Lunation of Fate

“20 minutes. Took you twice as long to bust out of your room than the last time I trained you.”

Juste and Chastine were startled at the greeting of a male voice.

They suddenly turned around their backs to know of the man who had been waiting for them.

It was the army commander, who was sitting comfortably while spending his time nibbling on a luscious fruit.

He took one last big bite from it before putting it back on a dessert plate on a coffee table next to his chair.

Scion then uncrossed his legs, stood up from his seat, and started to dust off his hands.

“For awhile there, you looked like you’ve seen a ghost,” uttered the army chief.

Juste was breathing heavily, while Chastine’s eyes were pried wide open because of the tense atmosphere.

She looked at Juste, then at Scion, then back at the blue-eyed fellhound.

Juste signaled for Chastine to go behind him. She quickly obliged.

The young werewolf looked furious. “Release me, Scion. Release us. I don’t plan on going back to father.”

Scion paused for a moment with arms akimbo and eyed Juste with a smug expression all over his face.

He then scoffed; his deep, sinister voice irritatingly reverberating in Juste’s ears.

Juste’s eyes narrowed. The impact of Scion’s scorn had caused him to clench his fist and grit his teeth.

“You think that’s the reason why I carried you of?”

Chastine became suddenly confused. Juste was also confused, but he was more angry than perplexed.

“Think again, dear prince. I have a surprise for you back at the castle.” Scion has a malicious smirk about his face.

Thoughts came running inside Juste’s head.

What’s he talking about? Juste asked himself silently.

The young fellhound knew the army commander to be a serious and ruthless fellow.

But it seemed to be that Scion was filled with mirth and was enjoying the moment.

“Why, what happened back at the castle?” Juste couldn’t hold back his curiosity.

“If I’d tell you right now, you might bump up the speed of my airship.” Scion had a glint of excitement flickering in his eyes.

What could it be? Juste’s mind was growing with curiosity.

“Now, young prince, while we’re at it, keep me entertained.”

Scion drew out his two kukris that was mounted on his back. He then threw one kukri to Juste.

It was Scion who personally trained him to wield the weapon at hand.

Juste skillfully caught the broad knife by its handle.

The young fellhound knew what was about to unfold.

“There, young prince, just like last time.”

Chastine tried to talk it out with Juste.

But Juste took on the army commander’s challenge.

He was determined to win and was at the point of no return.

She strode backwards to avoid getting hit.

Scion then quickly charged at Juste in the blink of an eye.

“Aaaah!”

Their knives crossed.

Metal on metal, tiny sparks flew from the friction created between the two kukris’ point of contact.

Then their fatal dance started to become apparent.

Juste ceased the lethal blows of Scion’s swings and thrusts.

He countered it with either the knife in his hand, or the leather brace fastened on his arm.

At times he avoided the blows for they were too powerful to break.

But Juste knew Scion to be an experienced and seasoned fighter.

He was aware of the risk he involved himself in.

Without doubt, this could get out of hand because Scion was ruthless enough to kill him if the war veteran went overboard.

Nonetheless, Juste was determined to win in that little battle they were having on Scion’s airship deck.

It would mean a lot for Juste if he were able to defeat the army commander.

Juste believed that he might leave them be if the young fellhound would win in the duel.

“Hyah!” Scion’s swing destroyed the barrel where Juste had just leaned on to.

He was getting crushed by the assaults of the war veteran.

Juste knelt on one knee while he prevented Scion’s kukri from hitting him.

The young felhound was catching his breath. Meanwhile, Scion hadn’t broken into a single sweat.

“Tired, young prince?” The army chief was towering above him.

He contemptuously glared at Scion. Then Juste skillfully maneuvered to break free from their stance and retreated at a distance.

“You’re getting weak, prince Juste. You should just eat your tribute.”

These very words from Scion completely enraged Juste.

But it was a fact: the young fellhound’s physical power had started to decline.

Juste’s knife flung on air as Scion effortlessly dismantled it from the teen’s hand.

The knife hit one of the poles and it got stuck in that pole.

Chastine thought that they needed to end the fight, or else someone could get really killed.

With nothing on hand but a desperation to put a stop to the little battle, she bravely lunged at the experienced fighter.

Scion didn’t manage to dodge her attack from behind.

They both fell over the ledge of the deck, with Scion’s foot getting caught by the mesh of aeronautical ropes.

Chastine grabbed onto Scion’s arm for dear life.

They were both in an inconvenient position and were seconds to falling down from the airship.

Scion found their position to be advantageous.

“Chastine!” Juste stretched out his hand to Chastine. He was leaning on the ledge for added breadth.

“Idiot slave. This is where your journey ends.”

Scion punched Chastine’s hand until it bled.

She held back her cries from the pain, but she could no longer hold on for long.

Chastine’s grip slowly loosened and she started to fall.

“CHASTINE!!!”

Juste let out a pitiful cry. His eyes began to bead up as he watched Chastine began to look smaller and smaller and farther from them.

Clouds began to pass through, hindering Juste’s view of Chastine.

After the balls of vapor left within Juste’s viewing periphery, Chastine had also vanished from his sight.

Juste felt utterly defeated. Not only did he lose to Scion, he also lost Chastine in the process.

He started to loathe himself, crying out Chastine’s name while regretting the reckless thing he did because of his ego and poor planning.

“That’s what you get, dear Juste. That’s what you get when you defect from our clan.”

Scion continued his boring monologue, “If you had just followed your wolf instincts, things wouldn’t be like this for you. Here you are n-”

The airship suddenly tilted to its side. It tugged violently as it sped its way to the castle.

Juste grabbed onto something out of reflex. He wondered what was happening.

“Guards! What’s happening?!?” Scion was also puzzled about the situation.

Then a large shadow hovered over Scion and Juste’s heads.

Juste’s eyes opened wide out of surprise. He was ecstatic at what he had just seen.