Chapter 390: A Place to Hold [Bonus]

Chapter 390: A Place to Hold

The notice went up on Friday morning, and Lucian found Jin reading it outside their classroom.

"Objective work," he said. "Crowe thinks we’re getting lazy."

"You’ve been making me run before breakfast."

"Some of us are harder to satisfy."

They were paired against Petra Hollis and Owen Saddler. Jin knew Petra’s Brushback Badger from practical lessons: a broad Rank-2 beast that was difficult to move once it settled. Owen had a Gustwing Harrier at the same Rank and a younger Rank-1 hound.

Three beasts each. For once, Flicker wouldn’t be there mainly to watch the approaches.

At three, they gathered in Yard Four, a long field of packed grit divided by low practice barriers. Each team had a flagged home stake inside a chalk circle. Three marker posts stood across the middle, with waist-high boards that could be turned to show either team’s colour.

"An enemy beast touches your home stake, you lose," Crowe said. "Otherwise, whoever holds more markers after twelve minutes wins."

He put his hand on the centre board.

"Three uninterrupted counts to claim. If an enemy beast enters the ring, start again. Markers can change hands as often as you like. Tamers may obstruct and evade; no striking each other."

Petra asked about ranged attacks. Crowe pointed toward the empty strip beyond the field.

"Controlled projectiles, at the output we checked. No sustained breath attacks, no corrosives, nothing aimed at eyes or throats. Whistle means stop."

Jin nodded. Flicker’s permitted Ember Shot had scorched the test pad without penetrating it. She’d wanted to fire another, but he had lowered his hand and made her wait.

Now she shifted eagerly on his shoulder while Lucian checked their plan once more. Glitch would guard home. Kite would keep Owen’s harrier occupied, and Lucian would use his speed to contest the markers. Jin and Flicker would work where they could open space.

The starting horn sent the hound straight down the western side.

Glitch stepped across its path, leaving his tail beside the stake. The hound skidded, backed away and began circling. Jin watched long enough to see that Glitch wasn’t following it out, then moved toward centre.

Lucian claimed west first. Kite and the harrier met above east, and Owen slipped beneath them to turn that board. Petra took centre while her badger settled inside the circle.

Two markers against one.

Jin tried putting Gravity Press beneath the badger’s outer feet. It braced, shuffled farther around the post and stayed inside the chalk. Petra watched him release the pressure.

"She’s comfortable there," she said.

"I noticed."

For several minutes the field kept pulling them apart. When Jin moved east, Petra followed along the centre barrier, ready to intercept him. When Lucian approached her marker, Owen sent the harrier across, forcing Kite to turn with it. The hound kept testing Glitch, darting close enough that he couldn’t leave the stake unattended.

Once Lucian almost reached east while Owen was elsewhere. The harrier dropped into the ring before his third count, and he had to retreat beneath its wings.

With five minutes remaining, Jin stood behind the short western barrier, catching his breath. Flicker landed beside his hand. He could send her into the centre circle, but the badger would only have to sit closer to the board. He needed it to take a step outside.

He watched Petra move to block Lucian again. Her badger turned with her, keeping the post between itself and Jin. Its bristled back offered Flicker very little worth striking.

But every time it turned, its lower flank showed.

Jin pointed out Flicker’s approach and the clear space above the barrier where she should finish. Lucian saw the gesture and stopped trying to get past Petra. He edged west instead, drawing her attention.

Flicker’s first shot struck the badger low on its side. It jerked around, bristles rising, but stayed in the circle. She climbed clear without waiting to inspect the hit.

The second came from the other side. The badger shifted behind the post, giving itself cover.

Petra looked from the bird to Jin and called it closer to the board. Sensible. He couldn’t keep doing this until Flicker ran out of breath.

He sent her on a wider approach. She crossed the edge of the circle with her beak brightening, then climbed along the escape route he’d shown her. The badger lunged toward her before she fired, trying to catch the low pass this time.

Its back feet cleared the chalk.

"Lucian!"

He broke toward centre. Petra turned to block him, but his Stormstep ended beside her rather than in front of her. He stopped cleanly, pivoted past and reached the board.

"One."

The badger wheeled back. Jin set a brief Gravity Press just outside the ring, beneath its committed forestep. Its front legs bent, breaking its stride. He released before it recovered, keeping the pressure well away from Lucian.

"Two. Three."

The board turned blue. The badger crossed the chalk an instant later.

Petra immediately went to reclaim it.

"In," Jin told Flicker.

She landed inside the circle on the far side of the post. Petra’s count stopped. The badger rounded the wood after her, and Flicker lifted clear before it reached her.

Petra put her hand back on the board. Jin was already moving.

He stepped between her and the post, making her go around him. She feinted left, then slipped right so neatly that he nearly followed the wrong shoulder. He recovered without reaching for her, but she had her hand down again.

Flicker returned to the circle. Another interrupted count.

"They can’t do that forever," Owen called.

He was right. Flicker was breathing hard, and Petra had begun watching her landing spot instead of Jin’s feet. A little over three minutes remained.

Lucian called from west. Owen had left east to threaten their first marker while the harrier drove Kite low. Jin couldn’t spare anyone to help him. He stayed beside centre, forcing Petra to work around his body while Flicker caught a few breaths on the barrier.

Then Petra got past him.

Her palm struck the board. Flicker launched, but the badger moved into her approach, making her climb. By the time she found another angle, the board was red again.

Jin swore under his breath. Petra backed away from the post with a tight, satisfied smile.

"One minute," Crowe called.

Across the yard, Lucian still held west. Owen stood near him, too far from east to reach it quickly. The harrier was circling above them both, with Kite close behind.

Jin looked at the unguarded eastern board.

"Kite low!" he called. "Keep it there!"

Lucian answered with a sharp signal. Kite drove the harrier away from its line back to east. Jin ran.

Petra came after him. Her badger left centre, taking the shorter angle across the grit. Flicker crossed its path and put one controlled shot against its shoulder. It checked its stride to turn toward her, then obeyed Petra and kept coming.

The last seconds sounded from Crowe’s timer.

Jin reached east, planted his feet and put his hand on the board. The badger was closing. He held himself still through the count, resisting the urge to turn and stare at it.

On three, he swung the board to blue. The horn sounded before Petra could reach past him.

West and east. Two to one.

Jin stepped back, breathing hard. At their home stake, Glitch stood with the hound crouched several paces away, both of them waiting for a signal that the exercise really was over.

Crowe blew his whistle and checked the boards.

"Vale and Astor. Good change at the end. Hollis, that recapture made them work."

Flicker landed on Jin’s shoulder, warm through his shirt. He offered her his forearm so she could settle without gripping his collar.

"You nearly had us," he told Petra.

"I know." She looked at Flicker. "Seven-Star?"

"Yes."

Petra shook his free hand. "Next time, I’m watching her before she starts firing."

Jin smiled. Flicker tucked one foot up against her feathers, thoroughly pleased to be the subject of the conversation.