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Cervato arrived at the barracks, looking for him.


She watched Zarek walk away, but he wasn't her target. The pain. It shot through her all over again, but she wouldn't falter.


She needed to kick the shit out of someone, and Van had volunteered himself to a rematch.


The young Corporal and the older Lieutenant made their ways over to the training yard.


She was pleased they would be using weapons this time. Wielding her dual blades she assessed her opponent. Van held his greatsword with ease, waiting for her.


"Don't hold anything back, Cervato." He spouted off. This forced her to anger quickly. Ti'lay, Atreyu, Cat, and Desear all stood off to the side, ready to witness the fight that was about to begin.


"I'm not going to stop you or step in. You better win." Atreyu told her before she confronted Van.


She spit off to the side, then made a dash for him with her blades. Quick. Precise. She wore her light armor so she could have speed to her advantage and use her acrobatics far more easily. If she landed enough quick hits in, she could end this in minutes.


However, Van had said this was not just an ordinary spar. This was "Merc-play", whatever that meant. In the deep recesses of her mind she captured the information to ask the man later.


Van countered her, with ease. Of course, he would not be the First Regiment's Lieutenant if he had not gained years upon years of experience. Every move calculated, observing then reacting to the spitfire coming at him.


They continued this for a long while. Cervato normally rushing in to make a strike, and Van countering, then throwing his own blows. He got several good punches in on her face and jaw. She cut at the leather and chain mail adorning his form, resulting in lacerations forming on his shoulder and arms.


However, both combatants were changing. Van's face turned cold, eyes devoid of any emotion, his focus only on her and no one else. Cervato's smile grew wide, as blood ran over her chin from her mouth, her eyes ignited with the thirst of battle, wanting to tear him apart. The spar was no longer just a simple rematch. It had become a battlefield.


Cervato swept her right leg, knocking Van hard across the jaw with the heel of her boot. His sword fell, the tip sinking in the soil. She smashed it further into the ground and slashed at his arms. More armor beginning to be ruined, and blood. And she continued, until he was driven from his sword. He stood away from her. The most unsettling image of his eyes shifting and looking at her, appearing so calm.


She wanted to kill him. So she threw one of her blades, aiming for his chest, and dashed afterwards, no matter his reaction she would cut him again. Van easily dodged the projectile, caught her right wrist in his left hand, and the fingers of his right hand grasped at her throat, beginning to squeeze.


Cervato screamed. The scars lining across her throat felt rough to his fingertips, and she felt trapped, beginning to panic. With her left fist she kept delivering blows to where she had previously injured him in the shoulder with her sword, but he did not react. He lifted her up, toes dragging along the ground, and pressed her against one of the training dummies. Her eyes sight was becoming blotted, as her air continued to be cut off. Desperately she kicked at Van, using the dummy as leverage to support her form. He would not release...until the stem of the dummy broke, the wood snapping and splintering. This caught Van's attention and he released Cervato.


She gasped for air, but she was not done. After Van picked up the broken dummy and threw it at some of the spectators, she launched atop him. In her success she straddled him, and began to land blow after blow against his face. She was bleeding from her mouth on his chest, pain dulling in her entire body. Her vision slowly returning to normal, but she wanted more. More. She would not stop. Not until he was dead.


However, Van's superior upper strength won out. He grasped Cervato, forcing her body to roll and now he was on top of her. He began to choke her again. And she screamed as tears formed in her eyes. Her entire form struggled to not give up. Not give in. She could not breathe, and Van just stared into her bloodshot eyes. Cold. Nothing. He would kill her.


Desear shot his pistol in the air to stop the fight, but Van still would not relent on his hold of Cervato. She was so close to losing conciousness. That's when the weight of Van's form above hers was lifted. Desear had kicked Van off her.


She could breathe.


The air hurt as it went into her lungs.


Van wasn't done though. He moved to pick up his sword from the ground. He wasn't seeing Desear, Cervato, or anyone else. He saw only enemies ready to be slaughtered. Cervato was not done either, she stood, on wobbly legs, shaking. Only after one step towards her opponent she fell. She crumpled to the ground on her knees.


Blood mixed with tears as they fell to the ground.


"No....no...I can't lose....I can't....not after...losing everything else..." She began to cry. The reality of her situation finally bringing her to her senses.


There would be no joy. No love. No family. Zarek was gone. She would never see him the same way again. And it killed her.


Atreyu moved to step in front of Cervato. He had kept his promise of not ending her fight. He knew. She was done.


Van became distracted at Cervato's words, blinking and appearing confused by what she had said, and Desear socked him hard in the face, causing him to finally go down.


The two were sent into the barracks. The rest followed, with Cat grumbling over the incident and Ti'lay seemed upset by what had just happened.


Cervato felt her form be picked up and carried.


All she could do was weep.


She had lost everything.


She had nothing.



Van held Cervato in a hug. It was warm. And the first he had ever given to her of his own free will. It felt so kind. So nice. To just be held. His guardian magic flowed through him, igniting his eyes in a blue glow, and his power touched her, healing her small cuts and scrapes as well while Cat gathered her supplies.


The two most stubborn Vanguard in the First Regiment embraced.


Now it was time for Cervato to try and pick herself back up.


She needed to prove to herself she could do this.

Cervato - Girl On Fire (Part 1 of Cervato's Saga)Where stories live. Discover now