Shadows Of The Past

SHADOWS OF THE PAST

A large chariot, built with exquisite brown wood, and designed with a golden serpent… or more like a wyrm, that was intricately carved along the lower end of the chariot. Its windows were rectangular and the glass was dark.

The chariot was being pulled by two powerful steeds, they were black, their mane braided and flowing downwards. They had dark eyes that hinted at a savage fury, despite being used as mounts, they were menacing and unapproachable.

The carriage stopped in front of a stone building. It appeared like it belonged to the regular fantasy world but there was something more.

It wasn't just this building, it was the same with every other one around the city.

Each building had its own beauty and the way they came out to be genuine.

The City itself was built in the shadow of the western part of the forest North was sound in and named after.

Its charm was matched by a backdrop of rich, luscious fields that had come to contribute to the agriculture in the city.

The skyline was packed with elegant yet antique buildings that reached desperately for the sky, built with colored stones and granites but skillfully carved out to resemble a futuristic skyscraper.

Each building had its own uniqueness, obviously built with concrete but somehow managing to look magnifying.

The desperate attempts of each building however gave them their appeal and made the entire city a lovely visage to behold. Flowers were aligned beside the road, the ground was tiled and the street was slightly crowded.

People wearing casual outfits, something that seemed mixed between a civilized, modern, and medieval era. Most of them went about their business, but some stared at the carriage for some reason.

Perhaps because of the beast… or the emblem that was engraved on both sides, right at the edge of the serpent.

A middle-aged man with lustrous black hair, sitting in front of the chariot and controlling the steeds stepped down as they arrived, his two swords hanging on one side of his waist, hitting each other.

He bowed and gently opened the door of the chariot in front of the tallest building in the city.

This particular one even had a watchtower atop it, and was so large that it occupied the center of the city, every other building was erected around it and many were scattered behind, leading back to the base of the forest.

A boy with alabaster hair and deep grey eyes stepped out of the chariot. Contrary to what anyone would have expected, he was short and his facial features were cute to boot.

Regardless, the middle-aged man composed himself with respect.

The young boy was donned in a white cloak that had the same emblem as the chariot; a circle, with the head of a griffin engraved inside it, but its beak slightly made to protrude out of it. Then small carvings of wings were on the sides of the circle.

It was an emblem everyone knew and respected.

Milhguard academy.

What was a child from Milhguard Academy doing in a remote city like this one?

Would Milhguard even send a chariot and an escort with a mere student?

Isn't that a protector? Look at his uniform…

People wondered aloud as they passed the chariot, but the young boy didn't seem to mind. The man behind him on the other hand worriedly looked around.

With his voice coming out roughly, the boy spoke childishly:

"Let's go in!"

He marched in without any care in the world.

The building's interior was just as amazing as the exterior. There were plush sofas placed around and black glass tables in the middle.

Some people were silently sitting, enjoying a meal, some were drinking while others were chit-chatting.

At first, nobody paid attention to the young boy but immediately after the middle-aged man entered, people started looking.

They said the same words as the people outside after recognizing the man's black 'Victorian era' uniform.

It was because of how incredibly strong people with that uniform were. They were a force to be reckoned with as they not only protected the walls of the academy but also the borders of the central plain, killing any beast that dared to cross over from the dark continent.

They were well respected and valued.

For a person of such caliber to be escorting a child… people figured the child must be very important.

The young boy leaned back and whispered to the man.

"See… I told you, you should have changed your clothes."

The man responded with a helpless sigh but still stood rigid with composure. He scanned the area while the young boy headed to the counter.

The attendant was a lean man who looked like he was in his early twenties. He was dozing and hadn't even noticed that hew people had arrived.

Not until the boy stood on his toes and knocked on the counter.

He jerked up and quickly put himself together.

"Welcome sir…" His eyes first went to the man, then looked down to the boy who was not even as tall as the counter. "...and sir?" His voice sounded unsure.

But the young boy didn't seem to care at all.

"Where is Gilbert? Is he around?"

The bartender looked at the boy with a confused look on his face, before correcting.

"Oh you mean, Sir Gilbert?"

"Yea. I know what I said. Go tell him Rughsbourgh is here. I don't like to wait by the way."

The bartender still looked confused, he looked at the young boy and looked at the man not sure how exactly to put the message.

Just then, the door opened and two people strode in.

One was a dark-haired man with a scar crossing over his nose, and the other was a beautiful boy with snow-white hair and blue eyes.

He quickly stopped to attend to them.

"How can I help you?"

The man spoke as they reached the counter.

"I have brought my son to take the evaluation test."

Both the young boy and the protector turned their heads slightly when they heard what the man said, but tried not to make it obvious.

'Another aspirant for the school, huh'

The young boy mused in his head while the bartender responded to the new entrants with elation.

"Oh my goodness! Wait a minute, I'll go fetch the Headmaster for you!"

He quickly ran through the door behind the counter and disappeared— a different energy compared to when the young boy had asked him.

But it was understandable. It was a joyous occasion when people came to test whether they had talents and what the details of their talents were.

However, that joy could quickly become depression when people learned how useless their talent was.

Still, it always began with joy.

Silence ensued between the unacquainted party as they both waited for the bartender to come back.

After about four minutes, the protector turned his head… and frowned slightly. He hesitated before opening his mouth.

"Shin?"

The scarred man and his white-haired son both turned their heads.

Immediately, a hint of recognition appeared on Shin's face, followed by a frustrated look.

'Of all the people I could have run into today, why did it have to be this one…'

Shin became chagrined. It could be vividly seen on his face that he didn't like this person… or perhaps the encounter itself.

'I wonder who he is?'

Maybe this was a link to one of the secrets his parents were hiding. Northern wondered, observing the rigid man.

He was fierce in appearance, the air that surrounded him was also heavy.

Northern had never seen him fight and didn't know anything about protectors, but merely looking at the man, he could tell that he was going to be dangerously strong. He had the presence of a mighty warrior, even far greater than his father's.

Northern observed in silence while his father turned to the man and tilted his head.

"Sorry, do I know you?"

Shin tried to feign ignorance but was very bad at it, even his son was disappointed at such a lame attempt.

He had given himself away the moment that he became shocked at the mention of his name.

It was written on his face that he recognized this man, why be dumb and deny it?

Northern shook his head tiredly but minded his business— he didn't even look or try to hear their conversation.

The man's voice was gentle and forbearing, coming out with a soothing calmness.

"Don't be like that, Shin, I know it was a rough ride but you were a part of us too."

Shin sighed and turned away from him, looking at the door.

'Will this guy just come out already.' He thought to himself, ignoring the rigid man.

Eventually, the kid next to the rigid man asked after seeing how he was being ignored.

"Someone you know?"

The protector leaned towards his ear and whispered inaudibly. In the next second, the boy's eyes widened.

"Ohraaa ohraa, its you! The crazy Scion of the Kageyama clan."

Shin slightly turned his head and fixed the boy with an arctic stare, his eyes glinting like shards of frost ready to pierce the soul.

Immediately, the boy showed some reluctance, but the protector's countenance changed.

He held his sword, brows furrowed.

"You will show respect to the master…"

Shin's icy stare shattered the moment he heard the word. There was only one person in this world that a protector with the caliber of this man would call 'master'. His eyes widened as the realization dawned on him.

Simultaneously, a big man with a full beard and roughened hair came out of the door behind the counter with the bartender.

"Wel…"

He paused the moment he sighted the boy in a cloak and the protector behind him.

He paled, all color draining from his face.

Then his eyes narrowed a second later. He easily grabbed the bartender by his shirt, lifting him as he asked with a serious tone.

"Why didn't you tell me there was another visitor?"

"I'm sorry, I thought the evaluation test was more important…'

The bartender pleaded, struggling effortlessly in the powerful grip of the bestial man. He was large and wide in all areas, with a rippled muscle frame.

But his face was slightly wrinkled, and he wore rectangular glasses.

He dropped the bartender, as people were already glancing in their direction, and the least he wanted was to gather attention.

He lowered his head and spoke respectfully.

"Welcome. But I have told you several times to at least use the body of an adult when coming here?"

"What do you mean? I love this body… Do you know how much it took me to create it? Besides, it's amazing how you always manage to recognize me regardless of the body I come in."

Adjusting his glasses, the headmaster sighed helplessly and looked at the protector.

"Welcome, Danzo, it must have been a lot coming with this old fart."

Danzo smiled politely and bowed his head, not saying anything. Then the man looked at the two other people by their side.

"You lot must be the ones that came for the evaluation test. I'll assign an instructor to you." He turned to the bartender, "fetch that drunkard for me."

"Yes, sir." The bartender hastened through the back door and disappeared once again.

"Well then, shall we go upstairs? Somewhere private. I presume you didn't just come here to show me your new body."

The boy broke into a crooked grin, picked his nose, then blew it off.

"While you are with the master, is it okay if I see someone?"

Gilbert seemed shocked for a while. Danzo was the kind of person who wouldn't step away from the person in question even when he was begged to. However, he wanted to see someone.

Gilbert smiled and commented.

"That someone must be important. Don't worry, it's not like anything can harm him anyway."

The young boy looked at Shin, then Danzo, his brows furrowed slightly, but it eased up less than a second later and he left without any concern.

Danzo watched the two of them use the stairs that curled around the pillar that stood next to the counter.

After they had gone, he turned to the scarred man beside him and said nicely.

"Shin… please let me talk to you."

Shin gritted his teeth.

'This is what I hate about him. He is the worst incarnation of wickedness, yet he sounds so nice… it's so inconvenient, very inconvenient.'

Northern raised a brow and looked at his father who was still deliberating.

"Dad. I think you should go with him, I'll be fine on my own."

He wasn't saying it because he thought Shin was worried about him.

This was him telling his father to go.

And Shin quite understood the message already. Having lost before he even started fighting, he exhaled.

"Alright then. See you in a minute."

He turned to the protector who was admiring the kindness of the boy. Danzo turned to him and nodded.

"Follow me," He uttered and moved forward with grace.

Shin, for a minute felt like he was back to being a protector and receiving orders from Danzo again. The tone in which he spoke was very annoying but he followed in silence until they were outside.

Shin folded his hands.

"So… what is it?"

Danzo smiled as he looked back at the door.

"Is that you and Eisha's son?"

Shin didn't look surprised when he mentioned his wife's name. He had been with Eisha since he had been a protector, everyone sort of knew about her… even his family.

He responded unceremoniously.

"Yes."

"Shin, I know it's been a few years and it's hard to forget what happened, but we need men like you back at the border. The old days, how the five squads would plunge into the wilderness to battle beasts. Don't you miss that?"

Shin frowned darkly.

"Excuse me, Danzo. As much as I'm trying not to be disrespectful to you… don't test me.

You missed it? My entire squad was killed because of a political game that you decided to turn a blind eye to, and you want me to come back?"

"Things are being put in place, it's getting better, Grandmaster Rughsbourgh is dealing with it."

"Like that would bring back my dead squad" Shin stopped and lowered his eyes for some seconds before saying with a softer tone. "It means nothing, Sir Danzo. Respectfully I decline your offer. I have a family to cater for, it's dangerous at the border…"

Danzo looked inside, Northern was already talking to some red-haired lady with a bottle of booze under her armpit.

He turned back to Shin with a solemn expression.

"He will most likely be coming to the academy soon, won't he?"

Shin scowled at him.

"What are you trying to do?"

"I'm not trying to do anything, Shin. You know how it is… being a protector gives your family an edge over everything. See, what matters is that we miss you at the front and we would like to have the body double Shin back, your skills, and your abilities are not for this place… they are for the war front. That is where you were forged."

After giving the speech with his hands landing on Shin's shoulder in the process, Shin looked at him with irritation, removing Danzo's hand away like it was dog poop.

Danzo allowed a ghostly smile before adding.

"Think about my offer. I hope I see you around."

He tapped Shin's shoulder again and walked inside. Shin stayed outside longer, sneering at his tall frame from behind, then went inside as Danzo climbed the stairs.

"Hey… where's my son?"

The bartender paused in cleaning the wine glass in his hands.

"Oh, he is with Instructor Annette, she'll be conducting his evaluation test. You can wait around for him while you order a bottle or two of alcohol."

Shin looked at the young bartender with a fake smile and walked away, later settling down on a white sofa not too far from the counter.

"What? Would a bottle hurt that much…?" The bartender mumbled to himself.

—

Northern stood opposite the red-haired lady with an eyepatch. Ready to go through with the first test… the physical test.