76 WAITING

The rest of the day was less eventful. Less weird— which Claude didn't expect as he went through the introductory portion of his classes. Tangent Biology and Monster Anthropology, Armaments One and Two, Formations and Tactics, System Builds One, and Astral Realm Mythology.

He kept his eyes peeled for HexBlades and Samuel and Tai followers but found nothing more than stares and a couple second years asking him if certain events truly happened during the Island Gauntlet. Otherwise, he stayed with his friends when he could.

The more he thought about it, the more he realized that may have been why his day was going so smoothly.

"We travel kind of large…." Claude noted as he headed to his next class with his group of friends.

Warren and Ursula held up his left while Naz and Isaac were at his right with the surfers, healers and assassins walking behind him. There were ten of them walking the halls and that wasn't even all of them.

"The other island groups didn't stick together. You notice that?" Carmen asked Darius.

"That speaks to the lessons each island lord taught us." Darius said— as poised and well spoken as always.

"Ohhhh shut-up!" Brink yelled, "I've heard enough exposition for the rest of the month. Send me in the tangent already. I need to kill something."

Darius cleared his throat.

Claude and Naz shared a laugh, seeming to have the same memories of their meetings with the other mages. Then he thought of Caspien and lost his smile.

Darius continued, "As I was saying. The lessons I'm speaking of are simple. Heroic values. Tai was the modern heroes greed and urge to capitalize on everything overwhelmingly. Armor, weapons, monster parts and slowly phase into a business tyrant…. Also known as a Guild-Lord."

"One that sells off their goods to the next hero that's dumb enough to keep killing mindlessly." Percival said from behind Claude.

Darius nodded, "Exactly. Which brings us to our next example."

Brink grabbed Darius' arm so he held it like Carmen on the other side, "Darius, please…. SPARE ME—"

"The symbolist." Darius said, ignoring the mage with a massive Mohawk. "Samuel shows the modern day heroes idealism and need to be a symbol— to stand for some old guard mentality and make this whole man versus monster thing profound and noble and gritty."

"Are you saying it's not?" Enzo asked from behind them as he walked with Stella and Chase.

"I'm saying it just is. Man kills monster, sometimes monster kills man. This is the state of world if we have a good quote for it or not." Darius shrugged.

"And what of me?" Naz asked as she eyed Claude.

Darius replied, "Success. I mean look at us. We've made it the whole way. Every step we take together now is a victory lap."

"Greed, Militaristic Granduer and Success." Claude said.

"Yep. The pillars of modern heroism." Darius said.

"How about kill, murder and magic?" Brink asked.

"You sound like a raider." Carmen said.

"Fuck!" Brink shouted so loud the other students eyeballed them. "That should've been my name. Brink the Tangent Raider…."

Brinks words reminded Claude of the Tangents. And how he'd be entering one in less than twenty-four hours.

His last Tangent was far from the norm considering it's where he learned in real time that his father was a Lupine and he had a rare inherited element variant from his uncle— who was Arthurian royalty.

And the Tangent before that was where he lost Renee. And he still didn't know how since they never figured out who the serpentmancer was.

He hoped the third time was the charm and he'd enter a Tangent the way he dreamed.

But it didn't feel that way. Not with all the stares, strange faces, enemies and missing dreams.

"Its like everything is waiting….."

***

The last class of the day was physical training— that allowed the sparring matches and tangent expeditions to spill over for the first years and not interrupt the rest of their classes. Claude was excited until he was told by their previous class Professor not to bring any tamed beasts or expect to use much of their magic abilities. To start, they'd work only their weapons and physical form.

It was familiar as they all formed up in the open field of grass in an opening in the center of the university.

Spillover sunlight entered the octagon and bounced off the windows of the castle surrounding.

"Welcome to combatives." The Professor standing at the helm said to the class.

Claude remembered him. He was large. Larger than the others. He tried to hide it with his thick cloak but his traps were too large and the veins were visible in his legs through his pants. Claude also remembered his red hair peaking out of his hood.

"For those of you that don't know me, my name is Professor Brennan. I was a gold ranked hero and operated as such for five years. And another ten as silver.... Four as bronze. I awakened late, so I didn't do any University stuff like this. This is how I get what I missed."

The students continued to listen.

"Depending on the day, we'll have different Professors come through to help each of you with your individual element. But today isn't an element day. Sunday's are drill and spar days, to get you headed into Monday with your muscles warmed and mind thinking combatively. Understood?"

"Yes, Professor!" The students said.

"With that being said, our warm-ups will be pre-exhausting. I want all of you to sprint around this octagon ten times. Now."

The students took off.

Back at th C.S Academy, Claude used to blaze past kids talking as they jogged but at the Professors command, they all pushed their physical limits.

At the front of the group was Naz, Marion, Isaac, Stella and Claude. Behind them was Enzo, Brink, Darius, and the surfers. The rest blurred. Except for Finn... who was worlds behind everyone.

Prof. Brennan shouted at Finn to speed up. So loud in fact that many of the second and third years watched from the windows in response to the commotion.

By the end of it, Finn and a few tanks had collapsed.

Prof. Brennan walked over them. "Get them up or you all run it again." His calm was somehow fiery in its steady burning intensity.

Claude and a few others rushed Finn and the tanks and got them to their feet just as the Professor continued.

"Alright. Our next objective is simple. Sparring."

People already started picking their partners.

"No." Prof. Brennan shook his head at the students grouping up in their worn armors and weapons. "You're all going to be trained to enter Tangents…. A place where one one ones are rare. Spar in three's. Every one of you gets three minutes to fend off two opponents. Then, you switch."

"What?"

"That's ridiculous I can't pr—"

"Another word and I'll make it sixes." Prof. Brennan said a little too casually.

Claude found himself facing Ursula and Naz. The two individuals shared a glance.

While Ursula was tall and bulky, Naz was short and lithe in frame. Ursula's skin was tan— but seemed pale against Naz's dark middle eastern complexion. Even down to the hair they were opposites. But they did carry similar weapons.

Something Claude considered a benefit for his opponents. Possible drama aside, he liked the concept of the game.

"We get practice in unbalanced match-ups and practice in fighting with someone. Why haven't we been doing this?" Claude thought.

"We will fight you together." Naz said.

"Buckle up, baldy." Ursula rolled her shoulders.

Claude took a step back and spun his warp-fire javelin to warm up his wrists.

His classmates hooted and whistled.

Marion— who went by Fade, turned away from his opponents— Isaac and Brink, from across the field and yelled out, "Hey, Canis! Struggling from success over there?!"

A couple of the other guys laughed.

"Yea, guys, he's totally living the dream. It's not like we can hear you or anything." Ursula said.

Naz smiled pleasantly as she looked around the open field of watchful eyes, "I find its best to ignore most men."

Ursula turned back towards Naz, "I find myself liking you more all of a sudden…"

"Begin." Prof. Brennan's voice was like the starting pistol at a race.

Ursula and Naz attacked like they were sisters in battle for years.

Ursula took up the face of the charge, seemingly ready to live up to her chosen namesake of Breaker as she leveled her shoulder with Claude's much smaller chest.

Naz slithered behind the berserker's bulk.

Claude could literally feel the blades of grass reaching and sensing his whereabouts— so even if she was running blind in the eyes, she knew where Claude would go.

Claude jumped. Not forward or backward. Just up.

Naz did the same as a blur of dreads and scythe metal— anticipating his leap over Ursula based on how his feet left her grass.

He hit the ground long before her and threw his javelin.

Naz braced herself with her scythe.

Ursula closed the distance with a mannish roar.

Claude sidestepped out of the way and forced his mana flow into his silver gauntlet. The rune written on the back of his hand bloomed, activating the portal engravings on the javelin.

As a result, Naz was baited twice, forcing the deadly attacker in a state of inaction. She hit the ground having made zero moves.

Ursula dashed past Claude— already partially gassed from working her massive muscles.

With the javelin heated and back in Claude's hands, he turned and poked Ursula's calf.

"ERGSH!" Ursula snarled and stumbled.

Claude didn't have time to admire his handiwork as Naz came with an overhead blow from her scythe aimed straight for the top of his head.

Claude brought his spear up and blocked the attack. He turned and drove her scythe into the earth with his spear.

"You cheated." Claude said.

Naz turned her scythe so the blade wouldn't get lodged in the dirt. "If you are not cheating, you do not want it bad enough, Liberator." Naz kicked Claude back and swung her scythe in an uppercutting motion.

Claude backflipped out of the way, "Ok but there's limits to that…. Right?"

Naz smiled and gave him a wink, "Of cours—"

"URGH!!" Ursula grunted as she tackled Claude to the ground.

Claude tried to scramble up only for Ursula to flip him around and put him in a rear naked choke. "No more running, dog-boy!"

Naz stood over Claude, "Just kidding."

"Funny."

"No." Naz said, "Victory."

Claude suddenly noticed the curses and shakes rumbling across the earth.

From where he laid on Ursula, he looked around and found most of the students facing a quick defeat.

Prof. Brennan looked around nodding— as if it was expected.

Even Samuel— who was still standing.

His opponents were Percival and Chase. The two were like opposing extremes in every way.

Chase yelled and fired arrows at high speeds as he flipped around the dark-knight while Percival sword battled the prodigy valiantly.

He moved like a barracuda. Somehow both firm, stiff and graceful as he drifted around the grass, striking with unique twisting charges and spinning slashes that never hit Samuel.

Like before, he had some perfectly fitting martial arts technique to deflect Percival.

But Percival was learning.

Claude had only been watching for a few seconds but he could see it.

The much taller swimmer was braving Samuel's martial currents. Padding onward. Breathing deeper.

Samuel gave a flash of emotion as he shoulder charged Percival.

The bald water element user took the charge and put him in a headlock. He fell back and let the knights head slam into the floor. Instead of letting go, he held him there.

Chase ran up and flipped over them, firing down arrows into Samuel's back all the way.

It should've worked.

It was perfect.

It was unexpected.

It was almost unbelievable that Percival— a swordsman, was defensively sound enough to not be absolutely mashed by Samuel's brute force.

But again, Samuel had techniques.

Claude recognized this one.

A bright flash of purple light blinded everyone on the field, followed by the ground jolting so violently that both Claude and Ursula were left partially stunned.

When Claude came to, Samuel was standing over Percival as he laid in a small Samuel shaped crater in the ground. Blood leaked from his eyes, mouth and nose.

The remnants of Samuel's aura flashed and flickered around him unnaturally.

"He can aura-pulse?" Claude thought.

"Healers. Do your job." Prof. Brennan said.

Trey, Goren and two others rushed Percival and Chase— who Claude just realized had an arrow going through the side of his neck. Just barely missed a critical blow.

Claude and Ursula got up.

"He's still an asshole." Ursula muttered as she rubbed the back of her head.

"Worse I'd say." Claude replied. "The House of Domination was a perfect fit for him actually."

"Don't tell him that. I think that's why he's acting this way. He's angry— ashamed. Perfect time to make some hideous character changes." Ursula said.

"What do you mean?" Claude asked.

"I mean the cruelty of a dark-knight is probably the least of our worries now."

Claude shivered and turned away from Samuel and the healers— finding his emotionless face and his broken friend too bothersome to watch.

Things weren't better elsewhere.

In the windows, aside from the staring upperclassmen, he found Prof. Whitechapel at the window of the lowest floor. Alone. The only thing visible beyond the shadows was his pasty white face and the whites of his eyes. He too watched Samuel.

Just as he had every other time. Only now, with the eyes of everyone else on Samuel as well, Claude could compare. He could notice the difference.

But he couldn't place it.

Prof. Brennan stood over him. "Everyone on your feet. Prepare to switch."

"It's me now." Ursula was fired up.

Claude and Naz stood together.

"Well done, Claude." Prof. Brennan said.

"I didn't even get a chance to fight really." Claude said.

"No one did. That's the point. You're all either lenient on your abilities or not trained in fighting swarms. But you, behind Samuel, lasted the longest against your opponents. And yours were ranked higher. That's good."

"Thanks…" Claude said.

Prof. Brennan nodded and walked off to survey some other student.

Claude turned to Naz, "You re—"

She was not ready at all. In fact, her eyes were off the field and one of her hands was in her saddle bag she always wore.

When he followed her gaze, he found that she too was looking at Prof. Whitechapel watching Samuel.