Thors Officer School, ToCS1 Outside the Fairy Tale
A/N: This chapter contains the first action scene as well as the first appearance of a Class VII member. Hint: It's not Rean. I may have forgotten to mention it in previous chapters, but I love reviews as much as any other author on FFnet. If you like my writing or have anything positive or negative to comment feel free to press the button.
And big thanks of course to the ones who already followed, favourited and reviewed my story. Answers to some of the reviews are located at the bottom of the chapter.
Chapter 3 – The Four Amigos
Towa walked walked towards Thors' combat gym, with instructor Makarov at her side. She made her move two days ago, proclaiming her candidacy for the position of committee chairwoman. Most of Thors' teaching staff gave them the go ahead. They declared their support for everything the cadet committee hashed out between themselves. At the same time Towa made the school wide announcement to take the candidacy back, if Liliana Gueldenstern, the current chairwoman, beat her in an arts duel.
It was a pretty nasty move as far as she was concerned. When she first entered Thors she was probably a tad too naive in facing some of the cut-throat attitudes displayed by her fellow cadets. There were no shortages of people showing zero scruples to abuse her helpful nature, so they could further their own reputation or achievements. When Angie befriended her, Towa was lucky that friendship brought an abrupt stop to the hyenas circling her altruism. The relationship started as one of the noble's many attempted conquests, but blossomed into something else fortunately. Still, she could hardly be proud of herself, if she always hid behind Angie's pedigree. As such, she took to committee politics like a duck to water, using her work ethic to accumulate favors and alliances. She also became an indispensable information-conduit between the instructors and the cadet body. In the end, she spun all the relationships she forged into a web of interlocking dependencies.
Right now, having Towa Herschel's help was the equivalent of a stamp of approval that the job was going to get done and that it would benefit Thors as a whole. It was also going to cost the one asking, for she found out that the cadets possessing a ruthless streak wouldn't respect her otherwise. Even so, she still indulged her altruistic streak occasionally, for she loved to help other people as an end to itself, thank you very much. She also discovered that most cadets intent on mingling in inter-school politics were eager to pay her with further favors down the road. Fortunately, both Crow and Angie taught her how to cash those in. Sometimes even on her behalf when she was swamped with paperwork again.
She truly was blessed with reliable friends.
Even then, most people on campus were caught flat-footed by the challenge she issued. Gueldenstern herself took the news with an air of cold disdain, having taken her immense support during her term for granted.
Just like so many other cadets before.
She was one of few people immune to the Rogner name, hailing from a military family with almost as much influence as the Four Great Houses. Adding to that was self-confidence backed by an iron will and a series of noteworthy accomplishments.
She was someone Towa respected despite her knowing the sentiment wasn't returned. Now that she had thrown the gauntlet though, the diminutive brunette was aware she had made a true enemy, no matter the outcome of their duel today. The veneer between them was broken, the battle lines drawn. While the current chairwoman didn't say it in so many words, her demeanor all but screamed that she intended to chastise her for daring to reach for the stars.
Good thing that reaching for stars was something of a specialty among people with the name 'Herschel'.
She might have become a little miffed about the easy dismissal in the past, but right now, she thought about how to use her opponent's arrogance against herself. Crow was clearly rubbing off on her.
When she entered the Thors gym, she felt her heart skip a beat. As the clear blue sky became a ceiling it felt like the consequences of her ambition were closing in on her. She folded her hands in front, trying in vain to still her breathing.
"Nervous, Towa?" Instructor Makarov asked, his usually coarse voice warm and friendly.
"I'm fine, instructor." She stopped and looked around herself to make sure nobody else was watching. She then used her hands to slap both her cheeks at the same time, the sound ringing across the foyer. "Autsch," she whimpered, but her breathing became more even and the sudden sense of claustrophobia receded.
"Guess this answers my question."
Towa smiled self-deprecatingly. "Guess it does."
They both continued their way through the gymnasium. The building contained everything one could ask for to polish every combat skill imaginable. An armory to make a weapon enthusiast drool, dueling halls for melee spars, shooting ranges, obstacle courses, even so called 'scenario halls'. They could be customized into various terrains, where teams of cadets unleashed their hard earned skills against each other. It also served as a practice ground for cover traversal, terrain tactics and group combinations.
Then there was the crowning achievement: the Arts Pit. Like the name suggested, it was a quadratic 40 x 40 arge pit, ten arge deep. The ground and walls were kitted with cutting-edge anti-arts material. A vanadium-titan alloy with a specially processed argem-sapphirl matrix coating, interspersed with goldia doped copper wire for conducting the orbal current needed to activate the defensive array. The opening of the pit was protected by a transparent, bluish force barrier with the necessary barrier-projectors powered by Thors' own orbal generator. Towa looked up from where she stood and saw rows of cadets standing at the edge of the Arts Pit, their anticipation palpable.
The hall around the high-tech arena was big, but it was clearly not designed to house almost the whole cadet body. Towa could hardly complain. Getting an audience as big as the one above was exactly what she wanted. Suddenly, she heard voices behind her and moments later she was surrounded by her most treasured friends.
"Nice going," Crow said, his voice light-hearted as always. "With so many spectators, this is going to be fun."
Instructor Makarov grumbled. "I know you guys are here for moral support, but when the fighting begins, I want you punks out here except for little missy. Collateral damage is one thing, but I want this duel to be legitimate without any side accusing the other of third party interference."
"Yeah, yeah, understood instructor," Angie drawled. She wore her dress uniform for once instead of her biking leathers, though she forwent the skirt for pants and polished black leather boots.
"Do you now, Cadet Rogner? You don't sound like you really grasp the situation so let me spell it out for you real clearly: organizing a ruddy duel between two A+ Affinity casters, a duel which the whole bloody cadet body is rearing to watch, is a damn pain in the ass. In the end it's down to us engineers to deal with the necessary security precautions. We have to erect an artificial arts barrier capable of tanking elemental manifestations in the tens of megajoule range. That further means the generator had to be modulated to prevent the potential energy drain from causing the whole orbal energy network on campus to overload, explode and die. If we are forced to repeat this entire performance, I'm putting all three of you jokers through hell during the next science exam. Are we clear?"
"Crystal, Sir!" They chorused.
Makarov nodded and left them to their devices.
"I never thought preparation for arts-duels are so laborious," Angie murmured. She smacked her fist into her open palm. "Guess that's just another point in favor of a good, old physical beat-down."
George chuckled. "I didn't have the opportunity to help the engineers on campus, but if you want my informed opinion, the preparations are indeed difficult and time-consuming. Even if everything in the Arts Pit works the way it's supposed to, there's the possibility the barrier projectors become toast after the duel due to overheating. Gueldenstern's castings pack a mean punch."
Angie nodded before turning towards her. "Okay, my dear, sweet Towa. Care to tell me what made you issue a challenge like that? George and I come back from the artillery field exercise to find the whole campus in an uproar with rumors flying left and right."
Crow smirked. "Well, what does it look like to you, Gelica? I'd call it a power grab."
Angie rolled her eyes. "Except my dear Towa only makes power grabs, if it ultimately helps someone else or Thors as a whole."
"Well Angie, Class VII is going to become a reality. Three days ago, I received the finalized list of the participants and the candidates are quite something."
"Something?" The other three asked.
Towa sighed. "Almost all carry political baggage one way or the other. Liliana is certain to be opposed to some of the new cadets, but I can't have her impede a project the four of us have paved the way for."
Angie nodded. "I see. But do you have a winning strategy against the chairwoman? All bluster and arrogance aside, she's powerful."
Crow cackled. "Who do you take her for? This is our field leader we're talking about."
"Clever." The Rogner heir grinned like a shark. "She asked you for help, didn't she? And knowing birdbrain, Towa comes prepared with something really, really nasty."
"You bet."
Towa sighed. "I'm still nervous, you know."
George put a hand on her shoulder. His voice gruff, but gentle. "Give it your best, Towa. I trust Crow's devious trickery enough to know you will pull off a beautiful victory. As long as you keep all our strengths in mind, you'll be fine."
She smiled. "Thanks, George."
Angie put a hand on her other shoulder. "Same as our team engineer said. Win the duel and grab the position which should have been yours anyway."
Towa couldn't suppress a sniff. "Oh guys, you are the best."
Crow folded his arms. "Don't disappoint me, my impromptu apprentice of the dark force. Using black colored time arts is an ability most depraved, but it shall grant you victory even inside the jaws of defeat." He then stopped speaking in his deep pitched, theatrical voice. "Besides, I have a betting pool running, with five to one odds against you, Towa. And look at you, dressed in combat fatigues. I have snatched a look at Gueldenstern some minutes ago and she is in full ceremonial dress, tight skirt included." He winked. "A textbook example of the dark horse about to topple the glorious champion. Win this duel, and the emotions will flow - and the Mira."
The other three looked askance at the white haired jester. Then they face-palmed in unison.
"You're impossible, Crow," Towa said, but she couldn't quite stifle her laughter.
"Good to know you just volunteered to pay for Towa's victory dinner party," Angie spoke up. "And don't think you can wiggle yourself out by inviting us to Kirsche. I want a full three-course menu for each of us with drinks inclusive at Schwarzwald." She put an arm around Crow's shoulder. "You, buster, will foot the entire bill."
"There are people who'd call this extortion, you know?"
George put his hands on his hips. "Angelica's idea sounds fine to me, although we should also include desserts."
"Male solidarity, why have you abandoned me?"
The other three broke out in laughter.
"Could you please get out of the way?" An arctic voice cut in.
The four friends turned, coming face to face with Instructor Bernhard and current cadet chairwoman Liliana Gueldenstern. Angie folded her arms, placing her weight on one foot. "I know you're straight-laced and all, but sometimes it pays to simply maneuver around an obstacle, cadet chairwoman."
The woman wearing the white dress uniform of a noble flipped her blond hair back, her expression cold. "None of you beside Herschel and Instructor Makarov are supposed to be here. If you are so eager to watch you friend lose, do it like the rest of the masses from up there."
Crow put on an ugly smirk. "It's nice of you to worry for our safety, Gueldenstern, but staying here's just so tempting. Having a front row seat to your impending public humiliation is nothing to scoff at, you know?"
The cadet chairwoman's expression turned furious for a moment. A moment later, she managed to clamp down on her emotions. As she was about to shoot another caustic remark, Instructor Bernhard interrupted her. "Enough! The duel is about to begin. Armbrust, Rogner, Nome, take your positions with the other cadets."
"Yes, Sir!" The three saluted and left the pit.
Which left Towa to face Liliana by her lonesome. Her right hand fell down and touched her ARCUS pouch, a simple motion to further calm herself. No, she wasn't alone. Like George said, she carried a part of each of her treasured friends within herself. Angie's initiative and battle instinct, George's silent dedication and steady demeanor, Crow's resourcefulness, cunning and his ability to think outside the box. They had fought together, worked together, laughed and triumphed together. Throughout all, they had learned from and enriched each other. With bonds like these, who needed artificial ARCUS links?
She smiled, glad her confidence was returning. Moments later, she felt an anti-arts barrier forming around herself and her enemy, layering itself seven times. She looked back at Instructor Makarov, giving him a nod of thanks. The gruff man shrugged, his body and orbal staff still emitting cyan light. The noise outside the Arts Pit was rising to a fever pitch, but she blotted out the distraction. She focused her gaze straight towards the one she had to beat. Only Gueldenstern was important right now.
"I don't understand you, Herschel."
Towa tilted her head. "What is there not to understand?"
"You are no warrior. You detest conflict. Armbrust might be a disgrace, but there's no doubt he knows how to fight. The same cannot be said for you." She shook her head. "To be honest, I find it absurd you have attended Thors in the first place."
"How strange you only start to wonder about my combat aptitude the moment I'm of no use to you anymore."
Liliana smiled icily. "So you do know how to lash out with that silver tongue of yours." She flipped her hair again. "Well, show me whether your arts casting is as sharp as your mouth."
Towa inhaled, her mind mapping the Quartz configuration. Her body directed the flow of energy to connect with her orbment.
Nohval current set. As the black art suffused her body, everything she saw seemed to turn into sharp relief. Liliana's movements became slow like molasses. Towa sprinted sideways, circling her target. She was merely manipulating her internal time and perception, so her movements ended up stiff and uncoordinated.
The cadet chairwoman didn't even bother to turn, her body aglow. Towa activated her ARCUS. A mere moment later, bolts of heated plasma shot towards her. Even with her internal time accelerated, Towa barely managed to dodge, landing on her knees. In the second it took her to stand up, moisture in the air re-sublimated into icicles all around her, tips sharpened to an edge. There was no escape this time, so Towa channeled the power of mirage, building a reflective dome around her. The water arts crashed into the shield and Towa concentrated, feeling out the sweet spot when the spiritual momentum of the ice attack reached...
Zero.
She raised both her hands and whipped them down, the movement helping her to revert the arts manifestation. Instead of splintering, the icicles were swallowed by her silvery dome. Moments later the water art appeared around Gueldenstern. The chairwoman performed a pirouette, her body aglow again. A ring of fire manifested around her, countering the rebounded water art with casual disdain.
Towa was casting again, manipulating dual streams of nohval and amberl energy. Three spikes of rock manifested above her, tendrils of inky time distortion feeding into them. She felt the heat of her combat orbment through the leather pouch and the rough fabric of her pants, but there was no holding back against an enemy like Liliana.
A focused gust of wind shot through the flames, dispersing the fire, intent on blowing her against the wall. Towa was ready though, releasing the rock spikes at five times their usual attack velocity.
Arts were some of the most mysterious phenomena in orbal science. The phenomenon broke several natural laws with no satisfying hypothesis in sight. Even now, it was poorly understood from where the elemental manifestations of water, earth or fire came forth and where they disappeared once the casting ended. Still, as long as the elements stayed materialized in the familiar plane of reality, they were subject to the laws of physics.
The rock spikes dived headlong into the wind, their impact energy far too great for the stream of high-density air to slow them. The resulting friction was strong enough to flash-heat the rock surface, turning them into high-speed magma projectiles.
Liliana Gueldenstern showed her prowess as one of Thors' most formidable arts users by erecting an earth wall in an instant . But the protection only held against two shots, with the kinetic and heat energy dispersing itself in shattering explosions. Staggered like that, the third magma spike hit her squarely in the chest. Two high grade anti-arts barriers of Instructor Bernhard shattered into mist.
Towa took the full brunt of the sustained air strike, her small frame pushed back and slammed against the pit wall. Luckily, she managed to push her chin towards her chest, avoiding a concussion. She bit down the pain which arced from her left shoulder towards her right hip. Despite everything the attack was insufficient to break even one of instructor Makarov's anti-arts barriers. Yet her opponent only had a single left before she lost the duel.
Liliana got up from her prone position. Her long, shining locks were tangled, her immaculate dress uniform ruffled. She was seething with anger. "I underestimated you Herschel," she sneered. Her words still sounded distorted in Towa's ears. Seemed like her internal acceleration was holding. "Playtime's over."
The chairwoman's body became ablaze with light, the Epstein-Kowalski radiation jumping the orbomagnetic spectrum to pure, blinding white. It basked her whole body like a divine aura, turning her form into the likeness of a Valkyrie of legend. Liliana stretched out her arms, Russel-Hamilton condensation of blue and red forming in each of her palms. A double casting of fire and water.
How beautiful. For a second, Towa envied her opponent for her looks, but that useless thought was squashed down in an instant as she channeled the special black current of Crow's Master Quartz. Liliana was famous for utilizing Pandora, trading higher energy consumption for overwhelming and diverse firepower. Her opponent was pushing the arts amplification to its limit, planning on destroying Towa's anti-arts barriers in one fell swoop.
Good thing she still had an ace to play.
A frozen river of cryoclastic ice raced towards her, two balls of superheated fire circling above, descending like the wrath of heaven. The water art was supposed to pin her down, while sapping protective energy. The moment the fire art connected with the ice, the extreme temperature differential would cause a massive steam explosion to beat her down.
But when the water art made contact with the thin barrier of nohval energy surrounding Towa, a second stretched to an eternity. The corroding and all-encompassing power of Time seeped into the manifested ice, the procedure and methodology of a lost civilization playing itself out with her body as a mere conduit. Reality lurched, the flow of events balking like the stuck cog of a combat orbment refusing its rotation.
The frozen river dissolved or perhaps it disassembled itself? Was the spiritual matrix of the manifestation corroding? Words were insufficient as the world itself declared a revocation of an occurrence already happened. It was a violation of the real that human perception wasn't meant to process.
When the two fireballs collided, there wasn't any ice for them to vaporize and as the heatwave of the resulting detonation reached Towa's black barrier, the fire art fell victim to the same uncanny deconstruction. Nothing remained, as if Liliana Gueldenstern had never performed her prodigious double casting to begin with.
Towa activated her ARCUS again, intent on using up every last scrap of energy, directing the dual flow of sapphirl and esmelas. Her opponent was still in shock, but Towa wasn't about to relinquish her initiative or show mercy. If the last year on campus taught her one thing, it was that following her ambition meant trampling over the ambition of others.
The Shadow Chairwoman of Thors hardened her resolve. She was going to continue her ascend to the top. One step at a time.
A deluge of water manifested itself from thin air, followed by a horizontal whirlwind which turned the mass of liquid into a spiral of destruction. It struck the current chairwoman like the swipe of a gigantic, coiling snake. It broke through another two anti-arts barriers, throwing her down the floor again. This time, she didn't get up.
"Cease dueling!" Both arts instructors roared at the same time.
Towa breathed a sigh of relief, finally allowing the tension to leave her body. She straightened herself, the act causing her to black out. She bit the inside of her mouth until she tasted blood, using the pain to focus herself. No faltering. No wavering. She needed to show strength, steadfastness. As much as her diplomatic and gentle nature was useful in everyday administration, she was about to prove that she was also a dangerous person. Somebody to be wary of.
Or to put it in Crow's crass verbiage: someone who shouldn't be fucked with.
The crowd above the pit was in an uproar. Soon they began shouting. It took her some time until she realized it was her own name the cadets were chanting. Then she felt strong arms snaking around her neck and soon found her head colliding with fabric hinting at an expanse of soft flesh beneath.
"Angie, air."
"Oh Towa, that was sublime," the Rogner heir gushed. "You are becoming more irresistible by the second."
She felt too weak to struggle, so she settled for sighing and complaining. "Angie, I swear. Let me go."
This only caused her exuberant friend to rub her cheek against her hair. Oh, well. Goodbye dignity. It was nice knowing you.
"Hey, I totally think girl on girl is hot, but Towa could use some emergency sugar right now. Afterwards, you can continue your show for all I care."
"Hey buster, I'm not putting up a show for you to ogle, but I guess you're right about the sugar."
She blinked. Her mind felt sluggish, but soon enough something solid was put into her hands. "Come on," she heard George speak, his voice gentle. "Eat some and you'll feel like new."
She obeyed, biting into the food. The inside of her mouth stung with pain, but the sugary goodness spread across her tongue shortly after. It was chocolate! She swallowed and ate the rest, feeling warmth returning to her body. Her mind became clear again.
Towa looked around, finally taking in her surrounding. Colonel Beatrix was treating Liliana who was on her feet, though she was struggling to keep upright. Her friends were at her side together with principal Vandyck and Instructor Sara. Towa cast a weak tear art, closing the wound inside her mouth.
The former general smiled kindly, his eyes twinkling. "That was a splendid performance, Cadet Herschel. I daresay after a display like that most of the youth on campus won't even think of contesting your rise as cadet chairwoman. It will make you the second commoner in the history of this institution to ever reach the position. I'm expecting great things in the future."
Towa felt like her smile was about to split her face, but she couldn't care less with the sheer elation she felt. "Thank you very much, principal." She bowed deeply from the waist, the posture she used not of Erebonian tradition. The man before her had always supported her team with a warm smile and valuable advice. So for once, she felt military protocol wasn't quite enough to show her appreciation. "I will do my best."
Principal Vandyck's smile became even broader. Like Towa anticipated, he recognized the true nature of the gesture. To a casual observer the bow would look like a mundane motion of deference, but the principal proved his deep awareness of Eastern customs.
"Say, Sir," Angie asked, "the first commoner to reach the position wouldn't happen to be you?"
Vandyck's smile turned a tad smug. "Exactly, Cadet Rogner."
"Beautifully done, Towa," Instructor Sara cheered. "Though I suspect this was a team effort as always." She smirked, throwing Crow a gimlet eye. "You usually don't use time arts this frequently and that strange stunt you pulled with Gueldenstern's ultimate attack has our favorite slacker's style written aaall over."
Crow chuckled. "Hey, it's nice someone recognizes my genius."
Principal Vandyck stroked his beard. "That was indeed an impressive effect." He looked between her and Crow. "They always say you can't teach an old horse new tricks and combat orbments aren't something I've ever tinkered with. Still, I'm curious about what exactly you did here."
Towa wrapped a lock of hair around her index finger. "The Master Quartz is called 'Katze'. I've never heard of it before, but Crow was nice enough to let me borrow it."
The white haired youth put his hands behind his head, his face a study in smugness. "It allows the user to disassemble any art and absorb the dispersing energy. Towa doesn't have a time incarnation like me and only practiced for two days, so disassembling arts was the best she could do. In a regulated duel this is still plenty though."
"Do you know the theory behind this ability?" George asked.
Towa and Crow looked at each other. "We can only guess," they both said in unison.
"Althoough," Crow continued, "Towa thought up some really sweet hypothesis I've never considered. If she didn't bury herself in paper work all the time, she could become one of the scariest arts users at Thors period."
She giggled. "Stop the flattery, Crow."
He smirked shamelessly. "Oh? Am I making you blush?"
She felt Angie hugging her from behind again. "Don't you dare prowl on Towa's innocence, Armbrust. Put your moves on some other clueless maiden."
"Wow, that's the biggest load of hypocrisy I heard all day, Ms Rogner, considering the sheer amount of male hearts broken on campus to sate your raging libido. Oh, and let's not forget the female hearts too, once the seduced women realized you're an unapologetic multi-timer."
"Tsk."
Crow bend over, legs strained, his body language akin to a predator about to leap. "Did you sneer at me? You did, didn't you? The nerve."
Angelica smashed her fist into her palm. "How about we resolve our differences in the ring next door?"
Towa sighed. "Angie, Crow, be nice to each other."
Both of them flinched. "Please not the puppy dog eyes. That's unfair," Angie pressed out, her voice stifled.
George face palmed again.
Towa gripped Crow's and Angie's forearms. "Both of you are so childish sometimes - now shake hands and make up," she cooed.
Both of them looked like they swallowed something sour.
"Now!" She snapped, her voice turning into pure steel.
The headstrong duo scrambled to give each other their hands, yet the smile they forced on their faces looked more like grimaces. Towa shook her head. Letting them duel later might be the best course of action.
Instructor Sara chuckled. "Aidios, you kids are a riot."
"I, for one, am completely stumped how a group more fit for a comedy troupe could even function, let alone beat me," Liliana interjected.
They turned to the current chairwoman. Towa stepped up, her gaze hard, her friends fanning out behind her like an honor guard.
"And then you do something like this," Liliana murmured. "The diminutive general and her trusted officers."
"Are you ready to comply to the terms of the duel?" Towa spoke, all business.
"Yes." She looked around the Arts Pit, taking in the spectators surrounding them above. "I, Liliana Hildegard von Gueldenstern, hereby declare my resignation from my post as the chairwoman of the cadet committee at Thors. By the power invested into my office, I appoint committee adjutant Towa Herschel as my successor."
The crowd erupted again, clapping hands and shouting their congratulations.
Liliana flipped her hair. "This way, we can spare us the re-election."
Towa reached out her hand. "Thank you."
"Don't, Herschel. There is nothing to thank for. I am doing the only thing possible in my situation to save face and mitigate the political damage you inflicted on me." She took her hand and they shook. "Everything that happened today is the result of you willing to raise up against me."
Towa smiled. "This is where you're wrong, Liliana. Today is the result of the support I received from my treasured friends. It's the result of the bonds I established with my fellow Thors cadets and the instructors. They are the ones who see it fit to entrust me with the responsibility of chairwoman. We are no singular existences."
They released their hands. "Still the naive idealist," the former chairwoman said.
"Forgive me for being blunt, but you're the naive one if you attribute your accomplishments solely to the individual. It's simplifies the reality that we all depend on the inter-connectivity of human solidarity."
Liliana's smile was so thin as if carved by a knife. "This inter-connectivity you speak of isn't something grasped by most people, Herschel. The masses need lighthouses of inspiration to guide them in the stormy sea of reality. That's why Heroes exist. As objects of worship to concentrate the accomplishments of the many onto the few."
Towa frowned. "There are no Heroes."
Liliana huffed. "Instructors. Principal. I thank you for your support during today's duel. I'd like to bid all present farewell."
Principal Vandyck nodded. "Very well, Cadet Gueldenstern. I thank you for your excellent work until now. Dismissed." He saluted.
She straightened and returned the salute. "Sir!" She then turned to Towa again. "You know, Herschel, for someone who doesn't believe in the existence of Heroes you are quite intent on becoming one." With that last parting shot she turned smartly on her heels and walked out of the Arts Pit, her head held high, her posture proud.
It was moments like these when Fie Clausell wondered why she still tolerated Sara's antics.
Sure, the woman kind of became her guardian after that incident. But it wasn't like anybody asked her opinion or anything. Guess it was still better than being totally on her own. Once she started to live in the small flat with the female Bracer, while mingling with the people in Trista, she realized one important thing:
She didn't fit.
Seems people couldn't understand how a sixteen year old had battle scars all over her body. Personally, she had seen far worse, but the reactions were strange and bothersome. Housewives and shopkeepers freaked, mumbling incoherent stuff about 'domestic abuse' or 'calling the authorities'. When she told them where she really got them, nobody believed her, although the one time, she actually showed the disbelievers some of her moves.
They freaked out even more after that.
At some point she gave up and consistently wore long sleeved clothes and dark tights before donning her favorite hot pants. Luckily, she didn't have any scars on her face, though there was the one on her scalp from a shrapnel fragment. It happened during an operation at a border town in Calvard, when her former corps came under heavy artillery fire. She also had a nasty line on her neck. High velocity incendiary round which nicked her during the retaliation against Fenrir. It was a potent lesson to treat cover with reverence and to realize that her speed didn't make her invincible.
Since then she wore her hair long.
"What's with the face, Fie? We're going to dine spectacularly this evening. One of my students is paying."
And didn't this sound all kinds of wrong? She quirked her eyebrow. "Did you trick him?"
The woman glared, though she didn't put any heart into it. It ended up being more playful than anything else. Sara was silly like that. "No, I didn't trick anybody. I invited myself and you. He was nice enough to agree. Besides, if anyone's doing the tricking, it's the one who's paying." She paused. "How do you know it's a guy?"
She rolled her eyes. "They're more prone to be suckered by you." Jaeger life hadn't prepared her for life among mundane people, but even she was perfectly aware being a boob monster had its perks.
She stared at the purple haired woman and her considerable cleavage which neither her marine colored trenchcoat nor her short yellow dress obscured in the slightest. She also didn't have any scars from her neck down the top part of her breasts. Fie knew. She had looked closely, only to curse at the goddess for bestowing her bounties without any justice nor fairness.
"Hey, at least we don't have to cook tonight."
Right, cooking. Something both of them failed at. In the last few month they had fallen into an uneasy routine in their so-called domestic life. Though she wasn't sure them living under one roof truly qualified as such. Sara was busy most of the time at the officer school or some Bracer side job she tried and failed to conceal from her. When she came back, exhausted and sometimes frustrated, especially after her Bracer missions, she tended to fall into a bottle. Fie on the other hand suffered from a lack of activity, so she usually napped the day away. The result was that their flat soon became a den of detritus, trash and empty bottles, until it reached a breaking point. Then both of them banded together in a half-hearted attempt at cleaning. They aired out the smell and cleared at least some rough patches of floor for them to step on, but it was an uphill battle.
Then the circle repeated itself.
The awkward part was that Sara wasn't deliberately neglecting her. She was just bad at taking responsibility. Fie wasn't sure whether their relationship even comprised of the woman paying her any overt attention or if she even wanted it.
Sara made her uneasy.
The moment she introduced herself as a Bracer, Fie felt something amiss. Like puzzle pieces taken away leaving a picture with a gaping hole. Even back then, she was of course aware of Sara's reputation: Purple Lightning. A-Rank Bracer. Even the Boss respected her strength. Bracers themselves were a sore topic among Jaegers: wannabe heroes, cheap gofers, pacifistic weaklings, hopeless idealists... all appellations she heard thrown around, but Sara didn't conform to any of them. Except the cheap gofer part. Searching for pets? Really?
The first time they sparred, it finally clicked - the ferocity of her attacks, the understated brutality of her techniques, the sheer economy of her foot-work, the aura of blood thirst. She was Ex-Jaeger. A strong one. Still, Fie couldn't resist tickling the proverbial dragon, so she used a craft she wasn't ready for:
Warcry.
Sara answered in kind and trounced her. Afterwards she forbid her of ever using the technique again. It was the only time she ever banned her to do anything. Considering the side effects, it was probably the smart thing to listen - for once.
As for Sara's Jaeger affiliation, they never talked about it, but both of them were aware the gig was up. Considering her strength, there weren't a lot of corps on Western Zemuria she could have belonged to. Red Constellation was out. Zephyr studied them painstakingly before the fated confrontation of their leaders. Someone like Sara could've easily made battalion commander. Even as someone who hypothetically left the corps, some intelligence about her would have made its way to the Boss. The man was thorough like that.
Which only left Niddhogr or the Northern Jaegers. Fie suspected the latter. It was a gut feeling.
After the revelation, it dawned on her that she was co-habiting with a mirror image of herself. A pretty twisted one and aged up a couple of years, but even now she didn't know whether she liked what she saw. Thus the uneasiness.
What she definitely didn't like was the drinking part. Actually, it was mighty annoying. She knew from her comrades that alcohol numbed the pain of the past, made it easier to forget if only for a short while, followed by the jerks teasing her that a midget was too young to drink. But to get the flashes of that fight out of her head? To avoid the night terrors she got the few times she truly let herself sleep, when she saw the orbal powered axe buried inside his ribcage, the trail of cauterized flesh beginning from the smashed collarbone, the right side of his upper face blasted away alongside the eye...
again
and again.
She bit down on her lips, shaking her head, forcing the memories away. The Boss had given as good as he got. The War God's body had been in a pretty similar condition, mangled like a piece of raw meat thrown into a grinder, but the cost...
She didn't like it, didn't like the smell, the idea of hangovers, the mess it made out of the apartment the two times the Ex-Jaeger misjudged her tolerance and puked all over the floor. Even then, trying out some of Sara's stash became more tempting by the day.
"Here we are. Dinner awaits", the Ex-Jaeger said smugly.
Fie looked up, broken out of her reverie. She blinked and then scolded herself for drifting off like this. A Jaeger was always aware of her surroundings. The place they were about to enter seemed like a pretty expensive restaurant. Schwarzwald. She quirked an eyebrow. Black forest, huh? They stepped into warm light and a room filled with pleasant piano tunes, laughter and the low hum of ongoing conversation.
She checked out the interior layout. Pretty much all windows on the west side made for excellent exit points as they all lead to a low visibility alleyway. A waitress walked towards them, harmless, asking about bookings. Sara spoke something she didn't care about, so she continued to look for ambush points or places susceptible to sniper fire. The counter was a good hiding place, but had flimsy cover. Sitting down at the east side was a nice way to get one's head ventilated.
Fie was aware her surveillance wasn't necessary. Trista was a peaceful town, far away from bloody battlefields. Neither her nor Sara were high priority targets or carried bounties on their heads. But it wouldn't do for her to lose her touch, lose that edge she had honed in the theater of war for five years. It seemed too much like a betrayal of her time with the corps otherwise. Besides, she was going to attend that officer school Sara worked at. The people there seemed to respect her skills the few times she went to do tests and mock combat. Sara didn't seem to like it exactly, but what else was she supposed to do? Become a waitress?
She followed the Bracer up to the second floor, repeating her sweeping once again and coming pretty much to the same conclusion. Their destination turned out to be a table at the east side corner without any windows around. Interesting. Seemed like Sara's students knew a thing or two about safety. There were four people present, their appearance strikingly dissimilar. While Sara did the introductions, she scrutinized them: a tall guy with white hair, almost the same color as hers with a tinge of gray. The way he wore his uniform was kind of slovenly, the tie loosened and the sleeves rolled up, revealing densely muscled forearms. Fie narrowed her eyes. The guy was scrutinizing back, his eyes tracking her, his body tension loose but ready. Out of the four, he was the one who smelled of danger the most.
Suddenly, she heard a squeal that put all her instincts on high alert.
"Instructor Sara, you've been holding out on me!" A husky voice purred. Fie teared her gaze away from the white one, focusing her attention on the immediate source of danger. Another tall person, a women in body hugging black leather. Very beautiful, her violet hair cut short, but not overtly so. She saw the strange woman stand up, her hips swaying the whole way, until she was at the edge of her striking zone. Her expression was one she didn't quite understand, yet it made her skin crawl. "Heello, cute one. Care to tell me your name?"
These were Sara's favorite students? Or cadets or something? They were turning out to be a bunch of weirdos.
"Angie, don't harass instructor Sara's... friend?"
She changed her attention again, her gaze focusing on the next person, who seemed intent on continuing the theme of mismatched weirdos. This one turned out to look like she was younger than her. Thick brown hair, a petite stature. Her face was quite pretty, her eyes almond shaped and slightly slanted. Some Eastern heritage? Out of the four she was the only one wearing her military uniform properly. It clashed with the fact that she registered as a harmless civilian on Fie's senses. Someone who was about as dangerous as a cute chipmunk.
She could already feel the beginnings of a headache creeping up.
Sara sighed. "Please introduce yourself. It's the polite thing to do."
She suppressed rolling her eyes. Since when did Sara give a crap about politeness? "Fie, hello."
The weird leather clad one cooed in delight, while the small chipmunk narrowed her eyes. The two guys took her greeting in stride, nodding back in acknowledgment. The last one of the group, a heavyset man wearing a mechanic's gear, admonished the creepy woman to tone down her flirtations.
Flirtations? So she wasn't the only one who thought women were more attractive than men? Interesting.
Sara and her sat down with the dangerous one speaking up again. "So you are the sixth mouth I'm supposed to feed tonight. I wonder, will my purse survive the onslaught?"
She tilted her head. "You don't look like a noble, or rich for that matter."
The leather clad woman snickered. "That's because he isn't. The only one with noble blood sitting here is yours truly."
"You look even less like a noble," she deadpanned.
Out of some baffling reason, all people present broke out in laughter. Some kind of inside joke? Weird. Still, the laughter didn't sound too bad. They clearly weren't laughing at her. It felt more like an inviting sound, beckoning her to come closer. There was camaraderie here, something she was familiar with. Fie relaxed her posture, sensing the white one doing the same. She looked at him, but the guy didn't seem intent on commenting. He just winked at her.
Perhaps Sara's weirdo students weren't so bad.
Soon enough, a waitress appeared to take their orders. Sara and the one clad in leather, whose name was Angelica, informed her that she could go ahead and buy a full three course menu. Fie, being the practical person she was, held nothing back and asked for the dishes with the biggest portion. She was a growing girl after all.
After the waitress took everybody's order, the people present fell into easy conversation. Fie quickly realized they were mentioning stuff all of them had to be aware of. Did they want to include her into their conversation, bringing her up to speed? She could appreciate that, especially because they weren't blatant about it. Soon enough, she learned that the white one was blowing money he won through a gambling racket he organized at Thors campus. The subject of the bet was an arts duel the harmless one won with five to one odds against her. The victory secured her some kind of spot which made her the highest ranking cadet at the officer school.
How curious. Their method to choose authority was pretty much the Jaeger way.
Fie looked at the girl-like woman named Towa. Perhaps she should revise her opinion about her threat level. The way the other three deferred to her reminded her of the way Xeno, Leo, Cynthia, Kirsi and the other battalion commanders hovered around the Boss, being sucked in by the man's charisma.
"Fie, is it?" The small brunette spoke up, her eyes full of warmth. "I don't know whether Instructor Sara told you, but the four of us were the trial group for the experimental class which you're going to be part of. If you have any questions about Class VII, please, don't be a stranger."
She tilted her head. "Class VII?"
The brunette narrowed her eyes again. "The one mixing the social classes. It also contains quite a hefty curriculum."
Fie looked at Instructor Sara, her expression deadpan. Then she looked back at Towa.
The diminutive woman put a hand to her face, sighing deeply. "Instructor Sara, you didn't tell her anything?"
Sara sounded hesitant. "I thought the whole idea was supposed to be a surprise."
Fie's eyebrow twitched. She noted with some amusement how the petite brunette mirrored her reaction.
"Yes. It was supposed to be a surprise, to avoid spooking the graduates born into the Erebonian class system," Towa groused, punctuating every word. "But this is clearly not the case with Fie here. Despite her dossier being redacted to the degree there's more black than white, it's clear she's an orphan without a firm nationality who recently lost her adoptive family and needs some new direction in her life. As her official guardian with insight into her background and the program, it should've been your responsibility to lay out her future options openly and in advance. Especially because her being a newcomer into Erebonia's educational system means she needs to be eased into an environment alien to her."
Sara gulped. "I'm sorry!" She whimpered.
Towa turned towards Fie, her severe expression softening. Then she turned back to Sara, her whole demeanor pure steel, her voice cracking out like a whip. "I'm not the one you should be apologizing to, instructor!"
She felt a sudden, potent spike of killing intent. Her hands snaked towards her weapons on instinct, while the rest of the table was stunned stiff.
Was that her? Fie gulped. Going from harmless chipmunk to killer shining pom in the fraction of a second. So there was a good reason she was in charge. The little Jaeger nodded imperceptibly. The world was starting to make sense again. Then she fixed her gaze on Sara, drinking in the sight of her being cowed to submission.
"I apologize Fie," the Bracer said, her posture despondent and rueful. "I didn't think things through. I will explain everything once we're back home. Okay?"
It took all of Fie's considerable self-control not to smirk. "Okay."
Shortly after, the food was served and Fie found her attention drawn to sating her appetite. She dug in with gusto, the food turning out to be the most delicious meal she had eaten in a long time. The warmth of conversation and laughter gave the experience a particular spice. While she opted to simply listen, she felt surprisingly content.
"So, Gelica, George," the white one named Crow spoke, "anything interesting to tell from your field exercise?"
Angelica played with her mug of beer. "We got to see the new Haubitzer artillery models in action. They're quite the sight."
Towa wrapped a lock of hair around her finger, her face thoughtful. "What makes them so exceptional?"
The heavyset guy scratched his cap. "They're amazing and frightening due to their mobility. The only mobile artillery until now were the infamous Railway Guns at Garrelia, but those were confined to the tracks. The Haubitzer on the other hand combines the terrain traversal of actual tanks with the bombarding capacity of the former Geschütz models. They are only half as fast as an Achtzehn, but they can cross the same kind of terrain. They also need to be fortified to the ground before shooting, but the ground attachment is built into the unit itself."
Crow scowled. "So the Empire is going to field another new innovation in war-making, courtesy of the Reinford Group, your trusted vendor for tools of death."
Fie wasn't sure where the guy's distaste came from. If what the engineer guy said was true, the Haubitzer models were one hell of a strategic improvement. She had to dash through Geschütz bombardment often enough to respect their fire power.
"Keep the sarcasm down, will you Crow?" Angelica rebuked. "Reinford manufactures much more than weapons these days. We're going to be involved with the military one way or the other, so having big guns on our side is quite a reassurance."
"Angie, as a friend of the Reinford family, you feel the need to come to their defense," Towa said, "and I really respect your loyalty. But from an objective standpoint I have to agree with Crow. It's worrying when the Empire continues to field these kind of weapons. Erebonia is already the uncontested military superpower on the continent. Why's there any need to widen the gap further?"
The leather clad woman sighed, her expression losing any trace of playfulness. "The answer to this question should be obvious."
A pregnant silence fell on the table, stifling the merry mood. Fie suspected politics, but her belly was full and as interesting as the talk about the Haubitzer was, she couldn't care less about governments or old geezers squabbling about who got to rule. "Can I get dessert?"
A girl needed to have her priorities straight.
Crow laughed, the heavy atmosphere dispersing again. "Sure little Jaeger, knock yourself out."
She paused, tilting her head again. She didn't know how the guy figured it out, but he was good.
The others were not as fast on the uptake, given their surprised reactions.
Sara folded her arms. "Sometimes, you're entirely too smart for your own good, Crow."
He put his hands behind the back of his head, smirking. "Yes, yes, praise me! I know I'm smart, but hearing others confirm it is balm for my ego."
Angelica rolled her eyes. "Please hold yourself back, instructor. His ego is already inflated. If you continue to stroke it, it will burst like a bubble." Then she turned to Fie, a playful smile blossoming across her lips. "So you're actually a warrior, huh? Cute and deadly, the goddess truly be blessed. How about a one-to-one spar then, little kitty? The Thors gym has everything a fighting enthusiast could possibly need." She winked. "We could get sweaty - together."
The other three on the table either groaned or face palmed. Sara, the traitor, simply leaned back in her seat, beer in hand as if she was enjoying a particularly funny skit. Fie felt some curiosity welling up, but her instincts had never steered her wrong. "I refuse," she said flatly.
The boisterous woman shrugged her shoulders. "The best ones always play hard to get."
She decided to ignore her, turning to Crow instead. "How did you figure it out?"
"Your weapons. Gunblades aren't exactly run of the mill. Some say exotic hybrid weapons are a hallmark of elite Jaeger corps. Besides, the handle belongs to a Sidewinder Mk III revolver of Verne make. Not something an Erebonian would carry around. The Sidewinder's also a combined small arms which utilizes gunpowder, orbal energy and shoots septium-modded ammo. It's a weapon no respectable Bracer would ever touch, what with their non-killing policy." He smirked. "How did I do?"
This time Fie couldn't help but return the smirk. "Pretty good, but I customized my Sidewinder model with ZCF Ifrix parts, for better orbal energy conduction." She drew her trusty gunblades, twirled them playfully and laid them out on the table. None of those present flinched or threw her strange looks, accepting her like it was par of the course. Crow whistled, while Towa and George studied her tools of trade with interest.
The ensuing discussion continued until deep into the evening. For the first time in a long while, Fie actually felt like there was something to look forward to.
Apex85: I'm not surprised you find Osborne's educational decrees perfectly reasonable. They are pretty close to our modern understanding of compulsory education (abbreviated CE). I would like to add though that historically the issue of widespread education for anyone is far from being clear cut. Great Britain for example only introduced a law for CE in the 1880s, about 50 years (according to some scholars) after the beginning of their own Industrial Revolution. The reason for this late development, funnily enough, was because the nobles were protecting their old class privilege. Sounds familiar, doesn't it?
Germany is an even more complex issue. Prussia introduced a combination of CE and compulsory attendance in the late 18th century, basically the first nation ever to do so. During the formation of the Second Reich 1871, when Prussia became only one of many nations (though a crucial one) to form the so called "kleindeutsche Lösung", together with other nations like Bavaria, Schleswig, Württemberg and so on, there was no unification of the educational system at all with Prussia still being one of few territories with a truly modern form of CE. It took until the founding of the Weimarer Republik 1919, the beginning of the Third Reich, until the whole of Germany had CE codified into their constitution. The Industrial Revolution in Germany took off in 1849. Do the math.
JohnJoestar17: I would like to point out that Osborne giving the Bracer Guild the boot in Erebonia is pretty much canon. The Church is something I added, but which I think is still in character. The Chancellor is shown in the games to be a supremely well informed character, so we can be certain he knows about the Septian Church's hidden side aka the Congregation for the Sacraments. I think that's motivation enough for the man to try to reduce the Church's foothold in Erebonia, though I would also like to point out that I make him do so in a more subtle manner compared to the Guild. The Epstein foundation on the other hand... that's a case of Gideon overshooting his mark. Political philosophy isn't a hard science and prone to ambiguity and in this case he's simply overreacting. To be honest, it may sound like a cheap excuse and I wouldn't blame you for thinking so, but in my story, even smart characters making statements about their fields of expertise aren't infallible. It's one of many reasons the story is titled 'Outside the Fairy Tale'.
Last but not least, your remark about the Imperial Chronicle (abbreviated IC). You say that the IC is pro-Nobility in canon, which is correct but only in a limited context. Let me elaborate: In my story I didn't intend to show the IC as pro-Reformist per se, but as Crow puts it 'sycophants who write in favor of whoever holds the power in Heimdallr'. In ToCS2 when the Noble faction sacks the capital and takes the Imperial family plus the governor hostage, the IC pretty much turns into the Noble faction's propaganda piece, their partiality so blatant, it pained me to read the issues. But what about peace time, when Chancellor Osborne was the one dictating Heimdallr politics? If you look at the IC issues from ToCS1, you will see that the reports are actually pretty balanced with the journalists trying to maintain an air of impartiality. Personally, I think they (the journalists in canon) failed, with the IC issues from CS1 showing a slight bias in favor of the Reformists. IC issues number 1, 2 and 8 have pretty clear examples of the editors discarding an objective reporting style and injecting their personal opinions, usually in the form of praising Osborne outright. There is even an in-game book written by Marcel Nielsen found in the Thors Library titled 'The Media: Generational Conflicts' which details the IC's one hundred year history, beginning with the newspaper being a sole media for the nobility, but forced to change their focus once the Reformists under Osborne took the reins. The author even speculates that the IC in canon actually prints two different versions, one for Heimdallr, the other for the provinces, allowing them to pander to two different audiences.