A Suzanne production:
Seven
Published at Saturday, November 7, 2009, 8:59 AM
‘Where will we be heading next?’ Penelope asked as she let the tap water rush down onto her hands and bounce off the basin.
‘Izlude,’ Cedric smilled back. ‘The satellite city of Prontera, and the home of the Swordsman.’
‘And after that, we can get us to Payon,’ Hirei chirped. ‘I can’t wait till I get to start shooting things! I’ve been training secretly all year with the bow.’
‘Hey, what about Aalaiyah?’ Penelope retorted, a hand on her hips and another holding a wet cloth. ‘She was supposed to return back to Geffen. Shouldn’t we accompany her there to at least inform her family that she’ll be joining us?’
Hirei’s jaw dropped, wanting to say something in defense. After a moment of hesitation, he flailed his hand as a gesture of giving in. But deep down, Hirei was intimidated by the cloth in Penelope’s hands, not wanting to be on the other end of Penelope’s wrath after witnessing her maneuver of the mace.
After breakfast, Cedric cleaned up his home with everyone else’s help, keeping his personal items away in his bedroom and taking a few meaningful ones along with him on his travels. The Kusano’s will be watching after his home during Cedric and Caleb’s absence, kindly offering to clean up the house once in awhile to keep it spick and span. Cedric felt fortunate to have stumbled upon Amatsu-native Hirei who has just moved into Prontera one day ten years ago. Cedric was playing with his wooden sword one day when he saw a white-haired kid, along with his parents moving into a vacant house nearby. Cedric approached Hirei after being told by his brother to be nice to their new neighbours. Cedric was often put off by Hirei’s then blunt and down-to-earth behavior, often causing them to bicker with one another. Eventually, the two separated their differences and became inseparable. The Kusano’s had been family friends with Caleb and Cedric since then, and have been a great assistance during times of trouble.
‘All packed up?’ asked Penelope as Cedric shut the doors to his room, turning over the “Welcome to Cedric Spencer’s Room” sword-shaped wooden sign hung on his door to reveal the blank side of it. Caleb would always do the same for his room when he was out of town, and this became one of the odd, tiny little wish Cedric had since he was little. He nodded back at the others, triggering them to rise from their seats and carrying their luggage out of the house. With one last glance at his home, Cedric walked out and locked up the main door of the residence.
***
‘Welcome to the Satellite City of Prontera, Izlude!’ said the friendly Kafra staff as the foursome reached the other end of the bridge from the Prontera Fields south of the city. Cedric took in a mouthful of the fresh air, tasting the scent of the sea as the breeze carried it inwards to the island. Izlude was just like Prontera in many ways. The design of the houses were similar, the pavement was of white blocks. However, Izlude was a much smaller area which sat on a cliff, having less residential areas and has less activity but significantly more green trees and grass.
‘W-wow! I-Is that an airship?’ Aalaiyah squeaked in fascination. Surely enough, a large, tan-coloured blimp encrusted with the emblem of the Republic of Schwartzwald was floating in mid-air. It was much larger than the market at the centre of Izlude, loading passengers and their goods on board the airship.
‘One day, we’ll sit that airship together and travel to the Schwartzwald and Arunafeltz!’ Hirei asserted. ‘But for now, let’s get Cedric into a Swordsmen attire!’
Cedric laughed. ‘Well, you guys could walk around Izlude later while I’m taking my Swordsmen test,’ he suggested. ‘You guys can take a closer look at the Airship and visit the Izlude Arena and boats. I’ve been here tons of times, so I’m not missing anything much if I don’t join.’
‘Look at the professional speak! He’s sneaked here since he was seven, but fainted after being squirted by water from a Poring in the Prontera Fields,’ joked Hirei, not receiving a positive reaction from Cedric.
They walked towards the Swordsmen Guild at the west of Izlude, sounds of clashing swords could be heard even before they entered the building. Cedric lead the group through the wooden double doors, arriving in a small main hall with a seasoned Swordsmen standing behind the counter.
‘Good afternoon Mr. Mare!’ Cedric greeted enthusiastically. ‘Ready or not, because I’m finally here to take the Swordsmen test.’
The dark-haired man laughed. ‘Wonderful, Cedric!’ he said heartily. ‘But please, just call me Kyle. All right, let’s cut to the chase. Please follow me to the next hall. Would you be the only one taking the test?’
Cedric nodded. Once again, they cheered him on while he followed Kyle to the left doorway. Cedric had no idea what the test would be about, but promised them that he would be finished with the test quickly.
‘If you want to join our ranks, you will have to pass our test of endurance,’ said Kyle as he walked into a dimly lit, empty chamber. Cedric felt his heart thumping against his chest, threatening to tear it apart. Sure, Cedric must have prepared for this for a long time, but when faced with the real situation, he could not handle his nerves. Navigating their way and walking down a large staircase, they reached a large chasm underground, standing on a small area of concrete.
‘The rules are simple, just reach the other end of the room without killing yourself,’ Kyle smiled. ‘Now hurry along!’
Cedric was hesitant when asked to begin his test – simple instructions must mean trouble. He could see a staircase leading upwards on the other end of the chasm. It did not seem too tough, the ending line presumably 100 metres away from the starting point, but between them were paths that did not seem to connect with each other. The whole floor was covered with holes, with certain points linked with metal bars and wooden planks to the other side of the floor.
Cedric walked down the first part of the path with ease; the ground although scattered gaps had a wide space for him to move freely. Once arriving at the checkpoint before the second third of the test, he noticed that the path was much narrower, the floor slippery and gaps bigger. Cedric reminded himself to stay focused and cautious, taking his first step off the first checkpoint. There was a shift in the air, and a sharp sound was whizzing his way. Cedric crouched at where he was standing, seeing that an arrow had been shot at him deliberately while he was maneuvering himself through the course. Alerted, Cedric continued the path in the same manner, dodging more arrows coming from both his left and right.
Finally, Cedric arrived at the second checkpoint onto the final part of the course, barely missing a few arrows from the path before. Cedric analysed the path ahead of him, starting to worry about his own safety. The third part of the course was only connected to the third check point by metal bars and wooden planks which seem to bend in different directions and cut off at certain points. It was hard enough trying to balance himself on such a narrow area, but on top of that he had to make his way through the maze and not be hit by any arrows. Taking a deep breath, Cedric walked onto the metal bar, legs started to tremble as he looked down at his feet which scarcely fitted the width of the bar, and into the deep chasm. What was down there? What would happen if he fell?
‘Ugh!’ an arrow shot past Cedric’s right ear, causing him to lose his balance. Quickly he drew out his sword to help maintain his stability. Far behind, he heard a satisfied snigger from Kyle. He slowed down his pace, taking it one step at a time to make sure he does not miss his footing.
Another arrow misses his shoulder. Cedric was now faced with a fork, needing him to study the path further ahead to decide which bar would lead him the right way.
‘Argh!’ an arrow hits his leg, and Cedric keeled over, falling off the bar. He swung his sword onto the bar, trying his best to grab hold onto anything he could, but he was falling down into the dark depths.
It was a quick fall until he dropped on his back on the rocky ground. Cedric noticed that he was in an underground cavern, dark, slimy and unappealing. Cedric tried to stand up, sending a horrible sensation down his left leg, an arrow pierced through his calf. His breath was racing through the Al de Baran Turbo Track, his body shaking involuntarily. Still lying on the dusty cavern floor, he tried reaching for the end of the arrow, and with a careful but swift movement, extracted the arrow out of his calf. Cedric screamed in pain, blood gushing out of the wound, staining his brown baggy pants.
Cedric had to treat his wound, the unsightly way or not. He started recalling the practical lessons they took during the Novice Training Program, digging through his rucksack he took out a towel and some red herbs Penelope had given him from the loot they collected. Cedric folded up his pants, taking a look at the nasty arrow injury. He threw the red herbs into his mouth, chewing it finely with his teeth before spewing it back out to be spread on to his calf. Tearing the towel into a longer strap of cloth, he used it as a bandage to wrap his wound.
“Just take any scrap of bandage, cloth, leftovers, anything!” Nurse Nora told the class during their lessons, with Cedric being their test dummy. “It must be clean, of course. Take some herbs, crush them up, and spread it around your wound. Dab a little like this, and there… There you go! Isn’t it easy? It’d be effective if you let some of your spirit energy flow into it too. Like this…”
‘First Aid!’ Cedric whispered feebly, a gentle, blue light emitting from his palm onto the bandage that wrapped his wound. The skill had drained some spirit energy from him, but it helped ease the throbbing, returning Cedric’s ability to stand and not fall.
---
Current Word Count: 12,257
‘Izlude,’ Cedric smilled back. ‘The satellite city of Prontera, and the home of the Swordsman.’
‘And after that, we can get us to Payon,’ Hirei chirped. ‘I can’t wait till I get to start shooting things! I’ve been training secretly all year with the bow.’
‘Hey, what about Aalaiyah?’ Penelope retorted, a hand on her hips and another holding a wet cloth. ‘She was supposed to return back to Geffen. Shouldn’t we accompany her there to at least inform her family that she’ll be joining us?’
Hirei’s jaw dropped, wanting to say something in defense. After a moment of hesitation, he flailed his hand as a gesture of giving in. But deep down, Hirei was intimidated by the cloth in Penelope’s hands, not wanting to be on the other end of Penelope’s wrath after witnessing her maneuver of the mace.
After breakfast, Cedric cleaned up his home with everyone else’s help, keeping his personal items away in his bedroom and taking a few meaningful ones along with him on his travels. The Kusano’s will be watching after his home during Cedric and Caleb’s absence, kindly offering to clean up the house once in awhile to keep it spick and span. Cedric felt fortunate to have stumbled upon Amatsu-native Hirei who has just moved into Prontera one day ten years ago. Cedric was playing with his wooden sword one day when he saw a white-haired kid, along with his parents moving into a vacant house nearby. Cedric approached Hirei after being told by his brother to be nice to their new neighbours. Cedric was often put off by Hirei’s then blunt and down-to-earth behavior, often causing them to bicker with one another. Eventually, the two separated their differences and became inseparable. The Kusano’s had been family friends with Caleb and Cedric since then, and have been a great assistance during times of trouble.
‘All packed up?’ asked Penelope as Cedric shut the doors to his room, turning over the “Welcome to Cedric Spencer’s Room” sword-shaped wooden sign hung on his door to reveal the blank side of it. Caleb would always do the same for his room when he was out of town, and this became one of the odd, tiny little wish Cedric had since he was little. He nodded back at the others, triggering them to rise from their seats and carrying their luggage out of the house. With one last glance at his home, Cedric walked out and locked up the main door of the residence.
***
‘Welcome to the Satellite City of Prontera, Izlude!’ said the friendly Kafra staff as the foursome reached the other end of the bridge from the Prontera Fields south of the city. Cedric took in a mouthful of the fresh air, tasting the scent of the sea as the breeze carried it inwards to the island. Izlude was just like Prontera in many ways. The design of the houses were similar, the pavement was of white blocks. However, Izlude was a much smaller area which sat on a cliff, having less residential areas and has less activity but significantly more green trees and grass.
‘W-wow! I-Is that an airship?’ Aalaiyah squeaked in fascination. Surely enough, a large, tan-coloured blimp encrusted with the emblem of the Republic of Schwartzwald was floating in mid-air. It was much larger than the market at the centre of Izlude, loading passengers and their goods on board the airship.
‘One day, we’ll sit that airship together and travel to the Schwartzwald and Arunafeltz!’ Hirei asserted. ‘But for now, let’s get Cedric into a Swordsmen attire!’
Cedric laughed. ‘Well, you guys could walk around Izlude later while I’m taking my Swordsmen test,’ he suggested. ‘You guys can take a closer look at the Airship and visit the Izlude Arena and boats. I’ve been here tons of times, so I’m not missing anything much if I don’t join.’
‘Look at the professional speak! He’s sneaked here since he was seven, but fainted after being squirted by water from a Poring in the Prontera Fields,’ joked Hirei, not receiving a positive reaction from Cedric.
They walked towards the Swordsmen Guild at the west of Izlude, sounds of clashing swords could be heard even before they entered the building. Cedric lead the group through the wooden double doors, arriving in a small main hall with a seasoned Swordsmen standing behind the counter.
‘Good afternoon Mr. Mare!’ Cedric greeted enthusiastically. ‘Ready or not, because I’m finally here to take the Swordsmen test.’
The dark-haired man laughed. ‘Wonderful, Cedric!’ he said heartily. ‘But please, just call me Kyle. All right, let’s cut to the chase. Please follow me to the next hall. Would you be the only one taking the test?’
Cedric nodded. Once again, they cheered him on while he followed Kyle to the left doorway. Cedric had no idea what the test would be about, but promised them that he would be finished with the test quickly.
‘If you want to join our ranks, you will have to pass our test of endurance,’ said Kyle as he walked into a dimly lit, empty chamber. Cedric felt his heart thumping against his chest, threatening to tear it apart. Sure, Cedric must have prepared for this for a long time, but when faced with the real situation, he could not handle his nerves. Navigating their way and walking down a large staircase, they reached a large chasm underground, standing on a small area of concrete.
‘The rules are simple, just reach the other end of the room without killing yourself,’ Kyle smiled. ‘Now hurry along!’
Cedric was hesitant when asked to begin his test – simple instructions must mean trouble. He could see a staircase leading upwards on the other end of the chasm. It did not seem too tough, the ending line presumably 100 metres away from the starting point, but between them were paths that did not seem to connect with each other. The whole floor was covered with holes, with certain points linked with metal bars and wooden planks to the other side of the floor.
Cedric walked down the first part of the path with ease; the ground although scattered gaps had a wide space for him to move freely. Once arriving at the checkpoint before the second third of the test, he noticed that the path was much narrower, the floor slippery and gaps bigger. Cedric reminded himself to stay focused and cautious, taking his first step off the first checkpoint. There was a shift in the air, and a sharp sound was whizzing his way. Cedric crouched at where he was standing, seeing that an arrow had been shot at him deliberately while he was maneuvering himself through the course. Alerted, Cedric continued the path in the same manner, dodging more arrows coming from both his left and right.
Finally, Cedric arrived at the second checkpoint onto the final part of the course, barely missing a few arrows from the path before. Cedric analysed the path ahead of him, starting to worry about his own safety. The third part of the course was only connected to the third check point by metal bars and wooden planks which seem to bend in different directions and cut off at certain points. It was hard enough trying to balance himself on such a narrow area, but on top of that he had to make his way through the maze and not be hit by any arrows. Taking a deep breath, Cedric walked onto the metal bar, legs started to tremble as he looked down at his feet which scarcely fitted the width of the bar, and into the deep chasm. What was down there? What would happen if he fell?
‘Ugh!’ an arrow shot past Cedric’s right ear, causing him to lose his balance. Quickly he drew out his sword to help maintain his stability. Far behind, he heard a satisfied snigger from Kyle. He slowed down his pace, taking it one step at a time to make sure he does not miss his footing.
Another arrow misses his shoulder. Cedric was now faced with a fork, needing him to study the path further ahead to decide which bar would lead him the right way.
‘Argh!’ an arrow hits his leg, and Cedric keeled over, falling off the bar. He swung his sword onto the bar, trying his best to grab hold onto anything he could, but he was falling down into the dark depths.
It was a quick fall until he dropped on his back on the rocky ground. Cedric noticed that he was in an underground cavern, dark, slimy and unappealing. Cedric tried to stand up, sending a horrible sensation down his left leg, an arrow pierced through his calf. His breath was racing through the Al de Baran Turbo Track, his body shaking involuntarily. Still lying on the dusty cavern floor, he tried reaching for the end of the arrow, and with a careful but swift movement, extracted the arrow out of his calf. Cedric screamed in pain, blood gushing out of the wound, staining his brown baggy pants.
Cedric had to treat his wound, the unsightly way or not. He started recalling the practical lessons they took during the Novice Training Program, digging through his rucksack he took out a towel and some red herbs Penelope had given him from the loot they collected. Cedric folded up his pants, taking a look at the nasty arrow injury. He threw the red herbs into his mouth, chewing it finely with his teeth before spewing it back out to be spread on to his calf. Tearing the towel into a longer strap of cloth, he used it as a bandage to wrap his wound.
“Just take any scrap of bandage, cloth, leftovers, anything!” Nurse Nora told the class during their lessons, with Cedric being their test dummy. “It must be clean, of course. Take some herbs, crush them up, and spread it around your wound. Dab a little like this, and there… There you go! Isn’t it easy? It’d be effective if you let some of your spirit energy flow into it too. Like this…”
‘First Aid!’ Cedric whispered feebly, a gentle, blue light emitting from his palm onto the bandage that wrapped his wound. The skill had drained some spirit energy from him, but it helped ease the throbbing, returning Cedric’s ability to stand and not fall.
---
Current Word Count: 12,257
Labels: NaNoMadness, The Eminent Guardians
