Proving One's Worth

Aaron walked into the adventurers guild carrying with him a rather large bag, it was stuffed to the brim with cleanly cut monster parts. Such that it wasn't even dripping. Though, it did smell somewhat odd. 

"Ah hello sir, here to turn in a quest?" Harris asked as he looked at the bag, "was that a D rank or a C rank quest?" 

Clearly, he didn't recognize Aaron. Why would he? You hardly remember the faces of any random person you met. Especially when you work a customer service position, a fate Aaron could say he was lucky enough to avoid. 

"Neither," he grunted out as he set the bag down on the counter. "F rank." 

"I... Pardon?" The man raised an eyebrow at Aaron's claim. "Who are you again?"

"Aaron, new adventurer, I signed up a few hours ago?"

"What G rank quest could possibly require that much evidence, how would you even-how would you even get that much at your level?!" 

"I'd put myself closer to a C rank if I'm being honest." Aaron shrugged. 

"Why didn't you say anything?" Harris asked as he brought a few fingers to his forehead. Squeezing the bridge of his nose for a moment before looking back at Aaron. "If you have the skills you can request a rank examination you dolt!" 

"Excuse me?" 

"Nothing, nothing, well, I'm obligated to tell you to take that rank examination, but you don't technically need to. You're not required to advance as an adventurer, but I'd reccomend you do."

"And why is that?"

"Do you dislike money?" Harris deadpanned as he stared straight at Aaron.

"That's fair enough." Aaron shrugged. "Alright, so how can I take this examination?"

"Just wait here, We'll get an opponent of B rank or higher ready for you. We have a few guards on standby that double as testers. Go sit down, and, I'll get your quest rewards ready for you as well. Should take maybe thirty minutes in total." 

Aaron nodded, and so he went to sit down. Crossed his legs, leaned back as far as he could (old habits die hard) and waited.

...

So shortly after, a little shorter then what Harris had told him, a man walked out in some fairly high quality armor. Followed by Harris who had a generously large bag, larger then what Aaron assumed you'd get for an average G rank quest anyways. 

"Aaron, meet Mason, they'll be your sparring partner. He's a high B rank level swordsman, and here's your reward." 

Harris walked forward and handed Aaron his reward as he stood up, shortly after that he tied the cash to his belt and stretched. Then after that stretch was finished, he reached out for a handshake with Mason. "Good to meet you." He got a closer look at him, and Aaron would take a guess and say he was in his mid forties or so. An experienced man, good for him. 

"Likewise, I hear you're claiming to be at about C rank?" The man responded with good cheer, smiling as he reciprocated and shook Aaron's hand. 

"That would be correct. I didn't even realize... Actually, nevermind, where do we spar?" 

Mason turned around and chuckled, "follow me young man."

Harris was walking away, presumably back to his post, and Mason was walking in the other direction. So Aaron shrugged, took a few quick steps towards him and followed thereafter. 

...

"So this is where we're sparring?" Harris asked while he glanced around at the place. It was an indoors training hall of sorts. Not that anybody was there at the moment unlike what you'd expect from such a place. 

"Indeed! For your own sake I hope your claims are genuine, I'll be coming at you with the strength to correlate to such a rank, so protect yourself well." 

Mason drew his sword, a blade not dissimilar to Aaron's own. Slender and long, yet sharp all the same. 

"Will we not be using practice swords?" 

"Hm? No, of course not. If you can't handle real weapons in combat you're not cut out for C rank. Almost all the missions at that rank require combat of some form. Prepare yourself." 

"Very well," Aaron reached for his blade, drawing his sword from it's sheathe slowly, holding it with both hands like you'd see from a practitioner of kendo. Mason did not replicate this, instead holding the weapon with one hand, the other covering his chest in a peasants "shield" kind of way. Clearly, he'd normally be fighting with a shield but didn't seem to have one on hand. 

"On your go then young man, you take the first attack." Mason spoke while crouching low. He was old, but clearly not old enough to negatively affect him in any way.

Aaron nodded, not bothering to actually respond. Instead repositioning his blade for a thrusting attack, gripping the sword with one hand and sizing up his target with the other. His muscles tensed, then released. Charging in he drove his sword towards the older mans chest! Though as he'd predicted, they simply slashed at his blade, setting a course to knock it away. Instead of committing to the doomed attack, Aaron struck against the man's own blade, surprising him for a short moment.

Mason's grip tightened, and the strength coming from the man increased. Though by now, Aaron was already attempting to disarm his opponent through a winding motion. He'd managed to spin the sword half way out of Mason's grip before he put some actual force into it, but the man quickly fought back and pushed Aaron away. This time, it was he who went on the offensive. 

Mason slashed out at Aaron's chest. The blade was quickly flashing toward him, yet managing to recover in time, Aaron returned with a slash of his own knocking the sword off course. He of course, attempted to attack again, striking at Mason's arm. His attack was parried in a similar fashion. Mason once again struck at Aaron, delivering two cuts, both of which Aaron warded away from his torso. 

Following the motion from which he had parried the second attack, Aaron went in for another stab. He failed to make any progress with the attack and was instead backhanded away by Mason's free hand. Aaron stumbled back, knocked off balance, before being besieged by yet another attack. He barely managed to avoid a wide slash, dipping just below the attack, before attempting to strike upwards with his opening. Mason simply sidestepped the blow. 

The clash of blades continued for a good while before sweat beads had begun to drop from Aaron's face, this isn't working. I'll be overwhelmed at this rate, so instead of continuing the fruitless clash he leaped back and repositioned his grip. Mason didn't give him much time to recover, but by the time he'd gotten within striking range Aaron had already accomplished his goal. 

This time Aaron met the attack with both hands, putting significantly more force into his counter. For a short moment, he actually managed to set the older man off course, seeing a faint look of shock in his adversaries eyes. He immediately attempted to cut through his opponents torso, but missed by a wide margin as he hit the ground with the momentum he gained from Aaron's counter. Mason rolled with it before coming back up to his full height and reassuming his stance.

As it had gone in turns so far, this clash was no exception. Aaron started the attack, quickly dashing towards Mason with his sword poised to strike. He raised it just a little higher when he reached the man, and swung down towards his torso with all the force he could muster. 

CLANG

The two blades met in the air, Mason having swung his sword upwards to intercept. Sparks flew as the hunks of metal met, one grinding into the other. Slowly, Aaron's sword was pushing down toward Mason, but with his free hand he reared back and punched Aaron in the gut! It was a hard punch, concentration breaking and gut shattering. Aaron could feel the wind knocked out of his lungs, the strength leaving his grip. 

Shortly after, he felt something else leaving him. His blade flew through the air and away from him. Before he could worry about that though, he felt something entering him. It was Mason's boot.

His eyes went blank as the boot planted itself into his stomach, sending him crashing down to the floor in hacking cough. His thoughts left him for a short moment, all he could understand was that slow clattering of his blade hitting the ground. his cough subsided, and with i returned his thoughts. When he looked up, there was at a blade at his neck. 

"Well fought young lad," Mason panted, his chest rising and falling with a hint of exertion. "You're certainly at the level of a C rank, can you stand?" He asked while sheathing his blade, holding out a hand for Aaron to grab onto.

Aaron breathed in and out for a moment, just getting his breath back. Before he reached out and grabbed ahold of Mason's hand. "Didja..." He wheezed. "Didja have to kick me... That hard?!" 

"Hoho, trust me, you'll face worse if you keep going down this path in life. You'd do well to build a tolerance to pain while it isn't going to cost you your life young man."

Aaron groaned, but pulled himself up anyways with Mason's help. He dusted himself off before feeling around his body. Nothing was broken, so he was fine on that front. Where's my sword? He wondered while glancing around the room, he saw it, grabbed it, and walked back over.

"So I passed?" 

"Yes, if you ask me I'd say you're about half way to B rank as you stand. Feel free to come try again once you level, say, ten or so more times? Say what level are you dear boy?" 

"Forty three, you?" He asked right back, sheathing his sword with practiced ease.

"Ho! I figured you'd be at least level fifty, I myself am at level sixty eight. Though I'd rather not divulge anything particular about my class, neither would you I hope!" 

Aaron merely nodded, then asked, "so you'll tell the guild I passed?" 

"Indeed! Welcome to C rank, at such a young age as well! You'll do well in the future."

Aaron sighed, then smiled.

"Thanks."