The Champion's Shadow

True Colors

Little Quick Author's Note:
I originally planned to release two chapters at once during spring break, but I ended up somehow making this chapter even longer than intended. Besides that, I'm setting a deadline for the next chapter to be sometime this month. Thanks for staying with me so long, though!!! It's been such a journey.

Daria

    "So, you said you and your brother ran combat training?" Daria asked with curiosity. The two Ardoni were walking about the camp, headed in the direction of main campgrounds were food was being served.

    "Well, yeah. Of course!" Krystellis affirmed. "My brother and I are Kaltaris after all. It's what we're naturally meant to do. The Kaltaris are known to be the warrior clan, even if we don't necessarily believe in fighting." She shrugged her shoulders innocently.

    "You don't believe in fighting?" Daria inquired.

    "No. My brother and I don't. We believe there were other ways to solve things," the Kaltaris explained. "It's the reason why we created this camp after all. Most of the Ardoni here were stranded due to fighting and conflict in their village or family. Honestly, it's so sad to see so many in this camp..."

    "Do you still have parents?" Daria felt a pang of regret for asking such a sensitive question. "Wait, never mind. Forget I asked that, sorry."

    "No, no, it's fine," Krystellis assured. "I do still have parents. Daltyn Kaltaris is my father. He is as the humans would call a "general" of the Kaltaris Warrior League. Our clan calls him Chieftain. My mother is Eden Kaltaris." She grasped one of her arms and gazed toward the sky when recalling.

    "Did you run away?"

    "Yes," She answered simply.

    "Oh," Daria stopped persisting with questions as she felt the air grow uneasy and tense. Silence between them followed, but the lively spirit of the camp flourished around them. Soon, the two arrived at the mess area. In reality, it was a bunch of chopped logs placed evenly around a small campfire. Centered in the middle was a fire kindled by local dry branches and surrounded by pebbles and smooth river stones. Perched on a few pikes were yesterday's fresh catches. I guess they are organized if they have a hunting group. Daria glanced at Krystellis. How does she keep her head level and always think about others? It's almost as if she could be a clan master. She wondered.

It truly was a matter beyond her comprehension. Finding someone as admirable as Krystellis was hard to come by in the Ardoni world. Many are haughty, too confident in their own skill. Female Ardoni were rare enough, but one as head-strong and powerful as Krystellis were rarer than the precious metals and gems of the earth.

    "Here, take this," Krystellis presented a stick with a juicy piece of cooked deer on the end. Daria accepted it with a grateful nod of her head. The two sat down on the logs, facing ahead.

    "Do you want to know why I want to start training all of a sudden?" Daria offered, attempting to break the ice of silence between them.

    "Sure," the Kaltaris replied plainly. Ardoni around the fire were too absorbed in their own conversations to notice the exchange between Krystellis and Daria.
   
    "It's because of a dream I had last night," Daria confessed. "I saw my brother, Thalleous, in this great battle. He and so many other Kaltaris, Sendaris, Nestoris, and Mendoris were fighting against the undead, some other creatures I couldn't recognize, and the Voltaris." The mention of the Voltaris turned heads as if it were a taboo word. Daria glanced around at the faces now pointed in her direction.

    "Hey, you, what about the Voltaris?" one of them asked. Daria faced Krystellis and leaned in.

    "Is something wrong with the Voltaris?" she asked in a low voice.