That night dinner was unusually silent, all the boys were certainly pondering upon what they would do the next day. Alexandra herself wasn't feeling so good. Master George had skill, not strength. Tomorrow's opponent would have both. And she particularly didn't want to lose tomorrow, it would now be twice as humiliating as it would normally have been.
'After dinner,' Hans began, 'maybe we can all practice once again?' He offered. The rest of them nodded. Alexandra surmised they didn't mean her, so she continued to look down and eat.
But she felt their eyes on her. Looking up, Alexandra almost choked on the morsel. 'Why - are you all staring at me like that?'
'Help us practice,' Venly explained, shortly.
'What?' She asked again, raising her eyebrows. Why were they asking her now?
'Help us practice! How did you defeat Master George?' Asked Watson, bending towards her. Alexandra felt all their expectant eyes ... alright, they had done pretty bad things to her. But now, if they wanted help... and in return, they would stop the constant nagging... maybe she could help them.
First remind them, Mind advised.
'I can't lift a disc.' She reminded, obeying her logical half. 'I am weak. I'm employed to cook or - to clean.' She counted off, staring at them, harshly.
'Yes you cannot.' Watson replied. 'And that's a fact.'
'But - he is sorry for that night,' Paul added. Alexandra stared the two of them, her brows knit.
'He didn't say it,' she shrugged.
Nobody said anything for a while. Whatever else his good bits might be, Watson had a huge superiority complex. So much so that he couldn't say a simple word "sorry". Alexandra just hated him all the more for it. But while that was true, not everybody was kind and accommodating. Some were like Watson - egoistic and inflexible.
You will all help each other ... A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. Master George had asked them to help each other. If so was the case ... Alexandra didn't have much problem.
Fine. She was ready to give him - and them - one final chance.
'Okay then, Kids.' She tilted her head and interlocked her fingers on the table, 'maybe in the Dormitory Hall at eight?' She offered.
It was warming enough to see the relief on their faces.
* * *
'Wrestling - or more sophisticatedly - unarmed combat, is not a game of who is physically stronger.' She began, all her year-mates stood around her, forming a semi-circle. Alexandra didn't know what to feel about teaching as a profession ... it was too much of a headache, those constant doubts people had. But here she was, anyhow.
'It is a mind game.' She continued, 'today, when Master George was dueling me, I realized that when the combat has a time-limit, you can depend on your skill. But when it is without one, you should take your time and observe your opponent. They always fight like one or the other animal. I might be going offensive like a bull - defensive, like a tortoise raising it's shell, or I might be slithering up on your back, like a snake. And the fact is, every animal can be controlled. If only, you know it's weakness. You can win over your opponent, if you find out their weakness.
'So maybe, we should change our point of view - rather than looking at our opponents as someone we have to defeat, we can look at them as someone we have to control. And, of course we need to be fast with it.'
She spoke for some more, spent hours helping them. When it was almost eleven at night, they all had collapsed around in the Dorm Hall, wet with buckets of sweat pouring down their hairlines. They did not have the slightest energy to get up, and Alexandra announced it was enough. They would do good tomorrow.
* * *
Everybody waited in the Arena. Seated on the rows of rising seats along with all the third, fourth and fifth years. One by one, a second and a fourth year would go ahead and duel. If the younger one lost, he would (or she would) be given another chance at the examination, in the end.
First, was Gergs, in the Alphabetical order. They all watched expectantly. Gergs got a lean, slender sort of guy, and he seemed happy with that, because at least the weight-factor was in his bag. 'You'll do good!' Watson patted him on the back. Alexandra nodded,
'Please don't underestimate him,' She warned.
'Please don't blacken the Second-Year's name,' Paul warned.
'I know, I know.' Gergs assured.
'Mabel!' Master George called out, from afar. Alexandra felt guilty even without having done anything wrong. Master George had that way of making people feel guilty without fault. She turned, nevertheless and shouted back,
'Yes, sir?'
'Go there, do the commentary!' He boomed.
'Commentary?' Alexandra asked, relieved it wasn't something like cleaning the stables again. 'Oh, alright. Okay.' She added, scrambling off. In the high box over the normal seats, there were two seats, for two commentators.
The other one was blonde man, tall and a little intimidating, as though he knew very well how to thrash people, but he simply enjoyed tricking them more. But the man smiled, his reserved blue eyes transforming as soon as he did. 'Second year, Mabel?'
'Yes ... and you are ... a fifth year.' Alexandra declared. She had seen him around the campus, he was quite famous with everybody else, they kept calling "Alden- this!" and "Alden- that!" The problem-solver for everybody, he was, as it appeared. 'Kane Alden?' Alexandra guessed.
He nodded, 'Yes,'
'Spokes person of Espionage Council?' She inquired, a smile curling up her lips.
'Self-assumed title, yes.' He nodded, as the ice broke. 'I heard you pulled the Master off his feet.'
'Oh, just got lucky.' Alexandra replied, taking her seat next to him and pushing her hair back. She did NOT want to brag, especially with the fact that her duel was coming very soon.
'Ha, we'll see now, your duel's next to next.' Kane smirked, consulting the list in front of them. 'Okay, until then... WELCOME AGENTS! Here is our first duel of the day, Second Years - Versus - Fourth Years!'
'As we can all see, the two opponents are already facing each other. William Gergs and Tristan Pendrick! Let's grab onto our seats and get our nails all cleaned for this nail-biting tournament!' Alexandra continued, Kane looked amusedly towards her.
'Extra talented with words, are you, now?' He questioned. Alexandra grinned.
'Most certainly. I am a part-time chatterbox,' she enlightened him. Kane laughed and shook his head once,
'Anytime soon, friends! Just the official signal from our Head, Master George-' he let the sentence hang, bending to watch the Master who raised a green flag. 'Ah, yes! So here goes the first match of the day! And Gergs has started off offensive, a good charge, side stepped by Pendrick. Oh - that was a clean waist hold, and Oooh no! Missed by an inch! It's lucky for Gergs, a well-executed waist hold is hard to counter.'
'And now Pendrick is up to a side lunge and there! Gergs has caught him round the middle, oh no, Pendrick has caught Gergs - wait there! This is a full fledged deadlock, friends! And - and, we'll soon get the one to emerge victorious - Gergs certainly has the higher weight advantage aaand-' Alexandra bend closer, squinting to look at what was happening more clearly.
'LOOK AT THAT! Pendrick has feigned a drop and duped Gergs into giving up concentration, oh and that was a nice try anyhow. Wait there, there seems to some problem - never mind, the duel is going on and on. We'll get to a result soon - and - no! Side stepped again!' Kane continued, he seemed to be more at ease with finding out what was happening in the duel, without having to bend or squint.
The two of them continued, relentlessly commentating as the two boys kept up with their duel. 'No, again no conclusion. Wait there, we are close to it-' Kane began,
'The two boys and in for a charge! Such charges are usually decisive of the winner - and ... Gergs has gone down, usually the one to go down at the end of the charge is the one to win-' Alexandra continued, standing up, the moist winds slapping her face.
'Of course!' Kane announced, standing up himself. 'And Gergs had flipped old Pendrick over, WE HAVE OUR FIRST WINNER:'
'WILLIAM GERGS!' Alexandra stated, she was standing on her tiptoes and peering down.
Master George raised his Red flag, announcing the end of the duel. Alexandra and Kane sat down. She exhaled, very soon, it would be her chance. For now, next was Hans...
He had a small duel, with another middling fourth year. And they enjoyed the commentary... because the movements were all very funny. At a particular time, Hans almost succeeded in pulling off the fourth year's lower garment. It was a stupid thing, because the senior was too fast for Hans anyhow, he simply rolled away. But just to make mattes interesting, Kane's hand shot across on Alexandra's face and he blocked her eyes with his palm - preventing her from seeing the so-called scene. A roar of laughter issued across the hall and the fourth year was going now certainly going to have his revenge.
'Hans has clearly decided to not at all be offensive, which is not a very good thing-' Kane continued, 'and with that little scandal there, our female member is still red in the face. I hope it shall not be repeated, gentlemen.'
'Don't make me kick you down the commentary box, Kane Alden. I am NOT red in the face.' Alexandra continued, adding those poignant words to the commentary itself. 'So, anyhow, returning to the duel- Dave Green fights like a snake, slithering upon you. And defense, against such a tactic, is utter foolishness - oh no!' Alexandra then exclaimed, as they stood up again, reaching the conclusion of the duel.
'HANS ANDERSON HAS BEEN DEFEATED, FRIENDS!'
'NO WORRIES THERE THOUGH,' Alexandra continued, 'HE SHALL HAVE ANOTHER TRY AT IT!'
And then came her own turn.