47 Inten (2/2)

”Come on, compose yourself. Dinner's ready and if your mother finds out that this last spar happened, she'll kill me.”

”Maybe I will tell her,” I joked.

”Hey now, who was it that told me not to go easy? Plus, I was never going to hit you with that knee.”

”Yeah, yeah.”

We walked to the dining room where Mother sat waiting.

”Oh, there you are, what have you two been–” her eyes widened as she saw the bruises all over my face and forearms, ”Carlo! What did you–”

”Mother! It's okay, we were just sparring.”

”He got me real good too, look.” Father rolled up his sleeve, revealing a welt that twisted across his forearm like a jellyfish sting.

”Oo, that must have hurt,” I laughed.

”You… just…” Mother was lost for words, but she relaxed after seeing our grins, ”You two are the worst. Come now, let's eat.”

After the initial tense exchange, this last dinner before I went back to school was joyful. Father and I chatted about our spars, and Mother told stories from the past, frequently embarrassing Father.

When we finished, Mother helped pack what little belongings I needed. She seemed a lot calmer about me going back, but I wondered if that was just a façade.

While I wanted to find out, I knew there was a reason for her to put on a brave face. If she was still vehemently against the whole thing, she would tell me.

I said goodnight to them, then got to meditating. I was drained, with only a few drops of qi left, so this was the final test of the Embryonic Breathing Technique.

After eight hours, all my qi was replenished, and it was time to head off. I asked if I could walk to school on my own, because I wanted to practice Forceful Steps, and they agreed.

I practised transitioning from one step to another on my way to the town. It was difficult to figure out the timing, and I discovered the taste of dirt a few too many times for my liking.

Unlike on earth, walking around on my own was relatively risk free. The majority of people living in the village were either guards or soldiers, and there was a strong moral code of civic duty.

Crime was pretty unheard of, and any incidents were swiftly resolved. Everyone knew each other, and often chose to trade favours rather than pay for services.

It was always refreshing to walk through the town and see everyone thriving in an open community. I had lived in major cities for all my life on earth, and never saw anything like it.

However, today I was experiencing the downside of close-knit villages. Walking through the main high street, familiar eyes flicked to me more than usual, as people exchanged hushed gossip.

Everyone knew who I was, and some of their kids went to my school. They must have heard what happened, but why was there so much gossip? What story had the school constructed?

I rushed to the school as fast as I could, breaking free from the villagers' judging gazes. But a similar treatment awaited me at the school gates. Even the guards looked at me with scorn and suspicion.

Every set of eyes was venomous, and it was all I could do to run through yard and into college. I was never so relieved to see Dong waiting on the stairs.

”Dong! Hi!”

”Ah, Oscar…”

”Thank you so much for saving me,” I interrupted, bowing my head deeply.

”Oh no, Tai's the one you should thank!”

If I hadn't been facing the ground, Dong would have thought he'd seen a ghost. All colour drained from my face as I tried to process what he had just said.

”Yes,” Dong continued, ”if Tai hadn't found you, I don't know what would have happened. I was in a meeting, but somehow he managed to track me down and get you the help you needed.”

This narrative was so twisted. Dong was my saviour? What the fuck was that about? No, that wasn't the important question. I swallowed my anger and stood with a pained expression.

”What about the other scholar? Is he ok?”

”That is… Oscar, we need to have a little chat.”