Markus' room in the dorms was restored and he slept in his room. He kept waking in the night, afraid something may happen however he realised nothing would. The stakes were higher… and the Jurens were all dead except Jack.
Friday morning, he went to lessons as usual but it was anything but. If he looked like the odd one out when he had returned that Monday, now he looked like he had the plague from the way everyone distanced themselves from him.
Except one.
A young lady who had previously called him a coward amidst some gossip, approached him during his lunch break whilst he was sitting under a tree.
"You were attacked in the middle of the night right?" She asked.
Deep blue hair and eyes. Wearing her uniform which seemed to be recently ironed, she stood with confidence.
"Yeah… what about it-" Markus asked, avoiding her gaze
"And you stood your ground? I expected a wind user to run away at the sign of danger. That's what you are good for after all." She said, in a neutral tone which made Markus unsure if she was trying to insult him or merely make a remark.
"So what if I did? Are you going to call me foolish too?" He asked, crossing his arms.
"No. I think that you did the right thing. Facing your enemy head on is a virtue." She said, seemingly happy now.
"Sure… hey— what's your name?" He asked
"Helen. I already know yours, Markus Windwave." She said, extending her hand for a handshake
"Then no need for introductions from me. We have combat after this, do you want to pair up?" He asked, shaking her hand
"Sure windy boy. Just don't whine after." She said, squeezing his hand with great force.
"Ouch you brute— what gives!" He said, the wind already acting and forming a shell from his essence.
"Oh? That was a quick shell formation. Is this what you did for those months? Train your combat skills?" She asked, with a weird enthusiasm
"Among other things…" he said, trying to not let his shell crack.
"See you in a while Windwave. I want to see what your instructor taught you." She said, turning to leave.
"Is there a river nearby?" He asked rhetorically
In combat training, Markus and Helen had paired up and requested one of the instructors, Miss Fallie to accommodate a duel area for them.
She obliged them and watched over as the referee.
Helen extended her hand and water flowed from within and manifested downward flowing into the shape of a sword with a half-circle guard protecting her thumb and fingers.
"Wait what— you can manifest a weapon!" Markus expressed shock.
"Yes. Helen is the most advanced student of your cohort, of the learned rank and with the ability to create a shell, water and ice constructs and even weapon manifestation." Miss Fallie said casually, as if it were common knowledge.
It was in fact common knowledge. Markus just didn't know it.
"Is it too late to back out?" He asked with an awkward chuckle.
"Yes." Helen said with a small grin.
"Begin!" Miss Fallie announced
Helen rushed forward on the back of a tide and cut through the air, releasing a powerful swiping wave of water from her blade.
Markus let essence flow and empower him. He jumped over the wave and began to quickly fire wind bullets at Helen.
In spite of his power and accuracy, he used the wave she rode on and transformed it into a shield, which slowed and destroyed the wind bullets.
Worse yet, whilst her wave blocked Markus' bullets, it released its own high velocity bullets against Markus.
He dodged through the air before landing on the ground and sending a wind blast right through Helen's wave, dispersing it and sending her flying back a few metres. However, she guarded against it with her blade and suffered no harm.
Markus created shells around his hands and arms, wishing to engage her barehanded.
Helen however summoned tentacles made of water to assist her in close combat. Before Markus could even get too close, several water tentacles rushed to him. He dodged under the piercing and slashing attacks coming toward him and in response he released a powerful wind blast, tearing through the constructs.
When he finally got in close range to Helen, her sword cut through the air and nearly made contact with his torso. In the last moment he stepped back, calculating her sword would be slightly short.
Then he approached with good speed and momentum and used his left hand to press against her right hand, keeping the sword away.
Meanwhile his right was charging another windblast.
Their combat suits were designed to tank most of the damage anyway so he was not worried about releasing a windblast enhanced with shell, having another explosive effect as two nights ago.
However as Markus was about to blast away, a water tentacle from behind grabbed onto his right arm and forced him to miss, wasting a substantial bit of his essence in the process.
Meanwhile in the hall.
BOOOM!
Helen used the moment when Markus left hand was busy holding her back and his right arm being clutched tightly by a water tentacle to yank him backward and free her sword hand.
As he shot several wind bullets into the tentacle, making it explode, he saw Helen's blade quickly enclose on his neck. And despite seeing it, he was too slow.
The sword made contact but did not draw blood, only bruising him slightly.
"That's enough! Winner: Helen Aquabourne." Miss Fallie announced
He lost.
"Damn… you got me good! I'll get you back next time." Markus said, rubbing his slightly bruised neck and laughing.
Helen's eyes shot open and her eyes brows shot up.
"Wait… you want to… pair up again?" She asked, confused.
"Yes? Why would I? You just gave me one hell of a beat down!" He said with humour in his voice
"But why… everyone else never wants to—" she rambled
"Well- I got beat down a bunch by my instructor in sword training! And even worse when I left! But that's just to show me I've still got a lot to work on. I will only learn by being beat anyway-" he said, recalling the lessons learned from failure.
"Sure then… I look forward to next time too… but wait! If you could use a sword why didn't you!" Helen asked
"Well- I was not given one and I can't make one yet… so I just used what I could." He said
"Last time that happened my opponent cried the entire battle he was not ready and that it's not fair…" she recalled.
"Well- my instructor said day to day battles aren't fair. So neither training nor duels should be!" He recounted
"You had a good instructor…." She said, a faint sign of reminiscence in her eyes
"I did… I think so anyway…" he said, unsure on where he stood with Bailey.
"… so what now?" Helen said, looking at Miss Fallie.
"Feel free to help each other train- non violently." She said, feeling the need to be specific.
"Can you help me learn weapon manifestation? I'm curious how you did it. And how you're a learned! We're in the same year but so far apart!" Markus complained
"Sure- it won't hurt to further practice weapon manifestation." She said
Miss Fallie left the two kids alone, knowing they had built a friendship already.
She headed toward another student in need of help, Glen Hullion.
Glen was also a wind user however, unlike Markus, he was not infected. He came from a rich family of merchants however this was not for his benefit.
Glen was currently with his back against the wall as Vern, a stone and earth user along with his two nobody friends were picking on him.
"Glenny- I did not see you during the lunch break. Where were you buddy? Huh?" Vern said, pushing Glen against the wall.
"Ahem. Vern, you and your friends can take yourselves to the headmistress' office. This was your last chance." Miss Fallie said with a cold tone.
"Miss Fallie! We were just helping him stretch! Isn't that right Glen!" Vern stared at him with his green eyes and brown hair.
"Y-es Miss Fallie… everything is fine! Honest!" Glen said, folding under the pressure.
"… Glen… maybe you should go to the infirmary to be checked out. A young man shouldn't have a stiff back. Why don't you head over there now." She said, extending her arm to point to the exit
Glen quickly got himself out of there.
She left the boys to their own but keeping in mind she'd make a report.
Meanwhile Markus and Helen were busy explaining the essence flow of their element. Markus had just finished explaining wind essence and learned what water essence was like.
"So water essence is about guidance and constant movement? Whereas if you completely control it, ice forms?" He asked to summarise
"Yes. That is why those tentacles were flailing around even though you had not yet approached. They had to remain moving." She said, creating a miniature version of them in her palm
"I see… and how do you make a weapon then?"
"The flow is between your body and the weapon. You probably just let essence out and absorb back natural essence, right? Well at the higher level, you need to learn to absorb excess or altogether retract it. Instead of letting your shell fade away- or make it explode- try to reabsorb it." Helen said, pushing him to try it.
Markus easily let out essence and formed a shell… however it now seemed almost impossible to take it back.
"It's hard right? It gets better- eventually. But once you can do it, you can keep a constant flow of essence." She said, with a smile on her face from finally getting to talk to someone who was equally interested in combat related chitchat
"But how is that going to help me create a weapon?" Markus asked
"How am I meant to know— ask a teacher or something. But essence flow will help you conserve it- especially since you love those wind blasts! Seriously- learn some other constructs!" She said, scolding him for being too basic.
From that Friday, Markus and Helen formed a bond which would prove critically important before long.