistant right now. So close had she been that they touched. It was barely a year ago, and yet, to Himiko, it had been an eternity. Once again, she found herself visualizing the hand grabbing her wrist, the dead body effortlessly flinging itself out of the sarcophagus. The way it had looked about the place and the moment in which the helmet came off.
Vividly, every detail, from her pale skin to her pitch-black eyes, came into her memory. She had every mind to send her assistant away again. Himiko was in the mood to paint and not in the mood for bureaucratic hurdles.
She opened her eyes and focused her mind on the task set before her. „Please, what has brought you here? Tell me.“
„My deepest apologies, Mrs. Ito, but the honorable Atsushi Ito expects you in the dining room.
Himiko perked up. What was her father doing here, meddling in her affairs? She slowly stood up from her desk. „When did he arrive?“
„Just minutes ago, he brought his own staff and catering, Mrs. Ito. Once again, my deepest apologies.“ Mr. Go bowed his head. He knew that Himiko wasn't pleased at the moment.
„Nevermind. Go tell my father that I'll be with him shortly.“ Himiko dissmissed her assistant. Looking off to the side, she studied her appearance in the mirror and, with a sigh, went to change her clothes and wash her face.
To her, changing from the clothes in which she painted into the clothes of her business-self to meet her father felt like a samurai putting on armor before battle. Her father always had been a stickler, especially with Himiko. She wondered why he sought her out. It was not the usual way he went about things.
It was non-traditional and spontaneous. To keep it short, it was entirely out of character, which worried Himiko. This never happened. It was new land, unbroken ground, and Himiko dreaded its exploration more than entering a tomb locals proclaimed to be cursed.
She entered the dining room clad in the attire of a businesswoman, but in her heart, she felt like a young girl going for dinner after her parents returned from a parent-teacher conference.
Had he found fault with her work here?