Chapter Two: A New Wind
I
The usually tranquil lakefront resounded with heavy blows that seemed to rise up from the depths of the earth. Following the sound to its source, one would have found a beautiful girl with silver hair wielding a blade of ebony black. The girl heaved for breath as she leveled her sword against her opponent. This opponent, with an aura closely akin to that of the girl’s ebony blade and wielding a great scythe of the same shade, was not human but something else. Every time their weapons clashed, it produced a shock wave that radiated out across the lake’s surface, throwing up spray such as would never have occurred naturally.
Olivia panted heavily.
Your physical abilities have deteriorated further than I had expected, it said to her. We shall end our training for today.
With all her effort on steadying her breathing, Olivia could not reply. In an instant, Z dispelled its scythe before disappearing in the depths of a black vortex. Once she was alone, Olivia crumpled to the ground with her limbs outstretched, breathing deep and deliberate.
“Z really is amazing,” she said to herself. “I’m no match for it at all, in the end. Not that I didn’t know that...” It wasn’t until ten minutes later that she was finally able to get up.
The sky was awash with a great ocean of stars. For the first time in many moons, Olivia, surrounded by a scurry of gray squirrels, sat across a fire from Z. Between bites of succulently roasted meat, she told Z about the many things that had happened to her since she had left the forest.
“And then there’s Claudia. She likes soft toys of cute beasts, but for some reason she keeps it a secret from everyone. I asked her why before, and she said it’s because it’s embarrassing for an adult to like soft toys. She said I really had to keep it secret from Ashton. I mean, I think it’s fine for everyone to like what they like, whether they’re adults or children. Oh, and Claudia? She’s really nice, normally, but when she turns into a yaksha she’s suuuper scary. So lately, whenever I see the signs that she’s turning into one, I make sure to get away from her right away. That way, I make it out unharmed. The other thing is Ashton was always telling me I couldn’t read the room, but lately, he’s way worse than me. Oh, so reading the room isn’t like reading a book. It’s about picking up on the atmosphere around you to understand how another person feels. I totally didn’t get it when Ashton first explained it to me, and it was so hard until I got used to it.”
Z listened as Olivia talked with quiet attentiveness. Now, it cast its gaze down at the quarreling gray squirrels that chased each other all over its shadowy form. These two humans, “Claudia” and “Ashton,” appear frequently in your tale, it said.
“Do they? Well, that’ll be because Claudia and Ashton are special—they’re my dearest, closest friends, out of all the friends I made.”
Friends, you say...
“That’s right. Z, do you have any friends?”
Z stared into the fire for a time. I had one, once. A hint of a smile crept over its mouth. Z’s face was as blank as ever, but Olivia had no trouble seeing it. She could count the number of times Z had shown what one could call an emotion on one hand. As such, she was now filled with such irrepressible happiness that she couldn’t help but smile.
“Really?!” she exclaimed, then paused. “Wait, but you said ‘once.’ Does that mean you don’t have any now?”
Correct, Z said at length.
“Oh...” Silence followed this for a time, broken only by the howls of dusksight wolves that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere. Olivia looked up at the night sky. Then, as she gazed at the multitudes of twinkling stars, a question struck her. “Why do humans do things like war?”
Do you hate war?
“I do. I’ve watched so many of my allies die. Do you think any humans like it?”
As I once taught you, humans are cruel and violence-loving creatures. They also fall prey to greed all too easily. They may desire only trifles at first, but as their reach grows longer, they grasp at greater and greater prizes. Humans who taste the sweetness of power in particular tend to desire that which is beyond them. From time to time, this leads to war.
“So the last Asvelt emperor started the war because he wanted Duvedirica? I don’t get that at all.” To Olivia, who thought being able to eat tasty food and sweets was all one needed, the reasoning of the former emperor seemed entirely incomprehensible.
Z threw a twig onto the fire. Indeed. Perhaps there would be no war if all humans were like you. But this war was not brought about by the former emperor you speak of.
“Huh? It wasn’t?” Before she could ask, “Then who?” Z went on.
It was the doing of Xenia, and Xenia’s puppet.
“Huh...” Olivia said thoughtfully. “But why did Xenia start a war? Oh! Was it after a big meal?”
Z ate human souls, which meant that Xenia, its former ally, had to be the same. If Xenia had a big appetite, nothing could be better for it than large numbers of humans killing each other in a war. But Z did not answer her question. As the fire crackled away, loud in her ears, Z produced a handful of flower seeds from somewhere, then scattered them for the gray squirrels gathered at its feet. They all scrambled over each other to start eating.
I wonder... she thought. Z had never been talkative, and that had never especially bothered her. But right then, Olivia felt strangely discomfited.
“Did I maybe ask something I shouldn’t have? If so, I’m sorry.” It had been a lengthy process for Olivia to learn that everyone had certain things they didn’t want to be asked about. She still didn’t have any, but that didn’t mean Z wouldn’t.
She waited and waited, but as Z still gave no sign of replying, she grew anxious.
“Are you angry, Z?” she asked tremulously.
Fret not. I am not angry. Indeed, all my anger has long since withered away. Now, tomorrow we shall begin your training with the rising of the sun. As today was your first session in a long time, I held back much of my strength. From tomorrow, that must end. Eat well, and be sure to rest.
Olivia replied with two small nods. Z rose from the fallen tree it used as a seat, then it was a streak of gleaming black, soaring away to the west.
Olivia thought back on that day’s training, and a shiver went through her.
So that was Z holding back... she thought. I’d better do as it said and eat up and get a good night’s sleep to be ready for tomorrow. You know, when I was talking about everyone before, I started missing them a tiny bit. Once I’m back in the royal capital, I’ll get Ashton to make me egg sandwiches with his special mustard... Twenty or so.
An image of Ashton as she had last seen him suddenly drifted through her mind. Olivia reached for her seventh skewer of the day, the meat dripping with fat, and tore into it with savage gusto.
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