The Red Glaive

Back above the caverns in the training grounds, all the adepts got back to the sword. With Caius gone, they all seemed much more eager to prove themselves. Most wanted to try the new Branded adepts. No one ever succeeded.

That day, Aeria sat on the side of the arena observing. The new adepts were keen with the sword. It seemed that they too had been trained, only apart from the other adepts. They enjoyed showing off their strange powers to their brethren. They could be standing in one spot, then they’d bring their clenched hand up, mark glowing, release, then they’d vanish and be somewhere else. During their sparring matches it was usually behind their opponent, or somewhere else they wouldn’t expect. Once, when Nanbe was having a go, Ruburm randomly appeared above him striking him down before he even knew what hit him.

More fearsome still, was their ability to blow them away any danger. Whenever anyone was close to delivering a winning blow, a simple swipe of their hand and massive gust of wind exploded from their palm stronger than any gale wind Aeria had ever seen. Anyone in direct contact was blown far away.

There were other things too. Things they kept to themselves. She knew this because the first time she had seen their master his eyes were glowing, working a strange magic. Glaive Master Arcan Hominem liked to wear his hood despite there being absolutely no reason to. His eyes were no longer glowing under the hood and her pendant stayed cool.

“You’re not up for a rematch?” Ven said coming up to where she sat on a bench on the training grounds. The gaggle of girls were still there despite there the squires being elsewhere. They waited for hoped to see Caius now though he was gone now too.

“Some other time maybe.” Aeria said. Ven shrugged and accepted Griffo’s challenge. It didn’t end very well at all for Griffo.

Aeria stayed watching on that bench that day until she spotted Bara out of the corner of her eye sitting on the bench with her. “We’re already headed back.” Niko’s voice said. “Everyone is well.” Message sent, Bara slinked off the bench and vanished in the bushes.

“You’re not going to send something back?” Arsene pipped from a branch above her.

“No.” Aeria replied. She’d let them find out about their new brothers when they arrived. “What do you know about my new brothers?”

“Only that you should be wary of them.” he said as he had before.

After all her lessons Aeria returned to her room. It was the weekend, meaning she’d have to go to the shrine but it was custom now to take a break at her room with everyone. Caius would always try and convince her to stay go to the taverns with him while Niko protested and Telfer encouraged him to go. It was strange coming back to an empty room knowing that Caius was far away. It made her heart heavy. She had to remind herself that he was already coming back.

She left early then, to the shrine. Even Elyon was surprised to see her before the sun went down. “There’s a little girl three doors down, she fell off a tree chasing a cat. She broke her leg pretty badly she’s yours tonight, after you’re done we’re short on flasks and the sages are coming to collect tomorrow morning so get to work on that.”

Aeria nodded and got to work.

The girl was named Marina and she was sobbing when Aeria walked in, her mother tried futilely to calm her. It was the bone had splintered down the middle, and at one point had jutted out on the side of her calf; the open hole where the bone once was was still there. Someone had rushed to get a splint on it and that prevented a lot more damage. The girl did eventually calm when Aeria allowed her light to flow into her leg. It was soothing enough to put the girl to sleep as she worked. Bone was always the hardest to heal and took the longest.

Elyon always instructed her to make sure to align the bones as she healed or they would heal crooked. Thankfully, whoever had put the splint had aligned the bone themselves though they had not been gentle and caused a lot of tissue damage. That was alright since tissue was easier to heal. Still, the bone alone took Aeria will into the night to heal. By the time she was finished both Marina and her mother were asleep. They’d be allowed to leave in the morning.

Exhausted, Aeria returned to the center hub to find Sister Olia behind the counter checking the books. “I believe you’re making flasks.”

“Where’s Elyon?”

“Hall of the Fading I believe. There’s an old duke in the throws of death currently. His whole family is with him.” Olia said. “Stubborn old man refuses to just let go.”

Aeria didn’t say anything. She didn’t want to go into the Hall of the Fading, it only reminded her of the time she helped a man die. Even though Elyon would eventually make her do it again, for now she could avoid it by avoiding that hall entirely.

Retreating back into the shrine and out of the medical bay, Aeria found most of the sisters frantically creating flasks. It was their main source of income. The sages would take them and fill them so that knights could borrow the gifts of the gods. A portion of that coin was sent back to the shrine. Considering how sages behaved, something told her, that the sages were keeping the lion’s share of the coin.

When Aeria returned to the caverns after an exhausting weekend she found Set waiting by the door to her room. “We see land!” Caius’ voice boomed from the tiny fox. Any exhaustion she might’ve felt vanished in that moment as she raced down to the harbor.

The ship was already in the harbor when she got there and Caius, Niko and Telfer could be seen up on deck laughing with the captain of the ship as the deck hands unloaded crates of goods from Mollia, Durus and Aeria even spotted a red sigil of Aestus. The ship returned with a lot more than it had carried out.

“Ariel!” Niko’s voice rang out from the deck when he spotted her then rushed out to greet her with a massive hug.

“You’ve all still got your limbs I see.” Aeria said looking them all over and was thankful they were all alright.

“Everyone is still themselves too.” Telfer said coming to them. Aeria made to hug him too but he stuck out his arm in getting instead. “No corruption.”

“Did we miss anything?” Caius said wrapping an arm around Aeria’s neck and pulling her close. The scent of the sea was still on him.

“Idiot!” Aeria said pulling herself away and Caius laughed heartily. Then she thought of her new brothers and all the strange feats they could preform, the said, “You didn’t miss a thing.”

Imagine Caius’ surpse the next day on the training grounds when came across Ven and Rubrum who seemed to ge be getting all the attention from both their peers and the ever increasing gaggle of girls who now had bleachers built for them to accommodate them all.

“Who are these people?” Caius asked Aeria who only shrugged. Inside, she was laughing. Knowing Caius, she knew he'd try to measure these new Adepts by challenging them to a sword fight. It was his way go get to know someone.

It took him all of ten minutes for him to run up to Ruburm who was relishing in the attention he was receving from a particularly busty brunette.

:U nyst be missing something, who exactly are these strangers?” Telfer said looking on.

Niko, who had been sparring with Eddval, had returned in time to hear him ask. “You mean you don’t know?” he sai. “Havent you seen the brand on the back of their hands?”

“What brand?”

“The King’s Brand!” Niko said.

“Well, they’re all the way over there? Who am I supposed to see that far!”

Niko laughed, but his smile faded when he saw Caius offer Rubrum a sword. “Does he know?”

“No.” Aeria could barely contain the smile on her face. She knew what was coming, Caius sure didn’t.

“Should we tell him?”

“Tell him what?” Telfer cut in.

“You’ll see.” Aeria said watching from across the training grounds.

Everyone had stopped to watch. No one willing to tell Caius of their new brothers’ abilities. They all wanted to see how he would react and if the unstoppable Caius would finally fail.

Rubrum took a defensive stance, with his sword at his side but ready to move in reaction. Caius was weary but his impulsive nature made him charge wildly straight at Rubrum.

He didn’t even get within striking range when Rubrum raised his hand and that massive gust of wind exploded out his hand. Caius tumbled backwards. Rolling awkwardly as the gust pushed him away.

Just when everyone thought it would be over before it began, Caius dug his dulled blade deep into the dirt of the training grounds, silencing everyone. Caius clutched onto that blade as if his very life depended on it.

Seeing this, Rubrum walked forward - gust growing stronger out his palm - as if to will Caius to let go, but he did not. Finally, Ruburm seemed to tire and he dropped his hand, the gust fading from existence.

Caius stood as if the force of the wind hadn’t even fazed him and Ruburm brought up his sword ready to meet Caius’. It was Ruburm who made the first move, hoping maybe that Caius couldn’t compose himself in time, but this was Caius.

Their swords meet with an awful ‘clang’ that shook the grounds. Every strike Caius met, and it became clear who the better swordsman was. Rubrum seemed surprised. Maybe he didn’t expect this much of a fight. Perhaps he thought Caius would balk at that first show of force, everyone else had.

It didn’t matter, Ruburm parried then stepped back to put some distance between the two of them, raised his hand - the brand glowing - then released and he was gone. Caius who was already rushing to meet him stopped mid step.

Rubrum was there suddenly behind and to the right of Caius, sword already coming down.

Caius saw him out of the corner of his eye, just in time to drop to the floor to give himself an extra millisecond to react. He brought his sword up just in time to catch Ruburm’s. Then, before Ruburm could pull away Caius kicked his legs from under him. Then positioned his blade so that Ruburm would fall on it.

If this was a real blade, Ruburm would’ve been impaled though the chest. This blade was blunted. Ruburm grunted as his chest made contact painfully against the dull blade then fell to the side clutching his chest in pain.

Caius stood, picked up his sword and pointed the tip down at Ruburm who raised his hands. “Alright, alright you win. I yield.”

The girls on the bleachers cheered as Caius emerged victorious. Everything was back to normal.

“All I’m saying is you could’ve warned me.” Caius said as they tired to bond down in the arena.

“I was hoping they’d knock your ego down a few pegs.” Aeria responded. Their time apart had done their working bond no favors. It was taking Aeria some time to gain Caius’ fire again.

“I’m the humblest man here!” Caius said.

“‘Greatest swordsman of this generation’ is what you said.” Aeria retorted when instead of practicing above in the training rounds, Caius instead choose to woo some of the ladies who were relishing his return.

“I can’t deny the truth.” Caius said light heartedly.

“I dare you to say that to a Storm Knight.” Eddval said as he walked by growing a shard of Niko’s ice in his hand.

Caius scoffed. “Bring them here then.”

“Focus!” Aeria said cupping her hands ready to receive his fire.

“Me?! You’re the one who can’t get it.” Caius said holding out the flame out to her. “Just take it, you know how to do this Ariel.”

Aeria groaned. He was gone to long, she was weary of the fire again. “Just remember,” Caius said. “Fire is the light in the darkness.”

“Don’t get all preachy.” Aeria snapped, frustrated that she had regressed so much in such a little amount of time.

“You can do this Ariel.”

Aeria took a breath to calm her nerves, then, slowly, put her hands over his.

A fire crackled over a dark sky. Reimar sat on the other side half asleep against a large tree trunk. A wine skin lay empty at his side. “Your mom isn’t here because she was a whore.” he said and Aeria felt a rage swell within her. “Liar!” she exclaimed.

The camp fire roared and with a blink Aeria stared at the flame on her hand. 

“Carner always says, that wielding fire is like wielding your life in your hands.” The little fire in her hand pulsed like her heart. He reached out and placed his hand over the top part of her stomach. Aeria felt her face flush. “You live with your breath so your fire does too, but I might paraphrasing wrong. Take a breath from here.” he said squeezing the spot just bellow her ribcage.

Aeria took a breath. She felt hot all over and when she breathed out the flame grew in her hand.

“So do that again.” This time Caius moved to her side. “But this time,” he took her wrist and thrust her hand outwards. “Exhale.”

Aeria did as he said. Took a breath, then on the exhale thrust her hand froward and a jet of flames shot out nearly incinerating Griffo a few meters away.

“Watch it bastard!” he shouted but when he saw it was Aeria who nearly burned him he scowled and said, “meant nothing by it.”

“He your friend?” Caius said.

“No!” Aeria replied. Brecht and all his lackies had left her alone. Not a single scowl or glare in her direction. Only the over present quick glance that Aeria pretended not to notice. Now this. She didn’t like it.

“Alright, give me some rock.” Caius said bracing as if Aeria was just going to launch a three ton boulder at him. Instead she reached down and the earth gave way under her hand. She squeezed the dirt and the sand she found there and it hardened into a stone the size of an apple.

“It’s always around you.” Aeria said before she dropped the stone into Caius’ hand. He caught instantly as it levitated in his hand. He blinked then looked at her strangely.

“What?” Aeria asked and the stone around her neck blazed red hot.

“I looked down and I, you were wearing a dress.” Caius said.

“I remember that,” Aeria said light heartedly, though inside she was screaming in a panic. “My brothers thought it would be funny to dress me in my sister’s clothes.” Aeria hoped that poor lie would work, but it was the only thing she could come up with. The stone didn’t cool down.

“I thought you only had a sister?” Caius said. That’s right, she had said she was an only child at first, but they had all forgotten that. Then she had a sister, now brothers?

“Well, they weren’t brothers by blood, but we grew up together, so we were really close so I like to think of them as brothers.” Aeria said and felt the stone cool. She had never been more glad that it was Caius she was partnered with. Had it been Niko he wouldn’t have believed her, or at least, remained much more suspicious than Caius who only shrugged it off as Aeria taught him how to be more precise with the earth around him. He was careful now to not use more than he had been given.

Caius was eager to learn how to move the earth the following couple days. He was quick to learn and even quicker at correcting his mistakes. He wasn’t as eager to learn the letters of the alphabet unfortunately and no matter how many late night hours Aeria and Niko put Caius could hardly recognize any of the letters outside those in his own name. Telfer, actually, only needed a few pointers before he was reading out words. Most nights Caius just fell asleep while they taught Telfer.

With just over two weeks to Radiant Week Adelaide was practically neurotic when Aeria went to visit. This time she demanded to know if her ruby encrusted dress would be ready in time, then futilely tired to get her to reveal who exactly it was that Aeria had in her mind when she filled the pendant with her magic, but Aeria revealed nothing. Somehow it was still to embarrassing to say out loud but whenever she even thought of Valor Aeria’s face flushed. Than only further fueled Adelaide’s desire for her to reveal who he was, but knowing how Adelaide was if Aeria told her anything, she’d demand to know everything about him when Aeria herself didn’t know too much about him either. Still, that didn’t stop Aeria from accepting Adelaide’s dresses and fantasying about meeting with Valor at some point during Radiant Week. Surely, his knightly order wouldn’t question it with all the people running about. She’d have to look her absolute best for him, as herself.

Videl had picked up many of Aeria’s tips and was now a decent contender. He said he only needed to come in fourth in the melee to repay Adelaide and attract some attention. When the joust lists were posted in the square he rushed out to see who was competing, despite Aeria warning him not to compete.

During their training, Aeria and Caius had moved on from giving their gifts their bond forged. Now, they instructed to pass on their gift repeatedly. This allowed a well of their gift to build, very much how Aeria did when she did simple white magic spells. As such, it was very easy for her to store Caius’ gift while it was difficult for him to learn how to well up her magic.

The fastest way to build up this well was to hurl fireballs at Aeria now that she knew how to catch Caius’ flames. Each and every time she caught it a small fragment of Caius revealed itself. It wasn’t as vidid as when he formally gave her his fire, a voice from his past that rang in her ears, or a welcoming scent long forgotten slowly wafting into her nose, or even a soundless image flashing instantly before her eyes. They came too quick and too jarring for Aeria to make any sense of any of them.

Niko had forged his bond with Eddval rather quickly, and Overseer Rector sent them out on patrol for the night along the night road to practice in the field. Caius, despite how eager he was to go on patrol again, still struggled to well up Aeria’s gift. So they worked at it.

Aeria pressed her foot into the earth and a stone about the size of a melon erupted from the ground. Then she pushed it with her hand, launching it at Caius who caught it, then braced for the next. They did this for a couple days, occasionally Aeria’s pendant would get warm, but the feeling quickly faded and she had never been more glad that it was Caius standing there and not Niko or even Telfer.

“Throw me bigger rocks!” Caius called from across from her. “Maybe this will go faster.”

Aeria laughed and pulled forth a boulder about the size of a small wagon from the earth. It felt like lifting something heavy. though not weight equivalent to what she was actually lifting. A single movement sent the boulder hurtling straight at Caius. Aeria braced herself, ready to run up in case anything when wrong but she was worrying for nothing, Caius caught the thing.

Aeria’s pendant blazed hot and Caius dropped the boulder instead of moving it to the side. He stared at her his eyes narrowed in confusion. Aeria’s heart beat wildly before his eyes went wide and a soft “click” came as Aria’s pendant chipped.