Tag Archives: Metcalf Luo

Sons of Sword: Tales of Glory – Lost and Found #13

Lance was wearing plain brown armor possibly made out of thick cloth.  Even the basic equipment in Forge Master Sef’s armory was more advanced than that.  Metcalf couldn’t see his weapon but it had to be something basic as well.  He wasn’t wearing a helmet.  Maybe he didn’t have one.

He was sitting high in the first level of bleachers flanked by two other students.  The three of them looked at the crowds competing below.  Lance just stared at everything.  Perhaps he was trying to take it all in.  Every now and again, one of the other students would point to an event while talking to him.  Apparently they were teaching Lance something.

Metcalf couldn’t recognize the other two students.  They were probably higher ranking students like Isabeau.  If so, they had no reason to be in the training center.

Lance had only been here a month.  There was no way they moved in the same social circles.  It was very likely the two students were assigned by the school to show him around.

Why would they bring him here?  Last she knew Lance was from the Rock Quarter.  Rock Quarter housing was on the far side of Glory City.  It was quite a trip to bring him all the way to this particular training center.

In the end it didn’t matter.  They were here, and therefore, fair game.  She could challenge any of them.  If they accepted a challenge, Metcalf could see exactly what they were capable of.

Lance was apparently capable of something.  Though he was still deep the red zone, he had gotten a heap of points in a few hours.  Still, midterm was in less than a week.  It would be impossible for him to get enough points to get out of the zone.  No matter what he did at this point he was going to take the final.

He may have just enough points to help her though.  She wouldn’t take all of them of course, just enough to get her to a safe point.  Also, it would be educational to show Lance just how quickly points disappear in the training center.  If he learned the lesson early, he wouldn’t be in the same situation Metcalf was in.

She started walking up the stairs towards them.  By the time she got to them, they saw and recognized her.  Even though they knew what and who she was going to ask, protocol demanded that she ask anyway.

Metcalf tried to sound as innocent as she could.  “Hey,” she said looking at Lance, “you want to do a push drill?”

She almost sounded innocent.  The look Lance gave her spoke volumes.  He knew something was up.  He looked to his companions questioning.  They both looked back as to say the choice was his.  “What’s a push drill,” he asked finally.

“Basically it’s like tug of war,” the student on his left said, “they get a large rock from the river and you try to use your motion skills to push more of it to your opponent’s zone.”

The student looked at Metcalf with an untrusting glare as he spoke.  Metcalf didn’t recognize him but apparently, they met in the training center before.

“Is there any limit on how we use our motion skills,” Lance asked.

That’s an odd question.  How is there more than one way to use motion skills?  You trade motion from something you don’t care is moving to move something else.  Metcalf was stuck on the thought for a while then she spoke.  “Sometimes, people put limits on where you can stand, but I don’t see any reason to put any limits on this drill.”

“Sweet,” Lance said with sudden energy, “I’m game.”

Metcalf saw their weapons.  The student to the left had a metal staff.  The other one had a large knife with a chain connected to it.  She didn’t see Lance’s weapon until they got up.

As the stadium seats lifted, she saw it.  His massive sword was under their seats the whole time and for good reason.  It was easily taller than any of them.  It was more than six centimeters long, two centimeters wide, and at least three millimeters thick.  The back of the sword housed a long handle.  The tip of the single edged weapon curved out from the blade and then back as to imitate the crescent shape of a very large axe.  The hilt area expanded in its last few millimeters to meet the blade.  The pummel of the hilt was a thick version of the classic hanging circle.  It looked more like a small metal doughnut.

It was all made from a single piece of metal.  She didn’t know how heavy it was.  It had to be heavier than any of them without armor.  It looked impossible to lift but Lance picked it up like it was a paper cutout.

All packed up and ready, Lance throws the sword over his shoulder causing the student behind him to flinch.  “Alright let’s go.”

#1 – Lost and Found #12 – Lost and Found #14

Sons of Sword: Tales of Glory – Lost and Found #12

Being a Thermal Master, it took little time for Teal to get the fires started.  The bakery warmed up quickly, but Manna knew not to get too used to the heat.  Everyone in the back had their part to play.  Only Manna and Teal had energy skills but they were most likely hired because of their abilities.

Manna took a look at the three balls of dough and chose one at random.  They all would be used for something soon.  It didn’t matter which one was first.  It was the one to his left today.  The other two were pushed to the right.

Flour stored beneath the counter was spread everywhere to prepare the first victim of the rolling assault.  Manna lifted his hands and concentrated a little.  At his mental command, two rolling pins flew from the rack across the bakery.  Just as they reached his hands, they stopped.

They hovered in midair waiting for his next command.  His magnetism skills did not allow him to manipulate wood.  However, there was just enough steel in the core of the rolling pins for him to move them easily.  While they hovered in the air, Manna spread additional flour onto them.

Teal returned from the fire pit below the bakery.  He used his thermal energy skills to keep more of the heat in the oven.  Before long, the bakery would cool down as Teal “borrowed” heat from the bakery and “gave” it to the oven.  Even still, it would take some time for him to adjust the oven temperature to the perfect setting.  Manna had just enough time to get the dough ready.

It had already been separated into even smaller portions and flattened thoroughly.  Manna’s hands moved commanding both rolling pins to press and roll the dough faster and harder than any Crisho could with pure muscle strength.  In no time it was spread to the edges of the counter flattened to just the right amount.

Pilar had already prepared the cinnamon mixture for the folds.  It sat on a table at the far side of the counter.  She stood waiting holding six hand sized circular dough cutters.  As Manna set the rolling pins down, Pilar tossed the dough cutters at him.  She tried to surprise him with them differently each time.

Just as Manna turned his head, he saw them and stopped them in the air.  “And I thought the cinnamon rolls were nuts,” he said jokingly.  Pilar said nothing though she stuck out her tongue.

The dough cutters were a lot easier to handle than the rolling pins.  They were completely made of steel and obeyed his commands even without his hand motions.  The circular cutters moved just as he wanted.  Soon the leftover dough was lifted revealing a large counter filled with thin circles of dough.

Surprisingly, Pilar moved just as fast as Manna did.  Seeing her work was much like watching a film at double speed.  In no time, the cinnamon mixture was spread onto the circular cuts of dough.  They were then stacked into three layers and folded into their traditional star shape.  Now ready for the oven, they moved onto the next ball of dough.

——

Spear Mint Academy: Stream Quarter Training Center

Metcalf left the shooting range in slight frustration.  Isabaeu was very kind and perhaps a new friend.  However, the contest was far too easy.  Isabaeu tried to put up a good fight.  It seemed they gave a lot of Academy Points for classroom practice as well as application.

Metcalf was not at all upset at Isabaeu.  She was upset at herself for not believing enough to take the big risk.  She had to admit, she may have done the same thing five times in a row given the same circumstances.

All that was in the past, Metcalf got her points.  She was almost to a safe student ranking where she could leave the training center and let everything slide for the rest of the day.  She needed about two or three good scores and she would be done.

Scanning the faces, she saw a new face that looked very familiar.  This one was beaming with inexperience he even lacked the basic armor.  Then it hit her, “Is that,” she started asking herself a question but thought it easier to check on her handheld.  She focused the holographic image to the bottom of the student rankings.  She was right.

It was Lance.

#1 – Lost and Found #11 – Lost and Found #13

Sons of Sword: Tales of Glory – Lost and Found #7

A thousand points?!  No way, way too much!  Even though a small win would be outstanding, a wager that large is not even close to being worth the risk.  Metcalf didn’t even try to hide her reluctance.  The amount may have been reasonable for Isabeau.  The top students had many more points to play with.  For Metcalf, a big loss at those stakes would set her down to zero.

“If that’s too much, we can change the amount.”  Isabeau’s expression showed as well.  This made no sense.  Metcalf was wasting her talents here.  She had seen students gambling points in training centers; the competition it created.  Even when students worked together, they never stayed in this arena for as long as Metcalf, Naoh, or Koh.

The students here usually had no other way to get the extra points they desperately needed.  They had to win Academy Points or face expulsion, utter failure, and disgrace.  There were no other options.  Their future, their hopes, the free life of an academy student, the honor of a Protector, everything depended winning.

Most only knew the basics but they used those basics in ways never taught in the classrooms.  They fought hard for those points, the fiercest competition she had ever seen.  At times, more inventive students happened upon variations of advanced strategies and techniques.  Isabeau only hoped to gleam some of the techniques to use as her own.

At the end of the mid-season, the winners and losers were determined.  Losers never came back, expelled after the final.  Winners rarely came back, not wanting to fight in the Training Center again unless it was absolutely necessary.  Metcalf stayed in this environment and thrived.  True, Metcalf was low in the student rankings but only because she wasted her time here playing for tens and twenties.

Isabeau had no doubt that Metcalf would win with the proper incentive.  More points meant a stronger fight, right?  She was pretty much giving Metcalf points for the honor of a challenge.  But, if a thousand points a target was too much, “What about five hundred?”

Well.  Maybe, less than that. Though it was definitely more reasonable, it was quite a lot more than usual.  So much, much more than Metcalf had ever played for before.  Isabeau could be using a negotiating tactic; starting unreasonably high so that a sucker could suggest something unusually high.  Things rarely ended well for the sucker.  Metcalf was having no more of this. “Two fifty,” she spoke with certainty.  It still could be a trap.  The amount was well more than double what she expected to bet, but it was still recoverable if she lost.  However, that was her final offer, no higher.

Two fifty?!  Metcalf is definitely showing her a lot of respect.  But if that’s the way she wants it, “Deal.”  Such a low bet.  She was going to be very upset if she won.

The negotiations finished, they waited for their number to be called.  They sat without speaking for a while.  Sometimes, the wagers were the hardest part of the challenges.  They both wanted their way, and each had to flex their wills to get it.  It was especially tough for the nicer students.  If they became friends later, it would be great.  It was never certain though.  After the awkward silence, Isabeau suggested they eat somewhere after the mid-season.

“Sure,” Metcalf said without hesitation.  She was still a growing young lady of course.  She loved to eat.  Also, she could ask her about a few special techniques.  Such a high ranked student had to know some techniques that only the Quarter Masters taught.

“I’ll give you my contact after this.”

#1 – Lost and Found #6 – Lost and Found #8