9

Getting pass the gate of the Armstrong Mansion was quite a task, but with some few persuasion, they got it. They informed the attending servants that they wanted to keep their visit a surprise, and they acquiesced with a nod.

The royal family of five were led out back and over to the Armstrong training ground. It was more of small arena with a single spectator stand. The sound of metal clanging together, as well as the sound of the earth breaking and the slight rumbling of the earth could be heard from the field; no doubt coming from the sparing Armstrongs below.

Sitting in the stand was Rodion – who was sipping wine from his goblet – and his daughter, Valentina – who was fanning herself languidly with a cotton hand fan. As one, father and daughter turned their heads and upper bodies to look at them. As always, the Armstrongs were aware of their surroundings.

Father and daughter blinked owlishly as they set their eyes on them, no doubt confused as to who were before them.

“Hello, Rodion.” Dhimitrios waved. “I apologize for dropping unannounced.” He chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his head.

“Dhimitrios.” Rodion stood up, his daughter following his lead. “What a pleasant surprise!” He dropped his goblet on the tray a maid held, before he made his way over to them.

The King pulled his old friend into a friendly hug, the both of them patting their back cheerfully.

“What on earth are you doing here?!” Rodion asked, a warm smile on his face.

“Can’t I visit my friend?” Dhimitrios chuckled.

Rodion scoffed, giving him an admonishing look. “Says the one who alone calls for my aid when he’s in trouble.”

Dhimitrios let out a loud laugh. “True! True.”

Rodion then addressed Miraene, giving her a bow and an apologetic smile. “Forgive my rudeness, Your Grace. Welcome to our humble ardor.”

Miraene dipped her head, a soft smile on her face. “Rodion. It’s been a while. My husband and I sure do miss your presence.”

“As do I, Your Grace.” He gave both of them a certain look. “Maybe I’ll visit very soon.”

Miraene and Dhimitrios shared a look between themselves, a secretive smile on their lips.

“It will be a pleasure having you again, Rodion.” The King said with a grin.

Rodion incline his head, his smile widening. “Welcome, Your Highness.” He gave a bow of his head to Daimon and his sisters, who dipped their head in greeting.

“Yes, welcome.” Valentina gave a curtsy. When she raised up her head, her eyes once more started throwing subtle glances at Daimon.

“Where are your brother and niece, Rodion?” The Queen asked.

“They are the ones training below.”

“Really?” Daimon blinked, before he made his way over to the edge of the stand, gripping the railing. He paid Valentina no lick of attention when she took a spot two feet away from him. His eyes were focused on the battling figures below them; most specifically Herada.

The arena was trashed. Craters – large and small – could be found in the arena, emphasizing on the strength the Armstrongs possess. It was as if the gods themselves battled in the arena.

The remaining royal family joined them to watch the spar below them, eyes gazing at the fierce battle below in awe.

Father and daughter were in a fast and deadly dance of blades. Rihardos welded an axe, while Herada welded two slim and slick Europian long swords; both roughly 150 cm. The one in her right had an emerald jewel on top of the hilt, while the one in her right had a red jewel.

Herada wore a sleeveless, thigh high length battle dress that had slits on both sides; only the underwear of the gown preventing her privates from being seen. The chest of the dress is crisscross – showing some cleavage, but at the same time, holding them tight in place. Her toned stomach was visible and Daimon could see the four packs outlined on her stomach. Her skin glowed under the warm sun and her muscles flexed and rippled as she swung her swords.

Herada crossed her swords together, catching Rihardos axe. The ground beneath her feet cracked as the weight of her father’s strike hit her swords. With a grunt, she pushed back, making the cracked ground break the more.

From his view over were they stood, Daimon saw her lips moved – as if she muttered a word. A small brown circle appears before her and that means something, seeing as Rihardos suddenly leaped into the air – on time too, seeing as he avoids getting impaled by sharp rock which sprout out so fast from the ground.

Herada leaped after her father, swords at the ready. Whilst high up in the air, the father and daughter resume their blade dance. It was so fast that neither Daimon nor his family could catch their movement.

Suddenly, the two became visible again, and without further ado, Herada kicks her father, bringing him down to the ground. Rihardos lands perfectly on the ground – his legs spread and body bent as if he was going down in a squat. His landing created a large crater, bringing up dust and small rock particles.

Still in the air, Herada threw the sword in her right hand at her father with a grunt. The sword flied at a high velocity at Rihardos, but the large man swung his axe and dispelled the sword to the right. Said sword hit the ground and created a small crater.

With a wide grin on her lips, almost mirroring her father’s, Herada dived down at a fast speed. Her sword met her father’s battle axe with a loud clang. The crater Rihardos created increased, becoming wider and deeper.

“Wow…” Meraena whispered out, her eyes blown wide. If she looked unrefined right now, no one could fault her.

They have all heard stories about the strength and prowess of the Armstrongs, but to see them in action is another thing. Right now, they are really letting loss.

“It’s been long since I’ve seen Rihardos in action.” King Dhimitrios commented, an amused smirk on his lips. His arms were folded, making his arms to bulge out, showing their impressive muscle mass.

The Queen and her children whipped their heads at him, shock written in their eyes.

“You have seen him in battle, father?” Daimon queried.

“I have seen both he and Rodion in action, and had also fought side by side with them. Right now, he’s just using half of his strength.” Dhimitrios turned and looked at Rodion. “I take it that your niece is holding back too?”

Rodion nodded, a smile on his lips. “My brother and his daughter are just exercising. They see no need of going all out for a simple exercise.”

Miraene and her children stared at him in shock.

This is just them exercising? By the Gods. That means that if they were to go against anyone in full power, it will be a massacre.

“No wonder we won the war…” Moragan whispered, looking down at the battle raging on below them.

“And no wonder we are still winning.” Daimon said, his eyes narrowed and trained on the battling figures.

Herada hurriedly angled her sword and blocked her father’s strike. The blow made her skid back, her feet digging into the ground and creating deep marks. The woman swung her sword to the side, making the blade sing in the air.

The blade of Rihardos’ axe started glowing fiery red, as well as his eyes. With a gruff and deep voice, he said, “Soul Collector.” before he brought down his axe in a great swing.

Herada leaped into air once again, the ground beneath her feet cracking as she did. The sword buried in the ground jerked free and flew into Herada’s hand. Still in the air, the black haired beauty twirled her sword before slamming them together – making them touch. Like a magik, the sword merged together. The turned to a gunmetal liquid before they gained form again.

In Herada’s hands is the true form of her blades. Roughly 250cm and large to any other person, Herada easily wielded a large claymore looking sword. The jewels are on the hilt and on the center. The handle of the sword was black and the blade was pure metal.

Herada, still in the air, raised her sword above her head. “Soul Collector!” She grunted out before bringing down her sword. A green energy was emitted from the sword as she gave great slash of her sword.

With a wide, toothy grin, Rihardos flipped his axe before slashing at the incoming energy. When red and green energy met, it caused a shockwave that shook the arena. It send a large gush of wind everywhere, almost knocking the royal family off their feet.

“By the Gods!” Miraene shouted out, her eyes uncharacteristically wide. This is what they will have to face if Daimon angers the family? By Hera.

“What is that technique?” Moragan asked, her eyes shining with awe and interests.

“Soul Collector.” Rodion replied. “It’s a technique that we Armstrongs can use freely without the use of too much manna. It immediately decapitates the victim, sometimes it renders them, and their surroundings, to pieces. It’s the very first technique we Armstrongs are taught immediately we are of the age of eight. Even my darling Valentina can do it with just the fan in her hand.” Rodion chuckled, eyes shining with amusement.

The royal family turned their eyes on Valentine, who subtly puffed up in pride at the awes in their eyes. A gush of wing blew into the spectator box, making Valentina’s white dress to sway in the wind. The young woman was dressed in a floor length white dress that seems to sparkle when the sun’s rays shone on it.

Valentina’s dress has strap hands and has an elegant V neckline, showing the upperpart of her ample bosom. Ending the V neckline is a dark blue jewel. The dress was simple, yet still elegant and showed her hips a little. On her waist is a gold belt like ornament that’s glue to the dress, and it has gold four chains hugging her hips – and a gold ornament is in the middle of her lower region. On her neck is a gold necklace and on her left wrist is a beautiful gold bracer on her left arm. Covering her right shoulder is a white and slightly transparent cloth that flowed down and reached her calf. Her light auburn hair was down and had two, gold, leaf like ornament – almost looking like halves of a laurel crown – on both sides of her hair, preventing her hair from getting in her face.

Herada dropped to the ground like that of a glorious being, creating a crater of her own. Immediately her feet touched the ground, she lunged at her father, sword at the ready. Rihardos lunged at her too, axe raised. Father and daughter suddenly stopped – their weapons touching each other.

Seeing as he was way taller than his daughter, Rihardos’ Death Bringer was right on Herada’s head, inches away from open her skull; while the tip of Herada’s sword was on his throat, drawing a little bit of blood. Both father and daughter were sweating lightly and they gazed at each other with sharp grins on their lips.

“Well, looks like we are at a draw this time around, dearest daughter.” Rihardos chuckled richly.

“It appears so, dear father.” Herada said with a small smirk.

With dark chuckles, they went at ease. Herada’s claymore scattered like glass before the lime green dust fluttered into the air, disappearing. Rihardos’ battle axe disappeared from his hand in a gush of reddish orange flames.

Rihardos chuckled deeply once more, dropping his right hand on his daughter’s head. With a grin, he ruffled her head, getting a displeased grunt as he messed up her hair.

Herada slapped her father’s hand from her head, glaring hotly at him.

“Have you two gotten the boredom out of your systems now?” Rodion asked with a loud voice, pure amusement in his voice.

“I think so.” Rihardos replied. He didn’t need to shout, seeing as his deep and rich voice resonated in the arena. He looked up with a grin, but when his enhanced eyes caught sight of the royal family, he blinked rapidly. “Ahh. Looks like we have visitors, daughter.” He side eyed his daughter, who was looking at the spectators above with a droll look.

Herada heaved a sigh before she started making her way slowly to the spectators’ box, her father a feet behind her – chuckling away. She called her manna and cleaned herself and father, as well as changing their clothes.

Rihardos’ sparing attire changed into a comfortable white toga and sandals – mirroring his brother. His impressive muscles are on show, electing blushes from the royal women the same way Rodion’s appearance did.

Herada attire changed into a beautiful, floor length, white, almost see through dress. Her silky black hair fell down her back like a gentle river. Her dress is beyond beautiful, getting Meraena’s internal approval. It started from her neck in the form of thick clothes like ropes, down her breasts (showing the sides and also the insides of her bosom, as well as having a gold and green ornament on the upper part of her chest holding the material tight there), going down her stomach in the form of a net like material before going down and reached her ankles. The dress showed a lot of skin. The only thing covering her stomach was the net like material – with tiny gold designs – that started from the pure gold metal - which boosted her bosoms up a little – before going down and merging with the white material forming the bottom of her dress. The dress had a long slit at her right leg and a gold ornament – with a green jewel on it and three, folded tiny gold chains and three gangling gold chains with tiny designs shaped like flower pods – was on her hip, which seemed to hold that side of the dress. Another gold ornament was on the other side of her dress, but it wasn’t as prominent as the other. Her entire right leg was shown and this time, Herada had no bands on her leg. On her biceps are large, beautiful bands, which held long white clothes that almost reached the ground. Herada had a diadem on her head made of perfectly cute emerald stones.

Herada gracefully leaped into the air and she seem to fly softly as she made her way into the box. Her sandal cladded feet touched down without any sound, and the bottom of her dress touched down like soft feathers. Not a second later, Rihardos materialized in the box, his ever present grin on his lips.

“Your Majesties. Welcome.” Rihardos gave an incline of his head, and the royal family retuned his gesture. Herada gave a small bow of her head, her face ever blank. “I did not know you were coming. Pray tell, what prompted this surprise visit?”

“Do forgive us, Ridos. It’s just that it’s been so long since I’ve visited. Now that I have spare time, I thought it might be better if I and my family came to visit.” King Dhimitrios said with a small smile. “After all, you and your daughter have been visiting the palace for a few days now. It was time I returned the favor.”

Valentina’s head snapped at her cousin as she heard the King’s words. She gave her cousin a questioning look, a heavy grown on her face – but Herada just ignored her.

“It’s no problem, Dimi.” Rihardos walked up to him and laid a hand on his shoulders. “After all, it’s been so long that we have talked to each other without the presence of a meeting. Come, join us for lunch. Let’s give space for my servants to clean up the arena.”

With that, the Armstrong patriarch led the King to the outdoor dining table in the farthest end of the garden. The royal family and the remaining Armstrongs followed them, with Moragan and Herada lightly conversing. Daimon subtly stared at Herada with eyes filled with longing, while Meraena and Valentina stared at her with displeasure and betrayal.