In Search of Eternity Chapter 12

Chapter 12:

“The battle at Cannae was the single worst defeat that the Romans had ever suffered in their military history. The Legion that had been sent to battle Hannibal had been destroyed, almost in its entirety.” I spoke, watching in some amusement as Tamamo looked over the crude boot shaped landmass that I had drawn out for her.

“How did the Romans respond? It appears that they had no way of fighting Hannibal.” She asked, turning her interested green eyes up to me.

“They elected as Consul a man named Fabius, who instituted a policy of avoiding open engagement with Hannibal, instead attacking targets of opportunity and retreating before the main army could arrive. This strategy of delay was hence named the Fabian strategy.” I spoke, pointing at the north of Italy, “Hannibal was fighting on hostile territory. The only supplies he could get were those he could steal or extort from the populace, meaning that his army would slowly run out of food the longer it existed as a singular entity.”

“I see.” She looked back down at the map, “The mountains he crossed were now a wall, keeping him contained.”

“Exactly,” I smiled, “With him in Italy, it meant that he was not in the front in Spain, meaning that the Legions there were able to acquire several bold victories against the main Carthaginian army.”

“A dangerous tactic, but clever.” Tamomo mused, sitting back and lifting her tea cup, taking a sip while staring at me in thought, “It surprised me that when faced with what seemed like an unstoppable enemy, the Romans did not surrender.”

“The idea was floated in the Senate, but the majority were of the mind that this was now a war for extinction. Whoever won this conflict, would be the undisputed master of the Mediterranean, the sea I told you about. With that, the other would be doomed to a slow, long death.” “ I shrugged, “Carthage was not thinking the same, so with one side fighting for survival and the other for mere victory, the motivation was higher on the side of the Romans.”

“I think I am learning a lot about how you think from your stories from your world.” She smirked, a knowing look in her eyes, “Talking about these great nations and Empires from the past, their military tactics and strategies, the battles they partook in… Did you know your eyes light up when you do so? You become so animated.”

“I enjoy history.” I replied, noncommittally.

“Military history in particular, I notice.” She probed, causing me to shrug, before continuing, “But what I find most interesting is you don’t talk about your own life. Everything I have learned from you with these discussions has been from how you discuss other topics, not yourself. Most curious, is it not?”

“I’m not that interesting.” I deflected, “I wouldn’t want to bore you.”

“I think I should decide for myself what is interesting to me or not, correct?” She tilted her head, before posing the question, “What was your profession?”

“Didn’t really have one.” I responded, gruffly, “I used to work in Data Science, looking at a lot of information and pulling useful conclusions from it, then building systems to do the same.”

“Used to? What happened?” She asked, interest shining in her eyes.

“I got let go for… Well, I wasn’t able to work there any more. Before I came here, I was teaching English.” I forwent specifying it was online, that what a whole discussion and of itself, “It’s a language in my old world, one that was basically the default for international communication, so it’s in demand for students to learn.”

“Hmm, interesting. There is much honour and fulfilment to be found in being a teacher, I’ve found.” She remarked, staring at my expression from over her cup.

Feeling uncomfortable, I merely hummed. Far from the noble pursuit she imagined, it was merely a job for me. I did it to make ends meet, not out of some great desire to be a teacher.

Instead of confirming her words, I decided to reply, “There are many that would agree with that sentiment.”

“But not yourself, I gather.” Far from being affronted she seemed to take it in stride, her gaze remaining as probing as before as she pressed, “What about a significant other? I notice that you never spoke of any such matters. Is there a missus Pendragon somewhere?”

Her voice was light as she posed her question, but my stated goal of courting her hung over the room as the words filled the air.

Fortunately, this had an easy answer, although it was not easy to speak about, “No.”

“Such a decisive answer. I sense a story behind it.” Her eyes sparkled, finding what she was looking for.

“There is one. But it’s not something that I will share with you right now.” I took a sip from my own cup, the cold tea allowing me to minutely distract myself, “It’s old news. Digging it up would do no good.”

“For such old, buried news, it still has the ability to make you almost crack my cup.” She observed, her eyes falling to my hand that was holding the handle of my cup.

Following her gaze, I noted that my knuckles were indeed turning white from the strength I was gripping the pottery. It must have been enchanted, because even without Dark Energy I couldn’t imagine treated clay holding up to the pressure my grip was imparting.

Letting out a long breath, deliberately loosening my grip, I looked to the Nine Tails across from me, “I apologise. I am not comfortable discussing this.”

“Hmm, Very well.” Her expression didn’t change, “In that case…”

Whatever she was about to say was stopped when a fox came briskly walking into the room, causing Tamamo to lean over and tilt her head in its direction allowing it to appear to whisper into her ear.

“Luka and Alice have left toward the Sabasa Desert. It appears he was successful in gaining Slyph’s power.”

“That’s good.” I sighed, “The closer things go to how they are meant to be the better for us.”

“Indeed. For now, we should begin preparing for our own travels.” Tamamo brought herself up into a sitting position, a strip of thin fried tofu appearing in her hand that she fed to the smaller fox, “Lother, be ready to leave by morning tomorrow.”

“Will do. Where are we going first?” I questioned, idly noting that I had so little possessions that I was actually to leave right now.

“We will be going to the Southern Water Temple.” Was Tamamo’s response.

“I’ll go and get prepared then. If you’ll excuse me?” I took the opportunity this offered me to make my leave, causing her to narrow her eyes at me.

“Very well.” She responded, “I will not forget this conversation, if that is what you are hoping for.”

I laughed wearily, “I didn’t think that for a moment.”

---SESESE---

I was awoken by the knock on my room door. Getting up, I moved to the portal, idly noting that my staff was within easy reach before I opened it, being surprised by the sight of Izuna, the four tailed Kitsune giving me an evaluating look over the tail she was using as a scarf.

“Lothar-san, I heard you are leaving in the morning.” She spoke, causing me to raise an eyebrow.

“That’s right. May I ask why you are here at this hour?” I was on guard.

I knew monsters delighted in stealing unattached men from each other, but I didn’t think Izuna would be bold enough to attempt to do something like that to Tamamo. Still, I was ready for anything, always being somewhat aware that these creatures were predators that preyed on humans.

“Before you left, I would be remiss as a warrior if I never tested myself against you.” Was her reply, moving to the side slightly to reveal the two wooden Katana that she was carrying.

“You want to spar?” I questioned, confused, “At this time of night?”

“It will be the last opportunity to do so before you leave with Tamamo-sama.” She answered, tilting her head, “Do you not want to?”

“No it’s fine, just a surprise, is all.” I responded, moving out of the room and closing the door behind me, before turning to my Kenjutsu instructor, “I trust you have a venue in mind?”

“I do.” She nodded in agreement, before turning and walking away, her back stiff, “I do not wish for this spar to be limited. I wish to test myself against you at your best.”

I was intrigued by this, “May I ask why?”

“I am better at Kenjutsu than you.” Was her reply, “Yet it is weird. There is something in my instincts that tell me that you are dangerous, that you are an enemy I should be wary of. I know you are trained in another sword style, but I have rarely felt this way, even from other Masters I have met before. I wish to discover the reason.”

“I see.” Was my response, “I suppose that you do not wish for me to use solely Kenjutsu?”

“You have your own style, your fundamentals are developed enough for you to take it further on your own.” She answered, “Use whatever you think best.”

“Very well then.” I accepted, “I will do so.”

---SESESE---

When she had asked Lothar to use his own style and not hold back, she was unsure what to expect. She knew that he preferred one handed swords, but was well trained in wielding two handed blades as well. The styles he used when she asked him to demonstrate some guards were an infuriating mix of familiar and completely unknown.

The man as a whole was like a piece of meat stuck in her fangs, refusing to be dislodged no matter what she did. She was better at the style Tamamo asked her to teach him, but she never once felt like she could defeat the man. At the same time, it never felt like he could defeat her. It was like a low, simmering undercurrent of a threat that never actualized.

It drove her mad. There was only one other person she had ever met who gave her the same feeling, of being completely unreadable but dangerous all the same, but it was almost blasphemous to think about that similarity.

It reminded her that no matter how well you perfected your sword arts, there were beings in this world who could equal or even surpass you in other ways all the same.

She watched as he bowed formally towards her, taking up the default guard, his katana extended to point straight at her. As always when she faced him like this, she could sense several openings and areas to attack, plans and movements being presented to her in an instinctual manner. Taking up her own stance after the bow, she chose the same stance, pausing as he shifted.

He turned the blade upside down, point still directed straight at her, but bringing his hands up to his head and to the side, as if he had just finished an upwards slash except with his arms held close to his body.

She was familiar with someone in this position, of course, but it had never been used as a guard against her. All the openings she detected before disappeared despite the seeming reduction in reach and coverage he had taken. His lower torso and legs should have been completely exposed in this position, yet something told her that was not the case. She could feel going for that opening would be a mistake.

Deciding to pressure him, force him to change his footing and make a mistake, she advanced, moving forwards and closing distance before pause. Lothar hadn’t moved his body, but something had shifted. His footing was the exact same, but her instincts warned that advancing further was dangerous. Narrowing her eyes, she did so anyway, realizing instantly what was happening.

He was controlling her with the tip of his blade, lowering it slightly as she moved closer. That should have reduced the danger, his thrust losing potency and point moving off of her, but it was also closing off attack paths, forcing her to decide whether to engage with his defence or strike the deliberate openings.

Deciding to test him, she took the bait, striking with impressive speed the side of his body that the blade wasn’t covering. Acting quickly, he stepped back, interposing his blade behind her own. Exploiting her own momentum, he pushed, winding her blade completely with the sudden added force, stepping back into her range as soon as his blade was in-between hers and his body, quickly rushing forward, attempting to control her blade while pressing his own into her.

Recognizing this technique from her own style, she countered, twisting and moving off centre from him instead of backwards, dodging his edge and putting her in a position to strike back, she did so, grin she had unconsciously gained widening as her blade sliced through the air. He was ready, catching the weapon with his own, before he did something that surprised her utterly.

He took one of his hands off his handle and grabbed the back of her sword, just above the tsuba.

She was so shocked by the action that she was unable to react in time as he twisted his body, grip on her blade pulling her into him as he slammed his shoulder into her, the force driving the air from her lungs as he hooked his elbow over her hands and wrenched her weapon from her hands.

Her rump hit the floor, gasping from the impact.

“Sabers share the same weakness.” He spoke, smiling down at her, “Only a single edge. It’s why distance is so important, but I noticed that Kenjutsu has a lot of attacks that bring you close to your opponent.”

“So you exploited the technique that you had learned from your old weapon.” She said, voice still breathless, staring up at this man that had just bested her, “How did you know it would work?”

“Surprise.” He laughed, not mocking, but rather slightly self-deprecating, “You hold the Katana with two hands, if you were expecting it, then it wouldn’t have worked so well. Although, if I had failed to take the weapon, then we would have been wrestling from then on considering how close we were, not really sparring.”

As she looked upon his form, victorious, hovering over her with her own weapon in his hand, she idly thought to herself that she wouldn’t have minded that at all.

It would have almost made being killed by Tamamo afterwards worth it.

Her lady really did know how to pick them.