TWO HUNDRED FIFTY-SIX: A Pointy Thing on the Other

256

******

 

[Dueling Block 6]

[Opponent: Olive, Adjuster – A]

[Incapacitate your opponent.]

[Kills: Allowed]

 

“Lexi, could you keep an eye on my project for the next minute or two? If you don’t get called to your own duel.”

Writher was slicing away at one of the target dummies. Lexi didn’t glance in Alden’s direction when he responded. “I will.”

“Appreciate it.”

Alden wasn’t worried about sabotage, but other people in the practice area got klutzy with their powers sometimes.

All right. Olive.

He headed toward the dueling block, pulling up a random number generator as he went. He made it pick out of six. It landed on five. That meant Alden would be pretending to be fooled by the Fake Olive on the right to start their fight, and he was allowed to find Real Olive with his second attack. He was always allowed to hit Real Olive if she made herself obvious in some way.

This was how he was keeping his abnormal Olive-identification powers in check.

Three of her stood at their end of the dueling block, jaws set and pink baseball bats raised in exactly the same way.

“Hi, Olive.”

She didn’t reply of course.

Alden took four temper spheres out of his pouch, two in each hand, and held them up. She ignored them.

Things have been changing fast.

He remembered throwing a single temper sphere at Tatiana Evans during that combat assessment duel. It hadn’t been much of a pitch really.

But one of these is a heck of a pitch.

And with the wordchain…

“Let’s have a nice duel, Block 6!” Foxbolt said from where she stood outside the barrier, a couple of paces behind Olive, to monitor their block and a neighboring one.

The timer in front of Alden’s eyes counted down.

Soon…

[90 second duel]

[START]

 

The Olives ran at him.

He pitched a regular sphere as hard as he could through the illusion on the right and saw it pass through as he flung another one toward the real girl on the left. It pinged off the bat she raised in front of her face.

Alden ran forward to meet her, watching the bat. It drew back.

Let her swing. Duck it. Pop right back up.

Olive swung high. For his head. That made ducking easier.

Attack.

He thrust his left hand toward her face before she’d recovered from the full-power swing. There was visual confusion from the two illusionary girls being right on top of them. He kept his eyes on the real one as she flinched away from his approaching hand, then he whipped his right hand up to release the temper sphere he’d accelerated and preserved earlier.

Transparent stickers he’d put on it before placing it in the sling let him feel instantly that he had it turned the correct way. It wasn’t impossible to tell without them, but in the heat of a fight, the stickers helped.

Alden let the sphere go an inch from Olive’s forehead.

He was a little surprised that it shattered. He felt the muted sting of shards against his skin. She shouted and collapsed backward, stiff-suited, her bat rolling across the floor.

Their duel had only lasted seconds. He wasn’t breathing hard.

The notification of his victory was followed by one for the damage he’d dealt. If this had been a real battle, Olive would have a dire brain injury.

He looked down at her. Her light brown ponytail was fanned out on the floor by her face. Her eyes were screwed shut, and she looked like she was grinding her teeth.

“Good duel,” Alden said. Most people were in the habit of saying that or “good fight” now.

Like a darker version of “good game” after a baseball match. We’ve even got the balls and bat here for this one.

He wanted to offer Olive a hand up, but she wasn’t opening her eyes. “Your illusions are always so cool,” he said.

Still not opening her eyes.

He glanced at Foxbolt. The instructor noticed him, looked at Olive, and then waved him away with one hand.

He jogged across the block to get the temper spheres he’d thrown. If the shards were a problem for the next duelists, Foxbolt could order the gym to sweep them off the floor.

Olive was sometimes a good sport when she lost and sometimes not so much. Alden imagined he was one of the few people she really hoped to beat in a fight like this. Especially since she’d gotten permission to use the bat.

She could have beaten me if we’d fought two months ago. It would have been harder for me today without the wordchain.

Things were changing fast.

As he grabbed the last temper sphere, Foxbolt shouted, “Nice double illusion, Olive! Let’s see you on your feet!”

Olive got on her feet promptly at that, but she didn’t look at Alden once after picking up her bat.

He watched her slouch away.

Well, this one did nothing for my tension.

And…there he is.

Alden looked through a block where Everly was on the run from Sanjay, trying to buy herself enough time to complete the spell that would put an ice patch on the floor. Beyond them, Winston Heelfeather was breezing into the gym like someone who planned to post footage of his entrance later tonight. His smile was easy, and his fingers were running through his blond hair as if it just happened to need a ton of tousling. He’d ditched his sunglasses and his custom sweatbands. Alden assumed there would eventually be a new self-branded accessory to replace them.

His celebrity arrival didn’t take him too long, and Alden, watching it, saw the moment when he stopped thinking more about cameras than everything else in the huge gym. The smile vanished. His eyes turned sharper.

They found Alden so fast that it seemed unlikely it was happenstance.

Alden spun and headed back toward the practice area. He didn’t want a staring contest.

Looks like his mind is on what’s coming up, too.

His tension coiled itself a little tighter.

I really don’t want to lose. Not to him. Not today.

 

******

 

Alden didn’t think he’d have time to improve much about his weapon. One or two tweaks at most. He focused on the balance point. He preferred for it to be close to the center of the handle. With Haoyu’s help as an entruster, he preserved the weapon, lifted it to check the weight, and lowered it. Every time he set it back down he was wrapping a little duct tape around the paracord on the lighter end, just above the spot where the fishing line stuck out.

The fourth time he did it and picked it back up, it seemed right. He carefully balanced the whole thing on two fingers, then one.

“Looks good,” Haoyu said. He was fresh from a duel with Kon. They’d both come over here to watch and encourage.

“Perching fifty kilos on your fingertip is impressive, Alden, but I can move a whole car with my spell. In case you didn’t remember.”

“Such an amazing dolphin-whale man,” said Haoyu. “And I just beat you again, so I’m even better.”

“I’m sea-saying when I cast, for your information. It’s an Artonan thing. I’m not surprised you haven’t heard of it. You don’t even drink from a magic cup.”

“Aren’t dolphins sea-saying, too?” said Haoyu.

Alden set his creation down very carefully and reached for a roll of blue painter’s tape.

“Why are you using two different kinds of tape?” Haoyu asked.

“I’m only using this one to mark the spot where it balances. So my fingers can find it easier. I like the texture of it better than the duct tape.”

Kon squatted beside him. “Should I be offended that you’ve never custom crafted a weapon to defeat me?”

Alden tore the tape from the roll. “If you want to practice against something you think I can do, you should tell me. I’ll try it.”

“You hear that, Haoyu? I can put in requests. Alden and I are besties now that we’ve explored another planet together.”

Haoyu bent over on Alden’s other side.

“Fifty-kilo bonker,” he said, pointing at the weighted end of the weapon. Next, he pointed at the thread that held the weight and handle together. “This lets the bonker fly free?”

“Yes. As long as I have any kind of grip on the handle when I let preservation drop, that thread will snap. It keeps me from losing my whole entrusted object when I do that.”

“Skinny little handle,” said Haoyu, tracing the line of the paracord with a finger then stopping at the fishing line. “Invisible blade.”

“It’s not quite a blade considering how my skill works, but it is hard to see.”

“What do you call it all together?”

“I don’t know. Spear mace? Death baton? Winsterminator?”

“The last one,” said Kon.

“I vote for the last one, too.”

“Maybe we can honor it with that name if I win.”

“Don’t say ‘if’ say ‘when’,” Haoyu commanded.

“Right…when.”

A notification sprang up in front of his eyes as if his interface was answering him.

 

[Dueling Block 1]

[Opponent: Winston, Speed Brute – A]

[Incapacitate your opponent.]

[Kills: Allowed]

 

Alden didn’t realize he’d gone still until Kon said, “Did you get the block assignment?”

“Your expression changed,” said Haoyu.

“I got it.”

They moved a step back to give him room. He carefully pulled the paracord handle as straight as he could.

“Take up your weapon.” Haoyu deepened his voice. “It is time.”

 

******

last week

******

 

Alden bent over to pick up yet another thin red stick he’d accidentally sent flying across the room. He wanted to fall down beside it instead.

Liam Long claimed he was getting a workout, too, but the Brute was still moving just as easily as he had when they started an hour and a half ago. And he was talking so fast while he asked Bobby if she had acquired secret leveling tips from any of her most powerful clients.

She was telling him good levelers were people who stayed motivated and found what worked for them.

“Near death experiences—”

“Are very overrated, Liam,” Alden interrupted. “I leveled fast on Thegund, in chaos. Strengthening your ability to do magic by a few levels isn’t worth it if there’s a chance you won’t survive the experience. Or if you end up so damaged by it that you need years to recover. Go for another method.”

“Listen to Alden,” Bobby said. “He knows what he’s talking about.”

Liam ought to know what I’m talking about, too, after last month. Was one night spent almost dying with his brother and sister not a long enough time period to make a permanent impression on him?

Alden straightened. “Bobby, have you got half an hour’s worth of stuff to explain to me while I have that expensive drink I ordered?”

“I’ve got half a lifetime worth of advice to share with you. Ready for your break now?”

He nodded.

“Is this the break I can’t be around for?” Liam asked.

“It is. Sorry. The focus tool I’ve got should be used with just Bobby in the room. If you want to try out anything here that costs money while you’re waiting you can charge stuff to my account. You’re doing me a favor, so go for it.”

“I’ll probably just see if I can find any famous speedsters around and watch them train.”

Liam stripped off his padding and left.

Alden stepped over to his messenger bag to take out the box that held his study earring. “I could use this with him in the room,” he confessed. “But I was worried he’d make some random comment, my brain would absorb it too well, and it would become part of my subconscious forever.”

Bobby chuckled. “I’d better be careful what I say.”

This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author’s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

A woman from the North of North health center showed up a couple of minutes later to deliver the personalized energy drink Alden had requested last night in preparation for today. It was a service they advertised that he’d never taken advantage of because of the price and the need to plan ahead.

It came in a black bottle with a prescription label, and it tasted gross. But he drained it and soon forgot the bitter flavor on his tongue thanks to the earring and Bobby, who was using video of the many brief encounters he’d just had with Liam to explain how he could improve.

“Is this the correct way to help you when you’re wearing that earring?” she asked at one point. “You’re not talking as much as usual. In fact, you’re not talking at all.”

Alden nodded slowly at her. “Oh…that’s right…I can ask you to explain more about anything.”

“Yes. Like always.”

Everything she’d said was so enlightening it was hard to choose. “The not moving my feet enough part?”

“Once you start trying to maneuver your weapon to meet his strikes, you have a tendency to keep your feet glued in one spot. Is it because you’re focusing too much on your hands right now?”

“I’m not sure.”

“Don’t leave half of your body out of the fight. You and I have been doing all that jumping practice and the parkour. Your feet are good movers, so I don’t want you to let them freeze when you’re under pressure with a weapon in hand. Look at this moment. You’re using your arms so much while your legs are refusing to budge.” She paused. “Let’s try something and see if the earring lets you learn while you’re in motion. I’ll run at you, and you’ll defend yourself with the baton. As I reach you, don’t just twirl your stick and swing your arms to block me. Force yourself to take a step at the same time. Any direction you want. Even a little bounce is fine. What we’re trying to do is remind your legs to stay involved no matter what you’ve got going on with your fingers.”

It turned out that the earring made Alden want to ponder everything too much for sparring. Instead of reacting to Bobby throwing a fist toward him, he just took in the way she was doing it. So they switched tactics, and she showed him how she thought he should have moved against one of Liam’s attacks while he watched her. Then he tried it on his own with and without the earring. Then she showed him again.

By the time Liam was due back, she was fascinated by the earring and trying to determine its potential uses. She made him sit down and watch one of the few bouts he’d won against the speedster three times, telling her new things he’d noticed after each viewing.

“Liam has a hard time not thinking of the weapon as a mace,” he said after the last one. “Or a bat.”