Memories
This is a short story I came up with at my latest writing seminar, with the prompts instructor Taki gave us, on the subject of Flashbacks. Please enjoy the read. (note prompt word used was letter)
Xander image generated by Ai
Kiva and Xander are training at the lake Sol training camp, that was set up years prior by Magnus’s former master Dakinita to train him in the ways of the paragon. Most of the time they have spent here has been with Magnus running drills with her to bring Kiva’s latent paragon abilities to the surface, but nothing so far has proven fruitful.
But today is a little different, Magnus was summoned by High King Rym for an audience with his advisors on the movements of the Demon Lords’s Infernal army.
So, Kiva and Xander do some basic swordsman training to improve upon her growing skills with the sword and shield. Xander is impressed by how quickly Kiva has learned to fight with the sword, and because of his distracted focus and with a mighty “HE YA!” from Kiva as she slams the large mighty centaurian warrior with her shield, he is knocked to the ground with a thud and a groan
“I know you’re the one teaching me big guy, but as I told you before don’t get distracted because I'll get you,” Kiva says with a smirk offering her hand to help him up.
“So, you have said before Kiva, but...” he softly grumbles taking her hand, then yanks her to the ground with a high-pitched yelp,
“But then again sometimes you let your guard down too early,” Xander says with a chuckle standing up, he helps her to her feet.
“All right I'll give you that one... I got sloppy,” she retorts dusting herself off.
Man, I can’t believe I fell for the oldest trick in the book... I’m a 65-year-old army ranger and I fell for that... am I going soft?
“Umm excuse me but are you Xander Nightsky?” a soft voice asks just outside of the training area.
When Xander and Kiva turn to look they see a human courier dressed in a white blouse, maroon vest, gloves, a small satchel at her side, tan pants and worn leather shoes that have been heavily used in many travels by the looks of them.
“Why yes might ask who is asking?” Xander replies making his way over to the smaller person who is in awe at his stature.
“Well, I'm just a traveling courier, I’ve recently travel through Eagle Pass village, and the village elder who said she was your aunt handed me this letter,” she says as she presents him with a rolled-up parchment from her satchel.
Xander thanks the young lady and tips her with a couple gold pieces and offers a third for her lunch and drink which she gladly accepted before leaving.
As Xander unravels the scroll Kiva thinks back to her youth, back when she was still human and male, still in the Army Rangers and he met his wife and fell head over heels for.
Kiva training gear image generated by Ai (note centaurians do not have hooves)
While in the service he would always look forward to the mail calls in the barracks to receive her letters from back in the states, he would write back how much he missed her promising to marry her when he returned from his tour of duty. As Kiva reminisced, she could hear a muffled voice.
“Hey Kiva, Aria to Kiva are you alright? It seems as if your head is amongst the clouds,” Xander asked with concern.
“Oh, Xander umm...I'm... I'll be ok just thinking of something is all....” she replies in a half daze.
“Anything you wish to talk about?” he asks
“No, it’s alright, so who is the letter from?” she asks.
“Oh it's from my aunt Calypso, she says that things are going well at the village, and that some of the humans who stayed behind to help repair the Village after the attack by Kronos should be returning home, some have decided to stay in the village and help expand the farming area’s and storage, and to help and improve the defense to prepare the village as a safe haven if Arkabon decides to invade Odessa,” he relays
“Oh, that’s good, say ummm why don’t we get something to eat before getting back to training?” she suggests
“Sure, what do you feel like having? Go fishing? See what the butcher has today?” he asks
“How about we head up to the Blue Recluse Tavern today, on me,” she says.
“Sounds good to me, shall we?” He asks.
Kiva nods with a soft smile and walks with him heading to the magical lift so they head back up to the main city of Solis.
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