CHAPTER 12: Yvaine

"The Torrent is all around us. It is in the air we breathe, the water we drink, the earth we till, and the fire we warm ourselves with. It is in lightning and in Life. Without the Torrent, this world would be another dead lump of rock in the Void."

-Lectures of Archon Visevis, Vol. 1

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Obsidian Torren Academy, Kingdom of Maceria, Obsidian Empire

Aramar 11 AE

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Yvaine struggled to breathe. The cold dry air of the Macerian winter stung her lungs with every forced gasp as she panted while standing bent over with her hands on her weak knees. Her chest felt like it was going to explode and the bright whiteness of the surrounding snow didn't help. She felt like retching from nausea. Sweat seemed to pour from her forehead, drenching her face and her training garb from the neck down.

She always hated Martial Class. Ever since she came to the Torren Academy three years ago, Yvaine is yet to pass the most fundamental of Martial Class tests, a 3-mile obstacle run across the Asphodel forest.

She was about three-quarters of the way to the finish, at the base of a particularly steep hill. After going through this course hundreds of times, she still couldn't move past this mark without catching her breath.

Her eyes found the thin metal gauntlets hanging from her belt on each side, and she was tempted to insert her gloved hands into them. But she resisted the temptation. She has abided by the rules for three years. She is not about to break it now.

"Move it!" a voice called from behind her.

Sensing that it's not the instructor's voice and being too tired to comply, Yvaine didn't budge. A lanky youth passed by a moment later and narrowly avoided smashing into her. He looked winded but nonetheless easily dashed up the hill and quickly disappeared over it.

Yvaine realized that that youth was the slowest of the recruits. Yvaine is last in the race once again. How do they do it? How do they keep going even though they're gasping for air? Yvaine always thought that the other students were above average while she was just average. Now she's more and more convinced that they were average while she's below average in terms of physical capabilities.

She shook her head, gaining momentary relief from her fatigue. Why did she bother? It is going to be the same result as always. It always has been. At least in Martial Class. She didn't run anymore and just walked up the hill, but still with great effort.

An hour later, Yvaine stood in attention in line with the rest of the class under heavy snowfall as their beefy Martial Class instructor, Ser Marcus Tenasis scrutinized their performance.

The sun has long left the sky and the weather was worsening into a blizzard. Eighty students arrayed facing the edge of the Asphodel forest at ten columns by eight rows. Behind them, the massive black stone walls of the Obsidian Torren Academy loomed.

Ser Marcus paced around and in-between, giving feedback on their individual performance. Around half of them are recruits while the other half are retakers, Yvaine being one of them. She stood in the farthest corner of the formation, being the last person to arrive. Fortunately, the class faced the forest so Yvaine is closest to the safety of the black walls.

"Overtaking Yvaine is not an accomplishment, Keys," Ser Marcus remarked to the lanky youth beside her.

"Yes, Ser!" Keys cried to the open air.

"And you," Ser Marcus finally turned his attention to her.

Yvaine was still struggling to hold her panting chest. Trying to stand in perfect attention while her upper body felt like blowing threatened to turn her lights out.

"I thought you understand that this is your last chance at Revenation?"

"Yes, Ser!" Yvaine cried her pent-up air out. This relieved the swirling dizziness building up in her head. It did not help that she was soaked to the bone in her own sweat and exposed to the biting winter wind. If she's lucky, she'll end up with a mere cold. If not, she'll be bedridden for a week with flu again.

"Then why are you not doing something about it?" Ser Marcus cried back into her ear.

She flinched a little but Yvaine managed to keep her stoic expression, not meeting his gaze and keeping her eyes to the back of the neck of the student in front of her.

"I am trying, Ser!" she replied. Tears were beginning to well up behind her eyes but she struggled to keep them back. More than the agonizing and strenuous drills, she hated the post-drill assemblies more. During physical exertions, her mind would wander but at least she was doing something else. But in formations like these where all she does is stand and take all the insults that remind her of her weakness, the battle is not with her body but within her mind. And a battle in the mind was a more uphill battle to fight.

At that moment, a bell rang loudly from inside the walls.

"Inside! All of you!" Ser Marcus's voice quickly reverberated across the entire formation. "Unless you want to become fodder tonight!"

The class erupted into chaos as the students broke formation and bolted for the safety of the walls. Yvaine likewise jumped into action.

Despite her favorable proximity to the walls, it was still a good hundred meters or so away. The other students easily passed her by. In about two seconds, Keys passed her by and when she looked back, all she could see was the edge of the forest. Everyone else was ahead. She is going to be last yet again. Only this time, the stakes are completely different. She eyed the gauntlets hanging on her sides.

A wolf howl pealed and Yvaine's blood froze. It all happened so fast. One moment Keys was running a few meters ahead of her. The next he was on the ground with a dark hulking figure on top of him. Keys's screams echoed through her ears.