Footsteps echoed through the hallway as Torkia carried a teddy and a box towards a room. He stopped, steadied the objects in his one hand, and opened the door. The sunlight pouring through the window made him squint.
Inside the room, at a window on the other side, Laminar was sitting at a study table and reading a book. Torkia looked to the left and saw Laminar’s bed in a mess and the blanket half on the floor. The bookshelf on the right had some books on the floor, and the rest were on the shelf.
“Such brightness…What are you doing, my prince?” He asked Laminar, placing the things on a nearby table.
“Oh, nothing special, just reading a book and testing some magic tricks,” Laminar replied, flipping the pages.
“Magic tricks? Those are your arts. Light Art.” Torkia asked as he placed the fallen books back on the shelf.
“Torkia, magic is art for fighters like us. But for the masses, they are only magic tricks.” Laminar closed the book and turned toward Torkia. “What are you going to do with that teddy? Sleep with it?” He chuckled.
Torkia smirked. “I would have if I were a 12-year-old, Laminar. But I am seventeen. Just going to do some stitching.” Torkia replied as he headed towards the bed and began to fold the blanket. “You need to become tidy. You are a prince, and a 16-year-old one.”
“It doesn’t matter. No one except the king and you can enter my room.”
“King Larnet’s permission is understandable; he’s your grandfather. But for an aide, you have given me a lot of leniency. Moreover, the king, seeing such messy conditions of the prince, won’t like it.” Torkia sat in a chair to the right of the room and began sewing the tattered areas of the teddy.
“I am the second prince. Rinfis will get the throne if the current king dies. Which I don’t think will happen.”
“True…He’s been alive for a hundred years…” Torkia nodded in agreement, opening the box and taking out a needle and thread.
“Why do you do that?” Laminar asked, eager to know.
“What?” Torkia passed the thread through the needle.
“Collecting random, tattered teddies and sewing them. If you like them so much, why not buy new ones?”
“A newborn baby has no memories. But an old man has many stories to tell and grudges to hold. The same is true with teddies.”
Laminar nodded, half understanding what Torkia said.
As some time passed, he asked him a question. “As you know, the world is advancing fast, and now guns are here. What do you prefer? Magic or Guns?”
“Hmm…A trivial question.” Laminar began to ponder, staring outside the window. “Rather than choosing between Magic and Guns. I would choose both. Why waste time arguing which is better, when you can use both to enhance both?”
“Oh…You are right…I can’t disagree…” Torkia said as he finished sewing.
Torkia placed the needle and the thread back in the box, gave the teddy a final look, and stood up. He headed towards the door and turned towards Laminar.
“Evening is arriving fast. You might want to rest. So, I will take my leave, Your Highness…” He said, opening the door.
“How many times do I have to tell you? Skip the formalities.” Laminar replied, irritated.
“It’s a habit now,” Torkia replied, leaving.
“Whatever…See you tomorrow…” Laminar opened the book, waving at Torkia.
…
Bang! Bang! Thwip!
Lelis loaded the next bullets as she hit the targets with perfect accuracy. She smiled, grabbing the rifle by the barrel.
“Well done, Lelis. Your aim is better than yesterday's…Out of five, you missed two.” The trainer said, noting it on a pad. “Try your aim again tomorrow, after the training session.
“Thank you, sir…” Lelis replied, placing the rifle back in the racks. “I will try my best to practice tomorrow.”
“I know many students make fun of you. But ignore them. Focus on what you are doing.”
“I will…” She said cheerfully.
Lelis picked up her bag and left the shooting range. As she walked through the grounds of the Combat Training Institute, a group of her classmates passed by.
“Oh, look, the ‘non-magic’ user…” A girl mocked her as she passed by.
“Is your prince here for you?” Another girl followed.
“Shut up…” Lelis murmured under her breath.
She walked towards the exit, moving swiftly through the hateful and mocking gazes of many. As she left, she took a deep breath and controlled her anger. Closing her eyes, she dismissed all the hateful thoughts, making her feel at ease and calm. But she was snapped back to the world, with a hand on her shoulder. She opened her eyes and looked to the left.
“It is you…” She said with a straight face.
“Correct, it is me…” Felmer nodded. “Can’t get rid of those people?”
“We both know that I won’t be getting rid of them anytime soon…”
As they walked towards the housing areas, Felmer saw a familiar face.
“I will make you pay for that!” Efkil shouted at Felmer.
“I am pretty sure that ‘will’ of yours won’t be coming anytime soon,” Felmer answered back, smirking.
“It seems we both have our share of bullies,” Lelis responded, ruffling her hair.
“The difference is that I deal with them…”
“You have magic; I don’t,” Lelis said, raising an eyebrow.
“You know how to fight; I don’t,” Felmer said, raising an eyebrow.
As they walked further ahead, Lelis asked him a question.
“What do you prefer, magic or guns?”
“There is no special preference for me…But I would go with magic.”
“Why magic? You can’t fight, and you can’t even control your magic.” She said, folding her arms.
“Well, I can learn to control it. And I can learn to fight too…”
“You can learn how to use guns, too…I didn’t know the thing from birth.” She challenged Felmer’s point.
“That’s why I said I have no special preference.” Felmer shrugged his shoulders. “And stop taunting me for not being a fighter. I don’t know how to use a sword, but I know hand-to-hand combat very well.” Felmer replied, a bit irritated.
“Oh! You are challenging me?” Lelis stopped.
“Huh…When did I say I am challenging you? I am too lazy for that…”
“Okay…So you are scared now?” Lelis asked, taunting him.
“Hey! Felmer!” Anderson shouted, running towards the duo.
“Me! Scared?” Felmer stepped closer to Lelis.
“As you are not willing to prove that you can fight, I would assume that you are scared. You run away every time.” Lelis held her face high, smirking.
Felmer took a deep breath and looked at Anderson, who had just arrived at the scene.
“Felmer, there’s news from the school…”
Felmer placed a finger on Anderson’s lips.
“Not now, Anderson…We are gonna settle this in the field.”
“I accept it, and I am ready.” Lelis nodded proudly.
In a vast, cold and dry field, Lelis and Felmer stood face to face, with Anderson as the referee.
“Why do I have to be dragged into this?” Anderson thought, tired. “I hate combat matches, and they both know that. But still…”
Anderson took a deep breath, accepting his fate. “I will just get over it.”
“Okay…Are you ready?” He asked them loudly.
“Yes.” Both of them said in unison, taking their respective stances.
“Then…Fight!”
Lelis immediately rushed at Felmer.
“Mistake number one. Rushing at the enemy without understanding them.” Felmer said with a grin.
Lelis went for a flying kick, but Felmer rushed at her too. Suddenly, he ducked and slid under her. Lelis landed safely, but when she turned around, Felmer was right in front of her.
Felmer threw a punch at Lelis’s face. Lelis deflected, but another punch hit her abdomen from below.
“Mistake number two. Too many openings.” He smirked.
Lelis fell on the snow. Before she got up, she took a handful of snow and threw it at Felmer. And then she took out a knife.
Felmer manifested a small amount of magic in his hand and obstructed the snow coming at him.
“And mistake number three. Cheating.”
Lelis rushed at Felmer with the knife. Felmer moved to the side, placed his foot in front of hers, and she tripped.
She tried to stand up again, but Felmer grabbed her by the wrist, snatched the knife, then hit her calf and pinned her to the ground with his knee.
“Fight’s over…Felmer wins…” Anderson announced.
Felmer got up, grabbed Lelis’s hand and helped her stand up.
“Good fight…” Felmer clapped.
“Are you praising yourself?” Lelis asked, frustrated.
“Hahaha…No. Don’t think that if I can’t use the sword, I can’t fight at all.”
“Then why not the sword?”
“My magic is unstable, and I can’t control it. But I don’t face any problem manifesting it in my body.”
Anderson walked up to them and stood close.
“Now…what was the news, Anderson?”
“Our combat classes are starting next week. A trainer will come, squads will be made, and we will train.”
“Oh…Great…Let’s see how it goes…” Felmer nodded, smiling.
…
The doors of the Central Command Office creaked open as Marnis Gorbin entered the building. He walked through the corridor, climbed the stairs, and stood in front of a tall door.
He knocked, and a voice from inside said, “Come in…”
Marnis opened the door and entered.
Raftin Gorbin was busy writing something; he looked up and saw Marnis enter.
“Oh, It’s you, Marnis…” Raftin said, smiling, placing down his quill.
Marnis closed the door and sat on one of the two chairs in front of Raftin’s desk.
Raftin’s office was organised, with two wardrobes on the left and two bookshelves on the right. His desk held files and various quills. His robe was hanging in the far-right corner.
“Is something the issue?” Raftin asked, picking up his quill.
“No…Nothing serious. Today I received a letter from Russin-Solvo, from Felmer’s school.”
“What did they say?” Raftin asked with a straight face.
“They are starting combat classes this week. And they have given the parents the choice to send a trainer.”
“Hmm…So you are confused about whom to send?” Raftin asked, crossing his legs.
“True…” Marnis replied, placing his hands on his chin.
“Currently, I can only think of one person…” Raftin looked at Marnis.
“And who is that?”
“Irfika Korloff…”
“No…I don’t like that man.”
“You don’t like him? Why is that?” Raftin asked, confused.
“I think we both know…” Marnis’s expression changed. His eyes twitched.
“Oh, that…Hmm…But the world doesn’t know. If we want the plan to go on, we need Felmer to be strong and formidable. And Irfika is the perfect man for that.”
“Felmer doesn’t know who Irfika actually is. But the rest of the world does. So Felmer will gather a lot of attention because of his presence. Moreover, he is always being chased by bounty hunters, so it is also unsafe. We will wait until Felmer turns sixteen or eighteen.”
“Hmm…That’s true. We can wait. Who will you send then?” Raftin leaned back.
“I am thinking of Captain Irnik…” Marnis said, looking outside from a nearby window.
“Good choice… He is a trained soldier and a very good teacher.” Raftin nodded in approval, took out an application, and began writing on it. “I will send it to General Ednita and request that he send Irnik to Maska.”
“Fine…I will wait for your answer.” Marnis said, standing up.
“No need. I will send him directly to you. Then you two can talk it out…” Raftin said, grabbing a file.
“Sure…” Marnis nodded and left.
…
Cling! Whoosh! Ting!
Irnik stepped back and took a defensive stance, his sword pointing forward. A soldier stood steady and became ready to attack. The soldier studied Irnik, took a deep breath, and charged at Irnik.
Irnik moved his right foot forward and pulled back his sword. As the soldier approached him, he took a single step to the right.
“Wind Art…Calm End,” He mumbled his art.
Irnik moved behind the soldier, but the soldier heard nothing. Swiftly, Irnik grabbed his left arm, hit his heels, and landed a blow on his chest. The sword fell from the soldier’s hands, and he dropped to the ground.
Irnik took out a timepiece from his pocket.
“The time is over…” He said, placing the timepiece back in his pocket. “You fought well today. There’s room for improvement, though…”
“Your art caught me off guard.” The soldier said, standing up with the help of his sword.
“I cautioned you that I might use the arts at random moments. The enemy is always unpredictable, so you need to be attentive at all times. Rest; we will practice again tomorrow…” Irnik said, sheathing his sword.
Irnik heard footsteps and turned around.
“General…” He said, saluting.
“Good evening, Captain…” General Ednita stopped near them, looking at the soldier. “I would like to talk to the captain in private.”
The soldier understood, saluted, and left.
Ednita began walking, and Irnik followed.
“Is something the matter, General?”
“Today, I received a letter from Lord Raftin. He and Lord Marnis want to send you to Maska as a trainer…” Ednita said, crossing his hands behind his back.
“Maska? Why?” Irnik was confused.
“To train Felmer. But according to the school’s policy, there will be other kids in your group, too.” Ednita stopped. “It is not mandatory at all. You can decline, and they will choose someone else.”
Irnik stopped and fell into deep thought.
‘It is a good offer, but there is nothing in it for me.’ Irnik thought. ‘But he is an heir. Moreover, he is disliked by the common people. I might get unwanted attention. Maska is also very far.’
“Don’t worry much; a member of the Guardian will be sent alongside you. Lord Marnis will himself go to Maska as well. You will be paid daily, too.”
‘No, General, I am not worried about the money at all. But, of course, I wouldn’t do it for free.’ Irnik thought, smirking.
“What’s funny?” Ednita asked as he saw Irnik smirking.
“No, nothing, sir…I would take on the task.” Irnik stood attentively.
“Are you sure?”
‘I would like to see what the heir transforms into. And I would like to take part in his growth’
Irnik saluted and looked straight into the general’s eyes.
“Yes, I am. I am ready to train Lord Felmer…”
Chapter discussion