Movement 0: House Cleaning
There will be a great deal of hardship on the road ahead.
"Slowpoke!"
Marenix's training partner stuck her tongue out at him, as he lay in the sand, his rear aching.
I'm not cut out for this…
Marenix thought to himself, panting in exhaustion.
"C'mon Mare! Get up! If you can't beat me, who knows if they'll let you graduate! You're a terrible fighter! Terrible!"
The girl sneered at him with her devious red eyes. Marenix didn't move, savoring the brief respite he had having been knocked down. He brought his eyes slowly to the girl, and said between breaths, "Can't you go…a little easy on me…for once?"
"Blegh!" The girl stuck her tongue out at him again, and crossed her arms. "That's cheating!"
"But you're the best fighter in the school…"
"Too bad!"
Marenix slumped his head back, sighing. What did he do to deserve this treatment? Ever since his eldest brother became the best swordsmen in Sidonia, the pressure on him had been increased by at least two orders of magnitude. It was ludicrous. He just wanted to go into the sciences, like his other elder brother, but now the Arquis household was expecting him to be just as amazing as Ardinand Li Arquis.
He wasn't Ardinand Li Arquis. He was Marenix Li Arquis, and he was currently on his ass, panting in exhaustion and defeat. He certainly didn't appreciate being berated by his brat of a training partner, Ashlynde. She finally extended him a hand, and he cautiously took it, wary to be played for a fool in any number of ways, but she didn't try anything.
Marenix fixed his dirtied collar and remarked, "I'll be graduating just fine, thank you very much – You're the one who should be worrying…Your grades in academia are terr-"
Ashlynde threw a punch at him, but he barely stumbled out of the way, clutching his heart.
"I know! Stop reminding me!" She pouted. Her eyes suddenly flared with glee and she stared off somewhere behind Marenix. "Look! It's the 51st!"
She pointed, and shoved past Marenix in the next moment. Marenix rolled his eyes and hastened to keep pace with Ashlynde. Before them, a pair of tall fighters had entered the sandy proving grounds. They were far taller than the students around them, including Ashlynde. They ignored the stares of those around them, and began sparring.
Ashlynde watched on, her eyes sparkling. Marenix wasn't fond of battle, but even he found himself entranced by their motions. They seemed more akin to a pair of blurs that raced around each other in a dance than two soldiers sparing. On their shoulders, the insignia of the 51st gleamed.
"Elite units…That's where I want to go."
Marenix heard Ashlynde say, and looked over to find her beaming, her eyes filled with childish awe. He didn't have the heart to tell her that the elites of Sidonia's fighting force probably didn't share her awful academic regime when they were in the academy.
He instead shrugged and remarked. "Who knows where we'll end up…At this rate with all the manpower shortages…Every sector of Sidonia needs more people…"
With the war going on the way it was, with two massive fronts and the majority of humanity focusing their ire on Sidonia…Everything nowadays was a scramble. The age limits had been lowered again, past an already controversially young age. It used to be that Nekomata were one-hundred when they were considered grown and ready to be met with responsibility. That age was now twenty. It was like having the rug pulled out from under you. Projections for the future had always been hopeful, but things have only steadily gotten worse.
Marenix thought he'd have so much more time…But soon, he would be getting an early graduation, and assigned a master to be an apprentice for. The same went for Ashlynde.
He looked over her with pity. Sure, she was a good fighter but…Her body was still not fully developed…She'd be overpowered by any opponent…with the possible exception of himself. Marenix didn't even grow any facial hair, and soon Sidonia expected him to take lives in defense of the homeland…
He shook his head.
"Come on, let's get some shade and some water…"
Marenix started to turn away, but Ashlynde wasn't budging. Instead, she ran off closer to the 51st, who had paused in their sparring, and were taking a breather.
"Do you know when Alisson Vi Nuam will be back?"
She asked. The two 51st both looked at each other, and broke into smirks at naivety of Ashlynde.
"Sorry girl, ole' Alis already has an apprentice. Got one half a year back."
Ashlynde shook her head angrily. "No no no! I'm not wanting to be his apprentice – Not that I wouldn't want to but – You guys can't get any new members or apprentices unless the captain is in town, right?"
The 51st chuckled with understanding.
"Sorry again, but he's off on a top secret mission…Even we don't know when he'll be back."
"Grr-! Everyone tells me that!"
Ashlynde stomped her foot and growled in annoyance.
"Because it's true. Listen kid, take my advice, don't get yourself caught up in places you'll regret being in..."
The 51st cut himself off and raised a hand to his ear. He averted his eyes, and his countenance suddenly turned serious. Meanwhile the bystanders who had been gawking at the 51st, now were gawking at Ashlynde's brazen questions and attitude to them. Marenix had long gotten used to her antics, but addressing elite units without so much as a sliver of respect or courteousness was unheard of. It would come back to bite her eventually, Marenix had always told her, but of course she never listened.
The 51st looked to his partner, "We need to go."
The two of them sat up, and quickly began to leave. Ashlynde jumped around in front of them,
"What is it!? What's going on! Don't just leave without telling me anything!"
One 51st looked back at her and muttered offhandedly, "Providence might just bless you…"
Ashlynde's demanding and jumping around them ceased when she heard that, and they left without much fuss after that. She stood dead still, and Marenix tepidly approached, about to touch her shoulder. "…Lyn?"
She suddenly turned around with sparkles in her eyes. "Alisson is returning!"
Marenix squinted at her, but she continued, "Think about it! Why else would they say that! Why else would they leave like that so suddenly! It's about time he gets back to Sidonia anyway! Everyone's been asking where he's be-!"
Marenix put his hand over her mouth quickly. "Quiet! You keep on talking about confidential stuff out loud and inquisitors are going to knock down our door at night!"
Ashlynde pushed away Marenix and took a breath, and spoke in a quieter tone, "Seriously, that's what I think."
Marenix shook his head. "You're delusionally hopeful as usual…"
Marenix's eyes drifted past Ashlynde. There was a girl older than both of them, who was standing dead still, staring at Ashlynde. Marenix suddenly had a bad feeling.
"Maybe drop the delusional part please?" Ashlynde rubbed the back of her head bashfully. "All I'm saying is…I'd want to get assigned to a good unit…and not frontline duty. Those 51st guys are so cool-!"
Marenix barely paid attention to Ashlynde, and turned away, putting a hand to his chin for show, whilst looking at that girl out of the corner of his vision. "The 51st are said to have the highest survival rate…It'd be a pretty safe assignment." He replied absentmindedly.
She had black hair, and dark eyes. She started toward the two of them suddenly, and Marenix's heart started to beat rapidly.
Ashlynde continued talking, oblivious, "Blegh…screw a safe, cushy spot, I want action! You can just go mix tonics or something behind me."
Marenix's eye twitched. He pushed past Ashlynde and raised his arm in front of her, and called out to the mysterious girl who was pacing closer, "Hey! What's your problem? Who are you?"
As Ashlynde turned to face Marenix's direction, the girl stopped, and began walking away. Marenix stood staring with a scowl on his face when he was lightly punched by Ashlynde.
"Mare, you're crazy." She pushed away his arm. "It's like you're inventing ways for you to be a big strong man and protect me or something, I can handle myself y'know~!"
Marenix exhaled and turned to Ashlynde. He muttered under his breath. "That girl with the black hair…She was giving you a bad look…" He shook his head. "I didn't like it."
Ashlynde tilted her head with a mocking smile, about to open her mouth when –
"You. You said Alisson Vi Nuam would be returning soon?"
That girl was suddenly a foot away from the both of them, right in Marenix's and Ashlynde's faces. This made apparent that she was a head taller than the both of them, and was obviously older. She wore not a training uniform like them either. She was a mature apprentice, most likely.
"Wh-what?" Ashlynde stammered in surprise and backed away a little with Marenix. "I don't know nothing! That's why I was asking those 51st guys!"
"Then what did they say?" She replied immediately, her voice monotone.
Ashlynde shook her head. "I'm not saying a peep! I don't even know who you are!"
Marenix tugged on Ashlynde's uniform. "Come on Lyn…We should go…"
He didn't like this girl. There was something wrong about her. The black-haired girl suddenly sighed loudly in their faces. "I'm only asking because an old friend of mine is Alisson's apprentice, and where he goes, his apprentice has to be following."
"Oh oh!" Ashlynde nodded with understanding. "Well they said that-!"
Marenix put a hand over her mouth and made her mumble into her hand for the second time. Ashlynde was too gullible an idiot to be left alone, truly.
Marenix was about to open his mouth when a new presence filled the air around them. Large gauntleted hands were placed on both his head and that of the girl's.
"What are you kids talking about?"
To their sides was a tall, masculine man. Marenix recognized him immediately from the insignia he wore, and his general age and maturity. "D-Daventdale Se Sabathi…You're the vice-captain of the 51st, Alisson's right-hand man…"
Marenix gulped, immediately scared that he'd be reprimanded for making a scene about something confidential.
"Right you are. So, anything interesting going on?"
"N-no sir…" Marenix stammered.
"Sorry sir. I was just leaving." The black-haired girl bobbed her head and glanced at Marenix, "I'm sorry for wasting your time."
With that she turned and left.
As Ashlynde was struggling and trying to free herself of Marenix, Daventdale looked to him, "If there's anything wrong, you be sure to tell someone. You understand? You're still kids, you don't need to solve everything on your own."
Daventdale smiled gently.
Marenix averted his eyes, mumbling, "We're both graduating soon. We ought to be able to."
"Hmph." Daventdale took his hand off of Marenix, and stepped back. "You'll get yourself killed thinking like that. Anyways, ciao." With that the large 51st strode away.
Marenix hadn't even noticed his presence. He had probably been watching the other two before. Ashlynde finally freed herself of Marenix and gasped for air.
"What're you trying to kill me!?"
Marenix shook his head. "No, I was saving you, idiot…You shouldn't be talking about military secrets, especially if someone wants to know and is so forward like that…It's suspicious."
"Nope!" Ashlynde shook her head. "Being forward is a sure sign of innocence, since they have nothing to hide." She crossed her arms and nodded to herself.
Marenix sighed. "And that's why you're a sucker…"
That girl changed her approach to coax out information from Ashlynde. If she had stayed the same, deadpan persona, it would've been less suspicious. But someone like that…someone who changes their tone to manipulate others…
"Blegh!" Ashlynde stuck out her tongue at Marenix again.
"Come on, let's get out of here. We're going to be graduate soon…No use getting into any trouble before then…"
As they left the proving grounds, Marenix couldn't shake the well of pressure in his stomach that something very bad had happened. But when he looked at Ashlynde's smiling, carefree countenance, he wondered if he was just overreacting, like he normally did.
Still…Alisson is returning huh? I'm sure there will be a parade or something…
***