Of arguments and quiet days

[A/N: This is not yet the return of the branch. It's a chapter I've had lying around for a few weeks now, so I'm posting it because I'd like to address a small issue going forward. The content of the issue is at the end of the chapter.

For the following 3-4 weeks, there will be no new chapters from me. Time's been running thin enough that I'm running out of backlog I had on Lucas's branch, and I'd like to rebuild that first. To that end, Travis's branch gets a chapter of breather first.

A/N: Revamped skill costs and effects in chapter 75. Changed costs and lightly modified the effects of Hyllen Sword Dance.]

---

-27th day of AC, 27.04.1052-
-Location: About 15 km south of Tylened-
-Time: 22:50-

"Idiot."

A low shiver threaded down Travis's back at Aria's words. Simultaneously, one of his wounds flared with pain as she tightened a bandage around it. Releasing a brief groan, he almost stiffened as her delicate fingers traced the material over the next one.

“Scoundrel,” Aria groaned, tightening the bind with some ****.

Travis gasped shortly, barely forcing himself not to flinch.

“Oh, excuse me, does that hurt?” she asked. However, her grimace was anything but sorry, her brows furrowed. The emerald of her eyes glistened with ferocity. "Maybe just do it yourself, Mister I-Will-Challenge-The-Trial-Again-And-Not-Tell-My-Girlfriend-About-It!" she hissed, pulling at the bandage again.

"...I said I'm sorry," he responded sheepishly. His dry voice felt almost out of place, if not for his slightly pale complexion illuminated by the campfire's renewed light, which felt colder than it should.

"Oh, you're sorry, is that it? And that suddenly makes everything fine, is that right?" she mocked. "What even are you sorry about, huh? About doing something you shouldn't? Or about leaving me alone without my knowledge? Or maybe about waking me when you look like that?!" her voice rose.

"...I tried not to wake you," Travis sighed, lifting his hand slightly as Aria tied the bandage around his radius. His other hand lifted a small health potion to his mouth, the somewhat sour liquid like a second breath he didn't know he needed. Almost immediately, he felt some of his wounds heal. His vision cleared, if only partly. Opening his status, he confirmed that his HP had regenerated to about 50%.

"Maybe you should've thought of it before you decided to return and fall on me in that state! You gave me a heart attack!" she retorted, anguish piercing through the anger.

Travis didn't reply, closing his eyes as he finished the last potion. The sour memory of just a couple of minutes ago surfaced. Bolstered by the bewilderment and contentment after winning, he immediately left Trial Tower. However, it took not even ten seconds for the Tower's effect on him to wane. Every single wound he had received let him know of their existence with redoubled **** like a blindfold was taken off his eyes. That... well. The rest is best omitted.

"Gods, I just aged ten years..." Aria's voice softened faintly, resignation evident as she finished the final bind on his arm. "What even went through your goddamn skull? Why did you think that was a good idea?!"

"I just had a hunch... that I understood what Rimel talked about lately. I didn't think I'd win, especially when he pulled out a new trick at the end..." Travis admitted, and then immediately winced as Aria's hand clenched around a wound on his stomach.

"Didn't think? Sounds about right!" she retorted, grabbing a piece of bandage.

Aria's small and delicate fingers worked on his wounds, adding finishing touches. A herbal paste was used on the larger cuts before the material was applied, whereas smaller wounds were only covered, allowing the healing potions to do most of the work.

"A hunch, gods dammit," Aria kept muttering as she finished. "A hunch, my ass!"

Her sudden retort made Travis jolt. He felt Aria's hand bolt to near his leg, wrapping around the key on the ground.

"I'm confiscating this," she spat.

"Confiscating it?" Travis asked, glancing at the key in her hand. A flash of panic crossed his face before he quickly masked it. "Aria, I need it."

"Need it?" she snapped. "What you need is some sense knocked into that noggin of yours. And this," she waved the key in front of him before clenching her hand and pocketing the item. "is anything but helping!"

Travis didn't respond for a prolonged moment. Although he wanted to defend his case, an almost subconscious feeling within his heart told him that doing that wouldn't solve anything. In the first place, even if his intentions were good, Aria was right: acting on a hunch was irresponsible of him. It wasn't even about the state Trial Tower left him in. It was about the fact that he spoke not a word of it to her. He didn't even think to leave a note or wake her.

Aria unceremoniously threw her bag aside and pulled her blanket. Travis was welcomed by darkness as the ball of light she'd sustained died off. However, even in those conditions, he could easily make out her outline lying within arm's reach. Her back was turned to him, the woman breathing slightly unsteadily as though still trying to calm herself.

"...I'm sorry, Aria," he said slowly, every word punctuated with regret.

Aria shuffled. "No," she exhaled sharply, pulling the blanket firmer than before.

"I am, Aria," Travis repeated. Summoning several Mana Bolts to his hand, he cast illumination around, focusing on his girlfriend's face hidden under the swirl of hair.

"And what of it?!" she suddenly turned slightly, her face showing an angered grimace. However, the Apostle immediately noticed that salty drops dribbled down her cheeks. "You're sorry, you're sorry, is that all that mouth of yours can say? It was the same when you went against Chris!" the white-haired Mage retorted, her words striking like a sword. "If we were two minutes late, Travis, you'd have died. And now what? Hunch this, hunch that, and look how you ended up!" she exploded, tears flowing. "You keep on acting like you have a spare life! Did you even think what I'd feel like?!" she demanded, anguish in her tone. "Of course not! Because apparently, getting stronger is more important than your life!"

Travis's mouth parted as he wanted to oppose her words. However, nothing escaped. As long seconds stretched, he could only feel his heart weighing down.

His eyes closed as he sighed. His hand lowered, the wisps of mana disappearing into the chilly air. Darkness consumed them both, the stillness only broken by Aria's sobs as the woman tugged at her blanket, lying down and covering herself whole.

...

Travis's teeth gritted. However, it wasn't out of anger, but regret. Forcing himself not to groan aloud, he quietly shuffled, standing up and walking away. He wasn't leaving Aria, not this time. However, he needed some time to think for himself.

As he finally made enough distance, he put his forehead against a tree. The scraping feeling hardly reached him as he clenched a fist before slamming it into the bark. He repeated the motion every second, feeling his knuckles scrape against the rough surface, drawing blood.

Eventually stopping, he could feel his entire hands ache. But he hardly cared.

"I'm a fucking idiot..." he murmured, slowly turning around and leaning on the tree.

Descending to the ground, he raised his gaze. The foliage above him was sparse, allowing him a mostly unobstructed view of the sky.

The millions of stars blinked at him, their innumerable appearances subtly forming a wide line that ran across the sky like a stroke of a paintbrush. Faintly, he could recall a few constellations he'd read about in the past.

But then, with a heavy sigh, he let his head down.

'Some feeling, that was.' he huffed, wiping his face gently. It stung. It stung not just because of what he'd done, but because Aria had every right to feel hurt. All it would've taken was a simple note, a nudge, a goddamn word, even. But instead, what happened had happened.

A sense of bitterness bit his throat like a vicious snake. Now, even the rewards, however great they were, felt bleak and unimportant.

'...how would you say it, Kanya?' he wondered, almost as if his thought could reach into the afterlife and pull an answer.

But as expected, nothing answered him. The sky full of stars only silently reminded him of his situation. The chilly embrace of the breeze slowly moving between the trees prompted him to close his eyes.

...

...

...

"What's with that look?"

Travis's eyes snapped open when he heard the words. His eyes looked around, panicked.

It wasn't because of the words themselves. It was because of the voice itself, which made his heart throb strangely. A soft, melodic tone he hadn't heard for nearly two decades, yet still could remember clearly as his own.

"...Kanya?"

His eyes slowly focused, recognizing the room he was in. Leaning on the table, he supported his head with a hand as an unfinished platter of food laid before him, a warm piece of meat between his fingers.

Then, he looked across the table. His breath hitched, an unknown sensation pounding within his chest.

The golden of Kanya's eyes shone lightly. The gentle curve of her thin, pink lips was accentuated by her pale cheeks and slightly oval shape. Small ears clung to her head almost like his did, silver earrings large enough to fit a finger inside hanging and faintly reflecting the light from a nearby candle. The deep-brown color of her hair swirled, forming a braid pattern that hung below her shoulders. The dress that hung on her shoulders was of a nice, dark green color, showing off a little skin around her neck, its sleeves ending near her wrists. The swell of her chest slowly expanded and deflated in rhythm with her breathing.

His sister's gaze emanated a glint of mischievous playfulness, her cheek smushed against her left fist as she supported her head in a similar fashion to him. The long, sleek fingers of her other hand tapped gently on the table's surface, her nails gleaming with their natural pink color.

Travis's breath hitched momentarily.

"Someone woke up," Kanya spoke again, her voice tinged with light teasing. "Had fun today?"

"I..." Travis trailed off, blinking in slight confusion. He looked at the piece of meat in his hand. His small fingers held it tight, but... something felt off for some reason. "I... guess so."

"Want to tell me what happened?"

Travis gazed away from his sister, looking over the room. The simple bed made in the corner - Kanya's sleeping place. A door leading to a small room he called his own. A window staring outside, and into Holia, and an entryway to lead there. On the opposite side, a small counter she'd use to cook meals, together with a barrel of water and a few bowls she'd use for cleaning and washing. Strong walls made of oak trunks supported a somewhat tall ceiling. The floor, made of sturdy panels of wood, let out a faint sound as he leaned back in his chair. Yes, that one damnable panel always irritated him.

"I... fought with Crystal today," he said, his tone quiet as he felt his heart beat almost painfully. His fingers let the piece of his meal slip onto the platter with a quiet splat.

"Oh my word," Kanya made half a gasp. "You always get along so well. What happened?"

"I was playing with Crystal and Jonah today," he started sheepishly. "We went to the orchard."

"Mhm," Kanya gave him a confirming hum. "So that's why you're bruised all over," she commented.

"It's... not that bad," Travis retorted, a hand instinctively going to brush his cheek and neck. The reddened spots felt stingy, pulsing with pain.

"That wince tells me a different story. So, what exactly happened?"

"Crystal wanted an apple, so I climbed a tree to get her one. And, uh... I tripped and fell."

"And that's why you fought?"

"No..." Travis halted briefly. "Crystal said she didn't want it anymore. But she demanded it before!" his voice raised as he focused.

"So, you climbed the tree again?"

"...yeah."

"And, you fell again?"

"...yeah," he nodded solemnly. "But I got it!" he suddenly exclaimed.

"And that's why you fought, then?" Kanya inquired, her pose shifting as she leaned in slightly. Her hands joined before her as she supported her chin on them, her braid resting on the table gently.

Travis groaned, "Crystal said that I was being reckless because of a stupid apple. And I called her a stupid dumdum who can't make up her mind. She wanted it, she said it herself! What was I supposed to do, not get it?"

"Well, you definitely could've done it smarter, little guy," his sister said teasingly. "Why not ask someone? You said Jonah was with you."

"Everyone was in the fields. And you know Jonah is afraid of heights," he pouted.

"Pfft. Why didn't you grab a ladder, then?"

Travis froze for half a second. "I... I didn't think about it," he admitted, his gaze once again skittering. Something about his words felt ironic to him.

Kanya laughed, the sound demure. Leaning back in her chair, she brushed her hair briefly before fixing the braid behind her back. "Well, that sounds like someone I know," she said, lightly tweaking a small ring on her right index finger. Yet, her gaze was locked on him, her smile never waning.

Travis grumbled in irritation. Picking a piece of his meal, he stuffed it in his mouth, feeling its strong meaty taste. "Like you're the one to say!" he exploded. "You weren't even around! You're... you're..." Travis trailed off, his anger deflating and disappearing like a lie. Looking at his sister, he couldn't shake off a feeling that something was off. He was already twelve... why couldn't he stop himself from feeling that Kanya shouldn't be here?

A gentle tap of Kanya's nail on the table startled him out of his ponder. Looking at her, Travis noticed her eyes straying to the side, her other hand marking a strange gesture akin to brushing off a wrinkle on clothing. For some reason, the gesture felt familiar.

"You know, Travis..." she started, her soft countenance giving him a motherly smile as she refocused. "I don't think she is mad at you. I think she's worried more than anything."

"Gah. I can take care of myself," he retorted with a sneer.

"But that doesn't mean she's any less right to be worried. Look at you. Don't you feel hurt?"

"..." Travis sighed. "I think I feel worse with that I've told her. And I just... don't know if she'll listen to an apology."

Kanya hummed. Tracing a small circle on the table, she gave him an insightful look. "You know... sometimes, when we try to do our best for others, it's not always seen that way. We sometimes act on impulse and do and say things we don't really mean. But... you know, I think that's a good thing. It means you're human."

"So what, if she hates me now..."

"Don't think like that, Travis," Kanya opposed. "Tripping doesn't mean the end. It's part of the process. If you feel sorry, you'll find the words to apologize with. And don't think she hates you. Trust me, little guy. I've been there too," she smiled warmly, her hand extending to meet his. "Just let your heart speak for once."

Travis felt her fingers brush against his. The warm contact sent a shiver down his spine, like warm water spilling from a cup. Yet, at the base of his skull, there was a certain dissonance. He couldn't stop the feeling that something was off.

"Listen, Travis," Kanya continued. "What's important is you understand what you've done wrong. I'm sure she will understand. Remember: you're her anchor now. Aria needs you."

Travis's hair stood up when he heard the name. Something about it felt incredibly important.

The back of his left shoulder burned. A wound he'd held for years flared up, suddenly reminding him of its origins. A sound of crackling fire boomed around him, the entire room set ablaze in a flash.

Yet, Kanya didn't so much as flinch.

Her hand clenched around his.

"Wake up."

-28th day of AC, 28.04.1052-
-Location: Approaching Tylened-
-Time: Around 9:30-

The air was filled with a tense atmosphere that cut through the humid chill. Travis glanced at Aria briefly. Her posture was somewhat relaxed, almost casual, yet he could sense the palpable stress radiating from her. She avoided looking at him, seemingly ignoring his presence altogether, focusing instead on the path they were taking.

The uneven cobblestones beneath their feet shifted ominously occasionally, with loose pebbles quietly rolling around, but Aria didn't voice a word of complaint. The sun hung low on the horizon, just clearing a distant peak. Its warmth was pleasant and abundant, and the lack of significant cloud cover indicated that today would be warm.

Travis's eyes diverted forth, studying the walls of Tylened they were now approaching, only ten minutes away from them. They were hardly anything noteworthy, standing to a measly three meters tall and lacking so much as any watchtowers. The lack of size was not limited to the walls, though - only a thousand inhabitants could reside within even by a rough estimate. That was less than a third of what Lodiz could hold.

'Such a town, it is.' he nodded quietly at the thought. 'A place to resupply on the travels, but little else. Makes we wonder if there will even be a library to check Rimel's notebook against...'

His thoughts soured slightly when he thought about the book. While it contained a skill he'd gained, it wasn't blank inside. The pictures and sketches of body positions were a clear indication of the postures required for him to use the Hyllen Sword Dance. However, that wasn't all. Across the numerous pages were lines of text written in symbols he couldn't at all recognize. Some symbols were tucked beside poses like annotations, perhaps as notes, insights, or historical fragments.

'It's definitely Slyvin, that much I can be sure of. The problem is, I don't know a lick of it. And asking Aria...' he looked at the white-haired woman. She barely paid him any mind, her gait calm and focused. Underneath that, however, he could tell the seething rage had yet to quell. '...yeah, probably not the brightest idea right now. I need to think through what I want to say first.'

With a silent sigh, the man shook his head, instead focusing on the path ahead. As he did so, he noticed a few veherons lying between the rocks, awaiting any potential prey.

'I might as well test this skill out before we get to the city.' he decided, speeding up his steps. Passing by Aria, he got hold of Thunder Blade.

As the distance lowered, Travis reminded himself of the pictures and his own experiences. His feet moved into position as he raised his sword.

Then, he stepped forth.

"Hyllen Sword Dance," he lifted Thunder Blade to face the veheron ahead. His feet shuffled by themselves as he stepped forth. "Unity."

The process was instantaneous. Mana within his body welled up, extending from the center and traveling down his limbs. Similarly to when he used Sprint to launch himself forward, the magic power guided him, pulling as though tiny strings were attached to his wrists and ankles. Yet, there was an indescribable feeling that it was nothing more than a suggestion to move. He could break free of its path with but a thought.

Instinctively giving in, Travis shifted forward. Time appeared to slow down as his sword gleamed, his body lifting it to a position with speed that was difficult to track with the naked eye accurately. In the meantime, his feet moved forward, tracing footwork he'd learned from Rimel. In front of his eyes, he could see key frames of movements depicted in the swordsman's book, and how he changed his form.

And then came the moment of release.

The concentrated mana surged almost unexpectedly as the motions ended. Then, suddenly, his muscles contracted, forcing the sword to slash. It was an inhumanly fast motion.

[You have dealt 173 damage.]

The veheron, famous for its speed, could barely flinch as the blade struck it. Before it escaped, Thunder Blade was already back to slice at it again.

[You have dealt 168 damage.]

And then, again and again.

[You have dealt 177 damage.]

[You have dealt...]

[...]

[You have dealt 849 damage.]

[You have gained 992 experience.]

The beast was already dead after five hits. The remaining slashes were made at empty air before Travis forcibly halted his movements. The skill expired right after.

He drew in a sharp breath. His muscles felt slightly sore from the exertion but he ignored the feeling.

Two more veherons shifted nearby, drawn by movement. Without hesitation, he adjusted his stance.

"Blockade."

Mana swelled once more. This time, it funneled into Thunder Blade, making the weapon tremble with restrained energy. Then, it expulsed, creating a barrier that made the lizards freeze when they closed the distance.

Before Blockade finished, Travis was already striking. The result came about quickly.

[You have gained 1,052 experience.]

[You have gained 1,020 experience.]

Then, Travis exhaled. Wiping Thunder Blade quickly, he sheathed it.

'The effects are really good.' he nodded at the thought as he scanned the veherons's bodies. They had barely a chance to even go against him. 'Even putting the level difference aside, my attack speed before was only barely enough to keep up with them. Now, however, I'm fast enough to respond. Not only that, but Unity is incredibly powerful. I managed to strike nearly ten times during its 2 seconds. That's almost as fast as when I had Blink Strike, and it deals a massive amount of damage instead of just a sliver.' he hummed.

From his memory, as a Rogue, the maximum he had managed was a dozen strikes within the 2-second window. This might've seemed like a lot, but Blink Strike had massive drawbacks. The first one was, that it dealt only about 15% of his attack power at level 2. And the second one was, it was supposed to be used with a dagger, which naturally had lower stats than a sword. In comparison, Unity dealt 130% per strike at level 1 and was used with a sword. The difference in power was absolute.

'This subskill alone is worthy of a legendary rating. Makes you wonder how strong it will be once it levels up.' he pondered, bringing up the skill information.

[Unity lvl. 1 (0.11%)

A fleeting sword dance reminiscent of falling leaves.

Deal 130% of your physical attack power to a single target multiple times.

*Lasts for 2 seconds.

Cost: 300 MP

Cooldown: 120 seconds (82 seconds remaining)]

'But it will take a while. A legendary skill isn't easy to level up.' he grimaced briefly before sighing, dismissing the panel with a hand gesture. 'I'll be drinking mana potions instead of water to make it happen...'

Stealing a momentary glance at Aria, he met the gaze of her emerald orbs, the faintest of curiosities written within, visibly drawn by him calling out the skill's name aloud. She turned away with a sour expression, refusing to give him the satisfaction of a comment.

He kept silent and followed her.

'But the costs are absurd. Just using Unity and Blockade burned 650 mana. I can't imagine any Warrior-type class below their 1st advancement having even half of that. If I want to think about using Execution with its 700 MP cost, I'll need equipment to boost my mana first. And Transcend... all those costs make me wonder just what kind of warriors are supposed to use those. Elves really are a different breed, aren't they?'

The faintest of smiles tugged at his lips before Travis stopped himself.

'Calidan Thunder Blade, Shard of Nihhelar, and now, Hyllen Sword Dance. All of those pertain to elves... the first and last in particular, to clans that mysteriously disappeared four centuries ago... I really wish I could ask Leaf what she thinks of this. She's probably the only person who we can trust with this at the moment. We should plan a visit to Midriff.' he thought to the voluptuous blue-eyed elf. How was she doing at this time? He could only wonder. 'Well, that's for later. We've arrived.'

His gaze focused on the gate ahead. In front of it, two guards stood, clad in some equipment that appeared at least somewhat decent. They shot quick glances at him before Aria came upfront, her wide hips moving almost sensually against her uniform, every step giving her butt a gentle wobble that grabbed attention with presence alone. The two men didn't seem the slightest bit resistant, Travis noticing their gazes just barely focused on her face.

Before they managed to speak a word, Aria showed them her MID.

"Inspector Aria Brinn," she said, activating the small card. "On special orders from Captain Rebecca Nimmel from Silvana," as her emerald eyes bounced between the two guards, she noticed them stealing a glance at her boyfriend. "And this cretin is with me."

'Ouch.'

Travis wasn't the only one who felt the nickname Aria gave him. As the guards spared him a longer look, he could practically feel the faint compassion they immediately held toward him.

Neither of the two said a word, their reactions reduced to an understanding nod, seemingly not wanting to risk angering the already upset Inspector before them. Aria didn't wait for anything, stepping into the small city. Travis almost had to break into a run as he followed suit.

Tylened's atmosphere, full of heavy yet watery smells, filled their nostrils immediately. The somewhat well-kept buildings didn't hold up to the standard Travis remembered from other towns he'd been to, but they weren't breaking down, at least. A few people who crossed his and Aria's path were not disheveled, although they weren't clothed like nobility, either.

'Just your regular outpost city.'

He almost hummed, stealing a glance toward the tallest building around - a church.

'You really can't go anywhere in this country and not encounter one of those. Only in the smallest towns there isn't a church, but most of them have at least a small chapel the priests visit occasionally.' he thought to Holia. The tiny village, housing no more than sixty residents, was one of the rare exceptions in that it had neither structure (though it did have a cemetery). For Sunday sermons, they always went to Rinl. Travis could still recall the times when he'd banter with Crystal and other kids while walking, and then almost fall asleep during the mass.

However, the brief ponders were interrupted when he felt something hit his shin. Turning around, he barely had the time to register Aria's hand pushing a piece of paper right against his tunic. Then, without even checking on him, the white-haired Mage walked away, her bag slumped over her shoulder as she left him alone.

'A quiet day.'

Travis sighed to himself, watching his girlfriend walk away with a hasty gait, never once turning around to look at him. A slight unease and bitterness ate at his heart as he leaned down, picking up the piece of paper. As he began reading it, he almost groaned.

=Logistics
Lodging
Office at 12=

'It's going to be a very quiet day.'

[A/N: I'm temporarily removing the stat screens at the end of the chapters. Three reasons for that:

• They're a bit of a pain to juggle around and refine for every chapter as a picture,
• If I make them, I want to include HSD in them, but that is something that will require a whole category of its own,
• They're actually triggering my migraines more often than I'd like to admit, so I'd need to tone their colors down.

I still need to come to a decision whether they will be added in the future, and in what form. Feel free to vote in a poll to decide with me: https://strawpoll.com/X3nkPp42BgE

Either way, have a wonderful time!]