16. Whet’s Edge

Darius had a neat setup and put us at ease right away. I’d never noticed, but there were several smaller event rooms off the main buffet area. Darius seemed to have taken over one of the rooms permanently, which let him really set the scene for his guests. He had a comfortable white chair for himself and a plush white couch for his guests. Around that, he’d placed side tables and some plants to break up the height. The backdrop was a screen that was currently showing a beautiful outside view of the Palace, although I’m sure it could be used to show other pictures and views that helped tell a story.

This definitely wasn’t a cheap interviewing setup. I felt like I was walking onto the set of Ellen or TheKelly Clarkson Show. Gold Trim had said that Darius was struggling to gain traction as an interviewer. This setup didn’t reflect that at all.

Then I looked closer and realized that this was all creative applications with buffet elements. The side tables were the same stands that held the specialty foods, and they were covered in tablecloths to give them a bit more presence. The plants were also from the buffet area, and the rug on the floor looked like it had come from a cabana.

Whoever had set this place up was a genius. It looked chic and professional, and not at all like it was built from scavenged elements.

Darius greeted us warmly, although he seemed startled when Gold Trim pulled him in close and kissed him.

“They know?” he asked.

“They know,” Gold Trim replied happily. That led to a round of hugs, started by Annabeth, of course, and ended with Darius looking even more relaxed and comfortable.

The two of them were adorable together. They flashed those ‘couple’ glances at each other that conveyed so much without having to say a word, and they smiled at each other all the time. Originally, I wasn’t sure how their relationship would work because they both seemed outgoing and were so good with people. That usually doesn’t work well, as both sides of the relationship try to hog the spotlight—making for some explosive arguments and a crap ton of drama.

Seeing the two of them together, it was clear that Darius was the charismatic leader and Gold Trim was the detail-oriented follower. Watching them made me think about Tyler and me. Was he the leader or was I? I certainly seemed to attract most of the drama. Our dynamic was different, as he supported me in whatever I was up to, and yet, he was my teacher when it came to the martial arts. Regardless of why we worked, I was very grateful and happy that Tyler and I blended so well together.

I followed that thought up by giving Tyler a hug and kiss of my own. I breathed in his scent and gave him an extra good squeeze. My man was fine!

Tyler gave me a questioning look, but I just smiled and shook my head. It was time to move on and get this interview show on the road.

Now that we were acquainted and in good hands, Gold Trim—Babekh—left us to head back to his normal duties. Since we were on hugging terms, I really needed to start calling him by his name. It’s just that Gold Trim was such a fun nickname and it fit him perfectly.

Darius invited us to get started, with Annabeth and me on the sofa and the rest of our small crew as the audience. The couch was comfortable, and the lighting was just right. I started feeling a bit nervous now that I was on stage, but Annabeth took my hand and I relaxed some.

“Greetings and welcome to The Darius Show!” Darius started us off with a refreshing burst of energy and a dazzling smile. He wasn’t speaking to us, though. Instead, he was projecting to a ball of magic that I could only assume was the camera. Actually, it looked like there were two of them—one angled to get a good shot of us and one angled to cover him.

“Today we are joined by our friends Jason and Annabeth of Team House Louisville. I’ll ask all the questions that you”re dying to know, such as ‘what is life in a House really like?’ and ‘how does it feel to set the record for last place?’ For now, though, let”s get to know the team better.”

He turned to us with a welcoming smile.

“Annbeth, let’s begin with you. I hear you’re a grandmother. Is that true?”

That was the perfect question to ask, as Annabeth loved her family and she could talk about them all day. She couldn’t actually be with them because the Fog of Jonah messed with their heads and drove them crazy, but that didn’t mean she’d stopped thinking about them all the time.

Darius asked me a few questions too, and I talked about being gay and my life as a poker player. Then, once he was satisfied that he had captured us as individuals, he started inquiring about the House.

“So I have to ask, and I’m dying to know, what’s it like living in a hole? And how does that work? Is the House underground?”

We both laughed, and Annabeth took the lead.

“The House isn’t a hole, silly. That’s just a rumor that I imagine has been started by someone who has never been to a House. It makes the House sound like a dark, damp place. It’s nothing like that. Instead, it”s a magical space where mages can grow and learn in a safe environment. The best part about it is that the space can grow and change to suit the needs of the Houseguest.”

She then started talking about all the changes she’d made to her home and how she’d taken pictures from magazines and turned it into a Tuscan paradise. Her home really was wonderful, and she sold me all over again on just how amazing the House was.

I got a chance to talk about my walk-thru shower, my kitchen that had everything I could possibly want, my theater, and my game room. I even talked about the cat beds on wheels that Bermuda and Mr. Tubbles used to whiz around the House.

Even though life as a mage had been exciting and dangerous, the House had always been good to me. I felt like talking up how amazing it was to live there was a way of paying it back. It certainly didn’t deserve the crappy reputation Nebby and his cabal were trying to give it.

As we talked, Darius looked more and more flabbergasted.

“You both seriously have all that?” he queried.

We nodded.

“You aren’t pulling my leg?” He seemed like he wanted to believe us, and yet, it was just too much like a fantasy.

“The House is picky about who it lets in, just like every other school,” Annabeth said, “but once you join, it is an amazing place to be.”

Darius looked thoughtful, and I wondered if he was going to ask if he and Babekh could join up after they bought their freedom. This wasn’t the time for that conversation, though, and he quickly gathered himself and directed the interview towards the quest we’d just finished.

“So how in the world did you both end up in last place?” he asked. “And not just in the back of the pack—we are talking about a score so negative it set a record!”

“Well, we helped a few people,” Annabeth said, and then explained the lights showing the exit as well as getting the crowd on the main road organized.

“If you had it all to do over again, would you do the same?” Darius asked.

“Heck, no!” I laughed. “We didn’t know how the scoring worked, so we just did the best we could with the information we had. We come from a House where mages support and help each other as much as possible. We could only be true to who we are. Obviously, that saved a bunch of mages and landed us in a deep hole.

“We want to win, just like everyone else. So if we could go back, knowing what we know now, we would certainly do things differently. We’d probably still help some of the individual teams we came across, but we wouldn’t have helped everyone the way we did.

“It’s just that once the giant orcs appeared on the scene, we thought that teams were really dying. There was no way we could stand by and let that happen.”

Darius led us into talking about the orcs. He wanted to know how horrible they really were and how it had felt to actually be there in front of an orc portal. We talked about our feelings and experiences, but we were careful not to talk about our actual fighting abilities.

Finally, the interview concluded, and Darius turned the cameras off. The rest of our crew joined us on the set, and Darius assured us that the interview had gone very well and he had plenty of material to work with.

“Is the House really like that?” Darius asked.

“It is,” Sandy nodded. “When you and Babekh are ready to leave the Palace, you are more than welcome to come to Louisville. As the Head of House Louisville, I’m offering you both an official invitation to join us. As long as the House agrees, you are always welcome with us.”

“I thank you for your generous offer,” Darius smiled. “I must admit, I never in my wildest dreams thought I’d be considering joining a House. However, I’m now beginning to view your organization in a whole new light. I’d have to talk it over with my partner, of course, and we still have time. But I am grateful that you have welcomed us.”

We would have talked more, but Darius’ next team showed up. He needed to reset and get ready for his interview, so we said goodbye and headed out. Sandy suggested we head to the fair and see what was available. We needed to learn about Paths anyway, per our agreement with Rene.

Since this was everyone’s rest day, the fair was jam-packed with mages. Everyone seemed in good spirits, and the din of conversation was loud enough we had to practically yell at each other to be heard. Fortunately, the booths were set up the same as they had been at the Gathering, with a fancy entranceway and a much larger interior.

I saw a familiar Sword-in-the-Stone-themed entrance, and Tyler suggested we step inside.

“Annabeth, Jason, you both have experimented with changes in your fighting styles, and I think this would be an excellent time to have an evaluation by a trainer who is well versed in many weapons and styles.

“Annabeth, you’ve been working with a shillelagh/dagger combo in the beach arena and here at the tournament. It’s worked out so far, but I’d like to look at your ratings and see if the trainer has any suggestions. Since you have started using weapons, I’d like you to take some time today and try out some new possibilities. Maybe a single long sword or two short swords would suit you better. Try out two smaller war hammers and see if they work too. You’re at the beginning of your weapons journey, so if you’re going to make a switch, then after this tournament would be a good time.

“Jason, you’ve only just gotten your spikes, so it will be interesting to see how they rate against Annabeth’s dagger. You’ve been fighting hand to hand, which makes sense considering all the advantages Red gives you as well as the size limit on your magic. Now that you have figured out how to make larger creations, I’d like you to consider different weapons and see if the extra reach is something that appeals to you.

“It’s possible that you both are rated highly and you’ll stick with what you currently have. But it certainly can’t hurt to look at all your options.”

Then he looked at John and Sandy.

“This is probably going to take a while. If you both want to do something else, now would be the time to head out. I don’t want you both to get bored.”

“Absolutely not,” Sandy said firmly. “I’m very proud of our two youngest Housemates, and I can’t wait to see how they rank.” She turned to me and Annabeth. “Don’t you worry. I’ll be right by your side cheering you on the whole way. I know you both are going to be fantastic, and whatever weapons you decide on will be a gift from our House.”

“Speaking of gifts,” John rumbled, “after you two do your thing, I think I might wander around and check out the selection myself.”

Sandy looked surprised. “Are you thinking about something to fight with, or are you considering making weapons?”

“Maybe both,” John shrugged. “It can’t hurt to look.”

I felt nervous about being tested, as I wasn’t sure what it would entail and how I would do. I also wondered how it would compare to the ratings the House provided for our workouts on the beach.

On the other hand, I was excited to try out some different weapons. After all, who doesn’t love swinging a sword? Or maybe I’d go all Thor and wield a hammer. Or maybe I’d spin a staff like the Monkey King. The possibilities felt endless!

My musing was interrupted by a burly man who looked like he bent horseshoes for fun.

“Greetings, fair travelers. Welcome to the Whet’s Edge! We boast the finest natural weapons and armor that money can buy. We have all manner of shields, armor, swords, polearms, ranged weapons, and even exotics. If you want to stab ’em or stop ’em, we have what you need.”

Having said all that, he then switched to helpful sales mode.

“So, what are you searching for today?”

“We want to start with short swords for Annabeth,” Tyler replied. “After that, we’ll take a look at the rest of your collection to see if something matches up for Jason.”

“Most certainly,” the man said smoothly and switched his focus to Annabeth. “Is the fair lady already familiar with short swords and their varieties?”

“Not really,” Annabeth said. “I usually summon a dagger as one of my weapons, but during our last quest I modified it to be a bit longer. I’d be happy to look at some varieties and see if anything fits me better.”

“That sounds like an excellent plan,” the shop friend said helpfully. “All of our weapons are meant to be used and tested. I recommend you wield them against our dummies to see how they will perform for you in the heat of battle. We also have trainers to assist you with your techniques. They can show you the basics for free or provide advanced instruction for a reasonable fee.”

As the shop friend led us along, I couldn’t help but look around with fond memories. This had been the first shop we’d stopped at in the fair at the Gathering. I hadn’t even known that shops could be so big on the inside, or even what a shop friend was. It wasn’t that long ago, but looking back, I seemed so innocent.

The area with the larger swords was very busy, as that’s what most mages wanted to fight with. The section for the short swords was a lot less crowded, and Annabeth had only just started looking when a trainer joined us.

He looked so handsome and lifelike that I had to do a double take. Nope, he was also a shop friend, although obviously a lot more specialized.

“Greetings, fair lady,” he bowed. “You’ve made a wise choice to start your search for weapons mastery with the short sword. While not as romantic as its longer cousin and obviously with a shorter reach, it nevertheless has excellent speed and versatility in a fight. Many opponents have discounted the short sword, only to fall in surprise to its deadly grace. Has any particular style of short sword caught your eye?”

Annabeth told him about changing her summoned dagger into a short sword and that she was just at the start of her mastery of that type of weapon.

“Ahhh, yes,” the trainer said sagely. “Morphing one weapon into another can cause some peculiar results. Fortunately, we have many templates with which you can become familiar. What PiCuBB mode were you using with your dagger?”

Annabeth looked at him in confusion. “I’m not sure what you are asking.”

“May I?” the trainer asked, motioning to his Bank Stamp. Annabeth nodded. The trainer tapped Bank Stamps with her, looked at her status screen, and then nodded thoughtfully. “I see you are a first-year student with no rating, so it makes sense you haven’t heard of the basic system of weapons classification.”

He clasped his hands in front of him and settled into teaching mode. “At the most basic level, weapons are designed to do at least one of four things: pierce, cut, bash or block. The acronym commonly used for this is PiCuBB, and you can define a weapon by how well it does any of these four things. Before we get into short swords, let me give you obvious examples of each mode so you can gain a clearer understanding.”

The trainer was talking to Annabeth, but I leaned forward in interest. My puzzle-solving side was fascinated and eager to hear more.

“Let’s start with the simplest example, which is blocking. I’m sure that you understand the concept of stopping or diverting force, and a shield is the main example of this mode.”

The trainer called for a dummy, and a faceless humanoid-looking figure walked over to us. It was about six feet tall and made up of some smooth white substance that looked a bit like rubber. Although we were in the short sword section, there was a wide mix of other items here, and the trainer picked up a simple round shield and handed it to the dummy. The dummy strapped it on its arm as the trainer picked up a short sword.

“Ready?” he asked, and then lunged with the short sword as soon as the dummy nodded. He hacked and stabbed at the dummy in a lazy fashion as the dummy easily blocked all his attacks.

He didn’t attack for very long, but instead, stopped and turned to Annabeth.

“That is blocking. Understood?” She nodded.

He set down the short sword and next picked up a large hammer. “I will now demonstrate bashing,” he said and swung the hammer at the dummy.

To my complete surprise, the dummy didn’t block at all. Instead, it let the hammer hit, and its form crumpled like the trainer had done actual damage. I winced in sympathy as the trainer continued to beat the crap out of it. It wasn’t long before the trainer landed a solid blow and knocked the dummy off its feet. At that point, he stopped and turned back to Annabeth again.

“Hammers and clubs are the most common examples of bashing weapons. They are particularly deadly, as the goal is to transmit as much force as possible to the target. If done correctly, the force from a bashing weapon will pass through armor and shields and cause massive internal damage. Understood?”

Annabeth nodded again, and I found myself nodding with her. I knew what all the words meant, of course, but seeing the modes in action added a whole other level of understanding.

“Reset,” he commanded, and the dummy got back to its feet. Its form popped out again, and within a few seconds, it looked like it had never been hit at all. I was also happy to note that it seemed completely unconcerned about the damage it had taken.

“Now, let’s examine cutting,” the trainer said and picked up a short sword with a curved blade and a single sharp edge. He laid into the dummy with smooth swings and quickly sliced the heck out of it. “The goal of cutting is to cause structural damage to your opponent”s soft tissue. If you sever the muscles in his arm, he can’t swing his own weapon. If you cut the muscles in his legs, he can’t stand against you. Its secondary purpose is to cause massive blood loss. After all, more duels are won through blood loss than any other type of damage.”

The dummy was looking really rough by this point. One arm was barely hanging on, and both of its legs had large chunks hacked out of them. “Reset,” the trainer said, and once again, the dummy reformed. It picked up the parts of itself that had landed on the ground and absorbed the rubber, or whatever it was, back into its form.

The trainer turned back to Annabeth. “Most people think of swords when I mention cutting, but axes are an excellent weapon for this mode of damage as well. Understand?”

We nodded.

“And now let’s see the last mode of damage—piercing.” This time he selected a thin, light short sword with a sharp tip. Without hesitation, he drove the short sword through the dummy’s heart.

“Piercing weapons work best when your opponent is lightly shielded and has relatively easy to reach vital organs. In the right situations, piercing is the most deadly of all modes and can end a fight faster than any other weapon type.”

He ripped the short sword out of the dummy’s heart and stabbed it into its brain.

“On the other hand, piercing weapons are typically terrible at defense, and your fights can quickly end with one well-placed cut or bash. Understand?”

We both nodded.

“Now that you’ve got the basic idea of PiCuBB, let”s look at some weapons, and you can tell me what mode they are best at. Let’s start with this one.”

He picked up what I considered to be a basic short sword like they use in the movies. It was thick and had a bit of a point, but quickly flared out to full width. Both sides of the short sword were fairly sharp, but it had nicks in the edges, and it didn’t look like it would cut very well.

“What mode is this used for?” he asked Annabeth.

“It’s a trick question,” I blurted out before I could help myself. Then I felt embarrassed. This was Annabeth’s lesson, not mine.

The trainer gave me a sharp look.

“May I have access to your weapons stats?” he requested.

“Yes,” I agreed. Then I sent a quick message to my Bank Crystal to make sure those were the only stats we shared.

We tapped Stamps. He checked out my stats, and then he gave a welcoming smile.

“Ah! Another first year with no ratings yet. Welcome! Join us and tell me what you think of this weapon.”

I gave Annabeth a questioning look, but she just smiled and motioned for me to answer.

“It has a point,” I said, “but the weapon is too heavy to move quickly, and the tip flares out too fast to be a good piercing weapon. It has two cutting edges, but they aren’t very sharp, and there isn’t any curve to the blade to allow for the best cutting surface. The weapon is thick and heavy, so it could be used for blocking, but you’d need to be careful not to block with the edge of the blade or it would get more nicks than it already has.

“Basically, this is a weapon that tries to be a good all-arounder. It has the modes of pierce, cut, and block, but it probably isn’t the best at any of them.”

“Very good!” the trainer exclaimed. “You’ve captured the essence of this weapon’s abilities. It’s a good all-around training weapon to help develop your reflexes and your physical conditioning. However, it would not be a good weapon to actually fight with.”

Annabeth gave me a little happy clap for doing well, and the trainer looked at both of us approvingly.

“I think you both would do very well in my advanced class. You seem to be picking up the basics very quickly, so I’m sure you would see some real improvement with some extra training.”

‘I’m sure this advanced class isn’t free,’ my Analytical Side remarked.

‘You got that right,’ I agreed. ‘It’s never too early to start upselling the customer.’

“Now, let’s look at a few more examples before we move on,” the trainer said and guided us towards the short swords he was probably trying to actually sell.

The idea of PiCuBB was simple, but I now looked at the short swords in a whole new light. It was easy to pick out which short swords would be good for which styles of fighting. Some of them were focused on one mode of damage, but many of them were trying to blend two of them together with some degree of success. There was even a short sword that looked like a baton, and it was clearly trying to work a block and bash combo.

Annabeth was having a good time answering the trainer’s questions, so I took a moment to look around at all the other areas and the weapons that they had on display. Some weapons had gotten really creative at mixing up the modes. For example, there was a spear with a blade on the end. I think it was called a glaive, and it combined cutting and piercing damage at a distance.

One thing I found intriguing was a war hammer with a spike for piercing on one side and a flat surface for bashing on the other. It looked like it could easily punch through armor or smash in a helmet.

“Before we continue, I’d like to address the most common question I hear from younger mages,” the trainer pulled my attention back to him, “and that is why these are called weapons templates. Why don’t mages actually fight with real weapons?”

He went over and picked up a very sad looking sword. It was blackened, warped, and the tip was missing.

“This is what a mundane weapon looks like after it’s gone up against a manifested magical weapon,” he said. “As you can see, mundane weapons don’t hold up very well. Additionally, most mages have some sort of defense, whether it is a shield charm or a self-made construct. Regular weapons will eventually wear a shield out, but it takes a lot more work than with a magical weapon. A mage that fights with mundane weapons will almost always lose.”

He gave us a sharp look, and we both nodded.

“Mundane weapons are most useful for helping you develop your own magical weapon. They give you something physical to work with. Something you can use to get used to your weapon’s reach, its weight, how it moves, and how it blocks. Becoming proficient with a weapon is your road to mastery. The mage who knows his weapon the best almost always wins the fight.

“That is why coming to a place like the Whet’s Edge is so valuable. We have the widest selection of weapons, so you can pick out a template that fits you perfectly. After that, we have trainers who can help you learn the basics of defense and attack for those that are just starting out. For our more seasoned mages, we have master trainers who will challenge you and provide instruction all the way up to grandmaster levels.”

He looked hopefully at the rest of our crew. They were listening to what he was telling us, but they didn’t seem that enthusiastic about training, so he smoothly turned back to me and Annabeth.

“Before we get down to the selection process, I want to ask if you already have a weapon you’ve manifested? I would normally say that was impossible for a first year, but you are both still in the tournament, so I have to assume you are wielding some sort of weapon.”

“Yes, indeed,” Tyler spoke up. “That is why we are here today. Annabeth has a dagger she has morphed into a short sword as well as a shillelagh. Jason specializes in hand-to-hand combat as well as utilizing a set of spikes. I was hoping you could provide an evaluation for both of them and suggest any improvements in their manifested weapons. You are the expert after all.”

The trainer modestly waved away the compliment, but I could tell he enjoyed being acknowledged as the expert.

“We would, of course, be happy to purchase any weapons you honestly recommend as well as compensate you for your time and experience.” Tyler flashed a dazzling smile at the trainer, who was clearly drawn in by his charm. Compliments and compensation? I’m sure that was music to his ears.

“Well then, let us begin,” the trainer said grandly. “How about we start with the fair lady? We are in the short sword section after all. Let’s see the dagger you’ve grown into something longer. Don’t worry if it takes a moment to manifest, and don’t worry about how it looks. Practice with the right template brings speed and quality. As your teacher said, you are here to learn and grow.”

He nodded at Tyler like they were the wise and learned men in the room. Tyler played along and gave him a wise nod back. His eyes twinkled, though, so I knew he was having fun.

“Of course,” Annabeth said happily. I think she simply tuned out all the patronization. Sometimes she was too sweet for words.

She held out her hand, and a split second later, she was holding her dagger turned short sword. The trainer looked startled.

“Oh! Goodness. That was certainly quick. The fact that you can manifest a weapon at all as a first year speaks to your talent. The speed at which you summoned it makes me think you’re going to have a bright future ahead of you.”

For the first time, the trainer seemed genuinely curious about us. He’d been in sales mode before, but Annabeth’s display had piqued his interest.

I’d seen Annabeth’s weapon before, of course, but now I looked at it through the lens of PiCuBB. Her weapon was built for piercing first, as the blade was shaped like a long, narrow triangle. It was also made for cutting, as the blade continued to widen all the way down to the hilt. That allowed for a solid foundation while slicing.

“These dummies are rated between thirty and a hundred,” the trainer explained apologetically, although I had no idea what those numbers meant. “I’m afraid we didn’t bring any of our easier dummies this time. We wanted to provide the best experience for the average tournament participant and lower level teachers. I never thought I’d be evaluating a first year.”

“I’m sure it will be just fine,” Tock spoke up. He flew off my shoulder and hovered in front of the trainer. “This team is quite exceptional. Annabeth can more than handle anything you ask of her.”

He sounded quite proud, and once again the trainer seemed startled.

“You must be happy for your team,” the trainer replied diplomatically. “Especially since they made it through the first quest. I heard the survival rate was exceptionally high this round, but even so, for first years, that is an excellent accomplishment.”

“My team is the reason there were so many survivors,” Tock continued. I guess he still wanted to brag about us, which was sweet. He briefly talked about lighting up the exit and getting the teams organized. The trainer made agreeable noises, but it seemed like he really just wanted to move the story along.

“So, you’re also good at organization,” he said to Annabeth. “That’s a wonderful skill to have and will serve you well in life.” His words were nice, but his tone indicated that it didn’t involve fighting or weapons, so he couldn’t care less.

“Now, let”s test your piercing abilities first. I want you to stab the dummy in its chest as hard as you can. The dummy will measure how well your strike penetrates its body. Don’t be discouraged if it feels tough and doesn’t sink in very far. Like I mentioned, the dummy’s lowest rating is a thirty, and that is a lot higher than a beginner can handle.”

He gave her a kind look and then turned to the dummy.

“Reset. Pierce test. Level 30.”

The dummy settled into a firm, but neutral stance, and offered his chest to Annabeth.

“Are you ready?” she asked.

The dummy nodded.

Without hesitation, Annabeth jabbed at the dummy, sinking her short sword in and out in one smooth motion.

The trainer blinked in surprise and looked at her like he was still waiting for her to start.

“Would you do that again?” he asked.

Annabeth sunk her short sword into the dummy’s chest, but this time she waited a moment before pulling it out. Her motion was smooth, and her weapon easily penetrated the dummy’s rubbery chest.

The trainer just stared at her.

“You have passed level thirty,” he said finally. “Let’s increase the difficulty to level 40.”

He reset the dummy, and once again, Annabeth stabbed it. She still made it look smooth, but this time it didn’t look as effortless. The dummy was clearly offering a much higher level of resistance.

“You’ve passed level 40,” the trainer said. He sounded slightly offended—like he thought she was cheating, but he couldn’t see how. “Let’s try level 50.”

This time her short sword only penetrated about half way.

“How hard should I stab?” she asked. “I’m not sure how much of this test is about my weapon and how much is my strength.”

“Feel free to stab with as much force as you can,” the trainer replied. “You are correct that this test measures both your weapon and your physical force. After all, when you’re fighting, it’s your overall effective piercing ability that wins the match.”

Annabeth nodded to show she understood and tried again. This time she added a “Pow” behind it and sank her short sword to the hilt. She had a satisfied grin as she pulled it free.

The trainer stared at her again, then he gave her a deep bow.

“Young lady, you have impressed me beyond all measure,” he said sincerely. “I’ve tested many young mages, and never, in all my years, have I seen someone who is so young do so well. These results are exceptional.”

Annabeth gave him a happy smile, but she didn’t seem overly impressed with herself.

The trainer paused as if searching for the right words.

“I don’t think you even know how remarkable your rating is. I would expect to train a mage for several years on both their technique and their weapon before they could reach level 50. It is unheard of that you would be able to summon a weapon that good, or be able to generate that much force, as a first year. You are truly an exceptional individual, and I look forward to seeing just how high of a level you can reach.”

He bowed again.

“Let the testing continue,” he stated grandly. “Level 60!”

“Before you do that,” I interrupted, “I need to borrow Annabeth for a moment.”

I grabbed her arm and pulled her to the side so we could talk without the trainer overhearing. He didn’t seem happy, but he’d survive.

“Do you have the force rune on your dagger?” I asked. “When I was looking at it in the warehouse, I was focused on how sharp it was. It didn’t even occur to me to check for the rune.”

“Don’t hurt its feelings,” Annabeth said playfully. “It”s all grown up now, so you have to call it a short sword. Or Ms. Sword if you’re nasty.”

I laughed.

“Okay then. Does Ms. Sword have the force rune stamped on her leather?”

“You are a nasty boy,” Annabeth chuckled, trying to sound like Janet Jackson. “And to answer your question, she might.”

“She might?” I was puzzled.

“I put what I thought was the force rune on the hilt,” Annabeth explained, “but I’m not sure I got it right. It doesn’t sound like you do when you’re punching, so I think I might have gotten it wrong.”

“Ahh, that makes sense,” I said. “Let me check and see what you have.”

I was very familiar with the force rune and a couple of its variations. I’d done a lot of searching to get the base rune, followed by a delightful game of Stop-the-Sandball on the beach. The sight of my Grannies wielding my Ass Blasters like Nerf guns was one of the highlights of my magical journey so far.

Annabeth passed over her sword charm again, and this time I zoomed in to look at the hilt. The four-birds quick-version of the force rune was there, although none of the proportions were right. I think it was more from Annabeth trying to work at this small scale, rather than that she didn’t know how to make the force rune. After all, she’d been there when I’d refined it.

I used her magic to make the changes in the glass template and was going to zoom out again, when I had another thought. The rune in the base seemed like it would be great for thrusting, but what about for cutting?

That seemed like it would work best if I added the force rune as an etching in the blade. That was easy to accomplish, and then I zoomed out and told Annabeth all about it.

“That is much better,” she said when she summoned Ms. Sword. “I can hear the force rune now.” The force rune still wasn’t as clear as I wanted, so I corrected it and had her summon Ms. Sword a few more times until it was right.

“Thank you so much, Jason,” she said, giving me a quick hug. “I’d meant to ask you about this earlier, but it always seemed like we had something else going on. Anyway, level 60, here I come!”

We returned to the trainer, and he gave us a questioning glance.

“Jason made a suggestion on how I could tweak my weapon,” she explained without really telling him anything. “Are you ready for level 60?”

“Yes, we are,” the trainer said, motioning for her to strike the dummy.

Annabeth used a “Pow” to sink her short sword into the dummy’s chest and, even though the testing level was higher, it seemed like Annabeth had an easier time of it. The force rune was working.

“That was surprising,” the trainer said. He’d obviously noticed the difference too. “Can you do that again?”

“Certainly,” Annabeth said confidently. The trainer reset the dummy, and Annabeth pierced it again.

The trainer shook his head in wonder.

“Whatever you two worked out in your chat is certainly going to enhance your score. Is there anything else you’d like to change before we continue?”

“I think I’m good,” Annabeth said confidently. “Let’s try for 70.”

“Before you do, I want you to know that the difference in levels is not linear,” the trainer said. “So the degree of difficulty between level 60 to level 70 will be much greater than it was between 50 and 60. I want to set your expectation, as climbing these upper levels of difficulty will be much harder.”

Annabeth nodded that she understood and then stabbed the dummy. Despite adding the force rune, it was quite a bit tougher. The trainer upped the difficulty to level 80, and this time Annabeth had to throw a “Boom” behind Ms. Sword to get her to stick.

Level 90 was too much. She just couldn’t penetrate the dummy’s exterior. The trainer moved the test back to level 81 and worked up from there. Annabeth topped out on her own at 83, but the trainer started coaching her at that point and together they got up to her final level of 85.

According to the trainer, Annabeth was still using her short sword like it was a dagger, and she needed to change her grip and her stance slightly to compensate for the longer weapon. I chuckled mentally, as basically this was a timing issue, just like my Spikes. Knowing when the resistance is going to start on a strike is crucial for maximum damage.

The whole time he was coaching her, the trainer was pimping his personalized weapons training. He seemed fascinated with Annabeth and her ability, but he wasn’t about to miss the opportunity for an upsell. Annabeth laughed and was just her sweet little self, and the trainer seemed to find he couldn’t stop himself from teaching her. He suggested exercises for strengthening her wrists and perfecting her thrust.

He also imparted the philosophy of the Piercing Warrior. It basically boiled down to three things: don’t get hit, look for weakness in their defense, thrust often.

The trainer suggested a nice “template” short sword that almost perfectly matched Ms. Sword, and Sandy purchased it for her. Our shop friend, who I’d almost forgotten was still with us, haggled with Sandy over the price. Once they had an agreement, he took care of the transaction and said he would make sure it was delivered back to our suite.

Tyler tipped the trainer for his evaluation and advice so far, which made him happy. Then he got the show moving again.

“I know we’ve been focusing on Annabeth’s piercing ability, but her weapon can cut as well,” Tyler said. “I’d also like her to get evaluated in that area.”

“We don’t have to do that,” Annabeth said quickly. “I feel like we’ve already spent so much time on me.”

“Young lady, this is more than just ‘spending time’ and getting a number.” The trainer sounded a little miffed. “This is an Official Evaluation.”

He said that like it was a big deal, but Annabeth just looked at him blankly.

“I’m an officially Certified Trainer, and I am qualified to evaluate and teach up to level 250,” he declared proudly. “My rating today will become a part of your permanent profile, which means you can go to any other qualified trainer and they can review my notes and continue your training. I’m shocked you haven’t been evaluated yet, but this is a big deal for you today.

“Reaching level 85 is a huge milestone for any warrior, and if you were my student, I would throw you a party and celebrate your achievements. Since we are in the setting of a fair, all I can do is provide an honest evaluation and include as many notes as possible for your next trainer.”

He paused to let Annabeth take in the significance of the moment.

“I have to let you know that performing your first evaluation is a career high for me. I’ve performed thousands of these over the years. I’ve met many minor prodigies and students that thought they were prodigies. Today, I”m proud to say that I am in the presence of a true prodigy, and as your first evaluator, I get to claim I discovered you. I get to tell the story of when I first met Annabeth and how amazing she already was in her first year.”

He gave her a deep reverent bow.

“You honor me today, and I will be following your career throughout this tournament and beyond. Now, shall we see to your evaluation for cutting? I must admit, I’m excited to see how this will turn out, but I must also caution you. Secondary attributes are never as high as primary ones. Often they are half of the main one and sometimes less.”

“I understand, and thank you for all your help!” Annabeth said happily, then she hugged him. He looked like he hadn’t been hugged in a long time and was touched by the gesture. I guess even professional apparitions appreciate a little love and support.

“Yes. Well…” He huffed like this wasn’t warrior-like at all, but he looked happy. “Let’s begin your cutting evaluation. Dummy, reset. Cutting evaluation. Level 30.”

The dummy settled into a firm neutral stance and extended its right arm.

“Annabeth, you want to strike his arm and inflict as much damage in one strike as possible. You pass a level if you deliver enough damage to incapacitate the limb. Be aware that the dummy will keep his arm stiff, but it won’t be completely firm. You’ll need to provide the speed and focus to make your strike effective. Understand?”

Annabeth nodded.

“Then let us begin.” The trainer motioned for Annabeth to strike the arm.

I think she was a bit nervous as she summoned Ms. Sword and then took a deep breath. She let it out, took another deep breath, and then her short sword flashed out.

In one smooth move, she cut off the dummy’s arm.

“That certainly counts as incapacitating a limb,” the trainer laughed. “I wasn’t sure how this was going to go, but with you, I shouldn’t have worried.”

“Are you sure this doesn’t hurt you?” Annabeth asked as she picked up the severed limb and handed it back to the dummy. It took the arm and reattached it as it shook its head. It gave a slight bow, as if to say ‘thanks for the concern,’ and then held out its arm again.

“Don’t worry,” the trainer said. “These things are built to fight and get injured all the time. He took my money at poker last night anyway, so I’m happy to see him take some damage.”

“He plays poker?” I blurted. That seemed like such a normal thing to do on his time off. I’d been thinking that the dummy probably just stood in a warehouse until he was needed.

“Oh yes,” the trainer said sadly. “He doesn’t have a face, so he can bluff like you wouldn’t believe. Now, let’s reset and go to level 40.”

I looked at the dummy’s smooth features, and I had to agree. Figuring out what cards he was betting on would be rough. It also meant that he was much more than just a dummy.

Meanwhile, Annabeth wound up and chopped through his arm again. The trainer continued like he had last time. He jumped the levels by 10 until it got tough for Annabeth, and then he went by single levels until her short sword was bouncing off.

To his complete surprise, Annabeth made it all the way up to level 79. I knew how sharp Ms. Sword was, and I’d been hoping her score would be even better. Once again, the trainer worked with her on her technique and was able to get her up to level 80. At that point, she was still doing damage, but she wasn’t incapacitating the limb anymore.

It made me realize just how tough those rats had been. They must have had level 60 skin at least. No wonder they’d shrugged off the basic needles from the Fist of the Desert.

“I said you were a prodigy before, and I’m even more certain now,” the trainer said again. “Your short sword is just fantastic. You have a real gift for summoning. In addition, the force you generate is spectacular considering your size.

“Before we evaluate your second weapon, I’d like to introduce myself. My name is Tariq, and it is my greatest pleasure to meet you.”

That earned him another Annabeth hug, and then she went around and introduced all of our crew. After he’d met everyone, I felt more at ease. He wasn”t just this trainer anymore. Now he seemed more like a friend.

“Annabeth, I must admit I’m excited to see how your second weapon ranks.” Tariq got us back on track with the evaluation. “I feel that you should know that most supernaturals excel at one weapon and are usually not as proficient with their second one. That is why I usually frown on mages wielding two weapons. It’s hard enough becoming proficient in one style, much less two.

“You’ve managed to surprise me so far, though, so let’s see how you do with this shillelagh of yours. It’s a curious choice of weapon, as it”s mainly used in Ireland. How did you end up electing to focus on that?”

“It’s John’s weapon,” Annabeth explained. “None of us used to use conventional weapons, but once we figured out how to summon them, we started practicing with his shillelagh. It’s basically a club that’s easy to use, so I just kind of stuck with it.”

Tariq nodded sagely. “That’s a familiar story, and that’s how most mages seem to get their first weapon. Sometimes they get lucky, and the weapon suits them perfectly. Most of the time, it doesn’t. With the shillelagh I’m not sure it’s a good choice for you. As a smaller, lighter mage, I don’t think bashing is your best choice of PiCuBB.

“We shall see, however. Dummy, reset. Bashing evaluation. Level 30.”