《Tale of the Small Hero》 Chapter 1 - Cattleya Vanic It''s almost morning, and I still can''t sleep. A girl in bed, tossing and turning around, hugging a soft bolster that''s just as big as her. Lilac strands of hair sticking to her face from all the movement, close to her sharp, light blue eyes. Today is the long awaited Kingdom Army recruitment day! I need to be well rested to perform at my best but what is this... I haven''t got a wink of sleep! Come on, Cattleya, sleep already! More tossing and turning ensued and finally, after shifting into the weirdest sleeping position possible, did the girl fall asleep. -- [ Thuringia Town ] Thuringia is a small town located far north in the Eastern Continent, though most people refer it to the Ventus Continent. The town belongs to the Kingdom of Thorne, ruled by a reasonable king, though his influence didn''t really reach the small town. Thuringia is one of town that is close to the Crystal Forest, the biggest forest in the whole continent. It was rumored that the crystal dragon once dwelled deep inside, but no one has managed to explore that far into the forest and lived to tell the tale. It was said there is too much magical beast inside the inner ring, and no one knows why they are gathered there. Magical beasts are known to be able to speak and dislike humans. They prefer to be out of contact from the world. Though there was some beast or monsters that attacks human settlements before, there was rarely any of them being a magical beast. Monster encounters are fairly rare since they live in their own environment, usually far from human reach. The humans doesn''t want to have anything to do with them either, it was hectic enough facing the warring period with multiple kingdoms fighting for power and land. So the humans never bothered to expand through these places. Thuringia itself is known for its peaceful atmosphere. The nearby fields harvest well and there is a lake just outside of town available for fishing. The townsfolk have little to no complaints, overall it is a happy town. The sound of clapping horse hoofs and iron boots against the stoned pathways filled the city. Today is the long awaited Kingdom Army recruitmentday. A large amount of people are already gathered in the town square. Most of them are young adults of both genders, most likely applying for the recruitment. The other half are the elder population of the town, probably wanting to see if their children make it through the rumored strict requirements. "Make way for the commander!", shouted one of the foot soldiers. The people makes way for a few cavalry and a normal looking wooden carriage behind it. As it came to a stop, a soldier opens the carriage door and the commander stepped out. Walking to the center of the square, is the commander. Donned in a body fit leather armor, she looks like an agile fighter with a sheathed sword tied to the hip. She has long purple hair flowing in big waves down to her waist, with none of them covering her forehead. She looks around with her soft yellow eyes before unsheathing the sword and stabbing it on the ground, then rests both her hands on the tip of the handle. "Good morning townsfolk of Thuringia, I am a Hundred Man Commander, my name is Iris.", she spoke with an elegance matching her appearance. A lot of the onlookers are staring intently, some with determination, others with, well, lust for her figure. "I will be overseeing the recruitment in this town and making sure everything is conducted properly and no forms of cheating or bribery will be tolerated. Without further ado, those who are interested, please, come forward and line-up before me." And so, the recruitment begins... -- "I''m laaaaaaaaaaaate!", Cattleya shrieks as she tries to run as fast as she could down the path, to the town square. Oh my god! I can''t believe I slept till way past sunrise! The selection process must have begun already! What if they don''t accept me because I was late?! Arghh, I''ll be doomed! Finally she arrived, still panting and breathing heavily. She looks around and then figured out the line in front of the beauty with the purple hair must be the applicant line. She inhales deeply and lets out a long sigh of relief. The line was almost empty, there''s only two more to go. Cattleya sheepishly walked to queue and without her knowing, Iris had been observing her from afar. Beside the commander is a soldier keeping record of the names and household of the applicants. The accepted applicants are all gathered beside the carriage, separate from the townsfolk.
Finally her turn has come. Cattleya steps forward and both eyes met. Iris looks at the smaller and shorter than average girl before her up and down. Scrutinizing every part, evaluating capabilities of the girl.
Wearing a normal long sleeved clothing and quite the baggy leather pants, with straight lilac hair that stops a little over her shoulders, sharp light blue eyes that rest below her also straight fringe. She has slender figure, though small, she doesn''t look thin or lacking any muscles in any part of her body. Evaluating her body further is impossible given how covered she was.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
Iris starts, "Don''t think I didn''t see you being late. What''s your name?"
Cattleya gulped hard before she answers, "I''m sorry, I''m Cattleya, Cattleya Vanic."
"Cattleya Vanic... how old are you?", Iris is slightly curious since Cattleya looks small and might not be an adult yet. Although there''s not really a written age requirement, she doesn''t think the training regime can be handled by kids.
"18 years old, uhm..", Cattleya paused and fidgets as she doesn''t know who is the person in front of her.Damnit, I must''ve missed the introduction.
"Iris, Commander Iris. Remember that name well. You''re accepted to enlist and will be tested further. Join the others in the group over there.", Iris points out to the group of youngsters by the carriage.
"Yes, commander", Cattleya heads off to the group.
"We will now commence further testing in the fields outside of town.", with that, Iris extracts her sword from the ground and puts it back where it belongs. The movement looks so smooth and elegant, it leaves some in awe. A foot soldier comes close with a horse, and hands the reins to Iris. She then mounts it and slowly headed to the town gate. One of the soldiers came over to the group of participants, "Okay you lads, follow the commander. It''s time to see who are fit to serve the army." -- [ Outskirts of Thuringia ] The commander, a few foot soldiers and the participants arrived at a clearing just outside of town. Iris got down from the horse and instructed the participants to line up and count themselves. There are 165 people in total, not what she was expecting from a small town. "Alright, you lot shall now divide yourselves to a group of 5 and call yourself a squad. Once you''re done sorting yourselves out, pick one person in the squad to become the squad leader.", yelled one of the foot soldiers.
Cattleya was looking around nervously since she doesn''t have any friends that enlist together, and most people went with stronger looking participants. She sighed, this is like school all over again. Just when she was about to go to the weakest looking bunch of people, she felt a tap on her shoulder.
It was a girl who was far taller than her, Cattleya had to look up slightly to see her face. She has short, fiery red hair with some of it falling nicely to one side of her forehead. She also has a light red eye colour.
"Hey there, do you want to join us?", she smiled.
Cattleya, delighted, "Yeah sure, I''m Cattleya Vanic."
The girl smiled wider, "Nice, I''m Riv Bahn. Come, you''ll be our last member."
As they walked a bit, they''re met with 3 other guys, who all nodded to Riv. The guys then moved closer and introduced themselves to Cattleya.
An average guy with brown hair and a soft smile, "I''m Luis Carter."
A quite burly guy with a happy grin, "Hugh Itago, nice to meet you!"
A guy taller than Riv with jet black hair and a poker face, "Kee Alvaro."
Cattleya bowed slightly, "Cattleya Vanic. Nice meeting you all."
Riv clapped her hands, "Alright, the captain of the squad will be Kee! He''s so tall we''ll have no problems sticking to him or finding him. Do you guys agree?"
The rest of them nodded in unison while Kee just stood still, not breaking his straight face. "Sure."
Then they all lined up with their squad leader in front.
Seeing that everyone had found and formed groups, Iris came and stood before them all. Her hair waved with the wind and she looks more like a noblewoman rather than a commander. Some of the guys softly mouthed an ''ooh'' in awe. Though for the purple haired beauty herself, she found it annoying and wished she had a hairband to tie her hair before it becomes a strangle of mess.
"Each squad will have to venture in the forest, kill a monster, and bring their unique loot to me. This is not a grading test, you don''t have to kill tough monsters if you are not confident in your ability, any would do. Though there will be higher rewards in killing harder monsters. We will wait here for 2 days, those who didn''t return in time will be disqualified and no search parties will be sent after you. Everyone missing will be proclaimed dead."
Hearing that, some of the people waver and started to chatter among themselves, some even left and heads back to town. The people who were left behind had to find other people to fill their group.
Iris scoffed, exactly as she thought.Good, that leaves the wimps out.
A foot soldier approaches the group, carrying a large sack of weapons. Then dropping it on the floor before the squads. The contents spilled as he did so, revealing swords, spears, bow and arrows, and some other kinds of weapons.
Iris then told the squad leaders to pick for themselves and their members in an orderly manner. Then she told the ones who got their weapons to familiarize themselves with whatever they''ve gotten.
Cattleya and the rest were lined up pretty far from the weapons, so they get to choose last with limited choices left. Kee and Luis got a normal iron sword, Hugh got an iron mace, Riv got a pair of iron spiked gauntlet. The problem is now Cattleya.
Kee got her a sword, but she looks like she''s struggling to handle it properly since she has never wielded one, and the weight of the sword isn''t helping either. The group tried to bargain with other squads to exchange her sword for lighter weapons, but none of them wants to. Hugh''s mace is too big and heavy for her, and Cattleya''s hands and arms are too small to fit comfortably in Riv''s iron gauntlet.
Cattleya sighed, "It''s alright guys, I''ll help in any ways I can. I promise I won''t weight you all down." The other four members didn''t say anything and just nodded slightly.
Once again, Iris'' voice came, "Those squads that are ready can start now."
It begins. Some excited squads dived into the forest right away, while some wandered around its edges, looking for a safe way in. Kee was urging them to go straight in but Cattleya suggested them to pick a way in that looks the least dangerous, and wait for her there since she''s got something to say to the commander.
While the other soldiers are busy setting up camp, Iris stood by the wooden carrier, leaning on it in a casual pose. She sighs as another strong breeze of wind came and her hair is ruined again. Then Cattleya came into view.
Smiling sheepishly, Cattleya reached into her pocket and got out a hairband, offering it to Iris, "Commander Iris, uh... It would be uncomfortable to not have a hairband for two days. It''s pretty windy here all the time too so. .."
Iris felt glad, finally, her hair can be kept in place. She took the hairband and thanked the shorter girl, "Thanks, and good luck in the forest. Remember to stay alive, I''d like to return this hairband to a living, breathing person please.", Iris added a weak smile at the end of her sentence.
"R-right, yes, commander.", with that, Cattleya heads off to her squad that''s waiting for her in front of the edge of the forest. Chapter 2 - Into the Forest
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This is it, she thought. Cattleya turns her back to the tiger, a sign of extreme vulnerability, and just as she glanced back, the tiger starts running towards her. Cattleya put all her might into running as fast as she could to where her squad set up the ambush.
Please work. Please.
Cattleya almost reached the stump and glanced to see Riv that is quickly approaching. Perfect. She dashed even faster, and used the stump as a stepping stone, aiding her to jump higher into the air. She quickly raised the sword with both hands and points it downwards, relying on her weight and gravity to do the job. Sharp pain surges through her body from lifting the sword from still having the wound on her back.
As the small girl dropped down, the sound of metal piercing through flesh was heard. Cattleya had landed right on its head, with the sword piercing through the saberfang''s upper jaw. Both her and the creature lost balance and immediately stumbled, with Cattleya rolling to the side and the saberfang falling forward. She got up and quickly distanced herself.
The saberfang was writhing in pain, squirming on the ground, trying to detach the sword from it''s jaw, blood were dripping and scattering everywhere. A few minutes has passed with no avail, and finally the saberfang stopped moving, most likely dead.
Still panting heavily, Cattleya sighs in relief. She fell to her knees, and her vision blurred. The burning sensation on her back is getting worse and she can''t keep herself upright, falling head first to the ground. The last thing she heard was Riv calling for her from the distance. Then everything turns pitch black. Chapter 3 - Into the Forest 2 Cattleya felt light taps on her cheek. She slowly opens her eyes and the first thing she saw was the iconic flame like hair. Riv smiled wide, delighted, "Hey guys, she''s awake! How are you feeling, Cat?" Cattleya took some time to visualize the situation. Currently, she''s using Riv''s soft lap as her headrest and she''s laying beside Hugh who has bandages all over his chest. Must be a serious slash. She tries to get up but she felt pain all over her body, and especially her back, "Owww! Not good I guess", she leaned back to the comfortable lap of the taller girl. Considering she''s laying on the ground but her back feels covered, she thought someone must have patched her up. She hoped it was Riv and not any of the guys. Looking over to the far right, she saw Kee and Luis skinning the saberfang. Of course, the skin will fetch a high price, she wonders if the glow will stay even when the tiger is dead. They are probably also going to loot all they can, claws, fangs, and what not. Now that she thinks about it, books don''t really describe them well. There''s missing points here and there. Maybe not many has encountered the saberfang, but still. They could have saved more time and resource if there were more info about the monster. "I''m so glad you''re alright, you looked so cool back then!", Riv said softly. Cattleya chuckles, "You''re cooler than me, Riv, what do you mean?" Riv smiled in response, "Yes, yes. Oh, Kee and Luis are looting the saberfang. We should get out of here quickly now that we have what''s needed to pass the test. Hugh''s injury is pretty serious, it''s best to get back to town and have a doctor tend to him. Luis has been such a great help too, he knows quite a handful about medical stuff." "That''s great, I''m also glad no one lost their life. Monsters are dangerous. To think it was also 5 against 1", Cattleya looked at Hugh and sighed. "Well more like 4 against 1 but Luis didn''t have much choice when his sword is with Kee, and is lodged in the saberfang''s body most of the time", Riv added. "But it was fun though, I''d do that again. I wish I didn''t black out from the impact, I wanted to see the finishing blow Riv was so excited telling me about", Hugh starts laughing. Cattleya blushed slightly, "Riv!" Giggling along with Hugh, Riv smiled, "What? It was really cool!" While they were chatting and it seemed peaceful, suddenly there was a loud roar. One that is similar to the saberfangs that they just fought, but this one is louder, and sounds more menacing. Even the tree leaves were rustling towards them. Riv quickly carries Cattleya on her back, piggybacking, "Luis! Kee! Sounds like we got company! We got to move, and fast!" "What about me? I can''t move!", Hugh panics. Kee and Luis runs back to the group, with Kee having the skin and a pouch of loot strapped to his back. They both lifted Hugh in a weird way, with Kee carrying the legs and Luis carrying the body. It looks like a bridal carry, just that there''s two person lifting the other. Kee and Luis looks at each other, Luis giggled, "I''m surprised we are thinking of the same thing. Let''s go!", and all of them ran with all their might towards the exit. Something might be following them, but they got out successfully. -- "Whew! That was a good run", Riv is panting quite heavily and she turns her head to look back at Cattleya, lowering her slowly. Cattleya bows slightly, smiling wide, "Thank you for carrying me, Riv." Kee and Luis went to the group of soldiers and handed them Hugh who needs to be transported back to the town for urgent medical care. Riv and Cattleya grouped up and the four of them went to where the commander and a few soldiers were sitting. They are sitting behind a wooden table in front of the carriage. Kee took out the saberfang hide and fang and placed it on the table. The soldiers seems pretty shocked. They listed the squad member''s names and announced that all of them had passed. Though for starters it''s uncommon for them to be able to take down a saberfang tiger. Most beginners or recruits are only able to kill humanoid monsters like an orc, beastkin, etc. They didn''t ask further questions and they are allowed to go back to the town, though they have to regroup back here tomorrow morning when the collective results are announced. Iris picked up the fang on the table and examined it, "Hmm... lucky you guys didn''t meet a fully grown saberfang. Judging by the size of this fang, you guys fought with a junior. It can grow to twice this size when it hits its prime time." The four of them jaw-dropped. As if that wasn''t bad enough. Fighting a fully grown saberfang would mean instant death for all of them. They are now considering how lucky they are. Smiling, Iris puts down the fang, "Good job, though. You guys can go now, I bet you would want to tell this wonderful news to your friends and family. Oh, and please return the weapons you took, just drop them on the patch of grass there, close to the big sack." Kee, Luis and Riv smiled wide, excited. Who doesn''t want to brag about killing a saberfang tiger? Cattleya remained quiet. "Alright, guys. I am very thankful to all of you. I''ll go back now, let''s meet up here again tomorrow!", Luis patted Kee on the back and bows to Riv and Cattleya before dashing happily towards the town. Riv and Kee eyed each other and started to walk towards the town as well. Then they look back to see that Cattleya isn''t moving. Raising one of her eyebrows up, Riv calls out to her, "Cat! Not going back?" "You guys go ahead, I''ll stay here a bit longer, I''m still kind of tired...", Cattleya said with a weak smile. Looking a little unconvinced, Riv smiled back and continues to walk with Kee to town. Cattleya sat herself on a tree stump, gazing up to the sky. ''Wonder if they will be proud of me up there. Mom, dad, if you are watching over me, are you proud of your only daughter?'', Then she felt a light tap on her shoulder. "Why are you not going back to the town?", Iris sat herself beside Cattleya, lightly squeezing into the stump since it barely fits for the both of them. Cattleya looks at the purple haired beauty, she now has her hair tied up in a ponytail, her perfectly chiseled jawline standing out. Cattleya quickly directed her sight back at the sky before she got caught admiring Iris'' features, "I don''t really have anyone to share the news with, plus the scenery here is nice." This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.Iris stays quiet for some time before replying, "Yes, the scenery is nice indeed. Then do you want to tell me about it?" Blinking a few times in disbelief, Cattleya looks at the commander, which she earned a soft smile from, "Sure...", and she told her how the squad fought against the saberfang. .... and that''s all", Cattleya smiled. "That''s good. I''m glad you all devised a proper plan instead of going in blindly. It could''ve ended really bad. You must be really fast too, running at the same speed of a junior saberfang? Not everyone can do that, it''ll sound crazy to some people", Iris chuckled. "W-well, I wanted to be useful to the squad... I can''t carry a normal sword with one hand like everybody else, I felt useless...," Cattleya blushed. Iris'' hand went to pat the smaller girl''s head gently, "You did a great job, not everyone needs to be able to use a sword to do great things." Cattleya leans closer to Iris, enjoying the calming gentle pat on her head, "Thanks..." Iris leans closer to Cattleya, smiling, "Now don''t be down anymore, recruit! Go back to town and get yourself a nice, warm dinner. You deserve it." With that, the both of them stood up and Cattleya bows to the commander before taking her leave. Iris resumed her work, accepting and evaluating people that came out from the forest. -- Cattleya opened the door to a small house at the very end of the town. This is her house. It looks just like any other house, except it feels emptier. She sighed as she walked in the main room and into her room, changing her shirt before throwing herself on the bed. Thoughts circling inside her head. ''It''s been 10 years now, hasn''t it? Time sure flies fast. I still remember how mom''s cooking taste like, and how dad always takes me to the meadows or fields whenever I felt down... and little Caine. It''s so unfair, he''s very young... he would have been a really handsome man by now. How I miss them...'', Cattleya sighed again. I wonder how they would react to me going in the army and all that, passed with flying colors too! Took down a silver saberfang tiger!'', a weak smile formed on her lips as she relaxed herself and falls asleep not long after. ... The night got darker and just as it goes a bit past midnight, Cattleya woke up. She blinks a few times and groans, "Not this againnnnn, why can I never sleep like a normal person", she tossed and turned in bed but she can''t go back to sleep. Now annoyed, she decided to go to the clearing where they are supposed to group up in the morning. Cattleya got up and grabbed a scarf, circling it around her neck, then walked out the door. There were barely anyone on the streets at this time, there''s only some patrol guards making sure the floor torches around intersections of the road are lighted up. It''s not creepy nor dangerous, just empty. Cattleya reached the town gate and bowed to the guards before exiting the town. They gave her a small torch to carry along her way so it''s not that dark. Approaching the clearing, she could see several campfire lights. Upon reaching, not many of the soldier is still up, most of them are resting, sleeping on the grass or maybe cramped up in one of the two tents set up there. The soldiers that were awake pay no mind to her. Now that she''s here, she no longer needs the torch since the camp is well lit. She dropped the torch and put out the fire by kicking enough dirt to it. Cattleya wandered to the only table in the camp, where they dropped their loot. There are now more things on it, presumably the loots of other squads. A few goblin heads are stacked below the table, alongside with some beastkin''s head, like pigs'' or dogs'', but the same size of human head, some being bigger than the norm. She noticed that her squad''s loot is still on the table. It looks unique from the others. "Recruit? What are you doing here so late?", A familiar voice reached Cattleya''s ears and she turned to the voice. It was Iris. Still having her hair up, she is now in normal clothes, wearing only a loose wool shirt and long pants. Her sword is still strapped to the belt around her hip though. Cattleya shrugged, "Nothing, thought I''d come earlier since I can''t sleep anyways..." Iris looked around before gesturing Cattleya to come towards her, "Come in my tent, you''ll get cold outside", then she went in and holds the drape open for the recruit. Not really given a chance, Cattleya followed Iris into the tent. It was a medium sized double wedge tent, inside it is a small bed with rope frame and straw mattress enough for one, a short-legged table with drinking utensils and two foldable stools, on the side of the bed is Iris'' armor, hanged up nicely. On the other side of the wedge is a wooden chest, most likely filled with the commander''s personal belongings.
Cattleya sits on the stool and watched Iris pour tea into two cups, which then she gave one to Cattleya and one for herself. She sat on the other stool, facing the lilac haired girl and sipped her tea, "Turn around and let me see your back."
"W-what for?", mewled Cattleya nervously.
Iris set her cup aside, "I saw there were a bit of bloodstain on the back of your shirt, I know you''re injured from the saberfang fight. Did you change the bandage at all?"
Cattleya shook her head slowly, she had forgotten about that.
Iris stood and went to grab a roll of bandage from the wooden chest and sits back on the stool. She shifted closer to the nervous girl and looks at her in the eyes, "You wouldn''t want to risk an infection, do you? Now come on, turn."
Cattleya puts down her cup and hesitantly turned around, her back to Iris. Then she slowly takes her shirt off. Feeling embarrassed, she crossed her arms in front of her chest.
Iris removed the old bandage and looks at the wound, it has mostly healed, just a small part of it has not. Cattleya winced as her back came in contact with the cold air. Iris took a second to admire the shorter girl''s back, she has porcelain, smooth skin. The wound only adds a unique appeal, like a drawing on a canvas. Iris traced her cold fingers on the side of the wound slowly, from the top to bottom, "How enticing..." Cattleya''s eyes widened at the touch and even though her body shivered in delight, she quickly got embarrassed, "U-uhm...", just as she was about to say something, Iris starts wrapping the wound. "Hmm? What''s wrong?", Iris grins. "N-nothing...", Cattleya muttered. After a while, Iris taps on Cattleya''s shoulder, "There we go, nice and neat". She got up and puts away the dirty bandage as well as stashing the remaining unused roll back in the chest. Cattleya turned back and looks at Iris, "Thank you..." Iris smiles, "You''re welcome, thanks to you I do not need to worry about my hair getting tangled by the wind for two days, I should at least repay back this much." Cattleya blushed, "You''re too kind." "I''m not, not even close", Iris laughed, "Anyways, I''m going to catch some sleep, do the honor of waking me up when the sun rises, alright? I know you probably won''t sleep anymore for the rest of the night. But don''t wander too far, monsters aren''t the only one capable of hurting you, you know. You should be more careful when you''re that attractive." Iris then climbed on her bed and relaxed herself. Not knowing how to feel, Cattleya nodded and fidgets in her seat, "I''ll stay here then. But there''s not much to do..." Iris, whose eyes are already closed, smirked, "The bed can only fit one person, you know. Unless you want to squeeze-" "N-no! I didn''t mean it like that!", Cattleya, flustered, got up from the stool. Iris laughed. Feeling her cheeks getting hot from the tease, Cattleya heads out, "Anyways! I''m going to get some air." "Hey recruit!", Iris called. Cattleya paused, turning back to look at the now smiling Iris, "What is it?" "There should be a short sword in the chest there, take it with you. Rule number one; Never go anywhere unarmed", Iris points to the wooden chest. Cattleya went back in and got the said sword, then heads back out. She glanced over her shoulders to see Iris had closed her eyes and curled herself in bed. Smiling, she said, "Sleep well, Commander Iris." Chapter 4 - The Starting Point Cattleya laid on the grass just behind the tent, watching the night sky. She holds the sheathed sword close to her. The peaceful night silence with occasional wind breeze felt like bliss. She closed her eyes and focused on her breathing, paying attention to every inhale and exhale. Every once in a while, Cattleya feels the need to meditate to sharpen her mind. This is a habit that has grown on her from her father. It didn''t take long for her to be fully absorbed into the act. She felt like she had just started but the faint light that trickle into her eyes begs to differ. Slowly adjusting her eyes to the dim lights, Cattleya sat up and looks around. She stared into the red scarlet horizon for a while, admiring it''s sight before scanning her surroundings. Some of the soldiers had chattered among themselves, some still sleeping. Then she pays attention to the short sword she''s given. It''s not exactly short, just a little bit shorter than a typical iron sword. Surprisingly, it''s light and she can wield it with only one hand. It felt really comfortable. The handle is different than the usual metal-like handles of the iron swords. It''s wrapped tight and carefully with sturdy dark blue cloth, having a unique pattern on it too. Curious, she draws the sword. The blade is also different. The iron sword that''s used by soldiers are usually edged on both sides, but this sword only has one sharp side, with the other being a little thicker, and having no capability to slash and cut efficiently. Cattleya got up and swings the sword a few times. Her movements feel light and she felt as if she can channel her energy just right. Nodding in satisfaction, she continued to practice slashing. -- The sun is starting to rise and so does all the birds, filling the entire area with noisy chirping. What people call it to be the peaceful sound of the morning seemed more like a nuisance of an alarm to Iris'' ears. She sat up straight on the bed, looking like she''d gone through some rough night. But no, that''s just how she always looks like in the morning, tired and done. With two unamused, sleepy yellow eyes, she looks around and found no trace of the recruit. Slightly disappointed, she rubbed her eyes and got off the bed. Iris poured herself a cup of water and sat on one of the stools. After taking a sip, she sighed and closed her eyes, still reluctant to fully wake up. Then she heard the tent drape flails as someone entered her space. "Oh, you''re up. I wanted to get you some breakfast before I wake you up, here", Cattleya came closer to her and handed her a bowl of warm stew. She has another bowl on her other hand for herself, though it''s covered with a small tray with cut up bread on it. Cattleya put down the tray on the short-legged table and joins Iris, sitting down in front of her. Iris blinks a few times, before breaking a smile, ''Breakfast in bed, well, almost in bed. Not bad.'' Iris muttered, "Thanks, recruit", and she starts eating. Cattleya smiled and nodded, her mouth full of stew. After a while, Iris set her bowl to the table and drank her water. Then she looks at Cattleya, "So, have you tried out the sword?" "Yes, this sword must be a high quality sword, it felt so light and easy to wield, I should return it back to you-" Iris cuts Cattleya off before she could finish her sentence, stopping her from untying the sword from her belt, "You keep it, recruit." Cattleya felt a slight discomfort in her heart, she felt bad for being given something valuable, not to mention the sword''s uniqueness. It must have some kind of value to the commander if she kept it around her but didn''t use it, and yet she''s giving it to her now.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. "I can''t take this, Commander Iris. It must be precious to you" Iris scoffed, "That''s fine. I don''t use it anyways and it''s going to rot in the chest forever. Besides, I think it likes you." "Likes.. me?", Cattleya tilts her head slightly to the side. "Yes, a lot of people refuse to believe so but each weapon chooses their owner, not vice versa. There''s a lot of people who gave names to their weapon, me included. This is Aether", Iris draws her sword and strokes the blade slowly, smiling softly. Cattleya looks at Iris'' sword, then back at hers, "A name..." With one swift motion, Iris sheathed her sword, then looks at the girl in front of her who seems to be lost in thoughts. Smiling, she poked Cattleya''s cheek with her index finger, "You can name it later, silly. Now let''s go, I have things to do and you should swing that sword a little bit, familiarize yourself with it", Iris got up from the stool and heads out, with Cattleya following closely behind. Iris goes to the loot table and converses with the soldiers there, discussing the rewards and such. As for Cattleya, she wanders around and found her group among the crowds that have gathered there. Riv waved, "Hey Cat!", with all the members nodding in unison. Cat smiled softly, "Hey guys, did you all have a nice rest?" Hugh grinned widely, "Yeah sure we do, but not as nice as the one who got to spend the night with the commander! So tell us, how did it happen? How was the steamy night?", he added with a wink. Turning into a furious shade of red, Cattleya was at a loss for words, "Wh-wha? I didn''t!!" Kee hit Hugh''s head lightly and sighed, "It''s none of our business, Hugh." Rubbing where Kee hit him, he looks back at the taller man, "Geez, Kee! I was joking...hehehe, sorry Cat." Cattleya looked away, trying to hide her embarrassment, "It''s alright...", though for a second there she did imagine how nice it would be to caress Iris'' smooth, pale skin. She shook her head and quickly dispersed the image in her head. "Hey, I think they''re calling for everyone to gather, let''s go", Riv points to the crowd forming in front of the loot table. Just as their group arrived, one of the soldiers spoke, "Good, I think that''s all of em." Behind him was Iris, who looks a little disappointed, "Alright, we got quite the bunch here, I honestly thought it would be lesser than this, but oh well. All of you passed, from now on, you are a part of the Kingdom''s Army and you should walk with your head held high. But don''t be too arrogant yet, as each and every one of you will be sent to the Army Academy scattered all across Thorne and must pass the final test before you can earn the right to wear the army badge publicly." She then gestured her right hand to one of her soldier who''s holding multiple scrolls, "Berne here will call out your names and hand you the recommendation scroll to be admitted to the Army Academy. Please do not lose it as they won''t accept you if you do not have the scroll. Inside, you can find the branch of the academy that you will be enrolling to, as well as details on how to get there." -- As the members of Cattleya''s group have all gotten their scroll, they huddled up and opened them together. "Damn it, I got Tailgate", Hugh clicked his tongue in annoyance. Kee nodded his head for a bit after opening his scroll, "Sparkwire, not bad." Riv smiled wide after hearing where Kee went, "Guess I''ll be stuck with you, eh Kee? Sparkwire too for me." Luis shrugged and rolled his eyes, "Oxley, where there''s only pasture and cattle, great." All of them turned to Cattleya, "Well, where did you get, Cat?" Sheepishly opening her scroll and reading it''s contents, Cattleya read for a bit and said, "It says Temperee here." In that instant, all four of them had this look of sympathy towards Cattleya. One by one, they pat Cattleya''s back, Hugh was first, "I feel bad for feeling bad now, stay strong Cat," he chuckled. "What, guys? Why? Isn''t Temperee the capital of Thorne? What''s wrong with it?", Cattleya sounds confused. Riv sighed, "Well, think of it this way, you''re going to the most prestigious academy in the whole continent, filled with the heirs of nobles, successors of merchant groups, strongest members of famous guilds, maybe even the prince or princess of the damn kingdom itself. Not to mention they must have a higher standard and I heard the passing rate isn''t friendly. What do you think?" Cattleya gulped. Straight into the fire, huh... What fate. Chapter 5 - A Farewell [ Thuringia Inn''s Pub ] The group sat around a table, with drinks on each hand. They have been drinking since evening after getting back from the outskirts of town. It is now night time, but the pub is livelier than usual. With many families and groups of friends of those who passed the recruitment exam gather before setting off to far away places. "Cheers!", The five of them knocked their mug together as a toast and gulped the contents down. Kee still kept a poker face as usual, seeming to not be affected by the amount of alcohol he has drank. Luis and Hugh are having their arms over each other''s shoulder and giggling here and there. Riv is busy snacking on the peanut while occasionally chugging her booze. Cattleya took a sip of her drink, she''s more worried than joyous because of what Riv said back out there. "Your worry is showing, Cat", Kee sounds concerned, "Don''t worry about what Riv said, you''ll do just fine." Smiling softly, Cattleya took a sip from her mug, "Yeah, you''re right, nothing will come out of worrying something that we don''t know. So, when are you guys leaving?" "Tomorrow! I''d like to leave as soon as possible since Tailgate is pretty far down south. I''m actually excited now though", Hugh cuts in, while still having his arm over Luis'' neck, "What you think, Luis?" Luis was dead drunk, looking very sleepy but still cheery, "I''ll be leaving with you then, there''s not much for me to do here anymore anyways. Oxley seems like a boring place, but at least it''s peaceful and quiet like here." Riv stopped munching and turned to Cat, "Since you''re going to Temperee, why don''t you join us? We will need to stop by the capital to replenish supplies anyways, Sparkwire is 4 or 5 days southeast from there. Kee and I will leave when dawn comes up, we have already said goodbyes to our families earlier." Cat smiled but then shook her head softly, "Thank you for the wonderful offer, Riv. But I have something to do and I''d like to leave only when it''s done, I wouldn''t want to delay your departure." Riv rubbed the back of her head, "Alright, alright. You need to take care of yourself, okay? You''ll be going alone. I''m kind of worried.." The lilac haired girl grabbed a single peanut and flicked it towards Riv, hitting her forehead, then she giggles, "I''ll be fine, Riv. I might look like this but I''m kind of strong~ hehe" Kee smiled, "Alright, then let''s toast and hope we all meet again someday, sometime, somewhere." All five of them raised their mug, "Ayyyyyy!!" As the night grew darker, the group proceeded to get wasted and all of them were sprawling over the floor, passed out. Except Cattleya, she drank the least, but she is nowhere near sober herself, it was hard enough to walk. She went to the front desk and urged the innkeeper to give a room and take care for her friends, helping to carry them to the rooms within the inn. As she and the innkeeper was carrying the last but the heaviest of them all, Hugh, Cattleya slipped and fell down the stairs, immediately passing out. -- Come morning light hit her face like a bitch slap, Cattleya groaned as she sat up on bed and her head seems to sway and spin everywhere. With the dizziness being too much to handle, she laid back down on the bed. Weird, she didn''t remember going to sleep last night, that or the inn''s bed have also gotten really soft and cold. ''I knew it, shouldn''t have taken up that stupid Hugh''s challenge to down that last mug... sigh... that aside, the bed is really comfortable, I didn''t know this inn have such soft pillows...'' Cattleya snuggled up and rubs herself on this so called ''pillow'' and sighed in comfort. Much to her surprise, the ''pillow'' also smells good. ''Hnggg... truly a bliss, this soft sensation...'' ''Wait... soft? Why is this pillow so big and I can feel it directly as if I''m not wearing anything?'' Cattleya opened her eyes and was greeted by the loveliest face that she has ever seen, basking in the sunlight, it was Iris, who is now smiling playfully. It all came down and she realized that the soft pillows she has been rubbing her cheeks on were the taller girl''s ample bosom, and her face is still between them. Cattleya turned beet red and was unable to find any words to say. Iris tilted her head to the side and smooched Cattleya''s forehead, "You were so cute, sleeping like that. Oh also, last night you reeked of booze and I didn''t like it, so I stripped you down to nothing. It''s not like I''ve never seen your body before though", Iris grinned at that last sentence. "You... what", Cattleya looked down and indeed, she is buck naked and hugging Iris. As if it''s not enough surprises, she saw Iris is in the same state as her, without any strings of cloth on her body. "Wh-why are you naked too?!", Cattleya closed her eyes out of reflex and tries to get up. "Why not~", Iris circles her arm around Cat''s waist and pulled her close, not letting the smaller girl get up, then whispers in her ear, "Don''t you think I deserve a reward for taking care of you all night long?" "?!?!", Cattleya opened her mouth but no words would come out, she is already blushing furiously and the sensation of Iris'' skin against hers and not to mention the commander''s glorious pair of melons rubbing on her back is not helping her get back to her senses.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. "Oh? Is this a yes?", Iris'' hand creeps up and caresses one of Cattleya''s breast, earning a small moan from said girl. Not being rejected or so, Iris got more daring and kissed Cat''s nape before nibbling softly. Her fingers moved to pinch and flick the pink tip that has became hard rock from the touch. "I-Iris...", Cattleya breathes heavily, not sure of what to do or even say. The places which Iris are touching sure feels good and leaves her wanting more. But what could be ''more''? Aren''t you supposed to bed the ones you love? Or so Cattleya believed. Her nether regions felt hot, burning with the desire to release. She couldn''t understand what her body wants, this is all too confusing. ''This fondling needs to stop first though!'' Iris paused for a little bit, "Yes?" "I feel weird... and my head is spinning... can we just stay like this for a little bit and not do anything else?", Cattleya''s hand went to hold the naughty invader''s hand which is still on her breast, preventing it from moving or touching her any further. ''Kyaaaa how can someone be so cute! Contain yourself, Iris! Contain!!'', Iris wanted to squeal and hug the hell out of the tiny girl in her arms, but she held herself back so hard, with all her might. She tries to keep a cool composure. ''Gotta play it cool!'' Pulling Cattleya closer to her, Iris moves her hand to Cat''s belly and just cuddled her, "Alright, is this good?" Cattleya let out a sigh of relief and melted herself into the embrace, "Yes, thank you... do you mind if I sleep some more? My head is really killing me", her eyes closed and she tries to get as comfortable as possible and sleep the headache away. "That''s fine, I''ll be here when you wake up", Iris repeatedly strokes Cat''s belly softly, there were some twitches in the beginning but not long after she can feel the smaller girl''s body relax onto hers. ''We have just met a few days ago, and now here I am embracing you like a lover. I have to admit I''m liking it so far, though. Never been so attracted to anyone this much.'' -- Cat woke up. Cat sat up. Cat regained all her senses. Cattleya remembered all that happened earlier in the morning. She looked to her left and saw Iris snoozing peacefully. She then got both of her hands on her head and, ''What on earth have I doneeeee?! Cattleya, just what were you thinking? Sleeping with the commander? Being a big bother to her, and top of that, naked?! If this was some noble girls I''d have my head hanged by the townsfolk right away! .... now let''s see ...'' Cattleya looked around, their clothes seemed to be folded nicely on that stool nearby, along with both swords on top of it. She wonders if it would be alright to get up and get dressed first, then wake Iris up. Deciding that it might be rude to do that, after all that Iris had done for her, Cattleya laid back down, this time facing the sleeping beauty, and poked her cheeks softly. "Commander Iris~", poke. No reaction. "C-o-m-m-a-n-d-e-r", poke. Still none. She then pinched Iris'' nose, leaving the girl unable to breathe. Just as she expected, Iris woke up and pulled away. Blinking several times, she seemed sleepy. "Are you awake now? I''m sorry I''ve caused so much trouble to you. Thank you for taking care of me last night... and this morning", Cattleya smiled softly, while lightly hugging Iris, it is comfortable around her anyways, she knew since she first talked to her. Iris paused for a little, before replying the hug, but tighter, "If you''re so sweet to me right as I wake up like this, I might kiss you, you know." "I think that''s a little too much, I hope you''d settle with just this for now", Cattleya planted a swift kiss on Iris'' cheek, blushing after doing so. "That''ll do, for now," Iris smirked. She let go of Cat and got up, fetching their clothes and throwing Cat''s her way. They dressed rather quickly, with both of them stealing glances at each other, one can clearly say that they''re both interested in each other. Cat had finished dressing first and sat on the edge of the bed, watching Iris, "I''ll be going to Temperee, maybe I''ll head out tonight, after doing some things." Iris turned to the soft voice, taking her time fixing her clothing all the while, "Temperee, huh? I''m also heading there to report on the recruitment progress. You can come with me if you''d like, I can leave whenever. I''ve sent the soldiers back last night, so it''ll be just us." "That would be awesome. Oh by the way, commander, how did I end up in this room? I remember falling down the stairs when carrying Hugh but that''s it." "You guys made a ruckus so late into the night, and the sound of something rolling down the stairs made me curious on what''s happening. Needless to say, after I found out that it was you, I picked you up and brought you to my room, it must be fate or so I thought", Iris giggled. "Aaand you took advantage of me!", Cattleya huffed. "Hey, I helped you get out of your stinky clothes and even carried you to bed, warming you the entire night with my body. That''s no advantage. Anyways, what are the things that you have to do? I can wait but I''d rather get a move on, I can''t be too late on returning", Iris threw Cat''s sword towards her and strapped her own onto her belt. "I have somewhere I want to visit, let''s go then", Cattleya got up and headed for the door. She holds the door open and let Iris pass her, the latter girl''s sweet scent flutters behind her steps. ''I must be crazy, liking her scent...'', Cat sighed to herself, and she couldn''t help stare at Iris'' shapely rear-end as they walked out of the inn. Cattleya shook her head, ''Yes, definitely crazy'' Once outside, Iris turned to Cattleya, "Well then, princess, where to?" Cattleya looks annoyed, "I''m far from a princess, commander, but follow me", and she leads the way. -- [ Thuringia Cemetery ] "Here", Cattleya stopped in front of a headstone, it says "Here lies the Vanic family; Odo, Theresa, and Caine." Iris stood by quietly, unsure of what to say. She guessed that might be her late family members, but she didn''t dare ask. She looks at Cat gently, thinking that it might be good to leave her alone for a bit, grave visits are private and sensitive matter for most people. She walks to the exit, "Take your time, I''ll be waiting outside", and she earns a nod from the smaller girl. Cattleya crouched and pats the headstone, closing her eyes, staying still in that position, seeming to convey something with her thoughts. ''This is it dad, mom, and little Caine. I''m leaving town, who knows if I''ll ever come back to pay respects, so consider this my last time. I''ll make all of you proud, I promise. Dad, if I ever found out what went wrong or who is behind the family''s death, I will kill them. I know you wouldn''t like the idea, you''ve always upheld the principal that weapons are created for all but to harm human beings, but forgive me for I shall sin when the time comes. I should get going. Goodbye.''