Fighting while exhausted

You and the rest of Stephanie's students assembled on the sand. Everyone except you and Asune looked tired. Anastasia was trying to look focused but you could see she was holding back a yawn. Vatarie was blinking far to often and the others were mostly worse. Asune looked as normal as ever as she stood on your left.

Stephanie arrived and looked over everyone. You could tell no one wanted to be standing for this but rather than start talking right away she walked up and down the line. After her second lap Anastasia couldn't fight off her yawn and as it came out Stephanie began talking. "Exhausting yourself in combat happens, but that doesn't mean combat is over. Twelve, Eleven here." She pointed at the middle of the arena and the two walked into it, both were tried but Twelve looked more awake that Eleven, she looked more awake than Vatarie in fact. "Ten, Nine here." She pointed behind the first two and kept going until everyone was in pairs.

You looked at Asune and studying her face you saw the hint that she was tired. Her eyelids were drooping a little and every so often she would **** them open to refocus.

Stephanie walked along the pairs handing out swords to each person. "You will run forms together for now, when I see you have learned how to compartmentalize your exhaustion we will move onto duels. If you are unable to do so today we will repeat the lesson next week and every week after that until you can." When Stephanie reached Asune she didn't hand her her sword. "Did you learn yourself or did you have a teacher?"

"Myself." Asune answered as her eyes opened fully and she looked fully awake.

Stephanie looked her over for a few more seconds before saying, "You are excused from this lesson." She didn't give you a sword either so you figured she meant both of you rather than just Asune. When you walked to the stands with her Stephanie didn't stop you so your guess was right.

Sitting down next to Edin Asune takes your other side sitting close enough to press her side against yours. You can see both Anastasia and Vatarie look at the two of you as their exhaustion is stifled for a moment.

"Begin." Stephanie said as the sound of metal clashing rang out. The forms were run through for a few minutes before eleven fell over and vomited. "Touching your magic when you are exhausted is a bad idea, training out your instincts to use magic when your muscles get tired is how you will live. Get up and keep going."

Eleven wiped her mouth and spat into the sand a few times before standing up and after a few breaths returned to partnered forms.

After an hour most of the other had fallen over. Not everyone had vomited but most gagged. Anastasia herself had to stop moving but hadn't fallen over. Vatarie waved a little and bent over for two breaths before getting back up and resuming. As you watched you wondered how you would do. When Clare had exhausted you you'd just passed out and when you woke up you had already recovered some. As much as you didn't like to think about it you probably should be learning this as well. Not hard to figure out why you were doing it today. You had recovered enough and expending magic to re-exhaust yourself might not be safe. You liquefied a decent chunk of the sand without putting much of a dent in your recovered reserve yesterday trying to exhaust yourself might be something you do away from other people.

"Enough for today." Stephanie called out. As a group the women dropped their swords, some nearly falling over but were caught by their fellows. "None of you are ready for a duel so we will try again next week. Christopher clean up." With that she walked out of the training ground.

You stood and started to pick up the swords. It took a few seconds before the women registered that they had been dismissed and mostly carried themselves towards the Dorms. Edin hurried over to help Anastasia who was doing her best to look unaffected but was taking tiny steps to do so. When Edin helped her she wrapped and arm over his shoulder to keep herself up and started walking.

Vataire wasn't doing any better and as you picked up the swords around her she reached out for you. You moved to help her and she draped herself over your shoulders. It made it hard to clean up and when her weight was removed you worrried she had fallen over. Instead Asune was on her other side taking her weight. She didn't say anything so you finished cleaning up as fast as you could. The two were standing there waiting for you and when you got in arms reach they took a shoulder each. They were somewhat heavy so you had to take a moment to get used to the weight.

You started walking moving a bit faster than you should have to catch up to Edin and Anastasia. When you did the three women looked mostly asleep. By the time you reached the royal estate you were pretty sure Vatarie was snoring into your shoulder.

Black and White appeared to take Asune and Vatarie from you, Blue appeared and took Anastasia's other arm helping Edin to carry her away. You were left alone in the foyer not sure what you should do. For some reason you doubted Anastasia nor Vatarie would be up to anything tonight beyond sleeping and eating. You could go after Edin and Blue, you did know where Anastasia's bedroom was. Or you could just leave, Blue will be happy to spend more time with Edin, and you wanting some time with him as well, but you did have two classes with him.