Inside a chamber, a young woman was sharpening her sword all the while humming a melody to herself.
Why this, well, it is one of the many ways she kept herself busy, out of boredom. While thoroughly continuing to sharpen it, nalarian could already tell that her sword could easily cut through bones like a hot knife going down on a piece of butter.
She set the flint steel aside on the short table to her side. She then stood up and held the sword by its handle with a firm grip.
With a precise and quick swing of the long sword, nalarian turned around, and as she peered behind her, she gripped the handle tightly, with a powerful swing of her sword she sliced right through the wooden mannequin followed by two quick strikes.
Nalarian felt a sense of assurance herself when seeing the mannequin's upper right side slowly slide off vertically without so much from a clean cut she executed at that last second.
Pretty soon after that, she went back to her basic side stance. With this particular stance, she would have to stand up with both feet, one slightly straight to its back, while the other would be her left leg four inches apart from her right one. As the princess herself, she closes her eyes and imagines her grandmother standing next to her.
It was at this moment that the empress taught her to be bettering her in every way possible. The very sword she holds was one that her mother gifted to her during her fifteenth name celebration.
She was so happy to have run up to the empress and presented to her the gift she had gotten from her mother... Nalarian remembered the look her grandmother expressed when she laid eyes on the sword, why, well, she once asked the empress what the matter was and why she seemed to have been saddened by the sight of the sword she held.
At first, she did not want to bother the empress but chose to go on and talk to her about what the matter was about the sword. So after hesitating the first few moments, nalarian grandmother set her down and explained to her why the sight of the gifted sword had opened an aching wound within her.
She reflected then why such a simple weapon as a sword would hurt her grandmother, and the empress gladly responded, saying that very sword was the last thing her youngest son received as a gift before she had exiled him on his sixteenth name day.
Shocked by the sudden news, nalarian didn't think it would have that much effect on the empress. She remembers the time when she asked her mother why gave her this sword when it should've been given to the others, and her mother said that her brother would've wanted her to keep it for she reminded her a lot of the younger brother she knew. A young and sunny kid with a love for helping those in need.
It was that same nature that nalarian now has that her mother's young brother used to have. Nalarian brought the sword closer to her, and as she did that, the princess could see her reflection on the side of it.
Just when she thought of that recollection of her memories, nalarian quickly reacted and turned to face the door with the head of her sword pointed at it.
As the door opened, nalarian was relieved of herself when her mother and a couple of familiar faces came into her chamber.
"Mother! What are you doing here? I thought you would be up at the stadium to watch me fight," nalarian said as she lowered her sword.
Queen Lager smiled, stepping to the side as she went in and hugged her daughter. "Well, sweetheart, I came here after hearing of the circumstances you were facing,"
Nalarian thought that her mother wouldn't have known what came to be of her partner and relented. "I guess you've heard of what happened to my partner,"
King Safran, who was next to his sister, stepped forth and hugged his niece. "Yes, girl, your mother and I, along with everyone else here, have heard of the state of your partner,"
What Safran was true. Whenever there is a battle of the contest, those who participate in the dueling arena can either choose to have a partner in the festival combat or choose not to have one. However, while nalarian was awaiting her partner's presence, he never showed up. She even sent a guard to find him, and yet, they came back saying that the man hadn't appeared at the entrance exam, which was where the participants in the arena signed up, and yet he never even stepped foot past the entrance which was kind of strange, cause the man had promised her that he'd be there.
Nonetheless, she did not mind it, not until she got the news that the prince himself had lied to her. She grimaced at the thought of the bastard, for as much of a warrioress as she is, nalarian and the prince had known one another ever since they met each other in their third year at the Lothamar academy. And now, she was told that he was being partnered up with another participant who just happened to be from a different academy.
"Sweety, im sorry for what you've been told. I, too, can't believe that Prince Zoral would just outright choose to be partnered up with someone of your academy's rivals," Queen jassan told nalarian as she hugged the princess.
"Thank you Auntie Jassan, I know that you and Uncle Krasd care about that, but I implore you guys, there is no need to feel sorry for me, besides, I figured that Prince Zoral would eventually do something like this to me," Said nalarian.
Both Queen Jassan and her husband, krasd, glanced at each other and then looked at Queen Lager. For as long as they've been with nalarian, they never even gave the thought of wanting to know what nalarian was dealing with that of Prince Zoral.
For as long as they knew, zoral was a good friend of nalarian when the two of them met each other in their third year at the academy. And the direst of it all was that the three of them thought zoral was going to be the future husband of nalarian, and now, after what they've learned of what the bastard prince has done they figured out that nalarian was hiding the pang of betrayal she felt.
But one thing the trio felt was who is it that's going to be her partner for the battle of the contest. Every other person who's going to be in the arena would be partnered up with a partner of their own, all except for nalarian herself.
King Safran stepped forth and kneeled beside his niece. "Tell me nalarian, if you need a partner, I can have one of my rangers become a partner of yours... Just say the word, and I'll even have my best one stand by your side!"
Sniffling at herself, Princess Nalarian never felt worried when she was this helpless in front of the people she considered family. But the fact that they were all willing to lend their support to end this aching pain was something heartwarming to her. "You guys, mother, uncles, and you auntie jassan. I thank you all for your support in aiding me in my time of impairment, but please... The four of you do not need to worry about me. Whether I'm with no people beside me as a partner, I still can do this by myself,"
Queen Lager rested her hand on her daughter's hand as she gave her a genuine smile to appease her of the trouble she was feeling. "Calm yourself nalarian, for as strong as you've become, you will need someone by you,"
Ser lester, who was standing still with a caring look on his face, nodded her way when nalarian was glancing at the room they were in.
"We're here with you, princess, please, no need to be a lone wolf," said lester.
Wiping a tear from her face with a rag of clothes nalarian let out a slight sound of utterance in dreary which eventually ended when her mother used the fabric of her clothes to wipe the small tear running down her face.
"Mother, I thank you, but -"
"No, but girl, im not sending you out there to fight in the contest without a partner," said Queen Lager.
"Then who do you suppose should be it? I've had until a few more minutes until the last bell rings. Surely I could do this on my own," said Nalarian, trying to ban her way around her mother's sternness.
Five's P.O.V.
Meanwhile, as the queen and her brother along with the two other royals had entered the chamber that the spartan figured belonged to this princess nalarian that Queen Lager had told him and Carley about, five chose to remain outside with the oni agent and that of lager's guards.
But one thing that bothered him was the look that the woman in black was giving him every few moments. Whenever he was minding his own business and trying to stay focused, the woman in black would occasionally peer his way as if trying to figure out who he was.
Deciding to speak to her for he was tired of the stares he was getting from her. "Can I ask, why is it you keep on glancing my way? Have I done something wrong,"
Morgana smirked as she was relieved the giant armored being finally spoken. "No, nothing, you've done no wrong. However, it's just that I couldn't help but sense a familiar darkness within you,"
The face of deha appeared in Koa's HUD and spoke. "Hate to say it, but she might be right,"
"Not helping deha," Five said to the A.I.
"Hello, are you still there?" Morgana said with her head tilted to the side in questioning.
"Sorry, you were saying something about darkness?" Five said to her.
"It is nothing to dwell on yourself with any longer... But you wouldn't mind if I ask you a question," Morgana said, asking him.
"Go ahead," responded five.
"You wouldn't happen to be one of those men in green, am I right?" Morgana said, awaiting the spartan's answer.
Pondering on the fact that whether he should tell the woman he didn't belong to these people who came out of the gate, five wanted to tell her that she was quite close in her speculation, it's just that he was from five hundred years in the future, a place where magic doesn't even exist.
"Ummm, no, im fr-"
Carley, seeing where this was going, quickly cut the spartan off cause if she hadn't, she was sure that he was going to say something different. "He's, im mean... Well, both I and the spartan are from an entirely different place,"
Keeping herself composed, Morgana just crossed her arms as she then spoke. "Oh, then I assume the two of you are the other ones,"
Both five and the ONI agents looked at one another and then glanced back at the witch. "If you don't mind me, what exactly do you mean by the other ones?"
Morgana smirked as she responded to Carley's inquiry. "I'm speaking about the sky people,"
"Koa, there might be something you'd wanna hear," Deha said as she began showing the spartan a few images.
"This, they're unsc drop ships," Five said a little, shocked to see that he was not the only one stuck on this planet.
"Yes, indeed, there was an incident that occurred on one of the unsc vessels... It started with two escaped prisoners, one a human rebel and the other a Sangheili elite. The two of them hijacked an albatross and tried to flee the scene, but," Deha said comically.
"But what?" Inquire five.
"The ship they were on must've been damaged by one of the unsc ship's defenses. Which then took place in the albatross failing to be manually operated by any of the two prisoners," clarified the A.I.
"I see, then I figured that someone who saw it had mistaken it as some sort of propaganda," Five said, replying to her.
Deha then displayed a holographic image on the spartan's hud, the vast lands that he was seeing spread out into more than hundreds of miles. Deha just slid her finger, and the lands immediately sped past in a flash and stopped with one snap from Deha's finger. She then sets her two palms on the holographic pic and spreads it outward, and the image begins changing as it zooms in. Deha once again stopped it, and right in front of the spartan's face were a few small military bases while other ones were obviously in the process of being built. Deha then glanced at the other way.
"You are correct on that. I've managed to dig deeper into the unsc satcom, and apparently, the sky people as the nearby village people refer to the unsc, they chose to build a settlement about a few miles away from the only village closest to them," Deha said to her partner.
"So that's why this woman seemed curious about us," muttered Five as he was pondering on the matter.
"Not us, just you and the oni agent," Deha said regarding the look of seriousness that Five was giving her.
"As I was saying, Ma'am. Me and the spartan here aren't affiliated with these people in green, and as you've mentioned before, we are from a land far different than that of our counterpart," Carley said as she finished making clear the difference between the people in green and the unsc.
"Oh really, im mean I've met some of them in my journey, I thought that since they have with them the same weapons of guns that your giant friend here has, I figured you guys were of some sort of different unit just serving the same kingdom," morgana said earning a surprising look from Carley yet wasn't able to get one from the spartan for she couldn't tell what look he was expressing with that helmet covering his.
"You said you met some of these people in green!" Carley said, speaking in for both her and five.
"Why yes... I could tell you unless you two don't wish to hear it," Morgana said to which she got a response.
"Please do," answered five who gestured for her to continue.
"Well, about a few days ago on my journey to come here to arenian, two of the people in green were rescuing a couple of commoners from an ogre. Though this particular ogre may have been bigger than its other kind, it was filled with fel enchantment, making it hard for regular soldiers to deal with. But what I witnessed that day was remarkable, I saw one of them use some sort of contraption with a long metal nose and blow the fel ogre's upper body to smithereens,"
"She's probably talking about a tank, though I wonder which one?" Uttered deha.
"We'll never know until we see it for ourselves," replied five.
"After the man in greens had dealt with the ogre, I wanted to see who they were and if they were the ones responsible for sending the empire's diminutive armies back in defeat. Though... I've also heard that they brought with them some human captives. Knowing how the empire is with condoning slaves, I knew that was one of the many reasons they had a gate built up there at Alnus Hill. But, I also asked the men in green who they were and what sort of kingdom they served, and what they told me was that they served a country called Japan," Morgana said to which she noticed Carley pondering about something that clearly was about Japan.
"Did you manage to catch any small signs of an image on them, you know, like a single red sun on one of them or a few stars?" Five said this time, asking her.
"Yes, I have, the other one, or rather two of them both have the white shape of a flag with one having a red sun and the other bearing a mix of blue and red in a single circle, their other friend by the name of gaz, he has a weird flag, Although they weren't the only ones for a few others had a bunch of different colors of flag stamped on either side of their uniform,"
"Did you at least find out who the leader of their squad was?" Carley said in inquiry.
"Yes. I believe she calls herself kat, Kat Laswell," Morgana said, answering the oni agent.
"Sounds English to me. Do you think it's the Americans or the UK?" Deha said, asking five.
"If there is one faction with that myriad of operators, then my best guess is that this Kat Laswell and her squad are likely from the un-nato forces," Five said, responding to deha.
After chatting with the woman for a while, carley stepped back next to the spartan.
"You hearing this five," the oni agent said, lowering her voice as she whispered to the spartan.
"Yes, you've told me that the unsc were aware of these UN forces and that of this gate," Five said, responding to her.
"Yes, however, we were deciding on whether we should take the gate for our own, but the doctor and those who worked with her advice us not to. So we chose to stand back and kept an eye on the gate till an army of fantasy people entered it, and after about a few hours past, they returned with human captives ones who wore clothes similar to that of the twentieth century," Carley told him clarifying the matter that this un group was dealing with at hand.
"Did these people manage to take the gate, or at least destroy it," five said.
"No, knowing how the Un-Nato is, they probably came to terms on taking the gate, though since it's led to Japan, they are likely the ones to oversee who may enter and who doesn't... But, there is one slight problem," Carley said, sounding a little uneasy.
Sensing something drastic was bothering the oni agent five spoke to her in a mannerly way. "Is something wrong?"
"Yes, apparently there isn't just one gate. There were also others, ones we found out about during our time when monitoring this strange world,"
"I see. Hopefully, there aren't other worst things inside those gates. Lord knows this place is already in a life of unknown crisis," Deha said, pondering to herself.
Five was in an agreement to what his longtime partner said as he then peered at carley's path. "And has the unsc got any plans to do with these other gates?"
"As much as I hate to say it, im afraid not. We We're considering to destroy it at the third day after it appeared, but knowing the situations we were in after being transported here, the vice admiral had come to terms with the doctor and captain whitcomb that it was best for us all to stay hidden until it was time for us to reveal ourselves," Carley said answering him.
"Alright, then the best thing we can do is be prepared and expect the worst to come,"
He may have not been exceptionally knowledgeable about traveling between time and other universes but if there is one thing that the spartan was familiar with is that almost nothing promising comes out of it, unless they were to use those portals for the benefit of the mission.
"Relax yourself koa, for all I know, I believe everyone from inside either one of those gates isn't evil... I swear, you spartans are always too serious about your missions," For as long as deha has been with five she understood the disposition that koa and the other spartans seemed to be putting themselves in, always fixated on the next task when finished with their previous one.
"If you two don't mind me asking, but perhaps you might wanna move out of the way," Morgana said to the spartan and oni agent who heard the door being opened.
Five looks on at the sight of the two queens who were walking alongside each other, both of them bearing a look of encumbrance as if worrying about something. Next to the tall queen was her brother, King Safran with lord lester strolling next to him while the two of them were in a quiet discussion with one another.
However one other person a girl with long braided dirty blonde hair was striding on next to the queen jassan herself.
The princess nalarian was walking till she notice from the intersection of her view were two individuals. One a girl wearing a hooded cloak that most common folks would wear to cover themselves in a heated weather, nonetheless she snagged at the other piece of clothing that the woman wore underneath the cloak but couldn't tell all of it. However the other one, the giant armored being who dwarfed everyone in height. He wore armor that most dwarf she knew would want to get their hands on. The weapons he had stuck on the back of his armor was both odd and very much similar to the ones that both the Earthren Empire one which her grandmother rules over and that of the least most kingdom like the dwarves.
Regarding the weapons on the side nalarian tried to get a better look past the armor of this stranger yet failed to, for all she knew this being was covered from head to toe with the dark-green armor of his.
As nalarian and the others reached the two individuals she was surprised to see a woman, this woman however was one she did not expect to see after all the years that passed by.
"Morgana!"
Morgana smirked at the princess as she walked forth and was embraced by the fairly happy nalarian as both of them hugged each other for a while until they eventually departed.
"What are you doing here cousin!" Said a delighted nalarian.
"Well what else princess, I've heard of the news that you'll be participating in the contest of battle, and I decided why not visit arenian. And so here I am watching you in your first ever battle," Morgana said responding enthusiastically.
"I'd love to watch the reunion between you two girls, but I believe that there is something we should be focusing on more, don't you think so princess," safran said speaking up as he broke the moment between the two girls.
"Of course, sorry uncle. May I say that you look as old as ever," Morgana said mockingly bowing her head.
"Hmmm, apologies accepted niece, it is good to see you as wel, however, Princess Nalarian here has something to say that I hope youll abide in," King safran said gesturing to warrioress.
With her brow raised morgana gave nalarian a questionable look as she glanced her way. "And what cousin might this be about?"
"Well you know about the rules pertaining that of the contestant in being able to join the contest of battle right," Nalarian said apprehensively in hopes that her cousin would accept it.
Instantly she caught up to what her cousin of a princess was on about and Morgana had no choice but to refute her of solicit in her request to become a partner in the upcoming event.
"As much as I would've loved to cousin, but im afraid I can't do that. Truly I am sorry," Said the sorcerers feeling sorry for declining her cousin in her times of need.
"May I ask why niece?" Safran said kind of disappointed that Morgana would deny her cousin of her request.
"Aunties and uncle, you guys know that im a witch of a high eschelon, which means I can't participate in this event," Morgana said.
"I understand that niece, but you are one of the best sorcerers I know, even without your magical abilities you'll be a perfect hand to hand combatant, and that isn't saying your cousin would surely need in this event," safran said in deprivation wishing that his niece would come to terms with him.
"I'm sorry uncle, I may be a good sword user, and rather im adequate enough without any weapons, I still can not participate in the event," Morgana said to them.
While the lot of them were conversing with morgana queen lager was mulling over on the matter with her daughter not being able to get a partner for the upcoming event. As she continues to think to herself of the matter at hand the Queen herself was supposed that perhaps she shoulf get someone else for nalarian, which was of course that person would have to be beneficial in either magic or weapons skill.
As she does continues to go over on the issue she notices from the corner of her eyes was the spartan known as five. She can clearly see that the man wasn't keen on staying here at any longer and would rather be out there doing whatever she thinks was on his mind.
Proceeding to think of the case for what seems to be like an hour on her mind, lager's eventually came to a passable solution, one that she hopes the armored stranger would accept.
Coming down to it the Queen let out two cough which work when the people in front of her turned to face her direction.
"I think I know of a way that may be able to benefit you in this time of your need for a partner daughter," Lager said earning a look of inquiry from nalarian.
Both ser lester and krasd and that of his wife glanced at the queen wondering what it is that lager had on her mind.
"Oh, and what sister may that be?" Safran said in curiosity.
They watched on as lager peered at the giant and the woman in the room who was has been quiet throughout their whole discussion regarding the issue with nalarian.
"Mr. Five, in hopes of our need... Well more of that of my daughter, I ask you in her place, to please aid my nalarian in her times of need," Lager said surprising those around her for even her own guards glimpses at her path when hearing that.
Nalarian who was contemplating to herself about the situation at hand hadn't expected her mother to have spoken up at that moment, and not only that, she somehow said something that surprised her to the point where she was inquiring for the spartan in something she knew of.
"Mother! Please, what are you doing. I'm sure that ser-five isn't keen on drawing that much attention to himself just cause im in need of a partner," Nalarian said pleading for her mom to stop.
Queen just gave her daughter a profound look and responded nonchalantly. "Daughter, im afraid that you are too late on that. Ser five here has already been drawing much attention on himself since his arrival to arenian city,"
Slightly alarmed by this, five wasn't expecting to be handpicked by the queen as a partner for her daughter. Confused on why she'd even consider him a reasonable candidate for the princess as her partner he settled on by asking her why.
"I would like to know why is it that you chose me to be your daughter's partner?" Said five getting straight to the point as ge crossed his arms.
"I'm pleased to hear you say that. You see ser five, I've overheard some folks from the nearby lands, they talked about how a stranger took care of a villages from the raiders who attacked them, of course that wasn't the only ones you saved, for there were other villages you help by fending off the raiders that attempted to plunder them... And not only that, I've also heard of your many deeds of how you defeated a basilisk, which let me tell you, it is not an easy task for any hunters, rather they are in groups or not. Which is why I am asking you personally, to please aid my daughter, be her partner for the contest of battle, and you shall be awarded for it,"
"With as much as I hate to say it, im afraid we will have no choice but to take her up on the offer," Deha said commenting about the queen's request.
Five thought that it was more like he himself was the one with no choice. He may have wanted to draw too much attention on himself, but thinking back to the many deeds he has done like saving many of the villages from raider's attack even though some of them may have had died. Yet it was clear to him that eventually people will start to wonder who he is.
So without any alternative option of evading this issue five breathe in a sigh of approval as he then I crossed his arms and responded to the queen. "I'll do it,"
Carley who was standing next to the spartan did not foresee that he'd agree to the woman's request to aid this princess. Of course, she didn't doubt the spartan for he had done inconceivable tasks in his lifetime as one of Oni's best weapons. But this, well she had to tap on his side and spoke to him.
"Are you sure about this?" Carley said asking him to which he responded with a simple yes.
Satisfied by the spartan's answer the Queen let out a sigh of relief as well as that of everyone else around them, soon after she glanced at her daughter and spoke. "See nalarian, now there won't be a problem with you finding a partner for the contest. Ser five here will join you... And five, I thank you on behalf of everyone here, especially that of my daughter,"
"When will this contest of battle begin?"