A golden coin tinged as it flipped, halting when a gloved hand caught it.
The cycle continued for as long as the thumb could, for it was the only solace Meredith could find as she stared at the small and distant houses from across the lengthy bridge.
Nestled on top of a short cobblestone pillar, the water beneath originating from the mouth between Gran Summa and Senex moved ever so slightly in ill noticeable waves—this had been the case for an hour, and she could feel the itch to do anything else besides guarding the bridge.
Her eyes perked and stuck onto the small and animate figure from across—fair-skinned and sky blue-haired, she dressed the way she did: the SCA's [Half Year of Pioneers] uniform, and walked closer alone.
She recognized the figure, how could she not? Her beauty rivalled or even surpassed herself, and she was more popular.
The Second Marchioness of Grosville: Minerva Grosvenor, alas her cutlass was nowhere in sight.
She slid her Zinarius inside her coin bag and held it firm as she dropped from the pillar five minutes later. Her gaze met Minerva's as she dusted the rear of her skirt.
"No luck?" asked Meredith, who expected so.
"No luck."
The idea of Minerva wandering around without a weapon never sat right with her. She folded her arms with a slight frown in her face. "You can't keep looking for your classmate alone, especially with whatever happened to your cutlass, you don't have it."
"I lost it."
She leaned against the pillar. "Yeah, you lost it." A hint of disbelief hung in her voice. Minerva? Losing her cutlass? For a girl of her calibre, it was unbelievable.
"How did you even lose it? I doubt you could lose it so easily when you care enough to clean it every single day." Every single day, even if she didn't use it. There was no difference between Minerva's love for her cutlass and a mother's for her child—it was her extension.
Minerva spread her arms. "I just lost it."
The vague answer hinted to something deeper—Meredith was no fool to not notice. Eitherway, she shrugged and dropped the topic. She looked behind her—a few big tents issued by the Trystan Knights, it was where they temporarily resided, and beside was a tall wooden flag pole that waved the glorious flag of the empire.
Both of them weren't the only Stepan students in the checkpoint, there were a few more of mixed years and sections nearby.
She furrowed her brows as she further took in their surroundings, a burning displeasure growing within: silence. The area had lost all its life in a matter of days as the snow of the winter season worsened—not a single civilian lingered around, for they confined themselves strictly within their homes.
"What's in your mind, Meredith?" asked Minerva, who seemed to have noticed her behaviour.
Meredith sighed, a flush of relief appearing as Minerva popped the question. "Martial law and all, it's killing what makes this city Stepanburg. You don't see any civilians around, only troops."
That's right, soldiers have swarmed the streets of the bustling city, constantly moving north to south, west to east and vice versa as the bandit rebellion dragged onto its sixth day.
The state of the city was at the very least displeasing.
The students' involvement was at the very least displeasing.
The declaration of martial law was at the very least displeasing.
"We can't do much about it really," Minerva replied, hinting at her acceptance of the situation, "if we refuse, we could be flagged as pro-bandits and get executed." She clasped her hands behind and walked forward. "That's the power of military rule—the power to [freely accuse] and [kill]."
Meredith winced at the fact she uttered. Minerva was very right as always, yet her acceptance sparked annoyance in Meredith's emotional heart and even her logical brain.
"So what? You'll just accept it to be this way? For the innocent to be wrongly accused and killed?" her voice rose; she couldn't care less whether they were in a Trystan camp—a camp of the wrongdoers.
Minerva gave a small, enigmatic smile and side-eyed Meredith before turning on her heels and walking away, her silence more unsettling than any words.
Meredith huffed in frustration, running a hand through her hair. "..That girl's sick in the head."
As much as she was itching to leave and return to the confines of the academy, duty was important, for their stay was issued by the director himself.
Her thoughts were interrupted as she heard the burst of voices across the tent to her north west—the urgent voices of soldiers.
She wasn't the only one who noticed, most of the students, Minerva included, rushed to the scene. Her alertness was set high as the possibility of attacking bandits lingered.
Beyond the tent, three armoured knights stood before a tan-skinned and golden-eyed man, his hair black and very curly, and his face pleading as their looks were stern.
"Listen here Mister, if you don't want us to accuse you as a bandit, then know your place and get the hell outta here!" the middle knight yelled.
"No! You have to let me cross—I have to find my son! My son's in there, who knows if he was already abducted by the gangsters!?" the man shouted, standing resolute.
The knight winced an eye, as if holding back annoyance to remain in-character. "Leave it to us, we'll find him in no time."
The man stood back, a conflicted expression in his face. Meredith's heart sunk—his son could have already been abducted and sold off for all they knew.
With a defeated sigh, the man nodded. "..Please do." he put his hand on his chest. "My name is [Boris Luther], my son is [Isaac Luther].. Please bring him to the city centre if you find him—I'll wait for as long as needed."
His voice was filled with nothing short of worry and defeat, Meredith could only watch his figure shrink as he walked away further and fill herself with the same emotions he likely felt.
Her gaze met Minerva's, they walked away from the tents and onto the pillars by the bridge.
They looked around to make sure nobody was there, and then back to each other. Minerva folded her arms and leaned on the pillar. "Are you thinking of finding him?"
"You know it." she said, her tone overflowing in sureness.
Minerva looked down.
Meredith raised a brow, awaiting her reply.
"I'll come, two's better than one."
A smug smile grew in her face—she had expected her to come along, knowing too well MInerva couldn't ignore Boris' situation.
.
Come the cold rise of the faint moonlight, the two Ms found themselves up and ready to cross the bridge onto the Southern Districts. They had been allowed to go, their prestige and rankings a big decider.
The Southern Districts had been just as dead as the north, if not deader. In the span of six days, many found themselves fleeing to the north or outright leaving, the former further justifying Emperor Faris Trysta to declare the end of what freedom the common men shared.
Her eyes darted left and right, taking in the sight of the dark and silent houses. They were just as silent, subconsciously agreeing not to make unnecessary noise.
Though unspottable, a shiver went down her spine as she sensed gazes from the windows of houses.
Meredith nudged Minerva's arm, her voice barely a whisper. "Am I the only one feeling the stares?"
Minerva shook her head, filling the former with a mix of worry and relief. "The chances of them being bandits is fifty-fifty. We could go through the alleyways instead."
"Maybe." It did seem like the best option for her—though narrow, encounters could be isolated from the bigger areas, dragging less attention.
With the plan in motion, they scouted to find the nearest alleyway, the ease comparable to finding a mansion in a vacant field.
The alleyway was narrow, barely able to fit two people. Meredith took the lead, armed with her charged coins.
"It's quite warm, isn't it?" said Minerva lowly.
Meredith nodded in agreement, the warmth of their thin fabrics magically keeping them warm like a thick coat. "Don't they imbue these with permanent spells? No wonder why the tuition fees are so high."
MInerva chuckled. "Certainly. All these only to not add anti-tear, that's like your biggest enemy in combat."
Meredith turned back, smirking to Minerva's bitter frown. "Ahh right, you say that since you had the short end of the stick once." The memory of Minerva versus Acheron resurfaced. "I seriously thought the great and great Second Undefeated would die to the hands of a foreign foe.. Truly, I wept." she wiped imaginary tears from her eyes.
Minerva feverishly shook her head. "No way in hell I'm dying as an unmarried virgin! I've yet to experience a first kiss!"
"Lame!"
Their warm bantering laughter filtered through the cold air.
"What? Have you already experienced a first kiss?"
Meredith's smile held a hint of her pride and nostalgia. "Obviously! We're 17—legal adults. Besides," she pulled the glove off her left hand, revealing a delicate ring on her fourth finger, its ruby and black diamonds shimmering faintly even in the dim light. "I'm engaged."
Minerva gasped. "What? To whom??" Curiosity leaked out of Minerva's voice as she grabbed her hand and observed the ring.
Meredith chuckled in amusement as she pulled her hand back. "I'll hold that off for now, though if I could tell you one thing: it's already been for a while."
The fact she had shared her first kiss with someone she loves sent a warm feeling over her stomach, what didn't was the aftermath—rejection.
For every recount, the weight she carried over her chest resurfaced. She was never able to talk to him ever since, and that fact tortured her worse than a whip down her back.
Sévir van Doren, Former Fifth Prince of the Stepan Empire—he had been engaged to the Duchess of Galenville, Meredith Galena, way before the coup d'état sprang. Their serene connection, so tightly knit, easily came loose. He proved it to her that day.
The pain and emptiness that came forth, when was the last time she felt that way? She remembered—when Damon broke news of the tragedy.
She turned around and wore her glove as they proceeded forward. The painful memories remained, yet regressed as time went on and duty returned.
Now wasn't the time to focus on what was, but what is and what will be.
They inched closer to the opposite opening after what felt like eternity. They went straight, then a long and slight left, straight, then a sharp right.
Meredith wiped the sweat off her forehead as she leaned against the wall. "This walk is longer than the bridge.."
"One hell of an alleyway," Minerva looked around, "it doesn't have other connections either."
Meredith walked over to the corner, looking out for any nearby people. "Do you think it's safe to get out of here now?" she asked as Minerva joined in.
The latter nodded. "Onto the next alleyway."
They sprinted over to the next just across.
The houses were more distant from each other, allowing the alleyway to easily fit three people with still a tad bit more room.
Crates and barrels were scarce and scattered by the doors as they tread deeper, all the windows closed with some covered by outdoor window blinds of various colours and patterns.
Some shed light, most did not.
Some emitted noise, most did not.
As she continued to look around, Minerva pulled back her collar. Surprise jolted her heart as she looked forward; before her was a middle-aged man who appeared from a smaller alley and stared daggers at her, yet walked away in silence.
They both looked back to the man who continued to walk without looking back.
Perhaps he was just minding his own business, but that wasn't what bugged her heart.
Why was he outside? There's no shops open.
He had to avoid casual strolls, there were big chances of encountering scouting bandits or soldiers, both risking danger.
Meredith glanced at Minerva. "Hey.." A cold sweat trickled down her head as her heart raced in what could have been a possible encounter with a bandit.
Yes, she encountered them before, but something about now, four days later, left her restless.
"Let's go. Quick." Minerva suggested, dashing right away.
Meredith found herself unfazed from the sudden movement and followed suit.
The man they stumbled onto could've been a hired mercenary. She ought to run away as fast and as far as possible if she didn't want to encounter the man ever again.
She ran in the middle to avoid any incoming traffic, and as they ventured deeper, her heart raced no longer from the fear of the man, but the rigorous physical activity that tore her legs at the pace they were going.
"M–Minerva!" she panted. "Wait up! Let's slow down!"
They slowed down, the exhaustion planted in their faces. "Wow, when was the last time I ran this long and fast?" asked Minerva, though only she could answer that.
Meredith wiped the sweat off her forehead. "I don't know, but we were running a marathon there."
As her heart calmed down, she noticed a blend of white and yellow from the corner of her eye.
She looked to her right, squealing and recoiling as her heart raced again.
MInerva looked back at her, alarmed, then looked at what she saw.
Through the window, a white and blonde man whose mouth was immobilised by thick cloth. From his movements, it seemed like he was restrained, but that's not only what caught her attention.
The desperate eyes of green were akin to leaves.
The blonde hair strayed from pale blonde and closer to Noelle's more yellowish hue.
His forehead was red, as if he tried banging the window endlessly.
His shirt was nowhere to be found, only covered by his clear skin and a few bruises.
Meredith's blood ran cold—she was unable to speak.
Then,
"Percival!?" Minerva exclaimed.
That's right, there was no other that they knew would be here other than [Percival Galath].
Minerva thrusted her fist to break the window, alas it was futile as she hit an invisible barrier. "What the.."
Percival slightly and constantly moved back and forth as if he was screaming, yet they heard nothing.
Her eyes landed on the nearest door. Dashing, she raised a leg to kick it down, but it was the same result. "Dammit! Minerva, the openings are blocked by [Barrier Magic]!"
"I know.." Minerva ran a hand through her hair and clicked her tongue. She leaned forward, her face softening. "Percival, you may not hear us right now, but I promise we'll get you out of there!"
Meredith walked up to her, her gaze landing on something else—a miniature figure behind him.
She pointed at the figure. "..Who's that?"
Percival looked behind and urged the figure to come closer. When it did, the Ms' eyes widened again.
Very curly and black-haired, tan-skinned, and golden-eyed it ticked all the boxes.
There were only a few people who had hair this curly naturally, and the eye that struck a resemblance to Boris Luther and Sévir hinted at Dorevillean heritage.
"Could this be.. Isaac Luther?" The Ms stared at each other for a moment.
But even so, how could they enter if they were blocked by barrier magic?
Meredith already had the answer.
"Wait up." she looked down and opened her coin pouch, grabbing two Argenti. "You might want to step away for a bit." she hand signalled to Percival to back off as far as possible.
This was her solution. The only solution she could muster. It was either this or come back another day, a possible day where Percival and the supposed Isaac's captors already brought them elsewhere.
Her hands trailed the invisible barrier, then she stepped as far back as she could.
Clipping the coins between the gaps of her three fingers, she engaged her wrists and tensed the fingers.
A hot feeling surged through her visible veins; a feeling she had gotten used to, a feeling that could be interpreted as literally melting your veins.
Through the work of her brain and relaxing of her fingers, she noticed small but constant streaks of purple electricity in the coins.
To limit but concentrate, tension is a must.
Through the pain of heat, she knew the grand scale of mana she put just into those two silver coins.
"Fail me, I dare you," she furrowed her brows and swung her arm. "AVARIUM!" she yelled the name of the spell she casted countless amounts of time just before releasing the coins from her grasp.
The coins flew with their own revolution, the electric-like sparks increasing until it coated them whole.
As it made contact with the invisible barrier, the charges glowed brightest to a lavender hue then did its magic.
The silent area woke up to the sounds of a loud boom akin to an explosion and the collapse of stone.
The sound was deafening, as proven by the non-stop ringing in Meredith's ears as she stood up and collected herself from the force of the explosion.
"Did it work..?" asked Minerva, who looked barely affected by the explosion.
The smoke collected itself and disappeared, revealing the giant hole that wiped out the whole front of the house and affected other houses.
"There's your answer." said Meredith with a hint of pride. She walked inside carefully as the road shattered and became unstable.
Minerva followed suit and rushed to Percival's aid. "Percival!"
Meredith's eyes narrowed to the sight of Percival's body—bloody and bruised. Minerva took off the cloth in his head, allowing him to speak once again.
He opened and closed his mouth, perhaps due to the sheer dryness on the sides, then licked his lips. "Ugh, finally. Why are you guys here?"
"Me and Meredith were going to look for a kid." said Minerva as she untied the ropes around his legs, but stopped as she reached for his wrists bound behind him.
"These chains are [anti-magic chains]." Percival commented. "If it weren't, then I definitely would have escaped earlier."
With Percival mostly taken care of, Meredith approached the kid who they suspected to be Isaac Luther and undid the cloth on his mouth and ropes. He didn't have a chain like Percival.
They stared at each other in silence for what felt like an eternity until..
"Are you Isaac Luther?"
The kid narrowed his eyes. "..How do you know my name?"
Bingo.
In an attempt to win over the kid, Meredith smiled and spoke softly. "I'm Meredith Galena, a student in the Stepan Capital Academy. We heard your father mention your name."
He looked up, a hint of surprise in his face. "My.. Father..?"
She put a hand on his shoulder. "He was desperate to cross the bridge and find you. He was very worried, you know? How did you even get captured?"
"..I ran away."
Surprise jolted Meredith, alas she couldn't inquire further.
With a smile, she stood up and offered her hand. "Well then, allow us to keep you safe for the time being, Big Sister will make sure you don't get hurt."
Isaac's eyes darted to her and her hand. With a sigh, she took her hand and stood up.
Meredith's heart warmed to the kid trusting her. A sense of duty washed over her—now she couldn't let anything bad happen to him.
"The explosion was pretty loud, we should get going!" said Percival, whose wrists were no longer bound.
Meredith glanced at his wrists, then the hairpin in Minerva's hand. "Yeah, let's go!"
As they re-entered the alleyway, a swarm of armed bandits blocked their way.
Meredith instinctively grabbed multiple coins and yelled, "AVARIUM!" she threw the coins all at once like a grapeshot. It was safe to say that the battle ended before it even started.
They sprinted as if their life depended on it—because it really did. Minerva carried Isaac instead of Percival to relieve his body of any stress, after all he was quite roughed up.
Another swarm of bandits caught up and chased them on the wide main road.
The air was mixed with the cold and heat, the urgency of not slipping up was at an all time high.
They took a sharp right that led to the light—the camp just across the 400-metre bridge.
"There it is! Keep running!" Meredith shouted. She sent all her remaining energy down to her legs, ignoring the voices of the bandits behind, the cold air that brushed against her body.
Her legs burned, but she didn't care.
If it means reaching the camp, then she will send her legs to the absolute limit. She didn't really need to worry anyway because their pace was literally that of an athlete.
She took a few coins, charged and threw them at the bandits who already lessened, perhaps out of fear of facing the Trystan Knights when they were ill-prepared.
Their noise had already alerted the soldiers, who as far as Meredith could see, were preparing at the bridge for a possible battle.
They entered the bridge, Meredith's downpour of sweat and exhaustion finally catching up.
Just a little more, then they'll be safe.
Just a little more, then they could say they saved two people.
Just a little more, then..
They glanced back and realised not a single bandit followed them anymore. They slowed down and reached the battle-ready soldiers.
Meredith pressed her hand against her knees as she panted. She could feel her heart ready to burst out at any minute, paired with heavy lungs that made it feel hard to properly breathe even if she did just that.
Fortunately she recovered after a minute, though her legs burned.
"Her Grace, let me assist you." calmly said a soldier.
Meredith looked up and smiled. "Thank you, I'm absolutely spent."
With his metal arm at the ready, she clung onto it and walked back to the camp.