Entering the dining room for breakfast, Gregory greeted the four already in the room. “Good morning to you all.”
“Good morning to you three,” Lightshield said after Yukiko and Jenn echoed Gregory. “I do trust you will be back here just after the sixth bell? We will be taking seats to watch your friends and potential clan members fight.”
“So you already know what arenas they will be in?” Gregory asked.
“Of course. I know today’s and tomorrow’s, but after that, things could change too much to be certain. I also want us to be in a group when we go.”
“Understood, Elder,” Gregory said.
“We will be seated in the front row, so they’ll easily see us,” Bishop added. “Right above one of the tunnels, I believe.” She looked to Lightshield, who nodded.
“Feel free to let them know so they can look for us,” Dia added. “And, if they do fight in different arenas during the tournament, one of the three of us,” she motioned to herself, Bishop, and Lightshield, “will be there.”
“They will be very happy,” Yukiko said.
“Ecstatic, in Daciana’s case,” Jenn corrected.
“That is good,” Lightshield smiled. “Their enthusiasm is a balm to my old bones. Your friend’s parents will be there, as well, and your family has arranged carriages for them and the novices. We will be saving seats across the aisle from ours for them and the novices to sit.”
“That’ll make them even happier,” Yukiko smiled.
“Except for Daciana, maybe,” Jenn snickered, thinking of Gufta.
“If her mother is there too, I’m sure her father will be a bit more subdued,” Gregory added.
“Breakfast is ready,” Steva said.
“Ah, then let us eat. Our apprentices have studying to go do,” Lightshield said. “Do tell the chief archivist hello for me. I try not to trouble her with my presence.”
“Yes, Elder,” Gregory said, wondering about his phrasing.
~*~*~
“Four hours!” Daciana was nearly vibrating in place as she said the words a few feet from the table. As if on cue, the fourth bell began to chime and her smile widened.
“You seem ready,” Jenn chuckled. “Sit down. We have studying to do.”
Daciana abruptly sat, her tail wagging fast. “Yes, I know, but it’s almost here! After dinner last night, I had so much trouble sleeping.”
“She was bouncing off the walls… almost literally, once,” Nessa added with a smirk as she took her seat beside Yukiko. “Not that I was much better. To be invited to eat with you all and to see the clan hall? It made me even more eager to prove myself.”
“It was exciting,” Victoria said softly.
“You aren’t nervous?” Gregory asked her.
“A little about what the fights might bring, but not of failing to join the clan.”
“She’s been positive that we’ll all be in after the tournament ends,” Daciana grinned. “Even more so than me.”
“I was surprised that the elder wasn’t inviting the other two,” Nessa said. “They might not be as advanced as you or as skilled in a battle, but more people would be useful, wouldn’t it?”
“No, we’d be worried about them,” Yukiko explained. “Lack of focus can cost us even more.”
“I didn’t think about that,” Nessa said.
“We’ll be there to watch your fights,” Jenn said. “We’ll be above one of the tunnels into the arena.”
“But which arena?” Daciana asked. “There are five of them.”
“Today, you all fight in the central arena, and we’ll be above one of the arches.”
“Who do we fight?” Daciana asked intently.
“Lightshield didn’t tell us,” Gregory said, staring Daciana down. “We shouldn’t even know what we do.”
Daciana lowered her gaze, and her tail curled under the seat. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay. You’re just who you are,” Jenn said kindly. “None of us is upset, but try to temper yourself?”
“Okay,” Daciana said, her tail uncurling as she shot a glance toward Gregory.
“What Jenn said,” Gregory added when Daciana looked at him. “Doubly so when it’s things that aren’t public knowledge yet. Your enthusiasm is something we all enjoy about you, so we don’t want to quash it, we just want to guide it a little better.”
Daciana gave him a tentative smile, her tail wagging slightly. “Okay.”
“Just look for us when you fight,” Yukiko said. “Oh, and we were told your parents will be there. They will probably be seated near us. They’ll likely have seats for you there, as well.”
Nessa beamed when she heard her parents would be there, but then looked worried. “Both of them? But who is going to run the bar?”
Gregory looked around before lowering his voice, “Hintle, one of Yuki’s parent’s guards. He used to do the job before he joined them. Your aunt is going to be in the kitchen. But when we said parents, that also includes Daciana’s.”
“Both of them?” Daciana asked, surprised.
“That’s what we believe, though it wasn’t said flatly,” Gregory corrected.
“I hope he behaves…” Daciana huffed.
“Let’s get started with our studying,” Yukiko said. “The fighting will come soon enough.”
~*~*~
Gregory was closing his book when Sarinia came to their table. “Apprentices, I hope your studying has been informative and enlightening.”
“It has been,” Yukiko smiled. “Thank you.”
“I just wanted to wish you all the best for your upcoming tournament. My time gets even shorter during the tournaments. I will be watching the most studious with eager eyes… all six of you.”
“We’ll do our best, as will they,” Jenn said.
“Of that, I have no doubts.”
“Our elder wanted us to wish you well for him. He said that he didn’t want to trouble you with his presence,” Gregory said.
Sarinia’s lips twitched. “Lightshield once caused more commotion in these walls than any other magi. I banned him from setting foot inside… maybe I should rescind that now. I think it might be time to mend that fence. Tell him that I am willing to speak with him in my office, if he wishes.”
“I will tell him, Chief,” Gregory said, bowing his head.
“I do not doubt he told you just for this to happen,” Sarinia said. “Good day to you all.” She gave them a bob of her head before leaving.
“I wonder what he did to earn the ban?” Jenn asked idly as they gathered their things.
“Good question, but I doubt we’ll ever know,” Yukiko said. “Let’s get going. We need to be back at the clan hall soon.”
“Have a good day,” Rafiq told them as they came toward the exit.
“Can you do me a favor, Rafiq?” Yukiko asked.
“That would depend,” Rafiq replied.
“Can you make sure that bets are placed on our friends to win every fight today, as long as they don’t fight each other?”
“Ah. Considering I’d already planned to do just that, yes.”
Yukiko put a pouch on his desk. “Thank you. Just split it in three and bet it on one each, then add the winnings to the next bet, please.”
“Going to stack your bets? Very well.”
“Me, too,” Jenn said, quickly adding her coin pouch to the desk.
“Me, three, but mine is much smaller in size,” Gregory said and set his coin pouch with theirs.
“Very well. I will have your money tomorrow,” Rafiq replied. “Did you want me to take any of it to bet on them to end up in the final eight to start with?”
“All of mine, instead of the other bets,” Gregory said. “A third on each.”
“Hmm… divide their stacks into half each. Half for today, and half for that,” Yukiko said.
“Do the same for me as Yuki,” Jenn said.
“Very well. This will be the most I can do for you, but I will make sure it is handled. Have a good day.”
They wished him a good day, then jogged back to the clan hall as the sixth bell chimed.
“There they are now,” Lightshield said. “Let us go.” He started walking as soon as he saw them. Dia, Bishop, Gin, Inda, and Indara followed him, and the three apprentices fell in at the end of the line.
The trek across the academy grounds was peaceful. Dawn was coming— the sky was only just starting to take on light, and the sun hadn’t quite risen yet. The gentle breeze held a bite of winter chill, but that was nothing compared to the misery of the previous sleet storm they had fought in.
“Elder,” Gregory said, moving up to speak with him, “the chief archivist said she would speak with you in her office later, if you wanted.”
“Thank you. I will do so,” Lightshield replied. “Today will be a good day.”
Gregory bowed his head and dropped back to walk with his wives, as they had to go single file over a couple of bridges.
“I hope they do well,” Yukiko said once he’d rejoined them. “I know they are well trained. They’re going to fight with everything they have, but that doesn’t always mean you win.”
“They’re better prepared than a majority of their peers,” Jenn said.
“They might have some tricky spots,” Gregory said. “They don’t have rings to help with fire or barriers, but Jenn didn’t either and she made it to the final eight.”
“It wasn’t pretty, but I did, and they’re better trained than I was,” Jenn nodded.
“We’ll find out soon,” Yukiko said.
~*~*~
Seventh bell came and went, and a handful of minutes later, others began to show up. The arena filled up steadily, and Inda only had to turn away one couple looking to take the seats they were saving for the families.
“Ah, here they are, just as the staff told us,” Hao said. “Elder, are we sitting there?” He motioned to the seats that Inda and Indara were bookending.
“Those seats are for the novice’s families,” Lightshield explained. “They will want to save the three seats between them for their children. Your seats are with your children.”
Gufta grinned at them and smiled broadly. Beside him was a woman of middle height and plain features. When Gufta pointed at them, she smiled and waved. Ramon and Vana followed them to the seats, giving them a smile and wave, as well.
“So many of them in this section of the stands,” a snide voice said, catching Gregory’s attention, “as if their children will be more than fodder.”
Yukiko caught Gregory’s hand and squeezed it, stopping him from turning around. “Ignore the idiots, dear one. Our friends will show them, just as we did.”
He gave her a wry smile. “It’s always harder for me to not react when it’s at someone I care for.”
“Care for? Hmm. Do I need to ask Dia about a larger room?” Yukiko asked with a smirk.
“You know what I meant,” Gregory said, rolling his eyes.
“Yes, but it is fun to poke at you a little.”
He shook his head, wearing a smile.
“Do you believe they will do well?” Hao asked as he took his seat beside Yukiko.
“I’ve already had bets placed on them,” Yukiko smiled. “For today, and for them to end up in the final eight.”
“I’ll have to keep an ear open for bets,” Hao said, touching his coin pouch.
“The guy two rows behind us should bite,” Gregory whispered to Hao. “He made a comment that Yukiko had to stop me from responding to.”
Hao’s eyes glittered. “Did he, indeed? Well then, maybe an abject lesson is in order…”
