Alisson walked down the halls of his home, the Nuam keep in the third wall of the Capital. Yellow poured through tall windows on his left, illuminating a red carpet with black accents with its light. Behind him walked a similarly aged person with black hair and red eyes; he had short hair and wore a black and red vest uniform.

Alisson was walking while quietly humming to himself.

Is getting a new apprentice really making me this happy?

That was certainly odd. This apprentice could be anyone, the only two things he knew was that his apprentice was a top graduate of their class, and he also knew that his apprentice was a female, Sidonia had used the her when referring to the apprentice.

I'll have someone following me around all the time...

Alisson stopped humming on the implication of someone.

Another person.

He reached his room and twisted the handle with click. On the other side was another black-haired person bowing deeply, only they had longer hair. These people, Alisson's servants, were a pair of human twins that he rescued seven years ago. They were both younger than Alisson, not only in the obvious gap between Nekomata and humans, but physically as well; they were both only fourteen. Alisson had a fair few servants in his life at the age of two hundred-fifty-nine. All of them were loyal, Sidonian humans. Of course, Alisson had outlived all of them.

It was an odd feeling, watching human Sidonians age over the years as Alisson barely changed.

Hopefully adolescence hits me soon...I'm already quite a late bloomer for a Nekomata...

"Charon, please draw a bath. That battle dirtied everything of mine."

It's embarrassing I didn't get to clean the dust and dirt off me and my clothes before speaking with Sidonia...

"I believe my sister already prepared a bath, master."

The girl in front of Alisson, who wore the exact same clothes as her brother, nodded solemnly.

"Thank you, Charen. That will be all tonight. You are dismissed."

They both nodded silently and filed down the corridor. Alisson entered the room and closed the door behind him. The room didn’t have many furnishings apart from a bed, dresser, and an empty desk. Long blued curtains fell across the windows and the floor was darkened planks with a red carpet draped over it. It was illuminated with a small chandelier housing a few light spells. Alisson took a deep breath. Hearth and relief flooded into him as it finally ticked that he was in his room.

Alisson fell down the door to the ground. He wrapped his arms around his chest and looked down. His body started to shake.

...

"Didn't you hear Celis? You'll be the first graduate to get an apprenticeship!"

A cyan haired girl from across the room from me practically screamed into my ear. Seriously, why does she have to be so loud? We're like two meters away from each other. Err... now that I think about it, I do speak pretty quietly myself. On more than a few occasions have I been told to speak up or that I'm mumbling... maybe I'm not used to normal levels of sounds.

"Eh? Ukuri! Don't you think that Celis would know about herself better than you do?"

Another girl across the small pink covered room rung out, but in a quieter voice. Ukuri Sauzban and Odariss Fael. Ever since I lost my old team during my first year at the Academy, I've had these two to keep me company. Lucky me. We're all in the room that we've spent the last twenty-five years living in in the Academy's dorm. I suppose today will be my last bout of sleep in my bed here.

"Pfft, I think we both know how much of an airhead Celis can be! She could totally let news of her having a master fly right over her head without batting an eye!"

I emit a mock-cough and look up to Ukuri, who's currently mocking me from her top bunk.

"The ceremony is tomorrow. You're only getting this information now?"

Hmph. I won't tell her I also got word of my apprenticeship today, she doesn't need to know that.

"What! Why would Sidonia keep a lid on her plans up until the last minute like this?"

She raised her arms in a shrug from atop her bunk. I don't know. Maybe it’s some top-secret decision. Oh yeah, I feel special now.

"Maybe, she didn't plan who'd Celis's master would be. It’s a decision she made on the fly, like within the past day?"

Oda, who was sitting under Ukuri on her bunk bed, said in a monotone voice.

Err, I wouldn't like to believe a very important decision regarding me, was made with little thought. Oda also just said something that could've been taken as heretical if the right people were around...

"Hey, don't let anyone hear you say that, that sounds awfully like your insulting our lady Sidonia."

Ukuri shot a glance at the black-haired Oda. We normally have conversations like these before we go to bed, all in our personalized, colored, pajamas; just absentmindly discussing anything. I guess this might be the last time we three get to talk like this in this cramped room.

"I'm only theorizing, no need to jump to conclusions."

Ahg. I've heard these two bicker enough in the past two and a half decades, what I need right now is some shut-eye. I turn over to my bed and quietly slip into the mass of blue blankets and pillows.

"Looks like Celis is going to sleep early today. I wonder what kind of master she'll have."

I could hear Ukuri's hushed voice behind me as I shut my eyes. Hey. We're both Nekomata, It's not like I’m deaf. Oof. I didn't even think about who's going train me too. Who'll be my master? Ahg. Hopefully someone I can at least talk to. "Hopefully not some creep..." Oda replied. With that last thought, I doze off.

...

"Huh?"

Where? What?

Stone.

Books.

Fire.

Stone.

Screams.

Books.

Fire.

This again. I tense up upon realizing what's happening and reach for the back of my hip on instinct. Oh, right. I don't sleep with my stilettos, don't I?

I'm clad in in my pajamas and inside of a Nekomata keep. It's dark, nothing lit the room but a small sliver of moonlight that peered in through a small window. I know this place. It's the library of the of my family's keep...I can hear fire crackling, and I can see ashes and smoke rising... Outside the door to the small library was an array of shouting and shrieking. I nervously approach the door and lay a trembling hand on the handle. My hand is small, much smaller than I'm used to. Why is the doorknob so high too? I open the door slightly with a click and peer outside. The hall is draped in fire and smoke. Down the hall, there are two figures that seem to be clashing in a sword fight. I seem to have witnessed the end of it, because in mere seconds one of the figures fell with a thump. The remaining figured turned, snapping its gaze straight on to the library door that I was peeking out of. I yelp and shut the door with loud crash. My heart races and I tremble even more fervently.

What's happening? Why can't I stop it? Why are they hurting each other?

Simple and childlike questions plague my mind as I back up from the door, staring anxiously. I hear loud and rushed steps, they eventually reach in front of the door. I swallow fearfully. There's a shadow under the door, it danced around for a minute, before the door crashed open. The door had been kicked down, and there was a figure remaining in the entrance.

"Big brother!" I shout and dash towards the blue haired man upon realizing his identity. I run with a childish, open embrace and hug my brother, sobbing into his armored belly through a blue cloak.

"Celistine. My dearest sister. It is not safe here, follow me."

A monotone and mature voice sounded from the towering young man. Two mid-sized swords hung at his hip and bellow a blue cloak rested upon silver colored steel plate. I look up at his face, it was covered by darkness from his hooded cloak.

If only I could get a look, just a glance, even a second would suffice.

How tempted was I to tell him to just sit down and tell me a story; To have him tell me of his adventures and journey's. As much as I wanted to refute the fact, deep down, I knew that wasn't going to happen. My solitary secluded and equally simple and pampered life would never return after this moment. I didn't realize that back then however, I kept on thinking that things would revert-that nothing was permanent. I regret how ungrateful I was for my old life, out of ignorance I took for granted the peace and hearth.

A subtle thump was heard behind my brother and his head perked up.

A shadow clad in ragged and half burned amour descended upon my brother. A jagged sword swung in a large arc toward my brother's back.

"Behind you!"

I shrieked out while backing away. My brother, hearing this shout, turned. But it was already too late. I hear the horrifying crunch of a blade ripping through steel. Despite emitting a muffled yelp my brother had completed his turn with two swords drawn and at the ready, point blank from the crazed assailant. Now that my brother was turned, I could see clearly the wound that had been inflicted on his hip, near his kidneys.

The gaping hole was simply pouring out blood, yet my brother was still standing, without even a word or gasp of pain. He lifted his blades in an action that my untrained and childish eyes couldn't perceive, he swung like a tornado; twisting his whole body to attack in quick succession with his weapons. The assailant, who looked more like a wraith than a human knight, evaded with intense speed out of the path of my brother's blades. The assailant twisted his body and prepared a counterattack on my now wide-open brother. However, my brother lifted his foot in his missed attack, following up his first attacks with a roundhouse kick full of the same momentum. The assailant didn't have time to react. The kick sent the robed human crashing into the stone wall next to the door. Just as a moment of respite seemed to have befallen on us, the glass behind us shattered. Two of the same robed humans had busted into the three-story high building, albeit less burned than the first. Another one glided in through the broken-down door, resulting in four total opponents surrounding us.

As if it hadn't happened already, my heart dropped in horror. My brother was bleeding, my home was intruded upon and was burning to the ground. My parents were most likely dead and all those loyal to my family must have met a similar fate...

We were now surrounded by these, these dammed humans!

My brother blurred into another tornado of steel and simply shredded the assailant who'd ran in through the door. He turned and violently slammed his blades into the one he'd kicked earlier. The one on the floor let a gasp of pain, but it looks as though he was dead. My brother wasn't one of the best fighters in Sidonia for nothing.

I backed up behind my brother, hiding behind him while eying the two-remaining wraith-like assassins.

They looked at each other, then charged in a serpentine movement toward my brother. My brother prepared a large downward swing toward the closer one, the one on the left, with his right sword. The blade connected successfully with the man on the left, a pseudo-fountain of blood gushed from his new wound and a shrill was heard as he collapsed.

But before he could completely turn, the one right had lifted his jagged blade in preparation for a swing at my brother's back. I lifted my hand...

"Pict!"

A small bolt of yellow flew at an incredible speed smashed at the remaining assassin; he spun a full one eighty and collapsed from the bolt. My brother, still bleeding from his previous wounds, turned at me. He smiled with blood dripping down his mouth.

If only I could get a glance at-

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"Celistine."

He approached me and bent down; he was now eye level with me.

His face, still obscured, spoke out.

"You must survive. For our family. I know you will."

Without letting me say a word back he grabbed my tiny body helplessly by the armpits and walked over to the open windows.

Before I could speak and with tears bubbling at my eyes; he dropped me out of the broken window, into the black of reality.

...

"Bro-!"

I gasp in shock in a cold sweat, clutching my chest through my pajamas. I sit up straight in the pitch black room, breathing heavily.

Damnit! What the hell is this! It's been years since that happened and it's, it's, still haunting me? I grabbed on to my shoulders and exhaled as I calmed down.

Why...why...why...?...............

It felt like my stomach was tightening in on itself, choking me in the process.

...

Alisson stood on the front stage of the Nuam gathering hall. It looked like a human chapel of sorts; tall windows, high ceiling. A long passageway with a red carpet and numerous seats presided in front of him. At the end of it on the stage next to him stood him and his black-haired father, and no one else. The seats in front of him were sparsely filled out; not many bothered to attend an apprentice ceremony thanks to its general in formalness.

I don't mind. In fact, it's more comfortable with less people here to watch me meet my apprentice. I'd feel awkward if there were tons of people, all staring at me...

The seats held a few faces, most of whom he knew: Sidonia, sat in the front row with her hands on her lap and staring blankly forward with a smile on her face, his second in command of the Storm Brigade, Daventdale Se Sabathi, and Lente Li Arquis, one of his close friends and the subsequent Chief General Science Officer. He could also faintly feel another presence...

Probably my sister, she's always around if Sidonia is, somewhere...

Alisson had woken up, gotten dressed and walked here all within a few minutes ago. His room was in the same building as the one he was in now. His to-be apprentice would be appointed to him any minute now.

Or whenever Sidonia gets tired of staring at that wall. What's she doing anyway?

He followed Sidonia's stare.

...it's just a blank, stone wall with an old painting of the first Sidonian...oh well I guess...

He muffled an exhale.

Alisson's body perked up. Something was approaching. It gave off the feeling of...well, he could only describe it as passive hostility; like something covered in thorns. It felt as though if he didn't have the most caution he could, he'd be pricked by this feeling.

What walked around the door and down the hall was hardly something Alisson could describe with words. He felt a bumble of emotions; confused, aggravated, in awe, embarrassed, and shy with the sight of it. What it was in simple terms; It was a Nekomata. One with deep blue, dashed and stranded hair. Her hair stopped mostly at its chin, with the exception of two thick strands by the shoulder. It wore a dark blue vest and dark pants that tried little to show off.

Its eyes were a mystery on to themselves, they didn't shine anything on the surface, but behind the deep blue nothingness rested something. Alisson couldn't guess what that something was, however. Matching with its eyes, it's face was emotionless.

No. Her face does have emotion, I can faintly see a sort of blend.

Innocently serious. That's all Alisson could think when looking at it.

...

Ahh...huh? Who is that? He looks familiar...and, uh...

I'm truly at a loss for words this time here in the Nuam Hall. There's one person. That guy-err boy? -standing on the podium, he's giving me a very weird feeling. I'm not the only one staring-he is too, directly at me, as if he were looking through me.

I'm uncomfortable to say the least, no one else in this room is standing out, at least, not as much as boy with yellowed hair is...

Wait. This is the Nuam Hall. When Sidonia said I'd be getting a master from a prominent house, I thought they were just using the Nuam Hall on a whim or something. But that guy on at the end of the hall, he isn't...Is it Alisson Vi Nuam, the t-third best fighter in Sidonia?

Uh huh. In your dreams Celistine. No way my master will be someone like him, from one of the Great Houses and all. Nuh-uh. Not happening.

"Please welcome the newest apprentice of the Nuam Household. Celistine Regadonia."

...Huh?

No. T-that was just in my head. Yep. Just a hallucination. There's no way the Lord Nuam, just said that.

The sparse crowd's drone of clapping doesn't exactly reassure me. I take step forward. Then another. Before I know it, I'm walking down the Nuam hall surrounded by high ranking Nekomata and applause.

I feel like their stares are burning my skin.

As I look forward, directly in front of me is Alisson, with the same expression as before.

...Is my future master dense? He's sitting there with a furrowed brow. He's also still staring at me with a very focused expression. I stop a few meters away from the podium, in front of me is Lord Nuam and his son. They're both pretty young looking, Lord Nuam has a more mature face and is taller though. Alisson looks like he's around the same age as me...I thought he was supposed to be like three hundred years old or something, that's way past the point of being able to look like that and not be made fun of!

...Whoops. I just indirectly insulted him, didn't I? Well, now that I do take a closer look at him, he's...he's...

Awa...Uh! He's nothing, nothing at all! Mhm!

His eyes are so weird, they have the appearance of cuteness but somehow manage to convey a sharp elegance.

...The hell? How does he pull that off?

And why the does he have an orange hairclip on his rightmost bang...

...

She's blushing. Yep. My new apprentice is standing in front of me, with a red-flushed face...well maybe 'flushed' is an exaggeration, but still. Why's she so nervous? Is it the thin crowd or single sentence ushered by my father? Well, to be fair I am overlooking how nervous I'd probably feel in her position.

Alisson, caught up in his pseudo-analysis of this new oddball, completely forgot he'd been staring at her the whole time and timidly looked away.

Whoops. Great, we were both shyly and cluelessly staring at each other.

From Alisson's point of view, this 'Celistine' looked quite nervous; her posture was slightly scrunched in a meek sort of way and she gave many quick and shaky glances to those around her.

"Ahem. Alisson, are you feeling alright?"

Alisson's heart dropped.

Don't single me out in front of so many-well maybe not that many-people father! Oh. He probably said that because I'm wearing such a serious expression. Yeah, I guess that happens sometimes if I'm focusing on something. Stare.

Alisson muffled a mock-cough.

"I'm quite alright."

Alisson said in an as quiet voice as he could.

"Celistine Regadonia. Please step forward."

Alisson's father said in a projected soft voice.

Regadonia. That sounds familiar, it's on the tip of my tongue. I was so caught up in thought that I guess I didn't hear the first time my father said her name.

The apprentice stepped up and timidly looked up at Alisson while trying to put on a brave front.

Alisson stepped down onto her level off the podium. He was now only a couple feet away from her.

Now that Alisson was on Celistine's level, he could see that he was a head or so taller than her. Her bulid seemed just like his, slim and tone.

"Do you, Celistine of the Regadonian house, vow to follow your master to the death? Do you vow to uphold Sidonia? Do you vow to die in the line of combat if need be?"

Regadonia. Right. That was Rickard's family, then this must be his sister...

Celistine looked up confidently.

"On the blood of my fratello (1), on the blood of my family, with all my spirit; I vow unto thy master my most solemn of trust and loyalty."

Alisson's father nodded, apparently satisfied.

"My son, Alisson of my Household, do you accept the responsibility of training and protecting this young one, so that our future will be secure and in capable hands?

"With pride and serenity, I will devout a ubiquitous attention to the upbringing of the Sidonian future, milord."

Alisson's father nodded again, content.

Alisson knelt down in front of his apprentice. Celistine lifted her hand timidly in front of him.

Alisson reached for her hand and brought it to his mouth.

Just a peck on the hand...just a peck on the hand n-no reason to get embarrassed...

...

Ahh... I thought I was going to die of embarrassment when he kissed my hand...

Well anyways, now I've got the glamourous task of moving out...

I wonder what my roommate's will get after their graduation...

I stuffed the last of my clothes inside of a small suitcase and lifted it with a grunt. I bent down and lifted another case, although smaller and white.

Well, I guess this is last chance to say goodbye to this room...

...

With the ceremony's conclusion, Alisson had already planned to go out with Daventdale and Lente afterwards to catch a drink or something within the second wall. His apprentice-

Ahg. That feels weird: having to say my apprentice.

-had already left to gather her things. Traditionally, apprentices were given the first day off to bring their belongings to their new residences. It wasn't exactly an all-day affair, but apprentices were expected to do it themselves, bumbling across the street nervously that is. His father already had a few informal words with Celistine about directions and where her new room was within the Nuam keep. The Academy was within the second wall of the Capital so it wouldn't be too long a ferry.

"Hey! Alisson! You coming?"

Ah. I'm lagging behind a little.

He sped up his walk for a second before catching back up to Lente and Daventdale.

"Anyways, where was I?"

Daventdale continued on a conversation he was having with Lente.

Daventdale, he was one of Alisson's most trusted subordinates and friends alongside Lente. Broad shoulders, towering stature, short, steely blue hair and sharp green eyes made him someone you could rely on. He was put in charge of one of the Storm Brigade's companies by Alisson himself with the formation of the team. Daventdale hadn't lost a single man since the formation of his squad, that was either from his above average charisma and leadership, or his combat capability with his dual scimitars.

"You were at the part where you were boarding the ship?"

Lente responded quite confidently for his shorter bulid while adjusting his glasses.

Unlike Daventdale or Louise, Lente wasn't a childhood friend, in fact, he was almost a century older than Alisson. Although one wouldn't think that Lente was older than Alisson thanks to a pair of large, slightly fogged up glasses and soft brown hair. They'd been brought together by the fact Sidonia held both the Storm Brigade and Lente close at hand while retrieving or studying foreign items or artifacts; they worked very closely, running errands for Lente.

"Right. So there we were, in the belly of this massive Irine ship, all alone and without a trace of any Sidonians around..."

Alisson had heard this story before, in fact, he'd been there side by side with Daventdale and a few other 51st members.

Ah...things were much simpler a century ago...I didn't have to worry about any politics when I wasn't in a command position.

"Then we heard a noise, it came from the floor above us. It was like saws cutting wood. We put two and two together and prepared ourselves. And low and behold, the floor above us caves in and a bunch of people jump down with it. Some casters, rip-off Nuam archers-you know- the usual. But there was somebody else, somebody bellowing this aura of- 'Hey look at me! I'm the best, just get behind me!' This guy was ripped, we're talking like seven feet tall here with like a metric ton of this armor on him. He also had this massive flamberge!"

That's right, this is the first time me and the Storm Brigade encountered one of those human Heroes.

"It became a straight up brawl instantly. We were really close to losing people; everyone had taken a blow in some way, some of us were even knocked out. Things-don't look good. That big Hero guy, he hadn't moved an inch while his compadres were fighting and dying in front of him. Then, as soon as the last human soldier goes down, the hero blurs into action and cuts down Ramsey- he was Alleri squad's old cleric- and then just sits there taunting us!"

Alisson wondered what happened to that ship; massive wasn't an understatement, that behemoth could probably run over the ships the Sidonians were currently using. Once they got out of the Irine ship without having fully completed their task, he'd hadn't heard a whiff of it at all.

Daventdale, Lente, and Alisson veered and turned into a small, modest café. They preferred this meet up place thanks to it's quiet coziness.

The Aching Kitten.

"So, you know what Alisson does?"

They sat down in a green-seated booth by the window. The bright sunlight of the mid-day poured in.

"What does he do?"

Lente says with a mild sigh.

"This absolute idiot decides to just run in and stab him point blank! No plan! No feint! Alisson's rapier just bounces off of course-and get this- the Hero, starts laughing!"

Daventdale continued on his story.

That was pretty dumb of me, but that son of a bitch just killed my subordinate. What was I gonna do? Watch?

"Sadist..."

Lente mumbles under his breath.

"Mhm. So, in the end we ended up restraining his movement with tons of spells, tied him to the ships anchor, and tossed him off. I'd like to think that he's still underwater to this day..."

"It's probably one of those sea dragons that live in the Far depths that got him."

Alisson suddenly blurt out. Daventdale shrugged and replied:

"Yeah, yeah. Either way his summoning light faded out after a few days. It's a good thing we didn't kill his summoner right away so we could let him suffer underwater."

Lente shivered.

"I-imagine walking around at the ocean floor and seeing those things off in the distance..."

"Eh, bastard got what he sowed."

Daventdale shrugged again in his slouched posture on the other side of the booth.

An old human Sidonian waved from the bar with a smile and within a minute or so all three of them had something to drink. Lente glasses were even more fogged up by the tea he when it brought to his face to take a sip.

"So how'd you and your company get back to the Capital, Daventdale?"

Alisson asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, we were lucky enough to be close to Gertrud when we heard the retreat trumpets, so it was a pretty chill withdrawal."

"I hope the other companies make it back, I still haven't heard from Alieri or Harshel companies."

"Eh, quit being a worry wort, I'm sure they're fine." Alisson furrowed his brow at Daventdale's calm reply, he certainly had confidence in his siblings in arms.

"Did you hear about the 1st and 2nd army's departure this afternoon?" Daventdale asked after a brief sip of coffee. Alisson nodded.

"Yes, my father told me, he and Lord Salchyon have just left to go overseas to the Far East."

Daventdale closed his eyes and shook his head slowly.

"I've heard some weird crap about the Far East, the people there are just barbaric apparently."

"Yet they still put up fierce resistance?" Lente piped up.

"Go ask Louise, she's fought and been in the Far East a hell of a lot more than any of us, she even got her weapon made from an Eastern design, a 'Guan Dao' it's apparently called, some sort of voulge looking thing."

The trio sat in silence for a few moments, quietly drinking.

"A-anyways, Alisson's apprentice was pretty cute huh?" Len mumbled after a sip of tea.

?!

Alisson put his hand over his mouth just in time to not let him spit out his tea mid sip.

Excuse me?!

"L-len..."

Alisson meekly mumbled.

Daventdale finished taking a gulp of his darkened coffee and looked up at Lente with a devious smirk.

"Hmph. I agree with you on that Len, quite the looker, she's got something special about her, I'll tell you that."

Agh! Stop it! Stop it! Stop it! I feel like they're mentally violating my apprentice's privacy...

"W-what's so special about my apprentice?"

Alisson just barely managed to spit out a sentence.

Daventdale sat up a little straighter with a raised eyebrow.

"Well: Regadonia. You remember that house, right?"

Alisson nodded.

"Yes, they had the farthest reaching Nekomata keep. They lived in a large forest in the center of the continent."

Daventdale nodded.

"Right, all the way up until a couple decades ago when the whole castle was burned and razed by some human elites from Andestine or something. Well, your apprentice, Celistine Regadonia-"

Alisson interrupted Daventdale.

"Yes, Rickard loved telling me all about her before he disappeared. I didn't think I'd ever see her in the flesh, much less hosting her apprenticeship. To my knowledge, she's the only surviving member of the Regadonian Household, a stiletto user, a gifted magician, and, that's it."

Daventdale nodded again.

"There's one thing you probably haven't heard though, about her life at the Academy..."

Alisson perked up and strained to listen.

"...from my peers at the Academy-The professors and trainers from the Sabathi House-, They told of a girl who after her first team had been slaughtered, acted like more like an automaton than a little girl. She spoke rarely or only for official matters. From what the teachers say, she didn't have a single friend."

Alisson furrowed his brow. He had been quite like her when he'd been at the academy; quiet and practically friendless. He was apprenticed by his older sister, her style of teaching left him very much out of the reach of other Nekomata.

"It looks like I'll need to affirm my trust in her then."

Alisson said scornfully.

"Relax. I've also heard that after her team was killed, she basically saved her new teammate's asses time and time again; being the best person to have at your back in any situation."

***

Fratello (1)

-Brothers, sisters, or fellow Sidonians.