As they walked out of the bleachers and through the training center, Metcalf couldn’t help but stare at Lance’s sword. It was huge! It was wide enough for her to hide behind! And with the ease he was able to handle it; he could probably cut through a squirrel in a single swing!
She was so startled by its size she could only blurt out the obvious. “That’s a huge sword,” she shouted, “How do you lift it!”
Immediately the student with knife and chain started giggling. “Not now Will,” Lance’s other companion said. Will tried to stop as best he could. The joke escaped Metcalf. It seemed to be an inside gag between the two of them.
Because of Lance’s armor, Metcalf couldn’t see any muscles but he looked fit enough. His dark brown face was average at best, serious and observant. There was no hint of strain. Carrying the massive sword was easy for him though it could possibly be heavier than he was.
Lance was a large Crisho, almost six centimeters tall. He dwarfed his companions easily. At six and a half centimeters long, his sword dwarfed him. He attracted a lot of attention by just walking with it. Metcalf couldn’t help but think how much attention he got when he entered the training center.
He had not been here long enough to be experienced with the school. He could possibly be experienced with combat. There were rumors that he rescued a team of Protectors on one of their missions. She didn’t know all of the details, but to save those trained intensely to save countries from warlords and militants took some skill.
He was obviously well practiced at manipulating motion. How else could he lift such a large object so easily? Metcalf was glad she didn’t challenge him to a three strike drill. Even a simple slap with that thing would knock her out.
As he walked through the other students, he adjusted sword’s angle so that it was almost vertical. He took care not to hit anyone accidentally. As a result, the tip of his sword poked about a decimeter into the air becoming a beacon to anyone looking for him. Obviously Metcalf wasn’t the only one amazed at his sword. Conversations stopped as students turned to stare as they walked.
“Its name is Aido, ” Lance said. The starting conversation took Metcalf’s eyes away from his sword. Only then did she realize that she was being spoken to. Lance continued, “Some of my friends in Dust Wind made it for me. They kept adding layers to it as I got stronger.”
“Isn’t it a little uncomfortable to walk around with,” Metcalf asked, “You could hurt someone with that thing.” Metcalf had seen large weapons before but this one was extreme. Heavy, sharp and impossible to sheath, he probably had to prepare for every doorway he walked through.
As soon as she finished talking, Will started giggling again, louder this time. Again, it was followed with the other student saying, “Not now Will,” this time with more emphasis.
“A friend taught me a technique for moving things,” Lance said smiling, “There are a lot less people in Dust Wind too. I’ll have to get used to crowds.”
Metcalf was having the worst luck with targets today. First she’s picked by a student from the top twenty percent, and now she picks a student that could possibly have crazy skills. Thankfully, Lance was a new student and unfamiliar with the school drills. She could pull out a surprise tactic that he would never think of and beat him that way. Then she would be done for the day.
They reached the push drill area. It was relatively empty but that was no surprise. Academy points moved too fast for most students to be comfortable gambling here. The drill guard was happy to see them. This would be a well-used drill during the other times of the year, just not now. With midterm coming up, he was just plain bored.
Just as Will described earlier, there was a smooth rock from the river placed perfectly in the center. There were also two platforms on either side. Metcalf walked to hers while Lance and his friends took the other stand. Metcalf was ready to enter in all the information but it seemed that Lance was discussing things with his friends.