Royal Academy Diaries I

Conquer ⚜ Ch. 2

Jetsun, Zhang, Meridani, Sritita... How was she going to remember names like that? he fact was, she wasn't going to. But the instructions given in the training ring? That she could remember.

When she arrived at the training area for her weapons and combat instruction class, she immediately went to stand with someone familiar - Finn.

"Nice to see you again," she said.

"It's only been a few hours but it feels like ages." Her eyes widened. "Not that I missed you or anything, it's just been a long day. I meant."

"Right," Rae nodded, smothering a grin. What a dork.

A man then walked to the front. "Attention class. I am Master Andris, your instructor. You will be pleased to hear that after a brief safety discourse, we'll be jumping right into hands on experience. I'll pair you up judging by your training experience in the past, so please be honest. I don't want anyone getting hurt on the first day. The swords we work with are really just flat pieces of dull steel, but there are innumerable ways you can still get hurt with them."

Raelynn was thoroughly excited to be starting right away. She only listened to the instructions on where to get and return the swords, ignoring the rest that she already knew.

The moment Andris was done, everyone swarmed to the racks, and Raelynn slipped in to get her pick. She took it to an empty area to await placement with a partner, admiring the gold inlaid pommel in the meantime.

"Stevensen, with the redhead over there if you please," the instructor said.

Raelynn looked up at a scowling young man who hissed, "But she's a girl!"

The man raised a brow. "And you're both students. Now move along before I assign her someone more up to snuff."

The boy huffed and begrudgingly went over to her. "I won't go easy on you, doll face."

She took a fighting stance. "I'd be disappointed if you did."

He rolled his eyes, twirling his sword beside him.

Raelynn smirked. She took a fighting stance for a moment before putting on a show of spinning her own sword, catching it behind her back, flipping it between hands. It was fun for everyone watching.

"Fancy flipping girly, but can you fight?" The boy suddenly turned and swung down hard. But he wasn't expecting this level of resistance.

She turned his blade and caught it with the hilt of her sword, pulling it from his hands. Quickly, she tossed it back to him. "Lucky move. Again."

He growled and lunged at her again, this time going for a stab attack.

She sidestepped and hooked their swords again. His clattered to the ground.

Deciding to play, she put on like she was getting frustrated. "I thought you said you weren't going to make this easy. Now fight me!"

With an angry cry, he lunged at her for a third time, trying to use his weight to knock her over.

Her expert footing kept her upright. With a swift flick of her wrist, she unlocked their swords and tapped his as though to start a parry.

"Come on!" she growled.

"Shut up, girl!" Stevensen swung at her again, and she used the same move as before to disarm him.

She sighed as he bent to pick it up. "I was hoping for better." With a little hop, she avoided the sword as he swung at her legs. "Tsk tsk, that's not very nice."

He would have knocked her legs out had another group just moved closer. Getting back to his feet, he prepared to attack her again. "You're nothing but a weak, silly girl. You don't belong here!"

Their swords met with a clang. "No- Swanson, was it? I'm starting to think that you don't belong here." With a cry of effort, she hooked his sword and sent it to the ground a ways off. "And darling, I've been called much worse. That's about as much anger as I can muster for something so stupid."

Beside them, she saw out of the corner of her eye that something had gone awry.

"Whoops!"

Following a flash of movement, she caught a wayward sword just before it hit her partner. With a smirk to him, she then turned back to return it to the red faced beginner.

"It would seem you need to work on your grip. Let me show you," she offered. She switched her own sword to her left so she could show the boy the proper way.

"Teaching already, Lady Kilarney?"

She glanced up to see Andris. "Oh, sorry sir. I-"

He held up a hand. "Don't apologize. Come here for a moment. There's something I'm considering."

Leaving the others, she quickly joined him off to the side. "Yes sir?"

"In watching you just now, it's clear that you need more help than these exercises can offer. And partners who actually stand a chance against you," he winked. "Your next class is likely with Khesar?"

She nodded, her heart starting to beat faster.

"Perfect. Stay afterwards and let's the three of us talk about finding you what you really need."

Her smile couldn't be contained. "That's amazing, thank you sir."