[Kael's POV.]
The flame in my hand hadn't burnt out, not yet. As I stood up and focused more, I got it to my other hand, now I needed to learn to utilize it, I need to use it for mobility and combat, and with that I can kill demons... And I'll prove Meika wrong. I took a deep breath. Pulling my hand back, and then focusing at throwing the flame at a nearby boulder, as I try throwing it, it barely goes around a meter far before burning out, but that's not enough, it'll never be enough. As the flame in my other hand is still there, but it's weakening, as I take another deep breath, getting the flame to burn deeper, and the fire on my right hand reignites. As I throw the flame again, it doesn't reach, as I reignite, throw, doesn't reach, again and again I fail. This is annoying. Really annoying, I'm about to throw the flame again when I hear footsteps. My neck darts back, it's... Kaito. Kaito Ren, what was he doing here... he has a stern expression on his face, arms crossed and looking at me directly.
"Shit." i mumble under my breath
i quickly extinguish the flames in my hand, though i realized a second later, kaito is a solstice he can sense nyth. as i face him directly.
"hello...?" i say, kind of scared for what he's going to say.
"want me to snitch to meika,kael?" Kaito said, with a sly but small smirk on his face. he knew exactly what he was doing.
"please dont dude" i say to kaito, pleading, still stood in my original place.
kaito sighs, before speaking. "you know meika is strict, really strict, though im not surprised about you trying to do all this, im impressed must i say, though i cant train you... yet. either way, im not gonna tell meika, but i shouldn't see you practicing without permission, again. okay?" Kaito said, while walking closer to me, now a few feet away from me.
i nodded, reluctantly. "alright... wont do it again" i say, though im definitely going to do it again, im sure kaito knew that too, either way it didnt matter right now.
"alright then kiddo, come with me, lets get something to eat, yeah?" kaito said with a smirk, patting my back, and taking a few steps, waiting for me to follow. as i did.
"ooh, okay, what we getting? im in the mood for some pizza" i say, with excitedness, as i continued walking with kaito outside the woods, getting into the main city, it was nice, vibrant and populated, one of the safest places in the world considering demons exist.
"nice choice, lets go get some pizza then, onme!" Kaito said, he was always eccentric, but it was nice, fun. as me and kaito kept walking while the sunset, eventually getting to the pizza place, and ordering some pizza.
[Rin's POV]
i finished the pasta, it was delicious. i stood up, picking the plate and walking to the kitchen, washing the dishes. i could atleast do that much. as i finished washing the dishes, i was bored, i had studied alot today, ill go to the library. as i told some servants in the Sorin Dormitory that im leaving to go to the library, and ill be back in a few hours.
around 15 minutes later, i arrived at the local library, we lived in a luxury area of the city, so this specific library had an insane amount of books, i stepped in, it was cold, but a comfortable cold, the high bookshelves, stairs to multiple floors, i knew where i wanted to go. the history section, i usually read history books because they give me knowledge, like how many parts of the world are ruled by demons, and there are a few safe havens around the world aswell, the one i live in, Velmaris. Is without the doubt, safest in the world. 5 Solstices are located here, the rest in other cities, Drestholme, Orrenvale, Myrdenn and Caelhurst.Drestholme was the main producer of weapons, given its unique location in a mountainous area, its a major player in farming Frostshard and Helliron ores, Helliron because there are entrances to caves in the towering mountains, in Drestholme reside 2 Solstices, while Myrdenn has the second most solstices, with 3, and then Caelhurst and Orrenvale, with one solstice each, these are the Five Monuments of Humanity, thats what everyone calls it, their each at the very least a few hundred kilometers big, with Drestholme being the biggest.
for the demons, they also have some... fortresses in a way, or rather kingdoms. i couldn't find anything on that though, but i found a book saying their existence didn't just bring death, it brought new weapons, new concepts, new technology. Such as Stitchstone tablets, healing slabs that accelerate regeneration when someone lays down on them, and Murmur Slates, most demons have a few on them, they allow for long distance communication, though each slate lasts only 6-7 uses. there are more tech things that help the ADC, but there are also weapons, such as a flickerhook, made out of helliron, and blinkstone. its a chain type sickle. it blinks briefly when the user desires it, when swinging it can basically teleport short distances, though they always burst and/or explode whenever the user dies, thus there are no real flickerhooks, only ADC replicas, they are weaker, but still good. they last upto 5 uses, but only a few prototypes exist since they are unstable, and an embercoil staff, its a baton/staff, it pulses and throws fire spells, it can only be used as a melee weapon in slight long range. there are more weapons, and more unreplicable weapons that are classified information. i think that's enough reading for today.
i leave the library, it was around 8 PM or so, the city was lit up and bustling, as 15 minutes later i arrive home, i enter mine and kaels shared room, and kael was already in there he was punching the wall, or for him, training. always does this, i learned not to ask him to stop.
"let me guess where you were, library, reading that crap?" he said, stopping his 'training'. and turning to me while leaning on the wall with one hand.
i rolled my eyes. nodding "yes, yes i was, and its not crap, you'd know how many cities fell in the last few years if you read too, and how many solsticesdied" i said, sitting down on the side of my bed.
"yeah and reading all of that isn't gonna help it, just train like me and we'll kill all the demons!" kael said, excitedly, he was always excited for anything related with fighting.
"yeahhh no, not right now, what's the point if meika doesn't let us? if we cant, then lets do something we can, like learn about demons to use it against them when we do fight" i said, leaning against the wall.
"yeah yeah, but y'know, meika is leaving tomorrow to go scouting demon kingdoms! we can sneak out and train in secret while she does that! i can teach you how to use your nyth!" kael said, sitting on his own bed. he never learned.
"we're not doing that." i replied. there was no way i was going to sneak out.
"yes we are" kael said, i sighed. no convincing him now.
"fine. but your taking the blame and the things we bring." i say, reluctant. as kael nods with a grin on his face.
[The Next Day.]
The day had arrived, meika was leaving with Noa. another solstice. both were females, Miss Ayame (Current Leader of the ADC.) probably had something in mind, but i don't think their a good pair since noa had a fiery personality and meika... not so much, but besides that, they had left, me and kael glanced at each other. i knew we were going to sneak out in a few hours to 'train'. i didn't wanna do this but there was no convincing kael now.
Around an hour later, me and kael were deep in the woods, i had already told kaito and sae that we are going to 'hang out' with some of our friends, so there would be no suspicion. Kael had brought a backpack full of stuff, like water, food, clothes and weapons, basic wooden swords.
He took out the swords, putting his backpack near a tree. he tossed the wooden sword to me. i caught it, it was medium weight, sturdy, but not top tier.
"built it last night!" kael said, he looked like he wanted praise, not that im gonna praise him.
"no wonder its so shit, and when the hell did you make this, you were sleeping" i said, slightly confused at when he made this.
Kael gasped overdramatically. "Well screw you too" kael said, getting in a stance, that someone with proper training would probably call bad, but to me, it was good.
i smirked, getting in a stance i made up on the moment, leg back, arms up. the 'basic stance'.
"so we're just going to fight?" i said, before kael just rushed at me suddenly. i tried blocking, tried. failing but i moved slightly, so he hit my left shoulder, it stung, it hurt. but it felt good. i counter attacked, he was in motion, i could aim at his lower body, the shin. i was well versed in the body, so i knew the shin would hurt. i raised my blade to his legs, holding back a little. i didn't wanna hurt kael too much. as i struck him, he let out a groan, falling to the ground, then rolling and standing up, rubbing his shin while bent down.
"owww.... dude that hurt!" kael said, still rubbing his shin. his expression of slight pain.
"like you didn't aim for my neck, and cmon you always train, i don't, you can surely beat me, right?" i say, i was getting confident, maybe too much for my own good.
Kael stood up, he looked a little irritated, but he charged at me again, i could track his movements, but he was still fast to me. he aimed at my torso with his wooden sword, i barely blocked. parrying with a sweep kick to the legs, which hit his legs, but didn't make him go down, as i dashed away, kael chased after me, aiming for my left shoulder, i raised my sword to block, it was a feint. his sword went down, he was going for my torso, but between my torso and his sword was my arm, as he swung with full force, he hit my arm, HARD. i fell down, rubbing my arm while the sword was dropped.
"the arm dude... seriously?" i said, still rubbing my arm, on the ground.
"hurts right? cmon get up, we aint done yet." kael said with a cocky smirk as he helped me get up. as i picked up my sword while doing so.
a thought occurred to me, if anyone found out, we'd be in deep trouble, kaito and sae were on a mission aswell. so they couldn't find us. but anyone else who does will tell Meika and the others about this, and the ADC doesn't really take kindly to unsupervised training, especially for kids. but it didn't matter now, it would never matter.
We continued fighting for a few hours, me and kael were sweaty and exhausted, but i wasn't gonna give up before him, and im sure he wasn't gonna give up before me aswell, i was learning his moves, his fighting style, i was adapting, i could block his attacks, and parry even, i felt myself growing faster and stronger with each attack he threw at me. I'm sure he felt that feeling too.
Our wooden swords were somehow not broken. i think i knew why kael's sword wasn't, probably because he somehow imbued it with his nyth to reinforce it. but i didn't know how to do that, yet my sword wasn't broken. there were a few cuts on our arms, one cut on my face, not because of the swords, but because of falling constantly. a few more minutes passed. i could barely stand up, no. i was falling. i fell to the ground. exhausted, my body was aching, i felt it now. adrenaline, and exhaustion. kael chuckled, sitting down infront of me on the ground.
"had fun?" kael said while panting, he was exhausted aswell. it was easy to tell.
"yeah... it felt good. really good, i think i know why your such a trainaholic." i said, it was true. training, or rather fighting. it was fun, it made me feel good.
"finally! you get it!" kael said, he looked more happy then I've ever seen him.
i smirked, still lied down. "lets do this again tomorrow, and bro, you know how to use nyth right? could you like, teach me?" i said, slightly embarrassed of asking him.
Kael grinned. "oh for sure, lets do it right now, its not that hard since i can teach you, cmon get up!" kael said, giving a hand to me to sit up with him. as i take his hand and sit up, there was still a few hours till sunset.
"alright, deep breath, close your eyes and focus. think of nyth as rain, it falls, you can catch it with your hands, but a bucket is better. don't think too much about how you should hold the bucket, think about how big it is. best way i can describe it." kael said, i didn't understand what he said, but i understood what he meant. but i know i didn't know how to do it.
"Alright. i think i get it." i said, following his instructions. crossing my legs, closing my eyes, taking a deep breath and focusing. i saw... black. like any person would see when closing my eyes.
"i don't see anythi-" i say, before i got cut off by kael.
"doing it wrong, your aware of your surroundings, your focusing on trying to get nyth, focus on floating in it, an ocean of nyth, don't think too much about it, like think of sleeping, dont focus too much on everything else, you can feel the ground, hear the noise, try not to. but don't focus solely on that." kael said. i could feel him sitting besides me.
i took a deep breath again. "i get it." i say, calming down. my surrounding fade, i feel nothing, numb. but i don't focus on it. cold. i feel cold. suddenly, kael calls out.
"holy... dude you can make ice with your nyth!" kael said, excited, in awe. i was confused, i opened my eyes, a small, few meter tall ice spires on my right, kael was on my left. i didnt even notice it.
"wha- i did that?" i said, genuinely shocked at how i did that, but i felt strong, clenching my fist in awe.
"i didnt even make my fire that fast, your insane!" kael said, chuckling. while looking at the ice spire i had made unconsciously .
i grin, my shock turning into confidence and pride. "hah! im better then you then!" i say, too cocky for my own good.
kael looked at me with a raised eyebrow. "sure bud, you lost in that fight" he said.
"well that was like 5 minutes ago-" i say, trying to defend myself about that loss.
"exactly, but either way, that's sick, cmon, lets keep practicing, we're gonna become stronger then the solstices!" kael said, he was too hyped up. but it was nice, i liked his postivity.
after this, around and hour and a half passed, i was learning how to use my ice while moving, and i was good at it too, i was training with kael, making ice spires and long distances, making a ice sword, bow and arrow, shield and what not. it was fun, but the sun was, it was the golden hour already.
"hey, this is fun and all, but we should get going home, someone's gonna get suspicious, we'll do this tomorrow yeah?" i say, already excited for tomorrow.
kael nods, "alright then, help me pack up then we'll go, wanna grab some food on the way? i think i got some cash in the backpack" kael said.
i nodded, "alright, ill pay you back for my meallater" i say, while helping kael pack the water, and the wooden swords, that were barely not broken. somehow.
As me and kael walk, we enter the city, then the restaurant. we order a meal and everything, around half an hour later, the sun had set, we both didn't wanna go home yet. so we hung out at the local park for a few hours, played football (soccer, for you americans) and a little bit of baseball, it was 9 p.m, we were both getting sleepy. so we arrived home, i sat on my bed. now i felt sore, everything was sore, kael also sat on his bed. he was probably sore too, and tired. maybe sleepy, he just rolled up in his bed with the blanket. not really a surprise to me. i lied down on my side, trying to sleep aswell. i couldn't, i wasn't sleepy, just tired. my fingers felt curled like i still held the sword, my arms ached, legs stiff. kael was knocked out, slightly snoring. my body felt heavy, but my mind kept running.
"Ice. i made Ice." i thought. i thought of meika, how she could also control ice the best. ice reminded me of meika, but i didn't think much of it, instead I sat up slowly, wincing. My shoulder hurt from where kael's blade hit me. I reached under my bed, pulled out a notepad, and started writing things down, notes on kael's stance, how the ice felt, the ocean and bucket thing he talked about, and how i managed to control the ice. it wasn't too good, but it was a start.
it took me an hour or so to write everything down.