The next day, Yuriko sought out Krystal after her morning routine. Her friend was, unsurprisingly, at the Olde Sweet Shoppe’s al fresco area, enjoying sweet tea and a parfait while reading a paperback book.

“Krys!” Yuriko said as she sat across her.

“Yuri!” Krystal plopped her book on the table, “this is unusual.”

“What is?”

“You aren’t training.”

“Someone told me to have a break.” Yuriko rolled her eyes.

“So here you are at a place that serves sweets?”

Yuriko, who was in the process of ordering a cake, froze. “I’m actually here to talk to you.”

“Uh-huh. No cake?”

“Ehehehe, yes cake. Caramel please.”

The waiter gave her a short bow and left.

“So, I guess you’re hoping all of that will go to your bosom.” Krystal smiled while she poked Yuriko’s chest, her finger sinking slightly on contact.

Yuriko grunted. “I guess your triple servings all went there.” She poked Krystal’s ample bosom.

“You’re jealous.”

“Why should I be? Those things make it harder to move. I’m surprised you’re not bothered considering your Facet.”

“Hmmph, are you here to talk about this?”

“Not at all.” Yuriko brought out the letter the twins sent via paper crane.

Krystal took one look and grinned. “So, are you going?”

“Only if you come with me.”

“I’ll feel out of place.”

“There’ll be two pairs. At least the group is balanced.”

“Right.” Krystal sighed. “I’ll accept only if we bring another person along.”

“Who? Mikel?”

Krystal gave a very sly grin. “I’ll accept if you ask Heron to come with us.”

“Huh? Why Heron?”

“Ask him later.”

“Er, fine, I guess? Well, if he doesn’t want to, I guess I’ll just say no to them. I don’t know them well enough to go to the performance without another friend.”

“Alright then. I don’t think Heron would decline. Hee hee.”

At that point, the waiter arrived with Yuriko’s caramel cake and a complimentary cup of tea.

“Any news from your father?” Krystal asked quietly.

“None. Yours?”

Krystal shook her head.

“I’m sure they’re fine. It’s our dads after all.”

“I suppose. It’s just that I feel helpless.”

“So do I, Krys. So do I. But I believe in my Da.”

Krystal nodded and sipped her tea. They sat in silence while eating but Yuriko could see Krystal’s hand move to her book, though she stopped herself. Curious, Yuriko looked at the spine for the title. The Taming of a Goddess.

“What’s that?”

“A bit of fun,” Krystal said quickly. “I’m almost done with it.” Her ears were a bit red.

“Hmmm.” Yuriko arched an eyebrow. “May I borrow it to read after you’re done then?”

“Since when did you read for pleasure?”

“I’m not a barbarian!”

“No, just as strong as one.”

“Hmmph!”

“I’ll ask my mum. It’s her book.”

“Thanks.”

Later, at home, Yuriko penned a reply to the twins.

“After Founding 2997

12th Day of Fire

Mr. Braden Cael Foster and Mr. Orrin Cael Foster

The Homestead Inn, Foreign Quarter

Faron’s Crossing

Dear Messrs. Foster,

I would be delighted to accompany both of you to the performance of The Fall of Annise Delovine tomorrow on the 13th Day of Fire. The afternoon show would be wonderful.

I would like to be accompanied by my close friend, Krystal Farrow Zorin, and another friend of her choosing, as she enjoys theatre performances and I know she would love this rendition of the timeless classic. Do tell me if you have objections to this arrangement.

I look forward to your response, and I greatly anticipate tomorrow.

Sincerely,

Yuriko Mishala Davar”

She sent the paper crane flying as soon as she was done and prepped lunch for herself. Kato and Rami weren’t home, so she only heated a few cuts of beef and ate it with bread and a few slices of tomatoes.

A return crane came to her while she was washing the dishes with a simple reply: “With pleasure.”

That afternoon, before Armsmaster’s class started, Yuriko arrived at the training hall early with Krystal. Neither Heron nor the twins were there so she changed into her training clothes and sat down to meditate on her Facet.

It looked like she wouldn’t be able to inlay the Facet until she managed to fill each of the terminus points she could see. That meant being able to split and control twelve strands of Animus nearly simultaneously.

Yesterday, she managed to fill up to five of the points without much trouble but when she attempted the sixth, she fumbled. Her consumption of Animus increased for every other strand she controlled and, in that attempt, she had used up all of her available reserves in one go.

So, she figured that she needed to get used to controlling as many strands as she could without attempting to inlay. It would be a better idea since, if she failed, she wouldn’t waste all of the Animus.

She sat cross-legged on the floor with her back resting on the wall and closed her eyes. She envisioned her Anima and looked at her source. The flames burned merrily and filled her with restless energy. She quickly drew several strands of flame and separated them into five.

Managing two strands at a time was easy for her. Controlling three wasn't that hard either. Four at a time took a lot of her concentration. Five felt like she was juggling something covered in oil. She could barely keep five in hand without losing control of one or more.

She decided to focus on getting used to handling five strands at a time. Oddly enough, they were easier to keep a hold of when they were moving, so she did just that. She moved the strands in succession from her heart to her left shoulder, then to her right shoulder, to below the core, down to her hips, and then back to her heart, skirting around the core.

The first couple of attempts saw failure as the strands didn’t seem to want to follow the path she set. She kept at it, making a few adjustments to the angle and direction. Once she stopped focussing on a strand, it tended to want to return to her core. As long as it kept moving, it also tended to follow its original direction. It did both if the strand was moving and she stopped focusing. It was in this way that she managed to juggle the strands as they moved around her Anima, and she was just about to attempt a sixth when Krystal nudged her.

She stretched as she stood. Her bottom and legs were numb so she shook them to stimulate blood flow.

Every other student had arrived by now, including Heron and the Foster Twins. The twins waved at her with a smile as they headed to the boys’ changing area.

“Heron, a word please,” she said. For some odd reason, she seemed to have drawn everybody else’s attention and they stared at the two of them. Krystal had a wide grin on her face.

“Uh, sure. What is…what is it?” His voice warbled between his usual baritone to tenor while his face reddened in embarrassment.

Yuriko could practically see each of the other kids’ ears extending to eavesdrop and when she stared coldly at Zeyn and Millie who were goggling, the others turned away. “Huh, let’s talk outside.”

Heron’s face reddened even more and the twins looked at both of them with a heavy gaze. Once they were outside, Heron seemed to have regained his composure and he nodded at her.

“What can I do for you, Yuriko?”

“I’ve a favour to ask you. May I?”

“What do you need?”

“Are you doing anything tomorrow evening? The Mighty Art Players from Haveena are performing The Fall of Annise Delovine tomorrow.”

“Are…are you asking me to come with you?” His face reddened again.

Yuriko nodded. “Well, yes. Krystal, Braden, and Orrin are coming with me also.”

“Oh.” His face seemed to turn to stone. “I see. Uhm, why ask me then?”

“Well, Krystal asked me to ask you. Will you come with us?” Yuriko asked with a small smile while meeting his eyes.

“Why not ask Mikel?”

“You’d have to ask Krystal for that.” Yuriko shrugged. She waited for an answer, but she could see Armsmaster Byrne crossing the yard from the main building. “It looks like class is about to start. Tell me later if you’re coming?” She spun on her heels to go back inside.

“Ah, wait!” Heron blurted out and he grabbed her hand just as she was turning. His hand was somewhat clammy though it was pleasantly warm. His palm had rough calluses near the base of his fingers, mainly from handling the spear, she surmised. She also thought she heard giggles coming from the door and windows.

“Yes?” Yuriko frowned when he didn’t immediately let go. She glared at him but he seemed distracted. “Heron?”

She tugged gently and he seemed to realize that he was rudely holding on.

“Oh! S-sorry.” His hand lingered for a moment before he let go. “Ah, I’d be pleased to accompany you and Krystal to the performance tomorrow.”

She flashed him a bright smile. “You will? Oh, wonderful! Thank you, Heron.”

He nodded and returned a tremulous smile. “My pleasure.”

When both of them returned to the hall, Heron marched straight to the changing room while Yuriko waited for Armsmaster Byrne to begin the class. Krystal sported a wide grin.

“Well?” She whispered when Yuriko came near. “What did you tell him? Did he agree?”

“He agreed,” Yuriko answered simply.

“Did you just ask him to come with you?”

“Weren’t you listening?”

“Couldn’t hear all of it.”

Yuriko’s hand darted and pinched Krystal’s side. “Heek! What was that for?”

“Hmph! Eavesdropping isn’t nice.” Yuriko murmured, giving her friend a smirk. “I told him you wanted him with us. Good luck, I suppose.”

Krystal goggled then abruptly burst to laughter. She stifled herself after a few seconds then patted Yuriko on the shoulder. Bewildered, Yuriko could only blink foolishly.

“Well, just think what you will. Come on, class is about to start.”

Instead of teaching more Animus techniques, Armsmaster Byrne handed out pamphlets which turned out to be a list of necessities they were allowed to bring. He then proceeded to discuss every item on the list.

Their uniforms would be provided as would the standard weapons kit. Students were encouraged to bring their personal weapons if they wanted to but those would only be used during excursions.

Yuriko decided to bring both her Plasma Caster and her side-blade. She was the most proficient in those two after all. After that, she was mostly to bring enough underclothes for a week’s worth of changes.

Food and drink would be provided though if they wanted to bring additional water bottles and rations, it was at their discretion. They would be provided standard backpacks too.

“Tomorrow is your last rest day before the start of camp. It isn’t the weekend but enjoy it with your family. Now, if you have any questions please approach, until then, you may use this time to hone any skills you feel is lacking,” Armsmaster Byrne concluded.

Yuriko picked up a training sword expecting to spar with Heron, but he sought out and challenged the twins. It resulted in a particularly intense fight, first, between Heron and Orrin, then later, Heron and Braden.

Heron was particularly fierce, prone to making powerful and rash attacks that he used to overpower Orrin’s defences. Every now and then, Orrin’s eyes glowed red as he attempted to use an Animus technique to get an upper hand.

It didn’t seem to work this time around or Heron managed to counter the other boy’s application. At some points, Heron's weapon jerked out of the way when he thrust or was pulled down just when Orrin struck. Still, he kept his stance low and steady. He advanced like a juggernaut, firm and solid, eventually cornering the other boy at the edge of the sparring circle. At that point, he rained blow after blow, until he overwhelmed Orrin's defences and an empowered spear point burst the gears’ protective field.

Then he challenged Braden and did the same thing.

Yuriko nodded in approval. Heron had abandoned any thought of defence, letting the twins' attacks land on different parts of the gear as long as they were not empowered by Animus. For those that were, he made judicious use of his Facet.

She could see that Heron and the twins were exhausted. She would have liked to spar with either Orrin or Braden to test her skills against their Facets but plans changed.

Instead, she approached Zeyn who was sitting rather lackadaisical by a corner.

"A match, Zeyn?" She asked.

He looked up at her with an unreadable expression before he smiled and nodded.

During the past week, though he had rarely sparred, the few times he did were interesting to watch. The Strider Heritage focused on polearms and Zeyn certainly got a Facet that improved his skill.

As they were headed to a free sparring ring, Zeyn idly asked, “I’ve seen you fight with a sword on either hand, Yuri. I wonder if you’ve tried using two swords at the same time?”

Yuriko cocked her head, ignoring his intimate use of her nickname. She hadn't really thought of dual-wielding and for good reason. Before, she wouldn’t have been able to empower both weapons at the same time, thus relegating one of the blades as a distraction at most. Now, however…

“Well, I’ll try that now. No, I hadn’t thought of it before,” Yuriko replied. She grabbed an identical practice blade from the rack. The other reason she hadn’t done this before was that she didn’t know any dual-sword forms. She practised one-handed sword and even two-handed wielding; she figured she could adapt well enough.

She released her Field to charge up the protective gear. The jade studs glowed with her golden Animus until she felt the inscriptions activate. Nodding to herself, she entered the ring. Zeyn held a training glaive--a wooden stick with a wooden sword attached to one end.

As soon as they nodded to each other, Zeyn rushed her, sweeping low to high with the business end glowing with Animus. She deflected it easily enough with an empowered blade on her left. Zeyn struck as quickly as a snake, each of his blows empowered so that only an equally empowered weapon could hope to parry it. Using a normal parry against one fortified with Animus and a broken weapon was one of the best outcomes.

Still, she was faster than Zeyn and while her footwork was poor compared to Marron’s, much less her Da’s, it was enough that none of his attacks ever came near her body. She only used one empowered blade at a time, keeping the other in reserve or as an emergency parry in case she positioned herself incorrectly.

Having two swords made it much easier to protect herself, she realized. It was easy for her to move each hand independently and each side could weave a practically impenetrable defence. She fended off thrusts, slashes, and swings, all while keeping her Animus contained within a blade.

Zeyn was visibly sweating behind his helmet but he had a grin while he kept up his attack. While his Facet boosted his skill with the glaive, he would spend Animus if he did so. He would also have to ensure that his weapon was properly reinforced with his power otherwise, even if he scored a hit, it would be useless.

In the last couple of bouts they had, they mostly drew even as neither could break the other’s protective field. When he was matched up with Heron, he typically lost due to the other boy’s Facet allowing him to ignore any defence and focus on the attack. Yuriko typically didn’t win against Heron either, but he also normally couldn’t get past her defensive swordwork. Unless she got distracted anyway.

“Time to try it,” she muttered.

She drew two strands of Animus out of her core. In the heat of battle, this was the most she was willing to try; any more than two and she would have to get into a meditative trance. She imparted each strand with the same intent, Pierce.

Both of her training swords shed golden light and she struggled to keep them contained. Already, some of the Animus dissipated in the air but enough of it remained to be effective. She slashed with one blade, flowing into a thrust with the other. Consecutive strikes proved too much for Zeyn’s defences and, eventually, she managed to knock the glaive out of the way and stabbed at the centre of his chest. The protective field around him stopped the strike but dissipated right afterwards.

They both stopped when it happened.

“Wow,” Zeyn muttered. “Again.”

“Hmm, fine.” Yuriko nodded and readied herself for another bout. She would need to continue honing not just her Animus techniques and her physical skills but also on seamlessly fusing the two.

She waited for Zeyn to reactivate his protective field using his Animus. And when he was ready, they clashed. She had little time to waste, and she needed to keep moving forward.