Traverse The Fog

A chance to experience this world's music. How could Cyrus not feel some excitement? Judging from brass metal disks and water bowls placed around unique string instruments, it would be a night worth remembering.

Soon, a silent gasp rippled through the seated patrons as the group of the hour came into the scene. From the back, several men and women adorned in colorful formal wear stepped out from a door. Slowly, they passed through the tables, waving in thanks under the roar of applause. Once at the center, they performed one last instrument check.

Meanwhile, a striking woman stepped onto the stage. She wore a green sheath dress that hugged her slender figure. Coupled with the blue highlights streaked across her ash-blonde hair, draped down to her exposed shoulders, she was a beauty that drew gasps from those who caught sight of her. And her voice. As if a siren spoke to the crowd.

"Clear Skies, everyone!" She welcomed, bowing to patrons. "It's our first performance in Avalorn, and The Fireflies want to hit it off with something you will never forget!"

A light, girly squeal came from Lesley, catching Cyrus' attention.

"That's Ariti Effie." She turned to him, her gaze sparking with excitement. "She's the main vocalist."

Meanwhile, Ariti's auburn gaze scanned the crowd before her. "We came from the rich Dónisi," A playful smile ghosted her lips. "We could have reached beautiful Avalorn a few months earlier, but we've made a long detour around Stáilinn." Her words elicited light laughter from the more fanciful patrons. She smiled and quietly waited for the crowd to settle down. "Normally, we would start it off with our beloved, 'Winter Solace,' but the gods recently blessed us with a fated meeting with the luminous Senga Aileas!"

A famous composer? Whoever they were, their name stirred buzzing and murmurs among the crowd, so much so that the vocalist had to settle them down.

"And without her," Ariti continued, "We would never have achieved our newest hit. So, without further ado, here's 'Love's Duel.'"

As soon as she finished her words, she stepped off the stage, and the entire restaurant darkened, save for a single spotlight aimed at the platform. Following her departure, a pair of masked individuals emerged from the darkness.

However, nobody would have ever assumed they were musicians.

The man was clad in blue leather armor that clung to his lithe frame like a second skin. To his side was his partner, outfitted with red leather armor so thickly padded that one expected her to take smacks from a hammer easily. The two bowed before moving to opposite stage ends, adopting combative stances.

"They're going to fight?" Cyrus asked, turning to Lesley.

She replied with a giggle. "No, Silly. Just watch."

And then the show began.

The music caught his ears first. It began with a soft solo akin to a violin, growing louder and louder. Fast! Tempest! A duel it was!

Under everyone's gaze, dozens, if not hundreds, of red runes lit upon the man before he suddenly combusted into flames. The flames shifted and twisted, forming around the man's armor and head, shaping his outfit to that of a serpentine design.

A fire user! Cyrus wished to ask him for pointers, but that was for later. He quickly forgot everything as the fiery performer snaked towards his partner, flaming fist aiming to strike.

Yet the woman transformed as well. A cold air bellowed from the woman, covering her in thick mists. Under the silence of the crowd, one could hear the fracture of ice. No sooner than twenty seconds did a frozen knight step out from the hoar mists.

The two met in the middle. A glowing molten palm met a frozen gauntlet as the two fists connected and steam bellowed. But that was just the start. Once the music began to speed up, they separated and began an onslaught of strikes toward each other.

The Serpent, fast and agile, aimed for blind spots and weak points, whittling down the frozen knight. A neck jab here. An elbow twist there. On the other hand, The Frozen Knight was the exact opposite. Her punches were straight to the point, aiming for The Serpent's fiery chest and finishing it all with a single punch.

More woodwind and string instruments began playing, followed by a melodic voice sung as if next to one's ear. It was sung in tones impossible for the average woman, about two lovers in a feud—one cold, one hot. Meanwhile, the two matched the music's tempo like dancers. If one struck, the other dodged by a sliver of their skin. If one stepped back, the other followed in pursuit.

It was incredible.

As if swept by the moment, Cyrus leaned in to capture the memory, forgetting what his camera was intended for. Burning, fiery streaks seared across his corneas while The Knight's fists, pounding like balled hammers, hung icy mists in the air.

As the music twisted and turned with the dancers, two new instruments weaved into the rhythm. First came the wind chimes that matched the tempest of The Serpent. And what followed was... the echoes of whales? Whatever they were, they somehow homogenized with The Frozen Knight's valor.

During the fight, curiosity struck Cyrus. He then channeled his mana, activating his light vision, catching sight of two musicians holding onto the metal disks and a water bowl. So, that's how they do it.

The metal disks were simple enough as they would vibrate through the mage's control. However, the bowl was far more interesting. From what Cyrus could guess, the mage carried the domain of wind and water, shaping the water into unique forms and blowing air through the 'pipes.'

And Ariti? Her voice reached Cyrus' ears like a soft whisper, singing of a budding love.

The dance soon marched toward its crescendo. The two fought with ever-intense ferocity, each trying to conquer the other. One fiery jab melted and smoothed serrated frosted armor while icy gauntlets extinguished flames. All of this culminated in two final strikes on each other's face masks.

The music entered a caesura as the two stepped backward. Battered and steaming, The Serpent's helmet steamed with dense smoke, covering his face. Meanwhile, the icy helmet of The Frozen Knight fractured and cracked, ready to shatter. Soon, they crumbled. Out of the steam came The Serpent, revealing his maskless yet fiery expression. At the same time, the faceplate of The Knight broke into pieces, unveiling the woman's icy visage.

Silence.

The two remained locked in an eternal gaze. One hot. One cold.

Nonetheless, they broke.

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They both moved a step closer, then another, and on they went with ever-increasing fervor until the two crashed into each other and embraced in a kiss like no other. What followed was the musical coda, sweeping throughout the audience.

And thus, it signaled the end of Love's Duel.

The audience erupted into a wave of applause, with even Cyrus joining in. And how could he not enjoy it? Not only was it an incredible performance, but it also opened his eyes.

Ever since arriving in Avalorn, Cyrus has witnessed magic used for violence, production, and convenience. But this? This was art. And this was a piece of what he was searching for.

But all good performances must end. The spotlight momentarily flickered, and the entire cast appeared on the stage, bowing at once. After another round of applause, the show ended with Ariti speaking of upcoming schedules in various restaurants.

"Incredible," Cyrus sighed, watching the troupe waving their goodbyes as they stepped off the stage and through the exit. "I can see why The Fireflies are so popular."

"The whole dance was so romantic," Lesley dreamily stated, her gaze lingering on the stage.

Confused, Cyrus turned to her. "It was?"

The only romance he witnessed was the kiss.

Lesley playfully rolled her eyes. "Typical guy. Did you not see The Knight's hesitation? She did not want to hurt him." She then started mimicking The Serpent's strikes, although it was akin to just wiggling her arm. "And the man? All he did was tap at her armor."

"Oh." Cyrus hadn't noticed at all.

But who cares about romance? So, he diverted the topic, asking about her life. And who was Lesley? She was a student living with her family. Nothing special. And when she posed the same question to him, he offered a similar response.

"We're two sides of the same coin, aren't we, Cyrus?" Lesley spoke softly; a slight blush glowed across her freckled face.

Obviously not. But all Cyrus could respond was with a 'Possibly.' The 'date' continued with the two attempting to understand each other. Well, rather, it was more Cyrus delving into her life while providing vague answers of his own. How silly was that? He pretended to be someone from a city he had barely a clue about. Moreover, maybe showing interest in her life was a mistake, as the more questions he asked, the broader her smile was, and the more she leaned in. Was she so attention-deprived that some disheveled man looked like Prince Charming?

Then, the situation turned upside down once she ordered wine.

"Try some," Lesley smilingly whispered, sipping her glass. "Sometimes, you need to loosen up." The candlelight danced within her ocean-blue gaze. "Isn't that right, Bird?"

Upon being called, the snowball canary turned away from the fruit it had been happily eating to glance at her. But it was just a bird, after all, and quickly forgot about her, returning to its meal.

Lesley giggled. "See? He's enjoying himself."

Cyrus hesitated. Should he? But he wasn't a happy drinker in the first place in his past life. Would it be different now?

"Only a few drinks," he said, masking with a polite smile. "I have combat training in the morning."

It's a better excuse than most. And for what it's worth, the wine proved effective. Once Cyrus had downed several glasses of the sickly sweet nectar, his smile became a bit more genuine. However, he made sure not to overindulge despite Lesley's teasing at his increasingly relaxed demeanor.

Soon, the clock struck late evening. With a charming, rosy hue on her face, Lesley played with her hair, betraying her thoughts for the night. Her ocean-blue gaze then flickered to the lantern-lit streets.

"Do you mind escorting me back to the Milligan's? It's too dark for me to be alone," said the earth mage.

Maybe it was the drinks, or perhaps she had wormed her way into his psyche, but Cyrus agreed to the walk. At the very least, he would feel bad leaving her alone after sharing drinks with her. And there Cyrus was, venturing into the dark and rather empty streets of Avalorn, a blushing Lesley wrapped around his arm and a snow-white canary on top of his head.

The good news was that the academy was a short walk away, nestled within the edge of Corrocho. The bad news was that plenty of dark alleyways stood in the way. Yet, Lesley didn't seem to mind as she led the way, only avoiding one or two dark corners.

"There's going to be an earth manipulation exam in half a year," Caitríona sadly whispered, squeezing his arm. She felt so warm.

But Cyrus kept his face forward, only allowing a short and quick glance at her. "Are you still planning to join The Shard?"

Lesley nodded, laying her head on his shoulder. "Mhm, I'm practicing my magic." She squeezed his arm. "But if I get accepted into the church, it will make my life easier." Then came murmurs of the words 'devotion' and 'cute,' followed by her rosy face growing hotter. Yet Cyrus remained steadfast.

And then came into view. Appearing past a brightly lit alleyway was a street opening up to a gated plaza. Beyond the gates was a large academic building, shimmering with nightlights, beautiful enough to take a picture of. At least, he would have been if something else, someone, hadn't distracted him.

Lesley paused, stopping both of them midway through the alleyway. Biting her lip, she hesitated, her gaze flickering from the building onto him. In the end, she built up the courage to whisper, her beautiful face growing redder with each passing word.

"Would you like to come over?"

No. What could Cyrus say? He wasn't in the mood for such things for the longest time. And while the night with Lesley was nice, it wasn't that nice.

"Sorry, I just ended a long-term relationship," he replied, trying to sound apologetic.

It was the truth... in a sense.

"But it's not like I didn't enjoy this. It was great." When Lesley heard his rejection, her face drained of its rosy hue. Oh, no. Cyrus quickly added, trying to salvage the situation, "And I wouldn't mind doing this again."

"It's alright." She quickly let go of him and offered a wide berth from him. "I know how it feels after a long-term break-up."

His arm felt cold.

"Do you want to meet up sometime soon?" Cyrus offered.

Lesley seemed fun to be around. And not to mention, she should be a great source of information about the academy and magic. All Cyrus had to do was avoid making it complicated.

"Sure." She smiled back, nodding. "Do you want to meet at Finn's in three days?"

"Sure."

"Then it's a date!" Lesley smiled as she swiftly retrieved her leather parcel. "Don't forget your books and camera."

How did he forget his camera? It must have been the alcohol.

"Thanks," Cyrus said, reaching out.

Yet, at that moment, their hands brushed and lingered under the weight of the books. Their gazes locked for what felt like an eternity under the hazy skies. That was until Cyrus effortlessly broke sight.

"I'll see you then," he casually said, turning around.

In response, he heard a "you too" from behind.

As Cyrus took steps toward the end of the alleyway, he quickly forgot about Lesley. It was late now. And he hadn't seen any open carriages along the way. Was he really going to have to wal—Chirp!

Cyrus' mind instantly stilled. At that moment, Blake's bleeding consciousness awoke within him as if Cyrus were back in the forest. He knew that chirp.

Memories surged, and his body moved by instinct. Cyrus evaded to the side, narrowly avoiding a blackened claw shrouded in a dark miasma aimed at his back.

Both the camera and the books rolled along the cobblestone. But that didn't matter, for Cyrus remained frozen. Before him, a blonde-haired woman turned to face him. She had those beautiful ocean-blue eyes and freckles adorned across the bridge of her nose.

She smiled at him. And yet. Unlike any of those smiles she had revealed throughout the day, this one finally reached her eyes.

It was Lesley. And she had begun her debut.