Shattered Sanity

(Meanwhile inside the Imperial Academy’s staff room)

Like teachers everywhere, the educators of the Imperial Academy often found themselves discussing their students after classes, and lately, two particular first-years had dominated most of those conversations.

”I don’t understand Riven Dawnriver.”

Professor Jean’s sudden statement drew Professor Mike’s attention away from the papers before him, while Professor Jude glanced towards her from the opposite side of the table.

The three professors had gathered inside the staff room after finishing their evening classes, and although their conversation had initially concerned the overall performance of this year’s first-years, Jean had eventually brought up the student whose progress had been puzzling her throughout the past week.

”The child is considerably less talented in Elemental Spell Mastery than I expected from someone possessing a Perfect Affinity,” Jean continued, as she leaned back against her chair. ”He doesn’t need to refer to his spell tome nearly as often as the others, and his understanding of the instructions is excellent, but I’ve watched him practice for a week now and there has barely been any practical progress.”

”He’s still struggling with Lightning Step?” Mike asked.

”Struggling would be putting it kindly,” Jean replied. ”He can produce a crude burst of around two meters now, but calling that Lightning Step is generous. His circulation breaks constantly, his control is poor, and the movement itself resembles a quick jump more than the technique he’s attempting to learn.”

Jude remained silent as Jean continued.

”Several students have already begun achieving irregular success with their selected spells. Gary Ironveil, for example, has successfully cast Flame Burst several times now, and given another week, I expect him to have reasonable control over it.”

”Flame Burst is only Tier Two,” Mike pointed out.

”So is Lightning Step,” Jean replied immediately. ”That’s precisely my point. Give Gary another two or three weeks and he’ll probably have the technique mastered well enough to begin learning another.

However, at Dawnriver’s current rate, he could spend half the semester working on a single spell.”

That finally earned a thoughtful nod from Jude.

Jean folded her arms.

”I understand that affinity isn’t the same thing as talent, but Perfect Affinity is still Perfect Affinity. I expected more.”

”Well, Dawnriver performs excellently in my class,” Mike replied, as a considerably more approving expression appeared across his face.

Jean glanced towards him.

”In fact, I have very few complaints about the boy when it comes to Physical Conditioning,” Mike continued. ”He has more grit than almost any noble child I’ve taught in years. Sometimes I think he has more of it than the military recruits.”

”That doesn’t surprise me,” Jude muttered.

”I’ve punished him with a weighted vest and leg shackles for the entire week, and he hasn’t asked me to reduce the workload once,” Mike continued. ”He runs until his legs shake, rests when I tell him to rest, then gets back up and continues. Whatever I put in front of him, he tries to finish it.”

Mike paused for a moment before tapping two fingers against the table.

”And his body is extraordinary.”

”Extraordinary how?” Jean asked.

”Almost unnaturally well developed,” Mike replied. ”I’ve spent most of my career studying physical conditioning, and I’ve rarely seen musculature that balanced in someone his age. His shoulders, back, legs, core, everything works together remarkably well. When he exerts himself, I can practically see individual muscle groups contracting beneath his skin.”

Jude raised an eyebrow.

”You’re beginning to sound jealous, Mike.”

”I am jealous,” Mike replied without hesitation. ”Do you have any idea how much research I’d need to produce a training program capable of developing a body like that?”

Jean laughed softly.

Mike ignored her.

”His endurance is excellent, his recovery is unusually fast, and physically, I’d place him slightly above Gary Ironveil already. Gary is better conditioned through proper training, but Dawnriver’s body itself is superior.”

Jude released a long sigh before setting aside the papers he had been reading.

”Dawnriver is a complicated case.”

Both professors turned towards him.

”In my class, he suffers from both the advantages and disadvantages the two of you just described,” Jude explained. ”On one hand, he’s an absurdly quick learner when someone can physically show him what he’s supposed to do....

But on the other hand, he’s so slow in other aspects.

Just a couple days ago, one of my assistants showed him a two-step spear lunge, a three-step block and a four-step feint into a thrust.

These are all difficult movements.

A normal child would need at least 3 weeks to master all three, but Dawnriver learnt it in under a day....”

Jean stared at him.

”Properly?”

”Almost perfectly.”

Mike gave a low whistle.

”That’s ridiculous.”

”It is,” Jude agreed. ”His ability to absorb visual information is probably the best I’ve personally encountered. Show him a movement once and he’ll remember the position of your feet, the angle of your weapon, the rotation of your shoulders and practically everything else.”

”Then why is his combat ability so crude?” Jean asked.

”Because remembering a movement and understanding when to use it are entirely different skills.”

Jude leaned back in his chair.

”I can show Dawnriver the perfect execution of a feint followed by a lunge, and he’ll reproduce the sequence. What I cannot show him is where his opponent is going to move when he performs that feint.”

Jean slowly nodded.

”Experience.”

”Exactly,” Jude replied. ”His greatest weakness is everything that cannot simply be demonstrated to him.”

Jude briefly thought about the rotating training dummy he had assigned to Riven.

”Dawnriver still attacks openings that aren’t safe. He commits too much weight when he believes he has an advantage, occasionally withdraws in the wrong direction and sometimes chooses an objectively correct technique at completely the wrong moment. These are mistakes most noble children with competent tutors stop making years before entering this Academy.”

”But he didn’t have one,” Mike said.

”No.”

Jude’s expression became more thoughtful.

”According to Dawnriver, he spent most of his childhood travelling with his mother and a wandering Ascendant. The Ascendant possessed a Flame Affinity and taught him basic swordsmanship and survival, but apparently provided no formal Storm Spellcraft education. Dawnriver himself claims he only learned about his connection to House Dawnriver shortly before arriving here.”

”So we’re effectively comparing someone who began receiving proper instruction recently against Gary Ironveil,” Jean said.

”Precisely.”

Jude tapped one finger against the table.

”And that is why comparing them is so interesting.”

Mike looked towards him.

”Gary is currently the better student in almost every area that matters to me,” Jude continued. ”His footwork is superior, his timing is better, his decision-making is considerably sharper, and he understands how to manipulate an opponent rather than merely respond to one. Years of proper instruction have given him a foundation Dawnriver simply doesn’t possess.”

”And yet Dawnriver beat him,” Mike remarked.

”And yet Dawnriver beat him,” Jude repeated.

Silence briefly settled across the table.

That contradiction was precisely what made evaluating the two boys so difficult.

Gary Ironveil had entered the Academy with years of structured education, exceptional talent, two Excellent elemental affinities and one of the strongest combat foundations amongst the first-years.

Riven Dawnriver had entered with almost none of those advantages beyond his remarkable body, yet when the two had actually been placed inside an arena and told to fight, Riven had been the one left standing.

”So, do you think Dawnriver can eventually catch up to him, or will Gary simply outshine him for the rest of their lives?” Jean eventually asked.

Jude considered the question seriously.

”He can’t catch up anytime soon.

However..... ”

Jude began, as he let out another long sigh.

”He has a desperation within him that Gary does not.”

That answer silenced both of them.

Jude had watched enough students throughout his career to recognize the difference between someone who wanted to improve and someone who appeared almost frightened of remaining weak.

Riven belonged firmly within the latter category.

”I don’t know what happened during that boy’s childhood,” Jude continued, ”but every time I correct something, he works on it until he physically cannot continue. He doesn’t seem embarrassed when he fails, and he doesn’t become frustrated when someone demonstrates that they’re better than him. He simply remembers it and comes back the next day trying to close the gap.”

Professor Jean remained thoughtful for several seconds.

”So how long?”

Jude understood what she meant.

”If both continue progressing at their current rates?”

”Yes.”

Jude considered everything he had observed from the two students before finally answering.

”By the end of the year.”

Mike raised an eyebrow.

”That soon?”

”Possibly,” Jude replied. ”I wouldn’t guarantee it. Gary is the most technically accomplished first-year I currently teach, and Dawnriver has years of missing experience to compensate for. But if the boy continues absorbing instruction this quickly while outworking Gary every single day...”

Jude paused.

”Then by the end of this academic year, I believe Riven Dawnriver could stand on equal terms with him.”