Elemental Thief Part I : Child of Calamity

Steps

The quiet hours before dawn broke on the horizon found Akina in her office, working her way through the deluge of paper that she had been distracted from the day before. Things that her mother had been unable to fully tackle for months now. There was a deluge of work that she doubted the advisors that did their best to direct their Regent where to go and what to do had even noticed.

Within this work, there were moments when Akina felt the task was insurmountable, that she should just pass them off and let them go the course they were going, fearing being unable to move through and reverse some of the horrible things that was happening within, by, and to Clairval.

Then she would look at the two unopened letters stacked neatly in one corner and face the choice. Read those or deal with the rest of the things, the things she could control.

On a sheet of paper beside her, she had made a list of advisors she could not trust, that she needed to immediately dispose of, and those that she needed to figure out where they had gone. Looking at the length of those lists, she was going to have to figure out where she could get heralds, clerks, justices and other bureaucrats to replace them.

"Father... I wish you were here right now... you would know what to do about all this." She murmured, putting her face in her hands and rubbing her eyes.

"He'd say the sun is coming up, and you're not sleeping because you're not looking after yourself." Reynald's voice came from the direction of the door, and as she looked up at him, he continued. "So it's time to go for a run. It looks like you've done a month's work."

Akina was immediately distrustful of the man, seeing him holding a weighted vest, with her swords strapped to the back, making a face. "I haven't trained with you in a really long time."

He nodded, holding it out towards her. He was wearing his own, which would be inevitably heavier than hers, besides the weights on his training blades. "Aye, which is why it's even more important. You need a break. You need fresh air, and you need to get a full sleep tonight."

"I need a complete team of palace staff. The only people I probably don't have to replace are you and your guards. Though how you stuck around is beyond me. Mother let them clear everyone out." She stood, though, walking over to him and taking the vest, dutifully putting it on, wearing her training clothing already, as it was the most comfortable outfit she had.

"Looking back, it happened slowly, but you were gone to school for four years, Akina. Your mother only kept me around because she knew your father trusted me. No one could tell her otherwise." He shrugged, though. "I may know where to find some of the old ones. I can't guarantee if they'll come back, but first, let's run."

And so they ran, out through the back halls and doors, into the gardens and palace grounds. At first the breeze from the ocean was a relief to her heated skin, but as Reynald pushed her harder and faster, even the breeze didn't seem to cool her off.

But she refused to complain, refused to give up, as the Guard that were running around her were doing so in full armour without complaint.

As they came along the palace walls to the training yards, Reynald slowed her to a jog and then to a walk. The sounds of sword fighting ringing out through the morning air. Her Guard continued to surround her as they came around the last corner, seeing Lady Darya fighting against her two knights. Upon signal from Reynald, her guard shifted easily to a more relaxed formation, remaining between the three fighters and her, without forming an actual physical barricade any longer, putting on the appearances of relaxing.

Darya was fighting with her two blades, her movements quick and fierce, talented. But neither of the two knights were putting everything into the fight. They were training their lady, and though sometimes she could put one back on her heels, the other one would shift the attack and put Darya on the defensive again.