Author's Note

Bit of a side note that I forgot to add at the little excerpt at the end of the last chapter, Dorkifu has a spirit of a Danger Beast inside of it constantly trying to take over Hikan. Thanks to his multiple uses of Aces, the process has accelerated to dangerous levels. Anyway, enjoy.

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Hikan lay sleeping on his bed, the sunlight filtering through the curtains of the inn he and Starlight had stayed in over the night. His resting was peaceful, content, only the rise and fall of his chest disturbing his otherwise still form. It was in this bliss that he was unaware of the figure towering over him. The shadow stared down at him without any form of emotion before it started to lean forward. Ever so slowly, it approached his face. A single hand reached up, moving towards his side… and poked him.

“Hiiikaaan…,” a soft, feminine voice said. “...WAKE UP!!!”

The man jolted awake, his body reacting the only way it knew how. He launched towards the ceiling, instinctively turning in midair as Dorkifu formed claws over his hands, embedding said claws into the roof. Hikan’s eyes stared widely at the bed below, breaths coming heavily as he searched for the source of his fright… only to spot Starlight Glimmer standing next to his bed, arms crossed and hoof tapping in impatience.

“We’re late,” was all she said as she looked up at him.

Hikan just stared at her before blowing out a breath and wrenching a claw out of the ceiling to rub his face. “Damn it, mare, you couldn’t have let me sleep? Seriously, this is the first bed I’ve come across since being here!” “Well excuse me for wanting to catch the train home,” the unicorn replied as the man nimbly unattached himself from the ceiling and dropped to the floor. “Get dressed and be quick about it.” All of his clothing except for the pants he currently wore slammed into his face as she walked towards the door, turning and planting her back against the frame to stare at him.

The hunter stared back at her. “...What, you’re not going to give me some privacy?” He asked snarkily.

“It’s a shirt, coat, and boots. There’s literally nothing to be shy about.”

“Touche,” Hikan muttered as he pulled on his gear. After a few minutes, he stood in the room as if he had never even slept at all. “There. Happy?”

“Happier,” Starlight answered gruffly as she turned to leave the room… only to stop as she noticed something on his bedside table. She looked at the old, black pocket watch. “Is that yours?” She asked, gesturing towards the victorian style timepiece.

Hikan raised an eyebrow and scoffed as he stepped towards the table. “Remember that one time when you asked me for the time and I couldn’t tell you because I didn’t have a watch?”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever, smartass,” Starlight said as she rolled her eyes and walked towards him and the table. “Thought you might have picked it up at the market or something.”

“Well, I didn’t so no,” he answered, sticking his tongue out at her for a second before picking up the pocket watch. Immediately, an old, gravely voice entered his mind, speaking a long dead language.

“Aetas Imperium In Imperio,” it said simply, before in a puff of light blue and white smoke, a card appeared on the table. It had a gold wax seal with a symbol of an eye surrounded by a cog. On it, were the words, in English this time, “Come to Eravale if you seek wisdom. Come to Eravale if you seek strength. Come to Eravale if you seek adversity. Or simply come for tea and a gift of your choosing. Press the wax seal to accept the invitation.”

Hikan blinked rapidly before shaking his head rapidly. “Okay, not cool,” he muttered as he kept Dorkifu in check.

“What?” Starlight questioned, looking between him and the invitation. “What is that?”

Hikan rubbed his temples with one hand before looking back at slip on the table. “...An invitation,” he muttered, a frown forming on his face as he put a finger to the invitation’s seal. Suddenly, an array of glowing cogs surrounded the two, and a bright light covered their forms, until they arrived in an area that made them stop and stare in shock and awe.

They were in what could only be called an indoor garden, though flower field was more accurate. The sun hung high in the sky, and clouds passed overhead, but the flowers were what really stole the show. They were shaped like cogs, and would turn every now and again when the wind blew, letting sparkling drops of water leave their petals, but instead of simply falling to the ground, they would drop and then turn into little fairies. And on a hill, with a white and gold grand piano, sat a tall man in flowing white, gold, and blue robes, his hair a mixture of gold, silver, and light blue, and the robes containing cogs that moved every so often.

He played a beautiful yet sad song as the whole world remained silent, the fairies flitting to and fro around him and the two, his eyes closed. He flowed from one key to another without fail, and when the song ended, he opened his eyes and looked towards the two, smiling warmly.

Hikan and Starlight stared at the man before Hikan pushed the mare behind him, reaching for his tristaff. “Who’re you and what is this place?” He asked, voice carrying suspicion as his eyes darted from one place to another.

“Be calm, young one. There is nothing to fear here, lest you fear good company,” the man said calmly, standing up to his full eight foot height. “I am Stateran. And you, are Jeremy, as well as Hikan. An assassin, but I have welcomed those with less savory lives before.”

“Would you stop doing that!?” Hikan barked, putting a hand to his head as Dorkifu surged up again. “Damn it, this is hard enough as it is. Also, if you know so much, then you’ll know that good company has tried to stab me in the back on more than one occasion, so you’ll excuse me for being cautious.”

“I’ll admit I do. ‘Tis the nature of the world you live in to have good company betray you. But this is not your world. This…” Stateran swept his arms out. “...Is Erevale, Realm of Balance, Creation, Destruction, and Time. My home.”

Hikan searched the man before him with his eyes, his look of suspicion not fading… until Starlight put a hand on his shoulder. “I think… we should listen to him, Hikan,” she said softly, drawing his attention. For a moment, he didn’t react, but after a moment, he relaxed a bit, taking his hand away from his weapon. Stateran’s smile grew.

“Thank you, Miss Starlight. Now, how do you two feel about tea? I have some lovely Earl Grey and Jasmine,” he offered, motioning to an immaculate white and gold decorated table near a lake with glittering gemstones near it that had a tea set resting on it, three chairs around it.

“Jasmine.” “Earl Grey.”

Hikan and Starlight looked at each other in surprise at their differing tastes in tea… before frowning. “Earl Grey,” Starlight said again, a bit more forcefully.

“Jasmine,” Hikan replied, not lowering his gaze and causing the mare to huff.

“You’re so contradictory, you know that?” She said, putting her hands to her hips.

“At least I’m not snobbish!”

“You found me in the middle of the damn desert, covered in sweat, sand, and enough regrets to sink a ship!”

Stateran snapped his fingers, causing lightning to boom across the sky, startling the two.

“Enough. I invited you here for geniality, not hostility,” he said sternly.

Hikan looked up just as suddenly as the lightning strike while Starlight still looked a little miffed. “...We apologize,” the mare said, giving a little bow of her head.

Hikan just kept staring until Starlight’s hand whipped out and tagged him in the stomach. “O-oh, yes, I’m sorry we started arguing,” he said quickly, giving his own bow, which was more of a traditional japanese bow than Starlight’s head bob. Stateran’s smile returned.

“Good. Now, come, there is much to discuss, and I’d rather it were over beverages,” he said as he started to walk towards the table. As he did, the fairies around him and the two danced about them, chittering and chattering in their high-pitched language.

Hikan’s eyes darted towards the fairies surrounding them as he followed Stateran towards the table. “What’re they saying?” He asked, slight fear creeping into his voice.

“Hm? Ah, you mean the Time Fae. They are speaking of your future, the many timelines spawned by your arrival in your world, and the many possibilities they hold,” Stateran explained before adding with a small grin. “As well as what kind of boxers you wear. They are mischievous that way.”

“Black with tiger stripes,” Hikan replied unfazed as he rolled his eyes. “Can everything in this place read my personal life like a book?”

“Well, no, there are those in the Colosseum,” Stateran admitted. “But we’ll get to that later. Come, sit, drink.”

Hikan and Starlight came to sit at the table, taking seats next to each other, the mare putting her hands in her lap while the assassin but his forearms on the table and leaned forward a bit. “Sooo…,” Starlight began, patting her legs a few times. “What exactly did your invitation mean?”

“Just as it said. Erevale offers many things. Challenges in the Colosseum for those who wish for training, teaching to those who wish for wisdom, and much more. As for the initial message, well, that is simply a greeting to any fellow god,” Stateran explained. He picked up one of the teapots, pouring some tea for the two as well as himself, though they noted his was of a far different color than either of theirs.

Hikan raised his eyebrow a bit as he watched Stateran. “So, I could ask for training, wisdom… or a gift?” He asked for clarification. Stateran nodded before he took a sip of his tea.

“Indeed. Though, I do have a recommendation that you obtain all three. The gift coming last,” Stateran recommended.

“So let me guess,” Hikan said, putting a hand gently over Starlight’s tea cup as she started to lift it to her lips and guiding it and her hand back down. “I have to go through some sort of godly trials to achieve strength, wisdom, and then whatever I so choose. And, supposedly, there’s no strings attached. Correct me if I’m wrong.” Stateran frowned at the young man’s tone.

“Yes. And there is no strings attached, save for me wanting someone other than the disciples who do nothing but praise me instead of consider me a real person,” Stateran answered. “I can’t say I’m surprised at your distrust, but I do not lie. Not anymore. It’s been countless millennia since I have.”

Hikan sighed and looked away for a second. “...There are ways to lie without directly doing so,” he said before looking back. “...But I understand being put on a pedestal, too. So, pass the trials, stay your buddy-pal, and all will be well in the world?” Stateran nodded, taking another sip of his tea.

“Indeed. To be honest, if you do not wish for the trials, I do not mind simply having you here to talk. Tis nice to not be called, ‘Great Being’, over and over again like a broken record. It gets quite tiresome, both on the soul and mind,” Stateran admitted.

“That’s why we moved to the mountains,” Hikan muttered before clearing his throat for a moment. “...Why not both? I- we could use some time to relax.” He looked over to look at Starlight only to find her staring at him with an irritated expression as he still held his hand over her tea. “Sorry,” he said quickly, jerking his hand back. Stateran smiled wide.

“Wonderful. It will be nice to have company. I will show you to your rooms soon,” Stateran said. Suddenly, the sound of booming steps and the earth shaking interrupted him. Hikan and Starlight looked around to see two massive turtles approaching, one much larger than the other.

The smaller one had a resemblance to a Mississippi Map, and the larger one had resemblance to a Red-Eared Slider. Both had runes all over their shells, and the larger one’s shell looked to have been through quite a bit, malformed as it was. Stateran smiled as he turned his head to the two.

“Ah, Neilaas, Yorrik, how are my little Defenders doing?” he said genially. They walked up to him and nuzzled the man, cooing. It was of note that they were properly massive for turtles of any kind, taller than him by at least three feet and much wider and longer.

“Little?” Starlight muttered in question as she leaned towards Hikan.

“Defenders?” Hikan returned, eyes going to the turtles as his thoughts constantly went back to every Danger Beast he had ever seen and slain. Stateran chuckled as they nuzzled him more, the larger one even licking him.

“Calm down now, calm down,” he said, and they did as told. He turned to the other two. “These are my pets, Neilaas,” he gestured to the larger turtle. “And Yorrik.” He gestured to the smaller one. “I’ve known Neilaas since my parents saved her and I gave her a home at five years old, and Yorrik since he was a baby. They’ve been the last remaining friends I’ve had in this place for over twenty millennia. They are also my Defenders, a title gained from defending me and my brothers from the Demons of Hell about fifty millennia ago.”

Hikan’s brows went up. “Damn… those are some badass turtles,” he said in awe, drawing a look of annoyance from Starlight as she rolled her eyes.

“You are such a wordsmith, Hikan,” she muttered before putting her half-empty tea cup down and standing to her hooves, walking towards Stateran and his Defenders. “Can anypony take these challenges?” Stateran nodded, standing up as well.

“Indeed. Though I must warn you, the last one to successfully complete them all without fail was a demigod, the son of my nephew, Hitiya. He… Well, he ended up angering his uncle, my brother, by trapping his other children in the Frozen North, becoming their Captor as well as Warden. The trials had a very negative effect on him, to my dismay,” Stateran explained.

Starlight’s gaze stared at him for a long moment before she looked to the ground. Her hands fidgeted for a while before she balled them together in a double fist. She looked up with a confident expression. “What if I just wanted wisdom? Surely I could pass one trial.” Stateran nodded.

“Very well. Normally, I would ask my fourth child to teach you, however, he is…” he paused for a moment, frowning, before shaking his head. “...Not present. There is, however, his chosen Champion, Argvold, the Arcanist and one time loyal confidant to the Emperor of the Dwarves. He should be able to teach you more than well enough.”

“Thank you,” Starlight said, bowing her head as her eyes shone. “I won’t disappoint.”

“She’s serious about that,” Hikan said, walking over to stand behind her. “I swear her special talent is being unable to fail at anything she puts her mind to.” Stateran smiled.

“I can imagine,” the turtles suddenly started drawing closer to Hikan and Starlight, like they were sniffing them, before cooing and nuzzling them. “Seems they like you.”

Hikan tensed up as the turtles drew close, his hands twitching a bit as he beat back Dorkifu and his own instincts to activate his teigu and start swinging. Starlight, on the other hand, giggled a bit as they drew close, breaking a little smile as she brought up a hand to put it on the jawline of one of the turtles.

Neilaas cooed as she let Starlight touch her, while Yorrik licked Hikan, making his hair stand up from the saliva.

Hikan’s eyes went wide, pupils shrinking to pinpricks even as Starlight laughed, hand still rubbing on Neilaas. After a few moments, the young man started to chuckle and laugh as well, mechanical whirring signalling the activation of Dorkifu. “Heheheh, IIIII’M going to go INSANE!” Hikan stated as he raised his now clawed hands, amber accents glowing red as he brought them up to his head. As the saliva hissed at the touch of his heated hands, he slung the spittle off of him, flattening his hair down as he did so.

In response to this, Yorrik pinned the claw with his own claw, before tackling Hikkan and licking him all over, the heat from Hikan’s accents doing nothing to him. Stateran laughed.

“A bad mistake, my young friend. Yorrik actually likes being challenged, and you apparently smell like food to him!” Stateran said with a grin.

Hikan’s eyes went wide as he was pinned by the giant turtle, Dorkifu’s whirring noises revving up as amber grid lines started to crawl up his arms towards his chest. Starlight’s eyes widened next and she dove forward, grabbing Hikan before teleporting away with a flash. A fair distance away, a roar shook the air as a pure beam of amber energy cannoned its way through the sky with a boom. The light lasted several seconds before dying away. Stateran simply watched on before appearing behind them without a sound.

“I see you have a temper. Best control it,” Stateran informed.

Hikan slumped over Starlight, frantically holding her in his arms as he moved her smoking mane out of her face. “C’mon, c’mon, wake up,” he muttered, jaw trembling with the rest of him before he looked up and noticed Stateran. “...Help her, please… god, she was too close. Th-the heat, sh-she shouldn’t have been so close… please!”

Stateran simply looked to her, and immediately she awoke, as if all it took to heal her was his gaze.

She woke with a gasp, coughing as her practically incinerated lungs started functioning once more. “Wha… what happen-” She was stopped as Hikan hugged her tightly. “....Oookaaay…?”

“You tried to stop young Hikan here from killing my turtle. The result was you nearly being incinerated,” Stateran explained, face a mask of stone.

Starlight blinked at that. “...You know, a week or so ago, that would not have made any logical sense…. Now, it sounds like something that’s going to start happening on Tuesdays.”

“Quite. Now, I believe something is in order, yes?” Stateran said, looking at them expectantly.

Hikan looked up, blinking a bit before he let out a sigh. “I apologize for trying to waste your turtle.” Stateran nodded.

“Apology accepted. Albeit, he would have likely been fine, but the intent is still not welcome in any case,” Stateran said. He turned on his heel and started to walk away. “Come. I will show you to your temporary rooms, and then to your teachers as well as adversaries.”

The two watched after for a second before they untangled themselves, Starlight standing up first before they walked after Stateran. “So… how long might these trials take?” Hikan questioned. “Not that we’re really on a time table.”

“Except, you know, the changeling army marching towards Ponyville,” Starlight said, looking up at Hikan with an accusing look.

The man shrugged. “Oh, they’ll be fine. It’s Ponyville after all, changeling attacks probably go down every two weeks or something.”

Starlight just huffed. “That’s not the point,” she muttered as they followed.

“I am the God of Time. Thus, I can alter it’s flow. Which means you can stay here as long as you wish, and no time will have passed in your world,” Stateran explained. “That said, it would take a week at the least.”

“Oh,” Hikan said, giving an impressed nod. “Well, then I guess we could sit back a take all the time we need.”

Starlight just stared up at Hikan incredulously. “You really do enjoy contradicting me, don’t you?”

“Eeyup.” As they walked, they came to find a building covered in tapestries depicting various things, but three of them stood out more, hung above the doorway they were heading into. One was obviously of Stateran, but the other two were different. The one to the right showed a sun with a man holding it in his left hand, a sword in his right. He was dressed in heavy plate armor of pure white and gold. The left tapestry showed a man wearing a mask that appeared to be sneering, and he had a crown of thorns on his head. In his right hand was the moon, and the left a scythe of pure purple. His armor was light, but there were plates of black metal on the shoulders, knees, and elbows as well as gauntlets.

“So, who are those guys?” Hikan asked as they walked passed the tapestries. Stateran said nothing for a moment as they walked past the doorway and into a grand hall decorated with even more tapestries and even statues of various people.

“...My brothers,” he said simply as they continued down the marble halls.

“Right,” Hikan said, dropping the obviously touchy subject. “So, this trial of strength… what is it?”

“You shall see,” Stateran said simply. Eventually, they came upon a part of the hallway with doors. Hikan and Starlight noted that a number of them looked almost like those you would find from teenagers, what with the scrawlings and pictures and such on them. One had a number of hearts on it with romantic lines written on them, one had famous quotes from wise philosophers, and one had a number of shields, knives, and swords and axes as well as spears attached to it. And there was a good number more. Stateran said nothing as they walked through the hall.

Hikan was quiet for a while before he sped up his step to close the distance between himself and the god. “...Previous challengers and students?” He asked quietly. Stateran shook his head.

“No. My children,” he replied, obvious sorrow in his voice.

Hikan’s eyes rose to meet the back of Stateran’s head. “I’m sorry,” he said quietly, letting his gaze fall to the floor once more. “I… truly am.”

“...So am I,” the god replied somberly. They walked in silence for a good few minutes until they arrived at two different doors, set side by side. One of them had masks all over it, and the other had pictures of various unknown but beautiful locations. “These will be your rooms for now. I ask that you treat the items within with care. They were precious to the previous owners, and are thus precious to me as well.”

Hikan stared at the door for a moment before he nodded. “We will,” he said, Starlight stepping up next to him.

“We promise,” she finished, her tone matching their somber expressions. Stateran smiled lightly.

“Good. Head on inside, I will come to get you later once I find Argvold and a few others,” Stateran said before walking back down the hall, leaving the two alone.

They watched him go until he was out of sight. “...We have really stepped into some serious… what was it again?”

“Shit, Starlight. We have stepped into some serious shit,” Hikan finished before turning towards the door with the masks and entered it, not waiting for Starlight to enter her own. Inside was a number of pranking tools, covering a desk, a table, and nearly overflowing a dresser. A closet near the far left end of the room was left open somewhat, allowing Hikan to see a number of costumes. Some he recognized, some he didn’t. On the the right wall was a huge board with pictures of various things, lines drawn between them. And then there was the bed, the covers looking soft and decorated with smoky patterns, and plush, smoky purple pillows with stuffed animals of kitsune. The paint on the walls was gray, and the floor was covered by a carpet that was pure black.

Hikan blinked a few minutes before sighing. “I picked the girl’s room, didn’t I?” He questioned quietly, walking further in and closing the door behind him. He made his way to the center of the most spacious portion of the room and sat down. From there, he systematically took off his boots, socks, coat, shirt, undershirt, and his gear, leaving him only in his pants as he neatly folded his belongings in a pile. Once done, he pushed himself back a bit and sat in a cross legged position, closing his eyes and folding his hands. He took a deep, slow breath, the orange accents of Dorkifu’s carry form glowing brighter with the inhale before dimming as the young man exhaled. It wasn’t long before Hikan drew himself into the deepest meditative state he could.

A few hours had passed before a knock sounded from the door. Hikan gave a snort and jolted awake, rubbing his eyes as he wondered when he’d fallen asleep. He got up from the floor and walked to the door, opening it up. “‘Ello?” He questioned. What he saw was a veritable giant of a being, with stone colored skin and bulging muscles, standing at nine feet tall. Stateran was beside him.

“Hello, meat,” the female said, as was made obvious by her mammaries being held together by a tight fitting set of leather armor.

Hikan blinked at her in an unamused manner. “...Meat?” He questioned, his sleep-filled mind still working on processing what was going on.

“Yes, meat,” she said with a manic grin. Stateran gave her a look and she shrunk a bit.

“Sorry, my Lord,” she said sheepishly.

“Ahem, this is Hiral, the one time Queen of the Giants, as well as master of and creator of their special fighting style, the Zulin,” Stateran explained. “She will be your adversary and trainer.”

Hikan yawned a bit as his mind processed the information. “Cool,” he finally gasped out. “Let me grab me shirt.” With that, he turned and went back into the room, leaving the door open as he retrieved his clothing. He picked up the black, sleeveless undershirt and threw it over his shoulder before making his way out again. “Alright, so what’s on the menu?” Hiral grinned.

“Sit ups, push ups, and lots of punches to the face,” she explained.

Hikan looked at her for a second before blowing out some air and rolling his shoulders. “Sounds just like when Najenda started training me,” he said before steeling his gaze. “Let’s get started.”

“You asked for it!” Hiral said before picking him up and slinging him over her shoulder, running off down the hall. Stateran smiled and shook his head as he watched.

“Mortals never cease to amuse me,” he said before walking over to the other door and knocking on it. Receiving no answer, Stateran slowly opened the door to find Starlight out cold on the bed while a familiar incense filled the air. He sighed and walked over to her, nudging her awake.

“Hm…?” She hummed as her eyes drifted open, looking up at Stateran with half-lidded eyes. Just about everything in the room glowed slightly with a turquoise aura as she woke up before dimming again.

“Young mare, tis time for you to waken for your studies. Also, next time, please refrain from using my son’s incense. I have precious little of it left,” Stateran told her.

Starlight blinked awake at this, eyes going to the lit incense. “I-I’m sorry,” she stuttered out. “I must have done it in my sleep after putting up the preservation spell….”

“Just… Don’t do it again,” he said before turning and walking towards the door. “Now come, Argvold is quite excited to have a student again, and tis hard to keep him contained.”

Starlight nodded dimly before looking towards her bag and levitating it towards her. She sat up, the covers falling away to reveal her bra as she dug around to find her shirt. She quickly found it and the rest of her clothing before throwing them in the air. In a flash of light, she reappeared at the door, clothes on and bag over her shoulder as she flicked her mane out of her shirt collar. “Okay, I’m ready,” she announced, giving one of her small smiles.

“Good,” Stateran said as they walked out of the room and down the hall. Once they reached the end, they found a doorway leading to a massive library, larger than Canterlot’s by huge margin, and a lone, stout and bearded being wearing a fur coat and golden bracers and shin guards. The short being’s skin was pale, and his beard was a striking gold, braided into rows. He had no hair on his head, so he was quite bald. He noted the two approaching and grinned widely.

“Ah, so this is the young lass, eh?” he queried as he looked her up and down. “She’s quite the looker! Hope’s she’s as good at magic and studying as she is good lookin’.”

Starlight’s eyes widened a bit before her ears flicked back and her eyes narrowed. “He’s not going to try and grope me or something, is he?” She asked Stateran, crossing her arms over her chest as she moved her hooves into a defensive stance. Argvold shook his head, laughing.

“Ha, good one, lass! I may be an old pervert, but I have standards! Now come on, let’s get crackin’!” he said as he ushered her into the library.

Starlight raised an eyebrow for a moment at that, wondering whether to be relieved or offended at the fact that the old dwarf before her “had standards”. She shook her head and pushed her confusion to the side for the time being as she approached Argvold.

“Great! We can start with Magus Inhild’s First Law. I’ll show ya the trilogy he wrote for extra reference material!” Argvold said as the old dwarf wrapped an arm around her and pulled her further into the library.

“Do try to refrain yourself, old friend. I’d hate to have to reassemble your spirit once more,” Stateran told the old dwarf.

“Ach, ya worry too much, milord! I’ll be fine!” Argvold called back. Meanwhile, Starlight was trying to ignore the fact that the dwarf was only tall enough that his arm rested right above her waist.

Starlight stopped her ear from twitching as she forced a smile and gave a half-hearted laugh. “So, Magus Inhild’s First Law,” she said, trying to spur Argvold towards anything that wasn’t her.

They arrived at a large table, bookshelves towering several stories tall around them, but it was far from a tight fit. The dwarf let go of her to walk towards a bookcase.

“Indeed, lass! ‘Magic is no one being’s tool save for the Omniverse’s,’ really drab ol’ rackas, but he sure knew his magic!” Argvold answered, taking three books from the shelf and placing them on the table in front of her. They were certainly large books, looking to be an inch and a half thick for each tome. “And these are your reference material.” He turned again to look for another book. “Just give me a moment to find his first publication…”

Starlight let her eyes drift over the books, almost on autopilot as she stepped towards them. Once she was standing in front of them, she stared down at the cover of the first. It read, ‘Magic As An Empire: A Magus’ Outlook’. She started to put her hand forward, stopping just inches from the cover before drawing her hand back ever so slightly and biting her lip. After a second’s hesitation, she let her hand continue down until it touched the front cover of the tome, her fingers tracing along the writing. The sound Argvold placing another book on the table startled her.

“Yer a lot jumpier than the last apprentice, lass. Any particular reason aside from my charm?” Argvold queried with a grin.

“S-sorry,” Starlight apologized, choosing to just ignore the little quip like she did Hikan’s. “It’s just… I don’t think I’ve seen books like these before…. They just feel… powerful? No, that doesn’t fit….” Argvold quirked a brow before his eyes widened.

“Open the book to the first page, lass. I wanna see somethin’,” Argvold instructed.

The unicorn gave him a confused look before turning back to the book. With a bit of slowness to her actions, she followed the dwarf’s instructions and opened the book. Inside she found what could only be called a jumble of rune-like writing, but at the same time she still felt a powerful presence from them. Her eyes widened a bit as her finger started to follow the first line of text. “I… I don’t understand,” she said quietly before looking up at Argvold with a pleadingly hungry expression.

“Seems yer one o’ the Outers. Those who don’t know the script of Mana. But, bein’ a Unicorn, ya seem to have the aptitude to learn it. So, let’s set these aside for now, and I’ll grab another text,” Argvold said, turning to find said text.

Starlight looked sadly between the text under her finger and the teacher before she gave a little sigh and shut the book, promising herself to come back to it later. “So, you’re going to teach me to read this stuff?” She asked as she turned to look at Argvold. Argvold nodded as he scanned the shelves for the book he was looking for.

“Aye, lass, that I am. Can’t have ya bangin’ yer head ‘gainst a wall ‘cause ya don’t know how to read the script of Mana, after all,” Argvold promised her. “Aha!” he cried, pulling a light blue book from the shelf that was even thicker than the others, about two times thicker, in fact.

Starlight rubbed her horn unconsciously and winced at the one time she had actually banged her head against a wall in frustration. “Okay, so on a scale of one to impossible, how doable is this before the trial of wisdom?” Argvold shrugged.

“Depends on how fast ya pick it up, lass. Though if I were a bettin’ dwarf, which I am, I’d say ya could do it,” Argvold assured her. “Though I might need to call up ol’ Grimly in case…” He muttered to himself.

“Grimly?” Starlight questioned, her tone a mixture of confusion and hesitance. “Who’s Grimly?”

“Hmm? Oh, jus’ an ol’ drinkin’ pal from my earlier days,” Argvold told her, before handing her the book. “Why don’t ya start on this translator, and I’ll go get him?”

“Oookay,” Starlight answered as she took the book, wondering if “an ol’ drinkin’ pal” was such a good idea to help her learn magic. She sat at the table and went over the cover of the blue book, much like she had with the one before it.

After about twenty minutes of her reading the book and feeling extensively confused, Argvold arrived with a behemoth of metal so bulky that the armor he wore even had chiseled abs. The spaces between each joint sparked with electricity, and no part of his face could be seen save for his glowing yellow eyes.

Starlight looked up from her book with half of her face in her hand, a thoroughly bored look on her face before she gasped at the sight of the behemoth. Her magic flashed and she was suddenly on the far side of the table, holding the back of a chair as if it’d be the perfect barrier between herself and the metal giant. “What is that!?” She asked out of panic.

“This little birdy is your new apprentice?” the behemoth asked Argvold with it’s echoing voice. “I am thoroughly unimpressed.”

“Ah shut it, ya overgrown rcich,” Argvold shot back before turning to Starlight and clearing his throat. “This is Grimly, one time Grand Magus of Filia’s Enchantment Triangles, and now a golem.”

Starlight stared for several moments before gulping and standing straight once more, though still trembling ever so slightly. “H-hello,” she greeted shakily. “I’m Starlight. Starlight Glimmer.” Grimly simply grunted.

“Honestly, Argvold, I know talent has been hard to come by, but if she can’t even read Mana, what use is she?” Grimly rumbled.

“Take another look, ol’ friend, and you’ll see,” Argvold assured him. Grimly sighed and did so, turning his gaze back to the mare. For a moment, his eyes shifted to green, then blue, and then back to yellow.

“Hmm, alright, I rescind my earlier statement. She might not be useless and without talent,” Grimly conceded.

“Ya may want to introduce yerself fully, Grim,” Argvold pushed. Grimly sighed.

“Very well. I am Grimly Endearvius the Fifth, Grand Magus of Filia’s Enchantment Triangles, and now golem thanks to this little Earthborn here,” he pointed a metal thumb at Argvold.

Starlight looked between Grimly and Argvold for several moments, wondering what it was they were looking at. “...Was you becoming a… golem an accident or…?”

“Oh no, some rebellious, upstart prince from the south was angry at me for making an idle comment in one of my books about his country, and poisoned me. If it were not for Argvold here, my soul would be without a body and I would be in a completely different area of Erevale,” Grimly explained. “Little brat couldn’t tell the difference between a neutral political comment and an insult…” Argvold clapped his hands together.

“Right, well, we have more important things to speak of than yer past, Grim. Let’s teach this li’l lass how to read our script, eh?” Argvold interrupted.

Starlight’s eyes lit up a bit at that. “Yes, let’s,” she said excitedly as she flashed back to the right side of the table, a smile on her face. Argvold and Grimly walked over to her, and then her lessons began.

A number of knives nearly embedded themselves in Hikan’s skull as he was forced to meditate while Hiral threw more knives at him, trying her best to break his focus. He already had a few cuts on his cheeks from some, ‘mistakes’, as Hrial called them, but Hikan was pretty sure they weren’t.

Hikan’s mind flickered with the ‘woosh’ of each blade, but his focus stayed firm. Years of keeping Dorkifu in check on Hikan’s part helped the conscious Jeremy mind to keep it that way. Nor to mention that wielding the Teigu all but required him to be in what amounted to a conclusion state of meditation on the battlefield.

Hiral grinned before she cracked her knuckles and approached him slowly. When Hikan was starting to wonder why he didn’t hear the ‘woosh’ anymore, he felt a large fist connect with his stomach, knocking the wind out of him.

Hikan’s eyes flew open as he tried to roll his body to better absorb the hit, but it was too late for the most part. As the daze went through his mind, he grabbed her arm, keeping himself upright as he collected his breath. “...What… was that…… for…?” He questioned, raising his eyes to meet hers. She retracted her fist, only to knee him instead, and then kick him to the ground.

“I told you to stay focused no matter what, remember? That includes when you’re getting hit,” Hiral replied with a wicked grin.

Hikan stayed on the ground for several moments before he stood back to his feet and rolled his shoulders, barely contained anger dancing in his eyes. “Thanks for the tip…,” he muttered, prying his mouth open to avoid gritting his teeth.

“Staying calm was also one of the first lessons,” she said as she spun around and roundhouse kicked him to the dirt once more.

Hikan’s hand touched the ground as his nimble body twisted around until he slid on his feet, coming to a combat ready crouch position, facing her. “Are you going to hit me every time you try to teach me something?”

“Only until you learn to be more calm and collected in combat,” she replied as she bumrushed him, but when he thought she was going to tackle him, she instead leaped over him, grabbed him in a full Nelson, and then flipped him over, slamming his head into the hard, packed sand below. “Come on, get up! I’m not even trying here!”

Hikan’s eyes flared open, the left going bright orange as a flood of killing intent raged across the area… before disappearing just as fast. “That’s one of the first things we learn as assassins,” he said lowly as he straightened up, an empty look in his eyes now. “To suppress our intent and stay calm so as to not be detected….” He was gone.

Except, when he reappeared next to her, she simply slammed her fist into his face, knocking him down once more before she grabbed his arm, lifted him up, and slammed him into the ground again, and again, and again, until his mouth was filled with sand and his nose and lip were bleeding.

Hikan hung limply in her hold, not struggling at all, eyes closed in unconsciousness. She grunted and lifted him up again, pulling him to his feet and trying to shake him awake.

“Come on, it wasn’t that bad!” she said as she continued shaking him. When she got no response, she sighed deeply. “Well, guess that’s it for today,” she said as she slung him over her shoulder and started walking out of the Colosseum and towards the doorway leading to the hall where his room was.

Halfway there, he slowly woke up, although he was rather surprised as well as embarrassed that he being carried like a child, and even more so when he found that her rear was right in front of his eyes and quite close as well.

Of course, Hikan never truly was unconscious, but at that moment, he knew… he’d overplayed it. “...God damn it,” he muttered as let his head go limp again, closing his eyes in self-aggravation. “Can’t even pull a proper Lubbock and get away with it….”

“Exactly,” Hiral replied, having heard him. “I’ve fought plenty of assassins, kid. I know a fake knock-out when I see one.” She smiled, jostling him a bit in her grasp. “Enjoy the view, kid?” She asked cheekily.

“Seen better,” Hikan answered just as cheekily with a hint of truth in his voice. “And I do mean in terms of both strength and body.” Hiral laughed.

“You’re quite a tfen, for a kid,” she noted. “Saying you’ve seen better is more of a challenge than an insult to me, though.”

Hikan just chuckled. “Yeahp, that’s how Esdeath took it, too,” he murmured. “By the way, I can’t feel appropriately insulted if I don’t know what tfen means.”

“Oh, you misunderstand, that’s a compliment in my culture. It means, ‘sex-fiend’,” Hiral explained. “Or something akin to it. Your language doesn’t have the full meaning of the word grasped yet.”

“Oh…,” Hikan muttered in response before he opened his eyes with a confused look. “What makes you think I’m a sex fiend? I’ve literally only ever slept with- okay, shutting up now….” Hiral laughed.

“Like I said, there’s a deeper meaning to it in my people’s language, and your people do not have a word close enough to it aside from sex-fiend,” she informed as she walked. “Though now that you’ve said that, you’ve only gotten me more willing to meet the challenge.”

Hikan grumbled to himself, putting his chin in his hand once more. “Me and my loud mouth….” Hiral laughed once more, teasingly patting his buttocks.

“Cheer up, kiddo. Least you can say you saw a Giantess’ ass, right?” she said as they arrived back at his temporary room.

“Yeah, right before and after having my own ass beaten,” he remarked as he commanded Dorkifu’s armor to his chest to begin sending out healing pulses to relieve the bruising he could already feel. She lowered him to the ground, letting him stand up.

“That’s the fun part, kiddo~,” she said with a wink before walking off. “I’ll be back in a few hours, in the meantime, practice your meditation or jack it, I don’t honestly care.”

Hikan blinked after her before he sighed and shook his head before entering the room. He once again went to the center of the room and sat down, stripping off his shirt and folding it into the pile. He crossed his legs and closed his eyes, dropping into meditation, albeit wincing each time the healing pulses went over one of more sore spots.

About thirty minutes later, he heard a knock on the door. Hikan’s eye peeked open at the knock and he slowly got to his feet. Dorkifu’s armor shifted onto his arm to form the Wyvern wing configuration as he moved across the room. When he reached the door, he let his left hand reach towards the door knob while his armored claw tensed. He turned the knob slowly before lurching the door open and bringing his wing up as a shield. He waited for several moments with baited breath but no attack came. Ever so slowly, he lowered the flared sail down to reveal an exhausted Starlight, her clean ponytail hanging down in a mess to signify that she’d run her hands through her mane many a time that day.

The mare blinked at him with a dead expression before looking him up and down. “...What in Tartarus happened to you?” She asked in a tired voice.

The hunter let out a sigh and returned his teigu to carry form. “A Giantess, who I’m pretty sure is a sadist, got a hold of me,” he answered, receiving a sympathetic nod from the mare.

“...Mind if I come in?” She asked quietly, as she rubbed at her arm and looked away down the hall.

“Sure,” Hikan answered with a shrug as he moved out of the way to let her in. He then went back to the floor and his meditating, not really caring much for what Starlight did after walking in. Then he felt a pressure in his side. Starlight lay beside him, resting her head in his side as she closed her eyes. No more words passed between them as the assassin closed his eyes again, knowing full well she needed the rest…..