Note: When you get to the ah’s, read them like one of those TV preachers who do fake healings. You’ll know what I mean.

As Ty and Julie approached the medical station, a boy suddenly stopped in front of them. “You’re. . .” he trailed off as he noticed Julie’s wound. He quickly kneeled down next to her now crouching form and examined the wound. “Excuse me for stopping you,” he said as he put a pair of gloves on. “I’m Raltz, a cleric of M1. I heard about your battle; well, I was there. Your sister, if I heard you correctly, seems to somehow have sustained quite the wound. Let me take care of this so you don’t have to go through the work of receiving attention by one of the nurses.”

Ty simply stared, totally taken aback by this cleric who had suddenly come to their aid. As his hands began to glow a light green, Raltz again began to speak. “I summon-ah, the holy powers-ah,” he shouted as he placed his hands on the wound. “to help-ah this wounded one-ah. Can you-ah feel the power flowing-ah!?” Just as Ty was about to rip the seemingly schizophrenic Raltz off his sister, the cleric removed his hands of his own accord. Ty gasped as he looked at Julie’s now practically good as new shoulder. Only a small cut at the impact point gave any clue of the once large wound. Ty’s gaze shifted from Julie to the cleric, “Thank you. But, um, what was with the. . . enthusiastic change in speech?”

Raltz laughed, “It helps me focus more I guess. Plus, it shows the zeal with which I embrace my duties!” Ty nodded, still completely thrown off by the strange boy. Suddenly, Raltz diverted his attention from Ty and turned towards Julie. He held her chin softly and stared into her eyes, “It’s nothing for such a cute—”

Ty’s dagger cut the boy off in mid sentence. Protective anger radiated around him as he spoke, “Don’t even try it! How old are you anyways!? You’ve got to be atleast two years older than me and THREE older than her.”

The boy shrunk from the dagger before squeaking out a reply, “Sixteen.”

Julie, who had been blushing fervently from embarrassment now tugged on Ty’s shirt and pointed to an oncoming figure. Ty looked up and then waved with a sigh. Alex ran down the path in their direction while waving furiously. Suddenly, he tripped on a rock and rolled the remaining ten feet. As the others laughed, he slowly stood up and composed himself, having grown used to such things happening long ago. Such was the fate of the uncoordinated. “I saw your fight Ty; it was amazing!”

“Mmh,” replied Ty.

With a wave, Raltz cut in, “I’ll be taking my leave now. I need to lick my wounds before making another. . . attempt.”

Ty shook his head as he walked towards the gate with Julie and Alex while mumbling such things as “pervert” and “freak” under his breath. Once he had calmed, Alex proceeded to interrogate him about the day’s events. The entire sister situation made no sense to him, the reason she was at the academy even less. After this, he spent several minutes trying to explain the concept of girl and boyfriends to both Ty and Julie. This different concept of love had never occurred to them. However, as they neared the entrance, the conversation took a much more important turn. “But yeah, Ty, you really lucked out with advancing to the two spot right before the tournament teams selection began,” Alex said.

“Tournament teams?”

“Indeed, for the annual tournament.”

“Annual tournament?”

“Oh, boy.”

Not the greastest ending, but whatev’s. It’s late and there’s no cut off in this next part for quite some time. I might put the next one up tomorrow if I’m in the mood. Trust me, things are about to get much, much, more interesting.