Chapter Five
Something loud starts buzzing next to my head, but I ignore it. I need to get my sleep in before tomorrow, and it's probably just a bug or something anyway. It'll go away. After a few seconds, the buzzing increases, and I open my eyes to see what's going on. The room is dark, and it takes my eyes a few seconds to adjust.
The little clock I had tinkered with last night sits on the nightstand and shakes slightly back and forth. My mind is still sluggish, but as I stare at it a little longer I finally notice the time it says on it. 7:02. I reach out an arm and hit the buttons on the clock until it finally goes quiet. After a few more seconds of laying on the bed, I finally win the fight and manage to sit up, stretching out my arms as I do.
It feels weird waking up in a room I've never slept before, and for awhile I'm not really sure what to do. Maybe I should just stick to my normal routine. Yeah, that sounds right. I feel like I need to take whatever sense of normalcy I can get, so I start by getting up and making up the bed. After I finish, I sit cross-legged on top of the covers and folding my hands together, I close my eyes and try to focus. I clear my head of any thoughts and focus on my breathing. I make it as slow and steady as I can, relaxing my body as I do so.
After a while of concentrating, I begin thinking about what's going to happen next. I try to hold off those thoughts as long as I can, but eventually they start breaking through and I know my meditation time is over. I briefly consider praying before I get up, but something doesn't feel right. With everything that's happened, do I really still believe? Almost every Ionian is taught about the many religions in Runeterra, and many believe in at least one of them, but I feel like I've fallen out of touch with my faith. Maybe it's not a question of if I still believe, but what I still believe.
I shiver and open my eyes, discarding those thoughts. I grab my new uniform and hurry off to the bathroom to change. The uniform fits me perfectly, and after a few moments of hesitation, I decide to put my hair into a ponytail. I end up leaving a long strand of hair hang down on either side my face, just because I feel too open if I don't. I take one last look at myself in the mirror, checking that everything looks fine.
My reflection stares back at me, and I'm startled by how odd I look. I'm wearing the same clothes as I was yesterday except for their slightly different design, and I've worn a ponytail before, so why do I look so… different? After a few more seconds of staring, I realize it's my eyes. I don't know what exactly, but they're different. What did they look like before? Less bright, maybe? I shake my head, and hurry off to the lunchroom. For some reason, I get the feeling I don't want to figure out why. It's probably just my imagination anyway.
I get to the lunchroom, and mostly everyone seems to be sitting down at tables and eating already, so I hurry off to the serving counter. I get more than a few looks as I pass by the tables, but most of them seem too tired or hungry to care about an Ionian being here. Someone stands behind the counter this time, a young, relaxed looking man with a cook's apron, and I sneak a few glances at him as I grab some of the food. He seems nice, but nervous, somehow. He scratches his short brown hair constantly and avoids looking directly at me. I finish grabbing all my food, and after a moment's hesitation, I decide to say something. After all, it's not like I can just leave without saying thank you.
"Excuse me," I say more timidly than I mean to. He seems surprised and he looks at me curiously. My heart begins to beat quickly, and I begin thinking this was a bad idea. Too late now though.
"Sorry, but I was just wondering if you were the one who cooked all the food last night," I say, wincing afterward. Of course he wasn't, there was way too much to be cooked by one person.
"Uhh yeah, that was me. Well, me and my team anyway. I mean, I'm the head cook here, so it's my responsibility if anything was bad. Wait, did something not taste right? Was it the Ionian dishes because if so I'm deeply sorry. I just got here a few weeks ago, and I'm still getting used to how they cook their food. I mean how you cook your food. Sorry, that sounded bad. I'll just shut up now," he says all jittery and awkward, and I almost laugh. It's good to know I'm not the only nervous one here.
"I just wanted to say the the food was amazing," I say, smiling at him. He blinks.
"Oh. Wait, really?" he asks, looking confused.
"Yeah, and I mostly had the Ionian dishes, all of which were perfect by the way," I say, making him grin.
"Thanks, that really means a lot," he says, scratching the back of his head. "I was worried because no one was said anything to me today. Pressures on now though. I hope this course lives up to the expectations of last night."
"I'm sure it will," I say, nodding at him with a smile before I turn to find a table.
Everyone looks the same in uniforms, and it takes me a second to pick out where my section is sitting. My group takes up two tables in the back, one with Elizabeth, Edward, Cody, and Jackson, and one with the rest of my sub-level. I walk over to the second table, and Alex smiles as I approach, waving me over. I sit next to him at the edge of the bench. Xander, Molly, and Devon sit across from me, while Seth and Alex sit to my left. It's weird seeing them all in identical looking uniforms instead of what they wore here. They feel less intimidating now.
Xander and Alex seem to have been in the middle of talking, and they continue once I sit down. I dig into the delicious foods, doing my best to be hidden and unnoticed.
"Anyway," Xander says in between bites of bread, "I basically only got here because my mentor was too shortsighted to agree with me. I kept telling him that magic would help with our latest experiment, but I made the mistake of saying that in front of other people, and he was too embarrassed to say that someone younger than him was right."
He pauses his explanation to take a big gulp of his water before continuing.
"Eventually, I got frustrated and impatient with how little progress we were making and used some magic to show him how helpful it would be. It didn't quite work out like I thought it would, and the experiments sort of… ehm… exploded. A lot. After discussing the incident over with him, we both concluded it would be in our best interests for me to leave. He pulled a few strings, I did a little dance, and somehow I got sent here."
"Wow," Alex laughs out. "That's way better than my story. My dad just told me I was going to be going here and I left the next day. Nothing dramatic or anything. What about you Molly, you have a good story?"
"Not really," she says with a shrug, picking at her food. "My father's a diplomat so I guess he must of called in some favors or something. I was pretty excited when I found out, and I never really remembered to ask."
"And you're not excited anymore?" Alex asks, raising an eyebrow at her tone. She shakes her head vigorously.
"No, it's just…hard… being away from home and all that," she says, looking tense, and I feel a pang of sympathy. I'm still basically in my home city, and I still miss my family. I can't imagine what it would feel like to be in a completely different country.
Alex looks towards me, and I pretend not to notice him at first as I realize he's going to ask me next. What am I going to tell him? I don't know how anyone will react to the truth of what Noxus is doing in Ionia, and I'm pretty sure I'm not supposed to go around talking about why Ionians are forced to take the aptitude test.
"What about you, Aria? Dumont made it sound like you were pretty much a mage already. You must of been training for this at a special school or something, right?" Alex asks, and I give him my best fake smile, going with his own reasoning.
"Yeah, something like that. I'm not really supposed to talk about the details though," I say, and he nods like he understands.
I feel my heart drop as I realize all of them seem to believe me. When did my lies and fake smiles become so good? Is this really who I am now?
I don't feel hungry anymore, and I put down my fork as Alex asks Seth about his origins.
"Basically the same as Molly over there. My father's influential, so he managed to get me in here instead of a military academy," Seth explains.
"So why aren't you and Molly sitting at the other table?" Xander asks with a frown. "I mean, they all seem to have noble families, so why would you sit with the outcasts like us?"
Molly chokes a little on the food she's eating and starts coughing, so Seth starts talking with a shrug.
"For Molly I'd guess it's because diplomats aren't viewed favorably in Noxus," Seth explains, his voice quiet and cold. "They're basically viewed as traitors for trying to find a peaceful solution to Noxus's problems, so most nobles don't like associating. Correct?"
Molly nods quickly and takes a sip of water as Seth continues.
"As for me, my father's just an above average soldier. He has enough power to get me here, but not much else. The noble table over there probably respects me and would let me join them, but I don't especially feel like becoming one of their cronies."
"Umm…" Molly begins, looking slightly embarrassed. "Sorry if I missed something, but how do you know they're all nobles over there? I mean, I kind of figured out Edward and Elizabeth, but…"
"Alex and I went to the same school as them. It was here in Ionia, so we got to know most of the other Noxians pretty well. Edward and Elizabeth are high nobles, and Cody is a noble of slightly less standing. Jackson's the son of an actual war hero, so they got along pretty well," Seth explains, glancing at Alex at the end.
The table stays silent for awhile as people pick at their food. If Alex and Seth both went to the same school as the other four, then were they really part of our "outcast" group? Could one of them be pretending to betray us? Or maybe even both of them? Everyone seems to be thinking the same thing, and the silence stretches on awkwardly. I look over to Devon with his long brown hair, and I realize he hasn't said anything this whole time. He looks lonely, a look I recognize all too well, and I also feel a little curious about him.
"What about you Devon?" I ask softly, and sky blue eyes peer at me from underneath his hair. He looks at me with a flat stare, and I'm scared he won't say anything as his cold eyes bore into me. Finally though, he looks away, and I let out a breath.
"I was a thief back in Noxus," he says, his eyes getting a distant look to them. "I struggled just to get food everyday. I'm not really sure when, but I started using magic to help me escape. Eventually the guards caught me though, and I was given the choice of prison or going here. I chose here."
I open my mouth to say something, but nothing feels right. He reminds me of Akira, of what he would have been like if my mom hadn't taken him in. I bite my lip and feel a sliver of sadness for him working its way to my heart. The second I notice the feeling though, it disappears into suspicion. He could be lying to try and trick us. That doesn't feel right though. None of the people here have any reason to lie. We're all training to become summoners, and it only makes sense for us to work together to beat the other sub-levels. So why do I feel so suspicious?
I look up from my food and notice the lunchroom seems to be clearing out. It must be time for our lessons to start.
"We should probably get going," Alex says, and everyone nods in agreement. We get up and put away our plates, I catch the cook's eyes.
"Just as good?" he asks with a smile.
"Better," I say, and his smile widens. I drop off my plates in a container and hurry off to the training room, following behind Alex and Molly.
Everyone arrives at the training room at roughly the same time, and we move towards Dumont who stands near a training dummy. The training dummy is roughly human shaped and made of sackcloth. It stands on a small pedestal raised off of the ground, making it look important. We all line up in front of Dumont and the training dummy, waiting for an explanation.
"Today will be a dynamic practice," Dumont begins, sweeping his gaze across all of us. "Your goal today will be to think on your feet and learn how to create new spells. The second part is to increase your proficiency with magic. By the end of today, you should all be able to cast at least basic spells instantaneously without having to concentrate for more than a second or two."
He stops for a moment to let his words sink in before he looks at me.
"Aria, stand over here," he says, gesturing next to him. My hearts skips a little, but I do as he says, facing my classmates.
"Good. I will now explain the game," Dumont continues, looking towards the training dummy next to me. "The object of this exercise is to knock the dummy off of the pedestal without coming into direct physical contact. The nine of you will attempt to do this while Aria powers a shield to protect it from your attacks."
He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a geometric green gem, handing it to me. The second it touches my skin I feel energy coursing through the gem, and I realize it's enchanted with a spell of some sort.
"This gem is connected to the pedestal," Dumont says, whispering to me. "Putting power into the gem will generate a shield around the dummy. Your job will be to maintain the shield for as long as you can against their attacks, and also increase the shields strength when necessary. I'm going to give you a few minutes to prepare your concentration and get used to the spell while I help the others figure how to create spells of their own. Go and sit in the middle of the room behind them."
I take the gem and do as he says, walking past my classmates as I do. Cody and Edward give me smirks as I walk past, and I realize they're looking forward to this game. Any chance to beat an Ionian in a competition, and they'll take it, even if it is nine versus one. I feel my resolve harden as the thoughts go through my head. I won't let them win against me.
I sit on my legs and put both hands around the gem, almost like I'm praying. I close my eyes and begin to focus. First I remove myself from my emotions, taking deep breaths to calm my racing heart. After a few breaths, I feel myself relaxing, and I imagine my tension leaving me with every breath. I focus on the sensation of air entering my lungs, closing out the sound of Dumont explaining the basics of spellcasting to everyone else. Soon, everything disappears, and I feel like I'm sitting in a black room, all alone, and entirely focused on the gem in my hands.
I reach out with my mind towards the gem, sensing the spell wrapped into it. It feels basically like a cube with a spherical shield around it made of hundreds of intersecting lines, a fairly simple spellweave all-in-all. Powering the spell will be fairly easy, and I should even be able to strengthen certain sections of the shield against focused attacks.
I keep myself in the black room and begin drawing in my resolve. If I'm going to beat them, I can have no doubts in my mind. They can't be my classmates right now, people with feeling and goals of their own. They are my enemy. Each of them is out to destroy me and shatter my dreams. They aren't human anymore. No, they never were. They're Noxians.
Some part of me feels scared that I'm capable of dehumanizing them like this, but I ignore it. I wasn't the one who caused the pain, but I'm certainly going to make it stop. I've been scared too long, but they can't hurt me now. It's time for them to play by my rules, and I know what they're capable of. Now it's their turn to learn what I can do.
I feel a slight shake on my shoulder, barely noticeable through the sheer willpower burning through me.
"Ready?" a voice asks. It sounds like Dumont, but distant, like he's talking from across the room.
"Yes," I answer, and my voice rings clearly through my head.
"Alright, I've told them they are allowed to distract you, but are forbidden from hurting or coming in contact with you. The test will begin on my mark in five seconds."
Something surges through me, and it takes me a second to realize it's anticipation. I'm excited about something, for the first time in…well, forever. Time seems to pass because before I know it, I hear Dumont's count reach zero.
"Mark!" he yells loud enough to reach through my focus.
I don't open my eyes because I don't need to. Noxians are all very similar. When they see a threat, their first instinct is to crush it with overwhelming force like in the duels against my brother. Their plan is to probably try and crush the shield in one massive blow, so all's I need to do is smother their power.
Keeping my eyes closed and staying in my black room, I call out my power. Electricity forms from the sheer amount of mana I call forth and I hear it crackle around me. I push the energy into the gem and imagine it solidifying into an unstoppable barrier. I condense the shield into as thin of a form as I can, pushing in more power to create more layers until the dense layers form a wall of unbreakable power.
All of this happens within my head at the speed of thought. Moments later, I feel their spells blasting into my shield, shredding and eating away at it. I can only imagine what sort of elements and primal force the nine of them called up to destroy the dummy. Explosions and shrieks of sound combined with crackling electricity and whipping torrents of air rock the room, blowing away at my spell. The shield holds only due to the preemptive amount of energy I put into it, and although the first layers are disintegrated, half the shield manages to survive. I open my eyes.
The backs of all nine of my classmates are to me as they stare at the dummy. The floor around it is scorched, shredded, and even frozen in parts, but the perfect sphere around the pedestal stands, fire burning at parts of the solid blue shield. With a flicker of will, I change the shield from a thick wall to a more mirror like substance, and the fire is blown off. Through the shield, I see that the dummy stands perfectly classmates turn around with startled looks on their faces, and I catch a glimpse of myself in the reflection of the semi-transparent shield.
Just like during my aptitude test, I am surrounded by an aura of purple energy that makes it look like I'm glowing. My hands that were closely wrapped around the gem are now pushed apart, and the gem floats in between my palms, the occasional spark of energy snaking from my hand to the gem. What really surprises me in my reflection though is my eyes. They've changed from a deep blue to a flickering violet.
The only sound for awhile is that of flames and the hum of energy coming from the gem. They all stare at me with varying looks of surprise, amazement, and fear. Most of them look exhausted, breathing heavy and sweat shining on the brows, and out of the corner of my eye I see Dumont standing in the corner with a smile on his lips.
"What?" I ask, turning specifically towards Edward, Cody, and Elizabeth. My voice comes out strangely distorted, but still clear and sharp. "Is that all you've got?"
Elizabeth snarls and flips around. She swings her arm in an arching motion, and a wheel of fire rolls out, splashing against the orb uselessly. Cody joins in, making a throwing motion with his arms, and daggers made of shadowy energy fly out. With a flicker of thought, I change part of the orb into a sponge-like substance, and the daggers sink in harmlessly. I switch it back as Jackson and Seth send out streamers of black energy that curl around the orb and burn away at it to little effect.
I manage to maintain the shield with little effort, occasionally changing sections of it to absorb their different attacks. Cody sends out shadowy weapons made out of his mana, Jackson and Seth use dark, oily magic that eats away at the shield. Edward uses blue fire to Elizabeth's gold while Devon sends out spikes of ice in between. Xander flings exploding bursts of green energy, and Alex uses blasts of blindingly bright crimson lightning.
The shield holds while they try different forms of their attacks, and I offhandedly notice Molly is standing still with her hands clasped together, and no magic has come from her yet. I try to stay focused on their different attacks, continually shifting the make-up of the shield as necessary, but my thoughts keep straying back to her. I know Molly got the lowest score out of everyone here, but to not cast a single spell at all? Something doesn't feel right.
That's when I notice Molly's mouth moving, whispering words that are hidden underneath the onslaught of magic. My eyes widen as I realize what she's about to do. I strengthen the shield once again, turning it into a solid blue ball just as Molly lifts her head, sweeping her hands outward.
"Enhance!" she shouts, and golden circles appear underneath everyone but me. Yellow light streams up around them, wrapping around their arms and hands as they send out another wave of spells in unison. Yellow energy sparks in each of the spells, making them more powerful than they originally were, and they hit with explosive force on the orb.
I feel a snap of energy and a flash of pain, causing me to cringe as the shield demands more energy. I push in a burst of mana to counteract their spells, and sparks of electricity shoot from my hands to the gem. Fire burns the room, flames jumping to even the stone floor, and everyone waits for the fire to die away to see if shield was broken. I silently hope I made it in time as I quickly change the orb to the mirror form, clearing the fire off it.
The dummy stands defiantly, still intact and untouched from the assault of nine separate mages. Gouges are carved into the stone floor around the orb, but Dumont waves a hand and the floor seems to repair itself, removing all traces of their attacks. Silence falls across the room, interrupted only by their heavy breathing, and I feel a drop of sweat work its way down my brow. I feel warm and tired from using so much magic, but I seem to be doing much better than they are. I can feel around half of my mana still swirling within me, and I haven't even tapped into my emotions yet. Are they just weak, or was I always this strong?
"Fine," Elizabeth gasps out. "We'll just tire you out then. No need to rush, we still have three hours to beat you."
I feel myself tense up at her words. Three hours? This training exercise lasted until our lunch break? I thought this would only last for a dozen minutes or so before it became someone else's turn to power the shield. Why would Dumont want me to hold it the whole time? I glance at him, and he gives me a knowing smile, nodding his head.
I feel my focus slip in surprise as realization hits me, and I shift my eyes back to the orb. I don't know how, but Dumont must somehow know that I need endurance training. Casting spells takes a physical and mental toll on a mage's body, and that was my one weakness. Dumont must have figured that fact out based on my aptitude test, and now he's trying to help me. Powering the shield would definitely be a great way to help increase my endurance. Maybe Fairfax isn't the only honorable Noxian after all.
"Alright, I have an idea," Xander says. "We should split into two groups. One group will cast spells while the other rests, and we'll switch off every ten minutes or so until the shield falls. Sound good?"
"Leave it to a Zaunite to come up with a good strategy," Edward laughs. "Sounds good to me."
I force away my emotions as they split themselves up and work on regaining my focus and resolve. By the time they're organized, I'm ready for them. I focus solely on the orb, forcing out any distractions. Time, exhaustion, and noise is meaningless. It's just me, the orb, and the spells I need to counter. Everything else become shadowy figures as I fall into my meditative state. Breath in, Breath out. Nothing else.
Their plan doesn't work. They pull it off flawlessly, and I find myself constantly defending against different magics, but they still end up tiring out faster than I do. Slowly but surely, their rain of spells slows down to where my mind is able to start drifting. I find myself occasionally trying to figure out how much time has passed, but I force those thoughts away, focusing only on countering their spells. Nothing else matters. After awhile, their torrent of spells halt, and I open myself up again to the world.
The room smells like a mixture of smoke and electrified air. Dumont stands next to me with his hand raised and everyone has stopped and is looking at him with surprise. They're all gasping for breath and wiping off sweat from their brows. I'm sweaty and breathing heavy myself, but it's more controlled than theirs, and I smile in victory.
"Time is up," Dumont says, and I blink in surprise. "Now Aria will attempt to push the dummy of the pedestal. Please hand me the crystal."
I hand him the crystal, and the weight of the spell disappears. I slowly get onto my feet, staring at the impenetrable shield. I don't know how he expects me to break the shield with how little mana I have left, especially compared to how much energy he has, but I'm too exhausted to be upset or frustrated. I'll just have to do it. Besides, there's something that's been bothering me about this training the whole time.
I try to take a step forward and end up almost falling down, but Alex manages to catch me and keep me on my feet. He gives me a little nod, a look of admiration on his face, and I give him a weak smile back. I walk forward to the shield and put my hand an inch away from it. I close my eyes and focus on the spellwork, trying to figure out how to get through the shield. The only rule was that we couldn't come in physical contact with the dummy, but the shield stops anything from even getting close… doesn't it?
Everything clicks into place with that thought and I almost start laughing. This wasn't training, this was a test. I double check my theory by taking a look at the spell's framework, and find what I'm looking for.
I shuffle over to one of the weapon racks in the room, smiling the whole way. Everyone watches me warily except for Dumont, who just stares blankly at the dummy with the crystal in his hand. I grab an Ionian longbow and a single arrow, walking back towards the dummy. I stop ten feet away and try to remember what Akira taught me. Akira was the best in the archery club back at school, and he used to show me some of the basics in exchange for some kendo training.
Needless to say, with him being one of the best archers in the city, I learned quickly.
I lift the bow above my head, keeping it straight, and put the arrow onto the bowstring. I take a deep breath in, letting the bow drop to eye level and pulling the arrow back to my cheek at the same time. I squint down the shaft, lining it up with the dummy. I exhale slowly, loosening my grip continuously as I do. My grip finally becomes loose enough that the string shoots forward, sending the arrow hurtling towards the dummy. The arrow hits the shield and…
…passes right through it without stopping. The arrow pierces into the dummy's chest, and it flies off the pedestal and onto the ground. Everyone stares dumbfoundedly for a few seconds, and I set down the bow on the table and turn around, only to see Elizabeth staring angrily at me.
"You can't do that," she says, seething. "That's cheating. He said-"
"-that you couldn't come within direct physical contact." Dumont interrupts, putting the gem into his pocket and letting the shield disappear. "She didn't. You see, this wasn't entirely just training. This was a lesson. If any of you had stopped to take a look at the spell you were trying to beat, you would have realized it only blocked magical attacks. Instead, you all rushed in blindly and tried to crush the obstacle with brute force. Magic doesn't work that way."
"So what's the lesson?" Xander asks tiredly. "Think before acting?"
"Not quite," Dumont says, holding up two fingers. "Rule number two of magic: Magic only makes things more complicated. Always use the simplest method to accomplish something, and resort to magic last."
"What's rule number one?" Alex asks in the silence that follows.
"Magic always comes with a price," Dumont says. "And if any of you take a second to think of how hungry you are, I'm sure you'll understand just how big that price is."
Everyone grimaces, and Alex clutches his stomach as it lets out a loud rumble. Now that Dumont mentions it, I realize I'm starving too.
"Luckily enough," Dumont says with a small smile. "It seems to be lunch time. We will meet back here in an hour, and I would recommend you hold off on showering until after the second half of practice. Change into the other set of clothes you were given, and make sure to get some of the orange looking drink up there. You are dismissed."
Elizabeth storms out of the room with Cody and Edward close behind while the rest of us start a slow shuffle to the stairs. Going up them is going to be a pain with my wobbly legs.
Jackson passes by me on the way out, and I'm afraid he's going to yell at me, but he just gives me a respectful nod. I blink, and he hurries off to catch up to the other three. Maybe he isn't as bad as I thought.
I feel someone put their hand on my shoulder, and I flinch away, looking at whoever did it.
"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you," Alex says with his hand in the air apologetically. "I just wanted to say… well…"
"I think the word you're looking for," Xander says with a ragged smile from behind him, "is wow."
"Definitely wow," Molly says, looking at me with a tired smile. Seth gives a thumbs up from behind her, and I laugh a little.
"Thanks," I say, slightly embarrassed. "Don't be too impressed though. All that was just from a lot of practice."
"And that is exactly why it's so impressive," Seth says, and I smile, a warm feeling filling my chest.
Lunch goes quickly, and it's more of the same. Delicious food combined with idle chat and the occasional joke. Every once and awhile I catch a glare from the other table, but I ignore them. They can glare all they want, but it won't change the fact that for the first time in my life, I truly won against Noxus.
Near the end of lunch, some of the cooks come by and fill our glasses with an orange liquid. I take a cautious sip at first, and when I find it tastes good I drink it quickly. Xander asks what it is, and they explain it's some sort of energy tonic. We must be doing more magic for the second half because I can't think of a reason we'd need to regain our endurance with a potion. I leave a little before lunch ends to get a some quiet time.
When I get to my room, I change into the second set of clothes in my closet. It consists of loose black pants and a sleeveless black shirt. The shirt feels a little too thin, so I also pull one of the lightweight jackets in the closet. After taking a few deep breaths and enjoying the silence, I hurry back to the training room.
Everyone else also chose to wear their jackets. Dumont has us follow him to the classroom back in the main hallway, a spacious room with long tables and chairs facing a blank wall. After we're all seated, he puts a hand on the wall and with a whisper of magic the wall turns into a viewing screen showing a League match that's about to start.
"For the next four hours we'll be watching what an actual League match looks like," Dumont says, his voice carrying over the announcers. "This is a professional match with accurate commentary. I suggest you all pay very close attention so you can start picking up the basics. If you don't understand something, I suggest you ask one of your classmates. You will be expected to know how everything works by the end of next week."
Dumont goes quiet as the match begins, and moves to the back of the room, out of our sight. I used to spend a lot of time watching league matches at home, so I already have a good grasp of what's going on. I explain a few thing to Alex, Seth, and Molly, but they seem to also understand how the matches work.
The four hours go by pretty quickly, mostly because of how enthralled I become by watching League games. We finish and end up going back to the training room, only to find Sadon waiting for us. Dumont walks out the door, leaving us alone with him, and I feel my heart quicken a little.
"Alright kids, first thing you need to know about me is that I tolerate no questions," Sadon says, his piercings shining in the light. "The second thing you need to know is that I'm not going to coddle you. This will be real training. So let's begin shall we? All of you, find a punching dummy."
Everyone scrambles to obey at Sadon's malicious tone, and I find my heart pounding as I face the formless dummy in front of me.
"I believe," Sadon continues, walking down our ranks, "that summoners who cannot fight for themselves has no right to control a champion. Noxus High Command agrees with me, which is why we'll be doing this training more and more often until you runts become strong enough fighters that you might as well be champions yourselves. The next hour will consist of you working on your technique by beating up these bags, which is the only thing most of you are capable of winning against at this point anyway. I'll show you a few different maneuvers to get you started."
He shows us how to throw a few different punches and kicks and then has us practice. Almost everyone else seems to get the hang of it quickly, but my dummy barely moves when I hit it. My knuckles start getting sore after a while, but I ignore them and continue. I think I understand why Sadon's having us practice combat skills, but something just doesn't add up. His explanation seems incomplete, somehow.
By the time the hour's up, I'm sweaty and getting more nervous by the second. For some reason I don't feel tired though. The drink they gave us at lunch must really work. Sadon beckons for us to follow him, and we do, walking out of the training room. We head towards the stairs leading to the academy's entrance, and I have to almost jog to keep up with his fast pace. Maybe we're going for a run now?
"Listen up," Sadon says as we begin walking up the stairs. "What I'm about to explain next is a major part of your training here at the academy, and I'm only going to say it once. Starting with today and excluding rest days, you will be participating in duels against each other. These duels will be the only time you are allowed to challenge and fight your fellow classmates. They will work the same way they do in real life."
His words hit me like a brick, and I almost trip on the stair in surprise. Duels? This was supposed to be my alternative, not just a way to survive either, but a way to become something. My body feels heavy, and I feel like giving up. What's the point of fighting if I already know the outcome.
I continue on though, gritting my teeth as anger rises in me. Stupid. I was so stupid. They were going to have us fight each other, just like at school. This place wasn't different at all. How could I have been so stupid?
"Each of you will start with five points," Sadon continues explaining. "Winning will gain you a point, and losing will obviously lose you one. If any of you reach zero points you will be forced to leave this academy immediately."
I can't tell how other people are reacting in the darkness of the stairwell, but I feel almost hysterical. I can't fight hand-to-hand. I just… can't. So what's going to happen to me when I reach zero points? Will I end up being sent to become a battle mage after all, or will they just kill me outright? How did things change so quickly? A few hours ago I was at the top, and now I'm about to come crashing down.
We reach the top of the stairs and walk outside into the dim light of the sun, the cool winter air assaulting us. My hands begin shaking, and I rub them together. I can't lie to myself though. They aren't shaking because of the cold.
We head towards the back of the academy, and I hear excited shouts and laughs coming from behind it.
"Each of you will duel someone no matter what," Sadon says, continuing forward. "You are allowed to challenge anyone in your class to a duel, but they are also allowed to decline the specific challenge. Keep in mind that you only have three declines to start with, and you'll gain another one every week. Anyone who doesn't fight in a specifically challenged duel will be paired up against a random opponent."
We reach the back of the school, and I see where the noise is coming from. A large padded platform sticks up from the ground, and surrounding it are metallic stands for spectators. The stands are completely filled with soldiers from the compound and when they see us they start pointing and chatting to each other. A few of them start exchanging coin purses, and I realize they're going to bet on us.
"So," Sadon begins, turning to us as we reach the base of the platform. "Who's going first?"
His eyes glint with anticipation, and I can't help but feel sick. He's going to enjoy watching us turn on each other. He wants to see our pain, something I can't even begin to understand. Cody steps forward, and my mouth goes dry.
"I challenge Aria," he says excitedly, his eyes shiny.
"Decline," I say too quickly, my fear getting to me. He blinks, and then closes his fists in frustration. He must have forgotten I could do that in his eagerness to hurt me.
"Then I would like to challenge her," Elizabeth says from off to my side, giving me a smug look. I look around at everyone else, and I begin to realize that declining her duel would be useless. I'd end up running out of declines and having to fight Edward or Jackson. No, my best bet is to try and defeat Elizabeth and prove to them I'm not an easy target.
"I accept," I say hoarsely, causing Sadon to grin.
"Good," he says, smirking. "Aria, walk to the far end of the platform. Elizabeth, stay on this end."
I step up onto the platform, and begin walking quickly to the far side. The soldiers on the side start cheering and whistling as I walk across, which only makes my heart race faster. I try to occupy my mind by looking at the different soldiers, and soon enough I figure out a pattern. Most of the average soldiers and trainees are closer ground level while the officers are higher up in the stands with some higher ranking soldiers, as well as some cloaked figures. They wear deep crimson cloaks that shroud their features, and as I watch, one of the cloak figures hands a soldier a coin purse, making him smile eagerly. I wonder if they bet on me or Elizabeth. I get the feeling I shouldn't ask questions like that if I don't want the answer.
I reach the opposite end of the platform, and Sadon gets up on the stands, hushing the crowd quiet. He reaches out a hand towards the platform, and a second later, blue energy flows up from around the edges, going straight up into the air. The energy forms a box at the top, and once it completes, it flashes once before disappearing. I reach out a hand, trying to reach over the edge of the platform, and it stops short, encountering the invisible barrier of magic.
I'm trapped.
"The duel will commence when you hear me say begin. The duel will only end when I judge that one of you is unable to continue. Understand?"
I nod, and I see Elizabeth on the other side do the same, stretching out her arms and doing a few hopping jumps to get ready. I get into my stance, shifting my right foot a step back so my left side faces her. I lift my hands up to my face but leave my fingers loose and unclenched. I take a few deep breaths, forcing my body to relax itself completely.
Sadon raises his hand, and my heart catches in my throat. Everything seems to stop as his hand hangs high above his head. All I hear is the sound of my breathing, and my heartbeat pounding in my ears. Then his hand falls.
"Begin!" he shouts, and the crowd roars their approval. I whip my head to Elizabeth, just in time to see her rushing me.
Her fists are clenched as she sprints towards me, her eyes shining with excitement. I take a few shuffling steps forward to give me more room from the edge, and then she's on me, throwing a heavy punch with her right fist.
I use my left forearm to parry the blow while I use my right hand to pull myself past her, using her momentum to my advantage, and we end up switching sides. Her blow stings my lower arm, and I take a few quick steps back to give me time to think. She comes at me again though, throwing a flurry of quick jabs at my face.
I use my hands to slap away her hands, and it takes all my focus to keep up with her lightning speed. I backpedal, trying to gain some distance, but she continues attacking relentlessly. I glance back to see how close I am to the wall, and that's when she makes her move.
Elizabeth throws what looks like a heavy left punch at my head, and I duck underneath it, but she pulls her arm to her chest and turns the punch into a kick, striking me in the side. Pain shoots through me as my breath leaves me, and I stagger to the side, off balanced. She closes in again, her arm flashing out towards face. I turn my head at the last second, and she hits me hard in the cheek. Pain assails me as my head twists with the blow, and I snap back to look at her just in time to receive a kick to my stomach.
I fall backwards, and panic hits me. My brother always told me there was one thing that would always make you lose a fight, and that was falling. If you fall, you die. Those words whisper through my mind, and I furiously try to think of a way out before I hit the ground.
At the last second, I curl into a ball and turn the fall into a sideways roll. I launch back up to my feet in time to see a surprised look on Elizabeth's face, and I almost smile, as I get back into my position. Then the back of my right foot finds the barrier behind me, and her look of surprise turns into one of victory.
She dives into another assault, and with no where to go, I'm forced to receive the brunt of her attacks. I keep my arms up, and her punches slam into them, pain flaring stronger and stronger through my arms as it goes on. She starts getting frustrated at my defense and throws a heavy punch. I grab her arm as it lands on my forearm, and punch her hard in the face with my other hand.
The blow lands, and she staggers back, giving me some breathing room. I gasp for breath, rubbing my arms as she continues taking a few steps backwards, her hand clutching her mouth. My side and jaw hurt from their respective blows, but my arms are what really worry me. I rub at them, and when the sleeves raise, I see my forearms are glowing an angry red as pain burns into them. I can already see a few bruises starting to form on the exposed skin of my wrists.
I take a few steps forward towards Elizabeth, arms raised as she pulls her hand away from her mouth. Her hand comes away with a small smear of blood on it, and that's when I notice her split lip. Her face is contorted in rage, and she sprints forward, directly at me.
I get ready to block a punch, but she blurs in front of me at the last second, moving towards my side. I try to twist around to keep facing her, but her foot lashes out at my shin and my leg gives out. I fall to my knee, and when I try to get up, her arm snakes around my neck and suddenly I can't breath. Her arm clenches around my neck in an iron grip, and my lungs feel like they're on fire as I try to gasp in a breath.
I claw and grab at her arm, trying to get some air as my head starts pounding, but her chokehold remains firm. The pressure starts building behind my eyes, and I feel my frantic efforts begin to become weaker and weaker as darkness creeps at the edge of my vision.
"How dare you," Elizabeth accuses, her words no more than a whisper. "How dare you make me bleed. Let me tell you something little Ionian. You're nothing. You may think you're better than us for that little stunt you pulled with the magic, but don't think you got away with it. That's right, I know you cheated."
Maybe it's the lack of oxygen and pounding pain in my head, but she seems to be making less sense as her rant goes on. I try to formulate a plan, but the pressure only builds the more I try to think, and my choking gasps turn more and more desperate.
"No one should be able to sustain a shield against nine other mages for three hours," she continues, her words dripping with hate. "It would take a master summoner to do something like that, and we both know you aren't one of those. So believe me when I tell you that we'll make sure you don't stay here long. You can cheat all you want with the magic, but it's not going to help you. You see, one by one, you're going to lose all your points in these duels and then you'll be gone. Your little outcast group can't help you. You. Are. Alone."
My vision blurs as the shadows grow darker, and as she leans in to deliver those words I try one last thing. I throw my left elbow as hard as I can into her gut, and she gasps, her chokehold loosening briefly. I suck in a breath of oxygen, and the pressure in my head lessons as the air rushes in. I use the extra room in her chokehold and throw my head backwards as hard as I can, slamming into her jaw. I feel her head snap back as pain flashes through the back of my own, and I take my chance to scramble away, flipping to face her when I get far enough away.
Elizabeth sits on the ground, looking very angry and very surprised. She gets back up onto her feet, and I slowly do the same, feeling dizzy and gasping for breath. The crowd continues their roar of approval, and when I'm standing, I glare into Elizabeth's eyes.
"Tell me something I don't know," I spit out, the words burning my throat. I raise my hands once again into my fighting stance.
"Fine," she says through gritted teeth. "I'm done playing with you anyway."
She unzips her jacket and tosses it to the side, and I consider doing the same but end up discarding the idea immediately. Being a little warm was nothing to worry about, and I wasn't going to give her an opening to attack me. She raises her fists to her split lip, and that's when I notice her arms. Lean muscle stands out on them, the muscle someone gets from years of practicing martial arts.
I blink in surprise as she shifts into a completely different stance, bringing her arms a shoulder width apart and tilting them slightly inward, her fists level with the top of her head. I freeze in recognition, and Elizabeth smiles at my reaction. She has the same stance as someone my brother fought once, and the one part I remember above all others was the blood. So much blood…
Fear writhes its way into my belly, and if my throat wasn't already dry and raw it would be now. I need to focus, not be thinking about useless memories. I suck in a calming breath, and the pain from my burning throat forces me to blink for a second. When my eyes open again, she's sprinting towards me, and I take a step back in surprise as she closes the distance almost instantaneously.
She stays low to the ground, pulling her left arm back to throw a punch, and I shift to block it. Elizabeth uses the momentum of her body twisting to the left to turn the punch into a right kick, and it slams into my stomach. I gasp and stagger to the side, desperately trying to stay upright. Was she always this fast?
I grit my teeth and turn to face her only to have something hard slam into my face. My vision flashes red for a second as I fight through the pain, and she presses in, kicking my leg out from underneath me. I fall to my knees and something heavy hits me in the head, forcing me to the ground. Everything seems blurry and spins in circles as black presses in around my vision.
She begins to kick me, hitting me in the arms, stomach, and back. She kicks me viciously, the force of the blows driving the air from me. I try to curl up into a ball to protect myself, but something clamps down on my hair and pulls, forcing me to stagger to my feet. I sluggishly blink away red as I look into Elizabeth's eyes, and everything seems too bright for some reason.
I see her smirk, and then something slams into my nose causing a crackling pain to break into my head, and I feel hot liquid run down to my face. Her fist slams into my jaw and my body twists, falling to the ground.
My vision turns crystal clear for a moment. Perfectly spherical droplets of scarlet liquid arc into the air from my twisting fall, landing on the ground in front of me in a splotchy pattern, the liquid shimmering as light reflects off it. I lay on the ground, trying to figure out what's happening.
Is that my blood?
When did I start bleeding?
If I'm bleeding, I should be in pain.
So why do I just feel really numb?
I look past my smeared blood on the ground into the stands, and I realize I can't hear anyone cheering anymore. I see them shouting and pumping their arms, but no sound seems to come out. My eyes work their way through the crowd, landing on one of the cloaked figures. A soldier next to him is laughing and pointing at me, but the cloaked person just stares at me. I feel like the figure is trying to tell me something. If only I could hear.
Something slams into my chest, scattering the numbness with a blast of pain, and I cry out, my hearing returning to me. I feel her kicks slam into me again and again, but it's all I can do to just breath. I gasp, spitting out some blood onto the ground, and I try to look past the black creeping in at the edge of my once again blurred vision.
Something hits my head hard, and the pain disappears, fading into the shadows with my sight, and for a moment, I feel absolutely nothing.
When I wake up, my eyes don't open right away. My head feels fuzzy and weird, and it takes me a second to remember what happened. Right. I lost. I lost against the one person I had the best chance of beating.
My eyelids feel heavy, but I manage to open them and take a sluggish look around. I'm in a rectangular room, and the light from the lanterns suggest I'm back in the academy. I lay on one of the many white beds in the room, all of which are separated by wavy curtains.
I hear footsteps and look towards the far end of the room in time to see a man come through the doorway. He wears a white lab coat and has shoulder length brown hair. He sees me and walks up to my bed, staring at me with his hands in his pockets.
"You're awake," he says, his voice echoing through the empty room. "I was beginning to wonder."
"Yeah," I mumble out hoarsely, my throat still dry. "Me too."
"Heh. You got a sense of humor. That's good," he says.
"Thanks," I whisper out.
"It'll help you stay optimistic. Especially if you lose every fight as badly as you lost this one," the man says, and I stare at him.
"Anyway, it's eight thirty so supper's already done. The chef might have leftovers though."
"That's fine," I mumble, rising slowly from the bed as pain shoots through my body. "I'm not hungry anyway."
"Suit yourself," he says with a shrug. "I'm supposed to tell you that tomorrow is a rest day. You're allowed to go out into the city but aren't allowed to leave it. Have fun."
With that, he walks to the other end of the room and sits at a desk, propping his feet up on its surface, and leaving me alone.
It takes me a few minutes to work my way onto my feet, and I'm breathing heavy by the time I start shuffling towards the door. Aching pain resounds throughout my body with every step. With every breath. I give the man a hopeful look as I start passing him, but he just shrugs.
"Sorry. I'm not allowed to give you anymore pain medicine than I already have. I recommend taking a shower though. That'll make you feel better."
"Thanks," I say bitterly, going out into the hallway. When I look around, I remember I have to walk down stairs to get to my sub-level, and I groan.
I'm gasping in for breath by the time I finish descending. Luckily enough, everyone seems to be in their beds as the rooms I pass are all empty. Must be tiring beating up people weaker than you.
As I reach the intersection leading to my room, I see Fairfax walking towards me from the main stairwell, and I feel a relief spread through me. It feels good to see someone familiar who isn't trying to hurt you. He wears the same armor he came to the academy in, with a rich red cloak to accent it. The captain stops in front of me, and I look down towards the floor as I realize how bad I must look. For awhile, nothing is said between us.
"Why are you here?" he asks gruffly, and I look up at him, confused. His voice sounds dry and tense.
"I just woke up from the duel," I say, wincing as my jaw throbs. "So I'm a little late getting to my room."
"I'm not asking why you're here," he says, gesturing at the hallway around us and rolling his eyes. "I'm asking why you're here. At this academy."
I stare at him blankly. Why would he ask such a stupid question like that? I just got done getting beat to a pulp, and he wants to play word games? He comes up to me right after I wake up, doesn't even ask if I'm okay, and starts asking me dumb questions? Seriously, what's wrong with him?
"I think we both know why I'm here," I say, frustration beginning to tinge my voice.
"I don't," he says, tilting his head slightly. "You had a choice, and you chose here. Why?"
"I had no choice!" I hiss out. "I was going to be sent to a painful death trying to become a battlemage, or I was going to go to an academy where I thought I would be safe. It doesn't take a genius to figure it out, Fairfax!"
He stands there, quietly looking down at the floor for a bit. He rubs the pommel of his sword with his left thumb, as if he's debating something. He looks pale and tired for a moment, but then he looks back at me, and it's gone.
"There's always a choice," he says quietly, emphasizing each word.
"Fine!" I say, gritting my teeth. "Then I guess I chose to live! Does that solve your mystery for you? I choose the academy because I want to live."
"Did you?" he asks, his monotone voice never changing.
"Yes!" I say, exasperated.
"Then what happened in that arena?" he asks.
"Well, Elizabeth punched me in the face," I say more sarcastically then I mean to as throbbing pain continues echoing throughout my body. "Like, a lot."
"Strange," he says, ignoring my previous statement. "Because for someone who wants to live so badly, you certainly can't tell it from how you fight."
His words sink in with the silence that follows.
"What are you talking about?" I ask, my voice coming out hoarse.
"Do you know how many times you attacked Elizabeth?" he asks.
"No, but what does that have to do with-"
"Three times," he interrupts. "And of those times, they were all defensive counters. Why? Why didn't you go on the offensive?"
"She was too good. Too…fast…" I offer feebly, and Fairfax shakes his head.
"Fights are just like spellcasting," the captain says, his voice becoming slightly softer. "With your shield exercise earlier you managed to beat nine other mages. I have a feeling you weren't thinking 'I want to survive' the whole time. You needed something deeper, something stronger to drive you. That's why you didn't beat her."
"So, what?" I ask, my voice turning into a shout. "You're telling me wanting to survive isn't good enough?"
"I'm telling you to stop lying to yourself," he says, his voice becoming quieter. "Whether you want to acknowledge the fact that you want to be here or not, you do have a reason. You can be a coward and try to hide from it all you want, but I suggest you figure out the truth quickly, Aria."
"You don't know me," I say, my frustration beginning to turn to something darker. "And I don't need this right now. Especially not from you."
I turn away from him and stalk off to my room. I don't care that rushing off makes the pain worse or that I'm beginning to become angry. None of it matters. I enter my room and close my door hurriedly behind me, gasping in pain. I lean on the desk to catch my breath, and my anger seems to grow until my blood is boiling. I thought Fairfax was on my side. Why would he say things like that?
I raise my fist into the air and drive it down towards the desk. At the last second I stop myself, and my fist hovers an inch above the surface, shaking slightly. I close my eyes and force myself to take a deep breaths. I just need to calm down. I shouldn't be this angry about Fairfax trying to help me.
So why am I? Is it because I don't want him to be right? Or because I know he is?
The anger disappears, and I shiver in the emptiness that follows. I go and get some nightclothes and walk to the showers. Maybe I will feel better afterwards.
The warm water pours over me, soothing my aching body and wounds. As much as I try to ignore Fairfax's words, they keep coming back to me. Maybe he's right. If fights really are won by a combination of willpower and skill, then I need to figure this out. Will is the only advantage I have over them, the very thing that makes my spells so powerful.
So why am I here? The question raise a dozen possible explanations, but I force myself to think it through. I do want to survive, but that isn't all. No, I want to be more than just another person going through the motions. I want to live my life, something that's different than just surviving. So what is it exactly I want my life to mean? What's my purpose?
All the other thoughts seem to clear out of my head, except for one. One reason that resounds through my very bones. The thing that drives me on. I want to protect people. I always have, and always will. My earliest memories are of Ionians being crushed under the boots of Noxus. I don't want people to suffer. The only way I'm going to be able to do this is if I have power to change things, more power than I already have. That leaves one option.
Become a summoner.
There's only one problem. I'm scared. Scared of the pain. I want to protect people, I really do, but what if that means me suffering instead of them? Maybe Fairfax was right, and that's why I got so angry. Maybe I am a coward. So how do I get rid of my fear? How do I become brave enough to fight for others when I know what might happen? I turn off the water and dry off, putting on my nightclothes and heading back to my room.
I notice my wounds hurt less on the way back, whether from the shower or from figuring out Fairfax's words, I don't know. All I know is that Fairfax is honestly trying to help me. I still don't trust him, but for now I'm willing to play along. If he wants to make me into something stronger, I'm fine with that. I'll just have to be careful to not become his pawn in the process.
I step into my room and hear a crackling sound underneath my foot. Looking down, I see a paper note that must have been slipped under the door. I pick it up and open it curiously.
Aria
If you want to be able to survive this training, some help is in order. Security is almost nonexistent here. Meet me in the woods tomorrow night. Go down the longest path, and I will find you. Be ready for intense training.
-An Ally
I put the note into one of the drawers in my desk with a smile. Fairfax. Somehow, he must have it all figured it out. He's going to teach me how to fight, while I teach myself how to be courageous. Tomorrow may be a rest day, but I get the feeling it's also going to be a turning point.
I turn off the lights and make sure to turn on the alarm clock before I curl up in my bed. Tomorrow, I'm going to seek out my family and tell them what's going on. They'll understand, and they'll welcome me back. Then I'll ask them. I'm sure they'll help me figure out how to be brave, and Fairfax will teach me how to fight. And then…
Then I'll start beating Noxians at their own game.