They certainly weren’t going to stick around for the second class with the same teacher even if they had been welcome, so, with nothing else to do, the boys went home. They might not get any training on cultivation today, but they could at least do some cultivation while they waited for Wald to show up. Each class was an hour long, so around two hours later, the boys heard the front door chime. The first words out of Walds’ mouth were expectedly, “So. How were your first classes?” but his grin slipped from his lips and he stared at their faces. “What happened?” he asked.

So they told him. They made it very clear, Vath sternly and Kaser passionately, that neither was willing to put up with that kind of abuse, no matter what they’d learn, and that if all of their teachers were going to be like that, they’d rather leave now.

Wald sighed deeply. “I am very sorry. He is the most knowledgeable teacher we have for that class, with many recommendations and records from prestigious places of learning. I believed his reputation for strictness to be overblown. Apparently, it is in fact underreported. This is my fault for not checking before assigning you to his class, and I will deal with it. I promise you most teachers here are not like this. I will find you one for tomorrow, and I will vet them beforehand to be sure. I’ll also check in with your other teachers.” he apologized.

They accepted the apology, and, after assurances that their next teacher had a very different reputation, followed him to their history class. Wald’s assurances turned out to be correct, because the two could not have been more different. The history teacher was old, with a stooped back, but he was smiling with a light in his eyes as disciples filed in. As soon as everyone found their seats, he announced that today they would be going over history in the early days after the empire’s founding.

An hour later, the boys left impressed. The man had been animated despite his age, weaving historical data into a narrative that felt like a grand story was being told. He had sounded like the entertainers that sometimes came through the village with merchants, using tricks with volume, eye contact, gestures and more to keep his audience enthralled. They hadn’t expected history to be difficult, they had good memories, but they hadn’t expected it to be engaging either. They already looked forward to future classes, although they’d need to get some paper and writing utensils. They had been nearly the only ones not taking notes.

Lunch was next, and rather than have food delivered again, they decided to head to a cafeteria for the first time. It was crowded to a level they’d never seen before. Hundreds of students packed together, all talking and eating, sometimes simultaneously. They stood in a line that looked to head towards a counter where people were picking up food, and when they got to the front they ordered everything that looked good. The server laughed good naturedly, and wished them a good meal before they headed to the nearest open table.

At first, they were focused only on the food, but as they started to slow down, they began to notice how many people were glancing their way. Some were glaring, some were smiling, but most just looked curious. Vath kept eating, but Kaser waved at a few who looked friendly. Two of them, a girl with light brown hair and a giant boy sitting with her, had just finished their food, and made their way over to talk on their way out. She was of average height, and, while attractive, was otherwise ordinary looking. He, on the other hand was at least six and a half feet tall and broad in the shoulders and chest while still looking their age, hairy all over with shockingly white hair, and his giant grin showed off impressive teeth, including 4 large canines. Vath blinked in surprise, and Kaser said hello.

“Hi! Are you new? I saw you in first class today, although you probably didn’t see me. That hair is hard to miss, is it a Beast sign? I wish I had the courage to just walk out like you did. He’s always awful, but I need to pass to keep my spot in the sect. What are you going to do about that? Oh, what Beasts are you descended fr-. Oh, no, that’s rude, I shouldn’t ask that, we just met. Are you enjoying your time here so far? Oh, and what’re your names? I’m Emara, and this is Dornah.” she finished with a gesture to the boy beside her.

Vath couldn’t believe how quickly she talked, let alone how quickly she switched topics before even getting an answer. He stared at her incredulously, which caused the hairy giant to laugh when he saw it. Kaser surprised him more though, when he answered every question with a wide smile, in order, at nearly the same speed of speech, causing Vath to shift his stare. How did he even remember all her questions? And why was he just telling random strangers all about them? At least he had the sense not to tell them which Beasts they descended from. Even if they trusted these two they had just met, there were so many others within earshot who were obviously listening.

“Nice to meet you, Kaser and Vath! I just knew the hair had to be a Beast sign. Dornah here is Beastkin too! Though his sign is a bit more obvious. You can probably guess just by looking at him.” Emara continued.

Vath looked him up and down, and spoke for the first time. “Bear of some kind?” he guessed.

The giant nodded, and slapped his chest while responding, “Yes! I am from the Great North. Arctic bears are dangerous, but when they grow intelligent enough to take human form, many become patrons of communities in exchange for status and gifts. My grandfather is one such protector. When I wanted to train in the Empire, my grandfather insisted I come here. The other sects are accepting of Beastkin, but this is the only sect founded by them.”

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

Vath couldn’t believe how open these two were. It was like they were completely oblivious to the fact that others could take advantage of them using their secrets. Either way, he had to admit to himself while Kaser continued conversing, that he didn’t mind this as much as he thought he would. He didn’t like talking much, but the girl’s energy was infectious, and the large boy was so friendly that he wasn’t as intimidating as he should have been. Kaser even got the two of them talking about how they’d become friends, which had happened when a boy had been giving Emara a hard time… right up until he’d looked up to see Dornah looming over him with a scowl on his face. Vath’s already good opinion of the giant had risen tremendously at that. Before long, the two headed out, and the brothers finished their food before heading to their next class.

They had always exercised when they could out in the wilds, but it had been a long time since Vath had been in a proper training class. He couldn’t wait. When they arrived, there were already dozens of students milling around a large square, with a stern looking man standing off to the side. He called out to the brothers, and after a glance at each other, they headed over. Being singled out immediately was perhaps a bad sign, but Wald had promised to speak to their teachers. “So,” he began as they drew close, “your sponsor came to speak to me. Seems you had a teacher who was unfairly rude. Told me you were hard workers, but that you wouldn’t put up with nonsense. That true?”

Vath nodded and Kaser responded, “That’s the short version, yes, teacher.”

“Then to make it clear,” the teacher said, “I will not treat you any differently than my other students. I do not yell at my students. I do not mock them. But I expect them to do what they’re told when I give them an instruction. There will be a time at the end of each class where questions and concerns can be raised, and I will listen and answer. But until I announce that part of the class, everyone here is to do as I say unless they genuinely do not understand my instructions. Is that understood?” The two nodded respectfully. This was within their expectations from the way the village instructor had done things. “Good. Then run. Forty laps around the courtyard, top speed. Now.” he said, still in an even voice. They took off at a sprint, Kaser quickly outpacing his older brother, but Vath’s speed still impressive. “Follow them! Top Speed!” the man bellowed to the rest of the class. Ten minutes later, with sweat everywhere, the class stumbled through the last lap. The brothers had only been passed by one classmate, which they were proud of, but they were still exhausted. Fifty more minutes seemed impossible to endure.

“Everyone sit down. Cultivate. As hard as you can manage. When you catch your breath, stand up.” the teacher ordered.

When Vath stood up just minutes later, he couldn’t believe how refreshed he was. It was like he’d barely run at all. The teacher just grinned at him and the other students. “I see surprise in the eyes of all the new disciples here for their first day. Cultivation improves your body. It can refine what is already there, but it can also rebuild what has been destroyed. When you overwork your body, it destroys itself and then rebuilds stronger. It does this naturally. Cultivation does this more quickly, and infuses more when building from scratch than if you were to do the same thing to a fully intact body. That is the purpose of this class. I will tear the weakness from your body, and you will fill the holes with cultivation. Now, down on your hands. Legs out, I want nothing but your toes and palms on the ground.” he said.

Vath was filled with determination and obeyed quickly. This man knew what he was doing, and Vath wanted every scrap of power the man could drag out of him. So the class went. Exercise after exercise, rest breaks to recuperate, with the teacher wandering through, correcting the form of students, and encouraging those who were to collapse to do one more before letting them cultivate. He never got angry once. He didn’t care where your limits were. He just wanted you to find them, and then push, at least a little. He even kept his promise to answer questions at the end of class. With a few minutes left, he had them cultivating to recover, and fielded everything students were curious or concerned about. He kept the same calm tone through the whole thing, regardless of the content of a question.

This was what a teacher should be. Vath had thoroughly enjoyed his history teacher, but he was a storyteller, even if he was an entertaining one. When Vath imagined someone to learn from, to improve under, this was what he imagined. And the best was still to come. Sparring class was next, and the same man would be the lead in that, although there would be extra teachers and healers on hand just in case.

They finished the class that way, and the teacher told them to stay and continue cultivating for the thirty minute break before the next class, before he headed to the next courtyard over to prepare for it.

As the break drew to a close, Vath moved towards the next courtyard, not waiting for his brother, who was having an animated conversation with the only boy who’d passed them in the sprint. The new courtyard had been filled with circles marked on the ground, all around twenty feet across. He presumed these would be where disciples faced off, and that falling outside the circle would be a loss. They’d only had one, but that was how it worked back in the village. There were ten circles, four senior disciples in addition to the head teacher, and several healers off to the side in case of accidents.

“The rules are simple.” the teacher began, “You face off one on one, two per circle. You must stay inside the circle. If you step or fall outside of it, you lose. No techniques are allowed yet, just your body and martial skills. Techniques will be added when we are confident that everyone can do so without constant injury. All students not currently in a circle will watch those inside. Healers are here because accidents always happen, but let me be clear. Your goal is NOT to injure your opponent. It is to learn and improve. Injuries will occur regardless, but if I ever see you do it on purpose, there will be punishment. Am I understood?”

At the chorus of, “Yes, teacher!” he nodded and gestured behind him with a grin, “Good. Then who’d like to go first?”