Several years passed by, and yet it only felt like mere days. I have taught her most of what I knew, even the most forbidden of magicks so she could protect herself in this life. And then I sent her out to traverse the earth, so she can see all that the world has to offer beyond my doorstep, both its splendor and cruelty.
Perhaps she never knew that with every step she took, I guarded her from the shadows.
Yet perhaps she knew the entire time and made no comment about it, so she could drag me out from my reclusion. Ah, that meddling student of mine… truly the most tender of hearts holds the greatest darkness.
-???
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“Died like a rat in a trap. Again.” The sounds of combat rang out for a few seconds before ending in a horrible symphony of hissing steam and burning flesh.
“Are you blind or simply pretending to be? Again.” After another ten seconds, a cry called out before it was silenced.
“Who taught you to fight? I pity that person for having such a useless student. Again.” Ten seconds later, the sound of stone piercing flesh signaled the end of the battle.
“If there were any gods, they would be bored to death by your wanton actions. Again.” Airen’s next gruesome death included being trapped in an orb of water and drowning.
“My, my. If you can’t be a good example, at least you’d serve as a terrible warning. Again.” Airen’s next death involved combustion, painting the arena red in guts.
“If there are any orphanages asking for donations to help the mentally inept, I’d dedicate a donation with your name on it. Again.”
“You have a sister, yes? She must be skilled and talented, seeing as you are what's left. Again.”
“Just so you know, Airen, there’s no spell that can cure idiocy. Again.”
“Alright. Enough of the pitiful display.” Fieluri clapped her hands, and after the hundredth gruesome defeat accompanied by Fileuri’s scalding commentary, Airen dropped to the ground, shivering as he was wracked with phantom pains.
“At the very least, you’ve learned to survive for a few more seconds.” Fieluri snapped her fingers, and Airen felt the pain subside. Whatever manner of spell Fieluri had cast, he did not see it with his face planted onto the ground.
“...” Airen did not make a word or excuse as he slowly pulled himself together and off the ground, moving into a sitting position with his legs crossed. One would think he was meditating if not for the fact that his face was constantly twitching.
“Must you humiliate me every time even though I am trying my best against an enemy you know I can’t beat?” Airen glared up to FIeluri after he got out of his trance.
“Why should I? If you had any speck of talent or skill, you would have won at least one in a million battles. Yet here you are, unable to defeat anyone.”
“Then if I have no talent, or skill, or any redeeming qualities, why did you pick me of all people?” Airen scowled. He had long realized after countless losses that he had nothing that put him above any of his opponents. He had no inheritance, no divine element, no unique abilities, and he does not even possess his own source of magic.
“Tsk. Tsk.” FIeluri wagged a finger in front of Airen’s face. “To have nothing is a skill in itself, don’t you think?” She had avoided the question, and her tone clearly signifies that she was toying with him.
In response, Airen merely gave her what he dubbed ‘the look.’ Every so often in his interactions with Fieluri, whenever he did something that deeply disappointed her — she would give him ‘the look’.
It was the type of look one would make while looking at a pile of turd that was infested by maggots, flies, and worms combined with the type of look one would make if they were looking at a truly incompetent savage that could not accomplish the simplest of tasks.
Of course, Airen’s imitation was not nearly as perfected and merely contorted his face in an ugly shape, earning him a slap in the face with a book.
“You need centuries of training before you can begin to imitate me.” Fieluri chuckled, amused by a stray thought at Airen’s actions.
“But truly, you have no talent at all. Haa.” Fieluri sighed. “You can’t even materialize that without help. In the end, it’s like raising a cockroach.”
“What’s wrong with being a cockroach? They can outlast everything — even the end of the world.” Airen rolled his eyes in sarcasm.
“Perhaps it is not a bad thing.” To Airen’s surprise, Fieluri didn’t continue to mock him. “If you can’t defeat your enemies, you simply have to outlast them.”
“....” Airen didn’t know what to say. It only occurred to him that in the worst case… what is stopping him from hiding in the Archive forever?
“I’ll kick you out.” As if reading his mind, Fieluri snapped her fingers and Airen felt a dropping sensation as the ground before him suddenly disappeared.
Airen half expected to wake up in the real world, but to his surprise, as he sat up, he was in an unfamiliar area. The area around him was pitch black and only lit up by what looked like fragments of stars in the distance.
The platform upon which he woke up was crystal clear, not unlike acrylic or thick glass.
“Where did she take me this time?” Airen rubbed his eyes as they adjusted to the near pitch-black darkness.
As he sat up, he caught a movement in the corner of his eye below him. Airen quickly adjusted his legs so he could peer beneath him, but he was met with nothing except a dark void. However, at the same time, a deep chill ran through his bones and his hair stood up.
He suddenly had the feeling that he should absolutely not look behind him — but human curiosity is a strange thing and AIren turned around regardless.
The enormous figure that was floating in the space behind him could only be described as a deity or emissary of war. He was unable to tell what form it was beneath the glinting red armor, but there was no mistaking the eight arms that all wielded various weapons that were eight times the size of Airen or the bloodthirsty aura that emanated like a stifling pressure..
Airen only looked on in shock as the enormous warrior raised a weapon high in the air slowly, and then drove it crashing down like a falling star.
Airen blinked and his body shook. By the time he opened his eyes, he was back in his room in the Tiger Wing.
I…I had a dream?
----------------------------------------
“You. Me. Now.” As soon as Airen was dressed, Eullina barged into his room, glaring at him.
“Eullina, what is the matter-” Before Airen could complain, Eullina had already grabbed him by the arm and dragged him along with her.
“Eullina, what are you do-” Airen finally put his foot down at the edge of the stairs. In Eullina’s frenzied state, if she were to drag him without paying attention, chances are he would trip and crash down with her.
“Ruri.” Eullina ignored Airen’s complains and shouted. The door to Rureya’s room slowly opened, and a pair of eyes peeked out. “Help me with him.”
“Wait, not you too?” Airen cried out as Rureya gave him an apologetic look as she grabbed him by the other arm. Both of the girls' grips were rock solid, and Airen decided not to resist as he was hauled to the training field.
“Training?” Airen stared incredulously at the pair of swords that Eullina had tossed at his feet. Eullina didn’t reply nor pay any attention to his comment, choosing to walk over to the weapon stands and picking out a pair of short swords instead.
“Hey, hey. Eullina. You didn’t drag me all the way out here for some training righ-” Before Airen could finish, Eullina had already charged towards him flourishing both weapons.
“Wait, wait, what are you doing, Eullina!?” Airen sidestepped the attack and then quickly followed up with a parry.
“Stand still and fight with me!” Eullina scowled as she continued to chase after Airen.
…
“You have bested me.” Airen held up both his hands in defeat. Eullina feinted and moved to disarm him- and Airen was a bit too slow to prevent it. His other weapon had been pinned by Eullina’s weapon, and he had dropped it when she had punched him in the jaw.
“....No.” Eullina continued to glare at Airen. Rureya stood in the corner on the field, her apologetic look turning into one of disapproval.
“No?” Airen scratched his head, not sure what exactly Eullina was implying.
“I watched you fight the other day,” Eullina said quietly.
“...” Airen went quiet. He had thought that Eullina was visiting the Lasat Gardens with Rureya on the day of the tournament.
“You fought well, and you are definitely a higher level than me or Ruri.” Eullina’s eyes narrowed and her tone turned accusatory. “I had suspected ever since you received an invitation… when did you start going easy on us?”
“I never-”
“When did you stop taking us seriously?” Eullina's eyes were cold, the same eyes when she had first met him two years ago.
Airen opened his mouth to speak, but then closed it afterward. There was an aching feeling in his heart that stemmed from the burden of guilt he carried.
He knows all too well how many secrets he has kept from Eullina, and even more so, the fact that he was banned from revealing the truth about Fieluri.
"Explain yourself," Rureya interjected softly from the sidelines, coaxing Airen out from his troubling thoughts.
"I… it isn't that I am not taking you seriously." Airen shook his head ruefully. "It is precisely for that reason that I don't use the skills that my teacher taught me."
"Just because I was opportune enough to have fruitful encounters, it would be unfair if I were to use borrowed abilities against you." Airen shook his head to stop Eullina from replying. “ “Wait, hear me out.”
"Both you and Rureya are much more skilled than I am." Airen sighed, finally admitting something that he had long failed to accept. "If it was either of you that came across the same opportunity as me, you would be manifolds stronger than I am now."
"Without guidance, the two of you have learned your own special techniques, eked out your own styles of combat, and gained mastery over your elements daily."
"Me… I am always imitating someone." Airen chuckled in a self-mocking fashion. "Only imitating someone."
"I don't have the right to wield that sort of borrowed power against my friends," Airen said quietly, eyes looking at the wooden blades at his feet.
"...you idiot." After a few minutes, Eullina was the first to break the silence.
"Since when did we ever have the ability to choose where and how we grow stronger?" Airen looked up, only to see that Eullina was standing right in front of him, with one hand raised in the air.
Aired winced and closed his eyes, but the slap never landed. Instead, he felt a gentle caress against his cheek.
"We are the children of Tel'naraa. Airen. All of us have lost enough for a lifetime, and all of us are people that would've died if circumstances were a bit different."
"We have people to thank for that. Loys. Duncan. Horly. Lilrim. " Eullina flicked Airen's head. “Because of them, we can stand here today. Because of them, we learned to survive in a world that wanted us dead.”
“So what if your strength comes from others?” Eullina cupped Airen’s cheeks with both hands lightly. “Is it truly so hard to rely on others, Airen, in moments of weakness? Is it so hard to grow strong so that you may help others in turn?”
“As your friend, do you think it would make me happy if you were considerate and fought only with your own power that's a fraction of your strength? ”
All of a sudden, she pushed him, causing him to take a few steps back.
“Stand up, Airen. You are kind-hearted, but you are a child of Tel’naraa.” Eullina called out to him firmly, as she waved her arm, causing Hummingbird and Nightingale to materialize in her hands.
“I will not accept anything but your best." Eullina gestured to Rureya, and she stepped into the arena as well. At some point, she changed into her custom-fitted armor as her half-beast features materialized.
"You're even having Rureya join in? Isn't that a bit unfair?" Airen groaned as he moved back a few steps.
"The original intention was to beat some sense into you." Eullina rolled her eyes as she walked over to where Rureya was. Airen watched in mute shock as the two of them bumped fists. When did the two of them become as thick as thieves?
"We're not going to hold back. So don't you dare either." Eullina flashed him an eerie grin. "If you slack off, you might lose an ear or two."
"Scary, scary," Airen mumbled to himself and sighed, taking Eullina's prior words to heart. She was right, and Airen reflected on his thoughtlessly considerate actions. To be overly considerate can almost be taken as pity.
“Sorry, Airen. But you should never go easy on your friends. I never went easy on Rowan because that is what I owe to him...” Rureya apologized but her eyes held a bit of fire in them. She was a bit too polite to say it outright, but she did not appreciate being taken lightly either.
“Bound to give the best I can because we are friends.” Airen mused over the deeper meaning of the words. “A fight that is owed…”
“Then I will do my duty,” Airen said to nobody in particular, but the words carried over to Eullina and Rureya.
“Prepared?” Eullina watched as Airen seemingly conjured up two weapons out of nowhere- a pair of curved blades embedded with what appeared to be reptilian scales.
Number 823 from the Codex of Swords and Blades. Wick. Crafted from the fins of a great leviathan that roamed the seas, these blades were passed down by a clan of mer. In their prime, the magical enchantments infused within would allow one to traverse hundreds of kilometers underwater in a single breath.
“Are you?” Airen replied back cheekily. “Don’t complain if you end up losing now.”
Eullina did not reply, but instead hurled Nightingale at Airen, forcing him to step to the side to dodge. That gesture was the signal that the fight had begun.
Against Airen’s expectations, both Rureya and Eullina split up to attack him from either side. At the same time, Eullina occasionally tossed daggers at him, not giving him a moment of rest. Even if he could easily avoid them, the harassment was without end.
Airen’s main concern wasn’t Eullina, as he had more or less all of her abilities and he could predict how she would act and react. However, Rureya was different.
Airen gritted his teeth as both of them approached him at the same time, Eullina with a cautious thrust that kept her body low to the ground, and Rureya with an overbearing roundhouse kick.
If Airen had hopes that he would have some breathing room, it was quickly dashed against the rocks.
He made a split-second decision and ducked forward, leaning towards Eullina and parried her attack into the air.
Airen could feel the wind above him as Rureya's leg whisked past, but he suddenly felt a bad premonition.
Unknownst to him, Rureya had somehow twisted in midair after her roundhouse kick missed, and her follow-up kick had landed squarely between his shoulders.
The impact caused Airen's knees to shake and for him to lose his balance, forcing his weight on one leg. His skillfully executed parry from earlier was undone as he lost the opportunity to retaliate. He had not expected Rureya to be so agile and be able to turn a missed strike into an attack of opportunity.
"Ald!" Airen cast a kinetic blast as Eullina leaped to take advantage at his momentary lapse of balance. His attack knocked Eullina back, but he got a feeling of deja-vu as soon as he released the blast. Almost instinctively he moved his body as a pair of dagger flew past his neck and the gap between his left arm. Eullina had perfectly measured the time the kinetic blast would deteriorate and not affect the projectiles.
There was no time for Airen to rest as Rureya did a sweeping kick, clearly aiming to disrupt AIren’s balance again. At the same time, Eullina had leaped forward to attack with a Guillotine.
Caught in yet another pincer attack, Airen realized that he had to reposition immediately at all costs. He slammed one of his blades into the ground at his feet, and at the same time, took two steps forward into Eullina's attack.
Eullina's Guillotine was an attack that used momentum and gravity to sink her pair of daggers to her foe's shoulders. Leaping into the air, she would drop down with immense piercing power, much like her skill's namesake.
If there was one weakness, Airen had known what it was a long time ago. His Future Visions ensured that. Unlike Rureya's unnatural flexibility that allowed her to twist in midair, there was no way for Eullina to change trajectory once she had committed to the strike and was airborne.
Rureya's leg swept the ground, slamming into the sword Airen had embedded into the ground. A more shabby sword would have likely snapped, but Airen's blades were once wielded by legendary individuals. Rureya's attack still uprooted and knocked away the weapon, but it bought him enough breathing room.
Airen crouched down on the ground just as Eullina reached him. She smirked, thinking that he was going to defend against her attack but it was the opposite. Airen kicked off the ground, angling his body just enough to slip past her weapons, and shoulder slammed into her chest.
The interception knocked the breath out of Eullina, but Airen did not stop there. As soon as his predetermined attack ended and their feet touched the ground, Airen grabbed Eullina who was still stunned and shoved her into Rureya, who was getting ready to throw a punch at him. Instead of following through, she was forced to catch and steady Eullina.
The battlefield had changed, and Airen had escaped his disadvantage.
"Tch. That hurt." Eullina rubbed her ribs as she glared at Airen. "I didn't think you would be so good in a two versus one."
"And I didn't think you two were so close to being able to fight perfectly in sync." Airen scowled, rubbing his back where Rureya had hit him.
That hit was definitely going to leave a bruise.
“Little brat’s getting a bit big for his shoes.” Eullina snorted. She gave a look at Rureya and she nodded in response. The weapon Airen had sacrificed had disappeared, but neither of them deemed it much of note.
They came at him at the same time from the front, with Eullina to his left and Rureya on his right. Compared to attacking Airen from the front and behind, this allowed them to not have to worry about accidentally catching each other in their attacks.
In response. Airen went ahead and conjured up a shield that seemed to have been carved out from a stone akin to ivory.
Number 523 from the Codex of Armors and Shields. The Last Bastion. This ceremonial shield is made from a living metal not of this world. It is said that as long as this shield is not split into four pieces, the living metal will return to its original form.
The large, heavy shield was strangely balanced and unwieldy, but it was enough to serve Airen’s purposes. Since Airen did not have to worry about being struck from a blind spot, he was more confident in his abilities
Rureya’s jabs landed squarely on the shield. A normal brawler would have flinched from hitting a wall, but Rureya’s custom-molded gauntlets were padded to reduce recoil on the wielder. Still, the impact of each strike was enough to cause a small dent in Airen’s shield, and the flurry of blows on caused the number of minor dents in Airen’s shield to grow.
At the same time, Airen exchanged strikes with Eullina. His weapon, Wick, was significantly longer than Nightingale and Hummingbird, and as long as Airen matched step-for-step against Eullina, he could use his reach advantage to prevent her from closing in. SHowevertill, he would occasionally be forced to take a step back due to Rureya’s ceaseless flurry of punches and jabs.
Yet this change in positioning gave Airen a significant advantage- he could fight back. After parrying Eullina’s next strike with the hilt of his sword, he leaned into his shield and charged at Rureya.
However, the results were not favorable. Rureya’s reaction speed was inhuman, and she took exactly the number of steps to avoid Airen’s charge. At the same time, she conjured up Embers and hurled them at Airen’s shield- where they stuck and continued to burn.
“Ald!” Airen released his grip on the shield and blasted the shield towards Rureya. To the normal combatant, there are very few reasons to let go of one’s shield, and Airen’s ruthless tactic caught Rureya off-guard. The makeshift projectile hurtled into Rureya and the combined force and weight knocked her away.
“I have you now, Airen!” A voice shouted out from behind him as Eullina took advantage of his exposed back. Even without looking, Airen knew that a flurry of white and black daggers was flying towards him.
However, at this point, a spectral blade seemed to materialize above Airen. With a single slash, it dispersed all of the incoming projectiles. However, to both Eullina and Rureya who couldn't see that phantom visage of a blade, it was as if a mysterious force had defended Airen.
“!” Eullina’s instincts were good, and she quickly retreated a few steps back. Airen gave her no quarter, as two rifts deposited a pair of Wakki Stars that he hurled towards Eullina. Being caught in the middle of a retreat she only managed to dodge one of them- and the other impaled itself into her thigh.
“Bastard.” Eullina wrenched out the embedded star, leaving a two-centimeter deep wound. She held her hand over the wound and faint yellow light started to emit from her palm as she casted a Healing spell.
With Eullina’s temporary withdrawal, Rureya filled in the gap with another series of flurries and punches. Without a shield, Airen dared not to receive any attacks head-on and tried to play to the advantages of having a longer reaching weapon.
However, Rureya seemed accustomed to this and would easily parry Airen’s slashes, somewhat unnaturally by angling her punches to divert the direction of his thrusts against the ground. In terms of raw speed, dexterity, and strength, Rureya was unmatched among the three of them.
It was fortunate for Airen that he excelled at fighting those that had better attributes than him. The edge of his weapon started to glow with dim light as he countered move for move with his Flash Stance. There was only shock on Rureya’s face as both of her fists were matched in speed and precision to a single sword.
Slowly but surely, Airen’s speed continued to build up and he even managed to push back Rureya. Once she had lost her optimal range of combat, Airen’s advantage only grew.
It was then Airen was stuck with a sense of deja-vu as he caught a glimpse of a Future Vision. Eullina had finished recovering, and she had sneaked up to pin him from behind.
His body moved before his mind could, and he kicked off to the side as Eullina appeared behind him like a shadow. Perfectly evading the blow, Airen followed up with a quick five-strike Blooming using the flat of his sword.
“Fated Visions…” Airen murmured quietly. That was the term Fieluri had coined when Airen successfully altered the events that were foreseen.
Even though it was the flat of the blade, the consecutive strikes was enough to scrape through Eullina's clothing and leave a bleeding gash.
"That's one down." Airen held the tip of his sword in Eullina's face for a moment before suddenly twisting and releasing a Flash of Divine Steel.
His blind attack was easily dodged but it served its purpose as it ripped a one-meter long gash in the dirt at his feet and kicked up a flurry of dirt and sand in Rureya's face.
Rureya, who had blocked the sand from getting in her eyes by crossing her gauntlets in front of her, sensed an encroaching mass. Airen had taken advantage of his enemy’s lack of sight to reel back and deliver a Cyclone Thrust.
The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
Yet, to everyone's surprise, Rureya caught the rapidly approaching thrust between both her hands. Her graves dug into the dirt as she was pushed back by an unrelenting force, but she ultimately managed to block Airen's attack and pinned his blade with her gauntlets.
Rureya smiled as she pulled on the blade, thinking that she managed to catch Airen at last. However, she was met with no resistance and only sensed a bad omen.
She quickly looked up at Airen to see that he had retreated and pulled out a longbow. An arrow glowing with dim jade light was knocked and pointing at her.
"I wouldn't if I were you," Airen called out as he fired a warning shot when Rureya's muscles twitched. Even though Airen had fired a single shot, there were two arrows embedded in the ground at Rureya's feet.
Rureya gave him a long look, thinking quietly and studying his weapon before raising a fist to admit her defeat.
"Absolutely despicable. Villain. Mongrel. Deadbeat. To hurt a fair lady's skin like this." Eullina grumbled and glared at Airen as Rureya applied a healing poultice onto the gash on her back. Although the wound wasn’t deep, it was an injury akin to having one’s skin scraped off.
Still, if it was just skin however, healing magic can easily regenerate it to its prior form. It’s said that the strongest of light mages could even reattach limbs and regenerate flesh as long as the bone remained.
“Well, you were asking for it.” Airen grinned cheekily. He wasn’t normally this mischievous, but at the moment, Eullina was lying on her back and Rureya was lathering healing cream on the red skin.
“...” If glares could kill, Airen was sure he would have long since fled the premises.
“You fight well,” Rureya commented, breaking the tension in the air. “Even though I was raised as a bodyguard, it’s like you have much more experience than I do.”
“Life or death situations would do that to you.” Airen sighed. "You'd understand if you had to go through one of my teacher's hellish regimes."
"I've always wondered, Airen… " Eullina looked at him with curious eyes. "Why you? You can't be so absurdly lucky, so… do you have some sort of connections we don't know about?"
A woman's intuition is a scary thing. Airen thought.
"I don't know. You can ask Neair when he decides to show up at the tournament." Airen shrugged his shoulders. Truth to be told, he was also very interested in why he was selected by the History Eater. Airen highly doubted that 'because he was a prince' would have been sufficient to attract Fieluri's attention.
"First Keri, and now this man." Eullina's eyes squinted in suspicion. "Hmmmmm?"
"They're acquainted." Airen hastily waved his hands before Eullina could continue. "If anything I was pawned from one person to the other, and they hardly showed me anything."
"It is tough being an errand boy." Airen sighed dramatically. His words and tone of voice were extremely convincing.
"..." Eullina rolled her eyes but made no comment. She was also guilty of having Airen do her bidding since his spatial storage was extremely useful.
The quiet silence that soon settled in was comfortable as the tension between them had been dispelled.
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"I'll keep fighting against the gods... in this dirty, cruel place…"
When Airen found Fieluri in the Archive, he was surprised at her cheery demeanor. Except the words to whichever song she was singing was anything but.
"My body has been torn... and my wings have been torn off "
"...Are you singing?" Airen sat down in front of her and gave her a long look. He had often seen her hum to herself, but never actually sung lyrics out loud.
"You'd sing too if you could hear the original song." Fieluri sighed and closed the scroll that resembled a music scroll.
"One of the sad things about knowing about all of the beautiful things lost to history is that nobody in the world remembers but you."
"And for that, I've devoted everything." Airen couldn't tell if Fieluri's last sentence was part of the melody or an actual statement.
"The preliminary tournament begins tomorrow." Airen went straight to the point before coughing. "Shouldn't you give me one last lesson before then? Maybe teach me a few moves?"
"Cheeky brat." Fieluri snapped her fingers and it felt as if Airen had his forehead flicked with a stone hand.
"Are your preparations done?" Airen asked, refusing to rub the stinging sensation between his eyes.
"More or less," Fieluri said half-heartedly as she stretched and yawned. "It'll be nice to play as a villain again, so I'll make sure to enjoy playing the role."
"Airen. Dinner." Fieluri clapped her hands as if signaling to a servant. At her gesture, Airen rolled his eyes and held up a hand. A small rift appeared for a brief second before depositing a small table with a cover on top of it.
"Still need to work on your control." Fieluri tutted at him as the table landed in front of her, causing the tableware and dish to bounce slightly.
"Excuse me while I practice my skills, so I may serve you food better," Airen grumbled quietly to himself as Fieluri lifted the lid and dug into the monster steak in front of her.
"Mmm. Two points." Fieluri replied as soon as she cut into the marbled steak that was leaking blue blood. Airen wasn't even surprised she had given a verdict before tasting.
"But as I was saying." Fieluri pointed her knife that seemed to have been carved from rainbow jewels at Airen. "Are you ready to be a villain, Airen?"
"Who was it that said that everyone was a hero and villain in their own stories? Is there even a point to your question?" Airen grumbled as he sat down and started working on his own meal.
"Of course. If you want to be a hero of your own story you have to trample upon the stories of others. If there is a tournament of hundreds, the winner would be a villain that has trampled over the hopes and dreams of others." Fieluri commented as she wiped her mouth.
"So what you are saying is that I'll have to watch as you crush everyone in front of you." Airen distilled Fieluri's words to their bare minimum.
"Most stories end in tragedy." Fieluri shrugged. "But that is not necessarily a bad thing. Tragedies have their own charm, and they pave the way for greater things."
"You really aren't planning on being lenient tomorrow, aren't you?" A sudden realization dawned on Airen as he read between the lines.
"Accidents tend to happen unexpectedly on the field of combat and people die," Fieluri said nonchalantly as if lives were worth nothing to her. "I intend to make sure that those 'accidents' repeat themselves."
"..." Airen did know how to reply to Fieluri. He had always known Fieluri to be whimsical and arrogant, but she could always back up her words. Mixed emotions ran through him as he realized he would be powerless to stop her.
"Hehehe. That's a good look, Airen." Fieluri chuckled as she saw Airen's face twist. “Know well that I am someone that has broken eras of peace. This is minor compared to the things I’ve done.”
"Is there a reason you are doing this?" Airen asked quietly.
"Yes," Fieluri replied curtly.
"May I know what it is?"
"No. But how about a riddle?" Fieluri laughed, it was a colorful laugh that did not fit the atmosphere of what they were discussing earlier.
Before Airen could reply, she pointed to his wrist where Dir Sayf hung.
"That tool is both a sword and a shield." Fieluri paused. "What of its wielder? What is his sword and his shield?"
"Ah…" Fieluri held up a finger before Airen before he could reply.
"If you get it right, I'll tell you. But at that point, you would know the answer yourself."
With that, Fieluri waved her hand and dismissed Airen forcefully. The History Eater was a busy individual.
----------------------------------------
“That should be the place.” Airen pointed to the gigantic colosseum in the distance. It was still very far off, but there is no mistaking the banners that hung in the distance that sported a pair of swords.
If there was any more doubt, the insane number of street stalls that led up to the colosseum stairs confirmed that there was a great event taking place. It was still early in the day, so a majority of them were still being set up, but that was for the best.
“Ah. Ah. We’ll have to come back later.” A voice complained from his right, and Airen glanced over to see Neäirsighing beside him as he looked forlornly at the empty stalls.
When Airen wore the persona of Neäir, he was always cold and straight to the point. This in term made him unapproachable and distant. But when Fieluri wore it, Neäir became much more animated and alive. Even now as Neäir smiled and pulled back a stray strand of air, Airen could see some of the female stall owners staring at his direction.
“Ah. My disciple. Not getting caught up like the others are you?” Neäir patted Airen on the head lightly as jealous glances were tossed at Airen’s direction.
“You’re attracting attention,” Airen commented as he brushed off Neäir’s hand.
“What can I say, I’m in a good mood.” Neäir laughed, and it was the type of high-pitched uplifting laugh that released tension in the atmosphere. “I haven’t stepped into this world since we first met!”
“Ah, why thank you.” Neäir smiled at one adventurous woman who offered him a sample of grilled meat and she practically swooned. As if realizing that Neäir was actually quite affable despite his looks, it was as if a dam had suddenly burst and more women started to approach Neäir.
“I hope we don’t need to walk through an alley,” Airen commented. If unfriendly stares could kill, Airen was sure the men from the other stalls would jump them. In one stall, one gruff-looking man who was sharpening knives glared at Neäir. In another, one young lad who was cleaning off large meat skewers was holding one like a sword. There was even one pair of butchers with cleavers dripping with blood looking at Neäir as if they were trying to find out the best way to carve him up.
“Let’s keep going before you attract too much attention.” Airen pulled on Neäir’s arm and pointed at the crowd in the distance converging at the coliseum stairs.
“Well, if my disciple says so.” Neäir deflected the rest of the women and strode down the street with Airen towards the colosseum.
“You’re having a lot of fun with this, aren’t you F- ‘Neäir’.” Airen muttered.
“You are contestants?” One of the event staff looked at Neäir and Airen before ushering them to the side. “There’s a separate entrance for participants and viewers and this is the viewers' entrance. The participants' entrance is on the other side of the coliseum.”
“We have to walk all the way around?” Airen frowned. They had waited half an hour in line just to arrive at this gate. “Can’t we just go through here and walk through?”
“I’m afraid that this entrance is for spectators only. If you enter from here, you'll have to wade through a sea of people." The staff member quickly shook his head. "Rules are rules, sire."
"That would be quite bothersome." Airen glanced over at Neäir, whose smiles were psychological weapons that curried him favor and hatred.
"We can just go across. Come on my disciple. " To Airen's surprise, Neäir was the one to offer a solution.
"You're not planning to-" Airen started to interject as Neäir placed a hand on his shoulder, but in the next second, they suddenly shot into the air.
"Can you be even more flashy?" Airen grumbled as he looked down below them at the coliseum. Beneath their feet, there was a glowing green rune that was allowing them to fly across the skies.
"I'm supposed to be a master magus with an unfathomable background. Isn't this playing the role perfectly?" Neäir smiled mischievously. If it was Fieluri's face that wore the smile, it would seem as if she was mocking you, but when it was Neäir, it was the charming look of a prince about to tell you a secret.
"We're here." Before Airen could reply, Neäir waved a hand and the magic circle fluctuated, transforming into the outline of a gigantic sword.
"Hold tight." Neäir grabbed Airen by the wrist, and like a falling comet, they plummeted downward riding the blade of wind.
Airen's face twisted into one of horror as he felt what it was like to fall to one’s death.
“The third door fourth from the left, thank you.” Minerva was the one receiving the participants at the contestants’ entrance, dividing them up by the color of their invitation.
“The door furthest on the right. Welcome, Mr. Balder.” The Six Swords often worked in pairs, and Curtis was accompanying Minerva.
The solemn atmosphere was quickly shattered as several of the participants in line, as well as Curtis and Minerva sensed an incoming danger.
“Where is it coming from?” Curtis glanced around, trying to search for the source of the danger. But before anyone could figure out what it was from a streak of green form the sky, a thundering sound shook the surroundings as a cloud of dust kicked up.
“An enemy attack?” Minerva’s hand was grasping the hilt of her weapon as she tried to gain a grasp of the situation
“Ah. Ah. I supposed I fumbled on the landing.” Neäir strode out from the cloud of dust, with Airen slowly following behind him, his face pale as if the life had been drained out of him.
“You are…” In the stunned silence, Minvera was the first to react. “Master Neäir, was it?”
“That is my name. One of the many." Neäir replied as he held up a hand and the greatsword of green wind dispersed.
"May I see your invitation?" Maintaining her professional attitude, Minerva asked politely and reached out with an open palm. At her words, Airen hastily dug into his pockets and pulled out two golden envelopes.
"Hey! We were here first!" At her words, a group of men behind Neäir quickly spoke up. Airen glanced behind them and realized there was a group of twenty participants lined up neatly behind him.
"You're right. It would be rude if we were to skip the line." To Airen's surprise, Neäir repented with a smile. When did she become so reasonable?
"We flew over here, so we may as well fly to our seats." Neäir's next words quickly broke that illusion of, and Airen felt his stomach clench at the thought of having to go through 'flying' again.
"There's no need. Allow me to humbly escort you to your seats.” Minerva’s words quickly silenced the surroundings. It was not uncommon for one of the Six Swords to escort individuals to their seats, but they were all people that commanded fame.
For example, the power couple of Siana and Emery Hestel, who claimed two seats of the council.
The S-ranked adventurer with the title ‘Sword Demon’ that reeked of blood, Mordred.
Head of the Merchants Union in the Red State Republic, Thoris Athel, and his two daughters.
One of the many princes from the Kingdom of Four Winds, Fionn Galeym.
There were only the ones that arrived today in the first opening hours- and no doubt there were many more to follow.
At this sort of treatment, many of the grumbling participants in line quickly hushed up. Either this prince-like man in front of him was a mighty fighter that they shouldn’t offend- or he had deep connections and wielded great authority.
“Please, after you.” Minerva gestured for Airen and Neäir to follow her with a polite courtesy. “There are no problems with an individual such as yourself, especially if you were personally invited by us.”
The few warriors near the front of the line sucked in air through their teeth as they overheard Minerva’s words. They kept their heads down as Neäir and Airen disappeared through the furthermost door on the left.
It was a quiet walk accompanied with several staircases. Every so often, they would pass by a group of balconies where there were other seated participants, but they would keep moving along. It was finally after one long spiraling staircase that they stopped at a set of grand marble doors — doors that looked like they took the strength of several grown men to open.
“I bid you welcome.” Minerva pushed open the doors with a single hand.
It was the most luxurious of the seats, seated at the very top of an observatory balcony-like platform with each one facing the arena. There were several chairs already claimed, but the total number of empty seats was less than a hundred. Next to each luxuriously padded chair was a small personal table with a large paper umbrella to give shade and even a footstool. Airen even noticed that the chairs were custom made and were even able to recline back, allowing one to sleep if they so wished. That was probably the intention since it is been known the competition could last several weeks.
What was truly impressive, however, was the gigantic table that extended at least a hundred meters down the observatory platform, filled to the brim with an assortment of luxurious food, exotic snacks, and endless drinks.
"Your seats are over there, and the number is written on your invitation." Minerva continued to guide them for a short distance before stopping. "I will have to bid you farewell here. Once you claim the seats, feel free to help yourself to refreshments. They are replaced every three hours.”
There were many pairs of eyes that lingered on them as they passed. Nearly all that had the qualifications to enter this place were people of some renown, yet now a stranger walked in their midst.
A stranger to most at least. Airen spotted a particular pig-faced slave trader that did not dare to meet his eyes in one of the distant recliners. Airen was fine to let things lie, but alas he knew what sort of person Fieluri was.
"Why, if I recall correctly, your name was Shariah." Neäir's voice was elegant and charming, but the way he spoke the words was as if speaking to a child.
"I didn't think that Hero Neäir would be personally invited to this gathering. Clearly, someone of your caliber would show up on a stage as grand as this. This one was foolish to act without knowing." Shariah quickly rose to greet Neäir, hoping to amend past enmities.
"Hmph." Neäir made no comment, only twisting around without acknowledging him and moving on.
"..." Shariah could only sit back down after those two headaches left. After they were out of earshot, he tapped his feet twice on the ground and a figure appeared from the ground.
"Be wary of that man. Kanon. If the opportunity presents itself, ruin that face of his and then admit defeat quickly."
“Airen. Go find our seats, I will be sampling the environment.” Neäir patted Airen on the shoulder, his candid attitude causing his hair to rise. It was just so unnatural compared to how Fieluri treated him and the disconnect was disconcerting. After such a gesture, Airen watched Neäir walk towards the grand serving table and casually walk down the length. Wherever he passed, the portions on the table would seem to decrease ever so slightly, a morsel here, a piece of fruit there, a cup of drink elsewhere. It was natural enough that only someone that was observing closely would have noticed.
"There are our seats…" Airen looked with a frown on his face. The pair of seats that had been reserved by them had been taken over by a group of loud individuals. Based on the way they dressed, they were affiliated with the higher echelons of the noble society in the Red Slate Republic.
Those that were invited were allowed to bring guests and servants, but there were some that would abuse that privilege to bring in others. It just so happens that there are many that don't respond to the initial invitation, so the 'freebies' would claim the seats that were empty year after year.
"Excuse me." Airen politely interjected in the middle of the group. The two designated chairs marked with a "46" and "47" had been taken over two youths, one male and one female.
"Ah?" The female reclining in '46' was the closest to Airen and the first to look at Airen's direction.
"I don't know whose apprentice you are, but we've already claimed these empty seats. Go find your own." She quickly shooed him away after looking him over and making a judgment based on his attire.
"That's right! Our teacher is a general in the Red Slate Republic military." The young man seated in Airen's chair '47', quickly added with a smirk. It didn't take a genius to figure out the intention behind the man's comment.
"You misunderstand." Airen forced a smile and held up the two invitations of gold. "These are our seats."
"Huh?" The pair quickly sat up in shock as Airen took out the letter within and showed the designated seat numbers within.
“Our apologies young lord, I was ignorant and judge you based on your youth and lack of a weapon.” The woman had a better head on her shoulders and quickly stood up. “These seats are usually empty every year we come so we had thought-”
“Ah, it was an honest mistake.” Airen was actually a bit taken aback at the lack of resistance and gracefully affected the young lady’s apology. Airen did not wish to reveal his abilities, so he pulled up his sleeve to give the woman a short glance of Dir Sayf.
“Let’s go, Sitti. These seats have owners now.” The young lady quickly beckoned to the man, but the man refused to budge.
“Wait a minute, La'el. Young hero, you’re an intelligent man. Why don’t we make a deal?” The lad called Sitti looked Airen over, taking note in his shabby attire and worn desert cloak.
“I’ll give you five-hundred gold coins for this recliner, and it’ll only be for this competition.” Sitti continued, putting on a smile like he was doing Airen a favor. “You can still participate, and as long as you don’t mind standing around or even sitting on the ground, you’ll make a huge bounty!”
Airen hesitated in turning the offer down. He actually no problem sitting on the ground as the marble was quite clean and five hundred gold coins was a tempting offer. What held him back, however… was what Fieluri would say upon seeing him.
“I appreciate the offer, but I am afraid I will have to refuse.” Airen forced another smile and shook his head.
“Not enough? Seven-hundred!” Satti sized on Airen’s hesitation and continued to bargain. This was a competition that lasted weeks and these recliners were the only comfortable and safe places to rest.
“No, it’s not about the money.” Fieluri would kill me if she knew. Airen flat out and coldly refused the offer. If he did not shut this person, he was afraid he would keep tempting him.
“Tch. Fine.” Airen’s words seemed to have the opposite effect as the young noble’s face darkened. With a glare, he reached out to grab a drink of wine on his personal stand and took a sip.
“Satti…” La’el was more than familiar with the spoiled child’s temperament and quickly tried to stop him.
“Oops.” Satti tried to stand but pretended to trip over himself, spilling the glass. Half of it stained his clothes, but the other half -poured onto the recliner.
“Ah, my apologies.” Satti smiled, but it was a mocking smile of that of a scoundrel. “My legs seem to have fallen asleep. “
“This was an expensive shirt too… one of my favorites.” Satti continued as he reached towards his money pouch. “But it must not match up to the value of this seat. Please, my good sir, allow me to compensate you for my clumsiness. I’m sure you can ask one of the Six Swords to find you another seat...”
“Both you and I know that your actions are intentional.” Airen scoffed as La’el sighed and took a neutral stance. “You can afford to insult me, but you would even make trouble for the hosts? Have you no shame?”
“I don’t know what you are talking about, it was an honest accident!” Satti held up his hands in mock anger. “If I didn’t have to stand, my shirt and that chair wouldn’t have been ruined! Would I intentionally spill a drink on myself?!”
The man was quite the actor, and before Airen could reason, the man continued to yap.
“Of course, if this isn’t enough to satisfy you, you can visit my father and me at the First Division’s headquarters.” Satti’s smile hid a smirk. “I’m sure we can come to an arrangement-”
“I want an honest apology.” Airen cut him off. The best way to deal with the arrogant and prideful was for them to admit they were wrong and inferior.
“As I said, I’ve already offered to compensate-” Satti rolled his eyes and started to interject, but Airen cut him off again.
“An apology is all I require.”
“Satti, just apologize,” La’el interjected before things got out of hand.
“Why should I? I’ve already offered to pay for anything and everything.” Satti rolled his eyes and replied indignantly. “They’re called accidents because they occur without being planned. I wouldn’t apologize if the skies suddenly started to rain would I?”
“Perhaps you should. In this day and era, aren't there mages strong enough to cause a monsoon to suddenly occur?” The voice that spoke out wasn't that of Airen's but Neäir's.
"And you are?" Satti frowned, unleashed by this stranger that had butted in.
"This young one's teacher." Neäir patted Airen's shoulder but the touch merely left him with goosebumps. He knew that tone of voice too well.
"It appears that I haven't taught him well enough. One should take any opportunities and make the best of them-" Neäir sighed dramatically.
"Right. Right!" Although Satti had just met this man in front of him, with his appearance, grace, and voice, it was hard to not get a favorable impression.
"Which is why you will kneel and apologize." Neäir's voice suddenly turned cold and instantly caused the atmosphere to turn heavy.
"W-what?" Satti thought he had misheard. The student asked for a verbal apology, yet the teacher would even go as far as to have him kowtow on the ground?
"Do you know who I am? Who my father is? In a few years, I will have legions at my beck and call!"
"Bring him along next time, and he can kneel with you. Bring your armies as well so they can grovel beside you." Airen felt a heavy pressure on his back and he did not dare to look behind him.
"I don't have the time to play with your delusions." Satti was uneasy and quickly decided to retreat. "Let's go-"
"You will kneel." Neäir made no gestures or movements, but Satti was forced down onto his knees as if gravity had quadrupled where he stood.
"Y-you!" The pressure was overbearing, and the young noble could only force out words. He tried to push himself off the ground using his forearms, but it was as if a mountain was on his back.
From a distance, it would appear that he was prostrating on the ground.
Neäir made no comment, but La'el had a stupefied expression on her face. Airen looked on the groveling man and felt in his heart a strange feeling.
"I-I was… w-wrong." Feeling like his internal organs were about to be crushed, Satti apologized.
"Was that so hard?" Neäir clapped his hands and the pressure and tense atmosphere instantly dissipated.
Satti made no sound as he stood up, his bones creaking as if they had aged years. Without a second look, he quickly made for the exit. After a brief hesitation, La’el saluted Airen and Neäir before moving away to try and find another empty seat.
“...I thought you were going to kill him.” Airen said grimly as he checked the splotches dark red on his seat. It seemed like they had already soaked in deeply.
“That’s for later, and this was your fight.” Neäir sat down his own clean recliner lazily and lounged back.
“Do you mind?” Airen pointed to his own recliner. “Surely, you won’t leave your student sitting on a wet chair now would you?”
Neäir shrugged and pointed to the chair while casting a spell. The splotches seemed to tremble for a minute, before disappearing.
“Thanks.” Airen maintained appearances with his ‘teacher’ and sat down without hesitation. “What took you so long anyway?"
"I ran into a familiar face." Neäir shrugged. "A familiar face for both of us actually."
"Someone from Stonewall?"
"You can say that is also the case," Neäir replied.
Airen did not reply, instead, walking over to the railings and taking in the scenery. Their seats were the highest in the air, and it allowed him a view of all the concession stands. To his far right, there was also a long set of stairs that led down to the center platform that seemed to have been created from speckled gray granite. Other than that one entrance to the battle arena, there were also two separate gates on the east and west walls.
"Why don't you go get some food? It is still quite early." When Airen turned around, Neäir had a book in one hand and a tall glass of blue liquid in the other. It seems like the History Eater's habits were hard to break. If she was not amused, then she would go off and do her own thing.
"I'll watch over the seat," Neäir replied as Airen hesitated. "It'll give me some reason to cause trouble."
"..." Airen placed his envelope atop the recliner as a precaution.
"Aiiiiren?!" A voice called out to Airen as he was refilling his third plate of food.
"You are… Klaris?" Airen was surprised to see the young girl with brilliant dark-red colored hair. Based on her features, it wouldn't be surprising to think that she had some non-human blood in her.
"Hmm~" Klaris walked around Airen, her amber eyes searching up and down as if she was looking for something.
"I thought it was just the food… but there's a strange smell to you." She leaned in close and rubbed her nose. "A smell that doesn't belong nor did you have it prior."
"You must have a sensitive nose. I don't recall anything of the sort." Fieluri did not like unpleasant smells, and whenever Airen would arrive sweaty and smelly, she would throw a water spell at him.
She even went as far as one time to give him a free flower in the Garden of Words, marked with 'Deodorant Making'.
But all of that was prior to even when he had first encountered Klaris.
"Mmm… I don't recall Sorfilda saying anything about this." Whatever Klaris had on her mind was not disillusioned by Airen's comment. If anything, it made her even more suspicious.
"I suppose I'll just have to wait and see. Is your teacher around?"
"He's already seated and relaxing." Airen gestured in his general direction. "I was just about to go back if you would like-"
"Please." Klaris nodded while carefully studying Airen's face for signs. "I should extend my greetings on behalf of who I am."
"Miss Minerva has already greeted us?" Airen felt that something was off but decided to play the fool. He did not know what Klaris' connection to Dullas was, and he figured Fieluri, who was dressed as Neäir, was the intended party.
Although she was a Keeper of Knowledge, Airen thought she was closer to a Keeper of Secrets.
"You've brought someone troublesome."
Those were the first words Neäir said when Airen returned with Klaris in tow. It was impolite and downright rude, but Klaris did not even comment on it, merely smiling and bowing her head once they approached. Airen offered her his chair, but she quickly shook her head and chose to stand. Not knowing where to go, Airen sat down and pretended to be interested in his food as he listened to the conversation.
"Mister Neäir…" Klaris hesitated before continuing. "Is it alright if ask you some questions about Sallud?"
"His name is Dullas." Neäir corrected instantly. "Have you no shame calling him the name that was taken from him?"
Airen was surprised to hear the venom in Neäir's tone.
"The elders see that they have wronged him many centuries ago," Klaris admitted. "But it was a necessary sacrifice at the time!"
"Someone who only heard the tale from the victors has no right to say the word sacrifice." Neäir snorted. "Empires are built on the grave of one's foes. Would you call them sacrifices as well?"
"I don't know the circumstances, but Sall- Dullas offered himself willingly. That's what the elders and my mother said." Klaris retorted.
"I was there when Dullas succumbed, and there when he achieved eternal rest." Neäir snorted. "You know nothing, whelp."
"Who are you really?" Klaris didn't get angry, instead, she stared at Neäir with a profound expression.
"You are not worthy enough to know." Neäir waved a hand in dismissal. "Tell us the real reason you are here and leave before you sour my mood further."
"I want to ask for the return of Torchlight." Klaris steeled her gaze and asked firmly. "It is-"
"No." Neäir refused bluntly.
"It belongs to us because I am-!"
At this point, the conversation grounded to a halt, and Airen snuck a glance to see Neäir looking at Klaris coldly.
"If I, the one who granted him his eternal rest, says that his oblivious daughter is unworthy, who will dare say otherwise?"
"..." Airen's act of being engrossed in his meal stopped as he was beset by shock.
"It was my quest to grant him rest…" Klaris said quietly. "You took that from me."
"Your father was old before you were even conceived in your mother's womb." Neäir laughed. “The only thing he knew was that he might’ve got someone pregnant, and he said nothing about having a daughter!”
“You… how would you know that?” Klaris snarled, and her human features seemed to disappear for a second. “Perhaps he just didn’t tell you,”
“I’ll leave that to your imagination.” Neäir laughed.
“...Is there anything I can do to convince you? Our troves are large, perhaps we can come to a deal-”
“There is nothing that you can offer me, girl.” Neäir paused as if thinking. “But perhaps those ‘elders’ of yours might have something of interest.”
“They won’t meet with a h-” Klaris stopped herself and sighed. “You are the one broke the curse, they might make an exception for that at least. But they are stubborn fools and too proud for that, so if sire can follow me-”
“There’s something you are mistaken about here. They are the ones that will be coming to me.” Neäir wagged a finger. “And I’m not interested in meeting them again, unless…”
Neäir pointed to Airen.
“If you can beat him in single combat in this tournament. I’ll consider allowing them to show their faces in front of me.”
“...” Klaris looked at Airen, and he could not make out the emotions in her eyes. Instead, Airen glared daggers at Fieluri. What was this witch scheming?
“Deal.” Klaris agreed tactfully. “The young should deal with the young, and the old and ancient ones should deal with the ancient ones.”
It seemed that Klaris had harbored a guess at who ‘Neäir’ was.
A myth that was handed down her kind.
A fragment of a legend from eons past.
A being that was once part of a lost saga.
Yet she did not know it was only one of FIeluri’s many titles.