Canto della Malattia

  Aria clenched her fists in frustration. She had fought countless mages, overcome hardships, and spent her whole life dedicated to the sword. Yet despite all the trials she had faced. Mages, battlefields, and even a fight with her father couldn’t compare to her challenge today… Today Aria Corvo had found something truly unbeatable.

  Why did I have to get sick!?

  Aria looked at the thermometer again. 38°C. The number taunting her as it was just one degree above normal. One degree higher and she had a runny nose and was constantly cold, then hot, then cold again. This is humiliating! Aria fell back onto her bed in frustration. She was supposed to be out in the field on a surveying mission, but multiple medics had deemed her unfit to leave.

  Mary soon arrived with some soup for her to eat. “You need to eat something, my lady… You can’t expect to heal if you keep pacing like a maniac.”

  “I should be out there fighting,” Aria mumbled, her voice like that of a frustrated child forced to watch her friends play from behind a window. Mary let out an exasperated sigh. Aria was being unreasonable about getting sick. “I’m sure even your father has been sick at least once.”

  “That doesn’t sound like him,” Aria said quickly. She had never seen her dad sick, so it was probably impossible for Nicholas Corvo to even get sick in the first place. Looking at the red broth and pasta in the bowl, Aria recognized it with a childhood nostalgia. Mary had made her minestrone.

  “Thanks for this, by the way,” Aria said softly. Mary checking on her like this brought back memories, a small semblance of their old life before the war resurfacing.

  Mary grinned cheerfully at Aria’s words. “Of course. We’re still friends, even if you are technically in charge of me and everyone else.” She placed a satchel on the bed. “The rest of your cavalry sent letters for you.”

  Aria perked up as Mary emptied a small pile of envelopes onto the bed. Each one varied in color and stamp, and even at a glance, Aria could already guess which prominent member had sent which. “This one’s from Marco.” Aria picked up the orange envelope and unfolded the neatly creased letter. Mary said nothing but watched intently, curious to see what Marco had written to Aria.

  Hey L.T.,

  Hope you're doing well. Despite being down one member, our excursion’s been pretty uneventful so far. Hard to say where the Albion forces are, if they’re even still in this part of the mountain. As of writing this, we haven’t engaged with any troops. Odds are, they’ve already moved on.

  Hope you feel better!

  – Sincerely Private Marco Leone, 48th Calvary of Easenna

  Aria looked through the various photos Marco had included in the envelope. Most of them shots of the town they’d entered and candid images of her cavalry on the move. Most of them looked annoyed at the camera. Alexia and Lucien seemed unbothered, while Elaine was the only one smiling cheerfully.

  “They seem to be doing well,” Aria mused. She picked up another letter, this one folded neatly in pink paper. Elaine had written it, her handwriting being the neatest of the group’s and easily identifiable.

  Dear Lieutenant Corvo,

  We’ve arrived in the area our intel suggested Albion might be. As of writing this, no progress has been made, but that hasn’t stopped the rest of the group from staying busy. I’ve never been to the northern parts of Easenna before, so it’s been pretty interesting.

  I imagine you’d feel right at home here, considering your home region is up north too. I really like the warm coats and different styles of clothing people wear here. After the war, I might even consider settling here instead of staying in Selenia.

  Anyway, I’ll try to convince Lucien to let us bring back some souvenirs, or maybe some food. I promise to find something for you before we leave!

  Get well soon! – Elaine Sale

  Aria smiled faintly at Elaine’s rather wordy letter. She imagined Elaine had sat at whatever table she wrote it on for quite a while, carefully trying to detail their trip. Aria could easily picture the rest of the cavalry growing impatient, or telling her to hurry up and finish. The next letter was folded in orange paper. The envelope was plain white, simply marked Alexia, with Victor written beneath it in the same sharp handwriting. Aria could immediately tell Alexia had written both names herself.

  Hey Aria! Sorry you’re sick and can’t travel with us for this mission. I imagine the others probably filled you in on the actual details. As for how everyone’s doing, Marco insisted on taking pictures of the different buildings in the town along with the plants of all things. I think as leader you should put a ban on his camera so he’d focus on navigating us… Anyway Elaine is dragging me around to buy clothes which would be fun if not for the fact she’s having me and Lucien cover the costs. Speaking of that, he’s as serious as ever but he might appreciate you being here too, he’s a total sweetheart when he isn’t brooding and moody! Victor refused to write a letter but he wishes you to get better, probably so he doesn’t have to work as hard in the field. He’d write it in a letter like the rest of us if he wasn’t a d***

  Anyways I imagine you're probably resting or something. Try to drink water and not argue with your nurse since I imagine Mary’s taking care of you.

  – Alexia

  Aria laughed at Alexia’s letter, earning a curious glance from Mary. “They seem to be doing well without me,” she said with a fond smile. She picked up the final letter for a moment before handing it to Mary for her to see. Both girls cracked a small smile as her second in commands letter simply read:

  Rest

  – Lucien DiAngelo. Sergeant First Class. 48th Calvary of Easenna

  “Did he really use an entire sheet of paper to write that...?” Aria muttered, containing her smile. Blunt and straight to the point. Typical Lucien. Still, her chest felt lighter after reading through the cavalry’s letters. Their words, however simple or silly, warmed her. She smiled to herself and gently placed the stack into her personal drawer, wanting to keep them as mementos.

  Looking over, Aria noticed a letter in Mary’s hand. She recognized the envelope's color; it was the same as Marco’s letter to her. Aria’s eyes narrowed as she saw a faint blush doting Mary’s cheeks. Strange...

  Dogs of War

  Aria, Lucien, and Mary wandered the streets of the city, searching for a dog. “I’m a swordswoman, not a dog catcher!” Aria grumbled, clearly frustrated. There had been no reports of Albion activity for weeks, and Major Regis had decided to send Aria’s cavalry on a “training exercise.” The real reason, however, was that his dog had gotten lost, and he’d requested their help to find it.

  “Lucien, why can’t you find it?” Lucien glared at her from under a milk crate in an alley. “Why do you think I’d be good at it?” he asked dryly, clearly unimpressed by the task at hand.

  Aria hummed for a moment, not finding anything at her end. “Well, you guys are called the dogs of Easenna...” Lucien threw a wooden box at her, which Aria effortlessly sliced through with a constructed knife made of teal aura.

  “We are The Wolves of Easenna,” he corrected. “Shall I call on you to catch birds, then? After all, you are called The Ravens of Easenna,” Lucien continued, mimicking her tone in a childish manner.

  “I imagine spotting a bird would be easier than finding a single dog in the city.” Aria ignored Lucien’s mocking, continuing her search. Mary let out a sigh, watching the back-and-forth. These two were still fighting, despite the progress they’d made over the past few months. It was hard to believe they were high-ranking military officers when they acted like schoolchildren.

  “You two could pretend to get along,” Elaine suggested, her purple hair tied back in a low ponytail. She’d happened to come to the alley where Aria and the others were searching.

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  The rest of the cavalry was spread throughout the city, all on the hunt for the lost dog. Despite this, Mary was starting to understand their pessimism.

  She glanced at the photo again. The major's dog was a small creature with curly white fur. Hardly the easiest to spot in a bustling city. Mary turned a corner, and to her shock, the dog was right there. She froze for a moment before pulling out some food to coax it closer. The little dog approached cautiously, sniffing the air before letting Mary pet its head.

  “Hey, I found…” Mary started to speak but was stopped. As she turned around to see Aria and Lucien arguing again. This time, Aria was convinced she’d have a better time searching from the rooftops, while Lucien argued that being on the ground made the most sense. “You’ll be lower, so if it’s hiding somewhere, you’ll see it,” Lucien reasoned, his tone firm.

  “If the dog’s moving, you’d have a better range looking from above,” Aria countered, not backing down.

  Mary and Elaine stood off to the side, watching in mild amusement. They both wondered how long it would take before Aria and Lucien realized they had already found the dog.

  Colori dell'Amore

  “There are colors we can’t see?” Mary’s face lit up as she and Marco were out on a date. There was downtime between assignments, so the two were finally able to spend time together. Marco beamed as they clasped hands, closing his eyes as he used his Spell Art. His brown eyes turned a blue-purple color.

  “Yup! There are a lot of colors most people can’t see. I can only see them because of my Spell Art, but even then, it’s a lot to process. It’s sort of like going from wearing sunglasses to taking them off in a sunny area, an overstimulating experience.” Marco had an amused smile as he pointed to the sky. “I stopped naming them since there are so many different colors, and it messes with your perception after a while.”

  Mary hummed in thought before something occurred to her. “So, do I look different when you use your ability?” she asked, curious.

  Marco looked at her for a moment before deactivating his ability. His eyes returned to their normal color.

  “Yeah. I can’t really describe it, though… It's like trying to explain colors without a reference. Like you’d say roses are red or the sky is blue. I can’t do that because nothing compares to them.” Mary slumped slightly, disappointed by the answer. Marco gave her a warm smile. “But I do think you have my favorite color.”

  “Oh?” Her mood brightened slightly as Marco planted a chaste, loving kiss on her lips.

  “I’ll call it ‘Mary,’ since that’s the best way to reference it.” Marco reached into his pocket and pulled out a small red box, neatly wrapped with a decorative star-shaped bow. “Happy Saints Day, by the way.”

  Once a year, to celebrate the start of spring and to honor the various saints, Easenna observes Saints Day. Alongside religious festivities, the holiday is also a time for couples to exchange gifts and express affection through flowers, chocolate, and other tokens of love.

  Mary’s face lit up as she tenderly accepted the gift, slowly opening it to preserve the wrapping. Inside was a gold necklace adorned with a pink gemstone. “It’s beautiful!” Mary gasped, stunned by the gesture. “How could you afford it?” She lifted the necklace, watching as the gemstone’s chroma shimmered in the sunlight.

  Marco rubbed the back of his head. “I saved up for it.” I don’t think she’d accept it if I told her it’s an heirloom… He knew Mary would love it as a gift, but knowing it had belonged to his grandmother might overwhelm her.

  Later that day, Mary was walking through the Easennian quarters when she spotted Aria. Her necklace was still clasped around her neck.

  “Hey. You seem happy,” Aria said with a wave.

  “Marco got me a gift!” Mary nodded enthusiastically, then noticed the items in her best friend’s arms. In Aria’s arms was a box filled with letters, chocolates, and various small gifts. “Looks like you’ve gotten something too. Maybe a secret admirer perhaps?” Mary teased only to see Aria’s confused expression.

  “People have been giving me stuff too; both from our platoon and even other divisions. Chocolates, flowers… someone even handed me a sword,” she said, brows slightly furrowed. “I’m not really sure why, but if I had to guess, it’s probably to thank me for being a good leader?” Aria shrugged, unaware that these were all romantic gestures meant to win her affection.

  Mary sweat dropped slightly as it dawned on her that Aria was completely oblivious to how many admirers she had. For how much my mom talks to me about courting and boys, how can she be this oblivious!? Mary sighed as Aria handed her some chocolate, though it seemed like she had pounds of it now.

  “You know it’s Saint’s Day, right?” Mary said, still processing how clueless Aria was about all the attention. She graduated from the military academy, taking classes meant for adults and she’s THIS clueless about boys?

  “Is it?” Aria looked perplexed by the revelation, quickly checking the calendar on the wall and confirming that it was indeed Saint’s Day. “So that’s why he gave you a necklace...”

  Mary glanced at the pile of letters and gifts in her doorway for a moment. “Do you want me to do anything with all this...?”

  Aria hummed for a minute before shrugging. “Burn them? I barely know these people, so why would I date someone I don’t know? I do appreciate their gifts, though, and I’ll eat the chocolate they gave me.”

  “That’s really cruel, Ari…” Mary deadpanned. Maybe one day Ari will understand how nice it is to be in love with someone...

  As she watched Aria hang up the sword she was gifted, Mary couldn’t help but think it would be after Hell froze over at this rate…

  Piume Estive

  “Where’s the lieutenant?” Lucien sighed. After winning a hard-fought battle against a Mage Corp squad, the rest of their team had been stationed in a beach area on the eastern coast of Easenna. Aria had been summoned earlier by some higher-ups, so the cavalry hadn’t seen her in a few days. Marco, wearing a short-sleeve white polo and cargo shorts, joined Lucien along with Mary.

  “I don’t know how you can wear a fur coat in this heat...” Marco looked at their second-in-command, almost impressed.

  Lucien shrugged. “It isn’t that hot.”

  “I think you're just doing it to try and look cool,” Alexia teased, walking over with a gelato in her hand. They weren’t on duty at the moment, so they were allowed to wear civilian clothes for once. She wore a red short-sleeve blouse and a dark skirt.

  Lucien’s eyes narrowed at the comment. “I don’t try to look cool,” he mumbled, clearly embarrassed.

  Alexia gestured lazily to the various civilian girls staring at him. “Tell it to your fan club, Lucien…”

  “Alexia has a point,” Marco chimed in. He’d never seen Lucien without his coat or military uniform, except for training or when washing up. “You could dress informally for once.”

  “I think you look fine, Lucien,” Elaine said with a cheerful smile. She was wearing a white summer dress and holding a decorated parasol. “At least you're wearing clothes…”

  “It’s too damn hot to wear anything more!” Victor retorted, wearing only shorts and an open short-sleeve shirt that showed off his toned physique and abs.

  I think he just wanted an excuse to show himself off… Alexia thought flatly, a sentiment quietly shared by most of the squad.

  “Hey Mary, have you seen Aria at all?” she asked, eager to steer the conversation away from Victor’s body.

  Mary tilted her head. “She’s right there.” Pointing behind them, the squad turned around only to freeze in collective shock. Sitting calmly on the beach was a girl with tan skin, dressed in a simple black-and-white bathing dress that reached her knees and covered her modestly. Aria had been quietly enjoying an orange sorbet the entire time.

  The squad quickly gathered around her, stunned by how different she looked. Aria’s long aqua eyes swept across their faces, clearly puzzled. “C-can I help you all?” She was slightly confused at being crowded around.

  “You look so different…” Elaine reached out, gently touching Aria’s cheek as if to confirm she wasn’t some stranger, much to the lieutenants embarrassment.

  Aria looked at them like they were being ridiculous. “Is it really that strange?” she asked, her face turning slightly red under their intense stares.

  “Of course. If not for the hair and eyes, we’d have assumed you were someone else,” Victor added, equally stunned. Those are literally the two most obvious features someone has! Aria glared at them as they continued to stare like she’d grown a second head.

  Mary sighed. “This isn’t the first time this has happened. Lady Aria and her family used to visit the southern regions of Easenna before the war. She’d come back tanned like this or sunburnt because she refuses to wear protection, saying it’s unnecessary.”

  “Can you please refrain from sharing embarrassing stories…” Aria mumbled, still under the gaze of her cavalry. The rest of her underlings looked thoroughly amused. Watching their normally cold and stoic lieutenant act like a regular teenager was a rare sight.

  “She seems normal for once,” Alexia teased with a smile. “It feels like we’re still just getting to know you, Aria.”

  “Hey, that’s right! It’s been about a year since Aria became our lieutenant,” Marco said excitedly.

  The squad paused, looking at each other as the realization sank in, Aria had been with them for an entire year now. “Time flies,” Lucien muttered, casually trying to swipe Alexia’s water bottle since he was overheating. Alexia swiftly dodged the attempt.

  “Feels like longer,” Victor said with a lazy shrug. “Hard to believe it’s been a year since we were happy.”

  “Be nice.” Elaine promptly kicked him in the shin. “It does feel like she’s been here forever,” she added with a softer tone.

  “We should take a picture to celebrate,” Aria suggested, surprising everyone. Usually Marco was the one to want to immortalize their lives.

  Lucien raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure you’re the same lieutenant?” he asked dryly earning a glare from Aria. Despite the sarcasm, neither he nor the rest of the squad objected. Marco grinned, already pulling out his camera. “Hmm… who should take it?”

  “I can do it,” Mary offered. “I’m not a soldier while Aria directly leads the rest of you.”

  “That’s silly. You’re still an important part of our group,” Aria countered, grabbing her wrist to pull her back in the group. “I’ll use my ability for it that way nobody is left out.” Setting the camera on the dockside, the members of Easenna's 48th Cavalry gathered around, faces bright with rare smiles. Aria activated [Composition] to trigger the shutter remotely. Sealing that moment of warmth, belonging, and quiet celebration, marking her first year as their lieutenant.