NOVEL SIMPLE Arc VI Chapter 20
VI
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Arc VI Chapter 20
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1st Aqua Solar XI AAC 753
Light and distant, the memories of a different time and age visited little Aurora once again, like so many nights before. The moment slumber claimed her, the memories returned, making her relive a past not her own. Memories of a past she had come to share with every fibre of her being.
Was it a privilege or a curse? She couldn’t tell. Yet such was her fate these days, Now that their souls had joined. Now that their souls were all but one.
The stream of fleeting memories invaded her mind. The memories of a world not hers. The memories of a different time, place, and age. Ever distant, and yet so intimately close to her at the same time. It was a world that felt ... so eerily real.
The light. The air. The places. The aether. The mana.
The people. The names. The voices. The familiar faces.
Her sensations. Her feelings. Her emotions. Her soul.
Her hopes. Her dreams. Her worries. Her fears. Her goals. Her ambitions.
Her past. Her present. Her future.
Little Aurora had come to know them all. Sometimes more than she would have liked.
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Anno Imperii 05.08.1936
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Darkness.
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Silence.
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Darkness surrounded Aurora, her eyelids firmly closing against the tender light of the sun. A gentle breeze caressed the whistling grass. Birds chirped among the verdant trees without the slightest care in the world, entirely ignorant of mundane human affairs. The world was seemingly at peace.
All was quiet, but as so often, such peace was deceiving, fleeting. There was tension ... There was conflict ... in the air ... A sense of smouldering hostility, antipathy, annoyance, and last but not least, wounded pride. This time, they were more than serious. This time, they came to fight. The tension was palpable.
All alone, Aurora stood there on her own, on the open field, the training ground around her. It was a training ground she had come to know well owing to her father’s best efforts. Mostly by the force of necessity. She knew every rock. Every stone. Every tree. Every bush. Every hill. Every height. Every ditch. Every trench. Every crater. Although it was difficult at times to keep track of the latter ... The topography of the place ... was quite variable. Especially, after some target practice. She was speaking from experience.
Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in. Breathe out. Her chest rose and fell under her pitch black uniform. Aurora inhaled and exhaled, sharpening her mind, whetting her senses. Her magic responded. Her mana heeded her call. Her sensory field expanded, her magic monitoring, scanning her surroundings, her mana probing even the most minute detail.
Father had taught her to look beyond the mundane, to look beyond the mere material world. To look what lay beyond. To trust in her magic, and not in her eyes. So she did. Aurora remembered her calling. Aurora remembered her lessons. She remembered her training. The years, the months, the weeks, the hours. She remembered them all. All of them with only a single purpose in mind since the day she was born, to rear her for what was about to come, to prepare her for her destiny. It was her duty to live by the sword ... A duty she would not forsake.
Aurora tightened her grip, her knuckles clenching around the hilt of her sword grip, tighter ever tighter. Her blade vibrated, oscillating under the force of her purple mana coursing through the steel. Her mana saw what could not be seen. Her mana heard what could not be heard. Her mana felt what could not be felt. The aether reacted ... Their signatures betrayed them. No matter how much they were trying to hide from her, their souls were burning brightly against the aether in the background, like brilliant stars amidst the empty void of space.
They ... They were watching her ... They were waiting for her ... Every single one of them ... And so was Father and his guests ...
“... ... ...” Aurora focused. Her hands ... They were tingling. They were prickling. They were fidgeting. Her breath intensified. Her heartbeat rose accelerated. Her heart pounded faster and faster, but her resolve remained firm. Her resolve hardened. There was no time for fear. There was no time for doubt. There was no time for failure.
Father expected nothing short of perfection. He expected nothing less of her. He demanded a demonstration of might, a demonstration of strength. One befitting a scion of the house. And she would deliver. Father called her the sword and shield of the Reich. She was here to prove his words, no matter the price, no matter the sweat, no matter the blood.
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“...” Aurora gripped her sword, mobilising her mana. Her eyes opened, welcoming the gentle morning sun. Directly in front of her, the opposition.
Her adversaries were her friends from the 1st Guard Regiment, 1st Battalion, 1st Company. Household regiment. Father’s regiment. Prestigious. Guard status. Every single one of them, hand picked, of course. They were itching for a fight. They were itching for revanche. They had a point to prove. Especially, after last time. Their exercises had become a personal affair. Their pride, their honour, the reputation of the entire regiment was on the line. They could not lose face. Not as long as their eternal spat with the imperial guard was still ongoing. Not with the upcoming summer exercises. If it came out that they had lost against a little girl ... Again. They would become the laughingstock of the capital, of the entire army ... Again. At least, that is what Father said.
This time, though, they were serious. This time, they brought a whole company sitting in their trenches. 186 men in total. Not to mention, a full mage platoon. The chants. The formulas. The sweet taste of mana was in the air. The jingling noise of brass and steel, of belts and magazines. Her friends even brought plenty of support. They seemingly brought the entire FlaK regiment ... Four battalions ... Twelve batteries ... 48 guns. Heavy and super heavy FlaK. 8.8 cm. 10.5 cm. 12.8 cm. Not to mention, heavy artillery. A full battery. Four mortars. 21 cm. Direct fire. The shells passed from hand to hand, their golden brass casings glimmering under the sun. They were heavy. They were large. Breaches opened and closed. The range was known. The sights adjusted. The guns zeroed. Pairs of stern eyes observing her through their binoculars.
It appeared that they had learned from their past mistakes. They had learned from their defeat. They had underestimated her before. Not any more. This time, they brought all the firepower to bear they could spare. Not that it would stop her. The clearing separated them. A few hundred metres. Not enough.
“...” Aurora clenched her fists, brandishing her sword. They were waiting for her to make the first step. Father had given her half an hour. Her objectives, clean their positions, claim the flag. Conditions, use of lethal force prohibited. Her mission was clear, capture the flag, claim her victory. And so she would.
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“Woooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.” A siren erupted, blaring. It was her sign to move. The battle had started.
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