Ranvir walked away from Svenar and the master of education’s conversation, idly filtering out their conversation as they started discussing something about scheduling. He briefly paused wondering if it was worth it to go around the complex of buildings or if he should just cross through it.

Examining the sky, he sniffed in disapproval. While it hadn’t snowed for a little while and it was definitely getting warmer, the sky had been more or less constantly overcast to the point that he was expecting snow any day now. While he wouldn’t enjoy getting more snow—at this point he was fairly tired of winter—he would prefer that to this abysmal waiting underneath the constant cloud cover. The gray sky seemed to press down against him.

“Fuck it,” he muttered, and headed into the complex. If they’d been having good weather, the extra distance would’ve been well spent. While the complex certainly wasn’t a city, some of the buildings did crowd on each other creating enough small pathways that they could fairly be called alleys. There were a few notable spots that Ranvir tended to avoid since the buildings stood so close it felt they were looming over him, intentionally leaning into him as he passed underneath their rooftops. Even when avoiding those buildings there still wasn’t a lot of light to go around, though that tended to happen when you are surrounded by buildings on all sides.

Ranvir walked quickly through the complex, passing under the shade of administration. If he was quick he probably had time to grab a proper meal at the parentage’s cafeteria. Hjara should also still be in his apartment, though he wasn’t sure what she did a lot of the time. A nurse, wet or otherwise, wasn’t a maid servant. Hjara didn’t clean for him, she did some small help related to taking care of Frija, and she cleaned up after herself.

Ranvir felt a little energy enter his step as the parentage came into view. The blocky multi-story building sat squatly at the edge of the complex. Snowy fields crowded in most sides, though a small path into the compound had been cleaned to keep slipping to a minimum.

“There he is!” Someone hissed just at the edge of Ranvir’s hearing.

He winced looking around. Four people had emerged from a smaller building with a low roof, two at most three stories tall. It seemed crouch next to the much larger main dormitories and some of the lesson building. Ranvir noted their relative position to him and the parentage.

He could’ve made it if he sprinted, but not without hurting Frija. He grit his teeth, squeezing the handle of the crib as he continued walking. He didn’t watch them with his eyes, instead keeping his other senses on them as they approached.

Reds, oranges, and yellows swirled within Ranvir along with a chuckle, only the low notes were truly ‘audible’ such as it was. He spotted an area of relatively even ground that didn’t look too reflective, hopefully that meant he wouldn’t risk slipping as much. With his tether-sense he probed them to see how strong they were.

Two of them weren’t embracing the pressure and only gave off vague feelings of smoke, but the other two were fully holding their power. The cloying choking sensation was rolling off them in waves. The second-to-last one embraced the pressure filling himself with a similar sensation, likely none of them were of the second-stage.

Ranvir stopped where he’d decided to make his stand. As he continued probing he turned towards them. The first were second-years both having reached the first-stage, Ranvir was guessing Dagger from the sloppy mess of the presence that breached their native presence’s. They’d barely gathered it together, laying half extended and exposed to the world.

Leaning down, Ranvir gently put the crib on the snow. He lifted the lid to look at his stirring daughter, “Don’t worry, you won’t even know anything’s happened,” they were now close enough for him to make them out in detail.

The guy in the lead—one of the second-years—was tall with very narrow shoulders. Combined with his pale skin, he looked like a piece of chalk that had somehow gotten itself animated. His arrogant sneer did his face no favors, something it desperately needed. Of course, Ranvir noted, he was wearing a pin. The sun was currently catching it so he couldn’t make it out, yet.

The other second-year was noticeably shorter, with a very square jaw to the point it looked like he had been molded from clay rather than born into it. He was as broad as his friend was narrow, with a brown mustache sitting thickly across his lips. However, he had cut too short the last time he shaved and the mustache didn’t quite extend as far as his wide mouth.

The most notable of the first-years that were following wore a red band around his bicep. They’d been given to first offenders that had gotten caught brawling. There were no second-time offenders at the school. You got one chance. Unsurprisingly, he was looking decidedly uncomfortable and was the only one who’d yet to embrace the pressure.

The student next to him had an eager look in his eyes, his nose had clearly been broken at some point, though it didn’t appear to have been during his stay at the academy as he lacked the red band. Either that or it had been before the harsher penalties on combat between periods. He had darker skin than most elusrians Ranvir’d seen, which meant he was still a few shades lighter than Pashar, closer to Sansir.

“Sleep tight,” Ranvir whispered to Frija before straightening and taking a step forwards, standing between his daughter and the smoke students. “What do you want?”

“Woah,” Chalk said lifting a hand in the air, causing Ranvir to narrow his eyes. “Calm down there, buddy. We’re not here to start anything, isn’t that right boys?” he looked behind himself to half enthusiastic cheers. “Just look at Little Red over there,” he thumbed towards the Red Band, “Surely you can see that we’re not trying to do anything.”

Ranvir gritted his teeth, his brows drawing down. The constant low bass chuckle in the back of his mind gained intensity as Latresekt fully formed within, rearing back on his hind legs slamming his chest with huge arms as it roared in laughter. Ranvir flexed his hand open and shut a few times as he brought the connection to his pocket-space right next to his hand. He glanced at his surroundings but could see no one near, it was lunch and everybody was at one of the cafeterias.

“Then leave me and my daughter alone.”

Chalk sneered revealing surprisingly clean and even teeth, “We’re here to send a message.”

Jaws stepped forwards, standing next to his friend as his flaccid Dagger rose to full size crossing the distance and pushing against Ranvir’s tightly wrapped Veil, “We’re here to remind you to keep in your place. You’ve been getting to big for your boots lately and we’ve reached the limits of what we’re willing to accept.”

Ranvir tried to speak but found his throat completely locked up, the tension riding into his shoulders and down his arms, his fingers reflexively grabbing for… something. He reached into his pocket-space with his right hand. It took only a moment to flip open the drawer and retrieve his hammer.

Red took a step back as the aperture closed again and Ranvir revealed the hammer in his hand. It wasn’t a weapon, but a workmans’ hammer. It had likely seen most of its use on benches, tables, and chairs, more so than people. Ranvir’d only personally used it once. The only other times he’d had the chance he’d forgotten it in the dorm. The handle was dry and cracking.

“Leave,” Ranvir said, his voice rough and harsh as he forced the words past the tension in his body. “Now.”

There was some murmuring from the first-years, clearly they weren’t comfortable with this scenario. Maybe they’d heard of his fight with Master Grimar’s student, or maybe they just knew he was a first stage, or maybe they simply didn’t like the idea of fighting someone armed while they weren’t. Red glanced around, he was now a clear few steps behind the others and looked like he was readying to run, not that the other first-year seemed far behind.

The second-years weren’t cowed though. Both their Daggers were trained on him. By their lack of other supplies he was sure they were generators and didn’t need rysten to make their smoke.

“See!” Chalk cried. “This is the issue we’re talking about Coldfront. You think you’re too high and mighty to even have a conversation. Someone clearly needs to give you a reality check.”

Jaws took a step forwards as smoke started billowing from his hands. He could make it appear from anywhere within his Dagger, so this was intended to make a point.

“Look, we know you’re a space tethered. You’re not good for much other than helping nobles out with their ballrooms, ball gowns… I guess what I’m trying to say is you’re good for nothing other than tending to noble balls.”

Chalk snorted at his friend’s joke, “What he’s trying to say is that you don’t want to fight us,” he grinned, “Especially not with your daughter within our reach.”

Ranvir shrunk space between him and Chalk, throwing the hammer for all he was worth. The sudden jump in velocity caused the hammer to veer off course, but Chalk had gotten too close. The hammer twisted in mid-air and hit handle first shattering against his hip, the old wood too fragile to hold under the impact.

At the same time, Ranvir snapped with his own tether-sense stabbing into Jaws’ Dagger. He felt a moment of resistance before the presence seemed rupture and Jaws collapsed on the snow next to his friend.

Latresekt howled and laughed in the background as Red and Broken Nose ran full tilt into the cluster of buildings. Ranvir approached Jaws, examining him up close. He was still breathing, though, he appeared to have been knocked unconscious. Ranvir could still sense his Dagger, though, it felt… wounded wasn’t the right word. Worn down, maybe. It reminded Ranvir most of all of his own tether after long practice.

Approaching Chalk, Ranvir found him crying and on the snow. He’d initially howled at the impact, but he’d quickly quieted down. Something yanked inside Ranvir and yellow flares spread through his mind, catching his attention as they moved. He vaguely sensed some of the mass leave Latresekt as the yellow lights faded a little, though, they continue to sparkle intermittently.

Ranvir picked up the hammer head which was lying a few meters away from where it had bounced into Chalk, “Did I break your hip?” He asked, feeling oddly hollow as Latresekt celebrated within him.

Chalk’s legs twitched and moved slightly as he writhed in pain. It seemed unbroken but painful. Chalk didn’t answer Ranvir, instead avoided looking at him. Ranvir snorted, throwing the remains of his broken hammer into his pocket-space as he returned to pick up Frija. His hands shook faintly as he entered the parentage, leaving Chalk and Jaws on the snow.