“Do you think today will be as interesting as yesterday?”

  Roland turned to the source of the question, breaking his concentration. Aldric was standing beside him, eying the fence. No sign of the destruction he’d wrought the day before was left.

  “I would wager it would be at least as eventful,” Roland said, a somewhat eager smile crawling onto his face. “No one will get to sit out whatever is planned for us today.”

  “You just want to fight Vincent,” Aldric accused, though the smile was mirrored on his face.

  “I would never wish for violence,” Roland defended half-heartedly. In truth, he had wanted to test the mettle of his peers since their impromptu performance in the square. “How do you feel after your display yesterday?”

  “Roland, I…” Aldric began. He glanced around. Mary and Seraphina were sitting in the corner of the training grounds, talking in hushed whispers. Lucas was investigating the array of weaponry that was laid out on the table. Elisa, Vincent, and Astra were yet to arrive. No one was close enough to hear, so he continued. “I have no home to return to. If I were to be expelled, I would be lost. It was a real possibility, but yesterday, I finally showed everyone that I deserve to stand among you. I am ecstatic.”

  “You have always deserved to stand here,” Roland reassured. “And if they were blind enough to your potential to cast you out, I would have followed.” Roland noticed his classmate, who would hopefully soon be his friend, turn away to hide his face.

  “Thank you,” Aldric said, his voice soft and gentle.

  “No need to thank me,” Roland said, putting a hand on Aldric’s shoulder. “You and I are in a very similar boat. Yesterday, you had your opportunity to shine. Today, I will take mine.” The two continued their conversation, discussing what they thought to expect from this class. A few minutes later, Elisa arrived, joining their conversation, followed shortly by Vincent and Astra, who kept to themselves. Finally, a new face appeared. A young woman with a small stature. Despite her appearance, she instantly commanded the attention of everyone present.

  “Good morning, students,” she greeted cheerily. “I am Captain Christina Bursio. You all may address me as Captain Bursio. I look forward to instructing you all in the noble art of combat!” Vincent immediately bowed and introduced himself. Astra was quick on his heels, and everyone else followed their lead. Her eyes lingered on Aldric when he provided no family name, but she chose not to pry.

  “It is a pleasure to meet you all. I can already feel the potential simmering inside each of you.” She glanced between them, taking in their statures and auras. “I have one firm rule that you must follow at all times. When you are in my class, your magical powers are off-limits. You can train martial and magical abilities together during your mixed combat classes. Other than that, I encourage you to test yourself. This is the safest place to develop new techniques and, under my instruction, see them grow into incredible abilities. Before we do that, though, I must see your current skills for myself.”

  She moved in between them, taking them by the arms and gently leading them away from one another until they were split into four groups of two. She then moved to the slew of weapons on display, grabbing blunted training swords and divvying them out, only pausing at Aldric, for whom she fetched a training dagger instead. This elicited a mirthless chuckle from Astra, but Aldric paid her no mind, instead testing the weight of the dagger. It seemed light enough for him to manoeuvre without losing speed. He was impressed that Captain Bursio could notice his weakness with just a glance.

  “Each of you will fight your partner until I have deemed that you landed a fight-ending hit,” she continued. “The victors will face off again, and once more, until we have only one student remaining.”

  “What penalties will the losers face?” Astra asked, speaking before her hand could even fully raise.

  “None whatsoever,” Captain Bursio responded. “I am merely trying to judge your abilities. Let us get started, we do not have all day.” Her voice remained casual, friendly even, but it had an undercurrent of authority that compelled all the students to obey. Soon enough, all but two were seated in the spectators' seating behind the half-wall, with Vincent and Seraphina occupying the centre stage.

  “I apologise. We are an uneven match,” Vincent said, grimacing slightly as he faced off against Seraphina.

  “That may be,” Seraphina agreed, clumsily brandishing her blade. “But I still want you to do your best.” Vincent nodded, then waited. The moment Captain Bursio started their match, he exploded forward. He moved faster than Seraphina could track. She desperately tried to lift her blade to defend herself, but her movements were slow and uncoordinated, and before she could truly react, she felt cold steel pressing against her neck.

  “Victory goes to Vincent,” Captain Bursio declared, surprising everyone slightly. Of course, they all knew Vincent would win, but they had not expected her to know their names. It seemed their teachers were more adept than they had expected. “Mary, Astra, you are next.”

  Neither girl argued, quickly making their way to the centre of the training grounds. Mary tried to give Seraphina an encouraging smile as she passed, but it did little to lift the golden-eyed girl’s spirits. Mary wanted to help, but she had her own battle to fight. She could tell by Astra’s stance that she had formal training, which did not come as a surprise. The others assumed this bout would be over just as quickly as Seraphina’s, but Mary had different plans.

  Captain Bursio gave the signal, and both girls made their moves. Astra chose to mimic her brother, rushing forward to end the battle in a single blow. Mary weaved to her left, narrowly dodging the blow and aiming to deliver a counter-attack to Astra’s back. Astra was prepared for the counter, however, and spun around deftly. For the first time that day, steel met steel as Mary’s attack was blocked.

  Astra did not hesitate to press the attack, shoving Mary back and exposing her to a finishing blow. Much to her surprise, however, her attack only cleaved air as Mary managed to roll out of the way. In the moment of confusion, Mary saw her chance. She braced her legs and launched herself forward, into Astra’s side, but with lightning reflexes, Astra twisted around Mary’s attack, using her momentum against her and sending her crashing onto the ground. The cool tip of Astra’s blade pressed softly into Mary’s back.

  “Victory goes to Astra!” Captain Bursio called out, a hint of surprise in her voice. Astra looked smug as she returned to the spectator seating, leaving Mary to pick herself up from the dirt. “The next bout will be Elisa and Lucas.” The two nodded and made their way to the field.

  “Do you have any training?” Lucas asked, brandishing his sword with mock confidence.

  “Only what my father taught me,” Elisa responded, taking a much more guarded stance. She carefully studied Lucas. Despite the bravado, he was not careless. His footing was solid, and his profile against her was slim.

  Captain Bursio ordered the fight to start, but neither of them budged, each waiting for the other to make a move, to provide an opening. It was one of the first lessons Elisa’s father taught her. Do not start fights, but be prepared to end them. She adjusted her footing slightly, and Lucas took this as his opportunity, jumping forward and thrusting his sword to her chest. She staggered back slightly, barely dodging the attack. Lucas did not let up, pressing the attack further. She was quickly losing ground, unable to find a gap to mount some form of counterattack. Lucas’s movements were precise, and before long, her back was to the wall, with the tip of his sword pressing against her chest.

  “Victory goes to Lucas,” Captain Bursio said.

  “You should have tried dodging to the side,” Lucas said, stowing his blade. “You let me back you into a corner.”

  “I would have left my side exposed,” Elisa said, sighing. “I should have tried to break open your defences.” The two continued to discuss their fight as they returned to the spectators’ seating, giving encouraging smiles to the last two combatants as they passed by.

  Aldric and Roland were not called on, but process of elimination made it fairly obvious that they were up next. Roland carefully tested the weight of his blade as they moved, while Aldric scanned the floor of the training ground for any hazards that he needed to be wary of.

  “Seems like you’ll be fighting one of the twins,” Aldric said, breaking the silence as they took their positions.

  “Do not discount yourself so easily,” Roland retorted, taking a solid stance. Despite appearances, he knew Aldric was a formidable opponent. He would more than likely attack at the first opportunity. Roland could use that to his advantage. Aldric took a stance as well, but his was not borne of training. Instead, it came from a lifetime of survival. To all onlookers, his form was sloppy, and his dagger was inexpertly brandished. To Aldric, this was his natural state. His defences were low, but he had no intentions of using them. Roland was too strong for him to block any attack, so he would have to rely on his dexterity. Much like their fight in the tournament, this bout would come down to who could land the first proper hit.

  Captain Bursio announced the start of the match, and to the surprise of no one, Aldric bolted forward, making a mad dash to embed his dagger in Roland’s chest. Roland reacted quickly, leaning back slightly and lifting his blade to deflect Aldric’s attack. The defence was rendered moot, however, when Aldric sank to the ground, sliding underneath Roland’s blade and past his defences, his dagger only barely missing Roland’s leg.

  It took all Roland had to maintain his balance as he dodged, and Aldric seized the opportunity. He jumped up, leaving himself entirely exposed to capitalise on Roland’s moment of weakness. Roland swung his sword wildly, the broad side crashing into Aldric’s side and sending him sailing across the training ground. Roland soon followed, the momentum of the swing destroying his already-compromised balance.

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  “Victory goes to Roland!” Captain Bursio cheered. “Well fought, gentlemen!” Roland quickly got to his feet and walked over to Aldric, offering him a hand. Aldric grimaced and accepted.

  “I told you, you’ll be fighting one of the twins,” Aldric said, wincing at the newfound pain in his side.

  “I might fight Lucas,” Roland retorted, keeping pace with the limping Aldric.

  “What did you all notice during these fights?” Captain Bursio asked, eyeing Aldric. His injury did not seem serious, so she elected to continue class.

  “Some of us are a lot stronger than the others,” Mary said, looking at Astra.

  “That is not entirely true, Mary,” Captain Bursio said. “Some of you have more training.”

  “Is that what we were supposed to notice?” Mary asked, furrowing her brow.

  “The fights were short,” Aldric said. All eyes quickly settled on him. Captain Bursio nodded, prompting him to continue. “Our fights were not dramatic, protracted displays. They lasted seconds, and once one of us gained the advantage, it was as good as over.”

  “You are correct, Aldric,” Captain Bursio said. “In the arenas, we often see fights that go on for minutes, but the real world is not so kind. The smallest mistake could mean your defeat, and in real combat, your defeat almost certainly means your death. There is no time to goad your opponent, no time for theatrics. When you fight, you fight to win as fast as possible. Every second that passes is one where you could make a mistake that leaves you dead. Never give your opponent the privilege of time.”

  The students glanced around. Mary, Seraphina, and Elisa each bore a version of fear in their eyes as this reality was explained to them. The others, however, bore variations of resolution and resignation, each having grappled with this reality before.

  “Vincent, you and Lucas are up next, so Roland can get a chance to recover,” Captain Bursio ordered after a minute. The two boys nodded and walked back to their arena.

  “You went easy on Elisa,” Vincent accused, drawing his blade. “I expect no such courtesy.”

  “I assure you, I gave that bout my all,” Lucas shot back, readying his own sword. Before their back-and-forth could continue, Captain Bursio started their fight, and both of them rushed forward. Again, steel met steel in the center of their battleground. Their blades slid against one another, each trying to gain the advantage over the other, their feet moving in what could only be called a dance. Lucas was the first to pull back slightly, disengaging his weapon and feinting left before lunging right and swinging for Vincent’s unguarded side. Vincent deftly manoeuvred his blade to block the attack, using his free arm to elbow Lucas in the nose. Lucas staggered back. He heard the onlookers gasp as the first real attack of the day was made. Vincent did not let up, dashing forward but keeping his blade close to his body. His intuition proved good. Lucas quickly found his footing and thrust his sword forward to catch Vincent on his own momentum, but Vincent managed to deflect the blade, leaving Lucas wide open. No amount of speed could counter the incoming attack, and Lucas was forced to yield as the dulled edge of a sword caressed his neck.

  “You both like going for the throat,” Lucas commented. After a tense moment, Vincent backed down.

  “That was well fought,” he said, turning to walk back to the spectators’ seating. Roland was already halfway onto the floor and nodded at Lucas.

  “He is right. You fought well,” Roland congratulated. Lucas only smiled in response as he left the field. Astra wordlessly took his place. Roland’s expression darkened slightly. He was not sure what to make of this girl, but he knew he did not take kindly to her treatment of Aldric. He knew she was fast from her previous fight, and his bout with Aldric highlighted how weak he was against a quick opponent. He was confident that his strength would be sufficient to block any attack, so he chose to prioritize his footing over all else.

  Captain Bursio started the fight, and Astra did not hesitate. Just like her brother, she bolted forward, but unlike him, her steps were serpentine, her motion fluid and difficult to track. Roland remained rooted on the spot. He studied her footwork, trying to gauge from what direction she would attack. His sword was in a neutral position, but as the distance closed, he lowered the tip and brought his arms closer to his body, preparing for an explosive counter.

  Astra closed in quickly. It seemed like she would try a feint and go for Roland’s side, but once she got close, she dropped her snake-like movement and charged directly forward, her sword poised to skewer him. He was caught slightly off guard, but after years under Riva’s tutelage, it was not an unfamiliar feeling. His blade angled slightly, and he raised it high, using his height advantage to lift Astra’s weapon completely, leaving her undefended, then planting a kick in her ribs. He tried his best to hold back, unwilling to hurt her, but this cost him. She dodged, his foot only lightly connecting with her side.

  She was staggered but far from out, and now Roland’s footing was compromised. Astra capitalised, ducking in close and thrusting her sword forward. Roland had no time to think, and his body moved on instinct. His arms lowered to protect his face, but at the last moment, he saw his window, leaning back slightly to buy the fraction of a second he needed to reach her blade, letting his hand close tightly around it. At the same time, he found a solid footing again, and he used it to yank the blade towards him. She was pulled closer with her blade, and he drove the hilt of his sword forward, crashing it into Astra’s abdomen as she stumbled to hold onto her weapon.

  She was thrown back, her grip failing, and she collapsed onto the ground, gasping for air. When she looked up, she expected to see Roland towering over her, his blade extended towards her in victory. Instead, she found his outstretched hand.

  “Are you alright?” he asked, concern etched onto his features. Before she could muster a response, Captain Bursio’s voice rang across the grounds.

  “Victory goes to Roland! Take a short break to gather yourself before the final bout!”

  Astra did not say a word. She only glared at Roland’s outstretched hand as she rose to her feet and walked back to the spectator’s seating. Roland returned as well but was met halfway by Aldric, who appeared to be vibrating out of his skin with excitement.

  “Where did you learn to fight like that?” he asked, his eyes wide.

  “I had a very good mentor,” Roland said, smiling. His eyes fell on Vincent, consoling his sister. “Though I doubt it will be enough.”

  “I saw you uproot a tree,” Aldric protested. “How could anyone here beat you?”

  “You almost did,” Roland said, still studying Vincent. Even now, while showing kindness to his sister, he radiated a battle-ready confidence. Roland knew his own skill, and the Commander showed him his strength. Despite that, he knew that he was almost certainly outmatched.

  “You held back,” Aldric said, following Roland’s gaze. “If you fought with all your heart, I doubt even our mentors could stop you.” Roland faltered at this, but Aldric did not wait, stepping away from him and heading back to the spectators’ seating.

  He was right, and deep within himself, Roland knew it. From anyone else, it would have been bluster, but the words came from the sole other student who had spilled blood with his own hands. Roland never asked, but he knew. He could see it within the smaller boy’s eyes. Both of them understood what it meant to fight for their lives or the lives of those around them. Kill or be killed. It was a reality Roland resented, but one he would need to accept, lest it consume him.

  Lost in his thoughts, he drifted back to the others, but instead of taking his seat, he kept moving, stretching his limbs and trying to prepare himself for what lay ahead. Vincent was brutally efficient, and his fighting left no margin for error. He debated his best move. Vincent was clearly strong, possibly as strong as Roland. He could not rely on a strong defensive position as he did with Astra. Charging in was unwise as well. Vincent was not likely to be caught off guard.

  “Roland!”

  Roland was snapped from his daze. He glanced around, searching for the source of the noise.

  “Whenever you are ready,” Captain Bursio urged. Vincent was already in position, and Roland quickly rushed to stand across from him, awkwardly mumbling an apology. He had no plan, and the time to fight was at hand. He hoped for only a few more seconds, but Captain Bursio’s gentle but firm voice shattered that hope. The fight had started.

  Neither of them moved. Vincent’s cold blue eyes drilled into Roland, devouring every detail of his opponent. Roland and Aldric were an enigma in his eyes. He had come into this class with the assumption that he and his sister would take the top two spots across the board. Then, these two unknown actors entered the scene, each tremendously weak, and yet they kept pace. Aldric brushed against Astra’s raw power with his very first spell, and Roland… looking at him, Vincent felt for the first time that he should be careful.

  Sweat formed on Roland’s temples. Each beat of his heart pounded in his ears as he waited, though he did not know what he was waiting for. He just knew that if he rushed forward now, he would almost certainly lose. The tension broke when Vincent took a tentative step forward. Roland responded with a quick step back, maintaining the distance. Both of them froze for a few more seconds.

  “Can you two just get it over with already?” Mary called out. She was immediately rewarded with harsh glares from all but two of the people present. Vincent and Roland refused to let each other out of sight. They did take the message to heart, though. Slowly, in perfect sync, they closed the distance, until the tips of their blades softly clinked together. Vincent took this to be his cue, arcing his blade down to slash Roland across the chest. Roland twisted to the side, dodging the strike but keeping his sword in position. As Vincent’s blade swung down, Roland stepped forward into the brief void it created and quickly thrust his sword at Vincent’s neck. Vincent quickly stepped back, creating a small amount of distance, but Roland did not let up, chaining his thrust into a slash while he pressed forward. Vincent was put on the defensive, and everyone could see it. If their teacher was to be believed, this was as good as a death sentence.

  Vincent had no plans to meet defeat just yet, however. In pressing the attack, Roland had prioritised forward progress over the stability of his footing. Vincent waited patiently, blocking and dodging Roland’s attacks, each progressively closer to hitting its mark, until he saw his opening. Roland overextended his reach. It was a small error, imperceptable to all but the most trained combatants, but it was enough for Vincent.

  With great speed, he twirled his blade, striking Roland’s sword near the hilt and veering it off course. It was a risky move that left Vincent entirely exposed, but it had the desired effect. The sudden shift of his balance, paired with his overextended reach, caused Roland to stumble, only slightly, but enough for Vincent to capitalize. He lunged forward, driving his shoulder into Roland’s chest, compromising his balance even more. He then planted a swift kick on Roland’s knee, causing his legs to buckle. Finally, he brought his sword down, the edge roughly scraping against Roland’s neck.

  “Victory goes to Vincent. That was an incredible bout. You both should be proud,” Captain Bursio announced. Roland stared at the ground. He had gotten overconfident, and it cost him victory. Doubts crept into his mind, but they were dispelled quickly when a hand entered his field of view.

  “The Captain is right, Roland,” Vincent said. Roland hesitantly accepted Vincent’s hand and stood, testing his leg. Vincent did not say more, heading back to his sister. Aldric almost immediately filled the void, beaming.

  “That was amazing!” he said, putting a hand on Roland’s shoulder. “I have never seen anyone fight like that!”

  “You should be saying that to the victor,” Roland said, glancing at his silver-haired opponent.

  “This was merely the first battle,” Aldric insisted. “The war is far from won. He has had a lifetime of training. You just need to catch up.” Roland looked back to Aldric, considering his words. The smaller boy had an infectious smile. Roland was happy to see him like this.

  “So do you,” Roland said, gesturing to Astra. “They are both tremendous mountains to climb.”

  “That they are,” Aldric agreed. “But the view will be ever so sweet when they lay defeated beneath our boots.”