Sparring Accident

"...and alright, I think we're set." Alec nodded as he inspected his squad. Even though the sparring was going to be a series of one-on-one battles, Alec and his squad met to double check on everyone's preparations and to psyche each other up.

Marvus, usually carefree and lax, carried a more serious air about him.

He always gets this way before anything combat related, thought Alec, though it was not a bad trait.

"Linette, try not to use only swordsmanship. Remember to try to use magic to enhance your abilities. You're already an amazing swordsman, you'd be better if you used magic," Mavus advised the pouting Linette.

"Fiiiiine, its just so hard to think about in the middle of the moment....."

Marvus continued, "Fena, don't panic when you opponent enters melee range. I know close combat isn't your strong suit, so stay calm and do your best to disengage and re-establish your distance."

"Y-yes sir!" Fena stood up straight and yelled out in a mix of anxiety and an attempt to develop some self-confidence.

"And Alec, keep cool. You tend to get predictable when you aren't. Keep a level head and you'll win. You barely had me last time"

Alec smiled bitterly "yeah man I know, I'll try my best."

Marvus nodded and sighed, stretching his arms "as for me, I'll try to give some effort I guess." The rest of the squad laughed at this. Marvus was a genius in combat, but was only held back by his slack attitude. Even with his more serious attitude towards combat, Marvus still held back as to not expose himself. Marvus just didn't want the responsibility or attention he would get if his talent in combat was revealed. The only ones he trusted with his secret were his squad.

At first, Alec had been horribly envious of Marvus and frustrated by his attitude, but learned to get along with him as Marvus' instruction had been extremely effective and beneficial for Alec's rapid growth in combat. Marvus had once told Alec the only difference between them was that he was born a genius, while Alec needed to learn to become one.

As Alec reminisced about his first encounters with Marvus, Marvus continued to lecture Fena and Linette about what they should and should not be doing in combat.

.....

"Begin!"

Linette stood and waited for her opponent, a spearman, to make the first move. The moment her opponent shifted their weight, Linette struck. The spearman propelled himself upward and over Linette using wind magic, attempting to strike her from above. Linette, using her raw reflexes, sensed and dodged the attack before resuming her assault.

Everyone watched the battle intently, though a trainee would occasionally look up to the rafters to observe the stone cold expressions of the two Emperor's Personal Guards before quickly returning their gaze to the battle. The two guards, clad in crimson armor, watched the battle like apex predators analyzing their prey.

"Dammit Linette use some magic, would ya?" Marvus muttered irritably, much to Alec's amusement.

In terms of raw sword fighting, Linette would definitely beat Alec in a one-on-one duel. The only reason Alec could beat Linette at all was the fact Linette always forgot to use magic while fighting. When questioned about this, Linette would shrug and reply "tunnel vision."

However, what really set Linette apart was her unorthodox style.

Ducking under a spear strike aimed at her head, Linette quickly dropped into a coil and sprung forward, sword pointed. The spearman retaliated, quickly spinning his spear in an attempt to sweep Linette out of the air. Linette curled midair, stabbing her sword in the ground and pulling herself down to the ground in a logic defying maneuver. Linette then spun on the ground, something akin to a strange form of dance, sweeping the spearman off his feet with her blade. The battle ended with Linette holding the point of her sword to her opponent's throat.

Alec, along with the other trainees, cheered for both the fighters and the fight they had put up. Only Marvus let out a defeated sigh. The two crimson-clad guards remained unmoved, stone-faced and emotionless.

Next was Marvus, who, after toying with his opponent a bit, allowed himself to be beaten. The trainees, oblivious as to Marvus' intentional loss, applauded his opponent for overcoming a losing battle. The guards however, were not as oblivious, and were now focusing their gaze more on Marvus. In fact, the all but ignored the next few rounds before returning their gaze to the trainees in general.

Fena's match ended in her loss. Fena's weapon of choice were flying knives that could be controlled through a rune engraved upon each one. Fena was seemingly dominating the battle until her opponent managed to slip into melee range. Fena panicked and her opponent, gentleman he was, flicked her forehead with his fingers, causing Fena to surrender.

Finally, Alec was to fight a large trainee who wielded a war-hammer and was proficient in earth magic.

Alec waited for his opponent to strike first. Instead, his opponent swung his hammer over his shoulder, readying it to swing down with massive force. Sensing something wrong, Alec jumped backwards. Moments later, his opponent slid forward with incredible speed using earth magic, using the momentum to accelerate his hammer swing. Where Alec was standing a few seconds ago was a huge crater left by the hammer. After seeing the damage to the ground, Alec knew he had to go on the offensive. Alec rushed forward in a flurry of slashes, using wind magic to accelerate his swings. His opponent blocked a few strikes with his hammer before becoming overwhelmed. However, desperate to impress the Emperor's Personal Guards, Alec's opponent stomped the ground, unleashing a seismic wave and knocking Alec off his feet. Caught in the moment, the large trainee swung his hammer down towards Alec with full force, threatening to completely obliterate Alec's rib cage.

Time slowed as Alec saw imminent death falling towards his chest. He began to panic and searched for a way out. Marvus and the sergeant had already begun to move to cast magic, but they would be too late. The Emperor's Guards continued to watch, unmoved, unfeeling.

Shit, shit, shit! Alec's mind raced to find solutions, but nothing would work. As Alec watched the hammer descend closer and closer to his chest, his mind changed from frantic solutions to an defiant and wishful cursing.

If this fucking hammer lands, I'll never be able to continue as a soldier! I'll never avenge my family! I'll never see my squad again!

If only! If I could free myself from this damned situation! Escape this inescapable death! I would-

Alec felt himself being pulled downward, not into the ground, but through it. Painlessly, it felt as though his body was being sucked into an impossibly small pinhole.

And at the same time he felt he was being sucked in, Alec also felt himself being ejected from another pinhole several feet behind his sparring opponent.

A resounding, thundering boom was heard as the hammer struck down where Alec had once been. Immediately, Alec's opponent dropped his hammer and went into a small panic, realizing that he had gone too far, searched for pieces of Alec's body thinking he had smashed Alec into a bloody pulp. The other trainees and the sergeant, who had seen what had transpired, were motionless and speechless until Fena broke the silence.

"Teleportation? But even Archmages struggle with such magic, how could-"

Two crimson behemoths dropped from the balcony above onto the training grounds. The Emperor's Personal Guards had finally move, and this time they were smiling. Alec, dazed as to what had just happened, could only stare blankly at the red giants that towered above him.

One of them reached out his hand and spoke in a deep, rumbling voice, "Welcome to the guard, Aspect. You must be evaluated immediately."