Risks of Evasion

Itsuki's heart thundered beneath his gripped fist as he ran, feet scrambling against the ground. Sweat, pants, and darting thoughts clung to him, all as he continued to evade.

This was not how he'd expected things to go.

Shards of crystal whizzed past him, grazing cheek and arm before impaling into brick. A few drops of blood escaped before they quickly regenerated, though the sting of the attack hung a bit longer.

"Why are we doing this again?!" he yelled out, his voice echoing within the training grounds of the matron's estate. "And is this 'assessment' really necessary?!"

He scanned the courtyard for the flash of armor, hoping to avoid any additional attacks. Despite an enhanced everything, he was having trouble keeping up, his fist clenching hard as if gripping more would somehow make his power work better.

Well, maybe it would, maybe it wouldn't. He didn't actually have the time to think about it, because—

He ducked beneath molten earth, a few strands of brown singeing to a crisp.

That.

The blonde-haired vice-captain was already mid-attack again, fire and earth spinning around her like a mantle.

"It's necessary if you want more answers!" she shouted, metal and crystal whistling through the air.

Itsuki launched himself from the ground just in time, poleaxe smashing right where he'd been milliseconds ago.

He took it back. Kiaki was an intimidating name.

"Okay, I still fail to see—" A dodge. "—why you're going this hard though. I already told you I'm not a fighter. I don't think I could even survive getting hit by you!"

A grunt as the woman leapt after him. "Nonsense!" Several molts of slag conjured around her, about to be launched.

"You have a power, do you not? And should it fail, Velena can heal near any wound I can inflict upon you."

The spell went flying, and his body arced out of the way of the projectiles, one of them nearly burning his face.

"I-I'm not saying I doubt it! But I'd much rather not—"

An attack swatted him mid-air in his distraction, the blunt of her poleaxe smashing into his chest and abruptly sending him to the ground.

Hard.

He felt his soul leave his body for a moment as he cratered deep into the ground. Pain, pain, and more pain. That was all he felt as his body stitched itself back together in the aftermath, incoherently screaming from the hurt of otherwise fatal wounds.

For five seconds, the world was made intimately familiar with what his voice sounded like.

A few sparrows took off from their nearby perch.

He shakily inhaled once the last of his agony had been verbalized, eyes watered and sweat pouring from every bit of his body.

"You have a high scream for a man," Kiaki said, squatting next to him. "Just an observation."

Itsuki groaned, his body finally recovered enough to sit up from his crater.

"Thanks, I guess?"

The lightest of quirks appeared in her expression as she pulled him back up on his feet.

"You're a strange one, Kisaragi. Jumping into danger but reluctant to fight? Not even quipping back?"

His right hand dangled with the mace—unused the entire fight—while his left one unclenched, exchanging the warmth of his power for more exhaustion.

"Yeah, well, I'd rather not take my chances, especially not with someone as strong as yourself."

Her brow raised as if amused. "A practiced tongue too, even if coated in flatteries. Though it's nothing compared to Velena's. Her tongue is blessed in both words and action."

He blinked at the name.

Velena? Ah—right, the matron.

He guessed it made sense she was practiced in diplomacy from the little they'd shared before this 'vital' assessment. Velena appeared to be the leader here in the town of Lerwood, and despite her intensity, she seemed a fair enough woman, gentle yet stern in her actions.

The same sort of went for the vice-captain—just replace 'gentle' with 'blunt'. They both seemed to be decent people, even if he didn't quite understand their place in this world yet nor the reasons why they acted as they did.

Perhaps he'd ask more about them later, once both had been satisfied with whatever analysis they were doing. There were still so many questions he needed to ask, like why it was important to keep their 'worldwalker' origin a secret.

In the meantime though, he nodded along, shaking off any lingering aches. Then, he looked off toward the action at the other end of the courtyard.

A pillar of water roared through the air.

The sun refracted through it as hurdled in full momentum, aimed straight for Sayaka. She had her hand out toward it, light glowing from her palm.

Then a few seconds later, it dropped, any form to it dissipating as it splashed against the ground.

For a moment their eyes locked, grey and brown, briefly sharing empathy for their current situation.

Then a scream, Sayaka jumping as a stone twice her size landed in front of her.

"M-Matron?! I get why you'd want to train Kisaragi, but why me?! I haven't done anything to deserve this!"

If the priestly woman heard her plea, she didn't show it. She just continued musing as she eyed the slab of rock.

"Interesting," the matron commented. "So your power works well against most ryl techniques, but those that manipulate existing matter…"

"Velena, please listen to me! Kisaragi is the hero here. I'm just an impulsive idiot that got pulled into—"

Itsuki flinched as several more projectiles were conjured and hurled Sayaka's way.

He instinctually took a step forward before a hand rose to stop him.

Kiaki gave him a look.

"I know what you're thinking, Kisaragi. Do not attempt to intervene."

He stopped and let out a pained sigh as he watched, grimacing as Sayaka jumped away from several roots.

"But—"

The vice-captain shook her head. "I know you care for your wife—trust me, I know the concern well enough too. However, she is every bit as capable as you are, and we must gauge both your limits extensively before we can continue in earnest."

Sayaka unraveled a few more attacks in the background as she ran, stumbling between the ones that she couldn't.

"Right… sorry," Itsuki said, shrinking a little in resignation. "But, uh, 'wife'? There might be a misunderstanding there. She isn't my wife."

Kiaki blinked at him. "She isn't? There's a strange look within your gaze every time you observe her, one that seems familiar. Additionally, you arrived together, fought in tandem, and shared a room without fuss."

He coughed. "She isn't—literally met the other day. And we certainly did not share a room without fuss. The innkeeper would likely corroborate that."

Kiaki still didn't look convinced—in fact, now she looked even more curious—as she discerned him. Her mouth opened as she prepared to say something else.

"Um, by the way, mind if I ask you something?" Itsuki blurted out, hoping to divert the conversation. "What did the matron mean by 'ryl techniques'? Is that a type of magic or something?"

The question gave her pause for a moment as if she knew what he was attempting, but she nodded.

"I suppose you've earned it. To answer: it is. Ryl is one of the three fundamental schools of magic."

Several bolts of water hit against pavement in the background, Sayaka panting as she dispelled a few more about to hit her.

"Ryl is the most popular—the school of willpower. It encompasses evocation, conjuration, projection, and many mental spells. Any projectile magic incorporates it in some fashion."

Itsuki bobbed his head as Sayaka dodged a few more of those said projectiles, frantically waving at the matron to stop. Surprisingly, she obliged, jogging up to Sayaka to place a hand on her shoulder.

Kiaki motioned at the display.

"Pas is another. It's the school of emotion, handles support, healing, and soul. It's the second one Velena is specialized in and the one that saved your life from what I've been told.

A light and energy emanated from where the matron touched Sayaka, water-like wisps seeping throughout her body as life itself seemed to glow within her.

"Amazing." Itsuki gawked as Sayaka perked up, any wounds or exhaustion gone in a snap.

"Is the last one vita then?" He quirked his lips in thought. "I vaguely remember the figure we fought by the side gate mentioning it. Thought I was using it."

Kiaki seemed pleased at his comment. "Indeed it is; it's the one I'm most versed in."

She twirled her poleaxe in one arm, a resonance reverberating through it as gem crystalized along her bracers.

She knocked on it with her other hand.

"Vita is the school of vitality—the least flashy. It deals in physical skills like fortification and enhancement. My techniques occasionally incorporate ryl though, so perhaps I'm not the best example."

She relaxed, letting the resonance fade and constructs dissipate into the ether.

"As far as that figure goes, I don't blame Reathe for thinking your power a vita technique; I would too were it not for you telling me you can use it on others."

"Well, uh, I only used it on others one time by accident, and it wasn't even for a second."

He looked down at his hand, recalling the sensation of glimpsing Refi's 'soul': her emotions, her feelings, her driving desire. And on top of it all, her pain.

"I… don't know how to feel about it honestly. It felt a little wrong, like I held their life in my hands." A sigh. "Anyways, is that weird for vita magic?"

"A little. There are a few techniques that incorporate more than one of the schools as I've already demonstrated. But beyond that, there's something even stranger about yours since it comes so inherently."

Itsuki's left hand raised to his chest again, gripping it for a moment to feel that surge of warmth before letting it fade.

He smiled lightly.

"Thanks for answering, that made a lot of sense… unlike the reason why we're doing this."

The vice-captain shook her head at the segue, watching as Sayaka and the matron started up once again.

"It's important to know your capabilities here. Your limits. This world has many dangers if you don't know them."

His lips flattened.

"I suppose… but uh, could I ask one last question? Do you know what we're supposed to do in this world as 'worldwalkers'? We were presumably sent to help but we weren't told anything else."

Kiaki gave no immediate answer, but she eventually nudged him, willing his arm to raise.

"Only suspicions so far based on legends. There are many who need help in this world yet few to give it—triumvirate knows how many suffer. All I know is that you two are fated for something, and that we will hopefully help prepare you for it."

She rolled her shoulders, putting a little distance between them.

"Anyways, that's enough of a break. I still need to see what you're capable of on the offensive. Haven't so much as seen you throw a single attack with that mace yet."

The weapon in question glinted in the sunlight, flinching Itsuki a bit.

"I uh, don't know how to use it though. The most I've ever swung is a few branches, and none of those had ever been at someone."

Her gaze softened before sharpening again, taking up a stance with her weapon.

"Then let us change that."

She flexed her muscles, and a palpable aura shot from her, dread immediately settling into Itsuki's heart.

"Do we really have to?" he asked, tentatively taking up a stance of his own and regripping his hand over his chest.

The vice-captain just continued as if she hadn't heard.

"To start things we'll need to learn the basics. It'll probably take you half a month until you can get those down enough, but after that you'll be pretty well off."

"Wait, hold up. Basics? Half a month?!" He stepped back as he tried to comprehend the shift this had taken.

"Yep, fifteen days, give or take."

Crystals formed around her like a swarm. "It'll definitely be hard, but I can promise that you two will be better off for it. Just consider it part of helping you figure things out in this world and thanks for aiding Lerwood."

Energy surged from her as the training grounds rearranged themselves, brick tiles aligning into pillars like an arena.

"We will begin our first lesson now. Do not hold back, lest you cripple your own progress."

Itsuki's heart thundered as he struggled to accept the information, wondering just what they'd gotten roped into.

"And what might this lesson be about, exactly?"

Brick cracked as Kiaki lunged, light rebounding everywhere within the grounds.

"Something you'll need to learn, Kisaragi."

She thrust at him.

"Confrontation."