Alex stepped onto a large balcony and took a breath of the fresh air.
"Here boss!"
I changed the position of the lunchtray I was holding and, looking across the balcony I saw Agustin sitting at a cafe style table and waving at me, while Alistair read a book across from him.
I sighed as I crossed the balcony before taking a seat with them.
"I've told you before to stop calling me boss in public." I slowly looked around the balcony and took in a deep breath as the wind ran through my hair.
This balcony was one of the most relaxing places in Freestone. With all the flowers and grass that decorated the balcony it could be mistaken for a garden, but it was actually an outdoor dining area.
'This is calming.' Smiling, I leaned back in my chair. 'If only it could always be as quiet as this.'
"Alex Agustin and I were just talking."
"And?" I said as I looked up at Alistair.
"Did you notice anything strange about today's class?" Asked Alistair as he turned a page.
My eyes immediately sharpened.
"Now that you mention it, yes I did. Today in Hani manipulation class all we did was talk about the basics of Hani. Which is weird since that's one of the things we were taught when we entered here."
Agustin nodded his head.
"A similar thing happened to me. In Close quarters combat class all we did today was to go over the basics."
Agustin smirked and spread out his arms. "Do I look like I need to learn the basics of close quarters combat?"
"No." I replied slowly as I looked over his ripped body.
"Agustin it would do you well to remember that pride comes before a fall." Alistair smiled slightly and dropped his book. "There are many people that are better fighters than you."
Agustin stood up and banged the table.
"And you're one of them, right," Agustin smirked. "Skinny glasses boy?"
Alistair's eyes took on a sharp look and his smile began to turn dangerous.
"Toddlers," I shook my head in exasperation and looked at Alistair. "It's sad that a thirteen year old like you…"
I then turned to Agustin. "And a fourteen year old like you would act like toddlers."
Agustin opened his mouth, looking like he wanted to argue but I held up my hand to silence him.
"Forget it." I then turned to Alistair. "So what do you think is going on?"
Alistair took off his glasses and wiped them with a handkerchief he had got from his pocket.
"Can't say for sure." He then held his glasses to the sun. "But I'm sure we'll find out soon enough."
I spent the rest of my lunch break eating the food on my tray while thinking about my growing list of concerns.
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"Good afternoon class, today our class will focus on the history of the runic language."
I opened my eyes and glanced at the instructor who had strode into the classroom moments ago.
'I see he's following the script of the day, going back to the basics.'
The man who had walked into the room was the instructor who taught a class called Runic systems.
Andrew Maduke was his name, and he looked like a middle aged, with black hair that had streaks of white running through it, and also had a potbelly which I could see through the white shirt he was wearing, and the long leather jacket he had on which was the uniform of every instructor in Freestone.
As soon as he got on the podium, he jumped into the lesson.
"Runes were likely first discovered thousands of years ago and it is the language that us humans use to affect the world around us and create strange phenomena."
"Runes are a mixture of lines, circles and patterns that are mixed together. But be warned, they can not just be put together anyhow. If that is done best case scenario the rune won't work and worst case…"
Instructor Maduke paused for dramatic effect. "..It could cause a huge explosion which would lead to the death of you and everyone in your general area."
Instructor Maduke paused and looked around at the about twenty students that were in the room.
"Which is why runic language is constantly being studied." He then gazed into the distance all dreamy eyed. "Just imagine the power that is in runes that would cause an explosion like that."
Instructor Maduke shivered.
"I get goosebumps just thinking about it."
He then seemed to remember where he was and focused on us again.
"Anyway let's go over the most basic runes."
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Instructor Maduke glanced at his XOC and shook his head in regret.
"Sadly our time of learning and discovery has come to an end. Until our next class."
Instructor Maduke then hopped off the podium then walked out of the room.
I quickly got up and checked my XOC for the time.
'Half past three, right on time.'
In Freestone Academy every class goes on for three hours, with classes starting every morning by nine, and between every class period there is a thirty minute break which students can spend however they like. In total there are three classes everyday with the last class always ending by seven in the night.
I walked out of the classroom and turned left down the hall.
'What's the last class I have today?'
I stopped and thought, before smiling a moment later as it came back to me. 'Oh yeah, it's Dagger training.'
I then continued down the hall.
'At least I can end today with a course I like.'
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A woman stood in the middle of a wide open grass field in front of about thirty students with her arms akimbo.
"I'm sure you can all guess, but I'm going to say it anyway. Today you students are going to work on your posture, grip, and general usage of daggers."
'Same as the other two classes.' I thought as I stretched out on the ground.
"But first stretch out your muscles. I'm sure you wouldn't want to get injured."
After a few minutes of loosening our muscles the instructor told us to stop.
"Ok, now I want all of you to go to that rack and pick up the dagger that best suits you, once you've done that come back here."
I got off the ground and followed the rest of the students over to the rack.
I noticed that most students had been talking and laughing since the class started, it was obvious that they weren't taking it seriously, and to be honest neither was I.
'I mean why would we take it seriously? We've all long since stopped working on the basics,' My gaze ran through my classmates. 'I'm sure some of them have even started learning a dagger style by now….no this is the wrong attitude to have. If I keep on thinking like this I'll definitely be killed one day, the basics are the foundation for every other trick that I'll ever learn, so it won't hurt to have a more solid foundation.'
In my mind I added working on my dagger basics to my to-do list.
I reached the rack, picked up a pair of eleven inch long daggers, which were honestly closer to being called a short sword, then walked back to where I originally was on the field.
The instructor unsheathed the dagger that was on her hip and held it up for the students to look at.
"Observe how I hold it, the method I'm holding it right now is known as the forward hammer grip.' She then brought her hand forward for us to see.
"Forward grips involve holding the dagger by the grip, your fingers wrapped completely around, and the blade facing out from you, pointing straight up at the sky. Variations on this grip mostly depend on where you put your thumb to reinforce, but like I said earlier the most basic is the hammer grip, in which you wrap your thumb around the grip, to secure the dagger in your hand."
She brought down her hand then sheathed the dagger.
"But honestly there is no wrong or right way to hold a dagger, it all depends on your strength, style and body shape. So just do what feels comfortable to you."
"Anyway work on your grip for the next thirty minutes, trust me if any of you perfect the way you hold your dagger there will be a significant improvement in how well you fight, I swear that on my name, Lilac Bush."
'So that's her name.' I quickly imprinted the name in my mind. 'I really should have paid attention when she introduced herself.'
"Anyway after practicing for thirty minutes we'll move on to something else." Finished Instructor Bush.
I moved to the side of the training field to try and figure out the method of gripping that suits me best.
'Since I use two daggers I usually use a forward grip for both my right and left hand…but maybe I should change it up?'
I sat on the grass and began thinking about what to do.
After a minute of thought I got up and dusted myself off.
'Ok, I'll try every style of gripping I know,' I adjusted my grip on the daggers. 'Even if I think it won't suit me I'll still try it out, who knows maybe I'll find out that there is a way I prefer.'
I gripped both daggers in a reverse position with the blades facing me, then got to work.