Things were fine until Nick and the others in the Eternal Flame showed up for class. As the pack crossed the arena floor to get to the group of students, Nick saw Gregory and angled toward them.
“Pet-tit, joined the worst clan in the empire, did you?”
“No,” Gregory said as he rose to his feet. “We joined one of the oldest clans in the empire, not the one that tarnishes its own name by its actions, like the Eternal Flame.”
Nick’s lips twisted into a sneer. “Just wait… you’ll learn not to mock your betters.”
“My betters?” Gregory asked in surprise. “Did I lose my standing as top novice?”
Nick’s eyelid twitched, but Jason grabbed his arm and pulled him back. “Magus is coming,” Jason said. “You’ll never repeat that, Pet-tit. Shun will be the one at the top next time.”
“No, he won’t,” Yukiko said. “But if Greg isn’t there, then either Jenn or I will be.”
“Silence, bird!” Michelle snapped. “Animals should be quiet until spoken to!”
“As should whores,” Jenn said calmly, coming to stand next to her friends. “Did you break that betrothal before or after you let Jason console you?”
Michelle’s face went white and she had almost made it to Jenn before Paul was suddenly between them. He stared Michelle down. “There will be no unsanctioned fighting in my presence. Understood?”
Michelle looked away from him. “Understood, Magus.”
“We apologize to you, Magus,” Gregory said, bowing formally to him. “We let them provoke us into exchanging taunts. We failed to account that ours would wound them so much.”
Paul’s lips twitched before quickly stilling back into a thin line. “If your two groups have a problem, you’ll get to settle it next year, during the apprentice tournaments. If things need to be solved before then, a duel can be arranged.”
“We’d accept it,” Nick sneered.
“Has your clan not lost enough face today, Novice Shun?” Paul asked pointedly. “One dead because of your ineptitude with fire, and an instructor burned by Novice Petak.”
Nick’s face flushed a deep red. “Ineptitude? I am the grandson of Grandmaster Shun. I am a prodigy with fire magic! I was able to cast an apprentice-level fire spell during the first novice tournament not once, but multiple times!”
“The fire that killed Novice Williams? You did it intentionally?” Paul’s question was pointed.
Jason spoke up quickly, overriding anything Nick might say, “Of course not. To even suggest that is to besmirch the name of the Eternal Flame.”
“Hmm, I hardly think a question besmirches the clan name. I had to ask, considering how much bragging Novice Shun just did. It was either ineptitude that killed a novice, or a deliberate attack.”
“We’re not going to stand for this!” Nick spat. “Eternal Flame, we go back to the clan, where we can be trained by an unbiased instructor.”
Paul watched the group leave with a flat stare. “Wasteful.”
“Sir, does this mean we can train with our clans during this class instead?” another novice asked.
Paul turned back to the class. “This is one of the classes that doesn’t restrict your postings if you miss it. It just makes it more likely you’ll die when you reach adept and beyond. Most of your clans won’t provide you the comprehensive combat training we will. The choice is yours, but I would consider it very carefully if you want a long life.”
“Yes, sir,” the novice said in a small voice.
“Now that they’re gone, fall in!”
The class shifted into the correct positions for stretching. Paul nodded before starting them on the routine they’d come to know. The class seemed a bit more relaxed when it was time to do laps around the arena.
“Now, we’ll move on to sparring. Instead of your usual partners, we’ll be pairing you off. This is the only way you’ll grow, by fighting different opponents. Adepts, pair them.”
Gregory was matched up against a novice he didn’t know that well. Yukiko ended up squaring off with one of the enchanters, and Jenn against an alchemist. Before his spar began, Gregory looked over the class and nodded, seeing the pattern.
Each of the worst fighters is against one of the better ones… Is that to help them learn through pain? Gregory tabled the idle thoughts as he bowed to his opponent.
“I’m going to get my ass kicked…” his opponent muttered.
“As I did when sparring with Yukiko for the first six months,” Gregory said. “I’ll do my best to win, but that just gives you more chances to learn.”
“Easy for you to say,” the novice grunted.
“Novice Pettit lost every match he sparred in for the first few months,” Klim said as she came toward them. “I paired you off so you could learn, but it takes dedication. Now, do you want to survive past the academy?”
“Yes, Adept,” the novice said.
“Good. Now, fight!” Klim commanded.
Gregory didn’t hold back. Yukiko had shown him the best way to teach was to hold nothing back. His opponent hit the ground repeatedly, but always pulled himself back up and reset for the next round. Gregory explained what he’d done each time as they reset, seeing the focus on the other man’s face.
“Break,” Paul called out. “Weapons training begins now, so head out. Pettit, Bean, Warlin, a moment, please?”
All three of them went to him as the rest of the class went to the arenas.
“All three of you joined Aether’s Guard… I assume that Armsmaster Gin will be your instructor?”
“Yes, sir,” Gregory said.
“Are you staying in this class?”
“We don’t know yet, sir,” Yukiko replied. “Gin will be at the clan hall tonight. We have to see what he has planned.”
“I see. If he is to be your instructor, there’s no reason for you to be here. I would ask that you stay in class, though, as having you here will help the others improve. While that might not be best for you overall, it would help the empire.”
“We’ll let you know, sir, once we know,” Gregory said.
“Very well.” Paul nodded, before looking to Jenn. “Bean, we were disappointed that you declined to join us. However, Aether’s Guard was our parent clan before they fell on hard times. We hold no ill will toward you, so please know that that door will remain open to you.”
“Thank you, sir,” Jenn said, bowing formally to him.
“That is all,” Paul said as he headed away.
“Guess we just have to ask Rafiq about aether class… We can do it tomorrow morning,” Gregory said. “Meet you at the bulletin board to go back to the hall?”
“Yes,” Yukiko smiled. “Be safe.”
“You, too,” Gregory replied. “You have a friend with you, at least.”
Jenn nodded. “We’ll be fine.”
“I have no doubts,” Gregory said before he jogged away.
~*~*~
Arriving at the clan hall, they found Gin on the porch, speaking with Dia. “Ah, there they are,” Gin said, getting to his feet. “How was class?”
“Bad for several people,” Gregory replied before launching into an abridged version of what had happened. “Which leaves us wanting to know how you plan to train us.”
Gin nodded. “I’m not surprised, considering everything I’ve heard of the academy. Two of you are exempt from classes, but one of you isn’t. I’ll train you during the same hours as your physical conditioning class. Before or after that, I’ll give you extra lessons, if you want them. This way, your schedule doesn’t need to change unless you want it to.”
“That leaves us with meditation after Gin teaches us,” Gregory said. “We’ll still study in the morning and between classes.”
“Same schedule, just replacing the last class with being trained here,” Yukiko said. “Maybe we should drop aether class, Greg. I think it’ll get worse there.”
“But how will you both learn your magic without it?” Jenn asked.
“We will provide,” Dia said. “We have someone to train Yukiko with shadow magic on hand already. Gregory’s magic is the tough one. If you wish to drop that class, we’ll provide an instructor for you.”
“Really?” Jenn asked. “I’d like that. I thought I had to pass that class, but I’d rather learn here if I can. If only I could move into economics class with them, too.”
“Only economics and history affect adept postings,” Dia said. “I’ll arrange for a teacher for you starting next week. You should ask Magus Han if you can change periods. The worst she’ll say is no.”
“I will,” Jenn nodded.
“We begin training tomorrow,” Gin said. “You are to meet me here at the same time your class would be.”
“Yes, Sensei,” Gregory and Yukiko replied, bowing formally to him.
“Yes, sir,” Jenn said a second behind them, also bowing formally.
“The rest of the day is yours,” Gin said as he turned to enter the clan hall.
“We get to start you on meditation, Jenn,” Yukiko said. “Come on.”
Jenn let Yukiko lead her away. Gregory went to follow, but Dia held up a hand to stop him.
“Gregory, I’ve been meaning to ask— what path are you taking?”
Gregory paused before asking a question instead of answering hers, “Are you staying with Aether’s Guard after this year, Dia?”
Dia laughed lightly. “A clumsy evasion. The answer is yes. This is the clan I belong in. I was part of it for over twenty years, but left it last year to take up Keeper duties.”
“Oh, I see. The answer is complicated,” Gregory said slowly. “We’re training more than one path.”
“The truth is good, even if it is incomplete,” Dia said. “Meditation implies the spirit path, yet I know you’ve been studying a lot as well, which indicates the mind path. Your bodies have grown firm and strong, more so than just the novice class would do, hinting at following the body path.”
Gregory just blinked at her, not thinking they’d been so obvious.
“Did you know that Lionel Lighthand trained both body and spirit paths?” Dia asked.
“We’d heard so. He wrote a scroll about it,” Gregory replied cautiously.
“‘The Peaceful Fist,’” Dia nodded. “There’s a scroll about it in the study here. It goes into more detail than the one in the archive.”
Gregory leaned forward slightly. “It does?”
“Yes,” Dia smiled. “Your friends are waiting for you. Don’t let me keep you longer. If you feel like sharing more, I’ll be here to listen.” Dia pulled her pipe from her obi.
Gregory wanted to ask her more, but he bowed and went after the others instead.
“Greg, is everything okay?” Yukiko asked.
“Dia knows we’re blending spirit and body paths. She said there’s a better scroll on it in the study.”
“I’ll ask Murium about it later,” Yukiko said. “Since I’ve just about finished the one in the archive, it’ll be good to see how this one differs.”
Jenn stood there, waiting. “How do we do this?”
“This is called the Peaceful Fist,” Yukiko said, turning to Jenn. “Just follow my movements. If you feel yourself starting to meditate, let your mind go.”
“But how will I be able to copy you if I do that?”
Yukiko smiled. “You will, because your body will continue the movements. Trust me.”
“Okay,” Jenn said and took up the same pose that Yukiko did.
Gregory moved to form a triangle with them. “Nice and easy, slow and controlled,” he murmured as he started the first kata.
~*~*~
When they had finished meditating, Jenn was happy. “I could almost feel it. Every time I tried to grab it, it slipped away.”
“You need to relax,” Gregory said. “Don’t grab at it. Just welcome it and wait.”
“Got it,” Jenn nodded.
“Time for our bath,” Yukiko said. “See you in a bit for dinner?”
“Yeah. I’ll stop in and see if Murium can find the scroll for us before going to the dining room.”
“We’ll see you there,” Yukiko smiled.
Gregory went toward his room, then to the men’s bath. Stepping inside, he saw Gin pouring water over his head.
“Gregory,” Gin said as he wiped the water out of his eyes, “tell me, how is she doing?”
“Yuki? She’s doing well, Sensei.”
“If we aren’t training, you may call me Gin. I want to know if the other novice, Jenn Bean, is friendly to Yu?”
“Yes. I was a little surprised, too, but it might be because of her heritage. Jenn is part dwarf.”
“Ah, that might be enough. You’re sure that she’s a true friend, and not like Shun?”
Gregory thought about it before nodding. “I feel that she is.”
“I was going to ask Yu, but I’m glad I got to ask you, instead.” Gin fell silent for a second. “You and Yu are behaving yourselves, correct?”
Gregory spluttered— he’d been pouring water over his head when Gin asked. “What?”
“Propriety is being observed?”
“We’re being respectful to her father’s wishes,” Gregory said.
Gin stared at him before nodding. “Besides stealing a kiss here or there, you mean.”
Eyes going wide, Gregory wondered how Gin knew.
Gin laughed as he got up off the bench and headed for the tub. “Because you are both young and in love. If you had tried to deny it, I would’ve thrashed you. As long as she is a maiden for her wedding, I will not object.”
Gregory spluttered again. “Gin!”
“I know you love her and want to do the right thing,” Gin said, ignoring the indignation. “I also remember what it’s like to be your age and have a beautiful woman doting on you. I’m trusting you to do the best for her.”
“I’ll do my very best, Gin.”
“That’s all we can realistically ask.”
