The rising sun shone brightly off the Udamine river, its golden rays reflecting off the gentle ripples of the water. Lavaad, with his piercing blue eyes, couldn't help but be drawn to the serene beauty of the river as he glanced out the window of the common area on the boat. The complete silence that surrounded them only added to the peaceful atmosphere, reminding Lavaad that they were completely alone.
As the boat drifted along the river, Lavaad's mind was in overdrive. He knew that they were only a few hours away from the town where he was born, a place he hadn't been to since his memories were wiped. Despite the urge to give in to his anger, Lavaad forced himself to remain calm. He knew that now was not the time to act.
The Udamine river continued to widen as they travelled, occasionally passing by small towns similar to Lormodra. Lavaad couldn't help but marvel at the sheer size of this tiny portion of the empire. As they travelled further, he noticed that the towns became less frequent.
Finally, the boat approached the Aguire Lake, a central landmark within the capital. This massive body of water spanned hundreds of kilometers and acted as a hub between the capital and the inner towns and cities, as well as those along the eastern shore of Kuunis. As they reached the end of the river, Lavaad was shocked, the banks of the river branched out so far that he could no longer see either side.
He knew that they were now in Aguire Lake, approaching Kalpuk, a city that acted as the capital of these branching rivers connected to the massive lake in the middle of the empire.
Feeling overwhelmed, Lavaad took a seat on the couch and continued to stare out the window. He couldn't help but dread the next few hours, knowing that he was about to confront his past and possibly uncover painful memories.
Despite his apprehension, he couldn't look away from the window, watching as they drew closer and closer to Kalpuk.
...
Valerie's long, crimson hair swayed as she jogged around the empty courtyard of her family's new estate. The sprawling property, located a few kilometres from the Reguus Capital, had been recently finished and was finally ready for the Angen family to move in.
As the only two children in the family, Valerie and her younger sister were the sole heirs to the Angen name.
Just a decade ago, the Angen family had been thriving, thanks to the exploits of Valerie's grandfather, Sir Lukaas Angen, known as The Flameholder. He had started as a renowned duellist in the capital's colosseum, and his undefeated streak had propelled him, and subsequently his family, to fame and fortune.
Afterwards, using his newfound fame, through a combination of luck and hard work, Lukaas had acquired various businesses, including a blacksmithing company that used flame pigment to speed up the production of weapons and armor for the Reguus army, to the point where they had become the armies main supplier.
But in recent years, the Angens had failed to make any significant moves, and after Lukaas's death nine years ago, the family had begun a rapid decline. Just couple of years ago, they even lost their fief to the Kindral family, led by Vaim Kindral, whose own family was also in a state of decline following his passing.
To Valerie, the estate they had lost was nothing but a curse, leading to the demise of families, and a constant reminder of her own family's downfall. Yet, it was also her ultimate goal. She was determined to prove herself as a capable leader and to show her own father, who had doubted her abilities, that she was more than capable of taking over the family business.
She also hoped to inspire her younger sister to strive for more than their father's narrow expectations of just marrying the two girls off for a quick profit. As Valerie ran, the wind whipped her hair back, revealing her light green eyes, a striking contrast to the famous red hair of the Angen family. Sweat dripped down her forehead, glistening in the sunlight and highlighting her long, pale face. Despite her youth, she was tall and slim, often mistaken for being a few years older than she actually was due to her height alone. She towered over most boys and girls her age, a fact that she took pride in.
She was running along a track she had spent a day making herself, in the middle of which stood a dummy with scorch marks here and there along it.
Among first years going to the academy, maybe ten percent reach the proficiency stage, otherwise known as the point where someone can use their pigment.
The grass surrounding the dummy was charred to a deep black, the remnants of little wisps of flame still flickering slightly. As Valerie's eyes fell upon the destruction, she couldn't help but feel a surge of anger towards her father's lack of concern for the damage she caused. It was just another reminder of how little he cared about anything.
With determination burning in her core, Valerie propelled herself off the ground. She focused on her source core, looking to the orangey red discoloration at the edge of her core, and willed her source into the pigment, not even a second later the pigment spat out red, flame-tinged source energy that responded to her every command, just like the rest of her source. She directed the flame through her body, into her feet, condensing it into tiny beads that traced the source veins passing through her soles.
As she landed back on the ground, she released the beads, causing them to explode and propel her forward with a trail of fire behind her.
Valerie's grandfather, whom she had no memories of, had left behind tools for the family to use. Her father, as usual, didn't care if she utilized them, so she took advantage of the opportunity.
Among the items left behind was a guide on using source for hand-to-hand combat. While techniques were often passed down within families, other families also had members who could teach the younger generation, Valerie only had herself.
The written guide was basic, outlining the fundamental applications of pigmented source and how to manipulate temperature and transformation of the flames for different effects. Valerie had devoted every waking moment to following this advice, honing her skills and developing her own fighting style with the flames.
It wasn't easy to seamlessly incorporate the pigment into her fighting style, but she was determined to master it. She had a clear image of the warrior she wanted to become, and she refused to let anything stand in her way.
...
"KALSER, GET DOWN HERE!" The deep, commanding voice echoed through the room, causing the young boy to freeze in his handstand position. His curly brown hair fell towards the ground, pulled by the force of gravity, while sweat glistened on his golden skin. Each push up revealed his well-defined muscles, a result of his dedicated training and his absurd genetics.
Immediately stopping his exercise, Kalser rolled over and stood up, making his way out of the room. The stark white tiles and lack of furnishings gave the training room an odd feel.
He stepped into a long hallway, lined with beige walls, covered in odd paintings, and grand chandeliers powered by source in some way. With only his shorts on, Kalser's bare feet touched the red and gold carpet as he approached the stairs at the end of the hallway.
The voice called out again, urging him to hurry. Kalser remained silent, his mind focused on reaching his destination as quick as possible, so he could get back to training sooner rather than later. He picked up his pace and descended the spiralling stairs. At the bottom, Kalser entered a grand dining hall. A long table stretched across the room, easily accommodating twenty people.
However, only two seats were set with food at the opposite ends of the table. Without a word, Kalser took his usual seat and began to eat. Sein, the family's butler and the only family Kalser had left, sat across from him. As Kalser, a twelve-year-old who looked much older than his age, devoured his food, Sein spoke up. "Your uncle has sent another message. He claims to have interested buyers for the estate and recommends selling it before it is taken from us."
Kalser continued to eat, his words muffled with his mouth full. "You know my answer. Ignore him or tell that fuckhead to piss off. He was a leech who attached himself to my father, and now he's trying to ruin all of my father's hard work for a quick profit. The estate is under my name and I will not sell it until I am six feet under." Kalser's tone held a coldness that seemed out of place for someone his age.
Sein answered the boy, "What did I say about your language? Your going to the academy soon and you will not be allowed to spout those crude words in front other nobles, the Kindral image is already faltering as is, your every action is being watched, waiting for a slip up so people can take advantage of you, get access to your inheritance, take this estate from your hands as you can do nothing but watch. You do not understand the severity of your position, your uncle is a meaningless pawn in the politics of the capital and others will stop at nothing to take advantage of the hole the death of your father created. You need to think more, or you will be the one to ruin your fathers hard work, not your uncle."