The Spiritguard

I wake up in the infirmary with Kael hovering over me. At first, I don't even remember how I got there.

"You knocked me down first, so technically you won the match," Kael explains. "But I knocked you out, so if we were going 'all out', I'd have won."

He gives me a stupid, braggy, cocky look. I hate it. And I love it. He really has come a long way. I wasn't holding back. Not at the end. And he still got me.

I beckon Kael closer and grab a hold of his hand. "You have to win tomorrow." It's not a request. It's not a reminder. It's a fact.

Kael chuckles nervously. "Tomorrow I'm up against a pretty hard-hitter, you know. You know that big seventeen-year-old in our class? Yep. And worse, he's 2-0 already."

The ferocity in my gaze is palpable. I can see Kael resonating with it. "Hey. You took me down, didn't you? That guy has no chance."

Kael lets out a quick, abrupt laugh. "You know, Sig...you might just be onto something there."

He goes over the results of the day with me. I've been knocked out for a while, seems. The matches are already over.

It was my second win. One more and I'll be granted special 'privileges', whatever that means. If Kael hadn't known about Shatterpoint, or the trick to teaching it to me so quickly...I wonder if I'd be in this situation right now. Or if I would also be on the verge of being expelled from the STP.

It sounds like tomorrow my match is against Natalia. That should be the toughest one yet. I have never beaten her in a sparring match...but this time will be different. Since we're using Animus techniques in tomorrow's match, it should be a fight for the ages.

Natalia is 2-0, too. Both of her victories were overwhelming. It's intimidating to think about, but there is some solace. Even if I lose, I'm still guaranteed to stay on as a Spiritguard trainee.

Kavella is now 2-0. She used the same technique to win her match earlier, against a scrappy girl who sits just in front of me in class. The girl had seen what Kavella did to Lance, and the second that lightning spear emerged, she forfeited the match on the spot. Seems Kavella might be the most terrifying person in our class, if Animus techniques are part of the equation...

Kael is 0-2, of course. He lost against Marc, and he lost against me. And now, tomorrow, he has to face possibly the biggest physical threat of our whole class. I thought Kael would sweep up this tournament, but now my best friend is in danger of dismissal. 

Marc is 1-1. I didn't expect him to win his match against Lance, but I kind of wanted him to. It would have meant Lance might get kicked out. Yeah, I guess that's a little mean...and yeah, I guess Lance hasn't been that bad lately...but now that Lance has a win on Marc, he's definitely staying, no matter who he has to fight tomorrow.

Mira is 0-2, too. She's the one I'm most worried about. That being said, Kavella and Mira are so close. Maybe Kavella will teach Mira some secret technique that she can use next match to blow her opponent out of the water!

After he updates me on everyone, and we joke around for a bit, Kael stands up and gives me a conflicted look. "I want to stay," he says. "You need a little more rest, though...and I sort of promised Kavella I'd go over a few techniques with her after the matches. She doesn't want to rely on that technique she's been using for her last battle. Wants to win it fair and square. Without torturing anyone."

"That's...a fair goal," I admit. "If anyone can teach her, it's you. After all, you can teach me new things, and I'm a pile of bricks."

Kael snorts at my unexpected joke. "You...are more like a brick wall, Sig."

Kael walks off and I turn my head. I almost jump in surprise when I see who's laying next to me in the other bed.

"Mira!?" I exclaim. She giggles. 

"Yuuup! It's me! I like, didn't really want to interrupt, cause you were having boy time with Kael, but I was listening to everything. I was only pretending to be asleep when Kael was here!"

I shift my weight so I can face her directly. My head is pounding. I must have fallen harder than I thought...or maybe one of those other rocks hit me when I was down.

"How are you feeling for tomorrow, Mira?"

Her bubbly demeanor breaks for a moment, and for one of the first times I see a peek behind the mask. "Not good, Sig. Not good."

"Who are you facing tomorrow?"

She hesitates. "Marc, actually...and he beat Kael, so...I'm wondering if I should even bother tomorrow. Maybe I'll just resign."

I frown at her. Marc was never someone who I thought would be considered a top-tier threat. What universe am I living in?

"Hey, Mira," I say quietly. "I've sparred with Marc a lot."

"Yeah, I know! You're the reason he's so friggin' good!"

"That's not what I'm getting at," I deflect. "Listen. Don't tell anyone I told you this, but Marc has bad knees. In combat, he prefers to fight head-on. If someone's running around him in circles, he's going to be at a disadvantage. Try to flank him, and attack his left side. He's terrible at defending his left side. And if you can, before the match...try to ask him if you can both hold off on using Animus techniques. If it's just melee combat, and you take my advice, even you can beat him."

The phrase 'even you' shouldn't have left my lips, but as I agonize over my word choice, I learn that Mira isn't phased by it at all.

"Hmm...a sparring match, no Animus techniques...and attack his left side. Move around him. Make it a mobile fight..."

She's thinking carefully about it all, and she's lost in her own world. Typical Mira, off on a daydream. 

Now that I've given her something to chew on (and she's quiet, for once), I roll over in the infirmary bed. I suppose I'll get a little more rest. 

Tomorrow's matches will be the most important yet. Mira and Kael's futures as Spiritguard trainees are on the line, and I have a match with Natalia that I'm dying to win...