"Hey! Wake up, sleepy head! We are gonna be late!" Luna yelled from outside my door.
Today was just like any other wake-up train, fight in a duel, and then go to sleep again. It was monotonous and difficult, but it's what my family had raised me to do.'Such is the way of a distinguished warrior or some bullshit.' I thought, with a roll of my eyes.
"I'm awake! Stop yelling already damn.." I shouted back, my sleepy voice coming out deeper than usual. Getting out of bed groggy, I stumbled to the closet, grabbing the plain set of grey training clothes that hung loosely from an old hangar. Putting them on, I thought to myself, 'What's even the point..the whole family knows I won't ever try for a place of leadership anyway.'
I had no desire to lead or have responsibilities within my clan. It all seemed pointless to me ever since I was a kid. Sighing loudly, knowing these thoughts wouldn't help me escape my grueling day, I pulled the sweatpants up around my waist. "At least I'm training with luna today, so I guess it could be worse," I muttered.
Opening my door, my gaze was fixated on the ground in scowl when suddenly I was greeted by luna, who, to my surprise, hadn't moved away from my doorway, so I almost smashed heads with her. A small yelp escaped her lips at me, bumping into her before she jumped backward and almost fell flat on her ass.
"A bit of warning next time, jerk!"
"Maybe don't stand in people's doorways like a creep, and these situations wouldn't happen," I replied mockingly.
Moving away from the startled girl, I began walking down the hallway. It was the same as it had ever been. The dull white plaster was fading behind the seemingly never-ending portraits of previous leaders and tyrants of the clan. Their eyes seemed to bore holes into me every time I passed them, all except for one.
Reaching what I considered the middle of the hallway, I drew my gaze upward to look at the one portrait I never could seem to stay away from. Her radiant golden eyes looked elsewhere, while her black and blue hair flowed down in smooth waves, almost appearing to move in the portrait. The sharp and elegant features of her face screamed authority, but the small lines framing her eyes gave off a maternal feeling. She was slender, but not so much so that one would think her healthy. All in all, she was beautiful and regal.
"Hi mom... I hope you are doing well.." I said with a sigh while gently touching the fragile painting.
"I'm training again today, this time with luna. Can you believe that? It seems the elders have finally taken me for a joke to pair me with that airhead... not that I'm complaining, of course!" Letting out a small cough, I finished my daily greeting with the same thing I always said.
"I miss you, Mom...and I promise I'll see you again someday."
With a saddened nod, I walked away. Upon reaching the grand hall, the scenery became vastly different. However, it wasn't overly different, at least to me. Instead of portraits, the perimeter of the grand hall was lined with marble statues. Their finely carved details showcase even the smallest hints of their physical attributes. Unlike the hallway I just came from, these statues weren't of only leaders and high-ranking officials like their portrait counterparts. No, these were the visages and tributes of the heroes that my clan worshipped like deities.
Walking swiftly away from the statues I made my way towards the dining room, this room was much more opulent than most of the manor. The silver and gold decor accented the dark grey walls beautifully, and the beautifully carved oak dining table tied the room together. The clan's crest was heavily shown off in here. The center of the table had the most noticeable one. There carved in perfect detail was a crescent moon with two swords crossing below it. The symbol of the night-blade clan, one that scared our enemies and strengthened our allies.
"About time you woke up, boy." Said a well-dressed man sitting at the end of the table. His hair and appearance were similar to mine, just in a far more mature way. It always felt like I was looking at an older version of myself. His dark red and black suit showed off his wealth in a discreet manner, but his overwhelming aura was proof enough of his strength, he didn't withdraw it even when entertaining the guests that sometimes arrived in the main house.
"Hello, father. I apologize for my late awakening," I said with a formal bow before seating myself.
With a wave of his hand and a shake of his head, he didn't continue berating me. However, he still brought up the same conversation we always had.
"How long is it going to take you before you finally live up to my legacy, ranika?"
"I've said it before, and I'll say it again father..I have no desire to kill vassals of our family just to rise in the ranks. Regardless of my father being the leader or not." I said back with a sigh. It was the same question every day. As if he's hoping for me to change my resolve every time I go to sleep.
"You are the son of Taven night-blade. It is time you start acting like it. Otherwise, our enemies may grow bold enough to attack you based on this perceived weakness you put on." He said sternly, his voice calm. There was no anger in it, just authority.
"If our enemies ever grow that brazen, then I will cut them down as they do not share my family's blood," I replied coldly.
Though I have no real affection towards most of the clan, they are still my relatives, so if I see them attacked or in danger, I most certainly will fight on their behalf. Upon making my statement, the aura surrounding me lessened, showing that my father was done with this line of questioning. 'It would seem my answer satisfied him for today..' I thought to myself while looking at the intimidating clan leader. His shoulders had become less tense, and his body language showed he had relaxed. The smile that appeared on his face was somewhat off-putting. However,' I know that look...what is he planning?' The thought crossed my mind like a speeding ballista bolt.
"After training, do you know who your opponent will be in today's duel son?" He asked calmly.
"Uh... no father, I do not know, that information is withheld from the challengers," I replied a bit confused.
He sat there silent for a moment as if he was choosing if it was a good idea to tell me or not. After a minute or so, he finally spoke.
"It will be the challenger who took your mother from us last year. I'm sure you know his name, Midnight." As he said this, his aura began to swell, but not as quickly as mine. The cold immediately surrounded us, freezing the drinks placed on the table. It then proceeded to turn the food that was steaming from the heat into cold inedible blocks.
".....it's him, are you sure?" I said through suppressed rage.
"Yes, I received confirmation earlier this morning."
"Then....he will die today," I said with finality, withdrawing my aura. I left the dining room on that final sentence. I made my way to the training hall with speed and irritation, ready to get training over with as quickly as possible.
"Hey! Oh...shit was the conversation with the clan leader that difficult this time?" Luna asked after seeing the twisted anger on my face.
"Yes and...no. Today, I want to focus on aura battles, luna, and I'm sorry in advance." I said hesitantly.
"I don't know what happened, but that's fine by me. I've been practicing!" She said back with confidence.
With that final reply, her aura bloomed out gracefully, its color resembling a full moon on a clear star-less night. It's pale white, almost blinding, causing me to cover my eyes momentarily. That brief moment of distraction was all she needed, as suddenly a sword of pure light manifested from the ground firing directly at my legs, hoping to cripple me immediately. Thinking quickly, I suffused ice around my body in an armor-like fashion, the blade of light shattered on impact with the solid ice showing just how fragile the blades were.
'Practicing, huh?.. I know you can do better, luna. Come on, push me to my limit. I need this.' I thought, with a hint of a smile.
Noticing my smile, she returned it with her own. Her's, however, wasn't one of joy. It was one of pure confidence mixed with a lax attitude. I gave her a confused look, wondering what on earth could have sparked this sudden confidence. Then, with a flash, she disappeared along with the light that was surrounding us. Her presence couldn't even be detected through my aura, causing me to heighten my guard.
"I told you...I've been practicing, hehe." She said, her soft voice brushing against my ear, making me shudder.
"So it would seem," I replied nonchalantly.
Forcing more of the icy aura out of me, I created a small and thin barrier around me. 'This way, no matter where she attacks from, I'll at least have a moment to react.' I thought proudly. I couldn't have been more wrong, though.
Appearing from below my feet, she sprang from the ground, a sword held firmly in her hand in an upward swing. The ice still suffused my body, so I didn't bother to dodge, which would turn out to be nearly fatal in this practice duel. The blade cut cleanly through the layer of ice without a hint of resistance, and then it started to pass through my skin. After the cut was delivered, however, she took a step back, making sure not to injure me.
"You place too much faith in your defense, ranika. If you wish to grow stronger, then you will have to focus more on swordplay and offensive aura techniques." She stated matter-of-factly, her tone becoming hard and teacher-like.
"Yeah.. you're right.. Thank you for the advice, luna. Let's try again." I replied with renewed vigor.