Gregory did not use the bath, opting instead to just shower and get dressed. The silk kimono was just about perfect for him. The colors were almost identical to the first one he had had, which had never actually been worn. Breathing deeply and trying to quell his nervousness, Gregory waited for Yukiko to join him.
The door to the parlor opened, bringing him to his feet. The words of greeting caught in his throat as Yukiko entered the room. Her hair was done up in two buns on the sides of her head, held in place by combs shaped like owls. Her silk kimono was in the same colors as his, with a design of white owls in flight amongst bamboo. Small touches of makeup helped accentuate her lips and eyes.
Yukiko came to a stop, her cheeks growing warm, “Greg?”
“Oh, um… you look beautiful, Yuki,” Gregory fumbled as he looked away from her, his ears starting to burn.
“You look quite handsome, yourself,” Yukiko smiled. “The carriage is waiting for us. Shall we?”
Gregory gave her a tentative smile, “Yes.”
As they were leaving, Gin appeared from another room, wearing a traditional formal kimono. Two swords were through the obi at his waist. “I’ve been asked to attend as well,” Gin told them. “Inda, are you ready?”
Appearing from his shadow, Inda replied, “I’m ready, Master.” Her kimono was black with white decorative scrollwork along the left sleeve, and she had a wakizashi through her obi.
Gregory figured the crest on the carriage that awaited them had to be the Warlin family crest. It depicted a snow owl perched on a chest. The footman was waiting beside the door, helping them inside before he secured it and jumped onto the back.
Gregory noted that the footman, while carrying no weapons, had heavily scarred hands and his smile was stiff. Clearly not just a servant, but a guard for the carriage if things go wrong. I wonder where the weapons are hidden?
Yukiko and Gin made small talk, focused mainly on Gin’s son, Lin. Gregory did his best to stay calm, repeatedly telling himself he was going to meet Yukiko’s parents as her friend and training partner and nothing more. That helped, but also tore at his heart with each repetition.
The carriage paused at the gates between the inner and lower rings, prompting Gregory to wonder where they were going. Several minutes later, the carriage came to a stop outside of a tavern. Gregory was not sure what to think of the name of the place, Stabled Hunger.
Following the others inside, Gregory’s neck started to itch when he saw the thirty armed men sitting and talking casually in the main room. None of the others seemed at all concerned, though; in fact, Gin headed for a middle-aged man, who stood up smiling.
“Father,” the man said, bowing to Gin and then embracing the old man. “It is good to see you.”
“I see you haven’t gone soft. Good,” Gin said stiffly as he slapped Lin hard on the back, the lacquered metal of Lin’s armor ringing from the hit.
“Before we get started, Father,” Lin said, turning to Yukiko. “Yu, your parents are in the private room. Jento will show you the way.” One of the other men rose to his feet and bowed.
“Thank you, Lin,” Yukiko smiled. “Greg, if you—”
“Yu, your parents wish to see you alone first,” Lin said, cutting her off. “We will keep your… friend company until he is sent for.”
Yukiko went still, staring hard at Lin for a long moment. “I see. Very well, he is in your care. Greg, please give me a few moments with my parents. It shouldn’t be long.”
“Take your time, Yuki,” Gregory said. Thirty pairs of eyes focused on him when he used his nickname for her. Feeling the pressure of those gazes, Gregory smiled, “I’ll be in good hands.”
Yukiko looked around the room and everyone looked away as she turned her gaze to them. “I will try to make it brief.” Yukiko followed Jento, leaving Gregory with the guards.
“Greg, is it?” Lin asked bluntly, glaring at Gregory.
“Gregory Pettit, sir.”
“What is your relationship with our Yu?”
“She is my friend and training partner, sir. I met her on our first day in the academy, and we have been beside each other every day since.”
“You think you’re her equal?” Lin asked, moving to stand a few feet in front of Gregory.
“I’m not sure, but she wishes for me to be and I’m doing my best to make it happen.”
“Lin,” Gin said from off to the side, in an idle tone, “did you bring any training blades?”
Gregory’s eyes went to Gin, confused by the question, but he did not say anything.
“Of course. We’ll still be training, even while here.”
“Pick five men. Give them any weapon you want, give him a naginata, and see for yourself if he is worthy of standing beside her.”
Lin frowned, turning to his father with a searching gaze. “You can’t possibly think a novice can—”
“Do it,” Gin said simply, but the words carried steel.
“I won’t unless he agrees. Yu would be unhappy if he gets hurt.”
Gregory felt that moment of divergence, and two paths before him. In one, he declined, and the guards refused to accept him as worthy of Yukiko, regarding him with disdain that Yukiko’s parents eventually echoed. The other showed him standing, bleeding but unbeaten amidst almost a dozen armored guards. Bowing his head, Gregory silently asked Yukiko to forgive him. “I’ll accept.”
The room had been quiet before, but went dead silent when he spoke. Ten men got to their feet, clamoring to be the ones to fight him and breaking the silence. Lin looked from Gregory to Gin with a questioning gaze for a few heartbeats before he nodded. “Fine. But we’ll make it all ten, unless you wish to retract your bravado.”
Gregory looked at each of the ten men, all of whom seemed personally affronted. “They must all wield swords, and I, a naginata. If that is acceptable, then yes.”
“I’d prefer it if you didn’t damage my business,” a stocky man said, coming down the hall toward them with a fast gait. “Use the yard out back if you’re going to do this. I’ll send for a healer, too, but I’m not paying for them.”
“I’ll give five thousand vela to anyone who can stop him,” Gin said. “However, you must each give up five hundred if you lose.”
Lin snorted, “Father, you go too far. I’ll pay their losses. I’ll give you a thousand vela each if they are all defeated, but only then.”
“Accepted,” Gin said. “The money will go to him, not to me.”
Everyone in the room was now watching intently and trying to figure out the trick. Lin laughed, “Fine, but no aether is to be used to injure my men.”
“Agreed,” Gin replied. “Gregory, this is your chance.”
Taking a deep breath, Gregory bowed to Gin. “I am indebted, sir. Please help me explain it to Yuki later.”
Gin chuckled, “Fair. I will take the blame for this.”
“Hintle, go get blades for you and him,” Lin snapped. “Everyone not fighting stays here; we are still on duty.”
Those not fighting grumbled but took their seats while the ten men chosen to fight Gregory went for the door. Gregory shook his head, trying to figure out how it had all spiraled this quickly. With Gin’s backing and his vision of what the future might be, he felt that it was at least possible for him to succeed.
Gregory found himself in a courtyard behind the tavern. Each of the men fighting him had taken a wooden sword, while Lin held a practice naginata in his hand, which he offered to Gregory. Gin came out behind Gregory with Inda trailing him.
“Rules?” Gin asked as Gregory took the weapon from Lin.
“If you get hit hard enough in a place that a real weapon would damage, you must react accordingly, so the ‘loss’ of arms or legs is possible. Any direct hit to the head means death. No offensive aether is allowed, either.”
Gregory stretched to make sure he was limber, but also to find the extent of his movement in the silks. Satisfied that he was not going to be hindered, he faced the rough semi-circle of men, taking the basic ready stance.
“Don’t kill him,” Lin told his men. “Yu will be beyond upset if that happens, but since a healer is on the way, you can have some fun.”
“I’d ask the same, Gregory, but don’t let the possibility hinder you, either. I’ll make reparations if things go too far,” Gin told him.
“Master Gin, you go too far,” one of the men snapped, rushing forward ahead of the others.
Gregory barely moved, countering the attack with ease. The wooden blade of his naginata slapped the side of the man’s head and he dropped to the ground, groaning. Gregory stayed where he was, focused on the remaining nine, who all looked a bit more serious now that one of them was already gone.
“We have numbers, at least,” one man said. “We can overwhelm him.”
Gregory’s hands shifted on the haft of the naginata as he waited for them. If they’re out of synch, I can shift between them, but if they come as a cohesive unit, I’ll lose.
The men started forward in step with each other and Gin grinned. “So you’re all aware, he fought Egil to a standstill earlier.”
The men looked at each other, uncertainty now on their faces. They fell out of step, and Gregory took that opportunity to attack. The naginata spun as it shot forward and three of the men fell before the others even knew what was happening. Defending as they retreated, the six remaining men no longer looked relaxed.
“Father, you could have mentioned that earlier,” Lin sighed. “We might have skipped this if you had.”
“No. Doubt about his ability to stand beside Yu would have remained. He’s taken out four of your men in less than a minute and hasn’t been touched yet. This was needed for him to be accepted by you and your men.”
“Did he use aether against Egil?”
“He doesn’t know what his magic is,” Gin chuckled. “Once he finds out, he’ll be in a tier all his own.”
Gregory half-heard the conversation as he pressed the attack on the remaining six. They spread out, trying to circle him and Gregory was forced to give some ground to keep them from getting behind him. The next minute took all of his concentration, keeping track of his opponents and the battlefield. The six fell one by one, though the last two managed to injure him before they fell. Using the haft of the training weapon, Gregory remained standing over the fallen. His kimono was askew and blood dripped from his arm where a strike had opened a gash.
“The winner is Gregory Pettit,” Gin said simply.
The street gate opened and a young woman with a horse tail and ears led a grumpy-looking woman into the yard. “Oh… my,” the young woman gasped upon seeing the ten men slowly pushing themselves upright.
“Goodness, all of you stay down until I look at you,” the healer said as she rushed forward. “What kind of foolishness happened here?”
“Training,” Lin said shortly.
Gin motioned Gregory over and had Inda wrap his arm in a bandage coated with some green paste. Once she finished, she knelt and pushed his kimono and pants out of her way to see his knee, which was already purpling. Taking a bottle from her belt pouch, she poured a bit of light green liquid onto her hand and spread it over his knee. Gregory hissed as he felt his knee pop, but a moment later, the pain vanished and he exhaled in relief.
“He is fine, Master,” Inda declared as she got to her feet and wiped her hands with a cloth.
“Lin, they are calling for him,” another guard said, sticking his head out the door. The guard’s mouth fell open when he saw his friends being treated and Gregory standing there seemingly unharmed.
“Understood,” Lin said. “You should take a moment to repair your outfit,” he directed at Gregory. “I’ll make sure the vela is gathered before you leave today.”
“Is there a place for me to dress?” Gregory asked.
“If you’ll follow me, sir,” the young woman said, her tail flicking in agitation.
She led him to a small room with a cot in one corner. Gregory closed the door and made what repairs he could to his kimono. When he came out again, Lin and the young woman were waiting. The woman ducked into the room while Lin led him down the hall to a set of sliding double doors.
Knocking once, Lin opened them and stepped aside. “Sir, your guest, Gregory Pettit.”
