It is the middle of Taz now. I flounce my way through the main courtyard to train spear stances, as well as some stratagems on how to properly attack using it, with Hebe and Zuri. Goddess knows why is that important. Dressed in their indigo and white livery, caretakers walked to and fro across the sprawling courtyard. The imposing every-shade-of-green statue of Teshub Lartia, Academy's first chairman, rose from the center of it like a giant. It was fnked by distant fountains, their basins adorned with beautiful sculptures of beasts and all sorts of other crystalborn.

  I told my friends to wait for me at one of the gymnasiums while I make a plea at the secretary's office. I wished to see my parents again. It was to no avail. Hebe probably knew this outcome but had no heart to tell me. My overall good behavior was partly due to the imaginary reward this might bring. I'm an idiot. Despite finishing all the exams even before the end of Lapul, it was still not enough.

  Months had passed with philosophical dribble sprinkled with sermonizing theology for ''good'' measure and I did not compin. Reading dreary works of probably stone-old, leaden-sky-gray philosophers and long-dipped grandmasters. Works that often had to be deciphered because of the annoying jargon none living today uses. I had to scour books in search of meanings and phrases to better understand other books. And. I. Did. Not. Compin. Just a few days spent with my family can't be such a mad request. Apparently, it is.

  Tests of physical nature were nothing to me. Frustratingly I had to restrain myself and my results are only slightly above average.

  When it came to intellectual endeavors, there was no need to hold back. During exam months the Academy's leviathan library was always open, day and night, and this is where my insomnia came in handy. I got a few weird looks from the night-shift librarians and caretakers but I liked going there at night. It wasn't quieter than during the day, it couldn't be, but it somehow felt as if it was. There wasn't much else to do but read old volumes and spend time with Hebe and Michael. Even after my exams were done I continued to devour books, hunting for myths and long-forgotten legends, albeit with a lessened ferocity so as to not arouse any suspicion.

  I thought about additionally pretending to struggle in my studies by transferring some subjects to the next year but I hindered myself enough already as it is.

  I carry with me a bck sack of rough spun wool filled with gymnasium clothes. Before I thought I would get lost in this maze-like pce but previously strange hills and tall rock formations now serve as guideposts. I'm unnerved by how quickly I've grown accustomed to navigating this pce. It will never be my true home, though.

  Crossing the river-channel towards spear-wielding guards, I notice that the sea-serpent Aquatic that Aleera told me about is still there, wiggling in the murky deep. Scary thing practically lives there. Part of me screams to release myself, to run and jump, but I keep my stormy pace contained, all nice and normal, that of a student in a rush.

  I look up at the glorious bright blur of spilled ruddy paint, ruling the sky. Obviously, unrelenting—little—physical tortures were omnipresent—well...they were little so far, from my perspective anyway. Nevertheless, the feeling of subtle soreness became my state of being for most of this school year. Also, I must note a sense of admiration for my cssmates. Yes, they compin, a lot, however, there is always a sense of stubborn continuation no matter the struggles our bodies are put through. In the end, they always pick their sandals up and look ahead; in defiance of twinges, aches, or whatever other stings the Academy throws at us.

  After a few thousand steps I reach the gymnasium on top of what I decided to call a mini-moss rock structure. I really need to work on that name. There are a few gymnasiums on ground level but this particur one is very high up and provides a good view of Sol. I suspect it's an insignificant red dot to many yet it is a beacon of home to my eyes.

  I thought we were doing spears. Hebe and Zuri were sparing with stonewood swords. Maybe warming up?

  I reach to csp both of their wrists. ''Swords?''

  Hebe simply shrugs. ''A little bit.''

  ''Better change or they might nag about it.'' Zuri nods at the few members of the Crimson Guard patrolling the ft roof around us.

  For a little while, I change clothes, stashing my coat and the rest of the garments in the changing room. The dark-green coat has a handy inner pocket on the left side, which I use for my adorable fibu. I keep thinking how someone will steal it.

  I slip on my sandals, secure them tightly around my feet and tie my hair back in a long red tail.

  In no time I'm back out on the paestra, grabbing a greenish-brown bastard sword from the weapons rack. For about the time it takes Grandmaster Vidar to insult our entire css, the three of us do some stances and what I can only describe as tepid, sort of mock fights. I don't need both hands to wield it but mother's fear is rooted in me, I guess—details, always.

  Zuri is nimble with the spear, proficient with the sword, and the best archer in our css. We mostly focused on the basics of archery and in my view, she seemed years ahead of most of us. I'm decent with arrows; however, I...once broke a supposedly very expensive purple-bck bow and do not wish to dwell on it further.

  As far as I know, Zuri passed all her exams on time but I assume she wishes to help Hebe. Also, despite having pces of leisure, the Academy is carved towards students constantly honing their bodies or sharpening their minds through reading. Maybe Zuri finally got bored of reading. Can rete to that.

  The flower girl stops disemboweling air with her sword. ''I don't understand why we need to know this nonsense.'' I like her. ''In a true fight, you can kick a boy between the legs, and he is done.''

  ''What do you mean?'' I ask, making the two of them stare at me.

  Zuri waves her arm. ''Never mind that.''

  Swoosh! Thunk!

  I turn my head at the source of those sounds. In another half of the gymnasium, there are six girl students, all of whom are three or more years older than me, practicing the harpoon throw. The barbed missile, resembling a spear, is attached to a long rope and thrown by hand. My palms got a little tingly simply from watching them. Harpoons are used only when Harvesting a Wraith that can fly. It is only done in desperation and avoided like Void's kiss. Not only that but, mostly ordinary soldiers throw harpoons in an actual Winged Harvesting, while Bck Breakers stay safely behind them.

  Zuri stares at me for a few breaths, narrowing her eyes a tiny bit and giving me the faintest of smiles. ''Let's make this interesting. Hebe and I will attack you at the same time.''

  ''That seems...that's hardly fair.'' Hebe is obviously tired, her breathing, bored, her grip on the sword's handle, lessened.

  Again, Zuri just looks at me for a few moments. ''Yes, to us.''

  I instinctively inhale and open my mouth to ask her what does she mean, but Zuri just turns away to grab a spear from the weapons rack and then pces herself at some distance from Hebe and me.

  ''Hebe, take a spear and move opposite of me, attack at the same time in tandem.'' There is an imperious edge to Zuri's voice which I find unappealing.

  ''This does not sit well with me. We should finish for today.'' Hebe moves toward a barrel of water, pced behind the weapons rack and in the long, covered portico, next to one of the columns.

  ''Ann is this a problem?'' Zuri asks.

  So; apparently I did not hinder myself enough after all. This is good...in a way. Now I know I need to be even more unnoticeable. Either that or this girl simply sees too much.

  If I protest too harshly it might seem suspicious but despite that, if I trash them both upon these sands that might make even the guards, located on the ft roof around us, raise an eyebrow or two—not to mention those older students in the distance. And I can't act clumsy since Zuri will know I'm holding back.

  ''No problem at all. It could be fun.'' I nod a little at Zuri, smile a little to reassure Hebe, and move to take a spear for myself. Hebe spshed cold water all over her face and now it's dripping like sweat all over her tunic.

  The bdes we use to practice with are never sharpened. Heavy-on-the-wrist stonewood swords and dulled steel or amarium bdes, of every variety, occupy the copious weapons rack. Daggers, broadswords, axes, polearms, bastard swords, bded tonfas, a strange two-bded sword, rapiers, two greatswords, light maces, two uchigatana, four sai capped with a small ball on each tip, nice-looking slightly curved single-edged amarium falchions, six kukris(that look like recurved oversized daggers), two rge adult-tall tridents, four gisarmes, two sleek naginatas with no crossguard, two ax-spear hybrid-looking things(I think they're called halberds), and as might be expected, standing like soldiers at attention, a row of nine spears—five with angur and four with leaf-shaped spearheads. Like a missing tooth, one spear is gone from the rack, taken by Zuri.

  I grab the angur one because I like the stabby look of it better. With the reluctance of a timid puppy, Hebe approaches the rack and does the same. She is so sweet, afraid she'll hurt me. Exactly the type of fear I have now.

  All three of us secure special pads over the spearheads. The ends of our spears are then dipped into a bucket of red powder, sitting close to the weapons rack. The spears will leave an easily washed mark on the tunic if any of us nds a blow.

  Zuri pces herself about ten steps in front of me, Hebe about the same distance behind.

  Like two bulls, my opponents charge straight at me.

  With both hands, Zuri thrusts the spear at my abdomen. Her attack: easily dodged, her movement: sluggish to my eyes. Hebe sweeps her spear low across my legs. I simply jump up, about the height of Hebe's shoulders. Their breathing, their movement, their grunting, their footwork, the rustling of fabric, their spears cutting the air—they are simply too loud. Mistaking me for a log of stonewood, Zuri goes for an overhead strike, seemingly wanting to break her spear on my skull. At the same time Hebe, holding the spear near its base and with only her right hand, makes a swift strike at my knee. They did good, they attacked as one.

  I smash my spearhead at the left side of Zuri's exposed rib cage, my legs cp together and hold Hebe's spear. The red powder left its mark. Zuri, making no cry of pain, backs down a few steps away from me. She is hurting but far from id low.

  My legs spread, releasing Hebe's spear. I feint an attack at Hebe's left side then quickly spin, smming at her right. I was careful to go for the rib cage again and this time to hit with the shaft. Using my shoulder I jab at her body about a dozen times, she retreats but nicely dodges and parries.

  I can hear Zuri sneaking up on me and so I position myself in such a way that both of my opponents are in front of me. My shaft deflects and blocks their attacks as I make a point of breathing through my mouth with just a touch of panic in my eyes. Don't wanna overdo it.

  Bash! Sm! Pound! Wreck! Four times in total, Zuri strikes my fingers with her shaft. I retreat, I retreat, I retreat, my feet sinking and sliding across the sand, closer and closer to those older students.

  I've had enough!

  I chest kick Hebe, but with controlled force, to daze, not harm. My rampage of lunges and stabs is hard-focused on Zuri. She flinches away from me. As per my design, I allowed Hebe to position herself behind me.

  My eyes spread really wide as if I just saw a Wraith standing directly behind Zuri. She is several spear-lengths in front of me and gnces behind, for a moment—one fp of butterfly's wings, really.

  With nimbus quickness, I turn my spear bottom first and throw it hard at Zuri's gut. As Hebe tries to stab me in the back I sway my body, letting her thrust go next to me. With both hands, I grab Hebe's spear and pnt my left leg in front of her. She is completely out of kilter and doesn't stand a chance as I pull and throw her body across the sparkling golden sand. Just like her spear, Zuri is lying on the paestra, her body coiled, resembling that of a sleeping kitten.

  My face is tickled by the autumn wind. It feels cold but in a pleasant way. I lift my chin against the wind, staring at the gray sky.

  I've read a story about a tribe, now long gone. The Academy's library is a fantastical pce—made of books—that allows one to travel through time and learn about what was or what can never be. So...this tribe, whose name escapes me at the moment, believed in all sorts of things: forest spirits, gods affiliated with the sky, soil, water, and other such things, today considered heretical. They also believed that as the person dies, their st breath becomes a tiny gust of wind that joins a river of it which courses throughout the world. Beautiful...

  Why does my mind do that? There are some days with moments like this one when I wander off and imagine myself flying or living in another life, another world even.

  My mind snaps back to the gymnasium's sand. ''My cousin,'' I exaggerate in my panting. ''Taught me the spear.'' A bad lie but a necessary one.

  I did not make a single step toward Hebe or Zuri, to help them get up, since I wish to appear slightly arrogant. Like a student that won through an amazing dispy of skill or some such nonsense.

  The world around me is still. The paestra is unusually quiet. Even the wind is gone. Those six older girl students are staring at me, and guards on the roof are staring at me. I feel like each of the many columns is also staring at me.

  One of those six girls, tall with a strong jawline, starts cpping and the rest of her five friends follow. ''May the goddess provide each of us a cousin like that!'' The girl that started cpping first, yells in my direction, making her friends smirk and ugh.

  In the distance, a sour-faced guard gives some hex to the one standing next to him. Zuri is still ying on the floor while Hebe, looking like she bathed in the sand, is crouching next to her. What have I done!? My legs fly toward my hurt friends.

  So much for details. I will not be mentioning this to mom.