I sometimes wonder how people lived before industrialized spell constructs were widely available. How did anyone go anywhere? What did they drink? Alas for poor recordkeeping!

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Jair almost missed the Teretho family arriving, if not for something particular that caught his eye.

In this case that something was the proud young aristocrat’s vibrantly orange duelist vest over green robes as he stood briefly in the arrival overlook.

Lian’s father and stepmother were barely visible even with Jair knowing what to look for, loitering figures more interested in the architecture and chatting with the hosts than paying attention to their would-be star.

Lian's eyes met Jair's as the boy scanned the audience, and his expression shifted from eager to confused. Jair merely looked away without reacting. He wasn't in the mood to put up with Lian's attitude today. He could play nice some other time.

Right now, Jair had a whole new world of opportunity to explore. Lian Teretho was the last person he'd allow to ruin it. Alas, his personal determination wasn’t sufficient to make the entire world shift to accommodate him.

Not even waiting for his family to find their box, Lian threw Jair’s box door open with a ready sneer.

"I thought I smelled something that didn't belong.” Lian crossed his arms, leaning against the door.

"Observant one, you are." Jair took a sip of deep red wine from the triangular glass and leaned back in his blue-cushioned seat. A fine vintage, though he preferred something a little heavier these days. "Good to know the family name isn't the only thing you have going for you. I'm sure you can find an occupation sniffing around for people you dislike. High paying occupation, I hear. Messes with your sense of taste after a while though."

Lian, clearly unsure what Jair was trying to imply, opted to ignore the reply. He made a show of searching the box, one side of his lip quirked in a smug sneer. "Where's Serin? I'm surprised she's let you off her leash. If she's going to drag you along to society events, she should have at least taken the time to dress you properly."

Jair met Lian’s sneer with a mischievous grin. "I'm sure the comfort of knowing I was dressed like a commoner will assuage your shame when I show you up in the arena."

"Oh, Welburne, you really should pay more attention to the invitations for these sort of events. The performance is by special selection only. Attending doesn't mean you get a chance to fight. Though..." looking Jair up and down, eyeing him like a sandshark who spotted a stray camel, "I wouldn't be opposed to putting you in your place."

"You're more than welcome to try. But I'll warn you, you may not like what my place turns out to be."

"What nonsense are you talking, Welburne? I've seen your bladework scores. You barely qualify at the lowest level."

"Qualification has nothing to do with skill. Be sure to pay close attention or you'll be caught off guard."

Lian's hand tightened into a fist. “You're not anything worth speaking of. Have you even fought a single duel?"

"Nope. Are you looking to change that?"

"Maybe I am." Lian sneered down at him, arrogance bleeding from every inch of him. "Someone's awfully confident all of a sudden. You think a fancy flash of light with your sword means you're any better at fighting? That's not how it works."

"I'm well aware of how it works, thank you. I'm going to tell you this once. I am no longer the person you imagine me to be. I am not going to cringe or cry or run or cower. If you try to start something, I'll be the one to finish it, and you won't like the result."

Lian’s expression darkened, losing his patience the longer Jair remained unflustered. "Is the peasant threatening me?"

"It's a warning. Stay out of my way, and we can have nothing more to do with one another. We can even pretend to be friends, if that's what you want. But if you become a disruption to my plans, I won't hesitate to put you in your place as violently and repeatedly as it takes for the lesson to stick."

"You shouldn't be making threats you can't back up." Lian looked about ready to strangle him on the spot.

Jair raised an eyebrow. "In front of everyone, really?" He flicked his eyes over to the Teretho box where Lian’s father, Lord Kyson, stood conversing with yet another woman, his current wife sitting behind with a book and an oversized flute of champagne. "I didn't realize you'd so thoroughly discarded your family pride."

Lian's gaze followed the direction of Jair’s. For a moment, Kyson glanced his son's way, a brief frown crossing his face, then he looked away to resume his conversation, good cheer returning immediately.

Lian's expression only hardened further. "You think you know my limits? You don't know the first fraction of it. Keep pushing me and you'll regret it."

"Pushing you? I haven’t even laid a finger on you yet." Jair lifted his glass, checking his free hand and lap with exaggerated care. "Is your nose the only one of your senses that's functional?"

"You think being here will protect you, Welburne? You think this is going to keep you safe?"

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

"No." He took another measured sip of his drink. “My capability to annihilate you from existence with a blink is what's going to keep me safe.”

Lian fumed and took a step forward. “Don’t think you can get out of this just because I’m otherwise engaged today. Tomorrow morning, in the academy dome.”

“I’m not going to risk getting myself thrown out for missing classes right after initiation. We can fight during Terlunia.” Jair was tempted, just for the chance to get Lian out of his hair immediately, but his previous self had been far from athletic. He’d need more than one day to prepare for something like that.

Lian scoffed. “So you have time to desperately scramble to attune your soulspell? I’m not so much a fool as you think, Welburne.”

“What’s the rush? You think I’m so incapable, but you’re also afraid of what I could do?”

“One week.” Lian folded his arms, ignoring the accusation. “That gives you plenty of time to make excuses to your precious teachers.”

“How benevolent.” Jair swirled the last of his drink, keeping everything about his expression and posture relaxed and open.

“Not everything is about throwing your flashy weapon around. Some of us—”

“Have flashy names to throw around instead?”

Lian’s jaw tightened. He glanced in the direction of his father’s box, a barely conscious flicker of movement, as though weighing the social impacts of running Jair through then and there. He may be an idiot, but he was at least a calculating enough one to recognize it wouldn't be a good image for him to present at this very prestigious event.

“One week, and you’ll have all the chances you want to prove you're more than a name. Don't worry. And if you can bring yourself to forgive me for existing, we can even pretend to be friends after."

"As if I'd want to."

Jair drained his glass, set it aside, and closed his eyes. "I'll see you next senday in the dome, you can decide if I'm worth the time and consideration then."

“As if you’ll ever be anything but a waste of time.”

“If my company is so unwelcome, I wonder why you continue to seek it out.”

“For once, you’re right. I have better things to do.” Lian walked away, door thudding shut behind him.

Jair remained where he sat, lost in thought.

“That sword of yours has made you quite bold, Welburne,” A new voice intruded on his contemplation. “I must admit, I'm impressed.”

Jair looked up as Denor ducked in. "You could have stepped in if there was a perceived overreach."

"We didn't think you required intervention."

"We?" Jair leaned forward to see around Denor, only to meet Raina's grinning eyes. "Ah."

Raina being Raina, she wore only her plain white Astralla Institute student robe—long-sleeved to indicate her lack of functional imprints and very much not in fashion—but she walked with a confidence that made the simple garb look elegant instead of plain.

Jair turned back to scan the other boxes and spotted Raina’s father easily, on the other side of the balcony, the box behind and above Teretho. Ajriol Serin wore black pantaloons under a maroon robe, short and flowing barely to his waist rather than the more traditional garb of the rest of the men.

It wasn't being done to make a fashion statement, but simply because the man liked the way it looked and felt to wear, but those who didn't still gossiped and considered. If he wasn't careful, he'd set off a whole fashion trend one of these days. Raina's ancestral lands were in Veshin Oasis, even if her family largely stayed in the Astralla region these days, they still had land and connections there.

"I must have mistaken your signals back at the Initiation." Raina tossed her hair to the side as she strode across the balcony to take the seat beside him. "I wasn't aware this was our meeting location. Silly of me, really, thinking you'd be coming home to the apartment like every other day of the year."

That familiar playful smile demanded an equally serious reply.

Jair reached across to pat Raina's hand with the exaggerated care of a much older man. "You're looking lovely today, as always, young Miss Serin. My sincerest apologies for misleading you as to my plans for the day. Something came up."

“So I see. What are you up to?” Raina’s tone was playful on the surface, but with a note of underlying concern.

"Speaking of,” Denor cut in, “that's why I rushed here to talk to you. There's an hour before the exhibitions start, so that's plenty of time for me to show you the basics and brief you on what you'll be up against. You've never been to one of these before, and trust me, it's a lot different in person than hearing about it secondhand."

"I know how it works. I've practiced against hardlight opponents plenty of times. They won't be a problem."

Denor frowned faintly. "I don't know where you found a hardlight caster, but the majority of them suffer from deficiencies in their craft. Basing your expectations of this off them would be—"

"Thank you, Denor,” Jair said firmly, a clear dismissal. “I'm sure you have a lot to prepare for your own matches."

Raina was looking at him funny.

Jair ran a finger along the rim of his empty wine glass, tipping it up on the edge of its base and rolling it in a circle.

"Just don't push yourself too far." Denor reluctantly turned to leave, pausing in the door on his way out. "I'm sure even you can make it to the third round if you try, but as soon as you find yourself struggling, bow out. It's important for a warrior to know his limits."

"I'm well familiar with my limitations."

Denor hesitated a moment, then shook his head in resignation and left.

"You sure the new sword isn't going to your head a bit?" Raina asked, as soon as they were alone.

Jair tapped his forehead, laughing. "Of course it is. Where else would I keep it?"

Raina smacked his shoulder. "You know that's not what I mean."

"I'm exactly as confident as I should be. My circumstances are entirely within calculation.” This specific event may have been new, but after so long he’d become quite adaptable.

"You're worrying me."

"I'd rather you didn't worry, but I know that's a lot to ask. At least trust I have things under control?"

"You'll do as he said? Bow out once you reach the harder levels? I know you're probably eager to prove yourself, but I don't want to see you get hurt."

"Getting hurt isn't the end of the world. I'll survive, and I'll be in a better position. That's all that matters."

"And what was Lian going on about? Is he being more of a problem than you told me?"

"I can handle Lian Teretho. And I can handle this exhibition.”

"Promise you'll stop if you get in too deep. Don't get yourself killed out of pride."

"Starshaper has too much control over his simulacrums for them to kill anyone. And I promise you, I won't do anything that I can't handle."

"If you're sure." She stood, her white student robes swishing elegantly around her legs as she gave him one last smile and wave. "Good luck."

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