How to wait

When Stephanie arrived she didn't say anything. She walked to the equipment store grabbed a sword and stood in front of of the line. Everything about her was ready for action. Her legs tense her arm ready to strike and her eye locked ahead but watching everyone equally.

Everyone was quiet. Even those in the view stands more focused on finding a partner than watching the lesson. You kept a steady breath. She had told you you outmatched her, but the longer you watched her the more you wondered. You felt an itch on your back but didn't reach to scratch.

Stephanie stood motionless. A statute of prepared action awaiting reason to spring. You tried to be as still as her. To be as ready as she was.

The itch felt like it was burying into your spine. Slowly but surely digging deeper into your skin. Like a bug slowly biting. You wanted to move, to do something that would get rid of the itch. But you held the gaze of a teacher not even looking at you.

You heard a shifting in your ranks but didn't look to see who it was. Stephanie didn't react either making you think it hadn't happened.

The itch was still there. It felt like something was trying to crawl inside you. What if something was? Was that her lesson? To not allow your focus to be stolen away from your surroundings. Could she know about an itch? Or was it just inevitable? Stay still for long enough and sooner or later a student would need to move.

There was a soft chatter in the stands. Stephanie didn't move. The chatter got louder, almost loud enough for you hear the words. What were they talking about, had someone seen something you hadn't? Was there something on your back that was causing the itch? Should you reach back and check?

You couldn't move your arm. Some part of you warning that anything that would draw Stephanie's focus was a bad thing.

You heard a grunt from the line and the sound of clothes being ruffled in an itch. Stephanie didn't move. Hearing someone get relief made the itch worse.

You checked for magic. Was Stephanie's stillness a trick was she attacking with magic? You saw nothing. Her aura was wrap tightly around herself, held closer to her body than you had ever seen someones aura. A second skin of cool white frozen in place.

You had to scratch, you had to check their wasn't something there.

You heard a sharp intake of breath from Edin and your eyes left Stephanie for a moment.

You felt her approach without needing to see it. You felt her raised sword. She was fast and close, too close you to dodge completely.

With no other option you reached up to grab her sword. Layering a second and third skin of magic around your palm and fingers you wrap them around the tip of her sword bringing it to halt. The **** she had moved and swung with was strong enough that a gust of wind was shoved past you and into the audience.

Then you felt her imbue the blade. A tingle of magic as a thread spidered up touching your magic. You shoved the blade up pointing it at the sky as a burst of fire exploded from the tip. It was hot but not enough to do you any damage.

It wasn't her attack. Your free hand was moving to grab her other hand. The hand holding her dagger. It was moving fast than her longer blade and already imbued. You didn't have time to deflect any way but into the audience. The imbuing was either going into you or into others, so you did the only thing you could think of. You flooded your fingertip with magic and as they grazed her dagger you imbued.

You were momentarily blinded as a nova of light exploded at your chest. But even without eyes you weren't blind. You felt Stephanie jumping back as the light explosion threw her back. You were still holding the long blade she had attacked you with but you could feel her dagger radiating magic in her hand. As you vision cleared you saw the dagger was shining brightly enough that you couldn't look at it.

"Relying on might to overcome a lapse in concentration will won't save you." Stephanie said taking a more relaxed posture. You kinda disagreed at the moment. "You never know when you are going to run into someone that might cannot overcome." That might be a point. You grab the hilt of the blade you had caught and let go of the blade. The metal had been crunched in your hand leaving a warped palm print in the tip. "No matter how much might you have."

You heard some mutter from the audience and looked over to see everyone had been coated in dust and their uniforms disheveled from the deflected blow.

You felt Stephanie move again but you were ready for it. You new sword ready to counter. But she didn't move to you, instead she moved at Vatarie. There was a thud and Vatarie was sent skidding back her arms held up to block with a thin layer of magic coating them. You could see the blow had connected more than just magic as her olive skin was reddened in a line.

There was another gasp and another student was sent stumbling back. "People get hurt and die in combat, your friends won't come home from every battle, allowing their fall to cause your own does not show your concern of love for them, it show you dishonouring them by falling easier than they did." You felt she was speaking to your a bit more directly with that line and you looked at Edin. She didn't attack you again, likely because she could see you were ready for her.

Stephanie retook her position and posture waiting for something to react to. For the next hour everyone was still focused on Stephanie. "Better." She said relaxing her stance. "Tomorrow you'll duel each other." She walked out of the arena leaving everyone behind.

You felt your perception on her as you hurried to Vatarie. Concern for her even, you presumed, slight wound present. When you got to her she was looking over her forearms, the redness completely gone. "You ok?" You asked reaching for her forearm to make sure.

Vatarie grunted in frustration. "Got distracted." She mumbled, clearly anger at herself.

"After I did." You say hoping that would make her feel better. She grinned at you and affectionately stroked your hand so you hoped that meant it did. Then she breathed in and brought your hand closer to her nose and breathed in deeper.

"Mmmm." She sighed as her pupils dilated and a dopey grin grew on her face.

That was a pretty obvious thing to happen you should have predicted. You pull your hands back as she tried to hold them but she was stopped by further attempts as Anastasia approached. "You did, well." She said looking at the stands and dust that was coating it. The students had mostly dusted themselves off and you saw Edin walking towards you. You think that is first time you'd really done any magic in front of him like this.

"Thanks." You looked at the sword still in your hand, your palm print embedded into the metal. Edin reached you and stared at the damaged sword.

"Wow." He said then looked up at you. "You did that." He said it to him as a way of confirming reality.

"Yeah." You shrugged.

"I think I would prefer to talk while cleaning off." Anastasia said flicking off some small amount of dust that had landed on her. "Edin, Christopher you may accompany. Lady Asune thank you for your company at lunch." Anastasia turned to Vatarie. "You and Lady Vatarie join me for dinner at the royal estate."

Vatarie looked at you clearly loath to let you leave and your scent depart but not so lost in her desire to challenge the Princess. She and Asune agreed as the the sisters and Cynthia approached. Oriana looked pleased with herself, Auria was staring at you with a grin and Cynthia with simple wide eyes.

"Come." Anastasia said to you and Edin before the trio could say anything. Much like Vatarie they weren't going to step into a Princesses affairs so they back away without comment. "Ladies wear something appropriate." Was Anastasia's parting word to the pair as she, Edin and yourself walked towards the royal estate, and the anticipated bath.