![](http://cobalt-company.wdfiles.com/local--resized-images/writing:2025-09-21-fighting-the-bigger-fish-s17-e5-white-squ/style="margin:/medium.jpg) |
| Details |
| Author: | Luridel |
| Summary: | White Squad goes through their final tests at Tian Monastery. They can work together at first, but each of them must survive the Rumpus alone. ~5.2k words. |
| Rating: | M for Mature 17+ |
It is mid-afternoon. White Squad has finished their daily drills and had a hearty lunch and given time to nap. But now it's back to training.
Estel does some stretches, waiting for somebody to give her directions.
Shun offers Estel a riceball.
"Everyone rested up?" Gwen approaches the gathered squad, looking bright and cheery…if with a bit of a sore-legged limp.
Estel grins at him and wraps it up for later. They just ate.
Azizia is standing, leaning against a wall. She moves towards the group. "Hm."
"Yep!" Estel still has energy.
Shun grunts.
Ralaea nods in greeting as everyone gathers.
"Excellent!" Gwen seems to have interpreted everyone's responses as enthusiasm. "I think we finally get to train with Master Stone Fist today!"
Estel gives her a thumbs-up.
"Curious what he has to teach us–also have we gotten any word from how Blue Squad is doing?" Shun asks.
Azizia throws her hands up. "Finally! I thought they were going to make us deliver baby hozens before they let us train really!"
Ralaea stares at Azizia.
"We've been training," Estel protests.
Gwen giggles. "Can you imagine? I bet baby hozen are adorable."
"Baby most things are pretty cute, but I don't think I'm qualified to deliver them…" Ralaea says.
"No, we were mostly doing unpaid work," Azizia crosses her arms. "Chores is not training. It is using naive foreigners into doing what lazy pandarens do not want to do."
Gwen addresses Shun, "I've been in contact with Sir Dane. He assures me Blue Squad is doing very well."
"They, um…" Gwen looks around conspiratorially, "Well…there's more. But we shouldn't discuss it here, probably."
Shun just nods at this.
"C'mon, let's not be late," Estel suggests, and starts to head towards the central training grounds.
Gwen stops at the top of the stairs and waves everyone close, "PSST!"
Estel gathers in.
Shun pauses and huddles with the others.
"Yes?" Azizia asks.
Gwen whispers, unable to contain herself. "Okay, so…Blue Squad found the prince!"
"Then we can leave?" Azizia's eyes widen slightly.
Shun lifts his head a bit.
"What about the Horde, though?" Ralaea asks.
"What?" Gwen blinks at Azizia, then shakes her head. "Oh, uh…no. Apparently…he ran off again. So…I guess he's missing…again."
Azizia sighs.
Shun sighs as well.
Estel sticks her hands in her pockets and looks nonchalant. Just another day, being whispered to, surely not about state secrets.
"But they know he's looking for some legendary spring with healing waters," Gwen explains. "So, that's a lead, at least."
"Perhaps we can try asking around here if anyone has heard of such a thing," Shun offers.
"All waters are healing," Azizia raises an eyebrow. "That is what shaman healer whole deal is."
Gwen nods and points at Shun. "Fantastic idea. But continue to keep this under your hats. Oh, speaking of hats." Gwen puts her hat on, and rotates it to a Disciplined orientation.
Shun nods.
Estel gives Gwen a thumbs-up.
Ralaea rolls her eyes up as if looking for a hat on her own head. She has no hat. Hmm.
Gwen claps her hands once and says loudly, "Okay! Great napping everyone! Let's go see Master Stone Fist!"
Shun turns on his heels to make his way.
Estel pulls her gloves on.
Master Stone Fist turns away from impassively watching trainees spar. "Ah," he says. "The foreigners. Have you used your time here wisely? I think it is time to put you to the test at last."
He sweeps a hand in a gesture that encompasses the courtyard. "You see my pupils sparring. Challenge them. Push them to their limits. They will be doing the same to you. Win or lose, you will both grow stronger."
"I am more than ready, I have been waiting for this," Azizia cracks her knuckles. Time to punch pandarens.
"Easy enough," Ralaea says, eyeing Master Stone Fist suspiciously.
Master Stone Fist chuckles at Azizia.
Estel nods agreeably.
There's a glint in Shun's eye at the sound of sparring the students.
"Okay," Estel calls, "Who's free for a spar?" When some of the pandaren indicate their readiness, Estel picks one.
Shun walks up to one of the pupils, looking up to make direct eye contact. The pandaren looks down and says "I know what you're thinking. I can see it in your little human eyes."
The pandaren pupil smiles, "Well, are we doing this, or what?"
Shun grunts and bows before getting into stance.
Gwen watches Shun's impressive martial skills in awe.
Estel gets handily pinned and defeated by a pandaren trainee about three times her weight, as Estel tries to stay within the combat styles she learned at the monastery rather than calling on Light or Shadow.
Gwenivene winces at Estel's defeat, but claps for her nonetheless. "Great effort, Estel!"
Shun holds his own well, focusing more on counterattacking the much larger pandaren. Though he takes a few solid blows, he manages to defeat the pupil in the end. The two combatants bow to one another.
Estel gives Gwen a thumbs-up from the ground, and takes her sparring partner's hand to get back to her feet.
Azizia points at the biggest-looking pupil. She shouts at them, pointing her finger. "You. Fight me." They look at her, amused and rushes her way.
"You've got this, Azizia! Wooo!" Gwen has appointed herself her squad's cheerleader.
A few pandaren give Gwen annoyed looks for all the noise.
Ralaea watches all the matches with a focused frown. Is she maybe… studying?
Estel dusts herself off and finds someone else to spar.
Azizia runs towards them as well, fist first targeting their face. They grab her arm, blocking her attack and trying to bend it behind her back. She manages to free her arm, throws her leg up, hitting the pupil into their belly with her hoof.
Shun takes a moment to recover, lightly stretching for the time being.
As the pandaren stumbles back, Azizia blocks their leg with her own and pushes them to the ground. She pins them down with her hoof on their chest. "Maybe you did not do enough chores."
Estel throws herself into her second match with enthusiasm. Her form is decent, but her opponent has been training longer and is far more skilled than her. Giving it her all is not turning out to be enough.
"Look how far you've come, Azizia! Excellent!" Gwen applauds, then calls after the student she defeated, "You did really well, too!"
"I was already this far before," Azizia rolls her eyes. "I did not need monastery here to teach me to fight."
Gwen takes a deep breath and approaches a student. "Excuse me…um…I'd like to challenge you?"
The student looks the petite Gwenivene over with an 'are you sure?' look on his face. But he shrugs and assumes his stance.
Gwen fights bravely…for about two and a half seconds. Then she is bravely pinned to the ground.
Shun furrows his brow at that real fast takedown.
Gwen chuckles through a groan. "Ow…heh. Good fight. I'll try to remember that cool sweep kick thing….."
Picking herself up, Gwen hobbles over to the others. "I think I lasted a second longer than my last spar."
Ralaea winces at the takedown, then finds her own partner to challenge. The match takes a while, but ultimately her grit allows her to win out. She is a bit roughed up by the end, but her footwork seems to have improved, at least.
"Alright, Rae, show them what you've got!" Gwen hoots and cheers for Ralaea as she spars.
Estel doesn't take her attention off her opponent until the match is finished and she is once again on the ground. She flashes her opponent a tired smile.
Gwen cheers on Estel's enthusiasm!
Shun makes his way to his next opponent. After exchanging several blows, the rogue catches one nasty hit and is taken down. He grunts as he gets back up a moment later.
Estel wipes dirt off her face as she returns to Gwen. "You gonna go again?"
Gwen rubs the sore shoulder she landed on. "I think I'd better give my body a break before they try to break my body again."
"Don't break yourself," Ralaea agrees.
Shun quietly grumbles as he makes his way back to the others.
"Okay," Estel says. "Did you break anything? You gotta tell me if you break anything. That's worth healing."
"OH gosh, no. I don't think so," Gwen says. "Probably just a little bruised up."
"I do not fight more as well," Azizia nods. "I am not fighting anymore so I am ready to fight bigger fish in sea." She nods towards Master Stone Fist.
"That's a pandaren," Ralaea informs her.
Gwen giggles.
"Are we in sea, Miss Rae?" Azizia stares at her.
Estel drinks water and does not clarify anything.
Ralaea looks around. "No?"
"You good?" Estel checks in with Shun.
Shun grunts. He seems mildly irritated.
"You can go again, Master Stone Fist hasn't called us back yet," Estel points out to Shun.
With a strange hesitation, Ralaea glances around again and finds another pandaren to challenge. Her movements are different than her previous fight, less refined. Her mind almost seems to be elsewhere. Her partner pulls no punches, and ultimately wins.
The sparring trainer holds up his paws, smiling. "All right, all right, I’ve seen enough. No more beating up the pupils. We will move on to your next examination."
Shun looks like he's about to go challenge someone else but they get called back. He huffs and makes his way to the others.
Gwen approaches Master Stone Fist and bows.
Estel pats Shun's arm as they return.
Ralaea joins the others slightly behind.
"There are two other trainees who have proved themselves enough to move up in the ranks. Now you will face each of them. First is Husshun, an elder shaman of the jinyu. His people are long-standing allies of the pandaren, and we welcome any of their kind into the monastery. Husshun’s skills as a monk are… less polished than some, but he is a fierce combatant. He should provide you with a fitting challenge."
"I guess Azizia gets that bigger fish fight after all?" Ralaea says.
Gwen covers her mouth to contain her laughter.
Estel snorts.
"Uh," Azizia raises an eyebrow. She didn't mean this so literally.
"Okay, where do we find him?" Estel asks.
"There's a jinyu who's always hanging out over by the river," Gwen comments. "Maybe that's him?"
Master Stone Fist seems content to let them sort it out.
"Okay. Remember to drink water, y'all." Estel follows after Gwen.
"This way!" Gwen leads the way.
The solemn, silver-skinned jinyu stands contemplating the river in silence. He turns at White Squad’s approach. "The pandaren elders were wise to allow the jinyu into their monastery. I see they have welcomed you also."
"Hi," Estel says cheerfully. "Are you Husshun? I'm Estel."
Shun looks over the jinyu.
Gwenivene bows respectfully to the jinyu shaman.
Husshun bows to the squad. "I am Husshun. I suspect I know why you are here."
[Estel]: "This is Shun, Azizia, Gwen, Rae. We're here to spar."
"Did you hear Azizia's fish comment?" Ralaea asks.
Husshun stares flatly at Ralaea, then nods to Estel. "Very well. I have learned much from these monks. I trust you have done the same?"
"I hope so!" Estel smiles. "We've only been here a couple weeks."
"I have not learned much," Azizia shakes her head.
Husshun assumes his stance, "Show me what you have learned."
Estel steps back to let Azizia fight the bigger fish.
Ralaea also eyes Azizia.
Shun rolls his shoulders, then gets into stance, glancing at each of his allies briefly before focusing his attention on Husshun.
Azizia doesn't get into a battle stance, she throws herself at him, trying to push him into the river. He resists though, and the two hold on. At least he's vulnerable, Azizia thinks, as he has to put his strength into not stepping backward.
Estel looks like she intends to wait her turn, but when Husshun proves more competent than expected and also using the element of water to his advantage, Estel starts bubbling her team.
With Azizia moving to restrain the jinyu, Shun moves in to seize the opening to strike.
Husshun's staff twirls and whips like the wind. He puts up a valiant defense, but is ultimately defeated. The defeated jinyu sighs. "I knew I would l lose," he says. "The rivers told me so."
Ralaea glances up after the fight as it once again begins to rain. Then she stares almost accusingly at the jinyu.
"Cheers," Estel says, and bows to him.
When it's over, Gwen bows again. "Thank you."
Shun bows as well after the fight.
"Okay, I gotta ask," Estel says as she approaches Master Stone Fist. "Are we allowed to use our own magic and stuff in these fights?"
"In a true fight, you will apply all you have learned to achieve victory," Master Stone Fist explains. "In a test of your readiness, it should be no different."
"Oh!" Estel relaxes. "Brilliant, thanks."
"I see old Husshun posed little challenge," says Master Stone Fist. "Very well. Upon the hills to my right, you will find a hozen trainee named Zhi-zhi. He, too, has passed many combat trials and won many sparring matches. Perhaps he will provide you with more of a challenge."
Azizia shrugs. "We will see."
Shun raises a brow.
"Sure, okay!" Estel tucks her wet hair behind her ears and sets off to find Zhi-Zhi.
"To his right. This way, I guess?" Gwen wanders.
Estel nods. "Hang in there," she says, which is a blessing of Fortitude.
"Up there," Ralaea points.
"Stand back!" hoots the ferociously face-painted hozen as they approach. "Zhi-zhi practicing here! Anyone gets too close going to get knocked out. Maybe killed! Hai-YAH!"
"Master Stone Fist sent us to spar!" Estel calls up.
"He seems even more sure of himself than Azizia…" Gwen mumbles.
Azizia doesn't pick up her weapons, keeping them in her bags. However, both her fists are covered in stones. She is the true Master Stone Fist.
Zhi-zhi screeches, "You spar! You get knocked out!"
Azizia tilts her head back to look at Gwen. "I am not even that confident in abilities of mine. I am just confident that I was not trained properly here."
"We will see about that," Shun mutters.
Estel starts shielding the others.
"I love your confidence, Azizia…but remember we are here for diplomatic reasons," Gwen says."
Zhi-zhi doesn't wait. As the party gets within striking distance, he leaps into combat!
Gwen squeaks and reflexively blasts the hozen with arcane energy as she throws a punch!
"I diplomatically tell them that there are better ways to train us by destroying strongest fighters of th- Hey!" Azizia avoids the honzen's spear and raises a totem to bolster her team's defenses.
Shun suddenly appears behind Zhi-Zhi, where he delivers a set of punches at his back.
Zhi-Zhi fights with a spear and he is using the actual pointy end without regard for the normal safety of a sparring match. Fortunately, the Light absorbs the strikes that might pierce flesh.
Ralaea takes a deep breath, shakes her head to clear it, and tries to treat this like a normal squad fight. She's not sparring, she's fighting. Still, she seems a bit distracted.
"Alright, enough! ENOUGH!" howls the hozen. "STOP HITTING ZHI-ZHI!" He curls an arm protectively over his head and glares at them.
Estel steps back. "Good fight, Zhi-Zhi," she says, and attempts to heal the hozen.
"I thought we would get knocked out?" Azizia says. "Or maybe killed, you said. Why should we stop fighting when you say stop?"
Zhi-zhi huffs at Azizia, and in an impressive leap, he bounds up onto a higher rock, and disappears into a nearby tree.
"I hope he was cuter as a baby," Gwen mutters.
"Well, that's done," Ralaea says, and starts making her way back to Master Stone Fist.
Azizia raises an eyebrow. "That is what I thought. All barf, no bite."
Master Stone Fist is looking severe when they return. "If you keep defeating my trainees, friends," he tells them sternly, "I will no longer be able to train you. And then you will have no excuse to enjoy my company."
It is hard to tell whether he is joking.
Ralaea pauses to glance at Azizia at the misused word.
Azizia crosses her arms.
Estel smiles at him. "I never need an excuse to enjoy anybody's company."
Stone Fist regards Estel with what might be curiosity, but again, it's hard to tell.
"Shall we try another?" the Master inquires. "You may already have met my best student, Xiao, at the banquet tables. I personally would have graduated him several times over, but Instructor Xann insists he needs more discipline. If you ask me, discipline means very little if you win every fight you enter. I am curious to see whether Xiao can keep his streak alive against you."
"I remember seeing him," Azizia says. "Five bowls of food, yes?"
"Against all five of us? Probably not." Estel grins. "Let's do it."
Shun nods.
"The big one," Ralaea says, nodding.
"Let's do it!" Gwen echoes.
The enormous pandaren youth is sitting at the banquet tables exactly where he was the first morning they encountered him. There are five bowls of rice in front of him. They are probably not the same bowls.
He does not even look over at White Squad’s approach.
Gwen clears her throat. "Um…excuse us…Xiao?"
It's still raining. Some of the rice is getting wet.
"Yes? What is it?" Xiao is shoveling rice into his mouth with a pair of chopsticks.
"We are here to fight," Azizia slams her hand on the table.
"Master Stone Fist wants us to challenge you to a spar," Estel says. "Think you can take all five of us?"
Xiao doesn't respond to the slam at first. He finishes his bowl of rice, then pushes the stack of bowls away. He daintily wipes a few grains of rice from his mouth, then turns to face his challengers. "Show me."
Estel once again begins casting Shields on her friends.
Xiao stands and assumes his stance, and immediately throws himself and all his weight into battle with the squad!
"With pleasure," Azizia jumps onto the table and tries to kick him in the face with her hoof. Xiao grabs her legs and makes her spin. She slams belly first into the table, spreading the bowls of rice everywhere.
Estel catches a bowl of rice.
Shun ducks under the weaponized Aziza, sliding by Xiao's legs and striking them on the way.
Shun's legs tangle up in Xiao's, and manage to bring the enormous pandaren to the ground. But the giant continues his momentum, rolling back to his feet, giving Shun an impressed grunt.
Ralaea finds her own position to strike from, attempting to coordinate with the others.
Gwen leaps in to try her best, but is mostly in the way of the hand-to-hand fighting…but she is soon out of the way when Xiao palms her entire head and tosses her clear over the table.
Estel tosses a spectral feather beneath Gwen's feet, levitating her.
After Xiao lets go of her leg, Azizia tries to get up. She difficulty does it, and as she does, she puts a hand into a half-eaten bowl of rice. "Eww."
Gwen "lands" on a pillow of nothing. "Ooh…thanks!"
Xiao snatches up bowls of rice from nearby eaters who had been trying to protect their meals, and whips them through the air at his sparring partners.
"This is such a waste…" Ralaea mutters, dodging flying rice.
"Oi!" Estel dives to catch one. "Respect food!"
"Seriously?" Shun scoffs.
Gwenivene rises, hovering thanks to Estel, and gathers up a ball of arcane energy, waiting for the right moment to coincide her attack with her squadmates.
Azizia grabs the bowl of rice she had her hand in and slams it into Xiao's face.
A bowl of rice lands upside-down in a puddle. Estel scolds, "Shame on you."
Xiao recoils back from Azizia, briefly blinded and running his long tongue over his snout to lap up the rice in his fur.
Shun shakes his head at the lost bowl. He shadowsteps up towards Xiao's face with a punch.
Unable to see it coming, Xiao stumbles back at the punch, landing on his rump.
The rain tapers off. Estel returns bowls of rice to their owners. She does not return any of Xiao's.
Xiao begins to rise, but is still off-balance from the blow.
Azizia pushes him back down, back to his seat. "No."
Gwenivene finally unleashes the arcane barrage, the energy slamming into Xiao. Finally, the big pandaren raises a hand of peace.
"You better clean everything up," Estel says.
Xiao settles heavily on his bench again amid the litter of thrown rice and puddles of spilled beer. "You win. This time. I’d better get back to my size training."
"What a mess…" Gwen shakes her head.
"Size… training? Is that a thing?" Ralaea asks, glancing around.
Estel scoffs and turns to leave.
Shun shakes his head and leaves.
Xiao simply pats his enormous belly in reply to Rae.
"He rudely made me fall," Azizia cleans her riced hand on Xiao's shirt before they leave.
Master Stone Fist is smiling broadly this time as White Squad approaches.
"Well," Estel reports to Master Stone Fist. "We won."
"I must admit," Stone Fist says, "I was never surprised. You are born fighters." He pauses, eyes Gwen, seems like he might say something else, and then just moves on. "You have learned some of everything we have to offer."
"It is time for you to speak with Instructor Myang. The fights that she stages are… less traditional than the sparring matches I oversee. Nevertheless, the path of traveling adventurers like yourselves is unpredictable, and a broad knowledge of fighting styles is an admirable trait. Farewell, and best of luck to you all in this final challenge." Master Stone Fist bows.
Shun tilts his head, then nods.
Estel bows in return. "Thanks! You take care, now. I'll stop by later and tell you how we did!"
"Oh, I heard about her. I know where to go!" Gwen gestures them along.
Azizia leaves the conversation with an even bigger frown than she had when it began.
Stone Fist smiles at Estel. "I look forward to it."
"What does that mean, 'less traditional?'" Ralaea asks.
Gwen shrugs. "I guess we'll find out."
"Maybe deathmatches," Shun muses.
"I don't think leadership would want us doing death matches," Ralaea says.
"I did not like pause he took to look at Miss Gwen after he said what he said," Azizia suddenly lets out.
"I don't take it personally," Gwen says. "I think it's pretty obvious I'm not much of a fighter."
Instructor Myang is scrutinizing a handful of trainees at work against sparring dummies in the courtyard below, her expression stern. She turns around to meet White Squad’s approach.
"Greetings, Cobalt Company," Myang says. "You are becoming quite famous among your fellow trainees here. I have already heard your names whispered several times — usually from the puffy, discolored lips of one of your sparring partners."
"You must be speaking of Zhi Zhi, there," Azizia shrugs.
"You have studied the art of one-on-one combat…or occasionally five-on-one," Myang tells them. "Now we will test you in the art of one-on-many. Let us say… fifty." She smiles sweetly.
Estel blinks at her. "Uh, okay."
"Each of you take some of these fireworks," Instructor Myang says. "One at a time, you will lower yourselves into the arena below and set off your fireworks, to signal you are ready. My other pupils will come at you, several at a time. All you need to do is survive." She bows. "I look forward to watching you in action."
Shun raises a brow.
"And the rest of us ain't allowed to help?" Estel checks.
"That is correct," Myang says. "You must each face the Rumpus alone."
"Hm," Azizia says.
Estel's friendly expression gets colder. "Been there before," she mutters.
"Who wants to go first?" Gwen looks to the others.
"Now, about what we said earlier Gwen, you may not be fighter," Azizia says, "but you do have spirit of one. And you will get to prove it now. Should you go first?"
Estel picks her way down the hill and leans against a lamppost, folding her arms over her chest.
Gwen blinks at Azizia. "Me? Uh…o-okay. Um. Yes. Yes, I'll do it."
Gwen takes a deep breath and steps out into the ring.
"You got this, Gwen," Estel says firmly. "I can heal you when it's over, yeah?" Her voice is softer, but there's still something hard in her expression.
"Do not let Mr. Master Stone Fist doubts get to you!" Azizia encourages her. "You are squad leader, fighter at heart!"
Shun's eyes narrow a touch.
"You have history with this sort of thing?" Ralaea asks Estel. "You said earlier…"
"Yeah," Estel says quietly.
"How so?" Azizia asks Estel.
Shun remains silent.
Gwen runs up, out of breath, grinning madly. "I DID IT!"
"Good work," He grunts.
"…tell you later," Estel says, and charges up a powerful heal that washes over Gwen like a warm hug.
"You did great," Estel says proudly, and holds a hand out for a high-five.
Gwen lets out a sigh of utter relief as the Light flows through her. "Thank you…."
"See?" Azizia puts a hand on her hip. "You do have spirit of fighter."
"Good, uh, magic," Ralaea says with a nod to her.
Gwen beams, blushing a bit. "Thanks."
"Okay, Azizia, since you volunteered me, I'm volunteering you." Gwen grins.
"No need to, I am happy to go." Azizia charges in.
Gwen chuckles.
Estel returns to Shun's side, reaching for his hand as she watches.
Shun takes her hand and gives it a light squeeze.
"Goodness. Azizia really is impressive," Gwen says, watching the raw elemental power the draenei wields.
Azizia comes back panting, pandaren fur flying all around her. She's fought with waves of stones and fire, summoning an earth elemental and spirit wolves. "Th— there." She sits.
Once again, as soon as the two minutes are up and Instructor Myang calls the end of the match, Estel immediately channels a powerful heal.
Shun nods at Azizia as she returns, then looks to Estel.
"You did great," Estel says to Azizia. "I could go next."
"If you want. Or I could go," Shun offers.
Ralaea nods. "Go for it."
"Lemme get it over with." Estel slips into shadowform as she walks towards the center, and sets off her fireworks to start the match.
Shun folds his arms as she moves on ahead.
Azizia claps, then drinks a huge amount of water. "Show them power of Shadow!"
Estel stands calmly in the center of the arena, keeping herself shielded. She tethers shadow to one of the pandaren in the first wave, and pulses out waves of crushing darkness.
As the trainees fall, exhausted, at her feet, Estel remains in the same spot. Another wave comes, crowding around their fallen brethren.
The third wave of attackers has to be more tactical. When the match ends, Estel stands in a ring of fallen pandaren. She drops her Shadowform and channels a prayer of healing for everyone, wordless.
"Well done, Estel!" Gwen claps excitedly.
Shun quietly nods at Estel.
Estel returns to her group, not smiling. "Cheers."
He goes on into the ring after she comes in.
"You did really good," Azizia claps. "Do not forget to drink water." get a taste of your own GOOD and HEALTHY medicine.
Estel steps back towards Ralaea and drinks some more water as reminded.
"I used to be a healer at a training ring like this," Estel says quietly as Shun fights. "Except I wasn't always allowed to heal folks after."
Gwen conjures up plenty of bottled water for everyone.
"That seems dangerous," Azizia raises an eyebrow. "Even non-Light healing?"
Estel accepts a fresh bottle of water. "Cheers." She squints to see Shun through the throng of pandaren. "That depended, yeah?"
Shun is getting dogpiled here. But he's dipping and ducking around and between the onslaught as much as possible and getting in retaliatory strikes in turn. He seems oddly familiar with this.
Estel heals Shun the moment Instructor Myang calls the end of the match.
Shun lets out a heavy breath as he makes his way back to the sideline.
Ralaea nods to him. "My turn, then?"
"Good job, Mr. Shun," Azizia nods. "See, when you said you were weapon? Weapon wouldn't be exhausted like you are."
Estel nods. "You got this, Rae." To Shun, she says, "You did great, love."
[Azizia]: "Good luck, Miss Rae."
Ralaea heads into the ring.
Estel brushes some of Shun's hair away from his face and turns her attention to Rae's fight.
"Just means I am not as good of a weapon as I could be," Shun mumbles before looking at Estel.
"Ugh," Azizia shrugs. "I just cannot win with you, I can't? I will never make you see reason."
Ralaea returns to the group once her fight is over, seeming quite used to such large swarms. She handled herself well.
"You all did so well! I am SO proud of you!" Gwen gushes.
Estel heals Rae when her fight finishes. "Good shit, Rae."
"Congratulations, Miss Rae." Azizia clap. "Very impressive."
"Reminded me of the Scourge, except. Less…" Ralaea waves a hand. You know.
Shun nods.
"Igh…yeah." Gwen waves them along. "Let's get back to Master Myang."
Estel nods and starts back up the hill.
"Well, then." Instructor Myang looks them over, bright-eyed. "The Rumpus was your final test. You have shown your mastery of all the combat disciplines taught at this monastery."
Myang bows. "Just as your time here began with a banquet, so shall it end. High Elder Cloudfall will be awaiting you this evening at the banquet grounds."
Shun furrows his brow a bit.
Estel bows in return. Cheer returns to her at the mention of a banquet. "Oh, awesome."
That Evening
High Elder Cloudfall once again awaits them at the high table. He is beaming, his hands laced together over his broad belly. "Congratulations, my friends. While your traineeship was strictly honorary, your results were undeniably impressive."
"Your fellow trainees admire you; the young ones look up to you. Already there are tales of the foreign heroes among us!" The High Elder laughs jovially. "Come, join us in celebrating once more before you go."
Estel sets another basket of oranges down on the table. "Thanks for having us."
"It has been a great honor, High Elder." Gwen bows deeply. "Thank you for your hospitality, and your lessons."
"Celebrating…" Azizia pauses. "I will try brew of yours once more. In honor of Brewfest."
Gwen winces at Azizia…but it's her choice.
Shun shakes his head to himself and just goes to get some food to sit in the quietest corner of the banquet hall.