Among the North - Ruined Reality

2; Smiling Association

The fight lasted for what seemed like days, but it kept his attention captive. The two soldiers in the pit fought each other brutally – this "training session" was anything but its name, and appeared as an excuse for the them to kill each other. They moved quickly, at a pace that seemed impossible by the sight of how heavy the armor looked, trying to tear each other apart with their hands and spears. They clawed at each others heads and throats with the talons of the armor and attempted to pry their opponent's heart out with the blade of their weapons, but no matter what blow they took – no matter how deep the wound or where it caught – they got up as quickly and they fell and continued fighting.

"Aren't you afraid that they'll kill each other?" Light had asked Zeoliya. The apprentice shook their head, replying that this was how soldiers of the fallen kingdom nearby had once trained – they'd spend only a few short hours learning skills and tactics from their captains before taking on each other as if their opponent was the actual enemy. What caught Light's attention most was the idea that the captains never stepped in unless the fight had gone on for too long, one of the soldiers were badly injured, or an opponent was on the verge of death. It shook him to his core learning how these people "trained," and he was glad that Proxima had never hosted sessions similar, but he assumed that as long as the guards of the kingdom were learning how to fight well and protect what was needed, that was all that really mattered.

The two watched from behind the fence, waiting for the match to end. Zeoliya had said that one of the soldiers was the person they were looking for, but that once it was done, he needed to wait until they had spoken with his rescuer.

He gets frustrated easily, and he is not fond of new people approaching him on their own to bother him. I'm sure he'll recognize you since he brought you here, but I'd like to talk to him to make sure it's alright for you to speak. I'd prefer no trouble starting between you two. The apprentice said.

It took twenty minutes for the match to finally come to an end, when one of the soldiers slammed the other's head into the ground before spinning around to throw them across the frost-covered land. It caught Light's attention that the one with the upper hand was a violet steve, its eyes as black as night with tiny white orbs for pupils like the apprentice's. Its face was scarred, heavily, it seemed, but only appeared that way when the light hit its face just right. The soldier's opponent had trouble getting up, and the violet soldier spoke, irritated and impatiently, down to it.

"Oh, get up, that's not the worst thing that's happened to you." It stared coldly at its partner yet smiled cruelly. "You know what, go clean yourself up and remember how to fight better next time. It's pathetic that you couldn't even take a lightly-fought battle well. This session is over."

Light winced, feeling the anger in the violet steve's voice despite its words not being directed toward him. When its opponent got to its feet, the violet soldier stomped its foot, faking a motion as if it were about to lunge, and the other ran off. Zeoliya waited a few seconds before leaving, and Light's own mind wandered across the city in the apprentice's absence.

The city was empty, decaying, located in an area where time had stopped long ago. Despite several soldiers being present, there weren't any people that he had actually seen. The guards themselves wandered through the streets, most staring at him blankly when his presence was known until he gave a sign that he had noticed. All of their outfits appeared worn from battle, making him think that maybe a war was the what had led do the area's desolation.

He dug his foot into the snow, drawing random lines in the white fluff while waiting. He began to think about the Soul Eater minions — what if they appeared here as well? If Soulless could track him through his old light crystal as Cliff had theorized months prior, he knew where he was. The city's seeming decades of isolation would be provoked, and what was left of the empty community would be completely destroyed because of him.