Speech = ``...´´
Thoughts = [... }

ºº

Her breath hitched, sweat trailed down her face, glistening her skin under the daylight, pasting strays locks of golden hair against her face. She clenched her jaw as she swung both blades of steel at the same time with a quick, yet sick spin. One hold in a reverse grip while the other rested firmly with her thumb upwards.

She was not used to double wielding…, finding herself fumbling in her first steps when she realized how the fact that having different grips changed everything when it came to either be proactive or passive in a fight.

But that had not stopped her from pushing through. Not even for a second.

Blades, swords, knives or even a spear. The sessions had been short between one another and yet they had felt like an eternity where time seemed to slow down with each mind blowing strike.

He was testing her…, he was looking where her flaws were more palpable and where her strengths stood.

She would not disappoint him..

Cut, slash and thrust…

A simple sect of directives to follow through. Weaving her slender arms back and forth as she tried to keep a constant pressure in her attacks, a never ending wave of aggression. Not meant to push her towards victory, but rather keep him for as long as possible from taking the control of the duel.

The swiftness of the strike making the air shriek around her as the steel cut through the air almost before the very air around her could realize what had transpired, only to bounce off harmlessly to the side against the impenetrable defence of her teacher...

A flawless wall of protection that she could not help but admire each time she tried to pierce it and failed to do so. Everywhere she tried to hit which she believed was open was instead heavily protected, each position or angle she attempted bounced off like a stick smacking against the rough face of a cliff.

It felt more and more that she was fighting against a force of nature rather than an actual combatant, though given his unmensurable power...she shouldn't have expected anything less from her lord

She side stepped to the side, then left before hoping backwards.., never stopping for more than needed in one position, always changing her movement strategy to keep him guessing. Keeping herself mobile and quick on her feet, for to stay still was to invoke his wrath.

Her body bending backwards as if she was presenting a dance as she carefully avoided the killing edge of those talons that she had saw sweep through the air and tear stone like it was made of wet paper. Cutting through the air faster than anything like them had a right to and from time to time, shortening those strands of gold from her mane that were too slow to pull back alongside her body.

This should have been easier than the moment she had to guess the length and edge of that invisible blade. But it wasn't...

For anyone else, fighting against a swordsman without a weapon on your own was a really bad idea. Not because they could not just fight back with ease, but they were giving the other the benefit of the range. Of dictating how they would be fighting.

Not him she had come to realize.

Though given who he was...that should have been painfully clear.

Long blades or his bare own fist...anything he could use would be lethal. And fingers were extremely flexible and able to move their angles even in between strikes, unlike the straight, and firm length of her blades.

Pushing her, picking her blades between them or just the fact that she had to face five sharp objects that moved too fast for the common eye.

She tried to breath in between steps, feeling already that soft, yet growing ache of a thorn stuck between her ribs plunge ever deeper. Her lungs trying and failing to provide the necessary air to her body as it was pushed from zero to a hundred and beyond in a matter of seconds. She grinded her teeth, feeling the way her muscles flared up below her skin, how the muscles ached with each parry she barely managed to retain her balance.

This could go no longer than this, feeling at the back of her head the sound of the seconds passing, still within the minute of failure she had not managed to break through.

One that haunted her each time she stood up from the soil with each defeat. If she wanted to stand by his side, she could not fall down in this pit..., she had to climb up, to surpass no matter the taste and blood she shed.

She needed to do better.

She had to do better.

And so she told, no.., commanded her own body to run alongside her unless it wanted to be left behind.

Fire erupted inside her veins as she saw those claws lounge at her even before she had managed to fall back as she had intended, her face creased as sweat trickled down, her sensitive ears perking at the way the air died out by those two missiles traversing the distance between before it was forgotten by the sound of her feet stomping on the ground and then pushing her forward into the merciless embrace of those cold digits.

Only two seconds remained of space between the two, too little for her to block the reaping gash that was coming at her..but long enough for what she intended. With one second remaining, she stomped the ground with her forward leg, not to dig her feet into the ground to take on the attack but rather to lift her other leg into the air and spin it around with the very momentum of her body still pushing her forward..

Encasing the limb in a thick layer of magic as she rotated and kicked the hand away from her. Flinching in pain as she felt her leg crash against something otherworldly heavy and sturdy, but what pain it caused it could not compare with the satisfaction of seeing those claws being pushed aside momentary as his form was broken.

Immediately ideas of how to follow from there came to mind even before she finished the spin, the grip over her blades tightening as she prepared to dive in for the kill, or in this case...the "touch" For it was not needed to harm her teacher, for the test would end only when her blades touched something else than his fingers.

His chest, his pauldrons, perhaps even his arms and legs if she could….they were large targets and she was too close.

For once she could already taste the sweet taste of victory in the air. That thrill of pride of succeeding in such a troublesome task coursing through her veins..

But none of that would pass when the very same hand she had pushed aside twisted and turned around with unnatural speed and grace. Gripping onto her leg like a coiled snake made of steel..

He had expected her to do that.

The movement had been too fluid and clean for it to be just coincidence...

She had a mere second to realize what he had done before she found herself pull up from the ground into the air the same way a boar would when they had strung up by the noose of a hunters trap. Her eyes open wide at the lack of gravity she found herself in, then closed shut when her eyes found the bright sun glowing in-front of her.

Finding respite from its blinding, ardent touch when her face landed face first into the soil with a loud thud that echoed through the entire village.

BLAAAAAM…..!

She did not know, but she had merely survived for two factors: the magic that had reinforced her body and the way her black clad master had withheld most of his strength on the blow. Meant to hurt, but not obliterate.

…

…

``Ouch...´´

Was the only thing that came to mind, the words slipping from her lips as her entire body was hurting as if she had just jumped out into a deep pond, but instead of diving into it, she had fallen flat into its surface.

Albeit this time switching the cool surface of the pond with dust and soil...

Her body had been like a cauldron of water with rocks inside, only to be racketed so brutally in such short span of time. Leaving dents all around the recipe..

Her vision was hazy. She could feel some of her bones out of place.., not broken as surprising as it was, but no less more painful as she slowly felt them pop back where they belonged. As if the flesh and muscles within were moving on their own and dragging her bones in the process..

``You are dead...again´´

The cold, dry voice of her master was spoken softly...yet for her the ringing in her ears was nothing short but a short, yet booming scoff. Stating mercilessly the truth that she had tried to avoid at all times...

She tried to breath in and out, to fill her chest with some much needed air that had been blasted away from her lungs when she had landed on the ground, to nod her head at her master words as she attempted to stood up once more...but she found herself lacking on that department when her body refused to follow through with all of her request, or at least...not completely..

Her hands started to dig into the ground as frustration built up inside her, slowly pushing her up from the ground. This weakness...It shamed her. What would her master think looking at her in this state? Were his thoughts parallel to hers..? The thought filled her with dread..

She wouldn't have to...as she found out a waiting hand extended towards her.

She took a deep breath, her eyes tearing up by the exertion of having her lungs finally accommodate a fickle, but needed stream of air inside as she held onto his hand. She cast her head low as she tried to not show the redness spreading over her features.

Partly out of shame for her weakness…, but she would be lying if she said that was all that there was.

She sighed internally, closing her eyes for a moment as she felt a stream of energy pass through her. Wrapping around her, enveloping her in a soft, warm touch. Taking away the pain and bruises from her body.

He was too kind...

With a sight she opened her eyes, finding herself standing right next to him.

``Thank you, although you shouldn't had to bother with doing that, master´´

His gaze bared down on her for a moment, burning coals flickering with a silent question before they replied with just one word.

``Perhaps…´´

He did not say anything else, his voice lingering in the air like a soft whisper of the wind...

She did not mind, nodding her head respectfully.

``I see.., I will try to meet your expectations without fail, master´´

He once again glared at her, this time a quizzical look behind those eyes. Was he smiling? He did not seem bothered by it. Perhaps amused..?

She did not know why, but for some reason, there were times when it was easier to know what emotion was coursing through him, even with his expressionless skull. But this was not one of those.

She went to retrieve her blades, only to find them hanging from her masters hands. Long as they were..they appeared like toys under his grasp.

[How did he do th-]

``Sit child, I have a question for you...´´

Questions? The query left her quite astonished to be honest. After all, what could she know that he didn't..? It made her wonder as she complied with his request.

``What is it? Is there something wrong…?´´

``No…, not really. I merely have come to realize that I don't know much about you…from your own lips ´´

Her eyes blinked as she cocked her head tot he side, raising a hand to scratch her chin in deep thought.

``You mean, you want to know my story?´´

He did not reply, but the look in his eyes was telling enough.

``I..I am honoured, but I don't think there is much to tell, let alone interest you..´´

``That is yet to be seem.., though as an elf, I suppose that your kin lives in the forest. I take you did too...´´

She nodded.

``Yes, I did. Though most people consider it a some sort of gag or legend, we elves do love nature, settling away from where other civilizations choose to remain and grow. We mostly live in villages that we build deep in the forests. Though I heard that there is a capital for our kin..´´

``Are there any forest like that around here? Some place you could stay if you approached..?´´

``I-well yes...there is one I know about, but...elves are generally averse to interaction with outsiders, even other elves´´

``I see…, so if you were to walk close or into one of them they would spurn you or force you outside.., is it?´´

The way he made it sound felt like they would do more than just that, but she knew very well when she lived back home that was what it would happen. Everything around her was always under a dome of tranquillity, everyone knew each other and nothing ever changed around their lands.

The arrival of intruders or others outside their village bonds always made everything feel different…, and no one liked to feel that disturbance for long if ever...

``That would be correct, though I believe that behaviour comes from a desire to stay away from any source of trouble other races could brew with their own disputes of power´´

At least..that was why she believed.

It would have been really embarrassing if all those customs and behaviours came from just being antisocial.

But given that there was a worldwide conspiracy where a bunch of lunatics had taken control of society, twisted history for their own benefit and skulked in the shadows to revive an ancient demon...that may not have been that impressive of a revelation.

In fact, it sounded pretty normal all things considered.

``So they chose to duck their heads down the dirt when the winds howled outside…´´

She could not help but chuckle a bit. ``That..is not the word I would use, but yes...they prefer to maintain the peace they know´´

His black clad master seemed to scoff, but there was a hint of mirth in it.

``Hmmpf, what of your family then?´´

Her.. family..?

That word…, it felt alien in her mind. It should have been sweet, or warm...but she did not even know how to feel in the slightest. But her body did..

The mere mention of the word freezing her on the spot, taking control of her body as she felt her stomach tied into knots before she was briefly reminded of where she was now. What had transpired to lead her here.

The pain in her body, the merciless treatment of those around her when she begged for help...and the hateful look in those eyes that after that fateful day had looked at her with kindness..

"Mother, please..."

"You are not my daughter..."

``You don't have to speak if you do not wish it…´´

The words break through her paralysis, soothing her, making her realize once more that she was indeed...not alone. Not any more.

That he was with her.

It didn't dispel all the pain she felt, it was too fresh.., too raw, but she would be lying if they did not a good job to numb it considerably. And that was all that mattered.

``No, its okay...I can try´´

She closed her eyes.., taking a deep breath. She needed a clear mind for this...

``I have no brothers and sisters that I know of. I never knew my father, only heard about him from my mother in brief stories. She who looked at me like a horrifying monster when the curse started to take effect and left me to die...´´

She bit her lip, her cheeks hollowing as she tried to suck in her rage down. Her nails clawing at the soft surface of her palms. Knuckles turning deadly white.

She had been all that she knew…

The only one she had believed she could fully trust anything, but she had been mislead...for when push came to shove, her true self was revealed.

``I know that I have an aunt, but I have never met her…, my mother and her were not in speaking terms. I never knew why, she never explained either the reasons that had led to that. I just knew that there was someone out there in the wilds with a face just like mine…´´

She halted, taking a moment to catch her breath. Realizing that for some reason she had been holding her breath until then. Her heart was throbbing painfully inside her heart.

``Her name..I believe is Beatrix..´

After that there was silence, a void stretching between the two of them where she could hear the sharp, metallic breaths through those tubes that jangled softly with each movement of his head and her own beating heart.

His eyes that had been staring at her, unblinking...moved away. Becoming lost as they stared something in the horizon, growing softer.

``I see..´´

He switched his attention back to hers…, his gaze forlorn and the stance of his body becoming tense with pent up frustration.

``A father should never live far longer than its own children, let alone betray them. Family...we only have one, to desecrate it like that...´´

He growled, the air around him shuddering with the mere strength of his voice. Almost with as much anger and rage that it felt as it was he who had gone through hat instead of her.

``What happened….what she didn't do, what she did to you...was blasphemy against such sacred union. But it may not be as bad as it may sound..

[Wait..wha-!?]

``What do you mean?´´

``The world may have give you a bad hand, but perhaps you still have a blood relative to go back to after all…, someone that didn't harm you or betray you in anyway. Someone that can become your guardian´´

…

He wasn't wrong, no.., not really. In fact, she understood where he was going with this...and now why he had started asking these questions to begin with.

To reach this point.

She bit her lip, but not hard enough to draw blood. It was true that a member of one own family always made for a better cause to take the role of one own guardian, especially with the strict elf like customs.

And yet..the thought of having someone else replacing him with someone she didn't know a clue about but just a mere name infuriated her.

``No I don't think I have, nor if she is anything like my mother..´´

And even if she wasn't, she would not accept it. She would not give up her current path for a empty promise of a normal life as if she could just forget why and who was responsible for her misery. She would not give him up for someone she had never seen or spoken to, someone that had never been there in her life for a single moment! Be her blood or anyone else!

Not if she had anything to say about it...

She was about to speak up, but she was stopped when she felt a hand land over her head. Patting it softly.

``I see that your decision is set, though only time will tell whether you are right or not...´´

ºº

-Somewhere in the continent-

Although it wasn't very cold and her body was used to the disparate temperatures at sunset and sunrise, Beatrix couldn't help but sneeze on the spot, quickly covering her face with the back of one hand while the other searched for a small handkerchief she always had for emergencies.

Curiously, that was not what bothered her.., but rather the strange pang of frustration that was sprawling out inside her from no reason apparent.

Poking at her...

Itching at her..

She looked down at her hand, violet eyes peering at the material of the black glove as if she could find there what was annoying her.

``Hmmpf, how strange…´´

She muttered as she looked behind her back in case there was someone there, but the endless horizon filled with dust and sand was all that welcome her. There was not a soul miles around, let alone any shred of civilization to be spotted.

``It feels as if someone is speaking ill about me..´´

…

…

She scratched the back of her head, shaking her a head a little. Bemused at how she had come to that conclusion.

``No, I must be imagining things...´´

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A/N

Here is another chapter. Forgive me if there are grammar mistakes, there are always some who manage to slip through my fingers.

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I am sure some of you may think that this is a slow pace, that we should be picking up the pace, but giving that I took 28 chapters to make a prologue then we all should have known where we were getting at. I want to give flesh to the doubts and challenges, mentally and physically that Alpha had to go through. She is ten years old in this moment in time for gods sake!

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Why? We all know best waifu because of how collected and professional she is, then she breaks down into a bloody mess after that arc in the story? Trust me, I can understand why...I do, but it could have been flesh out better, or at least, foreshadowing that moment before it came in the previous chapters.

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Final thing, I believe that those who take their time sending abusive PM at me because they don't like the story are wasting their time more than mine. Advice, if you don't like it, don't read it...there is no need to bring my family into this.

Now, with that out of the way I hope you enjoyed the chapter, review, let your opinion known and see you next time folks.

[just dont be a dick, please :)]