"Guiche, you should return to the academy. It is back open after all."
"I can't, there is still too much that needs to be done here in the capitol." Guiche said sternly as he sat down at a table in his family's manor and continued to jot things down. Not turning his gaze to his mother who was standing in the doorway.
"You need your education, please?" Guiche's mother pleaded.
"Alright, I'll think about it." Guiche said with a sigh.
"No you will go. Is that understood? I will not stand for my son to forsake his education!" Guiche's mother proclaimed as she walked into the room and forcibly turning his chair toward her.
Guiche looked into his mother's eyes and could see both strength and determination, as well as fear and sadness. "I-. Of course, I'm sorry."
"It's nothing to apologize for, just don't forsake your education. Your father would never allow it."
Guiche's heart stopped for a half second as he heard his mother mention his father, noticing a single tear form at the corner of her eyes as she walked away. His mother still was reeling from his father's death, a death he had caused. "I need to stop thinking so negatively. I have to work on what I can make better, not what I made worse." Guiche muttered to himself as he leaned back in his chair.
"Um, sir, the maid, Siesta, is in the courtyard and seems flustered about something. I just thought you should know." A maid stated as she stopped at the doorway, and disappeared as quickly as she had appeared.
Slowly nodding to himself Guiche stood up and walked out of the room. If Siesta was in the courtyard it meant she was doing some work around the manor to help out. It would be the perfect time to tell her he'd be returning to the academy, and to ask what her own plans were.
Walking through the halls of his family's manor Guiche could still feel it, the sense of dread, fear, and loss that had permeated it since before the void storm, since his father died. The void storm and the loss of life from it had amplified these feelings, but they had been present before it. Now though, while Guiche could feel them, they felt slightly weaker, as if a wound was slowly but surely healing. The feelings were still there though, and would disappear for a long time yet.
Reaching the outskirts of the manor Guiche walked around to finally find Siesta leaning over the manor's well, just as an explosion of water blasted out of it, sending Siesta backwards onto the grass sopping wet. "Siesta! Are you alright?!" Guiche called out as he ran over and dropped himself down onto the now wet grass all around Siesta.
Siesta blinked a few times, shook her head and gazed at Guiche, nodding." Yeah, I'm fine I think. I was just surprised."
"Yeah . . . . .that happened before, just after the void storm two weeks ago." Guiche said after a moment.
"Uh? Oh, yeah, I guess it did. I wonder if I somehow angered a water spirit." Siesta said with a small smile as she and Guiche both got up.
"That would be bad. But how did that happen?"
"Well, I was reaching in to grab the bucket of water, when a sparkle or something fell from somewhere into the water. Then it exploded out at me."
Guiche looked at Siesta in surprise as he remembered when it first happened. "That's what you said before!"
"Was it?"
"Yeah, you said it appeared from around your hand and fell, or something like that."
"Oh yeah, it did this time too. Do you think I'm cursed or something?" Siesta asked her voice trembling slightly.
"I don't think so. But it's odd. Do you remember what it felt like, or anything about it?"
"Um, not really, it just sort of happened." Siesta said with a shrug as she and Guiche walked over to the manors wall.
"I see. Well maybe we can find a way to find out what it was. Tomorrow I'm going to return to the Magic Academy, so I can ask Mister Colbert if you'd like?"
"No, that's fine." Siesta said with a shake of her head. "I've been meaning to go back myself, if my job is still open that is."
"It should be. I doubt the cook would let it go to someone else when you work so hard."
"Yeah I guess so. Ah-," Siesta replied as she flicked some wet hair out from in front of her face, noticing as she did another one of those sparkles appeared at the finger tips and flew out away from her toward the yard. Both of them watched the sparkle in surprise as it slowly fluttered away from them, then suddenly popped in midair, sending a blast of air in all directions.
"That was one of those sparkles, wasn't it?" Guiche asked after a moment, too surprised to avert his eyes from the yard before them where the sparkled had popped.
"Y-yes, it was. . . . . . . . . . . . . Did, did I do that?"
"I think so . . . do it again. Like, flick your arm out or something." Guiche suddenly said.
Siesta nodded and flicked her arm out a few times, each time trying a different way and each time nothing happening until finally she flicked out her arm while napping her fingers, and a sparkle, nearly three times the earlier ones size shot out. It hovered in the air, slowly moving across the yard before popping like its predecessor, but unlike the one before it, its blast wave of air was enough that Siesta and Guiche were pushed back against the manors wall.
"That, was that magic?" Siesta asked worryingly.
"It felt like it, but it doesn't act like any spell I've ever heard of. I'm not sure. We'll have to ask Mister Colbert about it. If it is magic, it could be a serious problem."
"Why would it be a problem? I mean, beside the fact that I'm not a noble?"
"Exactly. Only nobles have ever had magic. Even bandits and rogues who have magic used to be part of noble houses that fell from favor. If it was found out that a plebian had magic, I could see the Brimiric church going insane about it!"
Siestas face went from confused to horrified as the realization dawned on her. "B-but I haven't done anything wrong? I – what would they do to me? I- I!"
"Calm down, we don't know what it is, alright? We'll ask Mr. Colbert and get a straight answer, okay?" Guiche quickly explained, hoping he could calm her down.
Siesta stood there and deeply inhaled and exhaled many times, each time slowly and carefully shortening her breaths until she was breathing normally. Finally she looked to Guiche and nodded. "I- I think I'm okay now. It's just a little much to hear."
"Yeah. Don't worry, we'll find out what's going on, and if it comes to it, I'll protect you." Guiche said carefully, forcing himself not to look directly at Siesta.
"Thank you."
"Um, on that note though, I'll be returning tomorrow. If you don't have a carriage to get you back to the academy, you could come along with me." Guiche said carefully, turning his head even further away to hide the small blush covering his cheeks.
"Okay, thank you again."
"Don't mention. We'll figure things out. What's the worst that could happen after all?"
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"Sir, I have reports for you." An elf said with a bow as he entered his general's tent.
"What of?" the general asked quickly as he sat in the middle of the tent meditating calmly with his eyes shut.
"One is on the allocation of our forces and equipment, the other is a report from our border scouts."
"Hmmm, what of our forces then?"
"Sir, about two thirds of our forces have arrived and the rest are on the way. The other generals expect them to finish arriving within the week."
"I see, and it'll take about a week to get everything organized and our strategy set in stone, so two weeks until we're done with our preparation and can end the humans. What of our scouts then?"
"Sir, our scouts reported that the massive storm, as well as the natural disasters that were plaguing Halkeginia, have both stopped completely and the effects of them are dissipating. They did, however, report that all of its counties are in disarray and their strength of arms and fortification are both crippled and likely will be for many more months. They expect little trouble in our first wave."
"That is good. If we can take control of Germania and Tristania without incident it will make taking out Romalia that much easier. Is there anything else?"
"No sir, that is all."
"Then leave me to my meditations."
"Sir!"
The general sighed as the messenger left, leaving him in his tent once more. Only he wasn't quite alone. "Hello there, Mister General."
The general raised a brow and inwardly scowled. He did not recognize the new person's voice, so he would have to be ready for anything. Opening his eyes he found what looked to be a human woman standing just inside the doorway to his tent. Her hair was as bright as the sands, and the dress she wore was as white as clouds with a regal purple sash down its front. She felt strange, and somehow, while she looked human, he felt there was no way she could be. "Who are you? Answer fast or I shall strike you down." The general said quickly, his hand gravitating onto the sword on his waist.
The woman smiled as she slowly walked around the edge of the general's tent, holding a collapsed parasol over her shoulders. "My name Is Yukari Yakumo, my dear general. And you are in over your head, all of you are."
"Excuse me?" the general asked as Yukari walked around behind him and to his left side.
"It is just as I said. All of your kind, this army of yours, is in over its head. I can say with complete truth, that if you do decide to go to war, a significant portion of your population will die, and you will not even make it to Tristania's capitol." Yukari said as she turned and sat herself down on the general's bed that was basically a small pile of pillows.
"You are saying that Halkeginia is aware of our actions then?"
"Oh no, not in the least." Yukari said with a soft giggle.
"Then why would we fail in your eyes?"
Yukari smiled wickedly." Because, my dear General, if your army moves forward, I would simply inform a select few people, and they alone would do away with your entire army."
"What you speak of . . . even if demon magic users are in Halkeginia, their numbers would be few and our forces are more than skilled enough to deal with them. Our magic is superior to theirs and they will fall. Why do you tell me what you think is the truth, woman?" The general spat.
Yukari's grin slowly turned to a frown. "I would be careful if I where you. I'm telling you this to perhaps avoid your people's destruction. But if you are so intent on speaking rudely, then I shall take my leave." Yukari said as she pulled out her fan and slipped it open, creating a Sukima right beside her. An act that shocked the general.
"You- you use magic that I have not seen before without wand or incantation. Just what are you?"
"Nothing you will live to find out about with your current attitude. Enjoy your last week's alive, elf." Yukari said with an arrogant chuckle as she walked through the Sukima, it closing behind her and leaving the general alone once more.
The general lifted a hand to his forehead to find it covered in sweat. His body was involuntarily shivering, and as he tried to think back on the woman, he suddenly found his mind hazy about what she looked like. Just what had he just witnessed?
