Young Swordmaster's Journey

"So," Olivia began, arms crossed beneath her chest and expression somewhere between worried and amused, not that most people would be able to tell.

What did it say about Alec that he could? Was that a good thing, a bad thing? On most people, like Peter, Angelica, and Felicia, he would automatically assume that it was a good thing, but Alec also knew that Olivia was someone that highly valued her privacy, in all aspects and forms that it took. The chances that she would be angry at him if she learned that he could read through her resting poker face weren't zero and thus worried him more than he would ever care to admit.

"After that wonderful morning exercise, what exactly is your next step?"

The hallway they currently stood in was completely empty, a not unusual occurrence for this part of the building, but still something that they appreciated, nonetheless.

The teen let out a small breath before he pressed his lips together and tapped a finger on his biceps as he crossed his own arms across his chest. His thoughts ran a mile a minute, but Olivia was more than patient in allowing him to sort through them to figure out what his plan would be. Dealing with a –seemingly– clingy dragon that would go so far as to sneak into Alec's room was a serious issue after all, and Olivia was more than glad that he was giving the issue the proper gravitas that it deserved.

Just as one should not rush a plan to go to war, or rush a plan to face a leviathan at sea, one must also not rush a plan to deal with a dragon in any sort of capacity.

"There's something about my room that it's drawn to. I couldn't say what for sure though. It could even be something as simple as it just decided that it was 'its' room after staying there for a couple days."

Olivia nodded with a complicated expression at that idea. It was solid and had merit, dragons were notorious for their obsessions and how territorial they could be, after all. The idea that it had decided to claim a part of the campus, however, and one that was next to her own dormitory made her a bit nervous however.

"So, I think I'm going to avoid the problem for a little bit." Alec said determinedly, nodding his head softly.

"Pardon?" If a tone could kill, Alec was fairly certain that he might have dropped dead on the spot.

Luckily for him though, they couldn't.

Or at least Olivia couldn't, which still worked for him.

"Look, there's obviously nothing that I can do to get rid of the dragon and me staying in that room could have some….well some really disastrous consequences." He tried to explain his reasoning, tilting his head from one side to the other, "So it's just simpler for me to remove myself from the equation for a bit. Come back at it with a cool head after being able to rest and actually relax at night for once. And hopefully, if things go well, it will have gotten bored and left without someone there to 'encroach' on 'its territory'."

The teen made small air-quotes with his fingers as he finished his explanation off, getting only the most minute of amused eye rolls from his red-eyed companion before she seemed to begin contemplating something of her own.

Like she had for him, Alec was content to stand in silence –albeit rested against a wall– and allow her to peacefully sort through her own thoughts. It was the absolute least she could do for him considering that she had helped him get out of bed and grab all of his things without waking his scaly little problem.

"And where would you be going during this removal?" She questioned, raising a lone eyebrow at him.

If he noticed the minute change in her manner of speaking, he didn't comment on it, only giving her a small shrug.

"Not entirely sure, I'd likely just go to the Guild and take an [Iron-rank] quest that looked appealing to me." He could practically feel the disapproving glare that she levelled on him for such a basic and half-formed plan, but it's not like he had much else to work with.

He was staving off panic only through an effort of will that he was sure would leave even Alexandar stumped for a few moments and a very, very deliberate focusing of his attention onto, quite literally, anything else that he could think to occupy his thoughts with.

It wasn't every day, after all, that the dead-weight member of a rapidly rising party, after dropping out of said party months ago, woke up to find out that a baby dragon of all things had decided that their room in particular looked rather comfortable to sleep in. It was the kind of thing that happened to the protagonist of some kind of novel, something that happened to people of actual importance –someone like Peter–, not something that happened to nobodies like him.

"I see…" The young woman muttered, shifting her weight from one leg to the other as whatever thought she had floating through her mind seemed to shove itself to the forefront once more.

There was a moment of silence between the two of them before Olivia seemed to make a decision and nodded her head confidently.

"Very well, I would like to accompany you on whatever mission you take." She requested formally, giving him a small, self-satisfied, smirk as she did.

"Right after you just glared at me for that exact plan?" He raised an eyebrow at her, unsurprised by the way that her smirk fell a fraction.

"Because I expected something a bit more thought out from you." She shot back easily, "But the idea itself has merits. Not to mention that the only thing between me and that dragon is a wooden wall that wouldn't stop either of us if we really wanted to get through it. Meaning that it would have no hope in hell against any kind of dragon."

'Well, when she puts it like that. I really can't blame her for wanting to get away from the dragon as well.' He thought to himself dryly.

It felt a bit silly to the teen not to have thought of that angle before. Especially since it was the one that he, himself, was going for. But there was nothing he could do anything except roll with the embarrassment and keep on moving, perhaps one day he'd be able to use it to make a more informed guess, he'd just have to wait and see.

"Well, I can hardly fault you with reasoning like that." He muttered, the both of them momentarily turning to stare at the closed door to Alec's dorm before turning back to each other, "So I would be more than happy to accept your help on a quest."

He gave her a soft smile and held a hand out towards her to shake, squeezing it firmly as she took it and squeezed back herself. Their arms jerking up and down quickly before they pulled them back.

"Alright, when exactly were you planning on going to pick up this quest? I have no preferences, I would just prefer to know before I start planning the rest of my day out."

"I was thinking of doing a little bit of training beforehand, but I just realized that that's going to require me to need to enter my room again for a change of clothes…"

"So, you're likely to head to the Guild right after breakfast then?" Olivia questioned with a small tilt of her head, her voice light and curious.

A welcome change from the cold rigidity of beforehand, as fitting as it may have been for the situation they had been discussing.

"That's right, I'll probably stop and grab some food on the way from the campus to the Guild, there's a couple places I've seen while walking past that seem to have some fairly reasonable prices."

"Hm. Wait for me by the entrance of the academy." Olivia said softly, making a small hand gesture at him.

"Wait for you? Why?" He shot her a vaguely amused look, having not expected her to try and give him such a direct and outright order, of all things.

Though he shouldn't have been surprised. Her family was basically nobility as far as actual practicality went, so Olivia had probably grown up with at least family servants that she could boss around. It was, if that was the truth, most likely a reflex for her by this stage.

Alec was beginning to get a clearer picture on why it was so easy to talk and train with Olivia without any interference, if that was the case. Her personality and attitude weren't exactly the easiest things in the world to get used to. He supposed that he should just count himself lucky that he actually got to see a –slightly– softer side of her every now and again compared to others.

Not to mention, they had been forged in the fires of a vampire assassination plot together. That had to account for something.

"I need to grab and prepare a few things. Just wait for me there. I shouldn't be longer than fifteen minutes."

"Alright alright, I'll wait for you." Alec held his hands up in a weak surrender and turned to start walking towards the academies main entrance.

The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

"Good, if you aren't there, I'm tracking you down myself."

Alec didn't respond, only shivering faintly at the idea of being chased down by someone like Olivia. He doubted he'd be able to keep away for long, and certainly not in pristine condition.

He wasn't sure how he was so sure of that, just that he was.

XXXxxxXXX

Dragon-Scale Academy main entrance, Fourteen minutes later

Alec mumbled the half-remembered lyrics to a song he had heard in passing as he leant against the entrance to the academy, the teen more than aware of the curious and amused looks being shot this way from both students of the academy and civilians walking past.

He probably made for an interesting sight if they were all staring so intently at him, though maybe it had to do with the fact that he had been standing at the entrance now for a solid ten minutes and seemingly had no inclination to leave. After all, usually if someone waited in a place like this, there was a reason for it.

While he did have a reason for doing so, they didn't know that and thus were curious as to what exactly would cause him to do so. A natural reaction, an expected reaction, one that he couldn't begrudge anyone for having.

Now if only he could tell his annoyance that, and make it go away, he might be having a pleasant time waiting here.

'I'm not even doing anything. Just look away and go about your own lives.' He mentally scoffed, careful not to let his gaze drift from the snout of the stone dragon 'statue' –directly across from him at the entrance– towards any of the particularly intent onlookers.

It was like a prickling sensation on his skin that made it crawl, their gazes. Something that made his hand twitch for the blade at his side and his fingers curl pre-emptively in preparation to grab the handle of his blade.

He wasn't sure what it was, when it had started, or why it had started but attention being levied on him was something that had set his every instinct and reflex on fire like he had tripped and fallen into molten magma. It always had, for as long as he could remember.

Attention from his friends, from those close to him that he knew, was something that didn't bother him. In fact, he usually tried, in more subtle ways than the red-haired menace that he called his best-friend, to get such attention on him. It made him feel happy when his friends acknowledged his efforts on something or tried to cheer him up, at least usually, as he imagined that everyone naturally felt when their own friends did the same.

Yet attention from the masses? From those that he didn't know and that could allow his name to spread? That lit something alight inside him unlike anything else that he had ever felt except that brief, shining moment when pure, raw mana crashed down around Alexandar's shield and utterly destroyed everything around it.

A chilling, sickening, fear that stretched all the way to the heart of who he was and gripped his core with all its might.

Something about his very being screamed out in abject fear at being known, at his name spreading through the four corners of the Twin-Continents, and he didn't know what or why. Nor did he even know how to fix such a debilitating affliction.

Which was why, when Olivia finally walked up to the entrance, dressed in her usual adventuring gear and gestured for him to follow her with only a quiet murmur of his name, he was more than happy to follow after her without a word.

To her credit, Olivia was quick to pick up on how uncomfortable he seemed to be. However instead of bringing it up, not trusting herself to say the right things, nor having any kind of inkling as to what might have possibly cause it, she silently let it drop as well and just let out a quiet sigh of relief when she noticed him slowly relaxing until not a hint of his earlier unease remained.

Which meant that when she stopped at her desired location, it took a couple seconds for Alec to realize exactly where he had been led. His expression scrunching up a little as he read the worn name carved into the wooden beam above the entranceway.

<Magnios Tea and Breakfast>

"You brought me to a café?" He questioned, looking back down at her just in time to see her expression shift to one of amusement.

"It's not a café, Dius. This is a teahouse that also caters in breakfast items." She explained chidingly, a finger raised in the air as she propped her elbow up with her other hand.

"It's a café that specializes in tea." He shot back without missing a beat, grinning wolfishly at the thinly veiled glare she gave him in return.

"A café specializes in coffee, a teahouse, like this, specializes in tea." She stressed in return.

"So, why'd you bring me here?" He changed topics swiftly and with no warning, giving her very little time to catch up before she spoke once more.

"This is a fairly affordable store that I visit from time to time, they have a pretty good range for a teahouse that doesn't require reservations or a gold coin to be spent just to buy the cheapest item on the menu." She explained simply, getting a small shiver from the blue-haired teen as his complexion paled ever so slightly.

'What kind of maniacs would spend a minimum of a gold coin for something? There has to be some kind of extortion happening for the price of tea to get that high.'

Just the idea of spending that much on a drink, whether a single cup or even an entire teapot, made Alec blanch just to think about it. Based on the way that even Olivia's fair complexion seemed a shade or two lighter, she evidently agreed with him.

Not that he expected much else; the one thing that they'd always agreed on since meeting, even when they didn't get along, was anything to do with money and finances.

"I thought that you wouldn't enjoy going there, so this was the best place I could think of. Not that you'll have to worry about it today."

"Hm?" Now that caught Alec's attention, what did she mean by that?

"I'll pay for the both of us this morning as a treat. Come on." She made a small gesture with her hand to follow her and made her way in, which he did without any fanfare.

"This is unusually kind of you." He commented quietly as they walked in, listening to the soft music that filled the teahouse from a –seemingly– perpetually running music box and the quiet murmurs that he would struggle to label as background noise with their softness.

"I can rescind my offer and get them to throw you out, Dius. Do not tempt me."

It was only after her response that he realized how his words might have come off to her, getting a small click of his tongue as he put together his response as fast as he could to avoid this miscommunication getting any worse.

"I meant that you've never offered something like this to me before. I was surprised by it, not annoyed or trying to make a comment about your attitude."

A little wordier than he was used to? Absolutely, but if the problem had been caused by a miscommunication –as it seemed most of them were oft to do– then Alec deemed it only fitting that he does his best to rectify it.

"Ah, I see." Olivia muttered, turning away from him as she silently greeted a lithe looking gentlemen stood behind a well-made looking counter.

He was around the average height for a human man based on what Alec could see, with wrinkles developing at the corners of his eyes and forehead. His hair slicked back and a truly magnificently combed and trimmed beard and a large moustache that curled slightly towards the ends and hid his mouth from sight. Grey developed at his temples and streaked intermittently throughout his facial hair, not enough to be deemed the new primary colour of his hair, but enough to drive his advanced age home to anyone that looked.

"Ah. Miss Kio. Table 13 is free for you and your companion if you wish to sit down for a pot of your usual?" He asked, brushing some imaginary dust off the shoulder of his well-tailored vest as he did.

It was a simple action, a calming one, and one that showed one hand while keeping the other hidden behind a small series of jars showing leaves of their various tea-blends. Alec was almost certain that this man was used to dealing with adventurers based on his lack of surprise at the weaponry held on their person, and whether due to experience, age, or something else, he showed no hint of anxiety or fear whenever he looked at Alec.

He'd be sure to keep this man, and his business, in mind in the future. But right now his instincts were quiet and he had no wish to get into a fight or antagonize someone that has been nothing but silently polite to him so far, so he let it be and gave the man a small quirk of his lips as he followed behind Olivia.

"Here we are." Olivia spoke quietly, sitting in one cushioned booth-style seat as Alec did the same, bouncing a little on the cushioning in surprise at just how soft it was.

"I know, I was surprised by the quality the first time I came here as well." She smirked, her gaze far away for only a moment before snapping back into both the present, and his form, "Thank you for informing me that you didn't mean your earlier words as an insult."

"It's fine, I should have chosen my words more carefully." He waved off her thanks easily, shouldering the burden all on his own shoulders, "Given our history and how we both tend to be, your assumption makes sense."

"However true that may be, I'm still thankful for the clarification." She huffed, rolling her eyes as she recognized what he was trying to do.

"You're welcome." He nodded his head slightly, only getting a quiet but overdramatic exhale of exasperation in return.

"Regardless, you weren't wrong when you said it was unusual. You're probably wondering why I brought you here, right?"

"I can't say that I'm not curious." He said with a small tilt of his head.

"It's…I can't quite say that it's a tradition, but my grandparents have stories of when they were younger and still actively adventured. Whenever they joined or started a new party, they would sit down and have a grand meal with every member and feed everyone until they looked about ready to burst."

Olivia's voice was soft as she recalled the stories of her grandparents, a gentle smile curving her lips as she traced a pattern that Alec didn't recognize on the table with the tip of her finger. Her eyes staring wistfully down at her hand and yet seeing something so far away that Alec would never in a million years have a hope of seeing it.

"Neither my parents, nor any of my siblings, ever saw fit to copy the celebration themselves, not that most of them work as part of a party too often, but there was always something I liked about their stories of those celebrations. The way that my grandfather would laugh so heartily that the table shook and my grandmother would slyly reveal information about what certain great adventurers were like behind closed doors….We may not be forming a party, so a full feast is out of the question. But a pot or two of tea and some breakfast sounds like a fitting replacement for just teaming up to take a quest together, don't you think?"

A soft smile of his own curved the edges of Alec's lips as Olivia looked up at him from her bout of fond remembrance, one that he didn't even realize he had until he actually replied to her.

"Of course. I'm honoured to be part of such a budding tradition."

"Then, when we get our tea, how about a small toast?"

"Sure, that sounds good." He nodded, looking over as Olivia stood up and made her way over to the counter.

It was nice to feel a part of something like this again after leaving Blessed Catalyst, nicer than he would have ever thought, to be honest. He hadn't even realized the hole that sat inside him until it had been filled. The gaping, slowly bleeding crack in his soul that would have gone unnoticed for who-knows-how-long if not for such a simple act of comradery as this.

Something like this may have only been a temporary filling, something soft and spongey to fill the gap without actually fixing it, but for Alec that was more than enough.