Yue walked off after saying this. She did not hate her parents, in fact, she loved them, but just knowing they were going to leave her alone again was hard. She only had Momo, her maid, to watch over her. But Momo was not real. She was an automation. What Yue craved the most besides casting magic was her parents' love and warmth. Now once again, she was going to have to deal with being alone. This was also another driving force for her to become strong. She did not wish to be left alone anymore. If she had the power and experience to go to the front lines, maybe, just maybe, she could follow after her parents instead of sitting at home wondering if they were alright.
"This practical came at a good time… At least now I have a good excuse not to see them off." Yue wiped a tear from her eyes. The last thing she wanted to do now was show any kind of sadness.
The next morning Yue woke up before sunrise and quickly got her things together. She did not wish to say goodbye to her parents. She felt if she did, she would never see them again. She had a big what if in her mind every time they were deployed to the borders. 'What if this time when I say goodbye, it is the last?' So to ensure she would not jinx her mother and father, she always stayed away from them on the day they deployed. It had been a habit of hers since she was young.
It was just that she never expected her mother, Iris, to be waiting for her by the front door with a brown bag in her hand. "Yue… I know you are mad, but still, as your mother, I can not send you off without at least some supplies to take with you. When you get back, I am afraid..."
"Thanks for the supplies, mom. I'm late, so I need to get going..." Yue did not hug or kiss her mom as she left without looking back. She knew she was being childish, but she couldn't help it. She wondered why her parents were always the ones deployed. Why couldn't it be someone else's parents for once? She just wanted a life where her mother and father were always home.
Iris could only watch helplessly as Yue left without even as much as a good luck mom. "She's gone?" A man's voice came from the dark.
"Mmm… She left without even looking back..." Iris had tears rolling down her cheeks. She knew she was being unfair to her daughter, but she had a duty to protect the land her daughter lived in.
"She is still young. One day she will understand why it is important that we go and defend the borders. For now, we can only do the best thing we can for her, and that to stay alive so we can be by her side when our duty is over." Alan, Yue's father, hugged his wife. He hoped Yue would grow out of the phase soon. Because peaceful times were not always going to be something that will last forever.
Yue arrived early at the academy, so early in fact that the gates were shut and locked up tight. Yue walked to the wall next to them and put her bag on the ground. She looked at the brown bag her mother gave her and slowly opened it up. Inside was some dried foods, water, and some flint. Besides, that was a letter. Yue's hand shook as she picked up the letter, opened and then began reading it.
"Yue, you may not wish to speak to your father and me at this time. I know not having your father and I at home for more than a few months has left you feeling alone. But… you have to understand we do what we do in order to protect you from the flames of war. I will stop my nagging. Yue, be careful during your practical and watch out for those noble kids."
Yue sighed and folded the letter up, and stuck it back in her bag. She knew all these things already. "I shouldn't have left so early… I still got about two hours… "
Not one to want to waste time, Yue began her normal swordsmanship practice that she did every day. By the time Clara arrived, Yue was full of sweat from practice. She had practiced two hours straight as she tried to forget about the incident with her parents. "You are working hard as usual."
"Always. If I don't, I will never become a powerful mage. Only when I am strong can I make people see me for me. " Yue said in earnest. But also under her breath, she muttered softly. "Only then can my family always be together."
Clara sighed. She knew more than anyone just how hard Yue worked. Even still, she was unable to cast spells, and because of that, her peers were always picking on her. Although she can beat them up, these people did not care. They would find times when she could not retaliate to pick on her and ridicule her. But she has never given up on her dreams and goals. She was an example everyone should follow.
"Alright, come into the academy and take a quick shower. We still got an hour before anyone else shows up." Clara could see the sweat dripping from Yue's brow. She knew she would probably love a shower right about now.
"No, it's fine. I want to practice some more. Thank you, Mrs. Clara." Yue gave Clara a smile and went back to practicing her movements with her sword. Whether she stunk of sweat no or later did not matter to her, she would soon be cover in blood once she entered the ruins. If goblins were around, they were bound to appear, and once you see one goblin you could expect to see twenty to a hundred more.
An hour and a half later all the students who were taking their practical were now grouped up and waiting for Clara to give them instructions. "I do not have much to say today but I will say that I want each one of you to come back alive. Be vigilant as you enter and support each other no matter what. Your lives are important but so is the life of your comrades that are standing next to you. Alright with that said let's get going shall we?"