Unfortunately, our time with the Dean had made Al and I both miss out on our extra hour in the Attunement box. It was disappointing, but considering everything we’d already gained, it didn’t seem right to complain.
The trip home was quiet, not that Al or I had much to say to the other and Beau wasn’t much of a talker to begin with.
Inside my apartment, I stripped out of the clothes the academy gave me after the bog and went straight to my bath. My muscles ached as I sank into the steaming water and my mind drifted away on the tendrils of steam. I could feel the dirt and salt of the bog sinking away and my muscles loosening. I stayed until my skin was pruned and the water was lukewarm. Finally, I climbed out, feeling clean and refreshed.
After my bath I crashed hard into my bed and slept deeply. I had been tempted to test out Torpor but then I would have slept past my lesson with Chef Mustafa and Esteban. Not only were those lessons I greatly enjoyed, but it was the only time I was able to spend with Esteban outside of classes.
The remaining free days were mostly restful. I did my physical and mental exercises. It was a surprise when someone knocked on my door.
“I’m coming,” I called out as I sat up on my couch. I stretched a little and yawned. I was having such a pleasant nap.
Whoever was at the door either didn’t hear me or didn’t care as they knocked again.
“I’m coming!” I shouted a little louder, padding the short distance to the door. I swung it open and was about to yell at whoever was there and the words froze in my mouth. It was Chef Mustafa and Esteban.
I must have looked confused to them because Chef Mustafa asked, “Did you forget?”
I did forget. I assumed because of what happened in the Lair, the dean would have informed the Chef and today would have been cancelled. “I’m sorry. The Lair . . . it, uh, it didn’t go well. And I’m afraid I haven’t prepared any ingredients.”
Chef Mustafa grunted in irritation.
“I have plenty to share,” Esteban offered. “But we’d need to go back to my apartment.”
Chef Mustafa gave another huff of irritation as he warned, “Fine. But don’t let this happen again, Chef Belov.”
I was about to follow them downstairs when Chef Mustafa added, “And bring your enchanted pan. It’s time you learn to use it.”
I grinned and ran back to grab the pan and my bag. I couldn’t wait to show off my new stewpot.
Once we were all settled in Esteban’s kitchen, Chef Mustafa began to explain how to infuse mana into a meal without directly injecting it into the ingredients. First, he had us gather the ingredients for our chosen dish, Blionyankaina, a Rychanian dish I'd learned to support my cover story: potatoes, mushrooms, onions, garlic, eggs, broth, and sour cream. After everything was collected, he said, "Let's use Synesthesia to gather the ingredients. Be aware of the link between taste and colour. And don't forget to use the enchanted pan and stewpot. They'll help with mana infusion."
With everything ready to go, Chef Mustafa started by heating up the oil in my enchanted pan. As it heated, he had us focus our attention on infusing it with mana from within ourselves, allowing it to swell with magical energy that would coat each ingredient as they met with its heat. After a few moments, he dropped bits of potato into the pan, their sizzle like music echoing around the room. As they softened in their bath of magically infused oil, he asked us to focus on the unique flavours and aromas with each stir.
Once the potatoes were nearly finished, he added mushrooms and onions, sautéing them until they were golden and fragrant. Then he had us fill my new stewpot with broth, adding our infusion of mana as we stirred it to a slow simmer. The Chef then scooped the potatoes, mushrooms, and onions into the stewpot and let it all cook together until it was thickened by the sour cream and eggs.
Finally, Esteban grabbed two plates for us to sample our Blionyankaina. They were tender yet crispy from the mana-infused heated oil from my enchanted pan and bursting with rich flavour from being cooked in a mana-infused stewpot—truly a magical experience!
Chef Mustafa beamed proudly at our achievement as he said, “I think you’re ready for your next challenge. Next lesson, we'll try to complement multiple courses with infused mana."
Before I knew it, I was back to classes. Most of my classes were pretty standard—that is, until I entered the Lair Team. I entered the Lair Team classroom, my heart pounding in my chest. Everyone was already seated, and the remaining members of the team were seated in a row, giving me a wary once-over. Coach Liv stood at the front, displaying a plank of wood with a series of intricate gears, wires, and other metal parts spread across it. He began to explain the mechanics of Disarm Trap and how there was an exact order of locks and mechanisms that must be found in order to unlock the trap without setting it off.
As I watched, I noticed that some of the techniques he was teaching were similar to those I used when Lockpicking. I paid close attention and started to practise on the mechanical trap. Soon, I had picked up the skill and was successfully manipulating the gears and wires, and knew that I could use this skill to help me through the upcoming Gauntlet—a treacherous maze designed to test our problem-solving skills.
My two new classes were interesting. After the Strength class, I now had Toughness. The instructor asked us to drink a slimy, emerald-green concoction that smelled of mold and vinegar. He then handed out wooden sticks and ordered us to take turns being beaten. Despite my resistance skills and Thick Hide, seconds later I was both sick to my stomach and aching all over. The irony of me insisting on taking an extra course was not lost on me when we did the same thing on Day 4 for the Constitution class.
It was easy to get back into the routine of classes for four days followed by three days of rest.
When Al unlocked his second Attunement before I did, he crowed about it for days, making sure he reminded me about it on our ride from the apartment complex to the academy grounds. I was happy for him, but it did bother me ever so slightly. It definitely served to push me.
It was two weeks of classes before two members of our lair team were replaced. First was Rober stepping in to replace Laim. He was Robin’s brother, and stood a full head taller than his sister and looked twice as thick with muscle. Robin swore they were almost the same strength but Rober certainly looked stronger and tougher. I’d gotten to know the bearman decently in Mysticism and thought he was going to be a great addition to the team.
The second kin to join us replaced our archer, Leonardo. An Eagleboy named Plvoer Olivie, a countryman of Robin and Robar, had the same Rugirian accent though considerably thicker than either of theirs. Still, he impressed me, between his bow and his wind magic even if his first impression left something to be desired.
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“Badger-folk, poor eyesight, how are you a scout?” Plvoer asked, his eyes picking me apart.
I frowned, “I’m a Stealth specialist.”
“I see,” Plvoer commented. “I suppose you must have some skill if you survived a Heroic Lair.”
I really hoped he wasn’t going to be yet another Seth. Speaking of, I wished they’d replaced Seth first, but it was good to have these two with us.The next week finally saw Seth replaced by a Geomancer named Han Shen, a moleman from the Zhou-Qui Kingdom. He was soft-spoken and seemed like a kind soul. I was looking forward to working with him.
My highlight of the month was getting paired with the swords group in Martial Training class.
“Come on, Belov, my sister hits harder than that,” Al taunted even as he wiped blood from his upper lip.
I grinned, “If your sister hits harder than that, maybe she should be fighting instead of you.”
Al snarled and thrust forward, his rapier piercing the air as he tried to skewer me. I parried the blade with one knife and moved to stab him with the other. It was a trap. The dirty cheater pulled a small handheld crossbow out from behind his back and fired it almost point blank. I shifted just enough that it only hit me in the shoulder, however, the blunted bolt broke bones and my arm went limp.
I cursed and tried to retreat but Al pursued me just as fast. The wooden training rapier blurred as six rapid thrusts kept me on the defensive. I tried to parry with one arm but Al was just too fast and I was off balance because of my injured arm. One strike hit my thigh slowing me even further, then two hit me in the chest and I went crashing into the dirt.
“My win,” Al said, putting the tip of his blade to my throat.
“You cheated,” I replied defiantly.
Al raised an eyebrow, “And how do you figure that?”
“A crossbow, in the swords group, really?” I demanded, slapping his rapier aside and sitting up.
“Barducci said it was fine,” Al replied. “I’ve been using this thing for training purposes since we got back from the Lair. My pistol was pretty much useless there. I don’t want that to be the case again. Now, do you want me to heal your shoulder so you can keep fighting, or should I just knock you out now?”
I narrowed my eyes at him and grumbled, “Healing.”
Al grinned as he taunted, “And what’s the magic word?”
I groaned. I was tempted to tell him to just knock me out to spare me the indignity of it, but then I would miss out on some good fighting time. “Healing, please.”
Al smirked and went to work on my shoulder. As soon as he was done, we were back at it. Except this time, we were working together against everyone else. That was the pattern we recently agreed to. We’d fight each other once at the beginning of each round and then we’d work on our teamwork.
Al and I pushed each other as promised.
And finally, two days before our next lair we welcomed Lulu’s replacement. Yui Nakamura, a foxgirl from Sunappan, whose pale skin contrasted with her deep black hair that fell just below her chin. The yellow eyes that peeked out from under her bangs seemed to glow with a soft fire of their own. Her delicate figure swathed in a deep blue silk kimono, she walked across the room as though she were floating on air.
“Oh my, it’s the hero,” she cooed as her eyes settled on Al, her small silver earrings tinkling as she walked towards him. “You are even more dashing than I’d heard. Don't you worry bout a thing - stay close to me and I will make sure you never get so much as a scratch.”
Al shifted in his seat, looking very uncomfortable. “I’m also a healer. I can take care of myself.”
Yui faltered for the barest of moments before moving a bit closer to him, her voice softening as she spoke, “Now don’t be silly. You should be focused on only the most serious of wounds. Leave the little things to me.”
“That’s okay, we’re a team,” Al tried again.
“Every team needs a leader, clearly as the hero, that’s you. I insist you leave the details to me. You just worry about being the hero and I’ll deal with the rest." She put her hand on Alphonse's forearm and continued, "Tell me, have you ever been to a Sunapunese bathhouse? It really is the most wonderful of experiences. I would love to treat you to the experience of a lifetime if you’ll allow it,” Yui prattled on, not bothering to meet the rest of the team.
As she did, I was already making plans to follow her home and figure out whether she was trying to kill Al or if she was just trying to seduce him. Either way, I knew in my gut her government had sent her.
Having Yui join the team two days before the gauntlet didn’t give us much time to get to know her or to work her into our team dynamic. It didn’t leave me feeling very good about the upcoming Lair.
“I want you all to take notice,” Coach Liv started, standing tall with his arms crossed in front the lair entrance. This lair’s entrance looked like an old abandoned barn, but the swirling black mist of the entrance said the barn was anything but. “My request for additional coaches was granted. Coach Barducci and Coach Beau will be joining us for future lair runs. I hope you show them the same respect you show me.”
Signore Barducci was a formidable figure, standing off to the side of Coach Liv, bristling with weapons. He wore an oiled leather cuirass atop a thick black tunic and brown breeches tucked into heavy-duty boots, and each limb was packed with an arsenal. He had three swords on one hip, two on another, and a knife tucked into his belt in the back. A crossbow hung from one hip with a pistol was strapped to the thigh of his opposite leg while a bow was slung over one shoulder. He had a hatchet axe strapped to his back and he carried a spear in one hand. It seemed like overkill to me but I supposed that was his cover for this mission.
To Coach Liv’s right, Beau wore the heavy armour of a defender with a round shield in one hand and a double-sided axe in the other. I half expected the weapon master in training to be outfitted similarly to my Handler, but he seemed content to go with what he knew.
“Now, as you know by now, this will more than likely be what we are now calling a Heroic Lair. It will have increased difficulty. It will change what we know about it in drastic ways. We have done the best we can to prepare you, but once we get inside, it will be on each of you to find a way to survive,” Coach said, giving us a similar warning to what he gave us last time.
“This is normally a five-day lair, expect it to double that length or more. I’ve made sure Mister Belov has enough supplies to feed all of us twice that long. No one is going to starve if I have any say in the matter. Remember, this is a trap and maze-type lair. Do not go rushing blindly ahead. Slow and steady, check for traps everywhere. Be wary of dead ends. And for the love of the Gods, if you don’t think you can disarm a trap you find, don’t try to disarm it. Ask for help, am I clear?”
No one said anything, Coach Liv had been preaching all of this since the first Lair Team class after the Bog Rodent Lair. “But enough chatting, let’s get to it.”
Coach Liv entered followed by my Handler and then by Beau. After that, the students started filing in and just like last time, I made sure I stepped inside right next to Al.
Welcome to the Gauntlet . . . Heroic Presences detected . . . difficulty rating increased. Reach the end of the Gauntlet within twenty-four hours. Good Luck!
The starting area shifted as I finished reading the message. A shorter time to complete the lair was not something we discussed. The room changed from a box with a door to a circular room with eleven doors.
Coach Liv cursed, a sentiment echoed by everyone, though few vocalised it.
With the shortened time, I knew we couldn’t stand around long but the scents coming from each door matched each of us. That suggested a personalised lair run. Too late to worry about that now. I walked up to one of the doors, “Coach Liv, this one is yours.” I moved to the next, “Comrade Robin.”
“Comrade Rober.”
“Comrade Plvoer.”
“Comrade Alphonse.”
“Comrade Sam.”
“Coach Barducci.”
“Comrade Yui.”
“Comrade Han.”
I skipped the next door as it was mine. That meant the last door went to, “Coach Beau.”
“Mister Belov has the right of it,” Coach Liv said. “No time to dawdle with such a short time limit. I hope I see you all on the other side. Good luck.” And with that, he opened his door and vanished.
I watched as the other students approached their doors, vanishing one by one, some more hesitant than others until it was just me and Teacher.
“See you on the other side,” my Handler said kindly before he opened his door and vanished.
I opened my own door and stepped through.