“Hey, don’t let what Zaal said yesterday get to you,” Bri said to Shaya as they walked to their first class – Battle Foundations.

Shaya yawned, stretching her arms wide to loosen them up after their morning’s workout. Her soul ached more, as she practiced her magic to the point of exhaustion after Zaal’s briefing. “I’m not.”

“You are,” Ralus said from her other side, “It is understandable, but you cannot push your limits to the point of damaging yourself.

“I know,” she sighed, “At least I get to start off with something I’m good at.”

The three of them entered the courtyard where Foundations was taking place, Shaya in the lead between the other two. It was Ralus’ suggestion, they wanted the group to get used to placing the Amber mage up front where Shaya could shield them. It made practical sense, but Shaya noticed more derisive looks shot at her friends for hanging around her.

At least Bri still drew a few wandering gazes that lingered on her body, not that she seemed to notice or care.

And that’s despite us wearing our full, puffy gambesons. Shaya shook her head, annoyed at her mind wandering to far less important insecurities.

The courtyard was a simple pit of sand, its edges occupied by weapon racks full of different wooden or blunted bronze weapons. The space was large enough to host fifty sparring students, Shaya guessed, but there was less than half of that present when she and her group wandered in. Just like the auditorium, the space felt underutilized, empty.

The students massed beside the entrance, standing across from their professor in the center of the yard. The man was enormous, standing more than a head taller than Shaya and Bri. His statuesque proportions and bronze skin made him look like a heroic sculpture, with his large muscles literally chiseled into his body. Despite his likely ability to crush skulls with a single hand, he looked oddly gentle with his relaxed stance, hands clasped behind his back. He kept his short, rust-coloured hair slicked back and his full beard meticulously trimmed. The giant’s ruby-coloured eyes watched as new students entered with honest interest.

A few more students wandered into the yard before bells rang out across the entire campus, signaling the start time for classes everywhere. Shaya winced at the cacophonous sound and felt the reverberation deep in her chest, hoping that she would get used to it before finding reason to curse her enhanced senses.

“Let us begin,” the professor spoke, his voice bear-like in its depth. He gestured for the class to move towards him with a fluidity she didn’t expect from a man his size, and everyone obeyed.

“My name is Auric,” he stated, “I do not stand by titles or rank here, nor do I tolerate fools. I am here to teach you how to survive on the battlefield, you are here to learn. Our art requires sparring to improve, and anything beyond friendly competition is counter-productive. Am I understood?”

Everyone presented nodded.

“Good, then-” He paused, turning as another group of students entered the class late.

All eyes followed his, and Shaya was once again galled to see Galo walk in behind another high born nephilim . She followed Galo’s smirking eyes to find that Lan was amongst her classmates. If Lan was angry to see Galo, he hid it behind a stoic expression.

Maybe you’re the only one naïve enough to think justice applies to everyone equally, Shaya.

Auric gestured for the late comers to join the class, then cleared his throat to draw everyone’s attention back to him. “Today, you will learn the basics of footwork and reach by sparring with spears-”

“Excuse me,” the latecomer at the head of his group interrupted, their voice smooth and powerful, “Why should we have to learn how to fight with a peasant’s weapon.”

Auric’s eyes slowly slid to the man who had asked the question, “Because many nephilim have died, impaled on the weapons of peasants because they were too foolish to respect them.”

Oh gods, he’s not going to take the hint.

The student smirked, “I don’t care what happens to stupid nephilim, but why are you wasting my time with this? I’ve bested plenty of veterans with my bladework and I’m more than capable of dealing with any spearman. In fact-”

Oh no, don’t lecture the teacher. Please no, I’m going to die of second-hand embarassment.

“I see a demonstration is in order,” Auric turned back to the class, ignoring the arrogant student’s reddening face, “Is anyone proficient with the spear already?”

Thank the gods!

Feet shuffled, many of the students looking between their fellow Lancemates, but no one coming forward. Shaya sighed and raised her hand.

Let’s stop wasting time so I can get to learning.

“Good, step forward,” Auric told her, then ordered the chatterer to do the same, “Fetch yourselves a weapon from the racks then meet back here.”

Shaya walked to a rack of spears and examined them. In moments, her eyes picked out defects in some of the training weapons and differences in construction. She tested one of the larger spears that was thick enough to grip comfortably in her hands, but found it top heavy. The second was heavier, but a counter-weight on the butt of it helped maintain its balance.

She returned to the center, where her opponent waited impatiently with a long sword wielded in one hand. She gave him an appraising look now. He was big for a human, maybe even Krebo’s height and breadth. From a physical perspective, his arrogance certainly wasn’t unfounded – even under his gambeson, Shaya could make out a muscular physique and thick neck. He also moved like other trained fighters she’d seen, but where others moved with a focus on efficiency, he postured more than was necessary in an attempt to appear larger, stronger.

He looked like Krebo in an eerie way, but his blood ties to Astoria were stronger. Likely the strongest nephilim she’d seen yet. What skin she could see looked like white marble, with long, golden hair framing his too handsome features. His eyes looked like pools of molten gold that seemed to radiate light, but anger and frustration tarnished the otherwise angelic effect.

“I’m Shaya,” she said, introducing herself with a respectful nod of her head, “I look forward to our bout.”

“I’m Azreon Solarix,” he replied, not returning the nod, “I’m going to destroy you.”

Shaya chuckled as she strapped on her helmet, “Nice to meet you too.”

She saw the rest of the class stiffen as he introduced himself.

Oh boy, I get to start with the top.

“Put on your helmet,” Auric ordered Azreon.

“It won’t be necessary,” he sneered.

Shaya looked to Auric, but his shrug told him she shouldn’t worry about it.

“Salute one another, then begin the bout.”

Shaya saluted, then dropped into defensive stance. I have the reach advantage, he’s going to try to smack the spear tip out of the way, then-

Azreon skipped the salute and rushed her, moving faster than anything Shaya had ever seen. He turned into a blur of quicksilver and the five feet between them vanished. He smacked Shaya’s spear to the side with surprising force then lunged the rest of the distance, extending his training sword out to impale her.

Shaya started to twist her body to the side, but wouldn’t escape the blow. Reflexes kicked in and she didn’t resist her spear being knocked aside, instead using that force to rocket the spear butt forward. Azreon’s lunge glanced off her side and he relaxed, dropping his guard. The butt of Shaya’s spear caught him on the side of the head and he staggered, but she wasn’t finished. She followed through with the slam on instinct, reversing her stance on her heels and stabbing her blunted spear tip at the back of his head. With supernatural speed, he whirled to face her – only to have his nose shattered as her spear smashed into his face.

Azreon dropped to the ground with an enraged, high-pitched yelp, his free hand clutching at the bloody ruin of his face. As the high born writhed on the ground, there was a collective, sharp intake of breath from behind Shaya as she walked over to him.

“The pain will be manageable in a moment,” she assured him, then offered out her hand to help him, “You did good there, you are damn fast, but your approach was predictable.”

“Don’t you dare speak to me, cur!” He growled, slapping her hand aside. “I beat you and you still struck me! This is cowardice and I will have you expelled!”

Oh spit. Did I just ruin everything in the first FIVE minutes of coming?

She frowned back to Auric, panic in her eyes, “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize sparring here was to first contact. I’m used to it going until a ‘lethal’ blow is struck.”

“There is nothing to apologize for,” Auric replied, “you are correct, you won.”

“How DARE YOU!?” Azreon screeched as he stood up on his own, shocking Shaya. It had taken her almost a minute to recover after Krebo had done the same to her and he had shrugged it off in a dozen seconds.

I thought nephilim were only stronger magically speaking – are they also physically stronger too? What Titan spit is this!?

“This...this coward struck a noble unfairly, I DEMAND that you expel her!”

“I will do no such thing,” Auric said, his tone still level, “she illustrated more than one of my points, rather efficiently I must add. Now put your weapons away so we can resume our lesson. As usual, some of your brains have been rotted with useless dueling reflexes, and now I must undo the damage.”

Shaya moved back towards the weapon rack to return her spear, but heard sand churn as feet rushed towards her. She spun around, dropping into a defensive stance and not liking her chances. Azreon’s speed and strength were astonishing, if he followed through there’s no way she could have beaten him.

The high born rushed towards her, face twisted with rage, but she didn’t have to worry. A wave of Amber energy reached her before he could. He took three blurring steps towards her before the earth swallowed him. One second, he was moving towards her and the next sand and stone entombed him, his enraged cries heard through little breathing holes.

“Calm down,” Auric instructed, holding up a closed fist.

Azreon didn’t.

Auric dropped his fist, and the earthen tomb melted back into the ground.

Utter silence fell over the assembled class.

“I do not tolerate fools,” Auric said, turning back to the class, his tone still flat, “I would advise everyone not to be late for class, lest you miss important information such as this.”

Shaya looked to the spot where Azreon stood a second ago, now entombed beneath the earth.

Gods, I almost pity the fool.