The Red Glaive

Novak lay still. His hands behind his head resting causally. His mouth was open, caught in conversation. On the side of the room, his twin, identical in every except for the longer length of his hair and a coldness to his eyes which Novak lacked.

“One piece, made into halves.” Arsene said materializing out of darkness. “As it was decided for the Talbains of Durmenda. These two, they live for the thrill of contest, the primal desire to rise above other men for who better to overcome than your own mirror. Despite everything, they would die for each other.”

A shadow loomed onto the platform Aeria stood on. She stepped aside hoping to by under it but it ended up shadowing the whole room. “For even they, in all their might, reside in another’s shadow.” Following the shadow to its source, Aeria spotted someone standing in a far off platform with that same characteristic pale blond hair, long and in a braid.

“That’s Elric Talbain.” Aeria said. Mindlessly walking off the edge of her platform. There was a rumbling from the platform she had stepped off of, and a small stepping platform materialized beneath her. Somehow she knew it would happen. As she neared, Elric’s platform ended up below her. She leaned down over the edge of her platform.

Elric stood beside a woman who Aeria hadn’t met. His twin. Beside her, Elric’s features looked far more feminine. Elric usual stoic appearance was broken and he looked rather miserable as his twin stood by him, her hand raised, head tilted, tough open in a smile, caught in laughter.

“What are you waiting for?” Arsene said right beside her.

Aeria’s eyebrows furrowed together before realizing she could jump down. The second her feet touched the ground, the room began to form around her. White marble floor covered in elaborate rugs. The room grew around her, great stained glass windows in shades of red, yellow, blues, with a massive balcony. All of it vaguely familiar. Had. . . Had she been here before?

The people formed last, sprouting from the floor and furniture like living shadows. Forming first, was a girl Aeria had never met standing by the Talbian siblings. She was laughing at something Elric’s sister had said. Then by a small sofa the massive black form of the Intoner’s lion, it’s pale blue eyes focused too facing towards the Talbains.

The Intoner sitting on the sofa next to her lion, beautiful and radiant as ever. A gentle hand over her lips as a smile graced her lips. Golden hair perfectly framing her face in a style that Aeria knew took Adelaide hours to accomplish but just looked natural on her. Then sitting beside her. . .

Aeria breathed in. There he was. Sitting beside the Intoner of Glacies. . .

“Valor. . .” She breathed out. He couldn’t hear her, or see her, but when she placed her hand over his she felt his warmth. Valor features were frozen in a slight smile but his expression was distant, there but not really in the moment. Cold almost. No, not cold, she had mistaken his expression as cold before. Seeing him now, it wasn’t coldness. Aeria crouched down in front of him so that their eyes could be level. There was a profound sadness to him that she had never seen in person.

This person wasn’t her Valor, but she wanted him to be. She wanted him to talk about what they would do if just left behind their duty. The places they’d go, the things they would. An impossibility the brought in him a love of life that Aeria couldn’t help but feel driven by. She wanted to speak to him, to make him laugh, really laugh. To talk about anything and everything and yet nothing at all.

Most of all, she missed his touch. There was a heavy pang in her chest when she realized just how much she missed him. It hadn’t even been that long, yet he felt so far away. Why was she crying? She couldn’t stop it. Why did it hurt now to be apart from him? Something just felt terribly wrong with her.

“Watch him.” Arsene said and Aeria looked at the Intoner’s Lion. Black, massive, and intimidating. He filled the room. His blue eyes, stared at Aeria causing her jump back then freeze in place. Hadn’t he been looking the other way?

Aeria stared back, unmoving. It blinked.

Aeria woke up with a start. “Arsene!” she called and the raven flew to one of her bed posts. Her whole body was covered in goosebumps and her chest heaved, adrenaline rushing through her. She had awoken, terrified and yet the more she thought of why the more it seemed to slip from her mind. “What did I dream?!” she asked him. He had been there, he always was.

“I can’t force you to remember.” he said.

“Tell me!” Aeria ordered. Crawling on her bed towards him. It had been important she knew it was.

“I don’t know, it all just seems a little fuzzy now.” he said making Aeria pause. All this time, it had been the same for him as it had been for her?

Aeria shut her eyes trying to remember. A room. Beautifully decorated, she could see colorful stained glass windows though all the details faded from her mind. Familiar room. . . Filled with people, but only one mattered to her.

Aeria groaned and lay back in her bed. The more she thought of it the quicker it faded from her mind. All that remained now was a deep yearning in her heart. Familiar yearning that only one person could fill.

“Valor.” She whispered. She had dreamt of Valor and immediately hated herself for forgetting.

“M’lady?” Sanya said peeking into the room.

“I’m awake.”

Sanya prepared her bath and helped Aeria wash her hair. She told Aeria that Adelaide, Aget and their husbands had already left for the day but would send for them later on. “On the second day of Radiant Week we have the Colossus’ Commendation, also known as at the day of Plentiful Harvests.”

“I know that one,” Aeria said from her warm tub. “We usually celebrate it during equinox in autumn when the harvests are ready.” What that meant back home was a day in which every kitchen cooked unique sweet breads since sugar and flour were pretty plentiful year round. Breads were gifted or traded between families and children as the harvest was prepped and stored for later.

“Well it’s always summer here and there’s only ever a slight shift in weather when winter comes, so there’s always a lot of bickering when the Colossus’ Commendations should be. Same with the other major holidays.”

“Hence Radiant Week.” Aeria said and Sanya nodded.

“Today is the Dutchess’ favorite. It’s the day the shops are finally open and the festival begins in full. M’lady always returns with wagons full of parcels. Dresses mostly.” Sanya said. “Last year she gave me all the ones she didn’t want!”

Aeria smiled but felt a little disappointed. Is that what the Colossus’ Commendation was here in the capital? A shopping day? She’d gladly trade her burnt bread with anyone who would take it.

Downstairs, a plethora of food items had been prepared for breakfast. Caius sat alone at the very end of it. Since Adelaide and Aget were gone, Aeria put her adept’s uniform and her pendant still attached to her mother’s medallion. Caius, however, was wearing a casual button up coat over a loose white top, an outfit that didn’t Aeria didn’t know he had.

“I couldn’t find my uniform all that was in my wardrobe was this.” Caius said with a shrug at Aeria’s look. “I think your sister might’ve burned my uniform.”

“I wouldn’t put it past her.” Aeria said sitting down next to Caius and taking a couple rolls for her self. “She likes dressing people.” Caius offered her a tart form his plate. “I’ll trade you my roll for your tart.” Aeria said.

“What? No, I’m already giving it you. I’m stuffed.”

Aeria sighed. “Nevermind.”

“How did your. . .uh. . .thing go?” Caius said. She had told him she had something to go to in the evenings, though she didn’t tell him specifically what. Caius was the one person she didn’t want to think she had gone all lady like. He still treated her like one of the others.

“It could’ve gone better.” Aeria said remembering the events after she returned to the amphitheater. Some of the women were dismissed from the pageant. Surprisingly, Aeria hadn’t been one of them. Nalia siding with her had added weight to Aeria’s words. “What did you lot do?”

“Adelaide took us out drinking to some fancy joint in the Argent District.” Caius said.

“I’m surprised you’re awake this early after a night like that.” Aeria said.

“I can control how much I drink!” Caius said defensively. Aeria narrowed her eyes at him.

“Tiny cups?”

“Tiny cups.” Caius confirmed, “they just don’t to the trick fast enough.” Both he and Aeria laughed.

“Where in the Oblivion is my uniform!” Telfer shouted coming into the dining hall waring a similarly causal outfit to Caius.

“The incinerator it seems.”

“What!?” Telfer exclaimed, “We have to pay to get new ones!”

“They’re not that expensive.”

“They’re two week’s allowance!”

“You never buy anything you should have it Telfer.” Caius said but Telfer only grumbled. “We ready to head out?”

“What about Videl and Nikko?” Aeria said.

“Niko left about the time I woke up.” Caius said, “And Videl well, I guess you should see for yourself.”