----- Rousch Kingdom -----
Amidst the terrifying screams of agony, a massive fire raged throughout the village as heaps of black smoke swirled upwards, impairing the vision. The foul stench of decay and burning carcass assaulted the nose as one could almost taste the burnt splinters gyrating in volumes. Brandishing his sword, a young man strode past a stream of blood - his gaze fixated on a titan like figure outlined by the dense reddish-black haze. A strong gust of hot smoke besieged him, as the titan spread its massive wings which seemingly spanned over the horizon, suffocating the senses and bringing him to his knees.
"DEMON!!" The young man roared, rebelling against the oppressive atmosphere that enveloped him. The ground beneath his feet quaked violently and his vision gradually faded with the tremors----
"Alyas! For heaven's sake man, you're a disaster".
A familiar voice echoed in his ears, ripping through his conscience and yanked him out of the nightmare. Alyas's eyes jerked open just as his hands reflexively moved to grab the wooden sword lying on his lap. He was sweating profusely while respiring with short but heavy breaths. No later did it become clear to him that he fell asleep while resting under a tree in his dojo's training ground.
"Does the Master know?" He sprung to his feet and scanned the ground in front of him hoping to miss his master.
"This is no surprise to me, boy. Over the years, I have seen you sleeping under that tree at the same spot. Regardless, I laud the consistency".
One could hear the students suppressing their laughter as they amused themselves with the Master's befitting yet barely commendable praise for Alyas. It was apparent under the circumstance that this was no jeer but stemmed from genuine entertainment.
"Enough! The day is special. I will entertain your vice and suffice an earnest spar as punishment. Replace that defaced bokken and walk to me."
Alyas paced toward the center of the ground after swapping his wooden sword while the rest of the students made way for the fight. He had become increasingly confident in his skills with a sword ever since he joined the dojo in his early teens. His facial expression was more of anticipation and excitement rather than dismay, enough that one could tell he had wanted this regardless.
It was late-summer yet the day was at its peak humidity. While he was still sweating at a relatively similar rate, his body was no longer shaking. Rather Alyas felt rejuvenated at the proposal of a proper face-off before he was done for the day. Stopping at about 4 feet away from Master, he secured his posture and prepared himself as best he could.
Higher Intuition - A basic skill taught at the dojo that raises the user's intuition for a limited time. A useful sensory ability, that helps to better detect movements in a radius around the user.
Transcendental Intuition - A more prominent manifestation of the skill - Higher Intuition.
In response, Master activated his skill, purposely exuding a menacing aura. His message was clear and missed none of his disciples. This was anything but a spar.
"My students. Bear in mind; the world is kind to none. It is plagued with beasts and deities more dominant than ourselves. For us, however, it is a continued struggle to thrive under present circumstances. Be mindful of yourself and your surroundings. To a fool, death renders no warning."
To the students, their master's council was heavy but effective. There was no scarcity of unfortunate occurrences in the world of Terrar that would not ground everyone to the precariousness of reality.
Master stood upright with his hands, one on top of the other, resting on the hilt of the sword. His weapon was long enough to reach the upper portion of his abdomen while its point was in contact with the ground. Where one would find a ceremonial stance such as this rather contemptible in a fight, yet for the students, this was how they had known their master for years. The persistent heat of the sun, coalesced with Master's oppressive ambience, was taxing enough that Alyas had failed to register the start signal.
"Have you missed the signal? Hah... My words fell on deaf ears it seems. No matter, I shall commence"
Alyas had barely computed his master's words as he noticed a diagonal slash of a wooden sword close in from his right. His grip tightened on his sword as his body reflexively shifted to guard against the incoming blow. The crisp sound of the bokkens colliding resonated in his ears as he noticed his master close the distance in a flash; and so it began, the onslaught. He quivered with every impact, narrowly blocking each consecutive blow while trying to regain his posture. Master's strikes were precise and relentless, rendering every attempt of finding a steady ground futile. The disparity in their skill and experience only amplified as he felt his foe's resolve in every strike endured. It was like he had never known his master before this day.
Such mastery of technique and the intuition to utilize every opening possible can only be attained by a lifetime of experience.
"He can't recover his footing"
"Harsh but not entirely unexpected. Albeit, it would scar my ego to yield a solid stance so insufferably."
Though the students expressed their reservations about the master's aggression, they made sure to witness such refined swordsmanship, religiously.
While not a single blow had checked him as of yet, Alyas found himself helpless against the pressure and was forced to jump back. The outcome of this battle was evident.
"Kuh… this disgracefully?"
"Do not frustrate yourself, Alyas. My relentless approach was to test your limits and to prepare you for the uncertainties of the wilderness". Master snapped his fingers and his attendant immediately approached carrying, with both hands, a black rectangular box. "The road ahead is unquestionably arduous and we all wanted to assist you as best we could".
Master lifted the lid and revealed a katana, a sword of relatively larger size than what Alyas was comfortable with, along with its scabbard. The jet black colour of the latter matched the grip of the sword with a red string neatly knotted over its locket. The light reflected from the silver steel blade was a testament to the high carbon quality of its making stretching just under 80 cm. Such extravagance, needless to say, Alyas could not afford and he understood it well while receiving it.
"My gratitude, Master". Alyas Eskay, a young man who had barely touched 19, sheathed the katana and bowed wholeheartedly. His black hair shuffled over the ears, falling over the corner of his eyes as his upper body bent parallel to the ground.
"It will pledge you company for a considerable while but may attract unwanted attention. There is malice in us just as in any beast; be vary of its allure".
The words of their master were precious to the students, however, one could not help but notice an evident change, although subtle, in his attitude today. Perhaps it was his student's farewell that had affected him or perhaps he had not deemed Alyas yet worthy of such an adventure. Nevertheless, their master showed a distressed side they had never seen before.
"Perchance you would reconsider moving out to a secluded area? You will have deprived yourself of our protection and hospitality otherwise".
"Master, we cannot withdraw from this." Alyas, retracing back to the tree he sat under, picked up a dice bag and flicked it behind his shoulder fastening the straps, "it's been a long time coming".
Acknowledging his resolution, Master continued in a stern tone "Alyas Eskay, we hereby affirm your graduation from this dojo. Carry yourself with dignity and maintain a respectable decorum worthy of our prestige. May you triumph on the road to come".
"Yes! I will take my leave then"
--------------------
Valeri exited the Grand Guild of Rousch Kingdom inspecting her leather gauntlets, wiping the guild's insignia imprinted on the copper badge. The symbol, scarcely visible to a casual sight, would illuminate under the influence of a specialized spell. Most notable guilds would distinguish the item's grade based on the badge assigned to them, while the insignia of the guild would remain unaltered. It was amazing how magic could be manipulated to befit all manners of needs, she pondered momentarily. Her thought was disrupted as she noticed children playing on the streets with plank boards and short wooden sticks imitating adventurers. It reminded her of the old times, how she and her friends would run amok in the kingdom, sharing dreams of glory. She smiled, immersed in nostalgia and wondered if she'll be able to return after today.
"I got everything we need for now". Evelyn said, waving the three pieces of parchments as she exited the guild. "Did you find what you were looking for?"
Valeri held up her gauntlets showing them in full display. They were long brown barehanded gloves, with small spikes on the knuckles. Even though their appearance gave the impression that they had already been used before, they were kept in good condition and the spikes retained their sharpness.
"They look nice! Maybe you should practice with them when we arrive at our new home. You know, just to get the feel for them."
"I plan to. Anyway, let's meet up with Lilith and return to Cinhild. We wouldn't want to be too late for the party arranged for us."
As the sun began to set, the bell situated on a large tower at the center of the kingdom produced a melodious tone. It triggered the intricate networks of Magux; a revolutionary invention spearheaded by the most revered scholar of the Riveral Republic, illuminating the streets and castle walls. It was arguably the greatest contributor to the safe and lively nightlife of all the major empires of the world.
Valeri and Evelyn made their way to the outer gates where they had originally planned to rendezvous with Alyas and Lilith. Their pace, unbeknownst to them, ever so gradual as the kingdom walls came into sight; its safety slipping away with every step.
"Who is going to be our leader?"
The absence of a response from Valeri was unsettling. There was already an unspoken consensus of who the leader was going to be but their own choice was a concerning factor. Before long, they had reached the exit gates and reunited with Alyas and Lilith.
"Lily, your hat is bigger than your face and it looks awkward. Why do all mages wear something so...crude".
"How rude, Eve. This serves more to increase my survivability than any fashion purpose."
The answer sufficed any concern Evelyn had about Lilith's choice of head-wear and they embarked on a ride toward the village of Cinhild, post haste.
----- Cinhild -----
The streets were lined with stalls selling all manners of food, clothing and accessories. Merchants of humble offerings travelled far to market their merchandise.
"Have the merchants lodge at a distance from the town center, and make sure the dancers and musicians have enough space to perform". Ordered a firm voice to the people in what seemed to be a preparation of a festival.
"Arka! I heard that the second princess has just entered Cinhild through the eastern gate, and is with only a single escort!"
"Hmm, an unroyal visit. Word of our departure must not have met her well."
"Should we clear out the center for her?"
"No. We'll have her join the celebration if possible, otherwise, my home is open for her. Where is Farak?"
"It seems he is late but should be returning shortly."
"Good. Tend to the elders and make sure they are comfortable during the event. I will finish up here and then join the princess as soon as I can. In the meantime-" Arka looked up at the roof of his manor, "Aurel, can you accompany the princess till then?"
Aurel, brushing aside a rather heavy book resting on his face, opened his eyes slightly as he yawned upon hearing Arka's call. Anxiety had barred him from sleeping last night and the commotion since early morning was far from hospitable; his facial expression contorted to an intimidating frown as he frantically moved his arms, searching for his eye-glasses."
"Neither he nor you have the required stratum to court me!" a soft yet clear voice echoed as Arka turned to face its owner. "Where is your brother Arka?"
"Ah! Princess Quindalin, to what do we owe the honour" Arka remarked as the princess walked toward him accompanied by her handmaiden.
"Must I repeat myself?" questioned the princess indifferent to any regard for Arka's courtesy.
"Still as feisty as ever, you. Farak is to arrive soon. Would you like to be escorted to my home; mother was expecting you."
"Aha! Of course, I wanted to discuss something of importance with her too". Her expression turned brighter with a warm voice, in stark contrast to the cold affront just seconds ago.
Arka sighed in gratitude as the princess's attention was diverted from him.
"I hope her health has improved since the last time we met."
I shall not be deceived by this façade, you fiend. I stand as a pillar protecting my family from the abomination that you are. Just as Arka remarked to himself about Quinn, the princess spun her head in an instant, glaring sharply at him.
--Uff! This demon-- Arka took a step back instinctively, jerking his head. He never was too fond of people with conflicting personas.
"This is mentally exhausting," he expressed to himself as he saw the princess being escorted through the crowd of people, out of sight.
--------------------
By the time the carriage, carrying Alyas and the others, arrived in Cinhild, the village had already drowned in cheers of festivity. The celebrations had outlived the night but the same could hardly be said about its vigour. Farak had already arrived earlier and was preoccupied with the princess. By the early hours of the approaching day, the last of the still-conscious folks had given way to their limits and fell asleep. The village had never seen a morning of silence such as this, before this day.
In the afternoon, whoever could regain their sense of self, gathered in the western outskirts of the village to see off the seven whom they considered the pride of Cinhild. Viscount Herold, the governor of the village, Arka and Farak's father, sought it upon himself to arrange their departure and provide for basic needs.
"As per your request, I have prepared the cottage for your use. You will not enjoy my protection from here on so be vigilant, always. I am sure you understand your position and the sentiments of the people you carry but I would rather not echo your mother's worries here. God speed my sons".
With some final farewells, tears and excitement, the seven embarked to a new home - in the wilderness.