I shoved a string of Ideas into our bond. Push in, and step back, then counter, that was the idea. But Temesia did not move.

Alison spun around on himself for extra show and sent Lili forward, not a word was spoken.

Temesia looked back to me. “Damn Spears.” I shouted, then sent an image of Temesia running after them. I had shoved to much information into that first order.

“Small!” I shouted and through our bond I sent the image of a whip, as three javelins of fire shot off one after another in quick succession. She rushed after them as Lili, light on her feet, dodged them without a ruffle in her feathers. The whip had formed and Temesia lashed at Lili, who flapped her wings and let the attack pass below her. “Plume!” I shouted and gave the image of fire growing up Lili’s legs, who at that time grabbed onto Temesia’s arm with her talons. Fire grew up her legs and onto the small white feathers above her ankles. Lili screeched and a gust of wind blew the fire into Temesia’s face and pushed her away. Temesia’s arm was scratched up but she simply licked the blood with a smile.

Lili kept on beating her wings, Alison mimicking her, probably without realizing it, and in the gust, as the sand picked up and hid her form, blades cut through. “Wall!” I shouted and the fire wall that rose stopped showed all the attacks and where they came from. “Concentrate Fire!” I knew it wouldn’t be enough to simply give it through the bond, so I played a little trick. I let her shout out small bullets of flame into the dust cloud but sent her an image of her taking a ball of flame and literally concentrating it into her hand and throwing it. “Gauntlet!” I shouted after a while. She rushed through her wall, bathed in yellow flame, her black hair shone as if bleached. She dove into the Dust cloud with her fist clad in a fire armor piece and inside of it she held the ball of deep orange flame. A wind blade cut her thigh and then another shoved her back. Lili was close.

Temesia looked around, yet I could tell she saw nothing, her eyes begun to tear up from the dust but she waited without a complaint. “LUNGE!” I shouted and sent and image of her diving and rolling to the side. She did and a white blade of wind tore through the air. The dust cloud got sucked in and suddenly Lili could be seen diving in from above. Temesia shoved her fist forward, but Lili bent her body as if she had no bones and dodged it. A beak of white shone attached to her face. But then the orb of fire exploded. It shoved Temesia down, and her legs buckled. Lili herself screeched and crrashed on the pit, before tumbling tens of meters closer to me.

Temesia was up, a Spear of fire grasped in her hands. The next moment she was over her, the spear pierced down but Lili who had been struggling to stand, howled at a pitch I could not hear and she incapacitated Temesia who’s spell broke apart and she held her ears.

Lili rose to a kick and spun, her talons dug into Temesia’s mid section and tore her belly open as she backed off half a breath too late. I gave her an order to cover her self in her tails and she did but Alison laughed as he had anticipated it, Lili took to the skies and dove down. “WALL!” I sent her an image of a fiery bubble surrounding her but Temesia only managed a patchy and bent, film of fire which Lily braved.

She hit the ground like a torpedo and the earth shook below me, a ripple traveled in the sand until the Arena’s walls trembled. {GRrrrrTonl!}

Temesia was on the ground hurt. I couldn’t even tell how much. I ordered her to push Lili with her feet but Lili just stepped back. An Idea fell into my mind, desperate as I was I sent it. A purple plume of smoke seeped out of Temesia and it grew to conceal her. She stood, battered as she was. Lili wasn’t having any of it. “Our own tricks won’t work against us.” Alison warned with a cocky smile and Lili turned to me. I felt her blood thirst latch onto me and I jumped as she took of right for me. She was too close, there was nothing I could do. “SHIT! NO!” I shouted to stop Temesia, but it was too late. A blade of pure wing cut Temesia from shoulder to waist. “AAHH!” She screamed in pain. “BURN!” I screamed over her pain, she was hurting, but I could feel her anger. She scorched her own blood till it turned to steam and her tails swept in from below, Lili jumped above them but that was what we wanted. A whip lashed out and wrapped around Lili’s neck. The winged Guai pushed with her wings, but it was too late. All three tails bunched up into one and the shone in a blue tinted aura. They pierced forth with sharpness that could cut through steel.

The Whip was torn apart by a wind blade at the last moment, a wall formed in front of her stomach but the tails pierced past it showing the difference in Tiers. Lili fell down and rolled away, her wounds, barely limiting her movements, and she called forth a rain of spears of wind to fall upon Temesia like the judgment of God. “SPIN!” I shouted too late, having thought the fight lost, not accounting for such a dramatic change in tempo. Too caught up in fixing my previous mistake.

Temesia did not listen, maybe it was my tardiness, but she had already focused elsewhere. She paitned her lips red, even as the spears approached she touched her breasts over her clothes, and put a hand over her vagina before sending Alison a Kiss. Her plume of purple seduction drilled into his nose, ears, and mouth, and he fell down in a heap of moans, his pants growing wet with cum. His moans the only sound in the whole courtyard.

Lili stood and cancelled her attack. I sent over an order to Temesia, she stopped the spell and remained still. Lili slapped her and turned back around to go to her Trainer, red faced, angry.

“This match is over, Andras & Temesia are Disqualified. Alison & Lili Win!”

Temesia teared up, she sent me an apology, even as he body trembled like an autumn leaf ready to fall from its branch. I grabbed her and hugged her tight. “That was a bad showing from me. No wonder you had to resort to using what was most readily available. You fought well Temesia, don’t worry about the fight, or breaking the rules. All right?” She nodded weakly. The Life Guai, a dryad like woman, with roots instead of feet, white hair fallen over her face, and little branches growing from random places on her body. She carried a pair of enormous breasts, from which she fed Temesia golden sap. She also did Magic that was not so incredibly sexy to heal her. Another Guai did the same with Lili.

Temesia soon fell into sleep. The blocks of marble which had been acting as borders, receded. Mareth came up to me, and Alison as well, ignoring the comments of the onlookers, who were causing a raucous, having just watched a pretty good fight by two beginners, and of course Alison’s humiliation.

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I wanted to just say my goodbyes to Mareth and return to my room. But they were both intent on talking. ‘It seems there is no rest for the wicked and the rule breakers.’

"You lost, and you broke the Rules as well. Shameful. You should testify for my brother’s innocence, as FairyCo would never tell the truth when it comes to the Gran-Dun Clan, and then sell your Guai to him as compensation. You ought to return to where you came from, because you are not made for this.”

"I won't attest for anyone's innocence. He did the crime, he threw away Frey to save his reputation. Frey, who is as fine a Guai as any with all the potential in the world. If anything, I think you and Trainer like you, and your brother, are in the wrong. You live in a world with Guai, and thus you consider them a given, it is only an otherworlder. Someone like me, who can have the right perspective to help Frey reach the pinnacle of all Winged Guai in the Realm.

"You speaking such statements goes to show your ignorance, your arrogance and your lack of talent as well. You know so little, that you could never hope to match up to those with so match, those that lack nothing, both in economic power, and brain power. Dumb idiot.

"Okay kid. Enough is enough. I am sorry for what happened with Temesia back then, it was my mistake. You won, so you should take it in stride, such things happen. I won't hear another word about your brother, or your silly, childish, racism. You have nothing to offer to the debate, you are just regurgitating what other’s have said around you.”

“What I will hear is some respectful words out of you. In one month, we will duel again. Doesn't matter where. I'll trounce you, it won't even be close. Are you game?"

I stood right up in his face as I set the challenge. I wasn’t about ready to back down at all. He may be young, a teen, but that didn’t matter. If he was to spew crap all the day long, then he should eat some as well, to see how they taste.

This was as much as to get the kid off my back as it was to set myself a deadline. I was going to use Alison for my benefit. A rival? An obstacle? Doesn't matter what category he eventually falls into. ‘All I know is that I was given a lesson I’ll take to heart today I’m gonna grow stronger, to become an S-Rank Trainer, and build my dream City, I will never lose again!’

At that point Mareth joined the conversation. He sent me a look of acknowledgment and spoke up. "Shall I record the challenge in the Log? A month from now it will be very close to the beginning of the league season. It will be a good final test for all those that want to participate. Just as a reminder. Coming First in the Bronze League, will allow one to Bypass the Challenge Quest and simply Upgrade to E Rank. The resources available to E Rank adventurers are much greater, yet the competition is harsh, and the drop off rate back down to F Rank is even greater.”

"You will. I'll be ready. I’ll take you on any time.” Alison did not look meek. He turned around and left, he took the comments of the others in stride, Lili took his arm and kissed him on the lips.

"You fought well for someone so inexperienced, despite losing by Rule Break. And you handled the aftermath better. Don't worry about Temesia, she will be fine in no time. The healer is a friend of mine, he took special care." Mareth told me as we were left alone.

"Well? I think this battle only went to show how far down I am. But from Zero you can only go up. I’ve been in worse situations in my life, less equipped to handle them. I have four gorgeous Guai with me, I’ll pull through. On a side-note, can I pass through you some Ideas that came to me during the Duel?” I asked.

"Go on." Mareth rubbed at his thin mustache with a coy little smile playing on his lips.

"Other than Bond Communication. I understand that there was another factor that I didn't know about in Trainer Battles. Focus. It takes focus, even for Guai, to use their spells and to make sure they land. Thus they concentrate only on that one particular move. I must be there as a second brain that takes into account the field of battle and decide what they should do next before they need to do it. I must see the tree and all its branches. I must be able to produce a chain of orders, that warp and change as the battle mutates into something different with each move made, and deposit that information through the bond in a concise manner at the precisely correct time so as to not boggle their minds."

"If I were to extrapolate further. I must be able to do the same for the opponent, predict what they will do and strike. Damn. I... Can't do that, as I am right now. I wouldn't even know where to begin."

Mareth's smile bloomed to his ears, Geran clapped.

"Excellent, perfect, absolutely correct. Both in the understanding the scope of a Trainer Duel, and in the knowing of your own limits. Do not despair, Andras, for you have three advantages." He lifted three fingers.

"One. You have a good head on your shoulders. Two. You have the willingness to learn, and to try, and to fail and to grow. Three. You have four Guai at Tier 1 and all the benefits that includes. From more opinions to take, more partners to train with, a variety of styles and types and aspects to learn, increased attributes and so much more."

"Huh... Come to think of it." I snapped my fingers and turned around. My eyes went straight to Mara. But I was stopped short. A man dressed in a tight black combat outfit and black military boots, with a flamboyant pink coat of feathers draped over his back and reaching all the way down to his ankles, an orange bandanna over his head standing straight as a razor and seeming as serious as if he wasn’t dressed weirdly in any way was there, in our midst. He did not look like someone who took well to jokes when on the clock.

"Are you Andras, a newly registered F - Rank trainer?"

"Ah." It was the punishment, the letter of complaint had arrived and I was about to face a world of hurt. Somehow the getup of this man made the situation seem even worse.

"Stroganov, Darling, Even if Andras did something.” He sent me a curious side glance. “Why did they get you to present him his punishment.”

‘Huh.’ I felt a little dazed.

"Cut that out Mareth, I told you not to call me Darling while at work. You’ll have to be punished later." A smile that was dipped in honey came over Stroganov. One that did not fit his wide set jaw, his nose straight as a sword, his thin lips, nor the scar running from his chin to his chest.

"I knew it was coming. My Guai told me, but I don’t know anything about it. How bad can it be?” I asked Mareth with a little worry. It seemed Stroganov was a man of high standing in the disciplinary unit.

“What did you do?”

“I punched my Client. Old Farmer Crocket. I also kneed him in the face, and Temesia pounded him into the ground. His arm broke, crushed under his own body. How bad is it?” I asked as I watched Mareth’s jaw fall further and further with each blow, as if he had been hit himself.

"WHAT?!" Mareth grabbed my shoulders and shook me. "Have you gone mad?!" Even those overhearing the conversation, which hadn’t been subtle at all, were shocked, they started murmuring to each other.

"He tried to take Temesia! Even when I told him we'd just bonded. I don't regret it Mareth. I just wish I could explain myself. Despite that, I'll accept whatever punishment there is to come. I should have read a rule book or something. I should have showed restraint. I could have run away.”

"Well said, Andras." Stroganov took my hand firmly. A very manly shake he had, the arm hidden under the coat of pink feathers proved to be thick in hair and muscle, his veins popped out of his skin and scars littered his sun dried forearms. "That's how a man should be. Now. Come with me. The Vice Head wants to talk with you, you'll get to give that explanation after all."

"Andras, take my advice, be honest, and forthright." Mareth made me look at him. He was being very sincere, I could tell from his eyes, which shone a black as clear as the sky on a hot summer night.

"That's what I planned on. See you another time Mareth, thanks for all you did today.”