It's a warm day in autumn, he recalled, and the memories will never be forgotten.
Golden leaves swirled in the wind as birds sung the hymn of the breaking dawn. Young Arius fluttered his eyes open, morning light peeking through pale blue and white curtain as he pondered, whether to wake now or not. The sun itself has not arise. Must be around half to six in the morning, but the boy decided to not to sleep any longer.
Rubbing his eyes with tiny fists, Arius yawned and stretched, pleased with the small creak his back made. His mother said its a bad habit though. He mentally reminded himself to obey his mother next time and made his way out of the queen-sized bed. He stepped down sleepily, soft plush carpet welcoming his feet.
Padding his way to the crystal-like window, the brunette set the silky curtain aside and pushed the glass outwards. Breathing in the autumn air, Arius could not deny the beauty of the harvest season. The Sama kingdom is bathed in goldish-caramel light. Fountains and water sources shone, reflecting rays of morning light. Birds flew freely, singing, melodies resonating throughout the otherwise silent daybreak.
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"Come, dear childrens, to a story about a young prince, sword wielders, war, love, and memories of childhood spent in shade of trees and laughters."
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Presented to you,
By IceFlowerGirl
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To Melt the Ice
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Disclaimer: Brave Frontier belongs to Alim and co.
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Pairing(s): AriusxSelena, minor MegaxStya, LarioxFaris if you squint hard enough 'u';
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Warning: an OC, grammatical errors, typo, undescriptive movements or actions... and other stuffs. Ugh. I tried '-';
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Opening the first page
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CLANG!
"Good one. Dash forward. Push your feet-"
"I know-!"
"Shoulders! Down!"
Tmp tmp tmp tmp-
"Defend yourself!"
"Wait-!"
CLASH
A training blade flew to the air.
"You lack speed," A pat in the head from the victor of the spar, "though you've improved a bit. Keep it up." The man said, walking away from the girl who's sitting on the ground, defeated. She pouted, annoyed with the fact that her daddy swung her blade away with ease, again. She definitely should learn that move.
Long blue hair with aquamarine eyes, her name is Selena, ten years old. Though she can be defeated easily by her father, she was acknowledged by many as a genius. Born from a line of chiefs of the wandering sea people of Savat, Selena was raised in traditional long swords techniques. She stood out so much even at her age of eight. A technique that requires five days can be mastered in three.
"Daddy won again," the girl huffed in annoyance, picking up her training sword and placed it in its storage. Maybe there is a chance of winning if she used a real blade. Unlike the ones made for training, real swords are dangerous. It is heavy and awfully sharp, made to cut flesh and drown in blood. Though long sword is not as heavy, the danger is clear; no child is to wield a real weapon.
Selena does not accept it easily though. She wanted to fight. With real swords. She may be the next chief of the Savat people, but honestly, deep down, she wants to travel. To know more of the world, the hard way. Not merely hiding behind her father's back, finger twitching every time a battle comes to life.
But even so,
She is only a kid.
"I wish I could get bigger faster," Selena grumbled, walking to her room. It must be around eight in the morning now, more or less. The bluenette placed her chin on top of her folded arms on the window sill, staring out to the sky."At least we will be staying here," Selena smiled, "Because no matter how far we'll travel, we're going to go back home, right? To this kingdom,"
To home, the Sama Kingdom.
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Bookmarked
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Selena sighed for the nth time that day. Is it the twelfth or thirteenth? To be honest, she had lose count at the tenth. "Daaaaaddy. Are we finished yet?" She sulked, although she is the one who wanted to tag along. Her father is going to hand in some reports, and Selena thought it would be fun. It isn't. And it's boring.
"Selena," her father chuckled, "It has been only ten minutes. Couldn't you wait patiently?"
"No," and it was said with an impressive flat face. Good work, Selena.
Another chuckle, "Okay then, young lady. Why don't you take a walk around?"
She practically jumped off her seat, "Now that's awesome. See you later, daddy!"
~o0o~
"To strengthen the stance, create a stable gap by pulling your left leg- just like that,"
"Understood."
"-and raise your shoulders a bit."
"Yes sir."
"Now to handle your sword,"
"I believe we had gone through sword-handling several times, sir."
"Really? I must have gotten old," a hearty laugh, "Now try and attack me with all you got."
"Yes sir."
Arius exhaled, trying to calm his nerves. He pushed forward on his heel of his foot to the toes, whizzing forward and clashed with his tutor, sparks flying and magic dissipating to the air. Emeralds flicked to the side as he spotted an opening.
The sword lesson tutor raised a soon-turning-grey eyebrow. That's uncommon of the young prince. Arius never dashed forward like that. Usually he'll use teleportation magic and slips to the ground in a puddle of water, later appearing to attack the man in an unexpected moment.
Shaking off his opponent's blade, the nine year old boy spun to his tutor's back. In a split half-a-second, his muddled mind scanned over spells and spells and spells clumsily, yet he couldn't manage to think of suitable one. Adrenaline ran through his veins, heart pumping madly and he won't be surprised if said organ has broken a rib or two. This is out of his pattern. He never charged head on. Breathe, he assured himself, don't mess this.
Casting an offensive spell on his sword, Arius did a flip to dogde the swipe aimed at his legs, missing by an inch. He landed not-so-gracefully on one knee and almost slipping on his other foot, but he managed nonetheless. The sword shone with pale blue light as magic is brought to life.
"What the-?"
"Noble Sting!"
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"How nostalgic,"
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Selena hummed, skipping through the garden merrily. Oh boy, this place is beautiful. She is pondering whether climbing a tree here would cause her punishment when faint voices could be heard from an open window.
"-Now try and attack me with all you got."
"Yes sir."
Selena raised her eyebrow. Attack?
Clash!
"Swords practice? Ooh I gotta watch this!" Selena brightened, ducking under the window and peeked inside, aquamarines trying to digest whatever is happening inside of the training hall. A boy about her age is back-to-back with a man in his late forties, anxious and nervous. He's thinking hard, that's for sure. The man turned his head and spotted the boy, swiping his leg to knock the younger off his feet. Doesn't work though. The brunette flipped and... did his sword glow just now? And wait- a real sword?
"What the-?" She gasped, and immediately slapped a hand across her mouth, hiding herself from view. Please, any god that would listen, she should see the end of this match, there's no time to get caught!
Again, the girl carefully peeked inside. The boy is panting from magic exthausion, spell completion on the tip of his tongue.
Frosts starts to blossom under the boy's feet, cracking and spreading. The brunette swallowed hard, anxiety forgotten as he unleashed his special move. "Noble Sting!" He swung his blade, crystals of ice roaring madly inside of the hall. Selena breathed in relief, slumping to the ground. Seems like she went unnoticed-
"Hey! Whoever is it, show yourself."
- not so lucky.
~o0o~
The King laughed, "So you are saying that this little lady trespassed to the West Wing to have a look on a sword practice?"
The Chief of Savat cleared his throat, feeling awkward. "I- I suppose so, Your Highness." Selena averted her eyes innocently, as if her father and herself facing the throne isn't her fault at all. Hey, she can't help it, curiosity. But no damage has been made, right? Watching swords match isn't a crime either.
"Why, raise your head, both of you," The king smiled good naturedly, "Your daughter here is a sword user as well, is she not?"
The chief nodded and straightened up, "She is, Your Majesty."
For a moment there, Selena could've swore she saw a glint of mischievousness in the king's eyes. She turned her sight towards the magic and sword user boy from earlier, the third prince as they were told by the king. Soft brown hair and eyes of emerald. Creamy skin hidden under sea-blue noble attire. He is indeed good-looking. Ah, he looked like the nice and friendly type. Maybe they could be friends.
"I would like to see how far my third has progressed in his swordsmanship."
The words were left unsaid by the king, but it rings through the air loud and clear, 'fight against my son and we'll see who's stronger.'
~o0o~
Arius stood respectfully on the throne's right side, both hands on his back and his sword sheathed on his side. Well, more like a sword-length blade, since a real sword is too heavy for him to swung around. He mentally arranged his to-do-list, bored, as standing beside his father is no more than a formality. Actually he need not to be there. He should be resting, after using a pretty high-level magic. Mind you, a nine year old's stamina is not as high as a battle-trained soldier. Yes, he is tired, but feeling of accomplishment is swelling in his chest. Though interrupted, he managed to put his tutor in a tight spot.
He stole a glance at the bluenette who was caught trespassing. Light blue hair cascading down to waist length. Fair skin and aquamarine eyes. Arius tipped his head to the side slightly, his young features seems to be puzzled. A girl, huh? It was hard to believe that she is a sword wielder just like him, - a long sword user.
"-my third has progressed in his swordsmanship."
Arius blinked, snapping himself back to reality. What? "Pardon, father?"
The king leaned back on his throne, "It is as I said, son. How far has you improved? Show it to me."
Arius could feel a tired sigh coming, but he held it down. Manners. "Yes father,"
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"Really? This tale really happened in the past, sweethearts."
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She has never felt so alive before. Never. She didn't even spare a glance at the other occupants in the room. Heck, for a moment she forgot that they existed. Adrenaline rushed through her body, causing shivers of pure excitement. This is different. A real blade. She is allowed to use it just this time, but it feels amazing. Moving opponent. Unlike her training which involved wooden swords with dull targets and sand-sack dolls, or her father, who she is no match against. No. This time it's on par. It has been a long ten minutes of blades crossing, but she craved for more, more action and unrecognizable movements, more breathtaking magic or perhaps that magical move from before.
She clashed and held her sword against the prince's, both of them had their brows furrowed and teeth gritted. Arius chanted a spell she couldn't comprehend, and his blade glowed a bright yellow. Selena jumped backwards as electricity sparked within the young male. She lands a few feet away, confused. "This is an Atharvan technique," he said in an apologetic tone, thunder induced blade in a tight grip. "Don't worry, it would not cause any serious damage," he continued. He should finish this quickly. Or else.
Time passed in a slow motion as Arius dashed forward. Selena know she is fighting a losing battle. Well, it has been fun-
"Vriksha special: Earth shield," the prince whispered in her ear, "Please act as if you are in pain. I apologize of such inappropriate request."
Selena blinked before the dull back of his blade hit her waist, but the lightning shock never come. Remembering what he had said, she choked hard and fell to the ground, holding her abdomen and let out a strangled groan. It does hurt, but at least the thunder spell has no effect. However she gained a status ailment, which she regocnized as paralyze.
"Are you okay?" Arius asked, his face unnaturally pale. He offered her a bottle of stimulant, which she took gladly. "Thank you. I'm fine... Um, are you feeling well?"
"Ah, it's nothing," the prince assured her. Selena knew he is not, because he raised a hand to his head as if in pain, emerald eyes turned misty, and he collapsed, unconscious.
~o0o~
"-green drop and a green grass. Are you listening?"
"Yes, ma'am," the male pouted, feeling betrayed. Not his fault that over-use of magic has drained all his stamina.
The infirmary lady sighed, though there's a smile intact there. "I heard it from His Highness. You sneakily used Vrikshan magic, didn't you?"
The bedridden boy flinched. Busted. "I- I had no choice," he sighed, fiddling with the white bed sheet of the infirmary, "I don't know other paralyze-inflicting spells other than thunder ones,"
She raised an eyebrow, "There is another way to win, you know. Sure, paralyzing your opponent is easier, but then you'll be using earth shield to protect her from the elemental weakness."
Arius averted his eyes, "To drain all her Health Points? I don't think I could do that,"
The female laughed, "I assume your lesson has reached chapter six of ethic towards a lady?"
"... Sometimes I feared you have the ability to read people's mind, ma'am."
The lady laughed.
~o0o~
"And- and there is this weird feeling you know, like, like, uh, leaves and earth- forest, yes, forest! And then- and then the thunder doesn't hurt at all, it's like, uh, dull buzzing! How did you do that?"
Arius refrained himself to wince from Selena's rant. His head is throbbing badly, but he keep his complaint to himself and answered patiently, "Magic. I got various teachers from the Six Nations, though I never actually used spells other than water or ice... The five other elements drains a lot of energy."
Selena continue to blabber enthusiastically, about spells and swords and ice and the other things that are 'totally awesome', which brought a smile to the prince's face. Seems like his stay at infirmary today won't be so boring after all.
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Skip forward
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Selena took a great whiff at the misty air of the waterfall. It smelled of water and grass and life. Tiny droplets of cold water kissed her face, and even though she made sure her distance is far enough not to wet her dress, Selena feel refreshed. When she was a mere child, she used to visit this waterfall at the edge of forest.
She traveled a lot, just like what she had wanted in the past. Upon the age of fourteen, Selena has stood out so much that she was offered to wield the legendary sword Lexida. She remembered hanging her mouth open unattractively, shocked. Of course she declined it, reasoning that she's still inexperienced. Though, somehow, she ended up with Lexida in her possession at the age of early fifteen.
Now seventeen, Selena has gained enough trust from the people to be called the 'Ice Queen Selena'. The bluenette still couldn't suppress the giddy feeling every time people called her that. And she liked her dress, too. Matches her eyes and, oddly enough, comfortable even in fights. Recalling such good things rewarded her in an even better mood, as she is going back home to the kingdom, after so long. It has been seven years, and she really missed her hometown.
Selena rose from the rock she's been sitting on. Break time is over. Faint memories of ice and emerald eyes accompanied the ice queen on her journey back home.
~o0o~
Selena has just arrived in the marketplace, her childhood memories of running around and playing and squealing like mad with Lucina resurfacing like bubbles in the water pot. Everyone is no longer strangers passing in her journeys, they're from Sama. They're from her homeland, and she is home. Their chattering filled her ears as she did a half-spin, wandering eyes landing from fruits to clothes stands. Really, it's all nostalgic and pleasant until someone accidentally bumped to her.
"Watch where yer' goin', woman!" A huge, fat man spat at her, sneering like a pig.
Selena raised a perfectly curved eyebrow, face cold and impassive. She is standing near a stone monument in the center of the market, and it makes no sense for someone to bump to her, unless it is intentional. It's not even crowded here. Since when did Sama has such violent... creatures? No, seriously, usually it's impossible to have someone like this guy here. If it is to be compared with the other five nations, Sama is quite peaceful, second to La Veda.
Agni? To be honest, there is a few pickpockets here and there, but there's nothing serious, aside of a certain silver haired thief. He is well known for his twin blades and poison. Nothing life threatening though. Rumors states that he fed the orphans and steals for the poor. Others said that he leads a group of thiefs. He is a witty one though, vanishing as soon as you thought you've got him.
Vriksha? The green and flourish land had just held a harvest festival in the heart of the nation, couple of weeks ago. There is dancing, drinking, laughing, music, food, - and quite an amount of zel pouches missing. Selena did not pity them though. They are dwindlers, who earned money not from one's work, but from trickery and false ways. She had feeling that the one who did this had carefully chosen his victims. Lucky witnesses reported about a 'scarlet haired youth in a green cloak', but there is no evidence against said individual. Coincidentally, a few orphanages mysteriously received lots and lots of donations couple of days after.
Atharva, well, they are focused on weapon-handling and street combat. Explosive as always, the republic of thunder. The fights are legal as long as you have written approval from the government. All in all, the crime rate is pretty low.
La Veda? What kind of crime could have happened there? Killing an ant? The holy land is practically glowing, there is almost impossible for anything at all to be 'evil', much less to commit sins like stealing and robbing.
Bariura? Er, well, its quite the opposite of La Veda. Nothing grave, but you'd like to avoid sticking your nose to other's business. The crime rate there is kind of shady since they're good at covering them.
And Sama? Her hometown? Last time she checked, - which is seven years ago, there is no one who dared to... bark towards a lady without a clear reason. They valued morals here, and the devotion is more than enough to avoid having such brutes scattering about the kingdom. What the heck is happening here?
"Hey ya woman! Ain'tcha gonna say sorry? Huh?!" The peace breaker continued, voice increasing in volume. People starts to stare now, some recognizing one or both of them. Silence claimed that place aside of soft whispers from the marketsmen. Her finger twitched. Honestly, if not for the fact that this place is full of innocent people, she would pull out Lexida and beat some common senses to this pathetic excuse for a man. A male without manners is equal to a book without strong and proper spine; messy and disorganized.
Selena kept her silence for another couple of seconds before answering, "I'm sorry for standing here and breathing," she brushed the fuming pig-like man off, wanting to leave this place immediately. This guy made her sick. She would appreciate a long, warm shower very much.
"Don't mess with me, ya lil' piece o' shit!" He roared, pulling out an enormous, rusty axe from his back, as if threatening to cut her neck off with it. Wait, scratch that. He's serious about cutting her neck off.
On reflex, she kicked the ground beneath her to the side. Landing safely, Selena cursed under her breath as the gigantic axe embedded itself in the monument with a great crack. Man, he ruined a historical statue. Another problem, great.
Grunting, the axe wielder pulled his weapon out abruptly. He eyed the monument, dark eyes clouded with malice. He raised his arm, gaze locked on the ancient figure. "Damn thing is crumbling anyway!"
CRASH
Chunks of white marble stone fell to the ground. Crushed, scattering all over like a pile of firewood. Once, it resembled a past hero. Now it's reduced to a pile of unrecognizable rubbles.
Growling, the huge man launched himself at Selena, who dodged easily. She couldn't think straight, really. This is her first time dealing with such brutality. Her heart practically drummed in her ears. A bead of sweat is rolling down the side of her face. At this point, people began to take a safe distance from the two fighters, some of them looking for help.
Calm down, Selena. Calm down.
The bluenette reached for Lexida, charging it up with ice magic.
From the way he lunged forward, he's not made for speed. But his strength is monstrous. He destroyed a freaking marble sculpture in one hit.
She spun to the left to avoid his fist, which left a crack on the hard, stone pathway.
Ugh, I need more time! My burst is almost ready!
As if despising her, Lady of Fortune decided that Selena should trip on her dress right now and then.
Shit.
The male's eyes glinted. She did not like that one bit.
A 'crack' was heard as the nightmarish weight landed on her right hand in a shape of horrible, smelly, worn-out shoe-clad foot. It only took couple of seconds before the pain registered, leaving her screaming for all hell to hear.
Laughing so hard that his stomach fat bounced, the bastard chortled, spit dripping from a corner of thick, chapped lips. "How d'ya like that, ha?!"
Crying out in pain, Selena took a quick assumption that her wrist has been broken. Tears is gathering at her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. White hot pain flaring up to her nerves, Selena failed to realize that the axe has been dropped by Mr. Asshole. Unsurprisingly it was aimed to land on her head.
Oh dear.
After this, she should learn how to draw sword using her left hand.
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If she survived this.
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"Don't worry, children― the princess won't met her end before rejoicing with her prince,"
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Forest.
It smelled like forest and leaves, but not quite like the natural greenery. She... she knew this smell. Opening her eyes she didn't realize closing, Selena stared. And stared. And stared some more.
The axe is floating in mid-air.
Various thoughts ranging from 'who froze the time' or 'did I died' until 'I need doctor to check my sanity' filled her head. Moreover, the air around her is pulsing. It possessed a steady throb, just like heartbeats. The crowd is no longer whispering. They're talking in excited manner and started to point.
She followed their gazes, to be met with beautiful orbs of emerald.
"For the seven sea's sake, could someone please be considerate enough to stop the fight before a lady got hurt?" The owner of those eyes muttered, more to himself than to the crowd. Somehow Selena could hear him. His voice sounds like an echo, far and distant yet clear like a needle falling to the ground. Must be the weird, earth smelling shield-like thing. He had a gloved hand outstretched towards her, and if it was to go by any means, he is the one who casted it.
"Oh, just perfect! Lookie, lil' girl! Yer prince on white horse has arrived!" He barked out a mocking laughter, not minding her hateful glare. If looks could kill, he would have been gasping for his last breath by now.
Her savior blinked. "This is slightly off-topic, but my stallion is light brown in color. Now please kindly let the lady go. If you hand yourself in quietly-"
"Are you fuckin' outta yer mind? Me? The great Zark?! Handing himself in? Ha! Fight me an' win or step over mah corpse!" As soon as he finished his words, Zark lunged forward, axe in a tight grip. Selena could've swore she heard a grit from the poor handle.
The brunette clicked his tongue, jumping up and stepped on the back of Zark's axe, flipping over his shoulder and landed behind him. "Please calm down. I have the authority to arrest you either way, so it is pointless to fight,"
"Who are you?" Selena cut in, sitting up and grimaced as the movement shot up more pain up her arm. She nursed her wrist with her healing magic, not wanting the injury to get worse.
"I am Arius, the third prince of Sama," he bowed, right hand placed over his heart, "I'd like to say pleased to meet you, but honestly," he yelped as Zark's axe made contact with the ground where he had been standing a second ago, while he barely dodged to safety. "Let's leave the talk after this."
"Ain'tcha even think 'bout talk, yer scaredy-cat! I can turn ya to a pile of minced meat rightaway! Ya better be ready!"
Arius swore mentally, and for once he doesn't correct himself. Seriously now? Aside from trainings or spar with his tutors, Arius has never been in actual fights. And why did he left his sword at the training hall? This could end up real bad, if he failed to analyze the situation. And the fact that his body is throbbing with raw adrenaline didn't help one bit. Shiver crawled at his spine like ice, either from excitement or fear, or mix of both, Arius has no clue. Blood is rushing to his head, dulling his otherwise tactical mind full of spells.
No time for panicking, the brunette breathed out. [First, study your opponent.]
Zark is huge. Meaty, to be more precise. Disadvantage in speed. So... an attack directed at a part of the body with no flexibility-
He did a backflip and skidded backwards on both feet and a hand, avoiding the huge axe that whizzed past him.
But how to? This opponent has an advantage in height and size-
A smooth side-step, avoiding a flimsy kick made by an oversized leg, "Stop dodgin', ya royal pig!"
Something flashed in his mind. And he knew what it was. An old book in the corner of the library, a little dusty, but it catches his interest couple of months ago. A martial art book.
His hands twitched. Right. He can do it. Something behind his mind screamed about how violent and ill-mannered this way is, but he ignored it.
[Second, plan out an offensive. If was rendered unusable, switch to defensive and look for an opening.]
Breathe in, breathe out. Arius grunted as he lost his footing, but the brunette covered it with a crouch. Come on, he gritted his teeth, its now or never. He shot up from his half-crouch and hooked his leg to the brute's. It worked somehow, Zark almost tumbled over his locked leg. He roared angrily, struggling for balance while throwing apunch aimed at Arius' face.
[Note; you may act out on instinct. However, losing control is out of the question.]
This is it.
He chanted a power-up magic on his palm to reduce the damage, releasing the locking leg and took a step back. Shifting his feet to a stable stance, Arius used his right palm to receive the blow and gripped it tight.
Flip over the hand,
Twist the arm upwards.
And then hit at the elbow joints vertically.
"I am terribly sorry to do this," Arius panted, heart racing mildly because, gods, this is his first duel and he would rather make it clean and formal. An official sword duel, is it too much to ask? Squaring his tense shoulders, Arius shot his knee up to the twisted arm, and broke the elbow.
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Folded at the corner
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"Son," stern voice of his father, enhanced with the booming echo of the spacious throne chamber, made Arius flinch. That earned a questioning look from Selena. "I heard what you did today," he cleared his throat, "Raise your head, young ones. And would you like to explain what have you done, Arius?"
The prince shuffled forward, fumbling over his words clumsily. "F- father, I- I um, it's not like I'm- em, what am I trying to say is that he- she- and- I- I- I mean i- it's inevitable," he ran a hand through his hair and huffed, clearly flustered. "I- I apologize of such... unsightly behavior." Arius cleared his throat, "An elderly woman ran to me this noon. She's in search for the authorities. She saw my cloak and recognized me as one, then, uh, she... dragged me to the nearby market." His eyes flicked to Selena for a split second before continuing, "I do believe that the rest of the story is obvious. I will take any responsibility to the damage this ruckus has caused-"
Selena stepped forward, shadow hovering over her eyes. She grabbed his shoulders and shook him hard, unmindful of his surprised squeak, "That is unnecessary! Why on the holy land of La Veda should you take the responsibility?! It is the- the- the bad guy who did it!" Selena rushed, almost spitting out the word 'the asshole' before she remembered that she is in a room with the ruler of the land. "You- you- you- you- arghh!" The bluenette gave up to utter the continuation of the word, released Arius and pinched the spot between her eyes in frustration. "Boys! Oh my god, boys! What's wrong with all of you-! It's the second time! First there is this stupid, little sword wielder that collapsed after over-use of magic, and then here you are trying to clean up after some- some- some hooligan's mess!" Taking a deep breath after her rant, Selena had her eyes fixated on a confused Arius.
Clueless and confused, to be exact.
"Ah, um," the prince started, scratching his cheek with one finger sheepishly, "May I ask, how did you know about me collapsing from magic exthausion?"
Selena blinked. What?
The king, who was silent all this time, laughed. The two teenagers snapped their head towards him in surprise. "Oh my, I can't believe both of you has forgotten!" The king continued, "Both of you met and sparred seven years ago. Remember? Son, you fainted and this lady here screamed, almost in tears."
Arius stared at the king.
Selena stared at the king.
Slowly, they stared at each other. Imaginary clicks could be heard as it connected.
"Uh, nice to meet you again, I guess."
"It's a pleasure to meet you again."
Said both of them at the same time.
The king watches them with growing amusement. Ah, youth.
~o0o~
After Selena left, Arius turned to his father, eyes casted down. "Please tell me what would you like to tell, father." He fisted his hands, "Now there is no... outsiders."
The king mentally shook his head. This kid really does stuck to rules, doesn't he? Sighing through his nose, the man in his fifties stood up from his throne. He stared at his third son, whose head is lowered, not daring to meet his father's eyes. "Son," he started in a gentle tone, "Selena is right; you shouldn't bear the responsibility. It is purely Zark's fault,"
Arius kept his silence.
"What is bothering you?" His father asked, feeling worried.
"I... broke his elbow." It was just above a whisper. "I myself has mastered numerous types of magic. Even if I had no sword in my possession... there is another option. I caused bodily harm in the heat of the moment-"
"Do you regret it?" The ruler of Sama cut in. "Do you regret being able to protect someone?"
"... I did not, father."
"Then there is no problem. Zark is a criminal, anyway. You saved us the trouble by making him unable to use his axe. Don't worry about him," Arius felt his hair being ruffled fondly, "You have grown. I saw potential in you, son. Magic. Skill. Bravery."
Arius could feel his insides bubbles with joy. "Thank you, father."
"Say, Arius. I'd like you to lead the naval army."
"... What?"
~o0o~
Lucina tilted her head, studying Selena who is lying face-first to her bed, groaning something that sounds like 'it's him all alooooong. I talked about the past to him. I talked about him to him. Somebody kill me.'
~o0o~
"I can't believe I actually lost my paintings. Please don't tell me it got mixed in the exhibition list. I don't even want to think what will happen if it gone public. And I am talking to myself. But talking lessens the tension. I fear that the saying is not true. It's not lessening at all. Who said that anyway? Oh wait, I did." Arius let his head fell to the desk face first. Hard. Ouch. He's screwed.
~o0o~
Selena stared at the gallery's painting with a flat face. Is that her?
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Bookmarked
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Skip a few pages backwards
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Winter Ball is an once a year event held by Sama, where royals and great warriors from the Six Nations gather in a ballroom. What made it special is the dancefloor. Gleaming floor of ice, toughened up with magic. It is crystal clear, making it possible for the guests to observe fishes and sea creatures swimming below.
A sight full of wonder and beauty, indeed.
Fifteen year old Arius greeted the guests, a heartwarming smile etched on his handsome face. He's in an exquisitely tailored white suit, the collar of his white, long sleeved shirt is peeking out from it. Arius left the top button unbuttoned, since he had no tie on. The prince had his bangs styled to his right, slicked with small amount of gel to make it natural. He discarded his usual gem embedded gloves, replacing them with a soft white ones that matches his attire perfectly. White dress pants and a pair of polished white shoes completed his appearance. On his right hand is a glass of fruit cocktail, the leg of said glass tucked between his fingers elegantly.
He looked good. Very good, in fact.
Arius finished the drink in one go and placed the empty glass on the tray as a waiter glided by. It is an ice floor, after all. "Why, if it isn't the third prince!" Upon hearing the call, he turned his head and spotted a girl he recognized as princess Faris from Vriksha. Beside her is a young man who seems to be in his in early twenties. The man is taller than Arius by an inch, more or less. Arius made his way there carefully, greeting the princess and the man beside her.
The taller male bowed, "Greetings. I am Lario,-"
Faris cut him off, "My personal bodyguard! And I managed to force him to a tailcoat! He looks good, doesn't he? Right, right?" She asked with slight bounces enthusiastically, childish smile on her face. Her slim figure is wrapped in a cream colored sleeveless dress. Simple, but brings out her beauty.
Lario had his shoulder length hair tied loosely behind his neck, strands of green framing his face at both sides. The black tailcoat fits him perfectly, but his tense shoulders said otherwise. He had a bow and arrows strapped to his back, an obvious sign that he is an archer.
Arius blinked at the princess before he broke to a smile at her child-like antics. "He is, milady." The prince turned to the archer, emerald orbs meeting with jade ones. Unspoken words were exchanged between them. Visibly, the archer relaxed, lowering his eyes to break the 'staring contest'. "Yeah, I'll try not to worry about her too much." He flashed a smile at Arius before Faris started to bombard her guard with tons of questions.
"Wait- so boys can really talk with eyes?! I thought it's just a joke! Is it really a man-thing only? But Lidith and I can agree with something through mere eye contact as well!" She gasped, "But we are girls! Wait wait wait, hold on, what are you guys 'talking' about earlier? Did I miss something?" Faris ranted, eyes darting from Arius to Lario, back and forth.
The prince laughed. "I believe it is not my place to tell, milady."
The trio bickered for a while before Arius excused himself, soft music filling the hall. Lights were dimmed, and in exchange, the ballroom were bathed in warm goldish light from below. The beings in the water could be seen as mesmerizing shadows of various colors moving about just below their feet. The guests gasped in awe, while the king smiled proudly. That light is casted from the bottom of the water. It was no easy task, to polish the new magic, and to complete it before the ball. But they managed, and it was proved to be satisfying.
"Ladies and gentlemen! Let the ball begins," the ruler of Sama announced, raising his glass of champagne. The guests cheered, clinked their wine glasses filled with various drinks together, and in matter of minutes, numerous pairs could be seen dancing on the magical hall. Ladies in their gowns and men in their sharp evening suits twirled around, creating a difficult pattern all across the ice floor.
Arius did not dance. Sure, there is a lot of ladies here that would fight each other just to dance with him, and his dancing skills has been trained since he were ten. His movements are graceful and controlled. He handled his partners gently. There is no reason to not to dance. So why didn't he?
The young prince stood there in silence, a glass of drink in his hand as his blurry memories flashed images of a pair of aquamarines.
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"See? You are sleepy after all. I'll make it quick, so don't fall asleep before it is finished, okay?"
A motherly laugh
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Not less than a year later, Mega is appointed as the commander, replacing Arius. The prince himself fought alongside his comrades as a soldier.
Selena joined a group of warriors who called themselves the Six Heroes.
Humans clashed with the gods.
The great war has been declared.
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"You... little... fool!" Stya screamed then cursed, and boy, did Mega ever mention that she swore fouler than a sailor? The wounded commander laughed breathlessly, but choked on it and end up with a handful of blood. "Is that what you're - cough - supposed to say to your savior?" Hm? That's strange. Either everything has been blurred and doubled, or his consciousness is getting worse it's affecting his vision.
"Hey Stya. I think... I'll be sleeping for a while..." Mega slurred, his visible eye dangerously close to closing. He can no longer fight off the sleepiness... Maybe he can slept the pain off.
"Don't you dare sleeping, you lazyass!" The pirate captain hissed through her teeth, hands clenching the handle of her blades, fighting off the underlings of the gods. No, that's not tears at the edge of her eyes, damn it! She is... she is not crying! No way she would waste her tears for some... brainless commander like that! The idiot who keeps bothering her! The idiot who makes her see red whenever someone mentions his name! The fucking idiot who always made himself at home in her mind, and she is absolutely terrified when finding out he has do the same in her heart. The... man who saved her life. Her whole crew.
They're pirates. His enemies.
"Stya? You know... my foster father is a pirate captain too," Mega mumbled weakly, sprawled open with a grave wound on his body. He tried hard not to sleep, to distract himself from sleeping. He saw the dragons and another sky beasts soaring in the grey sky. Wings, claws, roars. Is that thunder over there? Must be Eze. Hmm at times like this he regretted not teasing Arius more than five times a day. Wait, he hasn't got a chance to make the boy skip one of his lessons too! Whoa, and he hasn't found a wife! Life seems too early to end now.
"Really? So the commander's foster parent is a lawbreaker. Why am I not surprised," Stya answered, hands not pausing nevertheless.
"Yeah, - cough, ever... heard of Verica?" Man, sleeping for a while won't hurt, right?
"I've heard of him! I never met him, but I bet he is a great pirate! Don't sleep, listen to me?! You can't sleep here of all places!" Her body is shining, pale blue. Power surged through her body, stunning her to silence. Her blades grew sharper and colder and deadlier, while her attire customed itself to a grander one. "Wha-?"
"You're evolving," Mega mumbles, closing his eye wearily.
Mother Snow Stya screamed in rage, waves of blue energy blowing off her enemies. Mega may not be dead, but revenge is set in order to be done.
~o0o~
Selena took a step forward and hooked her ankle around Narza's, yanking at it as she moved back and brought him down to one knee. The mad knight rolled to his right just in time as Lexida embedded itself to the spot where his head has just been a second ago. The silver haired warrior took this chance to swung his blade against the legendary sword that has still been stuck to the ground.
It flew away with a bone chilling clang. Selena swore her blood freeze right now and then.
"May the gods pity your foolish soul," Narza mock-prayed, about to end her life as a gigantic, dark purplish shield landed right in front of her. The heavy armor left a thick cloud of dust in its wake as it landed. Slowly, Selena raised her head to be greeted with her fellow Six Heroes acquaintance, Magress. The female opened her mouth to say thanks, but it was interrupted as Narza jumped to the dark hero's back. He raised his sword, but is blocked by Magress' lance. "Leave," the shield bearing man ordered her in that dark voice of his, clashing with Narza as soon as Selena hastily made her way out of their duel.
She looked around for her sword in panic, because a sword wielder without a sword is just as good as dead in the middle of a war. Sure, she has her magic, but it won't even last her a day. Where is it―
Spotting her sword, Selena made her way to it, crouching down to take it. She rubbed her forehead with one hand, suddenly not feeling like standing up. How long has the war lived on? Months? Food supplies is getting thinner and almost all town in Elgaia were raided by bandits. She even heard of ancient dragons awakening, disturbed by the war. There's barely a safe place.
Heck, she can't even remember the last time she saw actual sunlight. The sky has been dark for ever.
Selena pulled out her communication rune, contacting the headquarters. "Selena reporting to HQ. Magress is taking over area R9. There is a knight with silver hair that called himself Narza, working under one of the Four Fallen Gods. Magress is taking care of him, and I assure you, he won't be defeated easily. Moving to area S8, I'm on my own."
Bzzt―
His Highness Prince Arius has been there since half a day ago with no report since then. Ensure your safety, both of you.
"Understood and over." Selena huffed, standing up. Without a glance backwards, she beheaded a beast that was about to attack her from behind. "I'm sure he won't be defeated by mere underling," she chuckled.
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"This is getting interesting,"
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Wincing at the pain of previous attack on his torso, Arius dashed forward. He casted an illusion of himself, creating fake copies made of water. With their help, the prince slipped easily behind an unsuspecting God Army's warrior and cut his head off, ending his life in a painless death.
At other times he might be horrified at the mere thought of killing. That takes him back to the elbow breaking incident. How naive he is back then.
What he did in the past is nothing compared to this.
He should fight. If he don't, his comrades are going to die.
Anyone who think they can live in a world without killing is being unreasonable, he recalled a saying from an old warrior, in a war, it becomes harder to let someone live than to kill them.
The war raged on.
"Ack!" Arius jumped as something sharp bit his upper arm. He snapped his head over to it, and suppressed a shiver as he saw what it was. Wiggling, fat, some kind of slimy, pink worm creature. It has to be a new species since they had no records on it. The... thing, was sucking on his blood, and Arius panicked. What on Elgaia is this creature?!
"Σκούρο πλάσμα, εξαφανίσου!"*
[Dark creature, begone!]
A swirl of cyan light later, the monster has been drowned in a blob of floating magical water. It released the flesh of his arm with a sickening wet sound. "Uhk," Arius panted, suddenly feeling light-headed. Weird blurry spots is taking over at the edges of his eyes. Faint buzzing, no, more like dulled voices that you'd hear from a broken radio is ringing in his ears. He's not even sure whether he is pale or feverish red. Is this... poison? A new kind of poison?
A cough bubbled up, and Arius just dropped his sword and doubled over, hands clamped over his mouth in a futile effort to stop them. The world had ceased to exist for him, they had been blurred to a gradient gray in the battlefield's background. Nothing mattered except for the unforgiving blockage in his lungs that no amount of coughing could release. Tears started in his eyes as his body racked with the spasms, and he found himself falling to his knees, boneless and numb.
His mouth tasted of blood. There is drips of saliva dripping out the corners, but Arius still couldn't stop. Something dampened his dry mouth, a warm liquid he recognized as blood, copper and metallic.
He was starting to feel dizzy. His throat and lungs were screaming at him. He endured a few minutes of it until the fit died down for a bit, leaving the prince to stare at his crimson stained gloves.
"Oh my god," someone gasped, horrified. It's funny, he thought absentmindedly, they're having a war against the gods. Yet they still said that lines over and over again.
"Arius! What the heck happened?!"
"Selena?" He managed to croak out, vision focusing on the Holy Ice. She is... wow. Different. She's no longer an Ice Goddess, she had evolved. Well, he did too, but he couldn't help but to admire her new appearance.
"Argh," She mumbled irritatedly, rummaging through her item bag, "I lost my ailment scanner. Who or what attacked you? Can you recognize your status ailment?"
Arius shook his pounding head, not trusting his voice not to break. A bead of sweat rolled down the side of his feverish face. He reached for a bottle of cure. It won't last long, but at least he can converse with the swordswoman without coughing up blood. "Unregistered creature. Which means whatever that thing injected to me is unregistered as well."
Selena paled. "This is bad. I'll take you to the nearby post-"
"It has been broken by a fall of a dragon. Nearest post after that is half a day worth of journey."
"Blast," she bit her lower lip, feeling helpless. And when she thought she's lucky to met the Wise Mage Elimo to refill her items― ... wait. Realization dawned upon her. "Right, of course. Now drink this," she pulled out a white bottle, "The Wise Mage made it herself. It was made from rare materials, but she managed. Nullifies all kind of ailments, powers up and it heals better than mega cure."
"Thank you. I appreciate it, but no."
Selena blinked, confused. "... Is it just me hearing things or did you just say 'no'?"
"I did."
"You're dying."
"I know,"
"I think whatever substance that is running under your veins has messed up your brain."
"No. You are supposed to be the hero here. You should've known what is and what is not to do. In this battlefield I hold no title. A mere soldier, and that's all to it. Have you heard about Mega? I believe he suffers a grave wound at the moment," Arius insists, indirectly asking her to give the potion to the commander while changing the subject.
Selena is having none of it though. "Oh, and what about that? Wound is to be expected in a chaotic state like this. Time, rest, and healers. He'll be up and running in a few days." She reasoned, somehow more to convince herself than the prince.
"You are right. In this chaotic state, even death is to be expected. And to remind you, an army without a leader is just as good as a sitting duckling in the wolves' den, for Lucius' sake. I am not even capable enough for the 'real deal', how am I going to face my father for... this? He entrusts the army to me, yet I failed to lead," Arius swallowed hard, fighting back a cough that threatens its way up his throat, "The least I can do is to let Mega take over and to finish this war. Just... give the potion to him."
Selena shook her head. She will never understand the way this creatures who called themselves male thinks. Some is just plain dumb while the others is too complicated. In this case though, overthinks a lot. "We should save whoever we can save. Drink this. I bet His Majesty will understand."
Arius held his head in both hands. Thinking about this problem just serves to made his headache worse. "Mega couldn't wait. The army couldn't wait. Those soldiers would be uncoordinated and it makes them vulnerable-"
"Those dimwits will win the 'most useless division' trophy after we're done with this war. Seriously, if they can't move out individually then they lacked the-"
"We can't wait, Selena-"
"No. You are the one who couldn't afford to wait,"
Arius ignored his weak body, and stood up against the older by one year swordswoman. His eyes are having that dark spots again. The prince can barely feel his legs, but he's sure as hell not giving in to what she wants this time. The raging war is visible to all five senses, but he paid them no mind. "Face reality, and stop being so stubborn!"
Selena doesn't falter. "Then stop being so inconsiderate!"
"Enough is enough, Selena!"
Selena snapped. "Shut up, just shut up! You're not going to save anyone if you sacrifices yourself for the sake of the kingdom! Heck, I'd say it's more like you're being stupid to throw away that life of yours," she bit back. Harsh, it is, but this way the idiotic prince would think it over again. Arius is just like that. The past him will just agree with what others said, but at least this war changed him. He's capable to lead now, but gods, did he trade his brain for it? Selena bit her lower lip. She is being reasonable and all, but deep down she's kind of... afraid to lose him. This feeling is so, so confusing. Like the tightening of her throat and that strange, annoying itch in her chest. Or that weird fluttering stuff in her belly. Whatever.
"... Is it because I bear the royal blood?" Arius asked softly. "Is it because I am a prince?" He took a step forward, and almost cursed as soon as a wave of heavy pain pounded at the back of his brain. He won't let it show, however. The last thing he need is to have this stubborn girl to worry over him. "Here, now, I am a soldier. It makes senses for pawns to be sacrificed for the sake of protecting the king. It's just..." He ran a hand through his hair, dampened by cold sweat, "You don't understand." I can't even save myself. How am I going to protect my people, how am I going to protect you? If Mega is cured, there is a possibility that he'll lead us to victory.
"I understand!" Selena spat out, and she honestly has no idea who is she being mad with. Arius? Herself? The war? Those gods they're fighting against? She had no idea, really. "Let me be selfish for once. I want to save you. You are allowed to live. You are allowed to be... selfish, to think for yourself, because you are a human as well. Please. Just take this."
Arius doesn't reply. Breathing suddenly become such a heavy task for him. He's fighting for air, as if he had run a marathon all across Sama with a tiger hot on his heel. His lungs is damaged, that's one for sure. Cold sweating, dizzy, powerless. He is seeing black again. "I'll try," he gasped, feeling thousands of needles pricking his head. Mega, you better get well soon or I'll have Stya to beat the heck out of you,
Selena scrunched her forehead in worry. "What did you say? H- hey!"
Sudden wave of sickness washed over him. He fell back on his knees again, coughing up blood in a worrisome amount. He couldn't breathe anymore at this point, his short gasps was blocked by the coughs and oh god, please end this suffering. Emerald eyes are turning misty, as he can see nothing from them. Just blood, red, red, and then everything is blurry.
An empty bottle of potion fell to the ground with a thud.
~o0o~
Selena stared down at the prince. He is dying. Fear struck her heart harder than a lightning would. No. He can't kick the bucket here. Clumsy, trembling hands popped the potion lid open. The bluenette tipped it in her mouth, letting the bottle fall to the ground. She kneeled before the gasping swordsman, both hands on his shoulders.
Next thing she knew, Selena had her lips against his, bloody and barely alive. The potion made its way down his throat as he unconsciously gulped it down. Arius snapped his eyes open, face alarmed. He doubled over with another coughing fit. Some kind of dark purple liquid splats to the ground, and color returned to the prince's face. "Wha- what?"
Selena cried out in relief, arms flying to wrap around Arius.
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"Oh, sleeping already?" A light laughter, "Hmmm. I myself would like to relive the past, truth to be told."
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Reopening the past chapters
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Nine years old Arius walked out from the infirmary. Finally he was allowed to leave after spending a night in that place. The irony is, his room is just a few hallways away from the medicine-smelling chamber. Couldn't they just let him rest in his own room? Adults, huff.
Walking out to the garden, the brunette breathes in the fresh air of the autumn. The lined-up trees on both sides of the pathway are red and golden and orange and all that colors that matched the season perfectly. Crunchy leaves were spread on the stone pathway, and he just loves stepping on them, no matter how childish it is.
Wait, he is a child.
Laughing to himself, Arius ran towards the biggest tree in the center of the palace garden. It has a very thick trunk, you can built a treehouse up there and someone would still be able to miss it. The leaves are swaying lazily together with the wind, chirping birds making nests on the trees. There is squirrels, too. The critters are running around, collecting nuts for the winter storage from the trees in the garden. Apple, oak, mangoes... Who would plant fruit trees in the palace garden anyway? Arius doesn't protest though, he got sweet fruits for evening treat when he's free from the lessons.
Making himself comfortable under the tree's shade, the prince picks up a squirrel that made its way to him. Most garden critters here know him well. It jumped to the top of Arius' head, to which the nine year old doesn't mind at all. He hummed a tone as he fished out a pouch of bread crumbs, scattering it a few feet away from where he sat. The birds flapped around him, pecking at the feed eagerly. A pearly white dove flew towards him, landing on his shoulder and preened itself. Arius laughed.
"Whoa, look at that!"
The third prince knew this wouldn't be quite a 'normal' bird feeding time when he heard the excited call from a certain bluenette.
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"They spend their childhood in separate places, as the girl travels and the boy improves, however that faint memories of a day spent in the shade of autumn tree and laughters, they did not forget."
"Now it's time to sleep,"
"Good night."
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(*) Written in Greek. I used translator lol
A/N:
Okaaay. This is my first fic in English. In my country we don't speak English so I'm sorry if there is mistakes #hidesinacorner I think I messed up somewhere, it turned out not quite satisfying y'know? Ergh. Critics are welcomed. #bows
I had taken a liking to Arius. I don't know why, maybe it's because he's the only actual prince in the game, but I'd really like to have him in my unit inventory Ｏ(≧∇≦)Ｏ
This is supposed to be around 4k, but it keeps getting longer '-' I swear the story writes itself lol
I kinda rushed the kissing scene... forgive me T-T
By the way, young!Arius here can use various elements. Well, he can't in game, but hey, unleash your imagination.
I won't expect too much, but... Mind to leave a review?