“Oi!”

A heavy hand on her shoulder jolted Alana from her thoughts. She tore her arm from Marthe’s grip and faced a scowling Arthur. “What?”

“What do you mean what? Are you blind, woman?” He raised a hand and she followed his pointing finger to a group of five crouched on the road further ahead. “We’ve got company. What are we going to do about it, leader?”

At his shoulder, Cloud grinned, eyes wide with clear anticipation. Alana could guess how she wanted the encounter to go. “Stay alert. We’re going to say hello. Control yourself, seadog.”

“Or what?”

“Coo~”

The large man backpedaled from the imp at his ankle. Alana grinned at the sight but the ends trembled. Another example of Lou’s strength. She needed to become stronger, much stronger.

For now, that meant handling the five initiates who had noticed them and were getting to their feet.

-

“Lo there!”

Alana motioned for her group to come to a stop. The two teams fanned out, facing each other. She eyed the opposing leader. Unremarkable except for the fact that he was a bit older than most initiates, a few years past twenty if she had to guess, with a neatly trimmed moustache.

The four beside him, two on either side, were younger, the youngest barely past a boy. They were nervous. The gaze of a girl on the left glowed with channeled mana, hinting that at least she expected their meeting to devolve into a fight.

Lingering a few paces behind them was their guide, a man close to the leader’s age dressed in a similar outfit to Cloud, the same black ring tattoos on display. He stood with crossed arms, watching them with a cold gaze.

Alana shivered. She may find Cloud annoying but she had to admit it was quite lucky they had gotten her. It would have been unsettling having a stranger trailing after her and watching her every move.

“Hello!” Alana shouted back. “Mind telling your people to relax. We’re just going to pass through.”

“Wait a minute. No need to hurry. This test is something else. I didn’t expect the instructors to drop us in this dusty place with nothing but the clothes on our backs to hunt monsters. And our guide hasn’t been much help.” He pointed a thumb over his shoulder at his guide, the young man scoffing at the accusation. “Many hands make light work. What do you say we team up?”

“I will politely refuse,” she replied sternly.

“Come on. You’re probably nervous but I assure you, I’ve got nothing but the best intentions.”

“Hard to trust someone’s intentions when he hasn’t introduced himself.”

“Ah. I must have misplaced my manners in this wasteland.” He put a hand to his chest and bowed shallowly. “Jerome, son of Jackson. I hope you won’t look down on a man who can only take his father’s name, Lady James.”

Alana couldn’t help frowning hearing someone call her ‘Lady James’. It had been spoken with derision too many times for her to take pride in the title. “Then I don’t have to introduce myself. Mister Jerome, we’re going to continue on our way. We don’t want any trouble. I advise you not to start any.”

She started forward. Jerome stood in place with a smile on his face, shoulders tense. Seeing their unmoving leader, the others stayed put as well. By the time Alana was an arm length away from him, the rest of their gazes were aglow with mana but Jerome maintained his calm.

“Maybe we can exchange strategy before you go,” he says in a calm voice. “I’m sure a learned lady like you has an idea about how to go about killing these beasts.”

“Get out of the way,” she bit out. “Or we’re going to move you.”

Jerome’s smile faded. “Demanding the peasants get out of your way. How hard would it be to walk around us? But I suppose you’re too good for that.”

“If you’re going to make yourself an obstacle…” Her hand dropped to the hilt of her sword. “I’m going to walk through you.”

“Think you can? You may be from a noble house but we’re both initiates at the Grand Hall. You’re no better than me!” He took a menacing step forward. “And no one’s going to stop me if I want to put you in your place.”

“You can try.”

His eyes lit up with mana. Alana didn’t wait for him to cast. “Arthur!” she shouted, as the heel of her opposite hand hit him in the throat. He coughed, a hand going to his neck as he stumbled backward. Alana’s sword left its scabbard with a hiss. Jerome screamed as the blade cut his arm, nearly taking off the limb.

The members of Jerome’s team screamed and scattered as a ball of fire and several rocks were launched at them. One took a piece of earth to the face and went down hard. Alana sheathed her sword and ran after the one that ran for the hills, leaving the other two for her team.

She tackled the teenage boy to the ground and grappled with him, eyes burning as dust stung them. She slammed him to the ground, dazing him, and raised a fist.

“Wait!” the boy screamed, holding up his hands. “I-I-I surrender!”

Alana relaxed. “Then—”

His eyes glowed with mana and fire leapt from his hands. She put an arm in front of her face and fell backward. The move wasn’t fast enough to keep the fire from scorching her hand. She let out a bark of pain that was drowned out by the boy’s scream, his quick spell flawed and doing damage to himself.

Alana scrambled to her feet and mercilessly kicked him in the side, ignoring the way his red hands shook. “When…you…surrender…that…means…you…stop…fighting…asshole!” she growled, delivering a blow with each word. “Honorless bastard!”

“Hey, fearless leader.”

“What?” she snapped turning around, hissing in pain as her injured hand went for her sword, aggravating the fresh burns. The other members of Jerome’s team were on the ground, either knocked out or groaning in pain.

Further down the road, their guide watched with an unchanged expression. Thoroughly unimpressed.

Alana forced herself to take a deep breath. “Alright. Let’s—”

She stopped as she spotted a dust cloud coming toward them. “Hold that. Lou’s back.”