I insisted on the conditions : Full equipment for him and before the sun rises to be sure we're alone. Silva agreed to them without a complain. I'm sure Dowling will be watching us from far away. She is also eager to see my progress.
I arrive first at the ponds. I don't dare climbing onto the platforms, I will be more confortable on the ground. I brought my weapons of choice, the ones I made myself, with the guidance of Dowling. She is one of the kind of a fairy. She can guide young fairies to master their skills without owning them herself. I respect her.
I take the long swords out of their scabbards, watch the morning sky reflects on the blades. I catch a glimpse of myself. My hair looks darker than usual, almost purple when it's usually of a light silvery shade. I tied them into two braids which run down the sides of my head, away from my face. My hair is the 5% of my body which doesn't turn into steel when I switch in armor mode. I look like a window mannequin with a wig, this is embarrassing. I thought about shaving it, but android is not the vibe I want to go for either... could I just be less of a weirdo ?
Movement catches my eye across the lawn. Silva is coming from the main building so I start warming up. I always hated physical activity. When I came to Alfea, I was slightly overweight but I liked it. My curves were a disguise. No one looked at me twice. No one paid me attention long enough to see the silvering aspect of my skin back when I didn't control it. Now, muscles are showing even under my real skin, sculpting my arms from the wrists up to my shoulders and my back. My legs are strong from the runs I do in the morning and the sparring I do alone beyond the barrier every night. I don't recognize myself. I don't like what I'm forced to do, what I'm forced to be. Sometimes I just want to escape...
"Wasn't sure you would come," says Silva dropping his bag on the wet grass and grabbing the protective equipment the Specialists use on outdoors missions. "You stood me up last time."
"Sorry..." I mumble. I don't have a valid excuse. "I'm a coward" won't satisfy Saul Silva so I keep my mouth shut of that subject and instead I ask : "You're sure you want to do it ?"
"Sure! I trust you, August."
Well, you shouldn't.
"Where do we begin ?" I ask as my body gets covered in metal.
Silva straps the last piece of gear on his torso. His head and neck are still exposed and I try not to focus on them. "Show me your routine."
I step away from him and start the classical combo I practice every day. The blades obey me, spin around me, stay close as I wish. It's quite the same choreography that I did last night when Stella interrupted me, but when I throw the daggers away to stick them into the ground, I turn my back to the Headmaster. I don't want to send my blades too far toward a human being, this I didn't practice it well enough. All in control. I gather my weapons in my hand. I am barely out of breath.
"Well done! That is very impressive! How did it feel?"
I am proud of course. I didn't hurt him, so that's a win. I spent all night being terrified things would go wrong this morning. But so far, so good. "It was —"
Another silhouette breaks the stillness of the morning. They sit on top of the hill, where they have a good view of our business down on the Reflective Ponds. Short dark hair, dark skin, broad shoulders. It takes me only a second to recognize Marco. I'm not surprise, he's an Air Fairy, capable of projecting electricity balls. He can stop me if I loose control. Will it be enough to save a life ?
"Keep your focus here, August. Don't let anything or anyone distract you."
"You told him?"
"No! Marco is an early bird that's all. Focus! We gonna try with dummies. Just one to start, okay?"
I nod. These I'm not afraid of hurting. I let my armor spread back to the top of my head as Silva throw the crystal a couple of feet away. It hits the ground once and turns into a Burned One. These beasts are terrifying and true to life. It spins around looking for his prey, and here he finds me. I spread my blades as crows, metallic extensions of my fingers, and wait for the monster to come to me. I'm ready.
I throw two of the eight blades on his way and they land in a cross at the vertical in front of him. He turns around without loosing speed and I do it again, missing his foot by an inch. I send one to his head but I miss it, another one again. Damn that thing is fast! Only two left in my hands. I grab them like swords and spin them in front of me to keep him away. I need to move my legs. I know speed is not my strongest asset, and as he plunges on me, I feel the hit on the side of my rib cage. It doesn't hurt, my armor does the job perfectly but yet I need to finish him otherwise it could go on forever. He can't hurt me but can I hurt him ? I have to think and gather courage and just do the task people expect from me. I run behind him and call back all my weapons. The Burned One is in fury. I let him come to me. Come on... He preps to charge me and I have to hold my breath, steady my heartbeat and keep my legs still. I want to run away, get out of his way, but I have to be brave. He can't hurt me, I repeat in my head. He races. Only three more steps. Two. One. He jumps and I raise all the blades in front of me, spikes on which the beast impales himself. I fall back under the force of the assault, the dead beast spread on me. The monster's weight disappears when the magical dummies takes back its cristal form and Silva gives me a hand to help me get up.
"Good job, August!"
I hear clapping from the hills. Other students joined Marco and are watching the show. They are about a dozen, but I see more people coming from the main building's gate.
Silva ignores the agitation on the hill. He is fully here with me. "How about three at once now?"
"Can we stop for today?"
Silva expires loudly. He is very patient with me but I know he has limits. He walks closer to me.
"Let's do some easy sparring. Just you and me."
I don't know what is worst : putting on a great show for everyone or risking to hurt him ?
"I trust you." He repeats.
He walks back and takes his sword. Specialists usually train with wooden swords to prevent any bad injuries but my power only works with metal. I ditch six blades so I can keep the remaining two in my hands, in control. I breathe deep and put back the armor on.
Silva goes easy on me. I'm not a real Specialist anyway, I did not train for years. His attacks are obvious and I counter them quickly. For a while, I just defend, blocking every hit, pushing his sword away with my blades.
Then, he speeds up the cadence and I struggle to push him away. His blade rebounds on my leg in a gong sound. I don't flinch. It doesn't matter. I move back as he put pressure on me. He wants me to fight back. At one point, I see his sword coming close to one of my braid and I change his course with my power. Silva stumbles but don't fall.
"Good! It's allowed too." He says as we step away from each other to catch a breath. "You can control your weapons and your ennemies', don't forget it."
My ennemies... I'm no soldier. I'm a fairy.
Anger arises at my core. I don't look toward the hill. I focus on my instructor, the one who takes me for who I'm not. I get in position and so does he. This time, I'm not passive. I move my feet, not very quickly but he steps back at time. I counter his attacks but I place some of mine. Our swords clink at an accelerating speed. When he pushes me far back, I let one of the blades leave my hand to keep blocking his. I see Silva smile in approbation, and I'm even more pissed.
I hear a clamor coming from the hill. Are they cheering ? For which one of us ?
"Focus!" Silva hisses.
I get back at it. Silva does not spare me anymore. He moves so quickly around me, my head is spinning. I concentrate on my weapons and his. He is so close to me, I can't properly move. Both my blades leave my grip, forcing him to back track to keep an eye on both. He is coming for me, even though he knows he won't hurt me. He wants to see if I will budge. I place the swords in a cross between us but he finds his way around. I don't move. If I run, I'm a coward. If I don't fight back, I'm a coward. If I let him crash into me, I'm a coward. I'm sick of it. I call back a blade and the world stops around us. A loud silence settles on the hill and the ponds. I can't breath...
The sharp lamina drew a red line on Silva's neck. Blood is beading on the wound. How deep it is ? Silva brings his fingers to the cut. It doesn't seem to hurt him much. Then he get his two hands back on the hilt of his sword, ready to continue. But I'm not.
"I think it's enough." I manage to articulate.
"I'm fine. Let's get back at it."
"No!"
I drop my armor and my blades and go fetch my bag. I don't want to do it again. My hands are shaking. The déjà-vu feeling makes my stomach turn. Jaxton falling to the ground, a large halo of blood staining his shirt... The look of terror on the Specialists' faces when they slowly walked away from me... The pity from the fairies... The embarrassment of Dowling when she tells me I will have to wear Runic Limiters to inhibit my powers.
"It's okay, August."
"No it's not," I'm crying now. Can I be more pathetic ? The crowd on the hill must be pleased of the show. "I almost cut your head off."
Silva is about to deny it when the school alarm goes off. A very loud and very unpleasant sound breaks the campus silence. Red smoke leaks out of the blue dome of the main building.
"Code red," whispers Silva.
"What does it mean ?"
His jaw clenches, so does his hand on his sword.
"It means that Solaria is at war."