Chapter 15 - Celebrating An Achievement

Warning: Mature Content

7 September 2041 (Real Time) - Institute of Blades, Second Reality

His master’s declaration of his current level had shocked Hunter into silence. He didn’t know whether he should laugh or cry, face frozen into a wide smile and watery eyes bulging out of their sockets.

“Puahahaha!” guffawed Drayton. “My boy, the look on your face is even more priceless than the title I gave you! Puahahaha!”

“Come. Let’s not waste the daylight. I suggest you immediately go back home to meditate. Tonight, I give you leave to do as you please but tomorrow you will spend the entire day in meditation. It will be more beneficial to you than sparring, this close to the tournament." said Drayton, guiding Hunter back towards the academy grounds.

The sun was still high in the sky when they returned. As instructed, Hunter spent the remaining hours before dinner in meditation.

"Congratulations Hunter." said Lara as she materialized into her human form in the living room. It was already dark outside and almost time for dinner.

"Lara." smiled Hunter. "Thank you. I'm surprised you materialized yourself here. Are you not preoccupied with MediVance?"

"Consider it a present for your success in reaching Grandmaster level." said Lara, a playful and mischievous smile on her face. "How was that look? Was it believable?"

"Haha! Yes, yes it was. Why exactly are you practicing such an expression?" asked Hunter.

"I told you I was working on a way to get us out of MediVance. This is all part of the plan." Lara winked though her face was passive. "Your brother will be here shortly. I better leave. See you soon, Hunter." this time, it seemed her smile was genuine.

knock knock

"Come in." said Hunter.

Arron came through the door, a bright smile on his face. "Bro! Principal Drayton told us the great news! Grandmaster blademaster! At age 18 no less! Fucking awesome!"

"Haha! Thanks bro. So what brings you over? I was going to head out to find you guys for dinner." said Hunter.

"Well... about that... we had booked out The Archer & Blade. The crew is over the moon to have someone near their age breaking through to Grandmaster level. You're a big idol for all of us under 18 you know!"

"Haha! Is that so. Alright, let me get ready then we'll head out." said Hunter.

"Great! Ah, by the way bro there was a woman named Leisha Kingston who's been looking to meet with you. I had told her that the principal wouldn't let us disturb your training, but the news spread about your new title and she sent me a message saying she'll meet us tonight at the restaurant."

"Leisha Kingston?" asked Hunter. "I only know one Kingston so I guess we'll find out who she is later."

**********

Arron and Hunter met with a plethora of unexpected greetings from people as they made their way to The Archer & Blade. A not so unpleasant surprise was that a majority of these greetings came from female civilians and students of various ages.

"Damn bro. When I said news spread, to be honest I didn't expect it was to this extent..." said Arron.

"Neither did I." shrugged Hunter. "I guess it's just human nature to gravitate towards people with strength and power. Tsk. Now I'm forced to bear the burden of expectations."

"You can always ignore them you know." said Arron.

"If only it was that simple. We carry a family name renowned in the history of this place. Any success, whether it was mine, yours or Darell's is immediately dumped into a basket labelled Markell. I'm starting to wonder whether that had anything to do with Mom and Dad leaving to begin with."

The brothers continued to ponder this in silence, Arron realizing the truth in his brothers words as Hunter thought of polite ways to brush off future political maneuvering.

Lining the streets were banners with the words Sword Arts Tournament. As the brothers passed the numerous pop-up stalls selling arts and crafts related to the event, a familiar face called out.

"Hunter!" greeted Elaine Kingston.

"Oh hey Elaine! It's good to see you doing well. This is my brother Arron. Arron, this is Elaine Kingston." said Hunter as he made the introductions.

"I heard about your accomplishment and I'm very happy for you. Congratulations!" she said. "I was going to visit you at The Archer & Blade. I heard it's booked out for you."

"Haha! Thanks. Why don't you walk with us? We can go there together." offered Hunter. Elaine nodded, delighted to finally have the opportunity to spend some time with her saviour.

**********

The Archer & Blade was packed with people, most of whom Hunter didn't know. The restaurant was spacious, twice as big as The Gypsy's Lodge with dark polished wooden tables and chairs compared to the Gypsy's oak benches.

Arron led them to a large circular table on the upper floor of the establishment. His brother Darell was the first to greet him followed by Corbin, Gilman, Foxwell and his teacher Drayton. Hunter was hoping that his parents had returned to the academy in the Real World but knew how wishful that thinking was. After all, the day was just ending in the Real World while a month had already passed in Second Reality.

Hunter introduced Elaine Kingston to his friends and teacher, the name eliciting surprise from those present except for one person.

"Elaine. I didn't know you were going to be here." said Leisha Kingston.

"M... mom!?" exclaimed Elaine. "Wh... what are you doing here?"

An awkward silence dominated the room centered on these two women, one with curiosity written on her face and the other registering utter shock.

"That's what we're about to discuss until you three arrived. Please, everyone let's sit and toast to Hunter's advancement." said Leisha, signalling for the waiter to bring an extra set of cutlery for Elaine.

"Arron?" muttered Hunter.

"Yeah. Leisha was the one that booked this place out for you bro. Drayton didn't want to offend a Kingston for something as small as this so we agreed to go with it." whispered Arron as they picked their seats.

Counting from Hunter's left who was sat with his back to the window, the order of seating was Arron, Corbin, Gilman, Foxwell, Elaine, Leisha, Drayton and Darell. An empty seat remained between Leisha and Drayton and Hunter wondered who else they were expecting. They didn't have to wait long.

"Ah, good evening everyone. I'm so sorry, please forgive my tardiness." announced a man who was likely in his forties. He was tall, wearing a charcoal gray suit with an open shirt, his long hair brushed back and his face full of stubble.

"Hello dear." said Leisha, as she stood up to kiss the man. With linked arms, Leisha introduced him as Chadwick Kingston, her husband and Elaine's father. The group introduced themselves one at a time and one couldn't help but notice how Elaine's face had turned several shades of pink.

"You must be Hunter Markell." said Chadwick, grasping Hunter's hand in a firm grip. With his free hand on Hunter's shoulder, he said "You have my eternal gratitude young Markell, for saving my daughter. Consider this dinner party a small thanks on our part as her parents."

"Erm. Thank you Mr. Kingston, this place is great." said Hunter, glancing at Elaine. "I just did what was right, that's all."

Chadwick beamed at Hunter. "Modest. I like that. I also heard you've recently been made Grandmaster. For one so young, no doubt your potential surpasses even the greatest of blademasters in our history."

Dinner was a political affair. Arron was more clued in to the situation compared to Darell and their friends following the conversation he had with Hunter earlier. Chadwick spent most of dinner highlighting the achievements of the Kingston line with their business ventures.

He was crafty in his wording, hinting that Elaine was their oldest daughter and yet to marry. Being the oldest, she was next in line to inherit the business the Kingstons have been building, ready to enter the competitive markets of the outside world. Elaine sat in silence throughout the conversation trying her best to avoid being noticed.

Meanwhile, Leisha had taken a particular interest in Arron. She spoke to him of many things relating to his studies, introducing a name or two on occasion that could be of further help to him. Leisha steered the conversation towards his personal life and on finding that Arron was single, began to upsell the two daughters close to his age.

Drayton, having had enough said "Leisha, Chadwick, you need to give my boys some breathing room. We're here to celebrate the youngest Grandmaster ever recorded in our history! Come everyone, a toast to Hunter Markell." Drayton stood, raising his glass. He looked at Hunter and said "May his future be as bright as the stars and may his blades guide him to the road of a conqueror."

"Here here!" exclaimed the group as one.

**********

After dinner the group went downstairs, led by Chadwick Kingston. The rest of the evening became a blur of introductions, handshakes, names of people of importance and a not insignificant number of flirtatious females of all ages.

"Enjoy the evening Hunter." whispered Chadwick at his side. "This is but a taste of what it means to wield power.". Patting Hunter at the back, Chadwick left to join a table full of middle aged men and young women who were definitely not their wives. Hunter did not see Leisha or Elaine and thought that perhaps they had called it an early night.

He saw his brother Arron having a great time with Corbin, Foxwell and Gilman as they cavorted with some of the young women. Smiling, he decided to call it a night, the crowd and the noise losing his interest. Darell had since been taken back to the academy dorm by Drayton, too young to partake in the after dinner activities.

As he stepped out into the cool evening air, Hunter couldn't help but admire the stars dotting the sky.

"Beautiful isn't it?" said a sing song voice. Turning to the sound of the voice, Hunter was greeted by a young woman, black shoulder length hair framing her pale face.

"Hello Irene." smiled Hunter. It didn't escape his attention that she was particularly alluring under the light of the almost full moon. She had discarded her training gear for a plain navy blue dress that ended well above the knee, exposing a pair of slender legs.

"I was half expecting you'd stroll out of there with at least two girls." she smirked as she gestured towards the restaurant.

"Ha. I would have, except they weren't up to my standard. What about you? I didn't see you in there so you must have just arrived." he replied.

Irene stood in front of Hunter. "Why Hunter, I didn't know you'd look for me." she said, the faint aroma of whiskey on her breath. "If you must know, I was with a couple of good friends having a few drinks and toasting to your advancement. This place here isn't my type."

"Seems like you had a good time. Let me walk you back." he said.

"Such a gentleman." she smiled, linking her arm in his for support as she took unsteady steps. They walked down a road bare of lights but lined with pubs, shops and other restaurants. Turning at the intersection, a brighter stretch of road opened up ahead of them, shops and people crowding the street.

Their voices lost in the noise of Drakesfair Lane, Irene leaned into Hunter, whispering "Be careful of the Kingston family. They do not favour the Markell, the two family histories intertwining for god knows how long. Do ask the principal, he should know more.". Irene then kissed his cheek.

To other bystanders, the exchange was a simple display of affection.

**********

Hunter had not had the time to explore Drakesfair. Now that he was taking his time, he took a moment to drink the sights in. There were a lot of colourful displays featuring the latest in fashion (at least in the area). Most of these seemed to have been brought back by those that ventured out into the bigger cities of the Empire.

There were arts and crafts shops that sold replicas and models of the various beasts found in the wilderness. There were shops that specialized in clothing made of fur or leather as well as accessories made from beasts.

Along the way they passed closed shops and stalls, most of which were related to fresh produce or personal grooming. After twenty minutes of casual strolling, the two of them turned into the intersection at Ravensbrook.

"It's not much, but I have a present for you. You'll see it when we get to your place." said Irene. Hunter did not miss the 'we' in the sentence.

'Hmm. If it's Irene I wouldn't mind. Her personality reminds me of Katherina... and let's face it. I'm not exactly a saint.' he chuckled to himself.

As they both turned neared Hedge Side, Irene cast a distasteful look at the pines. Hunter noticed and asked "Do you know what happened to those men afterwards?"

"It wasn't long after that Chadwick and Leisha found out what happened. It seems that someone was witness to those guys pestering Elaine and had gone to inform them. By the time Kingston guards tracked those guys down, all they found was what you left of them. The didn't know where Elaine had gone.

It was a stroke of bad luck that they didn't die. Leisha attended to them here in Second Reality, long enough for Chadwick to locate them in the Real World. The Kingstons fucked them up bad and even though I don't disagree, it was one of the cruelest things I've ever had to see."

"I'm sorry you had to go through that. Are they..." said Hunter.

"Chadwick tortured them himself as he tried to find out where Elaine was. When they all confirmed each other's stories of a man saving Elaine, he thanked them, gutted them like sheep then strangled them with their own intestines."

'Definitely not a man to be crossed... Chadwick Kingston huh..' thought Hunter. As they turned into Hedge Side, Hunter's eyebrows jumped, all thought of the Kingstons dissolving into nothingness.

Irene smirked. "I told you you'll like it." She led him to the cottage. On the porch, two women stood waiting, wearing matching white skin tight outfits that enhanced the curves on their slim bodies.

"Hello girls." greeted Irene. "Hunter, this is Camilla Chalet." she said, introducing the girl with a dirty blonde hair and green eyes. "And this is Heidi Alers.". The girl with black hair and red bangs smiled.

"They're both in my class and we have a... special relationship." said Irene, her full lips forming a sly smile.

**********

'The Gods have blessed me tonight! Thank you for not having any fatigue penalties! Second Reality, I love you! Hu-ah!' thought Hunter as he imagined himself dancing in joy surrounded by angels.

Camilla exited from the bathroom wearing nothing but her lace underwear. She approached Hunter and wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him deep as she pressed against him. On the bed, Irene was in the middle of undressing Heidi, caressing her skin as she unwrapped her like a delicate present.

Hunter stood at the foot of the bed, Camilla looking up at him on her knees as she showed him her skills in handling not just blades. Her ministrations, to his surprise was ten fold better than Katherina's, whom he thought topped his list among the women he had slept with.

Camilla brought him over the edge within minutes and she made sure there wasn't any spillage.

"I'm impressed Hunter." said Camilla as she stood up. "Looks like you may be able to last after all." she said as she held his blade in her hand, still ready. Camilla discarded all that she wore and pushed him on the bed. He fell next to Heidi who was now making pleasured sounds as Irene busied herself down below, mouth between her legs.

Heidi pulled Hunter to her and kissed him deep, running her hands over toned muscles and across old scars. She looked at him with eyes full of need and lust, her one hand grasping Irene's hair as she moved her hips in rhythm.

Camilla interrupted their kiss as she straddled Hunter and he let out a gasp. Heidi shifted closer to Hunter, guiding his hand towards her chest which fit the palm of his hand perfectly. Irene moved up and Camilla replaced her ministrations with her fingers as she worked her hips in circles.

Irene knelt above Heidi's face as she faced the foot of the bed. On all fours, Irene reached back down to relieve Camilla of her duties and focus on Hunter. Heidi held onto Irene's waist as she pulled her closer, returning the favour.

The sheer amount of excitement in the room pushed Hunter over the edge a second time but this time Camilla didn't stop. She rode faster, nails clawing red marks across his chest as she threw her head back in a loud scream of pleasure.

Panting, Camilla raised herself with shaking legs, sweat glistening all over her body. She tipped Irene's head upwards and kissed her.

"Your turn babe." said Camilla as she took a position below Heidi.

Irene crawled over the bodies and straddled Hunter, leaning close to say "Everything I am, is yours. Everything I have, is yours. I give it all to you for saving me from a fate worse than death." she said as she kissed him, her eyes burning with unrestrained lust. "Now fuck me. Don’t keep Heidi waiting."

It was the longest and most memorable night of his life. In her own corner of the NET, Lara absorbed and recounted every detail.

**********

Hunter didn't want the night to end but it did. The sensations were no different from the Real World and it was impossible to impregnate a woman in Second Reality. It was absolute perfection. As he got dressed, he looked at the sleeping faces of the three women entangled in three pairs of arms and legs centered on Irene.

'It's going to be impossible to meditate here.' he thought, torn between following his master's instruction and jumping back into the bed. 'I guess we'll end this month where it began.'

Heaving a sigh as he took one last look at the bundle of temptation, Hunter left the cottage and headed to the cliff side. It was still early morning, the sun's light only beginning to scatter the darkness. As he reached the cliff side, the sun was just peeking over the horizon.

Sitting cross legged with his sword at his side, Hunter faced the sea, breathing deep as he closed his eyes to meditate. It took him some time to push the memories of the nights activities to one side as he focused on bringing the shattered pieces together.

He recounted his latest sparring session with Drayton once more, this time comparing his teacher to each past training instance dating back from the first day they sparred. He paid close attention to the changes in Drayton's movements until he was able to determine that he could visualize a stronger version.

Pitting an imagery of himself against his visualization of Drayton, Hunter began to apply his new found insights into this instance. He pictured how each muscle would move his limbs in a specific way. He saw how the strength of his grip combined with minor adjustments to the angle of the sword's approach lent his strike more speed.

He felt the instance of his foot making contact with the ground and he gained an understanding of the perfect moment to change directions, increasing his agility. He listened to the wind and gained some insight into predicting where an opponent's strike may come from.

From dawn until dusk, Hunter meditated.

Hunter had reached the early stages of understanding nature and the part they play in combat. He was now attuned enough that he was able to discern an individual standing some distance away from him. Unfortunately, his level of understanding does not yet give him the ability to deduce the identity of this person.

"Hunter." said Drayton as he walked towards him. Hunter opened his eyes and with slow, even movements, stood to greet his teacher.

"Master." he bowed.

"If I'm not mistaken, you have entered the early stage of understanding nature. Otherwise, you would not have noticed my presence." said Drayton, a warm smile on his face.

"Yes, how did you know?" asked Hunter.

"Your aura. It has shifted slightly. Have you noticed?"

Hunter took a moment to look into his aura. He had been so preoccupied visualizing his sparring sessions that he had forgotten to check it. His aura was still wild, violent and uncontrollable but there were hints of smoother, calmer edges. They were few and far between, but it was a good start.

"Continue doing this type of training. For the moment, I have nothing new to teach you in terms of combat until you have reached an acceptable level of refinement. You do need to learn more about history as understanding the past will arm you for the future." said Drayton.

"That... reminds me. Master, why do the Kingstons not favour the Markells?"

"Ah. That. I won't ask you who told you, but yes that is true. I don't know the details as to why this has been the case since time immemorial. What I can tell you is why the current head of the Kingston family doesn't favour yours."

"Chadwick Kingston? What's my family got to do with it?" asked Hunter.

"Long before your father and your mother left the Institute, the two most brutal fighters were Darron Markell and Chadwick Kingston. Like your father, Chadwick held the title Emperor of Blades which he gave up when he decided to pursue business ventures to grow Kingston beyond this place.

Like your father, Chadwick was in love with Lashell. She was attracted to both of their strengths and brutality in combat. Your mother was everything both men wanted in a female. She was equal to them in savageness when the situation warrants it and she is not afraid of a good fight. She is also extremely protective.

In the end, Lashell chose to marry your father instead. Chadwick challenged him and lost, solidifying your father's stature as the top Emperor for the Institute. When Chadwick continued to challenge Darron, Lashell stepped in.

Lashell gave Chadwick one condition. If he won, Lashell would renounce her marriage to Darron and join the Kingston family. If she won, then he will stop his pursuit of her, cease all hostility against the Markell and give the family the respect they deserved.

As you know given you're here, your mother won. That's how she received her title of Empress of Blades. Lashell never believed that Chadwick would honour the condition, so she persuaded Darron to leave. " finished Drayton.

Hunter was at a loss for words. His parents had never shared the details for their leaving the Institute. At the very least, they had never told him the truth. For her mother to beat an Emperor when she herself would only have been at best peak stage Master level at the time was incredible.

‘I always knew Mom was the scarier one...’ thought Hunter as chills ran down his spine.

"Come. Let's not dwell on such things for now. We can speak more about it after the tournament. It will start early morning tomorrow so you need to be ready. The conditions will be revisited by the referee so you'll know everything you need to know then." said Drayton.

Hunter nodded to his teacher. "I'm ready."

**********

Author’s Notes

We're looking at around 4 chapters for the tournament (best estimate). I had to split Day 1 into 2 chapters otherwise it would have been way too long for one sitting. Expect the release tomorrow :)

-Harven