The Althorne Household
A respected noble house which ruled over a full quarter of the continent of Voidara, renowned for its discipline and military excellence.
Renowned for producing exceptional soldiers and brilliant commanders, the Althorne household served as the king's strongest ally.
The iron fist that enforced order and crushed his enemies.
But times had changed.
The continent itself was shifting.
The old powers that once governed it were giving way to new forces and ambitions.
Rival houses emerged from the shadows, each one hungry for influence.
Now, more than ever, ambitious newcomers were openly challenging the old order, eager to seize the spotlight long held by the Althornes.
Yet-
The Althornes adjusted
Like water flowing around every obstacle, the Althornes adjusted to the ever-changing times.
It worked
They thrived because of it, earning a seat among the Union Table's highest members.
Yet-
Hard work could only carry them so far.
The D'Artheins
Very much alike the Althornes yet far more ruthless and intimidating
Two sides of a coin yet so different in their foundations
Receiving everything the Althornes believed should have been theirs.
Fame
Power
Influence
The D'Arthein had it all, yet craved more, leaving nothing for the Althornes and the rest in the process— Not that it mattered to them, regardless.
Like wolves, they were never satisfied.
"Again"
Sweat trickled down her forehead, soaking her clothes.
Her head hung in embarrassment as her teacher looked at her with clear embarrassment.
"Can we close for today?"
"I believe your father told me to make sure you don't leave unless you land a hit on me, Seris."
"Ugh."Bottom of Form
Standing up, Seris dusted the specks of dirt off her body and wiped the sweat from her forehead.
"Begin"
Seris moved swiftly, advancing in a zigzag pattern
"Too predictable"
"Cinder's Net"
Ash spilled from the instructor's wand
Moving like threads, the ash weaved like snakes as they shot toward Seris' legs.
"Flare dome"
Reacting quickly, Seris calmly ignited the heat within her body.
Ssssshh—
Heat erupted from Seris' body as waves of scorching air spread outward.
The surrounding temperature rose with her.
Dispersing every strand of ash aimed at her, Seris neutralized Rik's spell
"Good reaction"
Moving towards her instructor, Seris spoke calmly
"Flame Arc Slash"
Creating curved blades of flame, Seris launched them at her instructor.
Cracks spread beneath Seris' feet.
Seris moved swiftly as the ground gave way as she moved
'Ugh'
'I have to push forward'
Seris' muscles felt the strain in her thigh but pushed on regardless
'She won't give up either'
Rik traced Seris' movement with his eyes to which Seris ignored
Swish
As the blades reached Instructor Rik
Pivoting on one foot, Rik moved his hand forward
Clank
At the impact of the clash between the blades and the with a single swing of his arm, Seris blades were knocked away
Realizing what had happened, Seris jumped back
By doing so, Seris created some distance between herself and the instructor.
"Tch"
"Aren't you being unfair, Instructor Rik?"
Smirking devilishly, Rik replied calmly.
"Life isn't fair. You agree, right?"
Moving in a blink of an eye, Rik reappeared in front of Seris startling her in the process
Punch. Punch
Tightening his fists, Rik threw a heavy punch at Seris
Noticing it late, Seris instinctively raised her wand to block Rik's attack
Flare Dome
Creating some distance between herself and Rik, Seris thought to herself
It was a desperate last resort, one that impressed Rik and even surprised Seris herself.
'I did not expect this bastard to use this on me'
'Guess he really wants to kill me after all.'
As Seris thought more and more about the situation, images of Liora lingered in her mind, visibly irritating her.
'She won't give up'
A smirk appeared on Seris' face
'So will I'
Extending her wand towards Rik, Seris spoke calmly
"Come at me"
Moments Later...…
Laying flat on the ground, Seris gasped for air.
Her body ached terribly as the adrenaline began to die down
The pain from overexerting her body was extreme, slowly taking a toll on both Seris' body and mind.
Her breathing was inconsistent, her throat dry as her hand reached for the bottle
"Here"
Standing over her, Instructor Rik opened a bottle of water and held it over her.
"Tip it over, please"
"What a pain"
Tipping it over, the water trickled down as Seris opened her mouth to receive it.
Gulp. Gulp.
The water went down too quickly.
"Kh—Cough! Cough!"
Seris turned her head to the side, sputtering as droplets of water escaped her lips.
"Slow down, idiot,"
Rik said with a sigh.
"Asshole"
Seris said as she shot a glare toward Rik, to which he looked the other way.
"So, how did I do today?"
Seris said as she wiped the trickles of water from her face.
"Hmmm"
Rik held his chin as he got lost in thought
"Can you spit it out"
"Can you not rush me"
"All right"
Rik stared at Seris for a moment before folding his arms.
"You want to know why you couldn't land a hit on me?"
"Because you're stronger?" Seris replied.
"Partly. But that's not the main reason."
He pointed his wand at her.
"You're predictable."
Seris frowned.
"When you move, I know where you're going."
"When you cast, I know what's coming. You think too much during a fight."
"Thinking is bad now?"
"No. Hesitating is."
Rik shook his head.
"Honestly, I think the entire Althorne family lacks something that the D'Arthein are capitalizing on."
"Can you not talk about them?"
Seris said with a frown on her face.
"Oh, sorry for hitting a nerve."
Rik said dismissively.
"You spend too much time looking for the perfect move. Meanwhile, your opponent has already acted."
The training ground fell silent.
"Your biggest weakness is your combat sense."
"You rely too much on straightforward attacks and not enough on deception."
He paused before continuing.
"But you do have strengths."
Seris raised an eyebrow.
"Your reactions are good. You adapt quickly, and most importantly, you don't give up."
A faint smirk appeared on Rik's face.
"No matter how many times I knocked you down, you kept getting back up."
Seris looked away.
"That stubbornness of yours will take you far."
Rik turned around.
"Improve your instincts. Learn to adapt."
"Learn to make your opponent's guess wrong."
'Like Elior Vayne, I guess'
Seris thought to herself
Rik glanced over his shoulder.
"Your flames are strong, Seris."
A grin appeared on his face.
"Now it's time for the mage using them to catch up."
"Ugh."
"Save your complaints for tomorrow."
Seris' eyes widened.
"Tomorrow?"
Rik's grin only widened.
"We're just getting started."
From that day onward, every Althorne victory was measured against the D'Artheins.