Darksteel

Chapter 14; The trouble with swords...

Core Subjects did not go well for Asta the following day when he had the misfortune of failing a history of Tirus exam.

He was certain that Mr.Hodge took particular pleasure in giving his test a low grade, and for the rest of the class, the teacher gave him a smug smile whenever he could.

Yet despite all that, both Blue and Nico did well on the exam, and as the chimes signaled the end of class they offered to help him study later on tonight at their usual library sessions.

Smiling, Asta nodded in agreement-- promising to find them there later that evening-- before he and Blue made their way toward possibly the most nerve-wracking class of the day.

And, as usual, Smithy did not disappoint.

 "Ah, Adrian! Good to see you lad!" Smithy greeted him boisterously, ignoring Grendell as the beast launched itself on Asta, nearly knocking him to the floor.

Unfortunately, Blue had only watched in helpless amusement while Asta was practically being licked to death, and when Grendell was fianlly finished with him, he helped him to his feet, smirking.

Wiping the slobber off his face and attempting not to look as annoyed as he felt, Asta followed Blue to their seats and anxiously waited for class to begin, hoping Smithy would not have them do something life-threatening.

For, as one knows, classes that involve life-threatening things tend to be very unpleasant... especially now that it was raining.

Glancing out the forge windows, Asta noted that sometime in between arriving at th building and the start of class, the rain had crept up on them like a silent creature on wings of dark clouds.

Now, beating with a gentle, pattering sound, fat silver droplepts splashed against the windows before scurrying down the panes in tiny rivilets, the sound of it all echoing in the quaint coziness of the forge. And there in the distance, the autumn sky roiled with grey clouds, and thunder rumbled like the voice of an omnious god, warning them of the bad weather to come.

 "Rain, rain, rain." Smithy said suddenly, shaking his head, "All it does here is bloody rain. Back in MY day we wouldn't have let a little thing like rain make US late for class!" This last comment was aimed at a soaking wet boy who had attempted to sneak in unnoticed. But just as Asta was sure that the boy was going to be reprimanded, the forge door burst open, letting in rain and thunder and all sorts of horrid things. 

Mainly a sopping wet Wimbbleton who was muttering obscenities under his breath.

 "Late again, Thorn!" Smithy slapped the old dwarf heartily on the back, "And soaked through by the looks of it! Well, you know what they say; the only thing worse than a dwarf is a wet dwarf! BAHHAHAHA!"

Wimbbleton glared at him and roared, "SHUT UP, YOU OAF! OR I'LL CLOBBER YOU!"

"Go on and try it then!"

Asta rolled his eyes and slowly signed to Blue, 'Not this again.' 

The boy only nodded in agreement. 

Eventually, however, once the argument had quieted down — meaning that Smithy had gone to sulk in one corner of the room and Wimbbleton the other — they instructed the boys to continue with their sword sketches.

That, at least, was not something lethal.

Pulling out his drawing, Asta continued to add more detail to the hilt, trying to make it look like a snarling direwolves' head. Smirking to himself, he wondered if he should make it a fox's head now that he had Alphonse. 

Bloody Alphonse.

That fox was likely more trouble than he was worth, Asta thought now as he sketched. And what was more, it did not seem to understand the concept of class and had nearly not let Asta leave that morning, nearly making him late for Core Subjects.