Chapter 43: The Rain Duel

Chapter 43: The Rain Duel The waking light of the Halo rose slowly. Lucen, Tharic, Ymir, Set, and many others from their class were up early to carry the buckets of water up the steps. The training yard sat comfortably above a daunting number of steps. The chilly wind bit through his light clothes. His classmates rubbed their arms as they spoke in quiet voices. Lucen’s head bobbed as he stood, and he rubbed his eyes. "I hate how early we have to get here. Nobody’s around, so why not just forget the buckets?" "Try to have some respect for the traditions that have built so many skilled fighters," Set scolded. "If you’re so tired, then the journey will warm you up." "I’m only half filling them," Lucen muttered. "Did you hear about the newest class of Knights from Crucible?" Ymir whispered to Arielle, "Bedir topped his class." Arielle clicked her tongue. "I’m happy the king’s son didn’t get it, at least. But Alexandria would have been so much better." "I heard she had some personal issues during the year," said Set. "I like Bedir, though." "Because he also has a soul-bound Wyrm blade," Ymir teased. Lucen turned to them at the mention of the sword. Set grimaced. "It’s from the same Wyrm as mine." Lucen turned away. He already guessed that Heimar sealed Set’s blade to its Waiting stone. Waiting stones were part of the ritual of creating a soul-bound weapon; they also ensured that if the owner of the weapon died, the sword wouldn’t fall into enemy hands. The journey up the expansive staircase was as annoying as usual. The cold wind buffeted them, whipping their hair and clothes around. Lucen was at the back of everyone, providing a windbreak for him, but to his sore shoulders, the icy draft felt like needles. Once they got to the top, he dropped the buckets and rolled onto the grass for a few seconds. He was cursing the stupid tradition when drops of water began to hit him. "You have to be fucking kidding me," he muttered, eyes still closed. "It’s going to rain," Ymir sighed. Then there was a loud splash, and ice-cold water hit Lucen’s arm, making him jump. Set had thrown his entire bucket of water over Ymir. "Set!" Ymir screeched. "Hehe, we’re going to get soaked before we enter the castle anyway," Set said, grinning. Ymir rushed to her bucket, and the other twenty teenagers on the field seemed to think this was the perfect time to have some fun. Lucen tried creeping away from the water fight, but Tharic and Helie threw a bucket over him at once. They both laughed as Lucen twitched. "You can’t escape us this time," Tharic quipped. "You’ve never been in a water fight with us," Helie said. "We’ll duel under the rain after this. Warren says it’s good for training mana sense and, in general, instincts." Lucen rose with a dark look on his face. He was already cold as death; he didn’t want to fight in the rain. He pretended like he was going to lie back down, then picked up one of his buckets and showered Helie. Tharic tried to run, but Lucen had a vendetta. Before long, the three of them were soaked, and the rain was falling. Lucen and Tharic decided to start their duel, and unfortunately, everyone was watching instead of fighting. They were using wooden weapons, and the fight would be decided by who got the first critical hit. "I just thought I should warn you first that I can see with mana sense really well," said Lucen. "I fought Korgath in heavier rain than this." "Shit. My mana sense is only good up close." Tharic frowned. The sound of rain pouring and the excited voices of the other Knight apprentices faded as Lucen closed his eyes and honed in on Tharic with his mana sense. His greatsword hung over his shoulder, a stance that flowed well into an overhead slash. But Tharic was tricky. He was agile and liked throwing his body through the air for unorthodox slashes and dodges. Lucen liked to keep his feet on the ground and only move in short steps. His spear constantly moved around his body to try and trick his opponent into thinking he couldn’t counterattack. They both kicked off the ground at once. The sharp burst of speed brought them face-to-face in a second. Tharic’s greatsword rose over his head like he was going for the strike. Lucen faked an attack, and Tharic leapt from the ground into a flip, weightlessly. Mid front flip, Tharic swung his upper body and greatsword in a slash that sought his neck. Lucen, who only faked the attack, only had to deflect the attack and strike before Tharic touched the ground. His spear cut a line through the curtain of rain towards the back of his neck. But Tharic spun again even before hitting the ground, back towards Lucen, and his greatsword followed in a wide arc. Lucen blocked it easily and retreated. Tharic and his sword moved like they were weightless. Moving like that mid-air felt impossible and unnatural. Like he was balanced on a spinning top. Was it his enhancement spell? The attacks didn’t carry as much force as they would have if his feet were planted, but they would still be deadly if he got caught in the neck or chest. They clashed in the rain, sending water flying around, bodies fleeting over the wet ground in sharp strides. Tharic was all over the place, leaping into the air and striking multiple times. Lucen was stalwart and unshakeable, his attacks reaching for the back of his neck or heart like a hook. There was a final burst of movement; Lucen finally predicted Tharic, ducking under a slash, then slamming his wooden spear into Tharic’s belly. Tharic fell onto the wet grass, gasping slightly. He opened his eyes, and Lucen’s hand was held out. "You lied about your mana sense," Lucen said, helping Tharic stand. "A little, but most of that was predictions and hoping you couldn’t see through the rain," Tharic muttered, rubbing his belly. "You fought like your eyes were open." Other people had begun duelling too, but some people stayed close by. They wanted to test his sword, and it looked like Set was going next. But Lucen was more interested in Ymir behind him. Her black hair snaked down her shoulders, dripping with rain. Her golden eyes shone with mirth. Lucen decided to finish Set quickly.