FORMING A PARTY

As Iris and Mocha approached the entrance to the City Guard's training grounds, they could hear the sound of metal clashing and grunts of exertion coming from within. The imposing entrance loomed before them, flanked by two armored guards who eyed them warily.

Undeterred, Iris sat up in her saddle, chin held high and her back straight, projecting an air of confidence and authority. Mocha strode along as if she owned the place, her head held high, her mane and tail flowing freely in the wind like a mythical horse of the gods.

Iris’s armor was immaculate, which was actually unfortunate because clearly someone in shiny armor rarely used it. She wore her longsword on her hip, and her shield and bow were strapped to Mocha’s saddle.

The guards tensed up as the two approached, their hands instinctively resting on the hilts of their swords. But as adventurer and steed drew closer, they seemed to relax, their stance softening.

Without a word, Iris and Mocha moved through the entrance and stepped inside, the clang of the metal echoing through the courtyard. As they entered the training grounds, the guards and trainees all turned to watch. Iris felt their eyes on her, and she smirked, reveling in the attention.

Take in the sight, boys, and girls. This is what a real hero looks like.

Mocha pranced a bit, sensing the excitement in the air, and Iris patted her neck reassuringly.

She scanned the area, taking in the sights and sounds of the busy training ground.

There were rows of dummies for practicing swordplay and archery, groups of soldiers sparring with each other, and veterans barking orders at their charges. Iris felt a thrill of excitement run through her as she realized that she was now amongst members of the other side of the martial profession she had taken… the law.

I bet they’d join me if only they hadn’t taken an arrow to the knee.

The four guards-turned-adventurer-lites were standing together, having reserved a ring for the five of them. Kaira turned and waved at her, raising an eyebrow as she saw Mocha strutting around like a showhorse.

Iris smiled, but Mocha snorted, “You forgive too easily.”

“No, I don’t,” Iris denied. “She was perfectly reasonable. I was the one acting silly for overreacting. At least I kept it between you and me.”

“You’re not silly,” Mocha nickered. “You’re a perfectly reasonable monkey.”

Iris couldn't help but chuckle at Mocha's remark, shaking her head in amusement. She dismounted from her horse and strode over to the group, her steps confident and purposeful. Kaira greeted her with a smile and a playful punch to the arm.

Mocha let out a low nicker from behind her. “She better be nice.”

Iris waved her off.

“You made it,” the elf said, gesturing to the training grounds. “What do you think?”

Iris looked around, taking in the scene once more. “Impressive,” she said, nodding. She gestured toward groups of three practicing a group fight. “But I think we could give them a run for their money.”

Gryff, the telv guard, chuckled. “We’ll see! None of us have actually seen you in action,” he pointed out.

“Kaira has. I got moves!” Iris smiled and bumped into Kaira with her hips, sending the woman stumbling.

Kaira rolled her eyes but couldn't help but smile at Iris's playful antics. "Yeah, she's got moves alright," Kaira said with a chuckle. "Just don't get too cocky, Iris. We're here to train, not to show off."

Iris stuck out her tongue playfully. “Fine, fine. But I'm definitely taking down at least one of those dummies before we leave,” she declared.

Kaira groaned. “Please do not damage the training dummies unnecessarily. The Guard has to pay to get them fixed.”

“Fiiine. I’ll be nice to the training dummies,” she whined.

The guard captain rolled her eyes. “Well, you guys have fun.”

Iris raised a brow. “You’re leaving?”

Kaira nodded. “Yup. Mocha and I have an appointment.”

“Wait, what?” Mocha whinnied.

“Wait, what?” Iris echoed.

“You heard me,” Kaira said. “I have to take Mocha somewhere for a surprise.”

Iris arched an eyebrow in curiosity. “A surprise? What kind of surprise?”

Kaira grinned mischievously. “Can’t tell you, it’s a surprise. But don't worry, we’ll be back soon enough.”

Iris shrugged and looked at her horse, who was looking betrayed. Iris smiled at her. “Alright then, you two have fun! Mocha, don’t give her too much grief.”

Mocha gave her a look. “You’re doing this on purpose. Punishing me,” her horse nickered. “This is because I stole your snacks isn’t it?”

“That was you?!” Iris gasped.

“Wait, no. Of course not,” Mocha whinnied.

“I totally thought it was Tanith!”

“It was definitely Tanith. That guy… so horrible. He steals my apples too. We should prank him,” Mocha nickered.

Iris rolled her eyes. “Alright, you have fun with Kaira.”

“Wait! Ugh… Fine. But if she steps out of line, I’m biting her,” Mocha whinnied, with a resigned look.

Iris stepped close and patted Mocha on the neck. “You'll be fine. Have fun for me will you?”

“But I wanted to watch you kick their asses…”

Iris snorted. “I'll make sure to have another session when you're around.”

“Promise?” Mocha asked in a lower nicker.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

“I promise to go easy on them enough so they'll want to practice again when you are around,” Iris replied.

“Good.”

Kaira watched the exchange with ample amusement. “Come on, Mocha. Let’s go before she changes her mind,” Kaira called out.

Mocha gave her one last look, and Iris waved at her horse who swished her tail in response.

Iris chuckled as she watched them go before turning back to Gryff and the others. “Alright, let’s get to training,” she said with a determined look in her eyes.

Gryff nodded, a smile on his face. “Finally, I’ve been waiting for this.”

Iris raised a brow. “Oh? Why’s that?”

The group chuckled. “We’ve heard all about your magic use. We saw the aftermath of your fight in that house.”

Iris narrowed her eyes. “Speaking of that house, did the Guard find anything else about that?”

Bree nodded. “We did. There was a passage in the back of the basement that we believe ran to the sewers. We sealed it off.”

“That’ll do it,” Iris affirmed, nodding sagely. “Now, practice. We’re going after these bandits, and I’ve already fought them. Now, I’m sure you all know how to fight, so we’re not going to worry about that, but we are going to worry about how you fight magic users.”

“How big of a difference is that, really?” Laken asked.

Iris walked toward the stand where the training weapons were. She grabbed a blunted longsword and turned around. Iris smiled. “It all depends on the person. Now, who’s first?” she asked.

Gryff shrugged. “I’ll go.”

The man stepped forward, his spear and shield at the ready, while the other two stepped back to give them space.

“Now,” Iris continued. “The system affects people differently, the Church can actually give more information than me. I basically wing it, but I will at least share what I know.”

The three nodded. Iris shifted her sword hand-to-hand before settling on using it with her right. With a nod to Gryff, she got into position. “Now, for this fight, I am only going to use my passive spells and abilities. Look for a quick pulse of mana if you can, if not, look for subtle changes in my body language. These passive skills improve my body. As physical users, you’ll be able to create abilities. If any of you are hybrid, you’ll also be able to create spells.”

“What’s the benefit of being a physical or magic person then, if hybrid can use both?” Gryff asked, the man still focused on her movements as the two slowly circled each other.

“Great question!” she said with a smile. “I have a guess. I learned that Hybrids get a balance of stats, and of course, have the capability to gain both abilities and spells. Which means more versatility, but they lack the theoretical potential of a pure user. We’ll need to get a copy of the Church’s primer on this for us to peruse.”

She cast [Arcane Capability] and [Rushing Wind] in quick succession, sighing as she felt her stamina dip while the magic took effect, increasing her strength and movement abilities.

Bree’s eyes widened. “I saw that!”

Iris smiled. “Good! You ready Gryff?”

The telv nodded. “Been ready. Just letting you talk.”

She chuckled and then feinted left before rushing the man with her increased agility. The man’s eyes widened as she lashed out, but he managed to block her strike with his shield. Iris quickly backed away and circled him again, watching for any openings in his defense.

“As a physical user, you’ll need to be able to anticipate and react quickly to magic attacks,” Iris explained. “Keep their attention divided, and overwhelm the caster. They’ll typically be weaker physically, so get in close.”

Gryff nodded, his eyes focused on Iris as she continued to circle him. Suddenly, he lunged forward with his spear, but Iris easily dodged his attack with a side-step. She then followed up with a quick strike to his side, but Gryff managed to block it with his shield.

“Good,” Iris said with a smile. “Keep it up.”

Gryff was trying to anticipate Iris's movements, but she was moving too quickly for him to keep up. Suddenly, she feinted to the right, and then in a flash, she was upon him.

Gryff barely managed to bring up his shield in time, and the clang of metal echoed through the training yard as Iris's sword struck it. The force of the blow made Gryff stumble back a step, but he quickly regained his footing and brought his spear back into position, and jabbed forward.

Iris jumped backward away from the strike, watching Gryff carefully. She could see the determination in his eyes, and she knew that he was taking this seriously.

Gryff circled her warily, his spear pointed towards her. He made a feint towards her left side, but Iris easily parried his real attack with her sword. She followed up with a quick slash towards his right side, which he managed to spin and take on his shield with a grunt.

She smirked.

The two went back and forth as she got a gauge of the man’s fighting style, purposely drawing out the fight so he too could get a feel for her. She kept increasing her speed and reactions, to see how he responded, and she could sense his confusion as he tried to figure out her movements.

When she noticed him tiring, she decided to end the fight quickly.

She baited him with a wide swing of her sword, which he sidestepped and jabbed forward with his spear.

With a sudden burst of speed, Iris dodged his attack, closed the distance between them, and dropped down. She swept Gryff’s leg out from under him, and he fell to the ground with a thud, his spear falling onto the dirt beside him.

Iris stood over him, her sword pointed toward his neck. “And that’s how you do it,” she said with a smile.

Gryff groaned as he got back up, rubbing his backside. “Damn, you're fast,” he said, impressed.

Iris chuckled. “Thank my magic for that. It's all about using your strengths to your advantage.”

She noticed a few people watching them, quietly talking to each other as she fought and taught her new party members.

Laken raised a hand. “So, me next?”

Gryff laughed. “So quick to get your ass kicked, Laken?”

“Well, I figure it’s better now than in an actual fight,” the elf said.

Iris chuckled. “That’s good thinking, but no. Not just you,” she said, smiling at their confused looks. She drew mana into herself, letting her magic settle into her eyes, feeling them start to spark. “Now let’s add some more magic. You three versus me.”

The three glanced between themselves, before coming to an unspoken conclusion and stepping forward. Gasps of surprise amongst the observing guards caused more people to look over and start heading their way.

Iris rolled her shoulders and cracked her neck.

Time to break in the noobs.

✦ ✦ ✦

Gryff narrowed his eyes as he adjusted his grip on his spear. The terran woman was not technically the best fighter he’d ever faced but when combined with her strength and speed… Kaira is a lucky woman…

Now he warily focused on the woman whose eyes made her look as if she were a goddess of storms with how they glowed a fierce bluish-white with cracks of lightning shooting off of them.

“Okay,” she started while sheathing her sword. “So, magic users. I’ve only faced one in combat, and she was pretty weak. So, I don’t have much to give you other than what I can do. We’ll learn together! Now, I’ll tone down the strength of my magic, but you’ll still feel a little shock. How would you face someone like me?”

How would he face someone with magic? His first thought was to pepper the area with arrows, but she had mentioned that magic users had fewer physical attributes, whatever that meant.

Actually…

“What are attributes?” he asked.

The redhead smiled. “So, I know this based on stories and games in my world. But it seems to hold true here. Attributes are how mana and the system improve your body. Someone with higher capability will be physically stronger if they’re also a physical person. I know there’s a way to quantify your attributes, but apparently, the Church hasn’t figured it out yet.”

“The Church? You’ve mentioned them a few times now,” Bree asked, adjusting her grip on her own spear and shield.

Good, someone else is confused.

“Yes, they have a ceremony that shows you all of the stuff about your status with the system. In fact, after this, you three should go perform it. We’ll need to know so I can help you and so we can figure out how to utilize the information for the Adventurer’s Guild,” Iris explained.

This woman definitely knows her craft. No wonder she’s starting a new guild…

“On the whole fighting a magic user thing,” Laken started. “We should probably spread out. Split your focus.”

She smiled. “I see someone was listening earlier. Very good. I’m ready when you are. If you don’t attack in ten seconds though, I will…”