I Will Defy

by Rook837

"You're just another Ionian coward, too weak to stand on you own, but too proud to bow down. I can see it, plain as day, and now... everyone else can too." (Rated M for Intense Violence and Dark Content. Nothing Explicit)

14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

The forest seems darker than usual. Shadows shift with the wind, the leaves and branches making menacing shapes in the filtered moonlight. Between the shadows and the soft rustling, I don't even notice Fairfax until he steps from the darkness a dozen feet away from where I stand.

I almost jump, but I manage to keep myself still as he approaches, his ragged, shrouding clothes fluttering about him. He walks purposefully toward me, but something seems off about him. His form looks tense underneath his cloak, like he's wary of something. I take a cautious look around us, but everything appears quiet.

"So," I ask, still searching for potential dangers, "I take it this is about those two figures we saw yesterday?"

"No," He answers simply, his deep, altered voice echoing slightly. "Forget about them."

I frown, turning my gaze back to him. "You heard what they were saying though. They're up to something, and I'm not just going to sit back-"

"Yes," Fairfax interrupts simply. "You are. You're going to sit back and do nothing. You have more important things to be worrying about."

"You heard what they were saying," I whisper back harshly. "This isn't some little Noxian scheme. They're planning something big, and it has to do with that caravan that entered the academy. You know, the one with all that extra equipment and soldiers? How do you expect me to not do anything?"

"Because, if it comes to that, I will take care of it."

The sheer force behind his words make me rock back on my heels, and I turn away from him. I should trust him, I know I should, but something about those figures unnerves me. Fairfax is right though, I can't focus on them if I want to stay at this academy. I need to be able to win tomorrow in at least one of my duels.

"Any other questions?" he asks, folding his arms as he stares at me.

"No," I say, shaking my head. "Let's just get training."

"Alright then," he says with a nod. "You've improved as much as you're going to be able to in hand-to-hand combat with the short time we've been given. We'll focus on weapons training from now on. I want you to go through every attack and defensive maneuver you know, pretending to fight an invisible opponent."

I give him a short nod, and get into a wide legged stance, grabbing my sword's handle lightly. Fairfax steps away, walking to a small hill before stopping and watching me intently. I take a deep breath in, and close my eyes.

Going through every attack and defense is going to take some time, especially if I want to pull them all off as close to perfectly as possible. For that, more than anything else, I need focus, the same level I have when I cast my spells. So, I breathe deeply, and calm my heartbeat, silencing it until each beat is no more than a small tremor. Then I relax my muscles, starting with my arms and working my way down all the way to my toes.

Once I get them relaxed, I tense them all up as quickly as I can, and then I relax them, trying to do it just as swiftly. I go through that routine a few times, effectively stretching my muscles for the quick turns and moves I'm about to do. I didn't have to worry about straining my physical body when I was fighting in my shell, but I'm not about to handicap myself because I'm too lazy to do proper techniques and stretches.

Eventually, I get each muscle to tense, stretch, and relax as fast as they're going to go, and I give a short nod to myself. Alright, then. Now my mind.

I focus on my heartbeat and muscles, delving into the control I have over them. Everything else I shut out, letting my breaths become my new sense of time. When everything is gone but myself, I slowly start to open up my senses one by one.

First is touch. My body reports a few pains I've accumulated from the duels and I shut those back out quickly. Other than those, my feet are only slightly sore and blistered from running so much, and my back hurts. I can't imagine sleeping so restlessly helped it much. I gently push those away, and then I turn to my outer feeling of touch.

I feel the softness of my clothes, the smooth, refined cloth barely whispering over my skin. The dirt is soft and pliable underneath my feet except for the occasional pebble. The leaves crunch and crinkle softly underneath my shoes, which feels odd without the accompanying sound. The air is cool, and my skin prickles with goosebumps. I would be cold and shivering if I wasn't so focused. Last is the feel of my sword, the rough cloth wrapped around the hilt, and the polished wooden sheath held in my left hand.

Then I do taste. My mouth feels stale and dry, like I haven't been drinking enough water. I lick my lips, a soft pang coming from the left corner where the skin has begun to chap. I clear my throat softly and then move on.

Smell. The smell of the forest fills my nose. The dirt smells fresh, like it has just enough rain to stick together and not crumble but not too much to be mud. The trees have that ever present smell of bark and sap, the fresh earthy tones that make me feel out of place compared to the city's aroma. Even the air seems to have a smell to it, coming in crisp and fresh, the way it does when the temperature is cooler at night. It reminds me of all the times I stayed up late from studying or practicing magic and looked up at the stars.

Hearing. The forest is quiet except for it's usual sounds. Bugs chirp and squeak, their noises making an odd, lulling background noise. A few birds occasionally cry out and flap their wings, but they stay mostly quiet, either asleep or silent in their vigils. The only other sound is the stirring of the trees as the wind softly brushes through the leaves and branches. I try to listen for Fairfax's breathing, but I don't hear it. He must be keeping it quiet so I can focus on my meditation.

I open my eyes. The darkness surrenders to my sight quickly, and everything seems more clear than usual. About half the trees still have their leaves, the other half barren in the changing season. I carefully look at the terrain of the path I stand on and then the space around me. I take special note of Fairfax's location, any trees that might get in my way, and any odd bumps or piles of leaves I might trip on. Other than that though, I see nothing else of interest, so I stop, focusing on the air in front of me.

And then I begin. I start with a simple Iaido, whipping my katana from it's sheath with unnatural speed. Instead of stopping to resheath my blade though, I twirl it in my right hand as I toss my scabbard away with my left. Then I grab the sword with both my hands, and settle into a wide stance, blade pointed high in the air.

I decide to go for the attacks first. So I start out with simple swings and stabs, arching each one attack into the next instead of simply resetting my stance each time. I take special care to always attack at one certain spot in particular, pretending an enemy is standing there. Once I finish my simple strikes, I move into my combination ones that play off the momentum of my previous swings. I keep myself in the same position though, making sure not to move myself from my spot.

By the time I finish with those, sweat has started forming on my forehead from the exertion, and I do my best to ignore it as it drips down my nose itchily. I move into the next phase of my attacks, repeating the same process but now moving my body and legs at the same time as my attacks, keeping myself on the move around my imaginary opponent with spins, lunges, and everything else I can think of. It reminds me of dancing, not just because of my dream either, but because I prefer this style to the straight up standing my ground and fighting. This feels more natural and strong, like my swings come faster, and I'm able to react quicker.

Those take up less time, mostly because I'm able to play off my sword's momentum with my body. Once I finish my attacks, I move into my defense. My arsenal here is a lot more limited mostly because I don't have the physical strength to defend against head on attacks, so I have to rely on parrys and dodges. I still have a few tricks though, and I use my dancing experience to my advantage, placing weight on my feet and toes as I bend away from imagined sword slashes with speed anyone else would slip or fall at. I even manage a backwards flip, landing on my feet in a couched position, my sword pointed at my enemy.

I slowly stand up, walk over to my scabbard, and then sheath my sword, letting my focus slip away gradually. My vision blurs as exhaustion hits me, my pain returning to me with renewed vigor. My wounds ache, I think I popped a blister on one of my toes, and my back burns. My lungs drink in each breath thirstily, and I take a moment to let the dizziness of everything hitting me at once pass. Fairfax walks over to me, nodding a few times to himself.

"Alright, a few things we have to go over," he says slowly, as if thinking to himself. "First of all, you have very good control of your positioning, balance, speed, and, well, your body in general. Your strength in combat is definitely agility, so you need to keep using that. Never stand still, and don't be afraid to use those moves. If you do, you should be able to beat everyone including Jackson."

"Really?" I frown, trying to slow my breathing. "But Seth and Jackson both seem to be trained soldiers. How am I supposed to beat their combat training?"

"There's a big difference in the way soldiers fight and the way duelists fight," Fairfax says with a wave of his hand. "Soldiers train to fight together, using each other's strengths and presences to their advantage. They focus on discipline and not taking risks. On the other hand, duelists train to focus on only themselves and their opponent. A good duelist knows their limits and when to push them, taking risks that a soldier wouldn't because of their commitment to teamwork."

"So you're saying Jackson won't know how to go up against me because my style's unusual?"

"Theoretically," he says with a nod. "He's used to fighting safely, and if you take risks like a duelist would it will throw him off. You've got to get used to using your strengths and pushing them past where your opponent thinks their limit is at. In short, you play safe, and you play into their hands."

"What about the others?" I ask. "Like the Nobles? Won't they have training in dueling?"

"They will, but you've shown you can beat them or at least tie with them when you're just playing safe. If you go on the offensive and start pushing your duelist skills, they won't stand a chance."

A shiver runs through me, and my mouth tugs up at the corners. Something holds me back from smiling though. Maybe it's just the dream, but I feel unsettled about something, the back of my neck prickling uncomfortably.

"Anything else you have for me?" I ask, rubbing at the small kink I feel forming in my neck.

"Yes," he says, his tone becoming simpler. "It's close to the same as what I said before, but you lack confidence. Your attacks are mechanically sound, but you always aim to hit the opponent with your tip of your sword. The reason you had so much trouble with Jackson and couldn't beat him is because you let him use the range advantage of his glaive. Each and every one of your attacks was aimed to use the very edge of your blade to cut him, and that's why he was able to dodge."

A small shiver goes through me, and I look away. "So what would you suggest?"

"I suggest you start using the weapon you're actually best at."

I freeze, my muscles tensing up as I slowly look towards Fairfax. I grit my teeth as I try to look him in where his eyes would be if he didn't have a hood. My palms suddenly feel sweaty, and I shift my feet slightly.

"What do you mean?" I ask, my voice weak.

"I mean you were third best in your school for a reason," Fairfax says, unconvinced. "If you had focused on training with just your katana, you would have easily become the best with the conviction and discipline you have for training. Therefore, you must of been training with a different weapon, which is why your attacks were off. You're used to another weapon, one with a different reach and weight. So why aren't you using it?"

I look away from him, rubbing at my neck again. "I don't know what you're talking about."

He lets out a short sigh, and for a moment I think he's going to press the topic, but he just gives a small little shake of his head.

"No matter," he says. "You should be fine with your katana skills anyway."

He turns and starts walking away, and I frown at him.

"Where are you going?" I ask. "Isn't there something else we can train with?"

"Not with the time we have left," he says, turning back to me. "Between your mediation and variety of techniques, it's already been an hour."

"Didn't you have something you wanted to tell me though?" I ask, scratching my neck. "Your note said you wanted to tell me something important."

He seems to hesitate at that for a second, but then he walks back towards me until he's only a few feet away.

"There's something you should know," he says, picking his words carefully. "About a few of the students at the academy."

"Like what?" I ask with a curious frown.

Before he can say anything, something rustles in the leaves behind me. My eyes widen as I suddenly realize that the sensation on the back of my neck wasn't a sore muscle, but the feeling of being watched. Fairfax whips his head toward the sound and then back at me.

"Run," he whispers, vanishing into the trees with a blur of speed a moment later.

So I do. I don't bother trying to be quiet because of how close the sound was. I just sprint, ducking beneath low branches and hopping over small holes and rocks as I work my way off the path into the forest, heading in a different direction than Fairfax. I try to squint through the darkness the best I can to see my path, but between the fatigue and speed, the ground just looks like a shadowy blob to me. So I just rely on my instincts, running as fast as I can until a cramp forms in my side and my legs start feeling wobbly.

I slide down a small embankment, the leaves rustling as they soften the bumpy ground, and I end up by a big old tree with a few bushes near it. I duck behind the tree and into the bushes, slamming my hand over my mouth to muffle the sound of my gasping breaths.

Fear echoes with each of my heartbeats, pounding through my body as I try to franticly stay hidden. Who could it have been? Was it one of the two we encountered last time? What would happen if I was found? What if they reported me? What kind of punishment would I get for breaking the curfew?

I manage to finally slow my breathing, even if my heart is still racing, and I take a look around the tree slowly, searching for any sign of whoever was watching Fairfax and I.

"Think he'll find us here?" A voice asks jokingly from right next to me.

I let out a short gasp as I whip myself around and fall backwards out of my hiding place, scrambling to my feet with my sword clutched in my left hand.

Sadon stands there, leaning against the tree with a smile on his face. He wears a simple, black, long-sleeved shirt and dark combat pants along with heavy boots. The metal studs along his jawline and nose gleam in the soft moonlight as he steps towards me, his mouth curling in a cruel smile.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk," he says, waving a finger back and forth at me. "You aren't supposed to be out here this late at night. It's against the rules."

I swallow, slowly grasping the my sword's hilt with my right hand. I say nothing though, watching his eyes. They have the same look he has during the duels. They shine with excitement and hunger like a hunter ready to make his move after a long wait. His smile turns into a thin line as he sees me grab my sword, and he clasps his hands behind his back.

"Draw that sword, and I'll kill you," Sadon says.

His words don't ring with anything. No malice, no threat, no emotion. It sounds like a teacher, lecturing on something they know forward and backward. To him, drawing my sword would have only one result for sure, and that would be him having to kill me.

I swallow again, relaxing my hand on the hilt, but I don't draw it away.

"Good," Sadon says, his smile returning. "Now, I'm going to give you a chance. Who else was out here with you?"

"I don't know," I answer quickly, and Sadon shakes his head in disappointment.

"Don't you, though? Ah well. That's okay. I'm sure there's a way we can convince him to show himself somehow."

He raises his voice as he speaks, looking around the forest as if expecting an answer, but he gets none in return. He just smiles more though, and his hands return to his sides as he bounces on his toes a few times.

"Very well, then," Sadon nods. "I suppose we should get down to business without him then. So. Aria. You've broken one of my rules. For that, you obviously need punishment. Seeing as there are no other teachers here to help me figure out what sort of thing would be correct, I will have to come up with one myself."

My eyes widen, and I take a few steps back from him as I begin to realize what he's going to do. My hand clenches back on my sword, and I hurriedly begin to call up and focus my magic to be used.

"Here's what we're going to do," Sadon says, sickly green eyes flashing. "You are going to run through this forest. I am going to attack you, and you will defend yourself. If you attack me, I will attack back with greater force. We will play this game of hide and seek until dawn, or until your partner shows himself. Deal?"

Fear wraps around my bones, almost sharp enough to be painful. I try to say something, but my throat is too dry. I take a quick look around the forest, but I'm alone.

Again.

"You're going to torture me," I whisper, my voice shaky. "For breaking curfew."

"Yes."

Nausea hits my stomach hard, and I feel bile rise in my throat. I almost let out a quick laugh, but the fear makes me swallow it down. He's exactly what I thought he was: the typical, sadistic Noxian only in life for cheap thrills and fights. I don't feel surprised or particularly angry, and why should I? It's part of their nature to be like this. I know that by now all too well.

Sadon's going to hurt me, and I can't even fight back. Sure, I can defend myself, but that means nothing if he starts using magic. When mages duel, going on defense is equal to giving up on winning the fight. Spells are as fast as thought, and trying to come up with the exactly correct counter to a an opponent's spells over and over again is a sure way to die.

He's going to hurt me, and there's nothing I can do.

"Run along now," Sadons says, putting a hand over his eyes with a grin. "I'll give you a whole two minutes to run, and I won't even look. Promise. If you can make it back to the academy in that time, I'll even let you off free."

When I see him cover his eyes, something ugly sparks inside of me. I don't see my instructor, someone with massive influence and power who is focused on hurting me right now. All I see is a young, overconfident man with his eyes closed and his body open to any attack. I see an enemy who's not ready for me.

And I have a sword in one hand, and magic ready to throw with just a breath.

The thought leaves as quickly as it comes, my vision briefly flashing red with my bloodlust. I shiver briefly, letting myself regain control for a moment. Then I take a deep breath, turn around, and sprint into the forest.

I don't head towards the academy. He was trying to bait me with the sound of safety so he would know which way I was heading. So I head in the opposite direction, heading deeper into the forest. If I can get to the outer wall and follow it, I should be able to find the beach and follow it back around to the main road and then to the academy.

I pump my arms as fast as I can, relying on my sore feet to carry me just a little further. I have a feeling Sadon will only give me one minute to run before he starts looking instead of the two he promised. It's a gut feeling, but it feels right, so I force myself to go as fast as I can manage.

I plunge into the depths of the forest, deeper than I've ever been before. I try to keep track of how many seconds pass as I run, but I lose count twenty seconds in. The trees give way to a large clearing as my legs start to turn to jelly, and I burst into it gasping for air.

Odd pieces of machinery lay around the entirety of the clearing, and I recognize them after moment as the digging equipment that was brought to the academy with the caravan on the first city day. Huge holes marking the entrances of tunnels litter the area, and crates are stacked around them, waiting to be unloaded.

I consider going into one of the tunnels briefly, but I discard the idea quickly. The miners could still be working in them, and them finding me could end with me still being expelled. Not only that, but I've read mining tunnels for artificial ley lines are notorious for being convoluted. The idea is that if they lay enough crystal in a specific pattern, the magic will resonate and make the connection stronger even when the tunnels collapse. The only problem is that it isn't exactly uncommon for miners to become lost in their own maze of tunnels.

So I avoid the tunnel entrances, running instead behind one of the huge machines to hide. I lean against it for a moment, considering my options.

I could try to hide here until daylight. The problem with that is Sadon could eventually just stumble upon me with a little luck. He could also just go back to the academy, point out I was missing, and still get me in trouble. Not only that, but if he got smart and tried to use some tracking magic…

My heart stops. What if he was using tracking magic right now? No, he couldn't be. He would have to have something that connects to me symbolically, like a strand of my hair, some of my blood, or an object that is familiar to me with my aura still on it. The only other way tracking magic works is to track spells and magic, but even then he would have to know the exact framework of the spell to be tracking which means I'm safe.

I let out a sigh, clutching my sword to my body tightly as I shake my head at myself. I can't keep psyching myself out like that. I need to focus on trying to come up with a plan. If I can just stay calm, I know I can outsmart him.

Something bothers me though. I can't quite put my finger on it, but something about all of this seems… off. Sadon's acting almost too excited. He usually acts like fulfilling his duties at the academy are a chore, so why isn't he like that now? Is it because he's excited that he finally gets to hurt someone?

For some reason, that doesn't seem like that's it. So what then? What's he doing?

I hear a soft hum, and my blood runs cold as it slowly starts getting louder. The hum is melodious, and I recognize the tune almost immediately. The Summoner's Call. Sadon found me.

I grip my sword in frustration. How did he track me? He has nothing to track me with, and I'm not using any active spells…

I slowly look down at my spell forged sword in dismay. Of course. He used that to track me. He must of got the basic feel of it while he was talking to me just a moment ago. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

I grit my teeth. Well, so much for hiding. Looks like that leaves me with one last option.

I need to hope that I can hold him off long enough. If I mean anything to Fairfax, then he will come and save me. If Fairfax truly is my ally, someone who only wants to help me, he'll come back. I just need to buy some time.

Maybe, if I get lucky, I might even be able to exhaust Sadon if he tries to use magic against me. I'm not exactly a slouch in the mana department. If I fight smart, I might be able to beat him at his own game without throwing a single attack.

I step from my hiding place behind the machine, turning to face the woods I came from slowly. Sadon stands in the clearing, his hum stopping the second I step out, and he smiles at me, tilting his head curiously. I set my sword down off to side, step away from it, and then I lower myself into a crouched position, my hand loose at my sides as I call up my magic in my mind.

It comes into being instantly, burning my mind and body with it's swirling intensity at first. My focus slowly settles it into something like electricity, sharp and intense but still controlled and stable. I run through a few dozen spells and techniques as fast as I can in my mind, discarding ones that won't be useful in this situation until only a half dozen remain.

Sadon let's out a little laugh, his eyes flashing with excitement once again. "Very nice. This is the first time I've ever felt so much power from you."

"What do you mean?" I ask carefully, trying to stall for time. "I've called this much up before."

"But I've never felt it," Sadon says with a small sigh. "You know what I'm talking about. Those other brats are terrible at controlling their auras and magic, and everytime I pass by one of them they practically buzz with energy. They lack control, but not you. You're always in complete control of your aura, keeping it to your skin to block out the magical energies. It's pretty impressive, keeping it that controlled, if I do say so."

I frown at him. I understand what he's saying, but it doesn't quite make sense to me. He sees the look on my face though, and lets out another little laugh before he raises a hand, swirling his fingers in the air. Silver energy comes into existence around his hand, forming a small orb that hums with power.

"You haven't noticed it at all, have you?" Sadon asks, his eyes suddenly turning serious. "Them getting stronger, I mean. But why would you have noticed? You're little miss special, picked by him to come here and show the rest of us all up. See, for the rest of us who aren't used to magic, it's a constant struggle to keep our senses from picking up everyone else's auras. You don't have that problem though, do you? You're used to keeping your wizard senses under control. You don't even feel magical energy unless you're actively opening up your mind, right?"

Scorn enters his voice, and it takes me a moment to realize what's going on here. Sadon's jealous of me, of my power. Attuning your mind to block out magical energies is one of the first things any mage learns to do, not because it's easy, but because it's necessary. Magic runs through Runeterra like blood through the body, and if a mage doesn't keep their mind shut from it, the constant rush and motion of random energies would be sure to give them a headache. Not only that, but also feeling the constant presence of other's auras gets to be annoying after awhile, like a fly buzzing next to your ear constantly.

Controlling my senses was the first thing I learned to do. My mom taught me Ionian meditation techniques to improve my focus when I was young, so when I learned I had magic it was pretty easy for me to control my senses. For someone like Sadon though, a Noxian who had always been taught to give into their emotions and let them control you, this academy must be a nightmare. Dozens of young mages walking around, each who barely have control over their auras, constantly brushing past and casting spells.

It must feel like a marketplace in full swing, the constant noise buzzing in his mind if he loses focus for even one second. I almost feel bad for him, considering I have a good idea of what that sensation feels like.

But I don't feel bad. Not even a little.

So instead I just stare at him. I don't let any emotion show at all. I just let my magic build up more, forcing myself to release the control I have on my aura as I do. I let it radiate out from me, invisible but still still tangible to my senses. I let it grow in power, gritting my teeth at the odd sensation of letting myself drop my focus.

Sadon's smile fades, and he winces as the power builds up around me. I let it build up more and more though, until the air distorts from the amount of energy in it, and a soft violet glow appears around my body, my aura finally emitting light with its excess energy.

And then I resume my passive focus. The power disappears from the air instantly, and the purple light vanishes from existence just like that.

Sadon stares at me, something dark flaring in his eyes, and I see his orb of silver light brighten in intensity.

"Very funny," Sadon says, glaring at me. "I'm glad you feel so superior with your magic."

"Not superior," I say softly, watching him. "Just knowledgeable."

"Well then, how about you tell me what kind of magic this is." Sadon says, his smile returning as he gestures at his silver orb.

I don't even bother opening my senses to it.

"It's spirit magic," I answer flatly. "Which is the term given to the types of magic where a mage creates magic in it's pure form. Each mage creates it slightly differently and with a certain color that corresponds to something about them. The most used form of spirit magic is controlling and manipulating one's own aura."

"Very nice," Sadon says, his smile growing wider. "Don't you just love that term? Spirit magic? I mean, it should really just be called pure magic, don't you think?"

"It's called spirit magic because it technically isn't pure magic," I answer him. "Each mage's soul and intentions, their spirit, changes it when it's called into being. Everyone's spirit magic is slightly different in it's feel and properties."

"Oh," he says simply. "That… actually makes a lot of sense."

I give him a look.

"What?" he asks simply.

"I don't mean to be rude," I say carefully. "But I'm not going to underestimate you. You knew that already. I'm not going to drop my guard."

And just like that, the atmosphere changes instantly. His smile remains, but it changes from over eager and excited to just cruel and patient. His eyes get darker, and his posture changes one from about to jump at any second to one of complete relaxation.

"I suppose I should have known better," he admits with a small shrug. "You really aren't like the others, are you?"

Something about that question sends prickles down my spines, and I fight the urge to rub at my back. "What do you mean?"

"Every other Ionian I've met is an imbecile," Sadon says, peering at me almost curiously. "They think that us Noxians need to be redeemed or something. They think we're broken and need to be fixed. It makes them underestimate us. What they don't realize is that we want to be like this, that it makes us strong. You don't do that though. You don't see us the same way. I've seen you around those 'friends' of yours. You're always tense and wary of them, like you don't trust anyone. Why is that? What made you see us so differently?"

I fight the urge to look away from him. Memories flash through my mind, and I fight them off with clenched hands. I focus on keeping my magic under control. I shouldn't be so upset by his words. I mean, they're true after all. Still, something about the way he says them makes my skin crawl.

"Well, no matter," Sadon says with a sigh. "I guess I've given Fairfax enough time to feel my magic being used. He's had time to come and save you. Now it's time to face your punishment."

Without any circumstance, he throws the orb of silver light at me, and it screeches as it soars through the air. It happens within the blink of an eye, moving as fast as an arrow from a bow. I didn't expect it to move that quickly.

It doesn't matter though, because I'm still ready for it. I cross my arms into an "X" shape in front of me, and imagine a shield of solid energy. Sadon's orb abruptly stops inches in front of me as it encounters my shield, and the opposing powers make it come into view, a vaguely domed screen of violet energy flashes into existence where our energies collide.

The force of his orb hits like a warhammer, and I feel my feet get pushed back a few inches in the dirt along with my shield before I manage to stop it in it's tracks. I grit my teeth, desperately focusing on maintaining my shield as I feel his orb tear at it with screaming power, fighting to break through.

I know a lot about magic. I've practiced with it a lot, and I consider myself quite good with it. All of that means nothing in combat like this. Sadon's will collides against my own as I battle to keep his spell at bay, it's cold intensity shredding through my power. My basic shield relies on my willpower being stronger than that of my opponent's spell, and that I can power it longer with mana. Considering my aptitude test results, I felt like I had pretty good chances at fighting Sadon off.

Now I realize the truth. I was wrong. Sadon is a lot more powerful than I thought he would be, and his spell almost completely disintegrates my shield before I even have time to strengthen it. The sheer force of it rips at the dirt when some of it's energy gets deflected, scratching into the ground and even cutting clean through rocks.

I can't lose though. Not here, and not with magic. This is my specialty, not his. I will win this fight.

And with those thoughts, my shield suddenly resurges with a subtle snap of power, and his orb screeches harmlessly against it as it's energy fades to nothing.

I drop to my knee, panting for breath. Sadon stares at me, looking slightly impressed. I force myself to stand up, but fatigue makes my knees shake and vision blur. All of this after blocking only one spell. I grind my teeth in frustration as I stare at him, thinking furiously about my next move.

I should have expected this though. Sadon didn't get his position here for nothing. I guess I just thought I wouldn't have an issue because I was able to hold off the other nine in my sub-level with a shield so easily, but that had been a bad assumption. The spell back then had been already prepared for me, and all I had to do was supply energy. This was completely different. This was me creating the framework of a spell, powering it, adjusting it to the force of his attack, and also controlling my energy the whole while.

In short, this combat magic was completely different than the magic I had been using before in the training room against the others.

"Nice," Sadon says, slowly raising a hand towards me, palm facing me and fingers extended. "But I wonder if you're ready for this."

I feel magic surging through him, and I only have a single surprised second to realize what he's about to do.

"Screech," he says, his word whispering with power as he closes his hand into a fist.

An orb the same size as the last one blazes into existence instantly, flying at me like a comet. I don't have time for any spells, so I rely on my instincts. I move, spinning my body backwards and slightly to the side of his spell.

The spell misses me by a hairs breadth, grazing the back of my jacket as I spin away. His attack screams into the darkness before hitting a tree with one more loud, metallic screech. The bark explodes, and the tree falls over a second later, slamming into the ground.

Sadon laughs as I try to regain my balance from my frantic dodge. "Incredible! You even know about word magic! This is getting interesting!"

He whips another hand at me in the same exact motion as before, and I see his mouth begin to move, power surging in him once again. I move at the last second, ducking beneath this one before I break out into a run, circling around him as I try to weave the digging equipment between him and myself.

He just laughs, extending another hand. "Screech. Screech, Screech, Screech, Screech!"

Each word sends another comet of power at me, and I somehow manage to dodge them all as he tries to hit me. The ones that miss splash against the metal equipment harmlessly, but the ones that hit the ground and tree explodes with a… well… screeching sound. I guess Noxus isn't exactly known for their originality, but still. He could have at least tried to give it a cooler name.

I almost laugh as another blast of power flies by my face where I would have been if I hadn't come to a complete stop and reversed directions. Here I am, criticizing his choice of spell names when I should be worrying about how I'm going to get through this. I guess that's a good thing though. It means I'm not scared.

I frown as I continue running. Why am I not scared? These spells would certainly hurt if they hit me, so why don't I feel afraid. Something about all this feels too showy, like he's playing for an audience instead of actually focusing on hurting me. Does he just want to get Fairfax that badly?

An orb flies by me, exploding the ground where I would have been standing if I didn't swerve at the last second.

Figure out motives later, Aria. Focus on surviving now.

I duck behind a metal drill of some sort, stopping myself as I think swiftly. He's using spirit magic. I tried to create a shield in front of me of my own spirit magic, but that had been a mistake, trying to power it away from my body constantly without wasting any energy. His spell had the advantage because he could just throw a bunch of power into each orb and let them fly, where I had to power my shield with energy at a constant pace, meaning I had to adjust to each orb's individual strength.

All in all, that one block from me ended up wasting way too much of my mana, focus, and energy. I need to fight smarter than that. If only he was using elemental attack, then my shield would have worked, but no, it had to be spirit… wait.

Something clicks in my mind, and I find myself grinning fiercely. I should be thankful it's spirit magic. I can counter this easier than anything else if I just use my brain for once. Think smarter, not harder Aria.

I step from behind the machine slowly, walking towards him with a determined step. He's too busy to notice though, and he sends another orb at me the second I step out. I raise my right hand at it, and then I prepare to catch it.

I focus my mind on my aura, letting myself feel it's surging power. It feels like a skintight suit of power, stronger than lightning and brighter than the sun. I take that power, and push more energy into it as I direct it to condense into reality.

The silver comet hit my palm, and violet energy flashes into existence around my hand and forearm as the energies fight each other. I slowly close my fingers around the orb, and the spell screams painfully as I crush it as easily as I would a ball of paper.

Silence falls on the clearing. I stay standing, and I smile. Sadon stares at me, his eyes wide, but the he frowns, throwing another ball of energy at me.

I slap it with the back of my left hand, my aura's purple light only becoming visible when his spell hits me. It feels weak, like a foam ball, and I deflect it easily to the ground at my side. The ground explodes, and a few silver slivers of shrapnel flash from the spell. Some hit me, but my aura flares to life wherever they do, disintegrating them into nothingness.

Sadon raises his hand, and silver energy swirls as he gathers it into another orb, this time focusing on making it even more powerful before he releases it. This one flies at me, and I instantly know it's almost twice as strong as even his first orb.

I catch it with both hands, stopping it in place before I look at him. Then I slam my hands together, crushing it with a soft pop of power. My hands tingle from the energy, and I wipe them off on my pant legs. A sudden laugh startles me, and I look up at Sadon as he grins hungrily at me.

"You're using your aura to block my attacks," he says in realization. "That's why your purple energy only appears when my spell hits it. You're using the control and focus you've passively developed to your advantage, strengthening it into an actual defensive spell. That's impressive."

I look at him in silent horror as my heart begins to pound painfully in my chest. I thought for sure he would be put off by the ease of which I stopped his spells, but instead he just seems intrigued. He thinks this is a challenge.

"Alright then, lets move on to my personal favorite kind of magic," Sadon says, and the bottom of my stomach drops out.

Every mage tends to lean towards certain types of magics. No one knows why, but most just assume mages have an easier time using magics that fit their personalities. Each mage has roughly three specialty magics that they are especially good at. The only thing is, it usually takes mages years of training and study to figure out which one they are best at. But when they do…

And something in Sadon's tone tells me he's figured his out.

Sadon raises a hand, throwing silver specks of light into the air around him in a spray of light. Then he closes his hand, and the light seems to condense into bright little slivers of something. Then he points his other hand at me with a smile.

"Rend," He says, and dozens of silver lines explode towards me.

These move faster than anything I've ever seen before. If it weren't for my instincts warning me that something was off, I wouldn't have been ready. I throw myself to the right, managing to dodge a good portion of the slivers.

I land on the ground with a soft thud, rolling to my feet quickly. I stare at Sadon, ready for his next attack, but he just smiles and points at me. I carefully look down at myself.

I thought I managed to dodge a good portion of his attack.

I thought wrong.

Small little tears in my jacket and pants mark where the slivers hit and cut through me, leaving thin scarlet line in their wake. I gasp as a few dozen burning cuts suddenly blaze painfully into existence. Combined with my exhaustion, it's too much, and I fall to my knees. The cuts feel like a razor blade sliced into me, and alone, one or two wouldn't have been too bad. Together though, they burn at me, taking away my breath.

I push myself back to my feet, stumbling forward. Blood starts to trickle from my various wounds, hot and wet as it soaks into my clothes. Something drips down my cheek, and I touch my hand to it. My fingers come back red. I slowly look to the ground, and I see a drop of blood splotch from my chin into the dirt below.

I wipe at the long cut on my cheek, smearing the blood, and as I do I notice something gleaming in my forearm. I look closer, and I see that it's one of the silver slivers Sadon threw at me. It sticks out of my arm, and I pull it out with a soft groan, blood spurting gently as it comes free. I raise it to my eyes, squinting at it.

It's a piece of metal. Sadon used magic to create several dozen shard of razor sharp metal and threw them at me for fun. That would explain the pain the burning sensation of the cuts, at least. But still, I've never heard of a wizard who specializes in metal before. Is there a name for that? Would they still technically be a Geomancer? Metalomancer? No, that's not a word.

I shake my head slightly, wincing in pain at the action. The pain's constant burning is making me lose focus, and that's something I can't afford right now.

"Ready for round two?" Sadon says, and I look up just in time to see him condense another cloud of shrapnel above his head, throwing it at me with a harsh little laugh.

I raise my hand, creating a translucent wall of violet energy between me and him. His attack slaps into my thick shield uselessly, the metal disintegrating with short, grating shrieks of protest. I rub sweat from my brow as I let the shield fall, and when it does, Sadon's gone.

I have all of half a second to process that before something grabs me from behind and throws me into one of the sides of a metal drill. My back slams into it painfully, taking the air from me, and I straighten only to have a hand wrap around my throat and begin to squeeze.

Sadon stands in front of me, his left hand squeezing my throat and his other gathering silvery power. I grab his hand as he shuts off my air to a mere trickle, and I try in vain to pry his hand off.

"You sure you want to do that?" Sadon asks emotionlessly. "Attack me, I mean?"

I force myself to stop and take the deepest breath I can to calm myself. My lungs feel like they're on fire, and my head aches at the agonizingly slow speed I'm forced to breathe, but I manage to get at least a small amount of air in. I lower my shaking hands away from my throat, and he smiles wolfishly at me.

"That's what I thought," He says quietly. "Now, I want to show you something. You know how you said everyone's spirit magic behaves slightly differently? Well, I kinda want to show you what mine does."

He grabs my left hand, raising it off to the side where I can see it. Sadon gives me one last smile, and then his hand begins to glow silver around my own.

I fight it for a moment, maintaining my aura shield to protect myself, but the focus of that makes spots appear in my vision. I realize blearily that I can't breathe and maintain my shield at the same time. So, I grit my teeth, and drop it.

At first, nothing happens. His glowing silver hand clasps mine own, glowing faintly violet. Then, sparks of purple start falling off my hand along with wisps of smoke as my aura disintegrates into nothingness around my hand.

Pain starts prickling my hand. At first, I mistake it for the pain of something too hot, but I quickly realize that's not right. The pain itself is blindingly hot, and I twist my hand around uncomfortably as it begins to amp up in intensity as his hand glows brighter and brighter. He holds it firm though, smiling at me the whole time.

"That's right," Sadon says, light glaring off his young face. "My spirit magic, my aura, causes pain. It makes your nerves feel as if they're taking direct damage. You aren't technically being hurt, but your nerves don't realize that."

I watch, tears forming in my eyes as the pain becomes sharper. I groan, almost squeezing my eyes shut, but they snap open in horror as I see skin start to peel and molt away from my hand. I let out a choked scream, desperately trying to keep my blurry eyes open to look at my hand.

"Oh," Sadon says simply. "I suppose I should have mentioned that, as it turns out, when your nerves feel like you should be in pain, you body starts to actually believe it is. So, this is going to kind of destroy your hand. My bad."

I stand there, my back against a literal wall, and my air being squeezed off by a maniac. Cuts burn in a few dozen places on my body, and hot blood soaks into my clothes, dripping to the ground in a few spots. All the while, I watch as the skin on my hand begins to flake, the nerves screaming out in pain.

I try to stay strong, gnashing my teeth and clawing my right hand into my leg painfully. My short, gasping breaths come out quick, and I manage to control myself as I'm forced to watch my hand.

For a while, I manage. I stay strong. I deal with the pain. I care about my image in his eyes, staying strong no matter what he does to me.

Then the skin on the entire back portion of my hand simply sloughs off, disintegrating into flakes and then nothingness as it comes free, revealing the bloody meat and flesh beneath.

I stop caring.

I'm watching him disintegrate my hand.

I lose it.

I just start screaming, squeezing my eyes shut and clawing into my leg through my pant leg. The scream comes out as more of a gargle, and then I start to choke as I stop inhaling. Pressure builds in my head as I struggle to breathe in, but I can't help but try to scream out along with the pain in my hand. It feels like a blazing sun compared to the small little cuts, taking away any sense of thought.

Suddenly his grip around my neck lessons and I can breathe again. I suck in air, snapping open my eyes. I can't see anything past the pain and tears, and I try to scream the second my lungs are filled. A hand clasps over my mouth though, muffeling the sound.

I don't care though.

I keep screaming.

It doesn't make the pain go away.

I don't stop until my throat feels raw, and when I finally do, the hand stays over my mouth hesitantly for a few seconds before it pulls away. I wipe away the water from my eyes with my right hand, desperately trying to look at my left one after I do.

It throbs in pain, each one making my vision blur, but I manage to raise it from my side back into my sight. I let out a groan, tears streaming from my eyes once again.

It appears as a bloody mess of blotchy meat, dripping scarlet onto the ground from my fingers are completely relaxed and limp except for some slight tremors, and I try to move them in panic. That's a mistake though, and I get a explosion of pain back from my hand, making my vision fade briefly. I see it twitch though, or, at least I think I do. It's hard to tell it apart from the shaking.

My hand looks like a slab of raw, bloody beef, and the only thing I can feel from it is pain.

I start crying softly, closing my eyes and leaning back against the metal of the machine, relying on it and Sadon's hand still grasping my neck to keep me standing. I just cry. I'm so tired of everything. Why do I even keep fighting?

"What?" Sadon asks, sounding confused and angry. "Did you think this was a game? Well, it isn't. This is real life, and real life has real consequences. Strength is the only thing that matters in this world. Why do you think pain and death exist? Pain shows who wins a fight, and death shows who wins the final battle. So you should thank me for this little lesson. For making you stronger. For teaching you that death is very real, always close, and that there are people more than willing to dish it out at any time."

I shudder in absolute terror, and I don't stop shaking. I try to, I really do, but I can't. He means every word of what he says. Death isn't anything more to him than what separates the loser from the winner. That's terrifying.

I manage to muster what little strength I have left though as something spurns me to keep fighting him, and I open my eyes, looking at him. My vision is blurry, but I manage to make out his face. He smiles softly at me, like he's a teacher whose disappointed a student didn't learn the lesson fast enough.

"I should thank you?" I say, literally spitting the words from between my clenched teeth. "For destroying my hand?"

"Oh, stop being so dramatic," Sadon says, rolling his eyes. "I didn't do any permanent damage. I know they make you Ionians frail, and I wouldn't want to upset Fairfax by maiming his little pet girl."

"Oh," I spit out. "Well thank you oh so much for your consideration."

I regret the words once I say them, but the pain makes everything process too slowly to let me stop myself. I almost flinch as I see Sadon smile at me, but I don't think notices underneath my shaking form.

"No problem," He says nonchalantly. "I try to make every moment teachable. I'm afraid we still have a problem though."

"Oh?" I ask, looking blearily towards my left hand and the puddle of blood expanding on the ground beneath it.

"Yeah," Sadon says, scratching his head with a frown. "It's not sunrise yet."

It takes me a moment to decipher his meaning, but I let out a groan when I do, pain pounding in my head from the collection of wounds. He told me this would last until Fairfax showed himself or until sunrise, and neither had happened yet. Which ment…

"Kind of thought he would have come out by now," Sadon says, almost confused. "I thought for sure you were special to him. Guess not, huh? Oh well. We'll just have to make sure you at least learn your lesson."

He raises his hand, silver energy glowing around it, and for a second I'm scared he'll grab my face. The energy condenses around his fingertips a moment later though, forming small metal talons that fit to his snugly around his fingers with razor sharp points. He raises his clawed thumb to my left cheek, stopping abruptly to look at me.

"Balance in all things, right?" He mocks, letting out a laugh as he pushes his thumb into my skin.

I squeeze my eyes shut as I feel the cut open, and he slices it to the exact length of the other one. Blood starts oozing out, making the left side of my face just as hot and wet as the other. As he pulls his hand away, he twitches it suddenly, creating another cut underneath the on he just made. I gasp out in sudden surprise as it slices deeper into me.

"Sorry, I slipped," He says apologetically. "Don't worry though, I'll make it even on the other side."

His hand blurs, opening up another cut just as fast, and I squeeze my eyes shut at the stinging pain.

"Here, let me help you keep your eyes closed," he says, brushing away hair from my forehead lightly.

A second later I feel him slash cuts across my forehead in quick, jerky motions. More pain shoots from my head, accenting my headaches, and a second later thick liquid drips down over my eyebrows.

"Well, I think I've run out of room up here," Sadon says with a sigh. "Guess we'll move on to your arms and legs now."

And he does. I feel him opening cuts all over me, but it feels far away, almost like it's not important. Compared to my aching, burning left hand, the hot stinging cuts are nothing. I do keep track of them though with almost a clinical like focus. He opens up four on my upper and lower arm, skips over my mangled hand, and moves on to my leg. Again, four cuts on my upper leg, four on my lower.

He switches the hands he's using, grabbing my neck with his right one now. I almost fall when he does, but he manages to catch me just in time and shove me back up. A tingle of energy later, and he begins cutting my right side, his left hand now also covered in spiked fingers.

Each of his cuts are fairly shallow compared to the shrapnel wounds he gave me. They won't scar, but they still hurt. A lot. In fact, the pain of all the cuts starts to overwhelm me, and nausea swirls in my stomach. I feel his hand move to my belly, and he slices a line into each of my sides before stopping.

"Don't worry," He says, sounding almost sympathetic. "We'll skip doing your torso because that would just be weird… and Fairfax would murder me in my sleep. So I'm thinking we'll just wrap up with another twenty or so cuts on your back. What do you think? Should we go for fifty just to make a hundred counting the shrapnel wounds?"

Bile rises in my throat, and Sadon releases me just in time for me to fall to my hands and knees before I throw up onto the ground. I wipe away the blood from my eyes, but when I open them everything is hazy and dizzy. I fall onto my side and roll onto my back, looking up tiredly at Sadon.

Something tugs at the back of my mind. The pain seems less intense when he's not in direct contact with me for some reason. I search my mind for an answer, but my thoughts are sluggish and slow. I need to buy some time.

"S-s-top," I slur out weakly. "P-p-please… j-just stop."

"Why?" Sadon asks, tilting his head questioningly. "I can't just stop your punishment early. We're only halfway done."

"T-t-too m-much," I gasp out, my eyes fluttering. "T-too m-much blood. I c-can't-"

He kicks me in the side. Just when I didn't think the pain could get anymore intense, his boot slams into me, pressing into the cuts and I let out a breathless scream, squeezing my eyes shut.

"Look at me," He says, his voice colder and more intense than I've ever heard before.

I open my eyes. His face is completely serious, lacking any hint of his previous amusement or playfulness. He bends down on his knees, lowering himself to my level. He reaches out a finger, and I watch as he dips the talon into one of the small pools of blood and start swirling it gently around as he stares at me.

"I've seen what a person looks like when they die from blood loss," He says, his voice sounding far away and lost. "I know how much blood a person can lose before they lose consciousness just by looking at them. I've seen the amount of blood it takes to drain someone's body. So. If I say you're fine, then you're fine. I'll even finish up quickly so you won't faint until you walk back to the academy. So don't lie to me. Ever."

I shut my eyes, tears forming again. My left hand informs me that it's touched the ground with a blaze of hot pain, and I force myself to lift my left arm up again. The thought in the back of my mind twitches again, and I open my eyes looking at Sadon.

It might just be my imagination, but his words seems to have a haunting bit of pain to them, just enough to make me know he's telling the truth because he's remembering something. Something bad.

It could just be my own pain though, and not his. Either way, it makes something in me snap, and something else starts surging up with my pain, giving me the strength to speak

"D-do you want me to beg?" I ask, choking down another wave of nausea. "Is t-that it? D-do you want me to beg to m-make the pain stop?"

"Well," Sadon says, looking down at me. "I'm not going to lie, it would be kind of nice."

He doesn't say it with any malice. No, he just looks at me like a young guy only four or five years older than me, with an innocent look of hope on his face, like he's about to get something he's been wishing for.

I start laughing. Everything snaps into place as I realize why the pain feels less when he isn't holding me, and the realization is hilarious. I can't help it, and I don't bother trying to stop. It starts as just a wheeze at first, it slowly grows to a little laugh, taking the small breaths I can still have away from me. I laugh at him, watching him in exhaustion as he stares at me blankly.

"You're just a kid," I gasp out, a smile forming slowly. "I mean, I realized you were young, but you really are just a kid, aren't you?"

"I'm twenty-one," He says, scrunching his eyes in confusion.

That just makes me laugh harder. "Oh wow, sorry, I didn't r-realize you were a whole five years older than me. I'm t-talking about how you act, not your age."

His face flickers for a moment, and I can see I'm getting to him, so I keep pushing.

"What?" I ask with a smirk. "Haven't you f-figured it out yet? The truth?"

"What truth?" He snaps back, and I smile wolfishly.

"The truth is, that this amount of pain is nothing," I snarl at him. "What, you t-thought this was enough to break me? To make me hate you? To s-scare me?"

"Well… honestly, yes," Sadon says scrunching his eyes at me. "Yes I did."

"Like I said," I spit out, closing my eyes softly. "This is nothing. Go ahead. Keep hurting me. Go further, I dare you. Go on. If you're so tough and scary, then hurt me more than just a few p-paper cuts."

He doesn't say anything, and I feel his hesitation. It sparks something in me, a fire in my belly that flows through my veins with the pain. I open my eyes.

"That's right," I whisper, staring up at him. "You're can't, can you? I figured out you're little plan here. You figure if you hurt me enough, my partner will come out and save me. You made a mistake though. These wounds are nothing to me, you coward. If you're going to use me for your plan, at least give me the decency of going all out."

That gets to him. His jaw sets, and his eyes look down on me in thinly veiled rage.

"You're telling the truth, aren't you?" he asks quietly. "This amount of pain really is nothing to you."

"That's right," I spit out. "It hurts, but that's nothing new to me. You can try to act all tough, but you're just a kid trying to pose like he's this big scary guy. You couldn't truly hurt me even if you wanted to though, because you're scared of what would happen to your position at the school. You scared of what Dumont would do. Of what Fairfax would do. You coward."

"Stop," he says, the word carrying enough force to make me shiver.

"What?" I ask, ignoring the fear. "You thought this would be enough to scare me? A few dozen paper cuts and a flayed hand? I'm not stupid. I may be bleeding a lot, but these aren't bad at all. You could cut me a hundred more times, and I'd still be fine. My hands looks nasty, but the skin will regrow in a few days. You only took off the first layer of skin, coward."

"Stop calling me that," he says with a stuttering sigh. "It's starting to get annoying."

"All of this," I say, gesturing at myself with my right hand. "Is just pain. That's all. It took me awhile to realize it, but you're enhancing it with your spirit magic, aren't you? The intensity's been slipping between high and low for awhile now. You actually had me there for awhile, but it's all just a trick of your magic, isn't it?

His eyes slowly track over to mine, and I meet his gaze. He doesn't say anything, and I let my focus shift back to my aura. Every cut from his metal has left a shred in my aura's presence, and I can feel his own aura inserted into my wounds. I force my aura over my cuts and hands, making it regenerate with an effort of will and some energy. The pain disappears as his magic is forced outside of each cut, and even my hand dulls to just a slow, throbbing pain like I scrapped my hand.

"Yeah," I say, gasping in exertion from making my aura regenerate so quickly. "That's what I thought. This isn't a real beat down, it's just a ploy to make me scared. To make me beg for help. You're too scared to challenge Fairfax head on, so you're using me instead, you coward."

"How did you figure out my magic?" He asks, his words short and crisp.

"The way you created your metal," I say wearily. "The silver energy condensing into metal made me think that maybe your aura's pain power extended to your metal too. The second you let go of me you stopped powering your magic with your passive aura, and the pain lessened. Why does it matter? It doesn't change the fact that you're still a coward."

He slaps me, the pain stinging my face, but I ignore it as he leans down closer to me. I spit in his face, and roll away as he punches the ground where I was. I stand up on shaky legs, stumbling a few times as he also stands.

"See?" I say, quietly. "Looks like I was right after all, coward."

"We're in the middle of the forest with no one else around," he sneers at me. "I'll make sure they don't find your body, so you might want to rethink how far I'm willing to go before you call me that again."

"Are you sure we're all alone, coward?" I ask, switching my gaze from Sadon to the figure behind him.

Fairfax steps from the shadows silently and without splendor, his sword drawn and parallel with his leg. He wears his shining red armor instead of the ragged cloak, and the moonlight gleams from the crimson armor and snow white blade with an odd sharpness.

Sadon follows my gaze slowly, looking at Fairfax. Then he begins laughing hysterically, a wide smile on his face.

"I win," Sadon sneers at him. "You've just proven that you're the one who's been helping her sneak out and train at night. Even Dumont won't stand for this."

"What," Fairfax says simply, his monotone voice emotionless. "Are you talking about?"

"Oh please!" Sadon snarls. "Don't try to hide it! I know you're the one who's been helping her! Why else would you be out here."

"I am the head of security for the academy," Fairfax says, his eyes shifting slowly to me and then back to Sadon. "I make regular patrols to make sure no one is sneaking out."

"Oh okay," Sadon says, giving Fairfax a triumphant look. "Then would you care to explain to me how you got here so quickly after I just chased off Aria and her partner?"

"Hey Sadon," I sneer at him quietly. "How long do you think it's been since you chased me?"

He looks at me, and the triumph slips from his face as he looks at the moon's position. I managed to waste enough time for Fairfax to get back to the academy, change out of his disguise, and then get back to me while managing to build a cover that he was going out on a patrol. Or, at least, that's what I think he did. Judging by the gleam of light in Fairfax's eyes though, I feel like I'm right.

"You're good," Sadon snarls. "But do you honestly think anyone will believe that you just woke up and decided to go out on patrol tonight of all nights?"

"If the guards who are under my command want to keep their jobs and all their limbs," Fairfax says slowly, like he's talking to a child. "Then yes. I fully expect them to deliver that story. I wonder who Dumont will believe more. You, or me and five others I talked to before I left?"

Energy flares around Sadon, silver and sharp, and he slowly rolls his neck. "What happens if I decide to take you on right now and settle the score? What happens then?"

"Then we get to see," Fairfax murmurs, slowly raising his blade to point at him. "Who's stronger."

"Your sword doesn't scare me," Sadon spits on the ground. "Fairfax the Untouched. Don't tell me you honestly think your sword will protect you from my magic, the one I specifically developed for you."

"I guess we'll find out," Fairfax says with a shrug. "I wonder how angry Dumont will be that you broke your word though. He won't be happy to know you broke your word just to settle our little grudge."

Sadon pulls his magic together to attack Fairfax. I can feel it from where I stand, the shifting powers in his body preparing for a terrible type of spell. I pull my own power together though, getting ready to throw up a shield between Fairfax and Sadon the moment he shows what kind of magic he's using. I'm ready.

But then, Sadon lets it go as fast as he pulled it together, and the silver magic gathered around him fades into the air. He slowly straightens himself, his expression returning from that of someone consumed with rage to his usual bored teacher look. He clasps his hands in front of his body giving a slight nod to Fairfax, who just nods back and sheaths his sword. He seems to almost respect the fact that Fairfax outplayed him, even if he hates everything about him.

"The girl still has to pay a price," Sadon says, looking back to me. "For breaking the curfew."

"I'd say she already has," Fairfax says, walking over to me. He looks me over briefly, taking a short step behind me to look and see if there are any wounds on my back.

"It's not enough," Sadon says with a wave of his hand. "I just gave her a few scratches. She still needs to pay more."

Fairfax looks at him, his jaw set unhappily. "Suggestions?"

"One point," Sadon says with a frosty smile. "She loses one of her remaining two points and only has two declines for this week."

"Deal," Fairfax says almost sourly. "Now leave."

Sadon turns on his heel, and simply walks away into the forest, leaving me standing their with Fairfax. I turn to him my eyes wide in horror, but before I can say anything he reaches over and softly touches my face with his bare hand, running a finger over one of my cuts.

"Don't touch me," I blurt out, stepping backwards from his reach. Then I wince, looking slightly away from him. "Please."

"Sorry," Fairfax says quietly, his hand dropping back to his side. "Are you okay?"

Exhaustion hits me like a wave, and it's all I can do to keep standing up. "Yeah. Apart from being tortured by Sadon while I bought time for you to make an alibi I'm great."

"Sorry," Fairfax says again, looking off into the forest. "But it was the only way."

"Yeah," I answer wearily. "I know."

We're both silent for a while. I want more than anything to just lay on the ground and fall asleep, but I force myself to stay standing. Fairfax already feels bad enough. Maybe he should, but I don't especially feel like indulging in any more torture today.

"How bad?" Fairfax asks, his words somehow conveying more care than anything else he could have said.

"Not that bad," I answer back hurriedly. "Sure, it hurt, but that was just his magic messing with my sense of pain. He just scraped up my hand and gave me a few paper cuts. I'm fine."

"Did it hurt?" Fairfax asks, glancing back at me, the question more important than it seems.

"Yeah," I answer back truthfully after a moment. "I almost thought it was going to be bad for a while. But it was just a trick. That's all."

He keeps staring at me, and I let out a sigh.

"Yeah, it hurt," I say sternly, staring right back at him. "But so did Elizabeth cutting me when I was sick, and she cut me with a lot more vigor than Sadon. This was just another duel. It's nothing new."

Fairfax lets out a sigh, but he seems content with that answer. He turns, and starts walking back to the academy.

"Take a shower," he says, not quite phrasing it like a command.

"Do I really smell that bad?" I ask dryly, picking up my sword as I move to follow.

He glances back at me, the hint of a smile on his lips.

"I mean it. Take a shower," he says, phrasing it like a command this time.

I sigh, and began following him back to the academy through the woods.

"I know I said pain is nothing new, but this shower is really going to stink," I mumble, more to myself than Fairfax.

"It won't afterward," Fairfax responds from in front of me.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I ask with a frown.

He doesn't answer me though, and I don't bother asking again. We walk the rest of the way back in silence, leaving me to my thoughts.

I meant what I said to Fairfax. Sadon's little plan to hurt me was good while it lasted, but now that it's over, I don't feel particularly any more bothered than I did before my duels. Honestly, the cuts and stuff hurt, but Jackson death grip around my neck still hurt more, so I'm not too changed or anything.

At the time, Sadon's attacks seemed nightmarish and horrifying. The pain he made me feel was real, and for awhile he did make me despair. But I beat him. I got through it. His plan was to scare me, to make me beg so Fairfax would save me. I saw through it then, and I need to keep seeing through it now, or he still wins.

I'm not going to let Noxus win. Not again. This little ploy was just a trick. He wanted me to think I was about to die, that Noxus was all tough and scary and I was nothing. The truth is there was no intent behind his actions. He doesn't hate me any more than he hates any other Ionian. His target was Fairfax all along.

I have nothing to be scared of concerning him.

What I do have to be concerned about is my duels tomorrow. I have one point left and two declines. My chances of surviving another day have just dropped from slim to almost zero. Fairfax seems to have it in his head that I can win, but there's no guarantee. I could make a mistake, or be surprised, and in that instant I could lose it all.

Tomorrow's one big dice throw, and the stakes are just my life. Hmph. Tomorrow actually scares me more than Sadon's little villain routine in the woods managed to. Maybe I should tell him that just to spite him tomorrow.

We reach the academy and I open the door. Fairfax turns around and begins walking away, heading towards the military encampment.

"Wait," I blurt out, and Fairfax stops, looking back at me. "Sorry… I was just wondering… what's with Sadon?"

"Oh," Fairfax says simply, blinking his eyes. "We just have a little grudge that he's been trying to settle, nothing more. I suspect this little plan was more aimed at me than you if it makes you feel any better."

"I know," I say hurriedly. "I was just curious what happened between the two of you. I mean, you aren't that much older than him, so it must have been something little when you were children, right?"

"Exactly," Fairfax says with a nod, turning away

"But what was it?" I ask hurriedly, and he stops walking once again. "What did you do to him? I mean, you keep calling it a small grudge, but he just tortured me to try and get to you."

Fairfax very slowly turn his head so he can see me from his left eye. The shadows shroud the look in it, but his face looks stoic and bored.

"I cut his parents' throats."

He delivers that line perfectly flat without an ounce of humor. He says it the same way he says everything else, perfectly monotone and emotionless, like he's delivering completely benign and boring news.

I swallow, and he very slowly turns his head, walking away.

He vanishes around the corner of the building, and I slowly step into the academy, closing the door behind me.

Oh. No wonder Sadon seemed so upset. No wonder he went to such lengths to get Fairfax to show himself. It really wasn't about me. I just got caught in the middle of his grudge with Fairfax. He thought scaring me a little would force him out to save me, not realizing what I've been through. I egged him on, and he fell for the bait, using me as a proxy to deliver the pain he meant for Fairfax.

I guess the world really doesn't revolve around me after all.

I almost laugh, but I just feel sick to my stomach again, so I don't. I hurry down the steps, my legs wobbling by the time I finally reach the bottom. Exhausted and dripping blood, I grab my nightclothes from my room, and then I slip into the shower. I take a deep breath, bracing myself before I get in, and then I jump underneath the water.

Okay.

Ow.

When my senses come back to me, I find myself hunched over in pain. I don't think I let out anything more than a hiss of pain, but if I did, oh well. The nice, warm, safe, and sleeping people will just have to cope.

I let the water wash over me, stinging my wounds and my hand especially, but I do my best to ignore it and clean out the cuts. Eventually, the pain starts to slowly fade, and I let out a sigh as I begin to enjoy the warmth of the shower, scrubbing the blood from the cuts away. Some of it has dried by now, but I just scratch and scrub at hit harder until it comes off.

Wait. What? I frown as I look back over one of the scratches I just cleaned dried blood off. It didn't hurt when I was doing it, and that probably has something to do with the fact that there isn't a scratch there anymore. Fresh, pink skin covers the the length of the wound, almost like it just healed.

I quickly look at my left hand just in time to see skin grow back over the last spot that was raw. Again, it looks pink and is soft, but the wound is just gone.

I stare at my hand for a moment, thinking, and then I slowly open up my senses, extending them to the water. I barely notice it, but very faintly, I can feel the thrum of magic. Not just any magic either, but healing magic. It feels warm and refreshing to my senses, and I let out a short laugh.

The academy must be built over one of Ionia's hot springs. Ionia's famous for having hot springs with actual healing properties. The academy must draw water from one of the springs to help heal the students from their duels, which makes sense if I consider how fast I've healed after every single fight.

I smile, shaking my head lightly. So that's what Fairfax meant.

I take as much time as I can showering off, leaving only when I start to fall asleep standing up. I feel a little bad at whoever has to clean my bloody clothes, but I put it in the dispenser thingy with a shrug anyway. They'll cope.

I slip back into my room and then underneath my warm bed sheets. It doesn't take long for me to start drifting off to sleep, but I manage to stay awake for just a little bit.

Today. What a rollercoaster. Between Alex and Seth's infighting, Xander's possible betrayal, the dream-memory, and then Sadon's plan, it really hasn't been one of the best.

I let out a soft sigh, pulling my sheets over me even tighter. I feel drained both mentally and physically. Good thing I don't have anything important going on tomorrow. I mean, it's not like I have two duels and only one point left. I'm sure the Nobles will be empathetic and go easy on me because Sadon decided to be sadistic.

Heh. Sadistic. More like Sadonistic.

Alright. Now I know it's time to go to sleep, so I let the exhaustion flood over me, extinguishing my worries.

Tomorrow is tomorrow. I'll deal with it. I will win, because if I don't, I'll die.

At least I'm not going to feel pressured or anything. I chuckle lightly, and by the time I finish, sleep finally takes over my thoughts.