Nala sat with her hands folded in her lap, gazing placidly at her party. Her party stared back at her, their expressions ranging from 'I can't believe what I just heard' to 'I REALLY can't believe what I just heard'.

"Well," Praetorian said, finally. "I see. Or perhaps I don't—could I just perform the swiftest of recaps? Keeping in mind that we have no merits, no equipment, the offensive capability of a retarded tortoise, and that we spend our days at this fine academy doing all that we can to avoid anything even resembling fighting ... you have entered us into the Bright Battle Tournament."

"Yes."

"The Bright Battle Tournament, where we will be placed in an arena with a selection of only the finest homicidal maniacs, unarmed and unable to do much more than whimper. Am I the only one seeing a flaw in this plan? The monster hunting mission, now that I'll give you, if it hadn't been for the rudeness of that bandit and his cronies we might have actually gotten away with that one. Can't we do something similar?"

"If a suitable mission becomes available. The tournament will be more reliable. Tactic merits have equivalent value to any other type, we can use them to buy equipment and to earn our graduation—"

"Again," Praetorian interrupted, "one small flaw, before you can spend merits you have to win them. How are we going to do that when most of us cannot attack?"

"I will have a plan."

"Your use of the future tense does not inspire confidence."

"Nala," Mist said, "are you sure about this? None of us can really afford any demerits—"

"Mm, no, that's not the issue here," Praetorian said. "Defeats in a tournament match—"

"That rule has changed," Nala said. "For the preliminaries, defeats will earn demerits. Protecting Tzugakk will be our highest priority."

"Yeah," Sly said, "okay ... look, I'm still not really up with all this—is this like the monster hunting thing? Like, go into the arena but we're gonna do something weird?"

"Our goal is to win."

"Okay, well ... okay, good to have that cleared up, I guess. Except like Praets said, it's not like we've got a lot of attack power or whatever—"

"Forget about that. Do what I tell you."

Amanda glanced stiffly around at the others, then frowned at Nala.

"When did you get so bossy?"

"Aha," Praetorian said. "Let's just ... put everything else aside for the moment, as difficult as that may be, and focus on what you said about protecting Tzugakk—is it a rule that all of us must be fielded? Perhaps Tzugakk and, oh, just picking a person at random, myself could be left out—"

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"I need all of you," Nala said. "We have an advantage in numbers. Our individual point costs are low."

Amanda frowned again. "Because we're all useless?"

"Lack of equipment is a factor. Class types another. Rogues, glumgirls, stenchmerchants ... these are not considered to be useful classes. Mist will carry the highest cost, but without her spear we can afford to field her—"

"Wait, without my spear? But that's my weapon! I know I'm not good—"

Nala raised her head to look at Mist. "It's the only way to include you."

"Again," Praetorian said, "if Tzugakk and I—"

"Tzugakk is the key to my strategy. Without him we have no chance of winning, no matter the arena or the opposing team."

Everyone looked over at Tzugakk, who shifted in his seat, his eyes on his hands.

"I have a trick or two—"

"They don't need to know."

Praetorian raised a hand. "I, ah, I think that I might need to know—"

"Enough questions. I need to continue my preparations—all of you should return to your rooms and wait for my message. The match is tomorrow evening. Until then take no risks. Don't go out. Don't do anything without my permission."

"Seriously," Amanda said, "WHEN did you get so bossy?"

"The arena entrance is in the eastern part of battle quarter, near Takara Village. When I contact you, Sly will go to Everglim to join with Praetorian and Amanda, then all of you will collect Mist. Tzugakk and I will meet you inside the arena. It's a safe zone."

Praetorian cleared his throat. "I'm still not entirely—"

"There is no choice here. This is our path. Do what I tell you or we'll all be expelled."

With that Nala left, Tzugakk at her side. Amanda looked around at the others.

"She didn't use to be this bossy ... did she?"

"I, I kind of like it!" Mist said. "She really sounded like we could win, or ... or do something, I don't know except ... I trust her."

Praetorian chuckled. "I suppose it's as she said, we don't have much of a choice. Hm, it's not as if any of us are doing well as things currently stand."

"Uh, I'm doing okay—"

"If we're to fail," Praetorian continued, speaking over the top of Sly, "perhaps it would be better to go out in a blaze of glory, rather than unceremoniously hunted down by merit-seeking bullies. Nala did have something about her, didn't she? Some measure of, oh, what to call it—"

"Strength!"

"Confidence?"

"Bossiness."

"Leadership. Technically she's always been the leader of our party. Today I saw more than technicality." Praetorian laughed. "Do you know, I'm almost excited, if only to see what she's planning."

"I'm sure she won't let us down!" Mist said. "Right? Yes, I'm sure. She IS our leader. And valkyries are supposed to be followers, although normally it'd be to a hero ... I guess things can't always be perfect, though."

"Things can't ever be perfect," Amanda muttered, before letting out a long, rattling sigh. "I guess I don't have a choice." She gave Praetorian a cold glance. "Wherever you go, I have to follow."

"Yes. Well. Such is fate."

"I dunno about all this, guys," Sly said. "It's not like that monster hunting thing worked out at all—"

"Oh, it's hardly fair to pin that failure upon Nala," Praetorian said. "Let's give her this chance. She seemed so earnest about it all, I'd just hate to disappoint her."

Sly ground his teeth, then shrugged. "Yeah, okay, whatever. I'm in, but if this backfires or whatever ... I dunno, this just better not backfire. "

He got up to leave.

"So see you guys at the arena, I guess."