Sword Astraea

Barbarity

Bell and Ryu sat in the training area of the Stardust Garden. It was the day before they were supposed to head down and training had been done for the day.

Everyone was asleep except for Bell and Ryu who were still training his magic. The boy had not gotten the results he had wanted and grew frustrated.

Gospel just wouldn't go into his fist. The spell always flowed from his lips and made the sound wave, instead of focusing down to his fist.

Bell let out an annoyed sigh and opened his eyes. "Still nothing."

Ryu grasped her chin. "Well, it's to be expected. They didn't call her the Incarnation of Talent for no reason. There were just things she could do that no one else could."

"Doesn't mean I'm going to stop trying. If I can get this down our familia will be that much safer."

Bell took a deep breath and closed his eyes again. He could feel the grass beneath him as he once again tried to focus the spell in his hand.

"Gospel."

Again the block of sound came from his lips and went nowhere near his fist. Bell's fist trembled slightly in anger as his eyes opened again.

"This is pissing me off!"

Ryu knelt down in front of Bell. Her beautiful ocean-blue eyes staring at him with concern. "I think you should stop. The descent is tomorrow and we'll have to be up early to make sure everyone's ready. Maybe pick this back up after the raid?"

Bell didn't want to. He really didn't want to. But Ryu was right, he needed to be well-rested for tomorrow. There was no use for him being exhausted before they even descended.

With a sigh, he stood up. "You're right, looks like this is just a failed venture for now."

With that said the two walked back inside the Stardust Garden. A comfortable silence fell between them as their footsteps were muted by the carpet.

Bell was the first to reach his room. He turned around and spoke to Ryu. "Goodnight Ryu, I'll see you in the morning."

"Good night Bell," Ryu replied.

Bell entered his room as the elf continued toward hers. The purple bedsheets were calling to him and he replied to the call by plopping down.

A content sigh left his lips as he sunk further into the mattress. The day's stress slowly leaving his body.

Many thoughts ran wild in Bell's head. The most prevalent of which was the raid. But he took solace in the fact he had trained them as best he could and prepared them for what was to come.

Or at least what to expect when it came to Evilus.

So with another sigh, Bell closed his eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep.
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Bell and Cassandra were falling down the hole that had swallowed them up. The wind rushing past their ears and Cassandra's screams made it impossible to communicate.

Bell was falling faster than Cassandra however. He had fallen a second before her and as such was falling at a quicker rate.

So when he saw the ground he braced himself and landed hard. His knees bent and Bell rolled with the fall to mitigate the damage.

He then sprung to his feet and shot forward to the hole his arms outstretched. A second later Cassandra landed in his arms, his left one holding her legs and resting just under her rear. The right one holding her back near her neck.

Bell didn't have any time to ask if she was alright. He quickly ducked and avoided a sword that would've sliced his neck open.

His right foot kicked back and hit his assailant in the knee. The person behind him stumbled forward because of their sloppy footing. Having overextended themselves while attacking.