33 Friendly Sparring (2/2)
”It's alright father, I am still not as strong as brother. So, what better training than fighting in my armor?”
While that could have been a valid excuse in other times, the news of the return of the monsters from the legends changed everything. The four eyes staring at her turned a little bit sad, but they said nothing. She sensed that they were still thinking about her encounter with the demonic girl. That was the only part that she lied about. She told them about everything, the pillar, the prophecy of the cultists, the dark batch of shadows and the four monsters following it. But the fact that the enemy was just a little girl with eyes and hair darker than the deepest hole and their deal was a secret only known to her.
”Let her be father. It is still a good idea of training and if that brings the best out of her she should do that. It is the most important thing.” Amdir looked earnestly at the Sword Saint and her father had to accept it. Since there was nothing to do for him, he left but not without looking at Muirnë again. For the first time, the proud and inflexible man began to doubt if it was the right thing to do. He knew that she hadn't told everything and wondered how horrible was the small period of time when his daughter was captured by the dark gods.
Muirnë looked at her brother and opened her helmet. She smiled at him and the two began to laugh. It has been a long time since she laughed and it felt great. She began to walk toward the table where the wooden swords were placed. She grabbed one without even grimacing and began to take a stance. Amdir slightly tapped one time on the ground, two times, three times and then immediately rushed toward her.
Barely a few minutes later, she ended up in the same spot that her brother was. On the ground and a sword pointing toward her heart. But the faces of the two siblings were showing their happiness. Lifting up Muirnë, Amdir commended her.
”You are a lot nimbler than previously sister, does your armor have no weight?” He touched her white outfit but noticed nothing weird. Thanks to her helmet, the sudden distress of Muirnë was hidden. As expected, he was able to notice that, since she created her armor from her mind, she didn't feel anything slowing her down. However, her silence was misinterpreted and the fit man apologized.
”Sorry, I won't ask anymore. But that's still good, what doesn't kill you allow you to grow stronger. Maybe in a few years, you will finally be able to touch me once.” Following that smug taunt, a fist violently hit his shoulder but he brushed it off. There was no power in it and it was just a joke, prompting the two siblings to laugh once more. Before Amdir left, Muirnë still asked about their sister.
”How is Istuienn doing? Did you all warn her about the bad people with evil intentions?”
”Yes, yes. You were still not leaving your room and she was quite sad about it. Then she saw a beautiful butterfly and she forgot. I still don't know why father didn't train her, even with the advice of the Archmage. She is a blank page because of that and whoever managed to write on it will entirely control her. But if that person is a bad man, he will not live long.”
The killing intent of Amdir was palpable and that convinced Muirnë that nothing wrong will happen to the cheerful Istuienn. She was the treasure of this mansion and was allowed to do anything she wished since she was born. Not because her father spoiled her, but because the Archmage predicted something about her. The target of that prediction was oblivious to it, but the powerful people of the Massalia Kingdom knew about it. The words that her father told her still resonated in her head, and now that the dark gods reappeared, the fear of everyone was reignited.
”That child will be defining the future of the kingdom. Rivers of blood flowing the streets or wonderful inventions spreading in the land. Red everywhere on the ground while shadows covered the sky. Her choice will breach a bargain made by living souls if she doesn't have a pure heart.”
The last sentence provoked countless discussions and theories between her father and the king. The rest was dreadful but no one dared to deny the word of the last remaining Hero. The one condemned to live eternally until the curse that was inflicted on him was activated. Only him knew when that will happen but everyone knew that the world will be plunged into a period of darkness after he will die. Thinking about him, she wondered when he will finally act and hunt the dark gods. Before, when anything was threatening the human race, he was always charging forward. But in the last decades, he became more and more secretive and was not seen often, letting even something like the Church of Torment untouched. But without a Hero, how will they be able to deal with the five monsters that appeared?