Kaede was inside of the Commander tent looking the map over and over. She kept trying to find better ways before she set on the path she was already planning on taking.
Then the tent flap lifted, it was Khione "I brought you some cookies... I made them" she looked away and Kaede smiled taking them.
Khione walked over "So when are we leaving?"
Kaede looked down at the map "I already sent a scout out, I'm sure the security is tight, so depending on their shifts and vulnerability, we could leave in 3 days." She looked at Khione
"Well... Try not to push yourself too hard... K?"
Kaede smiled "Okay" She looked at Khione "and Thanks..."
"Hey Kaede?"
"Hm?"
"Can we go to the Slave Market first..."
***
Estra sipped on her green tea while looking at her child and Lux.
"So I believe I should clear some things up."
"You should start with how in the world you're in my domain."
Estra raised and eyebrow and then relaxed with a soft laugh as she blew into the tea. "1, I am a Former King, 2 I am your mother as a Former King. No one else has access unpermitted except me."
She made a prideful smile as she sipped.
Kian rolled his eyes "Second, why didn't you keep me?"
Estra looked away, then back at her son. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out.
Then she looked down "I didn't want to raise you because... Of my past, I didn't want any of my past to linger on you or for you to hate me more than you already do. I thought if I raised you, you'd become like me. So, I sent you off. I didn't except you to find out about being the Royal of Kings so early though"
"You knew?!"
"Calm down, I only figured it out once you were able to survive the Infiltration and revive from Echidna's child, Typho."
"THAT BEAST HAS A NAME?!"
Estra nodded "Then I decided to let the meeting start early..."
Estra looked at him "Now onto your ability. With it you are faster, stronger, and more agile. The good and bad is you don't feel pain, actually you don't feel anything. No rage, No hate, No love, nothing. Because you are in a state of emptiness except for what you were thinking of before going into this state."
"So you will just wander after, destroy anything that harms you, because it's in your way of staying alive. One other thing you think of is at least living."
"So I'm some mindless survivor with only 1 goal on his mind?"
Lux sat there eating her cakes barely listening to the 2.
"That actually quiet sums it up."
"I see..."
"Anyway, let's get you some training because one thing I forgot to mention is... You still remember how to fight in this state, just you can't speak. So no spells."
She stood up and looked at Lux "Up!"
Lux looked at Kian and he nodded, Lux grumbled as she stuffed her face with one more cake before standing.
"So as I said before in the spirit state, you are empty, however you still want to survive. Meaning you still have combat knowledge and instincts. Almost like a mindless fighter. Sad part is you never hesitate to do anything. You attack, run, move without question with only 1 goal and one purpose. Your original goal and Survival."
"Now let's start with you in conscious form. Come!"
Kian looked around
Estra sighed "At me!"
Kian looked at her and remembered what she said she did to the Royal and other Kings in her past. She brutalized them which gave him cold feet.
Estra looked at him and sighed"Lux you know how to fight no?"
Lux nodded "A bit"
"Please do train my son. I want him to have experience before I teach him. Maybe then he won't be afraid." She sat down and crossed her legs. Lux swallowed the last bit of the cake licking around her teeth for any bits left.
"Okay, Master Kian. Let's start with punches! Go!"
Kian still hesitated. Lux was a girl,but not only that, she looked young.
She looked at Estra.
Estra grunted "DARN IT KIAN WHAT WILL YOU FIGHT?!" She tried to think of a way other than putting him in spirit made, because it'd be hard to teach him.
Then she palm faced and sighed. She whistled and a man came from behind her. He was huge, with big muscles and a nice mustache.
It was Gerald Hopps?
"Hello madam." He fixed his tie on his fashionable suit.
"I need you to teach Kian how to fight." She said pointing at Kian with an open hand.
Gerald nodded "As you wish Madam. He looked at Kian and did a slight bow before gripping his shirt and ripping it off."
The man was more muscular than Kian thought and also 10x more scary if he didn't have a gentleman's voice Kian would've ran away immediately.
He couldn't tell which was scarier his mother or this beast of a man.
Gerald looked at Kian "Come at me with everything you have... Or I'll do it myself."
Kian looked at Estra "I should've said that, Damn it!" She said palm facing again.
Faced with no choice, but to fight Kian looked at the opponent before him.
He thought back to the trail with the tentacle monster and focused on Gerald.
He put in his head that there was no choice, but to defeat him.
He ran up and nearly got hit by a front kick. He followed up with a strike to the man's shin, which hurt him more than Gerald.
"AHH! WHAT ARE YOU MADE OF, STEEL?!"
Gerald grabbed Kian and slammed his fist into the boy sending him backwards through the field.
"Gerald!"
He turned to Estra "Oh too hard, sor-"
"He can revive. He'll be fine."
Gerald nodded and turned towards Kian, who looked with Fear.
He ran in and slammed his fist into the ground Kian dodged, but still got sent flying from the powerful impact.
Gerald's eyes turned white, every step shook the ground.
Kian stood up and tried running, but Gerald slammed his foot into the ground sending a crack Kian's way forcing him to leap away then get kicked with such force it sent him into the sky like a star.
Once Kian was about to come back down. Gerald jumped into the air going towards Kian coiling his legs then once he was above him he sprung his feet out sending Kian Flying down with a powerful shockwave.
Kian coughed out blood at he looked up at the falling man who came down with a fist of pure strength.
When the dust dissapated. Kian was nowhere to be seen, no blood or anything.
That's when someone wrapped there arms around Gerald's neck and bit his ear.
All I have to do is damage him enough, if I can just get him down, I can get him at a vulnerable spot and destroy him!
Gerald jumped onto his back crushing Kian, but the boy didn't let go he held tight choking Gerald.
Gerald responded with slamming his elbow into Kian's side the best he could.
Kian felt sorry though and let go.
Gerald stood and looked "You stopped?"
"I... I can't kill a friend."
Gerald glared at Kian "So you'd die? Do you not know betrayal? I'm sure you do, you just can't beat the thought of their life ending from you own hands."
"Kian you need to be ready end anything, Allie or foe. Because the time they betray you it's done, no resets. Do you think the King of Kings will just give up? He will not! He will fight you to the death. So if you can't beat that, then you will always fail. It is Kill or be Killed in this world Kian, it's about time you realize that. Never hesitate again Kian, never stop because you feel sorry. If you do, I'll make sure I give you a death even reviving can't fix."
Kian felt a chill run down his body, but he stood anyway.
"This time... I'll... I'll end you."
Gerald smiled, "let's get started then!"
Gerald stepped back as Kian stood wiping the blood from his mouth.
"This time I won't hold back!" Both yelled.
***
Kaede was knocked back by Elara. She saw the strings become lighter with one turning really dark it showed a dangerous path that lead to Elara's neck.
The chances of success were low as Elara could evade or defeat her with one blow.
Yet Kaede decided to follow it as the other bright ones just lead to weak or normal attacks that had high success.
She dashed in and dodged a kick from Elara, but still Elara grabbed her shirt and slammed her fist into Kaede stomach.
So Kaede grabbed Elara's head and slammed her own into Elara's.
Then she jumped back rubbing her forehead.
I shouldn't have did that, now my head hurts.
Elara ran up to Kaede's side and threw a punch, but Kaede let it hit her and used the force to perform a kick to Elara's face.
Once Kaede found her footing she threw a punch at Elara who dodged her way into an unexpected lower punch from Kaede.
Elara was sent back, but like the warrior she was she stayed standing. "Good job, that'll be enough for today. Let's go eat."
Kaede nodded and followed. Once they got to the camp the food was already being served.
Kaede looked around "Where's Khione and Kian?"
"Kian is still sleeping so she's waiting for him to wake up."
Kaede looked at his tent then walked inside.
Khione was reading a book beside him while eating a slice of bread. She looked up at Kaede "He should wake up soon."
"Whatcha reading?"
Khione lifted the book to show the title.
The mysteries of Ice Magic
"Been trying to learn more techniques to destroy people."
"Have you?" Kaede walked up as she asked
Khione nodded "How about I train with you?"
Kaede looked at Khione, first with surprise then with determination. "Sure you wanna fight me?"
"I'm very sure" Khione didn't smile, instead she looked at Kaede with a cold stare.
"Okay in the morning we'll fight!"
Khione nodded "I must warn you, just because we're friends doesn't mean I won't harm you."
"Oh really? I was just thinking the same!"
Kian woke up, he rubbed his head. "Heh? Why are you two here? Is it night time?"
Both shook their heads "Actually... We want to train together, you'll be joining boy!"
"Or else I'll freeze you."
"Oh I'll do more than freeze you. I'll bash your skull in."
"Oh then I'll freeze him slowly so he feels every bit."
"Then I'll cut off his fingers first."
"... Why are you two competing about Harming me!"
"Ah shut up! You can revive." Kaede groaned
"That doesn't mean I can't feel pain!"
"Meh you'll get over it." Khione said simply
"WHAT?!"
"Better come get something to eat and rest well because we're starting in the morning!"
These girls are crazy! No, psycho!
After dinner everyone went back to their tents Kian decided to sleep in Selene's tent begging her to not kick him out. "I'll sleep on the floor just please!"
"Ugh, Fine! But no kissing, touching, or flirting!"
Kian nodded wildly as he laid on the floor.
As he closed his eyes he couldn't stop thinking about how the girls could find him, so he went outside.
He snuck around the camp and sat on the outside of it.
He tried to get the thoughts from his head, but couldn't.
As he thought though something stuck the ground in front of him he looked up and saw a stick like object with a feather at the end.
He looked up slowly and saw the forest behind him. It seemed normal, but still gave him the feeling that something was inside of it.
He got up and tried to look ahead, then that's when he saw light. Once he looked up he saw a ton of arrows soaring through the sky towards the camp.
His heart began to pound against his chest. "EVERYONE WAKE UP!!!"
The arrows struck through the tents causing screams and terror as everyone rushed out to better cover or to tools and weapons.
Some got hit, some nearly escaped, but no one was prepared for this.
The enemy had ambushed them.