Battle For the Title of Guard

The Journey (And the Center)

Kazuichi sat in the back of the wagon, jostling as the wheels hit stones in the old dirt road. Nearly 20 bodies were pressed in close proximity with his, all recruits from his small town on their way to the Center.

His head buzzed with excitement. I can't believe I made it! I won! Mind running in the same feeble circles, he let his body relax. His shoulders and forearms had taken the brute of the stress, but his legs and core ached badly, too. He had scores of minor wounds from his opponent's blade that were slowly creeping up on him, stinging aggressively in ways he hadn't expected such small slices to. His palms were raw and red, but it didn't bother him too much. The years of overworking himself at the mill had scarred and cracked his skin already.

Choosing to tune out of himself in an attempt to numb the pains, he looked up into the night sky. The stars were out in full force, and here, in a cart full of exhausted adults, he took a deep breath of country night air.

The air tasted different here. There was something about the crisp newness that breathed cool comfort into his bones, telling him that rest was inevitable and there was no need to fear what was ahead. He allowed the rocking cart and warm buzz of his fellow townsfolk to lull him into gentle rest.

He awoke to the other recruits jostling him, murmuring in hushed awe. They had made it to the Center.

Kazuichi rubbed his bleary eyes, trying to scrub the remains of sleep from beneath his lids. Looking around, glancing from building to building, he found his attention tearing away from him in all directions. He couldn't concentrate on anything being said by the folks in the wagon with him; his mind raced from one structure to the next, never staying still.

It was a beautiful city. From the moment one stepped inside, they could tell it was a place filled with magic. The smooth blue and grey stone-brick buildings reached high into the sky, with towering spires lost in the clouds. Windows of rippling silver and violet light shone softly in the midday sun. Rows and rows of beautiful flowerbeds lined the smoothly paved streets, positively bursting with color.

The air here smelled different, too. Crisp, like salt, with hints of citrus and cinnamon. And something else, too, something... static-y? As if the air was brimming with electricity.

They rode past many little shops, a bakery, a tailor, a con-fec-tion-er, whatever that was, and a flower shop. The fresh bouquets on display somehow even more vibrant and lovely than the ones lining the streets. The shops were smaller, nowhere near as impressive as the smooth stone towers, but they were... cute. With clay-tiled roofs and stone foundations that were beginning to moss, they gave off a very welcoming feeling.

Kazuichi's splintered focus was drawn back to him when one of his fellow cart members, Kuzuryuu, also a knight, tapped his shoulder.

"Psst! Pay attention, we're here!"

"Right! Sorry!" He waved as Kuzuryuu rolled his eyes, and turned to face the way all the others were.

Here. They had arrived at the main palace courtyard, an enormous patterned square made of solid stone. On closer inspection, he noticed that the stone was actually shimmering a slight purple. The gates were pearlescent silver, and they opened soundlessly to let them pass. Kazuichi marveled at the smooth, polished surface, astonished at the craftsmanship.