~Chapter 4- Dama & Modi~

At the center of a peaceful, bustling town to the east was a large wooden building housing many individuals, all of them in pursuit of greater strength. This was Dama's Fighting Academy.

Classes were being held in the many dojos within the building. In the sparring room of the Fighting Academy, many students gathered around the fighting stage, a circular ring surrounded by water with several torches placed at the interim.

Dama stood tall at the center of the ring, wearing the white robes of her academy. Her grey hair was recently cut short by her preference.

Alongside her on the stage were some of her finer students, including a little brown-haired girl named Hita who was a mere 13-years-old. But ever since she joined the academy, Dama was impressed by the girl's latent power. It reminded her of herself.

"Hita," Dama spoke, "Show everyone proper use of Focus. Blow out the fire of the torches from the stage."

"Yes, headmistress," Hita nodded. She stood at the center of the stage, looked around her for the positions of the torches, and readied herself. With great precision, she punched the air in the direction of the torches while doing back kicks at the ones behind her. Bursts of blue light emitted from her hands and feet. The lights passed through the torches, whiffing out the flames on each of them.

Hita took her default stance, and the students surrounding the stage were astounded. Most of them were new to using Focus.

"Well done," Dama praised, "This is an art that must be respected. Overexerting yourself with Focus can drain your stamina greatly. In extreme cases, it can lead to death. Hita here has used Focus extensively in the past and has a grown tolerance to its effects, but she is still very careful."

Dama looked out at the youthful faces surrounding the ring, all listening to her words carefully. They knew her as a hero - the strongest of all Ralosians in the world. Her words were held in high esteem.

Dama glanced over them and noticed two individuals watching the class at a distance. An old hunched-over woman and a young man of brown hair. Modi and Emil. Dama's older sister and Hita's older brother.

"I see we have guests," Dama said, and with a gesture, she drew everyone's attention to the two, "Many of you remember them. Modi and Emil were once members of our academy. Emil there earned fourth place in the Comet tournament last year."

"I'll win the next tournament," Emil said with a smirk.

Dama raised an eyebrow, "Is that so? Surely you can help with the class then. Come on up."

Emil glanced at Modi, and she gave him a reassuring nod. He passed through the students and jumped onto the stage. Dama first had him show off his skills by whiffing out the torches in the same way she had Hita. With two clean motions, Emil created two thin waves of Focus that passed over the torches in front of and behind him.

Dama instructed the class to follow Emil and Hita's lead, and they took turns practicing the use of Focus. Dama left them to attend to her sister. Dama and Modi walked together through a stairwell up to her private quarters.

Modi nudged her sister, "I taught him well, didn't I? Better than you ever could."

Dama shrugged, "If he had the patience to learn under me, he could've reached even greater heights."

Modi raised her eyebrows and looked up at her younger sister, "You're not going to let me have this one, are you?"

Dama shook her head, "You certainly did great work with Emil. I'm not trying to discount that. He seems to have turned his life around under your guidance as well."

"He's surpassed me. This younger generation is starting to catch up to you in strength, Dama!" Modi teased.

"Perhaps," Dama said, her face staying flat.

"It wouldn't kill you to smile sometime, you know," Modi chided her. Dama simply shrugged.

They reached Dama's private quarters. There was a wooden desk with notes on each of the students enrolled in the academy. But most of the room was occupied by a miniature fighting ring and a dented metal punching bag. Dama wished she could find something sturdier. Modi did a quick jab and left her own dent in it.

Dama showed Modi notes on the newest students that she's allowed to enter and her plans for them. There was a young man who thought that he'd focus on factoring his strength into the development of his fighting style, but Dama had been encouraging a transition to a speedier style, one that would make him truly fearsome. Modi looked over her sister's notes and agreed.

A knock came at the door of her quarters. "Enter."

Dama's attendant entered the room with a bag of rolled-up paper, "We have a new batch of bounties, Headmistress," The attendant set the papers, bounty posters, on Dama's desk.

"Bounties?" Modi asked.

"The mayor sends us some occasionally. If I think it's a good fit for some of the students, I'll send them out to take the bounty."

The attendant pointed to a few of the bounties, "The mayor wanted me to bring these to your attention in particular."

Dama looked at the bounties and rolled her eyes when she saw who it was for. Sky Bandits 2, 3, 4, and 5.

"I don't understand the mayor's insistence on finding them. The Sky Bandits haven't been active in over a decade, and almost everything they stole was reclaimed a long time ago. There's no reason to go after them anymore."

"Headmistress, there was a report that they very recently robbed potions from Titus Forest, and there have been numerous other thefts by them in the last month," The attendant explained.

Dama took in the information and sat back in her chair. They couldn't be back, could they? She recalled facing them back in Age 970. Dama found them during another of their thefts.

Dama assumed they'd be like any other thieves, despite their notoriety. But she was mistaken. When she clashed with them, she discovered their strength was incredible. They were every bit a match for her, and together they bested her and escaped. If the Sky Bandits were truly back, it would take more than Dama to stop them.

"Send a message to Theo of Titus Forest, Therma of the Weld Mountains, and Amethi of the Ichino Tundra. Tell them to meet me in Titus Forest. If the Sky Bandits truly are back, I'll need their help."

Dama stood from her chair and headed for the door, intent on heading to Titus Forest as soon as possible.

"But, headmistress, what about the Fighting Academy?" The attendant asked.

Dama pointed at Modi, "My sister will handle things until I return."

Modi whipped her head around, "Excuse me?"

"You can handle the academy; you've done it before," Dama said sternly.

"...Alright," Modi agreed, regret evident in her voice, "But be careful with those Sky Bandits. Even as strong as you are, don't underestimate them."

Dama left the Fighting Academy and the town surrounding it. She went down into a running stance facing north, dug her foot into the ground, and strode forward at a great speed. A plume of dust was formed behind her, and the earth beneath her cracked with each step. She ran towards Titus Forest.