Soft Scarlet | Part 5
The next day, Survival Class was in place while Callista struggled to position the bow and arrow.
Anastasia had shot an arrow into the target and glanced at Callista "Just go ask help from Ignis if you're struggling, Callista" she said and the mentioned woman glanced at Ignis. Ignis who felt her stare glanced back but Callista turned away while pouting, he knew she was still sulking at what he said yesterday.
Later on, Callista suddenly sneezed "Damn. Is that Siege cursing at me right now?" she muttered and scratched her nose "Siege? Hasn't he been picking a fight with you lately?" Anastasia asked as Callista pulled her hair up to tie it.
"Yeah, I don't even know why" she snorted "Isn't it because Ignis canceled his engagement with Sofia?" Anastasia said and the arrow that Callista has been struggling with dropped to the ground.
"He must've been so pissed seeing how his sister's engagement suddenly got canceled" she added and stared at her pick the arrow up "Ignis canceled their engagement?" she asked in concealed surprise "You didn't know?" Anastasia was also surprised.
"Why do you think Sofia hasn't been hanging around with Ignis lately? Especially, Siege has been picking a fight with you?" she asked "I haven't" Callista shook her head "Why didn't any of you tell me?" she asked, upset.
"You're always the one to know news about Ignis first so how would we know if you haven't known yet?" she asked back with furrowed brows "You are annoying" she sneered and turned to the target as she raised the bow and arrow.
Anastasia noticed her bad stance and would hurt herself if she didn't fix it so she was about to tell her off when someone got to her first.
"Are you dumb?"
Callista stiffened when she felt his presence behind her as he held her wrist that was beside her cheek. "Are you trying to harm yourself?" she could feel his breathe near her ear when he spoke.
"I was never talented with the bow and arrow," she said in a whisper "How did you even stop Emily's mother?" he sarcastically replied and fixed her stance. She didn't turn to him even how much her heart was beating so loudly that it thumped in her ears.
"Callista" her lips parted when he called her name "You should stop sulking because if you do, everything will not go as you want to" she blushed at his words as he guided her fingers to let go of the string as the arrow flew.
It hit the middle.
She knew what he meant. She was sulking to the point she was always conscious of his presence and thus lost focus on what she was doing.
He stepped away "See? You can aim it perfectly you're just too distracted because you kept sulking all day" he glanced at her and was surprised. She was adorably blushing as if she was wronged.
She turned away when she noticed his stare "You're bad for my heart" she said and bashfully covered her blushing cheeks "How am I bad? Are you seriously getting butterflies when I only fixed your posture in holding a bow and arrow?" Ignis was the one who was wronged "Because you were hugging me from the back, that's why!" she retorted "Who was hugging who?" he scowled.
Anastasia blinked.
She was more surprised by what she had witnessed as she stared at them playfully bicker. Where was Ivan when you needed him? Why was she even alone in the first place? Where did that bastard go off to and left her with them? The only thing that answered her was Callista who had hugged Ignis by the arm and the latter was pushing her away.
Great, now her eyes hurt.
****
Denovan dodged Gael's sloppy attack "Focus, Gael!" he shouted as he swing the sword again that Denovan had swiftly dodged.
Gael was catching his breathe as he stared at him "Your attacks are strong but you lack focus on your enemy. You only focus on your attacks and not the enemy's movements and attacks" Denovan said with a strict face as if he was the Professor.
"Then how do I fix that?" Gael asked "You have to be conscious of your surroundings" Callista suddenly stepped forward with her arms crossed "Don't just focus on what you see but also on what you hear and feel," she said.
"How am I supposed to do that? I can't even use the sword well" he anxiously said as if she was making him do the impossible "Gael, you are natural with the sword. You move with the sword as if you are one, that is one of the many characteristics of a knight" she said and stopped a few steps away from him "Let me show you then" she said when he saw him doubt.
She didn't even move from where she stood but she suddenly disappeared leaving an afterimage. His breathing hitched when he felt a hand on his neck like he was getting sliced and from his peripheral vision he saw Callista behind him.
"An assassin might kill you if you are not alert enough," she said and suddenly raised her hand and slammed her hand into the ground. Gael was so surprised that he stumbled backward as the dirt from the ground blinded his vision before it finally disappeared.
A crack was seen on the ground where Callista hit her sword "You will get killed if you're not fast enough" she said and patted her hands together to clean off the dirt. "But I can't just do all of this in a few days" Gael violently shook his head.
"Oh, dear" Callista tilted her head "I have to force you to" before Gael could even ask something covered his vision as his eyes were blindfolded with a snap of her fingers. "Attack him, Denovan" Denovan who was still bewildered looked at her
"Me?" he asked so she nodded "Do not hesitate and stop even if you injure him" she heartlessly said "W-Wait" Gael tried protesting "Gael, no one will be able to help you once you're in front of your brother. We won't be able to do anything if you get killed. You can only help yourself but how are you able to do that if you are this weak?" Gael stiffened at her words.
She was right.
He didn't want to admit it but she was only speaking the truth. He wanted to help his people but how is he able to do that if he can't even raise a sword to protect them?
Without words needed he raised his sword and heightened his senses and a smile raised to her lips "You can begin" she didn't need to say it again as Denovan swiftly attacked Gael without hesitation.
He groaned when he was hit in the side by the edge of Denovan's sword.
"Again"
His back hit the ground by Denovan's kick on his stomach.
"Again"
Gael struggled to stand up and clenched the handle of the sword. He didn't want to give up and accepted Denovan's attacks without complaint.
"Isn't she being too heartless? Gael will not be able to stand this" Anastasia worriedly said and was about to step forward to stop them but Ignis stopped her "Let them be. It will also benefit Gael. He should know how to fight for himself" he said.
"I don't want to agree with Callista but she is right. We wouldn't be able to do anything once he stood in front of his brother" Ivan also said so Anastasia doesn't have a choice but to step back as she worriedly glanced at Gael being hit by Denovan. She didn't have a choice but to trust their words.
****
"Callista!"
Callista turned behind and saw Denovan running towards her from the end of the hallway. After what she had done, Gael tiredly came back to his dorm to rest. In the end, he wasn't able to dodge any attack and went away dejected.
"Do you need anything?" she asked as he stopped in front of her, it was unusual for Denovan to come running to her like this. "I just want to know where you learned that style of teaching," he said and looked at her with curious eyes.
"Oh, that?" she touched her hair uncomfortably "I learned it from my teacher who taught me hand-to-hand combat" she answered and looked up at me "Why do you ask?" she asked back "I just thought its an unusual method" he smiled.
"Is it? I'm used to that kind of method so I didn't know" she said truthfully "May I ask how old you were when you started learning that kind of method?" he can't help but ask "Hm?" she looked up to think "I was six" she blinked.
"Six?! You were that young when you underwent that kind of teaching?" Callista was surprised at his exclamation "You don't?" she confusedly asked. She had always thought they underwent the same teaching style.
"Of course not! I had to use a wooden sword when I was six and was not allowed to participate in any physical training" she was surprised to hear that. From what she had remembered, when she was six she had already begun climbing a hill without a rope and learning how to dissect an animal for food.
"Your parents are something else," he said in astonishment "It's passed along from generation to generation. My future children might even have to undergo that training I had," she said with a shrug and he was surprised.
"Isn't that too much? It's not like you're getting ready for a war or something" he said with furrowed brows "Say that to our ancestors" she sneered making him chuckle "But whenever I see you I feel like I should get stronger" he said and looked down at his palms.
"You are impossible to predict" he smiled at her "Then do it," she said and turned away "I'll be waiting for the day you overpower me" she smiled at him, and just like they had made a promise he smiled back and answered, "I will".
****
Callista was walking on campus when she stopped to look up at the sky when she noticed it was shaped like a puppy. She was amazed and wanted to capture this moment when someone had to ruin it.
"Callista"
She calmly looked back and saw Siege looking coldly at her making her smirk "I don't remember letting you call me so informally" she said "I have a question" he said and she blinked at him.
Why were people asking her so many questions?
"Sure, I can give you some time," she said unwillingly "What did you do to make Ignis like you?" he asked and Callista wanted to complain.
'What do you mean why he likes me? That guy wants me 100 meters away from him' she thought.
"I don't know what you're talking about," she said as she doesn't have any idea but Siege took it as her feigning innocence "I honestly can't understand. Anyone could see that my sister is better than you," he said with furrowed brows.
"Is that so? That's must be why Ignis kissed me first" she said to annoy him more but he stepped forward "What kind of seducing method did you use?" he said and leaned forward towards her.
"I didn't do anything in particular. You should ask that sister of yours why she isn't enough" she said and blankly stared up at him "Why you..!" Siege was about to argue back but before he could say a word his back suddenly hit a tree behind him.
He was forced to sit on the ground and wince in pain from the sudden push and when he opened his eyes the first thing he saw was a ball rolling on the ground but later noticed the strand of hair flying in front of his face.
He then realized what kind of position he was in, he was sitting on the ground with his back leaning on the tree while Callista was in the middle of his legs while her head was beside his head and the both of their heads were between her arms that was stopping her from fully falling towards him.
"Whoo!" Callista sighed in relief when she was able to dodge the fireball that was about to hit them. She leaned away to look at him "That was close" she said as he stared up at her in a daze. They looked at each other that would mistake them for lovers.
"Ehem"
Their eye contact was cut off when someone cleared their throat and Callista could already know who it was as the both of them simultaneously turned.
Ignis and Sofia stood in front of them "It seems like the both of you are getting along well" he said with a raised brow while Sofia stared at them in surprise "Wait a minute! Why are you with her?" Callista exclaimed when she realized something and pointed at Sofia.
"I should be the one asking you," Siege said "He was helping me with spell casting. He showed me how a fireball should properly move using a ball" Sofia explained on his behalf that was referring to the rubber ball Siege saw.
"How about the both of you? I don't know if you've noticed but you are in such a misleading position" she pointed out when she saw Callista's indifference.
Callista glanced at Siege and squinted his eyes "How come you're blushing in a situation like this?" she said when she noticed his burning cheeks "I'm not blushing!" he quickly exclaimed and stood up not carrying if she was hit.
"You shameless woman! How come you touched me without an ounce of hesitation?" he said while pointing an accusing finger at her.
"Goodness, you're welcome" she sarcastically replied and stood up from the ground and noticed Ignis's stare "What? Why are you looking at me like I've committed adultery?" she asked with furrowed brows so he turned away without answering.
While Callista pestered Ignis the siblings were having a conversation "Big brother, when did the two of you get along?" she can't help but ask. She was surprised to witness them in that position, of course.
She had always worried that Siege may not get married in the future by how distant he was, she was the only woman he interacted with except for their mom.
"It just happened" he replied without giving further explanation so Sofia looked at him suspiciously "Ignis" she called out making the two who were playfully bickering turn to them "Thank you for helping me" she politely bowed.
"We'll be on our way then," she said as Ignis nodded in silence "Callista" she had no intentions of waving them goodbye when Siege called her "What?" she asked in a bored tone "Thank you for saving me," he said and started walking away leaving Callista to stare at his retreating back with a raised brow.
'Now, isn't he adorable?' She thought.
She had only stopped staring at them when Ignis suddenly flicked her forehead "Ow! What was that for?" she complained but he only turned away without looking back leaving her baffled
"What the hell is wrong with you?" she asked and quickly ran after him "Why are you suddenly angry?" she asked and was confused at his sudden change of mood but he didn't answer and continued looking forward so she continued asking him questions.