Axca really did try. Her plans just…shattered.
Antok frowned when she attacked Grunkle with a more she learned from her father. He scolded her when her thoughts drifted. He glared when she scratched her nose during stealth training.
Finally his fuse burned out when she tucked her hair behind her ears when she was supposed to be learning flips.
Antok grabbed her by the arm, pulling her from the room. Acxa glanced at him and sighed, wondering what her punishment was.
He finally led her to a hall and pointed at a display stand. "Look!" He hissed, and his appreciate obeyed.
In the stand lay knives of all shapes and sizes, all with the crooked symbol carved on.
Antok leaned slightly over to get a better look, and bit his lip. "Hmm…Let's see…" Antok fondly touched the glass, staring at the knives. "That one looks nice." He pointed at a simple knife, the knife one pictures when they think 'knife to battle with.'
"I…yeah, it's a warrior's knife." Acxa's agreed, staring at the insignia on its hilt.
"Would you like to have it one day?" Antok touched her shoulder briefly, blinking at her. Their eyes met through the glass's reflection, and Acxa smiled.
"Yeah. What does it take?" Acxa asked, her fist tightening as she imagined holding the blade in hand.
"Obeying my instructions to the letter." Antok's kind voice made his apprentice relax, and she imagined fighting side by side with him.
Somehow, that picture didn't feel right…
"I…I'll try. Why are they in that case?" Acxa asked, pointing.
"The blades of fallen warriors. They're waiting for a new owner to claim them. Once you accept one, it's impossible to cast them aside unless one either dies, or gives it to a family member who shares their blood." Antok lightly touched her shoulder, admiring her short, blue locks. "We should get back."
Acxa followed him back to the training room, and he demonstrated the backflip again.
"There's only one thing A Blade of Mormora member is, or should be, afraid of." Antok told her later on, spinning his own blade.
"And what's that?" Acxa asked, hand-standing. Her palms were beginning to burn.
"Druids. One blast of dark magic can kill a man." Antok shuddered, pinching the bridge of his nose. "One killed my master. You know, I just got my Blade recently."
"Your teacher?" Acxa stared at him, and imagined what it'd be like if he died.
"Just a week ago. I barely escaped with my life." Antok frowned, his yellow eyes dimming as he remembered his battle. "Okay, you can sit down now."
Acxa obliged. "With your life?" She prodded, and her question was greeted with a look that meant he didn't want to talk about it. "Okay…I haven't seen Kolivan for a while." She changed the subject, and looked at him hopefully.
"He went back to the base."
"I thought this was a base." Acxa blinked, fingering one of her fangs.
"It's an outpost." Antok corrected her, sheathing his blade.
"So Kolivan's in the base? Er, the main base?"
"Correct."
"Does he commonly visit?"
"Once a year." Antok shrugged. "Usually. But he may visit more regularly, because my sister, Roan, is the deputy."
"Really?" Acxa blinked, her blue lock curling around her chin.
"Yes." Antok glanced around the room.
Acxa hoped that one day she'd be the deputy, standing proud and tall next to Kolivan. "Are Roan and Kolivan…?"
"Close?"
"No. What's the word…"
"Married?"
"No…wait, are they?"
"No. They are betrothed. Intended."
Acxa blinked, tenderly pressing her fists on the ground. Well. She hadn't expected Kolivan to be…so romantically involved.
"Kolivan looks proudly upon strong cadets." Antok suddenly said, scratching a bump the wall.
Acxa blinked at him, wondering where that came from. No matter, his words encouraged her. When Kolivan returned, she'd be the best cadet he ever saw.