Solomon quickly maneuvered to knock away the sword before it could pierce his abdomen.
The sound of metal striking metal was so loud that it drew the attention of the other members of the group, who were still warming up.
Solomon raised his brow at the ringing in his arm. Dakota held a deceptive amount of strength within his small frame.
He felt his interest being piqued.
Observing Dakota fight for longer than thirty seconds, it was obvious he was raised as an assassin.
His attacks were aimed only at vital points and he had remarkable balance to complement his unfair speed.
The only problem with his fighting style was something that Solomon and Raizel noticed at the same time.
'His sword's too big.'
Dakota's focus on his opponent's vitals seemed like a natural tic. Something he did as easily as breathing.
However, his instincts didn't account for the reach of his new weapon, which was presumably much longer than he was used to.
Dakota's style of fighting relied on him attacking close to the body, since he was presumably always fast enough to avoid attacks thrown at him and was used to wielding shorter weapons.
But there were several instances where Dakota tried to incorporate his same style into the use of a longsword. It didn't work.
With his new weapon, he needed space. Without it, he was far too easy to stop.
Dakota suddenly dropped even lower and swung his blade at Solomon's knees.
Despite his size, Solomon was very light on his feet. He hopped over the attack with minimum effort, surprising Dakota, but not stopping him.
As Solomon's feet connected with the earth once again, Dakota launched a kick at his knee.
This time, it was the young assassin's turn to be surprised. Solomon's body was like a wall of iron.
He quickly shook off his stupefication and switched his tactics around, aiming for Solomon's exposed neck instead.
This time, Solomon didn't even bother using his shield.
He caught Dakota by the wrist and squeezed until he dropped the sword.
"You should probably-"
Dakota was far from done, even with his weapon dropped. He used his small frame to run up Solomon's wall-like body.
His knee sailed into Solomon's jaw and caused his head to snap back.
For a moment, Solomon's grip loosened.
He thought he had broken free of his opponent, but out of the blue, Solomon re-established his hold on Dakota's wrist. His grip was so tight that he bruised the skin.
With a calamitous crash, the young man was slammed hard back onto the floor.
Dakota felt his vision turn white. His back felt like it had been broken.
He opened his eyes just in time to see a metal disk rushing towards his face like a meteor.
"Brother!"
Solomon's shield stopped against the bridge of Dakota's nose.
When pulling it away, Dakota locked eyes with Solomon for just a moment.
He was rattled. Even shocked by what he had done.
His eyes darted away from Dakota as he backed up. "...I'm sorry."
Dakota saw the metal giant place it's hand on Solomon's shoulder and say something to him.
He watched them carefully, his eyes betraying his lack of understanding.
-
The rest of Solomon's day went by at a snail's pace. Or perhaps it just seemed that way because the morning had been so chaotic.
Morning training couldn't have ended more quickly for him.
Not only had he almost killed Dakota, but he had learned more of the past Raizel had been keeping to himself.
His brother was going to have a child. And yet, fate had been cruel to him not once but twice over.
Raizel might have still been able to get to know Nila, but their relationship would likely not be the same as it was. And their chances of having a child would fall to nothing.
Because Solomon had killed him.
He was unable to cope with that harsh reality. Unable to accept it.
"Do you enjoy my class so much that you feel incentivized to stay behind?"
Solomon lifted his head from his desk after an indeterminate amount of time.
Instructor Yari looked above him. The subtle quirk of her lips conveyed a feeling of inconvenience.
"I hope that you were at least paying my class some attention today. It's far too early for you to be losing focus."
Solomon was naturally far more wary of Yari after everything that he had learned yesterday.
His eyes naturally drifted towards her shoulders. They were covered today, but he could still perfectly recall the thick black lines that covered her skin.
Elves are said to be a largely reclusive people. What little is known of their society has them labeled as quite a peaceful race.
Unlike the other three realms connected to this world, Ilim no longer allows visits from outsiders. Meaning that learning anything about their culture is more difficult than learning about the deathless. Rumors however were easy to come by.
Things like them being a race of virgins, vegetarians, and timid little lambs who were as scared of their own shadow as they were beautiful.
But he wasn't very surprised that Raizel knew more than gossip. It only made sense for Nila to have told him a great deal.
Such as the fact that Ilim criminal bands are not easy to acquire. The minimum crime needed to be committed to obtain them was mass murder.
Solomon had not beheld Yari's uncovered form, but judging by the marks he saw yesterday, she seemed to have a great deal of brands. There was no telling what she had done to earn them.
Raizel warned him not to place too much of his trust in Yari. He claimed she was an undoubtedly dangerous sort.
Solomon found that idea easy enough to believe when he observed her for more than two seconds. But he also knew that, for whatever reason, his instructor was quite patient with him. And she seemed to be a genius mage.
It was unfortunate, and Raizel would certainly be angered if he knew, but a genius, shady mage was exactly what Solomon needed at the moment.
"I doubt these desks are so comfortable that you would want to stay in them all day, so if you don't mind then-"
Solomon suddenly stood up, only to immediately drop down to one knee and lower his head.
Yari blinked in surprise.
"…A formal request, then? My, you really are the most interesting student I've had in years."
Solomon gave no response to that. Yari took a seat and crossed her legs over the other.
"Out with it then, young man. And do try not to ask me for something boring after going this far." She smirked.
"…I believe you to be someone with a great wealth of knowledge in the art of magic. In both the conventional and unconventional sort."
"Flattery isn't necessary." Yari smiled confidently. "You want to know how to advance your bloodline's talents, is that it?"
Solomon shook his head.
"No, ma'am. I want you to tell me of a way that might bring someone back from the dead."
Yari stopped smiling.