Yourself, Watame, Flare, and Noel, are led to the training grounds on the other side of the Shiranui Estate. Lit torches illuminate its rectangular fighting ring. You spot your sword and Watame's harp resting against one of the nearby benches. Securing your sword to your belt and unclasping your cloak, you try to ready yourself mentally for the match.
Alright Anon. A fight with the leader of a knight order. You can do this. You've faced scarier stuff already haven't you?
Your internal attempt to psych yourself up is interrupted by the sight of Noel freeing her flanged mace from its holder at her hip and giving it a few swings. She moves it as though it weighs nothing. The look of pure purpose and focus in her eyes also worries you. The girl looks almost happy to be doing this.
Maybe not…What the hell did I agree to? At least Watame doesn't seem to look scared.
Watame is only a few feet away from you, similarly trying to ready herself, testing her harp strings as well as making her face contort into well...something she thinks is intimidating?
Wait a minute! Watame can use magic! She said she could use her music to make me feel better than I ever felt before. Did she do that by accident back at the castle? Back in the dungeon when I cut through the lock, and when we were running from the shadow monstrosity Hector made. She also said she can fire music magically at things! We might just stand a chance after all. With her magic making me stronger, maybe I'll be able to fight Noel toe to toe. I also have my own kind of magic too. The spell book. I'm still not sure what kind of damage it can do to a person yet, so hopefully I won't need to use it. We're just sparring after all.
"Alright Watame, we can do this." You say, as you both walk to your end of the ring. "If we just combine our talents, we can beat Noel and then Flare can come with us."
"Yeah! Tonight's the night I become a combat sheep! I got your back no matter what Anon." Watame says back to you while flexing her free arm.
"And I got yours. Alright, we're ready!" You shout, unsheathing your new sword.
"Ready!" Noel shouts back.
"Excellent. This will be a two against one match. Any weapons or techniques are allowed, but try your best to aim for non-lethal blows. You may win by rendering your opponent unable to continue fighting, or by forcing them to surrender." Mr. Shiranui explains from the sidelines at the middle point of the arena.
You take a firm stance with your sword and try to gather your nerve. Noel might be really strong, but she is still a human just like you. That fact alone should make her easier to fight than one of Hector's shadow creatures. At least she has a face, and not an entirely unpleasant one if you're being honest. Focus Anon. Fighting against another person with a weapon is much more in your wheelhouse.
"Okay Watame, I'm gonna take Noel head on. You try to hit her with your magic when you see a chance." You say to your partner as you quickly throw together a game plan.
"And begin!" Mr. Shiranui announces with a raising of his arm upward.
Noel and you charge forward toward each other to meet in the middle of the arena. You make a horizontal swing with your sword aimed at her armored shoulder. Your blade is immediately met with the head of Noel's mace as she deflects the blow. The sheer strength of the knight causes you to stumble to the side while you grip your sword's handle with all your might to keep it within your grip. A hard fist then plunges itself into the right side of your chest, knocking you backwards a few feet and onto your back.
You clutch where Noel struck you, it feels like your skin was caved in from her punch. Her strength is unreal. A simple punch took some air out of you and more than definitely bruised you. If she can do that much damage with just her hands, you shudder to think what she could do to you if she lands a clean hit with that mace of hers.
"Anon!" Watame yells as she puts her focus into her harp. She strums a loud chord as pink and white music notes appear in the air and fly towards Noel.
The lady knight stands firm as the magical projectiles come her way. She swings her mace expertly into every magical note as it reaches her, swatting them away like gnats. That was certainly cool to see in action, you had no idea what Watame could have actually meant when she said she could use her harp to magically fire music at things. After having a second to catch your breath, and the wonder of seeing actual magic performed by your friend take place, you push yourself to your feet and ready your sword again.
Okay Anon, focus. Noel is not an opponent you can afford any more mistakes with. One good hit from her and you're out of this fight. You can't leave Watame alone to face this super muscle knight. Just do it like you always have when you practiced with your dad and uncle. Wait for an opening, and strike.
After Noel sees you rise, she begins to press the attack. Her mace is high overhead when she already closes the distance between you two. Her eyes stare at you with unwavering certainty as her arm flexes to begin to bring her weapon down upon you. You barely manage to step to the side enough so that the rigid teeth of her mace doesn't catch your head, but the knight still manages to graze the length of your arm. Noel finishes her motion and the impact of her weapon hitting the ground causes the earth to shake beneath your feet, almost causing you to lose your balance.
Fear takes control of you and commands you to get as far away from this girl as you can, so you hop backwards a couple times. Lessons you have learned from your teachers about how if you let yourself be intimidated by your opponents, you also welcome defeat. You know that you cannot concern yourself with what might happen in the heat of battle, but should only concentrate on what will be. Despite what you know in your head to be true, your eyes couldn't help but be drawn to the area that Noel's mace made contact with. The fear and dread you feel more than doubles from the sight of the ground being caved in a good foot into the earth as cracks spread from its borders.
A hot flash of panic washes over you as you come to realize the actual strength of your opponent. How can you hope to match that with how you are now? You look over to Watame to see if she's as shaken up as you are, but she looks strangely confident as she sees you looking at her and gives you a thumbs up. How can she be smiling? Did she not see Noel bash the very floor of the arena with a simple swing of her mace?
"Don't worry Anon! I'll just make you faster!" She shouts, as she breathes in and begins to sing.
As the notes of her song reach your ears, you begin to feel a strange sensation in your legs. It feels familiar almost, like back at the castle and along the roads to get here. You expected your legs to start moving on their own again, but they still respond to only your instruction. If Watame said she can make you faster, then you believe her. With more speed, you don't have to worry about getting smashed into jelly.
You spring forward towards Noel, your legs now carrying you the entire distance between the two of you in half the time they normally would have. You slash your sword at Noel only to be blocked by the shaft of her mace. With a hard push against you, she forces you to disengage your clash. The knight then steps around you with such speed that you might as well be frozen in place. The mace's head comes into your vision at eye level, your entire body jolts as survival instincts force you to barely duck your head enough to not catch the edged steel with your face. Your hair feels the brush of wind that the sheer speed of Noel's attack creates. You squat down even further, the urge to run away takes hold again as you force yourself to hop backwards from your bent position.
All the color must be gone from your face now as you try to catch your breath. A hit like that might have easily killed you, or at least knocked you out cold for weeks. Noel was already intimidating and imposing, but in battle, she's so precise, so ruthless. To expertly maneuver around opponents and command complete control over the flow of combat. You are starting to see why she has not only the strength, but the skills to be the leader of a knight order.
Noel comes charging at you again, even faster than before. You spring yourself to your full height in time to barely dodge another mace swing meant for your chest. All you can do is continue to dodge her speedy attacks and try your best to deflect the ones you can't dodge.
This is insane!? Was she always this fast? It's like she just matched the boost Watame gave me point for point. I'm basically back where I started…actually, this is worse. Much worse. Does she have to look at me like she's disappointed every time she misses bashing my head in!?
"Flare, I assume you feel it too?" Mr. Shiranui says to Flare who sits beside him on the ringside bench.
"Yup. I think Watame's magic affected everyone within earshot. I doubt that was planned, but it is very interesting magic." Flare remarks as she gives her legs a testing shake.
"Oh dear! Sorry Anon!" Watame shouts after she is made aware of her mistake, making you aware of why Noel is somehow able to attack you even faster than before. "I'll fix it though! I can shut the spell off, see!?"
The next instant you feel the strange sensation leave your body. Your legs feel slightly heavier, but more normal. The change in speed makes Noel stumble just enough during her movements that you are able to dodge the next swing of her mace meant for one of your legs.
"No problem Watame!" You call, trying to sound encouraging. It was one thing to try and stay positive for the sake of your friend, but you know it will just keep getting worse at this rate. With every engagement you have with Noel, the more it becomes clear she is way out of your league. You'll need to try to fight her in a different way.
You jump back and sheath your sword at your hip. This seems to confuse Noel for a second as she halts her own advancement.
"Do you give up?" She asks coldly, with also a hint of disappointment in her tone.
"Nah, but I'm gonna have to pull out all the stops if I want a chance of beating you." You answer with false confidence.
Noel watches as you unstrap your spell book from its pouch and open it in your hand. The light from the book begins to shine as you build up the strength from within that gives your spell life. You focus on all that you're fighting for right now, you need the power to beat Noel, you need to win this battle so you can help Flare find her roots.
"Block this one if you can, Noel! The first spell! Stellar!" You shout with conviction with your outstretched palm aimed for the knight.
The blast of magical starlight erupting from your palm takes Noel by surprise. Even though she surely wasn't expecting anything like that to come from your own hands, she manages to bring the head of her mace against your spell. She digs her heels as she is pushed to the opposite side of the ring, the bright starlight clashing with her weapon is almost blinding up close. The spell ultimately fizzles out into the night, revealing Noel to be unharmed, a little shocked, but still unharmed.
"It seems you forgot to mention that tiny detail about that book of yours Anon!" Mr. Shiranui calls out. "I was not expecting you to be so sneaky."
"I couldn't just put all my cards out on the table could I?" You shrug. "My enemies won't know every trick I can do either, so it sounds like fair game to me."
This earns a small chuckle out of the older man, as he motions for the match to continue. Noel sprints forward at you, making sure to zig-zag to make her movements as sporadic as possible to prevent you from getting another clear shot at her. Before you can even focus the energy to power another spell, Noel comes within striking range.
In a split second, you realize that there is nothing you can do to prevent Noel's next blow from hitting you head on. You brace yourself for the bone crushing attack that's coming your way, but what you see next surprises you. Watame comes to your rescue with a charge into Noel from the side. The surprise hit from the sheep knocks Noel away, the knight rolling along the ground from the impact.
"See?! This combat sheep has your back Anon!" Watame says with dilated eyes, and frantic breaths.
Watame's amazing! She hasn't fought a day in her life as far as you know, and here she is willing to get in range of a girl with terrifying strength. If she can push past her fears to help you, you sure as hell can do the same for her! We can do this!
"I never doubted you for a second, Watame. Now let's show this knight how strong we are together!" You say with rising courage, placing your book back in its holder and switching to your sword.
"Mhmm! Go get her Anon, I'll be right behind you." Watame cheers with her harp at the ready.
You take the lead and charge towards Noel who is back on her feet and ready to fight. With renewed vigor, you let loose a flurry of slashes at her. The lady knight manages to block each of them with her mace, but you can tell they aren't as precise as before. With a downwards swing, you catch the shaft of her mace, and force both of your weapons below your waists. Noel's steely glare meets you, she really is giving this her all, but you're not the only one she needs to keep her eyes on.
You grin in the face of Noel's aggressive opposition, which earns a faint snarl from her, but you can feel what is about to come next. The sound of quickening footsteps behind you ques you to bring your body down in a low duck. The smug gaze that was beginning to anger the knight is replaced by the bottom of Watame's boots, as she delivers a powerful dropkick to Noel's chest from above you. The kick knocks the knight away several feet and onto the ground as she lets out a pained yell. Noel's strength was incredible, but you imagine a kick from Watame could be a close second. Not wanting to lose your momentum, you both charge forward at Noel as she rises to a kneel. She swings her mace in a crescent motion in front of her that catches you and Watame in its path, knocking you both backwards.
"Did you see that entire exchange, Flare?" Mr. Shiranui asks as he rubs his chin. "I think your friend must have used one of those strengthening songs on just herself this time. She must have kept it down to just a whisper, so she made sure it only affected her this time. There is a lot of promise for someone who is able to learn from their mistakes so quickly."
"Time for a little spell action, you ready Watame?!" You say switching back to spell book.
"Ready Anon!" Watame answers with her fingers at the ready on her harp strings.
"Here we go, Stellar!" You fire a beam at starlight directly at Noel who manages to deflect it into the sky with her mace, you notice the strain on her face is growing, but so is the strength of your spells.
As your spell ends, Watame's begins, as she flanks Noel's side and lets loose a crescendo of magic notes at her. The knight can only raise her weapon and arm to guard herself from the musical projectiles. They don't pack enough punch to knock her over, but they are definitely pressuring her.
"Quite impressive." Mr. Shiranui remarks again from the sidelines. "They are quickly getting more in sync and concentrating their attacks as they fight. It usually takes two people a lot of practice to reach this level of unspoken communication in battle. This is what trust looks like on the battlefield, Flare. Pay close attention to this fight from here on out. You might just learn something."
Something then snaps in Noel's eyes. The confidence you have built up so far thanks to Watame's help is cut down in an instant by that foreboding glare. Before your body can even react, she steps forward toward Watame and lands a clean jab into her stomach with the butt of her mace. While the sheep reels from having the wind knocked out of her, Noel grabs her by the collar, and with an overhand throw, tosses her away to the edge of the arena. Your concern for Watame keeps you from noticing the knight close in on you. Then, in one fluid motion, she knocks the spell book from your hands with the tip of her mace in the same direction Watame flew in. You quickly unsheathe your sword and desperately try to block Noel's sudden onslaught.
The clang of steel echoes in the night as you do your best to keep the metal of the blunt weapon from reaching your person.
"Noel is in full throttle now." Flare sighs. "Not much can stop her once she gets that look in her eyes."
"Yes I believe you're right. I doubt this fight will last much longer." Mr. Shiranui almost regretfully.
What…What happened? It felt like I was flying for a second….why does my chest hurt so badly?
I…I can hardly see…everythings a little blurry…I need my harp back. If I could just get my harp, I can help Anon. I won't be useless anymore! All my life, no one gave me a real chance to be myself, Anon was the first person to ever do that, to just accept and want to help me. You need to get up, Watame. You need to get up and help Anon win this fight. If you don't, Flare won't be able to come with you. You want to keep traveling with Anon don't you? You want to help him and Flare find their homes right? If you can't help Anon win a single fight, how can you hope to do anything else for them?!
Her hands grab hold of the blurry object, it is not her harp, but Anon's spell book. More of her vision starts to come into focus as she looks up to see Anon struggling against Noel. She sees a final mighty swing of Noel's mace completely disarm Anon.
"I'm sorry but this is the end" Noel says to you through panting breaths. "I'm truly sorry that you had to lose, but I cannot hold back, and I would not be able to sleep at night knowing Flare would need to be responsible for yours and the demi-human's safety."
Dammit, you cursed to yourself. You want to be stronger. Watame got hurt badly because you were too weak, too slow. You steady yourself and hold one of your knees to try and keep your body from shaking.
"Don't count me out yet Noel." You force yourself to say, something starting to ignite deep in your belly. "I'll figure out a way to win. Even if I don't have my sword, my spell book, or Undine. I'll only lose when I can't get up anymore, and that ain't gonna happen. I'm gonna get stronger, strong enough to face any danger that may come Watame's or Flare's way. Watame has had my back this entire time, and I got hers, I'm gonna take you down, and Flare is gonna come with us like she wants!"
"Anon's right!" Watame shouts as she struggles to her feet with your spell book in her hands. "How far could we possibly go if we gave up so easily? Anon never gave up when he said he would help me be free. He stood against some really scary things just to help me. That's why I'm always going to be there to help him. We're a team, and together I know we can overcome anything this world wants to throw our way. I'm gonna get stronger too, I'm gonna be the best sheep I can be. Not only for my sake, but Anon's and Flare's too."
The spell book begins to shine brightly in Watame's hands, brighter than any other time before. Watame opens the book curiously and her exhausted face starts to fill with astonishment.
"Anon! I-I can read your spell book! And there's a brand new spell in it!" She gasps from the other end of the arena.
"No way…" You say under your breath. Could that really be possible? Why not right? There was no real explanation yet as to why you were the only person who could read it so far, perhaps the book just decides who can read it? If she reads it now, would the spell come from her hands, or yours? Could the book be alive? Worry about that later, you're in the middle of a fight.
Noel had made the mistake of underestimating the power of your spell book before, and she was not going to let it happen again. She quickly turns and makes a mad dash for the sheep.
"Read the spell now Watame! The new one!" You shout as you run after Noel.
"Okay here goes." Watame says, before taking a deep breath. "The second spell! Stellaruke!"
You just keep running, all you focus on is getting to Watame to help her against Noel. You will definitely protect her this time. When the spell reaches your ears, you see a bright flash of starlight engulf your vision, but you keep running. One second you're behind Noel as she prepares to strike Watame with her mace raised above her head, the next you hold the mace between your hands above you. Everyone looks on in shock, including yourself.
"Anon….you're shining. It's so pretty" Watame says behind you.
You take a second to look at your body, it is as though you are wearing a magical veil of starlight. The thin light covers you from head to toe. You grab ahold of the shaft of Noel's mace and try to break it from her grip, she is suddenly struggling against your own strength. Not able to break the mace free, you settle on throwing it away, Noel included. You really just did that? You just threw an entire person away with your bare hands.
"Amazing Anon! The spell made you fast and strong!" The sheep cheers.
"It sure did Watame!" You exclaim as the purpose of the spell becomes clear. "Thank you so much! Let's press the attack okay? Give me a stellar spell"
"Okay Anon! Give it to her! Stellar!"
On her butt on the ground in front of you, Noel winces as she braces herself for another blast of starlight, but to hers, and everyone else's surprise, it never comes.
"That's strange." You say. "I know you said it correctly."
"Hmmmm and the book is still shining." Watame says confused.
Noel uses the opportunity to catch you on your side with her mace, while she lands another punch to his cheek which throws you aside. You quickly recover however and get back on your feet. It was odd, you expect to feel like shattered glass, but a sharp sting is all you feel at the moment.
Alright maybe we can only use one spell at a time? This spell is still in effect, my body is still covered in this bright light. The spell also seems to keep me from getting utterly destroyed by Noel's attacks. Alright, we can work with this.
You manage to find your sword nearby and pick it up and charge at Noel once more. Your sword swings hit harder, faster, and you feel like you are finally gaining control of this battle. A few more clean connections with your sword and you might be able to disarm Noel.
Your momentum is grinded to a halt, as the light around your body suddenly vanishes, and you return to your normal strength and speed.
Not one to waste an opportunity, Noel brought her mace down hard against your sword, forcing you down with the clash.
I didn't know fighting could be so exhausting. This is the first time I've ever gotten to use my own mana this much before, and powering Anon's spell book makes me feel like I'm going to pass out. I have to keep going though! We haven't beaten Noel yet! I can give you one more spell I think, Anon. One last spell. One more time, Watame!
"Stellaruke!" Watame shouts with everything she has left to give.
You see and feel the starlight around you once more. You could somehow feel that this was Watame's final push, you have to win before the spell wears off. You slowly force your sword upward against Noel's mace, you both focus on each other in your struggle for dominance. You fling your sword upward, causing your weapons to fly from both of your grips.
Noel is quick to improvise, and slugs you in the jaw with her right fist. You stagger, but quickly steady yourself thanks to the spell taking the brunt of the impact. You throw your own fist at her face, but it is met with the armor that covers her arm. The contest of strength quickly turns into an all out fist fight. Even with the spell protecting you, you start to really feel every punch Noel lands on you, but you could tell she was feeling the same from you. Spitting out a bit of blood, you dig deep and land a clean hit to her gut.
As both of you trade blows with one another, it becomes harder and harder to keep yourself balanced. Sweat and blood mix together on your face as you wipe your brow. Noel takes a second to do the same during your unspoken intermission.
"It's unfortunate that we are fighting with such high stakes." Noel says, actually smiling at you for the first time. "It's been a while since I really had to give it my all like this in a fight."
You let out a laugh and smile. This is ridiculous, here you were fist fighting with a knight order leader, so that her friend can be allowed to travel with you to her homeland. You're bruised, bleeding, and the only thing keeping you standing is the spell that veiled your body, which can disappear at any time, but you're somehow having fun.
It looks like Noel is enjoying herself too. Her hair might be misplaced and speckled with dirt while parts of her body are covered in bruises marks and blood that might be more yours than hers, but that smile of hers is simply radiant. You can't stop yourself from thinking how pretty she looks right now, which is a strange thought to be having right now.
"I'm having fun too Noel, but I really gotta win this, so I'm coming at you with everything I got left, are you ready?" You ask as you flex and roll your muscles for one last push.
"Yes! But don't think you have me beat! I'm going to sock that dumb grin of yours into the next town!" Noel beams as she flexes her own stance.
You both take two long steps toward each other, your right fist cocked. You extend your arm towards Noel's face, you see her left arm alongside yours. A hard impact comes to your cheek as you feel your fist connect with the face of the knight. You are both locked in a powerful cross counter. After a brief struggle, you both fall backwards as the effect of the spell dissipates from your body.
"Not yet…" You say under your breath. "I have to get up…I still need to win."
You hear slow footsteps come closer as Watame falls to her knees beside you. She extends her hand to you and helps you to an upright position. Her hair is disheveled, dirty, but she looks at you proudly. Without saying anything she hands you your spell book. You take it shakily and she gives you a thumbs up, you know what to do next.
You force yourself to your feet and hobble over to Noel who has gotten to a kneeling position. You hold out your palm in front of her. She looks up and scoffs. You can see that she knows she is beaten. Without a weapon, not even she could deflect your spell from this close. You had her.
"I yield." She says with a small smile on her face.
"Then I declare Anon and Watame the victors." Mr. Shiranui says as he gives you a congratulatory clap.
After hearing those words, you feel all your muscles just let go as you fall back down. It would be nice to win a big battle someday and not pass out immediately after. Just another reason to get stronger, you think to yourself as you doze off to sleep.
You awake what you hope to be the next day, in a familiar guest room. As your body begins to come out of sleep, the pain and soreness come in. You slowly check yourself over and feel what must be bandages under your clothes. More flat bandages can be felt on your face, as well as your arms. You look out the nearby window and see the sun at its full light. You wonder how long you were out for this time.
Before your thoughts could run further, you hear a knock on the door before it opens. Noel comes into view, and not in her knight's armor. She now wears a low cut white sweater laced with black ribbon along the sleeves and a brown plaid skirt. Her hair looks freshly combed and large framed glasses now rest on her face, which also has a few bandages on it. This outfit somehow left more to the imagination than her knight's attire that was meant for combat.
"Oh good, you're awake." She says as she approaches your bedside. "I'm glad I came to check up on you then."
"Glad to see you're doing alright too. Even though I won, you're already up and about again." You say, appreciating the irony of it all.
"Well of the two of us, who do you think has their pride intact?" She asks playfully. "The leader of a knight order, conceding to a pair of nobodies."
"Broken pride will heal much faster than broken bones I imagine. Plus it's not like anyone else saw our fight. I won't go around telling anyone either. I see how a lot of the people look up to you, and to your credit, you practically won. We just got a little lucky in the end." You let yourself admit.
"You're sweet, Anon. I definitely agree with you there." Noel says with a smile, all too happy to agree with you. "I thought I knew exactly what I was up against when the match started. That spell book of yours was surprising to say the least. Why would I expect someone trying to learn about mana to suddenly be able to use a magic spell with that kind of power?"
"It's a mystery to me too sadly. I didn't even know a new spell could just appear like that, or what it could do, or even that Watame would end up being able to read the book."
"It was a lot of unpredictability for just one sparring match. Watame alone became something I was not expecting."
"If that's what you call sparring, remind me to never ever get on your bad side. You nearly took my head off a few times, I was actually scared for my life." You remark, the picture of those close calls causes you to rub a hand over your neck to make sure it was still attached to your body.
"I couldn't hold back you know, plus I may have had the tiniest inclination to actually do that. Flare means a lot to me. The idea of her running off with two strangers who were causing the citizens to be uncomfortable, may have made me try a little too hard." Noel says with a tinge of embarrassment.
"Flare is really special to you huh?"
"More than anyone else. I admit I was very jealous to see her having such a nice time with your sheep friend. I've always been there to protect her, just like she has always been there to support me. She deserves to go and see the world, her homeland. She deserves to find new experiences with people like her, and I don't exactly mean other elves."
"Are you really sure you can't come with us? I know you're the leader of a knight order, but that shouldn't mean you can't leave for a little while."
"I really wish I could, but I am needed here. There is a lot of work for me to do, and my defeat last night showed me I have a lot more to learn. If I am truly going to protect the kingdom that I love, I will need to grow. I also know in my heart that this will be good for us both, Flare and I."
"Are things really that dire? As far as I've heard nothing too bad has happened in the kingdom for a while now." You ask, but you almost immediately feel stupid for the question. Hector and his floating castle should have been all the proof you need. You want to believe that nutjobs like the dark wizard are rare though.
"I can't be certain, but there are rumors of dark things on the horizon, Anon." Noel says, her tone becoming very serious. "That is why I need to be prepared and ready at a second's notice. The past day has made that more real than ever to me. Learning about that dark castle that abducted innocent villagers made me sick. I hated that as a knight, I did not do a thing to stop it from happening. If that was happening under our noses, what else could be?"
Noel did bring up an unsettling point. Hector could have even been the low guy on a giant evil maniacal totem pole. What if you ran into more people like that? As you ask this question, the answer comes almost instantly to you.
"Well if there is something dark out there, people like us will be there to protect those in danger right?" You say, hoping that the knight order leader now sees you as an ally.
"That's right. That is the oath of a knight. You also better promise to bring Flare back to me safe and sound, got it?"
You get yourself out of bed to stand up and face Noel. "It's a promise Noel."
"Hold out your fist towards me." She tells you.
You comply despite your confusion, and outstretch your closed fist towards her. She does the same and meets yours with her own.
"This is how the knights swear oaths to one another. The promise we make upon our weapons is an unbreakable vow. I don't have my mace on me, so our fists will have to do. Now Promise me."
"I promise to keep Flare, Watame and anyone else I care about safe."
"Thank you Anon. With that, the knight's vow is forged."
The feeling of respect and trust you have earned from Noel is interrupted by your spell book on the nightstand that begins to shine brightly. You walk over and pick it up with anticipation. You flip through its pages to see the third spell is now readable. You also note that you can read the second as well, meaning it's not just for Watame to read.
"No way, there's another spell already." You remark. You show the pages to Noel in the hopes that maybe since Watame was able to read it, maybe anyone could now.
"That's nice, Anon, but I still don't understand a single letter of this. You should definitely practice this new spell before you leave though. The spell that Watame used last night helped you by pure chance. You can't risk going into battles not knowing what these spells will actually do."
Spoken like a seasoned knight. You had to admit you were extremely lucky so far. How long could such luck really hold out for? Since you now have a better handle on how to make your spells work, you can actually practice from now on. It is certainly a good idea to know what this new spell will do before you actually need it.
"You're right Noel, I'll ask Mr. Shiranui if I can use the training grounds again to see what it does. Do you know where everyone else is anyway? Watame is probably worried I may not wake up again. Last time I passed out after a battle, it was two days before I woke up." You smile at the thought of seeing your friend again. You hope you didn't worry her too much with your sudden slumber.
"They should be out in the garden, I'm sure she'll be happy to see you up on your feet again."
After securing your spell book to your side, you and Noel leave to head downstairs toward the back entrance that leads to the garden. You see Flare, her father and Watame seated at a small metal table that sits beside one of the many colorful and vibrant garden beds. Watame notices you approaching and her face lights up.
She gets up from her seat and races toward you, she stops just in front of you and raises her hand. You take the hint and give her a loud high five, she is absolutely beaming with pride. You also can't help but notice that save for a few small bandages, she looks relatively unscathed. Perhaps her demi-human body is a lot better at healing than yours.
"We did it Anon! We won and we did it together! And you didn't have to sleep for two days this time!" She chirps.
"We sure did Watame, you were awesome. I wouldn't have pulled through without you. The magic you can do with your harp is so cool." You compliment the sheep.
"It was a very impressive performance." Mr. Shiranui chimes in. "There aren't many people out there who can take a thrashing from Noel and get up for more, much less secure a surrender from her. You two show a lot of promise, so it puts my mind at ease knowing Flare will be traveling with such capable people."
Flare takes this as a cue to get up from her seat and walk up to you.
"Anon." She begins. "I'm sorry for what my selfish request put you through. I know fighting with Noel can be terrifying, but you pushed through anyway for my sake, just so I can maybe find out more about my parents and homeland. What you and Watame went through yesterday, means a lot to me. So thank you. I'm looking forward to traveling with you both, and I'll do my best to support you both, and help you find the answers to your own questions."
"Don't be sorry Flare. Yeah Noel made my life flash before my eyes a few times, but it was worth it in the end. I got to fight with an actual knight! Watame and I got some really good experience out of it too. I'm also happy to have another friend come along with us."
"Anon." Noel says flatley. "Don't you have something you need to show Watame?"
"Oh that's right!" You say as you unstrap your spell book and open it in front of Watame. "Look Watame, another spell appeared today. Can you understand this one too?"
Watame looks at the new spell and nods her head. It was good to confirm that she is able to read new spells that appear when she does not have the book on her. Another question answered, but still so many remain.
"Do you know why I was suddenly able to read your book Anon?" She asks.
"Your guess is as good as mine. I can't figure out any rhyme or reason there might be to this book." You shake your head.
"Perhaps your new spell might be able to shed some light on that. No pun intended." Mr. Shiranui says.
"It's worth a try, Noel thinks I should try to get more practice with my spells anyway ahead of time, so I can better know how they work and what they will do."
"She's right, you know." Flare agrees. "It was lucky your new spell worked as well as it did."
"What are we waiting for then Anon?!" Watame exclaims. "Cast the new spell! Let's see what it does."
"Not in the garden please!" Mr. Shiranui interjects. "Some of the plants are very sensitive. Let us move back to the training grounds and we will see just what this new spell can do."
The five of you walk around the house back to the training grounds you had your match in the night before. The marks of your battle with Noel are still fresh. You ask everyone to stand back a safe distance away from you while you get ready to cast the third spell. Your mind tries to imagine the possibilities, you reign in your thoughts as you begin to concentrate your energy on the spell book. It was still a little tough to do, but you are getting the hang of fueling the spell book's power, even when in a calm state.
"The third spell, Stellashield!" You yell. Your hand springs upward and open as a silver-white glow covers your palm. In front of you, a massive shield of starlight floats in the air. The multi-pronged star shaped shield just hangs in front of you as your book continues to shine. You can feel your own strength keeping the spell active, it feels like a constant tug from somewhere within you, this might be what the Stellaruke spell feels like too.
"So I guess it's a giant shield." You say, pointing out the obvious, but no one else was saying anything.
"Why don't we test it then." Noel says as she picks up a warhammer from a nearby rack of training weapons.
Noel steps in front of your shield and with a mighty overhead swing, slams the head of the hammer against it. You stagger as the connection is made and you can feel pressure from within you to keep the shield intact. She gives it another hard smack and you can see cracks form along the shield. A word suddenly appears in your mind, urging you to utter it.
"Charge!" You shout.
Before Noel's third strike can connect, the shield disappears and its light funnels into your free hand. You look down in confusion at your two hands. In one, the spell book still shines, indicating the spell is still in effect, and in the other, your hand glows immensely with the same light your shield radiated. On instinct you open your palm toward a training dummy and decide to try something.
"Stellar." You say, causing a beam of starlight bigger than any you have ever made before, to erupt from your hand and strike the dummy. It blows apart right on impact. You are somewhat concerned by what you just produced. That kind of fire power could actually kill a person.
"A shield that can protect, but then turn your opponent's own force against them. Very interesting indeed." Mr. Shiranui says. "Well with that, how about we get to work on planning your next steps? Anon and Watame should take a few days to recover fully before you leave. Meanwhile, we can go over some of the geography of the elven kingdom to the best of my knowledge. That way we can at least plan out a starting route for you three."
"Hey Flare." You say after rejoining the group. "Do you think you might be able to teach me some magic before we go? I really want to improve my own mana so I can meet Undine again. Will you help me?"
"I don't know Anon, I don't think I would be a very good teacher. I only know a few spells I learned myself. They're not very impressive either." The half-elf says tentatively.
"Don't put yourself down, Flare." Noel argues. "The fact you were able to teach yourself is proof of the talent you have. Even if Anon is a hopeless student, if you can't help him get started, no one can."
"Thanks Noel." Flare says. "If you really think I might be good enough, I'll give it a try. Is that alright with you Anon?"
"It's more than fine." You say, the sting of Noel's jab at you is completely erased with the promise of learning actual magic. "When can we start?"
"After a good meal." Mr. Shiranui answers. "You haven't eaten since yesterday Anon, you really have to take better care of yourself. I won't be around to do it for you."
Over the course of a late lunch, Flare explains to you the basic meaning of mana. Mana is a separate source of energy that resides in all living things. This energy can be harnessed to fuel the casting of magical spells, which can have limitless possibilities. Like any skill or muscle, your mana can grow stronger through practice.
Your formal lesson begins in one of the spacious common areas in the estate. You and Flare sit cross legged from each other as she begins to show you the simplest spell she knows. She takes a small breath and a small ball of golden light appears between her two hands.
"This is a simple light spell." She says, showing the ball of light now floating above her cupped hand. "It can't be used offensively, but it can come in handy if you ever find yourself in a dark place. Since your spell book seems to cast spells revolving around starlight, this might be the best spell for you to start with."
You attempt for hours to replicate the spell Flare showed you. You concentrate on every step of her instructions. First, to envision the light in your mind. Second, recognizing the feeling of mana in your body, then pulling that mana to the surface. Finally, molding it to form the spell, Flare claims this is much more intuitive than it sounds. Even though you felt what it was like to use your mana when you were merged with Undine, it was much harder to recreate that feeling all on your own. In between attempts, Flare shows you the other spells she is capable of. She is able to create small conjurations of fire, water, and light within her hands. The fact she can do all these wondrous things so casually is amazing.
The end of the day leaves you exhausted. Even though you could not successfully cast the spell, you still felt a strain that was separate from your physical soreness, but also different from how you feel after casting spells from your book. Feeling exhausting on three different fronts…that's a delightful thought.
Watame, who looks maybe even more worn out than you, comes and finds you . Noel said if Watame could better harness her physical abilities, she could be much more formidable in battle. You both slouch on the large armchairs in the room you were in all day.
"Noel really put you through the ringer huh?" You say tiredly, noticing the worn expression on the sheep's face.
"She's ruthless. I think she was even more intense than when she was trying to beat us up. How did your training go, Anon? Did you learn any spells?"
"Nope. I tried all day but I can't make a little ball of light yet. Flare said that was alright though. It takes a lot of practice to get your mana to cast your first spell."
"I know you'll figure it out, Anon. We gotta both do our best tomorrow too." Watame smiles at you brightly.
"You really want to go through another day of Noel's training? You look bushed Watame."
"It's gonna help me get stronger, and I like getting to know Noel too. She's actually really nice. She's really fun to look at too."
You raise an eyebrow at that last part. While you can certainly agree with her, the idea of Noel possibly overhearing you and misinterpreting it in some way, makes your blood run cold.
"She seems nice deep down, she cares a lot about Flare and the people that live in the kingdom. Exactly what a knight should be like." You say, trying to steer the conversation away from whatever was making Watame have that goofy smirk on her face.
"Mhmm! So what do you think of Flare? She's great isn't she?"
"She's been very nice and patient with me so far, so I appreciate that. I'm looking forward to the next part of our journey with her."
"Me too! New places, new friends, and hopefully some answers!"
The both of you resolve to do your best over the next couple days of your stay. Watame continues a hellish physical training regime with Noel, while you continue to struggle to gain control of your mana. Two days of magic practice pass with no results before you decide to try something else.
Similarly to how you are envisioning light in your mind, you change that thought to water. Through great strain you can feel something coming to the surface, a faint blue light appears around your hands as a small splash of water appears and falls on the rug you sat on.
"Flare!" You say in excitement. "Look I did it! I made a spell!"
"Very good Anon." Flare says, trying her best to sound polite. "I wouldn't exactly call that a spell, but it definitely a start. If you keep practicing, you will be able to make something much better. What made you decide to change to water though?"
"Well I wasn't getting anywhere with the light spell, so I figured I would try something different. When Undine and I met, she said I had a strong connection with the water, so I was hoping I would be able to envision water better, and it worked!"
"It sounds amazing to have talked with an actual elemental spirit like you did. What was she like?"
"We didn't exactly get a lot of time to talk, and after she possessed me she couldn't hear anything I said, or thought, I guess. She was very calm throughout the entire thing though. She also cared a lot about my wishes, so she is obviously very nice. I don't really know that much about her yet, but that's why I wanna increase my mana as fast as possible. I want to summon her back and get to know her. I also want to help her with whatever a spirit could need help with. She did so much for me after all. I want to make it up to her."
"That's probably the most selfless reason for learning magic I ever heard." Flare says. "I'll keep trying to help you however I can, Anon. We should probably stop our training here for today. We leave tomorrow since all your bruises finally healed. Let's go get something to eat with everyone else."
Flare stands up and offers a hand to help you up which you take happily, but both your faces twist as your hand was still wet from your first successful spell.
"Sorry." You say. "Forgot I still had water hands."
"It's alright." Flare says pulling you to your feet. "Just don't think this counts as washing your hands properly, okay?"
The rest of the day is spent relaxing with everyone else and going over the final travel plans. Mr. Shiranui and Noel would accompany you by carriage to a small checkpoint that rests just a couple miles from the elven kingdom border to the north. From there, you, Watame, and Flare would walk to the elven kingdom. After you crossed the border, the three of you were free to decide which direction you would try to go in search of answers. You now have a map of various cities and settlements and their supposed locations, so the three of you agreed to decide on your direction once you get there.
The next morning, you pack your things along with fresh supplies generously supplied by Flare's father. You meet with Watame and Flare outside in front of the estate. Flare had her bow slung over her shoulder, and a quiver of arrows strapped to her back. She took a long look at her home and all that surrounded it. You wonder if you wore a similar look on your face as you said goodbye to your home. The mixed emotions that made up Flare's face were soon replaced with a smile that shows how eager she is to start her own journey. You allow the ladies to board the carriage first before stepping inside and taking a seat next to Watame. Then, you are off.
The ride takes a couple hours before you finally reach your stop. Watame practically had her head out of the window the whole time as she took in the sights of everything that passed by. It wasn't anywhere near how you planned it, but you were glad you got her that carriage ride.
You, Watame, and Flare all grab your things and supplies and step down from the carriage. You saw what looks to be a small wooden shed alongside a tall watchtower, you guess that these types of places were necessary when you shared borders with another kingdom. You see Noel and Mr. Shiranui come out next and walk up to Flare who stands next to you and Watame.
"Anon, Watame." Mr. Shiranui starts. "I hope you both find what you are looking for. I've grown to rather like you both, so also stay safe for me. You are both welcome at my home any time."
"Thanks a lot for all your help, Mr. Shiranui." You say as you extend your open hand and shake the hand of the retired army commander.
"Mhmm! Thanks so much for taking care of us and giving us all that yummy food!" Watame chirps.
After smirking slightly at Watame's own words of gratitude, he turns to his daughter.
"Flare. Always know that I am so very proud of you. No matter what you find out there, you will always be my daughter, and you will always have a home with me."
Flare can't seem to find the words she wants to say, she simply enters a loving hug with the man who raised her.
"Anon. You better keep your promise okay? I'll never forgive you if you break it." Noel starts, looking at you sternly as it was her turn for goodbyes. "And Watame. Come here."
Noel's expression does a complete about face as she pulls Watame in for a tender hug against her bosom. "I'll miss you Watame. Watch over Flare too for me okay?"
"Mhmm! I will, Noel!" Watame answers in bliss.
Noel lets Watame go and walks over to Flare next.
"I know we basically said goodbye before back when you told me you were going to leave, but now that it's actually happening, I can't stop crying." Noel sniffles as she takes Flare's hands in hers.
"I promised myself I wouldn't cry either, but look at us." Flare says through a teary smile. "This isn't goodbye forever."
"No it isn't. We're going to meet again, Flare. When we do, we'll be even better people than we are now."
"That's right." Flare says, pulling her friend to her for a big hug.
It was rather sweet, you thought to yourself. Two people that have been friends since they were little able to go on their own paths and better themselves for each other. It reminded you of your dad and uncle. Even though you haven't seen them in a while, you can still feel them with you in a way. You know for a fact that it will be the same for Flare and Noel. A bond like theirs can't be constrained by distance.
After the goodbyes it is time to set forth. The three of you wave to Noel and Mr. Shiranui as you walk toward the elven kingdom. You know the goodbye is sad, but you can't hide your excitement as you continue to walk.
"A whole new kingdom." You say aloud. "I can't wait to see what it's like."
"Me either!" Watame says. "Do you think there are different kinds of trees and plants there?"
"A lot of things should be different from what we are used to seeing." Flare says, considerably more upbeat now that she was focusing on the coming adventure.
"Do people really not go back and forth between the two places?" Watame asks. "It seems so close by."
"My father says they used to." Flare answers. "But over the course of the past few decades, less and less people have been allowed to cross the borders. I don't think humans without express purpose can even cross into the elven kingdom now if they are unaccompanied by an elf, and the elves seem to stay on their side for the most part now."
"That's a bit sad that people would just close themselves off to the rest of the world. Anyone should be allowed to go where they want if they have good intentions." Watame says a little downcast.
"Your optimism never ceases to amaze me Watame. Especially after what you've been through." Flare says.
"It was really hard, but now I have two amazing friends to travel with now. I'm a much happier sheep with you two around."
"I'm happy you're both with me too." Flare says warmly. "I was always afraid to try coming here on my own, but after meeting you two, I feel silly for letting someone like that hold me back for so long. So thanks for being the push I needed."
"Let's not waste another second then!" Watame cheers. "Let's get to the elven kingdom as fast as our legs will carry us! Come on everyone!"
You brace yourself for what might be coming. A long run, a destination, a very excited magical sheep. That had all the makings of another magically induced march.
"Strap in Flare. We are about to go for a ride." You say, a little smug to know something the half-elf didn't.
"Huh? What are you talking about?" She looks confused at you while her head turns to Watame who has started to happily march in front of you both.
As soon as Watame's marching song reaches your ears, your legs stop fully responding to your commands. You watch Flare have a mild panic on her face as her legs start to move with vigor she was not expecting. The three of you are now bound for the elven kingdom. Hopefully you'll be able to find information on Flare's birth parents as well any clues about yours or Watame's own homes. No matter the outcome, it was a whole new place to see and experience. The burn you will feel in your legs later will be worth it to see it all just a little faster.