CHPT 458: Centered by Experience

"So.... how's everybody feeling?" Ursula asked the group as they stood silently in the training field. Not only did morning Training feel odd, but they shared the space with a number of unfamiliar second and third years.

They raised the hairs on Ursula's arms. She could only assume a similar feeling ran through the others.

Warren shrugged and patted the light armoring over his midsection, "That sausage ain't sitting right...."

"Sausage or butterflies?" Isaac asked while knocking the sand out of his well-crafted helmet.

"Let me lie to myself." Warren concluded, "On a real note, I think I'm just a little nervous. I mean, none of these guys feel like Samuel or Tai so I think we can just focus on training. And learning."

Warren's mention of the unnaturally cruel twins had the others studying the students harder. Ursula was just quickly reminded of what she learned of them.... their truth, only a month ago. So much worse than simple bullies.

The bulk of them were Mages, Tanks and Knights. Here and there they'd find a Swordsman warming up with single swings and slashes but that was i--

"Damn....." Warren said aloud, cutting off Ursula's train of thought in response to his serious tone.

She turned to see where his eyes were aimed only for the smell of sulfur, wood and animal furs to fill her nose. At the other side of the field, closer to the doors back into the massive black castle of the University, a newer student emerged. Blades at her hip, sleeves and pantlegs rolled up. She didn't wear shoes. Last person Ursula saw doing that was Claude.

She sniffed the air like an animal before looking over at Ursula. Her spine tingled. The upperclassmen was pretty. Nothing insane or jaw dropping. She was a fighter first. Her dark skin-- similar to that of Isaac and Warren was riddled with claw markings and much of her face was hidden behind her long singular braids. The silver beads wrapped around them reflected the sunlight in an array of yellow pellets on the shaded grass.

Ursula waved.

The girl nodded before cupping her hands around her mouth and repeatedly making high pitched screams and howling sounds. Ursula grabbed at her ears in response.

"What is that a battle cry?" Maris questioned.

Ursula recovered quickly, shaking off the surprise once over. She looked back over at the girl to find her talking with the Healer from breakfast, Ivy and the Assassin Hector.

"I think she was calling for something." Ursula guessed.

"I hope it has a Sword. These upperclassmen aren't making me sweat." Maris paced behind Ursula.

The scents of sulfur, wood and furs grew stronger. Coming from the area beyond the Training Field.

"I doubt it." Ursula replied as Claude's voice entered her mind. Steady stomps grew-- not the sound but the reverberation. A rhythmic shake.

Ursula turned with everyone else just as Claude rounded the corner. He rode Diamondback like an oversized Horse covered in scales. Loba and Frosty jogged casually beside him. Ursula was used to the sight, for surely nobody else was.

What she wasn't used to was the sweated-out Professor riding with him. He reeked of both fear and excitement. She didn't need an advanced Lupine nose to know so. It was written all over his face.

"I will never get used to seeing that. How did he manage it. The Mothers are strong enough to make Gold Ranked Teams even avoid certain regions. Protartyrannus Hatchlings kill overly ambitious Beast Tamers every day. How did he do it?" Isaac questioned.

"I still don't know." Ursula managed before walking over to meet them. And that was the truth. The night in the desert against the Demons was still a blur for her. She was thankful for it in truth, whatever happened, it left Claude different. Cassidy and Rollan too. It was.... a nightmare.

The closer she got the easier it was to hear Prof. Alvis' excited ramblings as he touched every possible angle of the creatures around him with his beady eyes. Claude was uncomfortable. Impossible to see on his plain scarred face and upright posture. Something she felt more so than anything.

"Help him off before he loses an arm. Respectfully, Professor." Claude said.

"Oh b-but of course. Thank you for t-the transportation s-ervice... haha." Prof. Alvis managed before trying to touch Diamondbacks midsection. The Primal hissed and got a jump out of him that almost lost him his glasses.

Ursula reached up and grabbed the scrawny Professor, lightly tugging him off the back of Diamondback. As she carried him over her left shoulder she watched as two long limbed Foxes scuttled out from underneath the primal and trotted over to the shoeless upperclassmen.

"So that's who they work with." Claude's thoughts filled Ursula's mind, which quickly came to a close as Prof. Raizen, Brennan and another unknown Professor stepped out onto the field.

"Alright everybody warm-up!"

Ursula cursed herself as everyone started running. Faster than ever.

***

Warm-Ups went as they always did for Claude and the others. Simple running, only longer and if you fell behind you then had to get ahead of everyone or run another mile. There were consequences added to the warm ups. Different from first years Training classes. Like much of the Main Event curriculum would be.

The whole run, Claude felt the eyes of the others focused on him. No longer because of anything other than his tamed allies and the fact that he was new. They took up a lot of space. And according to Prof. Raizen he was the first student with two Primals since.... well, ever. If only they knew what Frosty classified as. Of course, they never would though.

After warming up, they rehearsed some techniques. It was then that Claude learned the benefits of schooling he'd missed on the road. He had the fighting styles, the elemental control, the levels and the skills. But Universities was where you learned advanced usage of everything. The things the third years could do with their Aura's was stunning. They never wrote about that in Hero entries.

Training on the field came to a close quick and hard. Many of them were gassed to some degree, Claude was done hiding that he had advanced Stamina. There was no reason since he had a proven sign of his growth.

All that was left was the real work. The Tangents. Prof. Raizen explained that's where the real training would take place, a deliberate decision since time ran slower inside. They'd have more time to drill, spar and most importantly, kill. But they only had clearance to do it once so Monday's were undoubtedly important.

Mondays like the current one...

--VWOOMP!

To think, there was a time Claude couldn't look at a Tangent Entrance without entering a state of shock. Now the exit and entry of them felt as natural as breathing. Well, not that natural. They were still terrifying. But so was life.

The Tangent was different. Undoubtedly, he could feel that the others were picking up on it. Interesting since they lacked his Lupine senses. He wondered what they saw.

Ursula suddenly pushed him into Maris as they all walked at the back of the small group.

"I don't remember you being physically clumsy." Maris commented.

Claude ignored it, "It's different in here."

"I know." Maris said while looking around at the plain forestry.

"How?" Claude asked.

Maris raised a faintly glowing blue hand. A small bead of water hovered in her fingertips. "Moisture in the air is slim for a forest..... it's also quiet. Less life. And it doesn't stink like ass.... as Warren would say, so it's not an Undead Tangent."

"I barely smell any signs of animals....." Claude replied.

"What are we thinking?" Ursula flipped her axes as she caught up to them.

Prof. Raizen at the front of the line snapped his fingers. Everyone rushed to crowd around him. He held his fingers to his lips casually and pointed to the floor.

A spot of torn up dead grass lay at his feet. He squatted down on strong legs and swept away the debris until all that was left was a footprint.

Eerily human. But also not human. Almost like a cross between ape and human.

"Somebody give me something. Everyone here is too knowledgeable for us to be entering any Tangent blind. Prof. Raizen explained.

"Stone Ape's. I know it's the wrong size, but maybe its a baby?" Ivy suggested.

Prof. Raizen looked around at the others.

The female student with the twin Vulkura shook her head, "It wouldn't be so far away from it's mother. There would be signs of her too. I don't smell ape."

"Me neither." Claude agreed.

The other upperclassmen stared as Diamondback loomed over him, sniffing at the footprint. He stared back.

"What are you thinking, Claude?" Prof. Raizen gave him in the in, a chance to prove himself to his peers before combat.

Claude's stomach twisted. "I'm a bit more versed in animalistic creatures. This seems like man.... ape-like.." Claude looked up from the footprint until his eyes scanned the trees. Claw marks and cuts marred the bark. "Agile..... too small for a Stone Ape but big enough to make an impact. No fur. Some sort of prehistoric man?"

Hector tugged on the black bandages wrapping his face before tapping Ivy's shoulder and whispering into her ear.

"Oh!" She started before shushing herself, "The German named one.... the uh.... sorry guys I've been studying for a Combat Aid test."

"Moorseel."

Everyone looked over to the Knight standing beside Ursula.

"Right. The evil cavemen." One of the students replied.

Prof. Raizen nodded. "Good catch, Isaac. Now, I suggest you all get yourselves ready. These are some of the smartest the Silver Rank has to offer. We don't need any deaths a month before the Tournament. Keep your eyes peeled for traps, don't drink the water and watch the trees. Go get to work."

Everyone was up and on the move.

"Good catch. I wouldn't have guessed that one." Claude said as he caught up to Isaac.

Isaac simply nodded, "No problem." And then he was jogging ahead.

Still strained. If it wasn't one thing it was another.

"[Focus.]"

"Yea yea."