A sound mind and body was needed to be an effective soldier. Training had officially begun at the Ordellian Military Academy. Freshmen headed for their first class for the day. Seniors took to the courtyard for sparring. Avryn glanced at them. He saw a couple moves he never thought possible before.

  A man cladded in bronze-colored armor was dominating at the center. He wielded a fiery greatsword. The flames flashed brilliantly whenever it was called by the man. Avryn stopped in his tracks. He was bewildered at the man’s display.

  “That’s Leandros Solus,” Rinna said.

  “He’s the big dog of their pack, I take it?” Avryn observed.

  Leandros Solus, touted to be potentially the greatest soldier of not only his peers, but of his entire generation. Rinna tugged at Avryn, getting him refocused. People started filling up the seats in the classroom. Avryn’s squad found a vacant area by the middle and sat there.

  The instructor arrived. His grizzled beard contrasted by his well kept hair. He looked to be about fifty years old, and his hairs started to gray. He finished up smoking from his pipe and set it aside. His presence alone demanded respect, the class quieted down.

  His joyful tone betrayed his tough-looking exterior. He welcomed them to Bestiary Class. Instructor Kelinald Fieratsche was his name. He believed that knowledge was a soldier’s best weapon. In his class, the students would learn all that ecompassed the Corpses. Savage inhabitants of the Lost Lands, where the expeditions were carried out.

  “As much as I would like to teach you by speaking, I personally believe that experience is the best teacher,” he signalled off to the side.

  Assistants brought in some large, covered apparatus. The students murmured to each other, wondering what it was.

  “Now, who among you is up for a challenge?” he welcomed any volunteers.

  Avryn was first to raise his hand. Instructor Fieratsche beckoned him forward. He was sent to the other opposite side of the apparatus.

  “Now, young man, although I believe a lot of people know you already, how about you introduce yourself to the rest of the class?” Kelinald suggested.

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  “Avryn Starbright, sir. All the way from Kuldrin,” he offered his hand.

  “Well met,” The instructor greeted him.

  He introduced his challenge to Avryn. The apparatus was a magical cage that contained a commonly found Corpse. If Avryn could determine its weakness and defeat it, he’d get some extra credits. He put some actual money on the line, two hundred Ordellian credits.

  Avryn accepted the challenge and prepared his weapons. He stuck with his trusty sabre and pistol. The instructor nodded, and the magic cage was opened up by the assistant. Dirt and grass flew out as a raging Corpse Boar charged out of its cage.

  He expected something bigger but he was not one for complaining a free fight. He braced himself against the boar’s charge. He fired off some bullets to try and slow it down but it ricocheted off the boar’s hide. They were too close.

  “Your bullets aren’t working. Perhaps you should try a difference approach,” the instructor commented, eager to see what came next.

  Its tusks attempted to gore Avryn but they were caught just in time. His sabre was trapped. The boar trashed and wrenched its neck back, trying to break free. Avryn punched and elbowed with his left arm with all his strength.

  He got onto the boar’s back and held onto its neck, almost holding it like a hostage. He managed to lift it up into the air, but his strength sapped quickly. He had a few seconds to take advantage of this. He pulled out his gun against and sent several shots to its stomach. Bullet casings fell as he emptied the entire magazine onto the Corpse.

  “Hmm, inefficient, but whatever works, works, right?” Kelinald observed.

  “Not to brag, but I could fight all day if I need,” Avryn said in between pants.

  He dropped the boar onto the floor. Its blood pooled out from its wounds. Avryn checked on the beast. It sprang back up, much to the astonishment of the students. It charged towards him again.

  Avryn was on the retreat, focusing on dodging as he thought of another strategy. He remembered Rinna’s words from before in that moment. He beckoned the boar towards him again. He timed it right stabbed through its skull.

  It was not enough for a kill but it cracked part of it open. Avryn put the barrel of his gun right on top and pulled the trigger. The bullets managed to reach its brain and finally put an end to the fight.

  He hunched over and caught his breath. Kelinald came by to pat him on the shoulder.

  “Well done, for a first try,” he congratulated him.

  He gave him his reward of the two hundred credits and had him face the class,

  “So, what did we learned from that fight?” he asked.

  “You stop the brain, you stop the beast,” Avryn replied.

  The instructor nodded, a smile formed beneath his beard.

  “Indeed, young man.. Well spoken, as well. Stop the brain, stop the beast,” he parroted Avryn’s words.

  The Corpses shared this common weakness. If their brain was destroyed, it would end the beast rightly. The instructor reiterated the importance of knowing that fact, at least. If all else failed, this was a tried and true fallback option in battle.

  He went on a tangent of his past exploits. He described some of the rarer enemies he fought. Time flew by quickly as he continued regaling his old missions. One of his assistants helped him get back to the right course.

  “Ah, and of course, I had almost forgotten.” He gestured to a box filled with gadgets.

  These gadgets resembled a smartphone with a transparent screen in the middle. A small network of crystals powered it. The assistants distributed it among the students.

  “The device you are being handed are called Scribes. They shall prove to be your greatest tool, so be sure to take care of it,” Kelinald advised.

  Avryn received his and spent a good time inspecting this technology. He definitely had never seen such thing back home. Instructional pamphlets were also supplemented to them. Tvira and Valoche were especially enamored by it.

  “Use the time between classes to learn, we shall be using it in our future meetings,” Kelinald exclaimed.

  He added that all the learning materials for his class were present within the Scribe but only in parts. More will be unlocked as they went on. He concluded his class and bid them farewell for the day. Another class was next.