Time to Square Up

The next day Viola and the princes were met with sour faces from the other soldiers. It didn't take them long to realize that the soldiers had heard of what took place at The Circle. The Crown Prince tried to play peacemaker but his attempt was immediately blocked by Captain Brigg.

"To think, we get tortured almost everyday by her and yet General Willey and the others got to have fun!" exclaimed Captain Brigg with a laughable expression as he pointed at Viola.

"Hey, don't be rude!" shouted the Second Prince as he approached Captain Brigg.

Everyone could only watch on as they bickered. Although Captain Brigg was speaking on their behalf, his men couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed for wanting to be twirled in the air.

"Looks like we got you guys in trouble." General Blare chuckled as he entered the training ground with his men.

General Blare grabbed everyone's attention. He and his men were dressed in training gear but still managed to look extraordinary. There were a total of 30 men with him, all proficient in a different form of nature magic and all pleasing to the eye. They were one of the most popular units in the kingdom, especially among women. The soldiers of training ground 20 were both in awe and humbled as they looked at them. Compared to them, the improvements they had made were still far off from reaching that level.

Captain Brigg also looked on, filled with concern for his men. He knew how it felt to feel lower than a nature magic user and didn't want them to be put in the same position. Everyone had heard of General Blare's conflicts with General Hull and General Tilt, as a result, Captain Brigg wasn't optimistic about his visit.

"Why's he here?" asked Captain Brigg in a whisper.

The Second Prince shrugged his soldiers. "No clue."

The chaotic atmosphere from before had become somewhat filled with unease.

"General Blare, I didn't expect to see you here," said the Crown Prince.

General Blare and his men greeted the princes and Viola. While they were respectful to them, the soldiers of training ground 20 could tell that their behaviour only extended to them. The difference between them was obvious, even they acknowledged that but to feel inferior in your own territory was like a punch to the gut.

"My appearance shouldn't come as much of a shock. I'm here for him!" announced General Blare as he pointed at the Second Prince.

"Huh? Me?" responded the Second Prince.

"Of course! Why else would I come here? We didn't get to have our match last time and I was itching for a good fight! Let's see what you got!"

From what General Blare said, the main thing that rang in the soldiers' ears was "Why else would I come here?" Whether it was intentional or not, the message couldn't be taken back. They felt these words were meant to be demeaning.

"Hey, don't look down on the men of Training Ground 20! Don't think you're too good to be here!" yelled Captain Brigg.

A subtle smile appeared on Viola's face. Captain Brigg had come a long way from the man they met that day. His men were touched by his words. Even if they knew they had a long way to go, they should not give up and let go of their pride.

"Huh? I have no idea what you're talking about," said General Blare.

"Hmph! Do you think that just because you can use nature magic that makes you better than us?! We've gotten much stronger than before and there's nothing stopping us from going further!"

Captain Brigg's words further bolstered his men's spirit. Though they were outnumbered, they still put on a brave front. The princes realized it wasn't their place to speak and decided not to intervene.

"I don't really get the point of your rambling but let me make something clear. It has nothing to do with whether you guys can use nature magic or not. You guys are just weak," advised General Blare as he smirked.

General Blare's smug attitude seemed to be matched by his men. Captain Brigg looked like he was ready to burst. Regardless of rank or power, he decided that he had to do something.

"Oh yeah?! Come on, fight me then!

Captain Brigg's men cheered him on. It seemed the rush of adrenaline caused them to forget that they didn't stand a chance.

"Wait, we can find another way to go about this," said the Crown Prince.

"Let them fight," advised Viola as she blocked the Crown Prince.

The Crown Prince reluctantly allowed it.

"While I'd love to, I came here to spar with the Second Prince and no one else. But as a compromise, I'll let you fight my second in command. Let's see how you do against him," proposed General Blare.

Captain Brigg accepted General Blare's proposal. Both sides shouted words of encouragement from each end of the field. Viola and the princes remained on the sidelines in between the two.

Although his opponent wasn't the General, he couldn't underestimate this man. The General's right hand man, the Lieutenant General, Dax Toman. He was someone that was said could have advanced to the position of a general but instead he decided to stay with General Blare. They had been best friends for almost their entire lives. He was just as handsome as General Blare, tall, muscular but not bulky, with black hair, calm blue eyes and was a man of few words. He was a 3 Star Mage who used fire nature magic. He had an imposing aura and looked at Captain Brigg with indifference. Captain Brigg prepared himself for the fight. As for the rules, anything was allowed except killing and the match would end with someone's surrender, an agreed draw or the inability of the other opponent to continue.

Before Captain Brigg had realized it, he was already tasting dirt. The lieutenant general moved with monster-like speed. He had thrown a punch without Captain Brigg noticing. The only thing which confirmed what happened was the throbbing pain he felt on his jaw. Captain Brigg quickly got up and got in a defensive stance. His men cheered him on as he did. Captain Brigg believed he was simply unprepared which allowed him to be knocked down so easily. He focused his eyes on his opponent and tried to predict his next move. Soon enough, it was like deja vu. Captain Brigg found himself on the ground once again. Again and again he was in a similar position. He couldn't believe it. Was the gap really that big? Was he in over his head? Was he all just talk? Was he going to let down his men? Was he… a failure? Disparaging thoughts filled his mind. It was torture. Maybe he should just give up…

"Hey, aren't you the Captain? Get up!" urged Viola.

Viola's words rang his mind like an alarm, telling him to get up, to persevere. Even his men had an expectant look on their faces. It was just what he needed, a reminder of how far he had come from the man he was that day. Captain Brigg wiped the blood from his mouth then got back to his feet. This time, he decided to take the fight to the lieutenant general. L.G(lieutenant general) Toman easily avoided each punch he threw, nevertheless, Captain Brigg didn't let up. He kept going until one misstep by Toman allowed a punch to land. He was breathing heavily and covered in dirt but was not deterred. That one punch made him feel as though it was worth it. He proudly wore a smile. At first L.G Toman was taken aback but he soon acknowledged Captain Brigg's efforts. Instead of beating him with speed or evading, he decided to trade blows with him. His punches became heavier, more ruthless and left a reminder on each place they touched but Captain Brigg was grateful. It was becoming a real match. Captain Brigg could feel that he didn't have much left in him but he wanted to stay on his feet. He endured until he began to drift into unconsciousness. He was covered in sweat. His vision became blurred. He could barely keep his eyes open. He staggered back and was caught by the Second Prince.

"You've done enough," said the Second Prince as he held Captain Brigg up. Viola nodded in agreement.

Viola and the Crown Prince announced Toman's victory due to Captain Brigg's inability to continue. Toman went back to the end of the field where his men were. They all expected his victory but still congratulated him warmly. On the other end, Captain Brigg's men acted as though he was on the brink of death. They praised and scolded him for his actions. The Second Prince left Captain Brigg to them and went towards the field, ready for his match. The sun seemed to be at its peak. The heat from the sun was like a warning for the Second Prince to beware of General Blare's flames. The intensity of his flames could not be underestimated. The Second Prince felt it wasn't just a sparring match. He had something to prove. As he looked over at General Blare he could tell that he was eager to begin. The Crown Prince announced the commencement of the match with the same rules in place.

General Blare and the Second Prince charged towards each other. General Blare attacked with fists covered in flames and the Second Prince held him back with hands covered like gloves in hard earth formations. The Second Prince went for a knee to the gut but General Blare stopped it with a knee of his own. The atmosphere was much more intense for their match, even Captain Brigg recovered enough to become a spectator. Each blow was powerful. General Blare showed no regard for the prince's position and attacked in any way he saw fit. He soon picked up his speed and was able to land a hit on the Second Prince from behind. The Second Prince was pushed back but managed to stay on his feet. He infused earth magic into his fist and struck the ground, creating pillars shooting up from the earth and pushing General Blare into the air. He then quickly jumped from pillar to pillar and met General Blare in the air. Before he could reach General Blare however, the General covered himself in flames and curled himself into a ball. He then launched himself towards the Second Prince. The Second Prince was caught off guard and tried to hastily form an earth shield. It wasn't enough and General Blare was able to break through his defense, knocking him into the earth below. The impact caused damage to the surrounding area. Viola swiftly put up an air barrier to prevent the others from being hit and to control the impact. Once the dust cleared, the General could be seen standing above the Second Prince with a fist covered in flames. The Second Prince however, didn't leave himself defenseless. Behind General Blare, was a sharpened formation of earth aimed at the back of his neck. The slightest movement could result in him losing his head. With this they agreed to end the match in a draw. The General put his flames away and stretched out his hand towards the Second Prince. The Second Prince crumbled his earth formation and took hold of the General's hand. As the General pulled him up, they exchanged compliments.

Realizing the match had been settled the Crown Prince announced the results and Viola cleared the barrier. She then used her magic to restore the state of the field. Soldiers from both sides rushed towards the center of the field where the General and the Second Prince stood. As all the men went to surround the two, Viola found herself feeling dizzy. She was having a similar feeling as she did that day at the Academy. She could barely stand still. In the midst of all the excitement, William noticed Viola. She seemed to be disoriented. William quickly grabbed hold of her as she staggered.

"What's wrong?" asked William. He couldn't hide his concern for her.

"It's, I'm fine… thank you," replied Viola as she released herself from his hold.

William wasn't convinced but decided not to pursue it any further. Little did they know that the short moment they shared appeared to be an act of intimacy in the eyes of the Second Prince. He, however, didn't draw further attention to what he saw and went on as though he saw nothing.

After a while everyone calmed down. Instead of going back to their training ground, General Blare had his men train alongside Captain Brigg and his soldiers. They ran together, sweat together and even helped each other. Once training was over, General Blare and his men said their farewells and made their way towards the exit. Before leaving with his men, General Blare turned to say a few words to Captain Brigg and his men.

"I find it ridiculous that those with the ability to use nature magic refuse to do so. They neglect it, don't think to improve it and are satisfied with themselves. While there are others that would gladly use that power to improve. It's not just about using that power for yourself but for your kingdom, your home. For you guys who have no talent for it but are still willing to work hard, although you're weak now, you may not always be that way. My men are arrogant because they believe they have the qualifications to be that way. I'm sure that one day you'll all know what that feels like too. You might not believe it but they'll look at you guys differently from now on," said General Blare earnestly.

After that, General Blare left with a smile. Although they had suffered a loss, it somehow still felt like a victory and the men of Training Ground 20 were able to go home with their heads held high.

Later that day, after having dinner Viola slipped away and went to visit the Blooming Tree. As she approached the tree, she felt calmness but also pain. She placed her forehead against the tree and closed her eyes. She soon placed her hand against the tree then slowly moved her hand along the trunk. All of a sudden she stopped. She opened her eyes and locked on to the position where her hand stopped. She removed her hand to find an irregularity in the tree's structure. It seemed to have repaired itself. Viola was bewildered. It was unusual for something to have easily damaged the tree.

"What could have done this to you… Or who?" asked Viola as she traced her fingers along the tree.