"Wanna bet how long he'll last? My money's on two minutes, three if he's lucky," Lance said, tapping Lana on the shoulder with a mischievous grin.
Lana visibly recoiled, her face twisting in disgust at her brother's antics. "You really don't have anything better to do than annoy me?" she asked, her voice dripping with irritation.
"Killjoy," Lance mused, completely unfazed by her reaction.
They didn't need to leave their seats to view what was happening outside. Conveniently, an arcane window: a magical projection used to observe battles and duels, materialized above their table, allowing them to watch the unfolding events without stepping foot outside.
*****
"You really want to do something like that?" the beastfolk girl asked, a smirk playing at her lips. "Wouldn't you call this bullying?" one of her friends jested.
"Only if the person you're facing was weaker than you," Jett retorted, his calm and confident demeanor sending a ripple of excitement through the crowd. A few students cheered, amused by his boldness. "Plus, I'm the one telling you what I'll do."
The beastfolk girl's grin faltered for a moment as the crowd reacted, her embarrassment growing with every passing second. Feeling the pressure, she forced a grin to save face. "Alright, if you want to get your ass kicked so badly," she sneered, trying to maintain her composure, "I got some friends that'd love to join in."
Behind her, an elf and a dwarf stepped forward, both of them looking ready for a fight. Their presence added weight to her words, but it was clear Jett wasn't impressed.
"Just three of you?" Jett asked, his expression one of disappointment, as though he expected more.
Before anyone could respond, a soft voice interrupted, "I'll join them."
The students turned to see Lyla slowly approaching, her steps hesitant but deliberate as she walked up to the group. Her presence was unexpected, and for a moment, the tension in the air shifted as everyone processed the new addition.
The beastfolk girl and her friends exchanged confused glances. They had never seen or met Lyla before.
"Who the hell are you? Trying to join in so you can get the points too? How shameless," the beastfolk girl snapped, her tone sharp and accusatory.
"Umm... if you haven't noticed, we're about to gang up on a first-year, so I don't think you have any right to call her shameless," the elf boy whispered to her, clearly uncomfortable with the situation.
"Whose side are you on, anyway?" the beastfolk girl whined, narrowing her eyes at her companion. "I'm trying to secure the amount we'll have to share when this is over."
"Sure... But you defending him is another kind of weird," Evelina replied, sensing how uncharacteristic Elora was acting, causing her to step back slightly.
"Alright, I gotta do something about this," Rey said, his tone more serious as he realized the potential chaos this spar could cause.
*****
Rey hurried over to Jett, catching him just before the match began. "Jett, I know I can't talk you out of this but you can't actually kill anyone, alright?" he warned, his voice urgent.
Jett met Rey's eyes with a smirk. "Yeah, yeah, they'll survive."
"And what does that mean?" Rey snapped back, not liking the vague response.
"Don't worry. Remember, I'm the victim here, they're the ones challenging me," Jett pointed out, using it as an excuse to justify the destruction he was clearly planning. His tone was casual, but it was obvious that he was looking forward to letting loose.
Rey, sensing that there was no stopping him at this point, sighed and offered, "Fine. I'll officiate the spar. At least this way, I can make sure it doesn't get out of hand."
Jett gave a nonchalant shrug. "Whatever makes you feel better."
*****
Rey stepped into the middle of the arena and raised his hand, calling for attention. "Alright, you may begin."
With that, the spar had officially started.
*
*
*
Really wanted a punching bag