Little Chilli

"Move and it'll be the end of you," Hubert said, hovering his sword, its blade over Aadish's neck, an open neck, where the sword was death. And death smiled. 

"Wa-wait!" he shouted, pleading, his eyes peered up, blinded by the sun that shone, revealing beautiful topaz stones that were his pupils. Glancing back and forth between the sword and Hubert's frown.

Behind Hubert. Dareon and Cassian stood, their fight suspended, as Aadish's fire burnt the edge of their uniform. But unaffected they were, as Dareon was a larger fire and Cassian a rock.

"Speak," Hubert urged, jerking his sword forward, the blade's end hitting Aadish's adam apple, so sharp that a drop of blood leaked from there.

"Yo-you! I-if anything happens to me, my father will avenge me!" Aadish threatened, unrealizing his position.

Hubert chuckled.

"Then go ahead, call him,"

"Pe-peasants! Dogs!" Aadish shouted, his eyes raged, raising his palm.

"Oh, no you don't," Hubert swung his sword.

And thus, the sword was baptized too.

Swoosh!

A single small thud followed, another soon accompanied. The thuds were so quiet that it was almost unheard of. But the effect was clear, as a blood curdling scream came after the two thuds.

"ARGH!!!" and blood spurted out from the cut.

"One for Dareon, another for me," Hubert mentioned, glancing over the cut off pinky finger and ring finger of the right hand, while at the same time, smirking, so wide that his mouth as if wanting to rip out.

"Hubert!" Dareon called from behind, shocked.

"Rules of the academy, article two of students infighting, competitions and rivalries. With this, we're on even grounds," Hubert, unminding of Dareon's words, mentioned as Aadish's scream continued.

Then he turned around as he slipped his finger into his chest pocket and grabbed a handkerchief out of his pocket. Then with a clean motion, he wiped the sword clean from the worthless blood that tainted it.

Before finally, sheathing it into the sword's scabbard as he passed the silenced Cassian that watched with wide eyes and clenched fist.

"Let's go, Dareon," Hubert cued.

Dareon, with eyelids flickering on and on, and pupils that trembled, heeded Hubert's command. The two then walked toward the exit of the place.

"Hu-Hubert," Cassian called just as he was one step away from the alleyway's exit.

Which prompted Hubert to turn around, staring then at the eastern young man.

"The baron won't forget this," Cassian said, his voice mingled with countless expressions of rage, anger, wrath, worry, and fear.

But Hubert had seen through him.

"Then let him come," Hubert said as he left the place, stepping over Henter who lay unconscious on the ground beside his path.

The sun lasted longer that day. Each passing hour was like an infinite moment of reflection for him, Hubert, as he hid himself deep in the woods, near the stream of water. Usually used as a bathing place or a relaxation spot by the students.

Sword on his laps as he sat on a log, sheathed in its scabbard, as he glanced at it, then at the water, blanky. His finger was shaky, and his pupils troubled, as were his breathings so irregular that he couldn't keep his throat from shivering.

He knew what he did was wrong, cruel, striking down an incapacitated person, something that wasn't allowed in his book of morals. But now, he felt relieved, it was wrong, but he also knew it was wronger to not do so.

After everything that led up to that moment. Hesitations and morals were like a weak stretch of wall in the face of a crumbling mountain.

Though his peace was soon disturbed.

"Leave," he muttered in his moment, realizing another had come to the place.

"This place is reserved for today," continuing, as he thought of the flocks of students that came before this one, and the one that came before it too.

"Why did you do that?" instead, a soft voice greeted.

He stood and turned around, clenching his sword, another hand on its handle, ready to unsheathe it at any time. But his expectation was betrayed, the presence of the flock turned out to be of a single stature.

Short, with eyes that are energized and tired at the same time. Brows that are as relaxed as her whole facial muscle. A cap of light green and farmer pants of the same color. In her hand, a short wand of teaching.

"Third… hall master," stumbling over his words, he relaxed his sword.

June.

"Bold idiot," she said, taking a step forward, a little and puffy step, like a jumping bunny.

"I-idiot?" Hubert echoed, shocked by the title he was given.

"Yes, you. Bold idiot. A little privilege was given to you. And you act like the king of this place?" June exclaimed, taking another small step forward.

"Pardon, third hal-,"

"Skip the formalities. I have no more business here than confronting you," she said out loud, though it was clear, it wasn't rage that was in her voice. "If only that bald buffon followed with his duties as head of behavior reinforcement rather than throwing so at me,"

Hubert sighed, knowing the berating was in its way.

"What do you think? Idiot," she asked, stopping right in front of Hubert. A hand on her slender and slim waist, like one of a children, and another holding the wand that pointed at Hubert.

"If it is my mistake, I-,"

"If?" she interrupted.

"It… is my mistake, hall master," Hubert corrected.

"Then?"

"I will stand by any punishment given to me," Hubert stood his ground, eyes firm and looking forward.

"Punishment? You're missing the s there. King of this place, an idiot, Hubert Gubert, that's what you think you are huh?" she barked a little louder.

"Forgive me, hall master," Hubert took the beating straight into his heart.

"Huh. You are more clueless as that mercenary boy, friend of yours, was in the start, huh?" she mentioned.

"Dareon?" Hubert questioned.

"At least he knew of the political situations that were brewing in the kingdom," she threw her face to the side, praising Dareon, while at the same time, spitting on a stupid idiot.

"The south…?" Hubert dragged his words, wondering of Aadish's background. One he was knowledgeable of.

"Bla bla bla. Tianna told me of what she taught you. But I don't believe that she would be that stupid to not teach you of what the realm is on," she exclaimed, crossing her arms then as she placed her tiny figure atop a log, sitting. "Sit here," 

Hubert answered her words by silence as he obeyed her order.

"Those worms are coming, and they are coming fast and quick, just like how they've always been. And you," she pressed her tone as she clenched her tiny fist, "You single handedly gave them a reason to send their worms here,"

"Me?" Hubert wondered the consequences of his actions.

"Ugh. Veronica told me of how detached you are from knowledge. But you're no more than a maggot at this point. What you did, cutting of two fingers of the next in line of the vice grandmaster position of the order, that one of all orders, strongest in the south," 

"First, you cut off his way of sword, the pinky pinky fingers. I'm no sword master myself but at least I've come to know that it is the most important finger for a swordsman," she raised her small right hand, then pointed at the little finger.

Then her point changed to the ring finger.

"Then, you cut off the best one for creating an alliance. Having a finger cut off is a shame, much less the one most important for their entire culture of having at least 3 rings stacked atop each other, each for each wife. And done, you did what you did, without a single thought of what you did. That's what made you…"

"An idiot," Hubert continued her words.

She stared at him, relaxing her hand as a small chuckle formed, though her brows were curved.

"Good. You've been promoted to a half stupid idiot, happy now?" she asked.

"But it wasn't my will. But the will of Tianna," Hubert retorted.

"You dare call your master by her straight name?" June asked, almost mocking.

"Master, I mean," Hubert fixed.

"I don't care what Tianna's will is, but at least think with the head above, not the one that stands on the end of your small little stick that's as soft as a mushed up banana on a good day," she scolded.

"Forgive me, hall master," 

"And you are not forgiven. I'm not like the sword dancer. I came here to confront you of your stupidity and how you'll make up for it, and possibly of your future. Bleak, as far as I can see," June said, as she stood up, then jumped over the log.

"I will do whatever is required, hall master," Hubert raised himself from the log too.

"Messengers loyal to the south have departed from Arcadia, the knight's headquarters. Keep your words and don't flee like a dog when those messengers come, bringing in with them, those miserable worms. And I assure you, they will come," she said, bidding, as she too left the woods.

"Yes, hall master," Hubert affirmed his decision.

"Idiot. Stubborn half stupid idiot," she called for the last time as her small stature disappeared into the shadow of the wood. As did the sun came down and the place was replaced by darkness.