A Leader

The "class-university" seems to be enjoyable, sortta. Everything is generally going within expectations. I manage to make some friends but it doesn't seem like a true bond. Everyone is rivaling each other, and every time I score the highest, they seem to kiss **s.

"In the end of your second year, all of you will have turned 15 and will be able to finally allocate stat points. As most of you know, every year you get 1 point. This means you will have 15 points available and will have to choose wisely. We recommend focusing mainly on Dexterity for students of this school, unless your profession will be different and not reliant on your weapon of choice. The skill points are the same, but these are a little more complicated". The teacher finishes the explanation and the class is dismissed.

-"Rune, way to go with that last test. We heading to a Cafe, you coming?" one of the students asks.

"Sure".

We arrive at the coffee shop. We notice two people are fighting about something.

-"I was standing here and then you bumped into me and cut the line!"

-"I was standing there all along, you ugly ***** of ****!"

They don't seem to hold back really. As they go at it, they end up bumping into the guy that invited me. One of them starts combating him as well. He is not really a close friend or anything but I dont let that slide.

"Step back". I say, confidently.

-"what are you going to do about it, small fry? The little prince thinks he can do whatever?!"

I stand my ground. I decide not to attack unless approached further.

-"F*** this place..." he says as he leaves. the other guy seems to stay but doesn't say anything.

-"Rune! You are so cool! What the hell?!"

-"You were totally badass!" another kid adds.

We order the goddamn coffee, I'm still a little pissed but it will go away soon enough. The rest of them keep talking while I'm a little out of it.

"Is it really me who acted like that?" I wonder to myself. "Honestly, I didn't really care for what happend. So why did I bother so much? Is it because... I feel like I can? coz' I have the strength? Anyway... It's good to be able to perform in situations like that. This is good practice for protecting Luna".

The next day we practice physical training and the teacher asks for a volunteer. I'd assume there would be at least some but not even one of the students raises their hand. I'm guessing, "Had this been the swordsmenship school there could definetly be some students striving to make a good impression early on. Or maybe it's a cliche to think that, and everybody is just nervous either way?"

I raise my hand.

-"Rune, but of course, thank god we have you here" the teacher says. "Hold this, Rune". He gives me a practice dagger that will open someone's head if struck enough times as a blunt weapon, but shall never cut anything no matter the talent holding it. He holds one himself too and begins performing.

-"As Rune aproaches me with a similar weapon, I have multiple choices" he says, signaling with his head for me to "aproach". "I can try slicing first, aiming to the face or neck, stomach or even legs", he says as he slowly re-enacting a slow slice motion. "Another option is for me to wait his strike and counter it". He makes the head gesture and I strike very slowly for him to counter. "Yet another option is to try and evade". He now shows himself evading while making funny 'scared hand gestures', getting some laughs from the students. "And finally, I can run away screaming". The comedian teacher performs and the class loves him. "But the most important thing", he explains, "is to get inside the opponent's head. For example, making him laugh to soften him up before an actual demonstration. Rune over here seems kind of immune to comedy".

The class is suddenly impressed as they did not predict this turn. "Now the actual demonstration will start. Rune, try to use what we just learned as I approach you".

The comedian, suddenly "serious teacher", is now approaching. He strikes into my center which can create a lack of balance, but I immediately counter. We trade some more of these from multiple angles until he changes his pace and attacks with greater speed and precision. I evade one to the side and his follow-up makes me roll backwards. He is impressed. The class is clapping a bit while making "hooo" sounds. I get up and get closer. He does that again, and we trade a few blows as our daggers collide each time. I want to change this pattern so I force a blow into his hand holding the dagger and he drops it. The class is making a louder "OHHH" sound.

The teacher is suddenly smiling, "Well how about... this!" he says as he grabs his pen from his desk to strike back straight to my hand, as my dagger drops too. I immediately form a specific distance between my hands, as my left gives a soft blow to his hands, and my right gives a sharper blow to his pen, disarming him yet again. I take my hands back showing with my stance and form I'm ready to keep going.

The teacher stands back and starts clapping, as the class joins him, clapping and making noise, some of them are even standing up for it.

I take a moment to myself and smile. "Luna, I'm going to make it". I sit down, as I finished setting my status in this school.

One year passes. And then another. I'm 15 years old and my second year in "daggery" is nearly ending. I'm getting excited, enjoying the life of a class leader, and stat allocation is right around the corner. Tomorrow it's finally time. I can't sleep. It's hard to relax because of the excitement.

I think of Luna and know that I won at life. I fall asleep soundly.