Dust swirled through the air, stinging Yui's eyes as he stared at the line-up for the final fight in the Sun Guard’s training tournament. His heart pounded in his chest when he realized that his final opponent would be his own brother, Alistair Staav.
"Looks like it's you and me, big brother," Alistair said with a grin, clearly pleased with the final matchup. "May the best Staav win."
Yui nodded, his reservation contrasting with Alistair's boisterous energy. He knew his brother's strengths and weaknesses like the back of his hand, but so too did Alistair know his. If one thing was for certain, it was that it would be a fair fight.
As they stepped onto the battlefield, Ketal Whisperwind watched from above, his keen eyes assessing their every move. This was his first day at the tournament since it began, and today he seemed particularly stern and distant.
Yui circled Alistair warily, sweat beading on his brow as they exchanged blows, neither one giving any ground to the other. The air hummed with the sound of their weapons clashing, and the crowd of fellow trainees roared with approval.
Just then, as Yui prepared to strike, a vision flashed before his eyes.
n antique elven well, its stones worn by time, and a Kalari priestess standing at the edge of a cliff, her eyes fixed on the distant horizon. The image was vivid, almost tangible, and for a moment, Yui felt the cold spray of the sea on his face.
The vision vanished as quickly as it had come, leaving Yui disoriented and vulnerable. Alistair seized the opportunity, driving his brother back with a series of powerful blows. Yui fought to regain his footing, but it was too late—Alistair knocked him to the ground and claimed victory.
"By Therita, that was one hell of a workout!" Alistair exclaimed, offering Yui a hand up. "You didn’t go easy on me there at the end, did you?"
Yui accepted his help, but did not answer the question. His mind was still reeling from the vision. What could it possibly mean? And why now, in the midst of battle?
Ketal stepped forward, his expression unreadable. "That was an impressive display," he said, his voice carrying the weight of authority. "And while your training is not yet complete, it is clear that both of you have a potential far beyond what your lowly status would have others believe. I have decided to grant you both a rare opportunity—to join the reserves for the King's Guard."
Alistair beamed. "Y-you mean… not just the Sun Guard, but the King’s Guard as well?”
Ketal nodded his head. “The very same.”
Yui understood the weight of the assignment. While the Sun Guard consisted of a small number of elite knights, the King’s Guard – a subsegment of Sun Guard – was even more prestigious, only ever having ten members at a time. In other words, it was to knights and warriors what the High Society was to wizards and mages.
Yet, despite all this, Yui remained silent. His thoughts were consumed by the mysterious vision that had cost him the fight. As they left the battleground, his mind raced with questions. Were the elven well and the Kalari priestess connected to him somehow? And would he receive more such visions of the past in the days to come?
Only time would reveal the answers, but one thing was certain: the Staav brothers’ journey was far from over.