T he people of Ria knew nothing of the Underworld.
All they understood was that demons occasionally haunted their lands, and that they likely came from another realm.
A cursed one.
As little as the Underworld understood about Ria, we knew about the tears in the void.
We knew about the balance of power that came with mana.
If my suspicion was correct, then Amarantha was in grave danger. If the Tower continued to grow in power, it would rip a true opening into the Underworld.
A portal.
Demons would spot such a large opening almost instantly. It would be the equivalent of inviting an army of the Underworld into the city of Amarantha and the realm of Ria beyond.
The city would be decimated. Far before Father could close it off.
Part of me wondered if he already knew. If he already sensed the light mana filtering into the void.
Rava seemed properly satisfied with the amount of fear his students were showing.
“We aren’t without hope, students. Because once I am done with you, this class will be the best group of monster hunters in the whole realm. You might choose to leave the Academy. Or graduate and refuse the Tower’s call.
“Both options are possible. But in the meantime, I’m here to teach you teamwork. Combat skills. Defense skills. And how to think on your feet. If you think you’re tough shit because you passed the Tower’s test, you’re wrong. And together, we will protect our city.”
Clove took the beat of silence to turn to me, her fiery eyes hard. “Luc?”
The way she was looking at me… it was as if she could sense my turmoil.
“Speak,” I prompted.
“We’ll get through this, okay? This city is full of adventurers and trained professionals like Rava. We’ll be okay. I’m certain of it.”
I didn’t reply. She could not know what she was saying.
Time was on my side here in Ria, or so I’d thought. Now, it was clear that this realm had more problems than a Dark Prince portalling into the city.
And I was the only one who knew it.
I had to confirm my suspicions about the Tower. And if I was right, Ria was in more danger than she could ever know.
The rest of the class day was brief and simple. Rava explained the basics of what to expect from him. We’d be given a mixture of lectures, physical training, combat and spell lessons, and independent study assignments.
After the excitement of the Tower’s test, we’d all been expecting incredible things from our Academy classes.
Not the endless lectures that we were given instead.
It would seem that Rava wanted to drown our brains with his droning voice and beat our will into a pulp before putting us into the Tower again.
An event that would be, unfortunately, several weeks away.
“I want you fully prepared,” he’d declared one class morning. “Ready for any and all circumstances! Able to recite the theory of party strategy, battle planning, and leadership pedagogy in your sleep!”
He was worse than Father on a power trip in the war room.
When we weren’t taking notes in the classroom, we were being run into the ground in physical training.
Literally.
We ran laps. We did hours of weight training. We stretched our bodies into more agile things and honed our balance.
Every day ended with sweat, burning muscles, and heavy bodies that we struggled to move out the door.
The biggest surprise was how miserably weak my new body was. I tired along with the rest of my mortal classmates.
I sweat and cramped up and burned out.
It was abhorrent!
Between the research study, the long classes, and the physical practice Rava had us doing in the arena, I was exhausted by the end of my first week at the Tower Guild Academy.
I couldn’t remember the last time I’d been driven this far into fatigue.
Perhaps when I’d campaigned with the demon kin army on the Burned Plains? At least there, I’d had the adrenaline-filled, bloodlust-drenched battles to enjoy.
This mortal form couldn’t come close to matching the stamina and strength of my immortal body. Even still, I was a little stronger and faster than the average human and demi in my class.
In an effort to fit in, I hid this fact as best I could.
This became especially challenging when sparring in combat training.
The other members of my class struggled with the basics. Sure, some had come here with mastery over sword or dagger.
I could wield any number of weapons effectively. The trick was pretending I couldn’t.
And regardless of my previous experiences, the limitations of my new body did force me to encounter each weapon from a new perspective.
As with so many experiences in Ria, I enjoyed it despite the pain and slow pace.
We were all pushed to our limits, whatever they might be. Rava wasn’t satisfied until each and every person was crushed into a pulp, mentally and physically.
On the days that I didn’t collapse into bed, sleeping before my head hit the pillow, I learned two new spells.
Quick Collect was more of a convenience spell that had little to no combat applications.
The other was a matter manipulation spell called Valley Leash. The spell was fascinating in its wide-ranging possibilities.
However, Valley Leash would hardly be an asset to me until I learned to control my mana.
There were hard-limit spells, like Shield Strike , that produced a static object or effect. Those had a hard limit to their power output.
But spells that had elemental or mana-manifesting powers that could scale up and down? They only had one setting for me.
And it was explosively destructive.
I’d tested Valley Leash , trying to summon a leaf to my hand. To practice, like any good battle mage.
Instead, I pulled the entire tree out, roots and all, only to dodge out of the way at the last second.
Much like Fire Flare, Valley Leash was pulling on all of my mana, and no amount of steely determination could change it.
I’d since settled for focusing on controlling my mana before I learned yet another spell I couldn’t use in a practical manner.
Clove tried to pretend like she wasn’t completely shocked by everything I did. But she was terrible at hiding her emotions.
Thankfully, she didn’t pry.
The only silver lining was the absurd levels of research and reading we were assigned.
Though the texts were dry and uninspiring, I had already become more familiar with the world of Ria, its rules and customs.
Even walking around Main St. and interacting with others had become more comfortable for me. People still stared, though.
Clove had said it was likely because of my height, but each time, I felt she was holding something back.
I was different.
Perhaps no one could understand why, but many of them sensed it, including her.
The first week was over, and the weekend was upon us. Most of the time, Clove and I studied in the library to finish our assignments. But we had to rest, as well.
Tomorrow, we would be fighting in one-on-one matches with our classmates.
At least there was that to look forward to.
After the library, Clove dragged me into a shopping trip. She was picking up a few supplies for The Night Owl kitchen.
I helped her carry the kitchen supplies, which included one pot and a whole lot of produce.
When we entered the kitchens of The Night Owl, the space was already bustling with lunch preparations.
The small spawn, Mabel, was there was well, chattering and peeling carrots while Clove and I helped prepare the rest of the vegetables.
After Mabel told me of a harrowing story that included a bully who pulled on her hair whenever she visited the nearby park, I advised her to punch him directly in the throat and collapse his trachea.
Clove shrieked at me for a good five minutes on the ethics of teaching a child murderous techniques, after which I revised my instructions to aim for the nose.
If that shatters, the enemy would likely live.
And with a crooked nose, that would serve as a daily reminder of Mabel’s strength and supremacy.
Clove ordered Mabel out of the kitchen, and I took over the spawn’s carrots.
We labored beside each other in the heat and steam of the soup pots as the employees barked orders and The Night Owl grew loud with guests.
When the kitchen calmed down and the work for the day was finished, I turned to Clove.
She was still a little angry with me and trying to move on.
Hopefully, this would help.
“I’m sorry,” I told her. “I didn’t mean to teach your small sister such filthy techniques out of disrespect. Or intent on corruption. Only to give her the tools to stand tall on her own feet in a hard world.”
She shook her head. “No, no. Don’t apologize. I mean, the throat punch scenario was a little much.
“But you’re right. She needs support, and I guess I’m just kicking myself. She never told me about the bully. But she told you, and I think I got stressed.
“I want to be there for her, you know? She’s my little sister, but I’ve practically raised her up until this point.”
She wiped the sweat on her brow. “Keegan and Bree have been amazing since we’ve arrived. They treat her like she’s their own. But that doesn’t change the teensy bits of guilt I’m feeling.”
“You can’t be everything to her, Clove.”
She shrugged, not convinced.
“So, you expect to be a mother, a sister, a best friend, and a bodyguard? While leading your own life, studying, supporting yourself, and working to be an adventurer?
“You are not more special than all the people in the universes and realms beyond. You are only one person. You can’t possibly do it all.”
She chuckled sadly. “Well, when you put it like that, I feel selfish. I don’t think I’m more special or anything. I just want to do more. ”
“You are expecting yourself to be superhuman. You’re holding yourself to a standard that not even a god can uphold,” I pointed out with a smile.
“I’m asking you to give yourself some grace. That little girl has a wonderful support system. She has you and Keegan and Bree. Me, when she requires violence.”
It was meant to be a joke. Mostly.
Clove finally laughed. She pushed at my chest. “Why are you so nice to me?”
You deserve a lot more than ‘nice.’
I placed my hand over hers. “Remember what I told you that first day. Show yourself some kindness, if kindness is what you value most.
“You must live your values to truly uphold them.”