Chapter 6 - Arrogance Paid In Blood

22 February 2041 - Institute of Blades, Ironwood Kingdom, Empire of Nevrione

News of the arrival of the Markell family spread like wildfire throughout the Institute. The current principal and Saint of Blades Graham Drayton had briefly met with the family and immediately dismissed them to get cleaned, treated and rested.

The following morning, Darron and Lashell were the first to wake. Arron and Darell, having suffered tremendous mental and physical stress from the previous day's ordeal, were still fast asleep. Stepping out into the morning sun, Darron took stock of his surroundings. Lashell had opted to stay for when the kids wake up.

Currently, the family was accommodated in one of the numerous cottages within the academy grounds. A row of similarly built dwellings with the same brown tiled roof, modestly separated by pine trees lined the dirt path. On an intersection, a sign indicated that the path was called Hedge Side.

Stretching his arm muscles, Darron proceeds along the path. 'Fuck me, how many years has it been since I last had that kind of exercise. Feeling like shit right now.' he thought to himself as he replayed the battle with the wolf pack, trying to analyze what he or Lashell could have done better.

Taking the intersection named Ravensbrook Lane, Darron was joined by numerous people in different attires. Some were clearly students at the academy, defined by the insignia they wore and some were civilians. Mild chatter fills the air alongside the fresh smell of pine. 'Sometimes I forget why we left this place..' thought Darron as he truly appreciated the vast differences between the living standards here and that of Demeter.

Reaching another intersection, Drakesfair Lane on the left leads to the market area and general shops. To the right was Highsword Street, where weapons, accessories, battle-wear and the forges are located. Choosing neither route, Darron continues to the end of Ravensbrook Lane, where the main academy building stood.

The main building, as with most of the structures at the Institute, was built out of stone. A giant arched stone gateway with low walls running along each side stood at the end of Ravensbrook Lane, signalling the entrance to the main compound. "Hua! Hua! Het! Het!". The yells of practitioners could be heard, the walls seemingly reverberates and the air felt heavier from the combined martial aura of thousands of people.

Beyond the entrance were wide swathes of neatly trimmed fields separated by stone pathways, which all interconnected at the other side of the field where several buildings stood. Out in the fields, practitioners up to the level of Adept practice their forms, some with blades of different lengths, some bare-handed.

Stopping a young man no older than his son Arron, "Excuse me lad, it's been a while since I've been here. Can you point me to the principal's office?" queries Darron. The young man looks at him from head to toe and back before impatiently pointing towards the Eastern building, opposite the field.

"That building over there. Principal's office is on the 3rd floor. You can ask someone again once you get inside if you can't find it.". Without waiting for a word of thanks, the young man sprints away to join one of the groups in the field.

**********

knock knock knock

"Come in Darron." says a deep authoritative voice.

As Darron stepped into the modest office he was met with scrolls and books, stacked and laid bare on a work table. Various blades adorned the walls, some with accompanying scrolls detailing the various forms that could be ideal with the blade. "Hello Teacher. Long time no see. How did you know it was me?" asks Darron. He had suppressed his aura as best he can and so was curious as to how he was identified.

"The prodigal son returns. It's been 20 years since you and Lashell left us Darron. One thing hasn't changed, however. You may have suppressed your aura, but the air immediately around you is heavier than anyone else's around here. Except of course, for me." says Graham Drayton, a smile forming on his face. He is the Head of the Institute of Blades and current title holder of Saint of Blades.

"Come in, come in." Drayton gestures towards one of the seats flanking a small coffee table. "It is very good to see you Darron. You both have been missed. I see you also have two kids now eh. Time sure flew by." chuckles Drayton as he brought over a tray with cups and a pot of tea.

"We missed you too, and this place." says Darron, nostalgia creeping in. "As for the kids, Lashell and I actually have three sons." and so he began to recount the events that led the family here in Ironwood Kingdom.

Brows furrowed, Drayton sets his cup down. "I'm very sorry to hear that you and your family have suffered this way. I would have dearly liked to meet your son Hunter. He sounds a lot like you." the old man smiled gently.

"That's part of why we have come. We'd like for Arron and Darell to learn the Sword Arts. Even before encountering the wolf pack, we realized that no matter how powerful we become, in the end, humanity has not found a means for immortality."

"Mm. Indeed." a brief pause as Drayton takes another sip. "I can enroll them, but on one condition.". Lifting one finger up, Drayton held Darron's eyes with his steely gaze.

"Name it, Teacher."

"You and Lashell are to both continue your training, here. Under no circumstances are you able to leave, barring perhaps the awakening of your son. So either until Arron and Darell reach the level of Grandmaster or Hunter wakes, the two of you will remain here in the academy."

It was within Darron and Lashell's expectations. They already knew that their Teacher would not relinquish his hold on them so easily. There are after all, currently only four individuals in the entire Minas Vici that has reached Emperor and Empress level in the Sword Arts.

Darron could only nod his head in agreement. "We accept." he whispered.

"Good! Very good!". Drayton's demeanor radiated uncontrollable joy. "One other thing Darron. 20 years ago Lashell could have taken on that wolf pack by herself while you had a picnic with your kids.. and I've always seen more potential in you. For that encounter to require the two of you with one getting injured, I'm very, very disappointed." a wicked predatory smile appears on Drayton's face.

"....................."

"Both of your senses have dulled. Your speed has dramatically slowed. Had you from 20 years ago unleashed that puny thing you call an aura at Rosek, that useless idiot would have been on his knees crying for his mother." and so the lectures began, like a parent to a child and Darron could only sit there and take it.

**********

Two hours later, a knock on the door halted Drayton's verbal barrage.

"What is it!?" he yells.

A muffled voice beyond the door, barely discernible said "A lady is here to see you sir. There are two kids here too."

"Bring them in." Drayton calls out.

Lashell, Arron and Darell both stepped into the office. Lashell's arm was freshly bandaged by the healers at the academy. Arron and Darell looked a little better, the surrounding environment overwhelming their senses and understanding. 'There are so many TREES here!' both of them thought. ‘It’s like living in one of those fantasy RPGs..’

"Lashell. It's good to see you." smiles Drayton.

"Teacher. It's good to see you too." bowing to her mentor.

"So which one of you little rascals is Arron and which one is Darell?" Drayon says playfully.

"I'm Darell." says the smaller boy as he points to himself. Drayton smiles broadly at the kids. To Lashell and Darron, he simply says,

"Leave them with me for now, I'd like to speak to them for a bit. Darron can explain the rest to you Lashell. We still have about an hour and a half before the academy convenes for lunch. We'll meet you at the restaurant called The Steel Chalice. It's along the road East of here."

Before leaving, Lashell and Darron bid their kids farewell and assured them that Drayton will take them to meet back up at lunch. Satisfied, they left their kids in their Teacher's care.

"Please, have a seat. Let me get some more tea.". Moments later, Drayton had replaced the tea cups on the table with fresh ones accompanied with a new brewed pot.

"Now a bit of introduction. My name is Graham Drayton. I'm 5 years older than your father. My father was the previous principal of this Institute. Like I have taught your parents, so did my father teach your grandparents." seeing the shocked look on both their faces, Drayton hurriedly intercepted the inevitable barrage of questions "But before we get into that - and I will tell you your family's history - tell me about yourself."

"Um. Well as you know I'm Arron. You probably already know why we are here. I've always wanted to learn the Sword Arts ever since Pop's been teaching Hunter. I know some of the basic stances, but with the things that have happened, I'm even more sure that I want to at least reach Pop's level."says Arron, starting off unsure, the resolve solidifying in his eyes as he continued.

"Like I said earlier, I'm Darell. I want to get stronger so I can beat those that pick on my big brother!" says Darell, chest puffing out.

At the bold announcement, Drayton couldn't help but laugh out loud. "Bwaahahahahaha! I like you both. You have resolve and reason. You will need both when the going gets tough here. Now, what about your schooling, your life back home?"

"Mom and Dad had already left letters with the schools informing them that due to certain things happening, that we were heading back 'home'. Everything happened so suddenly so we didn't really get to speak to any our friends about it, but we're here now. I think that's all the matters." replies Arron.

"Mm! Where my brother goes, I go!" added Darell.

'What an interesting pair..' Drayton thought. 'Perhaps there is a chance to birth two more high level Blademasters. Three should the older brother awaken.'

Clapping his hands together, Drayton says "Right. Now I will give you some history on your family name. No doubt your parents have not told you much and that's not because they didn't want to, but because those two never paid attention. When they were younger, the two of them fought first and talked later. Tsk. Tsk."

After grabbing a thick leather bound tome from one of the shelves, Drayton started his narration of the Markell bloodline.

"The first Markell recorded in our history here at the Institute dates back almost 1,500 years ago. The stone sword you saw had already been built by then. The Markells were known for their fighting spirit. They were brawlers at heart. Some said they may have been pirates who got tired of the sea life. Your father was lucky in finding someone similar to him in that way.

It wasn't until about 1,200 years ago that the first Markell joined the ranks of the Emperor level Blademaster. Some, had even managed to reach the Saint level. Since then until now, there are only two other families sharing a similar level of prestige as the Markell name. They are the Drayton family and the Kingston family. You'll learn more about each in your classes.

From then on, the Markell's natural affinity for fighting truly shone. The Institute honed their brawling instinct into finely calculated moves, their fighting spirit tempered and refined. The Markell line evolved. Every generation, there was at least one high level Blademaster from the Markell household. However, since closer to 200 years ago, no family has ever produced a single Saint, until myself.

My father for example and some of the other principals before me have all been at best, Emperor level. As with every ancient family, the numbers dwindle over the years. Here in the academy, your parents, more so your father, was the last Markell enrolled here. There are still several of us Draytons and certainly a number of Kingstons, but the Markell line at the academy has faded.

Simply put, your ancestors chose to travel and explore the outside world, spreading far and wide across the five continents. Most have likely settled elsewhere, perhaps even established a school such as we have here. A Markell can go anywhere in Minas Vici unhindered. Your name carries so much weight and commands an extremely high amount of respect to the right people. You could, in theory, live lavishly and not need to worry about expenses. Such is the power of your name.

Here in the school, people will envy you, they will fear you and they will worship you. I say this to you now so that you are as prepared as you can be when you join the classes. I do not want this going to your head. You only need to look as far as your mother and father as an example.

Now, as for your ancestor...."

Drayton continued his crash course in the Markell family history. Two hours later, teacher, students and parents made their way to The Steel Chalice to meet up.

**********

The Steel Chalice, Institute of Blades

Although labelled as a restaurant, The Steel Chalice most closely resembles a traditional tavern. Round wooden tables with wooden chairs dot the middle area of the establishment. Larger square wooden tables with benches are lined along the left wall. On the right, was an open bar with a door leading further in to the kitchens. Large wooden beams criss cross the high ceiling.

"Wow. Looks like the design in those virtual reality games they've been advertising doesn't it." marvels Darron.

"If I didn't know any better you'd only be playing it for the sake of exploiting women without fear of consequences.. or perhaps rampage like the beast you are." teases Lashell. She had heard of some of the virtual reality games that had been released in the past 10 years had some dramatic psychological effects.

A busty young woman in her twenties wearing an outfit that was cross between a house-maid and a barmaid approached Darron. "Hello. Welcome to The Steel Chalice. Can I get you a table?"

"Yeah sure. Table for five please." says Darron, studiously avoiding the daggers coming out of Lashell's eyes.

"Follow me please." says the young woman, sashaying away towards one of the square tables in the furthest corner. 'Damn. That ass though...' was the brief thought that flicked in his mind before getting a mild liver blow from Lashell.

"Ho ho.. don't get ahead of yourself old man.". whispers Lashell. Darron could only grin stupidly. He loved his wife dearly and would never think of leaving her for anyone else, but as a man, he couldn't help it. Sometimes, these women are clearly stating their intentions to get laid.

As they sat themselves down, Lashell dismisses the young woman. "Two local draughts for now. We'll wait for the others before we order some food."

"Sure thing. Two draughts coming up." she says to Lashell. To Darron though.. "If you need anything else, just let me know", flashing her best smile before sashaying away. Lashell could only shake her head in resignation.

On one of the tables nearer the door, a group of burly young men who from looks of the insignia on their uniform are Adepts were exchanging dirty jokes over lunch. From the moment Lashell and Darron stepped into the restaurant, their eyes were glued to Lashell.

In their eyes they saw a woman with her light brown hair hair tied up in a ponytail, the length of which must have been long as the tail reached down past her shoulders. Stray strands of hair framed her face, blue eyes taking in the scene at the restaurant. Wearing tight fitted jeans and a tank top highlighting her curves, it would be an understatement to say she only looked good.

"Holy shit bro, that chick is ho-ott!" says one Adept. "No kidding. Probably in her thirties but I'd be damned if I didn't mistake her for a twenty year old. Looks hella young. That rack though.." says another. "Keep your eyes on your lunch lads, she already has someone." observes the third.

"Who the fuck cares bro?" says the first Adept. "He doesn't look like much to me. Look, he isn't particularly big and looks pretty plain. Can't sense anything from him either."

"Huh. So what you gonna do? Rock up on there and ask her if she wants to tussle? Seriously. Get over it." says the third.

"Haha. This guy. Don't be so scared. Worst case it doesn't go anywhere. We're Adepts at the academy bro. Not many civilians would mess with us you know?" says the second.

The third Adept could only shake his head, focusing on his lunch. The other two stood up and started heading towards Darron and Lashell. Darron, who had his back to the room didn't immediately notice their approach. Lashell who was sitting opposite him saw the two men making a beeline for their table.

"Hey" she says grabbing Darron's attention. "Let me take care of this alright?" her head tilting slightly to the direction of the two. Darron didn't bother turning around. He had already identified them with his aura as soon as Lashell had told him. Darron just grunts, a bored expression on his face as he takes a drink.

"Hey there love. We couldn't help but notice you since you came in. You're a breath of fresh air in these parts. You must be new." says the first Adept. Darron couldn't help but choke on his drink, trying not to laugh. Lashell kicked him under the table before putting on her best smile and replying.

"Why boys, I'm flattered. I didn't know the academy had anyone so charming.". Darron choked on his drink again and Lashell gave him two kicks under the table for good measure. Neither of the Adepts had noticed anything amiss. They simply thought Darron was some old fool that can't even keep his drink.

"Why don't we have a more private conversation out the back? It's a little noisy in here and there’s something I wanted to show you.." says the second Adept.

Smiling, Lashell stood to follow the two men out back. The second Adept throwing Darron a look of disdain. Outside, the two Adepts thought it was their lucky day. They were going to score a great one, or so they thought.

"Ever taken on two at a time?" asks the first Adept, hands reaching for his belt.

"Ever managed to do it without your full equipment?" asks Lashell sweetly.

"Er... huh?" asks the second Adept dumbly before Lashell had both their privates in the firm grip of her hands. Pushing the two against the wall, she whispers into their ear.

"Tut tut. The louder you scream the harder I'll crush it." with that, the two reduced their painful screams to mild whimper. "Good boys. You didn't really think you could handle me did you?" she says, disbelief in her words. "I'm sorry, you're not my type."

Giving their packages one last gut wrenching squeeze, she smiled sweetly at the two before walking back into the restaurant.

"There you are! Where did you go?" asks Drayton. He had arrived with the kids a short moment after Lashell stepped out back.

"Oh you know, just getting a feel for the place." she smirks at Darron, who choked on his drink again.

**********

Lunch was uneventful and it wasn’t long after that Drayton had insisted he take the kids around the school facilities to meet their prospective teachers. They also needed to familiarise themselves with the rules and conduct governing the academy. The kids, obviously having enjoyed the company of the principal, did not mind the least.

“Sheesh. Why do I feel like we just got dumped for that old man?” asks Lashell, disappointed that not even Darell wanted to stay and spend some time together.

“Honey, you better get over it quickly. They will grow up real fast in this environment, whether they want to or not. At least this way, Teacher is watching over them.” answers Darron.

As the two exited the restaurant, they noticed a group of Adepts lounging around at a store on the opposite side of the road. Two of them were the young men that Lashell had humiliated.

“You should have kept your hands to yourself Lashell. Tsk. Tsk.” annoyance creeping onto Darron’s features. “I hope they are smarter than they look..”

“Hmph. Maybe so, but I have never let anyone treat me like a hooker and not pay for it. Regardless of age.” The two Adepts, having seen Lashell come out of the establishment, had a quick exchange of words with their friends before swaggering over. “Well, it looks like you’re out of luck babe. They aren’t smart.” smirks Lashell.

“Don’t get involved. Your injuries haven’t fully healed yet.” says Darron.

“Well look who we have here. The old fogey and his bitch.” the second Adept gestures at them cockily. “You fucking slut, what you did back there really hurt. Once I’m done with you, you’ll be crawling for days.” adds in the first Adept.

By this time, the rest of their group strutted over. ‘Hmm.. only five of them. Maybe if I picture Rosek’s face on each one I won’t feel so bad about picking on these kids.’ thought Darron. “Sigh. You already know you’re in the wrong, what you’re doing is just making things worse for yourself.” Darron addresses the group calmly.

“What the fuck did you say old man!?” says one. “This guy has no idea what he’s getting into does he!?” says another. “Hey hurry the fuck up and let’s finish this. May have enough time to get a round in on that bitch before next class.” says one further behind.

A man can only take so much shit from another, especially when talking so openly about sexually assaulting one’s wife. These Adepts are like puppies compared to the wolf pack that they encountered. Puppies with sharp fangs.

Darron didn’t care a whit about it. Calmly closing the distance between himself and the group, there was no need to talk further. His brawler instinct was coming to the fore. The group, seeing Darron closing the distance, fanned out as they formed a half circle, drawing short blades from sheaths with a single blade engraved on it.

Bystanders were curious as to what was happening, some of whom ran into the restaurant to ask for help. The young woman and the owner came out to assess the situation. Identifying those involved as Adepts, they couldn’t help but feel helpless. As civilians, they were not equipped to deal with the Institute’s students.

As soon as Darron was within striking range, the situation erupted..

An Adept lunges for his throat. His striking hand was deflected, arm twisted to expose the elbow joint followed up by a forceful downward chop from Darron. The Adept screamed, the force so severe that both ends of the bone tore through skin, exposed and glistening in the daylight.

A second and third attack came through simultaneously. Darron pushed the screaming man towards the third attacker. Quickly ducking under the strike of the second as he slides in under his opponents reach, he executed a quick punch to the solar plexus forcing the Adept’s upper body to buckle slightly towards him. He followed it with a quick backhand chop to the right armpit, dislocating the shoulder joint.

Darron took the initiative, attacking a stunned Adept who was shocked that the old man could move so quickly, precisely and deadly. Just as he thought of running away, a thundering left hook greeted his face, the crunching effect pleasing to Darron’s ears. The Adept flew a meter to the side, teeth floating in the air with him.

The remaining two, madness swirling in their eyes as they witnessed their friends being so casually manhandled, attacked Darron together. Ducking the left Adept’s horizontal slashing motion and quickly spinning away to avoid a stabbing strike from the other, Darron kicked at the knee joint of one, snapping it cleanly in two.

Crouched low and now fully immersed in battle lust, he brought forth all the power he could bear and struck his fist at the remaining Adept’s thigh. The sound of bone shattering resounded in the immediate area. Standing up and surveying the damage done, Darron gradually calmed down. The road was now drenched in blood and the five Adepts were either tearing their throats from screaming or already unconscious.

He turned to look at Lashell. Lust evident in her eyes.

**********

Author’s Notes

The primary pieces are where I want them to be. The Third Party will remain anonymous until certain events take place. So now I feel that I can start unfolding Hunter.

Finally! I was starting to feel sorry for my MC.