Chapter 48: Better In Every Way
Today it is the day most of the high-born kids in Wyrmwood Academy has been waiting.
It was the day after the rankings were posted, and right now, the fighting grounds at Wyrmwood Academy was thrumming with tension.
Every first-year cadets who was ranked high but did not make the Quadrant Tournament list could now challenge whoever they want.
Riders were only allowed to challenged Riders for their five spots, magic users too were only allowed to challenge a magic users for theirs.
The air at the challenge ground was filled with anticipation. The crowd of other cadets— Riders, magic users were all eager and waiting patiently for the challenge to begin.
The original selected representatives were standing firm for now.
For the Magic users representatives: Torian Vane (Ice-Tier), Elara Sun-Hand (Light-Tier), Zion Vargos (Earth-Tier), Kaelen Moir (Air-Tier), and Gwyn Kaidaron (Healing-Tier).
Riders representative: Briar Coldwater, Rebecca Dawn, Valen Bronze, Silla Horn, and Jaxson Storm—known to all as Jax, Mara’s sparring partner and boyfriend.
Among the representatives, Jax, Silla, Zion, Elara, Rebecca, and Moir were all from lowborn family. Their spots on the list was thorn in the side of the academy’s elite group.
At the corner, something is seems to be going on. Away from the main arena, the highborn cadets were all standing with their hands folded.
Kael, the rich kid and Silas, the fire-wielding magic user were also standing with the highborn. They both seems to have something against Reynold.
Highborn against the lowborn was nothing new at at Wyrmwood or any academy, for that matter.
The highborn always worked together to crush the lowborn as they prefer keeping the academy power in their own hands.
This year, Reynold coming into the academy, breaking and setting new trail scores, being bond to three dragons and being A Two shifted the attention of the academy on him.
"Will this plan even work?" one highborn muttered, glancing nervously at the arena where lowborn reps were already warming up.
Kael smirked, his eyes scanning the group. "It will if you stick to the plan. Among those lowborn scum on the tournament list, Silla is the only toughest nut but she has some weakness and is totally not impossible to defeat. Just follow the script, and she is no issue. All we have to do is swarm them, wear them down, then we strike."
Another voice chimed up with excitement already showing in his voice. "I can’t wait to boot these lowborn rats off the list and how ’em who really runs this place."
"Damn right," Another highborn male quickly agreed. "Professor Telas messed everything up by handing six spots to those trash. They don’t belong in the tournament."
Silas leaned in with his hand folded as he listened as Kael discussed his plan.. Right, he was the one that crafted the tactics by himself, wanting to reclaim his status after Reynold trashed him in public.
Truth be told, his scheme was more spite than strategy, but he did not care. He wanted lowborn trash like Reynold to learn their place. This academy bowed to highborn only and always had. In his mind, they held the advantage in skill and power.
"What about the Starweaver boy?" another voice cut in. The voice was lace with a worry and frustration. "The boy is fu*king strutting around like he owns the academy. He fu*king thinks he is above us all. How do we handle him?"
"He ain’t above any shit," someone snarled from the back.
Everyone face suddenly turned serious. Nearly every highborn in the academy h@te Reynold’s guts, from first-years to senior cadets in charge and the the different squads. They hated how he carried himself, never bending a knee, but always acting superior instead of bowing to them. He was a thorn under their skin and impossible to ignore.
Kael and Silas fell silent for a moment while exchanging glances. Silas had been scheming against Reynold for weeks, and he noticed how the bastard face lit up around Gwyn. She was the only one who make him laugh real laughs.. But Reynold dropping to rank 150 was definitely not right.
Silas knew something was nkt right. Was he toying with them?
Kael scanned the grounds. "Where is he? I have not see him anywhere around."
Silas look around. "Anyone saw him today?"
"I saw him heading to the library earlier," someone replied.
Silas’s brow furrowed quickly. Library again?
Reynold Starweaver what are you upto? Silas had saw Reynold at the library before. What the hell was he looking for there?
"Good for him," a voice sounded. "Maybe going down the ranks taught him his lesson. He is finally crawling back to the shadows to where he belong."
Murmurs of agreement sounded, but Kael and Silas looked at each other with doubtful eyes. Especially Silas. That damn Starweaver must be scheming something.
Kael shifted closer to Silas as he whisper in his ear. "I think Gwyn maybe his weak spot. She is the only real friend he has in this academy. Send three of your magic users friends after her first. Even if she beats them, she will be very exhausted by then. She is a healer, but healers can’t heal themselves without another one."
Silas frowned. "Why go after her?"
Kael’s smile turned into a smirk. "She will be exhausted after fighting 3 cadets, even if she wins. I’m no magic user so i can’t challenge her myself. But you can and that would be her fourth fight. Bet Starweaver would comes running in to play the hero boy. Then you finish him."
Silas raised a brow. "You want me to face a storm caller? That glitch could kill me even before you know it."
Kael chuckled out. "He is a storm caller, sure, but his power is still raw and he can’t control it. Storm power are dangerous and feeds on emotions, then turns the place into disasters and damaged. But when flip the other way round, it burns the caller from the inside." Kael paused and shifted closer to Silas. "All you to do is hit him with self-guilt, and watch the guilt burns him from inside. There will be no outside blast, just internal fire."
Silas leaned in looking all interested.
Kael started walking around him with his voice closer to Silas. "Starweaver is always touchy about his parents’ death. Use it guilt him, make him feel they died because of him. When his emotions turns to self guilt, the storm will destroy his own energy. Destroys him from the core, since his emotions are not aimed at anyone else but just him."
Silas opened his mouth to respond, but the bell sounded signaling for challenges to start.
Meanwhile, in the library long shelf, Reynold was going through the shelves. He was looking for anything anything on being a "Two"—that rare blend of rider and magic user.
The book Gwyn gave him had important pages ripped out and just leaving gaps.
The last time he was here, he had snuck into the magic section, but now, with his status of being a Two public, he was allowed to entire freely.
He had just finished a book on the Aether Tribe and another one on the Malpas tribe, who use golems in battle like living siege engines.
Dropping back the Malpas book back, he scanned for ant book on Two. He had searched half the shelves but found absolute nothing.
He sighed, grabbing his back and ready to leave. Tomorrow he would continue.
Leaving the library building and stepping into the main academy building, he spotted first-year cadets running toward the fields. Their uniforms was what gave them away.
"Did you hear? Silas is challenging Gwyn right now," one magic user cadet said to her friend.
"Yeah, what is his deal? Why does he hate her so much?" the other replied.
Reynold froze with stunned look. He was heading to his dorm before but he turn around quickly, changing his direction to the challenge grounds.
...
Back on the challenge packed arena, the crowd roared as Silas laughed with a smirk.
He circled Gwyn, his fire-forged sword was dripping with blood from Gwyn’s wound.
"What is the matter, pretty? Your little bodyguard boyfriend not here to bail you out?" Silas taunted, his eyes gleaming. "Not even your overprotective cousin can save you now."
His smirk widened with the blade ik his hand flickering with heat.
Gwyn held her injured shoulder, blood dropping through her fingers. Healers could not mend themselves, they would need another healer for that.
She has already crushed three challengers, and all highborn. They plan was to wear her down so it would be easy for Silas. So Silas was number four, fresh and dangerous.
But she would not yield. No way she would let this prick take her spot on the list.
Silas swing his sword mockingly. "Where is your precious Starweaver when you need him? Probably hiding after that rank flop. Tsk! Tsk! So pathetic."
Gwyn gritted her teeth, the pain already getting worse. "You are nothing but a pathetic bully, Silas. Can’t handle a girl turning you down? Can’t stomach losing to a lowborn? If you are so tough, why not face Reynold Starweaver yourself?"
Silas’s smirk disappeared but it returned quickly. "Face him myself? He is no match for me. Rank 150. He is a trash."
"Or you are just scared he’ll kick your ass again," Gwyn shot back, her voice steady despite the pain. "Reynold Starweaver is better than you. Always will be."
Silas’s face twisted. "He is not better than me!"
Gwyn leaned in not backing down. "He is better than you in every way."
Silas snapped, roaring, "REYHOLD STARWEAVER IS NOT BETTER THAN ME!" His sword ignited with blue flames, his eyes blazing with the same blue flame.