“Excuse me.” A masculine voice interrupted. The server, a young man in his late teens, placed the parfait and a long-handled silver spoon in front of Yuriko. Assorted fruits were layered with sweet cream in a tall glass. “Enjoy.”

“Thank you,” Yuriko said breathily.

Krystal couldn’t help smiling when she saw the boy blush. Millie rolled her eyes while Ishika shook her head ruefully. Yuriko remained oblivious, her eyes focused on the food in front of her.

When the waiter moved away, Krystal remarked, “You know Yuri, the day you get your period will probably spell doom for everyone in town.”

Yuriko blinked, “Huh?”

“Nothing.”

Yuriko shrugged. “I don’t know when I’ll have mine but Mum said hers was late, so I’ll probably be the same.” She took a spoonful of fruits and cream, then moaned in pleasure as she closed her eyes. “This is good!”

When her friend was halfway through her parfait, Krystal abruptly realized that she and the other two had been staring. “Ancestors,” Krystal breathed, shaking her head.

Ishika broke the silence. 

“Anyway, we are all attending the training camp, right?”

“It's mandatory, isn’t it?” Yuriko said.

“Not really.” Millie shrugged.  “At least, not for those of us who aren’t part of a military bloodline. Although,” she added sardonically, “it’s heavily recommended.”

“Well, I’m going. It’s only for four weeks. And the things they teach there will help us in case things go to Chaos,” Ishika declared. 

“It’s still a couple of weeks away,” Yuriko noted. “I hope to inlay my Facet by then.” She looked downcast for a moment. “Otherwise, the only thing I’ll be doing there is more foundational training.”

“Whatever the case, I think I’ll join you in the basics,” Krystal volunteered. “My Facet requires it.” 

“Oh?” Yuriko perked up.  “Why don’t you join me every morning, then? I’ll be running a few longstrides daily.”

“Er… hmmm.” Krystal hesitated. “Only if you don’t demand I follow your pace.”

“Sure!” Yuriko looked at the other two girls, “Will you two join me and Krystal?”

“Ancestors, Yuriko” Ishika mumbled, “You’re as bad as the boys.”

“I am?”

“Well, have you seen them lately?”

“They’re probably at the training hall.” Millie grinned, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “Want to look? Armsmaster Trevor Byrne is teaching.”

Armsmaster Byrne was a retired Knight from the Capital just like Krystal’s and Yuriko’s fathers. Krystal’s Father, Craig Zorin, served with Virgil for several decades. 

“Yes, I’d like to see,” Ishika blurted.

“Alright, let’s all go?” Krystal asked.

Yuriko ate another spoonful and was staring idly down the street, until Krystal poked her side.

“Fine. Let’s all go.” She took another spoonful, with a corresponding moan of pleasure. “After I finish this.”

Yuriko had a sweet tooth that she stubbornly denied, but Krystal knew that, as long as she continued to supply Yuri with sweets, the other girl would keep gobbling them up. At least until the point when Yuri’s self-control reasserted itself. Still, it was fun to tease her and Krystal was one of the few people who could get away with it.

Krystal called for the bill and the waiter returned with a piece of paper. 

“Six Sovereigns,” he said.

“Can we get a discount?” Krystal smiled and fluttered her eyelashes. 

“Er,” the waiter glanced at Millie, “Ms. Keryn?”

“Sugar is expensive.” Millie snorted, “Besides, Six Sovvies is already discounted. We’d normally charge two a piece.”

“Oh, alright,” Krytal groused.

“It’s not as if you’re lacking money,” Yuriko observed as she pulled out a coin purse from her sweater pocket. 

The three of them left a single silver penny, except for Krystal who fished out three from her purse. 

The girls strolled down the road. Krystal found herself beside Yuriko in the lead while Ishika and Millie brought up the rear. 

She grabbed Yuri’s waist and pulled her close, pinching as she did so.

“Hey!” Yuriko protested.

“Hmm, you’re filling out,” Krystal smirked, giving her another pinch. “No longer skin and bones. And...looks like someone’s no longer a washboard.”

“Layoff, Krys,” Yuri grunted, trying to slip out of the other girl's grasp. "Stop it!" She squeaked when Krystal found a ticklish spot.

Yuriko shoved Krystal off while doubling over, Krystal giggled while she danced away. 

“Let’s take the Circuit Tram,” Millie suggested. “I don’t want to walk to campus today.”

The campus, where most of the town’s children were educated, was about a half-hour walk from the Sweet Shoppe. The wheeled transport was powered by the driver’s Animus, among other things, and was open for the public and trundled around the major landmarks of Faron’s Crossing. It took an hour for the transport to complete its circuit.

At the street corner, there was a shaded waiting shed for passengers. Luckily, there was a tram pulling up to the curb and the girls boarded it along with a few other pedestrians. 

Ten minutes later, Krystal and the others were at the shed nearest the campus. Being in the seasonal break meant the campus was mostly empty of younger students. The only ones walking around campus were either those who had just gone through the Ritual, or older students who had chosen to stay in Faron's Crossing instead of leaving for the Academies in Rumiga City.

The Preparatory School was a large square building that stood three storeys high and nearly a hundred paces to a side. The structure stood around a garden area and playground. To one side of the space was the training hall. Most of the younger kids didn’t have much to do there, at least, not until they reached the year of their Atavism Ritual. 

The silence of the campus amplified the sounds coming from the hall. Wooden weapons clacked against each other and the funny warbling sound of adolescent boys' voices filled the air. Every now and then, a deep, rumbling voice boomed “Strike harder, you weaklings!”

Krystal and Yuriko glanced at each other. 

“Guess who’s there?”

“Aside from the Armsmaster, you mean?” Yuri shrugged. “Heron, probably. I thought I heard him squealing. And...Mikel?” Her forehead scrunched up. “Those two don’t like each other.”

“Well, Heron is a bit of a bully,” Ishika muttered from behind.

“Really?”

“Well, he doesn’t bully us girls, of course. You don’t notice how he pushes the other boys around?”

“He just has strong opinions,” Millie sniffed.

When they arrived at the hall, one figure immediately drew their attention. Armsmaster Byrne was a small man, shorter than Yuriko by an inch, but he seemed nearly as wide as he was tall. He was bare-chested, his glistening brown skin bulging with muscles. He held his arms, which were thicker than Krystal’s legs, across his chest. He stood watching the boys, barefoot, wearing pants that stretched over his equally muscle-bound legs. The only hair they could see was his thin goatee.

Six of their year mates were in the hall. Heron and Mikel were there, as Yuriko and Krystal surmised. Next to them were Janus, a rather broad boy with black hair and blue eyes, and Zeyn with his fluffy brown hair. Maryn, who had curly, shoulder-length brown hair, and Danika, chubby with blond hair that reached to her chin, were the only girls.

They were lined up by the wall, each holding a long pole with a weighted tip, all in a striking position: left leg forward, body sideways, left hand on the shaft and right hand close to the base. 

“Strike!”

“Hah!” Nearly as one, their left legs stomped forward while they thrust the training spear at an imaginary foe. Heron’s and Janus’s spears emitted a faint glow just as they thrust but it faded almost immediately. They paused after a full extension, the tips of the spears quivering in the air while the kids struggled to stay steady.

“Recover.”

They returned to the ready position with an audible gasp. 

Nearly all of them had sweat streaming down their faces. Danika looked ready to faint. 

Krystal and Millie did an about face and quite nearly ran out of the hall. 

“Halt!”

Krystal felt an invisible wave strike her back and she found herself paralysed mid-stride. One foot remained off the ground yet she remained completely steady. The pull of the force faded just as quickly and she would have fallen flat on her face if Yuriko hadn’t grabbed her arm at the last second. Her friend easily kept her steady and a glance showed that Yuri had an amused smile on her face.

In less than a heartbeat, Mister Muscles was standing behind them, his breath stirring up the dust. “Well, well. Looks like more people have come for training.”

“Uh, we were just looking,” Krystal replied nervously.

“Indeed. Look to learn. Act and train to burn it into your body. Come.” 

With that, the Armsmaster grabbed Krystal and Millie by the arm and dragged them into the training hall. Ishika and Yuriko followed without protest, though Ishi’s face grew pale. Contrary to what Krystal expected, Armsmaster Byrne didn’t immediately hand them a practice spear and have them do striking. Instead, he lined them up by the wall, eyeing their clothes.

“Not here to do physical training, are ye? Well, no matter, knowledge is always good. You’ll have enough PT during your mandatory training camp,” Byrne grunted. “Ms Davar, what are you here for?”

“I merely accompanied my friends here.” Yuriko shrugged. “Da told me not to rest until tomorrow.” 

Muscleman grunted then turned to Krystal. “Ms. Zorin?”

“Um, curiosity? I heard from Mikel that you’d be conducting lessons this afternoon for anyone interested.”

“Ms. Reyn?”

“Same as Krystal, sir.”

“Ms. Keryn? Don’t tell me--you’re bored?”

“Yup.”

“Fine, have a seat. You’re late by half an hour and you didn’t bring any training gear. That’s okay, you can do so tomorrow. Ms. Davar, will you join?”

“I’ll ask my Da.”

“Very well. Ms. Zorin, you as well?”

“My father told me to join.”

“Ms. Keryn, I suggest you take my extra lessons or you’ll find your mandatory camp much harder than you think.”

“Oh. All right.”

“Same goes for you, Ms. Reyn.”

“I’ll ask my mum. But I don’t mind sitting in on today’s lesson.”

“Today’s lesson is done. We’re left with practicals and sparring.”

While Muscleman talked, the other six were recovering their breaths, either leaning on the wall or doubled over, panting heavily. Muscleman glanced at them and barked, “rest for ten minutes. You four gather round.”

Once they did, he continued, “Today’s lesson is all about empowering your weapon with Animus. Before your Atavism Ritual, you would not have had enough to do so without using specialized weaponry. Now you do. This is a fundamental skill that all members of the Empire must learn. It is also part of what you’ll learn in the training camp. It’s not an easy or a quick skill to learn, however, so you should start as soon as you can.”

He cleared his throat. “Inlaying the pattern for an Empowered Strike will tie up five lumens of Animus to begin with. Using it will spend as much Animus as you care to put in your weapon but you’ll likely waste a lot starting out. In time, you can limit your wastage, allowing you to last longer in a fight. For now, we will begin by getting a feel for it first. Yes, Ms. Davar?”

“I’m down to my reserves.” 

“Make sure you’re at least three quarters full tomorrow. You can stay and watch your friends.”

Yuriko nodded. 

“The basic form of Empowered Strike can only efficiently pierce a swarmling’s Protective Field. You can still use it against Wanderers, but higher than that, and it would be as if you used a weapon without Animus against the Wyldling--in other words, completely useless. The pattern for Empowered Strike is created on your left or right hand. If your Facet is located on either hand, you may inlay Empowered Strike on the opposite or choose not to do so.”

Krystal’s eyes wandered while Muscleman expounded. Learning Empowered Strike, or any kind of Animus technique that can be used to penetrate a Wyldling’’s Field was pretty much a necessity when entering the service. Her mother had already chosen a technique for her, so she probably would not learn this one. Still, all basic Animus techniques had enough commonalities that practicing this would probably help her learn others.

The six kids who had preceded them in the training hall were scattered about, the boys flocking together while the two girls inched closer to Krystal and the other three. Krystal noticed Millie’s ears twitching and, considering her Facet, she was probably listening in on whatever the boys were talking about. 

Janus was leaning against the wall, trying to get his breathing under control. Mikel was speaking with Heron, though from the look on his face, the conversation wasn’t going well at all. Zeyn was sitting cross-legged on the wooden floor staring in the girls’ direction. 

Krystal pursed her lips thoughtfully. Zeyn was barely blinking and the corners of his lips were curling up slightly. He wasn’t looking at her, she would have felt it otherwise. She turned her head to follow his gaze and she rolled her eyes after she did. Yuriko’s sweater had ridden up her leg and the shape of her bottom was clear. She shuffled closer to Yuri, blocking Zeyn’s view and noting with a smirk that the boy’s head jerked up to Krystal’s face before he quickly looked away. 

Yuriko was completely focused on Muscleman’s words and, of course, didn’t notice anything. 

“...well, given what I’ve explained just now, you may attempt to use Empowered Strike without a pattern. Doing it entirely by your own will is neither easy nor fast but, as with anything, practice will eventually make it easier and faster to do.”

Still the same things that her family had already taught Krystal. But she knew that, unlike her and Yuri, Millie and Ishika wouldn’t have this knowledge. Not the specifics, anyway. 

“Why would you even say that?” Mikel’s heated voice reached Krystal’s ears.

Krystal looked back towards Heron and Mikel. Millie didn’t even bother pretending to be listen to Muscleman anymore; she was looking at the boys too. 

“Well, care to prove me wrong?” Heron said coldly.

“What, you want a fight?”

Heron, at this point stepped close enough to Mikel that he was looking down into the shorter boy’s eyes. 

“Bring it.”

‘Boys.’ Krystal thought, her heart filling with anticipation. Looks like there would be a show to watch after all.