The two eventually jumped back from each other, both breathing heavily. “Well, that’s a first. I can usually win using the same equipment, but it looks like I am going to have to go with these.” Zanif commented as he set the wooden equipment down and donned an old but well-maintained set of metal gauntlets.
More memories of her fight with Milli flooded back into Lumina's head.
Zanif chuckled as he smacked his fists together. “Not sure if ya know, but someone had to teach Milli how to use gauntlets back when she first arrived on this continent.”
“First arrived? What do you mean by that?” Lumina asked as she put down the practice equipment and grabbed her shield and sword.
He wasn’t sure if Lumina was being sarcastic or if the girl didn’t know. “Ever felt like that giant woman was more monster than human?”
Lumina pondered on the odd statement. As weird as it was to think about, it pretty much summed up her powerful mentor.
“Curious? Then ask with yer blade.” Zanif rushed forward.
Lumina could clearly see the same style of fighting from the man’s stance and aggression. It was like a tiny Milli was charging. Once again clashing with the old but skilled guild master, the previous wooden clap sounds, became much louder clanging echoing through the backyard as metal pounded on metal.
Lumina parried a left hook with her shield and took a step back to avoid the quick uppercut that followed through from the other arm. As similar as their fighting styles were, Lumina was constantly on the defensive trying to figure out how to deal with a short grappler.
The force of the man’s attacks were quite significant, and she was sure that if he grabbed her, it would be over. This realization forced her to play the distance game and try to use her height as an advantage. Something she had never done before.
Continuing his assault, Zanif could clearly read what was happening. “Never had to fight someone smaller than yerself I see. That’s why Milli sent you off. To gain more experience.” Throwing another left hook, Zanif waited for the usual shield to block his fist.
It all happened in slow motion for Lumina. She was too late to realize that the hook was a feint. She watched as the man opened his fist, grabbed the edge of her shield and threw it wide while bringing his opposite arm above his head to block the downward strike of Lumina’s retaliatory attack.
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Charging forward, Zanif barreled right into Lumina knocking her off her feet and causing them to tumble to the ground. Decades of combat and training allowed Zanif to easily maneuver and grapple Lumina into submission.
Once she surrendered, Lumina brushed the dirt from her clothing as she got up from the ground. Taking in deep breaths, she sat on a nearby log and noticed that many of the people from the guild had been spectating them from the side.
Zanif chuckled as he looked on their dumbfounded faces, “That’s what a gold ranked fight should look like!” He commented as he grabbed his pad of paper and noted Lumina’s combat aptitude. Walking over and congratulating the Fereece, he spoke in a whisper, “I haven’t had such a tough fight in years. There’s a reason I retired.” He chuckled before continuing, “As for Milli, it’s not well known. But Adrok first brought her to this continent years ago. She’s from the Lost World.”
“Lost World?” Lumina asked quizzically, though Zanif completely disregarded her question. Letting her know that it was something that shouldn’t be openly talked about. Fixing her hair and getting the last bit of dust from her tail, Lumina walked back into the guild house. She could feel that everyone was staring more so than usual. What really stood out was the fact that it was dead silent as she passed by all the onlookers. Taking a seat at one of the tables, Eldin was the first to talk to her. “Awesome that you made Gold rank. You should be clear for pretty much any request now.”
“Not so fast!” Raymi shouted as she quickly moved from the counter to their table.
Eldin almost tripped over one of the chairs when he took a step back. The overly energetic woman’s sudden approach had caught him off guard. “While you may be gold ranked for your combat, you are still copper rank in your duties. We still reserve the important jobs for our most trusted members.”
Eldin couldn’t help but feel the chagrin settle in after Raymi had corrected his statement. He admired the entrepreneurship and dedication the woman had. However, the fact that he couldn’t help but feel like he was always a step behind when dealing with her rubbed him the wrong way. “I can never win against her.” He muttered, taking a seat across from his friend.
Wiping the sweat from her forehead, Lumina could still feel her heart beating in her chest. She wasn’t sure how long she had fought Zanif, but her body had yet to calm down. Leaning back into her chair, she let out a long sigh as she waited to cool down. She thought about the lost world. She remembered hearing a little about it from her studies back at home. “Hey Eldin, what do you know about the lost world?”
“That’s an odd question to randomly ask.” He paused, thinking before responding. “From what I know, it’s the other part of the world that has yet to be explored. It’s rumored to be incredibly dangerous. That’s why the gods erected a continental barrier to keep us safe from whatever tries to come here.”
It is said that a single monster from the lost world could cause mass destruction. This theory is supported by the fact that there is a magical barrier around the continent to prevent anything dangerous from entering.
-Runefal Journal: Speculative Theories
Now that she thought of it. Lumina could not remember a single time Milli had ever talked about her parents. Nor had Eldin said anything about it either. “Do you know anything about your mom’s parents?” Lumina asked her friend.
“Now that you mention it, I actually don’t. I know about dad’s side of the family.” Eldin also found himself now pondering the same exact question.
Who were his mother’s parents?