A King had been chosen. And now all they could do was wait.

[ihateseagulls]

The crystal has awoken.It had been ten years since the first flicker of light appeared in the crystal; ten years since the Oracle first answered the call. The denizens of New Lucis were naturally skeptical at first. Some were afraid to hope, memories inherited from those that had lived during the fall of Insomnia still as vivid as if it had been

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[eos_diaries]

As the bodyguard to a family of some repute, Fortem’s job was to be as immutable as stone. It was not for him to smile and flatter. Obsequiousness was for legislators and religious zealots; his occupation was simply to be an immovable piece, one which kept the objects of such sycophancy from harm. He was a steel in the dark, a polished shield. To all but Calluna, he could have had no name at all. He mattered that little, but found he didn’t mind. Their world was one he was apart from. He had no need to attempt to rise higher than he was. It would have been impolitic, for one, and much too imposing for another. He had no head for grandness aside for what beauty could be found in the hilt of a bejeweled blade. Things were simple on his side of the sword and he liked it that way

[ihateseagulls]

Blood raged loudly in her head, throbbing to the beat of the muscle in her chest. The space next to her on the mat was quickly occupied, heavy breathing set to a pace similar to her own. Cal remained hidden behind her arms for a few seconds before finally letting them fall to her sides. You're arrogant. And so it begins. Cal retorted with a sigh, her eyes rolling to the back of her head. Where was her focus? Back on the crystal, just as everyone else's had been. Everyone save for Fortem apparently

[eos_diaries]

Fortem prided himself on noticing the minutiae of things. The details of a fight were as important as the weapons you selected and the opponent you had to face. One had to be good at guessing the next step of an enemy, or your next move could well be your last. Adversaries were at times easier to figure out than allies. For example, he found he didn’t understand the look in Cal’s eyes, sometimes. Her gaze lingered on his as if she hoped to find some new understanding there. She looked, and he stared, and they shared something which at least on his end was a sort of unspoken wonderment. When had she become a woman under his nose? When had her staring become more than childish interest? When had he started making her uncomfortable and why? He could read discomfiture in the lines of her body, like pages in a book, crisp and clean and as clear as if it had been written in ink

[ihateseagulls]

Her momentary lapse of regret had been short lived. Princess. If ever a word existed that had the sharpness of a well tended to blade it was that one right there. Small lascerations formed in the soft flesh of her palm with her slender fingers balling into fists at her side. The muscles of her jaw were hard at work, clenched and tight. If Fortem had stuck around long enough he might have heard the grinding of enamel in her mouth. Instead he moved behind her, putting distance between them as had been her wish. Good, she thought, moving in the opposite direction with her gaze already locked onto a punching bag that would serve as a substitute for her frustrations

[eos_diaries]

One of the reasons why Fortem and Cal related so well stemmed from a place in which neither spoke of their feelings with any regularity. Care was shown in the toss of a water bottle after having worked their bodies to exhaustion, sentiment in the buying of a new blade without having been prompted. What they didn’t say often had greater resonance than what they did; when Cal stalked her way to the center of the training room, wielding her wooden practice blade, the lines of her body held more than her words did

[ihateseagulls]

Cal stood poised, her weight carried by the balls of her feet as she flexed in preparation for her opponent. Instead of moving at her, he moved in the opposite direction. She lowered herself gingerly to her heel, calf muscles relaxing with the shifted weight as she watched Fortem with curiosity, temporarily forgetting her frustrations

[eos_diaries]

Fortem was impressed with how quickly Cal acquiesced to his suggestion, how quietly she fastened the blindfold over her eyes, and how seamlessly she adopted a self-protective stance. With his sight unencumbered, he could see the way she gripped her training sword. There was a white-knuckle desperation, a strain in the fingers which belied her otherwise readiness. She didn’t like this, but he’d already put her at ill ease as the evening had progressed. He decided consistency was not the worst thing to have, and that reliance on trusted and true behaviors was as likely to set him at ease as it was her, even if the methods used in the lesson were not preferred

[ihateseagulls]

It took an inordinate amount of restraint not to roll her eyes (a difficult task with a swath of silk restricting her vision) at the warning Fortem issued. Calluna was well aware that an enemy would suffer her little empathy, instead capitalizing on any perceived weakness employed by her. This was no lesson in theory if the clamor of metal was of an indication. Fortem intended to challenge her capacity for adaptation and test her resolve