Their carriage pulled up to the base of the massive school. A large stadium with a combat arena was just off the road. The stairs that lead up to the academy started at the stadium. It was the beginning of the school grounds. The dummies situated about the arena had students attacking them with an unimaginable array of skills. Some used a sword or bow, while others struck with fire or wind abilities. Dummies were destroyed and tossed about the battlefield, smashing against the walls that were raised. They blocked each student from interfering with one another’s training. As the carriages pulled in and lined up side by side above the arena, the students that were training didn’t notice they had spectators. They were so enthralled with their simulations that they hadn’t noticed the caravan of people. They gradually set their weapons down as they realized the freshman had arrived, they knew their time in the arena was coming to an end. That was a next level dedication. I need to work hard until I can get to that level of dedication, he thought. Gideon made a personal note about how far behind he was based on what he saw from the arena, he would need to catch up to these students. Then I intend to surpass them all, I’ll do it with hard work and dedication. He knew his drive to excel was because he had been held back for so long, but he didn't mind. He wouldn't be held back any longer.
Xavier hopped out of the carriage. “It was good seeing you Gideon. I’m going to have a look around, maybe talk to some other people I met today. I’m sure we’ll see each other around quite a bit, so we’ll get plenty of opportunities to show them what some late bloomers can do.” Gideon watched Xavier as he walked away. The boy looked about, finally seeing the group he was looking for. He waved back to Gideon as he rushed off to hang out with his own group.
“Xavier,” Gideon called. The boy stopped and turn back to face him. “You know we got this, we belong here just as much as anyone. We are just as good as they are. We need to push each other and we’ll both grow strong and prove we belong, we’ll prove our awakening wasn’t a mistake.”
Xavier nodded. “I’m here to go the distance. I want to attend every year I can, I’m not going to wash out. I’m not here to train on how to control my abilities and protect others. I’m here to master it all. To unlock my delta and to be one of the strongest adventurers to come out of Rime since the Dreadnought. If it’s you that gets me there, then yes lets push each other.” Xavier said. Then he turned and walked off, not waiting for a reply.
“Your friend is a bit unique and a little intense, has he always been like that?” Riley said. He appeared to be fishing for more information, but Gideon didn’t have anything to provide him.
“More like my brother,” Gideon replied. “While scamps mostly live alone, we survive together. He’s a good guy and very clever, but he is a bit strange sometimes.” Gideon watched Xavier walk away. “He was a good person to have around when you’re starving. It isn’t so hard to get a loaf of bread from the bakers wife when you look like her husband. He never could imitate the voices though. So when Mrs. Webster questioned him about ruining his appetite for dinner and Mr. Webster replied to her with Xavier’s little boy voice, the ruse was up. It got much worse than that, before it got better.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
Primrose raised an eyebrow at this. “This I have got to here. He doesn’t strike me as someone that is overly bright, saying he is clever sounds like an exaggeration to me. So how did he make things worse.” Gideon again wondered why she took such a dislike to the boy. He’d have to remember to ask her about it when they were in a different setting.
Riley cleared his throat, “I didn’t think he was all that bad. Of course his ability has limitations. Limitations are what make abilities less effective, unless of course you use them in optimum situations. That is also what provides balance. Abilities need to have balance in the System, otherwise a correction will be made. Considering some of the limitations of his ability, I can only imagine what sort of things happened. What kind of trouble did he get into after that Gideon? Enlighten us.”
“Well, after Mr Webster found out about what had happened, he decided that Xavier was trying to bed his wife. He thought that’s why Xavier shifted to look like him.” Riley and Primrose laughed together at this information. “Mind you, at the time we were only 7 or 8 and poor Xavier didn’t know what Mr. Webster meant by bedding his wife. So when he was accused of this he said he was trying to get with his wife, but there was no bed involved. They had stayed at the stall.”
“He did not!” Primrose exclaimed.
“Unfortunately, yes he did.” Now they were both practically in stitches. Riley was bent over trying to catch his breath. “THEN,” Gideon said, with emphasis on the word, “He said to the baker, I just wanted to get my hands on her muffins and some of the loaves that she keeps in the back.”
“Stop, please stop!” Primrose said in between breadths. They were both on the ground laughing so hard they couldn’t breathe.
“He has grown a lot since then though. His ability is more precise, he has unlocked a few skills as well. Now he may very well try to bed the bakers wife. He isn’t the innocent little boy anymore.” Gideon finished.
“Well now what did we walk into. What did we miss with all this talk of bedding baker’s wives?” Hank said as he approached the group with Maximus. Gideon saw Primrose think about telling the story and then she lost it again, unable to utter a word. Maximus went to Primrose’s side and leaned down and whispered something Gideon couldn’t hear. It just made her laugh harder. Maximus got the lost puppy look again. He would have to have a talk with the boy. Maximus may be man sized, but Gideon thought he had some work to do on building his confidence.
Riley took a deep breath. “Oh nothing special. Gideon here was just telling us about how incredibly clever one of his brothers had been when they were younger. Definitely a tale for another day when you have time. Be forewarned, you will never look at muffins the same again.” Riley said, finally able to control himself, unlike Primrose. “I take it back. Gideon, your brother is an idiot.” With that, Primrose lost it again, the moderate control that she had finally managed released the reigns.
The rest of the students climbed out of the carriages and were milling about. During this time, the older students that had been training had left the arena and were making their way into the stands around the area. It was like a coliseum with an opening on each end, there was a vast amount of seating on either side. This was just like some of the stories he had read. Gladiators fought great beasts in these type of things. A realization hit him. Gladiators fought before crowds, crowds like the older students making their way into the stands. He turned to his friends. “Guys, I think we have a problem.”