(Hello! Won't take up too much of your time! Just wanted to say thank you to @Stormcutterdragon for following me! Badda bing, badda boom here's the next chapter!)
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(Would suggest listening to Catching Up by AfterInfinity)
The Next Morning...
(Ingressus' POV)
The morning was bustling with activity as other Nestoris went to and from their daily tasks. Most had just finished breakfast and were off on their way to work.
Ingressus walked through the clearing, feeling slightly embarrassed being around other people, after the events that had transpired the previous day. Would they think he was crazy? He couldn't believe that swimming out deep in the ocean had caused him to have a panic attack. Even when spearfishing, he had never felt that way around the water. Ingressus realized he would have to be more cautious in the future unless he wanted to draw attention to himself... Thankfully, no one seemed to pay any attention to him.
Ingressus stops in the clearing and pretends to look at something in the distance as other Nestoris walked by. When they had passed, Ingressus quickly looked around, making sure no one was looking, before quickly walking behind a hut. No one had spotted him!
Ingressus walks up to the back entrance of a large hut and quickly walks inside. The room was very dim with the thick branches of leaves that domed overhead. It was stuffy inside the hut, Ingressus could see bits and particles of dust floating in the sunlight that shined through the sun's rays, but the hut had a nice cozy feeling to it. This hut was where tools and fishing gear were made and repaired. But Ingressus was not coming here to find fishing tools. He was hoping to find something else...
No one seemed to be inside the hut. But Ingressus would not take any chances, he crouches low as he sneaks around the hut. His eyes searching the shelves and tables hungrily for what he was looking for.
Ever since Master Aegus had given him Voltar and his father's sword, Ingressus had noticed how they were still heavy to him. Sure he had gotten stronger over the past two years. But, even now, he barely had enough strength to lift the weapons.
Ingressus continued to search around the large hut. Ducking under a few fishing nets that were hung on an overhead pole. Passing a few tangled fishing rods that were up against a wall, and even finding a few blunt-ended fishing knives that still had yet to be sharpened. But Ingressus still couldn't find what he was looking for...
Hearing vines being moved behind him, Ingressus quickly ducks and hides behind a barrel.
Great, just what I needed... Ingressus thought. The room was big, but if he wasn't careful, he'd get caught. Peeking out from behind the barrel, Ingressus sees a Nestoris walk by carrying a basket full of tools. Setting the basket down, the Nestoris goes over to the other side of the room and starts taking ropes out of a wooden crate.
Ingressus sighs... it was going to be a lot harder to get out unspotted now. Ingressus hears more vines being moved as another Nestoris walks in.
"Good morning Misty," a male Nestoris said.
"Good morning Turin. Quite a day yesterday," a female Nestoris responded.
"I heard, one of the pearl divers got caught in a net and nearly drowned," Turin said.
Ingressus takes this opportunity to peek over the barrel, both Nestoris' backs were turned. He crouches even lower and sneaks underneath one of the tables. Looking around the floor, Ingressus still tries to find what he was looking for before he would be forced to leave.
"I was surprised when that other youngster ran away from everyone. You'd think the boy had just nearly been caught in a whirlpool and escaped," Misty said.
Ingressus felt embarrassed, he wasn't surprised some of the Nestoris were talking about him... He didn't think he had made much of a scene. But if most of Clan was talking about it... Ingressus clears his mind of the thoughts, he needed to get out before he was found! Slowly crawling close to the ground, Ingressus gets closer to the entrance he had come through. Crouching even lower as he gets ready to make a beeline for the door, but stops once his eyes spotted something hidden underneath one of the shelves.
Yes! I knew they had to have at least one here! Ingressus thought.
Looking over his shoulder, Ingressus could see that Misty and Turin were still locked in their conversation. Determined to not leave empty-handed, he quickly crawls over and grabs the item, and puts it in his inventory.
Now I just need to get out!
Ingressus crawls further near the entrance, until he reaches it, and quickly stands up and runs outside.
Yes! He had done it! He had got what he came for! Taking one last look around him to make sure no one saw him. Ingressus quickly walks away from the hut and follows the path all the way to the woods...
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(Achillean's POV)
Achillean set his bowl down while grabbing a few snacks out of a chest. Some apples and a few pieces of stale bread. He would need a little food to help keep himself energized for the day. Walking out of his hut, Achillean walks down the path and starts heading towards the village. Instead of spearfishing, or going on a boat trip. Achillean was glad that he had a day of fishing at the pier. Yesterday had been quite a stressful, confusing, and worrying day. But Achillean was always able to collect his thoughts when he was out at the pier.
He remembered spending a lot of time there when he was much younger... It had been his own personnel sanctity then, and even now it comforted him... Moving the thoughts out of his mind, Achillean takes the familiar left turn and beholds the ardoni shrine in the sunlight. Looking down into the clearing, Achillean spots Master Aegus speaking with another Nestoris.
Achillean walks down the hill and over to Master Aegus. Once they had finished their conversation, Master Aegus nods his head in greeting.
"Achillean," Master Aegus says kindly.
Achillean bows slightly before speaking. "Master Aegus, I hope all is well for you this morning?"
"It is," Master Aegus said, as he turned and faced Achillean.
"Do you have any news on Ingressus?" Achillean asked.
"Ingressus returned to the cave in the middle of the night... he was a little disturbed by the events that took place yesterday," Master Aegus said. "But all is well with him now. However, he was gone before I ever woke up this morning, I am uncertain where he went. He should be around here somewhere."
Achillean nods his head, before walking away towards one of the huts. It seemed he would have to do the day's task alone...
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(Would suggest listening to Greenpath by Christopher Larkin, also put in a forest ambiance for those of you who want some atmospheric sounds with the music)
(Ingressus' POV)
Ingressus ran through the woods, feeling the leaves and bushes move aside. A light rain had come the previous night and filled the forest with the smell of damp plants. Birds were singing and chirping high in the branches of the trees. Ingressus breathed the fresh air as he ran through the woods, feeling the exhilaration in his body. After he had gotten his weapons back, Ingressus had come up with a great idea! But once he had gotten the idea into his head, it had been impossible for him to sleep last night from his excitement!
As he ran, Ingressus sees a ditch ahead of him. Swinging his arms faster and sprinting quicker, Ingressus runs at the ditch. Feeling the pounding in his heart quicken as he breathed deeply. At the last second, Ingressus leaps over the ditch and lands on the other side. But he keeps running as he thinks about familiar lessons of the past.
"If your opponent is stronger than you, you have to be quicker."
Ingressus continued running through the woods until he finally arrives at the meadow. He understood why his friends always enjoyed coming here. It was peaceful and away from everyone. A place where Ingressus could be himself.
Coming to a skidding halt in the clearing, Ingressus draws the item out of his inventory: a wooden sword. Getting into a familiar stance and adjusting his grip on the hilt, Ingressus begins practicing basic strikes.
Left, right, under, over, and even blocks a few imaginary strikes of an invisible opponent. Ingressus could tell he was rusty from years without practice. But doing the moves over and over, he starts to become familiar with his fighting skills again. Soon he starts doing a few of the "advanced moves" he was taught. Ones that he had used when fighting off the wolves...
Turning around, Ingressus tries to imagine a beast coming towards him, spinning around, he puts momentum in his arm and swings the sword like he had back then. Executing a perfect swing, Ingressus quickly rolls forward. Rolling quickly onto his feet, he thrusts his sword forward, stabbing through an imaginary opponent!
Taking a moment to catch his breath, Ingressus closes his eyes and listens to the birds and the sounds of the forest around him. Soon a memory resurfaces...
(Would suggest listening to Heavenly Harmony by Dean Evenson)
In a large cave hidden underground, many Voltaris were settling down for the evening. It had been another hard day of getting food, and many of the Voltaris were exhausted. Sitting by campfires to warm their hands of the bitter cold. Some were able to get a few restful hours of sleep. But some were woken up from the battle cries and defensive grunts that could be heard from the other side of the cave, as a seven-year-old Voltaris sparred against the Master with a wooden stick.
A female Voltaris sat down on an animal skin, smiling as she watched her son. Off to the side was another Voltaris, who shared the same markings of his father, and younger brother. Blazien made a few repairs to his bow but would glance up every now and then to watch the fight, as the sounds of sticks impacting, echoes throughout the cave.
The young Voltaris quickly brings his stick up and blocks the Master's strike. Before twirling and parrying the Master's stick downwards to his level. Using his leg, the young Voltaris kicks the stick out of the Master's hand. Then holds his stick up, ready for the next attack.
"Ha, you have no weapon now!" The young Voltaris said, out of breath.
The Master smiles at his son and nods his approval. As young as his son was, Ingressus was starting to become quite the fighter. The Master knew with time, the young Voltaris would grow into a very skilled fighter... and soon would come the day his youngest son would fight alongside him to protect their Clan... The Master looks over to his beloved.
Lunari smiles over at Dominus and nods her head in encouragement. Dominus nods back. Looking back down, he could see Ingressus was eagerly awaiting the next move. Holding his stick up, ready to fight.
Dominus smiles at his son. "Ingressus, I believe it is time you move on from stick fighting, and start using a real weapon."
Dominus reaches into his inventory, while Ingressus looked up curiously. Turning back around, Dominus reveals a small stone sword in his hand. Ingressus gasps in amazement.
"A sword!? For me?!" he exclaimed in a high-pitched kid-ish voice. Which made Lunari and Blazien laugh a little from the young one's excitement. Ingressus would always ask his parents and older brother when he could have a weapon of his own. But Lunari and Dominus had told him to wait. Now that Ingressus was 7, and because Dominus saw how much Ingressus had learned, and how he showed a determined eagerness to further improve in his fighting skills... they both believed he was ready.
Master Dominus smiled as he held the sword out to Ingressus. Dropping the stick, Ingressus walks forward and takes the hilt of the sword with both hands. But the end of the sword drops towards the ground when Ingressus takes it. Not being used to its weight, despite the sword's small size.
"It's heavy!" Ingressus says as he struggles to lift the sword. Master Dominus chuckles.
"With time, you'll get stronger the more you use it."
Ingressus smiles appreciatively at his father. Dominus takes his large diamond sword off his back and gets into a defensive stance. Encouraging Ingressus to want to try his new weapon.
Grabbing the hilt of the stone sword with both hands, Ingressus runs forward and uses all his might to swing the weapon...
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Keeping his eyes closed, Ingressus maneuvers his body and swings the sword like how he had done back then, and executed the move perfectly.
Taking deep breaths as he smiled at the memory, Ingressus opens his eyes expecting to see his father in front of him...
But sees nothing... but the meadow of flowers around him... and the towering pine trees. Suddenly, Ingressus remembered where he was, and where they all were... Looking up at the sky, Ingressus admired the clouds and their soft shades of gray and white. Even after two years had passed since the attack... Ingressus still missed his family...
But he was even grateful to his new one... with Master Aegus, and his closest friend Achillean.
Suddenly an idea comes to mind. Ingressus looks up at the sky again and sees the sun is just to the point after the afternoon meal.
He should be making his way back to the pier by now. Ingressus thought as he sheathed the wooden sword on his back. Looking around the blissful meadow one last time, Ingressus turns around and runs through the vegetation, taking a shortcut...
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(Would suggest listening to Sweet As Honey by Gavin Luke)
(Achillean's POV)
Achillean had finished up his meal for the afternoon. Walking over to the tool hut, Achillean sees Turin, as he worked on untangling a fishing line.
"Good afternoon Turin," Achillean greeted the older Nestoris.
Turin looks up at him as his concentration is broken. "Achillean! Glad of you to stop by!"
"Are the fishing rods ready?" Achillean asked.
Turin nods, then walks back into the hut, out of sight. Achillean waits outside the hut, waving to a few other Nestoris that passed him. Minutes later, Turin returns with a bunch of newly made fishing rods.
"Here they are. Ready to go. Be sure to tell us if anything is wrong with them," Turin says.
Achillean nods, then carefully picks up the six fishing rods, taking three in each hand and being careful not to get their lines tangled. Walking back to his hut, Achillean grabs what he would need for the afternoon. Then takes the path that would lead him out to the fishing pier.
Achillean wished Ingressus was here to help carry fishing rods and the buckets. He hadn't seen his friend since the incident the previous day... Surely if someone was gone for this long, something had to be wrong? Looking out at the shallows of the ocean as he walked down the shore, Achillean doesn't see Leora.
Probably got stuck on a boat trip with Raineus and Tealeon, he thought.
Achillean walks through the small trails, finding it rather difficult to keep the fishing lines from getting caught in the bushes. The trees broke away as he approached the shores by the pier.
His eyes widened in surprise when he spots an ardoni standing at the bottom of the pier. As Achillean walked closer, he could see it was Ingressus! Where had he been!?
But before Achillean can call out, Ingressus turns around. Achillean's eyes widened, even more, when he sees Ingressus carrying a sword in his hand!! His friend began walking towards him.
Where in the seven seas did Ingressus get a sword?! Achillean thought as he dropped all the fishing poles, making them clatter to the ground. Worry and concern made a chill run up Achillean's spine as Ingressus continued to approach him with the sword drawn.
What is he planning to do with that?!
Achillean tensed as fear crept through him. Whatever had happened yesterday was bad! Obviously, something was not right here! Even with a wooden sword, Ingressus looked dangerous and ready to fight!
Achillean starts to back up as Ingressus gets within a few feet from him. Flicking his wrist down, the wooden blade of the sword swings downward, the hilt of the wooden weapon facing Achillean, as Ingressus held it out for him to take.
Ingressus smiles as he held the sword out. "It is only fair that I teach you one of my skills in return, a skill that may one day save your life," he said.
Achillean blinked in surprise, as he looked at the weapon Ingressus held. "I've never even held a sword before..." he said hesitantly.
But Ingressus only smiles at his friend's response. "As I had never caught a fish until meeting you," Ingressus said with a slight chuckle. "Everything can be learned with time and effort."
Achillean knew this to be true. Ingressus hadn't known a single thing about fishing, and now after years of doing it. Ingressus was as good of a fisher as Achillean was.
Slowly reaching for the hilt, Achillean takes the sword out of Ingressus' hand. Surprised by its weight even though it was made of wood.
Nothing like a fishing rod at all...
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