"What was your name..?"
"..Fo..Foryan Klapfon.."
"Foryan..In all my years as a Meisterate Scholar, never once have I seen a magical ability heal..wounds this fast...no..not in my entire stay of the Imperial Academy..!" - Bakzeu exclaimed, earning him a jolt from the woman and an empty stare from Ignaras.
"...Th..thanks.."
Foryan responded, allowing a momentary silence to befall upon them before Bakzeu opened his mouth once more to speak.
"And don't take this the wrong way."
"But, as much as possible..
you should hide it."
————
"Hide...it? Wh—"
"TEST MY PATIENCE AGAIN AND YOU WILL BE TRIALED NOT HERE BUT IN THE IMPERIAL COURT!"
- The Noble, which was Sanum yelled out. Stealing the attention of the surrounding Female Officers with tattered white robes, conscious but gravely injured Militias and even the Two commanders whom conversed with the preoccupied Foryan.
- Upon the mention of the Imperial Capital, Hamilvan's eyes twitched before he muttered;
"Anything but that. Apologies Sir Sanum."
-
"Poor Hamham." - Bakzeu whispered, dusting his bloody clothes. "Always the scapegoat of that noble huh." - Ignaras whispered, making sure his tone wasn't that loud.
Amidst Hamilvan's bowing, frozen stature, Foryan couldn't help but notice the repeated shaking of his hands that after they became even more apparent, Hamilvan deposited both of them into his jagged pockets.
"..." - Her face devolved into that of worry with a tinge of sadness.
"I'M UTTERLY DISAPPOINTED IN YOU HAMILVAN! COMPLETELY DEJECTED BY THIS PERFORMANCE OF YOURS..!" - Sanum continued, which was tanked by an unresponsive Hamilvan.
"KEEP THIS UP..! YES MAINTAIN IT! IT SUITS YOU.
AND YOUR LOUSY COMMANDERS!"
*..twitch.*
"...Haah..?" - A vein began to pulsate on Ignaras'es forehead as the yells of Sanum berated his already damaged eardrums. - "Ignaras.. calm down." - Bakzeu began to restrain a fuming Ignaras from pouncing on the Noble using his already crimson-coloured arms.
"Unhand me, Bakzeu.. It's always been like this after every Stampede. Hamilvan berated, us slandered, give us a fucking break for crying out loud..!" - Ignaras quietly exclaimed, face contorting in rage.
"I know it is tiresome.. but what you're about to do isn't gonna solve anything..!" - Bakzeu rebutted, tightening his searing and bleeding arms.
"Don't you have any sympathy for Hamilvan? He always comes back riddled with wounds after risking his life just to minimize the casualties.. EVERY SINGLE TIME..!
And not even a single compliment is uttered from the mout of that fucking..pig..!?" - Ignaras continued to struggle against Bakzeu's grasp as his fists began to clench tighter despite his palms being brutally skinned from the previous battle.
"Calm down..! Ignaras..!"
"Grr...!"
*Chomp..!*
"Un..hand me..!"
*Chomp..!* *Grawr..!*
"Over..my dead body..!"
As Ignaras continued to repeatedly munch of Bakzeu's arms, Foryan's gaze remained steadfast on the Noble and on the bowing Hamilvan.
A swirl of unexplainable darkness began to proliferate inside of her chest that proved way too profound to be iterated therefore;
"How Horrible.." - She simply muttered out.
Gaining the attention of Ignaras whose jaws are attached to Bakzeu's bloody skin and Bakzeu himself, who despite of all the damages only showed minor signs of wincing.
Ignaras and Bakzeu shot each other a knowing glance before stopping on their charade.
"You think so?" - Bakzeu whisperingly inquired.
"I know so." - Ignaras scoffed, anger slowly dissipating.
"I was asking the Lady, Ignaras."
"My bad, go on Mister Gentleman..ugh." - Ignaras groaned.
"That's how Sir Sanum treats us everyday, but most of the time he just vents out his frustrations on Hamham even if they're not related to the damage the stampede did beforehand..." - Bakzeu squinted his eyes.
"I just think he's a real jackass." - The Lean commander continued.
"Why..does he never defend himself?" - Foryan inquired, eyes still focused on Hamilvan who remained there with his teeth gritting.
"I don't have the slightest Idea," - Ignaras scoffed while shrugging his shoulders.
"I frickin' hate it how he just soaks up all the unjustified blames like a passive sponge." -
Foryan despite having wounds etched onto her skin still held a focused, saddened gaze on Hamilvan who remained bowing with a perfect perpendicular posture towards the Sanum who never ceased on his scoldings tinged with personal attacks.
————
"Co-commander?"
"..?"
- Foryan overheard a small pitch of voice emanating from an armoured militia with a relatively short stature, probably four feet ten inches in height approaching an idle, and bruised Hamilvan with a bowl of hot soup cradled on her gloves.
Foryan's troubled face slowly devolved into that of a softened expression upon seeing the small gesture from the also small girl; whom had a countenance colourated in a slightly pink hue as she extended out her arms towards the Commander before squeaking out the words;
"Co-commander..! pl-please..eat up..!"
"..."
- Hamilvan, with his silvery eyes devoid of any sparkles calmly diverted his gaze from the crackling fire and onto the hot soup presented to him by the lass.
Then, his hand slowly ascended to grip the side of the bowl to lift it up from the Lass'es palm.
"yes..! i'm..i'm noticed..by si-sir Hailvan..!"
. . .
*SLAP!*
*SPLASH!*
"KYAAAA!!!"
"..!!!" - With such a blood-curdling scream she garnered the attention of all the panicked militias who quickly rushed to her aid.
— Just then, Hamilvan quickly sprayed the soup all over her stature with most luckily landing on her breastplate but a still generous amount landing on her exposed skin, especially the face.
*Seaar..*
- The soup's temperature proved to be way too high than what her skin could handle causing some mild to severe burns to proliferate on her face, her once pinkish flusteredness now transitioning into a crimson-coloured patch of skin.
"SALPHA!" - Foryan yelled out as the small girl stumbled on her footing while she maintained shaking her face while rubbing some of the sticky soup off, with the consistency being so thick that some became stuck on her countenance.
"it..it hurt..s.." - Foryan hurriedly embraced the girl with the little stature after she fell flat on her butt; entire body trembling as she struggled to wipe the remaining contents off her body.
"JACKASS!! WHAT'S YOUR PROBLEM..!!" -
Ignaras quickly pounced on Hamilvan by grabbing his collar with anger-filled irises and a fist clenched ready to launch while the Commander quietly continued to stare at him with those piercing Silver irises, a solemn expression engraved on his pale face.
"..!" - Ignaras flinched upon locking gazes with Hamilvan, the cold, calm, unbothered countenance of his sending a chilling realization that if such an act of vileness can be committed without hesitation, what more could Hamilvan do in a formal brawl with him?
He faltered for a moment, those seemingly glowing silver irises piercing through his glare and into the innermost corners of his mind as if it was peering through his facade and towards the most-disgusting truth he had.
"Unhand Me." - Hamilvan with a low, chilling intonation replied.
Such a response gained him a throbbing vein on Ignaras' forehead before he let out a yell;
"..MAKE ME YOU JACKASS..!!"
- With the reply entering his eardrums, Hamilvan slowly and silently reached for the pommel of his sheathed blade and began to tightly grip it—
"Ignaras don't..!!" - Until they were stopped by Bakzeu who quickly wrapped his arms around a wrath-filled Ignaras.
"Now you unhand me Bakzeu..!" - He yelled, eyes starting to radiate off a glow while attempting to shake him off as most of the veins on his body began to become more and more apparent on his skin.
Bakzeu with a sweat sliding down his cheek took notice of the veins slowly expanding on Ignaras' body which caused his eyelid to twitch and for him to click a tongue.
"Ignaras..! are you really planning to let all hell break loose here..!" - Bakzeu yelled, his eyes also reciprocating the same glow, which alerted all of the militias whom were catering to the injured small-statured lass and caused the ones beside Hamilvan, trying to deescelate the situation to flinch.
"Si..Sir Ignaras please cancel your ability..!" - One militia who had the same build and colour of robe as Ignaras stammered out a response—
"ple..please not here.. please don't wreck havoc here..!" - With another one squeaking out a plead, more and more began to join in as well;
"sir Ignaras..! contain yourself..!"
"Brother..! listen to me..!"
"..!"
"UGHH..!!! SHUT—" - Ignaras prepared to release a huge rebuke but when he turned towards the source of the pleads;
"captain..please calm down..!"
He saw the militias, from varying divisions looking at him with troubled expressions; some having a slightly horrified countenance while others were already grabbing the handle of their weapons with sweat sliding off their cheeks.
Though their expressions varied, one distinct factor that erased all of the pent-up anger and annoyance looming inside of Ignaras was their gazes.
Was it of nonchalance? No, for it would've tilted him more.
Was it of anger? No, for it wouldn't have bothered him at all.
It was, something else. Something even more striking.
It was—
"Ple..please just cancel your Martial..si-sir hamilvan, we can sort this out..through talk.."
"..!"
Fear and Sadness.
Then, all of the apparent veins on Ignaras' skin gradually dissipated so did the visible glow emanating from his irises, and with his strength slowly weakening so did the force on Bakzeu's restraint as well as the glow on his eyes.
"..I'm..sorry everyone."
"..." - With a sweat sliding off Bakzeu's slightly troubled expression, he saw Ignaras' head hang loose before his gaze diverted towards the back of Hamilvan whom was already walking away from the spectacle, his expression turning sour;
"..you.."
————
Later, in the same day when the sun was finally bidding its farewell; The lass of small stature was now mingling with the other militias by the campfire while a set of white bandages were strapped unto the left-side of her face.
"You okay now, Salpha?" - One female officer with the same armour and white robe cradled atop her shoulders placed a hand over her slightly pinkish, double-braided hair that rested in front of her shoulders while her soft, short bangs slightly concealed the smaller bandages attached to her forehead. Salpha's eyes resembled that of a deep, crimson-coloured ruby that had shiny freckles reflecting the light of the campfire.
She exuded out a soft smile then flashed the relatively older woman beside her a thumbs-up.
"Still kickin'..!" - Before she released a pent-up cackle which the other ladies around her reciprocated.
"Ahaha.. quite a lively young girl you are.." - She trailed off before her expression saddened a little.
"I'm sorry that had to hap—"
"Hush." - She raised an index finger, catching all of their attention.
"I've already forgiven Sir Hamilvan.. so no need to dwell in that..!" - She smiled! soothing the leftover emotions of frustration on their hearts.
.
.
"..?" - But then she blinked, taking time to analyze her surroundings.
"erm..? where's Sis. Foryan..?" - She squeaked out.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the encampment there walked a furious Foryan with a solemnified expression on her face. Each step catching the attention of the militias whom had a pitch-black robe cradled atop their shoulders before she spotted a peculiar one with slightly-curly jet black hair conversing with the noble.
"..!!!"