The Northern Noble is a Grinder (Chapter 14).

The Northern Noble is a Grinder (Chapter 14).

…

Commissioned by Sivantic

Word count: 2500

…

“Your teacher is fighting the shadow of a god. I aim to regain his favor by safeguarding his people and his students.” The words were unhoneyed and lacking in respect. Chloe almost seemed affronted by the lack of honor that I was offered, but I glanced at her to stifle such feelings. She did so. “I see that you hold no trust for me. I understand. But you can trust my desire to have my betrothed owe me a favor.”

Statements and assertions. No place for argument. Lady Aigen was taking control of the situation through words, while her appearance with a war staff in hand and a body shimmering with runes aglow with power implied that she would not be resisted.

However, if she could really do as she wished, then she would not be speaking.

But we were unarmored and poorly armed. Only Chloe had her family’s blade, while I and Alice only had a catalyst and a dagger. Against Lady Aigen, we stood no chance.

So, why did she not merely force us to comply?

Perhaps, more importantly, why did she not ask us to come along and instead waited for us to ask her for aid?

The more I thought on the matter… the more I knew this was some sort of trap, even as the whole castle rumbled and the barriers of the castle flared up and held against falling stars.

I made my decision after a moment.

“Chloe and Alice will be escorting me to my family’s ship, and we will be taking to sea until the danger abates. Your offer to aid us is appreciated, however.” Nearly twice now have I sipped from a poisoned chalice. Lady Aigen’s face betrayed no emotion at my response, but I felt her power coil around the room like slithering shadows. Sweat broke upon my brow, and my heart raced as I felt the urge to kneel and surrender. But there were no words or offers by her yet. This was all pageantry and presence that could be left to interpretation. I summoned my own strength, touched the hem of my skirt, and gave a curtsy. “We thank you for your offer, but we will be going now.”

I worried that Alice and Chloe would be affected, but even as their foreheads were slick with sweat and their breathing was heavy, they stood by my side.

They were ready to support and act by my side.

When I drew my blade and kept my catalyst ready, they also kept their own weapons at the ready.

What little doubts I had in Chloe faded, while I had to temper my affection for Alice for her continued stalwart support.

Yes.

This was the correct method to communicate with Lady Aigen.

The only thing that matters to her is strength.

A silence took over the room while I met Lady Aigen’s gaze with my own.

I almost expected to stand there forever, until she raised her hand towards us.

I was ready for some sort of spell, but instead the air rippled and a mirror composed of water came into being.

Then, in that mirror, the battle from outside came into being.

The ‘shadow’ of a god that Lord Trelawney was fighting was a cross between a woman and an avian monster. It had wings instead of arms and large clawed legs. Feathers covered its entire body in a manner that resembled a dress. Its eyes were black orbs, and its mouth was filled with rows of fangs as it roared and lashed out. A beat of its wings created razors of magic that left ripples in their path through the air. Glittering magic danced across the edges of its wings, and I could tell that it could use its wings to cut through steel with ease.

Seeing it alone informed me that being in its mere presence would leave me dead.

It moved with effortless, inhuman grace through the wind. It did not need its wings to fly. It moved through the air by its will. Its acceleration and deceleration were a matter of thought, as was its movement in any direction. It stopped in an instant, dropped or rose as much as it wished, and maneuvered freely in the air unlike any creature I’ve ever seen.

That terrifying creature that could ravage an entire nation was on the back foot.

Lord Trelawney commanded the same control over his flight. Though he was slower than his foe, he was a juggernaut. The flying blades of magic sent his way crashed and did nothing against his armor, while the light from the falling stars and moonlight glinted off the fine threads. They formed and reformed as he willed. One moment they were invisible edges. The next, they turned into mesh and surged forward like a battering ram. He composed shields, the flats of hammers, and even lances from the innumerable silver strings.

I knew one thing for sure while looking his way.

“Lord Trelawney is winning.” I stated simply to Lady Aigen. She walked through the battle that was being displayed and took a seat on one of the leisure room’s sofas. We moved counter to her, keeping our distance from her and putting the opposite sofa between us and her. “Do you mean to dissuade me from going to my family’s ship, Lady Aigen?”

My question was ignored by the powerful sorceress, and she instead gestured towards the image.

“Your teacher has stepped within the domain of divinity. In less than ten years, he will become a new god.” What was her angle with this statement? She noticed my glare while the walls and windows shook from the impact of Lord Trelawney’s armored fist connecting with the torso of the hybrid creature. He sent it flying into the ground, and it barely managed to escape and take flight before he crashed into the crater feet-first. It asked that only to be caught by a dome that it broke through with its wings, but that moment of restraint allowed it to be grabbed. “He layers himself in cursed armor. He inflicts retribution on those who harmed his family and trespass on his lands.”

Chloe spoke against her with bravery that I did not have.

“Make your point. Our guard will not be lowered by any words from you, esteemed sorceress.” Chloe spoke with difficulty against a foe that could kill her in an instant. A brave knight standing tall against a wicked ruler from another realm. “Our aim is to leave this place and seek safety, but we aim to return to learn from him still after danger has passed.”

“Then, I shall make my point clear. You are interfering with my betrothed’s ascension into a god of this land. A god of retribution and strength. My desire is for you to become my students in his stead or to leave this place forevermore.” Lady Aigen rose from her seat. Her power reached for us. It was subtle, soft, and barely detectable. Her intentions were clear now. I refused her aid; now she aimed to have us leave and convince Lord Trelawney that we left of our own volition while he was busy. The moment she saw the opportunity to act, she acted without hesitation. “I will have you leave this place by your ‘own’ volition.”

It was power.

Always about power.

Lady Aigen would see me ousted from this place so she could have the child of a god.

Just as Raphael would denounce me and make a fool of me so that he could use a demigod as his pawn.

For just a moment, instead of Lady Aigen, I saw the face of the man I once adored and loved with all my heart until the moment he broke it beneath his foot.

In that moment, though, I acted rashly.

I was vaguely aware of a scream, of fire, and suddenly the biting cold of the world outside was filling the room.

“You damnable, foolish child—urk.” Moonlight streamed through the blasted-apart windows and walls to the outside. The glass was melted, and so was the stone. My catalyst was molten in my hand and slipping into the floor. I felt drained of power, and both Alice and Chloe were by my side. However, my focus was on the one who noticed my actions and who silenced Lady Aigen upon his arrival.

He came to my aid the moment I gave the signal.

“Shoot out as much fire as possible towards the sky, and I’ll come running. Well done, you read the emergency portion of the curriculum.” Lord Trelawney was out of his armor and covered in blood. It was not his own. His armor loomed behind him, and blood dripped from its joints. He noticed my stare and chuckled. “It’s called a trump card. You should always have something to settle a fight quickly, even when you’re strong.”

He tapped the armor fondly for a moment, while with his free hand he made the blood and viscera on himself disappear.

“I went out the back while the beastie was pulled in. Instantly encased in metal under my complete control.” He made the armor spin on its axis, move up and down, and then contract. There was a moment of thrashing and the faint sound of something screaming from within, until he relented. “If they don’t fit, suddenly being stabbed by a couple hundred pieces of armor is also pretty hard to ignore, especially when they’re under my control.”

I was vaguely aware of nodding at his words, just as he turned towards Lady Aigen.

“That’s three times you’ve tested your rights as a guest in my home, Aigen. Three times you’ve failed. You’re a guest and my fiancé no longer.” There was a wicked smile on his face. With his words, there was a sense of finality that made Aigen step back and her brow to furrow with frustration. “Return to your homeland now, and I will consider you a neutral force when I return to exact vengeance there. If you force my hand, then I will consider you an enemy.”

Chloe stepped forward, and so did Alice. They placed themselves between me and the possible fight.

But I knew Lady Aigen would not take this battle.

For she would do anything for the sake of power, even abandon her own pride.

“I offer you all my forces and strength in exchange for a child. I need not be your wife, nor you, my husband.” Conniving and cunning, she offered herself to him and all that she had at her disposal for a chance at having the body of a demigod as her own. The fact that she took the bodies of her children made her intentions clear. Even if she lost everything that she now had, she considered that a worthy price for a body with divine parentage. “All my treasures, my strength in battle, and all my servants, I offer them all to you in exchange for one child with you.”

It was shameless, especially with all her actions thus far, but she offered it all nonetheless to pursue her personal ambitions.

However, it was obvious how Lord Trelawney would reply.

“Leave now or be forced to leave, Aigen. Those are your two options now.” A calm smile was set on his face while Lady Aigen raised her head. Her teeth were gritted, and her body trembled with frustration. For a moment, I feared she would glance at us, but we were under Lord Trelawney’s protection, so I felt myself grow calm. “Choose carefully.”

Lady Aigen was silent before nodding exactly once and ascending up into the air.

For a moment, I feared that she would take note of us and perhaps curse us, but Lord Trelawney spoke at her.

“Careful, Aigen. You know what path I tread. Do not invite retribution upon yourself.” His voice was cold and calm. A promise of wrath and destruction. Lady Aigen did not pause. She turned her back and flew swiftly out into the night sky, now devoid of falling stars.

I became aware of the cold and the frost when she was gone, but then Lord Trelawney walked towards the three of us.

The suit of armor that held his prey opened to show a beast pierced by innumerable shards of metal.

A beast that still lived until he reached out with his bare hand and pierced its chest and ripped out its heart.

It was a disturbingly human heart that came forth, beating in the cold air many times, until it crystallized and began to emit a faint light as it took on a ruby-like finish.

“Seems like the three of you need a day or two off, and after standing up against the likes of Aigen, I think you deserve it.” For the first time, Lord Trelawney sounded kind and considerate. He broke apart the core into three and gave one part to each of us. “I’ll be taking the corpse and making use of it. With a few of its feathers, I’ll be able to give you each some boots that’ll let you fly, or at least fall lightly.”

His gaze met mine, and I became aware that I was looking down at him.

It was easy to forget that he was so young.

But I put aside my thoughts, since I knew what was to come.

“Two days of rest, then we would like to return to our schedule, Lord Trelawney.” I gave him a bow. The cold abated. I realized he used his power to use materials to patch the destruction that I wrought. The molten catalyst on the floor drew my attention along with my hand that was unharmed. In less than a month, I’ve grown so strong, yet Lady Aigen was beyond me. Lady Aigen was rebuffed by his mere presence, and he pursued the strength to face nations. “Thank you for this gift.”

He gave a nod of acknowledgement before turning to look at the room.

For a moment, I felt my face flush at my actions, until he gave a grin and looked my way whilst jabbing his thumb towards the broken walls.

“Feels good to blow up a castle wall, right?”

The words were casual and crazed, but I couldn’t help but laugh at them and shake my head.

Then, I admitted the truth.

“My heart feels the lightest it has been since my broken engagement.”

“Good. Now that you have the firepower, you’re each fighting wyverns solo henceforth.”

And, with a single sentence, he made my heart sink into my stomach.