The GM's Choice
Intro: Inside a dim bedroom where the glowing candles' light revealing the bricked wall, one of Jaino's men, Krispen standing leaning the door replies to Doresa, an instructor of JK academy, "Woman, I'll make this clear. Don't misunderstand my boss. He only needed your cooperation about the pretended bribe. You told me you like him, so don't push yourself with me."
Wearing only long thin sleeveless reaching her legs and showing-off her cleavage, the red-eyes beauty, Doresa, sitting on the bed, she speaks, "Don't you like me?"
"..." Taken by surprised, Krispen responses, "I-It's not like that..." Beginning to get flustered, he faces down and thinks, Curse you, boss... He hears Doresa speaks,
"Speak the kind of woman you like then? I'll act as one."
"... … …loyal."
"I am. And of course, it's what I like for a man." She smiles. "Any other?"
"...a ...a—" he scratches his hair "—a v—virgin..." Feeling the embarrassment, he closes his eyes.
She smiles. "Yes, I am."
Shocked by her reply, Krispen complains, "Hey, had you not slept with my boss?"
"Yes, we did."
"Then, you call yourself a virgin?"
"We might had shared a room before, but in blood, he's my cousin."
Being dumb and speechless, Krispen faces down. He sighs. "You know I respect my boss. So, I don't want to cause trouble to him. Why do you cling with the bribe? You can find a man better than me, though."
"I shall receive what he promised to me. I've trusted him.
"And now it's me to ask, why would you followed your boss?"
"...It, It's a long story... But in the past eight years, he gave me hope. And in the past six years, he backed me into this division. I don't like to talk about my circumstances, but I hope this can enlighten yourself, I'm a son of a prostitute. And for at least now, I can take away my mother from poverty and her job..." After a long saddening silence, he follows his words, "That was embarrassing. I guess I should go now."
"Nope. Not until you'll accept that you're mine and marry me."
"Woman—! You have heard my side—! I'm just a commoner."
"Do I care for statuses?"
"..." Speechless, he hears the woman requests,
"Hear me more of your story then."
—End of Intro.
Back somewhere inside the cemetery of Jelfyr,
Desperate to take over the title of Third Exceptional General, Hoven Mig, son of second exceptional general Tiz Mig, thinks about Jaino, That's confirm me, the shattering of ice around the fille wasn't his doing then. He isn't a saiyk. Not a wind emode either. He can hide his mass in the other dimension and can disappear at a blink of an eye. He's a medou. And to dodge my attack without much of visual observation fulfills the words of the previous Third Exceptional General. To think this Jaino is a master of swords' basic, I did underestimated him. There can only be one of us, exceed of normal. He dashes forward and rises consecutively the materialized swords of light on the ground and heading to Jaino,
who's panicking while he tries to evade.
In Hoven lips, blood flows out. He holds his right chest. I wasn't able to hesitate...
While moving backwards, with one step Jaino halts his movement. He thinks, Spirit of dark, swap with light. Behind him, a spherical golden light begins to surround him. Jaino fades. Near the missy Ritzel, he has stood. He picks up the black sword. He erects himself. That's conclude, he's a dralk, an ice emode, a treal and an activ. What a nasty opponent in close combat. However this is my only choice.
Enduring the painful compensation of his ability to his body, Hoven laughs— I have missed. "Don't cower Jaino! Face me! Don't you have a pride!"
With that Jaino fades. With his stance, he has stood near Hoven's right side. And without holding back Jaino swings the black sword.
A sound of metals clenching resonances as Hoven parries Jaino's attack. Hoven points his other palm to Jaino. "Freeze!"
"That won't work!" has responded by Jaino, who hears Hoven's follow up,
"This is much bigger than before!" A barrier of golden light surrounds both opposing persons, is followed by the ice freezing allover inside except to where Hoven is. "At last, I've finally gotten you."
A Past, to the last Sky's Rejection Part 4
In the military headquarters and inside the Third Exceptional General's Office, Jaino reports himself to his guild master. Both persons are only on the room. Standing in front a distance away from the table, Jaino speaks, "What's up? You know I hate this kind of place."
Wearing spectacles, the beard veteran man wearing full white attire, he speaks, "I have received a request with the most critical situation and it requires my full attention. Tell me all about the Sky's Rejection." … after hearing Jaino's statement, he falls silent again. "So you and your mother were the survivors..."
"What's with the long face? It's not like you to be this skeptical."
"I've heard the phenomenon only just recently. And I've feared this what happened to your village and your statement concludes my thoughts. May you tell me where did you gotten the name of this phenomenon?"
"Don't underestimated the Lightning Clan."
"I see, the clans of assassins have access to the Kingdom's secrets... If such phenomenon will occur once again, what will you do?"
"First thing and foremost, I need the time and place. Second, my mother have told me, my father was the strongest man before. So do I believe and it brought me despair, I was just a plain norim born in this world. I'd mastered the swords' basic to acquire such strength yet I'm still far away to surpass my father. None of us neither in the underworld can surpass what I had witnessed... ...Third, the second I came to this guild was, you. You have the strength and abilities that I've needed to surpass. I have a way to fight that monster... but I don't have the strength."
"Boy, tell me. Do I stand a chance if I confront this monster you say?"
"If you can fight something that you can't see, then you have."
"Can you fight something that you can't see?"
"Even if my eyes are closed... I can. But, I don't have the strength to beat it."
A sudden knocking of the door disturbs both persons. And it's followed by a male strong loud voice speaks the words, "General Kires, I'll come in." Creaking as the door being open, revealing himself and going in, Hoven goes in. He closes the door and salutes. He stands erect and speaks, "Sire, everyone's agreed to follow my command by your absence."
"I leave the rest to you then," has replied by the Third Exceptional General. And to Jaino, he speaks, "Alright, boy, let's depart."
While both persons are walking into a path away from the kingdom's northeastern exit, Jaino states, "I kind of dislike the person you've entrusted with your division."
"Don't mind," has spoken by the guild master. "He's a hardworking for something he can't speak out. However, I can't waste their lives for something that we must do. Most in my division, the soldiers are working only for their keep." He faces Jaino. "He's a master of swords' basic too and he's far gifted than you."
"Please, I hate being compared to anyone. If you want, let him teach on your school. I only have one student anyway."
The guild master smiles. "However, he lacks the experience and initiative."
Two days have passed, into the northeastern region of the wide island, they reach to a burnt village. Outputted from a very destructive unknown disaster, blackened burnt woods remained of houses are scattered all over the place. Hopeless in finding another survivor, the soldiers of the eastern general still on their search for the dead bodies.
Remembering his place, his village on the past and along the happy memories he had on his family, Jaino speaks, "Same as what happened to my village..."
"We have two survivors also this time," has spoken by the guild master. After a long silent, he hears Jaino's reply,
"Allow me to meet them."
In the current time,
Witnessing Jaino caught by the ice and hearing Hoven's loud laughter, the veteran woman smiles bitterly. Caressing the hair of her son fallen asleep from the pain of his broken arm, the veteran woman prays on her mind, Jaino, do not fail me. Please live for my son. A lullaby she sings for her son to feel ease if being heard.
A male and a female of Hoven's men smile. They chat, talking and declaring their master's glory.
Halting his glorious moment, Hoven kneels one knee. His hands each he palms to his mouth and his left rib cage. He's suffering the compensation of his treal's ability. Everything must have a cost. It's all over now. I have won. He laughs.
...hearing the cracking of ice, he stands to his stance. He gulps seeing the shadow inside the ice swings up its sword. He distances himself. Cracking and shattering, the barrier of golden light shatters and disappears as well as the towering ice shatters while its debris falling down on the ground.
With a distressing face and his wet dress, Jaino speaks, "Sire, my actions react to my emotion." These aren't mine. "The more pain I feel I rage and the more sadness I feel the stronger my technique's release." Trying to endure the cold on his heart, he asks, "Sire, enough chasing the position of the third seat. You have proven your despicability." Damn you spirit of light...
He he he he... Honesty is the best policy.
Feeling the anger, Hoven yells, "Arrogant!" He confronts Jaino. And he swings his sword while Jaino parries each of the incoming solid attack.
You can break his weapon, right? has asked by his spirit of light.
You now I have attempted it. And that was proven his mastery of swords' basic. I can't even do a first strike neither a counter.
Back to a past, to the last Sky's Rejection Part 5
Quarter to a whole day and night, backtracking from the burnt village Tale La Vera, to the south, both the guild master and Jaino have reached Asteron Village.
Morning comes after a night of rest in one of the eastern general's camps, they meet the two survivors, a veteran woman high priestess from a perish tribe and a suspicious weird long haired man.
Gripping by the loss of her tribesmen, most of Jaino's questions are inaccurately replied by the veteran priestess.
To the weird man, Jaino asks, "Ka'el Emtis, your diction is different to the inhabitant of the village... Including your name... State your race."
"Race. Tch. What race, my kin? What differ us?"
"I want more specific."
"...I'm normal yet sometimes can exceed expectations. Isn't that enough?"
Jaino sighs. "Would you provide details to how you managed your entrance in their tribe area? Including her statement that you'd kidnapped her — you'd saved her before her pursuer arrived?"
Staring at Jaino, the weird man thinks, This child is clever. I need a solid alibi for this. My heart, relax. "I'd been stranded in the village while I was on my journey due to my long nightmare. Lucky enough for her at the same time misfortune to me, I found her. And a while sneaking in their tribe's dominion, I made her rescue before the premonition actualized. Consider I made this for my sake, the nightmare become worsen and I hope your complaisance about the matter."
Mumbling about the weird man's statement, Jaino thinks, His eyes aren't belong to a fange, proving he isn't on the race. How comes he can have premonition. "Speak your premonition."
"Fine. Now or another day either years to come, this woman is pursued by her killer — no, killer is hardly the word. She's pursued by something that cannot be seen." Let me see how would you response to my reply.
And to the veteran priestess, Jaino asks, "Milady, this is part of my investigation. Would you willing if I challenge you to a death match?"
"Absurd!" has replied by the veteran priestess. "You dare mocked the tradition of my tribe! Unforgivable! Sire, my strength is for our kin to save not to kill!" In tears on her eyes, she continues, "Please respect the custom of my tribe. Sire."
Feeling guilty, Jaino replies, "Forgive me, forgive me milady. Please. I don't mean to offend you. I take back my words." This is humiliating. It makes me scratch my hair. "Please cut off with the, sire." And to the weird man, Jaino asks, "Give me the details of your current nightmare. I'm willing to hear."
Unable to reply, the weird man scrutinizes Jaino's action, What was that about...
"Have you hear my words?" has followed by Jaino.
"Sire, I have already spoken my nightmare. And it has worsen my situation. It's frightening."
"...You are a strong man." It had taken me three years to recover on such state. Well, they are adults. That makes different, probably.
"What would you expect me to have done? Do you want me cry!? Want to see me frighten!? As long as this woman lives! That nightmare keeps hunting me in my sleep."
Seeing the woman is startled and now is terrified, Jaino requests the weird man, "Calm man. Be calm." Perhaps, there's a truth on his words. Should I be taking a risk? He hears the woman speak,
"Sire, I don't wanna see more bloodshed. I hadn't actually seen what happened on my village. But when I came back to my place, everything was already dissolve to ashes. If my being results the end of the many, I don't mind to rest eternally."
"Milady, don't go to conclusion. You have us currently investigating the case. Most of the dead that we found had a wide cut on their body. I can't consider this as a wound from any sword." Most of those wounds have an identical size. "Not from a claw either or another weapon our kin had made. Other... No... I can't probably say it now.
"The eastern general is currently raiding the entire eastern area to capture bandits." I hope they won't confront with the underworld or meet terrifying monsters living in the area. "Still, I would like to hear more information from the both of you, tomorrow and the next day. Now, let's call it a day."
And the weird man thinks, This boy... maybe... I need to plan something.
Three days have passed. Jaino reports himself inside the temporary office of the third exceptional general. Jaino hears the general speaks, "I have heard you handled harshly the captive bandits. Pay it to mind that they have lives not a dummy."
"Hey, measuring their strength is part of this investigation. I'm not the evil here."
"Speak your intention boy."
"Alright, I'll straight to the point. It was the Sky's Rejection that struck the village. And it'll probably gonna happened again, shorter or longer than four years that will come."
"And the support of your statement?"
"The wounds in the dead bodies of victims are identical on their size. The same kind of wound inflicted to the victims on my home village long gone. Other victims might have suffered from a different kind of attack. Considering that most of our kind can protect ourselves using our abilities, I found no trace of strong resistance in the place, unlike the other villages that had suffered this phenomenon.
"I tried to ambush the priestess and damn she's stronger than me. Her devotion with their tradition won't permit herself to kill and that spared my life. And this conclude that the other survivor is stronger. I'm talking about the man Ka'el Emtis, understood?"
Seeing Jaino's tended wounds and rashes, the third exceptional general smiles. "Don't jest, boy, continue."
"The other survivor is haunted about this nightmare about the Sky's Rejection. It's just a hunch and nonsense but we don't have a proper lead to this terrifying event. He had given me every information I needed about his nightmare though.
"We may able to bait this suspect or monster if any... However it requires five years of endurance and it's quite costly."
The kingdom's council wants us silence about this matter, has thought by the exceptional general. Interesting... "I take the challenge. Hear me your thoughts."
Back, to the present, Hoven yells, "I'll have that title Jaino! Whatever the cost! Whatever I do, is not your problem when you're dead!—" while he points his hand to Jaino. "Falling sword!"
And to the sky, Jaino lifts his head and gazes at the materialized giant towering sword falling down. I can't move my feet.
Aim by one, someone will suffer
Law cannot favor everyone
Then silence will never bring peace