30 The Duckling

"A-am I?"

I attempt to cohesively say the sentence but it only comes out in stutters.

"Don't worry, stage one without any modifications is a lot easier than what I just did. At most, you'll be dealing with slow-moving targets."

Yuna chuckles a bit and waves her hand, gesturing to the arena.

"You can get in now."

"Ah, right."

I step into the arena through the small entrance, walking up to the center of the area marked by an X. I turn back to Yuna, who only gives me a thumbs up and puts her face back down into the control panel.

Some assurance that was.

It doesn't take long until I hear the automated voice ringing in my ears. The fact that the message is a direct indicator of what's to come for me isn't very calming. If anything, it's much more than nerve-wracking.

"Stage one. 30 seconds. Timer: 5 seconds. Speed: 10kmph. Set none."

I snort at the settings mine's set to. It all sounds so pathetic yet I know I'll be regretting what I'm thinking as soon as I try.

"Three."

The voice booms throughout the arena, filling my ears with nothing but the mechanical sound. Slight panic makes its way to me as I rack through my brain to try to get myself to calm down so I can use my ability.

"Two."

The most water I can generate about now is nothing more than some droplets, maybe a splash of water if I really tried.

"One."

I lift a hand beside my face with a small blob of water floating above. The water churns in its place as if waiting to be used.

"The timer has begun."

The first target lamely sits on a low point of the wall. It's quite big and is just staying in the same place. I eye the countdown on it, watching the time on it go from 5 seconds to 4 seconds before the rush in me actually takes place. I take half the water I had summoned and chuck it like a baseball towards the target.

The next target is a bit higher at the corner of the arena by the ceiling. I attempt to fling my last remnants of summoned water before seeing it completely miss the target, my expression turning dumbfounded. Is this really how the stage is going to end? I know for sure I can't summon more water in time before the rest of the 5 seconds is up.

To my dismay, the remaining seconds are spent trying to summon more water than just a few trickles, not like it surprised me much anyway. The stage shuts down and as if that wasn't bad enough, the automated voice expresses just how much it's disappointed in me.

"Stage failed."

I look over at Yuna who's still smiling from her vantage point. I take a deep breath, walking the steps out of the arena to Yuna.

"Don't even rub it in my face."

The words come off more exasperated than I expected but that doesn't concern me as of now. I slump my head across the outside of the walled arena and keep my eyes fixed on Yuna.

"Look, I was just as bad as you when I first tried - maybe even worse. Everyone's gotta start somewhere."

Yuna extends a hand to me which I take reluctantly because of self-pride.

"Oh, that reminds me. There's one last thing I want to show you."

I loop up to Yuna who's now digging in her bag for something. She ends up taking out a small red cube-like object that glows.

"Hm? What's this?"

I reach for the peculiar object from Yuna's hands and she lets me take it to get a closer glance.

"It's a device that I use to transport myself to and from the realm of enlighteneds. I thought that as the last sector of training for tonight, you should accustom yourself to the place."

Yuna grabs the red cube out of my hands and chucks it at the ground, slamming it down. My initial face of shock turns to fascination as I watch the cube grow to the size of a box that can fit a human. Yuna reaches her hand to the cube, lifting up a corner.

"It's a lot roomier once you get inside; I think you'll be pleasantly surprised."

I hesitantly follow after Yuna as she takes the first step inside. It doesn't take long before she is completely gone. I open the box and no longer see her.

Is it really that simple? I first place my leg inside uneasily, feeling a tugging feeling on it before I'm completely sucked into the cube.

~~~~~

Without any warning whatsoever, I'm led into a desolate space, still having an unknown force push me to the light at the end. In here, it's completely dark and I can't make out anything but my own self. It's a good thing I don't have to stay here any longer because I'm approaching the light now.

Am I dead? My eyes feel like they stop working for a good 5 seconds. That is until I feel my back come into contact with the ground.

I find myself landing on the floor in a huge thud, right in front of Yuna. I scramble to my feet while holding at the bruise on my back from falling onto the ground.

"First time in the realm of enlightened, huh? Welcome."

"Yeeeep..."

I draw out the 'e' in my statement, causing Yuna to snicker ever so slightly.

It's only now that I decide to look at the place around us. We appear to be in a small dark wood house. Shelves litter the area filled with gold-trimmed books, as well as books scattered across the table in front of Yuna and me. The room was lit up by a small yellow lamp hanging from the ceiling that shone onto the table's metal centerpiece.

"This is my house so take as much time as you need to, y'know, recover mentally and physically. Though do keep in mind that there are a few things I wanna show you while you're here."

"Like what?"

I pull up a seat from the table and prop myself onto it. Yuna does the same after me, taking to the seat opposite of where I'm sitting.

"For starters, I wanted to show you around Aquinnium, present you to the court, register you as an official member of Aquinnium, and explain a bit more on your great-great-grandmother's ties with Aquinnium, as well as her role in the realm of enlightened." Yuna plays with a strand of her baby hair before continuing. "And more of exactly what is going on in regards to ties between all 5 major clans. It's more complicated than you expect."

"That sounds like a lot to 'familiarize myself' here-"

"Well, it is but if I don't tell you everything now then you'll be left in the dark." Yuna cuts me off. "Ignus and Flores' leaders Minyong and Minhyuk aren't happy that their mother, your great-great-grandmother, only included you on her disappearance will, essentially leaving all she has to you. I don't know if you can tell but ever since Minjeong left the realm of enlighteneds and Aquinnium, it's been complicated for Aquinnium. We've been threatened removal of a place in court and as a top 5 clan."

"So who are the five major clans?"

Usually, all the information would confuse me but today, it started to make more sense.

"The top 5 clans are Ignus and Flores, which I'm sure you're familiar with, as well as Aquinnium, Sombra, and Typhlee. After Minjeong's involvement with a Regular, she was stripped of all her titles and had to live in hiding. That is until her son's clans brought glory back to her name. In fact, she was even set to have an arranged marriage with the current ruler, Taesoo of Typhlee because of her influence over three of the most powerful clans. However, before her coronation date, she signed a disappearance will and left forever."

"What's a disappearance will?"

"It's basically equivalent to suicide in the land of regulars, except the person who signs it gets one last shot at changing their life while banished to the dreamlands. It's a really controversial thing here. Only people who Minjeong authorize can at least visit her in their dreams. The members of Aquinnium, as well as you, have been the only ones who have visited her. I think Taesoo has too because he grew fond of Minjeong when she was still alive."

"So how exactly is Aquinnium doing right now?"

I ask the question with caution in my voice, careful not to tread upon territory not allowed.

"Well, we only have 5 members in court positions now, way under the regular amount for a clan to hold which is somewhere around 50. Court positions mean a lot to clans as it gives them more power. With almost none, Aquinnium is losing influence. I hold one of the positions as a part of the academy student team overseen by Taesoo himself. The rankings go from, in order of power, the rulers, the ruler's direct family, advisors, dukes and duchesses, barons and baronesses, and finally at the bottom of the members of the court are guards, top academy students, and all other military-related positions. My mom and dad hold titles of baron and baroness while my great-great-grandmother, a friend of your mom, is a duchess. My uncle is a chief commander."

"So there really is close to no one left in Aquinnium..."

"Yep. A lot of them lost power when Minjeong signed the disappearance will. If Minjeong granted them the position when she was an advisor, they lost it due to her disappearance."

"There's just one last thing I'm wondering. If Minjeong is the mother of Minhyuk and Minyong of Flores and Ignus, then are they my great-grandfather and great-granduncle respectively?"

"Minha..." Yuna gazes at a corner for a bit before shaking her head. "Minhyuk is your great-grandfather. The reason you don't have any ties to Flores is that Minha, your grandmother, ran away as she didn't want anything to do with the clans or court. She married a Regular and had your mom. Your mom isn't an enlightened because Minha's powers were mixed with a Regular causing it to dilute and not show. The only reason you have powers is because Minjeong gave hers to you. Flores didn't want you as their own member because of Minha so the next clan you had ties with was Aquinnium. Don't worry, we don't plan on leaving you."

"There's so much I didn't even know was going on..."

"Yeah. And now that Flores has found out Minjeong gave all her power to you through her disappearance will, they want custody over you again. Needless to say, Aquinnium and Flores have fought for a while now, which is why you need to go to the court and swear allegiance to Aquinnium so it'll all be over. I've scheduled a meeting with Taesoo in roughly 30 minutes. We should be leaving now if we want to get there on time."

"Right."

"So, tell me this,"

Yuna pauses mid-sentence.

"Are you ready to put your life on line for Aquinnium?"