Ranvir sat with eyes half-lidded, his focus on something entirely different than what he was seeing. With his power, he reached out peeling open the pocket-space containing his chess pieces. It was a struggle to do it without the space collapsing, leaving the pieces to fall to the ground. He was constantly fighting to maintain the opening and stabilizing the space.

Slowly, the eye opened wider. The space within changed as light and air entered it, though he didn’t dare look. His focus was strained enough as it was.

An elbow dug into his side, and the space to collapse. Ranvir let out a hiss, glaring at the student to his right. Dovar looked at him with wide eyes nodding towards Teacher Eirik, lecturing at the front of the class.

“Sorry.” Ranvir mouthed, sheepishly. He turned his attention the teacher, trying to catch up with what he’d been talking about. How to organize an ambush against flesh-torn and maximizing the use of tethered. Ranvir narrowed his eyes examining the formations he’d written on the blackboard.

He’d promised himself he would do better. He done so quite a few times over the last couple months, but his attention always slipped after a few days. Frankly, Ranvir couldn’t understand how it captured Dovar’s interest at all. It was all boring numbers, elevation, best practices, weapon distribution, and army formations.

Dovar dug his elbow into Ranvir’s side again. Hard enough that Ranvir flinched, pulling away from the harsh implement. He didn’t glare at the tall smoke tethered, but only because he knew his eyes had been glazing over again.

The fact that he wasn’t the only one in class struggling to pay attention didn’t make Ranvir feel any better. It only made the alternating sickly green and yellow bloated guilt that heaved inside Ranvir.

With an effort, he focused on what Eirik was talking about.

“The break is coming up and this is as good a place as any to stop for now.”

Ranvir couldn’t stop the smile from creeping onto his face. That’s some timing.

“Remember, class. Your groups for the healing excursions have to be delivered at the administration office by the end of tomorrow!” Siv, Eirik’s assistant, called as student started filing out.

At first, Ranvir hadn’t understood why they’d scheduled a break in the middle of theory classes. They weren’t there during any other classes. After about two weeks of warfare and tether theory, he understood. Stretching his legs and getting up suddenly became very important.

Dovar cleared his throat as they descended the stairs and out the door. They usually walked the halls during the break. Staying close enough that they could see Eirik whenever he left the room to call the students together. They did not want to get on the list of students who wandered too far away.

“So…” Dovar said, clearing his throat again. The sound made Ranvir look over. Surprised, he found the over-sized man to be red-faced and seemingly slightly out of breath. “Do you- uh…” His words faded out, the volume falling steadily as he talked. “I mean-“ He started again.

“Is this about the groups for the clinic tours?” Ranvir asked.

“Yes.” Dovar said, in a surprisingly small voice.

Ranvir blinked, staring at the tall man. Shoulders reaching both wider and higher than his own. There was a bit of stubble on his chin that Ranvir knew for a fact hadn’t been there that morning. While he was broader than a barn, he wasn’t bulging with muscle. Instead, he had a similar look to Master Vigo. A density of strength, rather than the show of strength from Teacher Orulf. The ice tethered being the only man Ranvir had ever seen to be clearly bigger than Dovar.

“I don’t think it’ll be an issue, if you want to join us. We are missing one, so you’ll be a good fit. I think maybe I would be the only hold out, previously. Unless, you do get along with Grev, right?”

Stolen novel; please report.

“Yeah, we’re good.” Dovar nodded.

Ranvir had seen a hesitance to Dovar’s manners that sometimes came over him. Like he struggled to find the right word. Ranvir hadn’t been able to place it until he saw Dovar struggle to ask if he could join their group.

He’d seemed so straightforward at other times. When he’d been checking out the different common rooms and his comment had slipped out. Was it arrogance, or just a blunder? Ranvir had first assumed it was arrogance, but maybe he’d been looking at it through a red tint.

“We need to talk about you paying attention in warfare.” Dovar abruptly said.

Ranvir blinked. “Yeah, I don’t know. I’m trying, but it’s just not that interesting to me. I know it’s irresponsible, but… It just doesn’t feel quite real, I guess.” Ranvir shrugged. “It’s all numbers, terrains, weather, and stuff.”

Dovar’s lips thinned. “It’s not just irresponsible, it’s taking your life and the life of the squad you’re more than likely going to lead in your hands. You want be able to carry the weight.”

Carry the weight? Ranvir thought. I guess that works.

“I’ll try, but I don’t know.”

“Make it important.”

Ranvir stared for a long moment, “I’m trying, but there are so many other things I need to know. More interesting things.”

Dovar sighed, his neck getting flushed and he spoke faster, more aggressively. “You don’t do it for fun. It’s important.”

Ranvir threw his hands up. “Dovar, I’m going to need you to slow down.”

Dovar looked at him for a long moment, borderline glaring at him. He took a long breath. “I mean. You have to make it a priority. I know you spent a lot of time researching. Have you read about any famous battles?”

“Tangentially,” Ranvir said. “Some of the strongest tethered are related to many of the biggest battles.”

Dovar nodded. “You won’t find it interesting unless you put the effort in to understand it, right. I’m sure when you first arrived, you didn’t know anything about your ability. When you first started researching it wasn’t very interesting, but as your knowledge grew so did your interest.

“It’s the same with warfare. You have to put in the effort. Try to understand. The next time you’re out on the field, during physical, or later today at weapon, try to count fifty. Students that is. Count out fifty of your classmates. That’s your squad, that’s your responsibility.

“You need to invest before a subject becomes interesting. You know this. I know it, at least. When you first started fighting you had an idea of how it was going to be and it was very wrong. Then you learned what actual fighting was like and for some reason you kept going. Now, how do you feel about weapon training? It’s more interesting, because you’re beginning to understand. You have invested time and effort into the subject and it’s becoming important to you.”

Dovar was practically sweating passion as he spoke, gesturing wildly as his monologue went on. Ranvir stood back and watched him. One part surprise, one part awe, one part confusion.

“That’s an interesting idea.” Ranvir said. “I guess I’ll have to take you up on it.” Down the hall from them, the door opened and Teacher Eirik stepped out. He nodded to them gesturing for them to return. “Go ahead. I’ll follow right behind you.”

Dovar gave him a long look, before he nodded and walked off. Ranvir stared after the broad-shouldered form, contemplating this new information. He’d seen Dovar often enough throughout the academy.

He was often surrounded by a throng of hangers on, but he rarely spoke to them. He’d been pretty rude when first examining the common and sleeping rooms. He’d hit Ranvir when he had insulted him. When he’d revealed his advancement, he’d gone to Grevor and Sansir, but he’d been pretty abrupt. Simply showing up and saying his challenge without any preamble.

“Huh.” Ranvir let out under his breath.

Dovar was a noble, meaning he’d probably grown up in an estate. Just like Grevor. From what Ranvir could tell, Grevor hadn’t grown up with many friends his own age. He hadn’t grown up with many friends at all. He had a brother that was nearly eight years older than him and a father that spent much of Grev’s youth away and the rest being a part of the Lords’ Council.

Dovar likely grew up under similar conditions, but he’s had more weapon training and more studying than Grevor. At least, he’s been more inclined to that sort of entertainment. Instead of growing up and being a troublemaker for his servants, he’d grown up in a library.

Ranvir walked into the classroom, nearly running up the steps, before returning to his spot the left of Dovar. “Dovar, can I ask you something?”

The human brick wall turned to him. “Yes?”

“Where did you spend most of your free time as a child?”

Dovar blinked twice, before answering. “The library…”

Ranvir nodded, rubbing a hand over his chin. Dovar didn’t often talk to the people that surrounded him. He had trouble sounding out his issues and comments. If he was too challenged he lashed out. Dovar was shy.

Ranvir slapped his friend on the back. “You can join our group. If any of them give you shit, I’ll shit on them.”

“What?”

Ranvir grinned. “Don’t worry about it.”

Dovar cleared his throat, as the door opened. Eirik stepped followed by a stream of students. “Class is about to begin again.”

Ranvir couldn’t stop his grin. Fucking Dovar Sworden, the most talented student currently at the Elusrian Royal Academy of War was shy.