Athamar: Ialia's Rivalry (Luth and Mos) [PG-13]

[Lúthien]

PG-13 for some violence, romance, mild language.
^ tis a link

Splash!

The mud splattered on her face and uniform as she broke her fall. Hearing the boys laughter made her knuckles crack as she clenched her hands into fists. Rage boiled in her veins, a feeling that was always triggered by the same group. She wanted to pummel one of them with her shield. After standing on her feet again, she rubbed her hands to get rid of the mud.

"Dwarf! Why don't you go back to your father's manor and learn how to sew or cook like the servants!" The boys laughed again as one of them mocked being a girl.

"My mother was a knight too, you know!" Ialia replied, her hands curling back into fists.

"But I bet she wasn't so short like you, Dwarf!"

Growling in frustration, Ialia stepped forward with her arm back. In momentum, she jabbed the boy right at his nose causing him to squeal in a high pitch voice. Ialia laughed, "You scream like a girl!" The boy glared and panicked as he held onto his bloody nose. "Now get outta here!" As the boy ran off, the rest of his friends surrounded her causing her to look up at them. Her face never once showed fear, only willpower.

"Face it girl, you'll never be a knight! You're damn short and there's no dresses for you to wear."

"Hm, funny! Haven't I defeated you in a sparring match before?" she questioned the other boy who jeered at her. The boy pushed her again causing one of his friends to catch her and throw her on the ground. Yet not one sound of pain slipped from her.

[Cthulhu]

It was a typical scene, a bunch of kids who she had beaten or humiliated before realized they couldn't take her alone so they ganged up on her. Some kid that was watching out in the academy courtyard yelled out "FIIIGHT!" and others started chanting in as the group moved in to start pummeling the young Ialia, in hopes that the group effort would leave little defense for her.

Bastion was in the changing rooms pulling off his practice suit that he had worn in the previous class. That days session for his class year had been about taking a blow and continuing, or taking many successive hits. The handicap had been that each student wore basic light armor. He had done as he normally did, waited after Ialia had gone and did his best to show he was better, he managed to take three more hits before he told the instructor he had had enough.

He removed the chest piece and relaxed as the soreness wore off. Though the moment of relaxing wasn't to last long when he had begun to hear chanting outside. Something about a fight from what he heard. He hadn't removed everything, he still had the left pauldron strapped on, the right gauntlet, and the left shin guard and boot. The rest was his academy uniform. He stepped outside, standing 5'10" one of the taller boys at 15 years old. He moved outside and noticed that an instructor wasn't nearby while the fight was going on.

There was a momentary break in the gang fight when he noticed Ialia was part of it, and the boys around her were ones he knew gave her problems. He stopped one of the kids who was running for an instructor and asked what the terms of the fight were, and was told the kids had ganged up around her and started picking on her. Now he taunted and prodded Ialia, but he in no way approved of an unfair fight.

He ran for the group in the awkward getup he had on and B-lined it for the group.

One kid had knocked Ialia back to the ground and had hold of her by the collar of her shirt and went to punch her when Bastion rammed right into him knocking him into two others and stood in front of Ialia.
"You think this is fair you little punks? Getting together to jump on a beansprout like this?" He put up his left hand and his gauntlet covered right hand and balled his hands into fists. "There is nothing right about this, you want to fight her, then you fight on a little bit more even ground."

They didn't seem intimidated at all as the slightly shorter ones in the group went to jump on Bastion to bring him down into the mud too. The others went around to deal with Ialia.

[Lúthien]

"B-beansprout?!" she struggled to shout as another page pinned her arms, pressing her against the dirt. Opening her eyes, she noticed a few of the boys knocked Bastian into the mud as he defended her. Her lips cracked into a small grin as he fell, only to wince in pain as her hair was being tugged.

"Haha! You can't hide your pain forever!" One of them called out as he continued pulling her hair. Her two braided buns easily becoming undone as the boy ran his fingers through her dark strands. He forcefully made her stand, one hand locked onto her arms and the other wrapped around her hair. Another page stepped forward once he felt Bastian was distracted enough by the others.

Another yelp of pain came from her. The wind was knocked out of her when the page punched her in the stomach. Gasping for air, he laughed, "That's what you get for thinking you're better than us!"

Slowly, she raised her head, "I'm still better than you." The boy growled, raising his fist once again; Ialia stared at him straight in the eyes, waiting for the attack.

"That's enough!" A voice she recognized scolded. The boy that held her knocked her to the ground again, while the other stepped away from her. As she was able to breathe again, her green eyes stared up at Hesper. A man of true chivalry and a man she greatly admired to be like. "Learn to take defeat," he said sternly, "for it will happen to you many times in battle!" His eyes glanced down at Ialia, "Do you need aid, Ialia?"

Her heart skipped a beat as he said her name; she always pictured her father saying her name the same way as Hesper did. As much as she wanted someone to pick her up and carry her home, she couldn't embarrass herself to do it. Ignoring her head throbbing and the lack of air in her body, she stood up with ease. "Not at all, sir."

[Cthulhu]

Bastion had pushed himself up out of the mud, throwing one of the kids, who had sat on top of him, to the ground, and found himself on his feet grabbing two others by the collars and throwing them into the mud where he had been thrown moments before. He took the heel of the metal boot and dug it between one boys shoulder blades, while his other foot swung and caught the other one on the ground right between the legs, right in that little gap between his arse and his family jewels.

Just before Hesper had spoken one of the shortest boys, who was just barely inches taller than Ialia, charged Bastian. The class leader grabbed hold of the boy by the top of his pants and his collar and lifted him up over his head. "Oh no nononononononoooo!" he cried.

"I'm getting tired of you little rats! Can't take someone on by yourselves so you gang up! What kind of knights are you supposed to make for!" children, that's all they'd be.

Bastian was overzealous in the way he fought, having left the one boy he kicked crying in pain as he reached for his pained regions, and his boot remained dug into the other boys back.

He heard Hesper soon enough, his face brightened almost immediately. His one day to be mentor, the knight he idolized was addressing him! Wait, he was talking to him, he had to be, so why was he approaching that little pipsqueak Ialia?

The bulk of the group had run off, save for two Ialia had gotten a hold of and the three Bastian had. "Ah, Ser Hesper! We have the troublemakers here." he said with a smile beeming at the grand knight.

"Put the boy down Bastian." the man said indifferently to the page.

"Gladly sir!"

"Wait Nononononono, Sir Hesper please be more specif...aAAAhhhhh" Bastian had simply moved his arms forward and dumped him to the ground and into the slosh of mud that had been made from the fight.

"You Bastian, what was your part in all of...this." he motioned to the group of boys that had jumped Ialia.

"I was in the changing room removing the practice wear from my previous class when I heard the commotion. I saw these boys attacking Ialia. I didn't think it was right she had no one to even her odds, so I came to help."

"So you joined the fighting, that's all?"

"Yes sir!" he said, quite proud of himself. Surely the famous Hesper would approve of such an action.

"Take these boys to your headmaster to be reprimanded."

"Immediately Ser Hesper." Oh what a day so far!

"And you are to tell him I said you are to join them." Wait a second!

"Sir?" that was odd, he should have been rewarded, thanked, something. Instead he was going to be punished for it?

"Are you deaf boy? You didn't do anything to stop it, you are to be reprimanded as well." the seasonsed Hesper chided the boy.

"What of Ialia! She fought too!" Bastian couldn't help but protest, if he was going down he'd at least take that beansprout with him!

"I doubt she did much to instigate it other than shame the boys in classes. A victim of jealousy is all I see. Now off with you!"

[Lúthien]

Bastian was left with no choice but to obey Hesper's orders. As he and the boys left for their punishments, Ialia waved at Bastian. "I'll see you later!" Her lips curved into a smile as they were gone, she was grateful the fight finally ended. Her eyes peered up at Hesper again.

"Am I to be reprimanded as well, Sir Hesper?" She didn't want to argue with him if such was the case. "I admit, my actions were also childish. I shouldn't have broke the boy's nose."

But damnit, he deserved it, she thought.

[Cthulhu]

Hepser chuckled at Ialia's honesty. Such was something youth was missing these days. "Come walk with me Ialia, I'll escort you to your next class. No one should bother you." He placed a hand on her back as he guided her away from the scene of the fight.

"Lets get you cleaned up little one." his words were not of insult to her size, as the man towered over the growing boys and even the instructors of the Academy, but instead to her youth as she was still barely beginning to mature at 14 years old.

It was a bit of a sight, as students and other pages shot glares at Ialia or just gawked stupidly at the sight as the High Knight Hesper, as he had not yet become Grand Knight Commander.

They had reached the girls barracks of the academy, and Hesper waited outside. "Go get cleaned up little one, I'll wait here."

[Lúthien]

Ialia couldn't help but feel delighted by his company and even speculated that he was going to be her mentor. She was ready to be a squire, his squire, and impress him even more. As much as Bastian bragged about serving under Hesper, she couldn't help but feel he was undeserving of such an honor and hoped it never happened to him.

She needed to surpass Bastian and having Hesper as her mentor was the only way, she thought.

As they reached the girls barracks, she walked inside and into her small chamber room. While there was some days she stood at her parents manor, there was no lord or lady to watch her. So it was the servants duty to take care of the manor until she was of age. She never understood why the servants can't just watch her; perhaps, it wasn't their duty.

Regardless, Ialia changed into a new uniform and fixed her hair. Hesper always told her to braid her hair and leave it in a bun, or else she would have to cut it short. And like any girl, her hair was her pride and joy. She re-braided her hair and twirled it into two low buns, securing it with some pins. Not to keep him waiting long, Ialia left her chamber and walked back outside.

She stood by Hesper as they continued walking, "Sir Hesper, do you think…I'll ever be like my mother and father? Brave, loyal, and…tall?"

[Cthulhu]

The knight did not have many reasons to smile these days. His work and travels often kept him weary, but to hear this girl still look up to her parents example even after their passing brought a smile to his face. He walked with her for a moment as he searched for the right words to give her, though gave a chuckle when she mentioned being tall.

"Ialia, you're parents were fine knights and soldiers. I was proud to serve by them and have them in my command. I have seen knights come and go through these lands and I can tell you without a doubt, the measure of a knight is not in the sword they carry, the armor they wear, or their height." He chuckled as he bent a knee to level with her. "The measure of a knight is in the integrity of their spirit, the strength of their heart and resolve. So long as you serve without question, but keep the knights code, even the smallest of warriors can fell the largest of dragons." He stood again towering over the young girl. He was like a human tower nearly standing at 6'4", and looked like an immovable wall when he wore his armor.

"If you keep to your studies, and keep out of trouble, I know you'll be a fine knight just as they were. You're more like them now than you know child." They continued to walk through the halls and passed by the boys, and Bastian, standing at attention holding up longswords in front of them held close to their chest. They would be made to hold this position for four hours and were not allowed to let the pommel of the sword drop below their sternum. It was a true punishment for pages like themselves as actual blades were still quite heavy to them.

~~~~~~~~~

Classes and training lasted several more weeks, then more classroom studies, then back to training. Three months passed by, Bastian and Ialia had landed themselves as the top two in the class for the year. So much so that the two were nearly on equal ground, though Bastian was stubborn and had put in some last ditch studying to land himself as first in the class.

They were only a week away from the sparring match that the knights of Lorana would watch on, where the graduates would show their skills and would be selected by different knights to squire under to continue their learning on the road to knighthood.

Only the top then of the class were going to be allowed to use blunted swords for the sake of getting used to how the blade felt in the sparring matches. They'd be the ones with the leg up later down the road.

All forty students were in the sparring courtyard, with a practice roster of single match elimination. This was only a practice set up, this would not mean that the real roster a week later would be set up the same way.

Ialia and Bastian were on the opposite end of the pyramid roster. If their skill was equivalent to their knowledge and standing, they'd be in the last round of the practice matches together.

[Lúthien]

Ialia never forgotten the words Hesper told her since that day. It gave her the strength to continue through her classes and her training, no matter how tough it was becoming. Through her motivation to pass Bastian, she became one of the top two pages…along with Bastian. Before she left for her practice sparring match, she needed to check one more time.

One wall was marked with a series of lines, each indicating a past height. Ialia needed to know, she stood in front of it, grabbed a pencil and took down her height. "Please, let there be a change." She put the pencil down and observed her current height. Ialia gave a long exaggerated sigh as there was only a slight increase, but nothing more. She picked up her buckler and wooden sword and left.

--

The day ended with much soreness and bruising from the constant falls and shield bashing. By the time her battle came with Bastian, both were tied with a draw. She laid on her bed after her warm bath, leaving her hair loose and relaxed. Thoughts of doubt filled her mind as the day of her exam drew near. What if Hesper picked Bastian? What if another High Knight picked her instead? Ialia frowned when the questions couldn't escape her head.

No. There was nothing more she wanted. Hesper was going to be her mentor and she made sure of it. "I will practice more tomorrow," she said drowsily as she went to sleep.

[Cthulhu]

The practice sparring matches went on all day under the beating sun from the early morning to the waning evening. The students were rookies at judged fighting and they often had to go several rounds for the instructors satisfaction until he felt they had done enough.

Ialia and Bastian blew through their matches, both forces to be reckoned with. Their opponents tried to put up a good defense but they were eventually just overpowered. It was finally their turn, Ialia against Bastian.

Their match went on for a while. They exchanged blows again and again, though Ialia's were more rage driven as Bastian began to taunt her about her size. Asking if she could even reach him with her sword from way down where she stood, only for her to smack him across the helmet with it.

In the end, their match ended in a draw with both of them falling, panting completely exhausted from their match.

~~~~~

Weeks later it was the day of the graduation matches. Knights from Lorana from all around had been called back to attend the sparring matches and choose their next apprentices. Hesper was there among the group, and knights who had been apprenticed to him sat next to him there to choose their first squires.


Match after match, Ialia and Bastian dominated climbing up. Though Bastian nearly had himself removed from the matches when he refused to let his opponent concede. He had surrendered but Bastian continued to give blow after blow to him, saying a true knight should rather die than surrender.

In the past few months Bastian had managed to make a better impression on Hesper, possibly making the knight even consider him. This action however left the famous knight shaking his head at the scene.