Muse.

“Adalyn Carissa Tenorhart; top ranked in Muse class, good grades, but a temper problem.” The huge man looked inhumanly large compared to the small girl he was pacing in front of. He had short cropped brown hair, with a tuff on top that was longer than the rest. His skin was tanned like he spent lots of time in the sun. He had ice blue eyes much like Cara’s blue eye. Most of all he was huge; he stood at about 6’5”, a good foot on Cara, and was built like a tank.

“Augustin, large, unknown trainer that looks like he should be on the field, but got in trouble for something and is stuck teaching a bunch of kids.” Cara responded crossing her arms. Why was she getting punished for not letting a girl bash her into the sidewalk? “And my name is Cara.” She finished looking up at the man.

A stern chuckle passed his lips. “Got a bit of a mouth on you, huh Tenorhart?” He didn’t waste much time swinging an arm at her in an attack. Cara leaned back to avoid the punch, hurting her ribs, her legs wrapped around his arm like a tree branch when it passed over her head. She put her hands on the ground using her weight and downwards momentum to pull him off his feet with her legs. She rolled backwards into a crouched position eyeing him as he got up.

Her ribs were screaming at her, but she wasn’t about to allow this pompous ass to get a punch on her. “Braydon, Braydon Augustin.” He told her as he offered her a hand from the ground. “You live up to the rumors going around.” She allowed him to help her to her feet. Her eyes still narrowed told him that she was wary.

“What rumors? I’m just a trainee.” Cara questioned moving a few steps away from the man. She didn’t enjoy having to look straight up at someone.

“Nothing important,” He responded as the air of authority he let drop moments ago came back. “You’re good, but if you’re letting someone like Rosalin Kerve drop you; you need work.”

Cara bristled at the notion that it had been a fair drop and not that she had lunged at her from the dark. She tensed causing her ribs to send a sharp pain through her body. She flinched ever so slightly at the pain. The tall man noticed. “Lift up your shirt.” He commanded getting to his knees in front of her. Cara rolled her eyes and lifted it to her ribs. “They didn’t say you broke a rib.” He commented looking at the bruising where she’d been kicked.

“That’s because I didn’t tell them. I set it and it’s fine.” Cara responded shoving her shirt back down.

“You’re a hard bitch, Tenorhart.” He stated once again dropping any persona that acted like a trainer. “You should be fine in a week. Come back then, and no fights.” He told her and left the training area.

Cara didn’t want to wait a week to train with Augustin again. Something about the giant intrigued her. Part of it was the fact that he acted nothing like a trainer. Trainers were serious, tough, and not open to giving compliments. She was also curious how he ended up teaching here. He couldn’t have been any older than twenty-five. Anyone his age was off on assignments, gaining glory and all that.

To her dismay she didn’t have to wait a week to see Augustin again. He was their new trainer for morning session. He was also the only teacher that knew her ribs looked like hell. Every morning she’d line up with the rest of the muse class and all he’d say is, “Tenorhart, you’re out today.” She’d be forced to leave training and do something else for three hours.

Finally Saturday rolled around and instead he said, “Tenorhart, Kerve; obstacle course. Winner takes top rank.” He had been a completely different person all week from what she’d seen. He was all business, until that sly smirk he sent her after offering up her top rank to Rosalin.

The entire class moved outside to the large obstacle course that ran alongside the gym. Cara stepped up to the starting line with Rosalin. She wasn’t scared; she could do this course in her sleep. Cara’s style revolved around acrobatics and the flow of her movements, never brute strength that everyone else seemed to think the best way.

Cara glanced to the side where Lyle was cheering her on. Behind him she noticed a group made up of mageia, of course the dark haired Wren was there watching this event. Augustin shouting about starting drew her attention back. He counted down and then they were off.

The first was a rope over a pit of mud, naturally. Cara easily swung across ending in a flip that directly put her on the tall wall made up of small ropes. Rosalin was a slower runner and just getting to the bottom on the wall now. The dark haired girl tucked and rolled across the ground after she jumped from the wall. This wasn’t even a competition. She flew through three more obstacles before turning around at the last to see where her blonde opponent was. The larger girl seemed to be stuck atop the rock wall. Cara rolled her duo toned eyes and finished up the course.

Augustin was waiting at the end with the rest of the class. “Good work, Tenorhart. Alright class, ten miles; go!” An audible groan came from the class before they moved out to the track.

Cara didn’t see Rosalin again until the class returned from their run. She seemed to have hurt her ankle and was on the ground crying to Wren. The black haired male sat under her leg, his hands glowed with magic trying to soothe the red swelling.

The red tipped girl caught sight of Cara and glared. “Yeah, real fair tripping me after the rope wall. Who doesn’t deserve their rank?” She sneered at the surprised girl. Wren turned his head back down to Rosalin’s leg, trying to avoid eye contact with Cara it seemed.

Cara turned to Lyle who was walking with her. “I didn’t trip her…” She stated in confusion.

“I don’t know, but something did. She’s pathetic, but not trip on flat ground pathetic.” Lyle responded with a shrug. “Breakfast or showers first?” He questioned looking up at the clouds in the sky.

Cara raised an eyebrow at him until he looked at her. They both smiled slightly, “Breakfast” they stated together and turned towards the dining hall. Cara enjoyed the moments where the blond wasn’t fawning over her and was just being a friend. She needed a proper guy friend since she was surrounded by the two girliest of girls, Quinn and Liana, most of the time.

The two sat down at a table alone. “So what do you think of Augustin? He’s kind of a hard ass. No one even knows his first name.” Lyle chatted at her through his bites of pancake.

Cara poked at fruit on her plate contemplating her response. “Augustin is…” She got cut off by a flurry of light hair sitting on either side of her.

“Are you talking about the new Muse trainer?” Liana asked with a giggle leaning into Cara and stealing some of her strawberries.

Quinn pretended to fan herself on Cara’s other side. “We linger by morning training for you guys to see him.” She giggled in unison with Liana now. They sounded like a wild bunch of hyenas. “That man is gorgeous. I wonder if he needs a new Mageia.” Quinn wiggled her eyebrows.

Liana shoved her light haired friend playfully. “No way, that hottie is all mine.” Quinn returned the gesture. Cara sunk down trying to be less caught in the fight than she was. Her shoulders were shoved side to side into the other girls. She groaned before slipping quickly under the table. When she came up next to Lyle both of the girls had their full attention on her. “You have ‘personal’ training with him. You have to give us the deets!” Liana squealed like she hit the jackpot.

Cara sighed and got up from her place at the table. “It’s Saturday, I shouldn’t have to deal with this.” She muttered to herself as she walked away from her group of friends.

The dark haired girl was entirely sure what she’d done all day until seven pm. She knew that at some point she’d taken a shower, sharpened her knives and then gotten ready for her punishment with Augustin. She pulled her knife garters onto each leg before she left her dorm room. The giant man stood in the center of the gym waiting for her to arrive.

She was beginning to realize that he always wore tight long sleeve shirts. They defined all of the muscle he held in his arms and chest, but also covered up his mark. Marks of people who had graduated and bonded were much more interesting than the little dots that anyone still in training had.

“Tenorhart, glad you didn’t give up your ranking today.” He said with a smile very unlike anything he’d given in morning training. “How are your ribs?” He asked as she approached him.

The dark haired girl lifted up the side of her shirt to show the fading bruise. She dropped her shirt as she stopped in front of him. “So am I going to get to throw you to the ground all night or are you going to teach me something?” Cara asked with a smirk.

Augustin grinned and patted the short girl on her head. She flinched from his hand instinctively, but he managed to get one soft pat in. “Sassy and suspicious; you’re a piece of work Tenorhart.” He crossed his arms looking her up and down, a bit of seriousness crossed his face. “Go run until I can think of something to do with you. Don’t get jumped this time!” He shouted after her as she took off as soon as he said the word run.

Cara looked over her shoulder for a moment to see him smiling to himself and probably chuckling at her. He really wasn’t a bad looking man.