I'M BACKKKKKKKKKKK.

Shimmering Storm

Ana balanced carefully herself on the stone post she stood on. She struggled to maintain her balance, tipping ever so slightly over, on instinct she stretched out her arms to steady herself. She caught herself and stood up straight once more. This time she stood still finally finding the right footing.

She narrowed her eyes. Her hand twitched with the need to tug at the annoying piece of dark cloth obscuring her vision "What exactly is the point of this?!" She asked.

From somewhere to her right she heard the priest speak up. "This is your first assignment, milady! From now on we'll put you each day through rigorous training! In 5 months time, the princess trials will begin. Until then we have a lot of work to do!

"…"

"I got that already. But why do I have to wear this stupid thing for that?" She pointed at her face.

"Why, it's part of the exercise, of course, Milady! Like I explained, you'll hit and evade the swinging target in front of you while balancing on the posts set up for you."

"And how do you want me to do that when I can't see anything?!"

He let out a deep chuckle. "One must not always rely on their eyes, Milady. Use your senses instead! Smell, Sound, Touch, Vibration… use all of those except your sight!" He told her.

Her face scrunched up.

"It may not seem easy but the path ahead isn't one easily taken either! Please trust my judgment and let me guide you. I'll make you into a worthy princess!"

A drop of sweat ran down her neck. She glanced uneasily to the side. Trust him, huh? Could she really trust him? Her gut told her no but her brain made the logical conclusion. She needed him. Without him, she couldn't become a princess.

She needed him. She needed to…

White orbs flashed through her mind staring down from above her.

Her knuckles turned white from gripping her sword, her teeth grindingagainst another.

Why was she even second-guessing herself now? There was no turning back now. She squared her shoulders taking a deep breath to relax. She readied her sword. "Fine!"

Ana took a hesitant step forward feeling for the next post she knew was there. Several of them were lined up in front and behind her. As much she still remembered from before she climbed onto here and that stupid old man made her wear this blindfold.

The tip of her shoes scratched against the post in front of her. Holding her balance on one foot she slid her other onto its surface. Her arms wobbled slightly the added weight of her sword in her hand making it more difficult

When she found an even footing in between the two, she straightened her back. Her brows knitted together as she focused on where the target was. Inches away from her she could hear the swinging of the heavy object. Maybe one or two more posts?

She inched further forward once more struggling to keep herself upright. Now she could definitely feel it swinging right in front of her nose. Her brow dripped with sweat. Well… she had nothing to lose.

She raised her sword in preparation to strike, her weight shifted onto her front foot. The moment she took off she felt her backfoot leaving the surface of the post behind her. All her weight shifted onto her front. She dashed off taking a leap into the dark.

She swung her sword at nothing. Her brows widened, the next second she felt the air being knocked out of her lungs.

Ana was hit square in the side and was unceremoniously flung to the side. She gritted her teeth as her back hit the ground."Ouch!

"Do not rush in blindly like that milady focus more before you act!" The priest chastised her.

Ana tugged the blindfold upward to glare at him. "Easy to say if you're not the one literally blind! I wouldn't have so much trouble without it! Can I at least take it off for the first few times?!"

"No, you can't. You'll learn. It's do or do not, now try again!"

Ana's brow twitched. She resisted biting back at him instead opting to continue to glare before she stood up turning around to trudge back towards the training exercise, mumbling small curses towards the priest under her breath.

After many more failed attempts that ended up with her back meeting the ground finally Ana collapsed unable to move. She breathed heavily in and out catching her breath.

"Very well, you may rest for a while. We'll continue afterward."

Ana opened her eyes. She stared at the hovering figure of the old man. His eyes twinkled with amusement.

"Bastard…" He was enjoying this!

She wanted to level him with another glare but didn't find the energy to do so. Instead, she closed her eyes once more, focusing on the rise and fall of her chest. Her heartbeat thumped in her ears.

Once she felt more refreshed she set up.

"Maybe we shall add some endurance training to your tasks as well." He commented from above her. She lifted her head to look at him. He tugged like usual at his grey beard. "You'll need more stamina if you want to keep up with the other candidates."

She nodded absentmindedly to this. She looked down onto the white marble floor.

"How many others are there anyway?" She asked.

"Hm... to be quite frank – " He paused in the stroking of his beard. "I do not know exactly."

"Huh?" A line appeared between her brows when she turned back toward him. "You don't know? Aren't you supposed to know?!"

He looked off to the side before facing her head on "The number of candidates never matters. If there is one or several…in end, there will only be one princess." He told her matter of fact.

When her brows scrunched even further together he sighed out.

"But...if you would like to know … I estimate that there are about 20 others."

"Are you sure you just didn't know?" Ana thought.

"20?" She crossed her arms. "That's not a lot."

"Well." He raised a finger his staff leaning on his shoulder. "Considering both the prestige and high expectation of a Jahad Princess, there usually aren't many candidates, to begin with. I dare say even 20 is an unusual high number."

He chuckled. "I suppose this Arie generation will be a particularly strong one."

She raised an eyebrow at this. She elected to ignore his comment, however. She had learned quickly that he often liked to spout random nonsense.

Instead, she commented."I thought everyone would be clawing at each other's throats just to get a chance at becoming a princess."

"You would be partially right. Everyone is vying for the honor of Jahad Princess of course. That's part of the reason why there are fewer candidates sometimes.. available. But ultimately it is us priests who decide who is worthy. Only the authority of a family head or the king would undermine ours in a selection."

He started to stroke his beard again then his eyes wandered upward, looking straight ahead. "So consider yourself lucky that I have a keen eye when it comes to talent. Only a very few lucky ones ever get this chance in their lifetime!"

"Yeah, yeah. No need to tell me." She rolled her eyes.

"Speaking of which – " She began, the priest's eyes returned to observe her with the mildest hint of interest at her change in tone. "Why did you choose me?"

A small smile plastered on his face. He stroked his beard. "Hmm, such a strange inquiry. Did I not just tell you the answer to your question?

Ana's forehead creased. "You know what I mean. Stop beating around the bush." She growled out.

"Hmm… perhaps another time." He chuckled turning his head forward. "Now, I believe you had enough time to rest. Get back up it's time to continue."

"Hey! You stupid geezer…!"

"My, my quite the temper!" He chuckled again making Ana even more irritated. Then his face turned serious. "However I'll speak no further of this matter. We have precious little time and we won't waste a moment of it anymore. Now continue." He raised

"Hey…!"

He tapped his staff on the ground interrupting her. "We shall continue now."

Ana reluctantly forced herself to relax forcing out a heavy sigh she let the matter slide. She stood up admitting defeat but this hadn't been settled yet, she made that known the priest down staring with burning eyes when she grabbed her sword and returned to once more getting sledgehammered around.

"Ah, and Milady…" Ana turned around her eyes boring into him.

"I advise you to keep that temper of yours in check in the future." He told her.

"It might get you in trouble someday."

She raised an eyebrow before huffing out. She faced forward. "Hmpf, whatever!"

It was a week later that Ana found herself walking through a lit corridor late at night just returning to her room from another grueling set the priest put her through. Even now she was still thrown off by that damn massive dangling stone boulder. Again and again until utter exhaustion.

Had it not been for the priest she would have limped her way back each night towards her room with bruises littering her body. At the end of their first day much to Ana's surprise he raised his staff above her and in the next moment the pain in her weary muscles ebbed away.

She had looked up at him in surprise flexing her fingers for good measure. "A small gift." He had said. "I won't heal everything but this will be enough to stop you from completely collapsing."

For all his sincerity she could still feel the fatigue in her muscles. Her legs and arms felt empty, her legs struggling at times to keep her upright. Whatever the priest used didn't restore the energy she spent working out. Now the only thing on her mind was falling onto the soft-hard cushion of her ripped mattress and let its embrace take her to sleep.

"Bastard probably can heal everything if he just wanted to."

Struggling herself along the wall she rounded the last corner of her floor.

However, when she looked up the echoes of her footsteps came to a close. A few meters away from her door she stopped, her yellow eyes widened when they caught sight of silver-white tresses.

White stalactites looked up from the ground where they sat.

Her mouth gaped open slightly as she stared at him.

There in front of her door sat Hoaqin.

Usually, Ana's face would have lit up in joy at the sight of the boy but now… she didn't feel any of that. If anything her stomach churned uncomfortably at his sight. Something it had never done before.

Why did she suddenly dread even taking one step more forward?

White orbs and a towering figure flashed through her mind. Her eyes widened as goosebumps ran down her back. She shook her head violently chasing away the image in her head.

"Ana?" She heard him ask in a whisper she almost didn't catch. The usual boastfulness in his voice was gone.

Ana looked back at him. Hoaqin stared back at her for a while then he broke contact looking almost shyly to the side.

"…"

"Hoaqin." She replied.

With an enormous amount of effort, she managed to take a step forward slowly approaching him. As she did so it felt like it took her forever to close the small crevice between them. When she finally stood in front of him he looked at her. Ana looked at him. Her eyes dropped to the floor as did his.

She opened her mouth but nothing came out. Her brow knitted together and she closed it again.

"…"

At last, the first one to speak up was not her but Hoaqin.

"How have you been…?" He asked.

"I'm... fine.. and you?"

He smiled his lips twitching up in an attempt to smile. "I'm ok."

Once more silence hung in the air. Neither party knowing what to say to the other.

'Goddamnit, what's wrong with you? Just say something!'

But as much as she wanted to her mouth wouldn't open.

It was Hoaqin who broke the silence yet again.

"You… haven't shown up for training all week… what have you been up to?"

It had already been a week?

"I'm sorry." She said. "I… have been very busy."

Hoaqins eyebrows raised at that statement.

"Busy? With what? You're never busy with anything!" He laughed half-heartedly. Her fists clenched at this. When Hoaqin noticed his laughter ceased.

"Ana?"

Her knuckles turned white and finally, she looked at him. This time fully meeting his bewildered eyes.

"I have to tell you something."

So she told him everything that transpired. From her initial with the priest to what she had been up to during their time apart. When she finished she didn't know what his reaction would be but Hoaqin like always made her jump out of her skin when he suddenly grabbed her by her shoulders shaking her with gleaming eyes.

"Are you kidding me?!" He shouted at her. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! And you seriously have a chance at it? And you didn't tell us?!

"This is absolutely great!" He stopped shaking her jumping up in joy. "Wait until Vincente hears about this!

Ana shook her head focusing her gaze once more. Her face scrunched up slightly at Hoaqin.

"It's not even sure yet I'll become a Jahad Princess! I don't know what I'll have to do but first I need to pass those trials these old coats are doing."

Hoaqin waved her concerns off. "Pfft come on where is your usual confidence?! You got this!

She looked him square in the face. "You really think so?"
He rolled his eyes at her. He clenched his hand into a fist hitting her lightly in the shoulder. "Yes, you idiot! I do."

He turned around scoffing at her. "And here I was worried about you all week and look what happened! You went ahead and got yourself a chance and becoming a princess of Jahad!" He smirked at her.

Ana felt her lips pulling upward despite the thoughts still lingering in the back of her mind. But at that moment she stowed them away deep inside her.

"Than I suppose I have no other choice than to succeed."

"Heh." He crossed his arms. Then he pointed at her "But don't think you will get ahead of me just because you'll get a power-up from the King. I'll be the first one to beat father!"

Ana's smile immediately fell at the mention of the man. Dread overcame her the towering figure of that man's looming shadow hovering above her. She looked up pure white emptiness staring her down.

"He sacrificed himself for you."

Her fists clenched tighter to stop her trembling. Why was she shaking? She couldn't, shouldn't be shaking… she needed to…!

But she knew what she saw… could they even…?

"You really think we can do it?" Ana asked him staring at the ground.

Maybe if she had looked up she could have seen Hoaqin's lips pulling down ever so slightly. Instead, she heard him say.

"Of course we can!"

She looked up at him. He smiled confidently at her.

"Even if he is stronger than expected we can still do it! You're even getting the King's blood on top! I'm sure with that you can become a super-powerful ranker! And I have been thinking about what father told me! Maybe in that, I can find a way to surpass him as well!"

She stared at her hand clenching it. It had stopped shaking. She looked up at Hoaqin determination shining once in her eyes.

"Yes, with this power... I can…"

"Alright." She held out her hand. "Then keep up."

"Heh, and here I thought you lost your fire." He smiled. He raised his hand giving her a high five. "Don't fall behind!"

"I should be the one saying that! Don't complain once I become a princess!"

He stretched out his tongue. "I won't need to. Princess or not you won't surpass me!"

Her brow twitched. "Hey…!"

They both looked at each other their eyes meeting. Both of them cracked a smile laughing lightly.

Ana had missed him.

"I think I should get going now. It's already pretty late." He smirked at her. "Don't lose."

"Hmpf, I won't!"

His lips twitched when he turned to leave.

"Oh– " He turned his head to face her. "And don't worry about us. Just concentrate on your training and become a princess! I'll tell Vicente so don't worry!"

She smiled at him. "Thank you. And Hoaqin– " She turned toward her door. "Take care."

He smiled back. "Sure! You too." And with that, he left down the hallway his footsteps fading away.

Ana grabbed her doorknob but felt her fingers hesitate.

"Hoaqin- " She called after him one last time. He stopped in his tracks turning around to look at her. "Are you… really alright?"

He smirked at her. "Of course I am!"

Thank you (as always) again so much for the support the fic is receiving. Sometimes I'm really doubting myself and what the hell I'm writing XD but you guys rock and keep me going.

Truly thank you.

Adios! :D