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Ranvir gasped, jerking as he came back to his body. His aching, wounded, bleeding body. His alive, throbbing, and energized body. His entire being vibrated and thrummed with power as he pushed himself onto his knees.

“Well done, you’ve bought us a little more time.”

Ranvir nodded before grunting and pushing himself to standing. As he did he snatched a pair of knives left on the floor after the ritual. Glancing around he found his assailant pacing the corridor outside his cell. The smoke no longer enveloped him and Ranvir could see his face clearly.

He did not recognize him.

Someone put him up to it then. Wiping the back of his hand across his forehead, Ranvir felt the pull of his ribs but the pain was lessened by his new strength. And strength he had in plenty. Ranvir didn’t give the panicking student a chance. He wasn’t staying in this shithole prison a minute longer than necessary.

Jamming a knife into the thigh as he passed was surprisingly easy. The feeling of the blade sliding against the bone rattled up his arm and into his brain where the sensation lodged itself into a repeating pattern.

The student fell with a cry and Ranvir moved past him. Now was not the time. He could re-evaluate his decisions when he was safe with Frija. Jogging down the corridor, Ranvir easily ate up the distance with long powerful strides as power pulsed in his flesh, around his lung especially.

“Careful,” Latresekt warned. “You’re not immortal, you’re just tougher. Your rib’s still broken, don’t drain yourself more than necessary.”

Ranvir growled, “Fine,” before he reluctantly slowed down to a fast walk.

“Do you still feel that prodding in your side?”

Ranvir grit his teeth but slowly nodded.

“Good, that’s your rib poking your lung. The only thing stopping it from puncturing is Flesh. Which is fine until you tire, or you run out of power, or someone knocks you out. Then you’re in trouble.”

“Fine,” Ranvir hissed out and slowed down until he no longer felt the pointed pressure of protective power. As it went away so did a lingering orange writhing of pain that had been crawling in the back of Ranvir’s mind.

Latresekt didn’t follow up, but a thought struck Ranvir, “You’re finally responding?”

“You finally have the tools necessary for me to follow along properly. Pretty hard to respond to you when I can only tell what’s vaguely going on around you.”

“But now you can tell more clearly?”

“The Discipline of Flesh comes with far more clarity since it’s domain is so much smaller and personal.”

Ranvir nodded, he wasn’t finished with the conversation but they were coming upon the office and exit. As he’d walked, Ranvir had naturally fallen into a limp to spare his ribs further, sensing the instinctive draw on his power lessening. That also meant he was slightly more audible than he’d intended as he stepped in to the small room.

Teacher Sigurd had turned from where he was looking into the academy campus to look at Ranvir’s form shambled into view.

“You!” the master’s disdain was clear as Ranvir emerged. Power swelled as Sigurd readied himself and smoke started billowing from him. Before the master could thicken the smoke into a barrier Ranvir acted. The knife had been honed to draw a powerful and even warp edge and in Ranvir’s fingers it flew true. The blade slipped into Sigurd’s stomach, his aim unbothered by broken ribs. Gasping, the master fell to the floor smoke falling alongside him to linger on the ground.

“Me,” Ranvir growled as he stumbled across the room and looked down at the master. “I assume you were the one who sent the student after me.”

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Sigurd snarled, “He didn’t give you nearly as well as you deserve,” he lurched for Ranvir’s feet, causing the both of them to tumble to the floor. Ranvir ripped the knife out of Sigurd’s guts causing the older man to mewl in pain as he gave up the struggle to press his hands against his stomach.

Grunting, Ranvir forced himself to his feet, his side throbbed with power as he stepped over the master’s writhing body. His eyes lingered on the second teacher to become Ranvir’s enemy. Latresekt thrummed within him, though the creature never spoke. Shaking his head, Ranvir continued on his path.

“What a coincidence,” a new accented voice called. Ranvir looked around but didn’t immediately pinpoint where the voice came from, which greatly lowered the potential people to maybe half a dozen. A little more searching revealed two ankirians striding towards him. Master and Apprentice. “I was told to keep an eye out for you,” Naadiya said then muttered something in kisi to her apprentice.

Ranvir watched them exchange words warily, one hand clutching his side the other grasping the knife. Rafeeda finally nodded and took a step forwards.

“We could always avoid this,” Naadiya said her words fading for a moment as a loud crash and screams sounded out. Ranvir diverted his gaze realizing that the campus was in chaos. Pillars of smoke rose from all over, both the green tint of rysten and the bluish-gray from more traditional flames. “Surrender and take us to your friend. Then we will not beat on you more than necessary.”

Ranvir shook his head, “I’d rather not,” he extended his senses as far as they could go, finding his reach much improved from his recent advancements, though another discovery startled him further. His advancements had torn holes in his tether-space, like had happened when breaking through to Veil, but these weren’t sealing up. Power was running off his tether with such intensity it was literally overwhelming the space.

“Don’t worry about that for now,” Latresekt growled one three fingered hand beating on its massive chest in glee. “You’ve got greater problems to handle first.”

Ranvir grit his teeth and turned away from tether-space despite how clearly displayed in his mind it was. No vague aware, it almost felt like he was both inside it and embracing the pressure. Searching the academy as best he could, he didn’t sense his friends anywhere. Though he detected a hint of smoke, a varied and distinct flavor beyond that of Sigurd or Dovar’s ability.

“Rafeeda,” Naadiya said placing a hand on her apprentice. “Is an advance beyond you and while you’re definitely…” her voice trailed off as Ranvir spun his tether up readying his power. “You… What…”

Rafeeda’s eyes had gone wide and she half-yelled kisi at Naadiya. At the same time something ripped through the gate of the academy. The crash was loud echoed across the entire campus as a wave of obsidian, several times taller than a man, burst through rising into a pillar holding a single man.

Ragnar was too far away for Ranvir to make out clearly, but there were really only so many people it could be. Taking the opportunity, Ranvir threw his knife as Naadiya. Light flickered from her body as she dismissively battered it out of the air her eyes narrowing on Ranvir’s. So she didn’t see the hand materializing from thin-air like smoke blown away by a strong breeze.

Pashar hammered the knife into the twin master’s shoulder. Naadiya gasped in pain as she stumbled away, getting right into range for Pashar’s swing kick that looked like it might tear her head off.

Rafeeda stared at her master’s unconscious body as Pashar touched her with a single finger, her native presence crumbled and the young girl passed out. Ranvir breathed in deeply, wincing slightly as the high from his power was ebbing. Still, the flare of power in his side took the brunt of it.

“Pashar,” Ranvir muttered. “What’s going on?”

“I don’t know,” the ankirian gasped for air. Her hair was matted and she looked pallid, even through her darker complexion. “But we need to hurry.”

“What’s happened to you?” Ranvir asked moving stumbling closer.

“My powers aren’t well suited for travel,” Pashar groaned as she steadied herself. “Did Naadiya say what she wanted?”

Ranvir shook his head, “Something about my friends?”

Pashar cleared her throat, “Doesn’t matter then, we need to get you out of here… Now...” she grabbed his chin in a vice grip, strong despite her evident exhaustion. She stared daggers into his eyes. Her grip slackened as she let go her eyes going wide, “Son of a fucking asshole.”

“Pashar?” Ranvir asked as Latresekt prowled inside, looming as if at the border of a cage.

She shook her head, “We need to get you out.”

“Not without Frija.”

Pashar nodded decisively, “Fine.”

It took them longer than either of them wanted to reach the parentage. Pashar’s exhaustion was clear as ice and Ranvir’s own injuries slowed him down more than he’d like. They were just getting within reach when a tidal wave of obsidian danced in front of them.

“Pashar,” Ragnar’s thundercloud expression made his current disposition clear. “What are you doing back already?”

Pashar stopped but looked unhappy about it, “I don’t have a lot of time, Ragnar. It’s hard to explain.”

“Fucking try,” growled the old man slamming his cane into the stone he stood upon. “I’m dealing with one-and-a-half armies. Just as I’m starting to get a handle on these assholes, half the school fucking rebels and starts fighting with the other half. Most of them claim the Masters’ Council set them off, I could damn well use your help.”

Pashar let out a frustrated noise as both she and Ranvir sensed light energy stirring back the way they’d come, Naadiya wasn’t staying down for long, “I don’t have time, Ragnar.”