Rebekka and Elliot faced each other across the arena, neither one of them showing any of the nervousness or tension displayed by every other fighter in the tournament so far. They were both standing at ease - clearly ready to move in an instant, but still confident and relaxed.
Then the gong sounded...
Neither moved.
Instead, the dust across the arena rippled, as a wave of air streaked out from both fighters - only to meet in the center in an explosion of wind. Trenches were gouged out in blasts of dirt. They both remained still as balls of fire formed around Rebekka. These were nowhere near the size of some of the fireballs Yaric had seen earlier, but there were at least two dozen of them, and they all shot toward Elliot simultaneously.
Elliot calmly lifted the ground in front of himself, but instead of the fireballs splashing harmlessly against the earth, each exploded violently, hurling dust and small stones back at Elliot like shrapnel. A few stones even managed to draw blood as Elliot flinched and raised a quick shield to block the rest.
Yaric was still staring in awe at the translucent bubble over Elliot when he noticed Rebekka flying across the field, already halfway across the arena. This time it was 6 long spikes of ice that formed around her, each over a meter long and sparkling in the weak winter sunlight.
They all hurtled toward Elliot, much faster than the fireballs had, and with less than half the distance to cover. Elliot had just dropped his shield, but he deftly twisted between them as they flew past.
Then Rebekka was on him.
Yaric couldn’t keep track of the fight at all, the sword and spear now simply invisible instead of a mere blur. They both moved around the arena, retreating and counterattacking, maneuvering for advantage while looking for a weak spot in their opponent’s defenses.
Hiawatha hadn’t been kidding about higher level duels, as the fight carried on for over 2 minutes. There were at least a dozen moments in that time when one or the other found an opening. Or at least Yaric guessed so based on the sudden shields that would flicker into existence for an instant and disappear again. Dust swirled around the arena from the speed and force of the duel.
The battle suddenly changed when Rebekka materialized to the side of where Elliot had been standing, completely frozen, her feet firmly planted into the ground and her spear dead still, held close to her waist. Rebekka was a motionless statue as her hair whipped around her head, but Elliot was flying through the air, knocked back several feet by the force of impact from the spear shaft that had struck him across the chest.
Yaric couldn’t work out why, but for some reason Rebekka chose not to push her advantage, merely turning to her side calmly and facing the prone Elliot as she reset her stance. Even more surprising was the wide grin on Elliot’s face as he gingerly stood back up, longsword still in hand.
Both faced each other again, silent and motionless, a gentle breeze causing the dust they had scattered to billow around their ankles. The entire arena seemed frozen as well as everyone held their breath.
Neither moved a muscle even as a dozen spikes of ice again formed around Rebekka. This time they seemed to shimmer with an inner fire as the light from the late evening sun lit them up.
Each one shot forward simultaneously, hurtling toward Elliot like glowing arrows. Elliot for his part reacted the same as before, carefully tracking the flying bolts of ice before shifting and twisting to avoid the missiles, his head whipping around as he twisted, in an effort to keep Rebekka in sight.
He needn’t have bothered; Rebekka still hadn’t twitched a muscle. What he should have been watching though were the long shards of ice flying right past him. As they drew level with Elliot, each and every one of them exploded in a shower of razor sharp fragments, the haze of glowing shrapnel bursting like red and gold fireworks.
There were so many tiny pieces that it was impossible to dodge, and the explosion was so fast Elliot only realized what happened after they struck. The tiny pieces were also his saving grace however, since the small shards of ice were too small and too light to penetrate deeply. But every piece of exposed skin was still left shredded with shallow cuts, and blood flowed freely as Elliot advanced toward the stationary figure standing with her spear levelled and unwavering.
This time they circled far more slowly. Both sword and spear would disappear in flashes of movement when they engaged, but neither did more than slowly pace around each other as they exchanged blows. It was amazing to watch. Yaric couldn’t see the movements of the weapons, but the noise was intense. Loud cracks merged almost seamlessly into each other as the sword slashed and stabbed at Rebekka while the spear whipped and thrust towards Elliot, each ending up blocked or deflected every time.
None of the students dared breath while the Apprentices began moving faster and faster, constantly picking up the pace. They both seemed to be moving in a carefully choreographed dance, each circling a point between them and striking at the other, probing for weaknesses. In seconds the smooth circling disintegrated as each also started lunging in and out, pushing the other back for a moment before being pushed back in turn.
The ground around Rebekka suddenly exploded upwards, spikes of earth thrusting up and in toward the center. Rebekka hopped up and lifted her legs, just in time for the spikes to crash into each other barely an inch below her feet, with shards that were broken off by the impact peppering her soles and the back of her legs. She straightened, now standing on the cone of earth, just as an explosion of wind rocked Elliot and lifted him off his feet. Rebekka followed right behind the shock wave, with her spear thrust out in front of her and her spear tip against Elliot's throat.
Elliot skidded to a halt with the spear tip still pressing just above his collar bone, and raised both his arms out to his side. He dropped his sword.
“YEAHHH!” Hiawatha shouted, already on his feet and cheering loudly into the silent stadium. The battle crazy mage didn’t remain the only one for long, with shocked students finally registering what had happened and joining in as well. Lloyd stood up with a wide grin on his face, calmly clapping amongst the mad cheering going on around him. No one could hear what Rebekka and Elliot were saying to each other in the middle of the field, but the shouts and clapping continued while they seemingly ignored everyone. Yaric watched Rebekka raise her hand in front of Elliot’s face, and saw it start glowing with a bright white light that enveloped Elliot’s whole body. The light quickly dimmed, revealing Elliot with all his cuts completely healed. Even the blood was gone.
When the cheering started to quieten down, the old announcer appeared in the middle of the arena, seemingly out of nowhere, and beckoned Rebekka and Elliot over.
“The exhibition match winner! Rebekka Storm!” he exclaimed, and raising Rebekka’s hand he continued, “Congratulations! And our thanks for that fine spectacle! Thus concludes this years Winter Solstice Tournament!”
The students watching exploded again, their cheering and clapping continuing for several minutes. The announcer turned and walked off, followed shortly after by Rebekka and Elliot. Yaric noted that people all around the arena were making their way out.
“That’s it sir?” Yaric asked Hiawatha. “It’s over just like that?”
“Just like that!” Hiawatha laughed. “It would usually have been over long ago, but your sponsor’s Apprentice gave us all quite a show! And she did well too!”
Lloyd smirked slightly as he added, “It was adequate. Still a ways to go though.”
“Adequate?!” Hiawatha exclaimed. “Rebekka used five different affinities during that duel! Six if you count her spell after Elliot surrendered!”
Lloyd’s smirk grew slightly as he shrugged. “She’s coming along.”
Hiawatha was clearly still excited about the duel, and he waved his arms wildly as he discussed the duel with Lloyd. Yaric was confused about all the fuss around her affinities, until he remembered his own test during his admissions process. “Is having six affinities really all that rare? How do you even tell if someone is using their affinities?”
“Six?!” Hiawatha exclaimed. “Six would be considered exceptional, but Rebekka has much more than that! No, Rebekka is considered a once in a millennia prodigy! And she somehow got stuck as this fool’s apprentice! Did you know, even with all her affinities, she only shares one in common with Lloyd here? One! How she was snatched up by this useless idiot is a mystery with no answer!”
Yaric noted Hiawatha had not answered his question completely, but Lloyd had noticed as well and immediately jumped in, ignoring Hiawatha’s jabs. “You won’t be able to tell, not until you yourself can cast the same spells at a similar level. But she is the reason so many Mages and above stayed to watch. A duel between Apprentices is nothing special to any of us, but it’s extremely unusual to watch a duel involving an arcanist with nine affinities. With 3 to 5 affinities, most arcanists will naturally develop strategies and styles of fighting that suit their strengths. Rebekka can switch between many different styles and strategies, even mid battle. They were all watching to see what she could do. Almost as many were betting as well.”
“Betting?”
“Hehe, yes. It’s become a tradition for many Mages. They place bets on how many affinities they think she will use during a duel. I’ve heard some great odds being given for guessing which specific affinities she'll use as well.” Lloyd just shrugged when he saw the look of disbelief on Yaric’s face. “Being immortal can get boring.”
“Ha ha ha! Being poor can get boring too!”
Lloyd and Hiawatha started walking towards the exit, and Yaric hurried to catch up. The crowds parted like magic before them, so Yaric was able to make his way out easily. Both Yaric and Lloyd walked in silence, while Hiawatha started narrating the more interesting fights that they had just witnessed. He seemed particularly interested in where each student could improve, and Yaric had to repress a shiver every time Hiawatha mentioned a student by name. Some people would be in for a rude awakening tomorrow.
“Ah, here we are.” Hiawatha said as they reached the top of the slope above the arena. He turned off the path and made his way to a nervous looking student waiting at the side. “This is Stewart, one of your fellow 3rd year students. Well, I guess he’s one of your 4th year classmates now! Ha ha! Welcome to your new class!”
Yaric looked back and forth between them in confusion, unsure of what was going on.
“Hi,” Stewart offered quietly with a small wave.
“Uhhh… hi. I’m Yaric. I mean, I am Prospect Yaric,” he hurriedly added.
“Young Stewart here will go with you back to your dorm room, and he will help you move all of your things into your new one,” Hiawatha explained.
“My new room?”
“Yes, of course! You didn’t think you would be staying in the empty dorm building after joining your new class did you? Your room has been moved to the same dorm building as the rest of your class. Just be sure to stay on your side of the building. The women’s side is out of bounds!” Hiawatha laughed. "Also, try to keep quiet when you leave to go to your classes, some of them will be sleeping."
"I'm still training seperately?"
"Ha! No! You will train with your new class, but your evenings will be spent catching up on other subjects. An uneducated warrior is just an arm holding a stick - you will be studying strategy! Well, later you will study the more interesting subjects. For now, I believe you will mostly be focussed on math and science. Prospect Stewart has all the details."
“And make sure you get your clothes sorted out,” Lloyd added, looking pointedly at Yaric’s ankles. “You’re only just starting your first proper class and you’re wearing clothes for someone 4 inches shorter?” Lloyd tsked. “No sponsored student of mine will be seen like this again.”
Hiawatha nodded his head gravely, looking more serious than he had all day. “No, that would not do at all. Anyone who’s clothes are too small will run until they shrink enough to fit their clothes.”
Yaric paled, looking between Lloyd and Hiawatha, searching for signs that they were joking. Both had expressions of utmost seriousness on their faces however, and they turned around as one and began striding away without so much as a goodbye.
“The Academy’s standards are definitely dropping,” Yaric heard Lloyd mutter as he walked.
“Never fear, I shall pick them back up. There’s nothing that can’t be fixed with extra training.”
Yaric immediately turned to Stewart. “Um… I need to get new training uniforms before we move my things.” Stewart nodded enthusiastically, and both of them started walking back towards the administration buildings.
“So are you really a prince?”
“Huh?” Yaric spluttered, startled by the question.
“Are you really a prince? We’ve all seen you training, you’ve had one on one training for your first 3 years. And you are escorted by Battle Mages and High Wizards. Are you related to the King?”
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“What? No! And I haven’t had one on one training for the last 3 years, it hasn’t even been a year since I got here. The training was so I could try and catch up.”
“Huh... but that would mean you are actually behind the rest of us then.”
“Yes, I know.” Yaric replied miserably. “I’m still far behind.”
“Well I think you might have some more friends now. Almost everyone was scared you were royalty and getting special treatment. Most people have been complaining about you ever since we saw how you were being taught.”
“What? Why would they be complaining though? Surely they can see I’m not very good?”
“No one knows how good you are. We’re all too busy training too. We just see older students practicing with you, and sometimes Battle Mage Trokhym as well.”
“And that annoyed some people?”
“Well, most of us would give anything for that kind of advantage. Although I think some are more scared of what it will mean for themselves.”
“What do you mean?”
“You've never joined any classes before, right?” Yaric just shook his head, so Stewart continued. “Well, there are rankings within each year, and all of us compete to place as high as we can. The higher you place, the more opportunities you get. Some of the better fighters have been worried that you will come in and knock them all down a ranking.”
“So they don’t like me because they thought I would be better than them? Well I’m not. I’m no threat to anyone.”
“Don’t worry about it. Most people were only upset because we thought you were getting special advantages that weren’t available to us. Lots of people thought you were using family connections to cheat. But you’re still a noble right?”
“Nope. Far from it. I’m an orphan from a small village near Malvec’s border.”
“Oh, ok. Sorry. I didn’t mean anything by it.”
“It’s ok.”
“If you don’t mind, I’ll pass on what you just told me. No one should have any issue with you once they know what’s really been happening. Or at least, most won’t.”
“I don’t mind. But what do you mean ‘most’ won’t have a problem with me? I haven’t even met anyone besides you!”
“Uh… some people are just jerks? Don’t take it the wrong way, but once some people realize that you’re actually weaker than them they are going to want to put you in your place.”
“What does that mean?”
Stewart just sighed. “There will probably be a couple of guys who target you for your ribbon. They will see you as an easy target. Also, some have been complaining about the treatment you’ve been getting. More importantly, they have been openly complaining about how unfair it would be if you challenged them. When they find out that you’ve actually been here for less than a year they'll be embarrassed. Because they made themselves look weak by worrying about a 1st year challenging them," he added.
“I don’t understand though, how do they look weak?”
“It doesn’t matter, some people are just difficult. Just deal with their challenges and accept you won’t be having lunches for a while. They’ll leave you alone soon enough. Once their ego’s feel better anyway.”
“But that’s stupid!”
Stewart shrugged a shoulder, but stayed quiet. They walked in silence for a while, with Yaric thinking about what Stewart had told him and wondering how accurate his predictions would be. Truthfully, he was fuming as well. 'They didn’t like me because they thought I've been getting special training that gave me an unfair advantage? Now Stewart says some will still not like me because they are the ones that will have the unfair advantage? What was I supposed to do? And none of them have even met me! Assholes. Well... I haven’t met them either... maybe there won’t be any problems.'
They made it to the administration buildings, and it took less than 15 minutes for Yaric to get new training uniforms. He was given a new pair of shoes to try as well, and was shocked to realize how tight his shoes had been getting without him noticing. It wasn’t enough to cause issues yet, but it had been so gradual that he hadn’t noticed.
With new uniforms and a new pair of shoes in hand, Yaric and Stewart made their way to Yaric’s dorm building. Yaric didn’t have much to pack and he was done in less than 5 minutes. Stewart though took some time to inspect the armor Yaric had never even used yet, seemingly very impressed. It appeared that he had very good armor compared to other students, most of whom used the armor provided by the Academy. Of course, it was the armor that Stewart eventually volunteered to carry, and together they made their way out before heading to Yaric’s new dorm room, with Stewart leading the way. Yaric struggled along behind him, carrying everything else, but most importantly he was carrying both of the training cubes. They weighed as much as the rest of his stuff put together.
The building looked exactly the same from the outside, but there were two big differences when Yaric walked in. First, there was a lot of furniture in the entrance, with chairs and tables spread all around. Second, there were people. A lot of people.
The sound of so many students talking was a bit jarring after so many months of living in what was effectively his own building. That’s not to say that Yaric wasn’t often around people, but the other people were always unnamed strangers that had nothing to do with Yaric, never people who were part of the same class, and never people who lived with him.
Quite a few waved as Yaric walked in, but just as many stared indifferently, or worse, scowled with open animosity. Yaric smiled back at those that waved, but ignored everyone else as he followed Stewart down the corridor to the right, and for some reason, into exactly the same room as he had in the other building, the first room on the left.
Stewart left as soon as he deposited Yaric’s armor on his bed, and Yaric began the quick task of unpacking his few belongings and putting them away. Everything in his room was exactly the same as before, so it didn’t take him long.
“So,” an obnoxiously loud voice echoed through his room from the open door behind him, “you’re the nobody who wants special treatment?” This guy seemed to be trying to act like a villain in a story for children, with his over the top attitude just shouting 'cliche bad guy'... but his smug tone indicated he was just an idiot.
Yaric turned to face the newcomer. The same stocky kid he’d seen sparring on his first day at the training field was standing in the doorway, with three other boys behind him. His personality seemed to fit his aggressive fighting style as he stood there with his head held high and slightly back, causing him to look down his nose at Yaric. It was obvious he was putting on a show for everyone watching.
“Sorry?”
“As you should be! Stewart tells us you’ve had an entire dorm building all to yourself! You think you’re so special? You think you’re better than all of us?” Yaric could hear in the tone of his voice that the boy actually meant ‘better than me’.
“No, I meant sorry, you seem to be confused.”
“What did you say?!” The boy took a step forward into the room, his hands balled into fists. “You spend the last year getting special treatment, living in your own special dorm, now you come strutting into our dorm like you’re so special, and you think you can talk to me like that?” The boy almost ran out of breath by the time he finished speaking.
“You’re still confused. No one knew I was an arcanist until early this year. Not even I knew. I went where I was told to go, trained with who I was told to train with, and stayed in the room I was given. The staff here decided what I should get and when. I never asked for anything. I never paid for anything.”
“Of course you didn’t! You’re a homeless orphan! How could a nobody like you pay for anything?”
“I’m not homeless, I inherited my parents house. And their business. If you’re so upset with the Academy's decisions on how I should be caught up, bring it up with Battle Mage Trokhym tomorrow. He was the one who decided I should be taught individually until now. Tell you what, I’ll let him know for you.”
“You’ll do nothing! I don’t need someone like you to do anything. I bet you haven’t even realized who I am!”
“Who are you then?”
The boy sneered. “I am Christopher Reynolds, son of Trevor Reynolds, owner of Reynolds Emporium and one of the most successful merchants in Lekton. I am also one of the top 8 in our year and have the highest power score of everyone here!” he announced haughtily.
“You’re the bottom of the top 8, Chris!” a girl’s voice shouted from the entrance room, setting off a bunch of laughs and giggles.
Chris looked angry on hearing that, but another student appeared behind Chris and his friends before he could reply. It was the boy who had finished first in their year, Sven. “That’s enough Chris,” he said quietly. “You know the consequences for fighting in the dorms. Or do you want to learn all over again?”
Chris didn’t back down. “I’m not fighting anyone,” he said angrily. “Just introducing myself and learning about our new competitor. And what I want to know is why he felt he could get away with spreading rumors that he was a prince,” Chris finished smugly.
“Spread rumors?” Yaric asked. “Tell me when I’ve ever spoken to any of you before now. I’ve just walked in. If I made you so insecure that you started imagining that I was a prince, that’s your problem.”
Chris went red in the face and his three friends stepped up behind him, while Sven’s mouth twitched slightly. The rest of the students at the entrance weren’t so subtle though, as many of them burst out laughing again.
“Chris…” Sven said in warning.
“What? I’m not doing anything.”
“And yet you’re in his room uninvited.”
Sven stepped to the side to allow Chris and his friends to step back into the hallway. All four of them turned around and walked off without saying a thing, none of them even looking at Yaric. Just like that they were gone, as if nothing had happened.
“Sorry about that, that’s not the welcome you should have had. My name is Sven. Sven McDavids,” he said as he held out his hand from just outside the doorway.
“Thanks. I’m Yaric Miller,” Yaric replied as he shook hands with Sven.
“Come, I’ll introduce you to everyone else. Most aren’t like Chris and his friends.”
“What was that all about anyway? I mean, Stewart kind of warned me, but I don’t even know Chris.”
Sven hesitated for a second before answering. “Some people are naturally unpleasant. It has nothing to do with you. He is just very self-entitled for some reason.”
“Sounds to me like he is just some rich prick.”
Sven smiled slightly. “He would like to think so. But he isn’t nearly as rich as he wants you to believe. And his family is not so influential either,” Sven said softly.
Yaric raised his brow at that, but Sven just smiled again and turned back toward the entrance, beckoning Yaric to follow as he did. There were a lot of students spread around the room, mostly as they had been when he first entered, but this time most conversations had stopped as everyone watched him walk back in. Clearly Chris’s little show had caught people’s attention.
“Everyone, this is Yaric Miller. He’s only had a year to train before joining us, so help where you can.”
A few people were frowning, but Yaric was pleasantly surprised by how many were smiling, many of them getting up and coming over to introduce themselves. There was no way he could remember everyone’s names, but he remembered some, like Stewart who came back to clap him on his shoulder and welcome Yaric officially.
The second placed student, Lauren Silver, introduced herself as well. She also brought over a friend, who Yaric was surprised to recognize as the blonde girl Lauren had defeated in her quarterfinal match. “Hi, Li Na Jakobson. Just call me Lina like everyone else.” Most were a blur, and Yaric felt grateful to Sven who seemed to oversee all of the introductions.
Once they were done, Sven also pointed out Chris’s three friends, Ming Yu Baker, Devin Wu and Yusaf Smith. Then the entire class walked out together, heading off to the food hall. Quite a few struck up conversations with Yaric on the way there, which Yaric was grateful for.
They split up once they were inside, with most heading off to the queue for those with no ribbons. Yaric felt awkward going to the queue for ribbon holders, but a small group came with him. Unsurprisingly, the students joining Yaric included Sven, who kept up the conversation and made sure Yaric felt welcome. Lauren and Li Na joined them as well. Yaric noted that Chris sat at their table too, ditching his friends who sat with the other students that also had no ribbons.
“Enjoy this food while you can,” Chris muttered quietly as he pushed past Yaric. Li Na sat with Yaric while Sven and Lauren sat opposite, and they all spent dinner answering questions about what Yaric could expect in their classes tomorrow. Sadly, Stewart was at a different table, having no ribbons himself. As were most of the other students who had been talking with him on the way over.
“So how far have you got with weapons training?” Lauren asked.
“I’ve started with the staff and spear mostly. And the very basics with short swords. But I only started weapons training a couple of months ago.”
Sven and Lauren both winced, and although Yaric couldn’t see Li Na’s face, he was sure she did as well. “You were right, he’s still going to be way behind,” Lauren said, looking at Sven.
Sven nodded unhappily. “There was nothing to it. How much can anyone possibly learn in just a couple of months?”
“It’s really that bad?” Yaric asked anxiously.
Sven just nodded gently in reply.
“Don’t worry,” Li Na added happily, “getting your ass kicked is a great way to learn!”
“Lina!” Lauren exclaimed. “What she means is, you will be pushed hard, so you will learn much quicker than you would have otherwise.”
“I meant what I said,” Li Na grumbled.
“How far have you guys got with weapons?”
“Well, it’s different for everyone.” The grimace Lauren was trying to suppress was obvious. “But we all started part way in our second year, so we’ve all had at least 18 months. But not all with the same weapons or same time spent on each!” She hurriedly added.
Sven put down his knife and fork and leaned forward. “Everyone is competent enough that most challenges will be with weapons. And if you only have basic competence on the spear and staff you won’t really have a chance. We’ve all started basic training with swords and shields, even those who are furthest behind. Some of us also had private training before we arrived here, so we're much further along.”
“But I was told that the spear is far more common than the sword? And the easiest to learn? Why would it be a problem to just use the spear?”
Sven sighed loudly. “That’s all true, but it’s also overstated. Most commoners think of the sword as the ultimate weapon, when spears usually dominate a battlefield. Thus, the benefits of the spear are pushed hard to compensate. Unfortunately, that leaves out why the spear is so common. First of all, it technically isn’t much easier to learn. Proper spear technique is very complicated, and masters of the spear have years of training behind them. But if you spend a few weeks training in how to move in formation with other people, then you only need to be taught the most basic thrust techniques. Which is where the misleading part comes in. Even basic training can make the spear extremely effective. In armies. Massed units of spearmen are formidable, and they only require very basic training. They really just need to move in formation properly. Nobles get training in every weapon, and can choose what they want. How many do you see who choose a spear? And how many carry a sword?"
"Some kinds of creatures are best killed with spears though," Lauren said consolingly. "It can be really hard to kill some large creatures with a sword. Even wild boar are safer to take on with a spear. And you've just seen what Rebekka could do with a spear! Some of the best fighters in the Kingdom use spears, it's very important to be able to use one."
"Dwarves tend to prefer spears as well," Sven added. "It compensates for their disadvantage with reach, and spears are actually even more effective when used by someone who is shorter. It makes it harder to defend against. Some people have their own preferences too - like I said, there are many spear masters. It's just that you aren't one. But I think we're skipping the most important parts. A sword user will struggle against an equally experienced spear user. But when you add a shield? And twice as much experience? Pitting a single untrained spearman against a competent sword and shield wielder in one on one combat? Just try your best and learn what you can. You won’t win.”
“Try to keep your distance for as long as you can,” Lauren offered. “You will have the reach advantage, and your opponent will be looking to get past your spearhead. But once he’s maneuvered inside your reach, the fight will be over. People can definitely win in a match up like that, no doubt, but not with the difference in experience you will have.”
Yaric stared into his plate, feeling a bit hopeless. Li Na slapped him lightly on the back as she said, “Cheer up! You can only be challenged once per month anyway. Just pick spears as the weapon and take your beating. After your first challenge you won’t have a ribbon anymore, so you can just say no after that!”
Lauren threw Li Na a mock glare, but turned to Yaric as well. “It might be good for you to accept other challenges when you can, just for the extra training. A challenge is different to sparring and will help you a lot.”
“Come, lets go back. Discussing this endlessly will just stress him out.” Sven stood up as he finished speaking, and the other three followed. They all walked quietly - all except Li Na, who skipped around making jokes, mostly about how viciously Lauren had kicked her in the tournament, before hip checking her and continuing to complain about her serious injuries. And all of those injuries had apparently been inflicted by Lauren somehow. By the time they reached their dorm building, Yaric was smiling.
He was still smiling when he went to bed for the first time in his new room. It took him a few minutes, but he finally realized why. It didn’t matter if he was going to get beaten up occasionally. He had spent so much time by himself, he’d forgotten what it was like to be around other people. With a start, he realized that he’d forgotten what it was like even before he arrived in Lekton. He hadn’t spent that much more time with other people in Clery either. Now he had classmates. And maybe soon, he might even have friends.