Martial Ability, and Strength (Str build, male)

Brute **** can move mountains, but it takes a steady hand to plant a seed.

You're dreaming. Floating in an endless black ocean. You feel a deep, primal calm. There's a voice calling out to you. It's asking you to do something, no. It's telling you to do something. What is it saying? You strain your ears to try and hear better but you don't have ears. "Adv...ah"

When you wake you have no memory of the dream. You remember a message, and are left with a feeling that, that dream may have been something incredibly important.

The birds are chirping. Singing without a care in the spring air, they flutter and fly past your window. You take a deep breathe in, and fumble out of bed. The air feels different, like the world is on the precipice of something big. Something that will change the very fabric of reality. You shake your head and pick up a flannel jacket, you're probably still just dreaming.

"Axel! Hurry up and get your ass over here!" It's your roommate's voice, Clara Boon. "Alright, alright. Geez no need to yell." you shout back a response but mumble the last bit.

"I heard that."

"Tch." You put on a pair of black jeans and comfy sneakers. You grab your backpack and look in the mirror. A tall, handsome looking chap stares back at you. With a spring in your step you head off to school.

"Finally." Clara says with heavy exasperation as she throws open the door, letting the spring sunlight bounce off the wooden walls of your home. You give her an easy smile, she smirks back, smacking you in the chest to let you know you're an ass. "If we're late, I'm gonna delete your save file on Elden Ring."

Pure horror and shock thrums into your nervous system at the mere idea of all those hours grinding simply going poof. "Anything but that Clara, please I'm begging you." She laughs. She fucking laughs. The witch.

"No promises." she looks great in the sunlight. Her hair has a light glow to it, making the brown look warm and comforting. Once outside you finally feel yourself begin to awake, the trees look stunning as always and the flowers are finally blooming. "Do you feel like anything is different today?" You can't help but shake that feeling that something is going to happen.

"Hmm, what do you mean?" She looks interested.

"I just keep getting this itch in my noggin. Like something big is going to happen but I just can't quite put my finger on just what. I might be going crazy." You look up at the sky, the clouds look mighty and proud.

"You knowww. Maybe you're not so crazy after all." She quirks an eyebrow at you. "I've been feeling weird all morning, like the whole world is on edge y'know?"

"Yeah! I get you. I really do. What in the world is happening?" You kick a rock and it goes hurtling towards a wooden fence. Clara shrugs, she does a skip and steps in front of you, her dress bunches up and flows in the wind. "I don't know. But I like it." a lazy smile floats across her face.

You see the walls of your school come into view, Koparkrat Academy. The building is magnificent, it seems too glamorous to be a school, the headmaster is to blame for that. He's been known to spend massive amounts on the academy, lavishing the classrooms with objects for study and creative purposes. Just last year, he spent three million dollars on paintbrushes for the Arts department. Truly a madman. The academy allows students to choose whatever departments they wish as such, students are encouraged to switch between departments until they find what they truly love. There are multitudes of Departments within the academy walls, with numerous subjects to be studied. A scholar's paradise one could call it.

You are a part of the Martial Arts and Self Defense Education Department. Clara is in the baseball program as well as being one of the lead students in the Medical Department. You stop right at the gates of the school. "See you at lunch?" You give her a smile. She gives you one right back. "Yeah. Lunch."

*Slam*

*Bang*

*Crash*

The symphony of **** that is the training room, where the instruments are punching bags and your body. You feel yourself relax and slip into a martial mindset. You run your paces, warming up your body and getting your wrists and hands primed. "Yo Axel!" Garrick Price yells out to you and claps you on the shoulder. "Looking good today, ready to get to work?"

"Always. " You throw on a pair of gloves and shin pads. The air in the training room is cold and fresh, the AC must work overtime. Garrick steps into the ring and throws a couple prep punches. You prepare yourself and step into the ring as well. "Full contact, headshots are allowed, takedowns are allowed, kicks are allowed, no more than five seconds on the mat though, I want this to be about striking." Your teacher's voice rings out from beside the ring. "Yes sir!" You and Garrick shout in response.

This is only a training session spar, no need to go full ****, you keep in mind to dial it back to at least 60%. Garrick is a level headed and intelligent training partner, you feel assured he'll keep things clean. That doesn't mean the guy will let you off easy though. Garrick rushes you with a flurry of punches, not powerful blows, but meant to disturb your rhythm and maintain the distance. Jab after jab whips into your face, as Garrick sets up his right leg for a low kick. The kick comes out with zero tell, like a snake lunging, you're quick to react however, and manage to raise your right leg in response. You block the brunt of the blow with the upper part of your shin. Garrick resets and raises his guard. You seize the opportunity and unleash with a combination of punches. Your right hook catches Garrick on the ribcage, you follow up with a swift left straight coupled with another right hook. You pivot on your back foot, using your momentum from the punches to transfer your weight into a low kick. You twist with the motion, driving with your hips to give the kick as much **** as possible, your shin works like a baseball bat, slamming and bludgeoning into Garrick's upper thigh.

"Good combination Axel!" Your teacher shouts. Garrick grunts in pain and steps backwards in one swift motion. You press forward, winding up wide hooks. The shots are inaccurate but they keep the pressure up on Garrick, who's **** to move to the corner of the ring in response. He yelps as you catch him on the cheek with a firm right hand. "Ow! That kinda hurt." He punctuates his remark with a stiff jab to your chin. You weave your head in a U motion and slip the jab by ducking right, in the next moment your field of view is covered by the sight of an approaching shin pad, moving with vicious ****. Garrick lashes out with a hellacious kick and slams his leg into your face, you stumble backwards, silver sparks splaying across your vision. "That was pretty hard Garrick." Your voice is dripping with venom.

Garrick has an uncharacteristically cold look on his face. "My bad."

You feel a surge of anger well up inside of you, it makes your skin itch and burn, it makes you want to hit a mother fucker. You close the distance with a lunging step and lock Garrick into a high clinch. He retaliates with body shots, clubbing at your ribs and liver with right and left punches. You're relentless though, and the strikes do nothing to deter you. You lock your arms around Garrick's head, establishing proper leverage, before sweeping his lead leg and dumping him like a sack of meat. You throw a leg over his chest and establish top position, just as your elbow is about to crash down on Garrick's fleshy face, the coach catches it. How the hell did he get in the ring that fast?

"I like the enthusiasm boys, but let's keep this a training session. Yes?" The coach's words may be amiable, but his eyes tell no lies, the man is pissed, and about to tolerate nothing but supreme obedience. "Garrick, Axel, go cool off. Joe and Dillon you guys are up next.

Training ends uneventfully, you and Garrick don't say a single word to each other for the rest of the period. You're unsure what prompted Garrick to act the way he did. You keep in mind to talk to him after things have settled down for a bit. In the mean time, it's lunch time with Clara. Sweet, strawberry scented Clara.

"Hey Axel. Whatdya doing for lunch." A girl with crow black hair and heavy eyeliner looks at you, her expression is blank, but a hint of amusement lingers on her jade eyes. She's dressed like a punk rock singer and has more accessories than you really ought to have. "Hey Morgan."

"Wanna come with me? There's a fight club going down on Walterbrook." She's not lying. You've seen her with black eyes and banged up knuckles. And every time you catch her looking like that, she's got the most brilliant smile plastered across her face. "I hear you're one of the best in the Department." Morgan has a predatory glimmer to her gaze now, like she either wants to kiss you, or fight you to the ****.