Chapter 13 - Teacher & Pupil

7 September 2041 (Real Time) - Institute of Blades, Second Reality

After settling in the previous evening, Hunter gave Elaine clothes from his mother’s wardrobe. She was grateful for both his help and hospitality. Before leaving for home, Elaine declared that she would forever be in his debt.

"Let me walk with you." said Hunter. "I need to meet with the principal, so we'll be walking in the same direction."

Elaine smiled her agreement and the two of them strolled down Ravensbrook Lane. Out in the sun, Hunter noticed that Elaine was averaged looking. In terms of physical appeal, her biggest asset would be her chest which was likely a size larger than Katherina's.

Hunter, not wanting to pry into the circumstances that led to last night's incident tried to learn more about the culture at the Institute.

"I'm guessing you haven't been here long." said Elaine. Hunter shook his head.

"The Institute can be a cruel place, especially for the civilians like myself. We have thousands of practitioners here and many of them think that it gives them the right to be abusive and oppressive."

"Are you saying events like last night is a common occurrence?" he asked.

"Hunter, in this world that we live in the strong have always preyed on the weak. Principal Drayton tries his best to reign in the most troublesome individuals, but you just can't catch them all." releasing a deep sigh, Elaine continued.

"You also have to understand that many practitioners treat each other as brothers-in-arms. There are many groups like that. Without enough proof a lot of these cases go unpunished."

"What about witnesses? Have there not been times that people have come forward?" asked Hunter.

"No civilian would invite the wrath of a Sword Arts practitioner upon themselves and no practitioner would rat on a fellow unless they don't mind being singled out." said Elaine, shaking her head.

Deep in thought, Hunter did not realize that Elaine had stopped walking. Elaine called out to him, bringing him back to the present.

"My home is at the end of Highsword Street. I should be okay from here. Thanks again for your help and for looking after me." smiling, she waved at Hunter as she left him behind.

**********

"Master." Hunter greeted Graham Drayton.

"Ah. I was wondering when you would come to find me." Drayton turned around to address his newest disciple.

Hunter found Drayton on the Northern field past the academy building. Seeing that the principal was not in his office, Hunter had wandered around the academy asking for directions. Drayton had been instructing his class when Hunter arrived. On his arrival, all activities on the field had stopped.

"Hey Arron, any idea who that is?" asked Armand Foxwell.

"No idea. Must be a new student though. He's wearing the academy training gear." shrugged Arron. The student had an air of familiarity around him but Arron wasn't able to place it.

"Big bro?" asked Darell, stepping forward.

"What's up Darell?" asked Arron.

"No, no. Not you Arron." said Darell, pointing at the new student. "That's big bro!"

Realization dawned on Arron's eyes. Without saying a further word, the brothers struck their blades into the ground and ran towards their teacher.

"Hunter!" shouted Arron and Darell.

"Looks like they recognized you despite looking like a hairy highland ox." smirked Drayton as he turned to watch the younger brothers approach. Hunter's hair, which was now shoulder length partially covered his face. It hid a warm smile.

"Arron. Darell. It's so good to see you both." said Hunter, drawing both into a hug. "Looks like you've both grown up. Looks like I may have a bit of catching up to do."

Arron was about to open his mouth to reply but Drayton interrupted him. "Now now, training is still in session and I need to speak to your brother alone. Arron, Darell, you can meet him later at the cottage. He is staying there for the meantime."

Arron laid his hand on Darell's shoulder to stop him from making a fuss. "Teacher. Understood." he bowed to his teacher and smiled at Hunter before dragging Darell back with him.

"Hey Arron, I heard Darell say that's your brother?" said Chet Smith. Arron nodded, a wide grin plastered on his face.

"He doesn't look like much." observed Chet.

"I would watch what I say if I were you Chet. Dad's been training him in Sword Arts since he was 8 years old. I've also seen him in a handful of fights. He was always outnumbered but he always won." said Arron.

Hearing this, Chet couldn't help but knit his eyebrows. "Well, don't worry about it now. You'll find out when you spar with him." added Darell, a smug look on his face.

"Master, forgive me for disturbing your class. I wanted to find out when we will start training." said Hunter.

"For now, find a secluded area where no one can disturb you. I want you to meditate on your battle aura for now. I want you to get a feel and understanding of it. Make some observations and tell me later what you find."

"How will you find me?" Hunter asked Drayton's retreating back. His Master simply waved and said nothing further.

**********

It was already evening when Drayton found Hunter. He had chosen a cliff side overlooking the sea with his back to the Institute. Drayton observed the young man from a distance, his silhouette outlined by the full moon.

'What a strong aura, for me to feel it from here.' he thought. 'The time he spent out in the wilderness had done him a great deal of good.'

In this instance, Hunter was deep in meditation and did not notice his teacher's presence. He continued to wrestle with his aura which was fluctuating with unrestrained violence. As if his aura had a life of its own, it continued to resist Hunter's attempts at bringing it under control.

"Hunter." called Drayton. 'He must be concentrating hard to not hear me call his name..'

Rather than call him again, Drayton unleashed his own aura instead. The sudden burst of foreign energy woke Hunter from his meditation and he immediately took a fighting stance. Seeing that it was just his teacher and master, he relaxed.

"Master. I didn't know you had arrived." greeted Hunter.

"Indeed you didn't. You seemed to be deep in meditation that you didn't even hear me calling your name." replied Drayton.

"Ah. I'm sorry about that Master. I was having trouble trying to bring my aura under control."

"Hmm. Tell me what you have observed." said Drayton, taking a seat in front of Hunter.

"Right now, I have no problem in containing my aura. Once released, it's quite violent. It feels rough around the edges and the waves of energy feels unstable."

"Tell me, when you battled those beasts in the wilderness were you aware of your actions the entire time?" asked Drayton.

Hunter took a moment to reflect on past battles. Scrunching his eyebrows, he said "It's hazy. I know that my memory has improved a lot but details of the battles are unclear. It's... weird."

"Sigh. I think I know the reason why you are having so much trouble." said Drayton. "I believe a part of your mind shattered under the stress of dying more than once. As a defense mechanism, your mind reverted to a more basic nature.

It's not a split personality but it is a part of you that comes to the fore when you are in a life threatening situation. It protects you or more to the point your mind from further breaking. Since you trained against beasts and acted in a certain way, it manifested itself as a predator rather than prey."

Hunter pondered over this explanation. "So it's something akin to a beast's instinct? It doesn't feel like I own it. I feel like I am just the gatekeeper. It reminds me of the phrase 'unleash the beast'." he chuckled.

"The problem is not with your aura. The problem is here." Drayton pointed at his forehead. "Your meditation needs to work towards healing your mind. You mentioned meditating to gather pieces of your human self before you came here. This time, you need to gather ALL the pieces, human and beast alike and bring them together."

Exasperated, Hunter asked "How long will this take?"

"I'm afraid I don't know the answer to that question. It could take months or years. From here on, you will meditate in the morning until lunch time. In the afternoons, we will spar. After dinner, you will meditate again." said Drayton.

"What about other preparation for the tournament?" asked Hunter.

Drayton shook his head. "Boy, you don't need to learn any more forms just yet. What you need is refinement. You are like a chipped, jagged blade. Still dangerous and can still cut but once refined is much more deadlier. Now come, walk this old man to the academy and then you can go on home and get some rest."

**********

It was already late when Hunter got back to the cottage. He saw a note on the door and it read.

Hey big bro!

Darell and I came by earlier this evening but you weren't around. We waited for a while but since we aren't allowed to stay outside of the dorms for long we had to leave. It's great seeing you Hunter! Come eat lunch with us tomorrow. I have a few friends I'd like you to meet.

Arron.

Smiling at the note and deciding he would indeed have lunch with his little brothers, Hunter stepped into the cottage to continue his meditation. He imagined his mind to be the NET and the pieces of his human and beast side as data. He pictured a shell of himself drawing these pieces together.

It was difficult work. It took him a month to pull together enough of the human pieces of his mind. He balanced the intake, drawing in the pieces in equal amounts. He was thankful that he neither got hungry or tired. It would have made things much more difficult.

"Hunter. You have an hour until lunch time." reminded Lara.

"Thank you.". It was a good idea that he had asked Lara to interrupt him when it was near lunch time. It seemed he would otherwise have continued on throughout the day. "Please remind me everyday." he continued. He wasn't concerned about the evening session since he had no need to sleep in Second Reality.

"Have you made much progress?" she asked.

"Some. It's a good thing I already have an idea of what to do. I can't go any faster though. Each time I draw a pair in it takes times to assimilate."

"Mm. Keep up the good work. I too am working on ways to get us out of MediVance as soon as you are ready. Forget the details for now and concentrate on your training. I'll let you know if there are any major developments outside." said Lara.

Hunter smiled. "I'm counting on you."

After a quick shower, Hunter rummaged through his father's clothes. It was fortunate that they were of similar build. 'I'll have to grab an extra set of gear for this afternoon's session.' he thought.

He left the training blades behind, not wanting to carry them to lunch with his brothers. Keeping in mind the conversation he had with Elaine, he was confident in his ability in unarmed combat should anything happen.

Just like the previous day, Hunter found his brothers at the Northern field. It seemed he was a little early. Not wanting to intrude on their training, he took a position near the academy building and observed.

'Arron has great instincts. He can read the flow of battle quite well but his speed is less than Darell's. Darell's instinct is about average within this group but he's controlling the outcome of each encounter through sheer speed.'

Looking at the other guys in the group, Hunter evaluated his chances of winning should he duel with any of them. 'Hmm. One of them could give me a run for my money if I don't pay attention, but otherwise I can't see any of them being a problem.' he thought.

"Hey there stranger." said a sing song voice.

'Katherina?' he thought. He turned his head towards the voice but it wasn't Katherina. A young woman in her twenties stood in front of him wearing the training gear of the academy.

"Err. Hi?" said Hunter. 'I haven't met anyone else here...'

The young woman gave him a coy smile. "You don't look like you're from around here." she indicated to his attire.

Hunter realized that she mistook him for a civilian. "Ah. That. I'm just waiting for my brothers." he said, thumb pointing in the direction of the group.

The young woman nodded in understanding. "Do be careful around here stranger. Some of my peers are less welcoming to civilians. They might try to make a sport out of you." she advised before walking off.

By now, the group had finished their training. Arron and Darell noticed Hunter and waved as they made their way towards him.

"Yo big bro! I hope you're hungry! We're starving!" said Darell.

"Everyone, if you want to have free lunch today's sponsored restaurant is The Gypsy's Lodge. Hunter, it's best for you to change into your training gear or at the very least wear the armband with the Institute's emblem on it. That way the manager will know not to charge you for your meal." said Drayton as he addressed the lunch arrangement for the day.

'Damn. Free food?' inside, Hunter was shaking his head.

**********

Lunch came and went. Since most of the group had decided to eat at the The Gypsy's Lodge, the Markell brothers did not have a chance for a private conversation. Arron introduced Hunter to the rest of the group and found himself stared at particularly by the young women.

Arron later mentioned that he was a mystery to the eyes of many in the academy. His arrival and impromptu appointment as one of the principal's disciples had a lot of people wondering. Since he also carried the Markell family name and had not been attending any classes, the students had begun to make assumptions.

Chet Smith had shared with his friends that Hunter had been learning the Sword Arts since he was 8 years old. Many of the rumours were negative and people have begun to suspect that perhaps Drayton was just giving him face as a Markell, rather than for his ability. Why else would he not be in classes they would ask.

Unaware that such talk was happening behind his back, Hunter met Drayton at the cliff side, which they have chosen for all their sparring sessions. Drayton threw a sheathed sword to Hunter who showed surprise that the blade he drew was sharp.

"There is no point in this exercise if we don't train using real blades. Don't worry, you won't hurt me." smiled Drayton, eyes turning cold. "Now attack me."

Taking a basic stance, Hunter pushed off the ground closing the distance between himself and his teacher in the blink of an eye. He attacked with the intent to kill, his aura blazing around him. Each strike met steel, his every approach countered with only the slightest of movements.

'Faster. Faster!' he urged his body. Just like his first encounter with the panther, his visual perception slowed and he was able to see the slightest adjustments his master made. He maneuvered his strikes to compensate for the new data, forcing Drayton to turn his speed up a notch.

'Oh?' Drayton was surprised. 'So he's learned how to use Focus, though it seems it isn't at a level where he can activate it at will.'

Hunter lost himself to the dance but not once was he able to land a hit on his teacher. Incapable of fatigue, Hunter's attacks were unrelenting and over time his speed increased a fraction. Drayton's stamina was not inexhaustible and as he neared the end of his endurance, he struck Hunter's blade with such force that it pushed him back.

"Okay! That's enough for today." said Drayton. They had been sparring for four hours without rest and the sun was now just setting in the horizon. "Very good! You did well today Hunter, as expected of my personal disciple!"

Breathing deep as he sheathed his blade, Hunter opened his eyes with a smile on his face. "Thank you Master. It was refreshing to spar with you without restraint. I believe I have gained a small amount of insight that will help me refine my techniques."

"Good, good. We will continue doing this until the day of the tournament. Rest assured that you will meet formidable opponents there, so try make sure you spend each day training to the best of your abilities." said Drayton.

Hunter nodded his understanding and the two of them headed back to the academy and home.

**********

The first week of training passed. Hunter was able to spend some private time with his brothers at the cottage and they each shared their experiences . They spoke about their parents who are currently out in the wilderness training and Hunter related his own encounters during his time there.

They cringed when he recounted his first 3 months of training alone where he died in agony as beasts ate him alive. His brothers' eyes shone as he recounted the stories where he fought against a pack of wild dogs, a mountain bear and grappled with a crocodile.

Finally, they spoke about Sasha, Katherina and Carl. Hunter didn't want to tell them about Lara and so he left out the knowledge that his friends were held captive in Kinbaram, he wouldn't be able to explain it otherwise.

During lunch in the middle of the following week, Hunter encountered the young woman who had approached him that first day he went to lunch with his brothers. The sponsored restaurant of the day was again The Gypsy's Lodge and on entering the premises they had locked eyes by chance.

Excusing herself from her group, the woman walked over to Hunter's table, startling his brothers and their friends.

"Hey stranger. Fancy meeting you here." said the young woman. Noticing the armband carrying the emblem of the Institute, realization dawned on her. "I didn't know you were part of the academy!" a hint of surprise in her voice.

"Ah, that. Well yes." said Hunter.

Her smile brightened and she extended a hand. "My name is Irene Davenport. Early stage Master blademaster. Nice to meet you..." she titled her head.

Shaking her hand he said "Hunter. My name is Hunter. To be honest I don't know what stage I'm at, I'm still new around here. This is my brother Arron and Darell."

Irene greeted Arron and Darell before excusing herself and heading back to her own table, apologizing for interrupting their lunch.

"Yo Hunter bro how do you know that hottie Irene?" said Armand Foxwell. He together with fellow group mates Dwight Corbin and Ward Gilman had been taking their lunch together with the Markell brothers everyday.

"Oh actually I don't know her. She thought I was a civilian when I was waiting for Arron and Darell the first time we had lunch here at the Gypsy." Hunter replied.

"Ohhh..." said the four in concert.

Minutes after they had finished lunch, they heard plates and mugs crashing on the floor. "Hey guys, I guess we better get out of here before things get messy. We don't want to be caught in the middle of whatever is going on over there." said Hunter.

The others agreed without hesitation and were well outside before the door to the Gypsy exploded outwards, a body following it.

CRASH!

"Woah!" exclaimed the four while Hunter assessed the situation with serene calm.

A fight between two blademasters ensued and the bystanders immediately scattered off the road. Hunter spotted Irene pushing her way past the crowd blocking the entrance to the restaurant.

"Stop it Elgin! Grant get out of here already!" she shouted as she stepped between the two blademasters.

"Oh shit." said Corbin. "I recognize those two from the tournament last year. They're both peak stage Master level. Irene is not going to be able to stop those two by herself man."

Hunter continued to assess the situation. He wasn't particularly inclined to lend a helping hand as he didn't know either of the men or the circumstance that led to the fight. The two of them had drawn their blades and from where Hunter stood, he was able to discern that the blades were the ones used for training .

'Well at least they won't be able to kill each other with just that. I hope.' he thought.

Hunter looked on as Elgin and Grant pushed Irene out of the way and began to exchange blows. 'Judging from their expressions, they seem to be serious about this but they don't seem particularly impressive...'

Irene was insistent on breaking apart the fight and was pleading for the other members of her group to help her. None dared, after all they were at best early stage Master blademasters and common sense dictated that their skill was well below these two.

With disregard for her safety Irene began to interfere using force, kicking and punching to the shock of the two combatants. Anger followed and Elgin backhanded Irene.

"Stay the fuck out of this Irene!" he yelled. To Grant he said, "Come on motherfucker! You think you got one up on me? Come on!"

Hunter foresaw what was going to happen next when Irene hit the ground and he saw the determined expression on her face. He moved first, closing the distance between him and the fight. Irene had positioned herself with her back to Grant, arms outstretched to the sides. Elgin was already in mid swing, too late to stop the sword and its trajectory towards Irene's neck.

BANG!

"Holy shit!" exclaimed Arron and Darell. Corbin and Gilman's eyes were wide with shock, unable to comprehend what happened. At the last moment, Irene had closed her eyes thinking she was done for.

She opened her eyes to see Hunter blocking Elgin's strike with his sheathed sword, Elgin’s blade was two inches away from her neck.

"Phew... seems like I made it. Hey fellow, I think you realize what could have happened just then and that I saved you from the consequences right? So how about giving me some face and letting this whole thing go?" said Hunter.

Elgin knew that he was right. "Tsk. You're lucky this time Grant. Next time you won't be." he said before turning away and walking off.

“You… you... “ Irene was at a loss for words.

“You’re welcome.” said Hunter, waving a hand as he walked back to his own group.

"Wait!" Irene called out. Irene first made sure that Grant was fine before rushing after Hunter who had by now, disappeared behind the crowd. She pushed past the growing number people, scanning the area for any signs of Hunter or his group.

'Damn.' she said to herself. She had been too slow.

**********

Author’s Notes

Do follow the "A/N & Thinking Log" thread. If I need to announce an update regarding changes that will be where I will put it. Thanks for reading.

-Harven