A small growl escaped Kat as she reached back. She had been on less intrusive spirit trips before, when her mind would not learn what her self did, but she doubted that this was going to be any sort of fun. “Don’t call me that. Only my dad and Diane are allowed to call me that.”
The older swordsman shook his head as a small chuckle escaped him. Kat noticed how he began to walk to the side, coming closer with what she assumed was a razor sharp edge, and began to circle him too. “Now, is that because you’re close to them? Or is it rather that you’re afraid it isn’t tough enough? Too fancy for an unsophisticated barbarian if you ask me.”
Kat’s knuckles turned white as she gripped her blade harder. She would not fall for the taunt, not now. She was better than that. Are you? She shut her eyes and heard the shuffling of feet. Her eyes flew open as her blade moved almost on its own, catching Mazu’s only a split second before she lost her head. “Why are you trying to make me mad? I thought you were here to help!”
“Because,” Mazu said as his next strike forced Kat to slide away from the impact, “if you are going to deny everything, I will force you to accept at least that!”
Kat grit her teeth under the next blow as she now backpedaled for space. For possibly the first time in her life, she wished her opponent would simply taunt her, goad her into attacking, instead of just cutting to the combat. Shouldn’t you be prepared though? She shut her eyes to the words and swung blindly.
A loud clang rang through the room as she felt his sword come against hers, and immediately push it back. Kat tried to loosen her grip, let it flow with the impact, but it was far too late for that. She could hear her joints pop as her hand was ripped open, and soon watched as her blade flew into the sky. She then turned to Mazu, and grit her teeth as he spoke.
“Is this really all you have? I offered to be your teacher once, knowing you could be better, and this is how you are now? I swear, if I could, I would team up with Diane just to not force her to be with such an idi-”
Kat couldn’t even smile at the sound of bone snapping as her fist jabbed into his nose. It should have brought her some satisfaction, to just get a hit off on him, but it didn’t, and she didn’t even know why. Diane would have put him down in that hit.
Kat froze at the thought, staring at her hand as she thought that, and Mazu lunged. She glanced up, watching the cold, heartless steel come her way. She could just give into it, as there was no way she was going to be able to dodge it. Even Diane probably wouldn’t be able to get a spell off in time to stop it.
Stop it.
Kat slowly lifted her hand. She couldn’t stop the sword, but if she could change its path, make it target something that could take it, she would have done enough. It hurt like hell, taking a sword through the hand, but she didn’t let it show. She simply stared into the swordmaster’s hard face, and twisted her wrist. One of her eyes shut as the metal sank into her shoulder, but it also gave her a chance to close her other hand into a fist.
“So, finally remembered your place, knight?”
“Shut,” Kat swung, and connected with her fist, watching as green cracks came off of his chin as she said, “up.”
Her opponent and old teacher exploded into green, and Kat was sent flying back into darkness. It didn’t stay long though, as she soon opened her eyes, and sweat, lilac, and sewage were all present in her world as she looked in front of her. There was Diane, her sorceress, just… sleeping. A small smile slipped over her face as she nestled into her tighter, and let out a brief sigh.
Diane was safe, and that’s all that mattered right now.
Fantasy
“Avatar Maxwell, what are paladins?”
The elderly man in a sparse robe looked down upon the child looking up at him, smiling as her large, blue eyes gleamed in the candlelight. It was the orphan that had joined the monastery only a few years ago, and had quickly become part of their family. He reached down and patted her short, black hair, before cupping her cheek in his wrinkled hand and tilting his head. “Now, why would you ask about such a thing?”
The girl stepped closer, flattening out her dress as she looked at the floor. “In class today, one of the other girls said that not even my wicked parents wanted me, and that the day I followed them and got magic, paladins would come t-to cut my head off!”
Maxwell’s eyes narrowed, before he pat his lap, and helped the little lass up onto it. “First, I am disappointed that your peers would be so cruel. Just because you are an orphan does not mean you are evil, or that your parents were. They’re simply unknown to us. But, if it makes you feel any better, I promise that even if you do start showing an affinity for the dark arts, no harm will come to you until I am gone, just as I promise all under my care as Avatar.”
The girl reached out to him, and he smiled again as her arms wrapped around his. He knew where the words from her peer came from, even if he didn’t want to. The unknown scared many members of the Kesral church, even other ones who were supposed to be embodiments of her will, just like him. It was something he hated, even if it endeared him in a child. “Do not worry. Our monastery does not train those sorts anyways, so you are unlikely to meet a paladin so long as you are within these walls. Instead, my teachings focus on purity by our cores. Can you tell me what they are?”
Kindness, care, and the spread of knowledge.” Diane blinked as a tear ran down her face, the memories of Maxwell’s passing only a few years later coming to her mind with the rest of his explanation when she pried further into the holy ‘knights’. “They are members with a drive to cleanse the world by force, with weapons of fire, light, and steel. Trained to never let emotion embellish their abilities or take control, they are capable of great feats, but equally horrific atrocities. Never let this be how you become, no matter how wise or powerful you find yourself.”
The sound of boots came up from behind her, and Diane slowly lifted the cup of coffee she had closer to the blue flames she had been staring at this whole time. Yesterday it had come so close to taking her, all because she feared of becoming that paladin. Feared of making the world desolate, which would be especially horrible the morning after, for there would be no coffee then. She smiled at her joke, even as the tightness in her chest refused to leave.
A hand slipped itself onto her shoulder, and she glanced down to a mop of red in front of her face. Her smile grew, and she leaned in closer, letting her weight gently rest on her companion. Kat decided a light touch like that would not be enough, and pulled her close, almost off her feet even. For a moment, Diane was a little surprised, but then remembered how little the two had talked last night. She put a hand onto her companion’s head and slowly ran her fingers through the rough hair. “Are you okay?”
Kat shook her head for a moment, before giving Diane another squeeze and letting out a sigh. “I’m alright. Had a rough night’s sleep after that stupid fear spell, but I should be okay. Still, if this is number one, I am a little nervous about what trial two might be.”
Diane took another sip from her cup, humming as the bitter liquid slipped down her throat. She wished they could afford sugar, honey, anything really, but such luxuries were for other people without travel budgets. “We could get lucky and have a trial that’s only as tough as this one, but still entirely mental. I know you love those.”
A growl escaped Kat’s throat as she looked down and shook her head much harder than before. “Please, Hekam, no. I would take punching indestructible rock over another mind trip after yesterday.”
Diane looked down at her annoyed companion and bit into her lip. “Do you want to tell me about what you saw?”
“No. Do you?”
“…Is that bread I smell?”
Kat glanced over her shoulder, before scratching the back of her head and walking towards the fire she had set up in the room. It was there because you needed a bit more control for actual cooking that a miniature sun would not give you. This would have been especially hard to do when your dad’s recipe for fir
e side bread was specifically designed to be made into a ring. “Yeah. I knew you were feeling pretty bad yesterday, so I thought I would treat us.”
Diane slowly walked over, her mouth already watering at the smell of the bread. It wasn’t the best, having been designed by a barbarian, but almost anything was better than the normally stale stuff they had. She didn’t let it show though. It was too much fun to make Kat wait for the praise. “Yes, why don’t we use up the last of our flour on our first day?”
Kat’s eyes narrowed as she glared at her partner, before simply shrugging and taking a bite out of the first piece of bread. “Well, if you’re going to be like that, then I’ll keep the other day’s worth to myself. How about that?”
Diane paled, remembering the hardtack they’d had the day before, and how wonderful that had tasted. She quickly waved a hand in front of her face as she forced on a wide, unnatural smile for her, and said, “W-why don’t we finish up packing, and not worry so much about our rations?”
A smile crept onto Kat’s face as she handed Diane a piece, and began to wrap the rest into cloth bundles. It wouldn’t be as good tomorrow, but literally anything was better than ‘high quality’ rations. The dealer had even said you would find the same quality with the army. “Oh, but you never know when we might run out of food. We wouldn’t want that to happen, now would we?”
Diane stuffed her bedroll into the pack, unable to stop herself from giggling at the jab. It wasn’t a new joke, not by any means, but it still made her laugh, and brought thoughts of her purpose for being there back to her mind. “Get packed. The sooner we’re ready, the sooner we can go, and you can find something to punch.”
Kat nodded as if this were sagely wisdom, before handing Diane the tent, all packed up and ready to be stored. “Ah, so you were taught how to focus on the good parts of life! And here I thought you only believed in stuffy rags and proper coffee pots.” She giggled as one of her hands bat at the sleeve of Diane’s robe, and she got a well deserved glare.
“You’re intolerable.”
“And yet you love me, so I think you’re the one with a problem.”
A sigh escaped Diane as she shook her head, and began to walk towards the door. She suspected Kat was also trying to use the playful jabs and jokes as a way to relieve herself of yesterday’s trial, and its effects. That, or the stupid barbarian was using the jokes to cheer her up, just like so many times before. “Ready?”
“Anything you say, m’ lady.” Kat then put her hand on the door, and pushed. And then pushed harder. And then she turned to it, just as a blue light shined from the door, right into her eyes. “Ah, you son of a b-”
“Travellers.” The voice was deep, booming, and most importantly, male. Diane blinked as a wind came through the slowly opening doors. She had never heard of the guardian having a flare for showmanship, but it was a possibility. Her true suspicion though, was brought to life by the next few lines.
“I do hope this is how this stupid magic thing works. Oh well, if it doesn’t, the walls will work. Anyways,” the voice went from its softer, pensive, and old tone, and back to the booming authority it had begun with. “Travellers! You have seen how my tale begins, and faced that which I did when I accepted my lady’s offer. Now though, I wish for you to join me in the trials I had to go through to prove myself. The feats I so gladly did, all in the name of h-”
The blue light faded, leaving the two woman staring at the open door. Diane blinked once, before turning to Kat. The two blinked again, before a snicker escaped Kat’s mouth, and Diane couldn’t help but join. “P-please tell me you’ll figure out how to use magical recordings before doing something like… that.”
“And rob the world of such a wonderful beginning? Never!” Kat cracked up at her own joke, and Diane couldn’t help but let her light tittering turn into a full fledged laugh while she covered her mouth.
They didn’t let themselves savor it for too long though, as their explorer’s instincts began to kick in. They had just opened the door, and while there was a long staircase down, it could also contain anything. Kat took in a sharp breath as she reached into one of her pockets, but Diane stopped her with one hand, while a fire erupted from the other. “No reason to waste your fire stones while I’m still fresh.”
Kat’s mouth scrunched up slightly, before she shrugged, and began to skip down the steps. The quickness caught Diane off guard, and she began to run after her fast friend. “Kat, wait up! Robes and a heavy pack don’t normally agree with stairs!”
“Well then, let me scout ahead. I’m just ready to go!” Kat raced through the next door, and all Diane could do was grimace. While the brash idiot was the reason they had passed the first trial, that did not guarantee that they weren’t both going to be needed here. As if to prove her point, Kat came back through the door at the bottom of the staircase, landing face first onto the ground.
“Kat, are you okay?”
The mop of red hair shook as Kat got her arms underneath her, before she brought her head up and grinned. A slight trail of blood came down from her mouth, but otherwise, she seemed okay. In fact, she was so okay that she then jumped onto her feet and shook her head wildly. “Oh, this is going to be fun!”
“What is? Kat, I need some sort of clu-” Diane stopped yelling as she followed her companion into the room. When Carnick had said that they would need to face what he had, it seemed fairly literal now, as this room was filled from top to bottom with sparring posts. However, her companion soon demonstrated that they were a little more than that, as she tapped against one, and another one spun to get her. This time, Kat squatted, and drew her blade on the rebound, cleaving the assaulter into two with ease.
“See, not so tou-” It was Kat’s turn to get cut off as another got her with a rouge swing, and she barely made her way out of its range. That wasn’t the end of the odd movements though, as soon the ear bleeding raucous of what had to be hundreds of wooden sparring stands began to clank their way towards them. While Diane felt a small seed of dread get dropped into her stomach, Kat grinned. “Just sit back, Diane. I’ve got some steam to let loose.”
“Just be careful, okay?”
“Yeah, yeah, whateve-whoo!”
Diane shook her head, placing a hand onto her forehead as Kat narrowly missed another attack. Of course, with the fact that the knight could down one of these unarmed things in one swing of her sword in mind, Diane was inclined to agree with her companion. There was no reason to waste her mana pools if Kat was feeling up to handle the bar brawl to end all bar brawls.
So, for the next minute or so, she began to rummage through her bag. She could have watched the fight, but so long as she kept her ears out for signs of danger, she should have been okay. A backstep here and there, and she found herself in fairly good shape. Not everything was so fine though. “Hey, Kat, where is your blade sharpener?”
Kat planted her blade into the ground, mainly for kicks, both literally, and metaphorically, as her feet soon spun the head off of one of the posts. “It’s in my belt, why do you ask?”
Diane kept walking away from the sounds of the enemies, who seemed to be focusing mostly on the whirlwind of death and screaming in the middle of the room, rather than her. She continued rummaging through the pack, making a mental list of what they could buy if they brought some real coin back with them. “Just to pass the time I suppose. By the way, do you think we could pack any of this iron into our bag on our way out and sell it in town?”
Kat shrugged, before slamming her head backwards, and almost immediately regretting it as her ears rang. Luckily, the wooden ‘enemy’ still went down, and a quick roll got her out of the thick of the mob around her. “I bet we could, but blacksmiths always cheat travelers like us. They know we want to pack light.”
“That’s a very good poi-” Diane stopped, cut off in mid-sentence by a knife driven into her gut. She blinked, looking at the pinpoint stiletto for a moment, and the trail of blood forming down the front of her robe, before
she looked up. This wasn’t just a wooden post. No, this was a dummy, equipped with a shield, a basic weapon like the one in her now, and, most importantly, wheels that made it impossible to hear amongst the rest of the noise.
Diane winced as the thing drew the blade out of her stomach, and one of her hands slammed itself onto the wound. Fortunately, it was still just a dummy, and while its shield almost knocked her head off, the attempt to block a non-existent counter gave her time to leave a barrier over the wound to seal it, without permanently scarring herself with cauterization. She would be feeling it until they were done though.
Fortunately, lightning bolts aren’t too hard, and one to the chest with her amount of magical force was more than enough to splinter the damned thing. The moment it was gone, she turned towards where she could hear Kat, and yelled, “Watch out, they’re getting better!”
Kat blinked, and for a moment, paused. While she normally trusted Diane on such judgement calls, she couldn’t possibly be- Why is that one wielding a battle ax? “Oh sweet Hekum.” She dropped to all fours, breathing hard as the weapon passed over her head. She didn’t recklessly swing as she came up, but instead intentionally performed an arc to cut off the well armored dummy’s arm. One more, and its head left too. “Well, at least now I can have some real fun!’
Diane scowled for a moment, but bit her tongue. Kat had taken a lot worse than a simple stabbing when it came to trying to protect her, and Diane had plenty of focus left to continue to splinter the things that came after her. As she raised a hand to blow up the fifth that made a beeline for her, she paused, the image of a scorched plain coming back to her mind.
She changed her spell almost instantly, and even let out a slight giggle as she pointed to the ground, and let out a torrent of fire that clung to the ground. The dummy raced right into it, but it didn’t just burn its metal base. Instead, it melted the wheels, leaving it rooted to the spot. Soon the metal became hot enough to ignite the wood, and the dummies she gave this treatment to became burning effigies. “Alright, you’re correct. This is kind of fun.”
Diane and Kat- the Bound Bands Page 4
