Broken Tower Saga: The First Swordsman

BOTH ANTON AND WRIK followed their gaze on the disappearing figure through the window. Wrik sighed a deep breath as all his reserved image and comfortable act washed away. It was not every day you get to meet a Mahasayer.

"Was she telling the truth?" Anton asked, making sure Sophia left.

"It seemed true to me," Wrik nodded. "Or she might be awfully good at lying."

"She looked genuine enough, and didn't even ask for anything, unlike the other time," Anton said awkwardly, remembering the swindler, he paid thousand penz for a duplicate ticket, the year before.

Wrik stood up from the couch, carrying Kathrin. "I need to think, but before that, I need some food." Kathrin licked his arm, hearing about food. "Kathrin is hungry as well."

Anton followed them and helped in preparing the food. Though most of them were already cooked. He warmed them a bit on the stove. While Wrik fed Kathrin her share of kitty nutriments.

"So, how much did you get?'' Asked Wrik, sitting on the dining table. Anton looked confused by his inquiry. So he clarified a bit, "From Red; the packet?"

"Ahh, that. Almost forgot about it. He gave three hundred penz in hand and the rest after his payment." Anton pondered for a bit. "But, I did get unusual news about the trial."

"Anything new?" He asked, putting the bread into his mouth.

Anton nodded. He told what he got from Red. About the higher numbers of inquisitors than the last time and the urgency.

"So, one thing is clear. Time, they were all in a hurry." Judged Wrik, hearing everything out. Sophia mentioned that as well. "What do you think about her?"

"Sophia Syfinn?" Anton analyzed, staring at the roof. "Her leg was beautiful with her full and ample figure. Her curves are too much captivating to be true. And the way she glimmered a few times—took my breath away…"

"Good lord... Ton. I didn't ask for her body measurement. You know, I've eyes. And a good pair at that. I could discern how firm and full her hips. Bosoms are," Wrik sighed, stopping Anton from blabbering more. "I asked you, what do you think about her as a person."

"Yes, sorry. I got lost a bit." Anton scratched his forehead out of habit while pondering. "She was dangerous, extremely. Maybe an extra bit for me." Anton grimaced. "Her swirling hips almost took my life away."

"Ton," Wrik shook his head. "I'm lost again."

"Didn't you notice the pair of dangerous… Oh! sorry," Anton diverged from the topic again. He took a mouthful of water and continued. "You see, when I first saw her... When I first saw her back, I was enchanted by it."

"So, you peeked at her buttocks." Wrik couldn't make out if he wanted to laugh or cry. He was sure she had an attractive figure, but it shouldn't be enough for Anton to lose his composure like that.

"Well, something like that," Anton, not ashamed in the slightest, spoke out. "Here comes the dangerous part. When she caught me—staring at her rear. I was at the back step with only a stare from her. My body stiffened up for a moment, I couldn't move away even an inch, even the air was leaving me."

"I reckon, she gave you a warning," Wrik laughed out. "And you took it quite seriously."

"What could have I done?" This time, his face reddened a bit. "She's a freaking Mahasayer. And I think a powerful one at that."

"Of course she is. If not, how could she figure out your tricks, just by gaping a few times." Wrik stood up from his seat, carrying the plate. He went near the sink to wash it.

"So, what are we going to do?" Anton asked, resting his chin at the dining table. "She didn't seem to have any ill intent."

"For starters, I'm going to think this through. She said we have one day, I don't know if it's enough though." Sighed Wrik while mopping the plate. His face had almost lost the serenity he showed while handling Sophia Syfinn. It's a troublesome decision to make. And there's no lifeline at that.

After cleaning the dishes, Wrik rested his body on the couch again, closing off the shutter of his eyes. While Anton had a go with Kathrin.

It's been years, they had been searching for this place. The Tower of Maha. A place of dreams. A place of passions. A place of vigour. And a place of Chaos.

'You could find anything there. Wealth, power, valour, beauty, even immortality. All you have to do is climb the highest floor of the tower.' Wrik remembered his childhood when the three of them–he, Anton, and Lucas dreamt about climbing the tower together. Being a supreme Mahasayer, commanding thousands of cavalry, charging towards the enemy lines. Those were some blissful days without any care or insecurities.

"That's the greatest indication of youth, in our adolescent days, we want simple answers, simple solutions to everything. And, when we're not satisfied with the simple answers. That's the day, we grow out of adolescence." Wrik sighed. "Leaving our childhood behind."

"Remembering your mother, are we?" Anton asked from behind in a melancholic tone. His right cheek was clawed with three parallel lines in a cross. He and Kathrin appeared to have too much fun together. On the other hand, Kathrin was totally fine, with a bit of smug on her face.

"Her words make a lot of sense now," nodded Wrik, still with closed eyes. Kathrin jumped straight at his lap, tugging her head around a bit, she sat in her prime throne, as he rubbed his fingers in her soft fuzz.

"We spent so many years uncovering the mysterious about that majestic tower. You, me, and Lucas. Then he left, without even mentioning a single thing. That was like him. Now we two, we're still vying for it.

"The chance is in my hand, the chance I couldn't find over the years. Yet when I got it, why am I still hesitating?" He questioned out at himself. "Sometimes I wish if I could just decide on a whim uncaring about anything else, like him."

"Still resentful of him?"

"Are you not?"

"It would be lying if I say I'm not," Anton said. "But, what would that do? He had left to fulfill his dream, while we're still fantasizing about it."

"Sometimes, you do sound a bit wise," Wrik said as he opened the shutter of his eyes.

"But, that doesn't mean, I won't beat the crap out of him when I find him." Anton laughed out.

"You know, I would like to have a few handfuls as well." Wrik cracked a smile.

"So, are we accepting the offer?" Anton asked. His keen blue eyes were failing to hide the anticipation.

Wrik didn't answer immediately, pondered over a minute. He said. "I need you to do one thing. Collect a bit of information about this Sophia Syfinn and the Knightshade of hers. About their reputation, standing and stuff."

"Alright," Anton agreed with a grin on his lips. He was about to take off when Wrik called out again.

"Anton, don't dig too deep. Start with Red." Anton nodded, hearing him. "Meet me at Alpstone at noon, even if you got nothing."

Wrik followed his gaze to the leaving figure of Anton with the corner of his eye. He sighed again, picking his body up from the couch with Kathrin. "I need some fresh air. Kathrin, would you like to come as well?"

Kathrin agreed with an enthusiastic 'meow.'

Putting on a black tracksuit with a full-sleeved vest, Wrik left the house. Following him was a lovely kitty with outgrown white fur. An odd combination.

He looked at the sun as he sucked in a deep breath, approaching the street. The sun was shining, and the sky was harsh blue, with no indications of clouds. It's already over nine. There were more crowds on the road than before. A gentle wind was still blowing from the east, carrying a few leaves away. But there's not much silence as before. A few horse carriages could be seen here and there, apart from the fellows on foot.

Wrik picked a path and started to move aimlessly behind him—the loyal kitty followed, lunging here and there.

It took about two minutes for Wrik to understand that he made a terrible decision to wander in this hour of the day. As he walked on, the cacophony of the crowds rose, along with the number of horse carriages on the path. It's the busiest hour of the day.

The weather was pleasant, but the situation was not. His mind was still full of those unsettled thoughts. He trailed on the safe road nonchalantly. Unsure of where he was going.

'Fuck, what I'm hesitating for? It's the only real chance I got. Maybe the only one I'd get over the years.' He thought. 'I need to talk to aunt!'

He finally came back to his senses when he noticed something was lagging his left leg. It was Kathrin. He picked her up, then looked around to notice that he came a long way.

With a few minutes of walking, he might arrive at his university. He calculated that he was wandering aimlessly for about an hour.

Without much thinking, he walked towards the university. In the last two years, the number of times he came here could be counted with both of his hands. He and the university were not on the best of terms. He didn't even bother to appear in last year's annual examination. But that doesn't mean he was procrastinating at his apartment. He had more meaningful stuff to consider first. For starter: money, investigating about the tower and finding the fucking brother of his.

So, you could say that he had his hand full with other important stuff. So, he decided to not bother with the university at all. And apparently, the university couldn't care less about him. Seemed a win-win situation for both of them.

Wrik looked at the gate of the University of Elania. Behind it stood a magnificent erection of aesthetic beauty. It's a prestigious institute, rated as one of the top universities on the planet. Few boys and girls of his age could be seen here and there, flocking together, laughing or having fun, as if they couldn't care less about the world.

He didn't go to the university. Browsing a bit, he found a steel bench near an enormous willow tree. The last time he came here, it had nothing but green with birds, twittering in euphoria. But now it's golden and yellow with more than half of its leaves gone. All the paths were covered in the yellow leaves, even on the bench. Though it gave a euphoric vibe.

He sat down, without minding the leaves on the bench, giving Kathrin her usual comfortable throne—his lap. As she settled there in satisfaction. He looked up at the blue sky from the gaps of the leaves and couldn't help but appreciate its glamour. He remained like that for an unknown amount of time.

"Such a comfy life you have!" Sighed Wrik, caressing his white kitty gently. "Nothing to worry about."

"Meow… " Kathrin protested.

"Really, what do you have to worry about?" He laughed out. "Apart from quarrelling with Ton?"

"Meow," she meowed out. A rather disdainful one, though.

"That's an intelligent kitty, you have there," a serene feminine voice sounded out beside him.

Wrik looked out to notice that there was another person sitting on the bench beside him. A girl, a year or two younger than him. A rather graceful one at that. She was wearing comfortably white clothing with not a single ornament on her body apart from the silver bracelet on her left arm. She had black hair like him, left straight on her shoulders. He could not call apart who's were darker. But her eyes were not black like his. It's emerald, with a lot of curiosity about the world in them. 'That's an odd combination,' Wrik thought. Though it didn't take away any grace from her oval exterior.

"I thought that sometimes as well," Wrik said. "She's rather creative for being a feline."

"She?" the dark-haired girl asked out. "What's her name?"

"Kathrin," Wrik flushed.

"Well, Kathrin is creative," she added a witty comment. "But I can't say that about its owner."

"I didn't name it," Wrik flushed out. While Kathrin meowed in denial as she leapt out of his lap to hers. Tugging in her lap a bit, she laid her little body. That was new to him. Katrin never liked any other lap than his, not even Antons'.

The young woman didn't show any complaint at him. More like she was pleased, as she ran arm the white fuzz of his kitty. The emerald in her eyes glittered a bit. She then smiled. "Don't worry, Katrin is a good name for her." She paused, then added. "Creative too, if you think about it."

"Well, I may not look like it, but I'm one of the smartest people in Elania," Wrik flushed; he regretted the moment he said it. 'Fuck, what I'm saying! Be more humble.' He didn't know why he was trying to impress this girl. Attractive as she may be, he was not that kind of person who would flirt out with strangers on sight. This was Anton's field. Lucas was good at it too.

"Well, Mr One of the smartest person of Elania," the girl asked mischievously, "Mind telling me what you're doing in one of the busiest streets, wearing that long face and weird getup?"

Wrik found out that the combination of his tracksuits was a bit weird after she said it. A man with a black tracksuit and a white kitty, not to mention his mess of hairs in the busiest street at the busiest hour. An odd getup indeed at this time of the day.

"I didn't put much thought while dressing," he shook his head, continuing awkwardly. "And even less while walking…" Wait, why am I flushing? He looked at the girl in her emerald eyes and changed the topic. "Are you a student here?"

"Yeah, the last time I checked, I was a freshman," she answered. "And you?"

"I am registered as a student. But cannot be considered one." Wrik continued, withdrawing his gaze. "I'm not sure how to describe it."

"You seemed to have lots on your plate…"

"And you seemed to have not much to worry about?" He gave out a hollow laugh.

"I don't," she laughed.

"So, how does it feel to have nothing to worry about?" A thin smile appeared on his lips.

"Actually, I have someone who worries for me…" she glanced up at the blue sky. Wrik couldn't make out what she was feeling inside through her facial expression. She continued smiling, "I just go with the flow at the best, I can."

Wrik could not find any words to say. Leaving the decision of your life to someone else. "Is it viable?"

"It did work out for me," she then grinned out. "But I don't think this would work out for you."

"Why?" He asked out instantly. "Wait, don't answer that. I can speculate—why it wouldn't work out for me…"

"You catch stuff rather quickly, as expected from one of the brilliant minds of Elania."

Hearing her, he flushed out again, jerking an arm against his mouth. 'She is not going to forget that, is she?'

They chat for a little more; the topics were rather vague and abstract. But he continued. Wrik still couldn't comprehend what captivated him about her the most. Is it her charm? Or the wit? She smiles a lot. Mischievous on more occasions.

"Good day chatting with you… Mr Long face," she leapt up from the bench and continued. "I'm sure you'll find your way, goodbye… you too, Kathrin." She stroked the kitty in the neck a few times to return it to its owner.

Wrik looked at the graceful leaving figure. Then he remembered he didn't know her name. They talked for about half an hour, yet they didn't introduce themselves. He opened his mouth to ask her for her name, but then closed it again. He sighed inwardly, 'I would leave in a couple of days… might never meet again… No good a name would do."

And at that spur of the moment, Wrik discerned he had decided. It was accepting—that was left.

"THANK YOU," He yelled out, looking at the back of the slender figure.

She halted her steps and turned back. Holding the air with her right arm as if her gown and the left arm at the breast, she bowed with a playful smile on her lips. The autumn wind swayed her dark hair as her lips moved in saying something. Though he heard nothing he could make out, it was: 'my pleasure'.

With a wide curve in his lips, Wrik left the place as well, giving a second look to the scenery of the willow tree and the steel bench.

***************

END OF CHAPTER: A DECISION AND A MEETING.

NEXT CHAPTER: A LETTER FROM A LOST BROTHER.

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