“Ready?” Kaen shouted.

“No, but I don’t have a choice!” Hess yelled back, still jogging away from him.

Kaen chuckled as he looked at the man he called Dad, wearing full plate armor, holding a massive shield, and moving toward the four-foot-thick stone slab they had buried in the field's ground.

“You know he wouldn’t bet on what is going to happen,” Bren said as he stood a few feet from Kaen, watching this event about to take place.

“I know. He told me he was concerned about this test but wouldn’t let anyone else do it. How long has it been since someone has seen this skill in use again?”

“Hundreds of years… maybe if you asked the wood elves, they might have someone who recorded it, but most… no… I can’t recall the last time someone in the human race has had it in a thousand years.”

I’ll make a bet that he loses his other arm.

Kaen groaned as Pammon watched from his spot as well. Amaranth was down near where Hess would be, just in case something horrible happened and his dad needed healing.

Why would you say that?

The image of Hess trying to hug people with tiny arms just seems funny… he is still a large man… just imagine it.

Kaen closed his eyes, picturing what he believed Pammon was thinking about, and started to chuckle.

That is so wrong, but it is funny… I’ll tell him what you said.

He will laugh as well. Now focus and be ready. He is almost to the spot.

Kaen looked across the massive field. Hess was getting close to the three-hundred-yard mark and was about to reach it. Near him was Phillip, holding a stick with a red flag on the end that was currently pointed toward the ground.

“Hopefully, he is as fast as he thinks he is,” mumbled Bren. “I haven’t seen him run in a while.”

“This was his idea. I had other men offer to be the test subjects, but he wanted to see it firsthand,” replied Kaen as he pulled an arrow out of the quiver and slipped it into position.

“At least it’s just a regular arrow.”

Kaen nodded. He could see the broken ones that had impacted the stone from his earlier shots. A few chips and cracks from where they hit, but nothing had happened to the stone.

Phillip began to wave the red flag, and Kaen took a deep breath.

“They're ready. You tell me when, and I’ll let them know.”

Kaen nodded. He drew back his bow and focused on Hess. It felt weird aiming an arrow at him. His dad was ready, legs slightly bent and apart, that massive shield before him.

“Count to three. I’ll go on three.”

Bren nodded and waved the flag once, reaching the left side as he said, “One!”

Kaen could see Hess move slightly, his eyes focused on the man he loved.

“Two!” Bren shouted as his flag hit the bottom of the swing to the right.

“Three!”

[ Homing Shot Activated ]

The arrow sped faster than Kaen expected. This morning, he had just acquired the skill and wasn’t sure how fast it would fly. It streaked toward Hess, not flying up and in an arch like he had imagined but in a straight line as if pulled by a rope right to the man he cared about.

“Holy dwarf ba–”

Bren never finished his curse as the stone brick erupted in a pile of dust and debris.

He is fine. Amaranth says it cracked the stone but didn’t go through.

“He’s okay,” Kaen told Bren as he turned and motioned toward the stone. “I want to go see where it hit.”

Both men started running toward the stone and saw Hess and Phillip standing off to the side, inspecting it.

“I can’t believe how that flew,” Bren declared as they ran to the others. “It doesn’t fly like a normal arrow would over a long distance.”

Kaen nodded, replaying everything that had happened when he activated the skill.

“Two feet… it penetrated it two feet,” Phillip informed them as they arrived. “The arrow isn’t even broken.”

Kaen nodded at Hess, who had his plate helmet off now. “You ok?”

“I won’t admit I had second thoughts when Bren signaled two, but son, that thing hit with some force, and the speed was incredible.”

“I'm Glad to see you aren’t too slow in your old age,” Kaen teased as he leaned in closer and looked at the arrow he had fired.

The shaft wasn’t splintered or cracked like the others. Even though it wasn’t a special arrow, just the standard one Kaen shot for practice, it was somehow infused with a power that prevented it from getting damaged.

“Have you tried to pull it out?”

Hess shook his head. “I didn’t touch it. I figured you’d want to see what it looked like yourself.”

Nodding, Kaen put one hand against the stone, grabbed the shaft as close as possible to where it was embedded, and tried to pull. The arrow didn’t budge, and Kaen tried to gently twist it, yet it still held fast.

“It cracked the stone,” Phillip pointed out, utterly aware that Kaen could see that. “It’s not on the back side, but it traveled almost halfway through the stone. That’s insane!”

“And the hole is only as thick as the arrow,” Hess added, pointing out the obvious. “I’ve only seen that happen when shooting hay targets.”

Kaen nodded, agreeing with everything the others were saying as his mind raced, considering what this skill might actually do.

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“How many arrows now?”

Hess glanced at Kaen, seeing the expression on his face and knowing what he really wanted to know. “Two… only enough for two. That gives you how many now? Four?”

Grunting, Kaen bobbed his head. “I pray it will be enough.”

The sound of fighting rang out over the grounds. Shouts and orders were barked at both sides clashed. Those in the front of both groups died the quickest, unable to stand against the swords, spears, and axes that broke the defenses they hoped would keep them alive.

What had started in such a frantic paced battle ended quickly in less than five minutes.

“Frederick is going to lose,” Hess declared as he watched the two squads of students dwindle. “His team is outnumbered now.”

“Maybe,” Kaen replied, watching the battle continue. Each had started with fifty troops, and Phillip had employed a flawless wall technique that cost Frederick’s team more losses at the start.

Knowing his team's limit, Frederick countered and sent a group of five that darted around the initial clash and cut down part of Phillip’s men from the side, causing a break in the wall that allowed one area to surge ahead.

When Frederick’s troops surged, they overreached, collapsing their defenses in the middle, and found themselves split. Phillip’s troops now gladly used their number advantage to wedge deeper into their enemies.

Once marked with the red paint that came when a hit from the weapon struck someone's head or chest, the student fell down, pretending to be dead. If an arm was lost, they had ten seconds before taping out.

Phillip still had eight troops pushing against Frederick’s four, staying within the allowed space. Two men had a shield and a spear for Frederick, while the other two had an axe and shield.

“They’ve used the boundary well so far. While it might not seem realistic, natural defense provides an advantage, as you know,” Kaen pointed out.

Hess nodded, rubbing his stump on his arm and recalling the circle of trees he used in a similar way.

Cheers and shouting were heard as the students watching called out for the team they wanted to win.

Frederick and Phillip stood a dozen yards away from their team, giving orders and encouragement.

“There,” Kaen said as he pointed at a shift in Frederick’s team.

Hess chuckled and shook his head as he saw the four students remaining charge the two on the boundary to their left, overwhelming them and cutting them down before the other six could come to their aid. They shifted again, using the boundary as a barrier, and began to give up ground, moving toward the next corner along the line.

One of the axe users for Frederick’s team stumbled, their shield and axe moving out of position, and two of the attackers for Phillip came at the man on the boundary line.

A tsk came from Kaen as he saw one of Phillip’s troops take a spear to their side, falling over without delay. The other one found themselves hooked by the axe and dragged over the boundary line with Frederick’s person.

One of the watchers shouted, “Out!” and called both students gone for having stepped over the rope.

“Three to four… so fast,” Hess said. “It’s scary how they have learned and adapted.”

Kaen elbowed his dad and shook his head. “You’ve been training them. What do you expect?”

“Kaen, those students are thirteen years old. They have better tactics and execution than most imagined possible. It’s unbelievable. Even Aldric has done what he can to mimic the success of your school in his own troops,” Hess paused as he spoke, watching the exchange of attacks slow down as the students realized every mistake now mattered.

“They are like this because this is all they have known for five years,” Kaen replied, wincing when another one of Phillip’s soldiers got caught out of position and took a spear to their foot. “Ten seconds…”

The student and his allies knew they were about to be at a disadvantage, so the one who was going to be dead used that for the squad. They ran and slammed themselves into the shield of the axe warrior holding the outside edge into the field, waving their sword at the spear holder next to him.

Phillip’s other troops moved with them, one darting around their friend about to be dead and scoring a hit on the side of the axe wielder.

Both students fell to the ground, leaving three versus two.

“Wana bet?” Kaen asked as he watched the remaining two shield users begin thrusting their spears out and getting some room between themselves and the remaining three who backed up.

“The other two only have axes and a sword. I’m not sure they understand how to win.”

Kaen nodded, smiling when the two with spears turned and ran toward the boundary.

The three realized what they were doing and took off after them, knowing it would be bad for them if they reached the corner of the ground.

“That one’s a keeper,” Kaen said, pointing at the axe user, who dropped her shield as she ran and tossed it at the retreating spear user. Neither looked back, instead trusting that the twenty-five yards they needed to cross would be doable with the element of surprise.

The axe flew true, striking one of the spear users in the lower back and sending them to the ground.

“Ouch,” Hess hissed as only one person remained for Frederick’s team. “Only good news is that’s Abagail. She won’t make it easy on those three.”

Kaen snorted and nodded. For being thirteen, her skill with a spear was exceptional, one of the reasons Frederick had chosen her. Now, she stood a few feet from the rope lines and held her spear against her shield.

Kaen watched as she stayed low and ready as the three approached.

The one who threw their axe only had a shield, and per the rules of the game, they could not trade weapons or acquire a new one.

“This won’t last a minute,” Kaen said as he watched the three approach Abagail. “I’d wager a silver coin on her.”

Hess shook his head. “I won’t take that bet.”

Kaen laughed, and both men started to move closer to the field, walking slowly as the roar of the students grew, everyone knowing the end was about to be over.

The three students on Phillip’s team had her wedged back, each setting themselves for the attack they were about to launch.

They came as one, the girl with no weapon charged Abagail, her shield held out before her, trying to bulldozer into her.

Abigail dropped low, angling her shield while driving her spear out to the attacker on the right.

The poor girl ended up getting flipped over Abigail as she thrust upward when their shields connected, sending the girl out of the area. The attacker on the right had to stop their charge, seeing a spear coming toward them.

Abigail knew what was coming from her left but had already committed to her plan.

She thrust herself toward the attacker on her left, their axe coming at her and catching her arm with the shield. Knowing it would catch, she yanked on the shield, wedging the blade so the student couldn’t pull it back, and thrust her spear into their exposed side.

“Ten seconds,” Hess said as the axe hit Abagail’s side.

Kaen nodded, counting off the time in his head.

The last student for Phillip began to back up, hearing the order from their leader.

Abagail let go of her shield and ran toward the other student, thrusting her spear quickly and precisely, even though she only used one hand.

“Five… four…”

Kaen ignored Hess, well aware of the time in his head.

Frederick’s student was well aware of the time as the entire school chanted loudly. The chant echoed across the walls of the training grounds, and both students knew exactly how much time was left.

Abigail thrust her spear toward the lower leg of the last student she faced, and Kaen winced when they naturally moved their shield low to block it. Hess’s tsk cut off his count as Abagail did what she was known for.

Her spear froze mid-strike, and she adjusted her hips and arm, driving up and out, sending the wooden tip of the spear right into the clavicle of the boy who had made one costly mistake.

The tip connected as the students counted ONE, and when the judge whistled, the ground went silent, waiting for the verdict they all believed would come.

“WINNER! FREDERICK’S TEAM!”

An ear-deafening roar filled the school as Abagail held her spear high and smiled. Phillip’s last warrior fell to the ground on his knees, tears beginning to form as he realized his mistake.

Kaen saw Frederick and Phillip smiling and nodding as they moved toward each other to shake hands.

“She learned that lesson from you,” Kaen shouted over the celebration.

“Which one?” Hess shouted back.

“Commitment even unto death.”