Cloudcalling on the Savannah ~ Leona x Reader

Book 1- Chapter 2: Ill Suited to the Task

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Vil shook his head. "First Cloudcalling Festival, now Sunset Warriors. What is this, a vocabulary lesson?"

Leona huffed. "It's ancient stuff we're talkin' here, and I'm just as bored by it as you, so no complaining. The Sunset Warriors are guardians that protect king and country."

"So they're, what? Bodyguards for the king?" Lilia asked.

"Basically." Leona nodded. "But since we're in peacetime, those duties have gone by the wayside. Nowadays it's just a fancy title given to the winners of the tournament." He sounded a little annoyed as he said that last part.

"Well, isn't that nice?" Lilia smiled. "It's like the title is a symbol of peace."

I looked at Lilia, a little confused. I can see where he got that from, but that didn't sound quite right.

Leona looked equally confused, but quickly went back to his neutral expression. "Bit of a stretch," he said, agreeing with my internal thoughts. "But sure. Still, even if it doesn't have any purpose now, the title still conveys a great honor. Which is why you get hardy folks from all over the land comin' every year."

"I get you now..." Jack thought aloud, running a hand through his thick white hair. "You want to be a Sunset Warrior, right, Leona? So you're gonna enter the Bead Brawl tournament."

I frowned slightly, analyzing the situation. What Jack was suggesting didn't make sense. Leona said there were three to a team, and if he called Vil, Lilia, and Jack over here then it wouldn't make sense for him to enter.

Leona's face became his usual annoyed look. His gaze darted over at me, a sly smirk on his face for a split second before wiping it away. He definitely knew that I had an idea of his plot. He was often the first to realize how I was analyzing everyone's schemes.

"Nuh-uh." Leona shook his head, looking back at Jack. "Not me. Couldn't even if I wanted to. I'm not allowed."

"Whyever not?" Vil questioned.

"It's customary for the younger brother of the heir to the throne to be the Sunset Warrior's leader. So as the secondborn prince, that duty falls me to me."

"I see how it is." Lilia gave him a knowing smile. "You're already a Sunset Warrior. And your birth guarantees you'll remain their leader. Makes sense you can't join the tournament."

"I also have the majorly boring job of giving the new members "guardian lessons"." Leona waved his hand, exaggerating his point. "Rules and best practices for guarding king and country. Even etiquette."

"Rules?" Vil questioned.

"Best practices?" Lilia prompted.

"Etiquette?" Jack asked.

"Teaching?" I frowned

"Leona?" Grim smirked.

Everyone paused for a moment, the lounge falling silent.

Only a moment later did the group begin to laugh, and I couldn't help the chuckle that escaped me.

Grim was the first to talk. "You're the LAST person I'd ask to teach that stuff."

Jack laughed at Grim's comment, but quickly straightened up. "Oh! Uh, sorry, Leona."

Leona scoffed. "Hmph. Yeah. as you geniuses managed to work out, I'm ill-suited to the task. Which is why I'd love to just politely decline. Oh, if only. I blew it off last year. And I was planning to say I forgot again this year. But this morning a royal pain in the rear called to make sure I remembered. If I still refuse, there's no telling what they'd do. No more easy excuses for me..."

"You really don't want to give those lessons, do you?" Lilia asked with a smirk.

"Scandalous!" Vil explained. "Do your job you cretin!"

I struggled to hold back my laugh at that.

"Do you have any idea how long and boring the lessons are? Makes me want a nap just thinking about it."

I stepped in before Leona could continue, catching onto his plan. "So you want them to enter the competition and win to get you out of the lessons."

Leona turned to me, a sly smile on his face and a knowing look in his eyes.

Jack caught this. "You mean..."

"(Y/N)'s right." In any other situation hearing leona say that would make me nervous. "If students from far-flung Night Raven College win... we can pretend I did the lessons and no one will be the wiser, as long as we get our stories straight."

"You SNEAK!" The three exclaimed in unison, eyes widening.

"Let's call it clever," Leona corrected. "I just hate wasting my time."

"Hold on." Jack rubbed the back of his neck, confused. "Can folks like us who aren't from the Sunset Savanna even register?"

"Of course," Leona nodded. "Foreigners are welcome to join. The idea is that anyone can be a guardian if they're worthy. One of the few bits of sense in that place. Plenty of foreign tourists have competed in past tournaments, so you've got nothing to worry about. Besides, the spectators will be overjoyed to have a team in from the famous Night Raven College."

I keep forgetting that this school is famous in this world...

Jack nodded. "Huh, okay."

Leona looked at him first. "Jack, when it comes to tests of physical strength, you're one of the best we've got. But the challengers who come to compete in the Bead Brawl aren't messing around either. Sounds like fun, right?"

Jack's eyes light up. "So I can see how I measure up, yeah? That does sound like fun. Can't say I followed all that Sunset Warriors stuff, but I love a tournament. If everyone competing is as strong as you say, I wanna see how far you can go."

"Good. Because I'm counting on you." Leona looked at Lilia next. "As for you, you grungy old phantom. Nobody moves like you do. Gives me the creeps, if I'm being honest. I'd rather leave you behind, but I can't deny your talent."

Lilia smiled in his signature way, chuckling. "Oh, Leona, you say the nicest things. I'm blushing. But if that's what you're after, I think Malleus would be a good pick as well. You okay not bringing him along? He'd be over the moon, I bet. Should I go and get him? Yeah?"

I winced as he mentioned Malleus, remembering the Spelldrive tournament. I could feel the phantom ache from when Leona overblotted and threw me across the arena. That whole thing came from his rivalry with Malleus.

Leona's eyes widened at the same moment, quickly trying to cut Lilia off. "No! I am not askin' that guy for help. No way. It's obvious there's a reason I asked you, not him."

Lilia frowned, but shrugged nonetheless. "Huh, okay... well that's a shame. But this Bead Brawl sounds like fun! I'm sure we'll make some nice memories. Count me in."

"Glad we're on the same page," Leona agreed, a hint of that stern tone still in his voice. "And be sure to brag about it to Malleus later. Make him nice and jealous."

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A/N: Totally didn't already forget to post the next chapter to this. So far I'm doing great (read this in the most sarcastic tone you can)

Anyway ignore me over here trying so hard to get the Leona card for this event because it looks amazing, and also ignore the fact I can't consistently remember to post even if I have the next four chapters written + some extra scenes.

Thank you guys for reading this far and let me know what you think! Comments are always appreciated, especially if there is anything specific you want to see in this story. I'll update again soon(ish)