Aether's Blessing (Aether's Revival Book 1)

by Daniel Schinhofen

  “It isn’t easy. The mind path will be hard,” Yukiko agreed as she picked up her answers. “We can use wax tablets to erase these, then exchange them tomorrow.”

  “I’ll need to get a wax tablet, then,” Gregory said. “I never thought I would need one.”

  “I’ll bring mine over tonight,” Yukiko said as she gathered her things. “We can work on a few more then.”

  “Maybe I’ll improve,” Gregory said as he got his things put away. “Now, a stroll to the training hall to see what they have in store for us.”

  “Unless we’re unlucky and have to face one of the better students right away, we should be fine for this round.”

  “True,” Gregory smiled. “The fights don’t start until the eighth bell, so we’ll have some time before our bouts, even if we are in the first few.”

  “Mother and Father should be here just after seventh bell,” Yukiko said. “We should greet them before the fights.”

  “Yes, and if we end up in different arenas, they should watch you.”

  “I’m sure they’ll send Lin to watch your fights, at the very least,” Yukiko said.

  “Good day, Novices,” Rafiq smiled at them as they were leaving the archive, “and good luck with your bouts today.”

  “Thank you,” they replied, bowing to him.

  Rafiq watched them go and wished he had been one of those chosen to watch the tournament. He stiffened when he felt a cold breeze behind him, “Chief, did you require something?”

  “Yes,” Sarinia replied. “I will be leaving shortly to sit with the others in the main arena. The archive is in your hands until I return. They are very studious, are they not?”

  “Every day, without fail,” Rafiq nodded. “They were working on Magi Squares when their scrolls were delivered.”

  “Yes, they have a thirst to learn,” Sarinia smiled. “I have hopes for them, but first to see if they can reach the top eight. I heard a rumor that they are being trained by Armsmaster Gin Watashi. I thought he had stopped taking students, but it seems he has ties to Novice Warlin.”

  “That gives them a chance to make it, then,” Rafiq nodded. “Not many armsmasters not in the employ of the empire or the clans.”

  “We shall see. Do make sure that any visitors are properly respectful to the archive. Throw them out if needed, and I shall deal with the repercussions.”

  “As you require, Chief.”

  ~*~*~

  While they walked to the training hall, they saw many other novices hurrying to the same place. “Need to hold your trump card until the final eight,” Gregory mentioned during a moment when no one else was nearby.

  “I intend to,” Yukiko agreed. “Don’t discount anyone, even if they’ve lost every other fight. They might have a chip on their shoulder, or they might have been bribed to injure you badly enough to keep you out of the final eight.”

  “I’ll stay on my toes.”

  They arrived only a few minutes before the announcements would start and stayed toward the back of the crowd of novices. A large notice board had been set up outside the training hall, but nothing was hung on it. Gregory spotted Nick talking to Jason, Michelle, and his other associates. Hayworth and his friends were on the other side of the crowd, looking self-important.

  “We took the long way,” Yukiko murmured.

  “Wanted to avoid any needless conflicts and didn’t want to give Nick even more time to talk to us.”

  Gregory returned Nick’s wave just as Magus Paul came out of the hall with four other cyan-robed magi behind him. Seventh bell chimed as the magi took up positions in front of the board.

  “Novices, welcome to the mid-tournament. The next several days will set the ranking order of your class. Over the next three days, you will each face three of your peers in individual combat. The final eight will be chosen by the council if there are any ties in the standings. The match ups will be posted on a daily basis. On the fourth day, those who advanced to the final eight will be facing each other. The winners of those matches will go on to fight again the next day, with the two winners facing each other on the final day of the tournament. Outside of the bouts, your days are your own. If you fail to appear for your fight, you forfeit the match. The rules are simple: do your best not to kill your opponent, and no weapons are allowed. Any questions?”

  “If we accidentally use too much aether or strike too hard and our classmate dies, what happens?” a random novice asked.

  “They will be seen by the healer, and hopefully we can save them. We understand that when you are fighting, accidents sometimes happen. It is why each of you was told that not everyone graduates. You have two tournaments this year, plus any challenges you might face. The empire only wants the strongest of you. Make sure you are among that number.”

  When no one else had any questions, Paul nodded and turned to the board. He posted five sheets of paper, each headed with the name of one of the arenas and showing the matches scheduled there for that day. “There you are. Find your places, and may Aether guide you to victory.”

  Gregory and Yukiko hung back as the rest of the class pressed forward to see the board. Stepping back to give themselves room, Gregory spoke softly, “If it comes down to risking death or taking the loss—”

  “The same goes for you,” Yukiko cut him off. “Can’t risk my heart now that I’ve found him.”

  Gregory smiled, nearly falling into her cyan gaze before quickly looking away to see if anyone had noticed. “Have to be careful around you or I’ll give it away before the last day of the tournament.”

  Yukiko’s lips turned up at the corners as she looked at the board, “Yes. It is difficult for me, too.”

  Gregory and Yukiko edged forward as the crowd abated. “Greg, Yukiko,” Nick called to them, having been waiting for them. “Seems we won’t be facing each other the first day, though Jason and Michelle have to face off. Do your best; the Eternal Flame has a reputation to maintain.”

  “We will win all our bouts today,” Gregory said. “I just have to find out where and when I fight.”

  “See you later,” Nick said, going to Michelle and speaking quietly to her.

  “Main arena, both of us,” Yukiko told him, studying the schedules. “The first fight in that arena at eighth bell is the two of us against each other.”

  Gregory shook his head, “The universe seems to be laughing at us.”

  “No holding back. We both need to fight to win,” Yukiko said seriously.

  Gregory nodded, “Our second set of matches?”

  “I fight Fureno after ninth bell, and you fight Clement at tenth bell. He’s one of Hayworth’s friends, part of the group that accosted me on our first day here. I fight Clement at eleventh bell, and at fourteenth bell, you’ll fight one of the undertrained novices who isn’t in our other classes.”

  “Careful with Fureno. He’s been hanging onto Nick’s coattails, so he might have a trick or two up his sleeve.”

  “The same goes for Clement,” Yukiko said as they headed toward the main arena.

  “Meet your parents at the arena?” Gregory asked, changing the subject.

  “That is what we agreed on. They should be there shortly, as the gates opened at seventh bell.”

  Chapter Forty-five

  Gregory tried to quell the unhappiness he felt as he gazed at Yukiko across the arena from him. Yukiko’s parents had been shocked and disappointed that their first fight was against each other, but understood they had no recourse. Looking to the reserved box for the academy council, Gregory noted Master Damon, the black panther eurtik who worked at the archive, a number of other masters, and three grandmasters.

  Magus Paul stood in the middle of the arena, motioning them both to him. Gregory steeled himself and moved to the Magus. “We will begin when the eighth bell chimes,” he told them. “Follow my instructions and begin when I tell you to fight.”

  “Yes, sir,” they answered together.

  A moment later, the eighth bell chimed and Paul c
leared his throat, holding up a gently glowing bronze circle. “Ladies and gentlemen, today we see what our novices have learned thus far. This is their first test of skill against their peers. This tournament shall determine which novices have grown strong, and which are lacking.” Paul’s voice carried easily to the audience seated around the arena, though it was not overbearing to Yukiko and Gregory. “We are joined by the heads of the academy,” Paul bowed to the biggest box. “We hope our novices can show you something worth your time.”

  Paul stepped back a few paces and put the circle into his pouch. “Novices, face the boxes and bow.” Once they had done as instructed, Paul spoke again, “Novices, face me and bow.” When they had done that, he inclined his head to them. “Now face each other and bow.” Once they had done so, Paul moved back a few more feet. “On my signal, begin. Do not stop unless your opponent is unconscious, surrenders, or I tell you to.”

  Gregory set himself into the defensive stance Yukiko had taught him, and she did the same. The two of them did their best to set aside their feelings, trying to concentrate on the bout. Taking a deep breath, Gregory felt calmness settle over him.

  “Fight!” Paul shouted.

  Yukiko was the first to move and she closed the distance quickly. A flurry of strikes forced Gregory to focus on defense, but he smiled when he realized she was following their normal sparring routine. As she slowed, he countered and began to drive her back.

  The two of them flowed from attack to defense and back without slowing. To the crowd, it looked as if they were evenly matched. Both backed away at the same time, small smiles on their lips.

  “Ready?” Yukiko asked now that they had warmed up.

  Extending a hand, Gregory gestured her forward, his stance shifting to one Gin had taught him over the last few months. Yukiko smiled as she advanced, ready for the real fight to begin.

  Yukiko held a real edge in speed and flexibility over him, allowing her to land far more strikes than he did. Gregory’s counters, when they landed, made Yukiko back off before reengaging with him.

  Neither wanted to significantly harm the other, but they both wanted to win, making the fight stretch longer than it should have. Gregory found his moment, managing to stagger Yukiko significantly enough that she dropped to a knee. Gregory tried to follow up and take advantage, but found himself abruptly off balance as his legs failed to move. A glance down showed the shadows pooled around his legs had deepened and were binding him. Jerking his head up, he was just in time to see Yukiko’s foot coming at him.

  Grunting as he went over backward, Gregory shook his head, trying to push himself back to his feet. He was slammed back to the ground by Yukiko landing on his hips, followed by a flurry of hand and elbow strikes to his face. Pulling his arms in, he covered his bleeding face.

  Yukiko kept hammering at him, so Gregory was left with little other choice but to trade pain for survival. Jerking his upper body up, he uncovered his face and hugged Yukiko to him. His nose became a bright point of pain as Yukiko flattened it with an elbow, but he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her tightly to his chest. Yukiko squirmed against him, but Gregory held her tight, getting his feet flat to the ground and shoving. As they turned, Gregory went from clenching Yukiko to pushing her away, which forced them apart.

  Getting back to his feet with blood dripping from his nose, Gregory met Yukiko’s determined gaze and gave her a grudging nod, remembering that they had agreed to fight to win. Yukiko returned the nod and set her feet, ready to attack again.

  Their next exchange of blows ended up being the last. Yukiko failed to block one of Gregory’s strikes, and his open palm slammed into the spot directly under her ribs. She gasped as her legs buckled, unable to get the air she needed. Gregory caught her, slipping behind her as he did.

  “Tap, Yuki,” he whispered. “I don’t want to go further.”

  Yukiko, feeling his arm go under her chin, slapped the ground three times.

  “Hold! Warlin forfeits,” Paul declared loudly.

  Removing his arm, he stayed behind her, his leg holding her upright as she struggled to get her breath back. Standing slowly so as not to disturb her, Gregory bowed to Paul.

  Yukiko managed to catch her breath. “You win,” she wheezed.

  “Face the box and bow,” Paul told Gregory.

  Gregory eased Yukiko to the side carefully so she would not fall, then turned to the boxes holding the important guests and bowed to them. When he stood back up, Yukiko was getting to her feet. Bowing to Yukiko, he gave her a worried smile.

  Yukiko bowed her head, “Forgive me, but I don’t wish to flex that far.”

  “Your match is over. Please leave the arena,” Paul told them. “Be ready for your next bouts.”

  Gregory and Yukiko walked away from each other and headed for the doors, neither looking back as they left the arena floor. Gregory walked quickly, wanting to make sure she was okay. Yukiko walked more slowly, not wanting to face Gregory after battering his face so much.

  When he got to the waiting area under the arena proper, Gregory’s steps slowed. Hayworth was there, laughing at him. “Took that long to deal with that slip of a woman, and she broke your… nose?” The last word came after a noticeable delay.

  Gregory felt the pain in his nose ebb as Hayworth faltered. Walking past Hayworth, Gregory gave him a cold smile, “I hope to see you tomorrow. And don’t worry— your friend won’t be faring any better.”

  Hayworth’s lip curled up into a sneer, but someone calling his name distracted him. Gregory ignored him and the others who whispered after him as he exited the staging area on his side of the arena.

  He found Yukiko a few minutes later. “Yuki?”

  Yukiko met his gaze, her eyes searching his face, clearly worried. “Are you okay?”

  “Worried about you,” Gregory said. “The ring took care of the damage.”

  Yukiko dropped her gaze, “Good.”

  “Worried for me?” Gregory asked as he stopped a couple of feet from her.

  “Worried you might hold it against me,” Yukiko said softly.

  Looking around and not seeing anyone, Gregory stepped forward, his hand going under her chin and gently tilting her gaze up to him. “No. We both had to fight to win, just like you said. I’d never hold that against you.”

  Blinking back tears, Yukiko gave him a tentative smile, “Partners?”

  “For life,” Gregory whispered.

  Gregory stepped away from Yukiko at the sound of approaching footsteps. A moment later, a couple of people passed by them, heading for the stands.

  Yukiko exhaled deeply, clearly pulling herself back together. “We shouldn’t have to do that again until the last day,” she said after a moment.

  “Good,” Gregory said. “Are you going to be ready for your next bout?”

  “As ready as you will be.”

  Exchanging another smile, the two of them went up to the stands to watch the fights while they waited for their next matches. In her next fight, Yukiko dismantled Fureno quickly, leaving him unconscious on the sands in just a few minutes.

  When Yukiko rejoined him in the stands, Gregory chuckled, “You didn’t give him a chance.”

  “He upset me,” Yukiko said primly. “I no longer consider him a friend.”

  Gregory frowned, “What happened?”

  “Unkind words regarding my heritage,” Yukiko said tightly.

  Gregory’s jaw clenched as he stared at the current fight without seeing it. “You’re right. He’s no longer a friend, and his friends are likely not ours, as well.”

  Yukiko placed her hand on one of his fists, “It doesn’t bother me. Well, not as much as it used to.”

  Gregory gently took her hand between his, “I’m up against Clement soon. Don’t know if I’ll finish him as quickly as you did Fureno, but I’ll make sure he isn’t in the best shape for you.”

  “Focus on your fight. I’ll handle mine,” Yukiko said before lowering her voice to a barely heard murmur,
“but thank you, dear one.”

  Gregory went up to face Clement when his name was called. They arrived in the center of the arena at the same time. Clement smirked disparagingly as he faced Gregory. His clothing was clean and fresh, as this was his first fight for the day.

  “You were lucky in the first fight, fringer,” Clement snickered. “You’re about to eat your first loss.”

  “Quiet. Save the taunts for after the fight begins,” Magus Paul told them. “Follow my directions when told.” Paul had them bow to the boxes, him, and each other before instructing them to fight.