Circa Specturgia - In a red courtyard
A scene from my main WIP, Circa Specturgia. I had a lot of fun writing this one, tried out a few things, had new ideas I weaved in there, and hope that you enjoy reading it as well! Includes my protagonist, Caspian, and Adira.
Inspired by the song “Dangerous” - Welshly Arms, recommend playing it once they get to sparring! ✨
TW// Violence, Fire, Start of a panic attack
The Vælan stepped over to the Jihn who stood in the shadow of the inner courtyard walkway, joining him hidden in the shadows formed by the silver moonlight from above. His expression was muddled, a mess of confusion, helplessness, frustration, and deep though, brow furrowed and wine red eyes glistening in silver, locked on the boy training in the courtyard.
He made to move towards the mahogany railing, pulling on a smile, before she stopped him, placing a hand on his shoulder, speaking quietly.
- ”It’s not what he needs right now. I’ll handle this. You need to get some sleep after todays shit.” She said, adding before Cyril could say anything more. “Trust me with him, alright? Rest.”
He hesitated for a moment, looking between Adira and Cas, before sighing and smiling tiredly, this time genuinely, intense focus fading. Leaning in, he brushed his lip to her cheek, before trudging to their room silently as she had, light on his feet as ever, though it was clear from how far his shoulders slumped when he let his wide frame relax that he had been tense. Adira couldn’t help but think of her own father, how he’d worried over Alvor when he’d trained himself to the bone.
Once she heard him collapse on the bed, then did she move to the stairs, ears slightly twitching, picking up the sounds of the rest of the space. Scribbling pencil and hushed whispers from Tam and Ciro’s room. Alix’ having no sound, they had fallen asleep early, reading. Crows feet pattered on the patterned burgundy roof of the building. The steps were loud, creaking if not for her avoidance of the loud ones, making her way to the edge of the square.
Adira leaned against the pillar at the edge of the walkway where it opened into the courtyard with her arms crossed, watching Cas’ form and footwork intently. Analytically. The boy met her eye for jut a moment, stoping for just a half-second before fluidly transitioning into the next step, feet dancing over the tiled design. He’d improved.
- “Are you trying to get a repeat of whatever happened back there? Whatever that was?”
- “I’m trying to make sure I don’t.” He replied tersely, though not stopping his movements, his tone dead, focused.
- “…You’ve gotten better. I’m proud.” She said after a minute.
- “Stop trying to make me feel better General. Doesn’t suit your… everything.” He cracked, moving to face his back to her, to hide the small smile that passed over his expression.
- “Same brat I had to beat all those basics into, huh?”
A loose strand of flame flew towards her at the jab, extingushed on reflex with a flick of the wrist, water rising from the grated channels running around the perimiter of the courtyard to answer her call.
She chuckled at the immature gesture, focusing on his expression again, his face being a mask of focus, though she’d seen him focused enough times in training to read the hidden worry etched in his brow.
- “Hey, look at me. Kid.” She spoke sternly, but with an uncharacterstic gentleness to her tone, catching Caspian off guard, prompting him to let the dancing fire burn out, his eyes just black once more, the worry becoming all the more prominent. “You’re not losing yourself to power. I’ve seen it happen, that’s not what’s going on here. Whatever it is, it’s not your fault and not in your control. Now get some rest.”
- “I’m not tired.” He replied, once again summoning flame, fluid and controlled movements not betraying any sign of deceit.
- “No, you’re not…” she paused for a minute, asking after a few moments of footwork. “Can’t sleep?”
Cas nodded. A moment of quiet passed, only the furling and whipping of the flames and the wind of the night audible, before the vælan steped forward, taking off her jacket and rolling up her sleeves, tying her hair back with a blue ribbon previously tied at the wrist.
- “Tell you what. I could blow off some steam. Slagsmål, let’s go.”
- “You sure…? I don’t want to cut into the others sleep-” Cas began, raising an eyebrow, before she cut him off.
- “You need something to take your mind off of things. Be selfish for yourself once in a while Kid.”
Cas sighed, eventually leaning down to roll up the cuffs of his currant pants, rolling up the sleeves of the loose shirt, finding his spot on the opposite side of the tiled floor from where his teacher. She stretched kicking off her shoes, first fingers, then hands, arms, shoudlers, core, legs, calves, ankles.
The two knelt before each other, one knee, meeting eyes before leaning down, forehead to the cold, course slate. Rising slowly, Cas felt her influence encompass the space, instantly extending his own, pushing back, a pale smile ticking the corner of his lips, the familiar and comforting chill of pressure running up his spine. A heaviness filled the air, flowing, fluid, but universally dense. Both held their breath.
In a split second, the courtyard was filled with flame, crimson light, strings snapping, the deep thrum of energy reverberating through the air, the hiss of quenched fire filling Adira’s ears as she guarded.
A heavy thud accompanied by a grunt from beyond the sea of red and gold brought on a smirk. She’d hit her mark. The flames died, revealing the scene, Cas a few feet to the side of an angled pillar of ice. He shook his arm in annoyance, wincing though not speaking, regaining his balance, uncharacteristic intensity, no banter as was his norm. His form shimmered for a moment, as she watched his stance widen and lower. One foot sliding back, eyes locked on her, slow flames starting to dance from his chest, arms, legs… Sense. ‘On-command, huh? Nice work.’ She thought, before speaking.
- ”Now-” She matched his wager, focusing, feeling her breathing slow and deepen, heart thundering in her chest, voice reduced to a heavy whisper, her breath turning to mist - “you’ve made things interesting, kid.”
Cas held for a moment, watching his mentor’s stance. Silver frost gathered across the alf’s skin, spreading across the tiles beneath her feet. An opening. It took him about a half a second to capitalize on the opportunity, feinting his control to the left before aiming an arc at her right, the bass of the blast shaking the courtyard as he attacked. Cold washed over his fist. She’d managed to parry. Damn it.
The hair stood up on his neck, dodging out of the way of a strike from the left, back stepping. The fire around him sparked brighter. So long as he kept that up, he could counter at least some of the ice, limit her range of getting him close.
Another step back, melting the ice she’d formed under his feet without effort. Move, keep your guard, dig in to strike, stay in control. These words echoed in his head, like a mantra of focus, negating strikes from the right and above with a forceful spiral of fire. The ice cracked with a thunderous snap from the shock of heat.
Move. He stepped towards the right, against the attack, not away. A second one followed the first he’d countered, this time dodging. Shards sharp as metal, grazed his shoulder.
Keep your guard. Senses sharpened, acute. An arc prepared, from the lower right. He quickly extended his influence there as well, the same flow as Adira’s ice in preparation, but one of fire. Meeting it as it was formed, the air shook, cracking, heat and cold. A perfect Bossellian Counter. Adira didn’t have time to be proud.
Dig in to strike. The student raced forward, crossing the distance between them instantly, in a move too annoyingly reminiscent of a certain Jihn now asleep upstairs, to the mentors eyes. Eyes like embers sparked with focus, an exhilirated smile on his face. A matrix glowed in his hand, hastily drawn. Spiraling Triangles Formation. ‘Not bad Kid,’ was all Adira could half-think before training kicked in, weaving a counter.
Stay in control. Control. A sudden cold washed over his mind, freezing him up for a moment.
He’d pushed too hard. A memory of what had happened when he’d felt like this before flashed before his eyes. He pulled back on reflex. Before he could really grasp what had happen, he was on the ground, cheek scraped against the tile, Adira pinning him down. His breathing became uneasy, shaky, panicked. Afraid.
It all couldn’t have taken longer than 20 seconds.
A blade clanged into the ground in front of his face, showing him the reflection of his eyes.
- “Hey. Hey, look. Not gold. You’re fine.” He stopped struggling immediately, frozen for a second before relaxing as she climbed off of him, resheathing the knife. Cas’ breathing leveled out as he got to one knee, hair falling in his face, exhaused. “You can’t just pull back the moment you feel powerful. Don’t fear it. You’re strong Kid, if it happens again you’ll power through it… How long have you been practicing anyways?”
- “An hour… Give or take.” He managed, barely.
- “Every ten minutes.” He pointed at a kettle and few herbs he had lying at the edge of the courtyard. Something told Adira he’d been drinking it straight, scalding, taking advantage of the resistance to temperature.
- “Well, you’re done for today. You’ll put yourself in a coma if you push yourself after Sensing like that. Get to bed. I’ll be beating you till you pass out every night if you don’t take better care of yourself starting now. Understood?” Cas managed a weak smile.
- “Understood, General.” He turned to walk to the stairway, before she added.
- “What I said before, I meant it. It’s not your fault, Cas. Whatever it is… You have us. We’re not going anywhere. I won’t let anyone hurt you, neither will Cyril, alright?”
- “Thanks.” His voice was a bit hoarse when he finally spoke, wiping a fleck of melted ice from his eye as he dragged himself upstairs.
- "Yeah, yeah. Get some rest, Kid. You’ll need it for when I kick your ass again tomorrow.”
Taglist? Taglist! ✨ Thanks to all these wonderful people for supporting me and giving me the inspiration and motivation to write!
@bloodlessheirbyjacques @athenswrites @magefaery @writingonesdreams @muddshadow @awritingcaitlin @agrimedena-drax @pinespittinink @tryingtimi
