The Other Side/Rise Of The Crow

"Come on hop to it soldiers!" Jack says as he walks confidently down the road.

"Shut up! It's too early for this crap!" Mari says grumpily.

"Frodians usually don't require too much sleep, seems your human side is still prominent." Layla says as she spins her short sword.

"My sleep schedule was always messed up in my past life and it hasn't gotten any better since I've gotten here. I miss being able to use my PC… " Sachi says, her voice full of nostalgia.

"Jack is right though, we better pick up our step or Kira will lecture us to death!" I say, as we finally exit the capital.

It's been over a week since we first started school and I think we're slowly starting to get used to life in Goliath. Well, maybe not all of us. Sachi is still very unsure of herself. I try to support her when I can but I can tell she's homesick. Jack puts on a tough act, but deep down inside I know he wishes he could be with his brother. Mari is the only one who has completely embraced her new life here, it's almost as if she hated her past life. Is that why Mother Adora brought her here?

Today is our day of training with Kira and something tells me she isn't going to be taking it easy on us. All four of our instructors not only teach but are also the leaders of each of the four major houses. You don't get these positions unless you are the best of the best. During Elmar's snooze fest of a class, I actually managed to learn a lot about the culture here.

Much like our old world, there are holidays and festivals held with their very own unique twists and traditions. Another thing to note is that once all of us graduate we'll all be required to register at a guild to do jobs as mercenaries.

There are two different options when it comes to registering. Becoming a part of a guild guarantees you better pay and priority over other mercs. However, that means you'll be obligated to only do work for that particular guild. The other option is working independently which means you can do jobs in any part of the land. I'm not quite sure what I'll pick yet, but do want to explore this land and learn more about it.

It's really interesting to live in a world that feels like a fantasy novel but is actually real. All of the books I've read about legendary Frodians and their adventures are actually true, and they represent this world's history.

One thing I find riveting about the land of Goliath is their obsession with Adora. I've looked all through the texts and her stories are considered to be the gospel of this land. But from what I understand she wasn't always an immortal god, she was a mortal Frodian for most of her life span. So it really makes me wonder how she figured out how to become immortal and is she really even a god?

I've only scratched the surface when it comes to knowledge of this land, but thankfully I have a long enough life span that I think I'll be able to solve some of Goliath's biggest mysteries. I just want to live a more fulfilling life. If that means saving this land or solving its mysteries then so be it.

"Hey, Crow! Snap out of it!" Mari says as she flicks my forehead.

"My bad, I was thinking a little too hard." I say as we all walk into a field full of purple grass.

Kira is waiting in the field casually drinking from a cup.

"Wow, you're all pretty slow kiddos! I'm guessing you all overslept?" Kira asks as she finishes off her drink.

"Did we really have to wake up this early on an off day?" Mari asks, her voice full of annoyance.

"That's right, life is all about doing things that we don't wanna do, Mari. However, that doesn't mean you shouldn't enjoy it either! If there's one thing I want all of you to learn from me, it's to enjoy all of the little things in life and hold them tightly. The world is very unforgiving, yet somehow all of you got lucky enough to get a second chance at life. You better not waste your life away!" Kira says, as she gets off the ground and stretches her arms out.

"Understood!" We all say in unison.

"Good! Now, today is all about gauging just how strong all of you are! During each of your battles, you managed to use a special transformation, which almost put you on an even playing field with your opponents. The thing to keep in mind is that these transformations are unique to you because you're the Chosen Children. Most other Frodians also have the ability to transform, however, it takes years and years of practice in order to manage it. So I'm sure all of you are thinking that you have an advantage over your peers right?" Kira asks.

"Well we do, don't we?" Jack asks.

"WRONG! All of you have horrible control of your Taqa and don't even know the basic spells that most Frodians learn in grade school! Really we should be starting with the basics, but I want to get a pulse on your abilities and see how I can help craft you into formidable Frodians. Layla!" Kira says as she pulls out her dagger and smirks.

"Yes?" Layla asks.

"You'll be on my team! The two of us versus all four of them!" Kira says, her eyes full of eagerness.

"But, Kira isn't that overkill? They'll already have their hands full dealing with you!" Layla says.

"We can't baby them! I want to train them to the point where they won't need my protection and where I can rest easy when I reach the next life. I have to do my part right now, Mother Adora trusted me to do so!" Kira says passionately.

"Yes Ma'am, I understand." Layla says as she pulls her short sword out.

"How are supposed to fight them? They're both faster than all of us." Mari asks as we all get into a huddle.

"I'm not very good at this type of thing, you guys know I'm a strike-first type person." Jack says.

"I have to observe first before I could be effective. I'm not a planning type person either." I say.

"Don't worry, this is my field of expertise!" Sachi says.

"That's right, you were the captain of your E-Sports team, got any ideas?" I ask as Sachi starts grinning.

"Of course I do! Here's the plan, Crow and Jack you need to keep them busy the whole battle since both of you are close-ranged fighters. Mari and I will hang back and launch attacks just be sure to listen for our signal so you don't get hit too!" Sachi says as she shows some assertiveness.

"What should our signal be?" Jack asks.

"How about, Adora?" Mari asks.

"Perfect, that's easy to remember and fitting for us!" I say.

"Okay, the next thing to keep in mind is Layla. I haven't seen much of Kira's fighting besides the attack on the capital a couple of weeks ago, but it seems like her and Layla's style relies heavily on speed and tiring their opponents out. After training with Layla last week, I realized that she is very offensively focused. She doesn't really worry about defending herself, she just keeps attacking so her opponent doesn't really have time to think." Sachi says, her voice full of intrigue.

"So in other words, her weakness is her defense. She's almost like a glass-canon!" Jack says.

"Exactly, if you and Crow can put a stop to her speedy attacks. We might stand a chance at stopping her!" Sachi says confidently.

"What should we do about Kira though?" Mari asks, her eyes full of fear.

"To be honest guys, we don't stand a chance against her. I've sensed her Taqa during battle and she's easily one of the strongest people in the entire capital next to the other four masters. Our best bet is to try to overwhelm her, by spamming strong spells. Even then I don't think that'll be that effective." Sachi says.

"It doesn't matter, let's just do our best! We'll worry about defeating her later! Let's at least give her a run for her money!" I say passionately.

"Right!" Everyone says in unison.

"Are you guys done chit-chatting? We aren't getting any younger here!" Kira says jokingly.

"Ugh, she's treating this like it's a Sunday stroll!" Jack says angrily.

"Stay focused Jack, remember what Kira told you." Sachi says.

"I know." Jack says as he pulls out his brand new sword.

"Remember kiddos, don't hold back! Use your transformations too, I wanna see you all at your best!" Kira says, as she grips her dagger and starts emanating red Taqa from her body.

"I guess I can't hold back either!" Layla says as black Taqa starts emanating from her body.

"Let's give'em hell!" Jack says as Taqa starts emanating from his body.

"Right!" We all say in unison as we prepare for battle.

"Let the battle begin!" Kira says, as all of lunge towards each other.