14 Chapter 3 - New Days, New Home

Part 3

Yup, the crow's gone white.

Marikit's morning call awaken me. It should be impossible that this pixie got up first and woke me up as early as this morning especially in this cold, cold morning. I hated so much waking up in a cold morning like this, but I thought the pixie hatred double mine. Nonetheless -

Maybe I was still dreaming.

- Or so I thought.

"Jeez, you don't have the time drool in your bed. Remember what that scary man said."

It really happened. Never in my wildest dreams that this would ever happen. Even though I had demanded her to do this duty, I was really never expecting her to. Putting miracles aside, morning in this place, Ferrum Kingdom, was it? – was a little bit harsher than the usual morning that I battled at my homeland. It made me want to hug my pillows more. I mean, 'a little bit' was 'far more'.

Now, now.

I should thank her later with a pat on her head.

Now that she mentioned it, I did not have really the time to make love with my pillows. Maybe his highness was already up, waiting for me in the training yard.

I do not want to think what will happen to me if that were the case.

With hastiness, I changed into my usual clothes, my tribal outfit, and grabbed my weapon, the sticks. Speaking of which, I did not notice it yesterday. The only thing I saw was my ethnic clothes on the table.

After finishing my preparation, I dashed my way through the hallways. I did not like seeing those intricate and delicate designs on the wall as they made me dizzy somehow. Thanks for the congratulatory gift that I received from Johan, I was able to find the location of the training yard without being astray in this complex labyrinth of wall of stones and cement.

Sensing that I was close enough, I lowered my pace, still striding toward outside with pair of arnis sticks in my hand. My skin had already picked scents of mist.

The sun was yet to conquer the firmament, but its bright rays had slowly climbing and outshining the little morning stars. Orange-colored clouds were heading west. Mist lingered on the brownish flower's leaves and dews started to fall off. Apparently, the season was approaching the peak of the 'autumn' or what-they-call. Heck, I only knew two weathers before I came here, wet and very wet season. Very wet was the climax. It's not that I hated it, in fact I love climax. Everyday pouring rain, which left me no choice but to stay home counting snails as they went inside, finding for a shelter. It means I had the time to relax inside our Nipa hut and play with my little sister.

Eh? What are you thinking about climax, pervert?

Yes, autumn's morning could be so cold. However, I had to endure it. I needed to. Besides, Marikit strived waking her own and fought the succubus called 'warm bed' in order to alarm me. Therefore, I had no choice but to get up.

It's not that I had a choice to begin with.

For now, I had to say goodbye to long sleeps that I enjoyed while I was on the ship. Hmm, I wonder what they are doing right now. Where are they now? 'Cause I'm thinking of you... you show me....

Sooner, while I pondered on those yearning thoughts, I finally reached my destination.

He was already there. Under the young blue skies, on the open yard surrounded by stone pillars, a man with a red hair stood. He was holding a wooden sword in his left arm while his mind was looking up into the skies. His image was calm reminiscing something. I did not want to take another step as I would disturb him but he became aware of my presence.

Life's indeed unfair.

His Highness was wearing a warm-looking jacket and as for me, I was wearing a trouser and my collarless, sleeveless, tucked thin jacket, which were made from abaca fiber.

Whoosh!

The chilling air breathed into me, which shivered my spines. Instead of compassion, his highness glares was pitiless seeing my hands rubbed my cold shoulder's skin against my hands. His stare was the one who froze me, which also telling me to walk forward, so I did.

Uh? When did you get in there?

The pixie was warming herself under my armpits. As Marikit's body was small, her warmth contributed nothing against this cold.

"Pruuuhh"

Darn it!

I tried as hard as I could not to letting my jaw shiver, but it acts on its own.

"Perfect, I see we need things to warm up a little bit."

He battered his wooden sword on his toned shoulders.

"I-I g-guess so"

Hey! it's not the way answering to the leader of this kingdom, is it? More importantly, why is my voice trembling?

Of course, it was obvious. It was the fault of this cold air in this early morn. As I already said, it was my first time experiencing this. I-it's not because I was intimidated of the man in front of me. Y-yup, it's not.

After few seconds hearing my reply, without a warn, his highness made an attack with a slash. He missed as I merely dodged. Undoubtedly, it would still hurt especially swung with such force. Then, he threw storm of slashes dashing forward me. I stepped back, distancing myself from him.

Is he trying to kill me?!

Marikit immediately exposed herself from the cold and impulsively casted bubble barrier but His Highness chided with his red glowing eyes

"No Skills"

"I will be depending with this, I suppose" I gripped tightly my sticks.

"That's right"

Immediately, after saying those words, he attacked.

Marikit, sensing she would have no use during the practice, decided to go to the corner. It was also dangerous for her floating around while his highness and I were exchanging blows. She retreated her way only to be caught by someone waiting on her in the shadows of the stone pillars.

How long was she there?

Maybe she was been there at the time his highness came or maybe they came here together. I did not notice her for she was behind the pillars, hiding her image. Maybe she and his highness were talking about something until I arrived in the training yard. I really did not know though.

Back to my current situation, His highness attacks were heavy and fast, which made it harder to land a counterattack. However, his attacks were simple. He only depends on his brute strength, which wasn't a bad thing.

Pushing forward with pure strength, huh?

I stayed low and far from him as I have yet to design a counter attack. However, his highness was impatient. He attacked repeatedly and gave me no time to think while I fended his pouring slashes. If this training would only be a contest of brute force, surely I would not stand for a moment against his highness. I could somehow dull the impact of his attacks using my stick, but the way the situation flowed, sooner, I would get my lose.

I hate to lose.

I lost him first time when we meet. I had to get even with his highness. The last swing of his highness sent a whisper in to my ears.

T-that was close.

Ah, Jeez. Why do I have to think how to counter him? Wait, do I really have to?

Inhaled, and then breathed out. I have realized something. I had confronted magical beast and evil spirits back from my native land. I had experienced many battles between death and life. I had been practicing for too long with my sticks. Yet, why I am not making a proper fight? Ah, I was afraid of him. I was afraid of him but –

I will not cower.

Images of our last fight haunted my mind but I tucked myself preparing for my attack. This was only a mock battle, so no need to be a worrywart.

This time, I will be the one pushing.

I felt the ground as the heat from increasing pressure was on my right foot. In a blink of an eye, I sprinted and dashed to his highness head on.

Accenting my eyes on his highness, he smirked. He became aware that I would go toe-to-toe against him this time. What about the difference of strength?

Anticipating the charging me, His Highness made a full vertical swing using his wooden sword. Then with a sudden change, stopping in the middle of my charge, right foot forward, I used my momentum to equal his strength. As my arnis stick and his wooden collided, it made a lively clap, and repelled each other. His wooden sword bounced upward.

He was not done yet. He brandished his sword down again.

I have to fend it.

Our weapons collided again and rubbed each other. But as I had said, his attacks were more forceful than mine. I let his sword prevailed my arnis stick and let it slipped. I docked, letting sword passed above my head. It would be painful if it touched my scalp.

My attacks were irregular.

Once, I tried to jab his thigh using the other stick in my left hand. His highness noticed it, used the wooden blade of his sword as a shield, and repelled it. However, I pushed forward, closing the distance between his highness and I by jumping into him. It was close enough to hug him, but it would be yucky! I shifted the way I gripped the arnis stick on my right hand. I rotated the tip, pointing sideward.

Surprisingly, maybe because he could not read my attack since it was unfamiliar to him, it worked out. His eyes widened as he saw my right hand was coming straight on his face. With the tip of the arnis stick as a force multiplier, I made a good punch.

But indeed, life is unfair.

Instead hitting his not-so-pretty face, which would be a pleasure on my side, I only hit nothing but his afterimage, which faded as my fist passed through. When my punch approached near on his not-so-pretty face, he quickly moved back, away from me.

"Not bad. Clearly, you've been with the sticks for ages" He declared while turning his back, giving me no chance to reply. "Tomorrow again." He added while his shadows were slowly drifting on the shade of the pillars. That was the end of our training.

"Phew! What happened to not using skill rule, huh?" you punk, was I wanted to shout on his back. But I let my cool and calm self dominate me. Calm down, Gentle Laum, Calm down...

Moreover, I was drenched in sweat and he walked away without even a drop of swear on his forehead. I heavily exhaled, sending white clouds out of my lungs.

I think Marikit was with –

Ah, there she was, captured by a young woman who was rubbing her checks against the struggling pixie.

"Hey, H...Help me"

"S-should I?"

I wondered if I should. The young woman seemed seem delighted by the cuteness of the pixie. She was surely enjoying it, which was also a good sight for me. Then it occurred to me, as told by Narrator-kun, she was the one who healed me.

I'd better thank her.

With a bow and an honest tone -

"I haven't made my gratitude, have I? Therefore, thank you for healing me"

"For what?"

Even her voice raised and was cold as the morning, it reminded me of Inang (mother) somehow. I felt there was a scent of warmness and at the same time, bravery, lingering. The pixie was looking silently on us. I raised my face and looked in her well-proportioned face, which resembled his father's.

"For healing me, I-I said?"

She could be clumsy sometimes, I guess.

"I-it's nothing" she turned her face away from me and released the pixie. "It was an order. Your gratitude was not needed."

As soon as Marikit was released, she immediately floated and landed to my shoulders, grabbing my ears and hissed to the young woman. The young woman stared at me with cold eyes again with jealousy.

"Ah, before I forget. His highness said this: Take your breakfast and proceed to the second room of the west wing."

Before she walked away, her cold stares were quickly replaced by a cheerful smile when she waved to the pixie.

"See you later, Marie." Then she went, her shadow had already never to be found in the training yard.

M-marie?

"Who's Marie?"

I glanced the pixie who's sitting on my shoulder.

"Beats me, know her? ... Nonetheless, what a dangerous woman."

"By the way, I did not know her name. Who was she, again?"

"Samantha, as I recall"

"Hmm, Samantha. So, who's Marie?"

Silent dominated awhile as we were wondering who Marie is.

"Pfft"

I could not hold myself as the pixie stared at me. She smiled as I chuckled.

At some point, the young sun had already risen up and the cold air was starting to retreat as it was replaced by warmer air. The skies were brighter than the earlier. Laughing together, the skies became brighter and brighter.