Prince of The Abyss

Iris let out a heady breath as her hands trembled on her wooden blade. Her delicate skin had gotten roughed up by the wood; it was one of the first times she had ever touched the blade, and the first time she had used it so much.

Tightening her hands around the hilt, she raised the blade, the weapon moving in the air, before leaping forward to strike the training dummy, but the moment it touched the dummy, it got stuck there. There was no grand reason; she just didn’t have the force in her arms to continue the attack.

Sighing, she let go of the blade, falling to her knees as she recovered.

Looking around, she saw a man sitting in a chair nearby; he was supposed to be her teacher. He was a great swordsman from another Kingdom, but for the whole training session he just slept.

She had to beg her father to finally get her a trainer, someone to help her learn the blade, and the only reason he even accepted was that he had been caught up in something and hadn’t realized it.

But since he had already made the promise, he couldn’t go back on it.

"Um, excuse me, sir?" Iris said, getting up to her feet and walking with her hands behind her back to the man. She was a bit nervous, since he was a bit strict from what she had seen, and actually pretty rude, but she needed to do something.

Hearing her, the man opened his eyes with a very evident, annoyed groan as he turned his head to her. "What do you want?" He said, frowning.

Iris staggered a bit, scared not to anger the man. "I just... wanted to ask if you could..." She paused, hesitating to say the last part. "Actually train me?"

The man stared into her eyes for a good time before bursting into laughter, slapping his knee from amusement. "You’re joking, right?" He said, wiping the tears from his eyes. "Why would I? I get paid, and if you tell your father about it, he won’t listen since he’s too busy with the whole Wonderland expedition that has gone silent."

Finishing his laughter, he leaned back in his chair, turning his head away from her and towards the ceiling, and closing his eyes. "Now, I will go back to sleep, so please, just go do whatever."

Iris opened her mouth to argue, but she knew there was no point in it. So she just walked back to the dummy, grabbing her blade from the ground. The long blade was in no way her style of fighting; she had no idea how to hold a blade with two hands, and when using one, her balance was way off, and it was actually a bit heavy.

But it wasn’t like her ’master’ would ever notice it since he didn’t seem to even care at all. His style wasn’t even with the longblade, so she had no idea why he was making her train with it.

But the bad part was that he... was right; she couldn’t do anything about it, even as the princess and Vessel of Praise. Her father had way more important stuff to do than hear her complain about her trainer that he had spent time and connections getting.

After all, from what she had heard, since her father didn’t want to tell her anything and she had to sneak around to find out about things, the expedition had... not gone so well. From what she knew, none of those with communication affinities were responding, and when he had sent someone, connecting some relic to him to see whether he was alive or not.

He had died two days into it...

There had been a lot of panic at that moment... after all, if the one they sent had died in just two days, then how many were left? Months had passed... so just how many had lost their life inside that place.

And why?

They were preparing for another test soon, but she didn’t know anything about it.

...

She was a bit sad... after all, she felt as if she could be helping the people inside Wonderland; her powers could probably have been really reliable... but it came back to the same thing... she couldn’t defend herself.

It was the reality she had dealt with since she had awakened; she had always been the supporting role, the one that had to be protected... and really... she hated it... which was weird, since she didn’t enjoy hating things; she didn’t consider it a good thing.

She didn’t like hatred.

But lately, it had been growing stronger and stronger.

...

It felt as if people were looking down on her because of her personality... which she just didn’t understand why... she had always wanted to be nice to others, so that way they were also nice to her, to make friends, and help whenever she was needed... but it felt as if people were taking advantage of her when they needed her, and then abandoning her.

...

Every winter or summer now, outside Orion, her party members changed; none ever spoke to her again, while acting like best friends before. She had never thought about it, considering that she had just let them down...

But was she really that useless to let everyone down... she didn’t think so.

...

So then... why? Why did everyone feel as if they were just taking advantage of her? Was she imagining it? She was... right? I mean, why would they? She had been nothing but nice to them.

It wouldn’t make sense.

...

Looking at the blade, she clenched it before throwing it on the ground and leaving.

...

Once returning to her room, she jumped on her bed, staring at the ceiling... she was too exhausted to continue training, and it wasn’t like hitting a bunch of sacks with a wooden blade was going to make her learn to fight and survive... well, she knew that a lot of people did start from it, but that blade was not meant for her.

And she had tried to get another, but it never happened.

Sighing, she put her arm over her face, blocking her sight, but as she did, she heard a voice.

"You look quite troubled, my child."

Iris smiled as she heard it, recognizing the voice instantly. Moving her arm away and turning around, she saw a being made out of pure light on its knees near the bed, looking at her; she felt nothing but care in how it was looking at her... and truly.

Praise was one of the people that she cared most for, and she knew that it also cared for her; it has always been like a second mother to her.

Her own mother... was a bit weird. She was alive, but didn’t like living inside the castle, not even in the third ward. She had to go and visit her when she wanted... She had no idea why she didn’t live with them; her father never told her... but she knew that Keres knew, but didn’t want to tell her, since he had accidentally slipped out one time.

...She was nice, but they didn’t spend that much time...

But at least Praise was with her.

"I’m fine... It’s just that it feels like I’m doing everything I can to help others and be nice, and it hasn’t gotten me anything... it... annoys me, and I don’t know why..."

Praise chuckled, tilting her head, while her hand moved to move a strand of Iris’s hair away from her face. "I see... You think they don’t see your worth? That your title as Vessel of Praise isn’t taken with the weight it’s supposed to be taken with?"

...

Iris shook her head. "Not really...

It’s hard to explain, since I really don’t understand myself why I’m feeling this.

...

I’ve always tried to be nice, to be the kind of person, a friend, to help others in need, to be there when people needed... yet it feels as if people don’t take me seriously at all, but rather as a support they can get to help them for some time and then forget. People know I can’t argue with them or fight back, so they just do what they want.

...

It feels like I’m too nice... but at the same time, that is what Praise is... being a symbol for the people, and I’m trying hard to be that."

...

Praise sighed, getting up on its feet. "I understand." It chuckled. "What a precious child you are... you’re too kind for your own good.

...

Seriously.

I won’t deny it; Praise is a symbol of hope for many, someone who is considered caring and Kind, and that is true...

but... Iris.

...

You aren’t Praise.

You are you, no one else. You can be your own person if you wish; you don’t have to follow what I was... I’ve given you the freedom to act of your own accord, to do whatever you wish, and become whoever you want."

...

"You have the potential to be someone great... as ironic as it is.

The thing that sets you back.

Is your Kindness."