28 days until Memor becomes a Learner.
Year 953 of Refinery Era Day 185.
Memor held his feather-bladed jian facing Uncle Ceres at the front of the cabin, Ceres had a longsword in his right hand and his other hand behind his back.
It really feels no different from the real one. The jian to his touch felt no different from the real feathered-blade he had at home, the one he held in his hand was a creation from Ceres.
Staring at his opponent who stood leisurely, Memor slowly crept forward. Ceres's focus wasn't on Memor, his head was tilted upwards staring at the skies concealed behind the wavering tree leaves.
Soon Memor found himself a finger away from being in Uncle Ceres's attacking range, he charged, diagonally slashing down at Ceres's neck. Without looking, Ceres lifted his sword and deflected the sudden assault. Memor kept his pace, thrusting, slashing, and bashing, a smooth storm of attacks each complimenting the next, but Ceres didn't budge, he stood in place parrying and swiping away all his attempts, at times he would add in a strike of his own which Memor would dodge.
After a while, Uncle Ceres brought his attention to Memor, his eyes staring deep into the young man in his presence. In the next moment, Uncle Ceres started to advance, he stopped his defensive play and went on the attack.
Uncle Ceres slashed, in which Memor blocked, but before Memor could prepare for the next strike, Uncle Ceres spun his arm anti-clockwise, aligning his sword against Memor's body. When Uncle Ceres swiped upwards, upon which Memor barely had time to do anything, in the last moment, Memor leaned his body with the slash to the right, and with his sword arm, he stuck it close to his body.
The swipe cleaved through the flesh on Memor's left sides, flinging him backwards. Blood streamed out his wound, but he didn't mind it, he stood as if he was never hurt. The pain of being slashed was incomparable to the pain of eating Bayel flowers.
Without giving Memor any more time to breathe, Uncle Ceres's glove's golden accents flickered and in the next moment, Ceres appeared in front of Memor and came down bashing with the pommel of his longsword. Memor brought his jian up, stopping Ceres's sword movements by crashing his jian into the longswords handguard. The pommel smash was stopped, but it didn't matter, Ceres kicked right afterwards at Memor's bleeding side, sending him away to his knees.
Memor breathed heavily, despite not acknowledging his injuries his body was failing. Before Memor could get back on his knees, Uncle Ceres teleported right in front of him, already coming down with a strike at his neck. Memor blocked and was kicked away again, this time at a tree.
Standing up, Memor saw Ceres's figure disappear and reappear right in front of him, cutting at his body. Twirling himself around the tree, Memor dodged and used the tree as a defence, then he thrusted his jian at Ceres. With a slight movement of his sword arm, Ceres parried the desperate attack of Memor and then twirling his arm to retract his sword, he got ready for a thrust of his own. Ceres lunged, his longsword, piercing his niece's shoulder.
Memor fell back, his head hitting against the grassy ground releasing his sword, he attempted to stand back up, but his body protested. Before Memor realized, Uncle Ceres was right in front of him, staring down at him indifferently. In the next moment, Memor's body rippled for a while, and then he disappeared and reformed in the same spot, but on his feet.
In Memor left hand, the space around it started to ripple, in which the feathered jian appeared. With that, Uncle Ceres began to attack again, this time Memor didn't fare so well, he was pierced, slashed and gutted. At the end of it, Memor sat on the ground, shrouded in crimson, his left hand holding his gut from spilling out, as his consciousness waned.
Ceres ambled towards Memor, his dark-brown eyes as indifferent as they have ever been. Touching the top of Memor's head with a single finger, Ceres began healing the half dead Memor.
Gradually Memor injuries started to reform so did his clothing, from the most recent one he got at his abdomen, till the earliest he got on his left side.
After recuperating for a minute or so, Memor stood up. He brandished his feathered jian as he looked at Ceres who was gazing into the woods. Then a voice came into Memor's head, it was Ceres's.
'Go home Memor.'
What? Memor was confused, usually they would go for 5 to 10 rounds before he was let go. Ceres kept staring into the woods, which prompted Memor to do the same. In the distance, a group of individuals dressed in black slowly trekked up the hilly forest, walking in the middle was a man in white robes, and stood much taller than the men dressed in black, it was Councilor Spyro.
He really starts trouble, wherever he goes, huh? What does he want today? Memor sighed and dropped his jian, in the next moment it dissolved into the surroundings.
It'd be better for me to go around if I don't want to meet with that madman. The group led by Spyro came the same way Memor did, as to not run into or get dragged away by Spyro, Memor decided to take a longer route out the forest, going further west of the village, Memor wasn't in a hurry, only his training was mandatory for the day, have it being cut short, Memor had the rest of the afternoon to do whatever he wanted, at least whatever was allowed.
Strolling through the dirt roads, and watching the passing pedestrians, Memor went in the direction of his home at a measured gait.
He walked down the street, soon finding himself adjacent to the Church of Mnemosyne, he gazed at the structure, its stained glass windows glistening in the evening sun, the murmurs of prayers seeping out its gates.
Memor stared at the church for long, till the murmurs died down, till the sun's grace had nearly died out.
Upon which the silence settled, people started streaming out church gates, each dressed in normal civilian clothing, though they were those who wore navy clergy robes or navy church dresses giving Memor weird looks as they walked past him. A familiar figure exited the church, her luscious red hair played in the wind.
Spotting Memor, Alara gave him a curious look as she approached and asked wistfully."I didn't know you were a believer."
"I'm not, just a bit curious." Memor replied, still staring at the church.
Alara scrunched her red eyebrows in confusion."I don't understand. What do you mean you are just curious?"
"I don't know the religion of Mnemosyne, I can't become a Myneous can I?" Memor replied, shifting his gaze to her.
Alara frowned and raised her eyebrows, she was confused and disappointed."Are you telling me you don't know the creation myth and fall from grace?"
Memor asked, confused."Am I supposed to know?"
Alara stared at Memor, frowning in disbelief, then shook her head."You really are something else Mori."