Northern stood at the Tower's edge, watching over the dark fog, unbothered as subtle tremors traveled across the Tempest Spire. Why would he care? It
wasn't like the shockwaves from kiloters away would affect his tower. Even if they could, this was the Tempest Spire.
He shook slightly. Not from the tremors.
"Damnit, I'm getting quite impatient." He spoke aloud to himself, the words swallowed by the wind. "Should I just et them halfway?"
His hands found the railing, knuckles whitening as he gripped.
'Self control, self control, self control.
The mantra felt hollow. When had controlling himself beco the only challenge left?
He paused, gaze drifting out of focus.
"My birthday is tomorrow?"
Northern counted backward and discovered that, yes, he was going to be seventeen tomorrow. The realization settled over him like fog.
"Am I going to spend my birthday fighting?"
He seed shaken for a mont, but then a grin slowly split his mouth. The expression looked almost feral against the dark sky.
"I'm going to spend my birthday fighting" His voice carried a strange eagerness now. "I hope there are a lot of good and worthy fighters among them. Hand to hand combatants, unique heritages and battle styles. I wish to grow my library of knowledge." He tilted his head, considering. "I should try not to kill them too early, so I can get enough ti to enjoy myself."
Northern paused and wondered if that was even possible. How much would he have to hold back his strength in order to not kill them with a single punch?
And if he had to hold back, how was he supposed to enjoy himself?
'I did enjoy myself with that man, though.'
Duke Ane had managed to amuse him, even if only for a few seconds before slipping through his fingers right when the enjoynt started. Like trying to savor a al that dissolved on his tongue.
Northern lowered his head.
'Is this what they an by lonely at the top?"
The thought tasted bitter. He'd heard the phrase before and dismissed it as lodrama. Rich people complaining about their problems. But standing here, seventeen tomorrow, with an army marching toward him and no one capable of making the fight interesting...
He leaned against the railing and let out a breath.
"I wish everyone could just be strong already!"
The words disappeared into the fog. No one answered. No one ever did.
While Northern spoke, the ground-floor door that led to the roof opened. Footsteps climbed the stairs. He didn't need to turn back to know who it was. He'd sensed the person coming all along.
Sael erged onto the roof, donning white and dull gold armor. The armor was linen for the most part, that white material almost overflowing around his body, with dull gold tal adorning his forehead, shoulders, ankles, gauntlets, waist, and knee boots. He looked like sothing between a warrior and a priest.
"I'm ready," Sael said.
" too."
Northern turned. Judgnt had arrived behind Sael, wearing a golden sleeveless tal chest plate and a flared skirt that barely reached her mid-thigh. Her round shield had collapsed into her gauntlet, compact and ready.
He'd known Sael was coming, so that arrival hadn't surprised him. But Judgnt?
"I haven't given you any permission of that manner."
Northern's voice carried an edge. He turned to Sael, expectant.
"I tried to talk her out of it." The Arrow Sage's tone fell slightly, weighted with resignation. "She wouldn't listen to ."
"Why would I?" Judgnt raised her voice, chin lifting. "I listen to no one. Not even you!"
Northern considered, for a few monts, whether he should teach her a lesson or two right here. But he knew it wasn't that she didn't recognize his authority. Judgnt was simply a very spoiled brat who had never learned the weight of the word "no."
"That old lady... why do I feel like she just stylishly dumped her mistake on ?" Judgnt spoke again before he could respond.
"Didn't Anike say she wanted to gain experience? What better way to gain experience than this?" She gestured toward the fog below, where an army
waited. Her eyes sparkled.
Northern frowned slightly.
"Isn't peace and nonviolence a nature of the Vallithian Tribesn?"
Judgnt's expression went flat for a mont. Blank, Controlled.
Then a twisted grin climbed her features, and sothing in her eyes shifted.
"Well, well. Isn't that a surprise?"
Northern frowned deeper, suspicion crawling up his spine. "What... is?"
"I love violence!" The words burst out of her like water through a cracked dam. "Don't tell you never knew! I just love beating the shit out of people. Fuck humans, for fucksake, they're so annoying. They need to be slit in the throat a few tis." Her grin widened, teeth showing. "Or better still, gouge out their eyes and force them down their throats. I wonder if having them eat their own brains will make them have more sense."
Northern stepped back.
It wasn't just him. Even Sael looked at her like he was witnessing sothing deeply wrong. Sothing that shouldn't exist in the shape of a girl with sparkling eyes and a pretty smile.
'I thought I knew how to curse and hate on things.
Northern was just now understanding that he was nothing close when it ca to hating and cursing. Judgnt had elevated it to an art form. A disturbing, stomach-turning art form.
'I feel like she shouldn't be let out!'
Judgnt's expression shifted again. The bloodlust vanished like it had never existed. She wore a faint, pleasant smile and bowed ninety degrees at Northern, the picture of demure respect.
"Please, Sir! Let release a bit of my frustration!" She raised her head, eyes wide and innocent. As if she hadn't just described force-feeding people their
own organs.
Northern sighed. The concern on his face was evident, and he made no effort
to hide it.
"You lot are taught to only defend. Your city is what fights back for you. Can you even attack properly? Attacking is..."
He stopped as he saw a malicious smirk had crept across Judgnt's face.
He hesitated.
"What... did you do?"
Judgnt stood proud, shoulders back, chin raised.
"It's very simple if you've been learning the sa technique for fifteen years. All
I had to do was add a little here and there. I figured out the attack pattern to
our battle style a long ti ago."
She looked up thoughtfully, as if recalling a fond mory. "Actually, I think it was already complete. Our ancestors rely removed the
assault part and passed down the defense part. Because when I discovered it, it felt like piecing together a puzzle. The Vallithian battle style felt complete to
."
Northern shook his head slowly.
'Anike, I don't think Vallithia is going to have a peaceful reign after yours!
The girl was still standing there, eagerly waiting for his response. Her eyes sparkled cutely, as if she wasn't waiting for approval to go slaughter thousands of people. The dissonance made his skin crawl.
Scratching his head, Northern let out a frustrated groan.
"I will keep an eye on her and make sure she cos to no harm." Sael's voice
was steady. Resigned, but steady.
Northern looked at him.
"Of course you will."
Her safety was not the problem. At least, it wasn't Northern's problem right
now. What bothered him was whether it was acceptable for him to allow her to display a side of herself that was completely opposite of what her tribe stood for. To let her paint herself in blood while wearing their na.
At last, Northern sighed.
'I don't know... I hope Anike doesn't hate for this!
He looked at both of them, then settled his gaze on Judgnt in particular.
"Fine. You can go." His voice carried weight, a formal pronouncent. "But this is all on you. Whatever happens from here, all of it falls on you." Judgnt tilted her head back slightly, a coy gesture that didn't match the
hunger in her eyes.
"What? Hell no. You're supposed to be my guardian, rember?" She grinned,
wide and genuine this ti. "But thank you!!"
She jumped eagerly, like a child promised a trip to their favorite place. The
cognitive dissonance was almost painful.
Northern turned to Sael, deliberately looking away from Judgnt's
enthusiasm.
"As for you... I have sothing for you."
Northern extended his hand forward. Sothing materialized into his palm
from the depth of his soul, drawn from that inner place where his most valuable possessions resided.
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