The tension in the air was thick.
Amari had never seen Aaron so enraged, not that she could blame him. After all, Amari herself was pissed on behalf of Milo and about what Andy had said; however, seeing that Aaron and Andy had known each other for a while, Aaron's anger is most likely stemming from another place. One place could be related to what Amari herself knows about Aaron, and that is that he is very protective but also prideful of the Jaded blade, so to have Andy look down upon it was most likely one of the many reasons for his anger.
Sebastion was not far behind Aaron and Andy, his face impassive. To an average person he might have looked neutral about the whole thing, maybe even bored, but Amari could see it in his eyes.
Annoyance.
Not at Aaron
but at the city guard captain himself.
Amari couldn't blame him either. From what she had gathered, Sebastion had been a part of the gang for years. "Some part of what Andy said must have annoyed him too." Amari thought as they entered the courtyard in complete silence.
Milo stared at his bow, downcast and trailing behind. Amari slowed her pace to match his.
"You're not wrong for feeling angry. You deserve to be an archer, and for him to disrespect you like that was wrong, even if he is your boss."
He shook his head.
"It's not that—I mean, I am mad at him, but I'm madder at myself. Yeah, he's my boss, but how could I let another person speak to me like that?" The duo sat in silence as they came to a stop at the edge of the field.
**********************************************************************
Aaron's jaw twitched as he braced his spear, and across from him, Andy grabbed his weapon.
a black iron war hammer.
At first, there was silence, no one moved.
Aaron didn't rush.
He walked.
Andy tightened his grip on the hammer, jaw clenched.
Aaron's spear rested loosely in his hand, almost relaxed.
"You're bracing too early," Aaron said.
Then he was gone, like he was never there.
Andy's instincts screamed to move, but he was too slow.
Aaron appeared above him.
Andy blocked
The ground cracked below them.
Andy rolled out of it, but Aaron didn't give him time to recover.
A second thrust—higher, sharper.
Andy barely deflected it with the hammer's head.
The force of it caused him to roll backward, coughing as dust filled his mouth.
Aaron exhaled slowly.
"Your stance is wide."
Andy charged in frustration.
The hammer came down in a heavy arc.
Aaron pivoted.
Steel rang as the spear shaft absorbed the blow.
Andy swung again, faster.
Behind him
In front of him
Aaron blocked them all without strain. "Your tactics aren't even working anymore."
Then Aaron stepped behind him.
The butt of the spear slammed into Andy's back.
He staggered.
Aaron rotated smoothly, spear sliding through his grip.
"Origin Style," he muttered.
"First Form."
Andy's eyes widened. "What the—?"
Aaron vanished.
The next thing he felt was a piercing hit to his abdomen.
"Piercing thunder"
Andy dropped to one knee.
Aaron stood over him, spear angled downward.
"That was the flat side," he said.
The shaft struck Andy's shoulder.
Not full force.
Just enough.
"You're even weaker than old Mr. Hines."
Andy tried to stand.
His legs trembled.
Aaron swept the spear low, hooking behind Andy's ankle.
Andy collapsed forward into the dirt.
From the sidelines, no one cheered.
Because this wasn't a clash of equals.
It was a lesson.
And he had finally understood.
That they were no longer in the same class
"Was this...the gap?" Andy thought.
Andy raised his hammer.
Aaron grabbed his wrist and leaned in.
"While you were behind a desk..."
He twisted it.
Andy gasped.
"...I built something new."
Andy broke it, kicking him back.
Andy swung.
Aaron deflected.
Andy tried to guard.
Aaron broke it.
Again.
And again.
Every time the hammer rose, the spear struck at his weak points. His wrists, his forearms, his shoulder
From the sidelines, Amari watched closely. Tracking every movement, she could.
For any of the feints Andy used, she would've fallen for them.
Aaron didn't.
Not once.
"I suppose there are different levels of three stars," she muttered.
Another swing.
Another break.
Sebastian winced as the spear struck Andy's ribs.
"Those are definitely going to leave marks..."
Andy roared and brought the hammer down again.
Aaron stepped aside.
A miss
He grabbed Andy by his shirt and threw him on the ground.
Before another strike could land—
A hand caught the spear mid-motion.
Firm.
Unmoving.
"That's enough."
An old man stood between them, gripping the shaft of the spear without strain.
Sebastian's eyes widened.
"Mr. Hines?!"
Mr. Hines—the old city guard captain—looked at Andy, who was barely upright.
Then back at Aaron.
"This is the only way he's going to understand," Aaron said quietly, almost in a whisper.
"He's stubborn. Hardheaded. You and I both know that. But doing this in front of the people he leads isn't the right way."
Aaron looked past him to Andy, who had forming bruises and dust that clung to his skin.
"Lower your spear," Mr. Hines said. "Save the man some dignity."
Aaron exhaled and lowered his spear. He stepped forward and extended his hand. "Sorry, man." Andy didn't look at him, then he tsked.
"You're insane, you know that, right?" He took his hand and, with Aaron's help, pulled himself up.
*****************************************************
Everyone was leaving, Sabastion was talking fast and happily with Mr. Hines, with Alex and Jamie following; Milo was heading home, but Amari...
She hung back.
Just enough to hear Aaron say
"Maybe I'm just injured from the fight..."