《Whispers of the Immortal》 Chapter 0 : Reunion of the Merrick Family Information This is a work of fiction. Names, monsters, skills, places, etcetera, and incidents are the product of the author''s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. Copyright ? 2014 by AnmesicCat. All rights reserved.
Prologue: Reunion of the Merrick Family In the month of Capricorn, 3 days before school starts... Alone in the quiet Student Council Office, President Yvonne Merrick was finishing up some paperwork before the upcoming school year, when a sudden knock on the door interrupted her train of thought. "President, there''s someone looking for you." The Vice President of the Student Council, Peter Elley, called out to Yvonne with 2 shadows trailing after him. "A visitor? At this time of the month? Who is it?" Yvonne was perplexed. Since school has yet to begin, she couldn''t imagine who would be looking for her. "I''m not sure... But they said they knew you..." Peter ushered two small individuals inside the office. A 10 year old boy with blonde hair as bright as the sun, and blue eyes identical to Yvonne''s, said, "Greetings, fair maiden." The person accompanying him on the other hand, was a 10 year old girl with black hair as dark as midnight, with similar blue eyes. She executed a simple curtsey, but did not utter a word. Their blue eyes were not the common blue. Their eyes were blue like the deep ocean. Their eyes were blue like the sky right before the sun disappears ¡ª dark rich indigo, with specks of wild colours here and there; that kind of blue. "Adrian, Aibelle, what are you guys doing here?" When Yvonne saw the two children, her eyes grew wide with surprise. "President?" Peter, who was watching from the side-lines, looked at Yvonne with questioning eyes. "Ah, Vice President Elley, allow me to present, my brother and sister, Adrian and Aibelle Merrick." "It''s a pleasant to meet you, good Sir." Adrian extended his hand out to Peter for a handshake. Aibelle on the other hand, performed another one of her curtsey. "Nice to meet you..." Peter gave Yvonne a dumbfounded look while he shook hands with Adrian. Yvonne knew the cause of Peter''s confusion and asked the culprit, "Adrian, from whom did you learn how to speak in such manner? You need to stop it. It''s annoying." Adrian pouted, "But Uncle Mars always speaks that way..." "You picked a bad example, so stop speaking that way, understood?" Although Yvonne told him to stop, she found her brother''s imitation of her uncle''s shenanigan quite amusing. "As you wish, sister." Adrian executed an exaggerated bow. Yvonne laughed, "Adrian! Stop it. Now tell me, what are you both doing here in school?" "Mother, Father. Here. We, pick up sister." Aibelle explained in a slow and quiet manner. "Mother and Father are here?" Yvonne looked at her sister and asked gently. Aibelle has always been afraid of almost everyone but her twin brother, so she didn''t want to scare her. Aibelle simply nodded. "Mother and Father are here to disgust an important manner with the pen-pal." "Adrian, it''s Discuss, not disgust, Matter, not manner, and Principal, not pen-pal." "You know what I mean." Adrian blushed after his sister pointed out his blunder. "Father asked for you to meet them inside the Principal''s office." Yvonne turned to Peter and said, "Vice President Elley, I''m going to see my parents. I''ll leave everything here to you." With a nod, Peter said, "Very well, President." "Well then, come along now Adrian, Aibelle." Yvonne held both her siblings'' hands and headed towards the Dean''s office. * * * "I''m really very sorry Your Grace, but I currently cannot comply with your request." "May we know the reason why?" "Professor Rurik Truro, who is in charge of testing our applicants, is on leave and will not return until the day school starts." The Duke of Merrick creased his brows, "Is there any way we can ask him to return earlier?" "I''m sorry but he did not leave me any contact information before he went on leave. I wasn''t expecting this to happen. I''m really sorry Your Grace." The Dean explained while imaginary droplets of sweat trickled down his back. "No, there''s no need for apologies. We''re the ones who came to the Academy at an improper time." The Duchess said with a smile, trying to soothe the Dean''s worries. "Dean, we''ve asked for our daughter to come, hoping she might know a way to contact the Professor." Not a moment sooner, there was a knock on the door. *Knock, knock* "It''s probably our twins returning with Yvonne." "Ah, please enter." "Greetings Father, Mother, Dean." Yvonne walked into the office and curtsied. "Father, Mother, we brought sister." "Oh, good job Adrian, Aibelle." "Is there a problem Father? For you to have summoned me..." Yvonne started crumpling the sides of her skirt. She usually did not feel intimidated by her father, however, when her father talks to someone not family, he gives off a pressuring and formidable aura. Her mother once told her that her father wasn''t doing it on purpose, but it ran in their family''s male bloodline; they were born to rule. "Yes, we were wondering if you knew a way to contact Professor Truro." To Yvonne, these words were similar to dropping a bomb on her person. "Is there a problem with Adrian''s and Aibelle''s admission to the Academy?" Yvonne asked in a panic. She knew her younger siblings were entering the Academy''s Beginner course and made the appropriate living arrangement for them to live together. "No... not the twins... but..." The Duchess stammered to explain. "It''s Rex. He has returned and wishes to enrol in the Academy''s Intermediate course." The Duke said as a matter of fact. "Re-Re-Rex?!?" Yvonne couldn''t contain her surprise. "Yes, Rex has returned." Rex, the younger brother she longed to see. Because of a family tradition, he set out to travel and experience the world at the young age of 9; it''s been 7 years since then. Although her brother never failed to write her a letter, send gifts during her birthday, the twin''s birthday, and Christmas, they have never seen each other since he left home. The Dean tapped his chin and asked, "Pardon me Your Grace, but who is he?" "My son, my heir, Marquis Avery." "But isn''t Lord Adrian the Marquis?" "I am not a Marquis. Brother Rex is." "Rex?" "Dean, you have probably heard of the Merrick''s tradition? The heir of the family must be strong in battle, must have proper education, and most of all, he must have knowledge of the world." "Ah, yes. I''ve heard of the rumour." "It''s not a rumour, but a known tradition. I had similar experience when I was in my teens. I didn''t set out until I was 18, but my son requested to set out early. He was only 9 then, half my age went I set out, but he had knowledge beyond his years. My wife and I were reluctant to give him permission, but in the end, his persistence won. The reason you don''t know of him is because it''s almost a taboo to talk about him, especially around our children. They miss him too much, and will often ask us to find him and drag him back..." More question marks formed inside the Dean''s head, "But Your Grace, if I remembered correctly, when your father was alive, your title was Marquis of Elric, and not Avery." The Duke understood the Dean''s confusion, "You are correct. However, the title Avery was something my son did not inherit from me, but his own. Before he left home, he saved the King, from an accident with his carriage. My wife and I were quite surprised when he came to our land to express his gratitude. It was then when he was given the title ''Marquis of Avery.'' My son was only 5, and the King was riding an unmarked vehicle. My son didn''t know he saved the King, so thought nothing of it." "Mother, Father, Dean, I have managed to contact Professor Truro!" Yvonne yelled in excitement, interrupting the conversation. "Dean, can you put him on the screen?" "Certainly, Your Grace." The Dean connected Yvonne''s communication terminal to a large holographic screen. Within moments, the screen started to flicker in yellow, red, blue, and green lights. Soon, Professor Truro appeared on the screen. Professor Truro greeted the Dean, "Hello Principal Marcel, what seems to be the problem? Lady Yvonne Merrick contacted me, but I could not understand what she was saying." Judging from the Professor''s surrounding, he seems to be inside a travelling carriage. "Professor Truro, the Duke of Merrick is here with me right now with a request. If possible, we would like you to return to the Academy with due haste." "There''s no problem since I''m already on my way back, but may I ask why?" "Professor Truro." The Duke acknowledged the Professor with a slight nod. "Your Grace, what can I do for you?" The Professor tried to bow, but was unable to, due to the limited space in the carriage. "I would like for you to test my son for admission to the Academy." "I believe your son was admitted successfully..." Professor answered with a tilt of his head. "Professor, the Dean will explain the details to you. Do you think we can make an arrangement for tomorrow?" "It will be done, Your Grace." "You have our thanks." Professor Truro hung up the phone and the Dean started to make preparations for tomorrow. "Well Dean Marcel, we''ll see you again tomorrow. Thank you for your time." "I bid you farewell, Your Grace." The Duke, Duchess, and their three children walked out of the Dean''s office with a smile. The Dean on the other hand, collapsed on the sofa he was sitting on due to the release of overwhelming pressure. It was bad enough for him to be talking to the Duke of Merrick, but with together with the Duchess, he was almost unable to breathe. The House of Merrick, one of the most influential families in the entire Kingdom, if not, they are most. They are famous for their battle skills and vast knowledge. Although there are some who don''t agree with how the Duke does things, the people who live in their lands are content and are enjoying the success. If the Duke were to rally Soldiers, he would have no problem recruiting at least 10,000 Soldiers in a matter of minutes. The Duchess was also a force to reckon with. When the Duchess wears something, it becomes a fashion statement. If the Duchess says blue was red, then it was red. She also invented many modern magic tools used today. For example, communication terminal; it is being used in every household throughout the Kingdom. And because of their patents, the House of Merrick overflowed in abundance of Gold, making their already full coffers even fuller. It also gave them the funds to set up banks with high interest rate across the seven seas, making them the richest House in the Kingdom. Although people worship the House of Merrick for the battle prowess and knowledge, they are also feared. Their bloodlines have produced the most powerful Magicians in their generations, without fail. The Duke and Duchess of Merrick were famous Magicians, able to destroy an entire Kingdom with their abilities. Their daughter, Yvonne, was also one of the best Magician the Dean has ever seen in recent years. Their twins on the other hand, were able grasp mana way before normal children did, and because of it, they were home taught until they were old enough to enrol in the Beginner course in the Academy. ''If their son, the heir, was powerful enough for the Duke and Duchess to agree to let him set out early... I wonder how strong he is... Ha~ If there''s a word to describe the family, it would be... "Monsters."'' * * * "Father, where is Rex right now?" Yvonne asked not a moment sooner after they had left the Dean''s office. "You really miss your brother, don''t you?" The Duchess knew how much Yvonne worried for her younger brother and had always teased her for it. Yvonne blushed, "Well, I..." "He''s in our mansion here in the Capitol, resting." The Duke tapped his daughter''s shoulder to ease her discomfort, "He arrived around 1 in the morning and immediately requested for us to enrol him in Sachael Magic Academy. Your mother and I rushed from Merrick all the way here. While we were packing, the twins heard us and begged to come along. We haven''t asked him why he returned all of a sudden, but we''re glad to finally see him." "Ah, I miss your brother. I''m sure he grew up to be a fine and handsome man just like your Father." The Duchess looked at her husband and softly brought her palm on the Duke''s face. The Duke''s facial expression softened, "Evelyn..." "Marcus..." "Mother... Father... Please, not in public." Yvonne usually didn''t mind her parents looking and talking to each other fondly, but... It was currently not the time and place. Plus, she was more interested in Rex. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. The Duchess smiled, "Ah, sorry. We got carried away." "Mama, is brother the person who write letters to me and send pictures?" When he wasn''t around non-family members, Adrian goes back to calling his parents ''Mama'' and ''Papa.'' "Why of course. He also gave you your first sword, and Aibelle''s spire, for your birthday." Aibelle clapped her hands together and brought them to her chest, "Brother. Nice person." The Duchess stroke Aibelle''s hair and said, "Of course he''s a nice person, he''s your brother." The Duke, who was listening to the conversation between his wife and his daughter, turned to Yvonne and said, "Well then, Yvonne, we''ll see you tomorrow." "Children, get inside the carriage, we''ll go see your brother." "Mother, Father... May I come?" "Hmm, I''m not sure if we''ll fit in the carriage... Marcus what should we do?" "Aibelle, can you sit on your Mama or Papa''s lap so your sister can come home with us?" Aibelle glanced at Yvonne and smiled. She looked towards her Father and nodded. "I guess that''s settled. Let''s go meet your brother." * * * While waiting for his parents and siblings to return home, Rex was in the kitchen making lunch. When he arrived at the mansion, it was empty, not prepared for someone to live in, and there weren''t any food to eat. Since his parents were not expected to use the mansion, the servants have all returned to their own houses and closed the mansion. A little while earlier, Rex went out to the market to purchase food ingredients. And because of his travels, he had become accustomed to cooking, and knew many dishes from all over the world. "Hmm, hmm, hmm, hmmmm~ " Rex was humming while cooking when the front door to the mansion suddenly flew open. "REX?! Where are you?!" Yvonne started looking around for Rex the moment she stepped inside the mansion. "Yvonne, slow down. He''s not going anywhere." "Brother Rex, where are you?" "Brother. Gone." Aibelle said and tears started swelling up in her eyes. "I''m here, in the kitchen!" Rex, who was unable to leave the food he was cooking alone, cried out. Yvonne, Adrian, and Aibelle ran towards the kitchen. Yvonne ran up to Rex and gave him a bear hug, "Rex, I missed you! You''ve grown so tall." "Brother. Present. Thank you." "Brother!" "Please everyone, one at a time. The soup will spill on you." Yvonne and the kids took a step back from Rex and examined him, "You look like Father, if not for your black hair." Rex has similar colouring to Aibelle. But instead of blue eyes, his was green like their father''s. Green eyes glimmering with colour of emerald, sparkling in the light of the morning sun like a fresh sheen of morning dew. "Oh, my baby is all grown up! I knew you would look just like you Father." His mother rushed up to him and gave him a hug. His father on the other hand, tapped his shoulder and gave him a meaningful smile, "Welcome home, son." "Mother, father, I''m home." "So Rex, what are you doing in the kitchen?" Yvonne looked at Rex, who was wearing an apron, sceptically. "I''m making lunch. I was hungry. Is anyone else hungry?" "Aibelle. Hungry." "Since there''s no one else here, Yvonne, Adrian, Aibelle, help mother set up the table." Everyone, all except Rex and his Father, left the kitchen to set up the dining table. "Father, I''m sorry for my prompt request. I hope I didn''t trouble you with it?" "It''s not a big deal, so think nothing of it. Your brother and sisters are glad to have you back, your mother and I as well." "I''m glad to be back." "As for your request, you''ll have to take an admission exam with Professor Truro at 9am tomorrow. Good luck." His father gave him a quick hug and tapped his shoulder again. "If you men are done with your talk, help us carry the dishes in." After everyone finished setting up the table, they all sat down around the table. Their parents disregarded formal seating arrangement, with their mother sitting right beside their father. After saying grace, their Father said, "Well then, let us all partake Rex''s cooking." "Oh, Rex my dear, this is delicious. You should cook again sometime." His mother had nothing but praises for the food Rex cooked, however... "What''s wrong, everyone?" "Rex, what... are... these...?" Yvonne managed to get her words out without emptying her stomach. "Braised Balsamic Chicken, Beef Braciole, Ham and Potato Soup, and Guacamole." Rex announced proudly. "Brother. Ugh." Aibelle dropped her spoon and started covering her mouth. "Bro... ther... it taste... *uuek* good..." Since his brother had just returned, Adrian didn''t want to offend him by telling him the truth. The moment they finished praising Rex, the twins ran to the nearest lavatory, and started the process of ejecting the food they just ate. "Father?" Rex gave his father a questioning glance. The Duke, who was trying his best not to follow the twins, had turned green, almost as green as his eyes. The only thing keeping him glued to his seat was his willpower, "Rex... What did you put inside these dishes?" "Nothing irregular...? What''s wrong?" Rex answered stoically. The Duchess mirrored Rex''s expression, "Yes Marcus, what''s wrong?" "Rex, perhaps you should try it." Rex took a spoonful of Ham and Potato Soup and said, "MMmm, hmmm~." "It is good. Rex, you should teach Cook how to make it." "Mother... Rex... This is delicious?" Yvonne said in disbelief. "Yvonne, save your breath. You know your mother always had the weirdest taste in food. I didn''t think Rex would inherit it from her." And that''s how the Merrick''s family lunch reunion went. And for the record, Rex was given the same ban as his mother. He was not permitted to enter the kitchen, not that it''ll stop him anyway. * * * "Well then, now that we''re all full. I have souvenirs to give out." The moment Rex mentioned anything related to food, his family members, except his mother, would sport a crestfallen expression. "First, this is for father. Father, this is a book compiling all kinds of armour designs to suit the weather, the person, and enhances their skills. There are also manuscripts of armours made with magic inscription. I thought you''d find it useful. And for mother, here''s the book you''ve always wanted ¡ª ''Impossible to Create with Magic.'' There are only 2 copies of this book in the world, so it took me a while to find it." "Wahhh, thank you my son! I''ve been looking for this book for over 10 years! How ever did you manage to obtain it?" Although his mother asked him a question, she had no intention of hearing his reply. She was already too engrossed in reading the book. "I appreciate the manuscript. I''m sure it''ll be a great help to the Soldiers." "Now for my lovable twin siblings..." "Aibelle. First." "No, me first, PLEASE?!" "I''ll go with Adrian first since Aibelle''s present is bigger." "YES!", Adrian yelled in excitement and stuck out his tongue. Aibelle kicked him in the shin, "OUCH!" "Since Adrian, is now bigger and stronger, brother got you a new sword. This is unlike your old sword. This sword is a magic sword, and its name is ''Silverlight,'' a holy attributed sword." "Magic sword?" Adrian tilted his head. "Yes. It will amplify your magic, making you more powerful. But, do not rely too much on the sword, okay? Also, you must treat it as your friend. You have to talk to it every night." "Rely on my own power. I understand. But why do I have to talk to it, brother?" "Because there is a legend of a Fairy living inside it. And if you become the Fairy''s friend, she will teach you how to use the sword properly and its special skills." Adrian jumped up and down in excitement, "Really?! Fairy?! Will I really be able to see her?" "If the Fairy thinks of you as her friend, she will show herself. So treat her well." "I will, brother. Thank you!" Adrian ran up to Rex and gave him a hug. "Also, wear these gloves to prevent your hands from getting hurt. Until you get used to the sword, you must always wear the gloves, understood?" "Yes, brother." Their mother stopped reading her book, looked at the sword and expressed her concern, "Wait a minute Rex, is it really okay for Adrian to have the sword?" Before Rex could answer, their father spoke up, "I''m sure it''ll be fine Evelyn. And besides, you''ll be responsible with it, right Adrian?" "Of course, father. Don''t worry mother, I won''t hurt myself." "Now it''s Aibelle turn." "Present!" "First of all, here''s what you''ve always wanted. A Magician''s Robe. This robe will nullify most Fire and some Water magic spells." "Pretty. Aibelle. Wear." Rex looked at Yvonne and asked, "Sis, could you help her out?" Yvonne got up from where she was sitting and walked up to Aibelle. She then put the robe on top of Aibelle''s dress. "And... just like Adrian, here''s a magic weapon. It''s called ''Inferno, Staff of the Blazing Sun.'' It''s a fire attributed staff, perfect for you. And of course, it has bells." In order for Aibelle to be fond of a weapon, it had to have bells. Whenever Aibelle moved her hand that was holding onto the staff; tinkle, pop, rustle of leaves. Sounds singing like tiny angels, a chorus of voices no louder than the buzz of a bee, giggling like notes softly struck on a glockenspiel; echoed in the room. Aibelle was enchanted by the sound her staff made. Aibelle, who had a delighted expression, was smiling from ear to ear. "Brother, that''s not fair. Aibelle got two items..." "You also got two, a sword and the gloves. Your gloves are also special. It amplifies Holy attributed magic." "Brother. Thank you. Aibelle. Happy." Aibelle ran towards Rex and hugged him really tightly. "It''s the first time I''ve seen Aibelle hug someone." "It''s good to have Rex back. Aibelle is opening up more." "And last but not least, to my sister, Yvonne. It was really hard to get a present for sis because she doesn''t ask for anything. But actually, I got her present first." Yvonne stared at Rex, "I asked you to come home..." "Sorry, but back then, I couldn''t. Father understood why." Yvonne started wiping the tears forming in her eyes, "I know... I knew... but..." "And here''s your present." Rex handed her a box. "Aren''t you going to tell me what it is? You told everyone else..." Rex blushed, "It''s embarrassing..." ''Why is he blushing?'' Yvonne wondered as she opened the box. When she saw the contents of it, she was struck speechless. "What is it Yvonne?" Their mother, out of curiosity, took a peek at the contents, "Rex, this must have been expensive." "The necklace and ring are made out of Sapphire Diamonds, and it also amplifies Water attributed magic." "There are many gems and stones much less expensive and this..." "It reminds me of... everyone''s eyes. Dad''s features are similar to mine, so it almost seem like I see him all the time, but as for everyone else... I just had to get this one. It kept me from being lonely. It was why I got it first." "There''s two rings here... One is green?" "The green one is yours, the blue one is mine. When you channel your mana into the ring, it''ll tell you where I am. You can also talk to me via telepathy with it..." "Rex... Thank you." Yvonne, with tears strolling down her face, hugged her brother for a really long time. * * * From the Author Click to Enlarge Hello everyone, AnmesicCat here. I''m sure everyone was surprised to see this new story of mine. I''ve actually been contemplating on releasing these to the public for a couple of weeks now. However, I didn''t have the time then. When I was brainstorming the concept of the story, I came upon numerous brick walls, especially the placement of the towns and villages in the Kingdom. In the end, I submitted myself into creating my very own map of where the story takes place. I do hope every reader will enjoy the product of my struggle; both the maps and the story. - AnmesicCat PS: You can also read the story at Fable Wind for better reading. * * * Chapter 1 : To Gather Funds To Gather Funds Rex, to prepare for his exam, decided to have a little spar with his brother and sister. Although he did have an actual spar with Yvonne, he more or less taught Adrian how to use his new sword. After all, teaching is also a form of practice. Since Aibelle was the only one in the family who preferred using a staff, she felt left out. At first she asked if she could have Adrian''s old sword so she can practice with them, but when her brother, Rex, glanced at her with gentle eyes, shook his head and smiled, she thought he was against her practising with them. She was about to leave to go back to her room when, Rex called out to her. "Aibelle, would you like to train with us?" Aibelle looked at her brother in dismay and shook her head, "Aibelle. Sword. Don''t know." Rex somehow felt Aibelle''s discomfort and decided to involve her with their practice, "Aibelle, you don''t have to know how to use a sword to practice with us. Come over here, I''ll show you how." "Really?" "Yes, come." Rex urged Aibelle with his hands and called out to Yvonne, "Sis, can you practice with Adrian? I''d like to practice with Aibelle." "Sure. Adrian, come with me. We''ll correct your form. Aibelle, be sure to listen well, okay?" Adrian was excited to learn, so he didn''t care who taught him. He picked up his new sword and glanced at Aibelle with gentle eyes. He was also excited his twin sister was being more proactive with her magic training. Aibelle looked at Yvonne with gleeful eyes and nodded. "Adrian, let''s go!" "Coming!" * * * "Aibelle, start with standing in your attacking form." Aibelle shook her head from side to side, "Don''t have." "Hmm, I see. Okay. One of the basic stances is to put your staff in front of you. Yes, just like that. Now hold it with your two hands. This is a stance is helpful especially in a party, when you want to support your friends." Aibelle felt dejected and lowered her head, "Aibelle. No friends." Rex stroked his sister''s hair to cheer her up, "Then to support brother. Can you do that?" *Nod* "Good. What brother is going to teach you is a spell called ''Fire Wall.'' It''s a very strong defensive barrier. Do you know what a barrier is?" *Nod* "Now, try to feel your fire attributed mana. Let brother know when you can feel it." "Feel it." "Really? Aibelle took less than 10 seconds on her first try. You''re a genius!" *Smile* "Don''t forget the feeling. Now, brother will draw a circle around Aibelle. Try to imagine a ring of fire around you of that size." Rex grabbed a stick and drew a circle with a 50 centimetre diameter around Aibelle. In less than 10 seconds, Aibelle was able to cast a ring of fire at the exact same size of the circle Rex drew on the ground. When he said Aibelle was a genius, he was neither being sarcastic nor was he saying so because she was his sister. She really was a genius. She was able to cast a spell she''ll only learn in the end on her Beginner''s course in the Academy. Earlier in the day, their parents had asked him to teach Aibelle some fire spells. Although Aibelle was a shy girl, she was strong when it comes to magic. However, because of her shyness and fear of strangers, she was unable to learn from the tutor their parents have provided for her. Their parents noticed Aibelle had opened up to him even though they were practically strangers; since the last time they saw each other was when Aibelle was only 3, and asked him to tutor her. "Good job Aibelle. You''re almost there. The last step is to have it at the height you want. For now, how about Aibelle''s height? Can you try it?" *Nod* After about 30 seconds, Aibelle was barely able to get the firewall up to her height. When Rex told her to release her magic, she was disappointed for not being able to reach his expectations. Rex stroke her hair again to make her feel better, "It''s okay Aibelle. Today is the first time you''re learning this. All you need is more practice. Brother will stay with you everyday until you''re satisfied." Aibelle apologised with tears welling up in her eyes, "Sorry." "There''s no need to apologise." Rex patted her head and continued stroking her black hair, "But don''t give up." "Understand." Yvonne, who was practising with Adrian, returned, "Rex, how is it going with Aibelle?" "I''m teaching her Fire Wall, but she''s having problems with its height. Any ideas?" "I''m stumped as well. Adrian on the other hand, can''t get the width of his fortification magic right." "So you have problems with width, and I have problems with height..." Rex was concerned that his younger siblings will continue to practice, depleting them of their mana. "Aibelle, Adrian, do you guys want to take a break? We''ve been practising for 3 hours." "Continue." "I also want to continue." Rex looked at Yvonne for support, "They''ll tire out all their mana." Yvonne did nothing but shrugged, "It runs in the family, Rex. Give it up." 1 hour later... "Would you like to take a break now?" "No." "I''m fine brother, I can still continue." 1 hour later... "I''m sorry guys, but this time we have to call it a day. We''ll continue again tomorrow, okay? Now go inside and wash up. Brother will teach you simple magic after dinner." "Promise?" Aibelle looked at Rex with expectant eyes. "Yes, I promise." "Okay..." Aibelle went inside the house and headed for her room to wash up. Adrian on the other hand... "Adrian, you have to call it a day or else you won''t have energy for dinner." "But, brother..." "Most magic spells can''t be learned within a day, so we''ll try again tomorrow." "Oh, okay..." Adrian slowly dragged his feet towards the house. Yvonne let out a sigh, "They listen to you more than the listen to me." "It''s probably because they still feel like I''m stranger, so they still don''t know how to treat me properly." "I think they''re opening up to you just fine." Yvonne patted his back. For dinner, although their mother offered to cook, the Duke had insisted against it. His reason being: "Honey, I don''t want you to ruin your beautiful hands. Furthermore, we''ve had a busy day. Let''s go out and eat, instead." However, all their children except Rex, knew the real reason: "Honey, although I love you so, I have yet to recovered from my near-death experience with food during lunch time. Please spare my stomach and let''s eat out, instead." And so, the Merrick family, minus two, were relieved of not experiencing the risk of getting food poisoning for a second time that day. They booked a room at a restaurant and finished dinner without a hitch. However, there were many who saw the family dining together, looking like they were celebrating a grand occasion. And thus, a rumour had circulated... * * * Later that night, Rex taught the twins simple spells such as ''Light Ball,'' allowing them to produce light wherever they go, without the help of flash-lights, candles, or matches. However, his reasoning wasn''t so simple. When his father taught it to him, he was asked to paint a picture of a meadow with Light Balls. Of course, it included having different colours of light. In the end, he was able to increase his mana control exponentially and learned how to manage it properly. Unlike any other average children who begin to feel their mana circulation at the age of 8 or 9, Rex was born with the ability. Albeit quite rare, it was normal for the House of Merrick to have such child each generation. His father was also born with it, so was his grandfather, great-great-grandfather ¡ª basically, the majority of the Head of Merrick''s House throughout many generations. When the Duke found out his son also possessed the special ability, he immediately sealed his son''s powers until Rex could control it, in an attempt to prevent mana overload. Thankfully, on Rex''s 8th birthday, when he removed the seal on his own, he learned how to control his powers, shocking both his parents. It was also one of the reasons why his parents allowed him to set out into the world at such an early age. Although his sister pleaded him not to go, he still left because he felt something, or someone, was calling out to him to find their existence. As a child, he had always been very curious. The stories his father told him about the time when he, himself, set out to see the world did not dwindle his curiosity but fuelled it, instead. All throughout his travels, he had never once asked for money from his parents. He went to various Guilds, such as the Merchant Guilds and Adventurer Guilds in order to complete quests to earn travelling money and living expenses. At first, the guild attendant would only give him unranked easy quests. After 1 year of his travel, he had already completed at least 25 unranked quests. The guild attendant, who was very pleased with his diligence, suggested he takes the Magician''s exam. Eventually, he passed with a Rank C badge. From then on, he was able to take harder quest for Rank C Magicians or lower, earning him more money. Magicians were ranked by F, E, D, C, B, A, S, and SS; with F being the lowest. [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=2 valign=top width=50% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br][pc]Rank[/pc][/col][col colspan=2 valign=top width=50% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br][pc]Title[/pc][/col][col colspan=2 valign=top width=50% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br][pc]F[/pc][/col][col colspan=2 valign=top width=50% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br][pc]Beginner[/pc][/col][col colspan=2 valign=top width=50% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br][pc]E[/pc][/col][col colspan=2 valign=top width=50% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br][pc]Adept[/pc][/col][col colspan=2 valign=top width=50% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br][pc]D[/pc][/col][col colspan=2 valign=top width=50% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br][pc]Expert[/pc][/col][col colspan=2 valign=top width=50% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br][pc]C[/pc][/col][col colspan=2 valign=top width=50% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br][pc]Elite[/pc][/col][col colspan=2 valign=top width=50% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br][pc]B[/pc][/col][col colspan=2 valign=top width=50% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br][pc]Master[/pc][/col][col colspan=2 valign=top width=50% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br][pc]A[/pc][/col][col colspan=2 valign=top width=50% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br][pc]Magnus[/pc][/col][col colspan=2 valign=top width=50% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br][pc]S[/pc][/col][col colspan=2 valign=top width=50% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br][pc]Sachem[/pc][/col][col colspan=2 valign=top width=50% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br][pc]SS[/pc][/col][col colspan=2 valign=top width=50% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br][pc]Celestial[/pc][/col][/box] For people who wanted to take an exam for Rank B or higher, they needed to have someone of the same rank or higher to sponsor them and, it also cost a lot of money. Although he could have asked his parents, he didn''t want to bother them during his travel, and was contented in passing the Rank C exam. The highest rank an average Magician can attain before their death was Rank B. Since all Magicians have to be registered, the Kingdom has an exact count on how many Magicians there are and their ranks. Currently in the Kingdom of Erath, there are a total of 23 Rank A, 15 Rank S, and 6 Rank SS Magicians. Without say, the 6 SS ranked Magicians were famous for their magical prowess, and among the 6 were the Duke and Duchess of Merrick, and 4 other Dukes; Ludwig, St Faust, Witten, and Ransol. * * * It was four years after he had left home, while he was walking back to the Merchant Guild in the Kingdom of Tyrenas; west of Erath, when he heard voices calling out to him... [Please, save us...] Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.[Get us out of here, we beg you.] When he passed by a Weapon Shop, he saw an exotic looking dual daggers. The daggers were completely black; black blade, black handle, black wing insignia with a crossed silver twin-daggers over it, and a motto written in silver; Ad altiora tendo ¡ª "I strive towards higher things". Rex was naturally drawn to the dual daggers. He knew the daggers were meant for him and, he could sense mysterious powers sealed inside. Without any hesitation, he entered the store. The stone owner looked at him in disdain because of his appearance. Rex had just finished a quest in a nearby village and was on his way to give his report. He wanted to take on another quest to earn money to buy birthday presents for his twin siblings. So as a result, he ran his whole way back. Needless to say, he looked like he had seen better days. He wore a sweat-stained top and shorts filled with patches of dried mud. To sum up his appearance in a word ¡ª beggar. "Sir, what is the price of those black dual daggers?" "You can''t afford it, brat. Get out of my store! You''ll ruin my business." Rex had faced similar reception in many different occasions, ergo, was already immune to it. If he gave up with one single rejection, no Guilds would not have given him any job. Rex persisted, "Kind Sir, my Master is interested in the dagger and has asked me to confirm the price." "Your Master?" The store owner snorted. "Yes." Rex nodded and said nothing more "And who exactly is your Master?" "I can''t tell you, I''ll be punished." With veins popping out of his temple, the store owner yelled, "And you''ll be punished even more if you don''t get the daggers! Now, tell me who you''re working for!" Rex contemplated and nodded, "I''m working for the House of Merrick." Then or now, Rex didn''t know the value of his family''s name. Due to him being home taught, his young age, and his father''s request, he wasn''t allowed to get involved in politics, thus, he didn''t know the weight the name carried. All he knew was his family was part of the nobility. Whenever he used the excuse of working for a Master in other stores, they didn''t really care whom he worked for as long as he had the money to pay for the wares he wanted. In addition, when he went those stores, he looked cleaner and decent, so the store owners believed him willingly. Since he was impatient and wanted to know the price of the daggers as quickly as possible, he blurted out the first thing that came to his mind ¡ª his own family name. "House of Merrick?!" The store owner''s brows went up in disbelief. "Yes." Rex nodded. "You liar! Get out!" "I am not lying!" Technically, he wasn''t. All throughout his travel, he wrote reports regarding the economy of the places he visited, to help out with the family business. The store owner slammed his fist on the counter, "If you want me to believe a brat like you is working for the House of Merrick, you better show me some proof!" Rex took out the magic identification plate his father had provided for him to help him with his travel visas and handed it to the store owner, "Here''s my ID plate." [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=50% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br] Name: Avery, Rex Nationality: Kingdom of Erath Affiliation: House of Merrick Magician Rank: Rank C "Elite" Magician [br][/br][/col][/box] The store owner stared at it for a while. His face turned white then green, "MISTER Avery, what can I do for you today?" Rex was startled with the change of attitude in the store owner, but decided not to pursue the matter, "My Master would like to know the price of the black dual daggers." "It''s 50 Gold, Sir." "FIFTY GOLD?!" ''That''s too much; I''m never going to afford it.'' Rex thought as he tried to calculate how many months it took him to earn at least a fifth of the price. "No Sir, I meant 20." At first, the store owner wanted to reap extremely high profit since he knew the House of Merrick had an abundance of money one can only dream about. But when he heard Rex''s surprised yell over the price, he abandoned the idea. If he incurred the House of Merrick''s wrath, it would be the end of his tiny little shop on the coast, or might even lose his life. Giving his life more priority, he decided to reap no profit. Rex starting tapping his chin with his index finger, thinking of a way to come up with the funds. "20 Gold... Hmm... Can you keep the daggers on-hold? I have to talk to my Master about it." "How long should I keep it on-hold, Sir?" "How long do you usually keep items on-hold for?" "For normal customers, I keep it for 3 months at most. But for you Sir, I''ll keep it for at least 6 months." Rex nodded in agreement, "I will go back to Erath immediately to procure the money. Please keep it until I come back." "Yes, Sir. As you wish, Sir." ''Why was he so afraid of our family name?'' Rex wondered as he made his way back to the Merchant Guild to find jobs and quests to earn the 20 Gold. When he asked the guild attendant how he could make quick money, he was referred to Erath''s Annual Magic Competition ¡ª Youth Division. Every year, there would be 3 different kinds of Magic Competition. One was for Women, which takes place around the month of March, one for Men, which takes place in the month of September-October, and the last one was for Youth ages 13 to 19, which takes place in the month of June. Since he turned 13 that year, he was eligible to participate. The prize money for the winner of that year''s competition was... 100 Gold. [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=2 valign=top width=50% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br][pc]Amount[/pc][/col][col colspan=2 valign=top width=50% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br][pc]Equivalence[/pc][/col][col colspan=2 valign=top width=50% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br][pc]1 Copper[/pc][/col][col colspan=2 valign=top width=50% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br][pc]N/A[/pc][/col][col colspan=2 valign=top width=50% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br][pc]1 Silver[/pc][/col][col colspan=2 valign=top width=50% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br][pc]100 Copper[/pc][/col][col colspan=2 valign=top width=50% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br][pc]1 Gold[/pc][/col][col colspan=2 valign=top width=50% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br][pc]100 Silver[/pc][/col][col colspan=2 valign=top width=50% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br][pc]1 Platinum[/pc][/col][col colspan=2 valign=top width=50% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br][pc]1 million Gold[/pc][/col][/box] Was the amount too little? This author will leave you to be the judge. However, the reason why the majority of the competitors participated in the Magic Competition was for the glory. The grandeur of prevailing over all other Magicians under the public eye. What comes after it, such as the prize money, was nothing but bonus. Nevertheless, Magicians who did well on the Magic Competition, all became well-known, recognized by the King, or became Magicians for the Magic Towers across the land. However, the same thing can''t be said about our main character, Rex. Rex made his way back to Erath with due haste after finding out the closing date to submit an application form was nearing its end. When he arrived at the Marron Magic Tower, they were already packing up for the day. Rex immediately sprinted to the nearest booth. He slammed the counter of the booth, hard, surprising the attendant. "C-Can I... please get... an application form?" Rex stammered, trying to regain his composure, and slowing down his haggard breathing. The attendant examined Rex, "You look horrible. You''re running a little late kid, did you run into an accident? But since there''s still 3 minutes left before closing time, here''s a form." "I''m sorry for coming so late. I''ve just returned from Tyrenas. Right after landing, I ran all the way here." Rex took the application form held out to him, quickly filled it out, and handed it back to the attendant, "I''m done." [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=50% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br] Name: Avery, Rex Age: 13 Magician Rank: C Strongest Attribute: Earth Nationality: Kingdom of Erath Sponsor: ¡ª [br][/br][/col][/box] "Ah? You don''t have a sponsor? It might be a little hard if you." The attendant said as he processed Rex''s application form through a magic optical scanner, and continued his explanation, "The first stage of the competition is an elimination stage. Since we''re always getting more competitors each year from across the Kingdoms, we have to eliminate them down to the last 100 or less. During the elimination stage, you''ll need food, water, and various other supplies to maintain your equipment. Without a sponsor, I''m afraid it''ll be hard for you to proceed." Rex wrinkled his brows, "Is the entire competition held inside the arena?" "Yes, they use magic to turn the inside of the arena into anything. For example, last year, they turned the arena into an Amusement Park, with all the rides and petting zoo. The elimination stage lasted for approximately seven days before the competitors were down to the last 100." Rex asked in wonder, "Were the rides and animals real?" The attendant nodded, "But of course. Everything will be real." "That''s amazing. But if that''s the case, I don''t have to worry about food." "Haha, you could put it that way." The attendant smirked, "I''ve finished processing your application. Take a look to see if there''s any mistake." Rex looked at the transparent screen floating in front of his face, looking over the information of his application, "Nope, there''s no mistake." "Good." The attendant nodded, "Now take these: here''s a book for you and your magic necklace ¡ª your proof of participation. Read up on all the rules to make sure you don''t break them and get disqualified." "Thank you. And could I ask who the favourite to win is?" Rex wanted to know whom he had to defeat in order to claim the prize money. "Lady Yvonne Merrick, the Duke of Merrick''s first daughter." The attendant shrugged and answered without much thought, "Since the Magic Tower of Marron is in the vicinity of the Merrick''s land, we''re so proud of her achievements when she won the last 2 competition." Rex almost choked on his own saliva. His sister was the favourite! "Umm... Can people use alias?" "If you mean Lady Yvonne Merrick''s name is being used, then no, she''s the real one. Since she started participating, the Duke and Duchess of Merrick, along with their twins, would always be present to support her. But yes, people can use an alias if they want to." And that was how Rex Avery became known as the "Phantom" Warrior * * * From the Author Click to Enlarge Although I''ve written this chapter together with the Prologue posted approximately two weeks prior, I wasn''t contented with how it turned out then. Thus, I''ve made many minor edits and re-read the chapter at least three times. Nevertheless, I''m not perfect, so please do point out things I might have missed. - AnmesicCat PS: You can also read the story at Fable Wind for better reading. * * * Chapter 2 : The Magic Competition Chapter Two: The Magic Competition Rex travelled to the town of Rashnu, went to the nearest inn he could find, and rented a room. He flop himself on top on his bed and took out the rule book the attendant had given to him. The main rules can be summed up to 5 points: [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]1) Competitors must provide for their own needs such as food, armour, and weapon.[br][/br][/col][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]2) Competitors are not allowed to kill each other or inflict permanent damage unhealable with magic. Nevertheless, the Kingdom and the Magic Tower will not be held responsible for any injuries inccurred.[br][/br][/col][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]3) All competitors must arrive at least one day before competition and stay inside their assigned lodgings. On the day of the competition, they must arrive at the arena before noon. All late comers will be disqualified.[br][/br][/col][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]4) All competitors must have their magic necklace visible at all times. To defeat an opponent, one has to take their magic necklace. If your necklace gets stolen, you will have 1 minute to retrieve it before you get sent out of the battle ground.[br][/br][/col][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]5) Only the top remaining 50 will be eligible to compete for the one on one battle. The winner will receive prize money of 100 Gold and a wish granted by the Magic Tower''s High ranked Magicians.[br][/br][/col][/box] There was a month left before the start of the actual competition. The next day, Rex prepared for his journey to the Capital of Erath, Sachael, where the competition was being held. He stopped by towns and cities along his way, to check out the changes that had occurred in his father''s lands. He finally made it to Sachael with only 3 days left before the start of the competition. Rex arrived at the Sachael Magic Tower wearing black shirt, black pants, black gloves, and a balaclava to cover his face to prevent his sister, or anyone else, from recognising him. He registered his arrival, and to his surprise the tower had opened up the dorms to the competitors a week prior to the start of competition. A lot of competitors took advantage of this and settled into their rooms early. To Rex, who had a total savings of only 10 Gold, this was a blessing. During the next couple of days, Rex purchased minimal things such as two common daggers, sharpening tools, canisters of water, small amount of food, sewing tools, and etcetera. Compared to the other competitors who arrived at the tower with large trunks and carried backpacks filled with items to the arena, he resembled a Soldier going into battle naked. When Rex reached the arena, it was already filled to the brim with spectators. After looking around, he spotted his parents and siblings on the front row, right below the balcony. He continued to look around to see if he could spot his sister, but to no avail. After approximately 10 minutes, an elderly S Rank "Sachem" Magician from the tower appeared on the balcony, overlooking the massive crowd of competitors. With his voice amplified by magic, "I am very happy to see so many young people participating in this year''s Magic Competition. With so many young and promising Magicians here, the future is now safe from stodgy, dull, and insipid ancient fossil such as I." The crowd burst into laughter. When the laughter died down, he continued with a stern face, "I hope everyone here has read the Rules and Regulations, and will adhere to it. If, at any time, this old man sees someone not complying with the rules, such as necklaces not being visible, or casting a strong magic enough to kill, we will immediately send you out of the playing field and disqualify you. But without further ado, everyone, please behold!" At that exact moment, a roaring thunder echoed throughout the arena. The ground vibrated, and an enormous and tall silver castle-like shaped building appeared out of nowhere. "That is the Voiceless Labyrinth of the Welkin. It has a total of 100 floors. All of you will be sent inside in various random locations. When you''re inside, the competition begins immediately." The Sachem Magician continued, "Inside the dungeon, all your movements will be silenced. Even if a meteorite were to fall on you, the explosion will not be heard by others inside. It''s up to you and your abilities to find other competitors. Remember, only the strong and determined individuals will have a chance to participate in the one on one battle." Right after his speech, the Sachem Magician waved his staff and the bodies of the competitors were teleported inside the Labyrinth hundreds at a time. Rex, who was waiting for his turn to get teleported, finally spotted his sister. She was surrounded by students who wore the same uniform as she. Although the students around her were jittery, she was calm, collected, and prepared for battle, with her right hand on the hilt of her sword. As if she knew he was looking at her, she turned to his direction and stared at him. But not for long. The moment their eyes met, both she and Rex were teleported inside. * * * "Ha, ha, ha..." More than seven hours into the competition, Rex, who had just took another Magician''s magic necklace, hid behind a tree. He was currently in in the 75th floor. He started on the 27th floor and decided to make his way up the tower since there was more chances of encountering other participants and also finding water and food supply. So far, he had taken the necklaces of everyone he had come across. According to the stats broadcasted through his Magic Necklace last hour, there were less than 500 out of the 1,348 competitors left. Suddenly, a voice rang inside the supposedly soundless labyrinth, "To all competitors, the clock has struck 8 in the evening. Because the sun is about to set, we ask for all competitors to have a good rest. Battles and taking other competitors'' necklaces will be forbidden from this point on until tomorrow at 10 in the morning. Anyone who breaks this rule will be disqualified. You will now receive the last count of remaining players and the ranking for today." *Beep* [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Remaining Players: 239 out of 1,348[br][/br][/col][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Top Fifty Players: (Age) 1) Phantom (13) 2) Pyra Grimmer (19) 3) Yvonne Merrick (15) 4) Pria Grimmer (15) 5) Peter Elley (14) 6) Christopher Ludwig (15) 7) Joanna Ludwig (13) 8) Nox Dexter (13) 9) Touma Kiyoshi (13) 10) Uras Lavlaska (14) 11-50) ...[br][/br][/col][/box] The announcer continued, "It seems like our young ones are dominating the charts! The future of Erath is shining brightly!" "WHOOOAAA?" The crowd stared at the chart with surprise. Psst, psst, psst... "Yvonne Merrick isn''t first?" "Look! Someone from the Pirate family is second and fourth." "Maybe Yvonne Merrick will lose this year?" "Shhh, don''t say that. But the Ludwig siblings are also doing well." "Viscount Elley looks so proud of his son." "But... Who is Phantom?" "No idea. He''s using an alias, and I wasn''t paying attention to his battles." "He''s 13, so this year is his first time competing..." Rex heard everything the crowd outside was saying. He recognise some of the names on the chart such as the Ludwig siblings from the House of Ludwig, Kiyoshi, and the Grimmer siblings from the clan of Pirates. The sounds coming from outside had died down and Rex walked towards the lake he had spotted while he was running away. Since it was banned to take anyone''s necklace until tomorrow morn, he no longer had to worry if he was being pursued. When he arrived at the lake, he saw another boy about the same age as he, taking a drip in the water. He looked at his own body and decided to do the same to wash the sweat off his back, spend some time relaxing in the water, and procure dinner. However, the moment he took off this clothes and hit the water, his senses pricked and knew the same boy he saw bathing metres away was now mere a metre behind him. Without turning around, Rex said with a remarkably commanding tone, "Battles are forbidden. It''ll be wise of you to put away your dagger." When he sensed the boy''s killing intent was gone, he slowly turned around. With a stern expression and domineering voice, he asked, "So, explain to me, why did you attempt to attack me?" The boy bowed his head in shame, "I didn''t sense anything coming from you, and then suddenly, you were just there. Danger sensors started ringing in my head and the ban on battles slipped my mind, my apologies. My clan specialises in stealth, you see, and so our sensory is also top class." Rex said nothing and raised a brow. The boy panicked and thought, ''If looks can kill, I''d be dead at least three times now.'' The boy had sensed him even at his top speed including the type of weapon he wielded without having to face him. When the other boy spoke, it sent shivers down his spine. Even at such a young age, despite the boy''s good looks, he was a dangerous individual who possessed impressive strength. After taking a closer look at the boy''s physique, he saw an almost transparent aura surrounding his body. He was aghast at the sight. "I-I am Touma Kiyoshi, 13 years old." Touma stammered. Without trying to do so, the boy in front of him was oppressing him with just his aura. Rex nodded and extended his hand, "Rex Avery, also 13 years old." Since he wasn''t wearing his "Phantom" outfit, he saw no harm in telling someone the name he usually used. ''He''s ALSO 13?!'' Touma''s forehead started to form invisible sweat drops as he took the proffered hand. "Sorry to have startled you with my sudden appearance. I saw you bathing, and I thought to do the same, catch some fishes and relax." "Nice to meet you Rex. Sorry again for attacking you." Touma relaxed when he noticed the boy, Rex, had eased off on his aura, "As an apology, why don''t you join me for dinner? I''ve already caught a lot of fishes." Rex, who paid a lot of attention on the rankings, recalled Touma''s name. Touma Kiyoshi, currently ranked 9, part of the Kiyoshi clan, a family of ninjas. If he had to wager a guess, Touma was part of the main family, and most likely, their heir. His stealth was to perfection, without leaving a single ripple on the surface of the water. The way he held his dagger was also commendable. Rex contemplated on Touma''s offer, and decided to accept it in the end. It has been a long time since he had spoken to someone of his age. Since he had left home, most of the people he had encountered were older than him, and their kids. Although Rex was weary of him in the beginning, he eased up and started to relax. They sat on the nearby logs next to the lake and talked about various random things while eating dinner. Touma was very knowledgeable and a good cook, but not as good as he. Rex promised that the next time they meet, he would cook for him in return... Rex found Touma''s company refreshing considering they had many things in common. Touma was also travelling, along with his elder brother, while going on missions. He visited places such as the Elven Forest of Lyndis, which was close to the town the Kiyoshi clan inhabited, Dwarven Ruin City of Mikal, Ogre Village, Orc Villages, Barbarian Village, and much much more. What interested Rex in particular was a dungeon he spoke of. People had found dungeons all over the world. Many had entered those dungeons but failed to ever return. His father had also told him the tale of when he entered a dungeon. He spoke of the dangerous traps, the amount of knowledge needed to solve the puzzles, the monsters lurking inside, and most of all, the forgotten treasures. At first, Rex was uninterested in the treasures, yet his father insisted they were invaluable, such as magic weapons, armours, accessories, runes, sigils, and other unique items. And the rarest of all was Lost Aberrant Magic; magic spells invented by Magicians but not passed down to any. When they finished eating dinner, their conversation continued for a while longer before Rex thanked Touma for the meal and said his farewells. Rex had decided to leave because he didn''t want to face an awkward situation when the ban gets lifted tomorrow morning. Touma thought the same way. However, there was something that bothered him in the back of his mind. From his conversation with Rex, he deduced that Rex was travelling the world, earned his expenses by finding Guilds and taking on the quests they provided. Since the moment he first saw Rex, he gathered he was extremely powerful. Thus, it was a puzzle to him as to why Rex''s name was not in the top 50. ''Maybe his reason is similar to mine? Battling with stronger opponents my age, but he doesn''t want to stand out...'' Touma shook his head, ''He really is a puzzle. I hope I meet him again.'' Meanwhile, Rex was in the middle of the forest, sharpening his daggers, when all of a sudden, a wicked yet amusing thought crossed his mind, ''I remember the rule book saying the top 50 remaining will get a chance to battle with each other... but what if, just what if, there''s less than 50? Heh~ This will be interesting...'' From that moment on, Rex decided to decrease the participant count by a large margin. However, he wasn''t the only one who thought of it. Many others were already executing their plans, but their plans weren''t as kind as Rex''s. They wanted to be the only one left. Although it was prohibited to battle with other competitors, it was not forbidden to set traps around them. By the first chime of the hour after the ban was lifted, there were only 10 players left. The remaining 10 were the same people who were in the top 10 from last night''s chart, with their places shuffled around. Stolen novel; please report. *Beep* [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Remaining Players: 10 out of 1,348[br][/br][/col][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Top Fifty Players: (Age) 1) Phantom (13) 2) Yvonne Merrick (15) 3) Pyra Grimmer (19) 4) Christopher Ludwig (15) 5) Peter Elley (14) 6) Pria Grimmer (15) 7) Ursa Lavlaska (14) 8) Touma Kiyoshi (13) 9) Joanna Ludwig (13) 10) Nox Dexter (13)[br][/br][/col][/box] "Because of the enormous decrease of competitors, the Magic Tower has decided to cut the preliminary stage short." The announcer continued, "All competitors, please take a look at the competition bracket and prepare for your opponents." *Beep* Click to Enlarge "All competitors will now be sent out of the labyrinth. In one hour, we will proceed to the one-on-one battle segment. The first match will be between Nox Dexter, Baron Dexter''s son, and Joanna Ludwig, the Ludwig family''s only daughter." After a brief pause, the announcer continued, "Next match would be against Ursa Lavlaska and Touma Kiyoshi. As everyone already know, the Lavlaska Tribe is famous for their Ancient Magic, while the Kiyoshi Clan is well-known for their Ninjutsu. The winners of both these matches will then take on the Rank 1 and 2 of the preliminary round, Phantom and Yvonne Merrick..." The announcer continued to announce the order of the matches, Christopher Ludwig against Peter Elley, the Grimmer sisters against each other. He then waited for his words to sink in. A person started cheering, followed by another, and another. Soon, the whole arena erupted in cheers. The competitors were then teleported out of the labyrinth by the same Sachem Magician who conducted the opening speeches and, teleported them inside. The moment Rex found himself outside, he used a skill to divert everyone''s attention from him and used stealth. * * * In the corner of the arena... Psst, psst, psst... In the background, there were a lot of people betting on who will come out as the winner. As the attendant had told Rex, his sister was the favourite, with a percentage over 50% to win. There were also others who betted on Christopher Ludwig, the second son of the Ludwig family, to repay his last year''s defeat against Yvonne Merrick. Rex, disguised as an ordinary servant boy, went over to them, forked out 5 Gold, leaving only 2 Gold of his savings, and betted on himself. His father had always told him "The Merrick family only gambles to win, and it''s not really gambling when you always win". * * * As scheduled, the match started one hour later, in a forest landscape. The first match ended in a rather anti-climactic manner. Because of Joanna Ludwig''s overconfidence in her skills and family status, she underestimated her opponent by large and lost. Nox Dexter had surprised the spectators by his speed and his ability to catch his opponent off-guard. Joanna Ludwig focused her Earth shield in an area, confident her opponent wouldn''t be able to break it, when Dexter swiftly ambushed her from behind with his own Earth magic, knocking Joanna unconscious. Although Joanna''s Magic aptitude was higher than her opponent, she was inexperienced with real combat, and thus, lost. The second match was conducted in a rugged plains; a match between Ursa Lavlaska and Touma Kiyoshi, had provided entertainment for the spectators. It was the first time in over 10 years that both the Lavlaska Tribe and the Kiyoshi Clan had participated in the Magic Competition. Last year, although Ursa was old enough, he had unfortunately caught a summer cold, and therefore not able to participate. The match went on for quite a while. Throwing stars flew in various different directions, tree vines appeared out of nowhere, bodies being substituted by tree trunks, and tornadoes appeared in a place with nothing but subtle wind. In the end, Ursa experience from being part of Sachael Academy Student Council had prevailed. The match did not end in a knockout, but the total points and number of hits he had accumulated in the span of 30 minutes. The third match ended as soon as the bell signalling the start of the match had finished ringing. The spectators, including the announcer and the Tower Magicians, were left awestruck. They had not seen Phantom making a move. However, when Nox Dexter landed unconscious on the ground, Phantom was already on the other side of the lake. When he saw Nox sinking, vanished out of thin air, appeared right next to Nox''s body within a split second, and pulled him up. No one knew what happened, all except a couple ¡ª his mother and father. The move he used was taught to him by his father, in case he got into trouble and needed to retreat as fast as possible. Rex, however, had modified the usage of the skill and used it to counterattack, instead. It was at that moment when the Duke and Duchess of Merrick realised their son was taking part in the competition. They did not know why, but nevertheless glad to see him. Rex could see the glow on his parents'' eyes, especially his mother. Rex bowed towards them, his parents smiled, while the spectators cheered, mistaking his actions as thanks for their support. The fourth match was Ursa Lavlaska against Yvonne Merrick. From the crowd''s perspective, Yvonne Merrick will win easily without a hitch, and she did not disappoint. With just one spell, she blasted Ursa Lavlaska with Whirlwind. Caught in the middle of the spell, Ursa was unable to regulate his posture, and landed 20 metres away from where he was. Ursa was unable to recover, and bowed out of the competition. In the following matches, Christopher Ludwig defeated Peter Elley, while the elder of the Grimmer sister appeared victorious. During Christopher Ludwig''s match, Rex watched him closely and found the holes in his defence. Although Christopher was more experienced than his sister, it was not by a large margin. One only needed to look and be able to discern that siblings had not entered any battles outside of school or competition. In competition, there were a lot of limitations and experience was crucial to winning. Compared to Rex, who has travelled across the Kingdom and far far beyond, Christopher was comparable to a poisonous snake, only to be eaten alive by a raptor. It was exactly what happened when Christopher lost in the same manner Nox Dexter did. However, since he had seen the previous match, he was able to put up a modest fight. He immediately cast a circular wall of Earth around himself, but he wasn''t quick enough for Rex. Instead of facing Yvonne Merrick in the finals, the only thing he faced was the ground. Pyra Grimmer and Yvonne Merrick had first faced each other since Yvonne started competing a couple of years ago. On her first appearance, she defeated Pyra, taking the crown from her. The following year, Yvonne had defended her title. Pyra had already sensed Yvonne''s abilities were far beyond what she had attained thus far. However, she was unwilling to give up without a fight. The match started out evenly, but eventually, the difference in their abilities started to show. Yvonne was not only talented, she was also self-disciplined and worked hard on improving her abilities. In Pyra''s case, since she graduated from Sachael Academy''s Intermediate Course the year before, she had been swamped with the mentorship program. After graduating from Sachael Academy, each student has to study under their chosen mentor (if they agree) for a year, before continuing to the Advance Course. Pyra had chosen her Village Chief in order to learn more about the ways of Pirates; their speed and accuracy in marksmanship. Although she had increased her speed and accuracy, it did not make up for the abilities Yvonne already had. Thus the match ended in Pyra''s defeat due to insufficient mana. When it was down to the final match, no one, except the Duke and Duchess of Merrick, had expected such outcome. Many were expecting the finals to be a fight against Christopher Ludwig and Yvonne Merrick, and have placed their bet as such. The surrounding designed for the finals was kept secret until the very last moment; both finalist were also not informed of where they will be fighting, and were teleported inside a large cave filled with stalactite. Rex stood across his sister, waiting for the signal of the start of the battle. When Rex first saw his sister, he had complex emotions. He didn''t know what to do. However, when he saw his sister''s serious and determined expression, his confusion was blown away. Compared to the rest of the people who were in the top 10, his reason for joining the competition was very dishonourable. He knew his reason was already an insult to them, and he didn''t want to insult his sister even further by going easy on her. On the other end of the cave, Yvonne was squinting her eyes, trying to see more of her opponent''s face. Right before the preliminaries, she sensed he was familiar the moment their eyes met. However, for the life of her, she couldn''t remember who he looked like. When she saw the announcer lifting his arm to fire the pistol, she decided to push her worries aside and concentrate on the battle before her. When the sound of the pistol rang, both Rex and Yvonne took off, heading towards each other. Yvonne knew she was no match for her opponent''s speed. She predicted he would be behind her, to try and catch her off guard, conforming to the method he used in his previous matches. But when she turned around to face him, he was nowhere in sight, ''What?! Where did he go?'' Rex knew never to underestimate his sister or anyone with the Merrick''s blood running through their veins. Rex made it appear to everyone that he was running behind Yvonne. But when Yvonne turned, he immediately teleported back to where he started. No one knew how he did it, but one thing was for sure, he had incredible speed. Rex knew he couldn''t defeat his sister the same way he did with others, but nevertheless, he didn''t want to injure a girl, especially his sister. Rex used a high ranked skill called Earthquake, however, he used less than 10% of its actual strength, to cause vibration on the ground. Yvonne, who was unprepared for the attack, lost her balance. Rex used the opening and cast another Earth skill named Magnetic Blast, a skill that allows the user to gather the mana in the area and forcefully infuse it into another person. Although the skill was usually used to heal depleted mana, however, if someone receives more mana than they originally have, it will cause them to faint. Rex only knew of the side-effects because he hand first-hand experience. Yvonne was first confused to why her opponent was healing her mana, but she soon felt something was awry. She fired one of her Wind spell, Chaos Storm, but she knew it was too late. When she saw her opponent dodging her attack, within a split of a second, her consciousness faded into nothingness. For a moment there was nothing but silence. It was almost as if no one even dared to breathe. And then it came. Clap. Clap. Clap. Slow and methodical, but with such force and determination that everyone had to turn and look to see who had dared to break the shocked silence. It was the Duke and Duchess of Merrick. They had stood up from their seats with their arms high held up high, clapping loud and proud, beaming with pride and delight. And then someone else began to clap, Adrian, and then Aibelle. Another, and then another. More and more until the entire arena was cheering. Rex once again faced the direction of where his parents were sitting, and bowed. He then carried his sister''s unconscious body and placed her in a stretcher carried by the Tower Magicians. The cheering continued until the third place match was announced. The match went on exactly as predicted; Prya Grimmer defeating Christopher Ludwig. *Beep* Click to Enlarge "The matches are now complete. Thank you all for coming to see this year''s Magic Competition. I''m sure everyone will agree that this year was incomparable and the best year yet!" The announcer continued, "In third place, member of the famous legitimate Pirate clan, Prya Grimmer. Second place is someone whom we''re all familiar with, last year''s champion, Yvonne Merrick. And our champion this year is none other than Phantom, only 13 years of age. According to his application form, he is a Rank C Magician, who specialises in Earth Magic..." When their names were announced, each of them stepped into the podium and were given their individual trophies. When the Elderly Sachem Magician reached him, Rex bowed. Right when he was about to receive his trophy he heard a voice, ''Please come and see me in the in highest floor of the Magic Tower for your other prizes.'' Rex looked up and saw the Sachem Magician smiling at him. That year was the first of the 2 other years Rex won the Magic Competition. Not only did he win the promised 100 Gold prize money, he also won 3,000 Platinum, which is equivalent to 3,000,000 Gold. However, since any currency higher than Gold was only used by high ranking Nobility and Royalty, he received his winnings in Gold.
[/hr] From the Author Click to Enlarge Hello again, AnmesicCat here. I don''t really have much to say but to thank the people who created the resources I''ve used on this chapter: Challonge : Tournament Bracket Generator. - AnmesicCat PS: You can also read the story in Japtem''s FanFic section or Fable Wind for better reading. * * * Table of Contents Story Description: Join the main character as he tries to live a normal life after travelling the world for 7 years. Watch as he tackles the hardest tasks such as clearing dungeons, completing quests, raising a child, and most of all, making friends. Rex has returned and requested to be enrolled in Sachael Magic Academy, but neither his parents nor his siblings knew the reason of his return. Why did he return so suddenly? What is his real purpose?
[/hr] Table of Contents: Chapter 0 : Reunion of the Merrick Family Chapter 1 : To Gather Funds Chapter 2 : The Magic Competition Chapter 3 : The Sachem Magician''s Request Chapter 4 : Rex''s Entrance Exam This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.Chapter 5 : Revelations Before Sunrise Chapter 6 : A Womanly Duty Chapter 7 Status: [progress=1]1[/progress] For better reading, please visit Japtem''s FanFic section or Fable Wind.
[/hr] Maps of Places: Map of Erath - Click to Enlarge Map of Tyrenas - Click to Enlarge Chapter 3 : The Sachem Magicians Request Chapter Three: The Sachem Magician''s Request Rex was inside the top floor of the Sachael Magic Tower, waiting for the Elderly Sachem Magician to give him his prize for winning the magic competition. As he waited, he examined the ugliest wallpaper and carpet he had ever seen; however, the material was first class. ''I can''t believe they spent so much money on those.'' While Rex was making the most distorted face in disgust of what he knew of the prices, the Elder Magician walked in, "Is there something wrong?" In surprise, Rex''s body went rigid, "Umm, no, nothing." "Is that so?" The Elder Magician walked over to an eastern style lacquered chair, sat down, and motioned for Rex to take a seat, "Let''s have a small chat." Rex sat down opposite of the Elder Magician, and stared directly straight into his eyes. The Magician was amazed at the boldness and determination displayed by the young boy in front of him. The boy was the first of his age to ever look him in the eye. Even when he met up with Earls, Viscounts, and lower nobles, they would often have their head down. The boy reminded him of someone, but he couldn''t recall who. "What would you like to ask me?" Rex asked. The Elder Magician raised a brow, "Why do you think I wish to ask you something?" "Your eyes told me." Rex stated, "Please don''t stand in ceremony and ask me what you wish to know straightforwardly." The Elder''s interest heightened, "Very well. We might be talking for a while, so if you feel uncomfortable, you should remove your mask." "I''m fine. Thank you for your concern." Rex was getting impatient, but he knew one shouldn''t be rude to an Elder of the Magic Tower. "I would like to confirm if you''re really a Rank C Magician." Before Rex could answer, the Elder raised a hand to stop him and continued, "I didn''t ask because I found you deceitful, but rather, you have far surpassed the rank." When the raised hand was lowered, Rex formulated his words carefully, "It''s been about 3 years since I took and passed the examination for a Rank C Magician. I cannot take the examination for Rank B and above because one needs a sponsor, and as you saw, I didn''t even have one for the Magic Competition." Rex shrugged. The Elder meticulously listened to Rex''s words, ''So, it wasn''t because he couldn''t find a sponsor...'' The Elder smiled, "How about I become your sponsor?" Rex was surprised but refrained himself from showing it, "Why?" The Elder probed, "You do want to get a high rank, don''t you?" Rex thought about it for a moment, "Yes, but why are you offering to become my sponsor?" ''Yes I do, because it''ll allow me to do more difficult quest, but what''s in it for you?'' "Because I believe you have a promising future." The Elder explained. Rex wasn''t stupid to take the Elder''s words at face value. Nothing was free in this world, and everything comes with a price, "What do you want in return?" The Elder was bewildered, for he had honestly wanted to become the young boy''s sponsor without receiving anything in return, "Nothing. Wait, actually there is one. Come with me." The Elder stood up, and Rex obediently followed him, without forgetting to magnify his senses in case of a surprise attack. The Elder walked to a grandfather clock, cast a spell Rex was unfamiliar with, and forcefully turned both the hour and minute hand clockwise to 12. Suddenly, a blinding flash emerged and the clock disappeared, revealing a secret door with a long flight of stairs. Without a word, the Elder descended down the stairs. Rex followed and thought, ''Instead of calling this tower a Magic Tower, wouldn''t the name "Tower of Secrets" be more appropriate?'' After walking for minutes that felt like hours, the Elder stopped, "We have arrived." The Elder clapped his hands twice and medieval looking torches lined up on the wall began to lit up one after another. The entire room was empty if not for a single egg sitting inside an egg shaped transparent incubator surrounded by soft and fluffy cushions. The Elder chanted an incantation, releasing a seal, pressed various buttons on the incubator and opened it, revealing an egg covered with an elaborated design. "Come closer, child." The Elder prompted Rex to stand right beside him, "What I want you to do is to smear a droplet of your blood at the apex of the egg. If you are indeed worthy, the egg will glow in a bright white hue." Without hearing the continuation of the Elder''s explanation, Rex pricked his index finger with his dagger, and smeared the egg with his blood. Within milliseconds, the egg started to glow and bathed the entire room in rainbow coloured hues. "..." The Elder was shocked to stillness. Rex took one look at the Elder''s face to examine the result of the ''test'' he was forced to take. "I presume I''m not worthy?" "No, it''s not what you think. You passed." The Elder began stroking his long beard, "I was surprised by how much it likes you. You know, this egg has been in the possession of the Magic Tower for over a hundred years. It was given to us to protect by the founder of the Kingdom of Erath. He told us to find an owner the egg will find worthy." Rex suddenly had an extremely unpleasant feeling of what was to happen shortly. The only thing he wanted to do was disappear¡ªforget his prize money, the sponsorship the Elder offered, and the wish he was entitled to. It wasn''t worth the trouble. The Elder continued, "I am honoured to be the High Magician overseeing the crowning of the Master of this special egg. I would like for you to take this egg and, as promised, I will sponsor you to take the S Rank Magician Exam." Rex''s unpleasant feeling had finally been actualised. "What do you suppose I do with the egg?" "Take the egg with you on your journey, wait for it to hatch, and make it your Eidolon. All Magicians will eventually have their own Eidolon, at this extent, you''re lucky to receive one at such a young age. I, myself, didn''t get one until I was 16." The Elder confessed to Rex with a twinkle in his eyes. Whether it was from reminiscing the time he received his own Eidolon, or if he had predicted Rex''s misfortune, no one will ever know... The Sachem Elder had given Rex the egg, a letter of recommendation and, received his prize money from the Elder''s secretary. However, he wasn''t able to leave without delay. Even after he had received everything he wanted, he was forbidden to depart from the premises until he had his mandatory wish granted to him. Because Rex was too excited of the idea of becoming a higher ranked Magician, thus earning more money despite his winnings, he had eventually settled for the most basic wish, and yet most important to him ¡ª the fitness of his family. Although many have proclaimed wishes to come true, it was not yet proven true when it affects the lifespan of another. Nevertheless, Rex held his family with high regards and expect them to live a long life. During his seven long years of adventure, not once did he receive any news of failed health from his immediate or extended family. While Rex walked back to the lodgings to pack the minor things he had left behind, he was suddenly plagued with the decision of whether he should take the magic exam first or return to Tyrenas and relieved the shop owner of his black dual daggers. In the end, the curiosity of the mysterious black daggers had won. After all, it was the reason why he had participated in the competition. * * * Compared to the month Rex took to get to Erath''s capital city from the Magic Tower of Marron, he arrived in Tyrenas in just 11 days. From the docks, he immediately ran towards the weapon shop, however, while running, he saw the filthiness of his travel in one of the display windows along the way. Taking a small detour to the nearest inn, he took a shower, broke his fast, and then headed to the shop in high spirits. *Clang, clang, clang* The store owner, Tibbs, looked up from the counter where his ledgers were open. He thought to catch up on his bookkeeping since his shop was rarely visited during the earlier part of the morn. Ever since his eldest son had returned from training to become a Blacksmith, just like him, back in the day. Now, his work had been minimalized to observing his son''s progress, and he was often bored. Thus, he had learned to manage his own book rather than paying the local Accomptant monthly. Tibbs squinted, sizing up the person who had just entered his shop. ''He looks familiar... but I can''t recall who he is. It must be the age.'' The youthful boy had handsome features; short and shiny ebony black hair, perfectly aligned eyebrows, bright emerald coloured eyes, straight aristocratic nose, and slightly full pinkish lips. The boy could be easily mistaken for a girl, and the two dimples on each side of his cheeks did nothing but amplify his girlish appearance. If he was wearing a dress instead of t-shirts and pants, Tibbs would have thought he was a she. Rex was smiling excitedly at the prospect of owning the black dual daggers when he suddenly heard the same voices calling out to him when he first entered the shop almost two months prior. [You... came back for us...] [Please, release us from this place.] "Please wait a moment longer, I''ll release you soon." Rex whispered to whoever was talking to him. Tibbs straightened the collar of his shirt and called out to the young boy, "How may I help you, Sir...?" Tibbs wanted to look his best. He has always considered himself to be a good judge of character and, the young boy had the scent of money reeking all over him. Rex was, at first, taken aback. Since he had asked the owner to reserve an item for him, he had expected the owner to remember him, or at least, his face. Rex pushed the thought aside, telling the owner why he came in a forthright manner, "I would like to purchase the black dual dagger on the display, if you please, Mr. Owner." Tibbs mood sank. Just his luck. The first customer in a long while, who looked like he has money, had to set his eyes upon the same item he promised to hold on to for the House of Merrick. "Please accept my sincere apologies, kind Sir; however, that particular item has been reserved. If it''s any other item in the store, I, Tibbs, would gladly be of service and sell it to you at a discounted price. Rex ignored Mr. Tibbs'' blabbing and said as he surveyed the shop for any other items worth buying. "I understand you priced it at 10 Gold?" All things considered, Rex did not get a chance to take a good look around the shop. He was too preoccupied thinking of ways to raise the funds in order to obtain the daggers. "But Sir¡ª..." Tibbs began to protest. Rex sent him a look. He raised an eyebrow with exasperation, silencing the more-than-two-decades-older shop owner Mr. Tibbs. It was a look his father would not have bettered. "Mister Tibbs. The daggers, if you please." Tibbs was backed up in a corner. If he sold the daggers to the young boy in front of him, he would most likely incur the Merrick''s wrath. However, if he doesn''t sell it, he feared today might be the last day he ever woke. Tibbs calculated his options, and the conclusion he came to was to sell the daggers to the young boy. If and when the servant of the Merrick''s returns, he would lie that he was threatened to sell it. ''It''s a good plan. If the Merricks want the daggers, it wouldn''t be a surprise if it has caught someone else''s interest.'' "Please give me a moment. I have to run to my office to get the keys to the display windows. In the meantime, please take a look at the different types of leathers we have available, since the daggers do not have their own scabbard. Pick out the leather you want and my wife can make you the perfect scabbard you desire... for a small price." Tibbs led Rex to the room adjoining the main shop and excused himself. Rex examined the different types and colours of leathers hung on the walls. Since he knew not a farthing about leathers, he took the thickest one he could find. [Not that one, soon-to-be Master.] [I concur, soon-to-be Master.] "You two can sense me from behind the display windows?" [[Of course.]] From their reply, Rex could almost picture the two standing proud, hands on their hips, head held up high, with a haughty expression. Rex smirked at the thought. "So tell me, which leather would you like for your scabbard?" If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. [The black leather, placed at the right of the leather you have in your hands, soon-to-be Master.] [Don''t forget the thinnest silver leather, soon-to-be Master] "Please stop calling me "soon-to-be Master". It feels very uncomfortable, so just call me Rex." [[Yes, Master Rex.]] "... Without the "Master" part..." [[Yes, Rex]] Rex, who was apathetic towards fashion and design, had no idea what kind of scabbard fitting of the dual daggers. So instead of brooding on it, he decided to ask the beings, "Now tell me, what kind of design would you like?" [The outer appearance must be black, of course.] [It also has to have silver lining.] The two voices exchanged idea back and forth until they were satisfied with the design they had portrayed in Rex''s mind. However, Rex noticed that they seem to have forgotten something. "What about the emblem?" Rex pointed out, "All important looking swords in my father''s collection all had an emblem on their scabbard." [Really? Then we must have one.] [Because we are important.] "Hmm... How about having the same black wing insignia with crossed silver twin-daggers?" Rex thought it was the most logical idea, since it was already engraved on their blade. But his idea was quickly shut down. [No way. It''s too over the top.] [Rex, you need to develop a better sense of style.] Rex felt a vein popping out of his left temple, ''Well I''m sorry for not having any sense of style!'' "Then, what do you think of twin swords and a dragon on top of it? And of course, they''ll be engraved in silver." Because of the design the two had agreed upon, Rex had concluded their favourite colours to be black and silver. [I stand corrected. As expected of our Master, you have a sense of style.] [The emblem I picture in my head looks nifty.] At that moment, the egg inside his haversack chose to wiggle, as though it was agreeing to their comments and decisions. When suddenly, a woman in her mid-forties entered the room, and Rex bowed to her in greeting. Surprised, the woman fumbled to execute a small curtsey. "I''m Mrs. Tibbs. Please excuse my clumsiness. It''s been a long while since someone had bow to a lowly Leather Worker such as I." Mrs. Tibbs managed a smile and continued, "So, what can I do for you, Sir? Have you decided on the scabbard you want?" "I have a design in mind. If you have a drawing paper, perhaps I can transfer my thoughts?" It didn''t take a while for Rex to find out that Mrs. Tibbs came prepared, for she handed to him a roll of drawing paper within mere seconds. Rex knew immediately that the drawing paper in his hands was no ordinary paper. "Mrs. Tibbs, this is...?" Mrs. Tibbs smiled, "My husband told me you were a Magician. And since you were able to tell the difference, you must be at least an E Rank one." Rex has heard of such items but, this was the first time he had ever seen one; a magic paper. "Then, this is really...?" "You are correct in your assumption. This particular paper allows one to draw with mana. As a result, the contents drawn in can only be seen by Magicians." Mrs. Tibbs explained. In one minute, Rex transferred the design in his head to the magic paper, including the emblem, and handed it over to Mrs. Tibbs. "When my husband told me someone was buying those expensive daggers, and I knew it didn''t have its own scabbard, I immediately measured them, so it won''t take long to make them one. If you come with me, right this way to the sitting room, I''ll serve you some cookies and drinks while you wait." Mrs. Tibbs led Rex to a blue and white room, with a very homey feel to it. Right when he was about to think of his family, he appreciated his thoughts being disturbed when Mrs. Tibbs said, "Please make yourself at home. My husband will be with you shortly, along with your daggers." "Thank you, Mrs. Tibbs." Mrs. Tibbs looked back at the young boy and smiled in response, with sadness in her eyes, for the boy looked lonely. ''His family must have left him early.'' She thought and walked towards her workroom. [Rex, the shop owner is taking us out of the display window.] "Thank you for telling me." Rex answered, and then recalled not discussing an important matter, "Speaking of which, you guys haven''t told me your names." [We are called "Infinity Aetherius".] [It is not our complete name. We won''t know of it until trust is form between us and our Master.] Rex shook his head, "I don''t mean the name of the dagger, but your individual names." [We don''t have one. You''ll be our first and only Master.] [Then Rex, please give us names. I''d like a cute name.] "Umm... I''m bad with names..." Rex pondered, "How about Yale and Yuelia?" [Ohhh, Yuelia. Very cute name. I like it.] [You''re much too humble, Rex. You came up with the perfect names.] "Here you are, good Sir." Mr. Tibbs walked into the room, cutting off all ongoing conversation, while carrying a large wooden tray wherein lay the daggers. He handed the daggers to Rex, "As you can see, the daggers are sharpen and in good condition." Rex stretched out his hands and said with conviction, "Mr. Tibbs, there''s something with much importance that I would like to talk to you about." Mr. Tibbs noticed the young boy''s mood had changed for the better, and was glad to have the illusionary guillotine hanging on his neck, disappear. He relaxed by a fraction on reflex and asked, "What would you like to talk about?" Rex at up straight on his chair, and clasp his hands on top of his thighs, "I would like to talk about business, Mr. Tibbs." Mr. Tibbs feigned confoundment, "Business, you say? What kind?" "The reproduction of magic paper." When Rex saw Mr. Tibbs was about to open his mouth, he waved a hand to stop him, "I''ll do you the courtesy of not asking where you obtain it, so please don''t play coy with me, Mr. Tibbs. If you or your wife were not expecting anything from me, you would have never shown the magic paper to me." Rex was right in his assumption. However, Mr. Tibbs meant for it to be shown to the servant of the Merrick''s house, and have him tell his employers, but not to the boy in front of him. He had forgotten to tell his wife that the buyer had changed, and she proceeded with the original plan. "I... We... Umm..." Mr. Tibbs began to stutter an explanation, but Rex cut him off with another wave of his hand. "Let''s move on. Now, you have my interest, so here''s my offer. I want a small sample of the magic paper, the edge of the paper will suffice, and of course, I will pay for it. If the mass reproduction of the paper is a success, you will receive 10% of the shares. Even if the item does not sell, you will still have the payment of 1,000 Gold." Rex lifted his gaze to meet Mr. Tibbs'' eyes, "And our response?" At that moment, Mr. Tibbs was calculation the household annual income and expenses in his head: [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Shop Income: 10-30 Gold Property Tax: 3 Gold 1 Child''s Tuition: 5 Gold (for 3 years) Misc. Expenses: 5 Gold[br][/br][/col][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Total Expenses: 9.7 Gold[br][/br][/col][/box] Mr. Tibbs'' eyes began to form gold coins, "Sir... What did you say your name was?" "Rex Avery. Do you need to see my ID card again?" Mr. Tibbs suddenly stood up from his chair, "Wai¡ª Mr. Avery from the House of Merrick?!" As he tried to sit back down, he stumbled and almost fell from his chair. Rex also stood up, prepared to help Mr. Tibbs up. But when he saw that Mr. Tibbs had things under control, he sat back down. "I am from the House of Merrick. I would have thought you would recognise me, considering my request to hold onto the daggers." Mr. Tibbs settled his initial shock, "You look different from the time I first saw you..." ''You''re no servant, are you?'' He wanted to ask but couldn''t. Mr. Tibbs wiped his brow, "My wife and I had already decided to take any offer that will allow us to send our children to school, so please allow me to accept your offer." Rex drew up a contact, exactly the way his mother had taught him. Both he and Mr. Tibbs initialed both copies, and beside his initials, was a stamp; two crossed swords, with a dragon on top of it. Mrs. Tibbs came in right after Rex had given the copy of the document to Mr. Tibbs, as though everything had went according to how they planned it, "The scabbard for your daggers are done, Mr. ..." "Mr. Avery." Mr. Tibbs supplied, "Also, give him the sample Betsy." "I have it ready right here." Mrs. Tibbs handed Rex a paper placed inside a wrapper. "Mr. and Mrs. Tibbs, thank you for your conducting business with me. I will get the Solicitor of the Merrick Family to legalise the document. If you do not get a copy of that document within a month''s time, send a message to the Duchess." With that, Rex left the store. After 8 months of research, the Duchess was able to reproduce the paper, making the Tibbs'' a happy family. Within the two years, the Tibbs accepted the Merrick''s family offer to relocate to one of the Merrick''s land for easier business dealings and to send their children to Sachael Academy, the best magic school ever built. * * * After he left the store, Rex headed to the only Magic Tower in Tyrenas that conducted S-Rank examination, the Magic Tower in Troia Academy City. [No wonder you can hear us, Rex. Even for your young age, you''re already taking the S-Rank exam.] "Haha..." Rex let out a sheepish laugh. "Hear you? Does that mean there are others who can hear you?" [Not anymore, since you are now our master.] When Rex reached the Magic Tower and presented his letter of recommendation, the Tower Magician showed him so much respect that made him feel beyond uncomfortable. After a few minutes, a High Magician approached him, "I apologize for their behaviour... You see, although we have an examination for S-Rank, you''re the first soon-to-be S-Rank Magician to ever come here..." Rex nodded in understanding, "How is the exam conducted?" The High Magician did nothing but stared at Rex, "Did you not read the contents of the letter?" Rex shook his head, "I have yet to learn how to read Mage Script, but the secretary who handed it to me, assured me it''s a real sponsorship for the exam." The High Magician nodded, "It is real, but your test is already being conducted." Rex was confused, "What do you mean?" The High Magician explained, "Your letter says, just like any other S-Rank exam, you need to have the capabilities to get your Eidolon to talk. As you might have already known, all Magicians will eventually get an Eidolon. In addition, Magicians and their Eidolon are believed to be destined for each other, but the majority of the Eidolons found in the world do not have the capabilities to talk. Even if you got a rare kind of Eidolon which has the capabilities to talk, getting it to talk solely depended on the Magician''s aptitude." The High Magician examined Rex''s reaction and continued, "According to your letter, it seems you already have an Eidolon, and when it talks, your rank will be automatically be updated." Rex was shocked, "So what you meant to say is... the S-Rank exam is based on luck?" The High Magician scratched his chin, "When you put it that way... I guess it is." ... ... ... Rex was too aghast for words.
[/hr] From the Author Click to Enlarge A new place, a new map. I apologise if the content seems rushed, I''m still in the process of getting better. I do hope you guys will find the next chapter (Chapter 4), more interesting. I''m very excited in finishing it up :D - AnmesicCat PS: You can also read the story in Japtem''s FanFic section or Fable Wind for better reading. Chapter 4 : Rexs Entrance Exam Chapter Four: Rex''s Entrance Exam The visions of blood and death blazed violently in the vanity mirror. The horrific scenes, lit by nothing other than one small candle, reflected endlessly into the dark abyss. She lay very still for a moment, her heart pounding while she tried to make sense of the nightmare in which she had awaken in. Reflection of a girl lying on a bloodstain bed, dressed in nothing but a thin layer of her nightdress. Her hair fanned around her shoulder in tangle waves, her eyes wide with shock and horror. It took her a few seconds to realise that the girl reflected in the mirror was herself. There was a teenage boy beside her. The front of his shirt was soaked in blood, and his face was someone she recognised. She sat up slowly, unconsciously letting go of an unseen object she had been gripping in one hand. A part of her insisted that she was living through a dreadful dream, but her other senses was telling her she was awake. It took her everything she had to touch his throat. There was no pulse. The chill of death had already enveloped him. A surge of panic flared through her. She scrambled frantically out of the bed and gathered pieces of her clothing she found on the floor. She was struggling to dress-up when she suddenly heard footsteps, and a wave of panic rattled her nerves. She looked up quickly, and in the mirror, she watched the door behind her opening. A boy in his youth walked in, "Excellent work, although somewhat untidy." He said sarcastically. "What?" She managed, "No, I did not kill him." ''At least I don''t think I did.'' "And if I call the Magistrate, would they believe you if I told them you did it?" The boy''s eyes were brimming with anger, "I will extract full revenge on the death of my brother." She has never seen him like this before. She tried to leave the room, but he blocked the way out, "I told you, I did not kill him." "Then you have two choices: prove your innocence by helping me find his killer or, go to jail. There''s no use running away. We''ve known each other for a long time so I know your mana all too well. It''ll be too easy to track you down." "I will help obtain justice as long as you believe it wasn''t me who killed him." * * * Rex was eating breakfast, thinking about his entrance exam. Yvonne, who was sitting across the table, saw his furrowed brow. "Rex, you don''t have to worry so much in regards to your exam. From what I''ve seen, the skills you possess are more than enough to pass it." "Yes brother, you''re almost as strong as Father. You''ll pass for sure." Adrian chimed in while Aibelle nodded in agreement. "Who did you say was as strong as me?" Their father and mother chose to walk in at that precise moment. "Nothing, Papa." Adrian lowered his flushed face and went back to his bacon and eggs. Their parents both took their respective seats on the table. "Ahem." Their father cleared his throat, "Rex, didn''t you have an announcement to make?" Everyone on the table placed their eating utensils down and focused their attention on Rex. In truth, Rex was not thinking about passing the exam, but the skills he would unconsciously use. He was afraid of being linked to Phantom. When he consulted his father, his only suggestion ¡ª no, it might as well have been a death sentence ¡ª was, "Tell them." In his father''s perspective, it was better for him to let them know beforehand than for them to realise it on their own down the road, or have someone else tell them. And now, his father had given him the opportunity. ''But is this something one brings up during breakfast?'' "Rex?" His mother asked. But chances are, she already knew what his big announcement was. "Ahem. Yvonne, Adrian, Aielle," Rex looked at each of his siblings as he said their names, "There''s something I want to tell you... Actually... You see... I''m Phantom." ''There, I''ve said it.'' Rex waited for his words to sink in before looking at the expression on their faces. Yvonne''s mouth was slightly open, in a shape of an "O". Adrian and Aibelle on the other hand, mirrored each other''s astonished expression, with their eyes as wide as saucers. ''Guys, please say something.'' Rex pleaded in his mind and, his legs had the itch to fidget. Yvonne was the first to snap out of her stupor, "Somehow I already knew..." This time, it was Rex''s turn to be shocked, "WHAT?!" "Well I didn''t know for sure that Phantom was you until today... but I had a feeling it was. Perhaps it was instinct, and because you seemed very familiar." Yvonne explained. "Children," The Duchess said in a soft voice, "Your Father had asked Rex to tell you his other persona because we''re family. However, we would like for you to keep this a secret until Rex wishes to reveal it himself. Is that understood?" "Of course, Mother." Yvonne looked at Rex and smiled, while Adrian and Aibelle nodded. Rex looked at Yvonne in the eye and asked, "You''re not angry?" Yvonne slowly shook her head from side to side, "I would be if you took it easy on me during our one on one battles over the years... But it didn''t seem to be the case. Even Mother and Father said you only gave it your all when you were fighting against me." Rex smirked mischievously, "Of course. I wouldn''t be able to defeat you otherwise." Yvonne smirked back, "But as punishment for not telling me sooner, you have to spar with me at least three times a week." Adrian and Aibelle both looked at each other, sending messages through their eyes, and said in unison, "Us too!" Their father, who had been quietly drinking his coffee, spoke up, "Children, finish your breakfast. We have to leave early for Rex''s entrance exam." The four children stopped their conversation short, returned to their plates, and hurriedly devoured what remained of their breakfast. * * * The entire Merrick family squished themselves together in a carriage designed to fit only four adults. As a result, Adrian and Aibelle had to once again sit on their parents'' lap. When they arrived at the Sachael Academy grounds, the Dean, Professor Truro, and an unexpected visitor, was waiting for them. Adrian, who was first to alight from the carriage, ran towards the visitor and yelp, "Uncle Mars! What are you doing here?" Mars grabbed Adrian on his waist and carried him on his shoulders, "I heard my dear nephew has returned and is going to be taking an exam today. I came because I wanted to see how much your brother has grown." Rex approached them, "Uncle Mars, it''s been a while." Mars patted Rex''s back with his free hand, "It''s nice to see you well, Rex. And good luck." Finally, the Duke and Duchess descended from the carriage. When Dean Marcel saw them, he walked towards them and reported, "Your Graces, Professor Truro and I have prepared the Intermediate Course''s Field #1 as the place where the examination will be conducted. Would you like to see if it is acceptable before we start? Or...?" The Duke simply nodded, "I''d like to get started right away. Rex," The Duke bellowed, "Come and greet your Dean and Professor." The Dean took note of the Duke''s words, which seemed to have dictated his son''s acceptance to the academy as a forgone conclusion. Dean Marcel took one look at the teenage boy approaching him and observed his unimaginable mana pulsating around his slender body. ''He looks just like the Duke. And it doesn''t look like the Duke''s appearance is the only think he inherited.'' "It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, Dean Marcel." Rex greeted the Dean and then the Professor, "And you must be Professor Truro. Thank you for conducting this special entrance exam on such a short notice." After the brief introductions, the party made its way towards the field where the examination was to be conducted. Once there, Professor Truro handed Rex a form to fill up, "This is the first part of the exam." Rex took the form thinking, ''A written test right off the bat?!'' However, when Rex looked at the contents of the paper, he was confused. He asked the Professor, "This is it?" The Professor smiled and nodded, "It seems you can read Mage Script, so you''ll have no problems with the classes taught in that language." Rex took the proffered pen and filled up the form: [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Full Name: Rex Gabriel Verne Merrick Preferred Name (Optional): Rex Avery[br][/br][/col][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Date of Birth: 3rd Day of Capricorn Age: 16 Sex: Male[br][/br][/col][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Nationality: Erathian (Kingdom of Erath) Magician Registration Number: S-0966-48558 Magician Ranking: S (Sachem) Weapon of Preference: Dual Daggers Eidolon (If any): Ares[br][/br][/col][/box] Once he finished filling up the form, Rex handed it back to Professor Truro. The Professor took a look at the form, surprised, and handed it to the Dean without word. When the Dean saw the Professor''s expression, he tried to read him, but to no avail. He then took a look at the form. Immediately upon reading the information, he, himself, was astounded. "Yo¡ª Your Grace," Stuttered the Dean, "If son''s already an S Rank Magician, why is he enrolling in our humble school?" "Because that''s what he wants." The Duke proclaimed, as though it was the answer to everything Rex did, does, and will do in the future. "There are still a lot of things I can learn from being in school." Rex explained, "I find the Magician ranking to be nothing but empty strength. One needs knowledge to back it up. That''s what it means to be wise." "I see." Professor Truro nodded in agreement, "Then let''s continue your exam. Though I said that, I''m not sure I''ll be able to judge your skills appropriately..." "Actually Professor, I believe my uncle Mars would love to do the honours." Rex glanced at his uncle from the corner of his eyes, "Isn''t that right Uncle Mars?" "Ahahaha. You''re quick on the uptake, as always... You''re correct. Your father called in the favour yesterday. Then, shall we?" Mars pulled his rapier from its sheath on his waist. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. "How will we do this?" Rex also pulled his twin daggers from both sides of his waist. ''Yale, Yuelia, be careful. Uncle Mars is an S Rank Magician. He mainly uses Water attributed magic, but he can use all other elements except Light and Dark.'' [Understood.] [We''ll be ready for him!] "I will be the referee for this duel, if you don''t mind, Dean Marcel, Professor Truro." The Duke stepped in between the two participants. Without waiting for the Dean''s or the Professor''s reply, he continued, "Five strikes each. Begin!" "Your Grace... What of the other rules?" "They don''t need anything else." Rex and Mars stood still facing each other, trying to gauge the extent of of their opponents'' strength. Rex, who knew he has a lot less experience than his uncle in terms of completing quests¡ªat least three times less¡ª was disadvantaged. Nevertheless, he was itching to charge at his opponent. However, he knew impatience can lead to death in battle. During his moment of conflict, it gave Mars the perfect time to attack. *CLANG* Sounds of metals clashing together resounded in the area. Just when Mars was about to strike Rex''s left shoulder, he shifted his body, blocking the strike with both his daggers. ''He''s a lot stronger than he lets on... How about this?'' [Rex! Watch out!] Yale yelled. Suddenly, small threads of water began to coil around Rex''s body, causing his exposed skin a few abrasions. Rex used all the strength he could muster on his right arm and push off Mars'' rapier. He then released a mana barrier around his body, before jumping up and sidestepped, then landed on the ground. ''Heh'' However, Mars had predicted his move and had a trap lying in wait for him. When Rex landed, he started sinking into the ground. He immediately cast air magic around the sole of his shoes, to lift him out of the quicksand and charged at Mars with a skill of his own, Sandstorm, lowering Mars'' perception. Mars'' defence was a little slower than Rex''s attack, and thus was grazed slightly on his right arm. However, Rex distanced himself rather than following up with another attack. His instinct told him he was in danger. Mars was impressed, "Good judgement. If you didn''t back away, you would have been pierced by hundreds of Ice Knives." Mars sent the floating knives to where Rex had retreated to, in all directions. Rex instantly expanded his aura, producing heat waves. Majority of the knives melted and Rex parried the rest. However, Mars chose that exact moment to attack Rex from behind. Rex sensed the danger and turned around to block the attack. He then used the dagger on his left to deliver a fatal strike. But before it landed, a yell rang out, "STOP!" The Duke appeared in between the two and separated them, "Rex, it''s your loss." Rex lowered his head and bowed to his father and then his uncle, "I hope you didn''t take it easy on me, Uncle Mars." Mars laughed while scratching his head in embarrassment. "It''s a little mortifying for me to admit this but, no I did not." The Duke patted Rex''s shoulder, "It was a close one Rex." Rex lowered his head even further, "It''s frustrating to lose against the move I used to defeat many of my opponents with..." Right when Rex was about to wound Mars'' right hip, Mars'' body left an after-image and showed up the next second behind Rex, with his rapier pointed at Rex''s back. "Hahaha..." Mars laughed heartedly and winked at Rex, "You always have to be careful of people who knows your skills or can copy them." "You''re right. I will keep that in mind." Rex replied dejectedly. "Dean, Professor," The Duke called out, "What''s your decision?" "Of course he passes, right Dean Marcel?" Professor Truro was already interested in the boy and his reasons for enrolling in the academy. However, the skills the boy displayed had impressed him and his interest in the boy had reached new heights. ''It will be an interesting school year.'' "Indeed Professor. Welcome to Sachael Academy, Marquis Avery." Dean Marcel extended his hand towards Rex for a handshake. "Please call me Rex Avery. I''m not used to any other names and I''ve been away from society to mind formalities." Rex took the Dean''s proffered hand and shook it. * * * That same day, Rex registered for a room in the dormitories. But because of his late admission, he was given a flat all to himself. The layout of the flat was quite simple. It had two bedrooms, sharing a kitchen, a living and dining room, and a bathroom. In truth, his sister tried to get a bigger flat so all four of them could stay together, but there was no longer any available ones. When he got to his room, Rex extended his left hand, pressed the gem on the ring, and called out, "Open Dimension Ares." Suddenly, a purplish-black door appeared. Rex opened the door and found the thing he was looking for. His Eidolon, Ares. Ares, the God of War. Fancy name? You really think so? However, this author can assure you, dear reader, that Rex did not have that particular meaning in mind. Since the egg hatched almost two years ago, it brought Rex nothing but trouble. It caused him to fail one quest, and almost failing at least five others. He also had to pay for the damages it caused. If Rex was a normal person without any savings, he would have ended up in debtor''s prison. But what can Rex do? It was only a baby. When it learned how to talk eight months prior and asked for a name, Rex had given it the perfect name, Ares¡ªoverwhelming, destructive, and ruination. Whether he had predicted his own future, or merely describing the force his Eidolon possessed, only time will tell... "Ares, I''m here. Did you behave and eat you food like I told you to?" Rex took a look around the huge otherworldly dimensional room; messy papers with scribble all over the floor, ripped open pillows, food used as paint on the walls, and etcetera. Rex''s lips twitched but he maintained his smile. "Papa!" Ares flew and landed on Rex''s lap. When Rex saw Ares'' original form, he turned as stiff as a statue. Although others might find Ares'' original form cute, ¡ª small-sized dinosaur stuffed animal ¡ª to Rex, it looked naught but a lizard. When Rex was young, he found a bird''s nest that had fallen from a tree. While he went to get a ladder so he could return the unhatched eggs before the mother bird arrived, he left the nest unguarded on the servants'' dining room. After he had placed the ladder beside the tree, with the help of their gardener, he returned for the eggs. When he got there, he saw something he would never forget: A lizard swallowing the last of the eggs whole. He screamed, grabbed his shoes and chopped off the lizard''s tail by accident. However, the lizard was still alive and moving! But there was nothing he could do to save the eggs. The following nights, he constantly had nightmares of the event, making him very afraid of lizards... Ares, still on Rex''s lap, sensed his discomfort and transformed into his human form. Rex finally relaxed and started stroking its hair, "Ares is such a small child." Yawning, Ares said, "Don''t worry papa, Ares will grow soon." "You won''t grow if you don''t eat properly." Rex pointed out, and then added, "Especially you veggies." "Those are yucky." Ares pouted. "Ares, let''s go to bed outside this dimensional room. Starting today, we won''t have to camp out for a while, so you can sleep beside me." Although Rex finds his Eidolon a troublesome creature, he still dotes on it. When Rex determined Ares was asleep, he got up, opened the dimensional door to Ares'' room again, and cleaned it until it was sparkly. He took a shower to wash off the dirt of a day''s work and returned to bed, beside Ares. Around the ungodly hour of three hours after midnight, Rex heard a knock on the window. Not wanting to wake up the soundly sleeping child beside him, he got out of bed very very carefully. He walked towards the window and opened it very slowly, softening the sound of the creaking window. "Yo, Rex." The person said as he jumped into the room, "You arrived earlier than I expected." "Touma..." Rex shook his head. ''Leave it to a ninja to do important business at night.'' "I came as soon as I could when I got your message saying you''ve enrolled in the academy. I thought maybe you''d want me to explain why I''ve asked you to come, as soon as possible." Touma said casually as he made his way out of the bedroom and into the living room before taking a seat. Rex followed his lead and also sat down. "Ah, yes, your mysterious message. What''s it all about?" About three months ago, Rex coincidentally reunited with Touma, whom he had met each year in the Magic Competition, while the latter happened to be doing a quest nearby Rex''s location. They finally exchanged contact information and during the following months, they never failed to talk to each other at least once a week about their quests, travels, and etcetera. However, about three weeks ago, Touma failed to contact him. Rex continued to calls his phone until Touma finally sent him a short but cryptic message: I need your help. Please enrol in Sachael Academy as soon as you can. I''ll meet you there. It was the first time Touma had ever asked him for help. Since he was Rex''s first friend, Rex decided to do as he said: enrol in the academy, and see how he could help him. Touma remained silent for a long while, thinking how to form his words, before subsequently saying with a soft voice, "My brother has been murdered."
[/hr] From the Author Click to Enlarge I had a lot of fun writing this chapter. I wrote it so quickly that my hands and arms are both numb. Although this chapter is quite short, I hope you''ll forgive me since it''s released early ;). - AnmesicCat PS: You can also read the story in Japtem''s FanFic section or Fable Wind for better reading. Chapter 5 : Revelations Before Sunrise Chapter Five : Revelations Before Sunrise "Mur-murdered?" Rex asked to confirm what he had heard was not a fragment of his imagination. "Murdered, assassinated, slayed, executed unlawfully. Yes, to all of those. Bottom line is, Rex, my brother is no longer walking among the living." Touma spat out. "I see." Rex muttered softly, walking for Touma''s explanation. But when he failed to do so, Rex prompted, "What happened?" "A couple of weeks ago, when I failed to call you," Touma stopped for a brief second and then continued, "Or pick up your call, I found my brother dead beside his fianc¨¦ lying on a bed." Touma inhaled a sharp breath before continuing, "No, she didn''t kill him, at least not technically. Though at first I thought she did. But the signs of a third person being present were all there. Aura and mana were there like poisonous gas suffocating the people inside." Rex listened carefully, but when Touma didn''t elaborate on the fianc¨¦''s participation, Rex inquired, "What do you mean ''not technically''?" Touma suddenly looked up, meeting Rex''s gaze. With a serious glint in his eyes, he answered, "She was holding on the dagger that killed by brother. We have also established that she did, indeed, stabbed him to his death, but..." "She was being controlled by someone and was unconscious the whole time?" Rex finished for him. "Yes." Touma confirmed. "Where is she now?" "She''s being detained and protected by my family. They know she didn''t do it, but someone needs to answer to the crime." "So she''s being detained but not charged. So how much time do we have to find the real murderer?" "Less than two weeks, I''m afraid. The other members of the Clan are putting a lot of pressure on my father. They won''t stay quiet until someone has been charged for the murder. The whole fiasco has gotten everyone on pins and needles, and my father said he could only hold them back for that long." "I can imagine." Rex started to formulate inquiries in his mind and the first question to appear was, "Why Sachael Academy?" Touma immediately answered the question without a single doubt in his mind. "Because he''s here." "Here?" Rex asked very slowly, "It can''t be... a young or teenage child?" Touma shook his head to deny, "Well, he is a student, but not in our course. He''s in the Advance Course Year 3, and he''s only 20." Sachael Academy is divided into four different courses: [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Year: Age[br][/br][/col][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Beginner: Year 1: 10 Year 2: 11 Year 3: 12[br][/br][/col][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Basic: Year 1: 13 Year 2: 14 Year 3: 15[br][/br][/col][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Intermediate: Year 1: 16 Year 2: 17 Year 3: 18[br][/br][/col][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Advance: 1 Year of mentorship Year 1: 20 Year 2: 21 Year 3: 22[br][/br][/col][/box] However, if one fails the end of the year examination, they will have to retain a year. Likewise, it a student does better than expected, he or she would be given a chance to take the exam for the next grade, and if they do well, they are allowed to skip a grade. "Heh, he must be smart then. Since you already know who he is after being given a short time, I''m assuming he left trails on purpose. I''m guessing we''re either looking for evidence of his criminal act or his motive." Rex deduced. "Both actually." Touma corrected. "Or both." Rex agreed. After a while, he looked at Touma''s uncertain expression and asked, "Why are you hesitating? Who is he?" "Fabian Sinclair." Touma admitted. "Fabian... Fabian... Fabian..." Rex recited the name, trying to recall a face. "Viscount Sinclair''s eldest son?" "Was. His father died of an unknown cause about a year ago." Touma explained, "As you know, although the Kiyoshi Clan is held in high regard, it is still beyond our means to go directly up against a noble, especially a powerful one. My father does not want to risk our reputation our forefathers have worked so hard to build. As a result, I need to find solid evidence." "Your father is right. From what I''ve heard, the Sinclairs have been rising in ranks. Just last year, before the previous Viscount died, there were various news reports of his new and upcoming inventions. Although it was far from being complete, the papers have rated it very promising. He was also dubbed "Sage"clair." "That''s not all. Apparently his eldest son inherited his brain." Touma added. "Is the Kiyoshi Clan affiliated with any powerful nobles? I''m sure you guys have undertaken plenty of their quests." Touma sighed, "Nobles are afraid of more powerful nobles. Apart from the Ludwig family, there are no other powerful nobles we can count on. Yet, even the head of the Ludwig family do not want to anger the Sinclair because they are also hoping to reap profit from their invention. As you know, the land managed by the Ludwigs and the Kiyoshis are near each other. We could see the family and their lands are in dire straits." "And yet they are living quite lavishly." Rex stated. "You know nobles, they are all about appearances." Touma shrugged his shoulders. "Where does this leave me?" Rex asked. Touma looked at Rex and said with a serious but genuine expression, "You''re the only one I could trust outside of my own family. I know it seems crazy since we don''t know much about each other beyond the stories of our travelling adventures, but I trust you. I don''t know why, I can''t place my finger on it, but I do." Rex understood the sentiment all too well and was surprised that he felt the same way. If he was in Touma''s shoes, he could see himself asking Touma for help. Rex pronounced with determination, "I will help you find what you need to bring that person to justice." "Thank you, Rex. You are the definition of a friend." There was a slight blush of embarrassment on Touma''s cheeks but vanished a second later, "And as your friend, I should warn you, you''ll have a lot of haters when school starts." Puzzled, Rex inquired, "Why?" "There''s a picture of you on a Sachael Times, published yesterday. You were dining with the Merrick family, and quite frankly, you looked like you were enjoying yourself." Rex was still confused. "So...?" Touma sighed exaggeratedly, "I understand. President is very pretty, intelligent, excellent Magician, and has exceptional family background." Rex had an inkling that something ¡ª a disaster ¡ª was about to unfold. His expression turned harsh, "Huh?" Without giving Rex a single glance, Touma continued, "There are rumours going around that the Duke and Duchess of Merrick have approved your suit and, the president is very happy with the outcome. The papers have also written that the president might not continue with her education to the Advance Course because of her impending marriage to you." Rex was shell-shocked, "WHAT?!" "My thoughts exactly. You don''t strike me as the kind of guy who would hate to have an educated lady as his wife. That rumour is preposterous." ''The whole thing is preposterous!'' Rex wanted to yell out to all and asunder but couldn''t form the words, "..." ''How on earth did things get so blown out of proportion?'' Touma took Rex''s silence as permission to continue, "But there''s one puzzle I can''t solve. How did you meet the president? Well, I guess it could be during the Magic Competition... But when? All of president''s battles were filmed meticulously and not once have I seen you go up against her." "..." "Then again, you have always disappeared after we talk. If I didn''t meet you while I was doing my quest, I would continue thinking you were one of the Magicians from the Tower, in-charge of supervising the competition." "Touma," Rex called out so quietly that Touma almost missed it. "Yeah?" Touma finally saw Rex''s white-as-snow face, "What''s wrong?" Rex braced himself, "What I''m about to tell you doesn''t leave this room, okay?" "Gotcha." Touma wrinkled his brow, waiting for Rex to continue, "What is it? You got me all curious." "I am Phantom." Rex repeated the confession he made the day before. Touma said nothing at first and then, "Hmm... I had a feeling you might be." Compared to the shock he experience when his sister told him she already knew, he was calmer this time around, "How?" "Like I said, you always disappeared after our conversation. From what I''ve seen your aura, it doesn''t seem like you''ll place below the top fifty. I mean, even I, have made it to the top ten and you''re stronger than me. It also didn''t seem like it was in your nature to lose to someone on purpose. Hence, there was only two possibilities I''ve thought of: one, you''re a Magician supervising. And two, someone who doesn''t want to reveal their real identity, Phantom." Rex listened to Touma''s explanation while thinking, ''It makes sense.'' "I guess I should prepare myself, should the whole world already know of my identity." Rex uttered. "Hahaha. Nah, they won''t. Unless they know you well enough." Touma reassured him. "So I guess that''s it then?" "Huh?" Rex made an expression that says ''what are you talking about?'' "The president, after her battles with you, moved by your fluid and graceful attack, followed you each year during the competition. Until finally, both of your started to have feelings for each other." Rex was once again speechless, ''I guess there''s no helping it.'' "Touma, really, I bow down to your imagination." "Eh? It wasn''t like that?" "No, it wasn''t" "Wait, don''t tell me yet. Let me guess! I''m really good at guessing games." Rex shook his head and let out a tired laugh, "No Touma, I insist, before you guess that the president fell in love at first sight with my mask." "Actually, that was my second guess. Was I wrong?" Rex wanted to smack his head against the coffee table. He didn''t know if Touma was being serious or joking around, however, it had to stop. His battle with his uncle, arranging the furnitures in his room, cleaning Ares'' room, and talking to Touma ¡ª especially talking to Touma ¡ª had taken a toll on him. Not to mention it was still before sunrise. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. "Yes, you''re wrong." Before Touma could make another ridiculous guess, Rex said kuje an incantation, "My real name is Rex Gabriel Verne Merrick, Marquis of Avery. Rex Avery for short." Touma repeated slowly after him, "Rex... Gab... Ver... Merrick... Marquis... Avery... Rex Avery... Rex Merrick..." Finally, Touman snapped out of it, "REX MERRICK?!" "Yes." Rex confirmed. "Then the president is...?" "My older sister." "You''re not illegitimate are you?" Rex felt a vein popping out of his right temple, "I did say ''Marquis of Avery''." "Right, sorry." Touma scratched his head, "Then you''re the eldest son? The heir? Not the young boy entering Year 1 Beginners'' Course?" "Yes to all of those." Rex copied Touma''s former answer. "Hah~ You do know that everyone thinks Adrian Merrick is the heir?" "I''ve been gone for a long time and not many people know of me, so I had a feeling that might be the case." "Are you planning to correct it anytime soon?" "Truthfully, I don''t care much about being heir. However, my sister insisted that I correct the misconception post-haste." Rex explained. "I can see where she''s coming from. If you don''t amend the misapprehension soon, your brother will be subjected to all kinds of flattery, jealousy, and all other kinds of ill-intent." Rex, who still had no notion of how powerful his family really is, was at loss on how to answer. Touma took one look at his expression and saw honest confusion. He asked, "Say Rex, what do you know of your family history?" Unsure of the sudden inquiry, answered nonchalantly, "Everything¡ªfrom the first Duke to the current Duke, my father, and the things my family has done for generations." Before he was allowed to set off on his journey, his parent made sure he knew his family and their duty. "How do you view your family?" "A normal family?" ''There''s no way your family is normal!'' Touma stayed quiet before asking, "Have you formally met any nobles?" "No. As tradition would have it, I was to be introduced at the age of 10, the enrolment age of the Academy''s Beginner''s Course, but I left when I was 9 years old, so I missed my chance." "I see, so that''s why." Touma nodded in consideration. "Since you weren''t formally introduced, when your brother''s enrolment to the academy was announced as the first male child to attend, everyone jumped to the conclusion that he was the heir. Now I understand." Touma muttered to himself and continued, "Rex, you have to understand that the Merrick family stands at the summit of all nobles. Their existence imposes fear in almost everyone, including the King. There are many who dislike them but no one dares to aggravate them, however, there are also many who wants to get on their positive side. Your brother is young, so he''ll most likely give into pressure and get hurt." "I understand. I''ll try to figure something out." "For starters, why don''t you be his buddy?" "Buddy?" "Every year, Year 1 students of Intermediate Course has to guide a Year 1 student in the Beginner''s Course, and be responsible for their growth for a year. It''s called the ''Buddy System''." Touma explained. "What are the chances of me getting my brother as my buddy?" "Quite high if you tell him to choose you." Touma said as he studied the clock on the wall before saying, "Well, I should get back to my room and get some shuteye. You should also get some rest. Tomorrow is, after all, the first day of school." ''I was sleeping until you came along!'' But before Rex could protest, Touma had already disappeared. * * * The following day, Rex had successfully convinced Ares to stay inside its dimensional room filled with its favourite food such as chocolate cake, barbecue chicken, ribs, and various other meat courses and desserts. Wearing his new and uncomfortable uniform ¡ª white long sleeves, taupe sweater vest, blue striped tie, black pants, grey socks, black dressing shoes, and black overcoat with grey linings ¡ª Rex met up with Touma. When Touma spotted him, he waved and smiled, "Let''s hurry. breakfast is served only from 7 to 8 am. There''s an assembly today at 8:30am so classes starts at noon for only 1 hour. It''s just an orientation today." "I see." Rex picked up his pace, matching Touma''s, as it was already 7:30am. Once at the cafeteria, Rex grabbed a tray of chicken soup, 2 dinner rolls, a banana, and a carton of milk. When they sat down on an empty table, Rex asked, "Why are there so many people wearing sports attire?" "Hmmm? AHH! I forgot all about it! Eat faster, we should also change." Touma quicken the speed he was devouring his meal. "It''s tradition to run a lap around the Course''s building and the Student Placement of all Year 1 students of any Course, will be decided on how well they do on the marathon." "What do you mean?" "School duties, practise rooms available to you, library, etcetera, are all decided by our marathon placement. But in Year 2, it changes to our end of the year ranking in Year 1 and quarterly ranking matches." Touma explained nervously and nodded his head towards Rex''s tray, "Eat faster, Rex. Unless you want to be picking up trash around the Course''s campus for a full year, you need to place in the top 10-15 students." "Were you last during your first year in Basic Course?" Rex asked after he looked at Touma''s forlorn expression. "Of course not! I was doing quests with my sister and our ship was delayed. I was late by 2 days..." Touma lowered his head in dismay, "By then, all other duties had been filled." ''If he''s this depressed, it must have been a horrific duty.'' Rex thought. "How far do we have to run?" "1km from Basic Course''s building and another 10km around the Intermediate Course''s building." Touma said straightforwardly. But when he saw Rex''s expression of dread, he asked, "How''s your running abilities?" "I''m a fast runner!... When it comes to short distances. 1km is probably my limit, but even that is a little pushing it." Rex admitted. "I''ll tell you this beforehand: everyone here is treated equally. It doesn''t matter who you are or who your family is. If you come in last, you will receive duties no one wants. Also, to keep things fair, the useage of magic is forbidden. There professors, Year 2 and 3 students are stationed across the grounds to make sure no one is cheating. This marathon is solely an endurance test." After a while, Touma added, "It''s what I like about our school." "..." Rex couldn''t express what he was feeling in words. Touma sent him a teasing smile and said, "Welcome to Sachael Academy, Rex." * * * After eating breakfast, Rex agreed to meeting once more at the same place when they''re done changing into their sports attire. Together, they walked to the Basic Course''s building. Once they arrived, they saw about 75 other Year 1 Intermediate Course students wearing sports attire. A few minutes passed when the Student Council President appeared, standing on top of a temporary stage, "Fellow students, We are gathered here today to witness another history in the making! Our juniors will put forth their best effort to weave a path for their future." ''Isn''t she exaggerating this a little too much?'' Rex thought. However, when he looked around, everyone else were either nodding their heads in agreement or, had a determined expression on their faces. Yvonne continued, "I know many of you have been practising hard, preparing for this event. So everyone, please do you best. I will be waiting for you at the finish line. Make sure you have the duties you want in mind when you come and report to me." "The pistol fires marks the start of the marathon." Vice President, Peter Elley, announced, "Then everyone, on your mark!" *BOOM* Rex, Touma, and other Year 1 students started running towards the Intermediate Course''s building. When Touma found Rex, he called out to him, "Rex, how is it? Do you think you can make it?" "It''s not a question of whether or not I''ll make it, but the time it takes me to get to the finish line." Rex retorted. "Touma, you should go ahead. I don''t want you to lose the duty you want because you''re running alongside me." Touma merely shrugged, "It''ll be better if we can do our duties together... As long as it''s not picking up trash around the campus." And so, Rex and Touma ran together for the timespan of 55 minutes, until they reached a tent where Yvonne was decreasing the line of people choosing their duties. When it was their turn, Yvonne welcomed them with a smile, "You guys are number 35 and 36. Have you guys decided on the duties you want?" Rex eyed the board behind Yvonne: [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]List of Duties:[br][/br][/col][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Student Council Helper : 1 Prefects'' Helper : 2 Class Monitor : 2 Librarian : 2 Field Monitor : 5, 1 each field together with a senior Dorm Monitor: 6, 3 girls and 3 guys Weapon Maintenance : 3 Armor Maintenance : 3 Stable Groom : 9, 3 each meal Food Server : 9, 3 each meal Kitchen Helper: 15, 5 each meal Beautification Club : 18, 6 each rotation.[br][/br][/col][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Total: 75 Students[br][/br][/col][/box] Rex looks at Touma and asked, "Which one Touma? Minus the Beautification Club, there''s 57 spots total. I''m sure there''s plenty where both of us can join." Touma answered without missing a beat, "Let''s join the..." * * *
[/hr] From the Author Click to Enlarge I had a hard time trying to look for the uniform I had envisioned. But after over a week of looking, I found it! The design is drawn by IvyLiau at DeviantArt. Thank you so much~ - AnmesicCat PS: You can also read the story in Japtem''s FanFic section or Fable Wind for better reading. Chapter 6 : A Womanly Duty Chapter Six : A Womanly Duty The night after the marathon, Touma once again visited Rex''s room. However, he was surprised when he found Rex with a company. He never thought he would see the day when a strong Warrior would be feeding a feeble small child. Nevertheless, the sight didn''t feel too awkward has he thought it might have been. Perhaps, it was because Rex had slightly feminine features... ''I better not slip up and tell him so.'' Touma noted. When Rex spotted Touma, he gave him a slightly embarrassed smile, "Ah, Touma, You''re early today. And you really need to stop that habit of entering through the window..." Touma shrugged, "It can''t be helped. It''s been deeply ingrained into my system. By the way, who''s that?" Rex ushered the child in front of Touma and introduced, "Touma, this is Ares. Ares, greet Touma." "Nice to meet you, Touma. You must be Papa''s friend." Ares bowed and introduced itself. "PAPA?!?!" Touma suddenly swung his head up to look at Rex, only to find him red-faced. Touman pointed a finger at Rex, "Rex, y-y-you... The child looks to be about 5, so..." Rex felt the same foreboding emotion when Touma told him about the rumor of him and his sister. But this time, it was worse. "THAT MEANS YOU COMMITTED A MISTAKE WHEN YOU WERE ABOUT ONLY 10?!" ... Rex quickly sidestepped behind Touma and hit him on the back of his head. "I knew you were going to say something stupid again." "Owww... That really hurts..." Touma complained as he rubbed the back of his head. "It''s because you jumped into the wrong conclusion again." "So, then what? If this child is not yours, then why is he calling you ''Papa''?" Rex signed. He knew he had to explain it to Touma soon, but he didn''t think it would be this soon. "Let me introduce it again. This is Ares, my Eidolon." "YOUR EIDOLON? But it talks, so that means... You''re an S-Rank Magician?" "Well... yeah..." Rex scratched his head, "I am... Please keep it a secret." "I will... It''s not like anyone will believe me if I said a student has a higher rank than most of the professors here." "So, let''s get back on track. I''m sure you''re not here for leisure talk." Since Touma seemed to have forgotten the purpose of his visit, Rex decided to remind him. "Ah, right." I believe I owe you an explanation on why I choose that as our duty." Touma''s serious expression returned, "It''s because of the information I''ve received. I heard Fabian Sinclair never misses his morning rides." "Ah..." Rex said in understanding, then added, "Wouldn''t it have been better if we used the time to search his room, instead of trying to confront him?" "At first, that''s what I wanted to do, but I also found out about his guards. He always has 2 guards outside his door, to stop people from disturbing him. And when he leaves, more are added, in addition to magic traps he placed inside his room, that will trigger if anyone steps inside while he''s gone. The trap is enough to kill or detain an A-Rank Magician." "But Papa is an S-Rank Magician." Ares said with a bewildered expression. "Yes, well, I didn''t know that until now. Still, we can''t risk triggering the traps because if Fabian finds out that there''s someone sneaking around his room, he''ll be more careful. In any case, the plan is to study Fabian''s mentality. Try and gauge what he''s thinking." "Basically, to interrogate him without making him feel he''s being interrogated." "Correct. I''ll be the one to talk to him, while Rex, you try and read him. You think you can manage?" "Yeah, I think I can." "Uh huh. You seem really good at reading people." Touma said with a sly smile. "I will take that as a compliment..." Touma continued his explanation, and shared the information he had gathered about Fabian Sinclair. Although it might be because of his bias, or because of his rage toward the guy, everything he told Rex about the guy''s negative characteristic; egotistic, bad-tempered, especially when his experiments and inventions weren''t going well. And because of that, he doesn''t have many friends. "However, as much as I hate to admit, the guy as a good judge of character. Of the few friends he has, all of them are loyal. He also doesn''t cut corners when it comes to his work, training, and his studies." "In that case, you need to be very careful. If he finds out you''re out to bring him to justice, you might be next..." "Then, please look after my family when I''m gone." "All jokes aside, when do we start?" Rex brushed Touma''s serious request as a joke and asked. "Advance students aren''t due back until this weekend. According to my information, Fabian will be back on Friday night. So we won''t be meeting him until Monday. Be ready on that day. We also need to get the hang of our duties. If not, there''s a chance they''ll throw us into the so-called ''Beautification Club''." Touma warned with a stern face. "If we get thrown there, we won''t be able to get out of the hell hole for a year." "... I understand." ''Looks like Touma had really terrible experiences there.'' * * * The next morning, Rex arrived at the stables, only to find a girl stroking and murmuring to a pregnant mare. The mare jerked her head away from the girl, tossing it high, causing the girl to lose her balance, landing on the ground, derriere first. A low moan came from the mare, a sound so very nearly human, that the breath in Rex''s lungs froze. When the girl turned and saw Rex, her face was ruby-red coloured with a terrifyingly contained trepidation. Unconsciously, Rex stared at her and the mare. "You, don''t just stand there. Do something." She bit off the words and returned her attention to the mare. Rex approached the mare and started stroking it as replacement for the girl''s missing hand. The girl covered her mouth in order to hide her small sobs that were on the verge of escaping her lips. "Something''s wrong with the mare... She... I don''t know." It had taken all of the courage she possessed to call out to the cold wall of the boy''s back who had just arrived. Joanna Ludwig had arrived at the stables before all the other students on stable duty, only to find a mare whimpering in agony. However, because she didn''t have any experience with caring for a sick mare, all she could do was stroke her head, hoping it would calm her down. The mare groaned once more and jerked her head high and rolled whitely in pain. The horse suddenly shifted and started to lean against the boy, who pushed her back in attempt to keep her in an upright position, murmuring soothing words that contrasted his starkly dark expression. Finally, the boy looked at Joanna again, "She''s with a foal, but she should have delivered it by now, which means, the foal is in the wrong posture. And the Stable Master who is in charge and was supposed to tell us what is required of us..." He stopped, then continued, "Is nowhere to be found." The boy prolonged his last words, and the hairs on Joanna''s back rose. The boy was angry. His rage was nearly acidic; she could feel it on her own throat. She imagined the leaves on the trees in the forest nearby, blackening and withering for miles and miles away because of the dark aura the boy was emitting. If the law did not forbid murder, she was absolutely sure the Stable Master would be killed. "What will happen to her?" "She will die, and so will the foal. Painfully and slowly, unless we put her down." He threw the words casually, hard as rocks. "But... Isn''t there something we can do?" Helplessness swelled in her, and God, she was tired of feeling helpless. The mare''s legs began to fold, and the boy threw his body against her again. He was very determined to keep her upright. "Let me help." The words sprung from somewhere deep inside Joanna, and she was surprised that she actually meant it. However, because she did not excel in strength like males usually do, she was not of much help with steading the mare. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. "No, I think I can manage." The boy said, however, Joanna interpreted the look he gave her as "You''re in the way." Restraining her anger, she inquired, "What can I do to help?" The boy made a disdainful sound and asked sarcastically, "You will thrust your arm into the womb of a horse and turn the foal? Because that''s what we need to do. But even then, we might not save her." His fury was a contagious epidemic, and she caught it now. She yanked up the sleeves of her clean uniform, held up her arm, and glared at the aggravating mongrel beside her. "Tell me what to do." When he began to turn away from her, she growled, "Tell. Me. What. To. Do." The boy stared at her long and hard before demanding, "Hold out your arm." He scooped a handful of Lanolin from a bucket, rubbed it past her elbow, and guided her arm toward the mare''s uplifted tail. His voice was even, the voice of someone accustomed to seeing people obey his commands without question. "REPLACE your arm into the mare. I''ll steady her. She might kick. I''ll try to protect you from it, but you mind yourself as well." She pushed her hand slowly into the mare, felt the muscle straining around her arm as the mare shifted her legs, and saw her elbow disappearing. Somewhere above her, the boy was keeping the mare up while reassuring the mare. Her fingers, with meager space to maneuver, fumbled carefully, attempting to translate what she felt and her breath caught, "I feel a muzzle!" She moved her fingers slightly, over a nostril, ear, and mouth. "It bit me!" "Good. It''s alive then. Do you feel the legs?" Joanna moved her hand up around the face of the foal, and felt the knobby little legs, "Yes, I feel a leg." "Now, feel carefully... is it a foreleg or a back leg?" "Foreleg." "Good. Now we need to turn its head and its legs so that it faces us. When you feel its head, guide it toward you." She did as told, she gently pulled it toward her, but it wouldn''t budge. "Try harder." The boy said from above. "You won''t hurt it." Joanna took a deep breath, closed her eyes, prayed, and gave a hard pull, with all the strength she could muster. "Oh, it''s moving!" "All right, she''ll push and you''ll feel it. When she does, we hope to see the forelegs." Joanna waited, and then the mare pushed. A small hoof emerged, then another... A minute later, a small muzzle began to emerge. "Now, slowly withdraw your arm. We need to grasp the legs and tug. I''ll let you know when." She carefully withdrew her arm, and gently took hold of a hoof. When the mare heaved again, she pulled, along with the boy. With another heave, the foal fell into her arms, wet and warm, wriggling with life, and she tumbled into the piles of straws. "YES! We did it!" The boy took the foal and slowly placed it next to the mare. After Joanna finished washing her hands, she saw the warm loving picture before her, and her eyes started to water. The boy went back to help her up, smiled and said, "You did very well." She didn''t know what occurred inside her mind, but she tossed her arms around the boy''s neck in an almost too intimate embrace. "*Sob*. I was so scared. *Sob*" Rex, who didn''t know what to do, patted the girl''s back in an extremely awkward manner. However, at that moment, someone purposely coughed very loudly. Joanna looked towards the person, and saw a familiar face. "Am I interrupting something?" The person asked with a wry smile on his face. "Rex, I didn''t think you were one of those guys who moved quickly. And Joanna, I didn''t think he would be your type." ''TOUMA!'' Joanna wanted to yell at her long-time classmate and childhood friend, but when she realised what she was doing, she quickly jumped back in embarrassment. "So what''s the story behind the intimate embrace?" Touma asked as he hugged himself with both arms as an imitation of what she was doing prior to him arriving. "Touma, it seems I didn''t hit you hard enough last night, would you like another one?" Rex asked with a smile, however, his eyes had a dangerous glint in them. "Ah, I''ll pass. I''m too young to die." Touma raised to hands in surrender. "But I insist you guys tell me what happened." The boy, Rex, explained to Touma everything that had happened. However, Touma was not satisfied. "Rex, you''re really bad a story telling. I''m sure you skipped a lot of parts. And it doesn''t explain why you guys were in an embrace!" Rex suddenly disappeared and reappeared behind Touma, giving him a hard whack behind his head. "OUCH! Owwww... Fine, I understand. I won''t ask anymore." Joanna, who was watching the scene, remembered they haven''t introduced themselves. "Ummm, I know it''s kind of late to say this but... I''m Joanna Ludwig. Thank you for helping me back there." The boy turned to look at her without any expression, replying with his own introduction, "Rex Avery. Nice to meet you." "I have never seen you or heard of you before..." Joanna studied Rex and was sure if she had seen him, she wouldn''t forget. He emits a very enigmatic aura, a mystery people can''t help but try to unravel. Seeing Rex wasn''t going to say anything more, Touma chose that moment as his cue, "It''s Rex''s first time coming to the academy. He just got back from travelling, and transferred 2 days ago." "A transfer student? That''s rare." Joanna instinctively knew Rex was someone with extraordinary strength to be able to get Professor Truro''s acceptance. And his features, so refined that although she did not know of an aristocratic family with Avery as their last name, she was sure he was a noble. "By the way, has anyone come here during the time you guys were busy delivering the foal? And where is the Stable Master, wasn''t he supposed to be here at 5 in the morning? It''s already past 6." Rex, who remembered the cause of his prior anger, let out an alarming aura filled with killing intent. "Oi, Rex! There''s no need to be so angry, right? I only asked a question..." Touma was surprised to see Rex''s aura filled with killing intent so eminent. The last time he saw it was when he was 13, during the Magic Competition, and his reaction to it hasn''t change one bit. Joanna whispered to Touma, "The Stable Master isn''t here. He''s angry because the mare and the foal almost died." Touma finally understood. The Rex he knew was kind and caring to people and things he cared about, but when his beliefs are being challenged, a disrupt in his way of life, or cause harm to the people he cared about, he would simply eliminate the cause. In this case, the missing Stable Master. As though courting his death, the Stable Master arrived. Rex somehow knew instinctively that he man who just arrived was the Stable Master. His killing intent immediately filled the place, also suffocating Touma. However, thanks to the training he received from his father, he was able to snap out of it, but Joanna wasn''t so fortunate as him. When Touma saw her trembling, he whispered to her, "So find either the Dean, Professor Truro, or the Student Council President, and get them to come here pronto. There might be bloodshed." Joanna, who understood the situation, grabbed a horse nearby and rode like the wind. Because she didn''t know if one of the three would be enough to stop bloodshed, she went to find all of them.
[/hr] From the Author Click to Enlarge I''m so very sorry for taking such a long time to type this up. As many of you know, Japtem has been so busy this summer, and together with real life, it left me almost no time to get this chapter done. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. PS: You can also read the story in Japtem''s FanFic section or Fable Wind for better reading.