It was only from a bird’s eye view that one could distinguish the barracks from its surroundings. Made from the same old and wrinkled stone, with the same tiny windows and sundried roof shingles, if it weren’t for its daunting size, you couldn’t tell if it was a military building or a string of average houses. That, and the long fence that protected it from intrepid trespassers created the environment suited to train many young men that wished or were compelled to defend their country.
Two such young men have been assigned guard duty for this rather peaceful morning. The city was never lively at the crack of dawn, save for the early merchant and lost traveller. For the two fresh soldiers, that was quite a boring beginning for their duty. Having arrived in the capital only a couple days ago, they expected their lives would be more alert, as they’d be thrown into a series of hard, ruthless drills and exercises that would steel their resolves and bodies. That wasn’t the case, though, as the first thing that needed to be hammered in them was discipline.
To that end, their punishment for missing last night’s briefing due to them being too drunk to walk straight was to take on the most tedious of tasks, without sleep that is. The two began sobering up around the early hours of sunrise, the alcohol leaving their body rendering their standing around even more mind numbing.. At times, as their body stiffened and sored, they would walk up to the fence, look around to see no one interesting, then walk back, tail tucked between their legs.
This is why, as their yawning became even more frequent, they delighted in seeing two uncommon figures entering their field of view. From afar, they spotted a black-clad man with the clear shadow of a hilt at his wais, accompanied by a little girl, skipping around him, without a care in the world. With the uncannily contradictory atmosphere the two emitted, they were undoubtedly up to no good. The guards exchanged a couple of knowing glances before straightening up, taking the most imposing pose they could muster up.
It was only when the curious duo got closer and more details became apparent that their opinion changed. The first thing was the smile the both of them sported, one that was dubious as it was relaxed. How could someone be so calm and collected while going towards the barracks with obvious ill-intent? And the girl, a lackadaisical little critter that hopped with such childlike carelessness, there was something unsettling about her unnatural happiness.
“State your business,” one of the soldiers said. You didn’t need Ari’s hearing to know he wasn’t used to speaking so deeply.
“Just here to see the general,” Lux replied amused, catching on to their act almost instantly. Without hesitation, he tried to step past them, only to be met with their two crossing swords. A smirk passed their lips; they’ve always wanted to do that.
“Not so fast. What business have you with the general?” the other one intervened, his voice following the same pattern as the other one.
Their eyes widened as they saw the intruder reaching for his sword. A suspicious man, armed and with clear killing intent was in front of them. One quick glance at one another and they both raised their swords, striking preemptively. However, their attack was so telegraphed that the minstrel had no problem parrying it. The guards’ eyes were immediately drawn on the curiously crimson blade, their thoughts instantly beginning to race. No metal they knew of could give such a reddish hue; the only thing that had this colour was blood. How much of a killer was this guy?
Without hesitation, the two continued their fight, their stabs relentless, but extremely imprecise. Their two-handed strikes were no match for Lux’s mobility, as he effortlessly sidestepped every attack, occasionally riposting with a one-handed strike of his own. The two young men could barely keep up, as their exhausted eyes darted around, trying to spot an opening in the minstrel’s perfect form.
But what unsettled them more was the attitude of both him and his small, innocent companion. His face wasn’t contorted in a grimace of pain, nor did it show any signs of stress. Rather, it was the same smile from before, as if fighting was as natural to him as walking. Meanwhile, the girl was watching intently. Even though she recoiled a little, her two tufts of hair bouncing up as their swords occasionally collided, she didn’t seem scared at all. Strangely enough, she seemed almost calm, her eyes gleaming with a devious excitement as she saw her friend in combat.
It wasn’t long before their poor condition caught up to them. Their attacks grew increasingly sloppy and slow, as their opponent didn’t even break a sweat. He still had the same smug grin plastered on his face, but they couldn’t care less about that. At his point, he was a threat, an unusually strong enemy that menacingly came up to them and would’ve struck them down in one blow, were they not to react. Now the only thing that kept their tired, tensing muscles from seizing up was the rush of adrenaline pumping in their veins.
But even the most scared of men can’t last forever. With a twin-choreographed attack, the two guards flailed their swords towards the minstrel, hoping that attacking from two different directions would ensure at least one strike to land. But Lux didn’t even flinch. With one spin of his sword, he diverted their two blades into one spot, pinning them to the ground. The two soldiers just now noticed the weird, hook-like curvature at the tip of his weapon that kept their swords pinned down on the ground.
They tried to pull their swords out, but to no avail. Their strength has fled their body a long time ago. They couldn’t hear anything but blood pumping in their ears, as their eyes saw everything through a spider’s web. A quick upward swing ripped the weapons from their limp hands, as the two fell to their knees. With their terror at its peak, they couldn’t even register a new shadow approaching the frey, one that, if they could know who it was, would’ve given them a much needed second wind.
“Must you make a show so early in the morning?” the prince asked, rushing to the two, catching both of their swords in one hand. Hearing that familiar voice, the two immediately perked up, cowering behind him like two scared children.
“Sire, this bastard here tried to kill us!” one of them accused, his voice an octave higher than before. Edward sighed then looked at Lux who smiled warmly, almost apologetically, whilst Ari behind him had a scared, yet collected expression.
“Care to explain?” he chided towards the minstrel.
“I merely reached for my sword. I assure you, I meant them no harm.” Upon hearing his affable and amicable tone, the smile on Lux’s lips lost its previous deviousness, now looking as nothing else but an honest gesture.
“You two haven’t been here for long,” the prince addressed the two, handing them back their sword. They shakily grabbed them, almost dropping them in their rush. Seeing as the question wasn’t rhetoric, the young men gulped and nodded, embarrassed.
“Just as I suspected.” Edward laid a friendly hand on one of their shoulders. “You must’ve heard about the...dire situation in the capital. Hell, that must be the reason why you’re here in the first place. But these two people...they’re the ones who saved us all,” he continued, a tiny hint of admiration prompting Ari and Lux to widen their eyes in disbelief.
“That weapon of his? A whole battalion worth of them have been shipped here last night. They’re the reason why we went to war in the first place. And he’s here to help us all use them,” he ended in a calm, fatherly tone. Edward motioned both Lux and Ari to come, as the young soldiers parted to make way for them.
Dejected and ashamed, they took their spots on either side of the gate. Still breathing heavily from the effort of their untrained bodies moving around in too heavy an armour, they couldn’t help but follow the royal envoys with their eyes, as they slowly walked away from them. With them attacking a man held in such high regard by the king, it was sure they’d be in a world of trouble. As their heads hung low, a sharp, metallic sound broke them from their sorry thoughts.
“You’ll need these for your duty!” Lux announced, throwing their swords back at their feet.
“We’ll let the general know that you’ve dutifully guarded your post!” Edward concluded as the three turned around, their footsteps echoing on the paved road.
With a wry smile on their faces, the two picked up their weapons, turning to face the road. Stretching their arms and legs, they planted their swords in the ground, striking the exact pose they saw every other guard take.
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The three walked in silence, with Ari and Lux following the prince who was all too familiar with the corridors. Unsurprisingly, so, since he served in the army and he probably did his training here. What was more surprising was the extremely cordial and not at all disingenuous manner he spoke to the two young, inexperienced guards.
Pair that with the odd appreciation in his tone when he praised them for their action and you can understand why the two were a little thrown off. Regardless, they decided not to pry. Ari hid a little behind Lux, as if to shield herself from the unwelcome presence of Edward. After all, she didn’t know that he was going to be here, although her friend wasn’t all that surprised. Did he know?
The excitement to do something alone with Lux was lost the second he came into picture. Her skipping turned into a sorry march, as she tried to make sense out of what she was told was going to happen today. He said that he was going to teach her something today, but in order to do that, he had to take her to a place called ‘barracks.’ A myriad of questions started assaulting her head: What will he teach her? Was it going to be something about the human world? Maybe she’ll learn how to use one of his many magical items? Or a song?
As her mind wandered on the idyllic field of reverie, the prince led them up a flight of stairs and past a long string of windows that opened towards the interior courtyard. There, about three hundred young men were loafing about, spread out in small groups. What united them all wasn’t the similar haircuts they sported or the mundane tunic-trouser combo they were all wearing, but rather their admiration for the swords they were given. Most if not all of them were using their weapons in some way, be it gently caressing the polished metal, or playfully swinging them at one another, just like children being given new toys.
“—for...Ahh, no, don’t throw it at him, damn it! Urgh, where’s that man Julius was supposed to send to help these chipmunks? He said crack of dawn, crack of dawn, but of course! Of course he won’t be here at the crack of dawn! I swear to, argh, if he’s not here in a minute I’ll have his…” a woman’s annoyed voice echoed across the corridors. She stopped talking as soon as she heard the three pairs of footsteps approaching her.
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“Madam, is that you?” the prince asked cautiously, as he slowed down.
“Edward! Where the hell have you been? Look at what those buffons are doing with the stuff we’ve fought a war for!” The woman, in a fit of rage, elbowed the window, tiny shards spreading everywhere. Ari immediately jumped behind Lux as he and the prince shielded their faces with their sleeves.
“Oi! Oi, you jackasses! I swear on my loyalty to this kingdom that if you put a dent in any of those blades I’ll personally see that you scoop the royal stables clean using only those dainty hands of yours!” she leaned over the window, nearly jumping out, yelling in a pitch high enough to break the rest of the glass too. Ari tightened her grip on Lux’s blouse as her ears were put through a stress test.
“Anyhow,” she plopped back to the ground, sighing deeply and blinking a couple of times to calm herself down. “You’re the man?” she pointed to Lux.
“I’m the man,” he replied with a small bow.
“Hmph. You’re scrawnier than I would’ve given you credit for. Still, I’ve heard what you’ve done and if Julius sent you, you must be quite skilled in what you do. Xaya Reathes,” she said, extending her hand. Lux shook it firmly, taking a moment to glance at the one he didn’t expect to be the general.
She was a woman of average stature, no older than thirty, with her platinum blonde hair tied in a bun at the back of her head. A loose strand hung over the left side of her face, hiding what was perhaps her most notable feature: her right eye was a muddy brown, with the left one a brilliant green highlighted by two scars beneath it. As for clothing, she wore a long, nearly skin-tight shirt, covered with a leather vest, and thigh high black stockings planted in a pair of ankle-high boots.
“Lux Swiftgreave.”
“Peculiar name. Must be from the East, or a fake name,” Xaya thought out loud, prompting Lux to squint almost imperceptibly. “And who might this little cutie be?” she continued, her voice turning incredibly sweet as she laid eyes on the tiny girl. Cautious, as if approaching a deer, she circled around the minstrel, bending down to be at her level.
“White hair, sheepish nature, and oh, lookie here, what fluffy ears you have!” she continued, extending a hand to pet the little girl. Unknowing what to think of the woman who gave such a shrill shriek earlier, she tucked her face in Lux’s back. However when she felt the warm touch caressing the top of her head, she instantly mellowed. Ari looked up, in awe, as her attention was only on the pleasant smile of the once threatening woman.
“Lapin, an Atavic one, if I’m not mistaken. They respond well to touch and sound. Not so much to extreme stimuli. Must’ve startled her when I broke the window earlier. Sorry for that, sweet cheeks,” Xaya coddled Ari, as the bunny girl felt her cheeks flush. “What’s your name, dear?”
Ari opened her mouth, but then closed it right after. Xaya’s expression soured, but her eyes retained the same motherly joy.
“Most are also selectively mute. I’m guessing she—”
“Madam!” the prince interrupted, impatiently. “We have a duty, do we not?” he continued, his eyes scolding everyone.
“Ah, yes! Yes, yes, yes, yes we do! Wait, what’s that?” Xaya said, as the sound of swords clashing entered her ears. Her candied voice turned to that of a banshee again as she rushed to the window to see the soldiers fooling around again. “You animals! If that bloody metal is chipped even in the slightest, I’ll sharpen it on your sorry behinds!” she yelled, jumping out the window. She landed with a roll and didn’t even take a break before stomping towards the unruly bunch.
The prince glanced at her with a look of total disbelief on his eyes, his face seemingly asking, “Is she really a respected general?” He looked at Lux for an answer, but the only thing he got was a short shrug, followed by him and Ari following in Xaya’s footsteps, effortlessly landing on the ground and marching after her. With a deep sigh, Edward decided to not be the only one left behind and plunged after them.
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An uncomfortable silence reigned over the training grounds, as three different emotions were shot across the crowd by three different pairs of eyes. On the left was the ruthless gaze of the general, whose stare was cutting through anything short of total discipline. On the right stood the prince, compassionately eyeing each and every one of the young men he felt sorry for, especially now that he remembered who was in charge of them. Straight in the middle, Lux had his hands joined behind his back, his body leaning back and forward as he watched over them with his signature smile and eyes filled with interest.
Meanwhile, Ari was sat by Xaya behind a small pile of sandbags that she used as a hiding spot from all the people she didn’t know but who were all looking at her as if she were a rare beast. Whilst that was not far from the truth, after an earnest scolding, the girl was led to this cozy spot that she soon found to be perfect. She could watch the training unhindered and unabated by any blunt stares.
“Oi, you lot! I’mma personally beat the living crap out of you in spars if I see any of you snickering or not paying attention, you get that?!” Xaya silenced everyone, her voice immediately making everyone stiffen. “Floor’s yours,” she changed gears immediately, smiling to the minstrel. Nodding to her, Lux took a step forward and began speaking.
“So, what do you know about Aesther?”
Utter silence and confused glances ensued, but that was to be expected. After all, the kingdom of Gamica prided itself in its ignorance towards these impure arts. Their fighting style was to be based on nothing but tactic and organisation, something in which the other nations couldn’t even stand the comparison.
“Heh, I didn’t expect anything else. The word actually comes from our ancient language, grossly translating to ‘nature manipulation.’ As for what it can do, well...I think a demonstration is in order,” Lux said with a smile as he turned around walking to where Ari was standing. The girl looked at him wondering what he was going to do.
“I promised I’d teach you something, right? How about a friendly little spar,” he whispered, grabbing her hand. For a second her cheeks flushed at the touch, but then her mind finally caught up to what he said. How would she teach her something in front of all those people? Wasn’t a spar a fight? How was she supposed to fight him, the person she only wanted to save? Also, didn’t that mean that he would fight her too?
“It’ll all be all right, don’t worry,” he reassured her. “Just listen to what I say and you’ll find it easier than you’d think.” Ari frowned, shaking her head with a sad frown on her face. For the first time she was saying no to something Lux has said, in spite of his encouragement.
“And if you do well, as a reward, tomorrow we’ll do whatever you want .”
The choices were too much for Ari to even comprehend. She could ask him to go shopping for more clothes, or sing for her, or just take her to a new place like that cliff. So many things to do, so many things that she could ask for and about. This new promise was something she couldn’t miss. With renewed enthusiasm, she hopped out of her spot, but immediately froze as she saw the hundred or so young men stare at her so intently.
She immediately hid behind Lux, but she still wanted to get the reward. Nudging him in the back, she slowly pushed him forward, much to Lux’s delight. This was the way Ari reached the centre of the training grounds, still shielded from all the eyes she didn’t want to face. On the side, Xaya couldn’t help but smile.
“Aren’t they cute?” she whispered to the prince who looked back at her, puzzled.
“What?”
“Oh, don’t pretend you’re so dense. Not even you can be that blind.”
“...” Edward sighed, but decided to pay no heed to her crazy words.
Meanwhile, Lux and Ari were still inseparable, as the girl couldn’t unglue herself from her companion. Seeing that, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a clear ball. With a simple touch from his sparking finger, it lit up, a cobweb of light erupting inside.
“Keep your eyes on the ball,” he said, as Ari’s gaze was instantly drawn to the beautiful kaleidoscope. So distracted she was, that she didn’t even notice Lux slowly stepping away from her, until he was about ten paces away. “Your job is to steal this ball, or destroy it. And if you don’t do it until the Aesther in it dwindles, then our deal is off,” he added with a devious smirk. Hearing that, Ari wasted no time.
Gone were her worries and the stares drilling into her, as she saw the first spark disappear. With no hesitation and with a steady goal in mind, she immediately rushed at Lux, her white dress turning to a blur. She didn’t run straight at him, but rather zig-zagged, forcing his eyes to dart across the field to follow her. One step away from him, she hopped up, her powerful legs propelling her towards the ball. She could already taste her victory, but at the last second, Lux sidestepped effortlessly, chuckling.
Flipping mid-air she dug her heels in the ground, turning around on a dime, instantly charging back towards him. Understanding that a direct approach wasn’t going to yield any results against his enhanced reflexes, she tried a more cunning one. A couple of steps in front of Lux, she barrel rolled above the ground, her hand glowing blue as she slapped the ground. A wall of dust raised, blocking her view of Lux, but the ball was still shining through. Her body tensed up as she leapt through the curtain of earth.
As soon as she was past her veil, she was greeted by another fluke, as Lux was nowhere to be found. Cushioning her fall with her arms, she tumbled forward, catching a glance of the sky. There, she saw the minstrel slowly falling down, landing in the crater he left. All this time, the soldiers were awestruck, as their eyes jumped around, focusing on the minstrel, then the bunny girl, then on the havoc they wrought in their chase. The prince, knowing the both of them was even more surprised.
“Huh...I didn’t know she was capable of doing that,” Edward muttered to himself.
“With the right incentive men will move mountains,” Xaya replied, patting him on the back.
“She’s truly changed quite a lot…”
Ari tried time and time again to outspeed or outmaneuver Lux, but to no avail. Even though she was faster than him, his reflexes were uncanny. Breathing heavily, she eyed the glowing sphere and the few shards that were still flickering inside of it. She was running out of time. This was her last attack and she had to make it count. She couldn’t pass on the opportunity to have Lux do something for her, alone. What he wanted the most was a demonstration, so a demonstration he’ll get.
She stopped for a second, closing her eyes. Her hands started glowing blue, as she focused all her energy there. Lux’s eyes gleamed as he intuited what her next attack will be. Admirative whispers were heard from the crowd, as well as a couple coming from Xaya and Edward. As soon as she was ready, she rushed at Lux again, this time not even needing to confuse him with her movements.
She was ten paces away. Blue flames erupted in a cross shape from her fist. Five paces away, she already eyed the ball, her momentum driving her forward to a sure victory. Whichever way he’d move to dodge, she’ll have a way to hit it. Her vision blurred as the only focus was the last spark still burning on her target. However, she instantly widened her eyes as she saw an uncanny silhouette behind Lux, a sharp and curved line that filled the clear sphere with a crimson hue. One pace away, she struck.
Gasps and murmurs spread like wildfire as the final scene of this demonstration engraved in their mind. The prince’s blade stopped inches away from the minstrel’s throat, the only thing countering it being the blue flames that curved past Lux and converged on the sword’s wicked tip. Ari’s eyes were watering, as she saw the burn marks she caused all around his neck, unable to divert her attack in time. She sobbed softly as the Aesther in her hand dwindled away, her face a grimace of pain and hatred.
The prince retreated his blade as he saw Lux turn around, his smile being far from friendly. His lip twitched and quivered as he shot a menacing stare at the prince, doubled in intensity by his grin. However, as he looked at his blade, he noticed how dull it was moulded to be. The minstrel trampled towards Edward.
“Next time you want to do something like that, make sure it’s benign. What purpose is medicine if it kills you?” His words stabbed the prince, but he didn’t react. Lux didn’t even want to elicit a reaction, though, all he wanted was to make sure Edward heard him. Turning back to the still crying Ari, he squatted down to her level. But as soon as she felt his hand fall on her head, she stepped back and hopped away, landing far behind the barracks’ wall.