"So… How would I… Improve something like that? Decision making?" Avures grunted and struggled. He was in the middle of doing push-ups, lowering himself slowly and then after pushing himself back up.
Avures, Bif, and Olicia were subject to a punishment for losing yesterday. This was fine with Avures, but not so much the other two for their own reasons. Zen and Grula were there as well, pushing them to work. They were all in the woods behind the school doing extreme exercise. The three of them had been going at it for hours.
"It's hard to say. Intuition is key, but yours is a little… Messed up." Zen sat there on a tree stump, pondering the answer to Avures's question. "You should follow your instincts, but your instincts aren't suited for fighting."
"What do you… Mean?"
"That was your first fight ever, was it not?"
"Yeah..."
"Exactly. Good instincts will come as you get more experience."
"But this seems like a… Fix it now… Sort of issue."
"Eh… It kinda is, kinda isn't."
"So, what can I do then..."
"Have you tried meditating? Meditate on your experience you just got from Lylas. And do that with every fight you do. It's what I did when I first learned combat."
"Huh… I could do that."
"It's really about just collecting your thoughts. The more you start to understand them, the better… I used to keep a journal full of stuff I would dream about. Do you write about your dreams, Avures? Any sort of visions?"
"My… Dreams?... Visions?..." Avures finished another pushup. As he held himself up, he thought about some of his dreams.
"Have you remembered..." "To enjoy..." "To value..." "Life?..."
"Dark omens, barren futures, the obelisk of corruption, the sigil of change..."
"Avures… Look what you did."
His heart pounded furiously. His body was already in physical strain, but thinking about those dreams… About that girl. He hadn't seen her since that small altercation two days prior. She had almost ruined his friendship with Rael. Or perhaps… That was almost his own fault? What did it all mean anyways?
"Okay, pansies! You're good to go, I've pushed you hard enough for a punishment today." Grula stopped leaning on a tree and yawned. She stretched out and started to walk away. "Besides, if I have to hear these two nerds talk anymore, I might fall asleep."
Avures dropped to the ground, panting for air. His arms and body burned with fatigue. Bif and Olicia seemed to be worn out too, though they were in much better condition than Avures. He slowly rolled onto his back and sat up. Scooting over, he propped himself up against a tree, leaning his head back and catching his breath. Bif and Olicia sat on the ground as well.
"Hmm… I hear making artsy type things also helps." Zen stood up. "Do you draw or anything, Avures?"
"N-no..." Avures muttered out in between breaths.
"Huh. Strange. You always struck me as the type for that. Well, I've got things to do. You kids take care, see you tomorrow!" Zen waved as he started to stroll away as well.
Avures waved back and continued to sit there, catching his breath. He had made it all the way through those exercises. It was arguably more intense than the ones they had the last couple of months. It meant that he made progress, seeing how he didn't fall short. A short burst of pride flowed through him. Come to think of it, Avures really found something he liked. Though he would never show it, he was happy to be at Lancer Academy. He slowly clenched his right hand into a fist. It was his new passion. It was the only thing he enjoyed. He sighed, not sure how he was going to spend the rest of the day. He was about to get up when he noticed Bif and Olicia were still sitting around. They weren't saying anything.
"Are you guys alright?" Avures still sat there, but looked at each of them.
"Eh..." Olicia awkwardly shrugged.
"Nah." Bif didn't move at all. Avures sighed again, being put in an extremely uncomfortable situation. He was curious as to why they were acting like this, but he didn't really see or feel it as his place to ask. But, nonetheless...
"What's wrong with you, Olicia?" Avures knew what Bif was upset about, but he wasn't so sure with Olicia.
"Well… I might have misjudged someone… And I-" Olicia was cut off.
"Ventrix?" Bif turned his head to Olicia.
"Y-yes. How did you know?" Olicia raised an eyebrow.
"Who didn't know? It became obvious after a while that you didn't like him." Bif threw his arm up in the air with a low amount of effort as the soreness set in.
"To be fair, I didn't know that." Avures shrugged.
"That's cause you're tone deaf and blind." Bif didn't even bother looking at him.
"Anyways… I feel bad. I put this label on him. He hasn't talked to me since that fight… And I-" Olicia was cut off once again.
"Apologize to him." Avures shrugged again. "He's a pretty understanding guy from my experience."
"Well...it's not that sim-"
"Yes it is." Bif cut Olicia off again.
"Pf. Easy for you to say."
"It is. Your problem is your own fault."
"Says you."
"Speaking of… Bif… Why didn't you use magic?" Avures was getting sick of the back and forth Bif and Olicia were getting into.
"Look. Avures. What can I say? Your girlfriend beat me fair and square." Bif closed his eyes and shrugged with great exaggeration.
"She's not my girlfriend."
"Pf. Sure."
"But look… You'd rather surrender your pride than explain why you don't use magic?" Avures tilted his head as he questioned Bif. He sighed in response.
"Look. Here's the thing. I can tell you, but I ain't gonna be able to make you get it. It's a matter of… What's that word?... Principle." Bif grabbed a nearby stick and started slowly tapping it against the ground.
"Can you even use magic?" Olicia slightly grinned.
"Yeah… It's also just… Dangerous and messy… But it's more about the thought of it for me.”
"Then you might as well tell us." Olicia stared him in the eyes.
"Alright alright..."
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"The reason I don't use magic comes from a long while ago. It may or may not be obvious, but I grew up on the streets. When I was a kid, I would just wander around aimlessly looking for my next meal or something to pass the time. It was during one of these times that I came eye to eye with my obsession..."
Young Bif stumbled around the city streets of Palmenae. With nothing better to do, he moved along and along. His random and erratic choices of streets to take led him to an unfamiliar back alley. Traveling down this way, he took another turn and found himself in an unknown square. The buildings were beaten down, the ground stained and littered with a variety of messes, and broken glass everywhere. But, in the center of the square, a large crowd gathered. Curious, the young Bif approached. He squeezed his way to the front of the crowd and observed.
"Ladies and gentlemen! Here today we have a fight brewing! We have challenger Junpos Nelios! Verses! The Prime Owl!" A surprisingly well-dressed man in the center pointed to two different people.
The one he pointed to first, that Junpos Nelios, was a finely dressed man. He was recognizable as a Lancer who frequently took contracts in the capital. Wielding a long fine blade, he was known to be quite the skilled fighter. But it was the other person that young Bif paid more attention to.
The second person. The Prime Owl. A woman whose name wasn't known, and thus, everyone only knew her by the title of The Prime Owl. She was dressed in a black cloak with light leather armor that left her arms uncovered. Overtop of her face, she wore a white owl mask, thus the name.
As soon as the announcer started the match, Bif watched The Prime Owl take down this Lancer with ease. While the man used his sword, she didn't even pull out her own short-sword. The match was practically over as soon as it started. The crowd's cheers were overwhelming. During all of the celebration, Bif stood at the forefront and watched her celebrate. He was in shock, astonished, but he loved watching it. She noticed the young kid, and walked towards him. Getting onto her knee, The Prime Owl pulled something from her cloak. A white owl mask, just like her own, and she handed it to the young Bif...
"I became the biggest fan of The Prime Owl after that. I learned that she was a street-fighter and performer. Her whole… Gimmick, so to speak, was that she would rarely use her weapon to beat people, and never use magic to get victory. And, she would never kill. The winnings that she earned were often spent helping people in my position. She was a hero of the common people, of the people like me. I loved her. She inspired me to fight. And so I did. It's where I got into street-fighting myself. I would watch The Prime Owl fight, and then I would go fight. I'd even wear the mask during it. She would often recognize me after a match and wave. But one of those times, after a hard fought victory..."
"What's your name?" The Prime Owl was breathing heavily as she walked away from the ended-battle. She was covered in bruises and cuts.
"B-Bif… Ma'am..." The young Bif tore off a piece of his shirt and handed it to her. "Here… Use this to wipe yourself off."
"Thank you, Bif… You're a sweet kid..." The Prime Owl stood back up. She took the torn fabric and wiped the blood off of herself. She was about to walk away when she stopped and turned around to face Bif again. "Bif… Never give in on your principles. Always stick to your ideals..."
"Years would keep going by. I'd start becoming the person I am now. Older, taller, more handsome too… But something had changed with The Prime Owl. She started using her weapon more and more in those fights. More underhanded tactics. Eventually… One of those fights… She was being pushed really hard. It looked like she would lose this fight. That she would die. But at the last minute, she would use magic to suddenly take the upper hand and win the fight. No one cheered… No one clapped… Everyone walked away. The Prime Owl would take off quickly as well. I remember standing there in the cold, looking at the mask she had given to me. My hands were gripping it so hard, I didn't even realize I had cracked it."
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"So, you won't use magic because some street fighter said she wouldn't, but then she did?" Olicia asked.
"It ain't just "some" street-fighter! That was The Prime Owl!... Besides… It's about principles… I want to be the best fighter. The strongest ever, just like she was. And if I can't do it on my own… If I bend to using magic… Then it's meaningless." Bif dropped the stick he was tapping and lowered his head.
"Why do you say that? How does that make it meaningless?" Avures looked over to Bif.
"She didn't need it before. That principle. That "not needing magic"... It inspired me. I looked up to her, that version of her. If being the best and strongest means using magic… Fuck that. I want to be both of those things, without compromising… And she could have been using magic all those times, but I just never noticed. The more and more I've learned about magic the past few months here, the more it starts to click… I-... I'd rather her have died during that fight." Bif curled his hands into fists.
"But you realize, Bif… Being a Lancer is nothing like being a street-fighter." Avures kept looking at Bif, who didn't budge. "From the way Mister Zen and Miss Grula have framed it, we can really just… Die out there, instantly."
"And? I'd rather die on my principles than sell-out." Bif crossed his arms.
"Bif. Don't you see, though? She lived to fight another day. She lived to keep helping those who mattered to her. You said it yourself, she gave the money she earned away to people like you and other homeless people." Olicia stood up. "If you don't start using magic, if you don't start accepting this… There's a high chance they'll kick you out… Or you might die later."
"Like I said: And?" Bif stood up to match Olicia.
"And you're our friend, Bif. You matter to us, all of us. We're in this together… Wouldn't you want to make sure you live to fight another day? Especially if it meant fighting for those who matter to you?... I know I would." Olicia stepped closer to Bif, looking him dead in the eye.
Avures walked closer to the two of them. From the looks of it, he thought he might have to pull them apart. Bif looked angry, and so did Olicia. But soon enough, Bif lowered his gaze from Olicia's.
"I dunno how using magic matters in any of that… But I'll consider what you've said." Bif walked past Olicia. Leaving both Avures and her behind as he exited the woods.
"That went well..." Olicia waited until Bif was completely gone to turn to Avures.
"You're next." Avures blankly looked at her.
"Ah-hah… Right." Olicia turned away from Avures and they both left the woods.
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"So… What should I say?" Olicia stepped down the hall to her room.
"Why are you asking me?" Avures walked alongside her.
"Hmm… Good point. Why would I ask you?" Olicia stopped at her door. "You seem the most "un-adjusted" to interacting with anyone."
"Wow thanks..." Avures stopped near the door, leaning against the wall. "You should give a simple apology at the very least."
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
"Duh..." Olicia opened up the door to her and Ventrix's room. No one was in there. "Huh?"
"Hello, Avures. Hello, Olicia." Ventrix walked down the hall and stopped near the door with the other two. Avures quickly glanced his eyes down and saw that Ventrix's hand was holding something strange.
"Ventrix… I… look, I just wanted to say I'm sorry." Olicia's eyes darted to the side. "I shouldn't have judged you by your name. I'm sorry I accused you..."
"I'm glad you came around. I never wanted to have to use force like that, and likening me to my family name really hurt me..." Ventrix frowned, looking off to the side too. A small silence was held as the two of them looked away. But Ventrix smiled and turned back. "But, it's all water under the bridge. I forgive you."
"T-Thank you..." Olicia didn't look back at him. Instead, she put her hand on her forehead and waddled inside the room. She went over to her bed and laid down. Ventrix took this moment to slowly and quietly close the door.
"You didn't put her up to this, did you?" Ventrix eyed Avures.
"No. She wanted to apologize. She just needed a small push." Avures looked at the door, then back to Ventrix.
"Of course. I figured that, but I just wanted to be sure. She looked like she was about to cry." Ventrix tapped his foot.
"What is that?" Avures pointed to Ventrix's hand.
"Ah, straight to it then. Told you I'd find it." Ventrix tossed the object to Avures.
"Huh? What-wait… This is-..." Avures struggled, but managed to catch the object. A cube almost as big as his hand.
"Mhm. It took me an absurd amount of searching-that library is huge-,but I found it. So now, you'll do your part." Ventrix opened up his door again.
"I… Can try." Avures held the cube with both of his hands close to his face.
"Good. See you… Later today or tomorrow, I guess." Ventrix entered his room and shut the door behind him, leaving Avures with the cube.
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Ventrix waltzed over to his bed and sat down. He glanced out the window and peered at the sky. It was probably almost noon. He wondered if everyone wanted to eat lunch together today or not. Though, Avures looked exhausted, and Olicia was laying face down on her pillow. He didn't see Bif enter with them, so he could only assume that he was either running around in the city or hanging out with Lylas.
With nothing better to do, Ventrix unsheathed his sword and started to inspect the blade. He did a minimal cleaning yesterday, so he figured he needed to touch it up. He pulled out a soft, clean rag and gently started to wipe down the blade. When dealing with his blade, Ventrix tended to be very particular and thorough. Using a cloth for anything he could wipe out, and then using a tiny bit of magic to make it real good looking. Something about getting other tools and things to clean it never felt right.
Though, looking at his sword, it always did remind him of home… Of his family… He frowned. He didn't hate them, but he didn't like how… Impersonal they were. It was always about nobility with them, except for his mother and his uncle Tendrick. Thinking about the two of them, especially his mom, made him smile. Finished with his maintenance, he lifted up his blade and inspected it. Flawless… Perfect… But, he accidentally glanced to the side of his blade while turning it, spotting Olicia still head down in her pillow.
He felt guilty. Olicia might have started it all, but Lylas was right. It was his own fault for letting it fester, especially over the last few months. And the way he dealt with it… It didn't feel so good to him. His mother's words echoed in his head...
"Make as many friends as you can, and cherish them. Never let them go."
Perhaps a little bit of a melodramatic memory for him to be reminded of, but it was what he needed. Ventrix sighed and stood up as he sheathed his sword. He picked up the chair for his desk, and carried it over to Olicia's bedside. He placed it down and sat in it.
"Olicia."
"Mmm?" Olicia's voice was muffled by the pillow.
"I just wanted to apologize formally to you. I'm sorry for letting this… Feud of sorts go on this long. And, I'm also sorry for how I treated it at the end. There were so many different ways I could have conducted myself better. So, I am truly sorry." Ventrix closed his eyes and bowed his head.
"Mhmts Mhmky… Mm-"
"Olicia. I can't hear you."
"That's okay. I feel stupid for starting the whole thing. I should have known you weren't out to get me after like, the first week. But I psyched myself out, and I put you through a lot of my stupid behavior." Olicia raised her head, clearing the muffled sounds of her voice. "It's my fault. I attached that stigma to you. That Felsta quality. When I was growing up, my parents used to warn me about the Felsta family. It was always something along the lines of "hurr they'll kill ya on the spot"."
"Well… They would..." Ventrix scratched the back of his head.
"They were trying to protect me in their usual "damn or be damned" type of approach, if you get what I'm saying." Olicia flipped herself onto her back and stared at the ceiling.
"I kind of have an understanding of what you mean." Ventrix raised his head again and fiddled with his hands.
"Yeah. So, when I heard about you… Your name… All those thoughts flooded into my head. I went for the first way to defend myself that I could think of." Olicia turned her head to face Ventrix.
"Which, in hindsight, was definitely an odd one..."
"Well, rather than outright hide it, because I thought that at some point I would have to reveal it anyway… I would tie your life to mine by revealing it in front of everyone."
"Right. I remember you telling me that."
"But, I only considered my own well-being. I hadn't considered that you weren't like the other people in your family. I had immediately stereotyped you based on your name, and only considered that you could only be one way. I generalized you… And I feel really guilty about it."
"You've already apologized. No need to feel any sort of guilt or remorse." Ventrix put his hands up and waved them back and forth.
"No-no, you see… I feel guilty because… It's ironic. Hang on..." Olicia sat up and crawled to the edge of her bed. She reached down and pulled up her battered book. "All my life, I've wanted to get away from these dumb stereotypes. The ones that made me live in partial fear, the ones that kept me from making friends, and the ones that made me unlikable for making this."
"What is that?"
"An encyclopedia I made for weird bugs, plants, and animals. It's one of my favorite hobbies." Olicia held the book outward and quickly skimmed it for Ventrix to see. "I was seen as a sort of outcast at home. I was "not girl-like" because I did this. A dumb stereotype that made it hard to get to know anyone."
"Weird things, huh?... Isn't that a stereotype in itself?" Ventrix held his hand palm up.
"Shut-up!" Olicia closed the book and slammed it into Ventrix's leg. The book was deceivingly hard. Ventrix grabbed at his leg as he winced.
"But… No one liked you?" Ventrix rubbed his afflicted leg as he gazed at Olicia again.
"Nope… The thing was, I was dangerous to be friends with. There were lots of stigmas about me, both due to the demon sigil and the book. It was… "Safer" to not interact with me. No one would listen to me, be around me, or take me seriously when I was around at risk of something bad happening to them. But when I came here, I felt like I had a new opportunity for that. Of course, aside from the whole Lancer thing too. I'm just… Such an idiot. I want friends and yet I almost pushed them away." Olicia hit herself in the head with her book and kicked her legs back and forth.
"Wanting to make friends… All that… Honestly, I hope it doesn't sound weird, but you'd get along great with my mom." Ventrix smiled.
"Wow… That does sound weird..." Olicia stopped moving completely. She slowly put her book back to where she grabbed it and returned to her spot. "Ha-ha, she sounds nice..."
"She is... -Friends?" Ventrix extended his hand out to Olicia. Her eyes went wide, her lips curled into a soft smile.
"Sure. Friends..." Olicia shook Ventrix's hand...
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"Alright bozo, what's the deal? You've been staring out our window for a while now." Lylas was reading a book as he spoke.
"Who are you calling bozo?" Bif was sitting in a chair. He aggressively hopped up with his chair and landed with his seat turned toward Lylas.
"The guy who lost his fight yesterday. Who else?" Lylas looked up from his book and sat it aside.
"Look… The red-head beat me… She outclassed me I guess. I just gotta be better." Bif shrugged, casting his gaze upon the ground.
"Ya fuckin-... Ya ain't makin' excuses?" Lylas looked in shock.
"Shut your trap!... Look, that's just all there is to it."
"Well, that and your refusal to use magic."
"Funny you mention that. The nerd and bug-girl confronted me after the teachers were done with us."
"Oh? How'd that go, bud?"
"I told them about The Prime Owl… Remember when I told you about her?"
"Yeah yeah… So what's up?"
"Book-worm didn't have much to say about it."
"Pf. Which one?"
"Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha!...holy shit, Lylas… You always got the banter..." Bif slapped his knee as he lost composure. "But uh… Anyways I meant Avures. But Olicia..."
"What did she say?
"Get this… She's all like: "She lived to fight another day. She lived to keep helping those who mattered to her. You might get kicked out or die if you don't use magic"..." Bif took a mocking tone as he repeated her words.
"That seems a lil' outta character for her."
"That's what I'm saying! Probably got to do with the whole blue-blood thing though."
"Yeah… Hope she settled that..."
"Anyways. then she finishes with: "We're in this together… Wouldn't you want to make sure you live to fight another day? Especially if it meant fighting for those who matter to you?"... God… Was she trying to make me hate her? Sounding all sorts of high and mighty and altruistic and shit." Bif stood up from his chair and kicked it over.
"Ya know… She's right though. We are all in this together. Regardless of our… Disagreements… I'd stick my neck out for ya. And I will..." Lylas stood up from his bed and put his hand on Bif's shoulder. "Even if it's just a lil' bit-... The bare minimum. Use some magic."
"I can't… It goes against my principles… My code of conduct… I wanna stay here alongside you guys...but I can't."
"Look, Bif… Here's something my pap told me before. "Principles on how one conducts himself are necessary. But, the ones that take priority are the ones that tell him how to conduct himself for the sake of others."... No one wants to see ya go Bif." Lylas held his hand on Bif's shoulders for a few more moments before he pulled away. "Anyways, I'm heading to lunch. Ya think on that."
Bif didn't move a muscle. He kept staring out the window, looking at nothing. As the door shut behind him, Bif knew he was alone. He pulled his gaze away from the window. He wanted to stay here. He wanted to not die. He wanted to keep up with everyone. Bif walked over to his dresser and opened the top drawer. That cracked white owl mask sat in there.
"Is that why you did that?..." Bif picked up the mask in both of his hands. "It was always about everyone else for you, wasn't it?"
"Maybe… Maybe I was wrong… And you were right… I was too young to understand. But now that I will be fighting for other people… It's starting to come together..." Bif slowly laid the mask back down in the drawer. "I don't agree with you, and I'll still hold back as much as I can to hold to that belief. Not to my own "detriment", but so that I can say I was better than you."
Bif closed the drawer to his dresser. He made this decision. It was his choice. Even if he was slightly influenced by others… He was able to see the error in his logic thanks to them. He left his room and shut the door behind him.
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"What am I supposed to do with this thing?" Avures whined out of frustration. He sat at his desk in his room, fiddling with the puzzle box Ventrix gave him. All six sides of the cube had the same intricate carvings that seemed to connect to each other. For example, each side would have a big plus sign that continued onto the other sides. This plus sign was then surrounded by a series of closed squares, circles and triangles. From what Avures could tell, there were zero interact-able pieces on each side of the cube. Nothing to move, click, or press into place, and no holes either.
"You've been fiddling with that thing since you got back. What gives?" Rael walked up behind Avures and looked over his shoulder.
"That's the problem, Rael. I don't know what gives." Avures shook his head and set the box down on the desk.
"Where did you get it?"
"Ventrix gave it to me."
"Oh, a present?"
"No, not really. It's more like I'm fulfilling my end of a bargain.
"Oh… Neat." Rael moved her head over Avures's shoulder. She was ear to ear with him. "So what exactly is it then?"
"It's a puzzle box… But I'm not seeing the puzzle."
"Maybe the puzzle is inside the box?" Rael looked at Avures's face. Avures blinked and turned his head to face hers. He could only see her head to the right of him. There was a big smile on her face. Avures wanted to say something, anything remotely sarcastic out of annoyance. But, he found himself almost entranced by her goofy smile. He sighed, turning back to face the box again.
But then again, as much as it seemed like Rael was joking with him… Avures did remember what the librarian said. The box supposedly liked moments of extreme tension… Or whatever that was supposed to mean. How was that even quantifiable? High tension… Like a fight? An argument? And those sorts of things produced energy? The more Avures thought about it, the more he realized that this might be a lengthy ordeal. At least if he can't solve it or figure it out at the moment, perhaps it could absorb some of that "energy" as long as he carried it around.
"So… You're coming to lunch with me and maybe the rest of us?" Rael was still leaning over him.
"I guess..." Avures sighed. He got up out of his chair and turned around.
"Good!"
"I'll just need to-Oh god Rael! Put on some pants or something!" Avures had seen Rael's bare legs and her undergarments as he looked over. He quickly covered his eyes and turned back around.
"Pf! Ha-ha! Your face is so red!" Rael hopped over to her side of the room and started to put her skirt on. "You were so absorbed in that cube I figured you wouldn't even notice!"
"You were dressed when I came in here..." Avures sighed again.
"Yeah, and then I was getting ready for lunch, and I came over to see what you were looking at after you started whining like a baby, silly." Rael finished putting on her simple gray skirt that went along with her shirt. "I thought it'd be a funny joke, and it kinda was. All done!"
"That's your idea of a joke? Weren't you mad at me the other day for invading your privacy or something?" Avures rhetorically muttered, lowering his hands and beginning to undress himself.
"Well this is different. We've known each other and lived in the same place together for… Sheesh… How long? Since before we were kids..." Rael faced away from Avures. She bent over and picked up that book… Her journal. "But you went through my thoughts… Tsk-tsk… Though...if you want to go through it now… And look for anything related to what I might like to get in a week… Feel free."
"A week? What's then?" Avures finished getting dressed in different clothes. He knew exactly what was in a week.
"Oh… You know… It's uh-... Don't worry about it." Rael skipped over to the door. "Let's go eat!"
Avures followed. He played dumb, mostly due to the fact that he wanted Rael to have low expectations for him. But, it was unmistakably her birthday in one week. He never kept track of it himself, but Rael did. And he knew that Rael always gave it away in the most "subtle" of ways. That was his way of figuring it out. He had no idea of what he was going to get her.
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"What's the news, Meius?" Xilvas sat at his desk, filling out some papers.
"Good news and bad news. The good news is that I took care of Tobias without much of a fuss. I was in and out before anyone else saw me. Their lab is torched too." Meius kicked his feet up on the chair in front of him.
"And… The bad..." Xilvas sighed.
"Well… There was an orange book which may or may not have had the entire ritualistic information for their task… And it wasn't present at the location."
"... You're kidding..."
"I wish I was, sir. Unfortunately, the only possibility I can think of is that I either missed it and torched it by… Which would definitely be the best outcome… Or the worst, which is that Tobias's son grabbed it before he left and I started my attack." Meius gritted his teeth and closed his eyes, expecting Xilvas to freak out.
"Meius… You.. Imbecile!" Xilvas slammed his fist on the desk. "Don't forget! This ordeal involves the world! As idealistic as their plan is, removing the source of Flow and all of it entirely when it's so deeply ingrained within would destabilize our world… I didn't mean to refer to you as an imbecile… I do apologize for that. For all the good work you have done, I shouldn’t make your first mistake the defining one."
"It's okay. I understand, sir." Meius frowned. "There's a lot at stake. It isn't just the lives of our students… It's everyone. What do you suppose our next move is?"
"Were you able to locate or identify Tobias's son and his mercenaries?" Xilvas looked Meius in the eye.
"No. They completely vanished. Which means they're either underground or using some sort of Anti-Magic to make themselves invisible to my eyes."
"So, we'll have to wait for them to re-emerge in order to stop them? That puts us way too close to danger. They may only come out when they're ready to start the ritual… Or worse, know Ozix's death location."
"Now hold on, because I did catch something interesting on my way back here." Meius took his legs off the chair and sat forward. "My eyes did manage to catch the transport of some letters before I raided the place."
"Letters?"
"Mhm. Guess who they're addressed to."
"Well… If Tobias sent them out… They're either going to other researchers sympathetic to his cause, or...-"
"The rest of Mathias's old crew. Asheraun, Eiva, and Cynthis."
"Shouldn't they all be dead? Or at least as old and frail as Tobias?"
"Curiously, I happen to already know their locations and status. Asheraun is an old man now, much like Tobias was, but he's in peak physical shape as far as that goes. He still wields that massive blade too. Eiva has achieved a form of conditional immortality. Think if someone found The Architect and asked to live forever. She's retained her youthful form and is still a well-practiced master of magic. And as far as Cynthis goes, he's also an old man too. He's not as practiced or trained as the other two have been though."
"To think… All these old heroes, still alive… Only to threaten everything."
"Old heroes or not, they've had the chance to stop what they're doing. Sir, let me take care of this."
"Meius, I understand you want to protect this place, but consider who it is you're talking about. If they choose to follow and help Tobias's goal, I have no qualms with you trying to get rid of them, but don't forget that these people are very powerful."
"Worry not, sir. I'll only do what's necessary. And besides, I have a few tricks up my sleeve."
"I… Suppose that's how we'll do it then. I'm sorry to have to rely on you again, having my Deputy-Headmaster perform hit-man duty, but you're the only one I trust with taking care of it."
"Of course, it will be done." Meius stood up from his chair and took a bow before leaving the office...