Published: July 31st 2023, 8:06:06 am
The winning prompt for this month's bonus chapter was Dance lessons with Mr. Clarke with 44% of the votes. Enjoy!
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Rob
A storm of colossal magnitude settled over Farcrest. The sky was a dark mantle that cast a gloomy shadow over the manor. Raindrops the size of grapes cascaded from the sky, furiously battering the wooden shingles and keeping the inhabitants of the orphanage awake at night. The same sky seemed to be falling down.
From the backdoor I saw the rain pouring over the waterlogged backyard. The freezing wind hit my face and found its way through the heavy clothing Elincia had given me into my bones. The farm plot was soaked and the small grove at the end of the backyard was covered by leaves and broken branches.
I didn’t need to set a foot outside the manor to notice the lawn had been turned into a deep pool of mud.
“We are not doing laps, right? Right?” Ilya asked with an insecure voice.
The picture of Ilya wading through the water and mud popped into my mind. It wasn’t particularly pretty considering the mud was deep enough to reach her knee.
“I’d say we go for it.” Firana replied, slapping the sides of her legs and giving small jumps in place.
Ilya crossed her arms and gave Firana a stern look. “You can go if you want to make a muddy mess out of yourself, but don’t expect me to join.”
The words from the gnome girl weren’t particularly well received.
“Come on, Ilya, chill a little bit. Maybe a mud bath would help you, or a bit of marching in the rain.” Firana grinned.
As if to emphasize Ilya’s murderous glare, thunder broke over the manor.
Knowing how much their personalities clashed, it was better to stop the argument before it would inevitably escalate.
“Ilya is right. Trying to train out there is madness, the ground is too unstable to spar safely and I don’t want anyone catching a cold.” I said with my best teacher's voice before Firana could add anything else to the conversation.
Both Wolf and Zaon had wisely remained silent for the duration of the argument.
“What are we going to do then?” Zaon interjected.
Losing a day of practice wasn’t an option. Firana was the only student in my class who could afford a day off. Wolf, Zaon, and Ilya, on the other hand, needed all the training possible before the winter definitely disrupted our practice schedule.
The storm showed no sign of subsiding.
I contemplated our options for a moment. Our most pressing need was to improve their footwork. Wolf’s stance was too static and I suspected that was the reason he hadn’t achieved his first level in Longsword Mastery. Wolf wasn’t improving because he had enough strength and reach to offset his lack of good positioning when sparring. Something similar happened to Zaon. Despite the fact he already had a level in Longsword Mastery, I had noticed that he always used the same two or three techniques. The elven kid was relying too much on the information fed by the skill to learn anything new.
And there was Ilya who still struggled with both footwork and hand movements.
“Mr. Clarke?” Zaon crashed my train of thought.
The four kids waited for instructions.
“We might not be able to train in the backyard, but that doesn’t mean we can’t practice indoors. We first need a spacious room, though.” I replied as I scratched my beard. The kitchen might be a good place if we put the tables to the side but the stove made it too hazardous. “Any ideas?”
As I pondered options, Ilya raised her hand. “What about the ballroom? We clean it every summer so it shouldn’t be too dusty.”
The existence of a ballroom was news to me.
“Do we have a ballroom?” I asked.
“Yes, but the ballroom is in the western wing.” Ilya started to explain. “The old kitchen has a rotten beam so we moved everything to the eastern wing. Since then, the western wing had been locked to prevent the little ones from entering.”
I made a mental note to fix the west wing when I had the time and the resources. It could be a good winter project considering how cramped we were with everyone stuck inside.
“Is the ballroom safe to use?” I asked, not wanting to get the kids into anywhere minimally dangerous.
To Firana’s dismay, Ilya gave me the thumbs up. Today was not going to be the day we made mud angels.
“It’s settled then, let’s see our new classroom.”
Ilya guided us to the reception room and unlocked the door to the western wing. A wave of cold, damp air hit my face as soon as the door opened. The corridor was dark, with bare walls and floors adorned with the same brown and beige carpet as the sleeping quarters. Ilya guided us forward, into a beautifully carved double door made of a solid lacquered wood. The old hinges creaked when the girl pushed it open.
Despite the years of disuse, the ballroom was a sight to behold. The room was decorated with faded tapestries that depicted scenes of hunting parties riding through the woods. Bronze chandeliers hung from the ceiling and on the western wall, tall arched windows allowed the weak rays of sun to filter into the room. The dust particles floating around added a layer of mystery to the already ethereal ambience.
The sound of the rain beating against the roof almost sounded like a chaotic ensemble of percussionists.
“This will do perfectly.” I said as I examined the place.
I let my mana flow towards the chandeliers, recharging the small light orbs. Soon after, the whole room came to life.
A massive mirror stretched across the entire opposite wall, reflecting the light from the chandeliers and giving the illusion that the room was twice as spacious. From all the old objects in the orphanage, the mirror was the most opulent of them all, even if the trimmings were just darkened iron.
We wasted no time. While Wolf and I moved the furniture against the back wall, Ilya, Firana, and Zaon opened the windows and cleaned the dust from the floor. After a few moments, the ballroom was ready to host our training session.
I clapped my hands and my students quickly formed a line in front of me.
“Alright, what are we going to do today?” I asked, catching the kids by surprise.
“Isn’t Mr. Clarke the one who decides that?” Zaon tentatively asked.
“I like my students to participate actively in their learning process.” I shrugged my shoulders and the kids exchanged confused glances.
Ilya instantly jumped up.
“I know what I don't want to do! I don’t want to run, or stretch, or trip over my feet. And above all, I don’t want to get flung into the air by Wolf.” She said.
“It was an accident, our swords got tangled and I pulled too hard… and I said sorry.” Wolf pointed out.
The picture of Ilya flying across the backyard was hard to forget. Pairing the gnome girl and Wolf to practice grappling hadn’t been my brightest idea but at least Ilya had landed on her feet.
My brain started cooking an idea.
“Well, at Ilya’s request, today we will take a break from the usual. Instead of sparring, we will have a dance lesson.” I cheerfully announced.
The kids' expressions ranged from confusion to fear and I couldn’t help but to chuckle a little.
“A dance lesson, Mr. Clarke?” Zaon asked as if someone had just told him he had to fight a Black Wolf barehand.
“That’s right. Dancing is an excellent exercise to improve footwork and coordination. It will also help you to impress noble ladies at the Imperial Academy.” I grinned.
My words fell on Zaon’s shoulders like a sack of bricks. Meanwhile, Firana’s eyes lit up with excitement and a mischievous smile creeped into her mouth.
“This is going to be fun.” The girl said.
“Is this mandatory? I’m not interested in wooing noble ladies at the Imperial Academy.” Wolf asked with his usual inexpressive tone.
“Yes, this lesson is mandatory.” I replied with a smile, “You don’t always get to pick your battlefield.”
It had been quite a while since the last time I had danced.
The relationship between my parents was a curious one. They would compromise on everything except two things; my mother refused to go camping with my father, and my father refused to dance anything more complex than a waltz with my mother. As a result, I ended up being my father’s hunting buddy and my mother’s dance partner.
“Mr. Clarke? I don’t know how to dance.” Zaon said.
“Don’t sweat it. We will start with the simplest dance of all.” I said.
I relaxed my breathing and closed my eyes. My fingers glowed, leaving white trails of pure mana, as I weaved strands of mana into long strings. The strings floated in the middle of the ballroom, right over the orphans’ heads
“ONE, two, three. ONE, two, three. ONE, two, three.”
The strings pulsated, producing a basic yet dissonant waltz rhythm. After tinkering with the length and width of the mana strings, I ended up with a nice tone. It was very basic and far from perfect, but just good enough for an improvised lesson.
The kids looked up at the mana strings with their mouths open.
“Because Wolf is so excited for the lessons, he will help me with the demonstration.” I said, signaling the kid to approach. “I’ll do the male’s part and you’ll do the female’s part.”
“Dance with confidence, Wolf, you are a pretty girl!” Firana giggled.
For some reason, I mistakenly expected more seriousness from a group of fourteen-year-olds.
“Loose lips sink ships, Firana.” I said with my best disappointed teacher's tone. “Congratulations, Wolf, you are safe. Firana, come forward, you’ll be my dancing partner.”
The mischievous smile was suddenly erased from the girl's face.
Firana hesitated for a moment but in the end she mustered enough courage to walk forward. I knew well enough to tell she was trying to hide her nervousness beneath her decided expression.
“Remember, dancing is nothing like sparring. We have to work together with our partner, not make them look bad.” I said, taking Firana’s hand in mine and guiding her into the initial position. “Ready?”
Firana nodded, her mouth turned into a fine, nervous line.
I slowly started to move, leading Firana into the dance and prompting her to mimic my movements. The mana strings pulsated at a slow tempo, setting the pace of our steps. ONE, two, three. ONE, two, three. Firana followed my lead, hesitant at first, but quickly adapting to the smooth and flowing movements.
“Remember to pay attention to the timing. ONE, two, three. ONE, two, three. Smooth and graceful. This is a dance for kings and queens, not for farmers and anglers.” I instructed as we spun in the center of the ballroom.
As minutes passed, Firana’s movements became more fluid and precise. However, her hand still strongly squeezed mine, and she frowned so hard that her eyebrows almost met in the middle of her forehead. I had to hold back a giggle.
“You can relax, Firana. You are doing great.” I said.
The tension in Firana’s face slightly eased and, after a moment, she started enjoying it. We continued with the demonstration, gliding across the ballroom floor. Her steps became more confident and a small smile emerged on her lips. After a minute or so, she no longer had to look at our feet.
“I’d say this ship didn’t sink.” Firana gave me a smug smile.
“Don’t tempt me to sink it, missy. ” I replied. “Focus on the tempo.”
The sound of the rain outside seemed to merge with the increasing pulse of the mana strings. A moment later, we ditched the slow ‘practicing’ tempo and danced a well-paced waltz. The rest of the kids observed us from the sidelines. Zaon was fascinated by our movements, bobbing his head at the rhythm of the song, while Ilya studied us with critical eye. Wolf, on the other hand, retained his serious expression.
After a minute, Firana and I broke apart and we ended the dance with a bow. The round of applause was almost instant. Firana wasn’t just gifted with swords, the girl was a quick learner for dancing too.
“Wolf, you are up next.” I said. “Firana, treat him gently.”
“I don’t think I can break him even if I tried.” The girl replied with an excited smile.
Wolf sighed and reluctantly stepped forward as the strings started pulsing again. Firana grabbed Wolf’s hand and gave him a wicked smile.
“Are you ready, green-boy?”
What I didn’t expect was Wolf taking the lead and dragging Firana across the dance floor.
“Wha–” Firana managed to say as Wolf increased the pace.
“Orcs don’t dance… except for my mother.” Wolf replied with a grin tugging his lips.
The three of us observed Wolf gracefully moving through the dancefloor at the accelerated waltz tempo. Firana refused to yield the lead to Wolf, but the orc boy was a head taller and twice as brawny than her.
“They are having a fight.” Zaon pointed out.
“Dancing is also about mutual understanding. I’d say we let them work things out.” I sighed.
The playful dance-off between Firana and Wolf continued. None of them was willing to back down. They twirled, tugged, pushed, and zoomed through the ballroom trying to outmaneuver each other. I couldn’t help but be amused. The pair sped up to the point they weren’t dancing waltz anymore but a frenetic variation of Viennese waltz.
As neither of them capitulated, the dance-off finished when their hands slipped from each other’s, almost sending them to the ground. I stopped the beat before they could resume the dancing for fear that someone could fly out the window.
“I didn’t know you had such moves, Wolfey.” Firana teased between breaths.
“Not bad for a hummie.” Wolf defiantly replied.
Someone had to put a stop to the rivalry before it could grow out of control.
“Shall we focus on cooperating with our partner now?” I nonchalantly asked.
Both Firana and Wolf bowed their heads in defeat and I turned around to check on the other pair.
Ilya was hesitant at first. Her footwork wasn't fluid enough to keep with the pace of the song and she repeatedly fell behind. I observed from the sideline.
“Don’t worry, let’s go slower. We don’t have to be like Wolf and Firana.” Zaon stuttered as Ilya stepped on him.
“Who wants to be like them anyway.” Ilya smiled back.
Seeing Zaon taking the lead and encouraging Ilya put a smile on my face.
I observed them closely, providing guidance and supportive feedback. The pairs remained the same until the four kids mastered the basic steps, then, every so often I would ask them to change partners without losing the pace of the song.
They did surprisingly well.
“You have to look your partner in the eye, Zaon!” I said.
After a particularly chaotic switch of partners, the elven kid was paired with Wolf. Both were stiffer than the Tin Man from the Wizard of Oz.
The girls, on the other hand, didn't do much better during that round. Firana was too eager to speed up and spin, doubling the pace of the song to the point Ilya’s feet almost left the ground. I sighed. At least Firana was having a blast.
In the end, the best pairs turned out to be Firana with Zaon, and Ilya with Wolf. Zaon’s natural agility was more than enough to match Firana’s accelerated pace, while Wolf’s experience was well suited to match Ilya’s calm movements.
As the session came to an end, the orphans were flushed with excitement. All the initial awkwardness and fear had completely disappeared. Even Wolf, who was the most reticent at first, seemed to have enjoyed himself. I smiled. In the end, the whole exercise had been more than just footwork training. It also helped to bring the kids together.
Suddenly, the double doors opened and Elincia appeared in the doorway.
“Here you are! I searched the whole manor for you rascals. Lunch is ready.” Elincia said with a slightly pissed voice. I guessed the crowd of younger children was giving her trouble with the rain keeping everyone bottled up inside.
At the offering of food, Firana instantly sprung to her feet and raced towards the door just to stop midway.
“Can we?” She asked, looking over her shoulder.
“Class is over.” I sighed.
The four kids left the room as if someone had released a hungry bear inside. It was always like that, in this or the other world. No matter how enjoyable the lesson had been, the sound of the bell activated something in their brains that forced them to leave as fast as possible.
Soon enough, Elincia and I were alone at the ballroom.
“You weren’t using swords inside my orphanage, were you?” Elincia entered the room, examining the surroundings. Her dress highlighted her graceful figure.
Over our heads, the mana strings started to play a gentle tune. ONE, two, three. ONE, two, three. ONE, two, three.
“No, no swords. Just a little dance lesson to break the routine and lighten the mood.” I replied. The light from the chandeliers was weak and the darkened atmosphere had become cozier and intimate.
“As long as nothing gets broken…”
Elincia approached me with a nonchalant gesture on her face. Not even her well-worn blouse could take away her elegance and noble presence.
“You truly are full of surprises” Elincia whispered with her big emerald eyes fixed on mine.
“I try my best to keep things exciting.” I replied, offering her my hand.
Elincia’s fingers gently intertwined with mine. Her hand was small and soft, yet surprisingly cold. Hesitantly, I put a hand on her waist and pulled her to me. To my surprise, she leaned into the embrace with her head resting against my chest. The mana strings above us swayed with a slow and sweet rhythm.
Elincia and I moved together and the world outside the ballroom seemed to fade away. The sound of the rain became distant and gentle as Elincia effortlessly followed my lead. It felt like we were made to dance with each other
We moved in perfect harmony across the ballroom floor until I lost the passage of time. I let myself go, enjoying Elincia’s touch until she pulled her head off my chest. Her gaze lingered on my eyes, then on my lips.
“Kith! Kish! Kith! Kish!” Shu chanted from the doorway.
The mana strings dissolved in the air, bringing an abrupt end to the waltz. Elincia and I quickly broke apart just to find a literal pile of orphans spying on us across the half opened door. Suddenly, the spell ended and the ethereal ballroom was turned back into the dusty room in the old manor.
“It’s pronounced ‘kiss’, not ‘kith’ or ‘kish’.” Elincia sighed as she massaged her temples.
“I did not mean that. Kissing is gross.” Shu replied with an angelic smile.