14 Problem-Child: Blake Ashville

After experiencing Blake's way of a lecture; I'm starting to think I'm not suited to be the Pawn-Wielder. But…that's not going to stop me; I may not be the right candidate, but it's worth a shot!

I feel a sense of motivation building up within, but at the same time, I feel drained from Blake's confrontation. "I just want to go home and sleep," my stomach started to growl once again and I facepalm.

I go downstairs and head out the entrance of the school.

It's raining… I held my hand out to feel it and it's drizzling.

I see Eliza standing at the front gates elegantly. She's using a snow-white umbrella, and she notices me—she waves at me. I exhale sharply and walk outside as I try to put on an act, "Hey, Eliza. Are you always going to wait for me here?" She rolls her eyes, and responds in a sassy tone, "I kind of have to. Did you forget? I have to babysit you from now on." She smiled a little, but it faded as fast as it came. She then pulled out another umbrella from her bag, "Here, another gift from me," I thanked her and opened it up.

She started squinting at me, trying to analyze me, and she asks, "Kima...are you okay? Your aura feels weird." Dammit! Screw you Magic! What can you not do?? I sigh and start walking to my dorm. She follows me and catches up to my pace. "Excuse me, I asked you a question," Eliza said.

I say, "Well... I met up with Blake. The guy who I bumped into yesterday." She glanced at me "Again? Was he acting like a complete jerk too?" She sighs; we get closer to my dorm building.

"Yeah…" I looked away for a moment.

"Ugh, …he's so frustrating! I should beat the crap out of him next time I see him," Eliza gets mad for me, which makes me feel a little better.

"Who is he anyway?" I asked.

She answered, "He's a third year, and one of the Academy's strongest students. Blake Ashville, who's from the Elf race, wields 'The Dual Defiance'; these swords have been forged by himself and he never used an ideal weapon from the school. He's the best fighter in the Sword Arts department at Siren. Despite his personality, he is well respected among the students here at Siren for his strength."

The best huh? Even well respected? I think it's more like fear than respect. Students probably don't even want to approach the guy when he's such an asshole.

Eliza continues, "When Blake was a young boy, he belonged to the Elf clan in the forest of Tundra, located east of the city Cerene. He was kind, gentle and a respectful boy, in stark contrast to how he is now. He had many problems growing up as an Elf. He was bullied, ridiculed, and discriminated against for being unable to perform nature magic. This is a prominent skill that elves should be able to master with ease. Yet, he couldn't even perform a basic revival spell on a plant during school. These were the basic drill lessons he would need to do, and every Elf could do it. He failed many times in school. Thus, his family was told that they were a disgrace to all elves and they had to leave the clan. It wasn't even their fault, but his parents decided to go live with Blake's grandmother, Mair."

We reached the dorm building and walked inside to escape the rain.

"So that's why Blake is so informal with the Headmaster…" I commented.

"Exactly, but Blake wasn't happy about it himself. Being an outcast just made him selfish, rude, and a brat. He never met his grandma before and didn't know anything about her nor his grandfather's past," she said as we walked into the lobby and sat down in the lounge.

"Wait, how do you know so much about him? This sounds kind of personal, now that I think about it," I mentioned.

She giggled in a prideful way, "Don't underestimate the Sternbriars information network!" she said.

"Oh damn, I guess that's not very surprising when you're rich," I said.

"It's not just the money…" she added. "But anyway!" She continued on.

"Once he met the Headmaster, she told him all about how he could become a better and different person. He didn't have to be like the Elves who exiled him. Moreover, she spoke to him about her past and how his late grandfather was like. She told him stories about his grandfather because those were his favorite, and so he pursued to become like him," she glanced away a few times while talking. It seemed like she was trying to recall his story exactly like how she remembered it.

"Who was his grandfather?" I asked.

"Graven "The Sun" Bramwell, he was an outgoing and cheerful man. He attracted people to his side because of the way he spoke to others. Therefore, if he ever needed help with anything, he would have someone there to aid him. Through this, he earned his nickname because everyone gravitated towards him, like planets around the sun. He created the sword arts and he was one of The legendary Six Artists of Nuvia and the original founder of Siren Academy," Eliza spoke about him in a very respectful way.

"Wow..." I added.

"You would think that he would become chivalrous, or just like Graven, but unfortunately not. He just carried on his will I guess and wants to protect Nuvia through his own strength. I also know why he's especially mean to you, Kima," she said.

"Really? It better not be something stupid," I said.

"Well…it's a theory but it all makes sense if you listen to what I'm about to say now," she said, and I nodded.

"One day, I overheard a conversation he had with Mair before you came here to Nuvia…"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mair's office—a week prior to Kima's arrival…

"Hmm Hmm Hmm…" I'm humming a melody that I heard in town before coming to school this morning. I walk towards the Headmaster's office, and the door is slightly open. I hear a loud slam on a table; I peek inside and see Blake furious with Mair.

"THIS IS BULLSHIT! You know damn well that I'm strong enough to become the Pawn-Wielder! Do you know how long and hard I've trained to become like him! YOU of all people should know that…" I can sense Blake's anger and frustration all the way over here.

Mair looks at him with a worried/pity look, I can tell that it's pissing Blake even further. She then says, "Listen to me Blake, your efforts and strength are indeed commendable. However, you lack a vital trait that has nothing to do with strength."

"What is it then?! This so-called 'vital trait' that can help me become the Pawn-Wielder," he sarcastically said.

The Headmaster sure seems fed up with him…this must have gone on long before my arrival.

Mair stood up from where she sat and turned around to look outside, "Even if I were to tell you, Blake…your selfish nature would blind you from the truth and stop you right in your tracks."

Blake impatiently shouted, "Spill it!" He closed his fist in anger.

"An unfathomable resolve…" she said quietly.

"What was that?" he asked.

"Resolve, my dear Blake…" she repeated and turned around to look Blake in the eyes.

Blake stood quiet for a second, "…What about it? Are you saying that I don't have the resolve to become the Pawn-Wielder, and protect this world from impending doom? You gotta be shitting me! What kind of resolve is better than that?!"

"This is exactly what I mean. It is not that simple, Blake…you're not the only one who has tried to become the Pawn-Wielder. Most of our high potential candidates suffered failure and reacted the same exact way. They thought that they weren't good enough, just how you are right now…" she said.

"Don't fuckin' patronize me!" Blake shouted lividly.

"I am sorry Blake…no one knows how to wield the Pawn Sword. Many have tried for years and the sword just does not respond to its user. It has laid dormant for almost a millennium and non-have succeeded thus far," Mair said this in a caring and soft voice to calm Blake down, but it was useless.

Mair says, "You're not worthy Blake. I'm sorry…"

Blake unleashes his energy and it whips the door open, "GODDAMIT! I WILL FIND A WAY TO GET THAT DUMBASS SWORD, WATCH!"

Mair shouts, "Blake stop this right now!" She unleashes her Magic energy too and it's so overwhelmingly powerful that Blake's seemed like a baby compared to it. He eventually stopped and turned around to walk out, but he notices me.

"What are you looking at Sternbriar? Outta my way before I crush you…" he lifts up up his hoodie and walks out.

Mair shuts the door with her hand and sinks into her chair—drained from her talk with Blake, "Oh my…my grandson is such a handful. Ms. Sternbriar, I'm sorry that you had to witness that," she still tried smiling even after all that. Her office was a mess and she didn't seem angry or emotionally unstable after that.

She truly is a kind person… I smile back and respond, "No, no, it's okay Headmaster. Do you need anything? I don't mind helping you clean up or preparing some tea for you."

Mair smiles at me and giggles a bit, "No dear, you don't have to. I just need to rest for a little bit, I truly am getting too old for this." She adjusts her posture and gestures me to come sit, "You're here for more details about the mission, yes?"

I reply, "Yes ma'am, about retrieving the Pawn-Wielder from the realm called Earth."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Back to the present

"Whoa…that must've been intense to watch. Screw that bastard, Blake! I feel bad for Mair, how could she stand such a guy like that?" I said to her in slight frustration.

She said, "That's her grandson, she can't help but endure it and care for him. She goes through this all the time; she lectures him a lot, in hopes that he becomes a better person one day."

I look at the time, and it's getting pretty late, but Eliza isn't done yet. I can tell.

"On missions, he's very demanding and always fights solo. Still… he's strong enough to hold his own, I'll give him that. If I ever fought him, it wouldn't be so easy to take him down either. He's very good with a sword, or should I say swords. Especially with his lighting affinity…it would be hard for me to keep my distance if he can close the gap so quickly. That damn skill of his that he calls, 'Bolt'…it's so good." Eliza sighs and it looks like she's actually thinking of a way to beat Blake if she ever did have to fight him.

He must be really strong if one of the strongest students at Siren worries about their own wellbeing in a fight against him.

I sigh, "He would be a great choice to wield the Pawn Sword…haha" I jokingly said, but deep down I kind of meant it.

Eliza snaps out of it and looks at me, "Kima…"

I shake my head to snap me out of the negativity and smirk. I recall what I said to Blake about my resolve, "No matter what happens, I'm going to become strong; stronger than Blake, the Headmaster, and whoever is above her. I will become the Pawn-Wielder! It may sound far-fetched, but I'll try my best."

Eliza stares at me for few seconds shocked, but then she giggles and mocks me, "Oh? Someone's confident in themselves, can I stop babysitting you now? Is that why you said that?"

I blush slightly and laugh it off, "N-no! I just wanted to say that because I wanted you to believe in me at least. Because after all, with this newly awakened power…I feel like I can do a lot of things for this world. I just feel it…" I look at my hand once again and I'm showered with reassurance.

Eliza smiles and says, "Good! Now spill it, what did Blake say to you to make you feel this way? Is it about how you aren't suited to be the Pawn-Wielder?"

I'm shocked, "Is it that obvious? I mean after what you told me, it makes sense, but you couldn't confirm it without knowing in the first place."

"It was just a hunch," she moved some hair behind her ear.

"A hunch…? Either way, you're right," I summarized what he said, and Eliza rolls her eyes.

"Listen, Kima…don't take what that jerk says to heart," she tries comforting me in a way that seems pretty cliché.

I then say, "I know that…you don't have to tell me twice. It's just that…at that moment, I felt so powerless and all of my courage faded away." My face darkened as I had a flashback to my encounter with Blake and I looked down so Eliza wouldn't see my weakness.

Eliza scooted her chair next to mine and lifted my chin up. I flinch a bit because I wasn't expecting that, "Hey, chin up! You were just talking all confident about getting stronger and now, here you are sulking again. You need to have some spine Kima." Once again, she smiled at me—I don't think I will ever get sick of that smile. I looked at her, and for some odd reason, I can see it in her eyes that she knows exactly how I feel; as if she's experienced the same situation before.

She says, "If you're getting hurt by words now, then on the battlefield you're in for a world of pain or death. Manipulation is quite common with highly intelligent enemies. They know that human emotions are quite easy to manipulate, and so they can use magic to brainwash and destroy your will. Therefore, it would be nice if you can keep your word about becoming stronger and willing to become the Pawn-Wielder, it'll motivate you in dire situations. Eventually, you will forge your own path and become someone better than just the Pawn-Wielder."

I pause for a moment and then say, "You're right…"

She unholsters her weapons, twirls it around her finger and aims at the ceiling. She says, "That's the spirit! We'll destroy anyone who gets in our way," she smirked.

She puts away her weapons and she gets up to leave, "Only time will tell on how well you do here. But one day, you'll have to fight me and Blake."

"Wait what?" I said in confusion. She snickered then walked away disregarding my comment.

"See ya," she waved goodbye and left through the entrance.

I said bye before she left, and I sat down to process everything she said to me. I was truly taken back by her words. I'll probably never say this to her, but I'm glad to have met someone like her.

"Oh! I forgot to thank her!" She was gone before I could anyways. I sigh in relief, and a smile crept up, cleansing me from all the negativity I had from Blake.

I walked upstairs to my room to get a good night's sleep, but my stomach kept growling, "I guess I will have to eat tomorrow and chow down. I don't think the school is open at this hour…" It was almost 19:00.

I get into my dorm room and pass out on my bed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I wake up to a knock on my door and check my horo for the time. It was 5:30, "Ugh…it's so early…" I said as I get up to open my door.

"Hello?" I rub my eyes and I jump back in shock from seeing the delivery guy, "AH!"

He clears his throat, but it still sounds kind of raspy, "Good Morning, Mr. Kima. Here is your own ideal weapon from Siren to you. Please sign, here and here." He was from the dragon lizard looking race. He had red and blue scales with one horn pointing from his forehead and had razor sharp teeth as he spoke. He wore a black delivery uniform with red seams. He seemed like a chill dude, but it was still frightening to see one so up close. He handed me the package and I can hear his claws as he tapped the screen of his delivery system he pulled out for me to sign.

I signed very quickly and said, "T-thank you," I stuttered. As soon as he leaves, I shut my door and my face lights up in excitement and I unbox everything. "Let's see… what do we have here," I see a blue and black hilt within a holster that came with the package? I see a blue, red, and purple light flashing from inside the hilt, I point it outwards and try to focus my magic into the sword. Before my very eyes, a white beam sword came out of the hilt.

"This is exactly what I had during the trials, sweet," I see a biometric scanner on the side and it's green. It says to tap it 3 times for registration. I tap it 3 times and a blue digital screen pops up with the details of the sword and my registration complete.

It reads:

Level Up Sword

This sword can be enhanced by the users Magic.

Here are 4 enhancements that are possible with this weapon!

In order, it gave bullet points for the enhancements. I take my time reading on how to use the weapon. I give off a faint chuckle when I finish.

"So, I can use power, speed, balanced, and fusion. Interesting…" I stop feeding the sword my steady flow of Magic and retract the sword back inside the hilt. I equip it to myself with the holster and start to get ready for my first official school day. I head downstairs and do my morning routine then I start walking to the Academy.

A burst of excitement rushes into me and I yell, "WHOOO!" some of the students see me and start snickering as they pass by.

"Oh…sorry!" I apologized to them and my face gets hot in embarrassment. I forgot that there are other students, and this isn't a video game or manga that I can just do whatever I feel like without being judged…haha.