For Whom The Bell Tolls

My nap, like many naps, was inauspicious in design and implementation. I slept like a log and woke up feeling tired anyway, so I hardly saw the point in going to sleep. Yuria was gone from the room along with Stellara, but Yureki was there along with Bast and the two were talking like old friends. Which, after a moment of listening, I realized they probably did have some form of relationship with each other through a mutual friend. The more I listened the more I realized that they were talking about the same person in fond tones, both stating a liking for said person’s personality and general cordiality but despising their temper. It was an odd thing to think of in a person; someone being really, really nice with a fuse short enough to blow in your hand. The more I thought about it the less I realized that the conversation had stopped. That is until Yureki stooped over me with her eyes narrowed.

“Just how long have you been awake, Mister? You have things to do!”

I booped her because I could. “Boop. I’ve been up for a few minutes. What’s the difference-”

She swatted at my hand and scowled. “You’ve been asleep for three hours!”

“... I was awake for like, two days.”

“So?”

“You’re not very nice for being as cute as you are.” I said flatly.

That got a blush out of her. “Well, maybe if you were less of an anus I would be nicer!”

“Scary people aren’t nice, but you’re cute so you’re obligated to be nice.”

“... I despise you so much,” she growled.

I made a kissy face at her. “I know you do, but what do I?”

“That barely makes sense!”

Tired as I was, I still had energy to mess with someone, which now that I think about it was definitely more Gatian than Gage. Whisking myself off of my slumber-spot, I wrapped Yureki up in a hug and gave her the sauciest look my gangly, still awkward-looking, barely-teenage form could. “You wouldn’t happen to be a… Sinner, would you?”

“Mother forgive me.” She started to swoon in my arms, making me drop her because it had officially gotten weird. “Ow! You complete asshat! That was a faint waiting to happen!”

I crossed my arms and raised my brow. “Teasing is all well and good but you didn’t think I was that easy, did you?”

She glared up at me, cheeks flushing. “You tease! I was-”

“Acting like a lovelorn harlot?” Bast mewled.

“Do you want to have your claws ripped out again?” Yureki asked coldly.

“I’ll bite your arm off as I did with your battle-brother Somgnol. I don’t need claws for that.”

Yureki looked back to me. “...”

“Yes?” I asked politely.

“Are you going to help me up?” She asked through her teeth.

“If you’re half as nice as you are cute about it.”

“When a knife appears in your leg, don’t be surprised.”

I stepped back. “That was mean, Meaniepants.”

“Ooo! I’ll get you, boy!” Yureki started scrambling to her feet.

I made a few quick gestures and cast my second favorite Arca at the ground. ‘Hoarime!”

The frost formed quickly and she started skidding around instead of getting up, finding no purchase on the rapidly slickening surface. I, on the other hand, was well on my way out of the room and down the hall at full tilt. I slowed down when I remembered the invisible wall but I also reasoned that I would have passed it long before I slowed down, so I headed down a side hall and did some real, legitimate thinking. When I put my mind to it, I reasoned that my age couldn’t be permanent since it probably wasn't that kind of Magic. Granted, I was appreciating my newfound athleticism and healthy lungs as well as the lack of lard that had been on me in my first run at nineteen, but there was a wrench in the cogs there. There was also the fact that I lost the muscle mass I had gained over the months. And then I had the unfortunate reality that I was now younger than Stella by a decent bit and that I was acting weird anyway. Yeah, I still had my calluses and whatnot, but I’d lost a good deal of my emotional control and strength. Both were showing as I tried pushing open a fucking door. Then I tried pulling it. Definitely a push door, but I wasn’t going anywhere fast and that pissed me off more than it honestly should have. I drop-kicked the door because I was trying not to be found and blasted the thing open, knocking a person over with the force of the kick.

I got up pretty quickly, but the guy I hit with the door was down for the count, so I walked into the room and found that it was a classroom. A lot of people were staring at me. “... Hey, whassup y’all?” There were a lot of murmured greetings in return, so I continued. “Where’s the teacher in here?”

A lot of people pointed to the door, so I closed it behind me and saw a very, highly unfortunate soul squished behind it. That soul was also taller than me, kinda pretty, and again, squished. Very squished. A little squashed. A bit squeezumed, one might say “... Ow…” The pretty teacher lady mewled.

“... Was I supposed to push or pull?” I asked quietly.

The Amazon wasn’t as tall as the door, but she still looked like she could have had a much better time of things despite being big enough to clock me from where she was standing. When I offered her a hand she took it and practically peeled off of the wall, joints popping as she did so. “... It’s a pull from the other side,” The poor teacher answered achingly.

I closed the door the rest of the way with a kick, holding onto my poor, poor victim. “I’m reeeally sorry about that…”

She offered me a weak smile and things got bad from there. “It’s okay… Just eager to learn, right Gatian?”

My heart hammered in my chest, a curious fog in my mind preventing me from commenting on the fact that she already knew my name.. “... Yes? I mean, yeah, totally. I love learning like, so much.”

The teacher-lady patted my head, a small feat for someone damn near two full feet taller than me. “Next time, just knock, okay?”

“Mommy…” Victim Number One moaned from the floor.

Miss Teacher scowled and glared at him. “One moment.” She curtsied strangely for a second and popped both of her knees before doing another strange gesture for both of her shoulders. I did not anticipate her grabbing the guy I’d practically murked and promptly picking him up. “You, sir, are still leaving my class. Be happy someone just came to take your place.”

I watched, stiffening up as she held a man as thick as I was at my heaviest with one hand, opened the door with the other hand, and threw his ass out to the other side of the hall. “... Damn.”

Teacher-lady raised a brow at me. “Was that a swear I just heard?”

I nodded rapidly. “Yes ma’am, won’t happen again, ma’am.”

She smiled warmly. “Then welcome to the class, new pupil. My married name is hard to pronounce correctly if you’re not familiar with classic, Elder Thesuvian, but you can call me Miss Wolvram.” Miss Wolvram extended a hand.

I reached up and shook it. “... So you’re not single?” My voice was tiny and weak, but there was probably hope in there somewhere.

“Hmm? I didn’t quite catch that. Nor your last name, for that matter.”

“Gatian… Uh… Frick.” I looked off to the side and panicked. “Uh… Gimme a sec, I got like, three names.” I tapped my head with both hands trying to get the scaroual to reasonable levels. “Uh… Gatian Gauner. That’s my name.”

Her bluish-green eyes lit up like blue tourmalines in the pleasant-enough lighting, but there was something about her gaze... “Oh, so you’re a River person like Grigori and Adolf?”

The look I gave that woman was as blank as the night sky in the city. “... When you say Adolf, do you mean Adolf Hitler, or…?”

“Yes, why?” Her look brightened further. “Oh, do tell me you two knew each other on Earth!”

“... I... I kinda need to go shoot that guy on principle… Can you… Can you point me his way?” It’s… It’s still a service to shoot Hitler, right? Jehovah? Shalom, dude, I need some advice.

“... You need to shoot Hitler. Why?” Miss Wolvram folded her arms and people started getting the fuck away from the front of the classroom.

“Well… I mean…” I scratched my head. “I mean… It’s not really complicated, but the guy’s basically the worst person in history on Earth besides like... Joseph Stalin or… Pol Pot, maybe? Well, just being one of Hitler’s close friends on Earth meant that most of the world wanted you dead for good reason. The guy killed a few million people.”

“I don’t believe you. Such an artist would never spill blood.” Wolvram seemed to like me less and less as I spoke.

“Yeah… It’s probably the Hitler I’m talking about… Um…” I rubbed my temples. “So you know how the Chorets have a really weird, really strict religion?”

“... Yes? I suppose.” Her stance became slightly less aggressive.

“Well, my family follows a religion called Judaism and we’re also ethnically Jews.”

“... Your point?”

“Adolf Hitler hunted and genocided over two million of my people, including family members of mine that lived in the country he ruled and the places he took over. He also started a world war that ended with a lot of blood and bodies. Supposedly because of our religion. Which basically tells us to keep to ourselves and help people when we can anyway. Jews are not Chorets. We don’t want you to join our religion or do things our way; If you’re not born Jewish or convert to it through marriage or something like that, then you’re probably never going to really have the option of being accepted as a Jew. We’re not a syncretic or violent religion. Overall, we’re happy to worship our god, hoard money, and peck things with our long noses and two of those three things are racist, antisemitic stereotypes. Hitler didn’t just kill fighting-age men, either. He killed women and children, infants and babies. Old and young. It didn’t matter.” Unless everything I know is a lie, but I still kinda wanna shoot Hitler for the Heaven Points.

The slap coming from a mile away meant that I saw it being delivered on a long, fleshy stick, I just didn’t see my new teacher move after she started the motion. Still, I swayed to the wrong side and got hit that much harder, spinning a little as I saw spots and stars. “You may-” Miss Wolvram started.

I shot her in the leg with a Stop-Shot since it was both non-lethal and just painful, but she looked at the Arca-laced bullet as it impacted her and gave me a bored look. My head was spinning and the only reason I’d gotten the shot off was muscle-memory in Grata-non-Aquix. “What was that supposed to do?” She asked, more annoyed than worried.

I rubbed my face and worked my jaw. My teeth had cut my cheek. “It was supposed to hurt and that’s about it. Fuck you, bee-tee-dubs. I’m not fuckin’ lyin’ to ya; Hitler is literally what you call people when they’re being assholes or doing something to hurt someone. So don’t be a Nazi.”

She raised her hand with a placid look before something seemed to cross her face. “Nazi… I do believe I’ve heard that somewhere…” She put her hand down.

“Yeah, Hitler was the leader of the Nazi Party in Germany and became history’s most famous dictator while doing it.”

Narrowing her eyes, she said, “Take a seat.”

“No, I want a hug for your treachery. Why did you slap me? That was uncalled for.”

“You hit me with a door.” She pointed out.

“You’re obviously strong enough to bear that once or twice.” I spit blood into my hand and wiped it off on my jeans. “Seriously, that was just unnecessary!”

More people backed up when she leaned down. “Don’t make me be mean to you, Gatian.”

I booped her. “You’re just mad that I play the undlegar better than you.”

Miss Wolvram blinked, picked me up by my shoulders, then carried me to an empty seat and dropped me in it. “Class dismissed.”

A lot of those fuckers sprinted out of the door while my eight-foot-tall teacher towered over me with an unreadable, hardly friendly expression on her face. Once everyone was gone and the door slammed shut, I swallowed and said, “... This isn’t one of those good times to be in here, is it?”

She walked over to her desk, ran her fingers over a few boxes that were on it, then wound one with a key she’d kept on a necklace. The music started as she made her way back to me. Wolvram reached over and took my arm in her hand, placing my hand down on the table. Her thumb then pressed against my index finger while the strength in my body failed me. “Do you know what they call me here?”

I stared at the potential pain. “... No ma’am, I don’t, but I’m sure it’s respectful.”

“You’re damn right. My name is Miss Wolvram. Not ma’am. Remember that.” She pressed down and made things very uncomfortable.

It wasn’t quite fractured or breaking, but that was also one of my fret-fingers. “... Miss Wolvram, I’m here to make music... I can’t do that with broken fingers.”

“You can play your drums just fine with nine fingers.” Which is when she broke the first one.

“Frick!” I hissed, going rigid. “That was unnecessary!”

“You’ll get used to it. “ Her smiles were long gone as she moved on to the next finger, holding my hand down.

“I can’t play the drum! I play the undlegar and plublass you fuck!”

“Then I suppose you should have been,” She broke my middle finger too, “more polite.”

I glared at her and bore my teeth. “Isn’t it a lovely day to hit yourself?”

Her smile came back along with a glassy look in her eye. “Why yes, I do believe it is.” Her fist met her face and she staggered herself. She looked back at me with fire in her gaze. “Oh, you think you’re cute.” Bitch, I might kill you. Fuck this woody, I’m gonna shove a gun in your mouth!

I was used to making most of my tares, the Arca-gestures, with my left hand since it was the one I usually kept open, but times were tough and two of my fingers were useless for the moment, so I made do with my right by my side. “I thought you were cute until you started breaking shit!”

She cocked back and smashed the desk in front of me as I finished my Arca. I had a second to fling it, but Wolvram caught me while I was trying to get away and threw me into more desks. While I was flying away from her I had a chance to throw the Arca as she said, “Get over it!”

“Umbralisis!” I shouted back, hitting her with my spell as I arched and hit some poorly-placed desks. I’m sure they were perfectly assembled to learn school, but they fucked my day up a little bit worse.

I crashed into the desks as she waited for me to get back up. “Umbralisis? What kind of useless Arca have you been taught.

Having to roll out of the pile I created with my body and kinetic energy kinda pissed me off, but I was already pissed off. It was hard to get back up and I probably had a bruised rib or several, but I was good enough to get back to my feet, shaky as I was. “Favorite Arca. Don’t need to kill ya, just stop ya. Call it my mentor’s special friend.” I stood up straighter and popped as many of my aching joints as I could.

Miss Wolvram rolled her eyes and started walking towards me, so I limped around her and got into position in the front of the room where her shadow wouldn’t reach. As it was, she happened to be in the middle of the room and I had some distance to work with. “You’re not doing a good job of stopping me.”

I stood still and started loading lethals into Clockly. “Mhm. Yeh.”

She walked as slow as she possibly could, probably to heighten the tension. “You know I’m just toying with you right now, correct? When I’m tired of this-” I shot her in the leg again, but this time there was blood and she went down, her shadow getting caught on a desk as she cleared the rows. “Fucking cassa-boy! You goddamn assclown! I can’t believe you actually shot me!”

“And I’m planning on shooting you again, so get ready,” I replied blandly.

“Fucking ow! Stop! I’m sorry!”

The door swung open and Yureki stood there. “... Am I interrupting something?”

I pointed at Wolvram with my gun. “She broke two of my fingers for being a smartass, so I shot her. Shootin’ her again here in a moment. Iffin’ ya wouldn’t mind…?” I waved her away with the gun.

The looks of disappointment on Yureki’s face was kinda funny. “Really? Wolvy... You know better than to assault River People. And Gatian?”

“Yeah?”

“Shooting people is very rude. Don’t do that, even if they break your fingers.”

The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

I gave her a look. “Can you heal them? Otherwise, I can’t make any music until they do it themselves.”

“... Don’t you play the drums?”

“No, why does everyone assume that!? I play the undlegar and plublass!”

“... Why?” Yureki asked.

“Because they work best for me!”

“Don’t say that! You have so much more potential than just playing strings!” The ghost-ish person practically shouted. “You could play the best pipe if you really put your mind to it!”

“Bleeding out over here. Me. Bullet. In leg.” Wolvram groused.

I held up my left hand. “And you crushed two of my fingers for pride and hubris. Get over yourself.”

“That was rude, Gatian.” Yureki huffed.

“Can I break your fingers?”

The cute one looked at the tall one. “... Now that I think about it, I probably would have shot you too, Wolvy.”

The pale Amazon picked herself up and hobbled toward the door. “Whatever. Be in class tomorrow.”

“Class?”

Wolvram rolled her eyes. “Not you, Yureki.”

“Class…?” I asked. “I don’t really-”

“Gatian, I can still kill you without trying that hard. Shut up, go get your fingers fixed, and shut up,” Wolvram snarled.

I looked at her fantastic, perfect bubble butt muttering. “Damn.” Two looks were thrown my way for that. “What? It’s nice!”

The ladies looked at each other and said some shit in a language I didn’t understand. Yureki decided to ask, “Gatian, what’s nice about Wolvy’s back?

I thought fast. “Her backside?”

… Okay, I thought fast and I spoke fast, I just didn’t think about what I was saying.

Two more looks were thrown my way, but it was Miss Wolvram who asked, “Yes, but what’s nice about it? Are you truly trying to threaten me?”

“... Is a light spanking scary?”

“Wha- Oh you-” Her face fell flat. “I’m leaving.”

Yureki gave me another disappointed look, though this one seemed like I’d just gotten rejected by the pretty girl at prom. “That was… Very smooth, but…”

“... What?” The blank look on my face told her nothing apparently.

“Your parting flirtation. Your River Folk courting methods are odd indeed. Have you shot Stellara as well?”

“... What?”

“... Did you not mean to invite Wolvram into your bed?”

My eyes shot open. “Oh shit, Stellara’s gonna be pissed!”

“About?”

“I didn’t mean to do that! I shot her because I was mad!”

“Well, I suppose it is a good thing that Wolvram was less than receptive,” Yureki mused.

I glared at her. “I was just looking! You didn’t have to point it out!”

“You didn’t have to make the comment you did, but you offered to exchange light punishment for physical pleasure. You should not have-”

“That’s not what I meant to do!”

“Every region is a little different, but that was some pretty apt Avalesch flirting.” She said, pursing her lips.

“Don’t make me tickle you to death.”

She raised a brow. “You wouldn’t shoot me? I’m offended.”

“She broke my bones!”

“Is that a turn on for you?”

“... Is shooting someone supposed to be flirting?” I asked, actually done with society as I knew it.

“It is when they break your bones.”

“What.”

“Yes?”

“... So if she broke my leg and I shot her in the head?”

“Well… That would be a bit much. On your part, that is. Depending on how long-.”

“I wish I could shoot you.”

Yureki pouted. “You could if you wanted to. Stellara Inova might be bound to you, but she can share.”

“I’m not fucking shooting you. I’m not fucking shooting anyone that doesn’t deserve a large amount of pain in a localized area.”

“What if I-”

“I’ll freeze your face.”

“That’s not ekki. That’s not ekki at all,” She said softly, frowning heavily.

Rolling my eyes, I folded my arms. “Stop giving me the sad eyes. They only work for…” She kept giving me some potent puppy-powered looks. “Stop that.”

“But I’m sad! You flirt all the time but you won’t even shoot me!”

“Why do you want to be shot!?”

“... You know what? I forgot that I’m celibate anyway.” Yureki tapped her chin a few times. “Oh yeah, I need a husband…”

I backed away, nursing my hand as I tried to leave. “I’m a minor?”

“You’re legal.”

“I’m in dire need of a sane River Person adult.”

“... That’s hard to come by. You know how you got here, right?”

“Aren’t you supposed to be-”

“This lake is a part of the river. It’s pretty much up to us how we treat you.”

“... Could I get some-”

“Food? Drink? Soma?” She leaned in. “Prophylactics?”

“... I need some fuckin help with my hand, if you wouldn’t mind.”

“Then the medical ward will be our first stop! Follow me, future husband!”

I didn’t want to be her future husband. “I plan on marrying Stella, to be honest with you.”

The look I got for that was honestly insulting. “... Why?”

“Because she’s sexy as fuck, looks after me, and-”

“She’s a Partner. They’re selected by River People for other River People based on the Anima-Base they get to read. Stellara was handpicked for you because you would like her.” Yureki said coldly. “Even if you love her with all your heart, all you’ll ever be to her is a Master. A kind one, but a Master nonetheless.”

“... You didn’t need to say that,” I stated.

Yureki shrugged. “Marry me and I won’t do it again.”

I turned my back on her and walked away, which was almost a mistake. However, my gun was ready and cocked when Yureki stopped right behind me. “That’s unwise. I don’t give a shit if you think it’s sexy. If I blow a fuckin’ hole in you, it means ‘Fuck you’. Step off.”

She raised a brow and stuck her finger in my barrel. “Try me.”

I finished my tares with difficulty and shot the Arca at her stomach with my thumb as the lead. “Fuldis.”

It wasn’t one of my better Arca, but it was honestly as effective as I needed it to be. The spell basically shoved someone away as hard I as I usually could with my full effort but with an added shocking effect. Yureki skidded back and twitched a couple times, giving me enough time to close the damn door behind me and take off at a brisk pace. Yureki followed me until she suddenly disappeared and reappeared directly in my path. If she weren’t so small, I probably would have seen her before I ran straight into her shield Arca. The look she gave me was a little hotter than I would have liked, but then again if she was looking at me with a mild frown it would have been too hot. The coy smile to her lips as I rubbed my aching face and tried not to swear at the pain in my hand made me wonder what flirtatious sin I’d committed just then.

“You little tease~ you were hiding something that fun all this time?” Her eyelids lowered as she twitched again, the Arca lasting as long as it should in all the wrong ways.

I still had a few minutes before it was completely out of her system, but the shocks should have honestly been strong enough to give her a little pause if nothing else. “... That wasn’t me flirting either.”

“You started it, you finish it, or I tell Mother that you’ve been flirting around and shooting people~”

My heart actually skipped a beat. “You’re not kidding, are you…?”

“Either do what I say or go away.” Yureki smiled.

I swallowed hard and tried to focus on the pain in my hand, using the panic I was feeling as the base for my power, but fear wasn’t what the Gift of Gab drew on. I wasn’t angry at Yureki because she was scary more so than Miss Wolvram. At least that woman made sense; she was tall, strong, and beautiful. Yureki was short, a waif, and looked like she was crazier than I gave her credit for previously. There were a lot of things I wanted to happen in that moment, so I chose to walk away because running had done me no favors. Yureki followed so I waited for her to catch up and kept walking, casually thinking of a way out of the hole I’d dug for myself. Instead of seeing something easy to do and simple to implement, I thought of something stupid that probably wouldn’t work the way I wanted it to.

“... Yureki?” I asked softly.

She smiled up and patted my arm. “Yes, lover?”

“... How do the Amanese make love?”

Surprisingly, she blushed. “W-Well, usually when a man and woman are interested-”

Fuck it, it’s worth a shot. “Aren’t you a man?”

Yureki slammed her foot onto the ground. “That doesn’t matter!”

… Gatian, what the fuck? No, wait, I’m Gatian. Yureki, you’re fuckin’ a trap? “It kinda does… Stellara will never marry me if I lay a man. It’s against her religion.”

“Well, maybe I-”

“I can’t marry a man, either. I need to be able to travel freely in Avalesce and the rest of the world, which is already kinda hard to do as a River Man away from the River.”

Yureki scowled and turned around, walking away from me as I continued down the hall, wondering if the trap I’d almost fallen into was going to ravish my bottom because I’d refused to ravish… Hers. I’m still going with her for now since I’m guessing Yureki is whatever transgender’s equivalent is on Septural, or she just really wants to be a girl. Either way, I respect that and still think she’s crazy as shit, so I’m just going to leave her alone and not put myself in the same situation. Speaking of, I decided not to open up any other doors and eventually looped around behind a long wall and ended up back in the main hall after a good while of walking. I eventually came face to face with Yuria as she seemed to lead a group of people around my age about as if she were teaching on the move, which she probably was from the looks of things.I waved with my good hand and she took notice of my limping form, concern etching itself into her face as we closed the distance between us.

“Dear Rojol above, Gatian, you attract trouble like a yusap to sugar water. What happened to you?” Yuria asked in hushed tones once she got near enough.

“Miss Wolvram isn’t very fond of me.” I chuckled, wincing.

“... You can’t play your undlegar right now, can you?”

“She only broke two fingers. I heal pretty fast.” I cracked a small smile as Yuria came to hold my hand, her touch gentle.

She held my fingers like Stella would have, a familiar touch that made the ache feel considerably less sharp. “The medical ward will have the supplies to get you back onto your feet. Are you sure you don’t need anything else?”

“Well, Wolvram told me that I’m attending her class tomorrow-”

“What did you do?”

“Got mouthy, had my fingers broken, then shot her because she-”

“Don’t tell me you commented on her physique.”

“I didn’t know, but-”

“Let me guess; You offered her a spanking or another beating?” Yuria sighed.

“I didn’t know what that meant,” I answered awkwardly.

“Did…” My benefactor shook her head. “Knowing Rozana she just left, didn’t she?”

“Probably to the same place I need to go.” I watched the crowd of students Yuria had following her form a semi-circle around us.

She looked back. “Ah, yes, my lesson. I was hoping to have you join the third one of the day, but if you’re promised to Miss Wolvram tomorrow, then I suppose it would do you little good.”

“Why’s that?”

Yuria gave me a small, regretful smile. “I’ll tell you later. For now, follow the heart and cross to the ward and you’ll be better the longer you stay. The ambient somnerre will help plenty.”

“Somn- Oh, the song-ambiance. Song-in-air, somnerre. Okay.”

Yuria blinked. “River People… You are an interesting people, I’ll say that much.”

“Speaking of River People, do you know Hitler?”

“Yes, he’s a lovely man. Quite the artist, but he does make music from time to time.”

“Can I shoot him for the crimes he committed on Earth? One death really wasn’t enough. He deserved a lot more than just killing himself.”

“... I’m assuming-”

“His name is synonymous with evil. To a point, so is Rasputin, but he was so long ago that his legend was blown out of proportion. Hitler died about sixty years before I was born.”

“... Sixty years previous to your birth and you would hate him so?”

“He was responsible for a lot of my family dying. Many of my people. Blood begets blood.”

Yuria gave me a warm smile. “Then be the bigger man and put the blood of the past behind you. This is not Earth. What happened there has no place here.”

“... You say that, but Hitler inspired people.” I said softly. “His actions echoed throughout the whole goddamn world. I still know people that praise him to this very day, Yuria. Hitler killed himself as a coward to escape punishment for his crimes. He wasn’t grief-stricken or downtrodden. He was an invasive species in a desolate land that turned innocent infants into ashes and meat. Letting him live makes me a worse person. Just because the past is behind us doesn’t mean we don’t bear consequences for our actions.”

He smile saddened. “Even after death, you would hold a grudge against a man you never knew?”

“Even after death, I would still hunt down the man responsible for the death of millions upon millions.” My answer was resolute and solid.

“That way of thinking… You’ve never shown it to me before.”

“... If a man killed your grandparent’s friends and family, then his followers years later attacked your parents, and yet again years later more of his followers attack people that look like you just because they look a certain way…? Hitler’s people offered no one any mercy. There’s no honor in extending mercy to someone who would kill a newborn, Yuria. There’s no coming back from something like that.”

“Are you the same as you were on Earth?”

“... I’m a lot worse now than I was then. You shot yourself with that one,” I said coldly.

“I’ll assume that Wolvram dismissed her class to deal with you?”

“Yeah, that happened.”

Yuria looked back at her class. “You are dismissed for now. You may join the evening class if you wish, but know that space will be limited and I will have less time for individual study.”

There were some chuckles and a few hollers, making me blush for some reason. “What are-”

Yuria waved the class down. “It’s not that! You lot assume every Minstrel is a Bard!”

They made some comments and people started walking away while a few more people came forward. Yuria went to talk to them and I stood on the sidelines for a sec until she came back. “Let’s take a walk, shall we?”

I followed beside as we began our little journey. “Speaking of walks, where’s Stella?”

“She is not a musician, nor does she have any real talent with any instrument. We do have Combat Masters, though I do believe that Miss Stellara would have caught the eye of our very own Grandmaster Lahgo, of Lake Lahgo. She, as one of the few female Fullmasters, would be a very good tutor for your Partner.”

I nodded a few times. “... What about me?”

“Wolvram will not be very apt for you. Her Terru revloves around the percussive, striking melodies that follow Thesuvian drumlines. You’ve always had an… A certain flair to your music.”

“Like how I can cast with a string instrument?”

Yuria raised a brow. “So you’ve spoken to-”

“Rasputin said it, then everyone else I’ve spoken to about Minstrel Magic- er, Song Terru... Either way, there’s something about me, isn’t there?”

Yuria laughed openly. “It only took you nearly two years to realize it! Oh, Gatian, how I look forward to seeing you as you grow.”

“Guess I’ve got about eight more years to do that now.”

“You do. You know you won’t age until you’re done with your schooling, cor-”

“What!?”

“... You… Rasputin just turned you into your younger self, didn’t he?” She deadpanned.

“Yeah.”

Yuria sighed heavily with the weight of an administrator behind it. “We do that because a young mind is much more flexible. I was hoping to teach you myself to help you develop your music further.”

“Well, if we get my fingers healed I’ll just write a new song tonight.”

“But when you finish is the question. There’s no telling how long a Terruc song may take to put together.”

I looked at her and decided to freestyle some lyrics to Beirut’s Cliquot.

A flame in the poorhouse, a knock on the door; Yes I’ll hope that they’ll go away. Yesterday’s fever has brought the dear Reaper; Yes dear, I’ll sit here and pray.

What will it be? Shall I leave or here shall I stay?

What melody will raise my head upon this day?

Shake up the foundation and run out elation; I’ll be here ‘til all would pass

Take me from my home, you know that I’ll roam; My feet carry me to the last

What could it be? Shall I leave, or here shall I stay?

What melody will raise my head upon this day?

I’ll sing for the friends that I have made and the home where I once laid my head

Oh, I’ll sing for the days that we spent so happy on top of our bed

But the hearth does grow so cold…

I raised my brow at Yuria. “So what’d you think of that one? The music’s gonna make it better, right?”

Yuria herself wiped away a tear. “... You borrowed a melody, but made your own lyrics, did you not?”

“Yeah. I have to be writing my own song for a new melody.”

“... Gatian Gauner… You don’t even know how terrifying you truly are.”

“... Whaaa?” I looked at her smiling, still confused as the day I’d popped out of the damn River in the first place.

“... When you were reborn, you were given a choice of an art and a skill. Knowing you as I do and having peered into your innermost thoughts… “ Yuria chuckled, laying a dainty, kind hand on my arm as she gave me a heartwarming, motherly smile. Her lips curved the exact same way Mom’s used to, the corners of her mouth hooking slightly to make her look a little like a smiley-drawing with dimples. It was so familiar that I trusted it on sight, despite... “It's hard to see you as anything other than a child younger than you are now, Gatian. Your people are so short-lived that you have so little time to learn all you need to, and even then I feel as though you were behind on the curve. You’re far too trusting, or at least you were when you stepped foot on Septural. You came here as a beaten, abused child looking for guidance and you found temporary acceptance if what Stellara Inova told me was true. Then you were rejected in a land that was supposed to accept you exactly as you were, a world used to strange and unusual things. You started turning cold when you started training in combat with Lucine, though you didn’t see what was happening. Shadesong, your tutor-”

“Oh, come on!”

“No, she was not a Weaver.” Yuria shook her head, getting me started again since I had stopped. “Shadesong was another pen-pal of mine. She told me that you were surprisingly… Apt. Your… apropos, your demi-natural gift, clued me in to the fact that you were completely unaware of the sheer power you could wield, so I suggested that she move you away from potential catalysts and move onto useless instruments. Never did I consider that your inborn gift would transcend the bonds of stringed-instruments.”

“... So I’m-”

“Extremely rare, but not unheard of, if that was your question. Both yourself and Stellara are cut from different cloths than of even those you hold in high regard. Your physical attributes may be average, but Stellara Inova is a Grandmaster in waiting. You yourself will be the strongest… Bard, to have ever carried the title, though why you insist on being one is beyond me.” She rolled her eyes and gave me a motherly look so patronizingly condescending I thought she was an actual black mother for a second.

“Thanks, Mammy, guess I’ll be a minestrone.”

“Is that not Earth food?”

“Thanks, Mom, guess I’ll be a Minstrel.”

“There’s a lot of shame in being a Bard, you know.”

I raised a brow at her. “What if I change the whole game and flip the script? I could be the most moral Bard to ever lute it up.”

“Looting?” She gave me another motherly look, but this one full of disappointment.

“Don’t look at me in that tone of voice. A lute is a string instrument.”

“I’m still disappointed, but there’s no helping it. I suppose your songs do carry a more… Passionate, shall we say, undertone to them.”

“Songs help me process how I feel, I guess.”

“... Interesting and disheartening.”

“Yeah, I’m a sadboi.” I chuckled and thought of a song.

“Of course, but… You would… Gatian, it makes no sense for you to have gotten this far with this much power. It makes no sense for you to not have taken over a town or used or skill to subdue your foes. It makes no sense that you’ve yet to ask for an instrument since stepping foot here, knowing that you could level the island and no one could stand in your way to your knowledge. Gatian, you should have been put down when you were still covered in mud. When I first learned that your power pushed firm boundaries. When Sootina inevitably betrayed you-”

“I’m hearing a lot, but I’m not hearing much, Yuria,” I replied, my mood dying down. “I’m too sad to have gotten past the River Guides and too powerful to let walk around unchained. However, you let me do whatever the fuck I wanted for the better part of a year because, and I’m sure you damn well knew, that I don’t want power like that. I just want to make people happy, to get happy myself, and to maybe settle down after doing a lot of interesting things. I just wanted a slightly above average life, Yuria. I never asked for a second chance, but I got one. There wasn’t-”

“Oh, but you did. You chose to be not just good at your art, but one of the best. You chose, and this still something that The Man and I laugh about; Talking to people, as your skill!” She threw her head back and laughed way too hard at something that wasn’t funny at all. “You could have chosen trades or scholarly focuses. You could have chosen physical boons aplenty, but you chose to talk when you could have chosen anything.” A thunderous noise sounded once, then again. I looked around and saw a large square bell hanging from a tower.

“Why do I feel like you’re really trying to hurt my feelings?” I asked, half sure she was telling me something I needed to know.

“I’m not, but that’s utterly ludicrous, Gatian! Who even cares that much about communication? Most people are good at it by just walking through their daily lives, but you chose a path that was a stroke away from mind-control! Gatian; you chose to be one of the most powerful Terrumani in history with the charisma to lead a nation. How does this not amuse you to no end?” I stopped cold, my knees feeling weak. Yuria continued walking for a few steps, talking to herself. “I mean, you unwittingly became the biggest threat in the modern era if you had the mind to be. What- Oh.” She looked back, seeing as I stared at her. “... Gatian?”

“Yuria… Did you just… Are you serious right now?”

“... You’re awfully pale… I suppose this is part of why we are supposed to use less bluntness with your ilk.”

“Did you just say I have enough juice to level this… Yuria, that’s not even plausible.” I chuckled and shook my head, walking on myself, eventually passing her.

“... Of course. Forget I mentioned it.”

“I will here in a little bit, but before I do...“ I paused for a sec, not sure of what to ask. “... Do you think you could tell me what my prophecy means?”

“... The Bard’s Ballad states that the Bard will eventually die in battle. The Minstrel’s Maladies states that the Minstrel lives on happily ever after. The Moon River Prophecy foretells the end of the world.”

“... Piss in my cereal, why don’t you?”

“I would not.”

“It would taste better than this news.” I grunted.

“How-”

“Don’t ask, and what am I supposed to do?”

She gave me a blank look. “... Whatever you want?”

“... Was what Yureki said about Stella-”

“Partners are handpicked by other River People for River People based on certain criteria. Stellara Inova was paired with you because she was compatible, it that’s the harsh truth you heard..”

“... That still hurts.”

“She didn’t have to love you back.”

“She doesn’t.” I murmured. “She still sees me as her Master with a few extra steps.”

“... Then perhaps you should see how you feel in time. Hasty choices solve nothing, Gatian. To act blindly in this would be pure folly.”

I shook my head. “Let’s just get my hand fixed.”

And so we did. Luckily I’m not left handed, but life still kinda sucks. My fingers are really itchy and they’re on the mend, but I won’t be able to play my usual instruments for a few more days. That’s honestly the least of my worries since I now know that I’m one of the biggest targets on the face of the planet to the right people. I was lucky that Yuria decided to look before she leaped, ad I was lucky that she’d known the real me instead of who I was presenting myself as. She was scary beyond all means for a lot of reasons, and the main one being her interest in me. I don’t know what Yuria wants, but if I’m half as powerful as she says, then I’m a walking nuke waiting to go off… It feels like a story. Everything still feels like a story.

Maybe… Maybe music isn’t worth it, Booksy. Maybe I shouldn’t be here… But how am I gonna leave?