A/N: If you started reading this story before this update in 2020, please start over. I have made significant changes since chapter 4 that affect plot coherence, especially in this chapter. Plus, it might help to refresh yourself on what happened. :)

The Fubras River

We reached the Fubras River and Raine ran ahead of us as soon as she saw the stones. She seemed really excited about it, but when we caught up to her, she looked really disappointed. She wouldn't tell us why. Not that I care.

The bridge was washed out, so now it looks like we'll have to walk across. The place is full of monsters, and we'll have to get our feet wet... What a pain.

Chapter 7

Guy jumped to the next boulder, nearly flailing his arms for balance, but he didn't land wrong and end up in the water. He did, however, glance back and noticed Raine's tension peaked. She looked like a machine with her stiff limbs and careful consideration in crossing the low-rise river. He usually watched her out of curiosity—the woman flew a fontech device in the air! Not many people could say that!—but this time, she seemed absolutely out of her element. He was still concerned, even setting aside how she treated him since they first met.

Not that he could help her anyway if she fell into the water. Women were scary enough without being angry and soaked.

Thankfully, she crossed the river and relaxed. He turned away before she noticed he was watching her, satisfied that she was fine. On this side of the river, a grassy patch enjoyed plenty of sun. Further along, though, the grass carved paths through more rock pillars and hills. He knew beyond that, the Kaitzur border between Malkuth and Kimlasca divided the South Rugnica plains.

"Luke, a moment." Jade said.

With the last person across, everyone turned to Jade. "What now?" Luke asked impatiently.

"I've been watching you fight. You don't seem to have a full grasp on proper fonon use."

Predictably, Luke protested. "Why should I care about that? Using fonons is what fonists do." Tear stepped away from Luke to hide her frustration. Guy noticed her rubbing her temples with her fingers, a sentiment he secretly shared. Luke had always been averse to learning something new if he didn't see the value in it. That was part of the reason he preferred being Luke's servant over his tutor. He'd seen all the trouble Luke gave his tutors since he lost his memories.

Jade sighed. "Did your Master teach you nothing but brute force?"

Actually, he did. Guy knew that but never questioned it. After all, Van was the Commandant of the Oracle Knights and knew what he was doing. No, it was more than that. Guy trusted him personally.

"Don't make fun of Master Van." Luke said, folding his arms. "He didn't teach me that stuff because I don't need it." At this, even Raine seemed to restrain herself. Her lips thinned and her eyes narrowed, and Guy noticed the tension returned to her fists. Not that he blamed her. She was a professor and here was a student refusing to learn. Ion frowned, too.

"I'd like you to learn anyway so you can fight more efficiently." Jade responded.

"Why bother?"

So you don't die, Guy thought, irritated. Even a kid should understand that. "Luke, Jade is a professional. If you want to survive, you should listen to him."

At Guy's interference, Luke uncrossed his arms. "Yeah, a professional killer."

"Indeed I am." Jade shrugged unfazed. "The fon slot seal has already reduced my abilities. I don't want any further dead weight."

Raine approached Luke and Jade. Guy stepped away, noticed Tear was too close from the other direction, and turned again. Apparently, Raine was interested in helping with Luke's lesson, too. He supposed it was the teacher in her. Mieu, floating with the magic of the Sorcerer's Ring, followed Ion towards him. As soon as Ion noticed the little cheagle, he held out his arms for it to settle against his chest.

This did look like a good spot for training. The river cooled the air a little and drowned most other sounds, but the funnel of grass gave them plenty of notice if anything entered the clearing. For several moments they stood there, watching Jade and Luke.

Then Ion turned to Guy.

"So Van was responsible for teaching Luke fighting skills?" He deliberately kept his voice lower to avoid interfering with Jade's lessons, but he suspected there was another reason for not being overheard. After all, who wanted to deal with Luke complaining about being talked about on top of everything else?

"Yeah. I don't know why he never taught him about fonons. I suppose he didn't think there was any need to, as Luke said." He responded to Ion, but his attention was on Luke. He supposed he should've said something to him about fonons before now. It hadn't occurred to him. After all, using fonons was second nature and not something he thought about since he was a child learning how.

"Hm."

"Now the more fonons you gather, the more effective your attacks can be," Jade told Luke. Raine nodded. At Jade's request, Tear walked closer to them, leaving Ion and Guy with Mieu to stand away.

Guy said, "I suppose he's learning now, so that's a good thing." He turned away from the others and looked out at the rocky hills. He thought he saw something in the sky above the hills, but it was too far away to tell what it was. The mountains on the far side of the rocks really showed just how far they had to travel still, though technically they didn't have to cross the mountains to reach Kaitzur. They'd probably be there tomorrow if they kept up a decent pace.

"I'm really worried about Raine," Mieu said, looking up at Ion. "She's very focused on what Jade's saying."

"Huh?" Sure enough, Guy turned and saw her focused attention directed at Jade. Was it more than her being a teacher? She wasn't saying anything for sure. Still... "That's nothing to worried about, Mieu. She's a professor; she probably doesn't have much to add yet."

"There is something strange about her," Ion said softly, but he didn't elaborate. He frowned in serious deep thought.

"I'll admit she's said a lot of weird things. Like visiting spirit seals... She must really believe in them to travel there on foot."

"Do you suppose she really is from Radessia?" Ion asked, "I've never been to the Meggiora Highlands, so I don't know how possible that is. I've heard the terrain is tough, but..."

"She could be. I've never been there either." Guy said.

"But how did she survive out there?" Mieu asked. "She doesn't even know how to use fonons."

She doesn't? Guy's eyes widened, surprised by the news.

"I don't know." Ion said. Guy whipped around to look at him. Ion didn't dispute it. Could it really be true? Guy supposed he would know, or at the very least, the Fon Master wouldn't lie about something like that. "It is a bit strange." But the moment he noticed Guy's expression, he shrank back, lowering his chin. He obviously regretted saying anything.

That would explain her attentiveness to Jade's lesson on fonons. Come to think of it, she stood with Ion behind Jade during their last fight with the birds. Was that because she knew she couldn't use fonons? "Yeah..." He said automatically. "Yeah, that is strange." Especially because she claimed she could. Why?

"Now," Jade said, "the next time we're in battle, I'd like you to develop your skills with fonons a bit more."

Luke nodded, suddenly a little more enthusiastic about using fonons. "I will!" Guy smiled. That was typical of his master. Only excited after the fact.

Raine gave her own subtle nod of affirmation. She definitely seemed a lot more comfortable. But Guy's attention was so focused on Raine, he forgot not to stare. She turned towards him and locked eye contact. The moment she saw him, her grey eyes narrowed. Despite that, she came towards him, and his turning sharply away from her to follow the others didn't help ease the feeling that he was in deep trouble.

"See that, Luke?" Guy approached him and clapped him on the shoulder. "You should find the new skills handy. I'll bet you'll be glad you learned."

"Yeah, yeah," Luke shoved him off, so Guy used the opportunity to check on how much trouble he was in now. Thankfully, Raine seem preoccupied with her thoughts, but then she glanced up and paled. When Guy looked, he saw Arietta and her monsters coming for them.

God Generals Attack

We managed to make our way through the monsters and across the river, but then Arietta from the Oracle Knights' Six God-Generals found us. She said she wanted revenge on us for killing her mother. Apparently she meant the liger queen that we killed in the Cheagle Woods. But really, who would ever think a monster could be a human's parent?

Just when it looked like we'd have to fight, an earthquake hit, and Arietta collapsed. A crack broke open in the ground, and a poison gas called "miasma" or something started flowing out. We couldn't go anywhere with all the miasma, but then Tear started singing a different fonic hymn than the one she'd been using until now, and all of a sudden the miasma disappeared. She said the hymn's power temporarily shields us from the miasma, but it doesn't last long.

When we were about to get going, Jade suddenly moved to kill Arietta. It startled me and I stopped him-I mean, how could you kill someone when they're out like that? Raine said I was too soft. What does she know? She's as cold-hearted as Tear.

Ion also asked Jade to let her go, so we left her there and headed for Kaitzur.