Over the next month, no one challenged them or gave them grief, although, through the last few days, they heard stories of more aggressive behavior from the other novices. Daciana had a second challenge that she won easily— she overpowered her opponent, who conceded before he could be hurt too much. Nessa accepted a challenge, as well, but opted to do Magi Squares at the archive instead of combat, much to her opponent’s frustration.
Yukiko had gotten a firm grasp on shadow leaping, and started giving her shadows definitive shapes, focused mainly on hands to grab things. Inda was impressed at how quickly Yukiko was learning.
Jenn’s tutelage under Master Chen continued to be brutal, but effective. She was a bruised mass at the end of each session, but her ring and some healing tea from Dia got her sorted quickly every day. Jenn was confident in her ability to block and absorb the damage inflicted by another physical enhancement magi, and was making headway toward using brief bursts of aether to infuse an attack instead of using more than needed.
Gregory was able to see aether threads easier. Watching Inda and Yukiko, he could see how the threads had to weave to make specific magics happen, and learned how to tell which woman cast the spell, as their threads had different consistencies.
~*~*~
Rolling his neck as he walked toward the door, Gregory thought about how there were only two weeks until the tournament, and four weeks from a day he’d been growing anxious for. Her parents will be here in two weeks, the day before the tournament starts. Two weeks from that… we’ll be exchanging vows. A thrum of energy rushed through him as he imagined Yukiko in her wedding dress.
The knock on his door pulled him from his thoughts. Opening it, he had his arms suddenly filled with Yukiko as she kissed him and shut the door behind her with her foot. Gregory groaned and pushed her back into the closed door, returning the kiss with equal passion.
The kiss had started to grow heavy when there was another knock. “Greg? Yuki?”
Yukiko unclasped her legs from around Gregory and he steadied her as she stood. “We’ll be right out, Jenn,” Yukiko said a bit breathlessly.
“If you’re dressed, can I come in for a moment?”
The two of them smoothed their kimonos and stepped back from the door. “Come on in, Jenn,” Gregory said.
Jenn cracked the door open, peeking inside before opening it more. “I’m sorry for interrupting, but someone did ask me to make sure she stayed true to what you wanted.”
Yukiko exhaled a shuddering breath. “I did… Thank you. It’s been getting worse over the last month.”
“You asked her to stop us?” Gregory asked, his eyebrows up as high as they could go.
“I did.”
“It wasn’t the only thing I wanted to share with you,” Jenn said, pulling her medallion out. “Rank two.”
“That’s good,” Yukiko smiled broadly, stepping forward and taking Jenn’s hand. “And thank you again. I wouldn’t have stopped myself. We should give him a minute to calm himself, as well.”
Jenn’s gaze darted to Gregory’s waist, then quickly away. “Yes, that would be good. We’ll see you downstairs, Greg.”
“Thanks,” Gregory coughed.
When they left the room, Gregory leaned his head against the door and breathed slow and deep. That was close… You wouldn’t have been the only one who wouldn’t stop, Yuki. To fail so close to the end would be tragic.
~*~*~
“Next week is our last day with the instructors,” Yukiko told Gregory when he joined them in the dining room.
“Yeah, and your parents said they’ll be here the day before the tournament starts.”
“Yes. We’ll be having lunch with them at Stabled Hunger. Jenn, you’re coming, too.”
“I am? But, Yuki—”
“No buts. My mother asked to meet you, and it’s a good time for it.”
“Okay… I don’t want to intrude, though.”
“If she wants you there, there’s no intrusion,” Gregory said. “They want to meet the people who are close to their daughter. At least you won’t be as closely scrutinized as I was,” he chuckled.
Yukiko smiled softly. “That seems so long ago, the day we finally accepted each other.”
“And yet it’s only been a little more than five months…”
“And in less than a month, you will be wed,” Dia said, coming into the room.
“Good morning, Dia,” they each greeted her.
“Good morning to you all. I’ve been tasked to ask if you’ve read on any crafts over this year?”
“I read up on smithing,” Jenn said.
“Leatherworking,” Yukiko added.
“I just started in on bowyering,” Gregory said.
“Very well. Enjoy your breakfast. I’m to inform you that dinner the night before the tournament is being held here, and that Elder Lightshield will be attending. This might conflict with your parents’ wishes, but the elder has made this mandatory.”
“I’ll make sure they’re informed,” Yukiko replied. “Are there any other events that will be mandatory to attend?”
“None that I have been advised of,” Dia said.
“We’ll be here for dinner,” Yukiko said. “You’ll attend the wedding feast, won’t you, Dia?”
Dia smiled widely. “Gladly. Now that I’m not working for the academy, I can do as I wish in that regard. I was sad to miss the betrothal. From everything I heard, it was a lovely party.”
“We missed having you there. Can you inquire with the people who attended the betrothal? I’ll need to know if they can make it to the wedding feast.”
“I will do so. I have things to attend to before the elder arrives back at the academy. Enjoy your day, Novices.”
“You, as well, Dia,” Gregory said.
“Dia,” Yukiko called out to stop her, “can you have someone run a message to Alvis for us? Jenn has filled her second rank.”
Dia’s smile widened. “Of course. It makes me proud that you all are growing so strong so fast.”
“Thank you,” Jenn said.
~*~*~
The game with Cal, Lon, and Vexlin was a close one. They would finish it the following week, making the timing perfect.
“That was a tricky move,” Cal told Yukiko. “I hadn’t expected you to have invested in a squad of archers, nor to have had stationed them where you did.”
“Bloody butchered the conscripts we had trying to flank them…” Vexlin sighed. “Puts us in a bit of a hole.”
“Not that we’ll still be there next week,” Lon chuckled.
“We’re expecting you to have some surprises for us,” Jenn said.
“That we’ll have,” Lon replied.
“We’ll have some of our own,” Gregory said. “Thank you again for your time and effort over these months. We greatly appreciate your instruction.”
“You paid for the best we could do,” Lon shrugged. “We give you what you paid for. Your clan has your troops training already, I hope?”
“Why?” Yukiko asked.
“If not, you’ll basically have conscripts, not troops or soldiers. Think about the disparity between each.”
“I see your point,” Yukiko replied. “I’m sure that things will have been arranged correctly for us.”
“Didn’t mean to pry,” Lon apologized. “We’ll see you for the last time next week. May Aether watch over you during the coming tournament and beyond.”
“Thank you,” Gregory said, shaking hands with him. “May the Traveler watch over you, as well.”
“Let’s go, boys. Time for some drinks, and to devise our plan to beat them and keep our undefeated record going.”
“Works for me,” Vexlin laughed.
“I’ll catch up,” Cal said. “I have to stop on the way back.”
Vexlin chuckled. “She’s already got you caught, eh?”
Cal shook his head. “No, we’re having a proper courtship.”
“We’ll have a mug waiting,” Lon said, nudging Vexlin. “Come on.”
Cal lingered behind. Once the other two were out of the room, he turned to Yukiko. “Will you thank Inda for me? It’s been only a couple of weeks, but I feel like this will be the right time.”
Yukiko gave him a broad smile. “Love is a special thing. It makes the heart soar.”
Cal bowed his head. “And the knees tremble.”
Gregory patted Cal’s shoulder. “If she feels the same, then you’ll have a happy life.”
“I hope that’s the case,” Cal said. “I just wanted to make sure my thanks were given. Because next week is the last time we’ll see each other, I had to speak now.”
“We understand,” Yukiko replied. “I hope you have a good day, and that your courtship is as magical as your heart wishes.”
“Thank you. All of you.” Cal bowed formally to them. “I won’t be leaving town like my friends. If I can help more, please contact me.”
“We will,” Gregory said. “Let me walk you out.”
~*~*~
The three friends were chatting about strategies for next week as they walked back to the academy. None of them expected the group of rough-looking men to come out of an alley just ahead of them.
“Oy! Hand over your vela,” one of the muggers said. “No one has to get hurt if you do as you’re told.”
“We are magi,” Jenn said. “Attacking us is a crime. Run along and we won’t bother the guard.”
Gregory felt the hairs on his neck stand up. Glancing behind him, he saw another cluster of men heading their way. “More coming.”
The leader clicked his tongue in disappointment. “Well, guess we’ll do it the hard way. Go ahead, boys— rough them up as hard as you’d like, just don’t kill them. They’re only novices, so no need to be afraid of them.”
Yukiko looked over her shoulder at the group coming up behind them. “I’ll delay them,” she said, turning to face the new muggers.
“I can take most of the ones up front,” Jenn said.
“I’ll help,” Gregory said.
The eight muggers who’d been in the front rushed them. The six men behind started to, but their own shadows reached out, grabbing their legs and holding them in place.
“Fucking wench is a shadow magi!” one of the men cursed.
Gregory knew Yukiko could hold the men behind them for a little while, so he gave his focus to the group coming right at him. Jenn went farther to his left, putting some distance between them. The men split apart, four going for each novice.
Gregory forced foresight, the first few seconds of the fight playing out in his mind. Using that knowledge, he avoided the first strike, taking the man’s arm and flinging him into the men going for Jenn. Jumping an attempt to sweep his feet, he landed and lashed out, his kick breaking the sweeper’s jaw. The third attacker was almost on top of him when Gregory let out a flurry of blows. The man wheezed and dropped a foot from Gregory. The fourth mugger changed his mind when the first man went flying, so he wasn’t where Gregory expected him to be.
Jenn broke the first attacker’s knee and spun in place, her foot lashing up to catch the second man’s jaw. The third was suddenly buried by an ally who smacked into him from behind, allowing Jenn to focus on the last man. Snarling, the mugger managed to land a single blow to Jenn’s face. Instead of her crying out like he’d expected, his hand crunched, and he was the one who screamed out, his broken knuckles already swelling.
The fourth man attacking Gregory was surprised when Gregory lashed out and missed him completely, but he took full advantage of it. Grabbing Gregory’s arm and pulling it roughly behind the young man, he gave his arm a jerk. “Now, tell them to stop fighting.”
Gregory grit his teeth at the flare of pain. He saw Jenn kicking the two downed men next to her and Yukiko looking back at him in worry. “No,” he managed.
“Fine. We’ll break your arm first, to show we mean business,” he laughed.
Gregory pushed aether into his elbow and jerked to get free. Both he and his captor were surprised when his arm was suddenly free, and that he’d sent the man staggering back into the side of the building.
“What? Impossible!” the man hissed.
Gregory tugged the medallion he wore out of his kimono, showing off the two sunflower-yellow circles that were glowing brightly. “Who said we were novices?”
“Fuck this!” the attacker spat. “Run, boys! Job’s off!”
The downed men groaned and tried to get to their feet, and the six men Yukiko was restraining exchanged panicked looks.
“Yukiko, can you keep them until the guard gets here?” Gregory asked.
“I believe so,” she replied as the first whistle sounded.
“Fuck! Come on, we didn’t do anything!” one of the men tangled in shadows whined. “Come on, you can let us go! We won’t bother you again!”
“Not a chance,” Jenn said, moving over to kick one of the men Gregory had dropped. “You’ll answer for the attempted mugging so you can’t do it to another novice.”
The six men struggled harder, but were unable to get free of their shadows before the guard came running up; first, two men, then six, then a dozen. Seeing the guards, they stopped struggling to get free and immediately began to plead their innocence.
A man with a captain’s insignia came to them, taking in the medallions they had all pulled out of their clothing. “Magi, I am Captain Fola. What transpired here?”
They gave him a quick rundown of the attack.
“Hmm. Are you novices or apprentices?”
“Novices with Aether’s Guard,” Yukiko said.
The captain’s eyebrows rose. “Novices? Interesting.” His brow furrowed for a second. “Did you reach the final eight?”
“All of us did,” Jenn said. “She was second place, he was first.”
“That isn’t surprising, considering your aether levels. It also explains this debacle,” Fola said, motioning behind him. “Did any of them use weapons?”
“No,” Gregory said.
“Did any of them lay a hand on you?” Fola asked.
“The one who got away tried to break my elbow,” Gregory said.
“The one with the broken hand hit my chin,” Jenn added.
“Physical enhancement?” Fola asked.
“Yes.”
“You three will be in the contenders next month,” Fola said. “We’ll take it from here. You’d better hurry, though.” He motioned to the setting sun.
“Thank you,” Gregory said.
Turning as one, the three of them took off running for the academy.
Jenn reached the gate ahead of them, having matched their pace until the last few hundred yards. She hammered on the postern gate. “Let us in, please! Three novices returning before sunset!”
She could hear an argument from behind the gate, but couldn’t make out any words. Looking back, she caught sight of Gregory and Yukiko springing forward the last few steps to her side. The gate remained closed as the last bit of sunset faded away.
“That’s an order!” The three words were barked in a commanding tone.
“I said to wait!” another voice barked before they heard the sound of the gate being opened. “I’ll report all of you!”
“For doing our jobs?” the commanding voice laughed. “Go ahead. It was my decision to follow the regulations.”
Sergeant Willof glared at the apprentice on gate duty. The apprentice looked at the three novices and turned away, the emblem of the Eternal Flame clear on his robe.
“Novices, inside! Right now!” Willof barked.
All three hurried inside before the gate was secured. One of the men on the gate looked up for a long second before he cleared his throat. “The sun has now set, sir.”
Willof nodded before turning to the group. “You cut that as close as possible. Go back to your clan hall.”
“Thank you, sir. We were delayed helping the guard in the city,” Gregory said.
“Oh?”
“An attack by muggers. We captured them and held them until the guard showed up,” Jenn said.
The guards inside the wall looked over when they heard that.
“Interesting. Who was in charge of the guards?” Willof asked.
“Captain Fola,” Gregory said.
Willof frowned. “I see. Move along to your clan hall, and think about leaving to come back sooner than you did tonight.”
“We will,” Yukiko said. “Good night to you and your men, sir.”
