“Haaah!”

Clunk!

The wooden blades of their training sword collided with a loud smack, sending a jolt down Yuriko’s hands. Under normal circumstances, her sword dance would have made her slide into a parry instead of a direct block, or avoided the blade altogether. Except she wasn’t using her sword dance right now in Martial Sciences and Kale was the best swordsman near her age, making him good enough to force her into that position.

Yuriko stepped back, flexing her fingers on the greatsword’s hilt and warily eyed the older boy as he wound up another sweeping blow. Yuriko stepped back, holding the greatsword vertically. The tip of Kale’s wooden sword swept past not an inch from her fingers and as soon as it passed, she lunged at him, aiming to skewer, well, poke him on the torso. He smoothly transitioned back, raising his blade up and chopping down on hers.

Sparring without using her sword dances took some getting used to, but she persevered. Kale continued with his sweeping strikes and abrupt stabs while Yuriko danced and ducked out of the way and counterattacked. Every now and then his rhythm would shift, catching her by surprise and disrupting her own. She soaked in his movements though and was getting a good feel for Sweeping Gale Style.

After a few more minutes, Kale grounded his sword and caught his breath.

“Sweeping Gale isn’t really meant for duels,” he said with a slight smile. “It’s meant for facing down multiple foes. I can hardly demonstrate its effectiveness in a sparring match. I don’t know why you’d want to learn the Style; your Flowing Water is already pretty good.”

Yuriko lowered her training blade and shrugged. “Knowledge is always good.”

“Not always with Martial Styles,” Kale rebutted. “You’re more liable to mix it up too much and lose the essence of your Style.”

“It’s fine. I need to widen the breadth of my skill.”

“I see. Well, let’s continue to forms then.”

Yuriko stepped back and watched him begin a series of movements, the forms and stances of the Sweeping Gale. By the time he finished, Yuriko had memorised the set and was more than ready to begin.

“That’s it, make sure you plant your feet firmly on the ground. You have a tendency to stay on your toes for ease of movement, but with Sweeping Gale, you’re the fulcrum, the eye of the storm.”

Yuriko planted her heel down to the floor while she stepped toe to heel with her other foot. Slow movements, wide sweeping slashes designed to fend off multiple weaker opponents. The slow and steady movement, she realised, was to make sure she controlled the space around her.

She ended the sword stances back at the same spot she started from, greatsword held out behind her.

“Nicely done.”

“Thank you.”

“Assemble here!” an instructor yelled.

It was almost the end of class time, Yuriko realised as she made her way down the gymnasium with the training blade across her shoulders. The wooden weapon was weighted to match those of an actual steel weapon, but compared with Fri’Avgi, this was still slightly too heavy. The artefact weighed even less than her side-blade, which was about a Jin in weight. It arrived this morning, delivered to the dormitories' reception table.

The past few days since her advancement, she’d spent most of it training as hard as she could before and after her classes. This morning, Master Alfein had finally returned from whatever had occupied her, and they resumed lectures on the nature of Chaos, Animus, and Anima.

While interesting, Master Alfein admitted that most were theories and not laws. When it came to Chaos and Animus, the intent of the wielder often made it such that experiments rarely had replicable results. One man’s use of inducing flame could produce a roaring bonfire, while others would barely produce a spark.

“There are no neutral observers,” Master Alfein said, though Yuriko barely understood the sentiment. Truth be told, the cat-eyed instructor was in an odd mood and rambled off topic several times already.

Yuriko forced her attention back to the instructor, Master Gethen, as he addressed the mixed class.

“We’re close to the middle of term already, and midterm examinations are just around the corner. Your examination schedule will be posted on the notice board. Midterms will involve each of you demonstrating your capabilities to hold your own in battle, and there may or may not be live enemies involved in this test. Prepare yourselves well. Results will determine whether you may join the Final’s examination or whether you’ll be forced into remedials and miss the cross term internships…”

“Internships?” Yuriko muttered out loud.

“When they send you to actual border postings,” Kale said from behind her.

“Oh?” Yuriko glanced back. She honestly didn’t expect him to follow her.

“It’s why Rorke and I were at the Watchtower last Season.”

“Ah.”

“Yuri,” Heron walked up to her, pushed through the students standing about and shot a glare at Kale.

“Hi, Heron!” she smiled.

“Training again after class?”

“Yes. Are you joining?”

“Er, yeah. I will.”

“What about you, Senior Kale?”

“I’m afraid I’ve other duties at home.” Kale gave her a smile, his teeth bright and even, dazzling her for a moment.

“Oh. Another time then.”

“Indeed.” He gave her a small bow and practically ignored Heron as he left.

“I don’t like him,” the other boy said, as they left the gymnasium. Krystal, Danika, and Mikel were following just behind them.

“Who?” Yuriko asked absently.

“That, er…senior,” Heron said through gritted teeth.

“Kale Kinnock?” Yuriko asked.

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“I…I just don’t.”

She shrugged. “I don’t see anything wrong with him. He’s quite the student instructor, too.”

Heron didn’t reply but a sidelong glance revealed that his jaw was set and he had that belligerent look in his eye that she really didn’t like. Still, it wasn’t her place to comment on it.

They headed to a clearing in the Central Reserve where the five of them sparred until it was almost dinner time. The girls bid the two boys goodnight and returned to the Willow. After dinner, Yuriko worked on her meditation routines. She hadn’t trained with Fri’Avgi in hand, feeling skittish when she remembered what happened last Sixthday. Still, she needed to explore more of the artefact’s abilities.

She’d left the golden greatsword in her room, with windows and doors locked. Fri’Avgi sent anxious feelings at her whenever she touched her but there was no way she could bring her along during class or even around the campus. She didn’t even know how she could practice wielding Fri’Avgi, since it was incredibly inadvisable to openly carry a Pre-Shattering artefact. Marron had been firm on it and even the carrying license had guidelines on the back discouraging open use.

When she’d be able to use Fri’Avgi as anything more than an ambient Chaos battery, she didn’t know. Perhaps during the internship after the Celestial Refraction, she could. She had her doubts though.

That night, Damien visited her in the dreamscape. The Golden Silhouette had started performing the Sweeping Gale forms for her with a bit of tweaking to match Yuriko’s physique and stature when it abruptly froze and transformed back into Damien.

“‘Sup, lil girl!” Damien whistled. “Wow, looks like you’re growing into your looks.”

Yuriko blinked in confusion. “Er, hello?”

“Lighten up, hie hie. You’ve finally collected Fri’Avgi, huh, good for you!”

“Yeah, well…”

“What?”

“I can’t quite use her other than as a training tool.”

“Well, duh. Why are you keeping her outside of your Anima in the first place?” Damien rolled his eyes. “They’re called Anima Telum for a reason, ya know?”

“Eh?”

“Anima for the seat of consciousness. Telum as in weapon. Fri’Avgi can hardly do her duty when you leave her all over the place. And…I see you’ve trodden your own path. Hmmm, interesting, interesting.”

“Thanks…I think.”

“Well, keep it up. Hie hie.”

With those words, Damien’s body melted back into Yuriko’s mirror image. The Golden Silhouette picked up the greatsword and started to perform the Sweeping Gale Style’s movements.

“...at least stick around to answer my questions!” Yuriko yelled at the top of her voice.

The next morning, her routine was much the same, except when she ran and did her callisthenics, she wore a heavy backpack, about twenty Jin in weight. Using it wore her out faster, hence allowing her to use Recovery to strengthen herself that much sooner. Already, she could feel minute improvement, and the frustration that she’d been harbouring in her heart for the past weeks disappeared like mist in the morning sun.

That afternoon, during Social Studies class, Master Nuada started a lecture on government, of all things.

“While you might think that the Eternal Empire of the Righteous Order is run like an absolute monarchy, nothing could be further from the truth. The Verdant Empress, glory to her name, rules us with a light hand. Her children are in charge of the varied planes that are next to the Capital, but they do not rule with an iron fist. The Greater Clans hold much political power and can enforce a change in the leadership, even replacing the Pia’Vasi. In fact, of all the Empress’ children, only the best at administration are allowed rulership.

“The rest of our society functions as a meritocracy. Hopefuls, usually those who take the administrator’s path in Aneurin, have the chance to be enfeoffed, to become administrators of the towns, the cities, and provinces. They may even progress enough to become a Prince or Princess, ruler of a plane…”

Yuriko scribbled on her notebook what Master Nuada said. Most of what she said was just the gist of the Empire’s governance, and she didn’t even mention the other branches of government, the Inquisition, the Adjudicators, the Legion, among others.

“This solidarity is what separates the Empire from other nations that have risen in the wake of the Shattering. The Federation of City-States, seven of them here on Rumiga, each have a different mode of governance. Ivala City, directly south of our city, and across the Aegeas Plains, are ruled by an Autocrat, a powerful man who had risen above his base station and had controlled Ivala for the past two centuries. He rules by decree, and any who cross his will are thrown into his conscript army, who are now busy digging trenches and fortifications. As if we the Righteous Empire would deign to take their paltry land…”

“...but even the Federation is better than the barbarian tribes of the north. The Iron-Skin Tribe continue to send their youth south into our borders, seeking the blood of our legionnaires and militia only to sate their need for trophies. Other tribes are just as bad. They worship those they should not, taking unholy power into themselves. If not for the harshness of the northern tundras, the Legion would have long wiped out those cretins…”

Master Nuada’s blue eyes had a manic gleam to them as she spoke, her arms and hands flailing about as she made her points. Yuriko kept writing her notes as she listened, at least she wouldn’t have to suffer the headaches and dizziness that would come from reading too much.

The second half of the class involved social graces. Yuriko and the other students spent the time practising formal bows, curtsies, and addresses.

“Apprentice Davar, how do you do?’

“I am well, Apprentice Zorin. What about you?” Yuriko’s voice was stilted since she wasn’t quite used to addressing someone by their Anima strength level if they didn’t hold other offices or qualifications. Since she was Apprentice in Anima strength, it superseded her student or cadet occupation. If she was still a Novice, Krystal would have addressed her as Cadet Davar.

They roamed the classroom floor and greeted each of their classmates. It wasn’t easy to distinguish who had progressed to Apprentice, now that she thought about it, though at least half of the freshers had done so.

Near the end of the class, Emyr Kinnock came up to her and gave her a low bow.

“Good afternoon, Apprentice Davar,” his voice and tone were smooth. “May I invite you to afternoon tea after today’s class?”

Yuriko was in the midst of her return bow, she would have curtsied if she wore a longer skirt or a dress, when his words registered and she barely caught herself before she overbalanced.

“Er… ah…” She floundered for about a minute.

“Ahem, you’re supposed to accept or decline,” Emyr said with a smile.

“Oh, er.” Yuriko coughed and tried to compose herself. “May I ask the occasion?”

“I merely wish to discuss a few things with you.”

“I see. Very well. I accept.”

“Excellent. I will meet you outside the classroom as soon as class ends.” He bowed again and sauntered off.

Bemused, Yuriko watched his back for a few moments before she continued with their exercises. Well, since she had tea with the Esrases, she supposed it was fair to let the Kinnock have their say.

Though truth to tell, she’d probably appreciate having tea with Kale more than with Emyr.