Tales of Revenants

Chapter 78 – Blade and Sword

The morning sun warms the skin at a temperature where Eris would gladly bask for hours.

An hour after they ate breakfast, Laken went through the nearby forest to train his muscles and do workout for a while. He couldn't do it because of their constant fighting without a proper breather.

Now that he had the chance, he'd make sure to perform some push-ups, flexibility exercise, and sword training like he usually does.

He's going to perform his daily sword practice but he just realized he forgot to carry his sword. Laken came back at the garden bench from Tetra's house where he left it after cleaning the bloodstains.

The wind sure has a moderate trailing gust, Laken saw Alisa talking with his loyal servant Iser. He didn't pay much attention to them and returned to the forest.

But Alisa instead noticed Eris tailing Laken from the direction of the forest where the end is the outskirts of Archreveri's Capital, Falconthorn.

She thinks Laken was accompanying her or something of the like. It was the time Luciella approached Alisa so they can have their training and lessons about the art of magic.

Meanwhile, when Laken got to his training spot, he removed all of his armor and even his upper undergarment so he can move freely.

The heavy armor is a good way to improve the muscular and endurance strength of a swordsman. He's after the flexibility this time so it's essential to temporarily remove his protection.

He picked up the sword stuck from the ground. The way he holds his sword with a perfect stance was a thing that astounded Eris who's hiding behind a tree.

Even if it's from behind, she can see at the right angle his level of swordsmanship as he swings his sword faster than a piercing spear. But most importantly, Eris's face is beet-red as she gazes upon Laken's ideal and masculine body that can capture women's attention.

The way Laken moves makes her heart flutters. Each strike in the air was something to reckon with.

Since Eris wanted to also stare at her face while he works hard, she decided she'd shift her position in the opposite direction to have a better view.

However, Laken was the one who changed his position favor for Eris as she suddenly hid behind the tree trunk so she won't be caught.

On the other hand, Laken started to feel a little bit uncomfortable because he can obviously see Eris's wings sticking out of behind the tree.

To top it off, he knew already that she's tailing him from the beginning. He could practice much at ease if Eris just showed herself instead of performing covert movements.

Laken kind of let her do as she pleases so he decided he should continue his sword training. Couples of minutes pass, Eris thinks it could be her chance to peek again and she did. But then she saw the cross scar from his chest deep enough for her to feel pity.

The guilt Eris ignored swelled up. She remembers she's a proper lady so she's asking herself what she's doing on broad daylight peeking on a man training in the forest.

The truth was that if Laken is a skilled swordsman that can rival the Heavenly Heroes, and someone strong enough managed to inflict a deep scar to him, then it shows how the world is becoming such a dangerous place.

It makes Eris reflect how incompetent she was. The power gap is too far, she can't even hope to defeat Laken on a sword duel let alone win a war. She's contemplating if she really was worthy of becoming the commander of the valkyries.

It could be Tetra who's power is boundless, or her vice commander Reya whom she never won a duel with.

The only reason she became a commander was that she persevered and doesn't want to let down her family's pride.

Her inferiority complex was filling up her troubled heart. She sulks where she's hiding and lets her depressed state be conspicuous since no one's around except for Laken.

For her love of seeking her soulmate, Eris wanted to have someone special who could tell her that what she's doing is fine. She happened to see Laken as the absolute, ideal man she desired who would never leave her through thick and thin.

Though it was just a mere fraction of her fantasy and she could never own him. Laken had an eye for Luciella no matter how Eris looks at it. The problem was she's having a misunderstanding about the two of them.

Dug by her sorrow, Eris wanted to take a peek at him for the last time before she visits the Falconthorn when she noticed Laken was missing. She glanced at the surrounding and he's nowhere to be found, yet his armor and sword are on the ground near his sack.

Now that Eris realizes it, she turned behind and flinched when Laken was there all along. She didn't utter any reasons and silently covered her face with her wings as if admitting she's a peeping owl.

The curse Laken has enabled him to see the color of souls through the form of flames that he can steal around almost anyone by killing them.

He learned from time to time that if a person emits a dim color azure flames, then something must troubling that person's heart and mind. If they emit a bright color of flames, it means one of their good emotions is satisfied such as luck and fortune.

But what Laken sees from Eris was a bright-red flame that is about to die out. He approached her in the first place because he wanted to at least hear her side why she's in blues.

Eris's flames are quite peculiar through Laken's eyes. He can perceive that despite how depressed she was, its red hues aren't tarnished by any kind of impurities.

Laken taps her head and offered his hand, "If ever you're feeling weak, why don't we have a duel right now?"

All the looming negative emotions Eris got on her heart vanished away as she beholds Laken's grace. She willingly accepted his offer and Laken pulled her so she can stand up.

"Sorry for the trouble, I'm in your care..." Eris agreed even though she's still ashamed of what she did earlier ago.

Together they went to the training spot. Laken grasps his sword and said, "Pick up your sword, let me see what you can do with it."

Wherever valkyries are, be it a pub, bath, shopping, or almost anything, they always carry a sword as an orthodoxical tradition so they can be prepared no matter what danger or threat that comes to them.

Eris unsheathed the sword from her waist belt and left the scabbard near Laken's armor where he left them above a soft, thin laying fabric so it won't get soil and dirt.

"Let's be clear here, it's not like I needed someone to console me or anything..." It's what she said after grasping her sword with a stance. Laken knew she must be bad at telling a lie. After all, she can't deny what her soul is shouting out to his presence.

"If you say so. Come at me with all you've got then." Laken beckoned her to come closer and strike without holding herself back.

The pressure Laken is giving off is heavy even for Eris. The way his defense is impregnable in all directions just by looking at the distance from his forwarded left foot through the other was impressive in itself.

Eris couldn't find any weakness against him no matter how she looks at her position. Even if she used her wings to strike while midair, there's no way she can even point out the tip of her sword on his neck.

In spite of the situation, Eris pushed forward to fight an unwinnable swordsman.

She truly never let down Laken's unbending will and engaged him into a battle that would surely ignite the sparks of their very sword.

Eris isn't called valkyrie for a show and showered Laken a barrage of rising rapier; it's a kind of sword technique to perform a finishing cut by striking the foe's weakness constantly.

The way she struggles is unreal because every single strike she undertakes is purely just a presumption of his weakness.

The mental and physical toll it takes was tremendous as Laken simply block them using blind riposte; a sword technique to counter without commitment. It can also be called feint-attack and practiced by swordsmanship instructors to train their students.

"Is this the extent of valkyrie's power? Tetra could do better!" Laken provoked her.

It was not a provocation to disparage her way of the sword, but to boost the broken morale that she believes she can't win against him.

"No... I can still fight!" Eris became fired up all of a sudden. The spirit that pushed her forward was the strength Laken was waiting for.

In a blink of an eye, Eris changed her stance into a defensive posture to block his sword. She thought that was all, but Laken went on the offensive and continually stuck her with an endless swing.

Eris widened her eyes and heightened her sense. Laken's every strike isn't just a random distraction; it was a precise and direct swordsmanship technique aim to mince a target. She knows because she beholds the flames of azure through his eyes.

The pride of the valkyrie she talks about was sunken into her own acceptance of defeat. Eris was roughly staying on her feet as she plays defensively since her endurance has limitations.

There's nothing left and it's futile. She believes it was the end so she was about to drop her sword when Laken shouted, "No! Don't give up and forge your sword a path against me!"

"Huh...?" They both continued to clash swords as they speak with each other.

"To be honest, a swordswoman as yourself can certainly rival my swordsmanship. But there is something that you lacked..." Laken's sword remained sparking with each strike.

The clanking metals resonated around the vicinity, Eris swerve and defended herself no matter how strong Laken's blows are, "Something I lacked...? What is it?" She asked him as she doubts her way of the sword.

The heated duel they undertake was an event Eris would never forget forever. Neither side is breaking their stance and continued to pave a path to the victory.

Laken understood she's nearing her limit so he replied to her aloud, "The reason why we carry our weapon is to stand against our fear. Your way of the sword is impeccable as your resolution is unbreakable... but you lacked the courage to accept the fear that conquered your sword."

The wind was calm as it breezes a fine warmth, Eris felt the world in a stagnant stasis the moment she heard what she lacked from Laken.

It was indeed the acceptance of fear is what struggles her mind and heart to the point she forgot to accept her weakness.

The only thing Eris knew afterward was that her sword was left on the bed of mossy fallen leaves, and his sword pointing to her throat spells her defeat.

Laken got her face near her neck to a distance Eris can almost feel his breathing and he said, "The blade may carve the path towards the light, but you must remember the sword doesn't give you the reason, for you shall be the one to give its meaning."

The silence gradually took over as her heart flutters from his encouragement.

"Stand up. I'll treat you to anything in the capital." Laken said. It made her face turned tomato-red.

Her mind's in a daze. Eris couldn't think properly but she gladly followed Laken after he equipped his undergarments and armor. She's really looking forward to what kind of treat Laken will give her.