A Suzanne production:
Two
Published at Monday, November 2, 2009, 6:59 AM
‘Oh, hi there Penny!’ Hirei called out.
Cedric, who had his eyes fixed intently on the girl called Penny, turned his head so rapidly at that moment the he could have snapped his head off his shoulders. His eyes widened at his friend Hirei, who responded with a cheeky smile.
‘When and how do you even know her?’ Cedric whispered demandingly at his friend. Before Hirei could answer, the girl had already made her way towards the boys.
‘Hey there Hirei,’ a pleasant voice escaped the lips of the girl. ‘I didn’t know that you were taking the Novice test today.’ Cedric found himself mesmerized by her being, and interested in the blue pendent that adorned her neck.
‘Sure am!’ Hirei piped. He then elbowed Cedric, who snapped back to reality. ‘I’m taking the test with my best buddy here, Cedric.’
Cedric found himself contemplating over how he should react. He pictured himself introducing himself confidently in a masculine tone with half of his brother’s witty talking skills, followed by the girl blushing, swept off her feet by Cedric’s charming demeanour. But no matter how many times or how many different ways he pictured the scene, he ended up with one reaction.
‘Um, hiya,’ said Cedric lamely, almost forgetting to flash a smile. ‘I’m Cedric Spencer, and this is my brother, Caleb.’
The girl smiled delightfully, stretching out her hand towards Cedric. He took it gently and they shook hands in a friendly manner. She then did the same to Caleb, who nodded and expressed his pleasure at meeting her.
‘My name is Penelope Shader,’ she revealed. It seems that “Penny” was only a nickname given to her by Hirei. Somehow, Cedric was taken aback by the thought of Hirei and Penelope being acquainted. However, Cedric might not have had the chance to meet Penelope if this was not the case either.
‘I met Penny near your house the other day you were at the Culverts,’ Hirei explained, answering Cedric’s previous question. ‘I’m surprised you never met her, I mean, she lives just down your street!’
‘R-really?’ replied an astonished Cedric. He has never seen Penelope before. If he did, he would have remembered someone like her. He paused for awhile, digesting Hirei’s answer. ‘Wait a sec, is that why you were late that day? I had to collect the worm peelings on my own.’
‘Hey, you went off by your own because you couldn’t wait for me,’ Hirei defended himself quickly. ‘Besides, didn’t you say it was fun and exciting on your own?’
While Cedric and Hirei bickered between each other, Penelope laughed. In some way, Penelope found their conversation amusing(again, to Cedric’s astonishment), and Cedric thought she had an angel’s laughter.
‘Say… what Novice Training Program did you sign up for?’ asked Cedric in attempt to keep the conversation rolling. ‘We must’ve seen you if you if you passed the program and was allowed to take the test. After all, the Omega Course is the only one in town.’
‘I was training under the Prontera Church,’ Penelope replied. Usually, an aspiring Novice would have to attend a Novice Training Program like the Omega Course in Prontera. However, some may choose to train under the guild of their choice and receive recommendations to the Novice test from there.
‘Oh… an Acolyte in training, huh?’ Cedric guessed aloud. Penelope responded with a nod. She took out a copy of the Bible and smiled, pressing it against her chest.
‘I want to fight like my father. I want to fight for peace,’ said Penelope, hope brimming in her eyes.
‘That’s a great cause,’ Cedric smiled. ‘I want to become strong like my brother and discover the Ymir’s heart fragments with him.’
Cedric turned to his brother and lightly fisted his chest as a sign of determination. ‘I can’t believe you actually remembered that,’ Caleb said, impressed by his brother’s ambition. ‘I thought it was just something you said casually.’
‘Hey, I always keep my promises,’ Cedric claimed proudly as he crossed his arms. ‘And I promised that I’ll join you in your journey.’
‘Isn’t that just a legend, Ymir’s heart fragments – parts of Ymir that are scattered all across the land, said to grant great strength and bring peace to the world?’ Hirei raised his thick eyebrows in query.
‘Well, I believe in it. I know it must exist,’ Cedric said boldly. For many years, Caleb has been researching about the existence of Ymir’s heart fragments while being part of the Prontera Chivalry, keeping peace under the orders of King Tristan III. There were occasions where Caleb would be dispatched away from Prontera for a period of time, leaving Cedric home alone. Cedric wished to join the Prontera Chivalry so he could work alongside his brother, his only family he knew and adored.
‘Aheeeeem, are you gonna leave me waiting here?’
The Kafra staff standing behind the counter started tapping her fingers against the table. She had pale lavender hair accented with a lace headgear. She was wearing a clean, white apron atop a brown dress, the standard uniform of all Kafra employees. The Kafra Corporation is a company that offers assistance and services to adventurers all across Rune Midgard Kingdom, the Republic of Schwartzvald and the Arunafeltz State. One of their most wanted services is the teleportation service, able to transport one to most cities in the region. This particular Kafra is the only one in Prontera who is able to warp adventurers to the Novice Training Grounds.
‘Sorry to keep you waiting, Pavienne,’ said Caleb as he walked forward towards the counter. He bowed briskly and Pavienne did the same.
‘Ah… long time no see Caleb,’ she spoke softly. ‘I see that your brother and his friends are ready.’
‘I guess we should go off now, bro,’ said Cedric as he and Hirei joined Caleb by the counter. ‘Penelope, will you be following us?’
‘Definitely,’ she smiled.
‘Time flies,’ Caleb laughed weakly. ‘It’s already your turn to start your own journey. Promise me you’ll take care of yourself and your friends. You tend to act rashly sometimes, learn to heed other’s advice. Behave yourself, and – ’
‘Bro! I’m not little you know!’ Cedric flushed, hushing his brother from giving the remember-to-change-your-underwear speech. ‘You sound as if you’re sending me off somewhere far away and that we’ll never see each other again.’
Caleb knelt on his knee and reached his hand on Cedric’s head, messing up that Ymir’s handful of dirty blonde hair Cedric spends all morning to make neat. By this action, Cedric looked at his brother annoyingly, yet affectionately. With his free hand, Caleb shoved the long, wrapped object he took along that morning into Cedric’s hands.
‘Take this along with you, and don’t lose it,’ Caleb continued. ‘Open it only when you’ve mastered yourself as a Swordsman, you’ll know when. Promise me, alright?’
Caleb took his hand off the object, letting Cedric carry all its weight. It was unexpectedly light, despite the size and hard feel of it. Cedric stared intensely at the ragged cloth; he almost expected to be able to see through the cloth and see what was inside if he looked hard enough. He raised his head to look back at his brother and nodded slowly. ‘I promise.’
‘I trust you, Cedric,’ Caleb smiled as he tugged Cedric’s head towards his shoulder with the hand already on his head. With the other hand on Cedric’s back, Caleb hugged his brother tightly. At this distance, Cedric could see Caleb’s face clearly, the tone of his cerulean eyes, the lines and dark circle under them, and the scar that ran down his chin. He must have imagined it, but Cedric thought his brother, although with his profound eyes, looked tired and exhausted, maybe even a little gloomy. After what seemed like a long time, the brothers separated from each other and Caleb stood straight up.
‘Thanks for tagging along, Caleb!’ said Hirei cheerfully.
Pavienne ushered the three young teenagers towards the brick wall behind the counter. She stuck a strip of strange looking paper and tapped the wall in an odd rhythm. It seemed to have work, as the wall started shaking and a beam of light shot out between the bricks and the paper, concentrating at a point on a ground, forming a swirl of bright aurora.
‘This portal will bring you to the Novice Training Grounds,’ said Pavienne in a formal tone, bowing deeply. ‘Thank you for choosing Kafra services and we hope to see you again. Till then, have a nice day!’
As Cedric, Hirei and Penelope stepped into the portal, Cedric took one last glance backwards at his brother. He waved his hand frantically and cried. ‘We’ll see you soon then, bro! Next time, as Novices!’
Caleb smiled back and watched his brother and his friends disappear in the light, lowering his head, he said softly. ‘Soon… hopefully.’
***
The trio were sucked into a vortex in the bright portal. Cedric could feel his body floating in nowhere, his eyes blinded by the light. He felt himself spinning around for moments, until he touched a soft, grassy land with his feet. They had materialized on a lone island surrounded by water in an unfamiliar area. Feeling a little numb, Cedric opened his eyes slowly to find a suspended bridge in front of them, leading to a massive castle-like building which must be the Training Grounds.
‘Wow! That’s the Training Grounds?’ came Hirei’s voice by his side, who was shielding his eyes with the back of his hand. ‘C’mon, let’s go!’
‘W-wait, Hirei!’ Penelope called out, helping herself to stand after having a bumpy landing from the portal. She turned to Cedric, who shook his head and laughed at Hirei’s impatience. They chased him down the bridge and into the court yard of the Training Grounds. They must have been in a land near Prontera, as the grasslands were yellow-green and pear, the architecture of the building was a spitting image of the Prontera castle. Walking through the great steel arch, they found themselves inside the building, gleaming walls and floors, scattered with young hopefuls just like themselves.
Far ahead, they could see a figure waving at them. ‘Hey, over here!’ he yelled. Cedric could tell that it was Hirei by the sheepish look on his face and the sleet white hair off his head. Cedric and Penelope walked towards the centre of the hall to join Hirei, their attention then turned to the large man standing next to him. The man had messy black hair and a chiselled face that seemed too small for his buffed body. He had a don’t-mess-with-me look on his face; his muscles prominent with his crossed arms.
‘Welcome to the Novice Training Grounds, where normal people become new adventurers,’ said the man in a deep voice, evidently trying his best to sound interested. ‘So, you’ll be taking your Novice test today, right? May I see your recommendations?’
Cedric and Hirei both took out their certificates from the Omega Course, while Penelope showed the man her Bible, which seemed to be a unique copy granted to her by the Prontera Church as it did the trick to serve as proof of her recommendation.
‘Alright, I see that you are qualified, could you please fill up this form?’ the man continued, handing out a piece of paper and pen to each of them. ‘Once you’re finished, we can get started.’
Cedric looked down at the paper and started filling in the blanks. There were the usual fields that needed to be filled in, along with a box at the bottom labelled “for representative’s use”. He could hear the scratching sounds of the pen from Hirei and Penelope. Quickly, he completed up his form.
The Novice Test Application Form (please enclose a copy of your recommendation)
1. Personal Particulars
Name : Cedric Spencer
Age : 15
Gender : Male
Current Residence : Prontera
2. Guardian’s Particulars
Name : Caleb Spencer
Age : 27
Relationship : Brother
Occupation : Knight – Prontera Chivalry
3. Extra Information
Novice Training Program : The Omega Course
Profession of Choice : Swordsman
Weapon of Choice : Sword
4. For Representative’s Use
---
Current Word Count: 3,786
Cedric, who had his eyes fixed intently on the girl called Penny, turned his head so rapidly at that moment the he could have snapped his head off his shoulders. His eyes widened at his friend Hirei, who responded with a cheeky smile.
‘When and how do you even know her?’ Cedric whispered demandingly at his friend. Before Hirei could answer, the girl had already made her way towards the boys.
‘Hey there Hirei,’ a pleasant voice escaped the lips of the girl. ‘I didn’t know that you were taking the Novice test today.’ Cedric found himself mesmerized by her being, and interested in the blue pendent that adorned her neck.
‘Sure am!’ Hirei piped. He then elbowed Cedric, who snapped back to reality. ‘I’m taking the test with my best buddy here, Cedric.’
Cedric found himself contemplating over how he should react. He pictured himself introducing himself confidently in a masculine tone with half of his brother’s witty talking skills, followed by the girl blushing, swept off her feet by Cedric’s charming demeanour. But no matter how many times or how many different ways he pictured the scene, he ended up with one reaction.
‘Um, hiya,’ said Cedric lamely, almost forgetting to flash a smile. ‘I’m Cedric Spencer, and this is my brother, Caleb.’
The girl smiled delightfully, stretching out her hand towards Cedric. He took it gently and they shook hands in a friendly manner. She then did the same to Caleb, who nodded and expressed his pleasure at meeting her.
‘My name is Penelope Shader,’ she revealed. It seems that “Penny” was only a nickname given to her by Hirei. Somehow, Cedric was taken aback by the thought of Hirei and Penelope being acquainted. However, Cedric might not have had the chance to meet Penelope if this was not the case either.
‘I met Penny near your house the other day you were at the Culverts,’ Hirei explained, answering Cedric’s previous question. ‘I’m surprised you never met her, I mean, she lives just down your street!’
‘R-really?’ replied an astonished Cedric. He has never seen Penelope before. If he did, he would have remembered someone like her. He paused for awhile, digesting Hirei’s answer. ‘Wait a sec, is that why you were late that day? I had to collect the worm peelings on my own.’
‘Hey, you went off by your own because you couldn’t wait for me,’ Hirei defended himself quickly. ‘Besides, didn’t you say it was fun and exciting on your own?’
While Cedric and Hirei bickered between each other, Penelope laughed. In some way, Penelope found their conversation amusing(again, to Cedric’s astonishment), and Cedric thought she had an angel’s laughter.
‘Say… what Novice Training Program did you sign up for?’ asked Cedric in attempt to keep the conversation rolling. ‘We must’ve seen you if you if you passed the program and was allowed to take the test. After all, the Omega Course is the only one in town.’
‘I was training under the Prontera Church,’ Penelope replied. Usually, an aspiring Novice would have to attend a Novice Training Program like the Omega Course in Prontera. However, some may choose to train under the guild of their choice and receive recommendations to the Novice test from there.
‘Oh… an Acolyte in training, huh?’ Cedric guessed aloud. Penelope responded with a nod. She took out a copy of the Bible and smiled, pressing it against her chest.
‘I want to fight like my father. I want to fight for peace,’ said Penelope, hope brimming in her eyes.
‘That’s a great cause,’ Cedric smiled. ‘I want to become strong like my brother and discover the Ymir’s heart fragments with him.’
Cedric turned to his brother and lightly fisted his chest as a sign of determination. ‘I can’t believe you actually remembered that,’ Caleb said, impressed by his brother’s ambition. ‘I thought it was just something you said casually.’
‘Hey, I always keep my promises,’ Cedric claimed proudly as he crossed his arms. ‘And I promised that I’ll join you in your journey.’
‘Isn’t that just a legend, Ymir’s heart fragments – parts of Ymir that are scattered all across the land, said to grant great strength and bring peace to the world?’ Hirei raised his thick eyebrows in query.
‘Well, I believe in it. I know it must exist,’ Cedric said boldly. For many years, Caleb has been researching about the existence of Ymir’s heart fragments while being part of the Prontera Chivalry, keeping peace under the orders of King Tristan III. There were occasions where Caleb would be dispatched away from Prontera for a period of time, leaving Cedric home alone. Cedric wished to join the Prontera Chivalry so he could work alongside his brother, his only family he knew and adored.
‘Aheeeeem, are you gonna leave me waiting here?’
The Kafra staff standing behind the counter started tapping her fingers against the table. She had pale lavender hair accented with a lace headgear. She was wearing a clean, white apron atop a brown dress, the standard uniform of all Kafra employees. The Kafra Corporation is a company that offers assistance and services to adventurers all across Rune Midgard Kingdom, the Republic of Schwartzvald and the Arunafeltz State. One of their most wanted services is the teleportation service, able to transport one to most cities in the region. This particular Kafra is the only one in Prontera who is able to warp adventurers to the Novice Training Grounds.
‘Sorry to keep you waiting, Pavienne,’ said Caleb as he walked forward towards the counter. He bowed briskly and Pavienne did the same.
‘Ah… long time no see Caleb,’ she spoke softly. ‘I see that your brother and his friends are ready.’
‘I guess we should go off now, bro,’ said Cedric as he and Hirei joined Caleb by the counter. ‘Penelope, will you be following us?’
‘Definitely,’ she smiled.
‘Time flies,’ Caleb laughed weakly. ‘It’s already your turn to start your own journey. Promise me you’ll take care of yourself and your friends. You tend to act rashly sometimes, learn to heed other’s advice. Behave yourself, and – ’
‘Bro! I’m not little you know!’ Cedric flushed, hushing his brother from giving the remember-to-change-your-underwear speech. ‘You sound as if you’re sending me off somewhere far away and that we’ll never see each other again.’
Caleb knelt on his knee and reached his hand on Cedric’s head, messing up that Ymir’s handful of dirty blonde hair Cedric spends all morning to make neat. By this action, Cedric looked at his brother annoyingly, yet affectionately. With his free hand, Caleb shoved the long, wrapped object he took along that morning into Cedric’s hands.
‘Take this along with you, and don’t lose it,’ Caleb continued. ‘Open it only when you’ve mastered yourself as a Swordsman, you’ll know when. Promise me, alright?’
Caleb took his hand off the object, letting Cedric carry all its weight. It was unexpectedly light, despite the size and hard feel of it. Cedric stared intensely at the ragged cloth; he almost expected to be able to see through the cloth and see what was inside if he looked hard enough. He raised his head to look back at his brother and nodded slowly. ‘I promise.’
‘I trust you, Cedric,’ Caleb smiled as he tugged Cedric’s head towards his shoulder with the hand already on his head. With the other hand on Cedric’s back, Caleb hugged his brother tightly. At this distance, Cedric could see Caleb’s face clearly, the tone of his cerulean eyes, the lines and dark circle under them, and the scar that ran down his chin. He must have imagined it, but Cedric thought his brother, although with his profound eyes, looked tired and exhausted, maybe even a little gloomy. After what seemed like a long time, the brothers separated from each other and Caleb stood straight up.
‘Thanks for tagging along, Caleb!’ said Hirei cheerfully.
Pavienne ushered the three young teenagers towards the brick wall behind the counter. She stuck a strip of strange looking paper and tapped the wall in an odd rhythm. It seemed to have work, as the wall started shaking and a beam of light shot out between the bricks and the paper, concentrating at a point on a ground, forming a swirl of bright aurora.
‘This portal will bring you to the Novice Training Grounds,’ said Pavienne in a formal tone, bowing deeply. ‘Thank you for choosing Kafra services and we hope to see you again. Till then, have a nice day!’
As Cedric, Hirei and Penelope stepped into the portal, Cedric took one last glance backwards at his brother. He waved his hand frantically and cried. ‘We’ll see you soon then, bro! Next time, as Novices!’
Caleb smiled back and watched his brother and his friends disappear in the light, lowering his head, he said softly. ‘Soon… hopefully.’
***
The trio were sucked into a vortex in the bright portal. Cedric could feel his body floating in nowhere, his eyes blinded by the light. He felt himself spinning around for moments, until he touched a soft, grassy land with his feet. They had materialized on a lone island surrounded by water in an unfamiliar area. Feeling a little numb, Cedric opened his eyes slowly to find a suspended bridge in front of them, leading to a massive castle-like building which must be the Training Grounds.
‘Wow! That’s the Training Grounds?’ came Hirei’s voice by his side, who was shielding his eyes with the back of his hand. ‘C’mon, let’s go!’
‘W-wait, Hirei!’ Penelope called out, helping herself to stand after having a bumpy landing from the portal. She turned to Cedric, who shook his head and laughed at Hirei’s impatience. They chased him down the bridge and into the court yard of the Training Grounds. They must have been in a land near Prontera, as the grasslands were yellow-green and pear, the architecture of the building was a spitting image of the Prontera castle. Walking through the great steel arch, they found themselves inside the building, gleaming walls and floors, scattered with young hopefuls just like themselves.
Far ahead, they could see a figure waving at them. ‘Hey, over here!’ he yelled. Cedric could tell that it was Hirei by the sheepish look on his face and the sleet white hair off his head. Cedric and Penelope walked towards the centre of the hall to join Hirei, their attention then turned to the large man standing next to him. The man had messy black hair and a chiselled face that seemed too small for his buffed body. He had a don’t-mess-with-me look on his face; his muscles prominent with his crossed arms.
‘Welcome to the Novice Training Grounds, where normal people become new adventurers,’ said the man in a deep voice, evidently trying his best to sound interested. ‘So, you’ll be taking your Novice test today, right? May I see your recommendations?’
Cedric and Hirei both took out their certificates from the Omega Course, while Penelope showed the man her Bible, which seemed to be a unique copy granted to her by the Prontera Church as it did the trick to serve as proof of her recommendation.
‘Alright, I see that you are qualified, could you please fill up this form?’ the man continued, handing out a piece of paper and pen to each of them. ‘Once you’re finished, we can get started.’
Cedric looked down at the paper and started filling in the blanks. There were the usual fields that needed to be filled in, along with a box at the bottom labelled “for representative’s use”. He could hear the scratching sounds of the pen from Hirei and Penelope. Quickly, he completed up his form.
The Novice Test Application Form (please enclose a copy of your recommendation)
1. Personal Particulars
Name : Cedric Spencer
Age : 15
Gender : Male
Current Residence : Prontera
2. Guardian’s Particulars
Name : Caleb Spencer
Age : 27
Relationship : Brother
Occupation : Knight – Prontera Chivalry
3. Extra Information
Novice Training Program : The Omega Course
Profession of Choice : Swordsman
Weapon of Choice : Sword
4. For Representative’s Use
---
Current Word Count: 3,786
Labels: NaNoMadness, The Eminent Guardians
