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Viola followed Kurama around the various training activites. She noticed that there were a few targets for archery, while there was also a few wooden dummies. However, a majority of the paladins were dueling against each other in many different roped circle areas.
"Why are there so many duels going on?"
Kurama looks around at her.
"Its our best training exercise. It trains us with how we should fight an actual battle. Best hands on experience ever."
Viola nods as Kurama's works sank in and looked back at the duels. She watched intently as many people would swing, block, sidestep, swing again, feint, lunge, and then block a mighty blow from the other opponents when she realized something.
"Wait! I don't have a sword! How am I going to train with you with out a sword?"
Kurama turned and held out a hand to her.
"I know. That's why we're going to Blue first. He should have your sword finished by now."
Viola looked down at his hand and forced herself to accept it to make up for reacting badly to him earlier. To avoid the awkward silence that threated to develop, she started to ask him questions.
"Why would he be able to make my armor quickly but needed some extra time on my sword?"
"Blue always says it's because of extra variables. But I don't know what he means. I don't study magic after all."
Viola nods.
"Alright, I'll ask him when we see him."
"Just don't be expecting a straight answer from him. Like I said, he's quite strange."
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kurama lead Viola up a flight of stairs spiraling around a tall tower. To Kurama, it was nothing. But Viola had a bit of trouble with her armor's weight. Even though it fit her perfectly, she wasn't use to the encumbrance. Eventually, after several breaks, they managed to reach the top of the tower.
"Finally! Any slower and I would have decided to have carried you all the way up."
Viola had her hand placed on the side of the tower and was breathing heavily. She was also clutching a stich at her side.
"And I would... have said no thank you. It was embarrasing enough in the locker rooms as is. I would perfer.. to not have the reputation of also having to be carried."
"And I still don't understand your embarrasement issues. But anyways, lets go in and get your sword. Watch your step though."
He reaches for the latch and opens the door. As they entered, she beheld a magnificently large room filled with many different devices everywhere. In the center of the room, the back of an arm chair with a blue colored hood sticking out over it was sitting in front of a large cauldron.
"Hey, Blue. It's me Kurama. We have a new paladin here and we need to get her weapon so she can train."
"No. No weapons. I don't make weapons."
The voice came from the armchair, but the hood on top didn't move an inch.
Kurama rolled his eyes.
"Yes you do, Blue. You made all the swords for every one of the paladins here."
"The sword of the paladin is not a weapon, but a tool. A tool for them to use to protect the innocent and pass justice onto the wicked. So as you see, I don't make weapons, I make tools."
Kurama chuckled slightly.
"Yeah, ok. Whatever you say. Well then we need Viola's 'tool' so she can practice with it."
At these words, the hood above the armchair finally stirred. A figure rose out of the chair and walked around to face them. His facial features were completely obscured from the hood he was wearing with only a pair of glowing yellow eyes shining out from under it. The figure was also holding a highly decorated staff carved into a fine pattern.
"I see. Another partner you now have. May this one fill the void that your previous had left. His final act, oh how the walls fell."
Kurama looked down at this with a slightly morbid expression for a moment. Viola however looked at the strange figure with a bewildered look. She had never heard someone talk in such a manner before. She looked over at Kurama, showing her bewilderment. This seemed to allow Kurama to forget whatever sad memories had come up.
"Don't worry, you'll get used to the way he talks. Until then, you'll have to put up with all the metaphors."
He begins introducing each other.
"Blue, this is Viola. Viola, this is Blue."
"It's nice to meet you."
Viola does a slight bow to him, unsure of what else to do.
"Ah! Kindess and Beauty can come together as one. You have a wonderful aura of goodness around you, young Viola."
Viola couldn't help but blush slightly at these words. No one had ever complemented her like that.
"Umm... Thank you."
"Time! We are wasting time. It flies away, never looking back, and we are letting it fly overhead. That can't do. Not at all!"
He walks over to the cauldron. Placing his hand above the surface, he mutters words of a strange language. The liquid in the pot begins to bubble and boil rapidly. Then, with a flash of steel, a sword shoots up out of the cauldron and hovers an inch below his hand. Turning slowly around to face them, he turns his palm upward, causing the sword to repostion itself to hover a couple of inches above his hand. He then steps forward and holds out the sword for Viola.
"Your sword was particularly tricky to produce for some reason. But I know it was perfected it in the end."
Hesitantly, Viola reached for the sword. It was smooth with a strange metal she knew nothing about. And although she knew nothing about swords, she could tell that this sword was long enough to be wielded with two hands, yet short enough to be swung with one hand if need be. She grabbed hold of the hilt and slowly lifted the sword up to look at it better. The hilt fit her grasp perfectly.
"Wow! I...I don't know what to say."
"Then allow it to speak instead. Swing it, so that it may tell you what it thinks of you."
She looks at the sword with an eyebrow raised. She doubted that it could really speak to her, but she raised the sword up and gave it a quick slash though the air. Instantly, she understood what Blue meant. The sword was perfectly balanced and made specially for her. Swinging the sword was easier then picking up a book and throwing it across the room. Once the swing was over, she looked back at the sword with intense interest.
"I... Wow! Thank you very much!"
"You are welcome. Very welcome in fact. It is a fine sword. And like all the others made for paladins, this sword will never dull or break, so you should fear not of it failing you."
Viola then remembered that she wanted to ask Blue something.
"Ummm... Why does it take longer to make the sword then the armor for everyone?"
"The sword was constructed of magic. Magic has its own mind in deciding things. When it comes to physical things, like your body, the magic can decide on how to work much quickly. But when it comes to one's mental state, such as your style of fighting that is to come, magic needs more time to decide on such things."
Viola stared back at him.
"So... Does magic have a mind of its own?"
"One can not justify anything elses existance, but only oneself. For you think, therefore you are."
Viola stared from Blue to Kurama with an open mouthed expresssion of confusion. Kurama was trying extremely hard not to laugh.
"Uh... Well thanks again for the sword,... Blue..."
"Not a problem, my dear. Not a problem at all."
Viola and Kurama then left the room together. Once the door was relatched and they were on the outside, Viola looked again at Kurama.
"I see what you mean. He certainly seems crazy."
"I told you."
Kurama began to walk down the stairs.
"Yet Mordokai says he's the sanist of most wizards. But I can't think of how wizard can be more insane then that."
Viola was following Kurama down at these words and began to think silently to herself. A moment later, she spoke out to Kurama.
"Well, I can think of a wizard more insane then that."
Kurama looked back at her.
"Oh? Like what?"
"Well, the wizard could be evil."
Kurama stopped dead. His foot was hovering above the next stair as he was staring off into the distance with a surprised look on his face. Viola had to stop suddenly to avoid walking into him.
"I... wow. I never thought of it like that before."
Well, I just thought of it as though it made sense. But if-
No, no. You're right. Man, how could I have not realized that after all this time?"
Viola shrugged.
"Well, anyways. We might as well get down to the dueling area. Hopefully you walk down easier then you walk up."
Viola made a pouting face.
"And if I don't?"
"Then I 'Will' carry you."
"No you won't!"
Viola says this in such determination that it was as much of a threat as it was a statement. She quickly puts the sword into its sheath and attaches it to her left side. They then proceed to climb down the tower.
~~~~~~~~~
She fared better going down the stairs, but she was still slightly tired. Kurama however tried to hurry her along.
"Come on. It's already mid morning and we haven't really done anything. We need to go over there."
He pointed to a spot that contained several tables. On top of the tables were several objects, but she couldn't see what they were from this distance. They hurried off across the field and started walking along the edge of the fortress. She looked up to see the wall tower over her about 20 feet up. She gripped the hilt of her sword as a thought came to mind.
"How do we train without cutting each other to ribbons?"
"Oh, don't worry. Blue has already thought of that. You see, he has come up with a way-"
"KURAMA!"
A high pitched cry came from no where. Both looked around confusedly when suddenly an eight year old girl in paladin armor jumped over their head, bounced off the the fortress wall halfway up, and then landed in front of them.
I Knew That Was Your Voice! What are you doing here? Come on! Let's duel! No one else will do it with me."
The girl was overly excited and cheerful sounding. Viola however was staring at her in amazement. Silently, she looked back to where she saw her jump, to where she bounced off the wall, and then back to where she was standing.
"Look, Penny. I'm sorry but I got some things I'm doing today. I have to get Viola settled in."
"Oh!"
The young girl then notices Viola and moves around Kurama to get a better look.
"So you're the new shy girl. Hi there! Please to meet you! I'm Penny!"
Viola looks down at her for a moment before clearing her throat.
"Umm... I'm Viola. Pleased to meet you too."
"Thanks!"
Penny turns to Kurama.
"Now come on! Its boring without someone to duel with!"
"Why don't you go ask Bis? He can't be busy training right now."
"I can't find him! Stupid crystal power of his. When I go looking for him, he conviently disappears."
"Well, maybe if you keep your voice down, he wouldn't be able to hear you from several miles away."
"Ya, right. Like actually talking softer will keep "Him" from hearing me."
She crosses her arms and pouts.
"Well, try getting the drop on him. He can't say no if you can find him."
Penny's face instantly cheers up.
Yeah! That's what I'll do! Thanks Kurama!"
And Penny jumps straight up 20 feet onto the top of the fortess wall and runs down it quickly with Viola staring after her.
Kurama watches amused, shaking his head.
"She doesn't realize he'll see her coming from a long ways off. Bis has super senses thanks to his crystal."
Viola nods quickly, but continues to stare stares off to where Penny ran off to.
"Ummm...H-How did she do that?"
"Oh. Well that's Penny's power. She can manipulate the gravity's pull on her to allow her to jump higher. She's quite adept at using it and gives a whole new meaning to the term 'Hyperactive kid bouncing off the walls'."
Viola chuckles a bit and nods.
"But she's so young. She has to be atleast 6 years younger then me."
Well, yeah. Penny was one of the youngest to ever get here. She arrived when she was four. She doesn't even remember what she did exactly to get her here. But she remembers the call."
"Wow. When she was four?"
The placed seemed to be no end to suprises.
"Yeah. Well come on. No more detours and sidetracks. Lets finally start."
They continue on towards the table. However, another question appeared in Viola's mind.
"Kurama, what is your crystal's power?
Kurama sighs.
"I'm thirsty. Want to get some water?"
"Now who's taking the detour?"
Viola looks at him slightly annoyed for him trying to avoid her question.
"No? Oh well. I'm getting some."
He leads her to a place not too far from the tables where some cups of water were laid out for them. He reaches for a cup and begins to sip from it.
"Ahh! That's some good water!"
Viola reluctantly takes one for herself and drinks from it.
"It's alright. But it's kind of warm."
"Well, mine is cool. See?"
He holds out his cup. Viola looks in it and stares. Before her eyes, the water was freezing into ice.
"What?... Is that you?"
"Yup. I can freeze things at will with my touch. It's great on warm days like this. It can also comes in handy for other things too. However, I need to concentrate on it for a little bit before I can get it to work. Unlike Penny's ability, which she can use instantly."
Viola nods again.
"That's cool. Literally. Now I definately can't wait for my own crystal."
"Me too. I want to know what your power would be as well. Anyways, come on over here."
He leads her over to the table finally. On top of it were a bunch of crystals that resembled a turquoise color. Although each one glowed, they didn't sparkle or shine like the crystals paladins carried.
"What are these?"
She asks while gently touching one with her finger. It had a cool feel to it.
"These are Blue's training crystals. They are to ensure we don't cut each other when were training. Here, take out your sword."
Kurama reaches down and pulls his sword out. Viola does the same.
"Now if you look, there is a slight impression between the blade and the hilt that is the shape of a crystal. See it?"
Viola did see it and she nodded.
"Now when you have your own crystal, you put it in there and it allows your crystal's power to come from the blade. For example, my crystal would give a frigid aura around the sword when I would wield it."
Viola nodded again.
"Now these crystal work the same way, but they instead surround the blade in a barrier that won't cut anything. Therefore, we can use our swords without risking cutting each other. And the armor will protect us from any blows we could throw at each other."
"Nice! You guys have thought of everything."
"Yes we have. Or Blue has"
He puts the dulling crystals into both of their swords, causing them to glow turquoise slightly.
"Now, come on over here. There's a free field for me to teach you the basics."
They stood out there, swords in hand.
Keep your legs shoulder width apart. Now face me with your blade angled a bit like so..."
Re: Paladin Academy: A Playground Inspired Story
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