The timeless moments that happens in one life are strange and almost non-existent if you don't realize about them.
For Juran Miles there has been two, and strangely enough both of them has been because of an arrow.
Common situation but with different results, but what affected Juran the most in those two was only one thing.
Helplessness.
Juran is extremely talented, but his talent resided on magic, specifically in the divine ways of it.
But he wasn't born with the talent he strived for.
And that was combat talent.
A gift two of his siblings were granted, something the man before him excelled to unimaginable heights
Not even when he strived and worked for it, not even when he puked blood and destroyed his body and bordered the limits of mental exhaustion using selfheal, could he obtain it.
Deciding from an early age to live with the soldiers and train with them he never gave up.
Looking up to his big brother and being proud of his younger sister who are physically talented, he continued to persevere.
Even after all his efforts he could never be like his brother, not even when he was considered a genius by everyone. Juran always sought that, thus the people remained silent and just watched over him, his older brother looked at him proudly and his younger siblings with respect and worship.
But the more he trained the more he felt his own limit.
And then, when that first arrow was directed to his heart, he truly felt it, that helplessness of just waiting for 'it' to come.
But that, is a story for the future…
…. As right now he was devoting every fiber of his being on moving and helping Ardha get out of the path of the projectile, he noticed a slight stream going around Ardha's armor.
Thus, instead of dedicating his being on moving to help he simply watched, capturing this moment with his eyes awed by the sight.
A single motion from taking his scabbarded sword out in a single line with no hesitation at all.
'But it's too late' grimaced Juran on his overdriving mind
Then, a feeling of drain surged in Juran's body, knowing the feeling very well he immediately deduced it from Ardha's very peculiar set of skills.
Losing almost all his buffs, Juran just watched as the arrow slightly slowed down because of the Annulment camp.
Feeling the effect coming off, another thing appeared in front
Darkness appearing out of nowhere, taking an irregular shape like it was alive and desperate to protect its master. Sadly, the skill wasn't activated completely.
The arrow went through the Dark Coat almost unaffected, but Juran noticed it.
Ardha's motion which seemed late before was perfect, like cutting through space into a fine unchanged line, not even a single hesitation on the movement, as if everything was premeditated. Time and space seemingly ruled by him.
Juran finally believed it when the metallic sound between a sword and an arrow reverberated through the space.
In less than a second Ardha didn't simply react to the upcoming projectile he used multiple skills and calculated the right timing for everything.
Such a thing that Juran even doubted his siblings could do what the man before him just pulled off.
When everything finished, the concentrated aura that Ardha showed dissipated.
Watching ahead, a silhouette appeared, the most catching of that was not his shape, the skill that was displaying or even that swinging shape that came from its back, it was those deep golden eyes full of shining brilliance.
But even with that catching figure, Juran noticed that pale shine of blue flowing through the slightly shaking right hand of Ardha.
All things went away for Juran at that very moment, and a single thought remained like second nature to him with a slight smile.
'I have to train more'
But sadly, Time is merciless.
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'Crap, I blacked out for a moment there, the action was too abrupt' I thought as I feel my feet stumble slightly.
A slight headache roamed inside my head and I use my water element slightly to heal my right hand because of the fast motion, but despite all of it I am feeling really excited.
'I finally can use the fourth element enhancement now! Well, maybe not now, but definitely when my Elemental Enhancing advances in levels!' Wild thoughts run through my head, eager to try it.
Using four elements has been an impossible task even after struggling for months, even after I could control 3 elements like normal and with few strains going further than that. It has been a pitfall every time, I dare try… like the last time I 'succeeded'
God that was awful, my whole body broke apart like a glass shattered by a rock, if it wasn't because of Juran, Peko and my water element I would have died right there.
'But now I have an answer, it will be really hard though…'
I hear a noise and I wake up from my thoughts.
Deep golden eyes appear from the dark along with a silhouette hidden by the shadows that was getting closer and closer.
'So, they are finally showing up… well, at least one of them is, but that shape…'
Seeing the shape of what its coming closer we ready our weapon, but something is amiss with it.
Surprise arise from our faces when its body comes to light.
Human facial expression with azure scales extending from the cheeks to the rest of its body, deep golden eyes that are alert to everything, azure blue hair and a tail that just about reaches the ground, wearing leather armor and having a bow and two daggers as equipment
Watching each other for a second, I finally ask the first thing that comes to my head
"That attack was really good"
As if taken aback slightly by that comment the 'man' before me answers
"Eh, thanks…"
Without letting him finish, my fighting spirit and my killing intent comes out as I look at him.
Flinching for a moment because of the sudden imposing aura I give he takes a step back and puts his hands on both of his daggers in a split second ready to fight as other presences that were hidden comes out to back up the fellow in front of us.
But without taking notice of that I just continue saying.
"But if you dare do that again I, by myself, will split you in half with the rest of your friends"
Without getting out from his stance he nods his head and I calm down, asking the second thing that comes to my head.
"Are you Scardi?"
Because of his already tense mood he flinches at hearing my words
"Who sent you?" He asks back without answering my question, taking his reaction in count then I assume he is one of those Scardi people.
"Azalea"
His eyes sharpen for a second and then he relaxes back as he gets out of his fighting stance.
"I am sorry about earlier, I needed to test you. It has been told to us that human reinforcement might come by the name of Azalea, but when we saw your numbers… well, you have proven that you are strong, my name is Grudell Scardi"
"I understand, we are just a few but you can trust us, my name is Ardha" I tell him, nodding at him seriously. One by one my companions start saying their names, though Zenith says something else along with it.
"Zenith… and you should tell your friends over there to introduce themselves too" says Zenith while pointing with his face to the direction of the other presences.
Grudell nods and waves his right hand.
Five other people like Grudell appear, by the looks of it there are 2 females and 3 males.
The females introduce themselves first, both of them identical to each other with short dark green hair and scales with golden eyes, the only difference is that one has a bracelet on her left hand and the other on the right
"I am Sili and the one on my right is my sister, Jun" says the one who has the left bracelet, Jun only nods a bit warily.
"My name is Hein"
"And I am Pux"
Two of the males introduce themselves; Hein has a smaller build with brownish scales and hair with dark brown eyes, and Piure has about the same build as Arksen with pale green scales and hair, and his eyes are light brown.
The third one just stays silent while watching me at the eye. Pitch black scales and hair with sky blue eyes and a built of about 2 meters with bulging muscles. Instead of daggers he has a huge sword like Zenith's.
Grudell steps up and introduces him "He is Isca, he isn't someone of many words, but you can trust your back to him"
Before I could say anything, Isca speaks up "He doesn't need it"
Grudell's eyes widens a bit but he returns back to normal after taking a glance at me.
"Nice to meet you, do you guys eat meat?" I ask while smiling, ignoring their gazes.
Surprised at my question, the Scardi people just say yes and I start getting ready for cooking.
Looking at them and my group I say "Sit down everyone"
Nodding, the group sits down, the Scardi group are a bit dumbfounded at my sudden relaxed attitude but shrugged it off nonetheless.
While waiting for me to finish cooking, Kagito asks Grudell with a serious expression "Do you guys have any information about Dorek's army?"
Grudell's eyes narrow and everyone gets serious, nodding he answers "Yes, it might not be recent, but I can say that it should border the 9000s by now"
Hearing those numbers, a sinking feeling befell on us.
"9000… and I guess it is still growing?"
"Yes"
"That's quite a number but it doesn't really mean much of their true fighting force, are there more like Cha Cha?" Zenith asks.
Grudell nods with his eyes closed and takes a deep breath before he starts talking again
"Yes, Dorek has 3 commanders at his disposition who are at the very least at Cha Cha's level… well, 2 now. The fact that Cha Cha was around here took us by surprise but luckily you guys could defeat him"
"Three…. This is getting harder by the minute…" mumbles Kagito
I think for a second and say "I guess we will need her help… Kagito, take one for the team and PM Eliana, and tell her about our situation"
"Ugh… Ok" Kagito accedes with a sour look and start speaking with Eliana in PM, I merely glance at him and he starts chatting silently.
'Maybe our secret plan should remain secret for the time being'
One can never be too sure of things.