The morning sun cast long shadows across the training yard behind Ironstride Keep. Rows of wooden dummies stood like sentinels, their surfaces nicked and worn from years of abuse. Students gathered in clusters, a low hum of conversation steeped in anticipation filled the air.

Otter stood at the edge of the yard, feeling out of place.

Around him, students were proudly displaying their class badges. Each badge was a symbol of status, and every student seemed to hold themselves a little taller because of it.

Otter, of course, had no such badge. But he wasn’t the only one. Milo, whom he met yesterday, didn’t wear a badge. And he noticed a few other first years with bare chests. The badges weren’t a requirement. And they weren’t given out freely. They had to be purchased. It was likely those not sporting a symbol of their class were simply too poor to afford one.

All of this set Otter apart. But he wasn’t going to let that stop him. He’d signed up for Combat Basics for a reason. If he wanted to survive in this world, he needed to know how to defend himself.

As he scanned the yard, he listened for any snippets of conversations from nearby groups. There was plenty of bravado and boasting. A lot of nervousness, but no one commented on his presence. He breathed a little easier.

A loud bark of laughter rang out across the yard, silencing the chatter.

Master Horvan strode into the training yard, his heavy boots kicking up dust. He was imposing, with broad shoulders, a scarred face, and some sort of mechanical contraption in place of his left hand.

“Gather up, you lot!” Horvan’s voice boomed. “You’re here for Combat Basics. Let me make one thing clear—this isn’t about looking good with a sword. This is about staying alive.”

The recruits shuffled closer, forming a loose circle around Horvan.

“This course is for all classes, not just Fighters.” Horvan continued, eyeing the students with a sharp gaze. “Some of you think being a Fighter will give you an edge. But it won’t. Not as a Level 1. Right now, my Granny could take any one of you in a fight. But by the time I’m done with you, you’ll be able to hold your own in any bar room brawl in Aurelia.”

Otter felt a flicker of respect for the man. Horvan didn’t seem impressed by status or titles. He cared about results.

“Your first lesson is all about stance and balance. I want everybody to pair up. You have thirty seconds. Go!”

Otter watched as the other students began pairing up quickly, likely with someone they already knew. He glanced around to see if he could find a familiar face. He spotted Liora, but she was on the other side of the yard. And it looked like she’d already found someone to partner with.

Otter turned to see a tall, broad-shouldered boy with dark hair and intense eyes. He exuded confidence from every pore. He didn’t need a badge to tell everyone he was a Fighter. That was plain to anyone with eyes to see.

“Guess we’re stuck with each other,” he said. “I’m Jasper.”

“I’m Otter,” Otter said.

The boy’s eyes flicked down to Otter’s badgeless chest, but he didn’t say anything.

Horvan stomped his heavy boot into the dirt, drawing the recruits’ attention.

“Stance,” he said, spreading his feet shoulder-width apart. “This is where everything begins. Your feet are your roots, and if your roots aren’t planted firmly, you’ll be knocked down before you can swing a weapon.”

He bent his knees slightly, his center of gravity lowering.

“Your knees stay loose, never locked. Weight should be evenly distributed, but you should be ready to shift at any moment.”

Horvan gestured to his assistants. “Watch.”

One assistant, a tall boy with a Scout badge, stepped forward and adopted a rigid stance—feet too close together, knees locked. Another gave him a firm shove, and the Scout stumbled back, nearly falling.

“That,” Horvan said with a scowl, “is what happens if you’re too stiff. Your stance must be alive, ready to move, but anchored to the ground.”

He turned to another girl who took her stance with knees bent and feet spread properly. The other assistant shoved her, but this time, she barely budged, adjusting her balance with ease.

“See that?” Horvan said. “She’s ready to absorb force without toppling.”

Otter watched the demonstration carefully, shifting his feet, trying to mirror what he’d seen.

“Now, face your partner, find your stance and take turns trying to push each other off balance. Try to keep both feet on the ground at all times. Readjust stances as necessary.”

Otter and Jasper faced each other. Jasper fell into a stance with ease while Otter took his time to feel what his limbs were doing.

“Ready?” Jasper finally said.

Otter nodded.

Jasper lunged forward, shoving hard against Otter’s shoulders. The force was stronger than Otter had expected, and he stumbled backward, his heels digging into the dirt.

Too stiff, he thought to himself. He needed to loosen up. Otter shook out his arms and repositioned himself, bending his knees and relaxing his shoulders. He exhaled slowly, trying to focus. “Again,” he told Jasper.

Jasper shoved him again, but this time Otter absorbed the force, shifting his weight to his back foot. His heels stayed planted, and he managed to hold his ground.

Jasper narrowed his eyes. “Not bad. You a Fighter or a Scout?”

“Neither,” Otter said.

Now it was Otter’s turn to push Jasper off balance.

He stepped forward, hands outstretched. Jasper planted his feet and grinned confidently.

Otter pushed, but Jasper didn’t budge.

Horvan walked by, his gaze critical. “You’re pushing too straight-on, Bennett. Use angles. Shift your weight.”

Otter adjusted his approach, circling Jasper slightly before applying pressure from the side. This time, Jasper’s stance wavered, and his foot slipped in the dirt.

“Gotcha,” Otter said with a smirk.

Jasper’s grin vanished. “Fluke.”

“Was it?” Otter said, stepping back.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

“If you’re not a Fighter or Scout, what class are you?”

Otter shrugged, feeling more confident after his two successes. “Don’t have one.”

Jasper’s eyes widened. “So you’re that kid. I heard the rumors. Interesting.”

Horvan strode into the circle again, addressing the entire group.

“Balance isn’t just physical—it’s mental, too. A fight will throw you off, surprise you, make you question your next move. If you’re rigid in your thinking, you’ll fall just as easily as if you’re standing on one foot.”

He turned to Jasper. “Thorne, you’ve got strength, but you rely too much on it. A brute force approach only works if your opponent doesn’t see it coming.”

Jasper bristled but nodded.

Then Horvan turned to Otter. “And you, Bennett. You’ve got good instincts, but you’re still hesitant. Trust your movements. You won’t always have time to second-guess.”

Otter nodded, absorbing the advice.

Horvan paced around the group, handing out advice to every pair. Then he clapped his hands, “Again!”

And the process started all over again. This time, Jasper shoved Otter harder, knocking him completely off balance and he fell flat on his butt. Jasper, learning from the last round, staggered his feet, and Otter couldn’t move him at all.

Again and again, the boys shoved at each other. Otter fell a few more times, but his stance and balance continued to improve until Jasper could no longer knock him over. He received feedback from several of the assistants, which helped a lot. Jasper, for his part, seemed to pick it up quickly, and Otter never could knock him off balance again.

As the sun rose higher in the sky, the sharp clang of wood-on-wood echoed across the yard. More advanced classes were practicing other skills now. Otter’s legs began to feel like overcooked noodles, quivering with every attempted shove from Jasper. Yet he couldn't ignore the thrill that sparked within him with each small victory. The other students may flaunt their badges, but here—sweat-soaked and dirt-specked—he felt something closer to belonging.

“Focus!” Horvan barked again, his eyes zeroing in on a nearby pair struggling to maintain balance. “This isn’t a game; it’s your life!”

Otter adjusted his stance, determination igniting within him once more. “Right. Life,” he muttered under his breath, shaking off a brief flash of self-doubt. He studied Jasper with new intensity. The Fighter was solid, confident—a rock in a river—but Otter had learned that even the mightiest rocks could be worn down by time and pressure.

With each push, Otter could feel Jasper’s strength, but what he lacked in raw power, Otter made up with agility and strategy. He watched Jasper’s movements closely, observing how the boy’s shoulders tensed before he lunged. “I can use this,” Otter thought, as ideas raced through his mind.

“Again,” Horvan called out, snapping Otter back to the present. This time, instead of merely countering Jasper's strength, he feigned a direct approach before sidestepping smoothly to the left, using Jasper's momentum against him.

Caught off guard, Jasper pitched forward slightly, a look of surprise flashing across his face as he stumbled—just for a heartbeat—but that was all Otter needed. He leaned in hard, driving sideward with a swift shove that sent Jasper stumbling onto one knee in the dirt.

The other students around them gasped. Even Jasper was momentarily stunned.

Jasper quickly regained his feet, brushing dirt off his knees with a scowl. His gaze locked on Otter, his expression one of intense scrutiny mixed with grudging respect.

"Not bad," Jasper muttered. He straightened, his stance no longer cocky, but measured. "Didn't expect that from someone without a badge."

Otter shrugged, his heart pounding in his chest. "Guess you shouldn't underestimate people."

Jasper’s smirk returned, though it was sharper now, more calculated. "Guess not. But don’t get too comfortable. One lucky shove doesn’t make you a fighter."

Before Otter could respond, Master Horvan clapped his hands, drawing the attention of the entire yard.

"Good! I see some of you are starting to get it," Horvan boomed, pacing in front of the recruits. "But don’t get cocky. Balance is only the beginning. You’ve got to learn to read your opponent, adapt to their movements, and strike when the time is right."

Horvan stopped in front of Otter and Jasper, his sharp gaze flicking between them.

"Bennett! You showed adaptation. You read your partner, found his weak point, and used it. That’s good instinct."

Otter blinked, startled to hear praise from someone like Horvan. "Thank you, sir."

Horvan’s gaze shifted to Jasper. "And you, Thorne. Your strength is an asset, but it’s not your only one. You need to switch it up. Flexibility is your ally. If you give an opponent time to figure out what your doing, they’ll use it against you."

Jasper’s jaw clenched, but he nodded stiffly. "Yes, sir."

Horvan gave a curt nod and continued pacing. "Listen up, all of you! Combat isn’t about brute force. It’s about survival. You’ve got to know when to fight, when to dodge, and when to run."

He paused, letting the weight of his words settle over the recruits.

"You won’t always be the strongest. You won’t always be the fastest. But if you can keep your balance and adapt, you’ll survive."

As Horvan dismissed the recruits for a short break, Otter stretched his aching arms, rubbing at the sore spots on his shoulders. His legs felt unsteady, his balance shaken both physically and mentally. He hadn’t expected to hold his own against someone like Jasper, but he also hadn’t expected the rush of satisfaction when he did.

Jasper, however, lingered. He stood a few feet away, arms crossed, his brow furrowed in thought. His gaze stayed fixed on Otter, like he was trying to solve a puzzle.

Finally, he spoke.

“So,” Jasper said, his voice casual but cutting. “You’re the classless recruit everyone’s whispering about.”

Otter wiped his hands on his trousers, keeping his expression neutral. "Guess so."

Jasper’s smirk was slow, deliberate. "You know, I wasn’t sure if you were real or just some overblown rumor. How’d you get in to the Academy anyway?"

Otter met his gaze without flinching. "I was invited. Same as everyone else."

That wiped the smirk off Jasper’s face for a heartbeat. But it returned, colder this time. "You know what I think? I think you’re either connected, you’re a cheat, or you got really lucky."

Jasper stepped closer, his boots kicking up dust as he closed the distance between them. His voice dropped low, meant only for Otter to hear.

"Let me tell you something. Cheaters get caught. Connections can be broken. And Luck runs out. When one of those happens, I hope I’m around to see it."

Otter’s pulse quickened, but he held his ground. He wasn’t about to let Jasper see any cracks in his composure. "Funny. I heard Fighters were supposed to be brave, not scared of what they don’t understand."

Jasper’s jaw tightened, and for a moment, Otter wondered if he’d pushed too far. But instead of taking a swing, Jasper leaned back, that cocky grin resurfacing.

"You’ve got guts. I’ll give you that, Otter." That last word was said with derision. All Otter could hear was sewer rat. “But it’ll take more than that to survive here. It’ll take skill, ability, talent…and class.”

The insult hung in the air between them, sharp and deliberate. Otter stiffened, but before he could respond, Horvan’s voice boomed across the yard.

"Enough chit-chat! Find a new partner and repeat the exercise!"

Jasper stepped away without another word, but his gaze lingered for just a moment longer, filled with challenge and warning.

It took a few moments for the students to reorganize themselves. Otter found a kid with a Scout badge to pair up with. He was shorter than Otter, and fast. Otter knocked him off balance a couple of times, but the kid had this way of regaining it before he stumbled or fell. Because he was shorter, the Scout was able to shove Otter from entirely different angles than Jasper had, resulting in him being knocked over. Otter squatted deeper into his stance, lowering his center of gravity which fixed the problem.

After what felt like an eternity, Horvan finally concluded the session. Otter collapsed to the ground, completely drained of energy. As he looked around, he noticed that some of the others didn’t seem as exhausted as he was, even though they were breathing heavily and stretching their muscles.

A few minutes later, Liora's towering figure appeared over him.

"You doing okay, kid?" she asked.

"Yeah," Otter groaned. "Just not used to this."

She reached out a hand, and Otter used it to pull himself up.

"It'll get easier. I had to go through all of this a while back. My father wanted me to have some basic training before coming to the Academy. It sucks for the first week or two until your muscles start to toughen up, but they will. Where are you headed next?"

"Lunch, I guess. Then Evershade Hall for Understanding the System."

Liora scrunched up her face. "Ugh, that sounds boring."

"Maybe," Otter shrugged. "I'll find out soon enough."

"I'm heading to Graymere for Beast Handling. After lunch, of course." She grinned.

"Would you mind if I tag along? I might need a ride if my legs give out."

Liora chuckled. "Sure thing, pipsqueak."

Otter noticed Jasper walking away from the training grounds and stared after him.

Liora noticed his gaze and asked, "You got a problem with him?"

"I'm not sure," Otter replied honestly.