This was the first time Nadia had been on vacation so to speak, and she found it incredibly boring. Varisa spent most of her time doing weird experiments with the enchanter, Tina was mostly out playing (whatever that meant) and the few students who didn’t go back home and had work.

Speaking of Tina. “Hello, do you…”

The guardian was dressed to kill. “Sorry pal, I’ve got a date today.”

“Please, I’m bored to heck. Is there anyone else I can train with?” Entreated a desperate Nadia.

“Aren’t you desperate? Me think you should find yourself a few men. I’d share some of mines but...” A gift from the heart she hoped her friend would turn down.

The young Warrior had some interest at in romance but not in sex for its own sake. Even so, she understood Tina well enough to be moved by the offer. “I’d never steal one of your... boytoy was it?”

“I only said I’d share! Not that you’d ever have a chance to steal from me. Say what, I’ll train with you a little if you let me use your bathroom, scented soap and all that jazz. Deal?”

“Deal! I’ll heat the water for you!”

“That’s one spell I’d love to learn... Too bad I don’t have a head for words.” She’d tried, but never went anywhere with her study. She couldn’t even remember the simplest light spells.

Tina ran home to change into something more comfortable, then the two started training. Thanks to the recent display at the arena, Nadia felt somewhat playful, and her opponent quickly adjusted.

When Gerald Myar passed by, he found a small circle of student looking at something. Few knew Nadia was a Warrior, and even fewer saw her train as early riser were rare.

As the crowd cheered, the two fighters became even more enthused with their display. Tina loved the attention, particularly from boys while Nadia was simply having a blast.

Unlike gladiatorial fight, it wasn’t a display meant for the general public and before long the guardian pleaded for a rest. “Stop! I can’t go on like this. Are you trying to kill me?”

“Sorry. I’m just as beat, honestly.” Her face reddened as she confessed. “I lost myself to the cheering.”

“So did I.” Her smile grew predatory as she watched the boys flushed face. “And so, did them.”

“Don’t you ever think of anything else?” This was no joke but a genuine question.

Tina ignored her. “Let’s take a bath. I’ll clean your back.”

Nadia jested. “I know you don’t normally swing that way, but that smile of yours makes feels dangerous.”

“You’re no fun! The water, make it scalding hot and what kind of care product do you have?”

“Scented soaps for the body, another for the hair, and an herb mix for the bath. What do you mean scalding, that too vague.” As a mage, she’d learn to be precise.

“Scalding is scalding. Can you dry my hair too? I don’t want to be late.”

Nadia sighed, even though she was the same less than a year ago.

********************************

Born of a normal family Gerald was amusingly (not for him) the only normal child. None of his sibling were particularly strong, but their Warrior’s instincts made them unsuitable for business.

The funny twist of destiny didn’t stop there. He’d learned a few days ago that he was a healer, and they wouldn’t let him go back to his family business. A healer with a broken body, born in a family of merchant and who wanted nothing more than to be a Warrior... Atavism can be cruel thing.

When he first saw the two barbarians, his jealousy and resentment were brought to new height. Really, why were born Warriors wasting their talent learning spiritualism?

He understood they had their own circumstances and that physic alone a warrior doesn’t make but how could he not get angry to see people discard what he’d always yearned for.

With time, he let go of his resentment; they acted nothing like the Warriors he knew and were serious in their studies... And then he saw Nadia fight the dorm matron.

He always reassured himself by calling strength, a tradeoff for intelligence but there was a girl blessed with both. Irrational anger overtook him. Why was someone like her allowed to exist? Why did he have to suffer this weak body?

At that moment, he swore he’d make himself strong, but irony wasn’t done with him yet. He’d die sick and resentful at the early age of thirty but would be forever remembered by future generation as a great sage and the father of congenial therapy.

********************************

Stefan fell on the floor screaming. “So cool. Do it again, I’ll parry it this time.”

“That’s the fifth time I'm hearing it. Let’s do something else.” Nadia didn’t share the thirteen-year-old enthusiasm, in fact she was bored to heck with opponents of his caliber. So much that she wondered about joining a workshop or whatever.

“How did you get so strong?” Asked the boy excitedly.

How did she? That was a good question. Her parents were terrible teachers, and worse parent or maybe it was the other way around. Either way, their idea of training was to gang up on her to beat and berate her whenever she failed at something.

“In my tribe, children learn by killing small monsters. When needed, we work with older children to fend them until reinforcement arrive.” Men hunted, women protected the village and children looked over the herd.

Obviously, there were always some men staying in the village, like the elderly and men between two hunts but the first line of defense was the children and always been. Very badly trained children.

“So cool! My parents won’t let me hunt. Stupid Normals!” Normals and warriors rarely saw eye to eye, especially when it came to parenting.

“According to our elder, it’s to separate the strong from the weak.” She too used to think this was the way, and then Varisa came around. She theorized the reason saw so few dangerous monsters, was because the stronger ones kept them away. Not because of good sentiment, but only because the human’s herds were easy prey they didn’t have to look after themselves.

A dog-eat-dog attitude was a Warrior prime instinct, but the teen answer surprised her. “That’s dumb. I mean, it sucks they won’t let me hunt, but they’re paying for my training and it’s not like I wish Normal harm or anything.”

“Then you’re already wiser than I was at your age. A stone ape killed most of the children I grew up with. Those who died were the strong and courageous.”

Stefen gulped, stone apes were infamous for their blood rage, once they started killing, they didn’t stop until everything easy prey was dead. “How did you survive?”

“I was saved because of luck. Curse the elders, their teachings don’t make people stronger; it makes them dead.”

“I’m sorry.” Simply said the kid.

“What for?”

“For reminding you of that incident and speaking out of turn. Will you train with me again?” He liked her, she was nice and unlike the others she didn’t leave after a single exchange.

“You’re a sweet kid. If you have Warrior friends, I’ll take all of you at the same time the same price.”

If he had any friend like that, he’d be training with them. It gave him an idea, though. “Why don’t you propose group sessions at a lower price then?” The sum was negligible for Nadia, but for teens it was steep.

“Do you think it’d work?” Better keep the idea a secret from Tina, she didn’t need another method to enlarge her harem.

********************************

Agner entered the room decidedly. “I hear you haven’t left the room in four days. Is that true?”

Varisa was covered in ashes from head to toe, this alone was a testament to how much material she’d used. “Like you’re one to talk.”

“I make sure to eat my meals and sleep four hours a day.” There were plates full of foods scattered across the room, also covered in ashes.

The girl reparteed. “I’ve got the blood of a Warrior, a few days without sleep or food won’t kill me.”

Agner couldn’t help but laugh bitterly. “Since when do Warriors need less food than normal people. Not that it matters, you’re hurting yourself.”

She retorted aggressively. “Do you think my time would be better spent on pointless menial labor like the other apprentices?”

“Don’t put words in my mouth. This isn’t like you, I’m worried.”

“What isn’t like me? You barely know anything about me. I’ve been here two weeks and that’s the third conversation we’ve had!”

This was true, but if the housekeeper was worried, so was he. Heck, even he could tell she was hurting. “You’re the most rational person I know, but you’re acting foolish.”

“I'm tired of being rational, and I’m even more tired of being screwed over by the very idiots!” She pushed away the ash to find a letter. ““Do you remember how Oto set up a trade post to prevent my stupid brethren from being fleeced?”

“I do remember my brother being elated at the cheaper price.” The previous merchants bought low to sell high. Oto’s approved dealers were more far reasonable with their profits.

“Well, those bastards followed suit, and when I tried warning my fellow about them, they send me this.”

She handed him the letter and the stepped back in fear. “Not good considering your tone.”

“They’re ordering me to stay out of their bloody affairs!” Most tribes were grateful for the warning and glad to continue working with her, but the problem laid with the one that refused. “Those cretins. It was supposed to last beyond my death, but they ruined everything. Out of spite! And they dare act like they’re the cleverest bastard in the whole damn world.”

Oto made sure the merchants working at his trade post, exchanged good quality items at a fair price. The competition wasn’t as kind and their alcohol was cheap poison.

Agner was neither a friend nor a mentor; she didn’t care about putting a strong front with him. For the first time in years, she let herself go and cried. “Screw them, I give up. I don’t care anymore!”

Agner didn’t know how deal people period, much less their emotions. “Should I call on Nadia?”

She didn’t answer. He approached her slowly, ready to bolt out at the slightest sign of danger and put a hand on her back. “Don’t give up, thing won’t always be this bad. Dawn will come.”

Varisa laughed weakly in between two whimpers. “What’s the heck is that even supposed to mean?”

“I don’t know, I never understood it myself, but my mother used to say that.” It did work though.

“My father advice was to brush it off. He’s a kind man, a decent good warrior but damn did he suck at parenting.”

Agner felt genuinely surprised, he’d been under the impression she was a daddy girl. “I thought you admired him?”

“I love him, a lot. He’s the best man our tribe ever had.”

“Is that a compliment or...” He should have asked, but he just couldn’t help himself; he too had had parental issue.

“No, it wasn’t.” She laughed heartily. “He’s as dumb and incapable as the rest of them. He just happened to be among the nicer parents... Which isn’t saying much.”

“That's harsh.” His relationship with his father was terrible, but even he wouldn’t go that far.

“But entirely deserved.” She pondered. “You should consider yourself lucky; if I'd been born in any other tribe, you may very well have been looking at a full-scale invasion by now.”

It was frightening that he couldn’t deny the possibility and it didn’t help that he felt threatened as her anger hadn’t really abated.

She spoke abruptly. “Do you mind if I take a few days off?”

“Not at all. In fact, I recommend you do.” He prayed no one did anything to piss her off, not while she was in his vicinity; she was like a volcano about to erupt.

“Good. I’ll go kill...hunt something to pass my nerve on.” As she headed back to school, she found something unexpected on the way; a billboard with job offers for spiritualists and among them was...

Recruit a contingent of mages for a siege. Proficiency with the earth element is preferred, but not mandatory. Pay is six gold crowns apiece.” This was a ridiculous amount of money, sufficient to pay for the full tuition, living expenses and still leave enough to buy a house and maybe a small trade.

She went to enquire to the nearby recruiter but was stopped in her track a teacher. “This isn’t a job, this is suicide. The reason why the pay is so high is because the survival rate is less than one out of six.”

This was unexpected. “If you’re going to dissuade people, why post it at all?”

Barely a few steps away, was a recruitment booth manned by very annoyed soldier. This must have been quite the common occurrence as he didn’t even speak up.

The teacher explained. “We can’t refuse a request from nobility, but there’s nothing stopping us from informing the applicants. Please, pass your way, the dead and their families don’t get nothing.”

The soldier face ticked; it was most likely true.

“The family of the deceased don’t get anything. At all?” This truly terrible deal targeted the most desperate debtor only to leave their next of kin with dead family and unpaid debt.

“Exactly, and Baron Von Leatz who posted this request is notably shrewd and untrustworthy. There couldn’t be a worse employer.” He looked at the soldier disapprovingly, but he simply shrugged his shoulders.

Varisa thanked the teacher and headed back to her room as he sighed in relief; he’d just save another life.

Nadia wasn’t home and she was left alone with her thoughts. Idea of revenge and murder floated into her mind, but she always found herself drawn back to that job offer and more precisely, to the role of a spiritualist in a siege.

She remembered. ‘Earth is preferred, but not mandatory.’ She understood how spiritualism could be used to weaken walls and foundation but wasn’t so sure about the other elements. Light was useful, but a double-edged sword. Same with darkness. Fire was helpful, if you didn’t care about damaging the city. She could also think of a few ways to destroy walls or bar the enemy access to water and by the time her friend came back, she was totally on board with the idea.

“Nadia, I’m thinking about enlisting in a siege. It should only take a few days and I want to learn how...”

“No! You shouldn’t! This a terrible idea. The worst idea!” Even excluding the obvious reason, this went contrary to everything her friend’s strived for.

“But...”

“No but!”

“However,...”

“I don't want to hear of no ‘however’.”

“Nevertheless...”

“Stop listing the dictionary! This is a terrible idea.”

“How does a spiritualist fight? Aren’t you curious? I never even thought about using spiritualism in combat, but there’s are a lot of options. Light or darkness to blind your opponent, noise to deafen them, moving the ground under them to make them lose their footing, you can even collapse their walls or redirect their water supply.”

Nadia flinched, it sounded interesting. “I... We should experiment on our own.” Something was off with her friend; she couldn’t let herself be swayed.

“Think about it. We’re but fledglings when central’s been using spiritualism in battle for thousands of years.” This was bold-faced misrepresentation; Central’s current knowledge was but snippet of the cardinal empire’s which already a far cry from the Spirit kings’ era.

Varisa saw she was gaining ground. “War may not come for our generation nor even the next, but make no mistake, it will come; nothing can stave off the great beast.”

This was one hard truth she couldn’t deny but... “There must be better ways tough, like history or strategy books.”

“Do you remember seeing one at the library? Do you really think they’ll see strategy books to foreigners.” She went for the kill. “I won’t be in any danger as long as you’re there to protect me, right?”

“Yes, there’s nothing to fear with me at your side.”

********************************

“Why are you back too?” The teacher had a defeated look, on his face she was the thirteenth one in two days.

Year after year, the number of students driven into debts grew exponentially but the grants from nobility had long stopped making a dent into spawns’ expense.

“My friend is a Warrior, she’ll protect me... And the others too.”

“Really?” There may be light at the end of the tunnel but... “How strong is she?”

“Strong enough to take on a normal soldier, but not quite at the level of a royal guard either.”

It sounded like bragging. He knew he should stop them, but there were so many students walking to certain death he felt like clinging to any hope, no matter how tiny. He turned to Nadia. “If it’s in your power, please protect them.”

They walked to the booth and the soldier welcomed them by releasing bloodlust. “Stronger than a soldier, are you?”

Nadia answered in kind. “Want to try me?”

“Nah, I’m good. I don’t like sending kids to their death, so I’ll ask you the same thing he did”

“Does it mean we won’t be fighting besides you?” Asked Varisa.

“Yeah, the main force will be barba... Hinterlanders mercenaries. Who know, maybe they’ll put more of an effort protecting their kin.”

The place they were going was quite far from home. “Not likely.” Answered Varisa matter-of-factly

The soldier sighed, then smiled tiredly. “Yeah, I thought so.”