The Fractured Veil

Chapter Two

Swords clashing and ringing through the air. Sweat puddled on the training mats. A sudden slam on the ground and a roar of boos from the crowd. "Point! Takeshi wins!" The Overseer calls out. Takeshi offers a hand to his opponent who simply looks up at it and pushes it away.

"I don't need your help Luna!" Takeshi looks at him confused.

"No reason to be upset. This was just training Marrow." He tells Marrow calmly.

Marrow stands up and scowls at Takeshi, "maybe to you" he puts a finger on Takeshi's chest "but to me it's my chance to prove I'm better than you!" Marrow walks away from Takeshi and the others. Takeshi watches Marrow walk away and then walks to his spot to watch the next training bout.

It has been eleven years since the day Kaito, who is now fourteen, was taken from his home and trained to be a skilled warrior in all aspects. He does not know his real name as it was changed, to Takeshi, when he arrived at The Order of Phantoms. He has grown a lot since then, he is now five foot seven inches tall, his hair is a maroon red color. His eyes have deepend in their violet color. He has a few scars on his arms from the training that he has undergone the last eleven years. Including a deep cut on his shoulder from a failed block. The scars are signs that he has learned from his mistakes though. Because he was always so quick to learn as a child, and being brought up by Xithun, he's smarter than the others in the advanced training group, more agile, and stronger. He is naturally gifted with swords, spears, and daggers. His primary choice of weapon is a single handed longsword. Takeshi is often treated as an outcast by the eleven other trainees because of these skills he possesses. He tries to make friends with the others often but fails to do so since he was kept from them for years to be trained personally by The Order of Phantoms leader, Xithun.

Takeshi does not know what happened to his parents exactly. Every time he has asked he has been told the same thing by Xithun. "They were attacked by someone. We were trying to protect them but they were killed before he could get there. We were able to save you just in the nick of time though." Takeshi had always accepted this answer because Xithun was always so kind and genuine when he told the story. Though he always felt like something was wrong. He had memories that he had a different name and he remembered vague images from his parents but not their names or faces. This was something he kept to himself but one day, Takeshi wishes to find those who killed his parents and make them pay for it.

"Luna!" Overseer Kade called out annoyed as if he'd been repeating himself multiple times.

Takeshi looked up startled, "SIR!" It was not common for Takeshi to be caught off guard nor was it common an overseer would call him out.

"Just got word from Suriel, she wishes to speak to you." The group of trainees start murmuring when they hear this, and Takeshi understands why. Suriel. The weapon and operations master of The Order of Phantoms wished to speak to him? He was truly surprised by this. It was exceptionally rare for a trainee to be asked by her. "Well just going to sit there looking confused? Get going!" The overseer yelled.

"Yes sir," Takeshi replied as he stood up and started walking to Suriel as ordered. He could hear the other trainees talking as he walked by about him and how he's always been treated special. He tried not to let it bother him though as he hurried to Suriel.

The clash of metal on metal rang through the air as Takeshi had to pass through the smithing area to get to Suriel's office. The best weapons are forged here, Takeshi thought to himself passing by the weapon smiths. And he was right. Some of the strongest weapons could be forged here by combining the metals with certain gemstones and magic to strengthen the blades. Suriel was the best smith they had, and only makes weapons for those who are chosen to lead a team. Having a weapon made by her meant you were one of the Elite of The Order of Phantoms. One day I'll get my own and find out what happened to my parents. Takeshi stands at Suriel's door. Frozen. Partly in anxiousness but also fear. She was not known to be the most pleasant person when angered. He reaches up to knock on the door but before he can the door opens. Standing there looking at him in a mild smirk is Suriel. "You're late. Not a good first impression to make." her tone was teasing yet somehow managed to be intimidating at the same time. She stood over him, with her porcelain skin, jet-black hair held in a bun, golden pink eyes looking down at him, and despite her best attempt to seem friendly, Takeshi couldn't help but be scared of her. Maybe it was her strange aura that she had about her or just her unnerving presence, he wasn't sure.

"Apologies Suriel! It won't happen again!" Takeshi bows his head as he apologizes.

"Good. Now come in quickly." Suriel turns and walks back to her desk and beckons Takeshi to follow in the process. Takeshi follows her and as he does he sees a girl, about eleven he guesses, ivory skin, silverary long hair with a strand of red running down her right side, and blue eyes, she's fairly short too he can tell, already sitting in a second chair. "This is Alexandra Neral," Suriel states while sitting down at her desk and beginning to look at paperwork.

"Hello Takeshi." Alexandra speaks softly and gently with a slight bow towards Takeshi. Takeshi looks at her as he sits down next to her at the desk.

"Pleasure to meet you Alexandra." Takeshi responds with a respectful bow in return.

"Takeshi, how would you say your skills rank compared to the rest of your class?" Suriel asks. Takeshi is confused for a moment. How do they rank? He thinks. He'd never thought about it really. He's always known he's been pretty good at all the challenges, practice fighting, and obstacle courses. But he never thought he was better or worse than anyone.

"I suppose they are about average." He states a slight waver in his voice.

"Wrong" Suriel states plainly flipping through some papers and pulling one out and handing it to Takeshi. It had his records on it. "You are without a doubt the top of the advanced trainees. Your skills in combat, your intellect, and your leadership are second to none in the class." Takeshi has a very surprised look on his face. Quickly looking over the folder with his notes on it, he never noticed these things before.

"I think you overestimate-" He starts but is cut off immediately.

"I don't overestimate." Suriel says firmly, looking up from her paperwork and giving a piercing stare to Takeshi. Takeshi nods in nervous agreement. "It is for these reasons we are going to put young Alexandra here under your training and guidance." Takeshi stands up in shock. Unable to think for a moment at what was just said. I am being chosen to teach!? Why? He looks over at Alexandra who is fidgeting and blushing slightly. He looks back to Suriel who is still working on papers.

"I'm sorry Suriel, I don't understand why I would be chosen for this? The overseers would be much better at this than I will be!" He is able to get the words out after what felt like hours of shock.

"The overseers can not train this girl." Suriel says, clicking her pen and looking up from her paperwork to talk directly to Takeshi now. "They would not be able to handle or understand her. For as good as you are she is better by far." Takeshi looks at Alexandra again stunned and confused. Better than me? Really?

"So why am I being chosen then?" He's still looking at her and she looks over to him and smiles softly tilting her head slightly too.

Suriel lets out a sigh "because Alexandra watched your match with Marrow" Alexandra chuckles slightly "and she chose you to teach her after being told to pick anyone she wanted to." This girl gets to choose her very own trainer? Why? This has never happened?

"Forgive me," Takeshi starts. "not only do I think I am not the right person for this task. I also am confused why she gets to choose her own trainer, and would like some clarification." Suriel gets up and walks to Alexandra and puts a hand on her head.

"Because this girl is one of the last members of the Neral Family. And the Neral Family has produced some of the best warriors in history. They only ever got to be the best though, by choosing to train with the one they saw as the best." Suriels explanation is not as in depth as Takeshi would have liked, but he now understands more and he recognizes what this means to The Order of Phantoms.

"I understand. Very well if she chooses me to be her trainer then I will accept." Takeshi offers a hand to Alexandra to help her up. She takes it. Takeshi smiles at her. "I promise to do my best."

"Excellent" Suriel says as she starts walking towards the door, "the overseers will be instructed that you are permitted to be absent from training as you see fit, to train Alexandra. You will start first thing tomorrow. Good luck." Suriel opens the door to them and they walk out. They walk out of Suriels office and head for the dinning hall. I'm in charge of training her. And she's supposedly better than me? This could be interesting. Takeshi thinks as he walks with her to the dining hall for dinner.