~ Being the Decision Maker - 2 ~

It had been a few weeks since the news of Sora's participation had lit up the flames, as every student was curious to see what the outcome would be. Everyone knew how serious the matches were every time and for someone like their council's president, to take up arms in preparations, it meant the result would fetch the reality of the situation.

Everyone knew Sora had high caliber in academics, but being an enchanter, he had never taken up arms to show up others, while it was a relief for many that his background inevitably put up a hindrance in his whitewashed facade, for others it was a threat. Nobody knew how good, or how bad the performance of such a man could be, and they did not know what to prepare for.

But in midst of such buzzing, Sora had taken up his practicing alone, he did not want to give away his secrets so early before even the competition began, since that would instantly mean his defeat.

"One, two, three, four, five..." Sora counted every time he slashed at a boulder with a set of heavy metal claws, that were worn over his fingers, glinting and intricate, solid and cold. It was a warrior's weapon, but as an enchanter, his compatibility with weapons was greater than with a mage's powers.

He could chant, call out mantras, but they were already ingrained deep in him, so he concurred with his master that using and learning weapons would be the best approach of practice. Since there was a limit to how far he could go with his chants, they absorbed more power than physical fighting.

He was practicing in the forest since his master planned to visit him for overseeing the sessions, to impart tips and tricks which would sufficiently bring him success.

He took his goals seriously and to stay winning, one would need to desire even bigger objectives. Such as aiming to beat up a cunning dark horse, that demonic and evil Jeha.

Heaving slightly after the intense practice, Sora quickly fetched a bottle from the side bench and drank up the energizing liquid to recuperate his lost essence. Light energy was easier to use up than the dark energy, but it also needed to be replenished every once in a while to balance out the body of the day creatures. And that was a tedious task of waiting out, since energy needed time to get back to its original status.

The breeze was fresh and the grass beneath his feet was crisp, almost waving at him under the strong sun. The back valley which flourished behind the 1st block was meant to be used by the day scholars, since the forest and the plain fields were rich in natural energy flow, great for practice, but on the other hand they weren't a mystery, since even the evening scholars knew about them, yet at the same time, the back valley of the fourth block was a mystery shrouded in darkness, no day scholar had any knowledge about how it was shaped, built or maintained. It could be a death path, or a gigantic mountain, all the same, the mystery and suspense remained.

"Student Sora," Sora heard his master calling him, and was able to greet him still standing, not as tired anymore due to the nervousness of the other presence.

Master Kellan was friendly and well respected, even among his peers, he was always suggested as the best master a student would ever receive. Under him 55 more students were trained on the side, since having a master for each student became necessary after a certain time, so most students, were picked out when their potential was chosen. And those who weren't picked, they were transferred to the other sub branches of Silver Sect, even if that was seen as disgraceful.

Sora had been lucky that as soon as he entered, he was taken up by the master, yet something strange about the older man always bothered him, because who would look at their own chosen one with so much distaste... it was really bothersome.

But Sora considered the master with respect, even if he always wondered why the master chose him in the first place. "How have you been master, wishing you a good day, this disciple hope to impress you today," Sora lowered his head, well groomed in manners since he was a child.

"I am a little busy today, so you would have to display your little tricks later, I will simply teach you the basics and leave." The master yawned, his glum expression lazily sparing a few glances at the metal claws Sora was wearing.

"Did something happen master?" Sora asked with a soft tone of voice, not looking for a backlash of any sort. This was what he hid from the others, who did not know about how severely cold and unemotional his master was. He was simply... uninterested in teaching him anything, all Sora was today was because of his own hard work and stubbornness.

"You are not inclined to my worries," Kellan refuted back, straightening his posture which was shorter than Sora and stout as well, "just listen to me and keep practicing, you are doing good."

The empty compliment was hard to take, as even Sora wavered, while every other faculty loved him, they pampered him even, this one faculty, his own master was truly a frost prince. But when the same master would interact with him in the presence of students, he would turn to a caring mother hen whose words were like slime and gestures like grease, tar black in intention but smoothly hiding the reality, appreciating him with overly coated layers of fake affection.

Sora thought Rizel was a bit suspicious at times, but even he wasn't perceptive enough to catch the subtle rudeness and hostility.

"What is this student going to learn today master?" Sora asked politely as was his demeanor.

Kellan sighed, taking out a small scroll from his grey robe sleeve, passing it on to Sora and facing the opposite direction, "This scroll will teach you about techniques used by the hidden blood, read them well and see to it that you win the competition, because if you lose, than you know I will throw you out of the campus myself."

Sora was reluctant to read the scroll, since he knew using the power of hidden blood went against the moral codes of the day scholars, because it involved summoning familiars under blood contract, which was something only dark energy could control. But Sora wasn't an evening scholar, he wouldn't know how to control what he would summon. Still his master would give him such teachings, knowing it was impossible for him to learn them. "Thank you for your kind considerations master, this student is unworthy."

Waving his hand, Kellan took to sitting on the bench, looking straight at his student with a cold glance. "Unworthy or not, we would see, since if you fail, I will truly be angry with you."

"This student wouldn't fail master," Sora murmured, his eyes heavy with subtle anger, yet he didn't dare to show it to his master, for the fear of the retaliation which would surely cost him his seat and his status. He had worked hard of an entire year, had struggled to get into the sect, so he would also endure the insult.

~~