Jackie returned home just before dawn. She caught some noise in the bathroom, so she headed to the kitchen to wash her face and freshen up for school. Along the way, she snatched a biscuit from the kitchen counter and in a single bite chomped half without noticing her mother’s embarrassing drawing.
Meanwhile, Spring watered herself in the shower, preparing to sweat a bucket at school. Normal blighted don’t shed this much water in two months. Spring inwardly grumbled about the difficulties of emulating a hunter school student, then ate breakfast and added an extra teaspoon of hartshorn to the composter.
Hopefully, after today, I will get enough maroon mana to feed the composter and start tempering my body.
Spring took a carriage to school, where she noted that students, who had failed to refine their mana, were no longer a part of the class.
Over the course of three hours, she spilled all the excess water she had, keeping only two days’ worth in reserve. Finally, the warmup ended, and Madam Wartorn led her class into the school building.
“I would once again like to congratulate you on your yesterday’s victory and explain why you have won. Most of you probably do not know, but Jasmine Searing single-handedly eliminated thirteen students from class C, letting the rest of you overwhelm the remaining opponents. Now, I will point out what you and class C have done wrong yesterday.”
Madam Wartorn paused for two seconds, then started lecturing. “While hunter scouting parties often number five members, they can also work in larger groups as a team of teams with leaders coordinating them. Had class C followed this rule and stayed close together, Miss Searing’s gambit…”
After an hour of discussing the strengths and weaknesses of various tactics the four classes had used, Madam Wartorn read the point list.
“Miss Searing, eighty-five points. Congratulations, nearly full marks there. Second place Cassiette, sixty-five points, third place…” As Wartorn read the names, Spring noticed the burly youths had fared poorly, while Cassie, who scored second, was one of the physically weaker students.
Is that a coincidence? she wondered, but did not consider whether the conspicuous distribution held some deeper meaning.
Madam Wartorn finished reading, then arranged fifty-one mana crystals onto her desk. Spring examined the glowing rocks and frowned. This is another test. While the five best crystals are easy to spot, the rest are much more muddled. That lowest quality slag filled with maroon mana is bigger than my fist and full to the brim, it’s trash, but it has at least twenty maroons’ worth of mana. While that carmine is almost as big, yet they didn’t fill it. Mana within it is sparse, around two carmines at most.
“I will call your names, and you come over to claim your reward. First is Miss Searing.”
Jasmine walked over and without thinking grabbed a crystal coin full of scarlet mana. It was a quarter of what she needed to refine her mana to the next stage, but it was so much more. That scarlet was a lifesaver should dangers lurking in the weald force her to use her flame-flower, and once emptied it could store any level one mana.
Spring had the right to choose every tenth mana crystal, earning herself six in total. She was delighted. She had snatched the large maroon, which was enough to fuel her body tempering. Hopefully, in a week or ten days, I will reach the initial stage first level body. I can trade for enough carmines to reach the early stage as well.
The durability of my flesh means little, since I can’t let anything damage second-face in front of witnesses. But the increase in strength should emulate more than a month’s worth of hard effort. If I time it correctly, I won’t even need to conceal my strength until I reach the middle stage.
“And don’t forget, you cannot fight over these.” Wartorn warned. “These mana crystals are the reward and the resources for the clan’s future healers. You will need comrades skilled in medicine out in the weald more than you can imagine. Remember, healers triage their patients and choose whom they heal first. Try not to fall down their list for no good reason. Also, those of you who become future healers, you cannot bear a grudge against those who take your resources through physical might. You are paying for their protection and for them to shield you in the future, just like they are investing in your future.”
Despite not believing Madam Wartorn’s twisted logic, Spring nodded along with the rest of the class.
“Tomorrow, we’re starting weapon training and lifting heavy weights. We have worked on your endurance long enough, it’s time to build strength. Class dismissed.”
Spring followed the flow out of the classroom, considering how strength training, weapons, and substantial rewards only started after the school filtered out the obvious protected.
If I was in charge, I would layer the protected, based on the work they do, to create internal strife. The further you make it in the hunter school, the better your station as a slave once you drop out.
That’s not important. Should I trade mana crystals with students, or should I exchange them home? After mulling the thought for several moments, Spring decided on the latter. If she traded on the spot, haggling and arguing would ensue, needlessly drawing attention to her abilities.
The majority of mana crystals they got were made to look better than they are, nudging the students to pay attention to the color intensity and crystal quality in the future. Understanding and appraising mana crystals was an integral part of successful hunters’ and florists’ lives.
Spring boarded her carriage and drew the curtains closed. She took the chunky crystal full of maroon mana out of her pocket, then stretched open her jaw more than humanly possible. The stone would not fit, so she opened it some more, tearing her false face at the corner of her mouth. She swallowed the crystal, stretching her neck like a snake swallowing oversized prey. She guided the jagged rock past her second-voice, down her throat, and into the compartment where she kept the composter.
She looked into the mirror and beneath the torn skin saw her true form’s withered brown. Spring sent a tiny surge of mana into the second-face and the skin of her lips grew and knitted closed.
Next, home, shower, lunch, and then I will go try my luck with marble steeds. High lavender will numb their skin and they won’t sense a thin slash, especially if I feed them a treat.
Spring followed her plan and two hours later entered the Searing estate’s stable, concealing a small vial of numbing agent and the razor from her bathroom. She entered a reinforced stall with a beautiful colt. The animal dwarfed Spring, its black-and-white marble fur brimming with health and vitality.
“Are you certain you want to be alone with him, Young Miss?” the stable master asked, his fear tangible. “They are as smart as people, they are. And just like people, they will hit you if they don’t like you.”
Spring giggled, her voice sounding like a chime of silver bells on a breeze. “Don’t worry. I think I can charm him.”
Then she turned to face the equine monster. “Hello boy. Would you like an apple?”
The marble steed accepted the offering, but still eyed Spring with distrust.
“Would you mind fetching me a bucket of apples and some carrots mixed with cucumbers.”
The stable master did as ordered, and Spring returned her focus on the colt. She fished out a full salt shaker and waved it playfully. “If you’re a good boy, I will salt your veggies.”
The colt sniffed, then attempted to lick Spring’s hand, but she had expected his move and jerked her hand back.
“I said you have to act nice. I will wait here for your caretaker to return, and once he leaves, I will feed you a feast.” She raised an eyebrow and shot it a playful look. “I’ll even scratch and groom you a bit.”
The colt kept staring at Spring with distrust, but she made no sudden moves, and kept her hands to herself.
This would’ve been so much easier if I had a horse-slaver, but I think humans haven’t discovered slaver grafts before piercing deeper into the weald.
The stable master returned a short while later with two buckets.
“You may leave,” she said, and the man did as Spring ordered.
She salted the vegetables and pushed the bucket over to the greedy colt. While the animal ate, Spring brushed him and massaged his bare skin in the fold where the fur was thin.
Subtly, Spring opened the bottle with high lavender, but the colt snapped his head towards her.
“Easy boy. Here, smell it.” She offered the bottle to the beast, who sniffed it. “It will be pleasant to your skin and cool it a bit. See?”
She dabbed a bit of oil on her finger and applied it to the furless fold. The marble steed neighed in satisfaction and continued eating.
Jackie returned home just before dawn. She caught some noise in the bathroom, so she headed to the kitchen to wash her face and freshen up for school. Along the way, she snatched a biscuit from the kitchen counter and in a single bite chomped half without noticing her mother’s embarrassing drawing.
Meanwhile, Spring watered herself in the shower, preparing to sweat a bucket at school. Normal blighted don’t shed this much water in two months. Spring inwardly grumbled about the difficulties of emulating a hunter school student, then ate breakfast and added an extra teaspoon of hartshorn to the composter.
Hopefully, after today, I will get enough maroon mana to feed the composter and start tempering my body.
Spring took a carriage to school, where she noted that students, who had failed to refine their mana, were no longer a part of the class.
Over the course of three hours, she spilled all the excess water she had, keeping only two days’ worth in reserve. Finally, the warmup ended, and Madam Wartorn led her class into the school building.
“I would once again like to congratulate you on your yesterday’s victory and explain why you have won. Most of you probably do not know, but Jasmine Searing single-handedly eliminated thirteen students from class C, letting the rest of you overwhelm the remaining opponents. Now, I will point out what you and class C have done wrong yesterday.”
Madam Wartorn paused for two seconds, then started lecturing. “While hunter scouting parties often number five members, they can also work in larger groups as a team of teams with leaders coordinating them. Had class C followed this rule and stayed close together, Miss Searing’s gambit…”
After an hour of discussing the strengths and weaknesses of various tactics the four classes had used, Madam Wartorn read the point list.
“Miss Searing, eighty-five points. Congratulations, nearly full marks there. Second place Cassiette, sixty-five points, third place…” As Wartorn read the names, Spring noticed the burly youths had fared poorly, while Cassie, who scored second, was one of the physically weaker students.
Is that a coincidence? she wondered, but did not consider whether the conspicuous distribution held some deeper meaning.
Madam Wartorn finished reading, then arranged fifty-one mana crystals onto her desk. Spring examined the glowing rocks and frowned. This is another test. While the five best crystals are easy to spot, the rest are much more muddled. That lowest quality slag filled with maroon mana is bigger than my fist and full to the brim, it’s trash, but it has at least twenty maroons’ worth of mana. While that carmine is almost as big, yet they didn’t fill it. Mana within it is sparse, around two carmines at most.
“I will call your names, and you come over to claim your reward. First is Miss Searing.”
Jasmine walked over and without thinking grabbed a crystal coin full of scarlet mana. It was a quarter of what she needed to refine her mana to the next stage, but it was so much more. That scarlet was a lifesaver should dangers lurking in the weald force her to use her flame-flower, and once emptied it could store any level one mana.
Spring had the right to choose every tenth mana crystal, earning herself six in total. She was delighted. She had snatched the large maroon, which was enough to fuel her body tempering. Hopefully, in a week or ten days, I will reach the initial stage first level body. I can trade for enough carmines to reach the early stage as well.
The durability of my flesh means little, since I can’t let anything damage second-face in front of witnesses. But the increase in strength should emulate more than a month’s worth of hard effort. If I time it correctly, I won’t even need to conceal my strength until I reach the middle stage.
“And don’t forget, you cannot fight over these.” Wartorn warned. “These mana crystals are the reward and the resources for the clan’s future healers. You will need comrades skilled in medicine out in the weald more than you can imagine. Remember, healers triage their patients and choose whom they heal first. Try not to fall down their list for no good reason. Also, those of you who become future healers, you cannot bear a grudge against those who take your resources through physical might. You are paying for their protection and for them to shield you in the future, just like they are investing in your future.”
Despite not believing Madam Wartorn’s twisted logic, Spring nodded along with the rest of the class.
“Tomorrow, we’re starting weapon training and lifting heavy weights. We have worked on your endurance long enough, it’s time to build strength. Class dismissed.”
Spring followed the flow out of the classroom, considering how strength training, weapons, and substantial rewards only started after the school filtered out the obvious protected.
If I was in charge, I would layer the protected, based on the work they do, to create internal strife. The further you make it in the hunter school, the better your station as a slave once you drop out.
That’s not important. Should I trade mana crystals with students, or should I exchange them home? After mulling the thought for several moments, Spring decided on the latter. If she traded on the spot, haggling and arguing would ensue, needlessly drawing attention to her abilities.
The majority of mana crystals they got were made to look better than they are, nudging the students to pay attention to the color intensity and crystal quality in the future. Understanding and appraising mana crystals was an integral part of successful hunters’ and florists’ lives.
Spring boarded her carriage and drew the curtains closed. She took the chunky crystal full of maroon mana out of her pocket, then stretched open her jaw more than humanly possible. The stone would not fit, so she opened it some more, tearing her false face at the corner of her mouth. She swallowed the crystal, stretching her neck like a snake swallowing oversized prey. She guided the jagged rock past her second-voice, down her throat, and into the compartment where she kept the composter.
She looked into the mirror and beneath the torn skin saw her true form’s withered brown. Spring sent a tiny surge of mana into the second-face and the skin of her lips grew and knitted closed.
Next, home, shower, lunch, and then I will go try my luck with marble steeds. High lavender will numb their skin and they won’t sense a thin slash, especially if I feed them a treat.
Spring followed her plan and two hours later entered the Searing estate’s stable, concealing a small vial of numbing agent and the razor from her bathroom. She entered a reinforced stall with a beautiful colt. The animal dwarfed Spring, its black-and-white marble fur brimming with health and vitality.
“Are you certain you want to be alone with him, Young Miss?” the stable master asked, his fear tangible. “They are as smart as people, they are. And just like people, they will hit you if they don’t like you.”
Spring giggled, her voice sounding like a chime of silver bells on a breeze. “Don’t worry. I think I can charm him.”
Then she turned to face the equine monster. “Hello boy. Would you like an apple?”
The marble steed accepted the offering, but still eyed Spring with distrust.
“Would you mind fetching me a bucket of apples and some carrots mixed with cucumbers.”
The stable master did as ordered, and Spring returned her focus on the colt. She fished out a full salt shaker and waved it playfully. “If you’re a good boy, I will salt your veggies.”
The colt sniffed, then attempted to lick Spring’s hand, but she had expected his move and jerked her hand back.
“I said you have to act nice. I will wait here for your caretaker to return, and once he leaves, I will feed you a feast.” She raised an eyebrow and shot it a playful look. “I’ll even scratch and groom you a bit.”
The colt kept staring at Spring with distrust, but she made no sudden moves, and kept her hands to herself.
This would’ve been so much easier if I had a horse-slaver, but I think humans haven’t discovered slaver grafts before piercing deeper into the weald.
The stable master returned a short while later with two buckets.
“You may leave,” she said, and the man did as Spring ordered.
She salted the vegetables and pushed the bucket over to the greedy colt. While the animal ate, Spring brushed him and massaged his bare skin in the fold where the fur was thin.
Subtly, Spring opened the bottle with high lavender, but the colt snapped his head towards her.
“Easy boy. Here, smell it.” She offered the bottle to the beast, who sniffed it. “It will be pleasant to your skin and cool it a bit. See?”
She dabbed a bit of oil on her finger and applied it to the furless fold. The marble steed neighed in satisfaction and continued eating.
