In the PE class Prof. Leon is making everyone run around stadium field. He forces everyone to run as much as they can and he doesn’t care you’re a timid sheep or mighty wolf. If you look like you can still breath he will scream at your face with a war cry that move thousands of solider in the great war and make you run till you drop, some sheep got 8 laps thinking their Prof. will really eat them while some wolf force himself up to 15 laps for don’t want to look weak. Bird also has to run with their legs, Leon won’t let those feather head simply glide through his class without breaking a sweat.
Calamity and Marco are the only one who still running at full speed after 2 hours.
Leon is impressed by both of them. Conri he can understand, a son of Fenrir who got trained since young. Calamity however, a surprise. He didn’t participate in Numenus before so Leon thought he would be weaker. Leon looks at Bill and consider question him about Calamity or just ask Calamity himself but put the idea off seeing it not his business to pry in student personal life. “Alright you all can stop now”
Everyone immediately falls face down, too exhausted to stand. Calamity simply stops as order however Marco doesn't want it to just end like this “Hey who the hell are you. Why didn’t you participate in Numenus?”
For the past hour he’s been racing with Calamity. Macro never know anyone who can keep up with him before except for father and his elite general whom are all very strong. He tries to out run Calamity to wear him out and even look down on him at first since it rumors that he is the wolf who didn’t even join Numenus.
Calamity looks at the dub white king before him without showing any emotion before answer “I’m Calamity. Nice to meet you.”
Calamity greets Marco but it sounds so tone deaf Marco wonder if this was an insult.
“Just Calamity? So you’re not from any clan?”
“That right”
Marco tries to use his ki to judge Calamity strength but he can’t sense any ki so Calamity must really be just a normal wolf and not one of the descendants.
“You still didn’t answer why you didn’t join our people greatest custom”
To fight in Numenus is one of the highest honor a wolf can have, a prove of our worth before månen. “Do you not care enough to honor her who save our people?”
“I’m just...didn’t think I would qualify to fight before our lady”
Marco not sure what to think. In their land to announce Numenus mean to fight to the dead. The one who survive will be treat with respect from everyone. With Alana school’s Numenus you may not fight to death but being able to say you fought in Numenus and survive is still quite a feat everyone would like to have. A wolf who doesn’t want that honor? Marco can’t understand it. Only a coward would run away from this glory.
“Hi Marco is everything alright” Eirian walks up, worry something might happen.
“You know him?”
“Marco is one of my roommates” Eirian turns to Marco “And Calamity is one of my team members”
“Oh, is that so...”
“All right everyone gathers here” Prof. Leon voice calls everyone to gather so Marco let Calamity off for now.
“What do you think of him” Calamity looks at Marco who left to be with his team.
Surprise Calamity actually start a talk first Eirian answer “He’s as great as rumor say, a true son of your Fenrir, Strong brave and honorable. I don’t meet a lot of wolves like him at all”
“Does he have any weakness?”
‘Oh? does Calamity want to fight with him? Maybe I miss judge him’
“Not that I know of but I’m sure everyone has one”
“Does he talk about his father?”
“His father?”
“Never mind” seeing Eirian confuse Calamity left to join with Bill and Josh.
With everyone gather before Prof. Leon he starts to give a list of how useless and weak everyone is “Alright you soft meat if you guy still run like that by the end of this year how do you hope to win in an annual first year competition”
“Prof. Leon, do all of us really need to fight?” one of the sheep asked.
The annual first year competition is a tournament between first year student where everyone meet to fight and find out which team is the best fighter.
“Fighting skill is one of the lessons we teach here not just being a diplomat or adviser so you will be judge on your performance. If you win not only you get a bonus point but we also have some special prize for the winner team as well so train your body hard or I will fail you myself!”
“But some of us didn’t come here to learn how to fight. Why should we fail all our class for a skill we don’t need?”
“You think being strong is not important? You Fool!” Leon shout.
“In your life if you’re going to listen to anyone then you should listen to the strong. If you want people to listen then become strong yourself. Nobody is going to listen to you if you are a defenseless weakling.” Leon speaks his believed.
“Then we shouldn’t listen to anything Prof. Fay said?” one of the wolf speak of their sheep Prof.
“You think she weak? Ha, she is probably one of the strongest sheep I have ever met. No sheep or even Amiel can move water like her do. She will easily cut all of you soft meat into pieces.”
“Prof., then who are stronger you or Prof. Fay?” Brant asked.
Leon thinks back of the time their fought long ago “Well if we are on land where there isn’t much water nearby then I can definitely overpower her but if I want to kill her I might have to give up an arm or two. But if we are on a boat in a middle of ocean I’m quite certain I will be dead or drown before the moon go out but you won’t catch me sailing on any boat I’ll assure you that.”
Most of the wolf shock to see one of the strongest wolves in their history easily admit possible defeat toward a sheep like that. It just sounds so wrong.
“What about you and Marco sir?” one of the wolf speak and Marco immediately grab his mouth with both his hand to shut him up.
“Haha because he has Ki and I don’t isn’t it?” Leon looks at Marco who smile back and try to say sorry for what his teammate said.
“Sorry to said this kid but I had beaten a lot of your Fenrir personal bodyguard who also have Ki. So no, I don’t think I will lose. Now does any one has any more question about my strength before we finish?”
Eirian raises his hand “Who is the strongest person in this city? Is it you Prof.?”
Leon blow air out and simply point his finger up.
Everyone eyes follow and end at the white tower.
“I guess that’ll be all for today, class dismiss.”
In afternoon everyone meets up at one of the rooms in Magus. Eirian book this small room so they have all the space for themselves.
The room wall is cover in beautiful flower tile and in the middle is a wooden floor space for practice with small water way on the side since Eirian requested a room for sparing.
“So did everyone get their answer?” Eirian asked.
“Yup” Josh and everyone nod.
“Then I’ll go first if you don’t mind” Eirian start “For me a leader is someone who embody the Eternal One. He who understands a connection in all thing and work to lead everyone toward harmony.”
Eirian looks at his friend only to see a confuse bird face from Josh... everyone is confused actually. Even Eirian can tell from Amy ant face that she is confuse right now.
‘I guess I should speak more plainly.’
“I mean a leader is someone who know his people and know how to help them all grown and improve, to become the best version of themselves. He has judgement, know what is right and wrong.”
“Why does it sound like a leader just know what best for us and we should simply do what he says.” Bill question.
“Well, I did say before that a leader must understand a connection in all thing right. To lead is more than choose what his people do or don’t but to know what consequence each choice entails and which path will be most beneficial to all. Sometime a leader must choose what is not easy now but would bring greater day ahead.”
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‘And one day I’ll be one of those leaders who to help make sure that no war ever happens again. So, no one have to share my fate.’
Bill who sits next to Eirian give his answer next. For him Bill never saw anyone who give a sense of what leader should be, Homer come close but Bill barely knows him so Bill chooses his example from his life in New Terra, the people who hired him and governor who run the city.
“The leader is someone who possess a great wealth and influence which can affect the large amount of people. They know how to run a city or company so it stays function, give people purpose and feed them.”
“For me a leader is someone who have a lineage of royalty and perform a duty to her people” everyone can see Amy think of her queen as she explains “If you are not born as royal then your duty would lie elsewhere, a leader is both born and choose to accept this duty toward their colony not just themselves.”
Biscuit joins her hoof together like pray “a leader must have a divine right, an approval from the god or his apostle. He must be virtuous and good so the god shall bless his people.”
“Wisdom.” Said Josh “A leader must be wise and knowledgeable in all subject there is to know. Especially in history so he may use it to chart a path for his people and not repeat the same mistake.”
“Strength”
“Strength, just like Prof. Leon said.” Amy turns to Calamity and then Eirian “Since no one here seem to possess all the quality listed by our friend I say we fight to find out who is the strongest first?”
Bill and Biscuit look at each other and panic.
“So we don’t have to fight if we don’t want right”
“yes yes, me and Bill will just be cheering you guy.”
“Well...you may don’t have to fight us but you 2 should at least face-off each other, just for us to know if we can leave you two alone on the field, right Eirian.” Amy smile knowing what she doing.
“Agree. Just try throw some attack that you have at each other and try to dodge it if you can.”
At the arena Bill and Biscuit say sorry to each other before start. Bill wears his MAM and said "You go first Biscuit."
“Ok, Evenio aquam” Biscuit pull water up from the small water way inside the room to form a ball. It takes several minutes for the ball of water to fully form then she push it toward Bill.
The water ball move so slow Bill easily step out of the way.
“Try move it faster Biscuit” Amy shout.
Biscuit tries again but Bill can still dodge it.
“My turn” Bill aims his MAM with electric rune at Biscuit and shoot a small lightning bolt out. His attack is way faster than Biscuit and there is no way for her to dodge in time.
If he can hit her first that is.
The lightning bolt miss Biscuit spectacularly as both of them keep throwing a miss attack at each other.
“This is going well” Josh said to Eirian and Amy who facepalm themselves, can’t bear to witness this fight.
In the end Bill slip from all the water on the floor and Biscuit manage to hit him as he falls. Bill then accidentally triggers his MAM on the wet floor and electrocute both of them. Both are paralyzed for brief moment.
“Alright. Now we know what are we dealing with” Eirian in his hopelessness try to smile for Bill and Biscuit who start to move.
“Do you think you can put up a better fight” Eirian turns to Josh; his eye yearns for some hope. Any hope.
“I can blow a wind really hard” Josh uses his wing to salute and rejoice in Eirian expression.
“Biscuit try throwing a ball at me” Josh shout and Biscuit summon another ball of water.
As the ball is floating forward, Josh swing his wing “Espiro” and blow a water ball back at Biscuit face. “Sorry!”
“I also know how to use a bow and crossbow.” Josh smile.
“Thank you Josh” Eirian breath a sign of relief. Now to find out who is their strongest fighter.
‘Me, Amy or Calamity. Josh probably fit to be our support from the sky more than main fighter.’
“I guess even after evade all my challenge we get to fight after all” said Amy.
“Judging from your performance in Numenus you don’t use weapon?” Eirian walks to the ring.
“We ant already born with weapon” Amy bites her jaw “And our skin is stronger than most shield your kind have.”
Both of them look at each other in silent before Eirian move his hand to cast magic. “Aquam”
‘If I use water then Biscuit will get to learn how to use water magic as well’
A water immediately lifts up and whip at Amy with a speed that Biscuit’s waterball can only dream of.
Amy jumps out of the way in time and cast magic of her own “Jacto” making 12 rock she carries shoot at Eirian hoping to hit him in the head and leg but Eirian whips the water again and shatter 9 of her rock into small pieces before dodge the rest.
“See Biscuit water can be used to attack in many forms not just throwing water ball. A sheep is more than capable of fighting on her own.”
Seeing Eirian try to teach Biscuit Amy stop and let him talk.
“From what I know of how your people fight, a sheep would summon water then let goat turn it into ice spear before throw. This is how most sheep and goat fight since it’s difficult to summon ice out of thin air but water is much easier. That why most sheep and goat stick together, they complement each other. But I read of how some sheep can fight alone Biscuit, sometime water can be sharper than ice.”
‘She is half goat. Too bad she doesn’t seem able to use ice magic.’
Eirian looks at Amy to signal her to continue only to feel a smack at the back of his head.
It was the 3 rocks that he dodged, floating back to Amy.
“You should watch your back more”
Eirian seeing 3 rocks come at him again this time throw a small waterball at it. Both smash and shatter.
Without pause Eirian start to gather more water than before, a waterball larger than Amy size is forming so she gathers all pieces of rock on the floor and a few rocks she has left into one giant boulder.
Eirian attack come and Amy meet it with a giant rock of her own but the water engulfs the rock and bypass it toward her, drowning her inside.
In the end Amy yield with her leg and Eirian drop her out of water.
“Cough...dammit” Amy knows she was defeated and Eirian didn’t even use most of the magic he can use. He just beat her with simple water magic.
“I was worry you would try those move at the stadium. I might have a harder time if you force me into close combat you know” Eirian tells her.
“I was trying to see if I can beat you at magic” Amy admits “Next time I will bite your hand before you can even call those water up.”
“Well now only you left. Who do you want to fight Calamity?”
Calamity looks at Eirian and Amy “You can both come at me. I can beat you both.”
Bill jaw drop at Calamity announcement and both Eirian and Amy don’t believe what their grey wolf just said.
“You want to fight us both?”
“Yes, you can throw Josh in there too since he didn’t fight yet.”
“Oh, it is on” Amy grinds her jaw together.
Calamity then stands alone on one side of the ring against Amy, Eirian and Josh.
“You don’t use weapon?”
“Josh don’t have bow so I won’t be needed one.”
Calamity moves first he dash toward Josh who create a strong wind to stop him, at first it pushes the wolf back a little but Calamity still coming closer so he fly up high so Calamity can’t get to him. All the while Amy is tossing rock and Eirian is making solid ice cube to throw at Calamity but Calamity manages to dodge them all or break some with his claw slash before it hit him. They only slow him down a little.
Josh is trying to gather a powerful wind blast when Calamity goes for him. With a single jump he catches Josh feet and throw him to the ground where he stays down. Amy jumps at him with intend to bite his leg but he kicks her in the head before grab one of her leg with his hand, use her body to block the ice cube then throws her at Josh.
Seeing Calamity speed Eirian back off to create distant “ignis” a flames come out of Eirian mouth as he exhales so Calamity backs off. Seeing a moment Eirian use “Aquam” to try the same trick on Calamity but unlike Amy Calamity doesn’t sit still to let water gather and dash at Eirian.
Eirian change water into a blast shot to hit Calamity with the strength that can break a rock but this time Calamity didn’t dodge and let those strike hit him so he can close up on Eirian.
Eirian attack is success Calamity body is now bruise but his neck is also in Calamity claw.
He has lost.
“I surrender” Eirian inhale still can’t believe what just happen. He’s been in a fight before but he never knows a wolf would risk their body like this just to get a fatal attack on magic user.
Everyone was in shock. But it was Biscuit who move first to check on Amy and then Calamity. Josh is already got up but have to sit down since his leg still in shock from being pull down violently.
“I’m fine” Calamity tries to push Biscuit away.
“You got hit by a very powerful attack. I heard it when that water hit your body, let me check”
Seeing how she keep persisting and everyone is looking Calamity let her check up on him. Under his black fur is a bruise where Biscuit felt pain just from looking at it.
“You should go to the infirmary Josh and Amy only have a small concussion but you should get a checkup.”
“I say I’m fine. I know my body best and I’ll go for help when I needed it.”
Seeing how she can’t convince him Biscuit try to help him herself “Then at least let me cool it down” Biscuit controls a water then uses it to cool the wound which Calamity reluctantly let her.
Afterward everyone sits around for a talk before leaving for today.
“So...is Calamity going to be our team leader?” Bill question.
‘If he wants then none of us would have any reason to reject him really. It’s wouldn't be too bad too since he is very strong’
“I don’t want to be a leader” Calamity ends the argument.
“Why not? You said it yourself a leader must have strength” said Josh.
“I don’t want to and... maybe a leader should have something more than strength”
“Since you are clearly the strongest in our group what other qualification do you think a leader should have?” Eirian asks, sincere want to know his answer.
Calamity remains silent for five minutes before replay “I don’t know what a leader should be but I do know what he shouldn’t. A leader shouldn’t force his people to do his wishes...sometime he must set us free.”
‘If a leader let his people do whatever they want then how can he lead?’
“I guess it is not decided yet” said Amy.
“From what I see it either you or Eirian. The rest of us don’t want to or don’t have what it takes.” Josh said to both of them and everyone else agree.
Eirian looks to Amy "I don’t suppose you would just let me be our team leader?"
“No” Amy gets up “I have yet to see how you would be a better team leader than me”
“And I don’t see how you could do it better than me”
Eirian found himself on a crossroad so he turns to one of his team member who he believed will suggest a way out “Josh, what would you suggest?”
“Why do you ask me?” Josh points his wing at himself.
“Just a feeling”
“Hmm” Josh gets up and start walking in circle around everyone as he talks “What if we put it to a test? Both Eirian and Amy get a turn at begin a leader, day by day, week by week, you two can decide between yourself when to switch. And by the end all 6 of us will give opinion on your performance and choose together. In this test while one person be a leader, the other must follow the instruction to the letter. Does this seem fair?”
“a trial huh”
“This does seem reasonable.”
“Then it settles. Since Eirian won in a duel he will get a head start tomorrow.” Josh adds because he concerns they might not able to decide who start first.
“Deal” Amy extend her leg and Eirian shake it.
Eirian turns to everyone and thank you for coming today “I promise I shall lead all of you to the best of my ability and make our team the greatest this school has ever seen.”
“So will I” said Amy.
‘By the end I will prove to you Amy. You will come around to accept me as our team leader. All of you will.’