My only rival

As we were making our way back to our rooms, Gary pulled me to one side from behind and whispered in my ear.

"Hey Ray, do me a favour before we go back, could you wait for me on the roof of our dormitory?"

Gary rarely asked me to do him any favours, I nodded my head in agreement. It was strange, I didn't know what Gary had wanted for me but it seemed to concern him a great deal as he rushed in front of the others to meet me there.

Instead of going to my room, I went to the roof as Gary had asked. Surprisingly when I got there, there wasn't a soul in sight. It was strange considering Gary had run ahead, I thought he would have reached the roof before me.

I went to the edge of the roof. The view was nice from here, I could see a good portion of the city. All the little lights glowing in the dark from the houses looked beautiful. In the past, there would be flames dotted around not so bright but now, they were bright lights powered by crystals.

I looked to my right where I could see the Centre of Avrion academy. The centre was a tower around a hundred meters taller than the dormitory building. One day I would have to go up there and check out the view. If there was one thing I missed more then anything, it was the ability to fly. I could glide through the skies and have a beautiful view whenever I wanted. Although the night was never as pretty as it was now.

As I was leaning off the edge looking at the city, I heard the sound of the door shut behind me. Gary had finally arrived and in his hands, he held two wooden training sword.

"Hey what are those things for?" I asked while walking towards him.

Gary's face was serious, I hadn't seen him like this for a long time.

"You know, today Slyvia asked me a question, she asked who's stronger out of me and you. Do you know what answer I gave her."

"We haven't fought in a long time."

"I said you, but the truth is that was only a guess. Ever since I came to Avrion academy everyone around me had been calling me a genius. If I'm the genus, then what does that make you." Gary threw one of the wooden swords in his hand towards me.

I managed to catch it, still confused at what he was getting at. Gary continued.

"I'm not an idiot. I know I'm probably going to receive a white sash tonight, but you Ray will most likely get a red one. Meaning I might never get a chance like this again. So I ask you, please fight me."

Gary had an intense look in his eyes, it was hard to say no. Even if I wanted to, but I wanted to fight Gary just as much as he wanted to fight me. I needed to see how much I had improved since that day on the hill.

I readied my sword in my hand. Gary knew that this meant I had accepted his duel. If he wanted to fight me then I was going to give him a real fight.

I initiated the first attack dashing towards him. I swung straight down right towards his face. Gary managed to block it making him stumble back a few feet. He smiled.

"So powerful, you would have easily passed The Gem of Strength test," Gary said while smiling.

Gary retaliated with a few strikes of his own, although slower and not as powerful as mine were. He kept striking in difficult places making me feel awkward.

The fight continued going back and forth between both of us blocking and dodging each others strikes.

"Come on, show me how you defeated that wolf in the black forest. This isn't all you got I know it."

Gary was a true genius with the sword. My swings were around twice as fast and powerful yet, he still managed to block and dodge them. While I was just hanging in there.

I wanted to beat him without using my beast form, but I could see that Gary was getting tired. If we carried on I would have eventually beat him. I felt like the crystals had given me an unfair advantage having more stamina. If Gary was to lose, it was more honourable for him to lose using everything I had.

I placed the hilt of the sword in my mouth. Pushing my teeth deep down into the wood. I got on all fours like a wild beast. Most people would have laughed at the site of a human mimicking an animal but not Gary. He stood there waiting, watching my every move.

I ran towards him, Gary went to slash me on the ground, I quickly moved to the side and grabbed his foot using it to swing my body around behind him. I then whacked him behind with the sword. He was unable to react to the awkward movements.

Gary was great at swordsmanship, he would always find the right spots to strike. The Beast form was just too unpredictable in my movements for him.

Gary fell and knelt to the ground. He turned towards me with a big grin.

"I guess you're still my only rival Ray."

We went back to the room together, upon entering the room we were met with a surprise. The guys were sitting around the table happily chatting away but there was a newcomer in the room as well.

The person quickly saw both of us, she got out of her seat and came over introducing herself.

"Hi there, I'm your new roommate, Martha."

It was the girl who had done well in the Archery test. It now explained where I had seen the name before. It was on the door of our room. There was still something that confused me though. I was sure that I had seen her before as well.

"Martha, I don't remember you being at Renny school," Gary said.

"I wasn't, my mother is one of the leaders of an adventure guild, they gave me special permission to take the test and put me with you guy's since you had space."

It hit me. I finally remembered why she had looked so familiar. She looked nearly identical to the women we had met ten years ago on our way to Renny town. The women was also an adventure. Martha must have been related to the women in some way.

When I was just about to ask Martha about it an announcement could be heard being projected to each of our rooms.

"Will you please make you're way to the dining hall. Where you will be awarded your ranks and sashes."