She crossed her arms in front of the twelve that had decided to attend, Lillian included, aured to the board. “Specific cartographic details are paramount. The Scout’s kit es with a distance measurement tool that uses a ser and gyroscope to create measurements of distant objects,” She pulled a pen sized object from her chest pocket, “This is one of those tools,” She expined, “It be synized to your field tablet.”
She held it out for them to see, “I ot stress enough how important it is to a hero team going inside of a duo k distances between points,” She said, “That information mean life ah in some cases. Knowing the size of areas help them figure out where to camp and when.”
One of the other Aspirants raised their hand and to Lillians surprise she saw it was Marc of all people. He looked genuinely perturbed. Sonya o him, “Mister Mallo ahead.”
“I just ’t my head around it, why not send in a higher tier team and be doh it? Smash the monsters and clear the dungeon?” He asked.
Sonya crossed her arms, “Would you rather spend a month in the dungeon or a few days?” She asked him, frowning.
He leaned back at the question and looked down, sg his nose a little, “A few days, obviously,” He said, “But-”
“There’s your answer. Having a guide to the dungeon befoing in makes the entire process simpler,” Sonya said, “Knowing where the monsters are, when they move, how they move, everything. That is the responsibility of the scout. Some of you may not bee scouts, I expect you’ll be a front line fighter, Mister Mallory,” She said before looking at the others, “But you should know just how important a scout’s job is and the kind of risks they’re taking to get you this information.”
Marc crossed his arms and leaned back, “They make the walkthrough huh. That is useful. I suppose it has to e from somewhere.”
Sonya’s lip twitched only once, “Yes, does.”
Lillian watched him for a moment as he mulled it over. It was like the idea of depending on someone else baffled him. She frowned and looked away, up at Sonya as she tinued her lecture. There were few interruptions after that and it eventually winded down with Sonya announg that for those who were tinuing with the course, their overall project would be going into the camp’s duo scout it out ahead of the final exam and that their peers success would rgely depend on their work.
It’s a huge responsibility, Lillian thought as she packed up her notebook. She looked up at the diagrams on the whiteboard, drawings of ways to avoid monsters and navigate traps safely. Every hour she spent in this pce she learned something new, it was crazy to her how much there was to being a hero. Her image of what it took had been pletely shattered but she wasn’t really upset about it. Firestorm hadn’t undergohis kind of training, but he had shepherded it. The as of his team and others were brought up on occasion as examples of things to do and not to do. She chewed her lip, There’s so much to learn.
She was about to turn away and leave when Miss ovna called out to her, “Miss Landrey! You’re expected in the dojo after dinner. Don’t be te.”
Lillian turned bad saw Sonya standing with the blonde girl that had been standing behind Lillian back during the initial assembly. Her hand was on the girls shoulder. She met the girls eyes and the young woman shot her a small frown. Lillian cleared her throat, “Right! I’ll be there! Do you wa anything or say any-”
Sonya held up a hand, “No, that’s fihank you Miss Landrey, your instructor doesn’t need my input.” She said before turning back to the blonde and resuming whatever they’d been talking about.
Okay… Lillian scratched her ned nodded before heading out to get dinner. What was that blonde girl's name again? I don’t think I ever asked.
A few moments ter she was sitting with the others, Alex popped a piece of fried chi into his mouth and chewed, “Hmm? The angry blonde?” He asked and sched his eyebrows together, “Cass-something, I think?”
“Cassiopeia Hanks,” Ollie said absently, sitting upside-down in the chair in their circle. “She’s from Mississippi. Her older sister is sious leader or something. That’s about all I know.” He leaned his head back, his gsses going askew over his dark eyes, “You said you have something to do after this?”
Lillian nodded, “Yeah, suys, I got signed up for some one-on-one.”
“Uh…” Lillian scratched her nose, “...Bck Lotus?”
Val coughed and sat up, “One oh that… beast?”
“That’s a little rude,” Lillian said with a ugh, “How bad could it be?”
Alex snorted, “Famous st words.”
“It’ll be fine,” Lillian said, getting to her feet. Snow just flopped down onto the spot she was sitting on, “I’m gonna head out, get some rest. An day tomorrow.”
The others just groaned in response as she made her ast the other aspirants. She waved at Jessica who she reized, the girl waved back brightly befoing back to talk to her own little team. She saw a leap off the ground and hop into the hand of one of them before they drank it. A few of the others were using their powers a bit more freely too. She smiled a little, two years ago this would be a crazy thing to imagine. She thought to herself, Wow.
She stepped outside into the brisk night air, the wind rushed past her and carried her attention to the dojo where the lights were set down to a lower iy than they’d been earlier during the day. She walked over, her heart pounding in her chest. The ents of her friends had gotten to her a little and she could feel a bit of those nerves catg up with her. She bounced on the balls of her feet a little and shook her hands out to get the jitters out before stepping inside.
She found Bck Lotus sitting in the ter of the space, her eyes closed and her legs crossed, she had her sword in her p and her hands clutched together right at her navel. Her dark hair hung over her face. Lillian could feel something in the air, gathering, moving, pulling, it drew past her skin and towards Bck Lotus before colleg aering the woman’s body. It was a strange feeling, was it mana? She cleared her throat and gnced down at the spot in front of the hero, the world's number one hero. There was a sword there on the ground.
Lillian walked forward when Bck Lotus didn’t read stopped a few feet away, looking down at the sword. It was in a dark wood sheath but it was not of the same ese design that the hero used. It had a wide crossguard and was signifitly longer. “A broadsword?”
“Yes,” Bck Lotus said stiffly. “Please sit. Are you familiar with the Lotus position?”
Lillian nodded, “Yeah, I do it,” She said and sat down, adjusting her legs and sitting with her hands resting on her knees.
She waited in silence for several moments, scratg her nose and looking down at the swain. She let out a breath and the woman looked up at her, her eyes were bck as night, deep, dark, but beautiful in their own way. She fixed Lillian with an inteare before nodding to the on. “That is yours,” She said, “You may use it, if you graduate from the camp, you may keep it. Take good care of it.”
Lillian looked at the on again, “Seriously?” She asked, looking up, “Why?”
“Because that’s what Miss ovna asked,” Bck Lotus said, “You have a build and movement style that would pliment it. She has signed you, hasn’t she?”
“I’m not supposed to talk about it,” Lillian said unfortably, feeling a lump form in her gut.
Bck Lotus snorted and then suddenly looked sad, she let out a deep sigh, “Did she happen to give you a message?” She asked, looking up a bit and squaring her shoulders.
“No,” Lillian said, “She said that you didn’t need her input.”
The hero’s face twitched just faintly with a wi was small but noticeable. She nodded, “I see,” She got to her feet and crossed her arms behind her back, “Pick up your on. We are going to begin with drills, you may keep your ability active during this time. You will . These drills that I will instill into you, you will practice every day. Uood? This will bee your foundation.”
Lillian reached down and grabbed the heavy on, holding it by the scabbard, “Muscle memory training, right?” She asked with a smile, “I’m familiar. I did it a lot for parkour and freerunning.”
Bck Lotus finally smiled properly, “Good! You uand the theory then. The goal here is to ensure you perform precise moves and stances without spending time thinking about it and adjusting. After your drills I will walk you through meditation. It may or may not help with your ability, but it will help with emotional trol and focus. That is important in a bat situation,” She expined before stepping back, “After that we will work on your ability.”
Lillian brightened, “My ability? You help with that?”
“My ability has many funs,” Bck Lotus said frankly, “You will see whe there.”
Lillian nodded, “Yes ma’am, uood.”
“Alright,” Bck Lotus took a few steps bad drew her own on, “Draw your on and do your best to emute my movements.”
–
Two hours ter, Lillia down her sword a out a breath as she hit the ground. She huffed, her power already w slowly on her muscles with that faint tingle. She wiped her face, “That's a thousand reps,” She said, panting, “All four swings,” She sighed and sat up, rubbing her joints and legs. Bck Lotus had not, in fact, been merciful and had taken it upon herself to whay limb that was out of pce even the smallest amount with her scabbard covered sword. It hurt like crazy.
“You pick up quickly,” Bck Lotus said.
“It was that et whacked,” Lillian challenged. She rolled bad pushed off the ground, nding on her feet. Bck Lotus gave her an approving nod as Lillian stretched her arms, “What’s ? Meditation or more swings?”
She was ready for anything, sure, she was more tired than she’d ever been in her entire life, but it was the good kind of tired. She wao learn more, do more, whatever she could. Every little step was a good one. Bck Lotus appraised her for a moment and gowards the entrao the dojo before looking back at her, “It is getting te, but we attempt to meditate a bit while I take a look at your ability.”
Despite her enthusiasm, she was relieved she didn’t have to do more swings. She plopped down on the ground and crossed her legs, “I’m ready!”
The woman smiled down at her, “I’m sure you are,” She said and walked behind her, sitting down herself. “I want you to close your eyes and listen to my voice, do as I say as best you …”
It started with deep breathing, she felt herself drift now and then towards sleep but Bck Lotus would pinch her to wake her up and start over. Clearing her head was the hardest part, she had so much to think about. She’d learned so mud she had so many ideas and dires she could go in, then there was the excitement on top of all of it. Her brain was going a mile a minute every time she tried to clear it all out a go bually she could only sigh and hang her head, frustrated, “I ’t do it.”
“You’ve had a long day, that is why I said ‘attempt’,” Bck Lotus said gently and pat her shoulder, “It’s alright. This is only your first day, being a hero is a marathon, not a sprint.”
“Only my first day,” Lillian chuckled, “Nine weeks and six days to go.”
“Plenty of time,” Bck Lotus said and pced her hand on Lillian’s back, “Take a deep breath and close your eyes one more time for me. Last thing before I send you away.”
Lillian o her instructor and lowered her head, closing her eyes and taking another tering breath. She couldn’t clear her head but she could at least feel the breath rex her more easily than before. Then she felt it, a charge rush through her bad into her chest. She jolted a little, it kind of hurt. She winced and ched her teeth, “Is it supposed to-”
“Shh,” Bck Lotus whispered, “Deep breaths. Bear with it.”
Lillia a heat begin to rise up in her chest again, like before, but it started to spread, to inch out through her body like it was following her veins. She coughed and clutched at her chest as the pain grew worse. It felt like needles in her veins, fire, she squeezed her eyes shut. It hurts! She protested, curling in further on herself as the pressure just ticked up more and more. Her heart started to rad the soothing feeling tried to push it away but only seemed to fan it like a bellows. Her mouth fell open and then the pain stopped.
She gasped and rolled forward onto the ground, heaving, sweat soaking every inch of her body. Her throat hurt. Was I screaming? She wondered, falling onto her side and coughing. She felt a cool finger press against her throat and coughed again as a soothing feeling washed over her. Her ability normalized and soon it began to work on its own again. She caught her breath and looked up at Bck Lotus crouched over her.
“Are you okay?” She asked.
Lillian nodded, coughing again, “Yeah, Yeah, I’m good. What was that?”
“The first step, it would seem, we have a lot of work to do,” Bck Lotus said, looking a bit grim. “You’re in no dition to discuss this ih. We will speak the day after tomorrow, at the same time. Do you need me to call one of your friends to help you back to the dorms?”
Lillian shook her head, “No,” She said and forced herself to her feet. She felt her bones creak beh her, “I do it,” She said, screwing up her fa a look of determination. “I walk.”
Bck Lotus met her gaze for a heartbeat before nodding, “As long as that determination does not turn into stubbornness,” She said and o the exit, “Take your sword, you are dismissed. You did well today.”
Lillia doicked up the broadsword, wing a bit at the effort before resting it on her shoulder, “Thank you ma’am,” She said and gave Bck Lotus a genuine smile, “Seriously, I don’t know what I did to deserve all this help, but I promise I’ll earn it. Somehow,” She said, f herself to smile as big as her ag face would allow.
Bck Lotus raised an eyebrow, “Go on,” She said with a softening expression, “Rest.”
Lillian urned, and trudged away.
–
hua watched the girl stagger out of the Dojo before looking down at her hands and frowning. She let out a sigh and looked up to the sky. Are you watg? She thought, Is this my punishment? What more do I have to do? She closed her eyes a her head hang back as she felt the mana in the air swirl around her. Another deep breath came and she turowards the exit of the dojo. She stopped at the threshold and looked up again, this time at the baly.
Two gleaming pink eyes stared down at her, silver hair fluttering in the moonlight. The woman they beloo stared at her for only a heartbeat before turning away and walking baside. She hung her head, “I’m sorry.”