One bright morning, after handling all the house chores, Darien and Mirielle were given permission by Madame Faewyn to go out and play, train, whichever. The sun was too good to waste indoors, so both children ventured out to the fields far from the residences, with their weapons in hand.
Darien's weapon was the wooden sword he purchased, about one metre in length and two inches thick. It was gallantly sized for his frame, but Darien had his preference inclined toward it.
Mirielle's weapon, in contrast, was the obsolete bow and arrow. It was the best weapon for someone of her kind because she barely trained in combat and possessed a naturally feminine frame, lacking the strength to swing heavier weapons like swords or axes.
Darien usually bragged about his superior strength, because in Mirielle's eyes, she still never suspected he was a boy, and so his capability to swing hard and precise, parry and lunge, was astonishing and also envied.
Mirielle had always wanted to be a mage, not a knight, and so, the constant reminder from Darien that she was even inferior in the path of a knight was disheartening.
The Awakening Ceremony was just two weeks ago, partaken by every city in Valurion. In order to proliferate the potential of discovering more Awakeners, even commoners at the lowest of the social hierarchy could touch the Awakening Orb, so long as there were sufficient Awakening Orbs.
Fortunately, and unfortunately for Mirielle, she did awaken, but not with a promising talent at all.
When her 1-Star Wood Affinity was called, she felt the world crumble down and her hopes to become a very powerful Mage.
Her Awakening even authenticated the doctrine that bloodlines often play a role in the Awakening because Madame Faewyn was 1-Star Wood Awakened as well.
In Valurion, 0–2 Star Awakeners were not considered great potential; they were rarely considered Awakened in fact. The star count from 0–9 represented the innate affinity and capacity to grow as a Mage, not the current power level, and those who Awakened with only 0–2 stars faced almost insurmountable odds in cultivating their energy, ascending ranks, or even mastering the simplest of their abilities.
Guilds and Academies often dismissed these kinds of Awakeners, considering them a waste of resources compared to 4–9 Star Awakeners with far greater latency. Only 3–Star Awakeners could be micromanaged.
Darien was the one who encouraged Mirielle not to give up hope, and he urged her to become a knight instead by training and joining the Academy when it was time for knights' enrollment. It was his quiet support that created a strong friendship bond between the both of them just within a short phase.
The two of them made their way to the fields where they usually trained. Darien liked this part of the low district; it was the only portion that appeared well-kept and grand.
"I learnt a few firing techniques from Jakob. I'm sure to land a hit on you this time, no matter how fast you claim you are!"
Mirielle got ready when it was time for them to spar. Darien stood still, observing her as she stood just four feet away from him and drew her arrow through the string of her bow.
Darien raised a brow as the sharp tip of the arrow was pointed straight at his skull, and Mirielle's hazel eyes aligned as her crosshair.
"You are standing very close. How can I ever dodge that fast...?"
"That's the point. Hehe."
Mirielle retorted in delight and pulled the tail of her arrow even farther back, with a grin playing on her lips.
"Give me a headstart!"
"How much?"
"Three seconds!"
"1....2..3!"
Darien activated
Mirielle couldn't believe her eyes. They were wide open after witnessing the feat Darien performed. Out of all the great things he had been doing, this one was by far the most astonishing.
Darien deactivated
"Woah. How did you do that?!"
She screamed at the top of her voice, with a tone of incredulity—more jealous that he was able than stunned that he was able. Darien smiled mischievously and gave a bow.
Mirielle wanted to test just how precise he claimed to be, and without warning, she unleashed another arrow.
'Shit! Is she crazy?!'
But they were about eight feet apart now, so Darien was able to see this one coming. His blood boiled, and he quickly slashed his wooden sword through the air, so mathematical that the arrow was sliced cleanly in two, from the head to the shaft.
The remains of the arrow clattered on the field, and the sight drew even more awe and disbelief from Mirielle.
"Unbelievable. How in the world?! Even Jakob can't pull stunts like this! Are you sure you didn't awaken and you're just hiding it? There's no way a girl can have this kind of strength and reflexes without being at least 3-Star. Are you even Rank 0?!"
Darien took a deep breath.
'Tch… this is such a stupid problem to have. So what if Madame Faewyn throws me out because she thinks having a boy around Mirielle isn't proper? I'm just going to say it—get it out, whatever happens, happens.'
Darien released the breath he took while Mirielle stared at him eagerly, as if she actually expected him to say something.
"I'm not a girl, Mirielle. I'm a boy."
Darien admitted it nonchalantly with a straight face. He wondered what Mirielle's reply would be after realizing she had been playing with a boy all along and not a fellow girl.
The Fineland beauty froze, her jaw falling to the grass. She didn't even blink as her mind spun backward, replaying memories instead of refusing to believe his confession.
"So… is this why you always refused to have a bath with me?!"
Darien smiled and nodded.
"What? I thought you were just shy… This explains everything. No wonder you always turned around so fast when I was changing—"
"Oh, gods above, did you see me drooling in my sleep? No, no, don't answer, you probably did! You've seen everything!"
Darien watched her rant, her legs trembling and her arms flying to the sky.
"And the time I told you about Jakob being cute—ahhh! You're a boy! You were probably laughing inside! Oh, this is so embarrassing!!!!"
Mirielle held her head as if her reality had twisted.
Just as she was spiraling, a familiar voice called out to the duo from a short distance away. It was Jakob, their friend.
Jakob lived on the other side of the low district, and he often came to spar and play with them. He was initially friends with Mirielle simply because he was interested in her, and she needed someone to play with. So, when Darien came along, Jakob was dumbfounded at the double pleasure.
Jakob was average height for his age, but still taller than both Darien and Mirielle. He was broad yet lean, and he looked adventurous—like someone who practically lived in the fields. He skipped towards them, and in his hand, as always, was his trusty bamboo spear.
"Training without me, huh?"
Mirielle spun around the moment she heard Jakob's voice, and her eyes lit up with relief. She waved at him to come quickly, then pointed at Darien accusingly.
"Perfect timing, dear friend. Darien just told me he's actually a boy. Can you believe that?"
After complaining, she took Jakob's side, folded her arms, and huffed indignantly. Jakob received the information with composure; he had always been the leader of their small group. Still, he chose not to believe Mirielle right away, instead approaching Darien with the sharp, assessing eyes of a hawk.
"Is this even necessary? I just confessed. I mean, which guy would like to be known as a girl? Being female sucks."
Darien protested as Jakob circled him in scrutiny. The Fineland teenager began shifting his mindset away from the perception he had always assumed—and soon enough, it clicked for him.
"Wow. I can see it now. You really are a boy!"
"I told you."
Jakob stepped back and rubbed his chin, the revelation amusing him more than shocking him.
"But why hold up such a lie in the first place?"
Darien scratched his head as he remembered his journey to Eldermead—the bath that fell his hair, the girl's clothes he had stolen, the Border Knights.
"It's… a long story, guys. Things just happened."
Jakob chuckled, leaning on his bamboo spear as he eyed Darien up and down.
"No wonder you're as flat as a board, not a single curve in sight!"
"Haha, very funny. Just don't tell Madame Faewyn, alright? It won't change anything."
Instinctively, Jakob glanced back at Mirielle, silently passing the decision to her. After all, she was Madame Faewyn's granddaughter, and if anyone's word carried weight in settling this matter, it was hers.
Mirielle grinned as she folded her arms.
"Fine, we won't tell Grandma… but you'll have to fight both of us, and you don't get to use that sword. Hands only."
Jakob nodded in agreement as he began to twirl his spear. He also added to the rules:
"And you're not allowed to dodge too much. If you step out of the marked circle we draw, you lose instantly."
"Wait, so no weapon, no running, and two against one? That's not sparring—that's bullying!"
"Those are the rules. Haha!"
Mirielle retorted, mocking him with sweetness in her tone. She lifted her bow, nocked two arrows, and grinned wider while Jakob drew a big circle around Darien with the tip of his spear, tearing through the grass.