It took Hanno less than ten minutes to have the entire academy's staff searching for me. It only took five minutes after that for him to find me, asleep in his man purse. I wasn’t actually awake when he found me but I assume it went something like this.

Hanno, paced the halls frantically, desperately calling out. “Aya! Most wealthy, handsome and wise Aya! Whatever devil has stolen you away shall not get away with it! By the graves for my forefathers I swear I shall find you!”

After a few minutes he found me, the perfect example of divine existence, sleeping peacefully. He then picked up the purse and shook it. That’s when I wake up and he realizes that I should be returned to the mud flats to reunite with my children.

Unfortunately for me the only true part was him shaking the purse and yelling. “Aya! How could you run away again? And why did you bring the bag with you? I am done with you disobeying me! You’ve escaped too many times in the last day! I’m buying a leash the first chance I get!”

I stared at him in horror and screamed! “Noooo! I didn’t do anything! Well actually, I killed a bunch of adolescents but I didn’t run! I will not wear a leash because of your false accusations.” I heard a click near my neck and turned around.

Reid was standing over me with a smile on his face, a leash that was somehow connected to my collar was in his hands. I let out a screech and leaped onto him, planning to rip the goofy smile off his face.

Unfortunately Hanno predicted this and grabbed the leash, yanking me back as I fell down. I stared up at him and he said. “You will wear this for a week Aya, to demonstrate what it means to cross the heir of the Raven Clan!”

I frowned but just shrugged and hopped onto his shoulders. I wasn’t planning on running any time soon. I would have to either wait for Creep to die, or for someone stronger than Creep to take pity on me.

A week passed in the blink of an eye, mainly because I was sleeping in Hanno’s man purse for most of it. Nothing of note happened after the first day. Instead it became a monotonous routine where Hanno was trained in statecraft, weapons and geography.

The leash only stayed on for a week, as Hanno felt bad the entire time he was using it. The only interesting thing that happened during the week was the investigation into the disappearance of five students. For some reason no evidence had been found.

The most important one of them was the heir to a town, so unfortunately for them and their family justice was not served. Instead the instructors decided they had run away, after losing their confidence in Bruce.

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Bruce was not having a good time at the academy. While Hanno, Reid and Loken were strengthening bonds and forging future alliances Bruce just sulked in the corner with his cronies. Although he had also managed to befriend two other heirs to a clan. The serpent Clan’s heir and the Boar clan’s heir were both sucking up to him every chance they got.

From what I could tell, the political situation in this region was not going to end well. Hopefully it would wait a few years before imploding. I want to get my kids and I to safety before anything can happen.

As the weeks began to fly by I just ate, slept and killed any assassins that made it past the instructors. Every day was largely the same. Bruce got beat up a few more times by Hanno and Loken but other than that nothing really happened. I didn’t escape, which meant that I didn’t have to suffer any more attacks from random old ladies.

Basically, everything stayed boring until almost six months into the year. Hanno and his two friends, Reid and Loken were excitedly discussing the upcoming tournament. Ried spoke while shoving bacon and toast into his mouth. “I heard if you win you get five hundred golden skals and a pure bred griffin!”

The currency in this area was simple. One skal can be used to purchase a piece of bread or half a dozen eggs.. Ten skal is silver skal. Ten silver skal is equal to one gold skal. Basically the winner of this tournament will become both famous and rich.

Loken nodded at Reid and said. “No reason to get excited, everyone is invited to compete. I heard over five thousand people were in the tournament last year.” Hanno just smiled and said. “I plan to win it all, my friends. After defeating my final opponent, I shall give a speech to the tens of thousands of spectators! I will implore them to unite! For humanity to put aside its struggles and come together as one powerful nation!”

Reid just nodded slowly and said. “Sure, but first you need to win at least a dozen matches.” Hanno just smirked and said. “Do you doubt my abilities? I am level forty nine! I have been training every day. I will win.”

Reid nodded slowly and said. “It is true you are high level for your bracket but I still think you dismiss the strength of your peers far too easily.” The brackets were organized by level. Level zero to ten was the first bracket. Level eleven to twenty five was the second. It was milestone based.

The humans didn’t evolve in the same way I did. Instead they were given a class at birth, and they could slowly empower themselves by leveling and advancing to the next class. Hanno was a level forty nine prince. Reid was a level thirty two noble swordsman. Loken was a level forty two chieftain.

Overall I just tried not to pay attention to the fact that level wise, I was the weakest. Because gosh darn it there's no way I couldn’t kill Loken in a one v one! “Fight me you absurdly large child! I’ll show you who's the strongest!”

Loken just tossed me a piece of bacon and said. “I still think it’s better to wait until we all inherit our clans. Then we can unite and force the others to join us or die.” Hanno gave him a disgusted look and just shook his head.

He took a second before saying. “Loken, how can you say that? Peace cannot be forged by force. Threatens the clans into joining my cause would be wrong. There is no love lost between me and Bruce but I could not bring myself to hate him. He is a fellow man, our equal.”

Reid laughed and said. “Hanno you punched him in the stomach yesterday and threw him out a window! Now you talk as if you are a pacifist monk serving the divine.” Hanno laughed as well while Loken said. “I agree Hanno, that the seven tribes must be united. But I think force will be necessary. The Bear Clan will never join you.”

I nodded at that and stole a piece of toast from Reid’s plate. Bruce had developed quite the grudge after suffering through what most would consider bullying at the hands of Hanno and his friends.

Truth be told, I don't think Hanno properly understood how hateful people could be. Especially a powerful person. Thankfully for me it was not my problem. Would Creep force me to fight in a war? Oh shit maybe it is my problem. Hanno smiled and said. “All will be decided at the tournament my friends.”