On a drizzling morning, the air thick with mist and a sense of anticipation, Graves the BladeMaester himself oversaw the drills of the freshman trainee blademen. The courtyard buzzed with excitement, hushed whispers of elation filling the air as the students moved through their assigned exercises. Raindrops gently kissed their brows, but Jayce remained undeterred, his focus solely on his own breath and the strain of his muscles.
As the drills came to a close, the trainees formed a circle around Graves, their faces flushed with exertion. Graves, a commanding figure with an air of authority, addressed the group, his voice cutting through the drizzle.
"Does anyone wish to issue a challenge?" Graves inquired, his eyes scanning the expectant faces.
Before Graves could finish his question, Darvit stepped forward, his confidence radiating from every pore. The murmurs of the onlookers turned into giggles as they anticipated his playful challenge. He boldly proposed that the winner would earn Poppy's hand in marriage, a proposition that elicited a mix of amusement and astonishment from the crowd.
The giggles quickly transformed into a hushed silence as Jayce, unfazed by the audacity of the challenge, accepted without hesitation. The suddenness of his acceptance caught everyone off guard, including Darvit himself. Momentarily stunned, Darvit began to bounce on the balls of his feet, attempting to shake off the shock and regain his composure.
The crowd instinctively parted, creating a path for Jayce to step forward. Graves, his signature grin stretching from ear to ear, folded his arms across his powerful chest and watched with keen interest. Echo, Jayce's loyal friend, couldn't contain his excitement and erupted in enthusiastic cheers.
Graves instructed both combatants to assume their stances. A flicker of fear danced across Darvit's eyes as he witnessed Jayce's unorthodox posture. While Darvit held the training sword with both hands, looking forward with one foot in front of the other, Jayce stood with his body stretched backward, his sword held high above his head like a coiled rattlesnake ready to strike.
As the duel commenced, Darvit lunged forward, eager to seize the initiative. But Jayce, displaying remarkable agility, leapt forward and came down with a powerful overhead strike. Darvit could only manage to block the attack before Jayce seamlessly transitioned into the next move. The exchange continued with lightning speed, a flurry of calculated strikes and evasive maneuvers.
The class stood in stunned silence, their mouths agape, as they witnessed Jayce's astonishing display of skill. Graves, thoroughly entertained, wore an amused grin as he watched the spectacle unfold. Echo, unable to contain his excitement any longer, cheered loudly, his voice echoing through the courtyard.
Jayce landed a strike on the side of Darvit's belly, a blow that may not have caused significant damage but was intended to unnerve him. And unnerve him it did. Darvit, a stranger to being struck in combat, was propelled into an adrenaline-fueled frenzy of wild swings. The exertion quickly drained him, leaving him panting and drenched in sweat.
Jayce, utilizing his skillful technique, disabled Darvit's left hand, then his right, before swiftly sweeping his legs out from under him. Standing triumphantly over his fallen opponent, Jayce delivered a stern message.
"Never disturb my friend Poppy again," Jayce declared, his voice laced with authority. "She is under my protection."
The class remained silent, the weight of Jayce's words hanging in the air. Darvit, humbled and defeated, could only nod in acknowledgment. The lesson had been learned, and the bond of friendship had been fiercely defended.
In the Spellcraft class, Jayce sat diligently at his desk, engrossed in the study of ancient tomes and intricate spell diagrams. The room hummed with the soft murmurs of students absorbed in their own studies. It was in this atmosphere of focused concentration that Poppy, with a mischievous smile on her lips, approached him.
Playfully, she wrapped her arms around Jayce, hugging him from behind. "I heard about what you did," she whispered in his ear, gratitude evident in her voice. "Thank you."
Jayce turned slightly, meeting Poppy's gaze, his expression a mix of gentle warmth and humble acceptance. Accepting her thanks, he took her hand and brought it to his lips, pressing a delicate kiss upon her skin like a chivalrous knight of old. Poppy's cheeks flushed with embarrassment, and she quickly took a seat next to him, covering her face with a book, attempting to hide her blushing visage.
As Poppy peeked shyly from behind her book, her gaze fell upon the pages Jayce was poring over. She couldn't resist her curiosity and leaned in closer, stealing glances at the text he was researching. To her surprise, she discovered it was an in-depth exploration of an illusion spell.
Curiosity getting the better of her, Poppy couldn't help but ask, "Jayce, why are you studying illusion magic?"
Jayce looked up from his books, meeting Poppy's gaze with a determined and focused expression. "Out of the five schools of magic, I've already mastered s-rank spells in destruction, alteration and healing," he explained. "But to achieve a perfect s-rank mastery, I need to delve into conjuration and illusion."