Benefiting from the academy’s full support, Phoenix dukedom was one of the most prosperous areas in the empire. Crops flourished even in places where they shouldn’t, and trade was abundant.
However, although many tried to make their fortunes here, just as many ended up broke and homeless. Some made crime their business, so it was rather unwise to walk the streets at night. Unfortunately for Finn’s group, that was exactly what they had to do.
As they made their way through the streets of a small town, thugs seemed more abundant than ants.
“Freeze, little students. Give me your money and...”
Michael gave him his boot instead.
“Stop! If you know what’s good for you...”
One hit from the back of Tommy’s axe changed the thief’s mind.
The teens tried their best not to kill when it wasn’t necessary. The initial encounter in the fields had shaken them greatly.
“Lethal force is legal when attacked by an armed assailant,” Finn cited between heavy breaths. It was Ms. Martha’s favorite quote which she repeated at least five times per law class. They now understood why.
The streets of the small town were lit with large torches at the corners of each street. The fire never ran out, so the group could at least see the shadows of their pursuers.
“They’re like rats,” muttered Natalie.
Since many of the students who applied for Phoenix academy came from rich backgrounds, this period was open season for all kinds of bastards. Thieves, kidnapers, and even serial killers with a vendetta against nobles had prepared all year for exactly this time.
“Ignore them,” said Tommy. “We can’t waste any more time.” Next morning, when the sun rose, Phoenix academy’s entrance ceremony would begin.
Suddenly, flaming rags were thrown into the streets releasing unusual amounts of smoke.
“Hold your breath!” shouted Finn. The enemy could be seen beyond the flaming rags, taunting them.
Annie, now awake, jumped off Michael’s back and climbed a nearby building so fast it put felines to shame. Michael took the lead, with Natalie and Tommy flanking him.
While the three engaged the enemy, Finn grabbed one of the flaming cloths and threw it at the enemy. From above, Annie dispatched the incoming thugs with her blow dart.
“There are more coming from the left!” she shouted. Finn ran towards them while the rest broke through the front.
His past life had not prepared him for combat, but Griffin’s training was brutal. And, what he did not understand from him, Natalie took it upon herself to drill into his head.
Compared to her, the enemy looked sloppy and slow. They needed five moves to block one of Finn’s strikes and most couldn’t even do that.
He pulled out his knife and cut through them with ease. He kept his eyes forward and hid through the streets. From above, Annie guided him.
“Go right and then left. There’s a thug up ahead.”
“What about the others?”
“They’re almost out. Two will ambush you from the left.”
Stolen story; please report.
Half of the threats she called out, Annie took care of before Finn could reach them. Her agility and speed upon the rooftops were incredible for her size.
A couple of archers targeted her from afar, but she either dodged the arrows easily or grabbed them midair with her bare hands. After her darts ran dry, she used these arrows instead.
‘Superhuman,’ was the only word Finn had to describe her. ‘If magic can be taught to anyone, I’m definitely taking that class.’
Soon, they broke through the small town, leaving a trail of broken bones and blood in their wake. It would all be covered up by morning. Afterall, a trading hub must be pretty.
A few hours later, the group got close to Phoenix city. They were hungry and exhausted, cranky and cold. Splatters of blood covered their clothes, a constant reminder of what they had done.
Not even the city’s image out in the distance could console them. Worse yet, there were still some uninvited guests along the way.
“Hello, weary travelers.” A group of five young men stood in their path. “We are also future students of the academy. Would you like to chat?”
Their leader was a tall, bald guy with a scimitar on his belt. He winked at Finn’s group while toying with his blade.
“Liars,” Natalie gave a tired sigh. “You lot can’t possibly be students.” The ‘teens’ in front of them looked more like bandits than anything else.
“What are you talking about?” the bald man lifted his hands in protest. “You can’t enter the Phoenix dukedom during this time if you’re not a student trying out for the academy. It’s such a pity though. So many do not reach their destination...”
"You're full of shit," muttered Michael. "This region's full of shitheads like you."
The man’s joyous disposition changed in an instant.
Tommy took a step forward. His shoulders were slumped and his eyes were puffy.
“Let us through.”
“Go back,” answered the bald man. After guarding his master's child all the way to the academy, his final job was to thin out the competition. He could not back away with the job half done, and even if he could, his pride would not allow it.
The two groups eyed each other for a moment. Then, they attacked with swords, knives, and anything else at their disposal.
Natalie used a rake to deal the first blow. The bald man avoided getting his head impaled, but Natalie swept his feet in return. Tommy and Finn crossed blades with two others while Michael took his opponent to the ground.
Natalie lifted her rake to deliver the finishing blow, when the fifth man jumped her from the side. The two rolled on the ground while fighting over the man's knife.
For a second, the two groups were equal. Then, Tommy’s opponent saw Michael and his comrade exchanging fists in the dirt. That second of distraction led to an axe to the head.
An expressionless Tommy pulled it out and walked towards his friend. He executed Michael’s opponent with a clean cut to the neck and then moved on towards Natalie.
The girl had taken control of the knife and was about to stab her enemy when Tommy finished him off himself. Finally, he walked towards Finn who had just tripped his opponent.
“Halt!” the bald man shouted. “Not another move!”
He was holding a sword at Annie’s throat who had collapsed in the grass.
‘How?’ Finn’s mouth widened. The girl wasn’t that skilled in hand to hand, but her speed alone should have more than sufficed. Then, he remembered: Annie did not run, like them, towards the enemy. She had wobbled a couple of steps before falling behind.
From the very beginning, she was fighting after three days of no sleep. No matter how much she had tried to recover, that last push in the village caused her body to shut down.
“Drop your weapons and lie on the ground,” the bald man ordered.
Finn wracked his brain for a solution when he saw Tommy approaching the man’s comrade. There was a hollow look in his eyes and no expression on his lips.
“Shit.”
“Stop!” shouted the bald man when a knife stabbed into his arm. He wailed, and in the next instant, Michael tackled him to the ground. Finally, Natalie took back her knife right out of the bald man’s body and finished the job.
A few feet away from them, Finn pulled Tommy by the collar of his shirt and took away his axe. The boy looked drained of energy. He fell on his back without any resistance and his eyes became moist.
“I’m just... tired,” he muttered. “This is all so messed up.”
“It is.” Finn turned towards the last remaining bandit, who was now running for the hills, and threw the axe into his back.
“We were not ready for this,” he then kneeled and grabbed Tommy’s shoulders. “Nobody is.”
“But we will be ready next time,” said Michael. With Annie on his back and Natalie leaning on his shoulder, the exhausted teens walked over. “We’ll fucking show them, right?”
The boy grabbed Tommy’s right arm and squeezed it till it hurt.
“You’re strong.” Natalie held his palm. “And, we’ll grow stronger together.”
Although still crying, the boy’s expression slowly changed. He stood up with the help of his friends and slapped his own cheeks.
“We should gather their weapons and any clean clothes,” he said while wiping off the tears. “And going forward, I’ll carry Annie... No matter what, I will protect her.”