There was a method to Bronzehenge's madness, though it was hard to remember sometimes with the screeching hawks, roughousing wolfhounds and blabber mouths like Professor Switch.
Every day started with meditations and Absorption Training for a reason. The Absorption of Ambient-Mana left them at their strongest, so they could get the most out of their sparring-- and maybe even be able to make a breakthrough to the next Cultivation Stage.
That's what Murciel was always hunting for. Even more than he hunted for Foul-Beasts at the city's edges. Ascension.
Mrs. Augustus once mentioned that his mother, Thena was at the Cultivation Stage of High Verdant-Knight.
He needed to get there. He needed to join her in her voyages to Low-Earth where Druidic Warriors were forged like the finest blades in the hottest smithing chambers belonging to High-Earth.
And that's why he challenged the boy with his wolf.
He was the strongest.
Murciel could smell it.
Or maybe he just remembered Logan making his first appearance with a bundle of slain Foul-Beasts...
His ego was still in need of healing after he watched everyone believe Logan's dark adventure tale over his own.
Logan Peltwalker. There was something different about him. Something familiar.
"If I beat you, they'll believe me."
Logan leaned to the left, mirroring Murciel's movements so they could both face each other away from the wolf-creature.
"Why do you care what people think?"
"You don't?" Murciel inquired.
Logan's brown travelers cloak fluttered in the wind, carrying smells of the sun, blood and iron, "I know myself. I don't need confirmation from people who could care less."
".....What if they care more?" Murciel asked, honey-gold eyes wide.
"They don't." Logan stiffly replied.
"But what if they do?"
Logan fought off a very wolfish snarl that started with a tremble of his full dark lips, "You..... are annoying."
Murciel smiled, he didn't notice it but the wolf backpedaled at the revelation of his overpronounced canines. That and the hunger for violence visible in his body language. To the wolf, he was practically screaming bloody murder. "Does it make you want to fight me?"
"It does."
And so they did. Or, so they started.
"Young Seeds, have you chosen you sparring partners?" Professor Switch inquired.
Everyone gave a nod of confirmation.
"Good. For those of you that failed to absorb any Ambient-Mana, may you bask in it further during your spar-- as you should've been doing on your nights outside like the others. Your failure to complete this simple homework will bite you in the behind like a starved wolf!"
"But Professor Swit--"
"Quiet, Roan! Brutus, you make her pay for her failures in today's spar, understood? Or else you'll be running with Murciel and Olivander."
In the distance, a large boy with a bark shield straightened, "YES SIR!"
"Seeds at the ready?"
Silence settled. Combat stances assumed. Adrenaline on the incline...
Murciel's stance favored his strongest attribute. His speed. He dropped low, set up on his tip toes, ready to blast off with his arms wide and manueverable. He reached for his sheathed daggers at his hip and gripped air.
"Dammit! I lost my weapons fighting the Foul-Beasts... Actually this is fine. A new challenge. This will make me stronger. Hehehe...." Murciel thought before balling his fists.
Logan turned his head in unison with his wolf as Murciel smiled. He looked like a wild animal. Murciel was tall for his age-- he couldn't have been any older than thirteen and was already six feet tall. Where everyone else wore leathers and armor under beautiful cloaks, Murciel wore a dark green sweater with the sleeves removed and a cloak hed grown out of and now wore like a cape. He looked stupid with his dirt marks and self done berry-paint arm tattoos. Even so, Logan could smell Foul-Beast blood all over him.
As they stood, ready to spar, Logan felt something he hadn't felt since he had to face his father to earn his trip to Center-Earth. He felt it twist in his stomach like an adolescent Wyrm. He felt it make the beat of his hear irregular. Fast. Unsteady.
He felt....
"BEGIN!" Professor Switch roared before taking the form of a crow and flying to the skies.
Murciel took off. Faster than usual thanks to the circulation of Inner-Mana increasing his physical attributes.
Logan matched his charge, dashing out of his cloak at an impressive pace. Underneath he wore a thin brown sweater and silver-gold curiass. He unsheathed the rod at his back and swung it.
Murciel dropped low and slid on his knees, barely avoiding the hot steel staff.
Immediately after, he was jumping back onto his feet and backflipping away from the snapping jaws of Logan's wolf.
Now, feet from Logan's back, he spun and slammed his foot into the new kids back. Only his bare foot didn't hit his back. It hit Logan's staff.
He heard his skin sizzle before the pain settled in. And before he could process it, Logan was dropping low and sweeping his leg out from under him.
Murciel curled in the air, landing in a spring loaded handstand. He pushed himself back up and landed face to face with Logan. He could see the surprise in his dark eyes.
He swung.
Before his knuckles could connect with Logan's jaw, he was knocked away from his opponent, blindsided by both a body and his own eagerness. He rolled and collided with three more sparring bodies before hitting a tree stump bordering the groves.
He looked up and found a girl no older than him with flower stuffed pigtails and a Warhammer in her hands, "Sorry, Murciel!"
"Roan! It's fine..... Do it again. This will train my perception!" Murciel said as the other interrupted students angrily recovered.
Professor Switch squawked from a tree, "Don't stop fighting! Work around your interruptions or you'll all have laps to run forever! We're learning the flow of war here. If you can't handle it, you cannot be a Druid!"
Everyone rushed back to work. Murciel barely even got a chance to get up.
Logan pounced on him like a desert panther. Murciel dodged the attack and ducked a swing of Logan's steaming staff. It hit the tree behind him and caused small flames to begin eating the brown hide.
"Stop running!" Logan snapped.
"Ok" Murciel jumped as Logan swung at his legs. While still in the air, he drop-kicked him in the face with both of his dirty bare feet.
The boy stumbled backward with a bloody nose.
Murciel landed on his feet. Still smiling. Still excited for the growth that would come from fighting Logan.
Logan snarled once before collecting himself. From there, he looked around once, ignoring Professor Switch as he flapped his wings and screamed overhead at their stillness.
Finally, he moved, deliberately stepping out of the shade made by the trees overhead.
Once in the sunlight, the blades of grass around him began to steam. It was like the sun's rays were hotter where he stood. His tight braids glimmered. His bronze skin was radiant. His eyes turned orange, like circlets of pure sunlight.
He clicked a button on his staff and it extended as fire burst from the holes in its sides. In a flash, he held a spear.
Not just any spear either.
"....That's a Sunspear! Wait a minute..... fiery eyes, solar empowerment, dark skin..... wolf-creature. You're a Firespeaker!?" Murciel questioned.
Everyone was still. Even Professor Switch.
"I am. Do you forfeit this ma--"
"ARE YOU CRAZY!!? KEEP FIGHTING!"