Chapter 7: An Early Morning Run

First Day of Class

Sakura

I woke up to an itching under the bracer on my arm. After satisfying the itch, I couldn't get back to sleep. The room I had been directed to by my parents once they had caught me at the market was too quiet, to spare and spartan. It was an odd feeling. The world outside was also too devoid of activity and signs of life. I was used to people muttering quietly, walking around our palace on hard stone or squeaky wood planks, and my mother and father occasionally checking in on us.

Though they always thought themselves sneaky, and quiet, it was a reassuring feeling knowing they were there. It had become part of the nightly routine since returning from the Silver Star Sect.

I stared at the door, restless and unable to sleep again. Just outside of the room were the suites for my entire entourage. Servants, and fellow students who would be arriving tomorrow. Or, today depending on the hour.

The only sound I could hear was my own breathing. It was dark, even to my cultivator eyes.

Sighing, I swung my legs off my bed, and began laying out my clothes for the day in the dark. After stubbing my toe twice, and swearing quietly to myself, I cast a small spell and lit the candles around the room. They burned with a bright white light, casting the room in enough light that it reminded me of fluorescent light fixtures from Earth.

I’m going to have to change that. I thought bitterly. I hated fluorescent lighting. These candles flickered, and had life to them. But the harshness of the light made the space, my bedroom, feel anything but homey.

Change what?

King’s voice rang in my mind filled with a suppressed yawn. The massive fire turtle was in my soul vault and had been sleeping for the better part of two days.

You recovered from your latest shedding? I asked as politely and quietly as I could. Hoping to avoid waking Sky. Though how one was supposed to whisper one's thoughts, was still a mystery to me.

Yeah, I feel alright. Woh, it's dark out. Are we going for a morning workout or something?

I had gotten into the habit of running and light exercise first thing after sleep. I didn’t always need sleep, not every night at least. I could go roughly two days before I needed a full night's rest now. The exercise helped get the rust out of the joints, and cobwebs out of my mind from when I did.

I think so. Unless mother and father stuck me with one of the more rules stickler guards. Then we might have to wait until later.

What did you do to your mom and dad?

I could feel King rooting around in my memories of the last two days until he found my little impromptu market excursion.

Oh. Yeah, that wasn’t very smart. I bet they left you with Vaush or someone like that.

Vaush was the second commander of our family's personal guard. Of the twenty or so men and women in the guard, all high stage cultivators, he was the least flexible and most likely to stop me from enjoying life.

Eh, Vaush isn’t so bad. He’s the one that smuggled our silk into the Sect after all.

He forced you to get approval from your parents first. In writing. On official dukal letterhead. The man is as straight as an arrow, and as stubborn as my shell. And he has a monster of a punch.

King went on to grumble out how he had endured a crack in his shell for a whole day after the spirit beast and the guard had taken their last sparring session a bit too far.

Stop complaining. Vaush is practically family, besides. I picked something up yesterday that I think he’ll enjoy and get him on our side in all of this.

Oh?

King gave the mental equivalent of a searching sniff, as if trying to find out what I had stashed away.

I finished getting dressed in the clean robe and clothes that the servants had placed in the room, and made for the door. When I opened it, the central room with a small kitchen and dining area, along with a small lounge intended to be used by all the people whose bedrooms connected to it, was empty, dark, and quiet.

The only light came in from two windows that flanked the hearth in front of the lounge. I made my way out the door, and towards the front entrance, trying to be as stealthy as I could.

A dark shadow appeared in front of the door, illuminated in only the barest of starlight from the windows. “What are you—”

I nearly screamed. Thankfully I covered my mouth as I leapt back, keeping my gasp and cry from getting too loud.

The shadowy figure, nearly twice as tall as I was and built like a brick wall moved forward more into the light. The visage of Vaush appeared, his eyes glowing with mana, no doubt casting a dark seeing spell.

“Are you alright?” He asked in a whisper as I leaned my back against the wall and breathed in slowly through my nose, one hand still covering my mouth. I nodded. “Good. Now, where are you going?”

I kept my breath steady and slowed my heart rate. I had nearly jumped clear out of my skin.

“I felt my hair touch the ceiling, I jumped so high. You’re terrifying in the dark, has anyone ever told you that?”

His stoney expression shifted slightly, like the solid cliff of a mountain falling away revealing only more, pure stone. A slight grin appeared there, replacing his scowl. “Thank you young miss. Now, you’re dodging the question. Where are you going?”

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“On my morning run. Would you like to join me?” I asked, trying to sound as casual, and simultaneously as authoritative, as I could.

“Hmmm,” Vaush growled contentedly as he considered my words. “Young miss, I understand that you have had much freedom while you were within the Silver Star Sect. However, such activities, in a . . . new,” He was careful not to say ‘foreign’. “City and people, is concerning. I would be willing to scout out a suitable route for you to exercise, given suitable escort, for your morning run.”

I deflated slightly. This sounds like I'm not going to get my morning run. “What is a suitable sized escort in your mind?”

“Me. And at least one other. So I can contend with any threats, while another escorts you to safety. Yes, that would be what I would consider a minimum. If the route was preselected, proven to be safe, and had adequate safe houses erected.”

I fought the urge to groan. “How about just on the school grounds this morning? I’ll run around the courtyard, and you can keep me in your sight at all times.”

“Hmmm,” He looked pensive as he considered.

Hope bloomed in my heart, he hadn’t out right rejected the idea so perhaps I might be able to get my run in this morning! Please, please, please.

“You have your new gift from your family's Vault on you?” Vaush asked, and I nodded. Showing him my bracer that kept the bow and my growing arsenal inside. “And your companions are both awake?”

“King is, Sky is still sleeping. And . . . I’d prefer it stayed that way. He tends to ask unfortunate questions when around other people.”

“Mmm. My Tundra did much the same for the first few years we were together. Don’t give up, he’ll learn.”

“I am sure. So . . . about that run?”

“Fine. Kelek is just across the way watching over your brother. I will inform him of the change, and then we will go. Follow me.”

***

King’s shell blossomed in bright greens and rich wood colors that were muted under the starlight above. He yawned, stretched, then found a quiet and comfortable grass patch at the center of the courtyard under a small tree to rest.

He and Sky had both been cooped up in my vault for days now, and it was good for him to breath fresh air and stretch his legs. The grass under him nearly glowed as it slowly grew from the ambient mana that roiled off him.

I stretched under the intense and watchful gaze of Vaush, who stood as still as a stone monolith on the steps leading up to my dorm building. “Alright, I'm off,” I whispered to the man. He nodded, and I took that as my que.

Turning, I began lightly jogging at first. Warming my body up, and stretching out the muscles that hadn’t seen much use the last few days as I prepared for school. I had nearly reached the half point of the first lap, when the doors to the male dorm opened, and a lanky, tall, shadowy figure emerged onto its steps.

Vaush was there faster than I could blink, shining a bright light down on the young man's face.

Landar, what? I had to shake myself a little as I realized who it was. What is the American doing out here? Landar stood stunned by the light, staring directly up at it. Vaush didn’t exactly tower over Landar, but his presence was enough to cow most people. The American, it seemed, was no exception.

“Ah!” Landar hissed as he raised a hand to block out the light. “What did I do?”

“State your name, and purpose.” Vaush demanded, and I felt myself wilt a little.

“Vaush, leave him alone. He’s another student.” Vaush glared at me and I admit, I flinched.

“With all due respect young mis, this is my duty. Now, you. Name and purpose.”

“Landar, and . . . I couldn’t sleep I guess? I just wanted to go for a walk. What the hell.”

Vaush glared even harder for a moment, then he removed the light and backed off the younger man.

“Understood. School anxiety on your first day is well within expected parameters for students. Please do not harass the young mis as she does her morning workout. Other than that, feel free to carry on.”

“Young who?” Landar’s eyes adjusted and they landed on me. I gave him what I knew must have been a weak smile. “Ah, got it. Yeah, I won’t bother mis princess. Don’t worry.” Vaush returned to his lookout spot on the other side of the courtyard before I could so much as blink, and it left me standing there awkwardly.

“Sorry about him. He’s . . . protective.” I felt my face start to burn. My emotions around Landar were largely conflicted, as were my thoughts on him. On the one hand, he was clearly strong willed and a decent warrior for his cultivation level. Not to mention loyal to his family despite the hardship he had endured. But on the other it was equally as clear to me that he was flighty and hadn’t really taken on the same kinds of responsibilities that I had in this world.

On top of all of that, Landar was, in his former life at least, American. I had been raised on stories of American greed, short sightedness, and colonial ambition. Stories that I now know to have largely been propaganda. But I also knew from my experiences here, that all stories, even the worst lies, usually contained a grain of truth at their center.

I noticed he was wearing the same kind of clothing I was. What amounted to this world's version of athletic wear. Cotton and wool fabric shorts cut just above the knee, despite the bitter cold of winter, and a short sleeve wool shirt. The closest thing in this world had too sweatshirts and gym shorts. They were standard issue for the school I knew, as I had seen other students around wearing them while doing manual labor or exercising in non-combat workouts.

The school’s logo, a book held up by two swords at their cross guard, with a tower like a spear rising behind it, was emblazoned on the front of both our shirts.

“Um, I was just going for a morning run. Care to join me?” I asked, trying to sound for all the world as if him being interrogated by my bodyguard was perfectly normal behavior.

Landar’s expression shifted from annoyed, to pleasantly confused. “Oh. Uh, no thank you. Not yet anyway. I have uh . . . I have something I need to work out. In here.” He tapped the side of his head. “New spirit. But I might take you up on that later, if you don’t mind.”

I gave him as genuine a smile as I could muster with a face burning as hot as mine was, nodded,.Then I picked up my pace and continued my run.

He seems nice, Sky said in my mind. He would make great practice prey.

I winced at the thought. I was still trying to get a proper read on the young man, and I was sure he was trying to do the same for me. Asking if we could hunt him, would probably be the wrong move right now. Sorry Sky.

Who? King asked, as he stirred at the center of the courtyard.

The small tree he was sleeping under, and the handful of bush’s that had grown up around him like a thick leafless bramblewood shook as he shifted his weight. He lifted his nose to the air and took several rather loud sniffs.

Hmmm, smells like a predator. Should be a good fight. If you want. But he’s small right now. Probably best to wait until he grows a bit first.

King yawned silently up at the stars. Then with a wrestling of winterized leaves and vibrant tall grass still growing around him through the light snow cover he laid his head back down to finish his nap.

Sky chimed in unhelpfully.

A dual would help both of you, I think. I can smell tension. Even this early in the morning. And you humans carry it around like a bag until you do something with it. Best thing to do, is . . . well you’re probably too young for the first thing. Or maybe not, I'm not sure with you humans.

My face burned even hotter. Move on Sky.

Alright, alright. Too young indeed. So the next best thing is to fight something. Bite it, or hit it since you have fists and not fangs. Yes, hit it really, really hard. And I don't think he’d break. Sky sounded as if he were considering Landar. At least not at first.

I rolled my eyes as I rounded the corner and finished my first lap. I wasn’t using any chie or mana, just working my body out in its most basic form. No, I don’t think I'm going to invite him to a duel. At least . . . not yet. We’re still getting to know each other. If I just beat him into submission what kind of foundation would I be laying for a healthy relationship?