POV Aron Brightcloud

I made my way towards our agreed upon training-spot in the catacombs.

Over the last week, I had gotten used to being underground. I still preferred the openness of the sky, but I could live with being in earth’s embrace.

I entered the training-room and found two of our group already there. Luana was in the middle of a discussion with future earl Stardust. Seeing me closing in, they stopped.

“Great, you have arrived early. Show us your skills, we need to know all your strengths to incorporate you seamlessly into the team.” Luana didn’t care about niceties and immediately focused on her goal.

An efficient person myself, I had no problem with that.

“As you know, I lost my main core and have now only a mediocre arcane core to work with. Because of that, it’s best if you use me as a support mage instead of a damage-dealer. My shield affinity allows me to use my magic much more sparingly and efficient if used for shields. I am also proficient with the sword which gives me a certain advantage at least in the first two levels of the dungeon. My familiar has also found a way to get corporal. He will become a fine melee combatant in the near future.”

Luana and Manor perked up at my mentioning of my familiar. My ghost had been the laughingstock in the past. Naturally, they felt positive about this development.

“Show us your changed familiar. I think I have an idea on how to best incorporate you into the group.” My new group leader said.

‘Bones, suit up.’

My little brother materialized next to me, crashing into the ground.

The two scanned my mini terminator. “Well, its an improvement. Its still small, but the four arms will help it attack from tricky angles.”

At the word "small”, indignity flowed through our bond. The blue flames Bones used as eyes starred challengingly at my new “leader”.

‘Hush little Brother. Don’t pay attention to her words. They don’t know how great you are.’

Placated by my words my little brother calmed down.

“Manor, why don’t you have a spar with Aron. I want to see his fighting ability. Aron, use all of your abilities, magic and sword-arts.”

I nodded in acceptance.

“As you wish, group-leader.” Manor still his arrogant self wished over his familiar ring with a flourish and summoned his own minion.

A wind-wolf appeared next to him. The elemental version of a normal wolf possessed a considerable frame, reaching my hip while standing on all four. Yet he still kept the wind variant’s lankiness, enabling it to make split second course-changes or reach stunning velocity in an instant.

We walked over to one of the arena fields and positioned us on the designated spots.

‘Bones, take care of the wolf. Most likely he will be slippery. Pay special attention if he inhales deeply. That could mean he intents to cast windblades. Be careful.’

‘Aye Boss. He will be mine.’ Bones’s flames burned brighter in anticipation of the fight.

I planned to immediately attack Manor. If I played it right, the fight was going to be short. My new group-leader had especially told me to use all my skills, so I would. At least the ones I allowed myself to show here.

“Begin!” Luana’s voice signalized the start of the battle.

I sent an onslaught of mini arrows in Manor’s direction, distracting him from building anything too big. I could compete as long as he didn’t succeed in charging his spells. Bones closed in on the wolf, binding it down for now.

Manor’s expression got more serious the closer I got. He realized he had underestimated me and made the mistake of giving me the initiative.

I suddenly let myself fall, changing the course of the next arrow upwards and lifting my sword up as well. The soaring wind-wolf missed me and got a sword and magical arrow into its chest instead. The practice weapon didn’t hurt the beast too badly, had it been a proper weapon the wound would have been more troublesome.

A half a second later Bones came hurling through the air in pursuit of the now injured wolf. I conjured a shield instantly and used it to change his course, throwing my heap of bones at the perplexed earl while I switched focus onto the recovering wolf.

The mage fired a wind-blade at Bones and tried to raise a shield to ward off the incoming disaster.

My buddy’s bones, reinforced by his latest snack, shrugged off the spell as if it was nothing and broke through the hastily erected shield of the mage. My little brother slammed into him, the force knocking our opponent over instantly. I for myself had reached the wolf and put my sword on its neck. Forcing it to immobilize because of the sparring rules.

The fight had come to a quick end. Luana looked at me with an eye-brow raised. I had obviously surprised her with my speed, efficiency and control. Now that I had some history to back my powers, I could slowly step up my game, building me up as a steady and reliable person to use. My trademark signs would be efficiency and precision, balancing my lack of pure power.

Bones stepped aside. The young future earl picked himself up, visibly agitated.

I chose to speak quickly, trying to mitigate the embarrassment my quick victory must have instilled in my opponent.

“Thank you for the spar. Obviously the fight wasn’t fair. At our strength I could still be counted as a recruit, I have the benefits of being a warrior and a mage at the same time. Furthermore, you gave me the initiative at the beginning. I am sure if we fight another round the result would be much different.”

Yes, I would crush him even quicker now that I had more information. He was obviously still not used to fight against other humans.

Manor, seeing a way out, immediately agreed. “Yes, naturally. You showed a good first impression. I am impressed by your adaptability.” Moving himself into a teaching position, he could save his pride.

Luana didn’t comment on Manor’s evaluation and went into her own.

“You have behaved very adaptable and reacted instantly to the changing conditions. In addition, your familiar had been able to hold against Manor’s wind-wolf. He will enforce our front in the future. Even-though we could use you there as well, I want you to stand further in the back, protect the rest of the group with your shields. You seem quite capable with them. You will have a better overview from the rear.”

I agreed with her. This would allow me to hone my shield-spells, the future trademark of my magic. I would be unable to openly use my sword skills the farther we proceeded.

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As we finished our conversation, Jane and the commoner Erik entered the room.

“Good, we are complete now, call your familiars, they will poss as enemy monsters and attack us. Aron, your familiar will have the role of a tank, trying to keep them off us while we will try to injure them.”

Nodding in assent, I moved, giving Bones the new instructions.

Jane and Erik arrived at our side, their familiars positioned themselves next to the Wind-wolf. Bones took up a position between us and our “enemies.”

I observed the new summons. Jane’s pet reminded me of dead Fenrix, Similar to her it belonged to the fox-species. It’s fur a pure orange, showcasing the fire element master and familiar possessed. Erik’s earth golem joined the two other beasts. It mirrored the Size of its master; it stood much taller than my little skeleton.

At first, I couldn’t find Luana’s summons until my observant eyes caught a suspiciously long shadow behind Erik’s golem. That was going to be tricky, a stealth versed familiar. It fit Luana’s darkness element, yet it it made the future fight much harder.

“Everybody ready? On my mark, attack each other. Pay attention, you are “dead” if first blood is drawn, don’t hurt each other.”

‘Bones, try to keep yourself between the monsters, focus on the earth-golem and wind-wolf.’

“Go!”

Before my little brother could reply, the fight started. I immediately conjured defensive spells around my group. I gave them see-through turquoise tower-shields as a first defense against incoming spells or enemies. The last lesson had improved my shield conjuring substantially. Protecting multiple targets was no dream anymore. Although it taxed my mind, I could withhold the strain for a certain period.

Now was the most dangerous part of the fight. We still hadn’t gotten used to each other and our enemies, if we didn’t pay attention they could overwhelm us. The more I took the pressure from my comrades, the slimmer that chance got.

Spells flew everywhere. Bones stopped Erik’s earth-golem, his small frame belittled his astonishing strength. Jane tried to hit the evading wind-wolf with fireballs. She didn’t succeed in hurting the beast, but kept it at bay with her barrage. I sent arcane arrows into the direction of the fox-sized fireball turret, forcing it to move around instead of spitting out more than the massive amount it already had flung at us. Although my shields caught the spells, they could only endure so much. The furry glass-cannon had to be stopped. Luana attacked with some darkness spells but kept it to a minimum, her actions not giving me the breather I had hoped for.

Most-likely she wanted to enlarge the pressure on us, getting a better read on how we worked together in the new constellation.

I blocked another fireball for Erik and suddenly drew my sword. I parried my left side. The action didn’t come a second too early as a shadowy hand with long and deadly claws appeared out of nowhere, crashing against my weapon.

Forced to split my concentration between shielding and defending, I had to tether the shields to my teammates, making them stationary instead of intercepting. Finished with the change, I ducked to escape another swing of my new pesky “friend”. As I came up, I shouted towards my teammates, “Pay attention to your defenses! The shields are stationary now!”

Jane made the mistake to look back, wanting to verify the situation. The wind-wolf immediately exploited the won freedom to charge her.

When she turned back, she came face to face with the incoming wolf. Right on time, a new shield appeared in front of her. Angled to the side, the wolf’s pounce got diverted at the last moment and he slid along its surface by the shocked woman.

The save had cost me. Dark claws were on a collision course with my chest. If I wanted to save myself, I needed to cast a shield right now. Yet I didn’t, Jane would be disqualified otherwise.

The shadow-beast’s claws fell with finality.

They didn’t reach me. They crashed against a suddenly appearing blade. That weapon followed many more, forcing the beast back into the shadows. Bones had arrived. He and Erik had used the freedom to take care of his own summons. While Erik was hunting down Jane’s familiar, Bones had returned.

The fight turned more and more in our favor, soon we had taken out the remaining “enemy”. Luana’s beast had slunk off, not giving us the chance to finish it.

“Stop, that’s enough. This wasn’t half bad. Apart from Jane, who got distracted, you all worked together well. Now we will switch out the groups, some will be attackers some will be the defenders.”

Jane obviously knew what her team-leader had spoken about, her face portrayed the chagrin she felt clearly.

“The next group setup will be as followed, I will join the familiars and attack you as well, this will force you into an even harder situation.”

My new group leader regarded us with a level gaze. Content with what she saw, she moved over to our aggressors. Yet even as she had her back to us, I felt eyes on me.

Great, looks like my new friend hadn’t given up. I mentally prepared myself to have to content against sudden appearing claws for another round.

I stepped closer to my teammates. We would have a much higher chance of winning if we agreed on a plan of action. Having gained a first taste of how our opponents skills and fighting patterns, I had a solution in mind. The problem was that Manor wouldn’t allow me to “take over” his team now that Luana had left.

Maybe I could influence him into taking up some of my ideas.

“How do we want to handle this?” I quietly asked into the round.

Unsurprisingly Manor immediately tried to take over the lead.

“That’s a simple question. Naturally, we have to take out the wind-wolf first. He is the most dangerous enemy.”

I nodded deferentially. I didn’t need competition; I needed a solution.

“How do we want to do this? Luana won’t allow that easily. Now that she can synchronize with her familiar, she will be a big thorn in our side. Maybe we could first attack another opponent and switch to it when she tries to prevent us from harming our first target?”

“Not a bad idea, we will first attack the fox before we switch to the wolf, afterwards we will take out Luana or the fox, both are dangerous as well.”

We all agreed with him. He could have improved the details, but it should be enough for now. Our group needed more time to work together seamlessly. Without more experience, complex plans would break apart at first enemy contact.

‘Bones, when they attack Luana, leave the earth-golem to me. Go invisible and take out her familiar when it undoubtedly arrives to save her’

‘Aye Boss, will do’ His skull-face grinned widely in anticipation of the “kill”.

________

Luana Nightshield

Preparing herself, she went over her plan. Aron’s shields had been surprisingly effective in the last battle. Secretly she had hoped for a rout to make them realize how dangerous fights could be. Until now her teammates had only stood behind their familiars, they never had felt the danger and fear which sometimes seized one during chaotic battle situations.

Luana still remembered the first encounter her mentors had forced her into when she had been younger. During countless nights she had lain awake, shivering for hours until she had gotten rid of the awful fear and the pictures that had been ingrained into her mind.

This time Aron would fall first, showing her naive group what happened when they lost their support-mage. Her familiar vigorously agreed to her plan. Obviously he had been very discontent with the result of the last bout.

Her musings had given the opponent enough time to prepare themselves. They stood now in a loose formation, eying her warily. Good, it was time to begin.

She gave the signal to start.

Aron immediately equipped the group with shields, Bones took over their front, not handicapped at least against the much taller and visually more intimidating earth-golem. He kept him in check easily.

The rest of the group focused their fire on Jane’s fox, only using the minimum amount of spells to keep the other summons at bay.

Avra, Luana’s familiar had already vanished in pursuit of his once blond now black haired target. She would soon join him, but first her other “teammate” needed her support.

That was the point things started to differentiate from her plan. The attack on the fox had only been a ruse. Before she could adapt, Manor’s wind-wolf got hit by at least two spells, effectively disqualifying it from the match. Finished with their first target, they immediately ganged up on her.

At the last moment, her familiar arrived at Luana’s side to relocate her. Yet instead of doing what she had ordered him to, he wined frustrated and kneeled down on the ground. A victoriously grinning Bones emerged behind the shadow beast for a second before it disappeared again, replaced by a cloud of incoming spells. Luckily the group trained with the low-energy versions of the spells, thanks to that she got only knocked over and not injured.

Raising herself, she knew they had disqualified her. How had the skeleton appeared at the right time?! It should have been bound by the golem. Confused, she checked it only to find it encased in shields, holding it for a few seconds before they broke apart.

Already having lost three teammates, her group didn’t last much longer. At the end, her enemy turned teammates walked over to her, congratulating themselves. Manor in their middest boasted the most, visibly enjoying the attention as their new “leader”. they were followed by the quiet Aron, watching them indifferently.

Obviously they hadn’t even realized why they had won so easily against her. Luana wanted to gnash her teeth, they were still too naïve. She shook her head, soon she would have her own group with experienced people. Only one person had surprised her positively. Aron Brightcloud, the waste of her year. The more she saw from him, the less Luana could recognize the accredited traits in the quiet, tactical and calm person she had fought today.