Alright, here we go another chapter. I'm finally through my exams so I finally have more time for updates. I'm gonna try to update more now until the semester starts again for me.

Tempting Trespass

*Clang

Ana's thrust forward was pushed skillfully aside by Vicente, she regained her footing to block his counter then she pushed him off. Ana hacked in a wide arc from below Vicente met her evenly not budging one bit. Ana disconnected spinning around she gathered momentum delivering a strong strike to Vicente's side which he blocked again.

She was quick to follow up erupting into a flurry of slashes. Vicente's eyes narrowed he fell back to create distance between them but Ana wouldn't let him. She followed him quickly never letting up in her attack. But Vicente still managed to block each consecutive strike his ironclad defense not once breaking.

Ana's forehead creased. She would need something else to smash through. She concentrates on feeling the watery substance of Shinsu in the air around her. With some effort, she imagined the Shinsu taking the form of her sword then when Vicente prepared to block her next strike suddenly her blade vanished!

She imagined the spot where it would appear and the next second the strike meant for Vicente's right instead came from the opposite left. Vicente's eyes widened ever so slightly. Ana's eyes lit up a smile dancing on her lips.

However, she celebrated too early.

Instead of her attack hitting Vicente it sprung back off. Next Ana instinctively raised her blade to block the counter-attack from her open side that sent her skittering a few paces away. She came to a grinding halt, her knees arching with the strain.

Ana supported herself on her sword when she felt her knees buckling underneath her. Her breath came in ragged gasps as she fell on one knee. That one attempt had already cost her so much effort.

She looked up meeting Vicente's gaze sweat dripping down her face. Despite the exhaustion, she felt her lips pulling up.

Vicente responded with a slight upturn of his mouth. "That was close. I didn't expect you to already have a grasp of our technique. That's impressive."

"Thanks. Though it's still not enough to break through your defense, Vicente!"

"I do put a strong emphasis on defense."

"Pfft, more like it's the only thing you ever do!" Hoaqin butted in from the side on the ground. "You never attack in a fight! All you ever during our sparring sessions is defending! It's so boring!"

Vicente's nose wrinkled. "I don't want to hear your opinion on my choice of fighting. To have a good defense is key to having a good offense."

"Huh? Obviously not! It's the other way around you idiot. A good offense is the best defense! And attacking is way more exciting than sitting around like you and waiting for your opponent!" Hoaqin stood up pointing accusingly at Vicente.

This drew a sigh from Vicente. "Keeping a cool head during a fight is essential to winning. When you become hotheaded like yourself you'll lose sight of the battle."

Hoaqin stomped over glaring down at Vicente from where he towered slightly above him. "What did you say?!"

Vicente mirrored him. "You heard what I said. Or have you gone perhaps dead too now?" Hoaqins eyes lit up at the remark.

Ana watched curiously from the side her eyes darting between the two of them. She had never seen them butt heads like that. It seemed like Hoaqin and Vicente both had a strong opinion on both sides of the argument.

She raised a hand. "But wouldn't a mix of defense and offense be the best choice?"

Both their heads turned to her at once. "Ana not you too!" Hoaqin groaned out to which Ana reacted with a slightly raised eyebrow.

"It's bad enough that he goes on and on about defense this, defense that!" He pointed to Vicente. "You're always giving me a good fight! Unlike him!" He pointed again accusingly at Vicente before turning back to her. "So don't start becoming like him now!"

Ana sweatdropped. "I am still blocking your hits you know?!"

"Yes but you never only sit on your ass during a fight waiting for the perfect opportunity!"

Vicente heaved another heavy sigh. "Enough already Hoaqin. You're being childish."

"Hey!"

Vicente ignored him. "Ana does have a point though. A mix of both is a good option as well. As is only relying on defense.. and attack too."

Hoaqin huffed crossing his arms. "It's still boring!"

Vicente's brow twitched slightly. "Shut up idiot."

Ana let out a small laugh.

"What do you want to once you become a regular, Ana?" Hoaqin asked as they walked together, the sun setting outside the window illuminating their figures in the afternoon light in the hallway. Ana turned her head to him her hands resting comfortably in her dark sweater. Vicente was nice enough to carry her sword in his book.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

His face pulled in a frown. He eyed her with an exasperated look. "What do you think? What is it that you want to do? Climb the Tower? Become a Ranker? That stuff."

Ana stopped in her steps, turning to face Hoaqin. She stared at him silently. He stopped alongside her Vicente beside him curiously eyeing her. She watched them still.

Hoaqin tilted his head silver-white hair falling down his side. "What?"

Was it okay to tell them?

Ana's instinctively answered herself with a firm no.

But she shook it off as soon as the thought entered her mind. This was Hoaqin and Vicente she reminded herself. They weren't Dylan or the others. They weren't like them. She could tell them, right?

She felt someone tapping her head with their finger. "Ana? Hello? You there?" Hoaqin asked.

Ana's brow twitched. She sweated his hand to the side. "Stop that!"

"Then stop being always so weird! What takes you so long to answer? It's just a question!"

"Shut up idiot!"

"Who is the idiot here? You are the idiot!" He started tapping her forehead again. Ana glowered at the small appendage. She sweated his hand away hard but Hoaqin's finger came in again. Ana's hand intercepted him. They broke out into a flurry of squabbling children.

Vicente suppressed the urge to facepalm. "You two…."

He wordlessly lifted his hand with his book in hand. He struck it down on both of Anas and Hoaqin's heads. They crashed to the floor with a yelp.

Their heads lifted from the floor simultaneously bumps forming on their heads. "What was that for?" They both shouted at him in unison.

Vicente leisurely opened his book. "You both know why."

"You didn't have to hit me though. He started it!"

"And you retaliated." He answered like a mother-hen. Now that he thought about it it seemed Hoaqin and Ana were more alike than he initially thought.

"What did you want to say, Ana?" Vicente asked his eyes lifting from his book. He wasn't really reading anyway.

Ana lifted herself up, dusting her clothes off she felt for the bump wincing slightly when her fingers brushed against it. She glowered at Vicente who met her with a passive face. She sighed out. "Right."

"I want to-." She hesitated. "I want to surpass everyone in this family and make them regret ever looking down on me."

She looked away from them. Silence engulfed the three of them.

Until Hoaqin decided to speak up. "See Vicente I told you she is like us!"

Ana turned around to look at him with wide eyes.

"She wants to surpass father just like us!" He said

What?

"I'm not sure she exactly meant what you just said Hoaqin."

"What do you mean?" Ana asked tentatively.

Hoaqin elected to ignore Vicente turning to her with eyes beaming.

"I never told you did I?!"

Vincente rubbed the bridge off his nose. "Here he goes again…"

"I want to surpass our father and become the next family head. That's my dream!" He said to her with such certainty in his voice. "I know we children are supposed to behave and be obedient but unlike the others, I don't want to merely live my whole life underneath our father. I don't think he's someone I can't surpass. That's why I will become Family head!" He spoke out loud his voice seeming to echo through the empty whole way.

Her mouth opened to say something before gaping shut again stunned into silence.

He grinned at her. "I knew from the beginning when we first met that we were similar."

"But I never said-" He tapped her forehead again.

"Idiot. Everyone includes father." Ana stared at him in thought.

Technically he wasn't wrong.

"Our father is the pinnacle of our family if we surpass him we'll be the strongest in the family!"

Ana contemplated his words. It sounded appealing what Hoaqin proposed. And maybe that way she would finally find something out about them.

She glanced up at the ceiling before meeting Hoaqin's expecting gaze.

Her lips curved up. "I suppose we are alike then."

He smiled. "That makes the three of us rivals then!"

"Three?"

"I wish to surpass our father too," Vincente said eyes serious.

Ana looked at him surprised.

"Don't look so surprised. I may not look like it but I think such distorted honor is wrong. I respect our father but because of that I wish to surpass him as well."

Ana nodded at him. "Then we're in this together."

Ana sat under the shade of a tree humming a tune to herself as her hands rubbed a piece of cloth with rigorous fervor along her blade. As promised Vicente had gotten her a full cleaning set. She stopped to inspect her handiwork holding up the sword with one narrowed eye.

"Almost done."

The task of polishing her sword had become a daily routine to her, the cleaning giving her a sense of peace. She tugged the cloth along the blade once more, a fine sheen of oil glistening off it.

She continued to hum a small tune, the wind brushing her hair and the grass digging into her bare legs. At last, she took one last look at the blade twisting it she eyed both sides before nodding in satisfaction. She tugged it back into the black leather sheath beside her.

She looked around, no one was in sight. Her eyebrow raised. Ana stood up strolling across the meadow to the entrance of the clearing. She braced her hand on a nearby tree looking through the cornucopia of trees she saw no one. Her shoulders sacked. No Hoaqin or Vicente in sight.

She returned to her spot under the tree letting herself fall onto the ground. Ana looked heavenward taking in the drifting clouds above. She sighed out closing her eyes. She might as well take a nap while waiting.

After a few minutes suddenly she felt a shadow fall on her face, Ana smiled. "Took you long enough!" However, when she opened her eyes it wasn't silver-white streaks that greeted her, instead, an old man with a long gray beard and hair greeted her, silently observing her.

Ana jumped up, positioning herself across the man, hand ready at her sword-handle. "Who the hell are you?!" She observed him, noting his white-red robes and a red staff he held in his hand. His face was covered by a hood.

Rather than answering her, the man stroked his beard. Coal brown eyes wandered down her form up and down. Ana's tightened the hold on her sword handle.

"Good reaction time.." He mumbled silently to himself. "A little bit scrawny.."

Ana stared irritated at him. "What?"

"Your stance seems a bit lacking but we can work on that!" He said.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Ana asked. "Who the hell are you?" She pulled out her sword lifting it up to point it at the stranger's face.

Finally, the old man seemed to acknowledge her presence for the first time his eyes meeting her yellow ones. He held up his hand, balancing his staff on his shoulder. "Now, now child no need to be hostile."

Ana's eyes narrowed she took a step forward holding the blade closer to his exposed neck. "I'm asking one last time. Who are you?!"

He offered her a tight-lipped smile. "Quite demanding aren't you?" Ana's blade inched forward. "Very well… but who I am and what my name is of no concern for you, only my purpose is." He spoke.

This confused Ana only more. Her head tilted to the side "And why are you here then?" She asked.

He smiled it sent a shiver down Ana's spine. "What do you know of the name Jahad, child?"

Ana decided to ignore the way he called her. "He's the King of the Tower. Why?"

His smile didn't falter. "Good at least you have some general knowledge."

Ana sighed internally. She was getting tired of his constant comments about her.

He continued on "To answer your question…" He paused pulling his hood back revealing a three-eyed symbol branded upon his forehead. "I'm a priest of Jahad. I serve the great King of the Tower, our God!"

Ana's shoulders tensed, now cautious. "And to what do I own the honor of your presence?" She asked.

"You're careful… that's good… you will need it." He commented.

"Quit beating around the bush." Ana pointed out. "What do you want?!"

"Quite right… forgive me." He bowed mockingly. "Well, it is a simple question… do you wish to become a Princess?!"

I know probably most want to already get to our Chad Mazino but I really first wanted to write Ana's story. We will get to him I can promise that :D