"At times you feel most tired, keep in mind that your fight is about to end.", - Alexi Suarez
Sixteen years old Belle Villanueva is steaming ready for the combative training at that afternoon session in their arnis training, as ready as a soldier off to war, she wore complete combat gear, the helmet, the body gear, the knees and thigh gears, the arm gears, and wrist gloves, all were blue since she was in the blue team, her training mate, Cayla Goldenspear, also wear all the gears that were necessary for the training, but hers were red in color, but still, she was shaking out of nervousness, circling them were a lot of arnisadors, everyone is always crazy excited in watching combative sessions, they say that most actions in arnis are found in this part, and what they say is true, this is where true stick fighting is seen.
"START!", coach Edward shouted at both of them, Cayla, even though nervous showed her fighting spirit by lunging first, though this tactic isn't truly reliable, Belle just sidestepped her and struck at her in her head, all four judges raised their blue mini scoring flags in unison of movements.
"Five points for the blue team.", coach Edward announced, the tracker, Billie Brown, recorded the score on his score pad.
"Athletes, initial positions.", the coach ordered, Belle was breathing hard, even if she just did a simple counter-attack, it takes a lot of her energy, especially since her opponent is a fast mover.
"Once more, STRIKE!", the coach shouted, but even before the two combatants reached each other, someone shouted, causing a commotion through the crowd,
"Wait, Belle's body gear is loose, she might get hurt!", the shout once more came.
And she stop to look at the crowd, 'who was talking?', she thought, she knew everyone but the head gear muffles the voice, changing the voice's sound when she hears it, she saw the whole group looking at her, and that's when she felt it, the gear was indeed loose, someone or something must have pulled the knot that secured it, the crowd that were watching gasped, and some with their hands on their mouth, but one was making a different gesture, and some how she knew this is the person who shouted, it was Nalliek Hellfire, her senior in arnis, since he started a year or two earlier than her, seventeen years old and he has a surname that describe him well he is indeed hot as hell, with his warm brown eyes, tan skin, good built, and always hotly tousled dark brown blonde hair, he was of course wearing their training uniform the white cotton shirt, and red pants with two thick stripes in each side, he was gesturing a letter "T" with his hands, which meant time out, but even though he was doing this, Belle's opponent took the advantage, and hit her in the head gear, stunned by this, she just stared blankly,
"Violation, minus three points for the red team.", Coach said, and Billie, minus the points from the red team.
"Ok time freeze, Lie, fix Belle's armor, Cayla talk with your practice coach.", Coach Edward sternly said, with a more stern look on his face.
Belle, gaining her composure and grace once more, walked to Lie - Nalliek's nickname, her practice coach, since he was also in the blue team and is the only senior in the team, he was giving her a thumbs up, which meant that he is satisfied by the way Belle fought,
"You look as if you're in a real competition, like heck girl you were really doing a good job.", he complimented, as he fixed the loose string on Belle's gear, she actually felt the same electrical sensation she felt every time Lie is with her, it never goes away, just comes, and gets stronger, it was stronger now, now that he held her headgear to look at her in the eye, she felt blood rushing, her heart thumping.
"Thanks for your compliment Lie, but I advise you not to try any of your foolish tactics on me, I ain't like your ordinary girls who fall easily.", she said, Lie stared at her wide-eyed, and clearly caught off guard, and after that his arms went to scratch the back of his neck, leaving red marks on the skin that made contact with his hand, and Belle can't believe this, he was blushing, just a bit but he was really blushing, he let go of her headgear, hands falling in his side, she stuck out her tongue at him, and he just smirked at her and finished tying the knot of the body gear, once finished he walked her back at the makeshift combat ring, which is made of connected arnis mattings, many cheered once they saw Belle,
"Did they really think I'll back up?", she asked Lie sarcastically, Lie answered her with a tap on her shoulder, before he said, "I think they did", and began to laugh.
"Players ready, and... Start.", coach Edward shouted once both teams had come back to the ring, the crowd surrounded the ring,
Belle saw what was coming, so once she heard the signal she rushed at her, with her padded stick on block form, and as she thought Cayla just strike at her, failing to notice that she was on defense form, once close enough, she sidestepped once more and did it, she looked at him, at Lie, and he winked at her, it made the electricity in her body intensify, and with that simple distraction she loses a point, Cayla took it once more and struck her in her side, earning back the three points she lost earlier with her violation, now they have tied scores, again.
she went back in her initial position in the ring, as always, after every strike,
'Pull yourself together now, don't let in any distractions, not even him.', she snarled at herself.
And that's what she did, concentrating every nerve into winning, once she heard the signal once more, she didn't think twice to do the same tactic she did earlier but this time, with her block form she blocked Cayla's oncoming attack, and with a side step reflex, she got the chance on striking at Cayla's shoulder, and she did just that.
"two points for the blue team, the Blue team wins, with the winning score of seven!", shouted the coach, and everyone cheered.
Lila Cecilia, also a combative senior who was not in any teams, since she was a judge, came to help Belle to help her get herself free from the sour-smelling armor, one by one it fell to the ground.
" I hope someone would really try to wash these things.", Lila said, with a smirk on her face, matching her crinkled nose.
"You don't know how much I wished for that to happen.", Belle said with a smirk of her own, and they both laugh so hard, then Belle heard a whistle unlike any other, no one can make that sweet, sharp sound, at least no one but him, only him can whistle like that, with its haunting tone similar to a violin, Jade Crayne.
Belle looked all around feeling more confused as time flew, several questions came to her mind, like how is he here? after disappearing for four years, leaving no clue, on where he would be, or when will he be back, or at least what he's up to, and now his eerie whistle came with the air, and she doesn't even know where he can be, or if he's really even there, but the sound is too real to be imagination.
There's nothing more to Everly and Jade than their friendship, nothing at all, they were just close, though they only known each other for a year or two before he disappeared, they met in the Arnis try out held in their school, Jade was in Class B, she, in Class A, back then in sixth grade, they became close in a some sort of way, Jade became her somewhat Personal Assistant, he will bring her bag, wait with her for her service, do as she ask, and he never said no, it was always "yes", "ok", "I will", and she used it as an advantage, she was just using him, but that changed in the middle of their sixth grade year, he learned that he was just being used, because he over heard her conversation with her other girl friends, but he didn't leave in fact he stayed more, but his actions changed, when it comes to smaller task he learned to say "no", and not in his soft gentle voice, when he says it his voice gets rough and hoarse, and rude, but he never left, he still gave his boring advices for everything that happens, he still waited with her, and bring her bags, and every time he will say "one day I will go, and never meet you again, and it's because I got tired.", as if to hurt her, he didn't knew it but she gets hurts, every time he says that, and she made herself believe that he won't do it, that his way too soft-hearted, he did it, one day he was just there, and the next he was gone, poof!!!, his gone forever, and she was left all alone, shattered, many people back then thought that heart breaks cause by your mutual partner are the most painful, but what was more heart breaking is losing a friend who tried to stay, and made you feel important, there's no one like that to her that's outside her family, they were just there when she is, but Jade even when she got confined for dengue in a hospital far from his home for two weeks he visited, for almost everyday, she even ask him not to visit any more, but he was just so stubborn, and when she got discharged he was there waiting still, looking much horrible than her, with dark circles under his eyes, hair so messed up long, and he looked so pale that day, he might've been sick, but he insist that he wasn't, that he was and will always be better, now no one says that to her.
"hey is Everly there?, earth to Everly please.", Lie said, smirking.
Belle looked at him blankly, "huh?!", she asked.
"You were staring at the sky like an idiot for a minute there, I just saved your ass from shame.", Lie said, a mischievous smile placed on his face.
Belle held her padded stick tightly and struck it at Lie's back, he let out a yelp, and Belle laughed in triumph.
"What was that for?!, you do know that I'm your senior, right?", He said, irritation creeping into his voice, and he eyed her with a very mischievous glare.
"Your just one color higher to me so your authority isn't extending to me, that much I know.", Belle answered, sticking her tongue out at Lie, who looked down at his feet.
"Well you got me there.', he said after a moment of silence.
"Yeah, I know, and please don't look down at your feet, it doesn't make you look cute.", Belle said, sarcasm plain in her voice.
Lie turned his face up, and scanned the surrounding, Belle followed his eyes, looking all around, the training place, called, "La Gran Casa De Espadas", simply Spanish for "the great house of swords", it was a big place, a very big place, the front lawn is what their group used as the training ground, it was a large quantity of space, enough for every arnisador to have enough space to practice, it used to be a flat green space, but was later on cemented, then there was the building that they used as the waiting area, or the hang-out spot, the building is about five story high, made out of Narra wood, and Capiz shells were used for the windows, framed with the same wood, and since it's narra it actually still gave a faint scent of something like roses, then the back of the building, in the back is a tunnel, and a path, both leads into one place, the sky blue river, where you'll find the old white willow, with it's branches long enough to conceal it's trunk, and long enough to be able to sway with the river current, she remembered her first time in that place.
She was following that haunting tune, it was mysterious, it was like the wind is carrying it all around, though not everyone seemed to act as if they were hearing it, it was as if she was the only one able to hear the mysterious tune, so she followed it, and that's when she learned that Jade can whistle, she didn't know that he can whistle until that day, he was on the tree's large trunk, leaning on one branch as he whistled, his fairly long hair that brushed to the side swaying like the tree's soft branches, and the wind was like copying his tune, he had his eyes closed, his eyelids concealing his jade-colored luminous eyes, the afternoon sun was also touching his already tanned skin, Belle stood next to the tree, and made a move to come further but, "crrrck,", a piece of a twig broke under her foot as she stepped forward,
She looked down, and at the same time she heard silence, the tune was gone, replaced by the soft swishing of branches and water, she looked up and was taken aback when she saw Jade gone, she was just about to turn when someone held her shoulder from the back, a cold feeling went through her, which made her stand straight, and Jade spoke,
" I thought I said I would like to be alone, haven't you heard that earlier before the training finished?", He ask, his dark green eyes looking at Belle questioningly, but the tone of his voice didn't give a hint of annoyance, just coldly calm.
"Well you did, but you never told me you can whistle.", she answered back.
And Jade's face started to blush, he turned to look at the river and was silent for a moment, then he shrugged and sighed.
"I never said anything about it cause it's too different, too unusual, and I think they'll just tease me about it.", He said, tone sad, and distant.
"But they won't, it's pretty relaxing to hear actually, and also not everything different is bad, some are good.", she explained, trying to comfort her friend who was better at doing that kind of things than her.
Jade went silent for a bit longer, then he turned, a wide smile plastered on his slightly angular and round face, he looked like always, the happy, jolly filled boy, but his eyes state the opposite.
And he went walking straight back to the building's front, without even a backward glance at her...
"Once more is Belle there?", Lie asked, pulling her out of her reverie.
"I'm here Lie, and don't stick your face too close at mine, it's....", her voice trailed off, as his lips pressed at hers, she felt an extreme hot sensation from her belly going higher and higher, and she pulled away, and slapped Lie at both sides of his face, her slaps leave red marks on his cheeks making him look as if his blushing.
"PERVERT!!!, I told you I ain't like your girl sluts, you...you...you PERVERT!!!", Belle roared, feeling herself blush, and realized that other people were walking or running around, who stopped and stared at them, she felt tears welling in her tear duct, so she ran, she ran as fast as she can, with no stop heading to the mansion, no stopping even when she bumps with Cayla, Bennie, and Narra, she just wanted to go, and she knew she can since practice is finished.
What seemed as a long moment passed, but Belle haven't gone anywhere yet, she was just sitting on a bench near a table inside the now renovated building, every furniture in the building is either made with Acacia, Mango, or Narra tree, the chairs were made of Mango tree trunks, the tables, and benches, and some few more furniture are all made either by Acacia or by Narra, the building is dim in the afternoon light, the house-keepers haven't lit the place, but once lit she knew it would be even grander than it is, she knew one of the house keepers here, Mary Lovelast is the girl's name, Mary is beautiful, she had hip length blonde hair that's usually tied in a high ponytail braid, and she got warm chocolate brown eyes, and every day she was assigned to clean Belle's favorite part of the House, the "Habitacion De La Gran Duquesa", it's spanish for "Room of the Grand Duchess", the room was huge, as huge as a ballroom, they had their annual Christmas parties, and dances there, the room has always had a smooth and shiny furnished wooden floor, in which you can really see your own reflection clearly, it also had three huge windows on one side, all were wooden framed Capiz windows that slides to open, it was located at the right most corner of the building's second floor, but those things weren't the reason Belle liked the room, it was because in the room's exact center, stood a wooden statue of a lady, she was wearing a gown like those ladies in the eighteenth century London, she had long curly hair that seemed to levitate due to strong wind, and eyes that reflected both sweetness, and danger, and on her left hand, that's raised at chin level, she was holding a locket watch, with the cover open, and on the right hand, raised higher than the other, she was holding a sword, like those used by fencers, in a form that she was about to stab something under her.
She knows no one would try to find her, since it's four in the afternoon, she knew all of her training mates would have gone home by now, so she decided to pay the duchess a visit, Mary told Belle once that the woman is also known as the "duchess of swordsmanship", Bella Timetrix is her name , and in her honor the house was built for her, though no one can answer the mystery of the locket watch she was holding, it was just there for no one's sake, but somehow when Belle was leaning on the statue as she did now, she can hear a faint tick, and tock rhythm, it sounded like something between a heart beat, and a clock, Belle had made many assumptions for the locket watch's existence, one of it is that the Duchess is a busy type of person, who's assigned to track down criminals, just like assassins, or in a more practical perspective, the locket symbolize a woman's power to multitask, and the sword shows that she can do what everyone can, and even more so, but she can't make any reliable assumptions since there is not even one piece of preference about the lady, only the brass title at the statue's foot that states that she is the "Duchess of Swordsmanship", and that her name is Bella Timetrix, even when Belle tried to research about her in the internet, nothing comes up, it's just as if her whole existence was never real, and Belle was also starting to think that the duchess was never even born in the world, she was thinking about this while listening to that soft rhythm she can hear from the statue when Narra Wildflare came in to the room, and walked straight at her, Narra wasn't so tall, she was just chin level compared to Belle, but she always has the power of authority with her wherever she went, and the same power is shone by the way she gazes at everyone with her jet-black eyes, though those things get erased once she smile with her sweet childish grin, that showed perfectly clean white teethes, she did this when she stopped in front of Belle,
"What are you still doing here?!", Belle asks letting a little bit of annoyance creep in her voice.
"Well it's already late and I thought you might need someone to accompany you going home.", Narra offered. but the smile had begun to fade.
"How late is it exactly?", Belle asked.
Narra looked at her white wristwatch, and click her tongue, which meant it was already really late.
"About half an hour before my dad starts to hit my ass with my own arnis training stick.", she stated with mocking grim.
Belle's eyes widened, she can't believe that she spend two hours and thirty minutes without even knowing how much time she spent, was she really there for that long, she didn't even feel the time fly or actually notice the sky darkening, but she can say that Narra wasn't joking it was dark, almost pitch black.
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"This is so hopeless, I can foresee that my dad will ground me for a week.", Narra complained as they waited for the line to move.
"That's enough Narra your so annoying, do you know that that's the fifty-sixth time you complained over something, first when we were walking, then next when we bought and ate street foods.", Bennie Copperline said, with a little care, while brushing her black curly hair.
After Narra, and Belle went down from the duchess's room they discovered that Bennie and Cayla were still there waiting for both of them, they were busy talking to the oldest housekeeper, everyone in the group is friends with that old housekeepers, "mama Gran" is what she's called, she gives everyone some of her baked pastries every afternoon, and tells them some kinds of advice for anything, anything at all (especially all things about LOVE).
They were now in the Jeepney terminal, where there's not even a waiting shed, and everyone but Narra, and Bennie looked exhausted, indeed they went on a little trip still before they went on to the jeepney terminal, they went to "Lover's café", a small coffee & book shop located near their training grounds, where they give you thirty percent discount for every book you'll buy, if you buy one of their special combos, and usually this small looking place is taking the four of them in many real and unreal worlds, since they also let customers read some of their books that are on display, today Belle found one book her mother was hunting for, and it was quite expensive, so what she did was to buy one combo, which they ate before they left, Peter Seers, one of the counter clerks waved at her as she went outside, she waved back at him, she and the other girls thinks Peter is quite too hot for a café barista , he had silk like, light brown hair, pale white skin, and brown, long lashes, and a body in a good shape, it was often that many girls, who were obviously weren't readers come at the shop, just to try to flirt with him, he would just look at them, and smile though, he was such an annoyingly innocent guy, after that though flash backs of Lie went through her head, she shook it away, hard.
"Won't you guys just stop arguing, even for a bit, people are looking at us.", pleaded Cayla, her voice very soft, almost like a whisper.
The two others shrugged, and Belle can't help but smile, even under those two's twin pride, they still care for their outer ego.
And exactly when the line moved hard rain fell, and only Cayla was prepared, but her umbrella wouldn't open,
"It's stuck, the lock is stuck.", Cayla exclaimed, completely shocked.
"But it was just working fine this morning.", she added, completely in shock.
And so the heavy cold rain pour over the four of them, she was glad that the bag she brought was made of one hundred percent water-proof material, she was confident that her things won't get wet.
After a few more trials the umbrella opened at last, and all four of them took shelter in it, and after a few more moments the jeep came at last.
The Jeep was just about to go when a stranger leap in, the person is covered by a trench coat of dark red, a top hat of the same color rested on the strangers head, the voice when he spoke made it clear that he was a young man, maybe between seventeen or eighteen, for his voice still cracked a bit when he said, "pass my money.", though he held such great air of authority with him, and his voice seemed oddly familiar to Belle, the stranger had fairly long ash grey hair, that was neatly combed to one side, his skin is pale as well, almost as pale as an Oslo paper, and when he turned to give his money at her she saw his eyes, they were as green as jades, so luminous and appealing, but half of his face was covered with his red scarf, everything the guy wore was dark red, but his shoes, and pants, his shoes were brown leather knee-high boots, and he matched it with something like black skinny jeans, and he was wearing a cream colored long sleeved polo inside the coat, the two of them stared at each other for a while, and something with the guy's stare reminded her of someone, though at the moment she can't remember who, they stared at each other for a bit more longer, then she took the money from the guys gloved hand, she wrinkled her nose, he was wearing things so formal, and yet he was having a ride at a public vehicle, when she took a look at the money, her suspicions deepened, the money were five pieces of indigo colored twenty euros, 'was he a foreigner?' , she thought, 'well he certainly does look like one.', she added, after that she passed the money over, and she heard a small gasp from the front, possibly the driver, and everything went silent after that, it was so silent that you could actually hear a pin if it fell on the ground, it wasn't usually like this, usually public transport vehicles are full of energy, but this one wasn't, it was eerie, Belle observed, she sighed and felt bone weary, and after some minute later, blackness took her in, as she went to sleep.
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"Hey Belle wake up, you're near your stop.", Belle heard Cayla say and then felt her world shaking, she rubbed at her eyes, and remember where she is, her eyes flew wide open.
And when she was really up, just barely dizzy, Cayla told the driver to stop, the vehicle stopped exactly in front of the village's front gates, when Belle got up she noticed that the guy in red was still there, he went down when the jeepney after the vehicle stopped and started to walk towards the village's gates, Belle's nose crinkled, 'don't tell me he lives here, he ain't even so familiar.', she thought, then the driver shouted at her to go down if she will, she shrugged and sighed theatrically before she went down, she doesn't want to make an enemy who's older than her, and even more so, someone she doesn't even know, but the sigh was still worth it when she saw the driver glared at her in the rearview mirror.
Belle went on walking, she crossed the medium sized highway using the pedestrian line, once she was on the other side she added speed in every step, she can feel her heart beat going faster for some reason, the night guard opened the side gate, it was the entrance for persons with no cars, she smiled at the night guard who nodded at her with his uniform cap, after that she went faster, she just want to get home as fast as she can, and when she was at the front of their street she saw him again, and more shocking he was standing in front of Belle's house, his head was a bit facing downward, and his hands were holding something small, he was posing as if he was reading something, he looked up directly at her house, he stared for a bit longer, and then turned, he was about to leave, but Belle isn't just gonna let this guy go like that, not after his suspicious movements, she ran, just in time to grab the stranger in the sleeve of his trench coat, he turned completely surprised, his jade eyes widened, and he just threw Belle to the side as if she was just some kind of animal, she felt something crack, and felt a shot of burning pain in her hand, her right hand specifically, which is her fighting hand, 'sh*t .', she thought, ' his way too strong for me.', Belle tried to stand, succeeded and felt a hard object connect with her back, she fell, and instantly felt sick, she fell flat to the ground and stared at the spinning shiny sky, she saw the guy stand in front of her, 'this is it, I'm going to die, in the road in front my own house, I'm about to die with a stranger's hands'.', she thought, and she gave it all up, she don't know why, she wasn't someone who gives up so fast, she never does, but now she felt different, she just felt calm, and at peace, she shut her eyes off, then she heard someone gasp, and pant, as if tired, then she felt the guy knelt beside her, still gasping, as if tired and she heard something she hasn't for a long time, and it wasn't what she thought she would hear on her final moments,
"How senseless, really foolish, why can't you think twice before you attack huh? any correct answers now Yen Yen?", the stranger asked his voice now filled with amusement.
"You sh*t, you almost killed me, and actually you broke my right arm, is this your homecoming treatment for me after four straight years of silence, is it? Jade?", Belle asked back, feeling angry.
"Well, you just attacked me from behind, in a complete surprise attack if you didn't notice since you are really foolish, and didn't leave me a time to hug you Sister.", Jade answered, complete with his scowling tone, adding a little pinch of venom in the word sister just to annoy Belle.
But it didn't or at least not that much cause Belle actually missed it, she missed hearing Jade mock her and tease her, she missed those a lot.
"Hahahaha.", Belle faked a laugh with sarcasm.
She felt Jade's arms slid under her neck and knees, they weren't like how they were before, they were quite broad now, she can even feel the swell of his muscle when they got flexed,
"Had you been going in a gym, or something, cause you seem to have a better build than before ?", Belle asked, really curious, Jade had told her before that he won't ever go to any kind of gym, he insisted that it's just a waste of time and money.
"Kind of, but don't ask many questions you'll lose a lot of your energy, you must have a rest, and this time don't be stubborn, when I say rest just do it, don't make any arguments.", He answered her, with his caring tone, adding a bit of a scowl in the end.
She hugged her arms around his neck, and she felt him tense, but she won't let go, not this time, not now that they're newly united.
and so Jade lift her up, princess style, and started to walk towards her house's gates.
"I've missed you Jade.", Belle whispered, and she heard him sigh, but she did give a thought about that, she just comfortably laid her head on his chest and listened as his heart thumps in a relaxed manner.
She suddenly felt very sleepy, her eyelids suddenly felt heavy, she yawned as she felt even more drowsy, she barely even heard Jade when he said,
"I've missed you too, I dearly missed you"