Heading Off to the Academy

Now that I have passed my advancement trial, I need to defeat the opponents my father selected for me. This is the only way I can receive his blessing on going to Fire Drake Academy.

Heading to the training field, where everyone is gathered, while carrying my glaive I check over my armour again. My armour was made by James from leather using the hide of a Tier four metal rhino. I forged hundreds of small 2 cm wide by 1 thick sheets of metal that he wove into the armour. For the torso he had woven the metal in a solid mesh whil for the rest I was just loose lines mixed with the leather. This armour was only half as strong as the strongest armour I could forge but it provided me with nearly ten times the manoeuvrability. The armour was also far lighter at only 25 pounds while the strongest armour I can make is nearly 500, the lightest full body armour that provides equal defence is 95 pounds and restrict my mobility.

Arriving at the field I see my parents and the four people my father chose. They are: James, Isabel, Tania and Kurt. The for most recognized geniuses in our city. James used two kopis swords I forged for him and had extreme speed and dexterity. Isabel used a giant ax with brutality and agility. Tania used a wand with elemental attunements of water, wood, air, and fire, she was specialized in support magic. Kurt used a staff with attunements in metal, earth, lightning and flame: he would form metal balls before throwing them at people with lightning causing them to explode with fire. His metal ammo flew at 1,800 feet per second and exploded with the same force as a powerful firework.

I look over to my dad and asked, "You even had to hire my follower? That is a low blow dad."

"Hahaha, well he is one of the best warriors at your level. Besides you can look at it as payback, for that prank with the slime monster you released in my study. " My dad said with a grin.

I am going to miss the pranks me and my dad pulled on each other. Also how my mom would always punish us both while having an amused smile about our antics.

"Jason you may be an eldritch knight but the four of us will crush you." Tania said. Walking out to the middle of the field I chanted "Cath mah Ti" wich is the chant I chose to activate a rune on my staff which covers the blades in an energy field preventing it from cutting. Hearing my words all my opponents get pi*sed except James who just shakes his head in embarrassment. "Cath mah Ti" is old elvish for "bow before me". Seeing their faces I laugh as I get into a battle stance.

"Begin" my father yells after getting his own laughter under control. James disappears from my sight instantly with his speed, he is three times faster now thanks to the thunder step boots. Isabel's axe catches fire as she charges at me yelling "dinner". I nearly fell over, is this chick intending to eat me? Kurt immediately summons metal spheres and starts thowing them at me. Tania starts boosting them with air to speed them up and fire to increase attack damage, while trying to catch me with vines.

I feel an attack arrive at the back of my neck, I swing my glaive to block and deliver a back kick and hear a bone break. turning I see James has dropped his fire sword and his left arm is shattered. A green glow surrounds it meaning Tania is keeping it from getting worse,right now she cannot heal it though.

I continue to move as Tania tries to capture me and Kurt keeps peppering the ground around me with craters caused by his metal spheres. Isabel lunges at me with an upward slash of her axewhich I block head on. She seems shocked by the results, but so am I. I have strength equal to a giant 4 stages higher than me, I can lift an immense 1,500 pounds now, but this little human girl can stand toe to toe with me?

Saving my questions for later I don't hesitate to turn my glaive and land the other blade on her head knocking her out.

Rushing to Tania I am blocked by a giant rock foot. looking up I see a 40 foot tall rock golem and looking around I can't find Kurt. The golem lifts its arms and starts shooting metal spheres the size of a basketball at me. Jumping and dodging I finally realize what he uses his earth element for.

Tania summons three false tree ents which further shocks me. Only those with the blood of an tree ent guardian can use the "False Ents Calling" spell. A false tree ent is a tree ent without its own sentience, who is empowered by the mages conscience and will power. A tree ent becomes a guardian when they can take human form similar to beasts.

knowing I can't hold back anymore I start using spells as well. I cast "Heaven's Thunder" at the false ends turning them into charcoal. while appearing behind Tania and knocking her out. An intense pain rips through my right kidney. without looking a swing behind me and knock out James. I knew he would attack so I decided to let it land and take him out.

Turning back to golem Kurt, with the kopis still inside me I dodge a few more spheres while chanting a long spell my mom taught me called "Heavenly Hell Twister" which is a beam of lightning and fire a foot thick twisting around each other.

As the spell blasts into him it quickly melts through the golem body and burns though his chest plate. Kurt couldn't handle that pain and passed out and I quickly cut the spell. falling to my knees I cough up blood before the healers on the side rushed to heal us all. After we are all put back together again and only exhausted, hungry and sore we go stand before my parents.

My mother glares at James obviously not happy he stuck a sword into her baby boys body. "Well that was impressive. I was shocked you traded that blow earlier for taking out two opponents." My father commented.

"Yeah I had to move to the side because he aimed for my spine" I replied. Everyone was shocked, this was a simple test not a life death battle. A wound on to the spine cannot be healed by people with our means. Even the Duke would have a very hard time requesting someone to heal that kind of injury.

Before my mom can attack Chales asked with an angry voice, "Why should i not kill you now for attempting to cripple my child?"

James calmly replied, "I have a few reasons. First my great grandfather is Ricard Kovar." You could see a light of recognition in my parents eyes. " Second, I swore too be your sons protector. Third, I have the Celestial Star Fiendgod body and so knew he would be safe." Sarah had found out that his body wasn't the falling star fiendgod but instead the Celestial Star Fiendgod body. It has the ability to guid someone on the right path and it provided supreme speed. The only major negative is it would make you incapable of lying.

"In that case I apologize. But next time even if he will be safe please be more gentle. " My mother said even though she still seemed upset.

"Who is Ricard Kovar and why did you seem like that meant so much?" I asked my parents. "Ricard is the reincarnation of a cursed god. The curse prevented him from ever reaching higher than brigadeer and only gave him 300 years of life. In his last life he was the god Honos, god of honour and loyalty . He never mentionod who cursed him but all his descendants had the sigil of Honos imprinted on them which means if they violate their vows it will kill them. " My mother explained.

Gods? What level was that? Who could curse them so strongly it follows them through reincarnation?

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Looking back at my eight followers; Kurt, Isabel, and Tania joined my group, and my brother Tommy I saw the excitement in their eyes as we got ready to ride out of the city. It would be a two month journey to arrive at the exam grounds normally but we had decided to extend it to 3 months so that we can work on fighting as a team. If everything went according to plan we should reach the exam grounds nine days before the start of the exam. Giving a yell we rushed out to start the next phase of our lives with the boiling blood of youth in our viens.