The Evolution of Mana Echoes

Ch 2 - Pt 1 The Road to Sigil Mountain

The next morning started with a loud roar that shook the whole house.

“GET UP!”

Teacher Long’s voice boomed through every room like a war drum. Even the walls seemed to shake.

“How many times do I have to tell you lazy brats? Wake up before training starts! You have chores to do, clothes to wash, and yourselves to clean! Do I need to do everything for you?”

The quiet, peaceful morning vanished in an instant.

Blankets flew into the air. Several children nearly rolled right off their beds. Others jumped straight up before Teacher Long could reach them, scrambling to their feet with wide, worried eyes.

The old man stood in the middle of the room with his arms crossed tight and a deep frown on his face.

“In ten minutes, I want everyone outside.” His eyes narrowed. “I’ll be waiting in the backyard. If anyone is late, they will regret it.”

The children nodded right away. “Yes, Teacher!”

Ten minutes later.

Long grunted as he began counting heads. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight.

His expression suddenly froze.

A vein slowly popped up on his forehead.

“…Wait.”

The yard went completely quiet. Long turned slowly toward the group.

“Where is Tyda?”

No one answered. The silence felt heavy and uncomfortable. Several students glanced at each other, but not a single person spoke up.

Finally, a tall boy named Bren raised his hand. His broad shoulders felt tense as he stepped forward.

“Teacher…” He hesitated for a moment. “Tyda is still sleeping.”

Long closed his eyes. For a few seconds, no one dared make a sound. Even the birds outside went quiet. It felt like the wind itself was holding its breath.

Then Maya lifted her hand shyly. “We already tried waking him up.”

Long opened one eye. “And?”

Maya swallowed hard, looking nervous. “He said he would make us sorry if we interrupted his dream.”

The yard went even quieter. Long stared at her, and she quickly looked away, her face turning red.

A memory flashed through her mind.

It was several years ago. A younger Tyda stood proudly in the middle of a group of children. His messy blue hair moved in the breeze, and his hands rested firmly on his hips.

“Remember this,” he said, pointing at his own chest. “I am the leader here.”

The other children just stared at him, unsure what to say.

“If anyone wants my spot, challenge me,” Tyda said, crossing his arms. “If you win, you can take it. But if you lose, stop complaining.”

The challenge ended exactly as everyone expected. Tyda beat every single person who stepped up. Maya was one of them.

The memory faded.

Maya shivered a little. Even now, she could still remember how embarrassed she had felt back then.

Teacher Long let out a deep sigh. “You kids are completely hopeless.”

All the students lowered their heads.

Long walked toward the room where the children slept, and several curious students followed quietly behind him. The moment they peeked inside, everyone knew exactly what was going to happen next.

Tyda was sleeping soundly. His blanket was wrapped around him like a tight cocoon. One arm hung off the edge of the bed, and his mouth was slightly open. A thin line of drool ran from his lip down to the pillow.

Teacher Long’s eye started to twitch.

Slowly, he pulled off one of his heavy boots.

The students immediately stepped back. Bren covered his face with his hand. Maya turned away. No one wanted to watch what came next.

WHACK!

The boot landed right on Tyda’s face.

“Wake.”

WHACK!

“Up.”

WHACK!

“You.”

WHACK!

“Little.”

WHACK!

“Brat!”

Tyda shot straight up with a yelp. “Ouch!”

WHACK!

The boot hit him again.

“You have managed to make me angry before the sun is even fully up!” Long’s voice echoed around the room. “That is quite an achievement, even for you!”

Tyda grabbed his face with both hands. “Aww! Teacher! That hurts!”

Small bumps were already forming on his forehead. His blue hair stuck out in every direction, and his eyes were barely open.

Teacher Long pointed toward the door. “Outside. Right now.”

Tyda jumped off the bed at once. “Sorry, Teacher. I didn’t mean to sleep in.”

“You say that every single week.”

“This time I really mean it.”

“You said that last week too.”

Tyda opened his mouth to reply, then closed it again without saying anything.

The other students started laughing.

A few minutes later, everyone gathered in the backyard.

Eight students stood in a straight line. The morning sun hung low behind the trees, stretching long shadows across the dirt training ground. Teacher Long walked slowly back and forth in front of them, his hands clasped behind his back.

“Today’s training is simple,” he said.

Every student instantly became more careful. Whenever Teacher Long called something “simple,” it almost never turned out that way.

“You will be sparring.”

The students nodded. Then Long added the rest.

“All of you at the same time.”

Their smiles vanished right away.

“And no weapons.”

No one complained. Years of experience had taught them that speaking up only made things harder.

Teacher Long pointed to one side of the yard. “Bren, Maya, Judy, Glendo.”

The four stepped forward.

Bren stood at the front. He was tall and broad, looking strong enough to scare anyone at first glance, but everyone knew he was the kindest person in the group. His size made people nervous, but his eyes were always gentle.

Next to him was Maya. Her long maroon hair swayed a little as she stood there, looking away nervously. Almost everything still frightened her, especially Tyda.

Then came Judy. Her red hair was tied back tightly in a bun. She always looked angry, even when she wasn’t. Still, she respected Tyda more than anyone else, mostly because she had never managed to beat him. That fact alone made her train harder every single day.

Finally there was Glendo. He was quiet, calm, and very dangerous. Out of all the students, he was considered Tyda’s strongest rival. Every fight between them pushed Tyda to his limits, but in the end, the result always stayed the same.

Tyda won.

Teacher Long pointed toward the opposite side. “Tyda, Bram, Rona, Bigolo.”

Tyda immediately grinned. “Old man, why do I even need teammates?”

Long’s eye twitched again.

Tyda gestured toward the whole group. “Just make it everyone against me. I can handle it.”

The other students groaned loudly.

“And I’ll win anyway,” Tyda added confidently.

WHACK!

A boot flew through the air and hit his cheek.

“Ouch!”

“Stop being so cocky,” Long said sharply.

Tyda rubbed his face. “Teacher, that was just a joke.”

“No, it wasn’t.”

Tyda paused for a second. “…Okay, maybe it wasn’t.”

Everyone burst out laughing.

Even though Tyda acted so sure of himself, no one disliked him. He never bullied anyone. He just naturally took the lead, and most of the time, everyone followed along without thinking.

Bram was the exception. He loved challenging Tyda, even though every fight ended with Bram flat on the ground. That never stopped him. He would get up, brush himself off, and ask for another match the very next day.

Rona wasn’t afraid of him either. She loved teasing Tyda whenever she got the chance. Whenever he made a fool of himself, she laughed louder than anyone else.

Then there was Bigolo. He was blind, just like they were, but older. Unlike the others, Tyda never challenged him to fight. Instead, he often helped Bigolo move around the village. No one really asked why; they just accepted it as how things were.

Teacher Long stepped back to the edge of the yard. “Everyone ready?”

The students nodded.

Tyda raised his hand.

Long frowned. “What now?”

Tyda grinned. “What do we get if we win?”

Long pointed toward a farm far off in the distance. “Ask one more question, and you will spend the whole day working there.”

Tyda lowered his hand instantly.

Rona laughed. “That isn’t enough punishment, Teacher.” She pointed right at Tyda. “Make him chop wood too!”

The group roared with laughter.

Tyda pointed back at her. “Rona! Just you wait!”

She folded her arms. “You have been saying that for years.”

“One day I will get my revenge.”

“Sure you will.”

Teacher Long clapped his hands loudly. “Enough talking.”

The mood shifted in a second. Smiles disappeared. Shoulders straightened.

“Get into your fighting stances.”

The students spread out across the yard. The air felt different now. Jokes stopped, and training began.

Long raised his hand, then dropped it quickly.

“Begin.”

The backyard exploded into movement. Eight students rushed forward. Fists clashed. Feet pounded hard against the dirt. Shouts and grunts filled the morning air.

Tyda charged straight ahead with a big grin. The others met him head-on.

The battle had started.