The days went by fast. The training was rigorous. Cal wasn’t lying when he said he would make sure Alice was ready. The entrance day to the academy was almost here. Thankfully she didn't need to showcase my talents to get in. The academy was an exciting prospect. Not only would they be learning magic, but all other sorts of courses as well. She loved history so she hoped that they had a course on it. Because of the newfound discovery of Alice’s special ability, she no longer studied history. Just basic English and magic. Cal seemed worried about what the future would hold for the nation. It’s almost as if he didn’t think she could do it. Lucky was telling me to take a break once and a while. It was too difficult to get the importance of her strength out of the waves of thoughts. She couldn’t help but ruminate over and over about the lives of the people she was destined to save. That was probably the reason Lucky didn’t want her to know about all of this.
“You need to relax. You’re going to kill yourself from the stress you are putting on your body and mind. Alice, listen to me. Take some time with me today and we’ll find an interesting book. A good fictional tale should take your mind off of everything.” He was right. Lucky was a smart being. He knew what could happen to her if she didn’t take a break. She would most likely burnout from all the practice she felt was needed. In the end rest was also important.
Luke was finally getting better and ready to come back to protect Alice. He said he needed to practice with his sword before he felt capable enough to watch over her. She wanted to tell him he was already capable, but she knew that wouldn’t change the situation he put himself in. They were both overworking themselves to aim to achieve their goals. It wasn’t good for their health nor mental stability. She wasn’t going to let herself lose what sanity she had left. “I’m going to see Luke and then I’ll pick an interesting book from the library.” Lucky looked at her proudly. “Good, that sounds great. I’m glad you’re going to take care of yourself today.” She needed to be kinder to herself. For the rest of today she would relax and recuperate.
Lucky’s viewpoint
Alice has been overworking herself as of late. He wished he could stop her from doing this, but he knew he had to be careful of what he said to her. Alice was in a tough spot. She had to get strong enough to defeat a god. Well, a sorry excuse for one, but still a god. He had told Cal not to tell her what “him” was. He knew it would only stress her out more. How could a human compare to a god? They weren’t anywhere near the same in Lucky’s eyes. He hoped she wouldn’t ever find out till it was time what that being was. He felt angry that he had let Alice down countless times in her previous life. He swore that he would be there for her in this one. Thankfully she at least is taking a break.
Luke’s viewpoint
Beads of sweat were dripping down his face. He had been practicing ever since the doctor had cleared him to do so. Luke listened to the doctor’s orders so he could come back at full strength and not have to worry. When he first started practicing, he had felt weak and disoriented. The other knights surprisingly were much more warmer to him now. Most likely because he almost gave up his life to protect Alice. They even gave advice on how to use a sword in a more efficient way. Sometimes he wished he could practice magic. He knew he didn’t have a high affinity for it, but he felt he could protect her better.
A sword is what he could use. He needed to live with it and learn how to protect those he cares about. He swung and swung again, slicing at the air. He envisioned the monster that had surprised him from behind. Snarling fangs and almost glowing red eyes. Even though it was terrifying, he had to will himself to believe it wasn’t worth a piece of recognition from him. He defeated it. He could do it again, and better this time around.
Alice’s viewpoint
It was nice to see Luke practicing. It was just like the first time she saw him. He looked just as skillful and agile as before, maybe even better. “Hi, Luke!” She waved over to him. This time the knights didn’t have a scowl on their face when they saw him wave back. They seemed to applaud him with wide grins spreading across their faces. It was a pleasant sight to see. “How are you feeling?” Luke asked her. “Good. I should be asking you. Are you fully recovered?” He didn’t have the bloody bandage on his head anymore. He looked as fit as his former self. “Yes. There’s no need to worry.” She looked at the sword and wondered if she could swing it a little bit. It was good to use magic. But it was draining sometimes. Alice wondered what it would be like to hold a sword.
"How did you get so good at swordsmanship?" He looked at her strangely. "It's all practice." He demonstrated his skill in front of her. "I want to get good with a bow and arrow as well." She imagined him wielding one and letting it loose into a monster's head. She felt he would have good accuracy. "I think you get the monster right between the eyes with your arrow." He scratched his chin like he was thinking of something deeply. "You think?" "I know." She started to giggle. Her eyes lit up with amusement. He seemed to follow her cue and began to laugh as well.
It was nice being with Luke. He always seemed to help to cheer her up. She was fortunate to have both Lucky and Luke as a friend. They both brought her immense joy. Lucky jumped up onto Alice's shoulder. "I'm glad you guys are having fun. I do think it's time for your reading lessons." She didn't really want to go back inside. Alice was an outdoorsy girl. She loved playing in the grass and drawing on the ground. Lucky was the type that wanted to be studious. He didn't like going outside that much. At least that's the way it came off to her.
“Well, we could go back inside. But we could also stay outside.” He sighed. “Whatever you wish.” Lucky recovered with a smile. He really must have wanted to read a good book.” “Hey, Lucky.” Lucky looked at him wide eyed. I was even surprised. They didn’t really talk at all to each other. Lucky talked more to the staff than Luke. “Yes.” “I was wondering, do you not like me or something?” What an odd question to ask. If Lucky didn’t like him, why would he choose him to be her knight. “I don’t hate you, nor do I dislike you.” “Uh. Huh. At least I know you don’t hate me.” She felt as if they were at odds. It didn’t make sense to her why they would be like this.
"Well, I need to get back to training. I'll be back on duty tomorrow. How about we talk then?" "Uh, yeah. That works." At least Lucky could go back inside now. She waved goodbye to Luke and headed to the library. "Let's find a good read, shall we?" She pushed open the doors and saw Caldrith sitting there reading some type of literature. It was a surprised to see him outside his study. "Oh, hi Alice. Are you taking a break?" "Yes, before I drop dead." Before she realized it Cal was looking at her with an extreme amount of concern. Didn't realize I was exaggerating. "It's just a figure of speech. I'll be fine." "Good. You had me worried there for a second." She noticed a golden binded book with an inscription on the front talking about the divine. "What are you reading about?" "Oh, nothing. Just a light read." It didn't seem to be a light read.
She wanted to get a glimpse of what he was reading but he quickly put it away in the satchel next to him. Too bad for Alice. She wouldn't be able to see what he was reading now. "Are there any fictional books here? I don't want to read anything about magic. I need the rest of the day to myself." Lucky chimed in with a nod. Lucky really never spoke that much to anyone but Alice. It would be nice for him to talk to other people more. He had to get bored talking to only her all the time. That's what she thought. It was further from the truth than it could ever be.
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