Amber tried not to dwell on the matter in the hallway. His look, his face inches from hers made her feel nervous and jittery. She felt like she was floating on a cloud, her smile twisted into something between a grin and a grimace.

The Gymnasium was the big courtyard at Scythe Academy. The training grounds had different sections for all sorts of training: a sparring ground Black Widow Bokator; rows of dummies for all sorts of gleaning weapons; etc. Elegant trees and small potted shrubs decorated the area, kept well away from the fighting grounds.

Scythe Zetian stood among the potted plants, her red crimson robe embroidered with golden dragons and peonies reflecting the sunlight. Her jet black hair was tied in a bun, not a strand of hair escaping her severe chignon. Her harsh brown eyes and angular face expressed her displeasure, the corners of her red painted lips turned downwards.

"Ah. Miss Glane and Mister Avery decided to take their time. And their lunch in seemed." The Headmaster gave a unpleasant glance at the risotto Amber was holding. Each one of her words were clipped and ships of ice.

Amber gave her a big grin and shoved another spoonful of risotto in her mouth. Scythe Zetian's face was twisted in a expression of fury for a moment before the cold mask slipped on her face once again.

"You were so busy taking your time that you did not have time to greet your mentors," Headmaster Zetian went on, her voice turning more frosty. "May I present you Honorable Scythes Victoria and Darwin. You have been choosen to be their apprentices."

"Yes, thank you Scythe Wu," Scythe Victoria waved a dark hand dismissively.

"We will take it from here. Go and run the school, Zetian." Scythe Darwin winked at the Headmaster.

Scythe Zetian nodded, trying to hide a smile as she exited the Gymnasium, her red robe swishing behind her. Amber observed both scythes. Scythe Victoria had an elaborate bun made out of her thick and curly hair, with pale locks - almost white and colorless - falling to her waist; her dark skin contrasted with her hair; and those unnatural green eyes staring at her as if she could stare deep in Amber's complex soul. She gave Amber a smile that did not quite reach her eyes; the latter stayed cold, revealing something foreboding. Scythe Darwin, however, expressed nothing but joviality. Like Scythe Victoria, his face was slightly covered with wrinkles, showing his advanced age physically, and stretched always into a genuine smile. His pale blue eyes twinkled with mischief and silver hair framed his round face. Clearly, these two were polar opposites. Even their robes were of opposite colors: deep purple and pale green.

"You both were selected to be our apprentices," Victoria began, smiling, but her voice lacked of any warmth. "We will see you spar and fight to decide who will be apprenticed to who."

"Not that it really matters," Scythe Darwin added, grinning. "Victoria and I are married, so you will both be living under our roof."

"Charles!" Victoria swung her head to her husband, her smiling mask not slipping from her face.

"Oh come on, Victoria, cheer up!"

"I am trying to drill some respect into these young children," his wife's smile strange smile grew bigger, her voice full of exasperation.

"I am sure they respect us plenty, right?" Scythe Darwin winked at us.

"If they won't respect Honorable Scythe Zetian, then I do not believe they would respect us," Scythe Victoria muttered.

Amber gave a cold smile towards them.

"Oh we do respect you plenty enough," she told them sweetly. "But a dictatorship and a cold demeanor would not ensure us to respect you further; it would only make you lose some of our respect."

Victoria narrowed her eyes, the irises blazing with green fire.

"Are you Scythe Catherine's daughter?" she sneered, her voice dripping with contempt. "You speak in the same provoking way as her."

Scythe Darwin, chuckled nervously and tried to calm the situation between Amber and Victoria. Avery just gazed at Amber in amazement. He could not believe his eyes and ears that Alber just provoked a reknowned scythe, the day of her apprenticeship.

"Victoria," Scythe Darwin began, sweat beading his forehead. "I-I'm sure she did not mean any of them, right?" He glanced at Amber.

She looked spectacularly beautiful to Avery. And dangerous. Her red hair was blown behind her by the rising breeze, the curls swirling around her face like fire. Her golden brown eyes turned reddish in the sun.

"Don't you dare insult my mother!" Amber hissed, taking a fighting stance instinctively, her calm expression completely gone. Her face was twisted with fury, her eyes promising violence.

Victoria also positioned herself in a fighting stance.

"Come on, come get me girl. Show me what you are made of. Show me that wild temper in you, show me that pain and hate that festered in you all those months," she taunted.

Amber froze; she'd gone rigid. Her eyes dulled and darkened: clearly she was hiding an old wound. Avery resisted the urge to bring comfort to this strange girl.

Amber straightened and looked at Victoria coolly, smiling coldly, revealing a row of sharp, white teeth.

"You almost made me lose complete control of my temper. I must say, that was some excellent taunting. But I resisted; and now, I can promise you I will stay calm." She turned to Scythe Darwin, who was trembling with fright and astonishment. "Shall we proceed, Scythe Darwin?"

The man nodded his head vigourously, eyeing from time to time his wife.

"Yes, yes. Miss Glane, you are absolutely correct. Ahem. Ah-er...not for insulting my wife," he went on nervously. "Although nobody ever provoked her..." the old man muttered under his breath.

Scythe Victoria glared at her husband, then at Amber and Avery.

"Miss Glane and Mister Greyhall, you will both fight in Bokator. Right now."

Amber gave a sideway glance at the boy beside her. Avery's face betrayed no expressions, his hazel eyes staring at Scythe Victoria. Finally he turned and said simply.

"Let's go," he said as he set down his bag.

Amber was slightly pained by his simplistic words, but she did not argue. She set down her risotto and her bag on the floor. She followed him to the sparring ground, which was basically just a big sandy pit. Avery had already taken off his grey robe, showing the black undersuit he wore beneath. She did the same, and once she took a fighting stance, the fight began.

The two opponents did the usual circling; both of them glaring at each other. Avery's smile was full of disdain, igniting the anger in Amber's eyes.

Then he lunged, his fist heading for her ribs.

She dodged to the side, aiming for a counterattack at his side.

Her fist still connected, but the blow was weakened by Avery's attempt at dodging.

She could not hide her victorious smile then.

Block. Attack. Pary. Strike. Dodge.

All this felt like a dance to her, her blood singing wildly in her veins.

Then right when she saw Avery's swipe, aiming for her legs, she was ready. She fell, but grasping his collar as she did so. Then she flipped, so that she was pinning her opponent under her.

Avery's chest heaved, his face gleaming with sweat.

Amber gave a glorious smile and leaned towards his ear.

"I got you this time, Greyhall. It is not so easy to fight me, and you should never, ever, underestimate me again."

Amber released him, and he got up, avoiding her gaze and silent.

Scythe Victoria gave a slow set of clapping as she walked towards them. Scythe Darwin scurried behind her, his pale green robe fluttering behind him. A small smile stretched across Victoria's face. A genuine smile. Impressed, perhaps. Or amusement.

"Well, I must say that was some fine moves," Scythe Victoria began. "We will now see your killing methods, using a blade, of course, and your toxins' capacity. I will supervise the killing with blades, and Charles will supervise the poison tests." She turned to her husband. "You can choose first."

Scythe Darwin looked at me in the eye.

"I would like to have Amber Glane for toxin testing."

Amber gave him a cool smile.

"Yes, Scythe Darwin."

Victoria nodded, and turned to look at Avery.

"Mister Greyhall, then. Follow me to the racks of weapons over there. Quick".

Amber stared after the young man, still unsure what to think about him. Is he considered a friend? She now possess doubts about him. She thought he was a cold, haughty boy, but maybe there is more, more to explore and to discover through their apprenticeship.

"Miss Glane?"

The slightly raspy voice of Scythe Darwin snapped her out of her reverie. The tall man was waiting for her, his brows furrowed.

"Yes, sorry, Scythe Darwin. I'm coming."