The basketball team - First-Year Team Two - stood in a line before Shi, a dark-haired, Chinese girl. As the oldest by a couple years on the team (the second-oldest being Amelie, the tall French girl with short, purple hair), she'd been elected as team captain of the quintet. Spencer smiled nervously as he looked at the rest of the team. He prayed they'd at least touched a basketball before.

Evidently, Shi's mind was on a similar path: 'Who here has played basketball?' she asked as she tied her black hair into a bun. 'Show me.'

Jake was first up, face pulled tight in a broad grin. He glanced at Spencer. 'Just watch, Spence. Watch how a pro does it.'

Spencer smirked. 'Sure.'

Shi passed Jake the ball and took a defensive stance in front of him. 'Try and score on me,' she said.

Jake's grin - if it was even possible - broadened. 'My pleasure.'

Spencer passed him the ball. Jake instinctively faked a shot attempt - which Shi didn't fall for. He drove down the right side*. Shi kept tight on him, eyes locked on the ball.

Jake crossed the ball between the legs and span. Shi's trainers squeaked as she followed him, but as he took a step back, her momentum carried her away and she tripped, hitting the floor with a thud.

Jake laughed. 'Easy.' He shot the ball. It bounced back off the rim and bonked him on the head. He tripped and fell, rubbing his head dejectedly.

Spencer laughed. 'Yeah. You're really not making it look that easy.'

Jake scowled, got to his feet, and marched off the court. Shi came behind him. 'Good dribbling, but we'll need to work on the shot,' she said matter-of-factly; Jake grunted in response, face angled towards the floor, cheeks gleaming red.

'We've only got a day to train, so I just hope your shot warms up quick!' Shi turned to the rest of them. 'Who's next?'

Amelie put her hand up, trembling. 'I'll - I'll try...'

She didn't look up as she stepped out onto the court. As she moved in front of Shi, Amelie dwarfed the Chinese girl by a considerable margin. Her hands alone were bigger than Shi's head.

As soon as Amelie's hands touched the ball, she froze. Shi leapt straight at her, pressing tight against the tall girl. She scrabbled for the ball.

At this point, Amelie moved. She pivoted, swinging her arms up and down, avoiding Shi's fervent attempts to steal the ball. She made no attempt to drive, dribble, or shoot, and remained fervently trying to keep the ball from Shi's reach however she could.

After a few minutes of Amelie's pivoting, Shi was gasping for breath. She still hadn't stolen the ball. 'Okay...pause there,' she said. 'So...you can...hold the ball a while...but can you shoot or dribble?'

Amelie attempted to shoot the ball. Her shot didn't even touch the rim - nor the backboard either. It didn't even get with a half-metre of the basket. At Shi's request, she attempted a dribble, but after an attempt at a through-the-legs crossover, the big French girl found herself in a heap on the floor.

'Merde,' Amelie muttered as she got up, brushing herself off. She kept her head bowed as she stalked off the court.

'Okay,' said Shi. 'I guess we'll just need to figure out what to do with you, Amelie...'

The next to test their skills was Thera. She stood at the halfway line, waiting for the ball, her blonde locks tied up in a bun to mirror Shi's. Shi was perched in a defensive posture a metre and a half away, guarding the perimeter of the three-point line. Thera made no reaction as Shi eyed her up; her face remained expressionless and bored.

Spencer passed her the ball. Within a millisecond of touching the ball, Thera had leaped into the air. Shi was too far away to block, even as she sprang up, raising her arm towards the ball. Thera executed flawless shot technique and released the ball so quickly it blurred as it hurtled into the air. The basket swished as the ball fell cleanly through the net. Milliseconds later, Shi and Thera landed back on the floor.

Spencer's eyes widened, and his jaw hung slack. That must've been a near-thirty-foot shot! Damn. Never expected that from Thera.

Jake's cheers were loudest. He applauded as Thera moved to take another shot.

After Thera had demonstrated her shooting proficiency another few times, missing not even once, it was Spencer's turn. His heartbeat quickened as he stepped onto the court. Shi guarded him from a moderate distance, trying to gauge if he was a shooter or a dribbler.

I'm neither, Spencer thought. I'm a driver...

He caught the pass from Jake, faked a right drive, and drove left, dribbling the ball. He didn't bother with Jake's fancy dribbling - not that Spencer was a particularly great dribbler - and opted for a more rudimentary style. Shi locked onto him, pressing him tightly.

But he muscled his way through her, and just a metre from the basket, jumped into the air. Shi leapt up to block him, but only managed to reach his shoulders before he slammed the ball hard through the hoop.

As Spencer touched back down on the floor, he heard a yelp from Shi as she fell. He caught her, but her momentum took him to the floor - with her on top of him. He groaned.

'Yes, Spence! Go on, mate!' he heard Jake cheer.

Shi grinned, getting off him. 'You're strong, Spencer Jackson, but you're not that strong.' She helped him to his feet. 'Let's try it again. I don't think you're going to score.'

Spencer raised an eyebrow. 'You reckon?' He saw a mischievous glint in her eyes, and his pulse quickened.

Spencer ran through the same play again. As he reached the basket, he sprang into the air, preparing to slam the ball with his right hand when out of nowhere came a little blue humanoid creature with a fiendish grin and four tiny flapping wings. And suddenly there appeared a whole group of them, forming an arrowhead in the air. The arrowhead burrowed towards the ball, knocking it from Spencer's hand.

Spencer gasped, eyes widening, as his empty hand hit the basket. He grabbed the hoop, slowing his fall, and dropped to the ground. He turned to Shi, who held the ball. The blue creatures spiralled around her before they disappeared in a puff of purple smoke.

She grinned. 'Did you forget we could use our Khai abilities? My melvare pixies sure came in handy!'

Spencer nodded and smiled. I just need to figure out how I can use my minimised pulsar...

Shi called the rest of the team over, and they convened underneath the basket.

Jake tapped Spencer's shoulder, grinning. 'Imagine getting your shot blocked by a girl.'

'Imagine missing,' Spencer shot back. 'And Shi's not just "a girl" - she's a lockdown defender.'

'That's right,' Shi interjected, beaming. She winked at Spencer and turned to the rest of them. 'We have three matches to play in the group stage. Two of them are against Oktara teams - the Oktaran Commanders and Le Montagne - but the final match will be against First-Year Team One.'

The others nodded. Spencer crossed his arms over his chest, twitching uneasily. First-Year Team One was led by Tobey Matthews. The memory of what Tobey had said to him at their first meeting at breakfast yesterday circulated through his mind: "I can respect you - you're strong, that much is certain - but if you challenge me, I won't hesitate to put all my strength on you and take you down."

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A shiver passed down Spencer's spine.

'Good work today, everyone,' Shi continued. 'That's today's training finished. Let's go out into Oktara and have some fun. I missed breakfast back at the keep** and I really want to try some of Oktara's famed sausages!'

#

The harsh sunlight of the setting sun bore down on them as they strode down the paved streets of Oktara, though they were still cold enough to require the wearing of padded jackets over their kimonos. The town's rickety, wooden houses - spaced so far apart as they were - allowed a breeze to blow down the street and up their nostrils. It carried with it the meaty smell of sausages.

Up ahead was a cluster of people, clamouring around a group of carts. The people, thin and gaunt, wore furs of many creatures, from bears to wolves to mountain goats. Some even wore the feathers of owls and eagles. Adorning their faces were broad smiles, tinged with the tiredness and fatigue of a long day's work.

Shi's eyes lit up. 'Sausages!' she exclaimed, dashing to the stands, feet pounding against the pavement. 'I want some sausages!'

She looked almost comedic as she ran, arms flailing at her side, her bun of hair bouncing at the back of her head; it came undone, letting black hair cascade over her shoulders, but she didn't care and kept running.

Spencer and Jake laughed as she ran, while Amelie did not even seem to notice, her gaze fixed on the pavement. Thera grunted and rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest.

When the others finally caught up to her, Shi was sat on the fence of the Oktara Silver Park, munching on a platter of sausages. As they approached, she pulled one from the paper bowl in her hand and pushed it into her mouth.

'You alright there, Gnasher?' Jake remarked as he stepped towards her.

'Jake, she's Chinese: she won't get that reference,' Spencer remarked, walking alongside him. Behind them came Thera and Amelie.

'I get the reference,' Shi mumbled through a mouthful of sausage. 'Gnasher is Goofy's dog - though how that relates to sausages, I don't know.'

Spencer sighed and shook his head. Evidently, Shi had never looked through the holy pages of the Beano.

Spencer grimaced. The salty smell of the sausage was so strong he could almost taste it. 'So, what now?' he asked.

'Well, I thought, since we were here,' Shi began, eating the last sausage. She pointed behind her. 'I thought we'd have a look at the competition.'

Spencer looked to where she was pointing: an outdoor basketball court. At present, there were teams playing - both comprised of Oktaran locals. There was a large crowd huddled together, watching the game. In the crowd, Spencer spied the hulking, blonde-haired frame of Tobey Matthews and the rest of First-Year Team One, shouting and cheering along with the crowd.

Soon, Spencer and the rest of First-Year Team Two found themselves engrossed, watching the action from behind the railing that encircled the court. The two teams playing were the Oktaran Commanders and Le Montagne.

One of the Oktaran locals - a skinny, bare-chested man in a woollen hat - approached the paint***. His defender was tight on him. No matter.

The man took his two steps, leaping into the air, his golden chain dancing around his neck. His defender jumped to block him, raising his arms above his head; and with a from each of his fingertips launched a torrent of roaring water, forming a towering wall between the bare-chested man and the basket.

The bare-chested man, still soaring towards the basket, smirked slightly. As he hurtled towards the wall of water - which was rushing and frothing before him - ghostly apparitions of each of his arms suddenly appeared. They grabbed the basketball, vaulted the wall of water, and dove towards the hoop, dunking the ball as their progenitor crashed against the water-wall. Spencer's eyes widened.

The bare-chested man, with a thunderous bellow, landed on his feet, bearing down on top of his defender, who was splayed down on the floor. The crowd cheered as he splayed his arms wide in victory, roaring like a bear. He pulled off his sopping-wet hat and shook it. It dried instantly. As he replaced it back on his head, he turned back to his smiling teammates, ignoring the defender on the ground - the ultimate sign of basketball dominance.

'That's Itoksu Manu,' said Shi. 'He's the best basketball player in Oktara. He'll be a difficult threat for us to counter - which is why I'll need our two bigs' - She glanced at Spencer and Amelie - 'to be able to deal with him. But we're not playing his team, the Oktaran Commanders, next. No, we'll be playing the other guys - Le Montagne.'

She pointed at the opposing team - which included the defender Itoksu had just dunked on. 'They're nowhere near as good as Itoksu's team, so that hopefully gives us a chance.'

Spencer nodded. 'Itoksu's not a name I've ever heard before,' he remarked, watching as, after a final shot Itoksu's side, the bare-chested man raced to embrace his boyfriend at the side of the court.

'It's a name derived from Khaiass,' came a voice from behind.

Spencer turned to see Lois - Lois Vixen - smiling at him. Her fiery hair looked glorious, shining in the orange rays of the setting sun.

' "Itoksu" means "to scale",' she said. 'It is meant as a name to those who can defeat any obstacle in their path. All of the Oktarans' names come from Khaiass. Almost all of the people here went to Noruhito Academy or are related to someone who went there, and as per the naming traditions of Noruhito, get their names from the Khaiass lexicon.'

Spencer frowned, trying to unpack what she said. 'Does that mean I have to change my name?'

She shook her head. 'Only if you want to.' She smiled. 'I presume this is your team for the tournament.'

Spencer nodded. He was about to speak and introduce her to his teammates, when he was interrupted by an outburst from Jake: 'Spence, mate, who's this leng girl you're with?' Jake's eyes boggled as he stepped towards them. A smile crept on his face as he looked Lois up and down.

Lois - surprisingly - didn't blush. 'My name is Lois Vixen, but you can call me "Not-A-Chance-In-Hell".'

Jake's face fell. He looked as if he was about reply, but decided not to and turned away.

'That was Jake,' said Spencer. 'He's a...character, for sure. So talkative if you put him in a room full of mutes he'd be sure to strike up a conversation.'

'He's an idiot.'

Spencer smirked. 'Well, I'm an idiot too. You know what they say - "sames attract".'

Lois shook her head. 'That is wrong in so many ways...'

Spencer introduced her to the others. Shi was smiley and chatty and talked a few sentences about the game; Thera ignored them; and Amelie, shoulders slumped and head bowed, looked up for a second, eyes wide in surprise that anyone was even mentioning her.

'She's talkative, that one,' Lois remarked.

Spencer caught sight of the bare-chested man - Itoksu - passing by in front of them, on the other side of the railing, and called, 'Hey, mate, you're Itoksu Manu, right?'

Itoksu's eyes narrowed. His face was pulled tight into a scowl. 'What's it to you?' His voice was firm and gruff - both of which were accentuated by his sharp accent.

'Thought you played some good ball. Nice little move with the hands.'

Itoksu's face slowly relaxed. He smiled. 'Ah, so you liked Spectral Mimicry? Yes, it's a neat little trick. What's your name, bro?'

'Spencer Jackson, but my friends call me "Spence".'

'I thought only I called you "Spence"!' Jake whinged from behind.

Spencer ignored him.

'Nice meeting you, Spence.' Itoksu reached a hand across the railing - which Spencer shook firmly. 'You look like a good baller: tall and muscular. We should play sometime.'

Spencer nodded, grinning. 'So we should. Alright - in a bit, mate.'

Ikotsu muttered a farewell and left.

As Spencer turned back to face Lois, she raised her brows in surprise. She grinned. 'Look at you: you've not been in Oktara a day, and you've already challenged the greatest basketball player in town.'

Spencer shrugged. 'What can I say? I'm a magnet for greatness.'

'So you are, Spencer Jackson.' Tobey Matthews' hulking frame appeared behind Lois, towering over her. His eyes locked on Spencer.

Spencer's eyes narrowed. 'What's up?'

Tobey smiled. 'I'm here to challenge you, Spencer. I challenge you to a one-on-one basketball matchup - Khai abilities allowed.'

Spencer shook his head. 'Not interested.'

Tobey raised his brows in surprise. 'I didn't expect that response. From what I've heard you're a brave man - a determined man. Didn't think you'd back down. Didn't think you'd be a coward.'

'A coward?' Spencer pushed Lois aside, glaring up at the bigger boy. His heart pounded. 'I'm a great many things, but I am not a coward.'

Tobey's smile broadened. 'Prove it.'

'Now, now, boys,' Lois warned, forcing herself between them. She placed a hand on each of their chests, keeping them apart. 'Let's not get too aggressive. It's only a game of basketball, after all.'

Spencer's eyes narrowed to slits as he regarded Tobey. 'When?'

Tobey grinned. 'Now, of course. There's no time like the present.'

'You're on.'

As they made their way to the court, Spencer was pulled aside by Shi. 'Be careful,' she warned. 'Tobey's a big guy, and he could do some serious damage. We're going to need you for the next game.'

'Yeah, don't do anything stupid,' added Jake.

'I don't care,' chimed in Thera unnecessarily, arms crossed over her chest. Her hair was no longer tied up in a bun, and flowed over her shoulders like a golden waterfall.

Shi shot her a dirty look, then turned back to Spencer. 'Be careful,' she repeated. 'I mean it. I'll flay you black and blue if you get injured.' From the fierce look in her eyes, Spencer didn't doubt it.

'Good luck,' said Jake, smiling. He clapped him on the back. 'Give Tobey a taste of what we have in store him, Red Rose.'

' "Red Rose"?' Spencer asked.

'Well, you gave Itsoku "Spence", so I needed another nickname for you.'

'And that's what you came up with?' Spencer smirked.

'Good luck,' came a small voice: Amelie. She looked up from beneath her purple fringe and smiled. 'I hope you win.'

Spencer smiled back. 'I hope I win too.'

'I would like to re-iterate: I don't care,' said Thera.

Spencer rolled his eyes and proceeded onto the court. He joined Tobey, who cracked a smile. Spencer didn't smile back. I'm going to destroy him!

'I'll let you start,' said Tobey, passing him the ball and taking a defensive stance.

Spencer took his place at the top of the "D". He smiled, eying Tobey with hard eyes.

Tobey chuckled. 'You ready?'

Spencer nodded. 'I'm ready.'

The crowds cheers roared loudly behind him as he took the first dribble...