Heroes of Dreamland, Book 6: Kirby and the Fountain's Fate (OLD)

~Other Time~ Not All Paths Lead to Good Places

Petal's POV:

"Now, I know he behaved himself the whole time he was your pupil, but it seems like the instant he joined the army he became the biggest nuisance I ever did see. Stars above, it seems like we can't go a day without hearing a complaint about that lad. How on Star World did he go from being the best up-and-coming trainee we had to being the biggest thorn in the army's side?" Stellar demands in annoyance as she attacks a dummy with her sword.

With a heavy sigh, I shake my head from where I'm seated on a wooden bench watching General Stellar's shameless dummy murdering, which she does whenever she needs to vent because of something. I have to admit, it's a good stress reliever, so I've done it quite a few times myself. "I know, ma'am, I know. I wish I knew why he up and changed out of nowhere. It seems like one day, he was one of the most helpful, fervent people I've ever met, someone who was just eager to learn all he could and make something of himself. But the next, he turned into this self-absorbed, order-disregarding, authority-ignoring, vengeful little menace."

Huffing and puffing, she mutters, "And he's stayed that way ever since. The way he used to call everyone 'dear' or 'love' always struck me as annoying, but now it's just downright mocking, at least whenever he's talking to me. He's such a condescending little Halcandran of a potato sack that sometimes even I start wondering if I'm the general or he is."

With a look of concern, I advise, "Don't overdo it, General. You've been acting a bit under the weather for almost a year now. Last thing we need is for something to happen that leaves you out of commission."

"Hmm," she sighs in partial agreement as she sits down and gets her second wind. "I'm not as young as I used to be. Us Alphas can only expect to live around 500 years. Ancients apparently aren't as good at Star Warrior-making as the Star Power is, although what sort of surprise is that?"

After a pause, I wonder, "Pardon me for asking, ma'am, but how old are you? You've never said before."

She's a quiet a moment, but then chuckles. "According to my untrustworthy memory, I'm around 430, give or take a few years. I'm definitely starting to get a bit old, child. It's not so much of a surprise that whaling away on a dummy for half an hour would leave me a bit out of breath." As she drinks some water from a canteen she brought with us into the Academy's gym and training room, she admits, "I do miss the days when I could go crazy with my sword for hours without breaking a sweat. Enjoy that while it lasts, Lieutenant General."

Smiling a bit, I then look up at the ceiling and sigh. "I'm not even 70 yet, I don't think, but I have no way of knowing anymore, seeing as how I've forgotten everything before that day in Reverence Province twelve years ago."

"Your turn to beat up some sacks of sawdust, LG Petal. I'm not going to be the only one who depletes the dummy stock today," she suddenly orders, making me laugh as I hop up and draw my silver sword. It was a gift from Orion before he started acting so... shall we say, unkind all the time.

What's that? You don't know who Orion is? Oh, he's the same Star Warrior as Fuller- he just finally earned his name. Supposedly he led a group of starship pilots who had lost their navi systems back to the nearest base, so they named him after one of the major landmark constellations.

He likes that name a lot better than his old smithy-related one, but for some reason, something about it's never seemed right to me. For one thing, I feel like he wasn't even in that sector when that happened, and for another, he was the only one of the group that came back without even a scratch on him.

Of course, ever since I taught him to use his magical light (which turned out to be orangey-yellow and good for blacksmithing), I've had my suspicions that he's messed around with the actual magic arts a few times. For some reason, I can't bring myself to turn him in; probably because I know he'd just turn around and do the exact same thing to me.