~~~
Walking with a limp back and using her cane to support her frail body...she walks to the same path that she goes to every day.
To work.
As she always did.
She would advertise in the markets, selling fruits and vegetables. She would spend her days servicing customers and enticing them to buy food in the market. And finally, she would deal with constant belittlement and mistreatment.
...All to only end her day using the money she earned for things like food and bills.
It was an unfulfilling job for her, but she spent every day, for the past 6 years, working endlessly to fulfill her dreams.
Those dreams being...her little boy growing up normally.
Without any worries.
But today...it was harder for her to walk the path to the markets. It was harder for her to move forward and deal with the daily troubles in the markets...and it was especially harder for her to calm her heart, due to troubles.
Troubles that wore her down entirely.
"...Rodrick's no longer a little boy," She says grimly, reminding herself of the situation in her life while walking slowly and dragging her feet to the ground. She was frowning, the wrinkles in her head visible to all passersby. "I keep forgetting that," She tells herself, a small and conflicted smile on her lips.
As she was walking, she could nearly see the marketplace from the distance.
Normally, she would have been eager to go there and earn money as quick as possible...but the weight she felt on her foot stopped her from doing so.
Seconds later, the weight she felt was growing slowly, making her walk feel heavier with each step.
Now, her body was convulsing.
And then, her vision starts to recede...as it blurs everything in her path.
This blurring resulted from the tears on her face.
And the tears...were caused by the origin of her troubles: Rodrick. Or rather, how Rodrick lived.
"I've failed. I've failed..." She murmurs, crying solemnly, stopping in her tracks, and hiding her face. Tears strolled down her body, her face blocking the teary sight evident in her face. "I should have just allowed him to do as he wants..." She tells herself, wiping her eyes with her hands.
This emotional stir is a result of her hardhead.
Rodrick's mother was always stubborn, especially since she was proud of Rodrick...of what has become of him.
Even from a young age, was he already a great kid. He may be spoiled at times...but he would always help everyone and treat both adults and strangers with respect.
So on the day that she lost his husband, and Rodrick, his father...she vowed that she would give him a life that he deserved.
As a result of her years of care, despite her misgivings, did he become a man who continued to treat others with respect. He was a wonderful gentleman that was caring to all those around him.
But he lacked the one thing that she wanted him to have the most: happiness.
He was unhappy.
She knew that. She did.
It must have been because of their monetary situation...or the fact that he never had a proper male parental figure when he was a teenager...but these two were walls that she desperately sought to surmount.
...and yet, she failed.
And it hurt...for she could truly tell that she failed as a mother...that he had to result in stepping back from his education and teenage lifestyle in order to focus on getting funds.
Growing weary of all this, she looks up at the sky, bottling up her feelings so that she can display a facade of a lively personality. It's what the market-goers want...hospitable smiles and cheery personalities.
"...alright. I've decided...I'll allow him to do as he wants." And yet, despite the inner turmoil inside her...she's already made up her mind through just seconds of stifled cries. "He's no longer a little kid after all," She tells herself, breathing heavily and walking with her cane.
"But how I wish he still were..." She smiles bitterly, knowing that she has to cave in to what he wants: access to a job.
~~~
What the...master? What is master doing here? Why is she beaten up and battered?
"Get up," Alvana demanded, throwing the spear to my side and forcing me to fight. "Get up and f*cking fight." She screams, immediately launching a thrust into my shoulder.
What the f*ck was happening?! Why is my master acting like a wild boar that's loose?!
I grab the spear and manage to get up and dodge. I'm not in the clear yet, as she already launched another attack with her spear to disarm my footing. I immediately backed away!
...only to get hit by a punch on my face.
Wow! It really hurts! I can feel the sting! My master really hits like a boar tackling someone!
I wince in pain, falling again and losing my spear.
She only comes closer menacingly, her eyes devoid of light. "You immortal beings always think of life so sparingly...don't you have any shame?!" Alvana asks, her yellow eyes turning red as she imbues her dangerous aura to her spear.
Uh-oh. This is not turning out well...
She then thrusts the spear into my head which I manage to dodge by rolling over to the side...
But it didn't leave me unscathed...as the explosion on the ground left an impact on my back.
Courtesy of the fragmented debris floating in the air.
"Wait! Give me a chance to explain!" I answer back, running to the side to get my weapon...which results in her stopping and only staring. As soon as I grab my spear, I position myself and she starts a burst of attacks again.
"Explain? You want to explain?" She asks, chuckling maniacally and clashing her spear with mine.
"You better do a good job of explaining while we're fighting."
Sh*t! I better hold out long!
~~~
Druvithea, lying on the grass rather lazily, slept peacefully under the shade of the majestic cherry blossom tree in Rosalina's courtyard.
If before, the whole place was nothing but a field of grass...now, it was covered with beautiful and vibrant flowers in red and green hues. It was a rather beautiful sight...as the whole area looked like a mystical flower field that's only found in the deepest parts of the forest.
The scene would have looked like a paradise of serenity.
But the swish sounds in the air have entirely changed the whole ambiance of the courtyard.
This came from none other than Rosvyliana.
Rosvyliana, directly beside Druvithea, was training with her sword, slashing the petals in the air and honing her craft. She had to admit...the beautiful flowers in the field gave her a sense of calmness that was akin to the feeling of enlightenment.
In fact...she was actually, about to experience an enlightenment!
"This is...unprecedented," Rosvyliana breathes softly, looking up to the sky and closing her eyes.
For a total of 3 hours, she has been eagerly brandishing her skills over and over again...and finally, a long-awaited moment for her, has come.
Bright light particles from the air gravitate to her...causing fluctuations in the area. The air became harsh, as it caused the flowers to sway swiftly, and the tree to shake its branches vigorously.
Petals forcibly fall from the tree, as it swishes around and decorates the area with pink.
Soon after, the ground also starts to move, startling Druvithea and waking her up.
As Druvithea looked above to see her mother in the middle of all the fluctuations in the area...she bounched frantically, freaked out, and hid behind the tree.
...minutes pass again, and finally, Rosvyliana lets out a sigh, feeling invogirated and born anew.
The air is no longer harsh, and serenity came back to the courtyard.
What Rosvyliana experienced was enlightenment...a phenomena that only comes once in a lifetime. In fact, Rosvyliana has only experienced it twice! Well, thrice if this one is counted!
One thing to note was that the cause of this enlightment...was rather unknown. It wasn't like Rosvyliana had broken through a higher level in understanding the sword...and it's not like she's in a situation that forcibly sets her to a state of enlightenment...
So...it was a rather odd sensation for her. Especially when it felt lackluster.
However, this was a genuine enlightenment. Its effects were exactly as expected, Rosvyliana's aura became more profound and deeper.
Soon after Rosvyliana gets used to the sensation, she opens her eyes...set on testing out her own skills first and foremost.
...but when she sees the scared Druvithea behind the tree, she had to change her priorities.
"Ah...it seems like I'll have to take care of my child first and foremost." She smiles softly, finding the situation both endearing and confusing.
But can you blame her?
A warrior who had to take up the role of a mother so suddenly is...definitely an experience.