Grassy, green fields, chirping birds, flowers in full bloom, the sun shining… The world really is beautiful, isn't it? The Cecil Kingdom was a prime example of this beauty. Humanity at peace, a stable economy, low crime rate… It was almost like living inside of a dream rather than reality.
Boy: "998… 999… 1,000."
A boy who looked to be in his early teen years was talking to himself while swinging a wooden sword.
He has short-medium length brown hair, it stretched about halfway down his neck in the back. The front of his hair was split, he had a middle part that started all the way at his hairline. He had what a well-defined jaw would be, for his age at least, although he still had quite the baby face. His eyes were a dead green, almost like a serpent's. When it came to his physique, he was definitely ahead of most people in his age group. He had a fairly slim build, but if you looked close enough, you would be able to see the muscle his body has built up. He wasn't too tall, maybe around 153cm, average for his age. His facial expression seemed fairly calm, but you could see the exhaustion building up on his face.
When it came to clothing, he had a loose, long sleeved white shirt that seemed to have quite a bit of dirt staining it. His pants were fitted neatly, not too tight, not too loose, and they were a desaturated brown color. He had a leather belt around his waist, over the shirt. It was likely the article of clothing on him that was keeping the shirt from drooping down excessively low. His shoes were simple leather boots that were fairly tattered, but they were still usable nonetheless.
After he said 1,000, he dropped to the ground on his behind. His arms supporting his body from falling down completely. He looked into the sky, but quickly snapped his neck away, as he accidentally looked directly into the sun. He let go of the wooden sword and used his two hands to rub his eyes. He blinked them aggressively a few times as well.
After a small while of reclining in the grass while resting his eyes, he gave a yawn and stood up. He grabbed the wooden sword from the ground and put it in between the small gap between his belt and shirt, utilizing it as a makeshift scabbard. He began to walk through the fields, and after some time he entered a village.
The houses in the village were a concoction of straw, wood, and stone. They were scattered about in no real organized structure and were fairly small. They seem like they could house a family with a maximum of 6 people, however they seem ideal for a family of 3 or 4.
The streets of the town were made of many pebbles as well as some flat, stone slabs. They were fairly clean, with only a few dirt patches scattered about, however there was no trash lingering. The people of the town were fairly varied, tall and short, skinny and fat, long hair and short hair, and different skin colors too. There was no real defining feature connecting them all besides the fact that they were all human.
The boy continued walking through the streets of the small town, waving high to shopkeepers tending to their booths along the way. Not too much time had passed, and he arrived at one of the smaller houses in the village. He slowly pushed open the door and peeked his head in, carefully examining the indoors. He sneakily stepped inside and very cautiously shut the door behind him, making sure to do so without producing a loud noise. He slowly removed his boots and after doing so, he stepped throughout the house.
The indoors were not decorated all that much. There was simple wooden flooring and walls, and in the main room there was a stone fireplace that seemed to be running, however the wood supply next to it was running low. The boy stepped towards the left of the empty main room and entered a hallway. The hallway was fairly short, and it had a step up to get into it. There were two doors on the left, and one on the right, with one more at the very end of the hallway, opposite of him.
The boy slowly stepped towards the singular door on the right, slowly creaking it open. The room he entered was the bathroom. Directly to the left there was a small countertop with a sink built into it. Not too far from the sink, to its right, was a clay toilet, and above the sink, a mirror. On the right of the bathroom there had been a small bath, only enough to barely fit an adult male. The bath already had some water in it, although it seemed to be used.
The boy reached his hand into the bath and pulled out a wooden plug from the bottom of it, causing it to begin draining the dirty water. He waited for it to drain, and when it was fully drained, he tapped a small, circular device that was on the right side of the tub. From it, water began to pour, filling the tub with new, clean water that was suitable for bathing.
As the tub was nearing its fill, the device seemed to automatically stop releasing water. The boy removed his clothes and put them on the floor and then proceeded to dip himself into the bath.
Time began to pass and pass, and after lots of it passed, the boy finally left the bath. He pulled out one of the drawers from the sink cabinet, revealing a towel drawer. He grabbed a towel that was a sanguine color, and began to dry himself off. After he finished drying himself off, he wrapped the towel around his waist to cover his private area, grabbing his clothes from the floor afterwards. He stepped out of the bathroom and walked into the room at the end of the hallway, revealing a small, fairly plain bedroom.
To the right of the door was a bed, it was made neatly with 2 yellowish pillows and a decently thick looking blanket. Its frame was made of wood. To the left of the bed was a small, wooden bed stand that had a lamp on it. It had one small drawer attached to the bottom of the tabletop. To the left of the door was a wooden desk and wooden chair. The desk had no drawers, but on top of it was a few books, a pen, and some paper scattered about. The chair was slightly pulled out to the right as well. Opposite from the door was one small window with red curtains covering it. The boy walked over to the desk and put the sword up against the inside of it, so it'd be leaning while standing. He then walked over to the window and drew the curtains, revealing the streets of the town.
After staring outside for a moment, the boy realized he was still undressed, and out of a quick fit of embarrassment, slammed the curtains shut again.
He walked over to a wooden wardrobe that was standing to the right of the desk, opening it to reveal a bunch of the same outfit he had been wearing before.
Boy: "Maybe it's time I get some more varied clothing…"
There was a slight knock at the door, and a more mature man's voice spoke up.
Mature voice: "Sige, you in there?"
Boy: "Yeah, one second. Getting dressed."
Mature voice: "Alright, hurry up, your mother wants to get going to meet your brother now."
The boy, who's name was Sige, quickly grabbed his (not so) new outfit and threw it on in a hurry. It was a little less neat looking than before but he thought it looked good enough. He opened the door and did a slight jog back into the main room of the house, where at the front door stood a taller, older bald man, likely in his early to mid 40s. He was very muscular and had a large double-bladed axe on his back. He was wearing a very tight, black tank top and fitted gray pants. His eyes were the same serpent green that Sige's were. You could assume the man was either Sige's older, older brother, or his father, more likely.
Old guy: "You ready?"
Sige: "Just need to get my shoes on, I should be good to go afterwards."
The man nodded and walked outside while Sige sat on the floor and put his boots back on. He quickly slid them on and shot up to follow the older man. After Sige caught up with the man, there was a woman standing next to him. She was a bit younger than the man, probably in her mid 30s. Her long, wavy brown hair had a silky glow to it, she seemed to keep it in pristine condition. Her eyes were an emerald green, they even had a glow to them, like she was an angel. Her presence in general brought a warm maternal feel to the surrounding area. She was wearing a cloth dress that stretched all the way down to below her knees, and it had a ribbon in the upper chest, tying the dress together. The cloth was a darker, desaturated brown, but not quite gray. He had boots on, but they only covered up to her ankles, and around the ankle area there was white fur coating them.
Woman: "Sige, your clothes are a little messy!"
Sige: "I forgot we were meeting Enryn today, so when Dad reminded me, I rushed to get ready."
Woman: "I was reminding you all week, honey!"
Sige: "I know, I know, I'm sorry, Mom. I've just been focused on… you know."
Old guy: "You can't get into a Magic Academy with just swordsmanship, son, not to mention the fact how you don't even have-"
Woman: "Richard!"
Sige looked down to his feet in a mix of frustration and despair.
Sige: "I know that… but…"
The older man, who has been revealed to be Richard, Sige's father, sighed.
Richard: "I'm sorry, buddy, we're just worried about you. We don't want you to get rejected and end up depressed for a while. We love you and support your goals but…"
Richard's sentence trailed off.
Richard: "Let's just get going, don't wanna keep Enryn waiting too long. Right, Mari?"
The woman, Sige's mother, Mari, looked at Sige for a moment with a hint of sadness in her eyes.
Mari: "Yes, you're right. Sige, let's get going."
Sige lagged behind his mother and father because his mood was a bit down now. He didn't want to spoil the mood of his brother's return from school. Enryn was Sige's older brother, and an aspiring mage attending one of the Cecil kingdom's magic academy's, Tahyrst.
In Cecil, there were three primary magic academies that aspiring mages would apply to. Tahyrst, Undale, and Iltun. There was no real difference between the schools besides their name. The only reason there were 3 different academies was because the headmages of society did not want to crowd one campus full of so many students. Therefore, they founded 3 different academies with 3 different locations, to split up the student count. If one were to rank their strength, Iltun would be the strongest, with Undale and Tahyrst nearly tied for second place. The only reason Iltun was ranked as the strongest was because it's the closest to the capital city, and since more nobles and talented mages congregate near the capital, Iltun was the best decision for them.
Richard: "It seems to be about noon, so Enryn should be here soon."
Richard was covering his eyes slightly from the top with his hand as he looked into the sky to see where the sun was.
Mari: "Richard, honey, Enryn bought you a watch, you don't need to keep looking into the sky for the time."
Richard: "Oh, right."
Richard peered down at his wrist to the watch Enryn had bought him before leaving for Tahyrst.
Richard: "It's already 12:30, we're late!"
Richard immediately grabbed Mari by her wrist and began running through the streets of the town, navigating past crowds. Sige was doing his best to keep up behind his two parents as well, attempting not to lose them in the crowd.
After running through the town and navigating crowds, pushing people aside and speeding past crossing wagons, the three arrived at the village gate, where there was nobody to be found.
Richard while panting, spoke between breaths.
Richard: "Didn't Enryn… say he'd wait for us… at the gate..?"
Mari: "I'm sure that… he's just a little late…"
Sige, however, was not tired at all. For some reason, this gave him a sense of satisfaction, showing the results of all this physical training he's been putting himself through.
In the distance, a wagon came into view. It was a classic wooden wagon with a cloth overhead, and it was being pulled along by two horses. Sige's parents did not notice this wagon, they had been resting on a nearby log, attempting to recollect themselves.
The wagon drew closer and closer, with the driver coming into view. He was an older man, though not in the "elderly" stages yet. His general presence seemed bland, and so did his face. He had slight eye bags, suggesting he was lacking in the sleep department. He was just your average, every day guy. No outstanding features.
The wagon finally reached the village and stopped for just a moment. A tall, lean figure jumped out the back. They were wearing a hooded white cloak, with the hood up, that stretched down to slightly past the center of the back. The cloak also had a royal purple outline to it. Their pants were a pair of fancier, black suit-like pants. The shoes they were wearing were black boots with buckles on the front, keeping them tied and tight. The boots went a little bit above the ankles, it seemed, as the tightness of the pants was able to make an outline of the top of the boots. The figure turned around, revealing a calm, soft face of a male. He looked to be in his mid to later teens, but no younger than 16. His eyes were a bright emerald green, similar to Mari's, and the polar opposite of Sige's and Richard's. He removed his hood, revealing a short head of brown hair that was slicked back, and the back of the hair had some spike to it. Under the cloak he was wearing a white button up shirt that had a gray rag being utilized as a tie. His outfit was indeed, extremely fancy.
Young Man: "Yo, Sige!"
He waved to Sige with a smile on his face. Sige waved back, also with a smile.
Sige: "Hey, Enryn. Welcome back."
Enryn walked over to Sige and gave him a tight embrace.
Enryn: "Don't act so distant from your brother, you knucklehead!"
Sige: "Ow, ow! Enryn, you're squeezing me too tight! I'm gonna burst and die!"
Sige's words had no seriousness behind them, he was grinning and laughing while speaking. Enryn ruffled Sige's hair after ending their short hug.
Enryn: "Where are Mom and Dad?"
Sige pointed over to the log where their parents had still been attempting to recover their strength.
Sige: "They realized it was past the time you said you'd arrive and rushed here. They exerted themselves a tad too much, I believe."
Enryn: "I see our household is as chaotic as ever…"
Sige: "It'd be weirder if there was a lack of chaos."Enryn: "That's… frighteningly true."
Enryn's face became even more relaxed, and his smile became wider.
Sige: "So, how was your second year in Tahyrst?"
Enryn: "Not bad, but definitely more boring than the first year. I guess being used to the environment has an effect on the whole 'Magic school is awesome' thing. How's your training been going?"
Sige: "Well enough, I guess? Can't really say, there's nothing to test it out on in this small of a town."
Enryn: "Hmm… Go to the field you usually train at. I'll meet you there shortly. Just gonna say hello to Mom and Dad, then I'll head right over. I'll personally put your training to the test."
Sige's eyes lit up immediately. This was it. The moment he could really test if his training has been worth it. It's now or never, and he was putting all his bets on the 'now' rather than the 'never.'
Sige dashed for his home, and once he arrived, he darted to his bedroom and grabbed his wooden sword. With no delay or hesitation, he immediately made his way to the field.
By the time he arrived, Enryn had already been there, sitting in the grass, awaiting Sige's arrival. Without even turning around, Enryn spoke to Sige in a soft tone with a hint of seriousness to it.
Enryn: "I didn't expect to get here before you."
Sige had broken a small sweat running all the way to the house and then all the way to the field, but it wasn't enough to take his breath away.
Sige: "I had to run to the house and grab my sword. I didn't bring it with me when we went to pick you up from the gate."
Enryn: "That makes more sense, then."
Enryn put his hand on his knee and stood up, brandishing his cape as it flew in the slight wind that had passed by the brothers. He turned around, a serious look on his face opposed to the relaxed, happy expression he held earlier.
Enryn: "Are you ready?"
Sige readied himself and his blade, preparing for a battle against his own brother.
Enryn summoned a metal sword from thin air.
Enryn: "When I thrust this into the ground, we are to begin."
Sige was slightly taken aback. When his brother returned from Tahyrst the previous year, he only knew Wind magic. This simple show of blade summoning revealed that Enryn was most definitely putting in lots of hard work during his second year.
In one quick flick of the wrist, the blade thrusted into the grass, and immediately vanished. In the same moment of the sword evaporating, Enryn had vanished from Sige's sight. However, this did not panic Sige. He stayed calm and collected, listening, no, feeling for the slightest movement within a close proximity. Without a moment's hesitation, Sige felt that disturbance he was waiting for. His dormant posture quickly became active and agile. Enryn took a swing with his bare fist and aimed it at the back of Sige's head.
Sige whipped his head around and ducked under this punch, immediately following up with a swift counter attack. He took his sword and swung it upwards, attempting to land a blow on Enryn's chin, but to no result.
Enryn swung his head backwards, causing his head to face the sky, though his eyes were pointed downwards, watching Sige for another possible attack. After, he sidestepped with a small wind gust behind him, giving him a speed boost. This time, he opted to attempt a kick that would connect with Sige's back. As soon as Enryn raised his leg, Sige put his sword behind him, reacting to block the kick.
However, this was a failure.
Enryn used his remaining leg to jump off the ground. Sige's thoughts immediately swirled.
Sige: 'A feint!?'
Enryn was now midair, with his right leg plowing towards Sige's face.
It connected.
A surge of pain immediately began to flow throughout Sige's entire face, primarily in the nose region. Sige was sent back a couple feet, though he was able to stay standing. His nose was bleeding now, and there was a clear mark on his nose.
Enryn had landed perfectly on his own two feet, even after a crazy move like that. His face had a slight sinister look to it, but nothing malicious as far as Sige could tell.
Enryn: "First point goes to me."