"Yea, yea, I got it, instructor," Aadish said, waving his hands dismissively in an attempt to chase away Vinc.
Vinc stared down at him, his thick glasses reflective, and his eyebrows frowned slightly.
Aadish felt coldness shrouding him, his hair stood up instinctively as Vinc's gaze pressured him.
Then Vinc went away.
"Tch…" Aadish clicked his tongue once again.
Hubert gazed at the show in front of him, then continued on with his study of magic circles.
Time progressed, day changed into noon, then into afternoon.
The scorching sun, once hot and blazing, turned into a gentle ray of light that shone its last light as it was about to set. Just like every day.
"Finally!" Hubert shouted. He had spent the entire day studying and meditating on the different magic circles painted on the scrolls.
In his hand, where his finger gripped the edge of the scroll tightly, was the scroll of Ignem arcesso - fire ball.
With struggle and hardship, he had achieved success and achievement.
"Now! Onto the next one!" Hubert muttered. His hand moved and worked, scrolling the scroll and tying it with its ribbon.
His fingers were placed gently on the fragile piece of paper, the next scroll of Ignem Ruptis - fire burst, when he noticed. The sun had begun to sink into the horizon.
"Ha… Time passed too fast," he sighed and muttered, disappointed in the pace of time.
Then he looked around, the instructors dismissed the students, they heeded and left the area. With their friends or, occasionally, lovers, they left the field and headed for their own matters.
"Alright, I guess that's enough for today," Hubert said, lifting himself off the ground.
His hand held a stern hug over the scrolls as he collected it.
"Hubert!" Dareon called in the distance, his tone overjoyed and his smile vibrant.
"Ah, Dareon, have you gained enlightenment?" Hubert asked, curious of Dareon's progress.
Dareon's back slumped, his vibrant smile diminished, replaced by a saddened frown.
"U-uh… I'm sure you'll do better tomorrow!" Hubert said, supporting and comforting.
"Yeah…" Dareon murmured in a low tone.
"Let's get ready for our training session, I will need to store my scrolls first," Hubert exclaimed.
"Let's go then!" Dareon said, his joyful and energetic tone returned.
The hallway of dormitory building C was crowded with bustling activities. Chatting, conversing, flexing, sharing and even to the occasional flirtings.
Fortunately for Hubert and Dareon, it would only take the two of them a short adventure through the smelly and sweaty environment of the hallway.
"Damn! It was really smelly there!" Dareon said. As he gagged repeatedly.
"Haha… It seems that the whole day of meditating and sweating under the sun truly caught up," Hubert mentioned.
"The schedule in this place is messed up! How could they start the shower only after dinner?!" Dareon questioned.
The two of them walked to the empty clearing behind dormitory building C, their usual place.
Hubert extended his arm sideward, his gloved hand hitting Dareon directly on the stomach. His eyebrows pointed downward and his gaze turned into that of an endangered predator.
"He-hey!" Dareon called out, his hands on his stomach. Then he understood.
"Ah, Hubert, Dareon. We've come to play with you," Aadish greeted, degrading.
Rather than the stoic, silent and smileless Ron, they were welcomed by Aadish, Henter, Cobman and one other man, unchanged from their uniforms as they stood on the clearing.
"What do you want, Aadish?" Hubert asked, interrogatively, his eyes cautious.
"Ah, nothing! Really, we just came here to play with you and Dareon!" Aadish strengthened his argument.
"..." Hubert's silence responded.
So did Dareon.
The two changed into their fighting stance. Their calloused fists gritted hard and their muscly abs clenched.
"Hey! Relax! We've come in peace, let's just talk about a few things!" Aadish said, his arms open as he stepped forward, his tone relaxed.
"Come closer and we'll take it as you picking up a fight. You understand what the instructors would do if they found out right?" Hubert asked. Sweat trickled down his forehead.
He was nervous. He remembered the past, his escape from the barbarian of the north or the fight against the ant in the mana mine cave of the parish. But it was truly the first time that he felt weirdly nervous and frightened.
Maybe because this would be the first time that he had a fight with something he deemed human. A moral teaching he has been taught to him since he was a child.
The citizens of the Kingdom of Creopia don't fight with one another.
"Oh yeah? Well, that is… if the instructor ever finds out!" Aadish shouted. Then he extended his palm forward.
"Ignem Arcesso!" he chanted loudly.
Hubert saw. The magic circle appeared out of thin air, floating gently above Aadish's palm, followed by a blazing ball of fire, the size of a human head.
"How could you?!" Hubert questioned as his eyes widened.
"Don't think I'm the same as you! You think that my family wouldn't teach me magic, huh? Something that you, peasants, couldn't afford to even dare to think of?!" Aadish answered.
The fireball shot and sped toward them. Hubert dodged to the left, while Dareon dodged to the right.
Their goal was the same, attack.
Boom!
The fireball hit the ground behind them as they sped away. The spell had missed.
"Ha! You would think it would be that easy to reach me? Guys, attack them!" Aadish commanded.
His group obeyed, they rushed from behind him. Two men, Henter and Cobman, engaged Dareon, while the other, an unnamed man, placed his attention on Hubert.
"Take on that guy and Aadish! Don't worry, I will beat these two brats before they can even blink!" Dareon bragged, his fist ready.
Hubert nodded.
His gloved fist clenched as he prepared for the fight.
"Peasant! Take this!" the man said, throwing a quick punch with his right hand at Hubert.
Hubert easily dodged the attack by stepping to the right. Then he too launched and countered with an attack of his own.
"Who are you calling peasants?!" Hubert muttered.
His left foot stepped forward as his spring-like muscles sprung forward his fist, aiming at the man's unprotected face.
Bam!
His gloved fist made clear contact with the man's face.
His nose pushed inward, his eyes squinted, and his saliva, along with a little bit of red blood, drooled from his mouth while his body limped backward, thrown into the ground.
A thud followed.
"Ha…!" Hubert groaned, seeing the man on the ground. A sense of accomplishment rushed into him. But he also felt fear as he placed his gloved hand in front of him, tainted by blood and spit.
"Hubert! You dare attack a noble of this kingdom! I, the nobleman of the kingdom of Creopia, son of Baron of Soondi, condemn you to your death!" Aadish shouted, his hand extended forward, the magic circle of Ignem Arcesso, the same spell as before, floated atop his palm, directed to Hubert.
Then his fingers tense, his fist gritted once again and the veins in his forearm popped out. Determination mingled with rage in his eyes.
"You think I care?!" he shouted. His once calming and relaxing tone and voice turned into that full of anger.
Then he rushed forward.
Aadish stared at Hubert, fearful and scared, nervous and anxious as he casted his spell. Hubert stared back, determined and focused, readied and prepared as his fist clenched by his side.
The white of both of their eyes was visible to each other.
"You don't think you would be able to touch me, aren't you…?" Aadish asked, his voice shaky.
"If you're a man, take this like a man!" Hubert shouted, his voice loud and stern.
"N-no! How dare you? Ignem Arcesso!" Aadish chanted.
Hubert's leg muscles bulged as he prepared to dodge the magic.
Then Aadish turned his aim left, toward Dareon.
Dareon stood exhausted, his lungs repeatedly gasped for air, his calloused fist became rougher.
Henter and Cobman laid on the ground, their faces bruised, unconscious. The winner of their fight had been decided.
Hubert realized what Aadish had planned. The spell that was charged up from the start changed its course and headed toward the defenseless Dareon.
"No!" Hubert shouted.
His heart skipped a beat, his muscles tensed, his vision froze,while his brain thought of one thing.
Jump.
Then he obeyed his thought's command. He jumped sideward, placing himself between the spell and Dareon.
The fireball came out of Aadish's palm and shot toward him.
Hubert raised his arm, treating it as a shield, the only shield he could rely on at that moment.
Boom!
The explosion rang on his ear, deafening it. His vision became a blur. Then he felt a dull pain impacting his back.
Then it all went black.
"Huh? Where am I?" Hubert asked, standing still in the middle of the blankness that seemingly filled the space around him.
"Wasn't I just fighting with Aadish? Did Dareon survive that fireball strike?" Hubert questioned himself, confused and disoriented.
"Hubert," a woman's voice called out.
It felt familiar.
"Anna?" Hubert asked.
"Yes… DON'T YOU DARE DIE ON ME! YOU ARE MY PROPERTY, YOU WILL NOT DIE UNLESS I COMMAND YOU TO!" Anna shouted, her voice screeching and high pitched.