>>6125860You and Rubida share a look — she hesitates, almost walking forward. You know what she’s thinking: she’s the Maduan noble, it’s up to her to foster relations between two Powers. For a moment, you almost fall to that logic, letting her step ahead of you. Like it used to be, before the Well, before Soralisa’s sanction, and the Malostromo… and the festival, and your visions, and Carnaval and— everything.
It’s been barely a cycle since then.
You felt like the past few months have been compressed into a few days. The meaningful ones.
Which only leaves you one choice.
You are the Vanguard.
“I’ll do it,” you say, taking a step forward on the deck. Sandora nods, as if she expected this to happen. “So what—”
The Asterite holds out her hand, flexes her wrist and the sphere of ink bursts out into rows and rows of black needles. They glisten smoothly under the light of the setting sun, all of them aimed at you.
“You have a nice blade, Argia Candente.” Her jade eyes flow to your side, where the Malostromo’s sword rests. “Maduan tetracerarmide, if I am not mistaken.”
Frowning, you unsheathe it, holding it up in front of you. The white edge catches the light and cleaves it in twain.
“It has served well so far.”
“A bit too well,” quips Willow from behind you. “She was dangerous before, she’s a downright menace with it now.”
“I-I couldn’t even land a hit on Master,” you rebut, your cheeks growing a bit warmer.
“A menace? That is reassuring. I wouldn’t have to start from the very beginning. Teaching children is so dull,” she smirks, a bit of her old edge coming back to her face now that she seems to be recovering from what she showed you in the depths. You groan. You liked the other version better. “But perhaps we can get something out of this. Now, for your first task—”
You plunge your sword into the bridge’s wood. The blade eagerly cuts through it like butter. Sandora’s eyebrows raise at how easily it ate the reinforced steel rivets.
[cont.]
shoutout to anon's based pic of Argia's sword! 