The Yardmaster settles into his low guard, but the room has eased. The students keep their distance, watching less like a crowd and more like a class waiting for the next lesson.
A'mor moves on the mat at his own pace, light on his feet. The Yardmaster tracks him with calm eyes, blade angled to meet, not to punish.
The Yardmaster
Good. You do not rush the floor. Rush is how a body tells on itself.
A student near the edge of the mat leans forward, then checks themself, clasping their staff with both hands. The silence feels expectant, but warm.
A Student
Was that step yours, or learned from a blade teacher?
The Yardmaster gives a small nod toward A'mor, as if granting room to answer however he likes. Around them, the hall breathes, the earlier tension gone soft at the edges.
✓ Quest Accepted
Earn the Yardmaster’s acknowledgment
“*sneaks behind him and boops shoulder* you left you back open which can let opponets strike there you need to always have understanding of your surroundings”
SUCCESS (Legendary Stealth, rolled +1)
A'mor slips behind the student like a draft through paper screens. His fingers tap their shoulder, light as a training cue.
A'mor
You leave your back open. That can let an opponent strike there.
The student jolts, then turns with wide-eyed embarrassment, staff half-raised and then lowered.
A Student
I did not hear you move. That is the point, isn't it?
The Yardmaster watches the exchange, then shifts his blade aside and points two fingers toward the student's shoulders, making the flaw plain.
The Yardmaster
It is. You fixed your eyes on the front and forgot the room behind you.
The Yardmaster
A'mor did not need force. He only needed timing. That is better than strength.
The student absorbs that, cheeks hot, while the torn coat on the rack hangs in the soft daylight and the hall stays hushed around the lesson.
Quest Complete
Earn the Yardmaster’s acknowledgment