Progress Day by Pent Ghelsburg
Disclaimer: The characters depicted in this work are purely fictional. Any resemblance to persons alive or dead is purely coincidental. They are the original and rightful intellectual property of their creators. I use them with permission and respect. This work involves underaged characters. You have been warned.
The sun rises over the horizon, spreading its eternal glow over the world below. The small village of Bandle City was sprawled with the activity of yordles running back and forth between their home and preparing for the big day. It was supposed to be a day celebrating technology, a day celebrating the advancement of civilization. Yet, Bandle City lagged behind many of the other Runeterran civilizations.
Bandle City had prided itself on mastering magic and transformation. The citizens of the Bandlewood often didn’t care much for the niceties of the foreign realms. Progress day had only been recently brought there by Yordles who had attended the university in Piltover. As a piltovan holiday, the day was much more revered in that part of the world. However, without the focus on science, the holiday had taken on a different meaning.
For the citizens of Bandle City, Progress day had more become about the success of magic rather than the advancement of technology. As such the yordles of the village were preparing a show of magic to show off their skills, with the long-fated tournament of Magi to be held in the following days. It was an event much of the community looked forward to as it was not only a chance to share and see skills but also a chance to learn something new.
The younger members of the community knew all too well about the holiday. It was one of the few days were Bandle Academy allowed their students to leave early. Days off were even rare as the studies of both academy and the arcane was valued by everyone in the society. The school itself had been just as busy with activity, with the staff taking their spin on the tournament by offering one of their own.
Posters had been placarded all around the school. The event had come to be known as the Vision of Excellence. The professors of magic were in charge of it, and every level of the school was aware of it since it had gained popularity over the years of its existence. Even the youngest of students got their chance to watch and revel in the challenges, often going as far as allowing them to participate as subjects for feats of transformation and illusion.
The older levels of the academy were much more involved, with students of the middle years and higher being allowed to participate as the stars of the show. The ministers of magic had not set a cap on how many actually showed up and so they were still actively looking for more students to participate. As such the students would continue to hear about it through daily announcements to remind them.
It was another day at the academy and the students were just arriving for another day of study and mastery. The yordle children of the community all clambered through the doors of the old school. Classes were soon to start and the hallowed-out wooden halls were full of kids of all ages. The halls were divided into four sections, bridged only by age and ability. The younger kids veered off to the left and the older ones to the right paths.
A yordle with the fur design familiar to the red pandas of Ionia made his way through the left middle passage. At 12 years of age, he was still considered on the lower levels of the so-called “middle years” of the school. He stared at one of the posters and wondered if he should even bother trying out for it.
“What’s up, Hailun?” A familiar voice spoke out to him from behind.
The red panda looked behind him to see a friend of his. “Oh, hey Kennen. Just looking at the poster.”
“You going to try out?” The bigger boy asked as he walked to the left of the other cub.
Hailun hummed. “I dunno. I don’t know that much magic, just you know glamour and whatnot…”
The glamour the boy was referring to was used by Yordles to hide from the humanoid races to avoid being discovered.
“I already signed up. Why don’t you try anyways? It could be fun.” Kennen touched the other boy on the shoulder.
Hailun shrugged. “I guess I could. I just don’t know what I could show off.”
“Why not practice some with me later? Maybe you can get an idea. I already know what I’m going to do.” The bigger yordles eyes lit up with blue light.
The smaller cub smirked. “Heh, you’ll have to show me later.”
“Yeah, sure. We need to get to class anyways.” Kennen patted his friend on the back casually.
The two slung their bags over their back as they headed into their first class together. Today it was alchemy class which was neither boy's particular favorite. They sat down together and proceeded to wait until the rest of the students filed in and class started. The grizzled old veteran teacher made her way into the room before long.
“Today, we have a treat for you. A student teacher from Piltover itself. Everyone, please give a warm welcome to Mr. Heimerdinger.”
The older teacher moved away from the door to allow the smaller yordle inside. Looking at him, the younger teacher had yellow frizzy hair that almost looked like an afro.
“Good morning, my students. Thank you for having me. Bandle Academy was kind enough to invite me to Progress Day. As a member of the Council of Clans, I am glad to be here.” He bowed before straightening up his posture.
The older yordle behind him sat back in the chair behind her, allowing the younger male to take over.
“Today, instead of mixing reagents for alchemy I have a different task in mind.” The man plopped up a box bigger than he was on the desk behind him, eliciting a muffled thud through the room.
He pulled out a single piece of metal. “Today you are going to be building turrets that we call Poppers. These are not designed for combat, they are simply celebratory devices. Their purpose is to spread scientific joy throughout Progress Day!”
Hailun looked over at Kennen who looked back at him. Neither knew what to think of the assignment. It wasn’t long before the younger instructor picked up the box and began handing out parts to each of the desks. As he was walking, he continued to talk.
“Each metal part has a number on it. Simply attach the metal part to the socket of the adjoining part with the number that matches. A failsafe design to be sure, even among the greenest of students.” Mr. Heimerdinger delivered a smaller box to each of the tables.
Hailun lifted the lid of the box and looked inside. Small parts of metal were strewed apart.
“Get to it and let me know if there are any issues.” The younger instructor folded his arms, waiting patiently for any problems that might arise.
Kennen dumped the box onto the table. The clatter of metal echoed through the room but was muffled out by many students doing the same. The bigger yordle began looking through the parts for the labels that indicated the order of assembly. Eventually, he found number one, a bent piece of metal with a joint connecting two parts.
“Alright, I found one. See if you can find the next part.” Kennen suggested calmly.
Hailun pulled out a small triangular piece of metal. “Here it is. Connect it here.”
The two joined their parts together. It didn’t seem to make anything particular just yet. They continued to work through the pieces until they ran out of parts. When everything was assembled the turret was done. A small gun turret with a large circular opening.
“So…what now?” Kennen said out loud.
“Good job, so now you just have to fill it up and press the red button. Then watch and observe.” Mr. Heimerdinger noticed the two had finished and given them the next piece of directions.
The young instructor started to go around again handing out cartridges to each of the tables.
Hailun took hold of it and looked at it. “So…where are we supposed to put this?”
“See if you can figure it out. Trial and error is the source of discovery.” Mr. Heimerdinger waved his finger back and forth.
Kennen rolled his eyes and began examining the small turret. He saw no signs of any places to insert the cartridge. Hailun soon reached in to grab the device bringing it closer to him and turning it upside down. Sure enough, there was a small crevice on the bottom side of it. He compared the cartridge to the underside of the turret. It seemed just big enough to fit in so he tried to see if it would go in without issue.
Once it was inserted inside, the machine began to hum and whirl. Making beeping sounds and fidgeting in the cub's hands.
“Exemplary work students.” Mr. Heimerdinger took hold of the small turret and displayed it in his hands as if to show it off.
The class clapped and soon followed suit. Hailun reached over to pat Kennen on the shoulder who smiled back at him. Mr. Heimerdinger proceeded to show how the turrets worked and eventually inserted some confetti for them to spray about. For Hailun and Kennen, the rest of the class was rather slow as they had finished early and there was nothing left for them to do. Fortunately for them, it wasn’t too long until the end of class came.
Kennen and Hailun made their way out of the class and back into the room. The hallways were busy once again, so they headed over to the far wall to be out of everyone’s way.
“Got anything planned after school?” Kennen asked as they didn’t have school the following day due to the holiday.
Hailun thought about it a moment. “No, I don’t think so.”
“You wanna do something or nah?” The bigger boy figured his parents would have an issue with having someone over for the night.
The red panda boy nodded. “Sure, that sounds fun. I still need to figure out if I want to try out for the tournament.”
“Isn’t the last day today?” Kennen had already tried out himself, though the cuts weren’t supposed to be final until later that day.
Hailun shrugged. “Probably. Progress Day is tomorrow so that would make sense.”
“Don’t worry you can go and we can hang out after if you want.” The bigger boy suggested a solution to the minor problem.
Hailun smiled. “Alright, I guess I’ll do both then. Though I still don’t know what I’ll show off.”
“You’ll
figure it out.” Kennen smiled and the two began walking toward their next class.
They made their way down the halls to the next class. A sign out the door led to the survival class with a small notepad of papers on it. Hailun leaned in and read it.
“No class today. The teacher called out. No sub. You may remain inside for the period but please do not run about the halls and you will not get in trouble.” The instructor’s signature was scribbled on the bottom of the note.
“Heh, guess that means we can go work on something for you. Come on, Hai.” Kennen pulled the other boy's hand into the room.
He knew the door at the back of the survival led to the outdoor area at the back of the school. They often used it for scenarios. Kennen figured they could practice something for his friend to show off. The two ignored the other yordle kids in the room, who were lazing about in the desks inside the room. Once outside, Hailun eyed Kennen as he didn’t know what the other boy had in mind.
“So how about I show you what I’m going to do then maybe that will give you an idea?” Kennen wanted to show his ability off to the other cub.
Hailun nodded. “Yeah, sure dude.”
Kennen bent down and squared himself up with the ground, creating a three-line stance in the process. Hailun watched a bit confused as to what the other boy was attempting. Seconds later the bigger cub blinked and disappeared, only small sparks of electricity left behind in his wake.
“Wait…what the?” The red panda wasn’t entirely sure as to what he just witnessed.
He looked around to see if he could spot the other yordle, yet there were no signs of him. A few seconds later and Hailun felt a tap on his shoulder. Looking behind him he saw Kennen behind him.
“How did you even…?” Hailun had no idea the other boy was so fast.
Kennen tapped the other boy's head. “Just something I’ve been working on. Check this out…”
The bigger boy held out his hand and snapped his finger. A small spark of electricity jumped from his finger as he did so.
“I haven’t learned all the ways to harness it yet but my parents say I have the gift of the storm.” Kennen walked to the side of the other cub so that he was in front of him again.
Hailun huffed. “Well, I can’t do that. I don’t know any magic, electricity or otherwise.”
“You seem pretty good with a sword, so why not try something with that? The bigger yordle just wanted to make his friend feel better.
“That’s not magic though…that’s just me practicing at school and stuff.” The red panda sighed.
Kennen reached forward and grabbed the other boy's hand in his own, cupping it between his paws for a few seconds. “Come on, try for me?”
“Fine…is there something around here I can use?” Hailun looked around to see if he could find something he could use temporarily in place of an actual blade.
The bigger boy picked up a stick and handed it to him. “Here, I bet you can make use of this.”
“A stick…?” Hailun looked at it and swung it around a few times.
The other boy rolled his eyes. “Come on, just try it.”
Hailun held the stick up as did his practice blade. “So…yeah no magic.”
Kennen smirked as he picked up a rock and flicked it off his palm at the other cub. The red panda had no issue deflecting it off the stick.
“See?” Kennen said, still trying to be positive.
Hailun relaxed the stick. “So what, I deflected a rock. Big deal.”
“Let’s turn it up a notch then. Try this on for size.” Kennen picked up another rock and held it in his paw again.
Hailun watched as Kennen’s finger turned bright blue, flicking the rock again. Suddenly the world around the red panda slowed down. Time slowed to a turtles pace, leaves fluttering to and fro. He could see the rock slowly pecking out from his friend's finger, jetting ever so slowly toward him. Hailun rushed forward and hit the rock out of the air without issue. To his friend, it seemed like he was moved at the speed of sound. Time returned to its normal state once he stopped.
“Heh, I guess you were right.” Hailun dropped the stick to the ground.
Kennen touched his shoulder again. “Told ya.”
“I still think you’re going to win. Lightning is a pretty cool ability to harness.” Hailun complimented the other cub.
Kennen shrugged. “I guess. I’m still mastering it though.”
The two sat down together on one of the many benches in the courtyard.
“Want to make it interesting?” The bigger cub suggested the smaller one.
Hailun looked over at his friend. “How so?”
“The loser has to do whatever the winner wants.” Kennen smirked at the thought of being victorious as he was a rather competitive yordle.
The red panda nodded. “And what if neither of us wins? What then?”
“Well…whoever places higher then. I’m not sure what the competition looks like.” The bigger boy scratched his head as he thought about it.
Hailun smiled. “Sure, that sounds fine.”
Kennen placed his arm around the other cub, behind his back pulling to other boys close to him. “I have a secret to tell you later.”
“Oh…okay. You can't tell me now?” The red panda couldn’t help but feel curious about what Kennen was hiding from him.
The bigger boy poked him on his nose. “It will have to wait.”
The two remained at the same bench until the end of the period sounded, chatting about nothing specific. The familiar bell of the school chimed through the halls signaling the end of class. Kennen and Hailun made their way back into the school. The red panda continued to think about the idea of Kenenn’s secret, whatever it was. He couldn’t wait to hear about it and tried to push it out of his mind so he could focus on school.
They made their way to the next class, which was magic. It was Hailun’s least favorite class of the day but he figured they’d probably have something special for the holiday. They continued down the hall until they reached the classroom and headed inside. The two boys sat next to each other again. Kennen eyed Hailun every few seconds with a silly grin on his face. Hailun began to think that he had something planned, making him even more curious about the secret.
The female yordle instructor soon appeared from behind a curtain. The woman was dark-furred, wearing an overly ornate robe.
“Greetings, Spellcasters. I hope you all have enjoyed your classes so far today. As I’m sure you guessed, I do have something special planned for the holiday.” The woman turned around, causing her cloak to snap around her form and cover her.
Silence followed for a few seconds. The students in the room began to chatter. Soon one of the kids got up to check on her. The small girl approaches the instructor’s still-frozen cloak. Touching it the thing, fell to the floor. The class followed with a gasp.
“Ah, no fears children. All is well. Today’s lesson is one of illusion. What you see may not always be reality.” The woman’s voice boomed from around them as if she was omnipresent.
The candles flickered for a second as a breeze of air rushed through the classroom. The cloak was picked up by the seemingly strong gust, taking shape again. The form bowing before the cloak was shed, revealing the instructor. The class clapped at her.
“For you see, I never left my place. The girl who came up here to check on me? Well…that was but an illusion as well.” Sure enough, the small girl had vanished without a trace.
“Right then…getting to the point. Every single one of you is capable of illusion. Glamour is just that. As yordles, we all possess this innate skill to shield us from the outside world. You all must learn to harness it. So tell me, has anyone figured out how it works yet?” The woman looked around to see if anyone raised their hand and yet no one volunteered.
“One only needs to close their eyes. Envision the image of that of whatever you want to imitate. Imagine yourself as this thing. Remember that glamour is only capable of working on biological organisms. You cannot transmute into the non-living matter. One can even modify their form, even if but for a short amount of time. So…who wants to try?” She proceeded to wait again.
Kennen reached over and held up Hailun’s hand for him. The woman noticed and beckoned for him to join her at the front of the class. The red panda glared back at his friend who couldn’t help but smile back at him. Still, Hailun went through with it and walked up to the front of the class. The woman held out her hand, gesturing for him to take it in his own. The boy felt a bit silly about the whole ordeal but wasn’t about to chicken out in front of everyone.
Hailun took the woman’s hand and she guided him just in front of her.
“Close your eyes.” The teacher instructed him with as simple directions as possible.
The boy did as he was told, the class looking on with interest to see exactly what would happen.
“I want you to imagine something. Something living, that is not yourself. Something in the wild, free and true. Envision the cool air of the bandlewood across your face. Blowing against your fur as you fritter through the wild. You are a beast, form untamed.”
Hailun began to follow the train of thought. Thinking himself to be a bear. Fierce and free, frolicking through the fields of the forest. His form began to shift before the eyes of his classmates. His fur became dark and his figure hunched over so that he was on all fours. His hands and feet were replaced by paws with sharp claws. His maw was replaced by one with jagged teeth. The class “Oohed and Ahed” as the boy became a bear cub.
“Very good. Now forget what you have become. Think of more natural thoughts…ones that would visit your mind naturally and you shall return to your true form.”
Hailun found he still had control of his mind, trying to refocus his thoughts on school again and on the secret, he was looking forward to. Before long his form shifted back to his small yordle shape. The class clapped as the transformation was complete.
“And so…as you can
see it is not difficult. A few things to keep in mind. These forms are not true, they are but an illusion. Do not think yourself to have the strength of whatever beast fits your fancy. You are but a sheep wearing a wolf's sweater…” She waved him off back to his seat.
Hailun made his way back to his seat, spitting his tongue out at Kennen. The bigger boy patted him on the back as he rejoined him. The rest of the class going like normal. The instructor allowed them to try the stunt on their own. But the students instead were more occupied with talking about the escapades put on by the teacher themselves. The woman not seeming worried about it as she was happy with just the attention she was getting for a change.
The bell rang before long, signaling that it was already time for lunch. The students burst out of their seats to head toward the cafeteria. Hailun and Kennen lagged as usual as they knew better than to go with the crowd. They had learned rather early on that it didn’t matter as they would ultimately have to wait in line anyways.
“So…how about that secret since we’re alone now anyways?” Hailun still was chomping at the bit to know what it was.
Kennen huffed. “Well, promise not to tell anyone?”
“Sure, I mean that’s the point of a secret anyways and who am I going to tell anyways?” The red panda tried to reassure his friend of their privacy in the issue.
The bigger boy took Hailun by the paw. “Come on…”
The smaller boy followed the other one until they were at the end of a hall. No one else was around them. An awkward silence was shared between them.
“So…what is it?” Hailun figured they had to be alone enough now to be told.
Kennen leaned in and whispered into the other boy's ear. “There is someone I think I like.”
“Oh? You mean like…more than a friend?” The smaller boy was shocked to see the other cub interested in someone.
The bigger boy nodded. “Yeah. They don’t know yet though.”
“Who’s the lucky girl?” Hailun had assumed the other boy liked girls as boys his age often did.
Kennen scratched the back of his head. “I don’t want to say yet.”
“Oh, come on dude…I won’t tell her.” The red panda continued to try the other boy to admit his interest.
The other boy sighed. “Tristana.”
“Doesn’t she already have a boyfriend though? Teemo or whatever?” Hailun thought about it a second but he wasn’t sure.
The bigger boy shrugged. “I think so.”
“Heh, don’t worry. That’s cool. I won't say anything.” The red panda patted his friend on the back.
Kennen seemed distracted for a second. “Cool…thanks. Do you have one?”
“A what? A crush?” Hailun felt his stomach rumble.
The other yordle nodded. “Yeah.”
“No, at least I don’t think so.” The red panda had never thought about it before.
The other boy sighed. “That’s cool. Come on…let’s go to lunch.”
Hailun followed the other boy, wondering about the conversation. Thinking about it, he had never even seen Kennen hang out with Tristana before. Looking at the bigger boy as he walked down the hall, he seemed to have his head hung lower than normal. Was something bothering him? He couldn’t be sure. The red panda felt a bit guilty that he had pried about the issue, figuring he was upset about it now.
The two remained silent as they walked towards the cafeteria. A line spread out from the serving table to the door. Kennen and Hailun proceeded to make their way into the line. Hailun looked around to see who he could spot. Gnar was already at one of the tables and figured he’d sit with the other cub as long as Kennen didn’t mind.
“I’m gonna chill with Tris today for lunch alright?” Kennen suggested as he was thinking about what he said earlier.
Hailun nodded. “Sure, I was gonna go sit with Gnar anyways so that works.”
They continued through the line without another word. Hailun still couldn’t help but think something was upsetting the other boy but he wasn’t certain what it could be. Once they got their meals, they separated ways. The red panda made his way to the table where Gnar was and sat down next to him.
“Gnar!” The smaller yordle greeted his friend.
“Hiya, Gnar. Enjoying the activities today?” Hailun began digging into his food before long.
“Ya-da!” The orange-furred boy chirped happily, his tail wagging behind him.
“Me too.” Hailun looked around the room again to see if he could see if Kennen had found Tristana but didn’t see him through the crowd of cubs.
“Are you going to try out for the tournament?” The red panda asked between bites.
Gnar sighed “Shu-gi.”
“Ah, how come?” Hailun was curious as the ordeal seemed to be rather popular in these parts.
“Shubanuffa Marmess.” Gnar smiled warmly.
“Oh, that’s nice of you to support your friends.” The red panda patted his friend on the back before proceeding to eat.
The smaller yordle looked over at his friend. “Haygo Vaygo?”
“I’m going to try. Kennen convinced me to go try out.” Hailun looked around for the other boy again.
“Ken Shagovara?” The other boy knew Kennen often palled around with Hailun and was surprised to not see him around.
Hailun shrugged. “He said he was gonna hang out with Tristana.”
“Tris no goova.” Gnar pointed to where Teemo was, who was usually around Tristana and was with Rumble instead.
The bigger cub scratched his head. “She’s not here?”
“Oga.” Gnar shook his head and continued to eat.
Hailun hummed. “I’m kinda worried about him. Something’s not right.”
Hailun started to think about it. The whole situation was even weirder now. He wasn’t sure if he should play along with Kennen or ask about it. He continued to eat meekly for a while, playing with his food more than actually consuming it. Gnar tugged on Hailun’s paw, goading him to follow him.
The bigger boy hesitated a second before giving in to filing in behind him. The orange yordle began to sniff as if smelling for something.
“Where are we going?” Hailun wasn’t sure where Gnar was taking him.
Gnar pointed back to the courtyard. “Hursh.”
The orange yordle let go of the other boy's paw. Heading through the door he overheard some sniffling. Stopping at the door, Hailun looked in front of him. It was Kennen and the boy was huddled over.
“You alright? Tristana shoot you down?” The red panda figured he’d play along for the time being.
Kennen remained quiet and said nothing. Hailun looked behind him and saw that Gnar was nowhere to be seen. Slowly the cub treaded forward towards the bench and placed his hand on the bigger boy's shoulder. The other boy pushed it off, sniffling and seeming rather upset.
“Come on, dude. I dunno why you are upset but if it’s something I did then I’m sorry.” Hailun couldn’t help but think it was something he had done.
Kennen looked up with red watery eyes, speaking with sadness. “Why are you here?”
“Because you’re my friend and I was worried about you.” The red panda put his arm behind Kennen’s neck in an attempt to pull him closer.
The bigger boy broke off the touch. “Liar.”
“I’m not lying. You can ask Gnar…he took me to you.” Hailun felt dejected but knew he had to be there for the other boy to figure out what was going on.
The other cub huffed. “You don’t like me.”
“What? Of course, I do. Your my best friend, Kennen.” The smaller boy wasn’t entirely sure what to make of the situation.
Kennen hesitated a second before speaking again. “Whatever.”
“You’ve been acting weird ever since you told me you’re secret. This isn’t about Tristana, is it?” Hailun was beginning to think there was something else behind the boy's sadness.
The other yordle looked away from Hailun. “You wouldn’t care anyways.”
“Yes, I would. So…please tell me?” The red panda tried to turn back the other cub's gaze towards his own.
Kennen finally snapped back. “Prove it.”
The bell rang and Hailun looked back towards the door. Kennen reached out to take his hand in both of his own. The red panda looked back at his friend, remaining sitting.
“And…how do I do that?” Hailun was nervous about being late but he wasn’t about to leave the distraught cub hanging.
Kennen looked at the floor. “Promise you won’t get mad?”
“I promise I won’t get mad…I don’t care if I get detention or whatever because of it.” The smaller boy found himself looking directly into the reddened eyes of the other boy.
“Close your eyes and…I’ll tell you my real secret, then.” Kennen sighed.
Hailun closed his eyes. “Okay…but why do I need to close my…”
Just as he was about to finish the sentence, Hailun felt something he had never experienced before. Kennen had landed a light kiss on his right cheek. The bigger boy pulled away after showing a small show of affection.
“That’s my secret. You’re not angry at you?” Kennen said, grinding his hands together in his lap.
The smaller boy blushed. “So the person you like…is me?”
“Uh-huh. I hope that’s okay.” The other cub looked away as if ashamed.
Hailun reached over and touched the top of Kennen’s hand. “It’s cool. I promise not to tell anyone.”
“But what about you? Do you like me too?” Kennen gripped his legs tightly as if anxious about the other boy's answer.
The red panda wasn’t sure how to respond. “I need to think about it, alright? Give me some time?”
“Okay, promise it won’t be weird between us now?” The bigger boy stood up and motioned for his friend to join him.
Hailun nodded. “Yeah, of course not.
The two returned to the halls just as the late bell was ringing. “Looks like we’re late. Sorry.”
“Heh, it’s not like classes are doing serious stuff today anyways.” The red panda tried to pass it off as no big ordeal.
Hailun thought about it a second. “I’ll just say you were sick and I was helping you out.”
“Sounds good.” Kennen led them to their next class.
They arrived at the class without issue, the instructor didn’t even care that they were late. The rest of the day went normally. Kennen still felt a bit awkward about outing himself but was glad he went through with it. Hailun thought
about it on and off throughout the day. Sure, he liked Kennen but he wasn’t sure if he liked him in the same way. Still, he couldn’t help but think he should at least give it a try for his friend.
In the final class of the day, Hailun decided to do something on his own. He asked Gnar to help him out to distract Kennen. He wanted to make something for his friend as a show of gratitude for his trust. It was craft class so he decided to make both of them a woven bracelet out of some fabric he found. It wasn’t long until the final bell rang. Hailun grabbed Kennen’s shoulder to hold him back, as he was certain the other cub would go bolting to the tournament tryouts.
“What’s up?” Kennen asked as he stopped himself.
Hailun held out his paw. “Here, I made you something.”
“You did? How come?” The bigger boy waited until his friend opened up his paw to reveal it to him.
The red panda shrugged. “Because I wanted to.”
“Cool, thanks.” Kennen grabbed it and placed it on his wrist.
Hailun put his own around his wrist. “Now we match.”
“Haha…cool. It could be like a BFF thing if you want?” The bigger boy suggested as he hoped Hailun had forgotten about what he said earlier.
The red panda nodded. “Sure, let’s get to the tournament.”
The smaller boy held out his paw in a gesture to take the other boy's own. Kennen looked at it for a second before smiling and taking it. The two walked hand in hand with one another as they continued through the school. Only Mr. Heimerdinger, who was standing outside his door, noticed simply smiling but saying nothing about it.
They made their way out of the school, passing only one other cub. Poppy, one of Kennen’s best friends spotted the two passing by. She gave him a toothy grin followed by a thumbs up. Kennen looked back at her with a smile. He had told her the day before and she had given him the support he needed to come clean. The girl told herself she’d have to check up on him the next day but by the huge grin on his face, she assumed things were going well.
When they arrived at the Bandle Academy Arena, they saw the place was crowded with people. Cubs of all ages were crowded around the perimeter of the building. Beams of magical spotlights had been arranged outside so they were panning against the sky above. The noise of the loudspeakers could be heard from outside.
“So, we still on for our friendly little wager?” Kennen asked just to be sure.
Hailun nodded. “Yeah.”
Kennen finally broke off their little session of hand-holding. “I don’t want people to know yet…okay?”
“Sure, alright.” Hailun didn’t mind either way and was dealing with a bit of self-conflict himself.
The two continued to make their way under the wooden rafters that led under the bleachers. The fields of green within were freshly tended and they could smell the grass as they made their way inside it. Kennen and Hailun eventually ran into Gnar who had already made his way into the arena. The orange yordle smiled at the red panda who smiled back at him.
“Thanks for earlier, Gnar. You helped out.” Hailun held out his paw in a gesture of gratitude.
Gnar shook the other boy's paw much harder than intended, shaking Hailun’s body in the process. “Ganaloo mo.”
“Come on Hailun, let’s go to the contestant’s quarters and get you ready.” Kennen motioned for the other boy to follow him.
The red panda followed the other boy to the back of the arena where some of the other cubs were busy practicing their skills.
“You will have two rounds today since you haven’t tried out yet. I only have one since this is my second time here. The judges will score you and your score will decide your place” Kennen explained to the other boy how the games worked.
Hailun smiled. “Thanks sounds good. I’ll go register then.”
The red panda separated from his friend to proceed to the registration line. He found that it was pretty short since most cubs had already gone. He used the magical quill to fill in his name and ability. Reading in the fine print that any necessary equipment will be provided on arrival to the stage. It wasn’t long until his name was called.
Hailun looked around for Kennen with the other boy nowhere to be seen. Deciding to go on himself, he proceeded to the center of the arena. The magical spotlights soon fell on him.
“Hailun, class 3C. Swords yordle of Ionia. Show us your moves. Request anything you need, a blade shall appear at your side, shortly.”
The cub looked at his hand and sure enough, a blade had appeared in his paw. The energy glowed bright yellow as he stood there.
“Launch something at me…” The boy said out loud preparing himself for whatever came to him.
A few rocks were thrown in his direction but he was able to deflect each of them with ease.
“Child this is not magic. Why have you come?” The voice beckoned from the intercom again.
Hailun huffed. “Again…faster…this time don’t hold back because I’m a kid.”
Silence followed for a few seconds as a dazzling light followed. Speckled beams blasted back and forth as they cascaded towards the boy. Bending back and forth as the cub deflected every one of them without issue. The crowd roared as he seemingly pulled off the feat of skill with little problem.
“Very well, judges?” The voice boomed overhead.
A string of 6’s was displayed as the blade in Hailun’s hand disappeared.
“You are dismissed. Placement will be shared with you when the preliminaries are over. Well done.”
Hailun showed himself off the stage. He wasn’t even sure how he’d done but he did the best he could.
“So…what did you score?” A familiar voice asked him from behind.
The red panda looked back behind him to see Kennen. “All sixes. What about you? What did you get the other day.”
“Not much better than that but don’t worry about that. The next round is the one that matters.” Kennen wanted to make his friend feel like he was still in the game.
It was a short while until the second round of the tournament was underway. The voice announced it overhead.
“All juniors to the central arena for the final round for your age bracket. We will be doing teams for this so find yourself a partner.”
Hailun smirked as he heard the word team. “Wanna be my partner?”
“Well, yeah. Of course but now neither of us will win?” Kennen was still as competitive as ever.
The smaller boy shrugged. “Who cares? I just want to have fun.”
Kennen nodded and led the other boy to the center of the arena. The two were handed a small ticket with a number on it as they entered through the passageway. They proceeded to watch the other cubs pull off feats of skill but nothing seemed otherworldly. After a few rounds, it was finally their turn.
“Ready? I want you to come to me with everything you got. If all goes accordingly to plan we’ll give them a light show they won’t soon forget.” Hailun suggested to the other cub.
Kennen smirked. “Alright but…I don’t want to hurt you.”
“How about this…if you land a hit…then you win? If you don’t then I win.” Hailun suggested an alternative to their previous competition.
The bigger boy hesitated but before they could answer they were pushed into the arena. Kennen was brought to one side of the stage and Hailun to the other. The red panda held out his hands as the same energy sword he was given before was provided to him.
“Begin.” The voice from above beckoned to them.
Kennen balled his hand into a fist before some electricity began to spark around it. Charging it into the ground causing it to flare up around his body. Hailun watched as his friend powered up. He knew this would be a true feat of skill if he could accomplish it but part of him wanted to let the other boy win. Still, he knew he had to give the audience a show.
Kennen burst forward in a streaking beam of light. The lightning yordle catapulted himself forward and backward against the other cub. Hailun detracted each hit causing flashes of electricity to reflect off his beam sword. Cracks of thunder and lightning crash right next to him. Hailun has to hop to and fro to avoid being hit but still keeps up with the other cub.
The room continued to flash and flicker. Streaks of blue light flickered around them, fracturing the ground around their feet. Hailun tried to catch his breath as he struggled to keep up with the other boy's speed. Kennen continued the onslaught as he bashed back and forward against the deflection of the reflective blade. Finally, Kennen made one final rush through the other cub, making a clean sweep across the ground leaving a blazing trail of fiery light behind him.
The crowd roared and cheered at them. Hailun huffed and puffed, laid square on his back. Beads of sweat and stress run pouring down his forehead. His body felt sore and achy and he couldn’t feel his sword arm anymore. Kennen eventually discharged himself as he walked back over to check on his friend.
“You alright?” He said peering over his friend who was breathing rather hard.
Hailun gritted his teeth finding himself unable to speak as he moved his mouth and passed out.
“Medic!” Kennen immediately felt a sense of guilt as he knew he had probably gone overboard.
Some older yordles appeared from the passageway bringing a stretcher. The cub was brought out of the arena, much to the silence of the arena who thought him hurt or otherwise. Kennen decided to follow along to make sure he was alright, no longer worried about if they won or not.
It wasn’t until the following day that Hailun awoke, finding himself in an unfamiliar bed.
“Oh good your awake. You alright?” Kennen spoke to him from his bedside.
Hailun grinned. “That was intense…haha.”
“Yeah, well you need to take it easy. The doctor said you broke your arm. Sorry…it’s my fault.” Kennen leaned in to take both of the other boy's paws in his own.
The red panda breathed hard. “It’s fine…I mean I did ask for you to not hold back. So I guess you won, huh? So what did you want?”
“Maybe
that should wait…I mean your hurt because of me and I feel bad. Is there any way I can make it up to you?” All the bigger boy wanted was to make it up to his friend.
Hailun smiled. “I promise I’m not mad.”
“Okay, as long as you promise. I’m glad you're alright.” Kennen started to tear up a bit.
The smaller boy gripped his friend's hand. “Aw, don’t cry.”
“Sorry, I’m just a little overwhelmed.” The bigger boy said as he sniffled.
Hailun used his remaining arm to bring Kennen’s hand to his own and gave it a squeeze. “It’s okay.”
Kennen smiled at his friend, his heart soaring high. The two remained in the infirmary for the remainder of the day. Kennen did not leave his friend's side, still feeling rather guilty about it. When Hailun was eventually released, the two left the clinic together. The smaller one was now in a sling, so they swapped sides continuing to hold each other's paws. Hailun not seeming bothered about his injury or the fact of their public show of affection. Both boys wonder what to make of the change in their relationship, eager to explore new things.
