《Alloy Vale》 ALLOY Fighting enemies of the kingdom of Zephro was something she was used to, something she trained for, but this specific opponent, she didn¡¯t manage to win¡­ yet. Her best friend, Ivy wondered why she even agreed to face someone like this. Sparks flared as their swords clashed, the sparks were accompanied by the essence of their power, both red, but one darker than the other. The sparks lit up the area for the split second they occurred. Ivy noticed that she was fighting with a few thoughts in mind, this reflected to her fighting, if she didn¡¯t get her head straight, things were not gonna end well. ¡°Alloy!! What are you doing??!! If you¡¯re distracted, she¡¯ll win!!¡± she shouted. Alloy clashed swords one more time and the force sent both her and her opponent flying to some of the trees across the battlefield. ¡°You¡¯re strong, girl!!¡± Perilius, the enemy, shouted. ¡°You should listen to your friend, distracted thoughts during a fight will be your downfall,¡± she looked up at the gray clouds that floated on a sky filled with stars, it dawned on her that her time was ending. She looked back at Alloy with her new stolen sword, pointing its tip at her before lifting it up to see its blade against the moonlight. It was beautiful. Its blade¡¯s edge held a black color that shone like the stars in the light. ¡°I like this sword,¡± She said. ¡°It¡¯ll help me serve the master well. The swords you make with your shadow drift don¡¯t come close to this.¡± Over a dozen logs, cut and broken into the pieces spread around the battlefield surrounded both her and her opponent. Perilius sheathed the sword and flicked her right wrist above her head, holding a grey ball, she threw it down, upon impact, it imploded, bellowing smoke around her to which, she disappeared immediately after. ¡°No!! Get back here!!¡± Alloy exclaimed. She had sat down on the pile of rocks she was thrown to, she looked at her swords, shaped into black katanas made from Alloy¡¯s drift. The Shadow Drift. It allowed her to create solid objects she could use to fight. She settled on dual swords due to how well they fit her fighting style in the past. Being able to summon them also meant when she was done with them, through a mere thought, they would dissolve into thin air, like smoke from a dying flame. She did so, looked behind at her green haired friend and asked, ¡°She¡¯s gone¡­ what do we tell Soran??¡± Ivy arrived to flick her finger on Alloy¡¯s cheek. Forcing her to wince in the pinch of pain she felt. ¡°That it¡¯s your fault.¡± ¡°MY FAULT??!!¡± Alloy asked. ¡°Yes. You showed up out of nowhere when Lore-san was about to land the final blow to Perilius.¡± ¡°Well¡­ yeah¡­ but¡­¡± ¡°But?? But?? But??.¡± Ivy replied with her usual sarcastic tone. ¡°Look around you, this is totally justifiable. Right??¡± Alloy stopped her train of thought to see what Ivy was saying, aside from her clear sarcasm. She saw a bunch of people as the moonlight shone on the area. Knights of the king were splayed on the ground, some whining in pain, others completely knocked out. A few dead. She sighed with her head down. ¡°I¡¯ll stop her next time.¡± ¡°Sure you will¡­¡± Ivy added. She chuckled. ¡°Hey!!¡± A raspy old voice broke the conversation between the two friends. A horse neighed as an old-like figure stepped down from its back. The two jumped back, startled. ¡°S¡­ S¡­ S¡­ Soran-san??!!¡± ¡°Alloy!! Ivy!! What happened here??!!¡± Their expressions turned pale. Forcing them to deflate as well. Soran was the mayor of the town of Navi, and what had happened recently was the theft of his most treasured item. With Alloy¡¯s interference, they lost it to Perilius. With their heads down, Alloy, holding her left shoulder in her nervousness, spoke. ¡°Uh¡­ you see¡­ what happened was¡­¡± Ivy was better at ripping the band aid off, she stood in, immediately saying, ¡°Perilius stole your sword¡­ we were about to get it back but Alloy interrupted and let her get away with it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m really so¡­¡± Alloy began. ¡°OUCH!!¡± Her apology was interrupted by a punch to her head granted by Soran. Ivy burst out laughing when she also received one. ¡°You¡¯re responsible for this as well!!¡± Soran urged. ¡°OWW!!¡± She said, rubbing her head. ¡°Alloy¡¯s the one who interfered with our business!!¡± ¡°Like you didn¡¯t know that was going to happen!!¡± He sighed, speaking in a normal volume. ¡°That sword is special. Alloy. Ivy¡­ It is a very rare sword, passed to us as a gift and a sign of peace from a country far away. If they ever find out we let it go¡­ it will bring shame upon us all, your father included.¡± ¡°Zed??¡± She said. ¡°CALL HIM FATHER!!¡± Soran demanded, hitting her head. She winced once more. ¡°Why??¡± Ivy asked. ¡°Zed-san adopted her, she has every right to call him what sh¡­¡± ¡°OUCH!! STOP HITTING US!!¡± ¡°Call him King Zedlis-Sama!!¡±Alloy finally got her bearings from the beatings when the events of Soran¡¯s sword dawned on her. She held her head and began speaking. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about your sword Soran-san. I¡¯ll get it back for you. I promise.¡±He sighed. ¡°Even if you could¡­ my swordsman days are over for me. Still. It is important one of us wield it. Not one of those damned followers or anyone else.¡± He gazed at a star that twinkled in the sky, noticing the horizon was near. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. ¡°Anyway, the sun will be up soon. You¡¯d better report back to His Majesty soon, Ivy.¡± ¡°Yeah. But Lore-san is still unconscious. Until he wakes up, we can¡¯t¡­¡± A grunt was heard from among the soldiers who were beaten or cut unconscious. A short, athletic-looking, and toned woman in slimmer than usual shining silver armor had gotten up, her first words from her slightly high-pitched voice were, ¡°The day I¡¯m out of commission¡­¡± she pulled herself up from the ground with her hand. ¡°Is the day I die.¡± She walked three steps before she stood her ground in front of Ivy. Ruffling her hair. She added. ¡°Your commander can¡¯t die this early¡­ who will take charge of these idiots who fell without making a single move??¡± ¡°I will.¡± Ivy replied. ¡°Not like I do.¡± Lore smiled. ¡°I know.¡± One by one, the soldiers of Zephro began waking up, standing, others laying next to the few that lost their lives. They shed tears next to the green grass that swayed left and right by the command of the wind. Some of them struggled, the blood splattered on them was heavier than most believed, than most know. Alloy and Ivy watched the scene, both of them looking at each other for a second. ¡°What are you looking at?!?!¡± They both shouted before looking away again.They felt a wave of emotion course through them. Remorse to be precise. Ivy especially, knew most, if not all of them, seeing as she was second in command for all of that squad. ¡°We¡¯ll see to it that their families are taken care of¡­ any less and His Majesty will punish us.¡± Lore spoke. The wind blew loudly as Soran decided to head back into the town. ¡°Alloy, give my regards to Zed, tell him I will see him soon.¡± The grey haired man with a mid-sized beard, old but still muscular body and a younger looking face than most would expect after hearing that he was a seventy two year old man. He got atop his chestnut brown horse, right on its shiny black leather saddle. Looked at both of them, the rest of the soldiers, and said. ¡°I mourn your soldiers. May they rest in peace. Send my regards to Naja as well.¡± ¡°We will!!¡± Alloy replied. ¡°Say hi to Aunt Eliza!!¡± ¡°She¡¯s in Zeron. You can say hi to her when you get back.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great!! I¡¯ll see her soon then!!¡± ¡°See you later!!¡± Ivy added. Soran waved as he and his horse left.Looking back at the soldiers, they had already placed the dead atop their horses, Ivy¡¯s Commander, Lore had decided to head back to the palace with her party, Alloy and Ivy were waiting for them to get ready. The eerie darkness that shrouded the place, along with the finally settling dust and smoke of the fight that just occurred. The duo watched as the soldiers prepared to leave. Lore was next to her knights, her dark blue hair tied back into a ponytail. ¡°Let¡¯s head back to the palace!!¡± She shouted. ¡°Yeah!!¡± The men and women atop their horses shouted in response. ¡°Alloy, Ivy¡­¡± The duo mounted Ivy¡¯s ebony black horse, silver shoes below his hooves, a great black saddle that held green pillows for their comfort, its mane was exquisite, braided by both Alloy and Ivy whenever they used him to head out to the forest to watch the sun set. They both jumped on him, Ivy saying, ¡°Hey Macha!! I told you I¡¯d be back!!¡± ¡°Back?? Where did you go??¡± ¡°Shut up, Alloy.¡± She said, ignoring her poor sarcasm. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Macha!!¡± She flicked the reins ever so slightly and Macha began trotting along with the rest of Lore¡¯s squad. They were headed directly South from the town of Navi toward the palace. The sounds of clanging metal and trotting hooves filled the air, forcing tiny animals like squirrels on the way to move aside. Ivy led Macha through the numbers of her knights, Alloy right behind her on the same saddle. The three got to the Commander¡¯s position within seconds, what they found was a com-crystal in her hand. A simple blue crystal that everyone in the kingdom used to communicate, it was a crystal that¡¯s sensitive to drifts and foreign energies, engraved with a rune that allowed users to use their drifts to access them at will. The ones given to those who served the king directly, at least in Zephro, were encased in a small golden frame. It glowed and dimmed, like a tiny star¡¯s twinkle¡­ if they were blue too¡­ that is. ¡°Lore-san!!¡± Ivy called as they began trotting side by side. The glowing meant that someone was trying to reach them. It was the palace. Lore answered by using just a flicker of her drift, activating the crystal. ¡°ZED!! YoU¡­ CAn¡¯T¡­ gO¡­. OUT THerE¡­ NoW!!¡± They heard a voice on the other side. Soft, highly pitched but clearly motivated. ¡°That must be Naja¡± Alloy said. ¡°Hello??!!¡± Lore shouted, aware of what was going on already. ¡°Huh??!! Oh¡­ OH!! KING ZEDLIS-SAMA!! THEY ANSWERED!!¡± ¡°REALLY??!!¡± They heard a quick whoosh when the chaotic argument ended. A clear demanding voice had began speaking. The first word boomed. ¡°LORE!!!!¡± ¡°Yes, King Zedlis-sama!!¡±Immediately, his voice changed to a concerned tone. ¡°Are you okay?? Are your squad members okay?! Is Ivy okay?!? IS ALLOY OKAY?!?!?!?!¡± The more questions he asked, the louder the volume got as well. Lore began answering when the king interrupted. ¡°You¡¯ll give me the full report when you get back. I¡¯m sure you won¡¯t be long.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, Sir.¡± Lore answered. The crystal dimmed its light, turning back into the lifeless decorated rock it was on her hands. He looked at Alloy and Ivy, the two were trying to braid Macha¡¯s hair whilst Ivy rode on him. She accidentally moved the reins of the horse, making him move slightly off course. He neighed as they headed for a tree and switched back to the road. Regardless of the startle they got, they laughed. Lore sighed with a smile. ¡®These two will never be separated.¡¯ She thought, and they continued their journey back to the palace. ¡°Alloy!!¡± She called to her. Both of them finished laughing as they looked at him in response. ¡°How will you make up for Soran-sama¡¯s sword??¡± She chuckled. ¡°When I get it¡­ I¡¯ll wield it as my own.¡± She said with a chuckle and a giant smile on her face. After a bare moment of silence, the shock of her words spread through the entire squad. ¡°WHAT??!!??!!¡± They shouted. ¡°Are you serious?!?!¡± Lore asked. ¡°Yeah!!¡± Alloy replied. ¡°HUUUUHHHH?!?!?!?!¡± They shouted again. ¡°Well¡­ he did say its important that one of us wield it. It doesn¡¯t necessarily have to be him.¡± Ivy said. ¡°That twisted logic of yours surprises me every day Ivy.¡± Lore said. ¡°I do my best.¡± She replied with a smile on both hers and Alloy¡¯s faces. Lore chuckled to set the thought aside and soon enough, the shine and glimmer of the great silver palace of the kingdom of Zephro began disturbing them as it usually does. The sun hit them from their left side on the East, morning had arrived, and so did they. The yellow rays hit and reflected the silver pillars that stood between the squad and the palace. Hitting everyone¡¯s eyes as well, and bringing color to the end of one of their dark nights. ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± Lore said. Her horse, Macha, and the others behind them all reining their horses to halt at the entrance. The dust cloud settled faster due to the gusts of wind felt constantly around the palace. The Kingdom of Zephro was a beautiful and thriving country, it had four towns spread across it, all simple looking and beautiful in their simplicity. The palace ,however, was different, it was a giant silver masterpiece, crafted atop literal clouds and woven together by precise streams of lightning that flow in and out like cloth being sewn. The palace floated above a waterfall from the direct stream of the sea, making a straight line on the entire southern side of the kingdom. The first thought one would have is that the palace is secure, they would be right, except that the security begins the minute one enters a 5 km radius within a bridge that connects the land to the palace. Lore stood in front of both silver pillars, the left one reflecting a great difference of light than the one on the right. She took out a silver crystal from a space in her armor, the size of her palm. It looked simple, silver, with carved veins of black running through it. She held it out in between the pillars, letting out a large surge of her drift through it. The cracks in between the crystal glowed blue from the dimmed black. The bridge activated. ZERON The bridge worked in quite an odd but effective manner, the crystal granted to the commanders by the king allowed the constantly active lightning within the clouds to get channeled into one of the two enchanted silver pillars. The left pillar began glowing from its cracks, the same dark blue from the crystal, it called on to the power on the other side of it. As used to it as they were, the knights saw a giant stream of electricity emerging from both sides of the bridge, they caught together in the middle, causing a loud crash, similar to that of thunder. The now glowing silver pillars shot lightning to their right counterparts. Streams of light invaded the space in between the four pillars, creating a solid foothold, large and strong enough for the king''s entire army to leave through it at the same time¡­ it wasn''t advised though¡­ The bridge was complete with blue streams of light on the edges for handrails to prevent people falling over¡­ especially vibrant kids like Alloy. The pillars were enchanted so as to prevent anyone using their own drift to activate a bridge without the king''s crystal. The commanders and the direct staff of the king, who held the power to use them, each had keys that can either open or close the runic channels in the pillar. Activation was complete. * * * * * Perilius was quite an odd fellow, she was determined to please her master and originally, find someone powerful enough to serve her master''s wishes. During her scouting, her plans switched quite a bit once she saw Alloy. She snuck into Soran''s house to steal his sword, when Ivy, who found her eliminating witnesses, called to the knights of the kingdom who were there for different reasons, and the struggle began, not long after, Alloy joined. Since staying that long outside with a stolen treasure was getting riskier, she decided to split. She was definitely stronger than Alloy, but still struggling to use the new sword she stole. She had run to a cave deep in the ends of the South Western side of the island. It didn''t have much, mostly darkness with two different crystals that glowed differently against the corners of the cave. A purple color emitted from a crystal that was cracked. Unlike the king''s keys, this had a red veined web of cracks on it apart from the rune mostly used on it, the mixture of colors turning purple in the event she was called¡­ speaking of which, it began glowing, and she didn''t waste any time picking it up. It glowed greatly and constantly against her fairly light brown skin after she picked it up to listen closely, coloring her red hair a darker shade where the light shone. Her master beckoned. "Master¡­ I¡­" "Did you get her??" A demanding voice, clearly distorted by the many runes etched into the crystal, spoke. "No¡­ not yet master. She is a high profile member of the knights, making it difficult for me to¡­" This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. "Your worries do not concern me Perilius. Do as you are told." "Yes master. I did, however, manage to steal Soran''s blade." A silence struggled to break the tension. "Master??" "Soran''s sword¡­ is it really¡­??" "Yes. Master. µÚÆßÐÇ¿F - Dai Nana Hoshien (The Seventh Star Cross). I stole it, but there lives another swordswoman. One who possesses a shadow drift. I clashed with her more than once while I''ve been here, she proves to be a challenge to us in the future." "It won''t matter. The emperor lives. All who oppose us will not." "Of course. I will set the plans for the mission in motion. It will be done by the next full moon." "Make it so. This time, take your crystal along with the corruption key." The crystal''s shine dimmed almost instantly after the final statement made by the voice on the other side. Peril remained worried as taking both was a signal that it would be her final mission on the island before leaving to return to her master. Her worry was accompanied by the crystals themselves. See¡­ one was the com-crystal, a simple communication device, however, it had two runes etched onto it, the first to communicate, the second to detect lies. Due to the location of the kingdom, the crystal remained incredibly fragile so carrying it was a massive risk in itself. She glanced at the other crystal in the cave. A corruption crystal. These were used often by members of her master''s faction to control certain creatures that she made with her own power and extended the courtesy by granting crystals that could do the job of controlling them as well. The corruption key is a green crystal engraved with quite a few runes. Again, considering the position of Zephro, they only had a max of three uses, three creatures. She had two left. * * * * * Argentum. Silver. Shiny and white. These four words often easily described the palace of the kingdom of Zephro. The shining droplets of dew was clear on the grass fields they trotted through with their horses during the night. Again, as used to things as they were, Alloy and party had finally arrived atop the Zeron bridge, Ivy covered her eyes, placing her right hand above her eyebrow whilst her left rested on her left sword that was attached to her waist. "Sunrise isn''t the same when you''re in the palace." She said. Looking at Alloy. "I don''t think anything is the same when you''re here." She replied. "Yeah, but you''re the princess. You''ve managed to get burned up here longer since we were kids, yet I''m the one who''s darker than you." They laughed. By this time, they were at the stables on the immediate right side of the end of the bridge. "Welcome back Princess!! Noble Commander Lore!!" The guards said as some of them helped the knights settle down. Two walked beside Alloy and Ivy and another three were being commanded by Lore to help how they could. "The king, commander. He wants to see you." "He''ll have to wait for now, I need to find the families of the men and women we lost in the night. They need to be with them." She turned to look at Alloy and Ivy who were already off Macha''s saddle, the others still on theirs were either the dead or the injured being taken to the left side, where the infirmary and the sanctuary were. Lore made sure the two were fine as they headed into the small but Noble town, Zeron, that lie ahead of them along with a couple knights whose families awaited them. At the other end of the small town, which was essentially a straight line through, one of the palace entrances lay there, and that was where Alloy and Ivy were headed. THE KING OF ZEPHRO "Alloy!! Ivy!! You''re back!!" A light bass of a voice spoke. A man shouted from behind the massive palace gates that opened as they walked toward it. He ran toward them, Ivy knowing exactly what was going to happen, she moved two steps to the right. He got to Alloy, who was smiling as she saw him. His fist had closed, with sparks of blue electricity surrounding it quite a bit. "How could you let her take Soran''s sword??!!" He demanded. Instantaneously, his fist landed on Alloy''s head. Sending her to the ground immediately. Head first. Ivy sighed. "She stole it¡­" Alloy said from the ground, she turned her head to breathe better, but smoke just bellowed from her mouth due to the hit. "I tried to fight her for it¡­ but she ran." She got up slowly to look at the giant of a man she called a father, the lean-built 5''2 girl stood upright, her head basically hanging backward to look at the broad-shouldered, athletically built 6''3 tall man. He was dressed in regal yet practical attire, his dark, royal blue coat with silver embroidery and lightning motifs, paired with a silver-lined cape. It was designed for mobility in battle whilst maintaining his great presence. "I told you¡­" She jumped, high enough for him to look at her the same way she did. Her fist was raised. Ivy moved another two steps back. "TO QUIT HITTING ME LIKE I''M A CHILD!!" Alloy''s drift began taking form on her right hand. She just needed its power, not the sword she was used to forming. With her fist holding the ebony, shadow aura of her drift, she landed a hit on his face. He moved back, barely affected by the hit, however, when she was about to land he flicked his index finger down and a stream of lightning shot her from above. Forcing a faster and rougher landing on her face yet again. On the, what used to be green grass, now torched quite a bit, that she was on, she bellowed one last puff of smoke from her mouth and focused her eyes ahead at a simple ladybug laying on a leaf of grass in front of her. She blew on a strand of black hair that blocked her vision, ''luckily'' she thought, it didn''t blow the ladybug away. The next thing she felt was a very soft and calm hand on the top of her head. He squatted next to her. "I can''t use my drift on a child. Let alone my own¡­" "I SAW SPARKS!!" Alloy ranted. "Those were sparks from the power of a father''s love." "They don''t feel like love¡­" Alloy mumbled. The man laughed. Ivy watched him, staying where she was, waiting for the usual situation to end. "Welcome home, Alloy, Ivy!!" Zedlis Ariel, the King of Zephro bellowed happily, as he stood up from his squat next to Alloy. Ivy just smiled while her hands crossed over each other. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. He held his hand out to Alloy. She took it as she got up. In front of them, they heard footsteps from high heels get closer to them. A woman exited the palace to where they were. Closer to Alloy''s height, the 5''7 woman was lean, her dark green, high collared coat with gold embroidery hid the rest of her physique beyond the lean appearance. She had black hair that was cut short, just above her shoulders. A few black strands fell over her forehead to impose a subtly sharp look. Her eyes hold a deep piercing brown color which kept the guards at attention at all times. Her black short skirt and high-heeled boots suited for small but clear movements around the palace helped get everyone''s attention. Including a nervously smiling king in front of her. She barely spoke after looking up and glancing sharply at him. "Naja¡­"Zed tried to speak. "Inside," her sharp-tongued mid-pitched voice spoke. "I¡­ Ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow!!" Immediately, Naja took him by the ear, pinching it and dragging him along with her back to the palace. "I said¡­ Inside." She looked back as she still held the king''s ear, to which, he was wincing in pain. Alloy and Ivy glanced her sharp eyes and moved a step back, startled. "You two, head to your rooms and freshen up, you will find us in the throne hall where this oneee¡­" She said as she increased the pressure on Zed''s ear, forcing him to wince more in pain. "Will be." She finished. The royal guard knights, clad in both golden and silver armor with the same cyclone and lightning symbol as the rest of the knights, began feeling sorry for him as they stood on the massive silver entrance gate, but they couldn''t do anything since they were ironically more afraid of Naja. "We were about to g¡­" Ivy began, but Naja''s sharp gaze forced her to pause. Telling her that she''d be in danger if she did anything else other than what she was told immediately, and in that second. Alloy glanced at Ivy and saw a bead of sweat drop from her head. She took her hand and they ran past Naja, Zed and the royal guards, straight upstairs to the East wing of the palace, where their living quarters and rooms were. Ivy stayed in the palace a bit later than Alloy due to her relentless begging for it when they were children, they were next to each other until she joined the knights of the kingdom, so she stayed in both the barracks that lay before the entrance to the palace and was pardoned to live in the palace as she pleased. She was never tardy so she never had any problems from either side, her Commander Lore, or the King Zed. They got to their rooms, their doors faced each other. They walked through the hall, finally catching their breath. "How the hell is the King''s Advisor scarier than the King himself??!!" Ivy asked. Taking her final deep breaths to stabilize herself again. "I''m sure that''s rhetorical. You''ve lived here." Alloy replied. Her heart rate reducing to a normal pulse. "You''re getting better." She smiled. "Really??" "No." "Aw¡­" Alloy sighed as she slumped her shoulders. She turned to enter her room. "We only have less than 40 minutes to get to the throne room." She said to Ivy. "As you wish, princess." Ivy said, letting out a small chuckle and a mocking courtesy. Alloy turned to close the door, letting out a chuckle followed by an immediate frown on her face. Ivy noticed it, but before she could ask about it, Alloy had already closed the door. Ivy then turned the knob on hers with a frown after the realization of what she had said dawned on her. She entered her room and closed her door as well. THRONE HALL The palace was named Argentum, due to its own presence on the kingdom, its silver color couldn''t be ignored if they tried. The best they could do was find a way to dim the shine of it during the day since at midday, the sun often had a tendency to blind quite a number of people, kids included because¡­ well¡­ every kid wants to stare at something shiny. In the couple minutes they were given, Alloy and Ivy had to report to King Zed''s room. Meanwhile, Lore was finishing up with giving her condolences to the families of the fallen. Regretting her level of power and promising herself that she would definitely be better, should there be a next time. She moved her head so much whilst giving the commands to her soldiers, her dark blue hair, short and always in a ponytail, let itself go, straightened, a bit dishevelled and not passing her shoulders. She had finished her work a few minutes earlier due to someone else who showed up. Every Noble Commander of the king was the last line of defense, and they were only three due to the three towns that needed them, Lore Makin was one of them, another was named Trogan Sohyu, he was the one who showed up, a 34 year old man who towered over most with his 6''0 height. His muscular, imposing build reflected his strength and combat experience. Unlike Lore, he had dark brown short hair that didn''t extend past his ears with his helmet held by the straps on his waist. He had a short beard that ran to the ends of his jaws, his knight armor held both elements of Zephro and another party, a dark blue and silver pattern, designed for more durability than mobility. He was a very good friend to Lore since joining the king''s army and he knew the toll the dead took on her. He had brought his own knights and they all had the families of those who fell in the Sanctuary within minutes after the orders were flying. Trogan had quite the responsibility to deal with since he wasn''t just part of Zephro''s army. Because of this, he refused a commander, a right hand, what Ivy was to Lore. "Thank you, Trogan." Lore said as she walked with him inside the town, toward the palace. "You need a commander. Just pick one." "So I''d have to follow up on someone like you do Ivy??" "Truth be told, they''re supposed to follow up on you. My case is different." "I''ll pass. Besides, Qete-san decided on me staying alone. I''m content with it." "Is she also here today??" "She should be, the Syndicate takes that faction very seriously. If they''re this persistent with Zephro, we might have to take more action to eradicate them." "That''s a bit much for one girl." "One girl, who I just heard, stole a legendary sword that was under your protection." "Well¡­" Lore said, looking up to the west side of the palace. "Alloy¡­ huh??" He chuckled. "No one believes she is a princess. She''s quite the free spirit, isn''t she??" He continued. "She is. But from what Ivy tells me¡­ she still doesn''t feel free." "Unfortunately, it seems the king still can''t fulfill that one desire¡­" By the end of their conversation, they had arrived at the palace entrance. Looking at the shinier than ever royal knight guards still talking about what just happened. The ground was still scorched in one place, killing a tiny patch of grass around the entire green area. There were already gardeners at the scene, digging out the dead and planting new ones. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. "Alloy and Zed-san''s usual spat¡­" Trogan noticed. "How many times will they replace this grass?? The lengths of the leaves no longer match." Lore added. "Let''s go in." He said as they passed the royal guards to enter the palace. They had headed straight for the throne hall on the Northern side of the palace. All they had to do was climb the stairs and head to a room above them. They entered the massive doors leading to the palace. The two found a man standing before the king, ignoring them. They walked and stood beside him. Behind them, right before the doors closed, two people were running toward it. The ebony-black haired girl jumped through the space that was there and made it through before it shut. "Ha! I''m first!!" Alloy declared. The door opened once more. "You''re second last. Look around." Ivy spoke. She did, the throne hall, however massive enough to hold nearly half of one of the noble towns, was graced with the top officials of the King. In the front of the hall were four seats, each lushly made and cared for with the same urgency of attending to royalty. In the center sat King Zedlis Ariel, with his advisor, Naja Xea to his left. A circle of people had surrounded him. And not all of them looked back at Alloy since they all knew how she was. The incomplete circle entailed of three people, the Noble Commanders that led each Noble town, the knights there, as well as the towns beyond the bridges. Someone was missing though. To Alloy''s right were Lore Makin, the Noble Commander in charge of the Noble town of Zeron, the Zeron bridge and Navi, where Soran lived, which all lay in the Northern side of the kingdom. Trogan Sohyu, a Noble Commander in charge of the Noble Rale town, the Rale bridge, and to the Northwest, Gar. Another town. The last one ignored both her and Ivy as well while the doors closed. Kal Nerami was his name. A knight as well, Noble Commander of the Southwestern side of the island, it held the Noble town Aubir, the Aubir bridge, and Autler town to the ends of the kingdom. Qete Arinsa, who was also to be there was different. She wasn''t from Zephro. She belonged to the Arcane Syndicate. A very powerful government faction that oversaw justice in the world. They made deals and treaties with kingdoms in order to keep them protected under their name and force. In Zephro, Qete is the representative of the Syndicate as a Commander, which was a different rank within the Arcane Syndicate. She stayed in Korra, a town to the East of the kingdom where a port made by the Syndicate is where she dominates. Nothing got past her port without her knowing about it. She was highly loyal to Zedlis since he''d been a great king to them too. Ivy took Alloy''s hand to remove her from her gazing position and dragged her to the left side of the room, right next to Zed. Where the princess should seat. She was essentially pushed there and sat. Because Zed was a very informal king, the knights were always confused on what to do before him, so they stuck to the formal full bow from the waist as a formal greeting for the king. He never liked this, especially among his Noble Commanders and ordered them to stay at ease when addressing him. Lore, Trogan, Ivy and Qete always stayed at ease, however, Kal figured he owed the king more than his life, and he was always a bit full of himself, so he always bowed fully before him. "At ease Kal." Zed said. "Sir." He stood, taking a step forward and revealing his unkempt short orange hair, his squared jaw and his not so sharp black eyes. He wore as he wished, a brown leather jacket adorned with the silver cyclone symbol of Zephro on the chest. He paired it with a plain black T-shirt that was barely seen and slightly black pants with brown boots. That was how casual the king of the knights of Zephro was. "How goes Autler?? How''s the mayor??" He asked. "Mayor Balta is well. The town has had no complaints for the past few weeks, sir." "Keep up the good work. And send him my regards!!" "Thank you, King Zedlis-Sama!!" He responded and stepped back where Lore commented. "You don''t have to be that formal when addressing him." He scuffed as she stepped forward. She stood at ease, but had her right hand on her chest, right above her heart to signify her respect regardless of his casual insistence. "My King. My sincerest apologies for making you wait." "Don''t mind it. Tell me what happened last night." "Of course." DEBRIEF The moonlight was all that emitted light during the night. It shone on the windows, damp grass and the shiny armor of the knights from Lore''s squad that had just arrived at Navi to do their usual routine check on the town. Soran was absent as he had escorted Eliza, his wife, to the palace hours earlier. The squad had patrolled the entire town, deeming it safe as they waited for Soran''s return. Suddenly, a knight shouted, signaling a problem somewhere near Soran''s house. The dust blew as Lore and Ivy headed toward him. Upon turning a corner to another street, they found him down and unconscious. Lore ran in after him and a trap was activated beside his body, a small ball that released a gas meant to force its target to sleep. "Lore-san!!" Ivy shouted as she stood at a distance. Watching the quickly dissipating gas to end. "I''m¡­ fine¡­ I have some time¡­ before it gets to me completely." She answered, struggling to stand. A couple knights began shouting and once she noticed, Ivy ran after them, Lore lagging behind. They arrived to find a woman slashing the lot of the knights, they fell, one after the other, some dead, some in pain, others just passed out. "Perilius!!" Ivy shouted. "What are you doing here??!!" "That doesn''t concern you." She said, sheathing the sword that definitely caught both the girls'' attention. "That''s Soran-san''s sword!!" Lore said. Perilius didn''t waste time with it. She began running toward the front entrance of the town where she found a couple knights, ready and waiting for her. Lore figured that she would get past them, so she took advantage of the situation. "Forgive me, my knights." She whispered to herself, disappearing into the town alleys to find a shorter way to the entrance. Ivy followed Perilius from behind. A short sword in her hand. "STOP!!" The knights demanded as they held their swords and lances up. Perilius swiftly drew her stolen sword, slashing through them like they were leaves of grass lined up in a perfect line. They all swiftly fell, just as Lore predicted, but as Peril sheathed the sword, she saw a shadow on the ground. Upon looking up, she saw a girl with black hair launching an attack on her. She also saw another figure above her, Lore, who was charging up an area-wide attack on Peril, sure it would get her. But she noticed the girl, and the girl noticed Lore. "ALLOY??!!" Both Ivy and Lore shouted, the moonlight had betrayed her, shining on her face and revealing who she was to Lore. Lore knew she couldn''t afford to hurt the princess, despite her recklessness. She aimed away from the girls in order to avoid harming Alloy, Perilius took the chance and grabbed Alloy, yanking her to the ground in front of her. Lore was next, Peril had prepared to kick her but she already launched another attack in the split second that Alloy was yanked. ''Impressive'' Peril thought. The attack landed on her foot as she tried to jump away from it, causing her to limp a bit. But she struggled through. Lore landed next to Ivy. She began falling to the ground. "The drug is finally working. That''s one down." Peril said. A smirk tied to her face. "Make sure¡­ she doesn''t do anything stupid." That was the last thing she said before she blacked out. Ivy held her, placing her gently against the ground. When she looked back, Peril was about to launch an attack when Alloy jumped from where she was thrown to attack Peril. From then on¡­ (Read Chapter 1) ***** "Soon enough after that, the fight ended. Perilius got away, and Soran-san had returned." Lore finished. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. "OUCH!!!!" Alloy shouted. Zed''s fist was smoking as he spoke. "You should learn when to join a fight. Interfering almost costed Lore her life." "I''m sorry, Lore." She said, almost weeping but squealing from the pain in her head. Lore simply nodded, setting the thought aside. "At ease," the king said. "I''m glad you''re all back safe, the injured are doing better, I presume??" "Thanks to Eliza-sama''s herbal remedies, most of them should already be up. For the critical, it may take a longer time." Lore replied. "Wait. Eliza is here??!!" Alloy shouted. Her eyes driven wide by the information. "I am, dear." A golden voice spoke as the doors opened. A 5''4 woman with an average build entered. The closer to the king she got¡­ the easier it was to see her. Her love for kimonos remained unmatched. She had styled a white kimono that had patterns of blue roses all around it. It was stretched a bit thin on her chest due to her larger-than-average-sized breasts, but otherwise, she wore it like the royal she was. Her soft eyes slightly brightened the room with the warmth they resonated and her silver hair that blended with white shone very carefully. "Still quite the reckless rascal aren''t you??" She chuckled as she walked toward Zed. The commanders and Ivy bowed slightly as she passed them. Alloy jumped from her seat, shouting "Aunt Ellie!!" to hug her, then they both sat down. Eliza taking Naja''s position as she moved to the one next to her. Eliza was the younger sister to Zed. She was the wife to Soran and they both lived in the town of Navi. "The knights should be okay within the week." She said, confirming Lore''s report. "Thank you, Ellie." Zed said. "Trogan." He stepped forward and held his fist to his chest, bowed slightly and began speaking. His formality was similar to that of Lore. "Your Majesty, Gar has no issues. Mayor Laron is still unwell, but his sickness seems to be holding thanks to Eliza-sama''s herbs. There have been rumors of the night forest experiencing a couple problems with the animals and plants there, but I intend to confirm and eradicate these suspicions tonight." "Alright. I trust you to report immediately you find something." "I will, as usual, your Majesty." "But I know you''ll tell Qete first..." He laughed. "At ease." "Oh! I almost forgot, in case any of you was wondering¡­ because of this incident, Qete herself is busy sending out her men to look for Perilius in the ends of Navi town, that is why she isn''t here. Good work everyone!! You are all dismissed." "SIR!!" The four people saluting in front of him exclaimed at once. Alloy left her seat, trying to run after Ivy but she felt herself go nowhere since Zed had held her back. She fell like she was forced to sit down. "Dear," Eliza began. Alloy looked up at her¡­ "I have to check on that bracelet of yours." "This thing??" Alloy said, lifting her hand to show the complete ebony black bracelet that she had on since she was 8 years old. "It''s fine." "You sure??" "Yes, aunt Ellie, I promise, can I go now??" "Go ahead." She said with a smile. "Ivy!!" Alloy shouted as she ran toward her. "What should we do today??" She asked once she was standing next to her. "I know you''ll find something to do. I have to get to my squad so things like last night don''t happen again." Ivy replied. "Oh¡­" She said, her shoulders slumped in disappointment. "Okay!! I''ll find something to do. I''ll find you at the usual place??" "I''ll be there." Ivy said. She turned and walked, following her commander. Alloy also left. Leaving Eliza and Zed to catch up. EARLIER DAYS, ALLOY & IVYS PAST The meetup Alloy was waiting for was to be at sunset. Her and Ivy always admired the sunset view from a balcony above the knights'' training grounds that were on the Western side of the palace. She had done nothing but eat and walk around the palace all day. Bored as she usually was, the clouds had already claimed the orange hue of the setting sun. ''She isn''t coming today¡­'' She thought. After enjoying a few minutes of the great view she had, she headed to the one place that always allowed her to temporarily live her treasured dream. The Ocean-view terrace that was on the Southern side. The kingdom''s geography was quite odd, as the palace floated above a massive hole they called Nowhere. A hole that never brought back anything it took, the entire Southern side of the island was a massive river, directly from the ocean that flowed and dragged things into Nowhere. She sat down, eating a serving of teriyaki balls, dumplings and mitarashi dango. She loved food, mostly because her excessive use of energy tends to wear her out faster than most when she was alone, but she could never stop eating spherical-shaped dishes. She was addicted to them. So a mountain of such foods was next to her. Beside another mountain of sweeter spherical dishes for dessert. She ate as she began fantasizing. "You are always here when Ivy doesn''t show up to view the sunset with you." Zed spoke, walking toward her from behind. "Yeah, you won''t let me go, so I have to imagine what my life was like before I got here." "Alloy¡­" she said. "Alloy¡­" She repeated. Her voice so low Zedlis could feel the sadness in it, weighing heavier now than every other time she said the same words. "Alloy Vale. My name, the only thing I remember about myself¡­" "You forgot to add Ariel. You are my daughter, you know." He said as he sat down next to her, moving the dessert pile of food to the right since it obstructed his view of the sea. "I know, Zed. I love you like one." She smiled before she got serious again. "But I hate that I can''t leave this kingdom. I wanna find them, I wanna know who they are. I wanna know what I don''t know about the first eight years of my life. Zedlis stood up once more, heading to the rails of the terrace, viewing the dangerous current that led to Nowhere right below them. The wind blew from the height they were on, the sun was still setting from their right, it gave Zed a temporary tan on his cheek. He watched the wave of waters from the river, hitting against the rocks and pieces of land that were on its path to Nowhere. He looked at a certain rock that was being thrown aimlessly in the water as flashes of the day he met Alloy quickly took over his thoughts. ***** Nine years ago, a beautiful sunset, viewed from the Noble town of Aubir. He walked with his sister, Eliza on the edges of the town, viewing the wonders of Nowhere as well as the current that led to it. At least Eliza did, Zed just joined her that day. As they viewed the river to nowhere, he saw the usual small pieces of rock until he looked closer, and he witnessed another rock-like figure that was slowly being dragged into the abyss, but upon Eliza''s view, due to her drift, ¾«šÝ Seiki - Essence, she was able to sense the life force of others as well as their drifts. This is what made her an efficient healer by making herbs that coincide with the patient''s own life force, ensuring healing nearly to perfection. Making her one of the most treasured members of the kingdom, aside from the fact that she was a royal. Eliza sensed a feint life force from the river, confirming it wasn''t another rock. She urged Zed to go check it out. With his lightning fast speed, he caught the figure and brought it back in a matter of seconds. He landed right in front of Eliza, took her as well, and went straight to the palace terrace. Her eyes widened as she saw a girl, carefully placed to the ground by Zed. Aside from the care they wanted to give the cute girl in front of them, they both felt a very strange and dark power emitting from her, it was dim, but it was there, and it nearly terrified Eliza. Zed rushed to get some of her herbs which she used quickly to create a small energy remedy to bring the girl back from the edge of death. She gasped for air as she got up. Confused, lost, and very scared, the girl began shaking. "W¡­who¡­ are you??" She began, shuddering from the cold. "She''s so cute!! Isn''t she??" Zed shouted. Startling the girl who then squealed and ran to a corner of the terrace that was definitely too high up for a child. "You''re scaring her, Zed. Keep your voice down!!" Eliza demanded. She began walking slowly toward her, with her arms wide to show zero hostility. "What''s your name dear??" She asked her with the oh so gentle voice she had. "A¡­ Alloy¡­ Alloy¡­ V¡­ Vale¡­" The name startled them both. "Alloy Vale¡­ what a beautiful name!!" Eliza said. "Who gave it to you??" "I¡­ I¡­ don''t know¡­" "Oh¡­" She said, looking at Zed with remorse, as well as an idea as to what was going on. "What do you remember before this??" She asked. "I¡­ I don''t know¡­" the scared voice of a little lost girl echoed through the royal siblings'' hearts a lot more than it did their ears. After Eliza made her a bracelet to hide the signature of the strange and dark hostility within her, the two decided to ask for Soran''s help in deciding what to do, he was already married to Eliza at the time and he was more knowledgeable about the world outside Zephro than anyone else. In their consultation, the three decided to keep her, because the girl, as well as the dark essence Eliza sensed needed to be monitored quite a bit. But all that changed within a year. Alloy had spent it staying in the palace away from others and the public. Zed, however, took a very keen liking to her. She began copying him, his behaviors, his silly personality, she''d even order the guards around her like he did. In no time, Zed realized that he loved her, and he wanted her to know more than just silver architecture. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. Exactly a year after he found her, he declared her his daughter and the heir to his throne when she turned 9. The kingdom, of course, didn''t have an issue with this since he was trusted by all, they rejoiced heavily, but Eliza and Soran rushed immediately to find out why Zed would make such a decision. He only told them to trust him, and he made Soran her official teacher soon after learning of her drift as well as her dual sword affinity. Alloy trained everywhere, in the palace, in the knight training grounds, and in different places in the kingdom with Soran. When she turned 10, she was a tiny embodiment of Zed''s free personality, learning how to fight from Soran, and just enjoying time with Eliza. The same year, she got another friend, Ivy Nequria, a small green-haired girl who was brought from a foreign land and didn''t want to go back because of reasons she always refused to say. Soran and Eliza decided to stay with her due to her clear trauma for the first few months, Alloy used to visit quite a lot to train and try be friends with her whenever she saw her, as two lost girls, they managed to find a way forward within each other, they bonded after months of being at odds. And soon enough, two years later, when they were both 12, Alloy insisted on her staying in the palace, which was no problem for everyone else involved. They both continued to grow, Ivy joining the knights of Zephro and meeting another mentor, Lore Makin. They also bonded as Ivy rose in status till she became an elite knight, next in line to be Noble commander after Lore. Alloy, however, couldn''t be a knight even if she was interested. She had a dream and a goal. To find her parents, to find where she came from, to know her true history. Unfortunately, due to zero information about her parents in her years in Zephro, she knew her only choice was to head out into the world and figure it out for herself. When she asked Zed if she could go, he refused on the basis that she wasn''t nearly strong enough to survive the endless dangers of the world. After more arguing, it enraged her so much that her bracelet cracked, and the signature of power that Zed hadn''t felt since the day he met her went berserk. It was like she was driven with an intent to kill. However, since she had only confronted Zed, who managed to hold her down, overpowering her without hurting her and within a few hours of him literally keeping her in an immobile position, Eliza had arrived to reinforce it. The silver turned to a darker, more matte color. They thought they had an idea of what the power was after seeing the features it granted her. She was slightly aware of her hidden power from then on, and she was given a warning by Zed. Should she ever go out of control in front of people who don''t know about her ability, she would have to get banished. As a 12 year old girl, she took the warning as seriously as Zed''s tone was when he declared it. However, she threw one more tantrum that evolved into anger when she was 15, and again, she was lucky Zed and this time, Ivy were the only ones present. Since Ivy was basically a sister to her, Zed didn''t reinforce the rule. But after it was resolved, her bracelet was changed to one that was completely matte black, one of the highest leveled runes Eliza could use was placed on it, however, it was placed with a repair function as well, one that could reattach itself to Alloy or repair its power in case of a simple crack or even if it shatters. It would put itself back as long as Alloy didn''t give in to the hostile power within her. ***** Zed''s memory caught up with him, he knew she had gotten stronger since he first said she wasn''t strong enough, so he decided to test it, the same way they had since she was 12. He looked back at her, removing his hands from the rails. "You wanna spar??" He asked. "Really??!!" The shine in Alloy''s eyes sparkled too much, like he was staring into another setting sun with naked eyesight. "It''s been a while. I want to know how far you''ve come." "Let''s go, old man!!" She said. Finishing both hills of food immediately. "Old?!" The emotionally injured man stood in his tracks, "I don''t look a day over 45 and you know it." She laughed, her expectations were met perfectly. "I knew it," he added, "I can''t believe out of the few people who treat me like another human being, my own daughter is also the one reminding me how old I am¡­ would you stop laughing??!!" "I can''t help it, I see it every day! Plus it''s one of the only times you''re serious about a joke." "Quit it." The king said with a smile. They both talked as they moved to the king''s personal training room on the first floor of the western basement, almost directly below the knights training grounds. ZED鈥橲 TRAINING ROOM Close to the palace, in the sanctuary of the Noble town Zeron, Lore and Ivy were paying their respects to their fallen. Tears fell, cries were heard, maybe even a few of the chairs flipped over. Promising to do and be better should there be a next time. Ivy left the sanctuary to see the illuminated crystal lights of the town giving off enough light for her to immediately notice. Her head was down, sad that she couldn''t join Alloy for that evening, but she had an idea of how she would make up for it. She couldn''t head to the palace again until her patrol was over and done with. She wondered why, considering Qete''s men already covered quite the area in Navi. "COMMANDER LORE!!!!" A voice ran toward them, interrupting her thought process. The knight was clearly from Trogan''s squad. Evident by the fact that no one else really took to asking for Lore''s help, unless the king himself ordered it, that is. "Yes??" Lore said, walking out of the sanctuary as well, but still in tears. As a commander, she knew her duties, she knew accepting death was part of them. But because of how she grew up¡­ death has always had an effect on her processing toward it, forcing her to tear up and sometimes even weep for hours on end, despite knowing the deceased for a few days. Her tears were held back whilst in front of the king, but she just let them go after she arrived to see them, after the families had gone home with a promise to handle their burials with the greatest care for them. Ivy gave her a tissue that she took quickly as the messenger told her the news. "Commander Lore!! Commander Trogan asks for your assistance!! We have gotten word of the Night Forest being cut down rapidly and randomly." "Did they see anyone??" "No. But the forest has an odd glowing pulse, it is feint, but we wish to investigate it right now. Trogan-san is waiting for your signal." "Signal??" She asked. Just then, a loud sound, the sound of thunder, emerged from her left, slightly far away where the bridge that led to Gar was. Yes. It was already activated. Upon hearing this¡­ Ivy had an idea of what was going on. "He told me to tell you that this is not a request. He is already activating the Rale bridge as we speak." "Yeah, I can see that." Lore replied. "Ivy, get a few knights who didn''t join us last night. If that is Perilius, we''re taking back that sword." "Okay." She said as she ran toward the barracks. It wasn''t far, just a few minutes of walking was enough. At the same time, Eliza was leaving the palace. Her business with Zed had concluded, and she was on a night stroll since she didn''t see the point of heading back to Navi at night when she also has a room in the palace. She saw Ivy head into the barracks, and waited for her to get out. She didn''t take any time, she ran in, shouted the commander''s orders, and ran out to bump into her. "E¡­ Eliza??" She said. "What''s all the commotion about??" She asked with her gentle smile. "We may have found Perilius, we are headed to the Night Forest to find out." "Are Trogan and Lore racing again??" "What do you think??" Ivy said, slightly nervous and completely sarcastic. Eliza chuckled it off. "Okay, how are Lore''s wounds??" "They have healed completely thanks to the oil you gave her." "I''m glad, you may go." "Great," she looked back and made only two steps before she asked. "What''s Alloy doing right now??" "I''m not sure, but Zed did say he was going to her after I spoke to him." This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. "Thanks." She said, running off to the stables as fully armored knights followed from the barracks. Eliza didn''t see the need to interrupt Alloy and her father''s time with this update, so she decided on what to do. She moved to the guards of the Zeron bridge, right next to Lore and her party as they got ready to leave in a mere five minutes. Lore activated the bridge with the key, and since another bridge was already opened, the currents were moving faster around the entire palace, forcing an almost immediate activation of the Zeron bridge. From that distance, Lore could already see a cloud of dust from the dry sands of the path to Gar that extended to its right, making a path to the Night Forest as well. Trogan and his party had already started their journey to the forest. "Let''s go, everyone!!" Lore ordered. "YEAH!!" They roared in response. And they left, Lore ahead with her horse, Ivy to her right, atop Macha, and a small band of knights behind them. Eliza stayed next to the guards at the entrance so she could see the two competing commanders. ''Noble commanders who compete like children.'' She thought as she sighed. ''Zed, this is your fault. You''ve made this place so peaceful over the decades.'' She chuckled, walking toward the rocks near the edge of the Noble town. Some of the guarding knights began worrying for her safety, asking the other what to do. He decided to simply ask. "Eliza-sama¡­" "Yes??" She replied, distracted from her thoughts. "A¡­ are you okay??" "Yes. Why do you ask??" She stood. "B¡­ because¡­. you''re on the edge of the town!!" The knight exclaimed, shaking, fearing for his life should anything happen to the king''s sister while on his watch. "Please¡­ please move back. I will assist you." He said, making two very minimal steps toward her. "I''m okay. Thank you, dear." She replied, facing the other side and sitting. Confused¡­ he had to ask. "Eliza-sama, may I ask why??" "What do you mean??" "Why are you sitting here specifically?? We could bring you a chair on solid ground." "No thank you, come here." "Huh?? Why??" "You ask a lot of questions dear, get over here and watch with me." He walked toward her and when the view was clear enough, his realization caught him dumbfounded. ''Is¡­ is she watching the commanders race??!!'' "Who do you think will win??" She asked him. "HUUUUUUUHHHHH??!!" The knight thought out loud. Three other knights arrived to check what was going on after the bridge closed. "I think Lore will win¡­ she''s lighter and her horse is the fastest in her entire squad." He replied. "Good." She turned her head to them, smiling, she looked at them with a sideways angle and asked, "Do you guys gamble??" "WHAT??!!??!!??!!" They all shouted in surprise. ***** The two arrived at the king''s training room, access was only granted by either Zed''s drift, or direct access from Naja. He wished to do this more often, spar¡­ it was a way to know what each other was feeling, building more of a connection between two duelists than an urge to win, however, Alloy mostly wished to win in order to prove her power to Zed. She loved him as a father, but it was sad, knowing he was the same obstacle to a chance at her dream. She skipped to the room in excitement, sure that she had a new chance at proving her strength. The doors to the room opened after Zed placed his hand on the obsidian wall next to it. Alloy had been there many times before, it was a form of Zed''s parenting, since she couldn''t listen during her tantrums, she opted for fighting him, given she was beaten every time, she got to understand a bit where Zed''s feelings and reasoning lay. He never said no without a reason, and she came to know this later on¡­ thing is¡­ she sometimes didn''t care what the reason was. The luminescent room glowed all sorts of barrier runes on the entire obsidian surface. It covered the top to the bottom as well as side to side, the runes were made by Qete, Naja and Eliza working together. Qete had a serious affinity to runes, Naja knew how best to design the room, and Eliza had to make sure the essence of the king''s drift was perfectly balanced within the runes so as to prevent the need for constant repair. The runes were etched into the obsidian walls, capable of absorbing and stabilizing Zedlis'' power and preventing collateral damage. He mostly trained alone, to make sure his abilities and skill stayed on par with the kingdom''s reputation. The two walked toward each end of the room. "Zed¡­ why don''t we have guilds in this country??" Alloy asked. Preparing a slight stance with her feet. "I''ve never told you??" He asked. Sarcastically. He didn''t need a stance, he was free. "Don''t start¡­" "Well¡­ you aren''t a child anymore," He said as he signalled her to come at him. "Land a hit on me and I''ll tell you." He held out his hand. "And this time¡­" A silver and golden spear formed purely from lightning on his palm. He gripped it and twirled it around his fingers. "It''ll be harder than before." He said. Hitting the spear''s bottom on the ground with a loud thud. It fuelled her, her eyes sharpened, dulling the blue that made them sparkle with her happiness. Her hands began emitting shadows like smoke from a flame, the shadows then formed themselves into two katanas which she gripped with determination more than her skill. With her stance ready, she lunged straight at Zed. THE NIGHT FOREST "YOU LEFT BEFORE US!!" Lore snapped at Trogan as she dismounted her hazelnut brown stallion. "You know how this race works, you were too slow." Trogan taunted. In her anger, she drew her lance and tried to pierce his shoulder with a quick thrust. A loud clang echoed through the forest. "Lore-san, you know you can''t pierce him, he''s trained his drift that much." Ivy said as she dismounted from Macha. "Your Iron Defense drift is annoying. How many layers was that??" Lore asked, lowering her lance. "I''ll never tell. It''ll only give you a goal to kill me." He said, laughing. Lore clicked her tongue, disregarding it. The silence from the loss of the race was broken by the crackling of a branch. The knights all immediately readied themselves, facing all directions. They heard a sound coming from the left, they checked, right, they checked, ahead, the same, behind, the same. In no time at all, Lore and Trogan knew. "We''re surrounded." They said simultaneously. Ivy and the knights held their stances to prepare for anything. In the shadows ahead, they heard the tapping of footsteps. They were slow, forcing them to focus on their sound and direction. It came from the East, where Trogan had covered. Suddenly, out of the shadows, came out a tiny stick figure, a literal, made-out of sticks figure. "What is that??" Trogan asked. "It looks like it was made from these trees, someone must be here," Ivy said as she walked toward it. It turned and ran back into the forest. Surprised, they all just stood there, however, they heard a few screams to their right, their concentration was dulled due to the decoy. Looking back, four knights were down, beaten unconscious. Everyone was on their guard. Some with shields and spears, others with swords, and the commanders ready with their weapons, Trogan wielded a blunt sword and a circular shield. He despised cuts, preferring to knock sense into his enemies with them. Lore raised her lowered lance, its tip facing the sky and her right hand on its leather-wrapped grip. Ivy wielded Tactical Wakizashi, two straight, single edged short swords that while they almost resembled katanas, they needed a different learning style to use them. Her sheaths were on her back, parallel to each other, one was upside down while the other, she could arm herself with from behind her head. She held her right sword upright, the left was switched so the back of the blade was aligned with her outer arm. They all held a stance. "Lore-san!! To your left!!" Ivy warned. Just then, three human sized stick figures jumped from the shadows, revealing their actual form. Eerie, human-shaped entities that were definitely from recently cut trees seeing as the air around them carried the scent of freshly cut wood¡­ tinged with something unnatural, something wrong. If all the knights could feel it, they''d know, however, Ivy held a power that got through to the monstrosities, the nature-based drift resonated within her, a power that admittedly, was inferior compared to the people she grew up with, but she used it as effectively as she could, mostly when she had to. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. The sticks lacked flesh, faces, or any true human features, just shifting, creaking wood bound by an unseen force. Their limbs twisted and snapped into place as they began walking toward Lore. She was terrified. ''What the hell are these things??'' She thought. Noticing that they were unarmed, she glanced at the fallen knights, two of them had arrived in front of her face by this time. Chills were sent down her spine, the two wooden figures simultaneously struck where she was, she jumped to avoid them, thinking. ''They did that to the knights without a weapon??!!'' Her anger sparked, she raised her lance, aiming at both of those things, she roared in anger as she flung the lance, hitting one of them in the head and skewering the other in the process. The two figures were down for the count. The one that stayed behind began running toward Ivy. Its footsteps sounded like branches scraping in the wind, it was hunched and a bit larger than the other two. Lore believed it saw Ivy as an easier target. It was wrong. With its thorny branch fingers, it charged toward her. She was already in a stance, all she had to do was unleash an attack. The air around her got heavier, the knights around her feeling the tension, as well as the power, her green eyes sparkled under the moonlight. She had her swords in the same position, she released her left sword from the grip of her hand, and it floated in the air. "Kaiten" (»ØÜž) - Spin." She breathed. The blade began rotating clockwise right below her. It was so fast the air around it began whistling, the grass that grew to its level was completely shredded. "GO!!" She commanded, her left fingers pointing the large figure. The spinning blade raced to the figure''s knees, shredding its wooden legs completely, as the running figure began flying due to its already gained velocity, Ivy switched stance, taking a lower position closer to the ground. Once it got right above her, she chanted. "Kizami no Tsubaki (¿Ì¤ß¤Î´») ¨C Camellia of the Rising Edge." With the sword gripped to her right palm, she shot upward, the knights watching nothing happen but her body pass through the figure''s body, her green hair flowed with the wind as she stayed motionless in the air for a second. Upon viewing the figure, its entire body was shredded, cut to multiple pieces as she landed on the ground. The next event to occur wasn''t far. Another figure had jumped from the shadows with its arm stretched out. It went right past ten knights, dropping them all at once. But it didn''t stop. It''s true target was their commander, Trogan. In a flash, the figure stopped, causing a massive blow of wind around the area. It had its sharply blade-shaped arm on Trogan''s stomach. "Trogan!!" Lore called out. "Don''t worry, Lore, it didn''t manage to get through even half my layers!! He reassured her. He grunted as he dropped his weapons, picked up the stick figure, and let out a battle cry, feeling the deaths of his knights, before shooting it to the ground with his bare hands. It broke in pieces of twisted wood, as expected of one of his brute moves. His armor clanged as he picked up his weapons again and stood upright, ready for the next threat. "These are pathetic compared to hers¡­" A voice echoed through the forest. A voice Ivy and Lore knew and loathed all too well. "Perilius." Ivy deemed. "Those seemed to disturb you lot. Why not try that again?? See what happens¡­" Her words ended with the sound of the fallen pieces of wood rattling on the ground. They then shot a bunch of vines and roots toward each other and literally reformed themselves to what they were. Others began emerging from the shadows, snapping into frame, getting ready for round two. The knights were shocked. They stood their ground, but some of them began shaking. Lore''s eyes were completely driven wide by shock, her teeth grit, she had never seen such things before. She didn''t know what Peril''s drift was, but she had a feeling this wasn''t it. The one question ringing in everyone''s minds was spoken out by her. "WHAT THE HELL ARE THESE THINGS??!!" PERIL鈥橲 GOAL Debris was already flying, sparks of lightning landed on surfaces, almost disintegrating them entirely before the runes stepped in to do a full immediate repair. The black-haired girl had jumped back after trying a few attacks on him. He covered the distance instantly by throwing his spear. It shot across the room like it was late, but it arrived, deflected by the sword wielded on Alloy''s left hand. Her sharp eyes getting sharper as she read the movements of Zed, or, at least tried to. He moved so fast it was like seeing a blur every time she could glimpse him. ''Behind!!'' She deduced. Turning to clash weapons with him, he had his spear raised, ready to cut whatever was in front of him, Alloy was the target. He saw her place her swords above her to defend, and he smiled, shooting down from the air to a loud clang with Alloy''s swords. She wasn''t strong enough to handle the force he brought with his attack, in turn, it forced her to fall down face first along with her swords that began dissipating from the lack of concentration. Zed stood right in front of her lending her a hand to get up. She took it, helping her up to bring them both to a squatting position. They smiled. Alloy because she missed fighting someone she can''t beat, as well as her other goal¡­ and Zed because he saw how far she had come along. They stood up. Jumping to opposite ends of the room. He flung his spear, its force deliberately lessened to keep from injuring Alloy. She deflected it with a sharp parry, the impact carrying her into a back flip before she landed lightly, adjusting her stance. The moment her feet found stability, she lunged forward. Zed mirrored her movement, their weapons colliding in a shower of sparks, the force of the clash sending them both skidding back to their starting positions. Zed struck the ground with his spear, splintering the earth beneath them. Fragments of stone shot upward, but before they could settle, he spun his spear with practiced ease, his drift amplifying its motion. The weapon blurred, stirring the air into a focused whirlwind that lifted the broken shards and sent them hurtling toward Alloy. She reacted instantly, flipping backward and catching herself on her hands, her legs snapping out to deflect the flying debris. Two stones shot back toward Zed with pinpoint precision, but he moved faster, slipping through the barrage untouched. They met in the center again, exchanging three rapid clashes, the force behind each strike pushing them back in equal measure, Alloy pushed a few feet further. On the third impact, both slid to a stop, a beat of stillness passing between them before identical grins flickered across their faces. "What''s wrong?" Zed asked with a smile. "Regretting calling me old??" The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "Never" Alloy grinned back. "We''ll see about that." Without hesitation, they lunged once more, the fight far from over. ***** Meanwhile, the Night forest was undergoing its biggest threat yet. Lore, Trogan, Ivy and the rest of the knights were busy dodging and trying to counter the attacks of the figures that were launched on them. In a span of three minutes, half the knights were wiped out. The air changed, the smell of fresh wood now had a better tinge of something else, even fresher blood. Ivy and the commanders were furious, they had tried launching multiple attacks on the figures, but they kept coming back, however, Ivy destroyed one of them thrice, and to her surprise, the hunk of wood never rose again. "Lore!! Trogan!! Their lifespans are limited!! Destroy them thrice!!" She urged, dodging the fist of another. The commanders took note of this and began focusing on the same opponent more than twice. They were shocked as well. "Oh¡­ they all have different lifespans!!" Peril''s voice echoed once more. Lore clicked. She was beginning to get fed up with the game. Trogan as well. He had fought at least four of those things, holding them back as they just regenerated and arrived again. Lore looked at him. Her eyes in awe of what she was seeing. Trogan had been attacked only by piercing attacks, what was odd about it was that specific areas were being targeted. His iron defense was strong, but should anything be exposed to enough pressure enough times, it could easily pass through to the other side. "Trogan!! Watch your defense!! Those patterns are the same. One of those things might pierce you." "Don''t worry about it!! Like I said. They can''t even get through half my layers. On your right!!" He replied. Lore countered another figure, kicking it o the ground before impaling its head, splitting its wooden frame to pieces. Just then Perilius emerged from the shadows, trying to catch Lore off-guard, she swung her sword at her, Lore noticed a second earlier and raised her lance, its shaft blocking the attack with a loud clang. They both reacted equally, Lore jumping back, right next to Ivy, Peril jumping back into the trees. "They are called Kareki. Beings of my master''s power." Her voice echoed once again. "Why are you doing this??!! What do you want from Zephro??!!" Lore demanded. "You mean apart from this sword??" "You would be long gone by now if the sword is all you wanted." Ivy said. "You have a point. No matter. She''ll love it once I go back with you." Their eyes widened. The sound of her words catching them off guard. "What would you want with Ivy??!!" Lore demanded, her eyes sharpening. "That''s what I wanna know." Peril said, her evil chuckle echoing through the forest. "But I can''t until I take her." "That''s not happening!!" Trogan ordered as he destroyed the last of the ones surrounding them. "We''ll see." A bead of sweat ran down Ivy''s forehead, reflecting her green hair, there was no reason for her to be considered special, it was clearly embedded in her life before she landed on Zephro. But her concerns were now different. Both her and Lore knew Peril wouldn''t have lured them there alone without a plan. Something else was coming, and they needed to prepare for it.