24 Chapter 9: Partings and Meister 3 (1/2)

When we finally reach the gardens, the nursemaid and Lady Mirel joined Sir Richel who sat in a garden table, drinking tea.

I went to where Aeron and my other cousin are, along with Stray who stood there with his back facing us.

I took Kain down as he immediately ran to where Aeron is and greeted him. I think Kain idolizes him, maybe because Aeron seems like uncle especially with the hair and the eyes.

”Good morning, big brother Aldrey!” I hollered as he just waved a hand at me.

Prince Aldrey is the first born and crowned prince; the scion who will ascend to the throne. He has snow white hair like us but olive green eyes. He's about nineteen years old now but turning twenty soon.

”Aerra, you finally decided to join us. Good morning!” he replied.

”What are you guys playing? Don't tell me it's chess again!?” I grumbled, my eyes scanning around but to my relief there was no chessboard in sight.

The place rather resembles an indoor park than a garden, complete with full grown trees and grass beds. Somehow the atmosphere is tad warmer than the corridors. The ceiling is dome shaped which was completely made from crystallised material similar to glass. The snow and weather somehow turned it to a frosty shade but one can still see a hazy sight of the pale sky above.

”Aeron was showing us what he learned from Giles.” Says Stray as he turned to me

while Aeron ran up to me, ”Want to see?” he asks.

”I want to see! I want to see!” Kain roared out, raising a hand up.

I sat down the grassy floor beside my cousin Prince Aldréy, crossing my feet together as I gestured at Aeron to proceed. ”Go ahead. I'll watch!”

Aeron marched back to the where a wooden dummy stood.

Kain sat down as well in silence, anticipating greatly.

”....”

Aeron plants his feet down and apart as he pumped his right fist tightly.

He blew his breath out in a calm exhale.

And just stood there unmoving for few seconds...

He then let out a cry and charged, hooking a straight punch, towards the dummy but stops midway even before his knuckles touch the wood.

About a second or two,

Something bursted asunder from behind the wooden dummy breaking into a hole from it's back. A small spark lit around but I'm not sure if that's only my imagination.

I gasped.

As Aeron shows the damage at us.

Kain's eyes sparkled in both amazement and delight.

”Clap, Kain!” Aeron instructed,

as Kain clapped incessantly, ”Amaziiiing!!!”

”Of course!” Aeron rubs at his nose while grinning profoundly.

I remember when Aeron first wielded Stray in his scythe form, back at the deserts. It was the time when he smote down the fiend with just one blow, the ground below cracks into a crater from the force he released.

I guess Giles saw that strength from him and trained with it.

I wonder if it has anything to do with us being a pure blood.

”That's not only what I can do!” he bragged as I just arched my brows at him. ”I can also ran faster and jump higher now!” He added.

”Like jump to climb that tree?” I asked in astonishment, pointing at the tree nearest us.

Aeron snickered. ”I haven't tried —but if I ran fast enough, I think I can climb it regardless.”

”Amazing, Aeron.” I clapped, beaming at him.

”But you know the best part is?” he says as he clench his hands before him almost like a claw. ”I was able to train with the element I chose!”

Element?

I tilted my head to a side. ”Element? Your powers awakened?” I asked, my eyes widening.

”No! Not yet... but Master Giles trained me how to at least start controlling one element!”

I stood up. ”You have chosen an element already?!”

Aeron nods and grins, ”I chose Lightning.” he answered as blue light began to emit in the tips of his fingers.

A minute spark soon flickers.

...and disappears.

Sparks again...

flickers...

And finally a ball of electricity surges out from his hands, wildly dancing around while emitting the wavy and cracking sounds.

...but disappeared almost instantly.

”I still need practice though” he admitted, laughing. He rubs at his nape bashfully.

”How about you, Aerra? What did the mercenary train you?” asks Prince Aldrey.

”I don't think I can do what Aeron did. He just focused my training in sensing and meditating.” I tried to recall the training I did but with all of it going in my mind at the same time bombarded me, so I find it hard to start explaining even just one out.

Stray walks up to us, wearing his usual smug. ”How about you show it to us. Climb that tree!” he says, pointing at the tree nearby that looks similar to an oak tree.

I never knew if I really improved at all so I might as well see for myself. ”Okay!” I said, dusting my skirt and then walked towards the said tree.

I looked up and assessed the resilient looking branches. They were very high from the ground, almost impossible to climb, the rest were twig-like thin that would break instantly under stress.

I turned my head at them and realized they all sat down the ground almost huddled in a cluster. All watching me in silence.

What is this— a show?

I sighed and looked up at the tree again. I just looked at the tree trunk and assessed if I can climb it like how I climbed the walls back at the pits.

All of a sudden—

A ghost itch bloomed near my ear so I quickly clasped a fist on it and felt something. I thought I caught an insect but when I opened my hand, to my surprise, it was a rock.

I threw it down the ground.

even before I could react about the rock,

another one alarms my senses

this time there were two: one heading for my eyes. I grasped at it. Caught it.

And one towards my neck. I also grasped a fist on it, sweeping down just in consecutive with the first. Caught it as well.

I opened it my hand to see what I caught and saw rocks

...again.

What the heck?

I shot a cold glare across the field to where the guys sat in silence.

”So are you going to let me climb this tree or will you just keep throwing rocks at me?” I grumbled, placing both my hands on my waist.

They all stared at me in shock with big wide eyes and jaws dropped,

as if they've seen a ghost.

”H-Ha-how—?!” Aeron stutters, ”How did you do that?!”

”Do what?” I murmured.

”The rocks!!! Stray threw it so fast. How did you knew they were even coming at you?!” Aeron was genuinely looking at me in disbelief and astonishment.

”Aerra you're amaziiiiing!” Kain claps loudly, beaming at me in delight.

—I caught it, huh?

It honestly just felt like an instinct, I sensed it, rather than catching it with full awareness.Like when a mosquito suddenly decided to make a concert directly at your ears and you just have to try to kill the goddamn thing off by either swatting at it or clasping a fist. I just chose to do the latter.

Stray bolted up and crossed his arms, ”I knew it!” he chuckled as he sneers at me. ”Typical Faram!” he added but he says it almost to himself.

”Aerra, close your eyes and dodge.” Says Stray as I crunch my brows at him in response, ”I swear if I fail to catch a rock, I will pick a larger rock and throw it at you!” I murmured.

”Just close your eyes and sense it!” Stray insisted as he began to walk towards me.

I sighed and just complied.

The familiar darkness welcomed me as I closed my eyes shut.

There was the silence.

No, not silence.

It's the calm.

I sank myself to the lulling sensation as I stood there motionless.

The atmosphere is a little chilly but no moving wind.

There are sounds of birds and some voices beyond me. It sounded distant and insignificant to bear any warnings.

I can feel people watching me.

But—

one presence blooming in a threat.

The wind blows.

Sound of grass ruffles.

A twitching sensation emanated to my right so I side stepped once, just to dodge it.

”There, I dodged it. Happy now?” I opened my eyes.

Stray was stooping down before me, his hand morphed into a blade that was directly stabbed at the ground beside me to where my other foot had previously laid.

If I didn't moved then... that blade of a hand might have severed my toes.

”Are you crazy!?” I exclaimed, fuming, ”YOU REALLY ATTACKED ME!”

Stray turned his head at me and smiled, contemptuously. ”Im not done yet—!!!”

”—!!”

He quickly draws his blade out and launches a slash attack. I plunged off, landing few steps away from him as he grins widely seemingly amused. He stoops down and then springs towards me, charging to stab me head on.

I felt his wind even before his blade dives directly in between my eyes, making my body react abruptly and leaps up overhead.

I saw everything upside down for a moment, Stray's deep purple eyes aligned with mine, before my body spun down, and I landed on my feet, with my back facing him.

Another wind emerged, I squatted down as a violent wind slashes pass above me, missing me narrowly.

I looked up at him and saw him pulling his blade-hand high up for a moment, way above his head.

Alarm bells went off inside my head.

My body jolted up in an electrifying rush that spikes my feet to jump up— sending me to soar high above in midair at the exact same time Stray plummets his blade down in a crash, the ground breaks apart from the impact.

I stretched my hands on instinct and felt a branch on my grip. With enough momentum, I spun overhead and landed gracefully to my feet. I pulled my back straight and watch below me where Stray just slowly standing up in silence. His hand morphs back to normal.

He flexes his head aback and looked up to where I stood. ”Well done!” he commended in a contented grin.

I can't feel any threat anymore so I let my body began to relax.

I took a deep breath and looked around.

Blinking my eyes twice, that's when I realized I was standing on top of a tree branch from waaay above the grounds.

The surprise tipped my balance off and I instantly slipped.

I just closed my eyes and waited for someone to break my fall.