[Fwoosh!] Rud swung a kick at Caesar.
Caesar used his right hand to guide the kick, and with his left hand he swung a punch in.
Rud caught his hand quite easily, Caesar freed his hand and jumped back.
He took two little hops successively and launched in for another punch, this time they were extremely quick.
Rud blocked each blow with his forearms, the trade lasted for seconds, then Caesar back down.
"Tch, this is annoying you're too big, the weight difference is hard to overcome." Caesar was cleaning the sweat of the face.
Rud smiled.
"I'd say you're pretty impressive.
The only reason you're fighting with me is because there's no one that could match you.
You simply defeated them all." Rud shrugged with a smile then sat on the floor.
Around them, the other cadets were all laying around tired from their training.
"Cut the bullshit, I couldn't beat Karius, Fiona or Zerfroth, and even you." Caesar sighed.
"Of course you couldn't, their gifts are something else…well except Fiona.
She's just a really good fighter, even I couldn't win." Rud laid his back on the ground.
"True…Kairus can read the mind.
Zerfroth can see the future.
I wonder what would happen if they fought…" Caesar said in a whimsical tone.
"It would be superfluous, simply put; unnecessary…
Both of you catch!" A voice said from behind Caesar.
Towels were thrown at both of them.
"Thanks" They said in near unison.
"Oh Leo!
Are you done with your spar for the day?" Caesar's face lit up.
"Tch…I've gotten beaten up for the past five or so days.
Unlike everyone else here, I didn't get training from little.
But I feel like I'm improving." Leo's face was all beaten up.
He looked at his palm and squeezed it softly.
Caesar put a hand over his shoulder.
"It's funny how you always get beaten up to the same extent every single time." Caesar could barely hold in his laughter.
"And notice how the swells are always in the same places." Rud added.
He and Caesar stayed laughing.
"Tch…this is why I don't like coming here, I wonder why we're still doing this." Leo felt embarrassed.
He sat down on the bare ground as he watched Herra and Clarence spar.
"I guess we have no choice, we'll have to wait for our weapons to arrive.
Plus, according to the journal…"
***
The afternoon following the day of their awakening, they had all woken up in their respective shelters.
It was weird to them that they all didn't remember when they slept.
Soon enough, they were called to gather by Heimer, He looked like he hadn't slept.
Luka Merl slept on the floor in the same position as he had since he fell.
"This book was written by Luka after he got his gift, the gift of the messenger.
He seems to have gotten possessed by a being known as the messenger.
This journal, it- it changes everything that we know.
I've had to go through it multiple times.
I'll read it's contents once again for you all to hear" Heimer had bags under his eyes, but showed no signs of drowsiness.
{ The journal of the messenger.
Firstly, I want to start with letting you know that I shall only divulge information you are capable of understanding.
I shall make more entries and release more information as time goes on, for if I release too much 'they' would not let me be.
–Entry 1–
The commandments - They are the embodiments of the rules and laws held dear by certain beings of old, hailed as kings.
They number thirteen in total and will appear like pillars of light all over this globe one after the other, from the thirteenth to the first.
The lights should not be mistaken for the true commandments, since they are akin to doors or passages that take you to them.
Once one appears it brings forth its sprout, those sprouts may have spawns, and the door will not open till it is killed.
Be warned, a commandment befalls a year after the last regardless of being conquered or not.
In an event that another descends when one is still there, then prepare to face extinction.
–Entry 2–
Aether – The fruit of the world and its essence, available to the marked to walk the path of their predecessor.
The halo connects ones to the blessings of the world, increasing physical ability, granting aether manipulation, heightened regeneration and amplifying one's gift.
The halos are of six stages, with each new stage all that are stated above are amplified once more and also acting as a storage for aether.
At the first halo except for the gold path, one would hardly be able to wield more than the aura of that path, and each path conforms to its beholder.
The next halo might only be achieved by making the previous a crown, a crown will be made once you must have achieved six thorns.
Each thorn is a sign of the blood you've shed, the blood of the spawns enrichen the halo, even more so that of a sprout.}
Heimer closed the book, he looked at the faces of the cadets.
"With this information we can prepare better for the future.
Plans have changed, once you all have ample control over your aether you should train for fist combat.
I'll have specialized weapons made for you all, when those arrive you can train using aura with them." Heimer's eyes looked dead serious.
Golden aether gathered in his left palm, a thin slab and a pen made of gold appeared;
"Write your name and the weapon you desire…"
***
"...and that was that.
I don't have a guess why we're training for combat though.
Hand to hand combat vastly defers from weapon combat." Caesar tilted his head while rubbing his chin.
"It'll be too taxing to worry about what is going on through his mind.
And that boy is still yet to awake since that day" said Rud while doing sit-ups.
Leo was still looking at the spar, Clarence had won against Hera, pinning her to the ground.
"Leo?
Hey Leo?" Caesar called for his attention.
"It's no use, once he becomes like that, he won't stop watching till you hit him.
Let him be, he seems to be watching to learn." Rud was doing push-ups now.
"Sure if you say so, let me join in on your exercises.
I wonder what's going through his mind…" Caesar moved towards Rud.
He started doing push-ups as well.
Leo sat there, wrapped his arms around his shins as the scenery reflected upon his eyes.