The First War Mage: Skyline Trials

"Kirin, you did what?!" Tulip stood in front of Panna and I. Panna was distracted, gladly scarfing down a box of rice balls, dried fish and other delights.

"She was going to kill her, Tulip. I'm not going to sit by and watch it happen." I stared defiantly back at Tulip's exasperated expression, refusing to back down from it.

"You assaulted a city guard!" Tulip proclaimed in exasperation. "It doesn't matter whether you're morally in the right or wrong. Kirin, do you have any idea how bad that could be for you?" She asked, looking genuinely concerned.

"So what?" I scoffed. "They can't send me back to the mines, why should I care if more people hate me for meaningless things like that?" I asked with a tilt of my head.

Akemi moved off of my shoulder as the argument inevitably grew in intensity, her lithe body quickly finding rest next to Panna—Desperately eyeing the box of food.

"So what? Kirin! You could be executed for that!" Tulip sounded desperate now, her voice pleading for reason that I wouldn't see.

"Just like I could have been executed for being born?" I retorted derisively. "Sure, I get it, I shouldn't have hit her, but it's not like I can go back now either!" We both fell silent, our mutual gazes falling towards Panna after my words passed. The festival around us kept moving, yet one sound was more deafening than any scream laugh could be.

"Please… Please don't fight because of me—I, I can go… I'll go turn myself in." Panna was already moving to place her box of food down, tears filling her eyes while she sobbed her words out.

"Wait—Panna, no this isn't your fault," I quickly supplied, carefully bringing a hand up to hold her back. "It's mine, really. I just wanted to hit that bitch… Threatening to send someone to the mines just hits me a little personally, alright?" I tried to speak reassuringly, giving her a pleading smile.

Tulip opened her mouth as if to say something, but soon enough her jaw clicked shut with understanding written on her face.

"But… But why? Why care about me? I'm just a street rat—I'm a beastkin!" Panna continued to cry, bringing her hand that wasn't caught in my grasp to wipe at her tears.

"You're a person, that's all I care about," I answered her honestly, gesturing to the box of food as I did. "Finish eating at least?—If there's anyone else, family, I can at least get them a meal too." My offers broke through the veneer of determination quickly, bringing Panna back to the bench.

"I… I don't have any friends or family, all I have is me." Panna said dreadfully as she sat back down. She picked up the box of food, Akemi pulling away from it with a stolen piece of fish caught in her maw. Panna just sat there, staring at the food with a mournful gaze.

"Well, after this mess, you'll at least have Kirin," All of us turned in shock at the sudden arrival. Carmine stood to the side of the bench, an annoyed expression marring her face while her arms crossed under her chest. "Assuming you don't want to go back to the streets, Panna." Carmine softened her expression when she looked at the now horrified girl.

"M-M-Miss Ferini?" Panna's voice was shaking, desperately trying to keep itself together as she spoke.

"Hello girls," Carmine answered Panna with a smile. "Kirin, why have I had three different guards tell me that you've assaulted five guards?" Carmine's words changed focus, leaving the sputtering Panna be while her tone turned scathing upon me.

"What?" My voice cracked a little from shock. "I used my magic against one guard because she was about to kill Panna over some bread!" I emphasized my words with wild gesticulations.

"Somehow I don't doubt you." Carmine sighed. She brought a hand to her face, pinching the ridge of her nose while deep in thought.

"I can't let this go unpunished, but I don't doubt you were in the right Kirin. Go back to the estate, wait in your room for me." Carmine spoke in a matter of fact tone that left nothing up for argument.

I stared at her for several moments, I didn't agree with Carmine's reaction. But I couldn't argue with her either, I just stood up with my head held low.

"Yes ma'am…" I mumbled out, giving Panna a forced smile before turning away. Akemi gave a pleading yip, but she relented and moved to follow after me.

Panna stared in shock as her savior—The girl barely taller than her—Kirin, just got told off by Carmine Ferini. She was in the presence of borderline royalty! And… Carmine almost looked like she cared.

It was world shattering for her, just hours ago she was a street rat. Litters stealing trash thrown to the street for rats, just so she had something to eat. Now her stomach was full and the woman who all but owned the city she lived in was standing before her.

"Now, it was Panna, right?" Carmine's words shocked Panna so intensely that her back straightened like an arrow.

"Y-Y-Yes Miss Ferini Ma'am!" Panna bowed her head as low as she possibly could. An action that quickly resulted in her spilling all of the remaining food in her box over the ground.

"Please—Not so formal, there's no need for it," Carmine's voice was incredibly gentle, but it did little to assuage her fears. "Now, Panna, you said you don't have a home?" Carmine asked in an even gentler tone.

"N-N-No ma'am…" Panna sputtered over her words, her head still held low in bow.

"Hmm…" Panna kept her head low, so she couldn't see the expression Carmine was sharing with the other silver-haired girl that Kirin had found. "Tulip, what do you think?" Carmine asked in a knowing tone.

"I don't like where you're going with this—My father is going to be furious if I'm right about it." Tulip spoke in a concerned tone, Panna could almost hear how the girl had her thumbnail between her teeth.

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"That just means you'll be helping her a lot with her social debut in two weeks," Panna could hear the smirk in Carmine's words—Leaving intense waves of confusion to wash through her. "But, beyond that, Miss Panna? May I make you an offer?"

"O-Of course Ma'am!" Panna spoke a little too loudly. Gradually she began to force her gaze up, meeting the piercing violet gaze of Ferini.

"How would you like to repay Kirin, by being her maid?" Carmine's words were accompanied by a smile that had innumerable layers to it.

"A… Maid?" Panna asked in confusion—Why would a noblewoman need a new maid? Why would it be her of all people? It didn't make any sense! But, she saw a chance, an opportunity. More than anything, she remembered those eyes—Those twin pools of crimson care. "Yes."

It was the only word she could think of. For once, for once in her lightless life, she saw a ray of gold—She saw opportunity, hidden behind silver hair and blood-red eyes.

"Excellent," Carmine's smile, one with far too many layers bored down upon Panna. "You'll only have a few weeks to be trained, but I'm sure you'll do excellently."

"Just walk carefully Carmine—You know how my father is." Tulip sighed, shaking her head before she too looked at Panna with a smile. Hers however seemed far more genuine and less serpentine.

"Yes yes, His Majesty will be angry. But he already hates me," Carmine answered Tulip with a helpless shrug.

Panna looked between the two, her eyes growing wider and wider in shock. She could only stare at Tulip, abject terror written on her face.

"H-His Majesty… Y-You're—" Panna tried to get the words out, but her mouth utterly betrayed her.

"Tulip, Helerian. Berini. First in line to the throne," Tulip answered with a flourished bow. "Now, I'm not going to sit around and see both Kirin and her Maid have no sense of fashion. Let's go and get you some things, alright?" Tulip stood back up, her rubellite eyes glimmering at Panna.

Panna couldn't believe it—Nor could her body take another leap in heart rate. The edges of her vision darkened before the whole world went silent, bringing Panna into the sweet release of dreams that somehow made more sense than reality.

I laid in my bed in the estate, staring intently into the eyes of the Kitsune laying on my stomach. Her small face rested between the miniscule lumps that marked my chest, her own violet gaze locked into mine.

"Did I mess up?" I asked the Kitsune. Akemi, surprisingly enough raised her shoulders in an approximation of a shrug.

"I really wish I could understand what you were thinking Akemi," I sighed, shaking my head. Just as I turned to the side, I felt a sharp pain jump into my chest.

"Ow!" I looked at Akemi with an accusatory gaze, feeling the sharp heat-filled energy jumping through the tense muscles of my chest. "What was that for?!" I said, glaring at the Kitsune who still had electricity jumping across her fur.

Akemi answered my cry of pain by sending another burst of electricity into my chest. Once more I cried in pain, my whole body shuttering from it.

"Stop it!" I yelled at the Kitsune, rolling over to kick her off. But she hung on, her small claws expanding out to latch onto my undershirt.

There was another burst of energy into my chest—For a moment I thought it was about to reach my heart, all the way up until it turned slightly. It curved away from my heart, digging straight into the tiny ethereal object next to it.

My movements continued, all the way until I fell off the bed gasping for air. Akemi had pierced my origin with her magic—And a whole new layer of the world felt like it was open before my eyes.

I felt like I had never felt before. I heard like I never heard before. The world felt raw, primal. My head was spinning, my heart was pounding. Every Fibre of my being screamed, yet it wasn't in unison—It was an unfiltered deluge of raw nothings in a cacophonous frenzy.

Voices, things that weren't things spoke to me. I didn't hear with my ears, yet my soul yearned for those it heard.

There was only one thing in the world that made sense. It wasn't the screams of the wooden boards, nor was it the pleading of the winds.

The only thing that made sense for those long, long moments were the endless violet pools. Two gems, akin to carved amethyst that dug into my soul. They spoke in wordless whispers, meaningless meanings that I couldn't grasp—It was like the impressions of emotions were being delivered on a level deeper than my mind, impressions that I could hear a vague meaning from.

"Family, Kin, Consort, Chosen."

Amethyst reflected crimson, crimson reflected amethyst. Shimmers lay inside of shimmers, thoughts that weren't thoughts tried to speak.

Mana moved, cycled, circulated like air through blood. Long moments passed, I saw, I felt, I knew of two—But only one could accept that reality.

Cold air rushed into my lungs as my head slumped forwards. Desperate gasps filled the room, echoing with the meticulous sound of concentrated breathing. I lay there on my hands and knees, heaving for breaths that were never enough to fill my lungs for long and desperate minutes.

"What—What was that?" I spoke through heaving breaths, my gaze never leaving Akemi. The small fox looked up at me, her head tilting before her eyes narrowed—A single word echoed in my mind.

"Stupid." An almost child-like voice spoke. I could feel the shocked expression taking hold on my face even as I spoke.

"Huh? Did you just?—" I was soon cut off by the door opening to my side.

Carmine stood in the doorway, her expression quickly changing to one of confusion as she stepped inside. She began speaking in the same moments as the door behind her swung shut.

"What happened?" Carmine asked with a raised brow. Her arms were quick to move under her chest, crossing gently.

"I… I don't know—I think Akemi tried doing something but I don't know what." As I spoke I pushed myself back. It was too much effort to try and crawl back onto the bed, let alone stand up—So I instead chose to sit on the ground with my back against the bed.

"Alright…" Carmine trailed off, taking a sharp breath before sighing it back out. "We're changing plans, tomorrow morning you're starting training again. Don't worry about Panna, she's in good hands."

"...That's it?" I asked, rather surprised when Carmine fell silent so quickly. "There's not any more punishments?" I added on, barely even registering how much I could have jinxed myself.

"Well, one of the two lessons you'll be starting on tomorrow is etiquette," Carmine answered with a predatory smirk. "Tulip gladly volunteered herself to teach you, since I can't have my representative being too clueless in a social exchange of the upper classes." Once Carmine finished she immediately turned, already aiming to make her escape from the room.

"What do you mean by a social exchange?" I asked before Carmine could get too close to the door.

"I mean you have to survive the favorite battlefield of the upper class," Carmine stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "You have two weeks to prepare yourself for a banquet with nobility."

"Huh?" I asked in shocked bewilderment.

"The Harvest Festival has barely even begun Kirin," Carmine added as she grabbed the doorknob. "Now get some rest, we can talk more tomorrow." With that Carmine left the room, pulling the door tight behind her.

"Whay can't she just give me a straight answer…" I groaned out, leaning my head back until I heard a faint voice speak again.

"Stupid." My gaze immediately turned to Akemi—The Kitsune was now on the bed, her legs underneath her in a way that made her body appear like a loaf of bread. She was however looking directly at me, her eyes filled with a sort of malicious intent that I could barely understand.

"What did you do to me?…" I wondered aloud even as I pulled myself slowly to the bed. Akemi—At least I assumed it was Akemi—Didn't speak again. She just moved aside as I threw myself into the sweet embrace of the covers, my body soon relaxing enough for slumber to take hold.