Morning came and Yamada was awoken by an unfamiliar and strange sound. He perked up to see Gwyneth, snoring in her night gown sprawled over bed. Her cleavage bulged out of the night gown, and Yamada quickly covered her with his blanket, leaving the room breathing heavily. He slapped his forehead repeatedly, suddenly hearing the hand maidens giggling and looking down at him. Yamada went bright red, he had forgotten that he was bare to them. He quickly summoned his armour, slapping down his visor. "Lady Lockhart left you a set of instructions." The handmaiden said, giving him a piece of parchment paper. The writing on it was elegant and beautiful, each stroke of the quill was perfect.
However the cursive writing was too advanced for Yamada, and even under his visor, the handmaidens could tell he was lost. "Do...you need help with reading it?" One of them asked hesitantly. Yamada slowly gave back the parchment. "I got the numbers, but not the words. The letters are all so loopy and curvy. Why aren't they blocky and easier to read?" He asked shying away. "Lady Lockhart, stayed up all night writing these instructions for you. She trusts you enough to not slack in your training. 100 thrusts, 100 chops, 100 horizontal slashes from all directions." She said, the other handmaidens grimaced at the idea of swinging a wooden training sword a hundred times. The idea of swinging that behemoth great sword a thousand times, felt extreme even for Gwyneth's training regimen. "Was there anything else? The list seemed longer." Yamada asked to their surprise. "It says to do 100 squats, push-ups, pull ups and inverted sit ups afterwards." The handmaiden said anxious to hear Yamada's response. "What did the little part at the bottom of the letter say? I didn't see any numbers in front of it." He asked, pointing to the parchment. "She says you have to do this with your armour on, and that she'll be busy today. So no cheating." She said unsure if Yamada understood the gravity of her words. "Okay, tell her to have a good day." He said cheerily running out the room. "That boy is built different." The handmaiden said, with others nodding along.
Yamada rushed down to the courtyard, his sabatons tapped the stone floor, as if he were a feather. The courtyard was filled with ragged squires doing their sword drill, and the sound of metal hammering. The Grand Knights watched from above the second ring, casting an ominous shadow over them. Yamada felt their gazes lock onto him. The courtyard went silent as Yamada marched through. He stood over his great sword still embedded in the ground, having sliced itself deeper into ground, during the night. Yamada grasped the hilt unable to pull his weapon out. The more he strained, the more his salet and gorget fused. He reeled back stopping the transformation. The frustration filled his body, the anger welled up inside. The visage of Begron stood over him, clad in his emerald armour. "You want to kill me? That is a right only reserved for the strong." The visage mocked. Yamada gnashed his teeth together, grasping the hilt once more. "I will earn that right." He growled to himself.
With a loud visceral grunt, he ripped the blade out of the ground, resting the great sword over his shoulder. He turned around to everyone gawking at him. He ignored them, walking over to an empty space. Each step shattered the stone tiles beneath him. He assumed a high guard and swung his great sword down once. The force tore at his muscles and tendons, the weight of the swing made him topple forward. Yamada roared planting his feet, and brought the sword up again. Gwyneth and the handmaidens watched from above. "Shouldn't you teach him how to swing that thing around?" One of them asked, wincing as Yamada forced a swing. "He already knows how to fight. Its where he developed his absurd strength and arcane energy reserves. What he needs now, is conditioning. When he can comfortably wield that weapon, I will teach him what he needs to know. Until then I do not wish to break his concentration." Gwyneth said coldly walking away.
Jacara stood in the cavern near the pool of water, he wore cheap linen shirt and cotton trousers. He sat with his feet in the water, holding a blank tarot card. "Still trying to create the last two cards?" Encara asked. Jacara perked up, his surprised expression turned to annoyance. He rolled his eyes ignoring Encara. "It's only one card now. Uncle Urkse created another one." He said snidely. "Wow, so there's only left in the deck!?" Encara exclaimed with joy, wrapping his arm around Jacara. He quickly stood up, scurrying away from Encara, looking at him askance. "What the hell are you doing?" Jacara asked confused. "Trying to have a conversation with my son?" Encara asked hesitant with his answer. The two of them looked at each other puzzled, in an awkward silence. Jacara let out a long sigh. "Why are you here father?"
"Urkse is busy training his students. And he told me you were training really hard, for the mission outside the walls-" "And so you've come here to make fun of me?" Jacara snapped. Encara shook his head in disbelief and confusion. "What? No, of course not." He replied throwing his hands up puzzled. Encara took a sigh, wincing his face. "I'm a shit father." He admitted sombrely. Jacara reeled back in shock. He believed his father to be incapable of admitting to his faults. "I know...I know, I haven't been there for you. After your mother...After your mother died, I didn't know how to raise you." Encara said dropping his head, tears welling in his eyes. Jacara had never seen his father so solemn before. The sight alone made him uneasy, but the sound of his father, choking on his words. It sounded more uncomfortable than cat claws on metal.
"When I felt ready to finally talk to you. You had already been raised by Urkse, and I felt like you already had the best father imaginable." He said wiping his eyes and sniffing. Jacara stood there dumbfounded at the words he was hearing. "So I thought I could be your friend...but that was me just being weak. And I'm sorry for being such a weak person...If you want me to leave to train alone, I will." Jacara took a deep breath, furrowing his brow. The words he always wanted to hear from Encara, did nothing to quench the rage in him. "You were a terrible father, and all ever I wanted growing up, was for you to spend time with me. But after so many years, I gave up on the idea of you being a father to me, and hoped you would teach me your magic." Jacara's word cut into Encara's heart like a serrated blade.
"But you called me weak. Your own son. And so you gave me these cards." Jacara said his eyes filling with tears. "I wanted nothing, but to rip these up and throw them in your face. You know what stopped me?" He said, with his voice cracking. Encara looked up to Jacara holding a crumpled and withered note. The ink on the message had blotches formed from droplets of water. Tears ran down Encara's face as he read the message. 'To my hau'oli and makana. When you are 10. Your father the King of Blessings and Curses, will help you create and master 22 different kinds of magic. I can't wait to see you become a grand mage like your father.' "Why didn't you tell me your mother's message?" Encara asked wiping his tears. Jacara did the same turning his back to Encara. "It doesn't matter. I created 20 different kinds of magic by myself! I didn't need you to do that!" He shouted triumphantly.
"No you didn't, and you have no idea how proud I am of you." Encara said with a warm smile. Jacara was stunned. "You grew up to a fine young man. It's my biggest regret that I was not a part of your life more." He said wiping away his tears and standing up. He clapped his hands together branding Jacara with a golden cross, and the far side of the cavern wall. "What are you doing?" Jacara asked, looking at his brand. Encara clasped his fingers together, opening them to create the gate to curse magic. The pentagram covered the entire cavern, the magenta hands clawed at the centre. "What did you just brand me with!? What are you doing!?" He exclaimed, trying to remove the branding. "I blessed you with True Strike, and cursed the area with Decay." Encara said. "WHY!?" Jacara shouted.
"Your original peace keeping mission, has been changed. You will scout for the Citadel in a month's time. Kal'Nar has destroyed Groggic's city. War is coming and I will not have you on the front lines." Encara said with a grave tone. Jacara fell silent. "I will rest easier knowing, that I trained you the best I could." Jacara could not believe the words he was hearing. His father was here to train him? "By the end of the month, each of your spells must be strong enough, to destroy the brand. If not, I will keep you down here till you can." Encara said sternly. Jacara smirked at the challenge. "Looks like I'll be leaving here right away." He said confidently, pulling out a card. The tarot card had the image of a raging fire. "Scorch!" A wave of fire burst forth from the card. The magenta hands reached out like ravenous ghouls, ripping the wave of fire apart, a few centimetres from where Jacara stood. Jacara froze in shock, staring at the golden brand sitting 20 meters away from him. Encara gently pat Jacara's back. "Got a long way to go. I'll be back, I need to make an announcement." He said clapping his hands and disappearing.
Jacara took out the tarot card of frost. He summoned a large icicle, it launched out like a ballista bolt. The magenta hands ripped the ice apart instantly, the icicle went the same distance as the fire. "You have got to be kidding me." He groaned. At midday Yamada had completed half of his sword drills. He was drenched in sweat, his muscles aching and twitching. The courtyard was empty, and had been called into the hall for a message. Yamada ignored them pressing on with his sword drills. Miranda approached Yamada, inspecting him up and down, nodding at his swings. "Good form. Keep it up." She said warmly. She carried large, woven wicker basket, wearing a beautiful green dress. "Grand Knight Gwyneth is up in the Keep." Yamada said continuing to swing. "I'm not here for her. I'm here to drop your clothes off." She said dropping the basket off.
He dropped his blade, with a loud bang. "Wow that was fast. How did you make that much clothes so fast?" Yamada said astonished, rifling through the basket. "Gwyneth changed the parameters, she said only one extra set of spare clothes and a cloak to protect from the weather. "Thank you, these feel amazing." He said poking the cotton shirt. "Have you named it?" Miranda asked. "Do people on Jux name their clothes?" Yamada asked, looking at her confused. She tittered shaking her head. "No I meant the sword. My husband said the greatest swords, always have a name." She gazing at the obsidian blade.
Yamada held the sword out in front of him, feeling the immense weight behind it. The abnormal way the black metal absorbed light, darker than a shadow, yet the edge shone brighter than a mirror. Names of people he loved and respected rushed through his mind first. His forearms spasmed and ached, but he wouldn't let go till he completed the drills. He pondered what this sword was meant to do, and the word came to him. The sword was to be a message to Begron. 'I have earned the right to kill you, fear for your life.' "Harbinger." Yamada said proudly raising the sword.
'A fitting name for a weapon, wielded by a man willing to forsake his humanity'. Miranda thought inspecting the blade one last time. "You do know that arcane energy rises right?" Miranda asked, looking at the streams of sweat, leaking out of the folds of his armour. "How else do you think, I'm lifting this thing?" Yamada asked bringing the sword down for a chop. Miranda looked up to the Keep shaking her head. "These stupid Grand Knight and Mages, need to stop teaching with lessons, and start teaching explicitly." She said frustrated. She stood side by side with Yamada, taking the same stance as him. He cocked an eyebrow at her. She was a tailor, but held the stance of a veteran warrior, with perfect stance and posture.
"You're unnecessarily wasting arcane energy with those swings." She said raising her arms. "Your sword Harbinger, must weigh a literal tonne. Use that weight to your advantage, swing downwards with strength only. Swing upwards with a flood of arcane energy and strength." She ordered, with the authority and demeanour of a leader. Miranda could tell even with his visor down, Yamada looked at her askance, and completely baffled. She cleared her throat embarrassed and fixed her dress. "Well, carry on with your drills." She said walking away with haste. Gwyneth smirked from around the corner, leaning against the stone wall, with folded arms. "It's good to see Sergeant-" "Don't." She growled cutting off Gwyneth's cocky attitude, with a scowl.
"You should have taught that to him to begin with. Would have saved him time unlearning a bad habit." She said shaking her frustration off. "His mind is like soup." Gwyneth said staring at Yamada from afar. Miranda stood by Gwyneth as the two of them watched him, holding the blade high above his head. "You mean he's an idiot?" She said softly. Gwyneth nodded in half agreement. "He is that, but when it comes to fighting. He's like soup. Whatever you give him, he takes it and, it will immediately take effect." She said with a smile.
Yamada took a deep breath, Harbinger held above his head. He repeated Miranda's words. 'Swing with strength downwards, swing upwards with arcane energy and strength.' He brought his sword down, with all his might, cutting through the air with a rush of air. He halted the momentum of his swing instantly, filling the edge of Harbinger with arcane energy. Rotating the blade, he slashed upwards. Harbinger felt almost weightless, and moved twice as fast with each swing. Miranda watched on astonished, as Yamada slashed through the air, with Harbinger. Each slash flowed into the next, like a river following the path. The wind rushing around Harbinger grew louder and louder as Yamada sped up. "My god, that boy is something else." Miranda said gawking at him. "He still has a lot to learn, and not enough time to master it." She said walking away.
In the large mess hall was filled with uproarious chattering of tired squires and mages. Gwyneth entered, with the other Grand Mages and Knights waiting for her. Rai was covered in bandages which caught her attention. Encara did not wait for Gwyneth to take a seat. He clapped his hands together silencing everyone with a blinding flash of light. The mess hall went quiet and everyone took a seat. "Yesterday, Groggic's city in the west, was destroyed." Encara said. A gasp and murmur of confusion spread amongst them. "Evidence left behind in the destruction, shows that it is clearly an attack from Kal'Nar." A wave of terror and shock spread through the young squires and mages. The idea of fighting a war, was never something they took seriously.
"As it stands right now. We have no information of where their army is, how big it is, and how strong they've gotten in the last two decades. Therefore the original peace keeping mission is now being changed." Encara said with a grave tone. "Those chosen by us, will depart in pairs to scout and report their findings." He said looking at the terrified faces. A young lean squire stood up, his brown mop hair covered in sweat. "What if we refuse to go?" He asked defiantly. Encara took a step forward ready to climb over the table. When Gwyneth walked up behind the young man. She clutched his throat with one hand, raising him into the air.
He desperately kicked and flailed in her grip, bashing at her arm. His face turning red, with his eyes bulging. Gwyneth gazed around the silent and terrified mess hall, grabbing the steak knife. She eased her grip to keep the squire conscious, and began to run the edge along his belly. His screams of agony, echoed throughout the mess hall. The cut was shallow, just enough to pierce his skin and draw blood. She tossed him to Encara's feet. He clutched his throat and belly, coughing and wheezing. Encara stood over the terrified squire."If you refuse to go, that is what will happen to more people. The Elven warrior's kill their victims the exact same way. They disembowel their opponents, and when they choke on their own blood, dying in agony." He said placing his hand in front of his eyes. The gate of light magic opened. "They burn their victim's eyes out, for we are not worthy to gaze upon their glory." He said tucking away his hand.
"You have all come here to train under the greatest Knights and Mages, in the northern lands. Now it is time to fulfil your oaths, and answer the call. Kal'Nar is attempting to expand and have declared war once more." He said leaping back over the table. "War is upon us, and if you aren't ready to die a soldier of the Citadel. Go home and live your lives." Gwyneth said walking out. Fear and dread spread throughout their young faces, as it broke into murmur. The Grand Knights and Mages gazed upon the mess hall. Weeding out the terrified , from the stupid ones seeking glory, and from those the ones brave enough to serve. "Have you all found one?" Encara asked. They all nodded. "Good, train them well. They'll each be dispatched at the end of the next full moon."