AA. 171

“First, we need to discuss a formation and how you’ll function,” Isabella said when the Cleansing team assembled for the first time. Noah and the Forge’s spell trainer, Maya, were also in attendance. They all had Earth-side quests to help the group train for the final weeks leading up to the year’s biggest Bronze Gauntlet event. “The team has a decent balance. We have a scout, a defender, a long-range attacker, and a striker who can fill multiple roles. What we need to figure out is how all of you can work in close proximity without limiting yourselves too much.”

“It all begins with priorities,” Maya added. She was a mage and had not long retired from the Gold Gauntlet to start a family. The woman had extensive experience in team events and was also the ludus’ most reputable teacher. Nil hadn’t watched her recordings, but Shawn claimed that she was an excellent tactician. “My general advice is to play around the party’s best attack spell caster. 

“The defender focuses all of their efforts on protecting the mage while the striker—” Maya pointed at Nil. “—works to create perfect openings for powerful spells. Meanwhile, the scout or rogue takes out the backline and keeps smaller, less essential targets from getting in the way. The strategy is all about ensuring your mage doesn’t waste their limited energy, and every spell they cast matters.”

“But you don’t think that’s how we should function,” Zora commented, leaning on her prototype staff. A luminous crystal spear sat at its crest, and two curved blades rose around it, giving the weapon a horn-like appearance. Nil imagined the design would make it excellent for stabbing and slashing attacks. She had a notepad out and occasionally scribbled in it.

“No, we do not,” Isabella replied. “Your spells are expensive but not complicated, and most don’t demand too much focus to cast. Meanwhile, all your team members are fairly powerful and destructive in their own right. Limiting them to such restricted roles might not be the best idea. Given how destructive all but Selia’s abilities can be, limiting oneself to such restricted roles is probably not the best.”

“I believe the best way to proceed is for you to function in duos or trios,” Maya continued, her eyes drifting between them and her tablet as she talked. Her fingers tapped the screen every couple of seconds. “I spent the last few days watching and analyzing all of your matches closely. Zora. You’re experienced, have excellent offense and decent defense, and come across as a superb tactician. However, your mobility is significantly lacking. Survival and blocking are your top priorities unless Nil or Shawn defend you actively. Enemy teams will be making a beeline for you.”

“Got it,” Zora nodded. She appeared bored. The strategy seemed obvious to her, but she was present for the team's sake and doing her best to appear attentive. “No high-cost spells that demand high concentration or time unless I’ve got backup.”

“Ideally, you want to be near Shawn and protected by his barrier before starting anything big. This is doubly important whenever backlash is a major risk.” Maya turned to Selia. “Your ability makes you excellent for solo exploration and sneak attacks, but in an event like the Cleansing, where the Void might be disrupting things. The last thing you want is to get stuck in a wall or phase into some place that's been transformed into an inhospitable alien habitat and have no one to pull you out. It's best if you stay close to the team. Ideally, I want you to always work in tandem with someone else.”

“That’s where you come in,” Isabella told Nil. “You and Shawn can swap mage-protection duties whenever necessary, but I want you primarily to work with Selia. Both of you move fast, silently, and know how to hide and set up ambushes when necessary.”

Zora scratched something out in her little notepad, and more scribbling followed. “So, our ideal formations will be Shawn and me functioning together. Nil and Selia can do their own thing nearby or support us. And if something comes along that needs Shawn’s containment or focus, we swap.”

“In those scenarios, it might be best if Selia does solo work and the rest of you work as a trio,” Maya said. She had a tablet out, and it connected to a screen on the wall of the training room. It displayed whatever she drew. “Selia will just have to avoid direct confrontations in these instances. The formation won't always be possible, of course, especially when Nil needs to move you from your current position. In which case, Selia will watch Shawn's six or assist with the retreat.”

Maya had little pictograms for each of them. Nil was a gauntlet. A shield represented Shawn. A silver ghost marked Selia's position, and Zora was a spear. The current arrangement showed the shield and gauntlet on either side of the spear while the ghost hovered above. 

“So, I'll be more of a floater,” Selia said. She flexed her latest technique, phase shifting to lower her density, and then pushed off the ground with a minor force wave. She levitated in place briefly before slowly floating to the ground.

“You and Nil both,” Isabella replied. “Your positions in the team are flexible, and can adapt to the situation more quickly than Shawn and Zora.”

“I'd like for the four of you to train together and in the aforementioned pairs until the Cleansing,” Maya declared. The wall now displayed the gauntlet and ghost on one side and the shield and spear on the other. “Do everything together, learn to pick up each other's nonverbal cues, and even go on a quest or two together if you must. Communication is vital. Swap partners for a few training sessions, but not too often.” The woman's attention shifted to Nil. “This is a five-person team instead of four. Your spirit companion proved during the Hunt that she is a terrifying force on her own. I want you to involve her in training sessions so she knows everyone’s ability and learns to work with or around them. Unless you think that might be too complicated for her?”

“Meatball’s ascension has significantly increased her intelligence,” Nil said. “The rate at which she's been picking up things is ridiculous. I'm sure she'll manage.”

“Good. You have an emergency healer in her. That's a big game changer.”

Nil and Selia were more than happy to spend every minute of the day together. They started their mornings early in the suite’s garden. The new world tree's energy filled the entirety of the Forge, and the smaller plants within added variance and affected density. Because of the proximity and number of plants in Nil's personal place, the Qi was especially thick, and the couple didn't need to share it with anyone or be decent. Meatball used the time to inspect her domain, prune plants, and inspect new buds. Some she marked for moving to the ludus’s grounds, others she tenderly soothed and cared for like a mother cat would her kitten.

After cultivating for a couple of hours, they had a quick wash and met their fellow team members and mentors for breakfast. Training plans, updates, and strategy discussions followed. Everyone discussed the best ways to deal with certain scenarios, and the experienced arena fighters divulged the best strategies for dealing with Scourge Champions and the Void. 

Group training followed. The lowest basement level of the arena-teleportation building, below the parking garage, was an enormous open space that extended under the entire compound. It was a magical space unique to the Forge and had formed after the birth of the world tree. Nil had no definitive proof but believed the Nexus had manipulated the young magical plant's magic to create a modifiable domain to train individuals. It wasn't open to the rest of the members yet. Only Nil’s team had access to it until the Cleansing.

The level of investment and focus from the Forge’s benefactors betrayed the gravity of the situation. The multiversal powers were banking on the team to ensure the world didn't fall back into the Scourge’s hands. They also wanted the Void eliminated. Iris and seven others from her world were also working for the Nexus to achieve the same. Nil wondered if they also benefited from such an investment. The Control Worlds were desperate, and Nil hoped to call in a favor. They were due to meet Layla soon, talk, and get their Cleansing quest.

The training session started with the pairs putting on demonstrations of their individual spells and techniques, as well as daily improvements. Then, they displayed what each duo had developed or practiced before coordinated four-man exercises where they took on their teachers. At noon, they broke off for lunch. The ludus trainers attended to their other students while the duos worked separately, learning to coordinate combat or practice techniques. 

Training under the Weave had done wonders for Selia’s incredible mobility. She didn’t just know how to shoot into the air or speed through walls and ceilings. The clandestine organization had also helped improve her spectral tethers. Instead of ghostly ropes, she now conjured spectral arms that extended in the intended directions and grabbed the target. Selia had direct control but also just pointed and released. The translucent limb helped her change direction while in midair when there were no surfaces close enough for her force pull and push technique.

“If it were strong enough to grab and hold people, you could screw up someone’s day with that and even turn fights,” Nil told her when she almost tripped him up while sparring. 

“I’m working on it.” Selia grinned and didn’t elaborate further.

The most fascinating part of Selia’s growth was the development of her force attraction and repulsion techniques. Occasionally, the pulses she sent out appeared to phase in and out of reality. They sometimes passed through surfaces if timed right and also the visual cues disappeared. It didn’t seem like much on the surface and like the precursor to more advanced traversal techniques while phase shifting, but after his recent fights, Nil knew better. Selia’s talents lay in manipulation first and emission second. Once her Shaping caught up, he could foresee her flinging force blades or spikes capable of phasing in and out of existence. 

Selia left to work with Andrew most evenings. They refused to share the details of the soul weapon and wished to make it a surprise. As a result, Nil wasn’t welcome to their meetings. On evenings when the soulsmith was busy with his girlfriend, the pair had date nights. Staying in the ludus meant they had no alone time unless they returned to the suite. A trainer, acquaintance, friend, or Nil’s family would bump into the couple and invite themselves for a chat or catch up.

So, the pair killed two birds with one stone. Most of their sponsorship deals involved going out into the city in designer outfits, carrying the latest gadgets, or wearing the latest cosmetics or hair products—the last primarily being relevant to Selia. Bunty was especially pleased since several sponsors and partners were unhappy about Nil not holding up his part of the bargain. Not all of their goods suited the arena, after all. 

Garuda Systems’ hoverbike looked more like a jetski than the superbikes they were supposed to replace. Making them road-legal involved limited several functions while out in public, but it also had several perks. As long as Nil limited the speed, no one had the grounds to stop him from using it on London's canals or the Thames. He also drew a crowd while passing. Their manufacturer purchased a fan photo of Nil and Selia out on a late evening date and made it their new advertisement. 

It took Nil a while to get used to the paparazzi, but eventually, they faded into the background. Nothing but he and Selia remained. It finally gave them the time and freedom to discuss everything that happened during their time on Ashe Fall.