Edan slipped to the side, letting the spear move past his ear. He took a quick step forward, trying to move closer to Tanzi, but she skipped back. Her spear retracted and then lashed out again like the head of a snake.
Edan was forced to fall back. Tanzi seized the initiative and advanced, her weapon turning into a blur. Edan moved more on instinct, as he worked to figure out her pattern and adjust to her rhythm.
Tanzi was good. Very good. She knew she couldn’t allow Edan close, where his daggers had the advantage, so she did everything she could to keep him at a distance. The two shuffled back and forth, Edan twisting and turning as he tried to keep the spear tip from piercing him.
Edan took a risk. He dodged a thrust aimed at his chest, twisting at the waist to allow the leaf-shaped blade to pass millimeters from his pectoral muscle. Quick as thought he plucked a throwing knight from the sheath at his chest. It was one of the ones that ran along the side of his chest that was twisted away from Tanzi. He hoped she wouldn’t see. Twisting back he used his momentum to add speed to an underhand throw.
The blade whistled through the air and Edan got the satisfaction of seeing Tanzi’s eyes grow large. She threw herself to the side, the butt of her spear coming down in a desperate attempt to ward off the weapon. Whether it was luck or skill, the move worked. There was a thunk as the wooden shaft and metal dagger collided before the blade bounced off across the floor.
Tanzi was off balance though and this time Edan seized the initiative. He sprung forward. He tried to knee her in the face and she jerked back, attempting to bring the shaft of her weapon up even as she struggled to get her balance back.
Edan lashed out with a punch. There was no real power behind the blow, he just wanted to keep her on the defensive. It landed with a meaty smack against her cheek, but Tanzi barely reacted. She stomped out, aiming for Edan’s lead foot.
Edan hopped into the air, grasping her shoulders as he tried to pull her into his rising knee. She got her weapon between them and pushed. The hardwood caught him across the stomach, forcing him back. Edan went with the movement, turning his backward fall into a roll.
Even as he sprung to his feet, he was pulling another two daggers from his chest and throwing them at her. Tanzi sidestepped one and batted the other aside, glaring at Edan.
Edan jerked forward in a fake and Tanzi stabbed out at him. The blow fell short and Edan grasped the last throwing knife and hurled it at her head.
“Catch!”
The weapon, just like his words, was a distraction. He used them to keep her weapon busy and her eyes off him as he slipped in behind the throw. He pulled the pair of push daggers from behind his back, the grips fitting comfortably in his hands as the blade jutted out past his closed fist.
The first punch came in under her raised hands as she attempted to draw her weapon back from deflecting the thrown dagger. Tanzi saw the blade and twisted. Its tip pushed against her ribs. An unseen force prevented the weapon from making contact with her armor and Edan saw the blade turn yellow.
A minor wound and he’d left himself over-extended.
A blow landed across his shoulder and back, staggering his small frame. A knee rocketed off the ground and caught him in the chest blasting the breath from his lungs. Tanzi twisted, her spear trailing through the air with a hiss.
Edan tried to dodge, but the blade hit his stomach. The enchantment prevented the weapon from slicing him open, though it did little to dull the force, and Edan grunted as he was sent flying.
Hitting the ground he rolled with the movement, trying to lessen the impact. He didn’t need to look to see that Tanzi’s weapon had turned red. If it had been a real fight, she would have disemboweled him.
Though if it had been a real fight, he would have won.
All according to plan, Edan thought to himself, still lying on the cold floor, as Master Sims congratulated Tanzi on moving up in rank.
“Congratulations, Mawe, you lost.” Master Sims said, standing over Edan. One bushy eyebrow rose in question. “You good to stand.”
“Yes sir. Just wallowing in my loss.” Edan stretched slowly. “Ohhh no, I lost.” he deadpanned.
Master Sims' eyes narrowed.
“If you’ve got the energy to play around, you got the energy to stand! Move over, there’s another match starting.”
Edan rolled over and got to his feet. The blow across his back and stomach still twinged, but it would be gone within the hour, he guessed.
So, sixteenth. That means I can challenge up to the thirteenth rank, once whoever is thirteenth is tired. Then another challenge for tenth, and the final push to ninth. Edan lined up his plan as he went around picking up his throwing daggers. The same enchantment that stopped them from cutting skin also acted as a barrier against damage and Edan was pleased to see the blades remained in good condition.
Of course, if someone challenged him in the meantime, Edan would have to decide if winning was worth exhausting himself, or if he would need to fall further down the ranks in the hopes of making a last-minute rise once everyone else was tired.
Settling back against the window frame in his original spot, Edan watched a group wearing the dark colors of the Reforge Sect congratulate Tanzi before welcoming her back into the fold.
Shadows moved across the room as the day wore on. Edan was challenged by the rank nineteenth Alem, but the boy was tired from his previous fights and the swings of his bat were slow and easily avoided. Edan finished the fight off quickly with a push dagger to the throat and retained his rank.
There wasn’t an official break for lunch. You were welcome to leave the room, provided you weren’t gone for longer than an hour, or you could sit and eat as you watched.
Edan took the chance to stretch his legs and wandered down to the ground floor. The cafeteria was open and he spared a few bronze Tokens to buy a wrap that was bursting with spicy fish and crisp vegetables. He ate it on a bench out in the courtyard while people-watching.
A seagull landed on the ground next to him and eyed the food in his hand hungrily. A Sunspit landed on a nearby tree, its feathers shimmering like liquid gold. Edan did his best to ignore them both, but when it was joined by another 2 and the seagull looked ready to square up with them, he stuffed the rest of the wrap in his mouth and hurried back indoors.
The classroom was oddly silent when he walked back in. Other than the thump of enchanted blade on enchanted blade and the grunts of exertion from the combatants, the spectators didn’t make any noise.
It took Edan a second to figure out why, and when he noticed her he did a double take. She looked like a wooden pillar, as tall as she was, and dressed in the brown robes Edan had seen her in yesterday. It was the Titan.
Eyes of pale pale amber turned to regard Edan as he entered. He had to fight the urge to gawk back at her. Edan would describe her as handsome. Strong, straight features, framed by short dark brown hair, prevented her from ever looking dainty, but there was an alien tilt to her eyes that made her exotic enough to not be plain. Edan could also make out faint markings covering her visible skin. They crept like vines from the collar of her robes, barely darker than her skin tone of tanned brown.
She looked to be carved of wood.
Those eyes lingered on him a moment longer before drifting back to the two fighting it out in the middle of the room.
Edan would need to walk past her to reach his old spot by the window and it took him longer than he cared to admit to gather the courage needed to move.
Moving around and between huddled groups of students, Edan stepped over a girl wearing the pastel colors of the Bright Petal Sect, she had an arm thrown over her face and looked to have passed out from exhaustion.
Looking around Edan noticed most of the class looked exhausted, except for the few students that sat at the top of the Ranking.
Ignoring the looming form of the Titan, Edan settled back against the window frame and crossed his legs. He let out a yawn and leaned his head back, his eyes drifting towards the ceiling high above. The distant noise of the academy filtering through the window was a calming white noise that threatened to lull him to sleep.
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Edan must have fallen asleep as he started awake. Something had hit him. Someone. Edan scowled up at the large bulbous eyes of Gre’ery. The boy, well man really, was thick-limbed and barrel-chested. If he had a neck it was swallowed up by his round shoulders and sagging chin. His head looked like a pumpkin set directly on a man's shoulder. Orange hair buzzed short didn’t help with the image.
Gre’ery raised his foot to kick Edan again.
“What!” Edan snapped, stopping him short.
“I want your spot.” Gre’ery’s voice sounded like gravel going down a drain. Wet and rough and not pleasant.
“Go find your own spot,” Edan said, waving his hand dismissively as he settled back. “I found this one first.”
There was a pause as Gre’ery processed what Edan had said. Edan watched curiously to see how long it would take.
Since integration, alien species had visited Terra. Not many as The Four Star Heavenly Sect controlled the transport array and didn’t want Terra to be overwhelmed, but there was enough traffic that different sentient races had become common.
Some, like the Titan, stood out in a crowd. Others, like Aser, could pass for a local if not for his flamboyant hair color. Then there was someone like Gre’ery, who Edan was almost certain was a mix between human and something a bit more…primitive.
Finally, the light went on in Gre’ery’s eyes and he shook his head slowly.
“No. I want your spot. Number fifteen.”
“Oh,” Edan smiled at the large man. The smile turned sneaky. “If you want fifteen then you should go fight Tanzi, she beat me earlier. She’s over there!”
Gre’ery followed Edan’s pointing finger, his gaze settling on Tanzi where she sat among her group with her spear across her lap.
“I bet you could beat her and take her spot.” Edan nodded eagerly and then added, just in case Gre’ery didn’t get it. “Her spot, you know, number fifteen.”
He matched smiles with the other man before Gre’ery lumbered off, the studded morningstar he used as a weapon swinging from his hip by a leather strap.
“Are you not ashamed?” Asked a soft, feminine voice, startling Edan.
He turned and blinked as a wall of brown took up his entire field of view. Slowly his head titled back, and back, and back, until his pale blue eyes met the curious amber ones.
“Uhhh…” he said intelligently, before scrambling to get up, using the window frame as support to push himself to his feet. Standing didn’t help much, he still had to look up to meet the Titans gaze, but at least this way she wasn’t quite so looming.
“You took advantage of that Bwaka’s innocence.” the Titan said again.
Her voice surprised Edan. It was soft and gentle and not at all in line with the muscular tower of power before him. Still, her words rankled him enough that he got past his nerves.
“Technically I didn’t.” Edan defended himself. “Gre’ery wanted the number fifteen spot. That’s Tanzi. If anything, I was being helpful.”
The woman considered Edan’s words before dipping her head in acknowledgment.
“And do you not regret missing the opportunity to cross weapons with him?”
Edan blinked before shrugging.
“Nah, not really. I’m trying to save my energy. Also, what was that you called him?”
“Bwaka?”
Edan nodded. “Is that his race?”
The Titan shook her head, her brow scrunching up as if in thought.
“Bwaka is a word my people use to describe one such as he. Such as you. One who wishes to follow the path of might, but has yet to take the ink and burn thy blood.” The Titan’s displeasure was clear as her scowl deepened. “The translation skill must not be able to find a similar word in your language.”
Edan nodded his understanding. Every race integrated into the System earned the skill [One of Many] that helped translate words and ideas. An example Harvey had given Edan once was Coffee. Terra had a hot drink, Coffee, brewed from a bean and used for pleasure or to provide an energy boost. Another planet, such as the Aruelli Trade Cluster, would not have the drink. But if the effect, use, and taste were similar enough when someone said Coffee, a person in the Aruelli Trade Cluster would hear the name of their drink.
Sometimes though, such as now, the word or concept was so foreign, there wasn’t a known substitute.
“Maybe, Warrior-in-training?” Edan suggested, using context to understand the word.
“Warrior in training…” The Titan chewed on the words, tilting her head side to side as she considered it. “It is sufficient.”
Edan glanced out the window, looking at the angle of the sun, before pulling up his stats to check the time.
Edan Mawe
Race
Human
Level
27
Health
2296
Stamina
2324
Stats
Modifiers
Stat Cap
Body
28
Strength
73
3
84
Constitution
82
3
84
Endurance
83
3
84
Dexterity
84
3
84
Mind
28
Wisdom
81
3
84
Intelligence
83
3
84
Perception
84
3
84
Soul
26
Charisma
30
2
52
Spirit
52
2
52
Willpower
52
2
52
Edan was momentarily distracted by his stats. He grimaced as he looked at his lagging Soul level. He would need to bring it up in line with Mind and Body before cultivating them all to 29 and making the final push to level 30 and birthing his system.
He could use that time to cap his Mind and Body stats as well.
Edan conveniently ignored his Charisma stat. Cultivating Soul was so hard, the points he did get from it were better spent on Spirit and Willpower. Who needed to be liked by everyone?
A little indicator on the screen showed it was closing in on 2.30. A little over 90 minutes was left before Master Sims would begin calling it an end to the day. Edan still needed to raise 7 ranks. That meant at least 3 challengers. Edan knew the real challenge was just beginning.
Pushing off the wall, Edan rolled his shoulders and rubbed his hands together. The Titan woman looked at him curiously, though there was a smile at the corner of her lips and if Edan had to guess, she knew what he was planning to do.
“Time to go to work,” Edan growled.