Tag Archives: Metcalf Luo

Sons of Sword: Tales of Glory – Lost and Found #21

Glory City Palace: Master Insula Fu’s Quarters

“Well, seems you got a hint of bad luck,” Master Fu said giggling as she took a sip of tea.  Sitting at her window, she leaned back and looked out at the traffic.  The sun was just beginning to set.  She liked watching the distant red and white lights move in different directions.

Insula Fu was usually willing to help a student in need but Metcalf’s issue was beyond her.  “Sure, your friends can help you study.  They should help you,” she said thinking.  She turned to Metcalf and lowered her voice almost to a whisper, “I think you’ll need it.”  Then in her commanding voice she finished, “Still, I can’t tell you anything about the Final.”

“Yes ma’am,” Metcalf replied politely, “I understand that.  I was just hoping to learn something about stealth tactics while I prepare for the Final.”  Metcalf stood in the middle of Master Fu’s living quarters trembling slightly.

The Quarter Masters apartment was quite clean, the only clutter being near apparent work areas.  Two matching broad bladed falchion swords were displayed above the main book shelf that took over the main wall.  The shelf was completely filled with books.  There were also several inviting chairs and a couch in the center of the room.  Metcalf remained standing because she was not yet invited to sit.

She had to remember etiquette and rank around the Stream Quarters Master.  Master Fu was easy going towards everyone but would easily become upset if Metcalf addressed her lightly.  She was a Founder and deserved her respect.

The respect went beyond the principal-student relationship.  Founders were a higher level of Crisho and the remnants of a great war from long ago.  Students at the academy were selected from the rare few Commoners around the world showing promise in one of the accepted forms of energy: magnetic, thermal, mechanical, or electrical.  The most gifted of students could fumble around with a second type of energy.  Master Fu’s lineage gave her control of all four energies simultaneously.  It also gave her a very long life.

Her appearance made it particularly hard for Metcalf to remember protocol.  The visible aging of Founders slowed dramatically at about twenty years.  In effect, Insula looked nineteen but could easily be about sixty.  If it weren’t for her well known position, Metcalf would mistake her for one of her friends.  At just under five centimeters, her height didn’t aid her image.

“Oh, my mistake,” Insula replied.  She turned to see Metcalf still standing in the center of the room.  “Oh, please sit,” she said motioning for Metcalf to one of the more comfortable chairs.

Metcalf needed no more invitation and headed straight for the couch.  Insula held her hand over her tea cup.  Using her thermal skills she made the tea the perfect temperature, and then gulped down the rest of it.  Setting the cup on a table, she moved to the soft chair near the couch.

Suddenly, Insula started asking her about random things: why Metcalf wanted to learn about stealth; her favorite foods; her life on campus. They started chatting and after about twenty minutes of talking, Insula suddenly said,  “I think there could be a class before my morning preparations.”

Metcalf’s eyes opened wide at the possibility.

Seeing Metcalf’s excitement, Master Fu decided to warn her, “This class, plus what you’ll have to learn for the final will be a very difficult load.  I’ll train you like an advanced student.”

Metcalf couldn’t help but stand and bow in excitement at realizing what Master Fu was saying.  The Quarter Master was going to take the time and train her personally.  The honor was very great.  “Thank you Master Fu,” she said as she bowed.

“I had nothing to do in the mornings anyway,” Insula commented, “I’ll see you at hour five.”

“Yes ma’am.  Thank you.”  Wait, five hours after midnight?

#1 – Lost and Found #20 – Lost and Found #22

Sons of Sword: Tales of Glory – Lost and Found #18

“What?!  Metcalf!  I TOLD you this was going to happen!”  Haruna Huai always had a way with words.  She never sugar coated anything, especially to people she cared about.  She would seem rude to an outsider but the truth people needed to hear was rarely kind.  She had known and cared for Metcalf for so long, they may as well have been sisters.

The two of them were in the dining hall eating fruit and ice cream.   They were not out in the open like during breakfast.  This time, they were in a room set aside for parties.  There were few parties this time of year so they had the whole room pretty much to themselves.

“Let me see it,” she said reaching for Metcalf’s handheld.  Seeing Metcalf’s student rank, her eyes widened in shock.  Then she said calmly, “Yeah, you’ll definitely have to take the final.”

That was all it took for Metcalf to see her situation.  She was in trouble.  She had been at Spear Mint Academy for as long as she remembered.  The people here were her family.  Hardly anyone passes the final.  And if she failed, she may never see her friends again.  “So what can I do,” Metcalf asked herself out loud.

Haruna picked up on the defeated sound in her voice.  She jerked a hand into Metcalf’s face and snapped to get her attention.  “One thing we can’t do is give up,” she said taking command of the situation, “You have six months, and lots of friends.  We’re gonna fight this.”

Haruna then took her own handheld and called up the gang one by one.  They each expressed the predictability of Metcalf’s situation but agreed to help as best they could.  They had a long six months.

—–

“Bye Manna,” Pinar called.

“See you tomorrow,” he called back as he left.  Tired but victorious he walked out into the sunlit chilly street headed home.  Another day business was finished.  The bakery was reasonably busy today.  There were acceptable leftovers.  He even kept some treats for himself to eat at home.

Chef Thetis usually would let him do that when they had enough for the discount morning special.  The day-old pastries would be sold at a discount the next day while the new ones were still being prepared.  It was good business practices.  In storage, the pastries would stay reasonably good overnight.  Also, the scent of the new pastries baking would overwhelm the senses and cause the hungry to buy more than they needed.

“Well, another eighty notes,” Manna said to himself as he walked down the street.  It wasn’t enough to make a large dent in his debt, but he was making some headway.  It was enough to pay down some interest for this month.  He would be free eventually.

Walking down the chilly street, he saw a face he remembered from earlier in the bakery, then another.  They were leaning against walls, sitting in cars, hanging out on corners, trying and failing to look ordinary.  There were about six of them.  They were all people that didn’t recognize him during his grand entrance to the bakery.  Or maybe they did.

Manna didn’t speed up.  He knew they’d follow him no matter where he went.  He turned down an alley a parking area in the back of a warehouse.  He made his way to a wall and waited to see how long it would take them to catch up.  Using his magnetism skills again, he readjusted his robe to give himself more freedom of motion.

Just as he expected, the six of them came around the corner a little while following him.  Thankfully they didn’t have guns, but their bats, canes, and crowbars seemed to have a specific purpose.

Despite this, Manna only smiles and bows, his orange face serene, his motions practiced.  Still smiling he says “Greetings friends.  How may I help you?”

#1 – Lost and Found #17 – Lost and Found #19

Sons of Sword: Tales of Glory – Lost and Found #17

Metcalf grabbed her gear and walked for one of the training center’s exit.  There was nothing left to do there.  She only had about five thousand academy points left.  This amount placed her with the lowest ten percent of the students at the academy; the lower half of the red zone.

It was a little hard to believe.  She had gambled points at the Stream Quarter Training Center for almost a decade.  For the amount of time Metcalf has been lingering in the school.  The final will be extremely had for her to pass.

Sure, she wanted to climb the ranks before midterm.  So did everyone else.  That was the only reason the training centers were packed this time of year.

She passed a few students worriedly looking at their rank on their handhelds.  Unlike them, she knew when to let go of hope.  With the training center’s stiff competition, no one would challenge her except a student in an equal position.  With the scant few points to work with, it would be weeks before she would manage to crawl out of the red zone.  By then; midterm would have passed; she would be on the final exam list; and the training center would be empty again.

She only gambled because it was the only way she could keep enough Academy Points to stay at the school.  It was possible to get points from accomplishing tasks in a class but the classes were boring.  She would prefer not to see Naoh and Koh but if not for them, she would have been out of the school a long time ago.

Exiting the training center, she took of her helmet.  The hue on her beautifully youthful face was split down the middle; red on the right and white on the left.  She still had a slight green tint due to her not quite being of age.  That did little to mask the face of a thinking reasoning warrior.

Strangely she was not upset at her fate.  Sure, she would prefer it to be different.  Leaving a school where students enjoyed everything, free of charge, was a major inconvenience.  Then again, she no longer had to prey on lesser skilled students.

She wanted to participate in real work and use her talents for something real.  Guard duty was in no way glamorous but her actions made a real difference in people’s lives.  With any luck she could land a good placement with a nearby city.

Still with the sudden change, Metcalf felt like she should be angry at someone.  However, no one person seemed to fit the criteria to be stuck with the blame though.

Lance?  Not him.  How would he know how things would end up for her?  He actually looked sad when he saw how many points she was losing.  He had the potential to become a great Protector.  He only had to learn to project more of his skills rather than touch everything.

Herself?  No.  Lance did something that the Quarter Masters had taught against for the longest time.  There was no way to predict that it would actually work.  She simply did what all students in her position would do.  She knew continued gambling would end like this eventually.  Students that gamble eventually lose.  She lost.

Naoh? Koh?  No.  They were heartless sharks, and there was no way they would help her now, but they had nothing to do with this.  They helped her stay afloat in the school until now.  And in the end, she made the decision to challenge Lance not them.

No one was to blame.  The day started like any other and it ended like this.  Metcalf didn’t like it, at all.  However, she lost her say in the matter a few minutes ago.  Her time at school ended at this year’s Final Exam, unless she passed.

Metcalf giggled at the thought, Yeah, Good luck with that.

#1 – Lost and Found #16 – Lost and Found #18