“Where have you been?”
“Living in punishment for the Zymmeth incident.” answered Aska. “All the day I’m explore the sewer but I didn’t found that Kloagator not even to see the ripples of danger. You know, I hope much on that reptile to get my stash filled up but now my chances has gone, flying up to the sky, well maybe swimming to the ocean. Now I know mysterious creature in the sewer just an urban legend.” Aska snorted. “How’s your training?”
“She taught me how to use the Sphere, she also told me to swing the sword as much as 2000 times and also made me target of her bullseye firing in front of the kids.” Rey said with a slightly sour look on his face, he finally understood why both Aska and Freeya do not dare with that girl.
“It looks like Flo I know.” said Aska with eyes closed “How about the other lessons?”
“I've been pretty tired when following other lessons but yeah I can keep up. I learn a bit about your world, about the history, about a great war you just passed and I’m wondered about one thing.”
“Yeah about what?” asked Aska yawned.
“About the Dark Lord Azriel.” replied Rey.
Those closed eyes suddenly popped open as he heard the name. Aska who was already lying down now sits with bright glow of eyes as if his sleepiness gone in a flash.
“Let me tell you kid, there are some things in this world that shouldn’t be mentioned or talked about, and one of them is the Dark Lord. Our elders always said that talk about the devil will only make them come to you.”
“I’m sorry, I just ...”
“That’s okay. You're new kid on our world, fair if you ask something like that. Besides, Lord Azriel is dead now so nothing to worry about, you're lucky you came here two decades after his fall.”
“What happened to him? How he’s fall?”
“It was Artharis, a General of Bulan Kingdom who defeated him.” said Aska. “My father was an Aesir and he was there. It was great battle on the plain of Elderon, all men all nation gathering power and marching to fight against Dark Lord. We lost many lives at the day but we gain a freedom and future without fear.”
“Wait a second you mentioned the name ‘Artharis’ but I didn’t found that name in the book. If he took the big part in history and defeated the Dark Lord why his name wasn’t mentioned?”
“Of course you won’t. His name was erased in history and all his merit disregarded.”
“Why’s that?”
“He did some terrible thing, great crime against humanity, that’s why. But my father doesn’t believe it neither I do.” said Aska. “Besides there are a lot worse than him, Sanvierre, politicians, those generals and those politicians, that bitchy-faces woman on ticket booth, and … politicians.”
“You mentioned politicians thrice.”
“Well, they’re worse than others.” said Aska. Then he rose and opened the window looking for fresh air.
***
Scarlett took a path through the training field and the security seemed quite careless until no one has noticed her, peaceful night which never disturbed in Grove had made their instincts blunted. She slips behind corridors and walls quickly and nimbly. Nothing halted him till three daggers of ice stopped her. She turned around immediately and there she found a girl stood at the edge of the pond with blue eyes stared at her.
“It's late Miss, you'd better go to the bed!”
“Bit cold to take a walk at the night right?” said Eorin as she raised a hand. Suddenly an ice dagger stretched over his palm with the sound of cracking ice. Scarlett just ran away without care of her but Eorin throws the ice dagger to halt her once more.
“Want to play huh?” Scarlett then drew her sword. It was curved sword, the spine was thick and dark extends to the handle but the edge was sharp and bright, and it seemed the blade was jointed to the spine as if the sword could be apart.
Suddenly, as they stood and took stance to fight each other, from the dark sky above a winged shape clove down the wind at great speed toward them. They looked upward immediately. Under the crimson moon a huge bird swooping down swiftly with a light in his talon, but it wasn’t common light they saw but a boy holding luminous sword.
“Are you sure this is good idea?” said Rey with the sword of Tyvelon glowing in his hand.
“We just alarmed the Grove, what you ‘fraid off?”
The Tyvelon on his hand glowing so bright like hold great power in his blade. Then among the speed and wind he jumped down suddenly, the empty ground in front of Scarlett he clove with glowing sword and at once all the power in the blade unleashed into a great blast.
The ground cracking and the wind breaking as Tyvelon hit the earth, Scarlett herself pushed back even she does evaded before the blast. Rey on the other side was saved by his own luck like he did on the Sneakers – an energy shield created under his instinct and saved him from the blast. Although he doesn’t suffer any injuries but he was shocked by his own doing. It seems he couldn’t estimate how much energy he had to store on the sword till created such blast. The Tyvelon still held in his hand but what left from the sword now is just the hilt along with the faux jewels within.
“He’s really lunatic.” said Eorin “You know I’m actually never believed your story about he was a traveler from another world till I saw this. Or it’s you who telling him to do this?!”
“I just told him to make an alarm not a pit hole.” answered Aska “Sigh, I’m glad I didn’t buy him that five thousands florin sword.”
What happened next are as their expected. The loud explosion wakened up the entire grove and before long they saw in the distance the shadow of peoples running closer. At the beginning Scarlett didn’t have any intention to draw trouble in this Grove but somehow she involved in an unexpected battle with these kids. Feel it was pointless to face them the red-haired woman decided to run away. But suddenly a flame blazing around and entrapped her, and the water in the pond rose like a living and smote her in great streams.
For a moment there’s smoke rose and everything fell into silence as if the battle had end. But as the smoke swept by the wind they were surprised, for they saw no one was there. The red-haired woman had vanished. “How did she escape?” thought Eorin.
“Did I tell you before …” Suddenly Scarlett had stood beside her and put her sword on the girl’s neck. Wonder how that woman could stand beside her – ten feet from her point of attack in a second without their notice. However Eorin felt a little heat came from her sword and wrist, and she saw little tip of her hair was burnt. No doubt that she was there when her flame arose and entrapped her. “ … I don’t have time to play.” said Scarlett.
Aska throwing his dagger into Scarlett, but to their surprise the red-haired woman vanished before their eyes into glowing-blue smoke and next they found her had farther away from them. As she ran away she vanished once more and at once appears in the distance. And before they realized they couldn’t find her no more on the field.
“How did she …?” said Rey look so surprised.
“Teleportation, Silverhare Sphere.” said Eorin “I thought there’s nothing more left in the Spheria except the one which belong to headmaster.”
“Let’s go! We must after her before she escape.” said Aska.
“You want to? Please impress me! I want to see you catch her.” Eorin challenged him.
Scarlett no longer seen in the Training Field, possibly that redhead has already in the Grove. With the abundance of space and winding hallway in the Grove, it’s impossible to chase someone who has the ability like that. Inside there, she was just going to play cat-and-mouse with them.
***
Headmaster office still calms in the solitude as if unaffected by the clamor outside. The light was soft and warm on that place, and the windows hold the shadows of the night outside. The books were silent though have many words and a bust of great thinker in the past staring hollow at the quiet place.
All of sudden a red-haired woman appears in t
he middle of the room. Though she didn’t see anyone there but she found opened book with a warm tea beside. She realized that someone reside on this place wasn’t to be underestimated of, that old man must have been aware of her arrival even without having heard the blast outside.
Suddenly a ring encircled her, glowing red on the floor like burning steel and at once red transparent dome arose and encage her. Scarlett tried to teleport but she couldn’t. All her Spheres seemed have been locked down by some force, none she could use but dim glow in the Sphere.
Then the door opened and came of it an old man walked in toward her while carried lemon slices on the little plate.
“Could not be good without lemon.” headmaster casually spoke to the woman.
Scarlett just watched him passed by and took the tea.
“Shall you have to do unusual stunt like this? Why you don’t come from the door in normal way?”
“Because it is in our blood … uncle.” said Scarlett.
“Well, just be careful next time.” said headmaster, as he lowered his red dome. ”What business brought you here? I thought I have told you to guard the princess.”
“Indeed, but now I got another assignment from her.”
“Assignment? From 14-years-old girl?” asked headmaster.
“You know how spirited she is. Beside she’s royalty she gains political rights five years faster than anyone.”
“Maybe, but whatever she want to achieve I think that was unwise to interfere some serious threat in national scale.”
“So you already know what we will talk about.”
“I don’t seat here if I don’t know what happened outside.” said headmaster. “If I may know what kind of plan do you have? I believed you will put your feet away from The Shell or any authorities since they wouldn’t aid you on this illegal quest.”
“This is my aid?” said Scarlett, as she shows an orange Sphere.
“Recall Sphere?” replied headmaster.
“Azuna gave it to me. He wants me to check it.” said Scarlett. “The story began when he investigated Sanvierre’s secret facility in the outskirt of Kastorea, a small town located in North Nirithrea. Outside it was just a big mansion surrounded by forest but Azuna believed that Sanvierre do some illegal research there.”
“Believed?”
“Well, it was ghost town now and off the map. The last date he found was about ten years ago in the news about kid who mysteriously missing in the forest. He found many clues about what happened there and a bit about what Sanvierre doing but still no evidence.” said Scarlett. “His search continued to an architect in Namtar, the designer of that mansion. However something unexpected happened there. As he arrived he found the architect stabbed by an assassin with few Raiders crawling in every corner of the room searching for something.”
“Raider? How they’re got there?”
“I don’t know. Strange isn’t? They tend to secede from society and away from civilization but now they’re in the middle of the biggest city in Ishtar.” said Scarlett. “Azuna fought them, few Raider killed but the other fled with the assassin. The architect himself suffered great bleeding, odd the wound was like three-pointed star carved on the chest. But before the death took him he gave Azuna this Sphere.”
“Have you checked it?”
“I have. Inside it was contains blue print of an old castle located in the west and seemed that architect bought it less than year ago.”
“Then what make you think that this Sphere related with the incidents lately?”
“You should check at this!”
Scarlett put a Sphere into an elephant-shaped candle holder. At once the room turned gloomy and the show at convention chamber played again.
“So this is the record of the incident.”
“Other than council in the Lodge and us, no one knew about this.” said Scarlett.
“Then how did you get this? I hardly believe that the person who have this before would easily hand it over to just anyone.”
“Well, the princess is not just anyone.”
Both looked at what happened around them. But suddenly headmaster frowned when he stared the Phantoms in the eyes.
“It couldn’t be.”
“What? What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,”
Few minutes later Scarlett pausing it and everything around them seemed frozen. Scarlett then brought her uncle to the corner of the room, where they saw a man lied on the ground.
“This is what I want to show you.” Said Scarlett, as he pointed to someone’s leg where something like blades stretched and grabbed it.
“Raider claws.” said headmaster.
“Do you think it was coincidence? They’re out into the big city and now they put themselves in this.”
“Coincidence or not, I do not know. But for now, considering the situation, shall every fact, every possibilities or even coincidence take into account.” said headmaster. “Maybe to that old castle you shall depart.”
“Could I borrow someone from your Grove?”
“Why? You usually do something by yourself.”
“I don’t know. I just feel I need a little backup on this trip, and princess think the same.”
“Then I would recommend a few people to you.”
“No need, I've found them already.”
“You mean ‘them’? They’re still students here. They never have involved in a battle.”
“But it seemed I can count on them. Beside small possibilities I have one on this trip, just go there and check the castle. Nothing will happen.”
“Ok then, if that so you get my permission to bring them and promise me that you will take care of them and bring them back safely.”
“Sounds my objective has been doubled.”
“You're their senior, protect and guide them you ought to be. After all who ask them for the first time?”
“I understand sire. You’ve got my words and they will have my sword.” said Scarlett.
“We will be assembled tomorrow morning so better you get rest now. You can use your old room.”
“Thanks uncle.”
Chapter 13
Sudden Mission
“Is your world just boring as this?” asked Aska, yawning wide, staring half of the class which looks surfeited when listened to the teacher.
“For some part yes. It’s just that we had no winged dragon living in our world or a crystal ball that makes your finger as a lighter." said Rey while glances at the girl next to him. However, instead of the girl itself he’s more interested by what she’s doing. She’s writing teacher’s lesson in her book word by word, not with pen or ink, but the letters itself printed by only moving her two fingers over the books –black it was like burnt but smooth and neat as if her finger is a laser printer.
“Oh yes, I forgot to tell you. There are games in three weeks and Freeya already listed you in the team and he also told me to train you. You got position as a Runner like me, so we’ll get together on this.”
“How about Flo? She spent one third of my day and I've seen both of you and Freeya doesn’t ever have any nerve to face her.”
“Hey that's not true, we just ... I guess you're right, we should not interfere your schedule with Flo. Should we exercise in the evening, I guess 1-2 hours is quite enough.” said Aska, he then leaning his head on the bench as he yawned. The spiky-haired boy then looked up, trying to open his eyes by force and strengthen himself. However teacher’s face which looked monotonous along with the white walls persuaded him to shut his eyes.
Seemed nothing efficacious for treating his sleepiness till a middle aged woman goes into the classroom and make his eyes opened at once. Aska knew exactly that face, a face that he always met when he met a trouble. That woman then spoke to the teacher in the faint. No wonder what they talking about but soon both face in the front staring at them both with her finger pointing right at their direction.
“It's just my imagination or that woman pointing to us
?” said Rey while he moved himself left and right but her finger seemed follow him.
“That woman is the assistant of Head Counselor. Every time I got trouble I always met her. It’s not a good thing if her finger pointed to us.” said Aska.
“You two!” called the teacher.
“Don’t look at him! Look at the wall or girl next to you.” said Aska.
They both trying to look calm and innocence was their faces. Aska open his book and pretending to read while Rey stared the girl next to him.
“Why you staring me?” asked the girl.
“Mmm, well I-I ... y-you v-very pretty and should every man loves to looking you fall … I’m sorry! I mean every man should be fall in love when looking at you.” said Rey stuttering.
“That's very nice of you.” said her with smiling.
“Talvar brothers, step forward please!”
“Thank God she just called you.” Rey look relieved.
“He said Talvar brothers that mean we're both, fool.”
Then both of them walked out from the classroom and follow that woman behind. Somehow Aska felt strange, for the way they took was different than he usually had when he got trouble. It turned out that the woman brought them to the front yard, and there they saw Eorin already take sit under a canopy tree. The girl sat and reading a book, her eyes look serious but her pose seemed relax.
When Eorin turned the page a flame suddenly burst out of the book, leaped down to bouncing on the floor and then took shape of little fox. Look unique and cute it was when scurrying around her feet like a little puppy, the furs were flame swaying gently by the winds but the tail blazing wild like torch.
Rey chuckled at the little fire creature, but without expected that fire fox suddenly stared at him fiercely. The fire embodiment on its body get more blazed as if represent its fury and then the little fox ran to and jump at him. At once the little fox turned into a huge flame engulfed him. But strange, he doesn’t felt heat at all whereas the flame wrapped him. He just felt a slight breeze of wind.
The flame of magic vanished in flash as Eorin closed the book and the girl smiled smugly saw him flustered by her trick.
“What was that?” said Rey still shocked.
“Magic Guidebook for 2nd Grade, those fire fox is just an illustration and it will disappear if the book closed.” said Aska, “I think you understand now why Eorin want you to become one of his minions.”