Chapter 6: Chapter 6: A Not-So Indecent Proposal

CHAPTER SIX

A Not-So Indecent Proposal

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I sensed the attack before it came, but I was too tired from the repeated beatings to move the way I wanted to. So, instead, I steeled myself and allowed the punch to hit its mark. I might have even stuck to my impending defeat if I wasn’t so thirsty for victory. Even tired and bruised, I wanted to win. That’s why I dipped my head forward just enough so that I could avoid that painful sock on the jaw and forced my assailant’s punch to strike against my forehead instead.

He cried out—I’ve been told that I have a thick skull—and was too focused on his pain to notice my counterattack. A knee to the groin and an elbow to his jaw was all it took to make him crumple at my feet, the last of the opponents she’d sent to test me.

“Is that... it?” I asked, breathless. “I can… do this… all day…”

“Cocky brat, aren’t you?” she replied in an amused tone.

She walked gingerly over the pile of groaning bodies on the floor to get to me. Even then I noticed how gracefully she moved which my brain likened to a jungle cat rushing in for the kill. Perhaps that’s why I raised my tiny fists one more time. It was a move that only made her smile.

“You’re something else, brat… It’s not every day you see a human child win a royal rumble like this.” The pretty female with the twin horns protruding out the sides of her head leaned forward so that her face was inches from mine. “What was your name again?”

“Will,” I grimaced.

“Will?” The golden cat’s slit irises of her eyes widened slightly. “Just Will?”

“That’s all I remember…”

A flash of emotion appeared on her face. It was a pitying gaze that didn’t last long. She drew a knife from her belt and pressed it to my throat, and the blade’s cold touch licked at my skin.

“You didn’t even flinch,” she noted.

“I already died once… you saw…” I reminded her.

One of her eyebrows twitched upward. “You’re a weird human boy, aren’t you?”

“Um… I won your test… right?” I gave her a blood-smeared grin. “You’ll… train me… now?”

I didn’t even see her move. By the time sense returned to me, I was on the ground and she had already mounted me.

“Here’s your first lesson, Will.” Divah balled her hands into fists and dark red scales grew over the skin like shiny gloves. “Learn to tolerate even more pain than you can unleash and your enemies will never bring you down.”

Her right fist drew closer, and then oblivion took me.

---

I woke up with a start while my brain pounded against my skull like a drum solo at a rock concert.

“Oh, spirits,” I groaned. “Feels like Divah’s been punching me all night...”

“Is that why you were moaning?” asked a soft, melodic voice that was slowly growing familiar to my ears.

I glanced over at the open door and saw her leaning against it. She had her arms crossed over her chest while her eyes studied me.

“You drool a lot,” Liara teased. Then added, “Must have been a nice dream...”

“Nightmare,” I corrected.

One of the first things Divah taught me was to case every new environment and burn into memory every nook and cranny of it.

“Know all the entry and exit points and you’ll never have to panic about not having an escape plan,” she’d always remind me.

That was why my eyes were zipping across this space I’d woken up in, taking it all in with instinctive attention to the little details.

It was a small, square space with just enough room for a bed, a desk, and a drawer. The walls, ceiling, and floor were made of stone designed with those leaf-like patterns and thin columns similar to the tower’s facade. The door was on the left corner while the room’s lone window was by the right wall where the bed stood. At first glance, it seemed big enough for me to escape through if needed.

I should ready a rope by the windowsill just in case I need to make a quick exit…

“This is the fifth floor. Shouldn’t be too rough of a climb,” Liara said as if she read my thoughts.

I raised an eyebrow at her. “Speaking from experience?”

She shrugged. “We all entertain thoughts of escape from time to time.”

The bed I sat on was a little too soft. It was like sitting on a marshmallow. By its foot was a chest I recognized instantly as the one I kept all my things in back on Earth. Mostly weapons and minor grimoires, but I collected a few bits and pieces of mementos over the years that I stashed in there too.

Honestly, the space was pretty sparse compared to everything I’d seen so far. It was an observation Liara mirrored exactly when she said, “Your room’s a little too spartan for my liking.”

“This is… my room?” I asked.

“Our living spaces shifts to reflect our needs and tastes,” her eyes drifted left and then right, “which in your case probably means just someplace you can sleep in...”

“An enclosed adaptive environment... Possibly even an artificial dimension?” I contemplated. “Groovy.”

Suddenly, I felt the room tilt around me—which did nothing to help the chili-mead-fueled headache I was nursing—and then a brown package appeared out of the air to drop between my bed and the door.

“What the—”

Liara held up a hand. “Wait for it.”

We experienced a second tilting of space, and then a scroll appeared where there was none before to drop on top of the package.

“You’ll want to read that first. Come find me at the tower’s hearth when you’ve dressed.” Liara turned to leave. “I’m your guide for at least one more day.”

Truthfully, I didn’t hate the idea of spending another day in Liara’s company. Even if she was ljósálfar. And, while I unfurled the scroll I picked up, a smile crept up my face that had nothing to do with its contents.

“Apprentice schedule,” I read the first lines of Dwalinn’s note out loud. “Interesting.”

 

Apprentice Schedule

8:00-10:00, M-W-F: Physical Education: Combat training 101 with Master Doomsday; Fighter’s Pit 3.

10:30-12:00, M-W-F: Realmsverse History: An eyewitness account of the history of Yggdrasil and the realmsverse, with Mistress Ravenloft; Great Library Lecture Hall 5.

You are reading story Adventure Academy at novel35.com

12:00-1:00, M-W-F: Lunchbreak

1:00-2:30, M-W-F: Apprentice Alchemy: A study of basic alchemy and fringe scientific theories with Doctor John Faustus; Seidr Longhouse, Alchemy Laboratory 2.

3:00-4:30, M-W-F: Beginner Professions: A comprehensive study of various support professions such as smithing, mapmaking, item enchanting, leatherworking, and rune tattooing with Master Barad Bonehammer; Skelmir Longhouse Room 1.

5:00-7:00, M-W-F: Swords and Sorcery: An introductory study of adventurer tactics and theory, from dungeon delving procedure and combat principles to proper tool usage and magic theory, with Mistress Lorelai Lindisfarne; Drengr Longhouse Room 1.

8:30-10:00, T-TH: Elective 1: To be determined.

10:30-12:00, T-TH: Elective 2: To be determined.

12:00-1:00, T-TH: Lunchbreak

1:00-2:30, T-TH: Elective 3: To be determined.

3:00-4:30, T-TH: Elective 4: To be determined.

5:00-7:00, T-TH: Self-Reflection, Extra-curricular Activities.

8:30 AM -7:00 PM, S: Dungeon Expedition.

Sunday: Free Training

 

A list of electives tailor-fit for my specialization training was also included in the scroll with instructions for me to select the ones I was interested in joining. There was also a note from Dwalinn that said I’d get the week to choose, which I thought was gracious considering I didn’t know whether ‘Monster Taming’ or ‘Necromancy’ would be a better fit for me, or if I even wanted minions to go on my planned quests with. I might even take up ‘Blade Dance’ or ‘War Chant’ to supplement the close-quarters-combat skills Divah had already ingrained into my body.

These new masters won’t beat me up until I’m black and blue like she did… will they? I had to repress the shiver that came with the memory of my first year under Divah’s care. “Well, whatever they do to me won’t be worse than the insane training Divah put me through…”

The next thing I did was rip open the brown package and discovered that I now owned the same blue cloak worn by the other members of the tower. I shouldn’t be surprised that it fitted me perfectly. Just right around the shoulders and not too long that its hemline brushed against my ankles.

“Will work with my fighting style or just be a bother when I’m running around?”

By this point, the clock on the wall read ‘seven-thirty’ but there was one more thing I needed to check for before I could head out. I moved toward my wooden chest and pulled off its lid.

“Looks like Divah packed all my favorites...” I grinned as I reached down for some clothes to change into—breathable brown slacks and a lightweight iron scale mail with the Under Armory logo splashed across the right chest. This ‘look’ also included my favorite leather belt and its many utility pouches plus my high-cut, white Under Armory sneakers that were enchanted with a minor speed buff. “I’ll also need...”

The last thing I pulled out of my chest was a frayed, leather-bound journal small enough to fit into the pocket of my slacks. Although I preferred clipping it onto my belt for easy access. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that this journal was both my lifeline and my greatest treasure.

While I got dressed, I glimpsed the scroll unfurled on the bed and wondered what the penalty was for skipping class.

“Hmm, it’ll be fine… unraveling the secrets of the Academy comes first,” I said while I patted the journal strapped to the side of my belt.

Before I walked out of the room, however, I caught a glimpse of my reflection in the mirror.

Fluffy dark red hair framed a round olive-skinned face with high cheekbones. Dark bushy eyebrows rose over big doe blue eyes the color of the deep blue sea, a long nose that widened slightly at the tip, and puffy lips that seemed deadest on maintaining a permanent smirk.

Yep, mine was a face that still carried bits of its former childlike innocence, which, luckily, helped to effectively mask the young drengr that Divah had forged me into.

“Looking groovy, Will.” I gave my reflection two thumbs up. “Now, let’s go seize the day… and maybe I’ll drag the she-elf along with me for some light mischief.”

---

Speaking of Liara, I found her pretty easily. Although she was scowling at me by the time I arrived at the ‘hearth’ which was what they called the great hall of last night’s revelry.

“Not a lot of early risers in this tower, huh?” I observed.

The few people I noticed were either hurrying to get outside or dozing off last night’s party on the comfy couches scattered around the hearth.

“Most mages are night owls,” Liara agreed. “Doesn’t mean Doomsday won’t skin you alive for being late on your first day, apprentice.”

I kind of feel like she emphasized that last word a little too much, but I let it go. “Um, forget Doomsday for a second… Want to see something groovy?”

That’s when Liara noticed I wasn’t wearing the prescribed training gear that arrived with my new blue cloak. I had a good reason for that though. I chafed in linen. Seriously. It was bad.

“You can’t be planning to skip your first day at the Academy,” Liara raised a long and thin eyebrow at me. “No one’s that much of a delinquent... or suicidal.”

“You’ve seen me duel Doomsday in a real fight,” I reminded her. “I don’t think I need to be in the beginner classes. At least not right now.”

It wasn’t a boast, and I think she could hear it in my voice—the confidence that I was good enough to pass on Apprentice level courses. It was believable too. The reputation of Divah as a legendary adventurer and master of future stars was just that huge.

“It doesn’t work like that.” Liara gave me a curious look. “Even if you are talented, you still need to go through—”

“I know, I know… and I will show up to class,” I relented. “But, hear me out… What if there was a way to get a leg up on everyone before making my debut as a novice?”

“There’s no such thing. There’s study and training and—”

“There are some walls that can’t be scaled with just training and a go-getter attitude...” I nodded toward her hands; the callouses apparent in her delicate fingers and the bruising on her knuckles. “How much daily training do you go through to earn those?”

I could tell from first glance that Liara was talented. It wasn’t just because of her well-toned body either. The strands of magic that naturally leaked out of her were comparable to mine—and I’m not bragging here, but according to my new ‘status bar’ my mana pool was pretty high. I didn’t know why she was in her current slump—a fact that Draken’s comments clued me in on—but that’s how I knew I could coerce her into helping me. I needed a guide, and Liara was perfect for the role.

She crossed her arms over her chest as if to hide the proof of her labors. “What’s it to you?”

“All that training and I bet you still can’t beat a journeyman battle-master in single combat,” I goaded her.

Of all the elementary warrior specializations, I knew a battle-master—someone who dedicated everything to honing their body into a deadly weapon—would have proved a challenge for a hybrid mage-warrior like Liara. And, by the look of frustration flitting across her face, I think I struck the right nerve. Good. Now it was time to dangle the bait.

“There are hidden sources across the realmsverse that can help exponentially increase one’s growth… to allow a person stuck in their training to go beyond their current limits,” I explained.

A sudden and predictable curiosity appeared on Liara’s pretty face.

“Interestingly enough, a lot of these ‘sources’ find their way into the Academy.” I patted the journal strapped to my belt. “And one of these sources...” I paused for added effect, “...is underneath this tower.”

“What do you—”

Liara’s eyes widened as realization dawned on her. She knew of one such possible source. Although I doubt she understood its hidden purpose besides the information the masters revealed to novices.

“Show me where it is”—I offered Liara my hand—“and I’ll show you how to get over that wall that’s got you stumped.”