Chapter 12: Book 1-06.1: Tranquil Days

The days after Virgil left for the Hunt were equal parts peaceful and dull. Yuriko spent most of her time training her body, mastering the Animus techniques taught by her father and Armsmaster Byrne and futilely trying to inlay her Facet.

The only highlight to her day was the time she spent at the hall sparring with her peers. New students had arrived in Faron’s Crossing to attend the town’s training camp and she met them in the sparring ring. She hadn’t expected much from the twins but she had been pleasantly surprised.

They were both slightly shorter than her but both had short, golden hair and quite expressive blue eyes. Kind of like puppies. 

‘No, no. They’re people, not dogs!’ she furiously thought while she ran on her morning route. Though they did seem oddly familiar for some reason. Krystal was beside…well, behind her as usual. She had unconsciously increased her pace again.

“Wait…up!” Krystal gasped. Yuriko slowed down enough for the other girl to catch up. She needed all of her breath to run so Yuriko was often left to her thoughts. Yesterday’s session was certainly more interesting than all the days of the week before.

“I think I’m in love,” one of the twins--Braden, she later learned--said out loud while looking at her. 

She didn’t quite know how to react to that; nobody had ever said anything like that to her. Except for family, of course. She wasn’t really sure if it had been directed at her anyway, so she’d just glanced at him then joined her friends.

Krystal and Mikel were near the lockers and both nodded in greeting. She dropped the duffel bag with her change of clothes by her feet. 

“I wonder what we will learn today?” Krystal said as a way to bring her into the conversation. “We’ve been working on Empowered Strike for a week now. I think most of us have reasonably mastered it.”

“Da said I can inlay it if I want to,” Yuriko said, “but I’m waiting to finish my Facet first.”

“Any luck?” 

“Still no progress,” she sighed dejectedly. 

“I see. Mikel?”

“Good enough. I can inlay Empowered Strike already,” Mikel answered. “Haven't done my Facet yet,” he added in a low voice.

“What’s stopping you?” Yuriko asked curiously.

“Personal reasons,” Krystal answered for him. 

“Hmm.” Yuriko frowned but didn’t push.

Armsmaster Byrne came in soon after and they proceeded with the lesson, which turned out to be completely a new one.

“You’ve all gained a fair mastery of Empowered Strike, except for the two of you, see me later and I’ll assess your skills,” the Armsmaster said to the twins. “So, we’re moving on to the next essential technique every citizen in the Empire should know. This is much harder than the previous technique and would have been better served if Spellweaver were the one to teach it but she’s currently busy, so…”

He gestured for the kids to gather around and, once they did, he folded his arms across his chest and started to glow. 

The green light of his Animus seeped out of his bare skin and coated his body attenuating about half an inch away from him. 

“This is the Field. In direct combat, it is mostly useless, capable only of stopping a slight amount of Animus from passing through it, but that is not its main use. When you encounter a Chaos Storm, if you’re on a ship crossing the Chaos Sea and there is a hull breach, or if you directly enter the Tidelands, then the Field technique is necessary for your survival.” 

Yuriko raised her hand. “Is it similar to the Wyldling’s Field?” 

“Good thought and in fact, our version of Field is copied from them. It ended up appearing a little different but if you develop your Field enough then the effects may mimic the Wyldlings’.”

“How many lumens will inlaying it cost?” Heron asked.

“You cannot inlay Field because it has no pattern. There may be some who think they have found the pattern but even if it works, it will only work for them. Maintaining your Field has a cost dependent on how prevalent Chaos is in your surroundings. Here, firmly in Rumiga, a Field will barely cost a single lumen per minute. Now, I will instruct you in the proper way to create a Field.” He gestured for each of them to sit down.

“Begin with taking Animus from your core. Bring it up to your heart, then your head. From there, let it spread into your body, do not attempt to give it an Intent. Let it imprint your body, your mind, and your heart. From there let it drift out of your body and hang outside your skin. Let it cover the entirety of your body and let it remember. From then on, only focus on maintaining that imprint, and no matter what happens, nothing will change it.”

Armsmaster’s voice droned on and the rest of the session had been spent trying to produce a Field. None of them succeeded, even by the end of the class. 

After that session, some of them started to spar to get rid of their pent up energy. Heron had challenged her as usual. His mastery of his Facet had grown such that any of her strikes that should have hit his protective gear were quickly countered by a hexagon of hardened air. 

Not that she was particularly good at hitting things with a sword or spear anyway. She was, however, well-versed in protecting herself, having had more than half a decade of practice with her brothers and father. 

Heron was particularly intense also a bit reckless since he was now relying on his Facet for defence. By the end, she’d work up a fine sweat and her clothes clung uncomfortably on her damp skin. Heron breathed heavily across her, trying to catch his breath. He didn’t say much, but then, he never usually did. He kept eyes fixed on hers and she shifted with some discomfort. He looked away right after.

The new-comer twins came up to her after the sparring match.

“Hello, I’m Braden,” the more athletic-looking twin smiled. There was a dimple on his left cheek, Yuriko noted absently. “This is my twin bro, Orrin.”

“Hello,” she answered slowly. “Yuriko.” 

“Hi Heron, great showing just then,” Braden called to the other boy before turning his attention back on Yuriko. “We’re new in town, as you may have guessed, here for the training camp”

“You two came here early,” Yuriko said with a raised eyebrow. “It’s another seven days until the camp.”

“So we complained to our uncle,” Braden grinned, “but not anymore, I guess.”

“Uh-huh.”

“What do you want?” Heron grunted, walking up next to her. Yuriko couldn’t help but give him a strange look. This was unusual.

“Just being friendly,” Braden said easily while looking up at her eyes. He glanced at Heron with a smirk. The twins were shorter than Heron and their wide eyes made them look more child-like than anything else. Orrin stood behind his brother and his face was slightly red. He kept shifting his gaze from her to the floor or Braden for some reason.

“Hmm, you boys go ahead,” Yuriko said after a moment while Braden met Heron’s hawkish glare. “I need to shower.” 

“Oh, uhm,” Orrin fidgeted as he took a step towards her while pressing the tips of his fingers together.

Yuriko had a sudden urge to pinch his cheeks and pull. Her hand twitched but she held down the irrational urge. “Yes?”

“We were wondering if you, uh, and your friends could show us around town? We rarely get to talk to anyone our age back home, since well, we’re the only thirteen-year-old kids there.”

“Oh-ho, what’s this?” Krystal cut in as she grabbed Yuriko’s arm, “how bold.” Her grin was so wide it almost split her face in two. 

“Eh?” Yuriko blinked. 

“Well, it’s always good to know people. Sure, we’ll show you around town. If you boys spring for lunch.” 

“Of course, it will be our pleasure.” Braden grinned back.

“Tomorrow, an hour before noon, meet us at the statue in the town square. I’m Krystal, by the way,” she winked at them before she tugged at Yuriko’s arm. “See you then!”

Bemused, Yuriko let her friend lead her in the changing room, just managing to drop the training sword into the rack before they got there. Krystal’s shoulders were shaking with suppressed laughter that she let out as soon as the door was closed behind them. “Hee hee hee, did you see Heron’s face?”

“Huh? Why? What was on it?” 

Krystal rolled her eyes at her, “For someone who can see far, you’re surprisingly blind to what’s right in front of you.”

“Eh, what do you mean by that?” Yuriko poked Krystal’s side eliciting a yelp. 

“Nothing, nothing.”

Millie, Ishika, and Maryn were already inside the changing area, unclothed and carrying towels as they headed to the shower stalls on the far side of the room. Like Krystal, Mille’s hips and breasts had already developed somewhat, in rather stark contrast to Ishika and Maryn who had more modest proportions. 

Or like herself for that matter. Her bosom had only started to swell a few weeks ago, though her hips had started to broaden a bit earlier. 

Krystal ran a finger across Yuriko’s back once she had disrobed, eliciting a squeal. 

“Krys!” 

“Tsk, why is your skin so pale?” she complained. Krystal’s face and arms had started to tan due to their morning runs but Yuriko’s skin remained evenly pale as if the sun had never kissed her skin. She didn’t redden or burn whenever she spent too much time outdoors either. 

“I don’t know.” Yuriko shrugged. “I just don’t tan easily.” She studied herself in the mirror. Her face and hands were slightly darker than the rest of her body but it wasn’t entirely noticeable. 

“Your brothers do,” Krystal noted as they headed to the stalls. The hot water began steaming up the place as the three other girls washed up.

“My mother doesn’t either.” 

“Hmm.” 

The two of them put shower caps as neither wanted damp hair on their way home. They showered briskly and were done in a few minutes. As the two were getting dressed, Yuriko curiously asked, “You sure you want to waste time playing tourist guide?”

Krystal gave her a sidelong glance before she smirked, “Why not? Training all day isn’t all that good for you.”

“Well, I guess I’m fine with the technique Da taught me,” Yuriko muttered.

“Come on, Yuri. You need to relax every now and then.”

“Easy for you to say. You’ve already inlaid.”

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“You know, if you focus too much on something, you’ll lose sight of the bigger picture. Relax, you’ve been working like a horse all week.”

Yuriko just sighed.

Krystal nudged her, “Take a break. Besides, I never say no to free food.”

“...glutton.”

“What’s this I hear?” Millie popped up behind them nearly startling Yuriko off the bench she was on. “Huh hmm, you two are going on a date with those cute twins?” 

“Hee hee,” Krystal giggled, “maybe.”

“What date?” Yuriko spluttered, “It's just a tour.”

Millie looked down at her with an upturned nose, “If so, mind if we join?”

Krystal pushed Millie off, “I don’t think they’d want to pay lunch for every one of us.” 

“They don’t have to pay for our lunch,” Millie said, “just take them to the Sweet Shoppe after.”

“Why, are you spending?” Ishika said while buttoning up her blouse. 

“Sure.” 

“Great! You coming too, Maryn?”

“Not if it's only the twins,” Maryn said ruefully. 

“Sure, let’s ask all the boys. It’ll be nice. We’ve only a week left before we have to get all serious.”

“I guess...see you tomorrow?” Yuriko ventured as she gathered her things. 

“Right,” Krystal said. She leaned close to whisper, “and wear a dress.”

“Eh? Why?” 

“It’s a formal occasion?”

“No, it’s not.”

“Fine, I’ll help you dress appropriately.”

“We’re just going to walk around town. I’d rather wear something comfortable.” 

“I’ll help you dress. Appropriately.”

“...fine. After morning training.”

The sound of Krystal panting heavily brought Yuriko back to the present. Millie had told some of the boys who hadn’t left the training hall yesterday about the planned tour and lunch though only Zeyn and Janus were left by that time. Yuriko and Krystal were nearing the end of their route and they’d gone out early enough that they still had plenty of time to prepare.

By the time they arrived at Yuriko’s home, Krystal looked like she had dunked herself at the river. Sweat dripped down her face and her shirt was soaked, the fabric clinging to her skin revealing the outline of her bra straps through the damp cloth.

Yuriko barely felt warmed up. She had alternated sprinting and jogging again throughout the five longstrides they had run. She could feel the marked difference from seven days ago. It made her appreciate the value of the Recovery Technique her Da had taught her. 

While Krystal guzzled water, Yuriko proceeded with her flexibility and agility training. The flexibility exercises were much the same and she’d noticed some clear gains. Agility training consisted of wooden pegs about a couple of inches across, sticking out of the yard at varying heights ranging from just three inches off the ground to two-thirds of a pace high. There were dozens of pegs and she was supposed to walk, jump, and run over them. She spent about half an hour doing so, her steps quick and sure. She certainly didn’t fall or misstep but this was only the first set. In the next set, she was supposed to practice sword forms while moving on the pegs. 

“I still don’t get how you can keep doing that every day.”

“You know why.”

“Ancestors, Yuri, just because you didn't get your father’s Heritage doesn’t mean you have to do this. You can just go with what you actually got and specialize that way.”

Yuriko shrugged. Before the Atavism Ritual, she might have agreed, now that she thought about it. But now, for some strange reason, she felt that if she just went with the flow, she would regret it. 

She froze, lost in thought. She was still standing on one leg at the top of the highest wooden pole. Her core muscles shifted slightly to keep her balance even as the breeze pushed against her. 

Why was it that she was this focused? She had not been this extreme before. 

“Yuri?”

“Hmm. Oh. Nothing.” She jumped down and walked to the deck. Krystal gave her a water bottle and she drank. 

The Atavism Ritual changed people, that was a known fact. It allowed them access to their bloodline’s Heritage which, in turn, allowed them to soak in their ancestors’ knowledge and experience. This was clearly seen once the child had inlaid their Facet. Doing so allowed them to master a single aspect, technique, or spell that the previous generations had mastered. It wouldn't be surprising if attitudes and habits transferred over as well.

While she hadn’t inlaid her Facet yet, the pattern was already in her Anima. Some seepage would have occurred which could mean the ancestor that she got the Heritage from was completely devoted to bettering him- or herself. She supposed it combined with her own desire to be as great a Knight as her father.

She shook her head to clear her thoughts. While some of the ancestor’s personality may have affected her, she was still clearly herself. 

“Well, I’m done. Want breakfast?”

“I guess. After that let’s pick out your outfit before I head home.”

Half an hour later, Yuriko was on her bed watching Krystal toss clothes out of her closet.

“Why do you not have any dresses?” she groused.

“Those are my everyday clothes,” Yuriko pointed out.

There was a growing pile of clothing on the floorboards. Blouses, tights, leggings, some short pants, cardigans, sweaters, camisoles, and chemises. No dresses.

“Surely, your mom would have brought you some?”

“Oh, well, yeah. Last year when she came home. Those are a bit short though; I’ve grown a few inches.”

“Where?” Krystal’s eyes started gleaming.

“Uh, in the other closet.” Yuriko leaned back and pointed at the wardrobe closet beside the windows.

Krystal marched over and threw the doors open. An assortment of clothes hung in her second closet including summer dresses and skirts. Even just quickly eyeing them, Krystal could tell Yuriko was right: most of the clothes were already too short. Those that were folded and placed on higher shelves were obviously clothing from when Yuriko was much younger.

Krystal pulled out a light green halter top sundress with small white dots. “Here, put this on.”

“That’s already too short,” Yuriko protested.

“Just do it!”

Grumbling to herself, she did as asked. The hem rested halfway down her thighs though it still fit relatively well anyway. 

“Hmmm, pair that with heeled sandals and that should be good.” Krystal eyed her appraisingly.

“I only have flats.”

“High heels are a good training device, you know. Works on your balance. I have a pair I could lend you, I suppose. Or, well, I think my elder sis is your size,” Krystal mumbled. 

Yuriko hung up the dress then proceeded to return all the clothes Krystal had rummaged through back in her closet. 

“Well, I’d really rather wear comfortable footwear today.”

Krystal shrugged, “I suppose. See you later then.”

Yuriko walked her friend to the door. She did her chores and finished with using the Recovery Technique on her body. The process wasn’t as painful as it had been the first time she used it. It was either a sign that she was getting better at it or confirmation that she hadn’t pushed herself as hard today. She decided it was the latter. After an hour of trying to inlay her Facet, and failing, Yuriko decided it was time to get ready. She considered studying the cube Virgil left her but if she did, she knew she would be late.

It took some time to find a chemise that wouldn’t show under her dress. To her relief, the dress had a pocket that could fit her coin purse. She put in a few silver pennies inside, leaving the rest of her savings in a small ornate box hidden in the very back of her desk drawer. The pair of tan sandals she wore were comfortable enough, though she expected her feet would be sore after too much walking.

‘Or, I could use the Recovery Technique!” she suddenly realized with a smile. She waved goodbye to Rami who was preparing lunch.

“You’re not eating here?” 

“No, I’ll be with friends.” She put on a dark green beret just before she went out the door.

“Have fun!”

By the time she arrived at Faron’s statue in the town square, almost the entire class was there.

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