Monday of the third week of March, the practical exams were coming up and Artemisia was in full swing training studying, eating very quickly and heading to practice, it had become an incessant routine to stay on top, they were on lunch breaks, the whole group of nine friends was at one table, everyone was enjoying their lunch well, except Artemisia who was eating as if the world was going to end.
– Artemisia, I know you're not the most patient person in the world, but do you need to eat that fast? – Apollodro said, he was stressed seeing his sister behave like a machine in the last four days.
– I can't wait, I have to finish eating and go train before afternoon classes. – Artemisia said, she devoured her shank of lamb almost as if she were a wolf.
– How about taking it a little lighter? You've been training and studying non-stop for four days. – Said Keith worried.
– Yeah, you let matter accumulate because of practical training, so you stay awake for days trying to compensate and without stopping training. – Said Sandy worried about her friend.
– No, she's right, and it gives her more experience, she is in the right way. – Laughed Megara, who loved to be ironic.
– The smug one is right... And I'm going to train before lunchtime and rest before the afternoon class is over. – Artemisia said, finishing devouring the peas and going to the combat room to train.
– Why all this hurry? – Gale said, he ate like the lady he was.
– I can't waste time, I have to train, I have to become as good as auntie, and it won't be stopped here that I'll do it. – Artemisia laughed.
– She didn't become a legendary mage overnight, Artê, we're all giving our best, going little by little, studying, I'm the one who suffers the most from comparisons and I'm not killing myself around. – Apollodro laughed with a tone of censure and constructive criticism towards his sister.
– Polo, I'm not smart like you and Sandy, my business is action, so I can't be left behind, I have to do my best. – Said Artemisia, who ran to the combat room with a smile on her face.
– Your sister will have a heartbreak soon. – Alana laughed.
– I noticed, but she doesn't listen to anyone… Her systolic pressure is almost at its limit, her mitochondria function working beyond the limit, her Golgi complex is having an exhausting deformation from constant exertion. – Diagnosed Apollodro.
– Damn! All this just by looking, you are another one who has been studying a lot. – Nathan said impressed.
– But I get my eight hours of sleep, and I rest, she's my sister, we grew up together, I can read her body, with others it's more difficult, with clothes then it's more complicated. – Apollodro commented without thinking straight about what he said at the end, even if he had his interests.
– Is that why you needed the three of us in our underwear in the dorm while you were practicing your studies of anatomy and the functioning of internal systems and organs? – Nathan said ironically.
– Of course! – Apollodro said that he had blushed, that young medical mage wouldn't take advantage of his studies to see his three roommates healed, beautiful and well defined and well "other things", almost without clothes?
***
Artemisia was in the battle room training against basic magical foes, 100 of them were like paper-white humanoid avatars and strong like Bears. She was excited, was training as much as she could, getting better and better in melee and energetic projectiles, she wouldn't rest until she achieved her goal, to be like her aunt, no matter the consequences, her effort and determination were even daredevils, one by one the opponents were falling, Apollodro, Keith, Sandy, Nathan and Adam went to see Artemisia train, Alana and Megara had gone to do Erik and Bianca a favor who were wanting their help with the Anitta teacher's material , they were both very good at history.
Artemisia was doing very well and finished taking out her training opponents with a masterful acrobatic move with a trail of flames.
– See, I told you I was fine. – Said Artemisia, who soon after fell passed out on the floor, she had a nervous breakdown for being on direct phone for four days with very short sleep intervals and precarious food in the short term.
– Sis/Artê! – Exclaimed Apollodro and his friends concerned about the young mage Hecatrix.
Apollodro did not hesitate to give medical support to his sister trying to stabilize the sister's nerve synapses and frayed muscles that would recover soon, he could not treat a condition like that so easily, he could only stabilize the situation and take her to qualified medical help, even knowing he couldn't handle it alone, he was using all his skills to help his sister, his medical spells were having more effect than he thought, but it still wasn't enough; he was palming the mage's back and emanating a light green magical energy that crackled.
– I told you, your empty head, you didn't need to work so hard, even you have your limits, but you always had this dream, right. –Apollodro said, he didn't know whether to be angry or worried, he knew the twin, he knew he should expect behavior like this, she is always the more diligent of the two, the more energetic, the braver, and he, he was the calm, kind, considerate, charitable and persistent, each was strong in his own way.
It didn't take long and before long they took her stable to Astarte to take care of her at the Academy hospital, Apollodro had done a very good stabilization job, now she just needed to rest and let her body recover naturally, she had reached a level of exhaustion, it would have been too much to ask even for a third-year medical mage to restore her to her standard cellular and stamina level, but it was an easy task for Astarte who was an apprentice of Otrera.
– A job very well done Polo, my congratulations, a stabilization worthy of a beta student and even alpha if you doubt it, more than 72 hours without adequate rest, this can be a danger at this age. –Astarte said. – Tonight she will be able to sleep in her dorm. –
– My sister is very headstrong, I'll ask them to tie her to the bed. - Polo laughed.
– It's not that different from your aunt, believe me… And you are also very skilled, I remember her telling me that she saved Edward from a similar situation, and after healing him, she beat him to a punch for him. have left her worried. – Astarte laughed.
Apollodro had won the day with that compliment.
***
At night, Artemisia was in her dorm bathroom getting ready, wearing her workout clothes, tying her hair in a ponytail, wearing a silver bracelet with a moon and leaving the bathroom, her dorm mates were stunned by that.
– Where do you think you're going? – Gale said worriedly and with his speed he goes to the dormitory exit door.
– Train, I've slept all afternoon, I'm ready for another one. – Artemisia said excitedly, stretching.
– You just had a nervous breakdown, you're not going out to train like that. – Said Sandy worried.
– I promise I don't use magic, it will only be physical conditioning training. – Artemisia said that she really wanted to train.
– Hard to believe, Artê. – Alana laughed ironically.
– If she wants to train, don't you think she'll sneak out when we're asleep? We've done our part, if she wants out, we won't be able to keep her here. – Megara said, she was reading a magazine, she had a very ironic air in her speech.
– Just a little run across the lake and I'll be back, I swear! – Artemisia said.
– 1 hour, otherwise we'll drag you here, understand? – Megara said, changing her posture, showing herself more direct and rigid.
– Promise! – Artemisia said. – No one wants to go with me? –
– Some of us want to rest a little from the hard day, there was combat class for us today too. – Sandy said.
– All right! – Artemisia said and she left at the race pace.
***
Artemisia went to train in the lake, she was practicing some physical strikes fighting the air anyway, it was a beautiful training scene with the moon in the background and the lake right behind, she was practicing acrobatic strikes, everything was going well, and she was not alone, but she didn't know that, Edward had gone that night to talk to Margareth, but passing by the lake to kill the longing for the place, he saw Artemisia training and stopped to watch her training, he remembered a lot of him even when he was at the Academy along with Morrigan and Otrera .
– This girl… She is fierce. – Edward laughed alone seeing that.
Suddenly Artemisia was feeling sick, another mini nervous breakdown, she almost fell into the lake, but Edward in a superhuman agility impulse held Artemisia and in his arms the impulse still ended up on the small island that was in the middle of the lake. Artemisia seemed to recover, it had just been a side effect of the earlier collapse.
– Are you okay?! – Edward asked placing the mage sitting on the floor.
– Of course!... Mr. Edward, what are you doing here? – Artemisia said blushing when she saw the legendary mage, she was a great admirer of him, besides thinking he was a cutie.
– I came to talk to Margareth, but then I saw you training here, the girls and I loved training here... This place brings me many memories. – Edward said with his beautiful smile. – What happened to make you suddenly feel sick? –
– No biggie, I'm just recovering from a nervous breakdown for spending 86 hours training straight, that's all. – Artemisia laughed, demonstrating her trickstar side.
– This is dangerous, but I understand what was going through your mind. – Laughed Edward who saw himself in that 16-year-old girl committed.
– Know? – Asked Artemisia confused.
– This has to do with your aunt, right? – Edward supposed.
– In part, yes. – Admitted Artemisia.
– I know how it is... When I was in the first year, I had a nervous breakdown from training so much, 110 hours straight, I wanted to impress your aunt, but I ended up almost in a coma, she cured me just to slap me, she said that I had freaked her out... Mor said she would let me spend 1 week in a coma to learn. – Edward laughed remembering the situation.
– Polo saved me... I've been training to overcome myself, you know I'm not smart like Polo, I'm more of the practical part, in a fight there's no stopping me, I have to make an effort not to stop. behind. – Artemisia smiled, who didn't have envy or resentment, just admiration, respect and willingness to make an effort. – I want to be like her, an elite mage, be as powerful as her, I will train as hard as I can and one day she will be remembered as my aunt and not me as her niece. –
– You know, Otrera said the same thing about her mother, that it would be Helena who would be known as Otrera's mother and not Otrera as Helena's daughter, who would become the best, and she managed... It was a lot of years happy here at the Academy, me, her and Mor. – Edward said happily.
– I want to be strong like her, my brother and I grew up listening to the stories of you three, always so powerful and incredible, I grew up dreaming of being like her. – Artemisia said.
– And I'll tell you right away that it wasn't easy, and it wasn't training 86 hours straight that she did it, it was with effort, calm, patience, in addition to many sacrifices... Her aunt became very powerful, but she had to go through many losses and sufferings, all three of us 3GLWM suffered, with the loss of Astaroth then, but it is undeniable that it was your aunt who suffered the most, we all lost colleagues and our master, but she lost her daughter still in her belly. – Said Edward who also remembered the bad times. – Otrera ended up becoming addicted to drinking and smoking... The drinking she controlled herself already, but smoking, that nobody could make her stop, Astaroth was addicted to smoking too... Luckily for her as she is an extremely powerful medical mage, her organism doesn't even feel the impacts, it becomes a bad influence. –
– Mom told about this story, and it was heavy, I can't imagine what she went through... Even knowing that the road is arduous, I won't give up, it's also a way of thanking her for everything she did. – Artemisia smiled.
– You know, at the time of the end of the war, you and your brother were six years old, I saw you two grow up in the meantime of six years, Otrera hoped you didn't choose the path of the Royal Guard, because she knew it was a dangerous life and without any guarantees in some respects, but she lost hope when you and Polo were four years old already impressed by the stories Helena told to allure you, you were very impressionable children, but she was happy that you had so much talent. – Edward smiled wistfully.
– Hard to believe the legendary mages saw me grow up in my first six years. – Artemisia laughed with a respectful touch of irony.
– I traded a lot of your and your brother's diapers... You were very afraid of the Morrigan, but you were too young to remember, you certainly have her fierce, that's undeniable, but your magic certainly isn't like hers, maybe it is targeting the wrong legendary mage. – Edward chuckled with his awkward way.
– What you mean? – Artemisia said that she was curious about that.
– You admire your aunt a lot and getting over her is commendable, but it's hard to have parameters when she's a medical mage and you're a fire and thunderstorm mage... Polo on the other hand, he can use her as a parameter... I've been keeping an eye on you for some time now, I don't have siblings, parents or children, my parents and brothers ended up dying in the war, but the Hecatrix always welcomed me, they welcomed me, and Mor too, and honestly I don't want my legacy to be lost... Someone to be the next "me", I was just like you at your age, reckless, aloof, excited and I also tried very hard not to be smart like Otrera and Morrigan, I see a lot of myself in you. – Edward told looking at the moon with a look of hope and admiration.
– Mr. Edward, this is an honor, I think it is an honor for any mage. – Artemisia said with a sparkle in her eyes.
– But seriously, you're talented and skillful, I think you can be stronger than me one day, after all that's what Astaroth always said, that our purpose as elite mage is to train the next generation, it's no use wanting to keep the power for us if that were so would be useless, wouldn't it? Keeping the power to yourself, but you've got a whole life ahead of you, you've got to live, it's a journey to live not something to quickly come to an end. – Said Edward who looked at the moon.
– I'm honored and I want to live up to these expectations, I really do, and I think I really looked forward to the fact that she's my aunt and wife that I didn't realize that my talents are for another area, it's Polo that has to use her as a parameter... You really are quite a guy, they say you're the most powerful man in the world. – Artemisia said.
– This title was a hard-won honor, Astaroth was like my father, he was the most powerful man, no man could fight him, only a few female mages could match him as Madame Stroika, not a matter of gender, just the facts about the elite of mages... He trained the three of us equally, and we all excelled at a balanced level of power, I ended up surpassing our master, Morrigan too, as for Otrera, she became even more powerful. – Edward said smiling.
– I have a long road ahead of me... And when will they start to form groups? – Asked Artemisia curiously.
– If I'm not mistaken, it won't be long, you really want to be on the same team as your brother, don't you? – Edward laughed.
– Honestly, yes… He and I have done everything together all our lives, we always support each other in everything. – Artemisia smiled.
– I see... Me and the girls are like brothers too, we always have been, this is important for the team, a fire master and a medical mage, only a dark snake mage is missing and you have a new formation of the Astaroth team. – Laughed Edward.
– Why the name "Astaroth team"? – Asked Artemisia.
– The team name is always given in honor of the squad leader and master... But the most important thing is to be you, we also had heroes that we admired, but we ended up becoming ourselves in the process, you can have an almost deified vision from us, but with time the disillusionment comes and you realize that being you is better than wanting to compare or surpass anyone else. - Edward smiled. – Well, I have to go, it doesn't matter if I'm a legendary mage, Margareth will pound me for keeping her waiting. –
– Ah! Yes, and I have to go back to the dorm, my friends said they would drag me away if I took too long here. – Artemisia laughed.
– Sensible... Remember, your friends are your greatest treasures, in times of difficulty and hardship, you will see that the time here will bring you closer than the blood ties themselves. – Edward smiled as he flew away.
Artemisia also soon returned to the dorm, she arrived there and her friends were waiting for her.
– 5 minutes late, but still good. – Gale laughed.
– We were thinking, let's train together tomorrow after lunch? We know how important this is to you. – Sandy said.
– Gods, you only think about training, I'm going to rest tomorrow. – Artemisia laughed ironically and falling into bed.
– Look who's Talking. – Alana laughed.
– I think she's sick, that's all. – Megara joked.
– Girls… You and the boys, you are the best things that have happened in my life this year, thank you so much for existing! – Artemisia said thinking about Edward's words and reflecting on how her life changed with her new friends.
– AWHN! – The girls who were touched by that growled and hugged Artemisia.
Artemisia was happy, received advice from a person who was on an almost unreachable pedestal, and to hear him say that she had the potential to be like him and Otrera, and that she didn't need to despair, as it was a road to maturation and growth little by little, and friends give us strength.