Chapter 8. The teacher.

For about 10 minutes, until we reached our destination, we walked in a complete silence. And only just  now, heavy mood was broken by mother.

“Asger, this is one our village elders home. His name is Ull Thorginson. He has a nasty personality so always act politely, when you are talking with him.”

“Understood, mother.” I answer her.

“Go, there, and wait with other kids. They all should be around the same age as you. And I will go find Ull and talk with him about you. After his teaching ends don’t wander and wait for us we will come to pick you up. Do you understand, Asger?”

“Yes I understood no wandering around.” Once more I answer her.

It looks like that satisfied her, since she with a nod stood up and went inside the house.

‘Now where I am supposed to go?’ As I turn around looking I hear children from around the corner of the building. So I walk there.

‘I knew that by my looks I am bigger than a normal two year old should be. But now when I see others… They appear to me like five or six year old kids. So with this growth do we become adults at just like ten years? Or what?’ Some questions pop up in my head. But before I can dive too deep in them. I am distracted by someone.

“Oy, who are you?” Some brat asks me when he notices me. Well I think that it’s he. Since we all wear pretty much the same clothes, have the same short, army cut, because of lice problems. That makes discerning boys and girls really hard. But it already looks like a girls are a tad bit bigger.

“I am Asger Haraldson. And you ?” Well in my last life I was somewhat antisocial. Might as well try to improve that.

The one who is asking stands in front of all the kids as a leader. Somehow I already don’t like him. Anyway in total I count 12 kids. From what I see in this group is seven girls. Four kids are talking between themselves. One girl is siting silently alone. While others are standing behind the brat.

“Are you from inside or outside?” He totally ignored me. That brat, but never less I will show you a composition  of a older one.

“Outside. And what of it?” Since I think he is asking do I live in town or outside it.

“I thought so. Since I never seen you around I had a hunch you will be from the fields.” Somehow that sounded like an insult towards me.

“Well and who are you? You still didn’t answer my question.” I trying to not sound annoyed but it’s really hard.

“Who do you think we are some kind of friends that I should tell you my name?” After saying that all that bunch started laughing.

‘It’s official I hate his guts’ I thought to myself as I walked away from them. Since I didn’t knew anyone and had nothing to do I walked to that lone girl and sat on the bench near her.

“Hello, I am Hege Aladottir.” Said in a whispering voice the girl.

‘Well at least one person is polite.’ I feel like I have found a little green oasis in the middle of dessert..

“Nice to meet you I am Asger Haraldson.” Even if I was really irritated, I try to look calm and polite.

“Sorry but I am a bit sick so I can’t speak very loud…” Using her body language and voice she made it look like this is the worst thing, that might happen.  “Because of that everyone laughs at me.” And at the end she added this in a really silent voice.

“Ah. I see…” I started to feel pity. Since I wasn’t a stranger to bullying. ‘And what’s more  a cruel destiny of becoming a terminator…’

“Everyone settle down now and let me count you.” Said the old man the moment he came. Even thought, all his hair even a moustache is white, his back is hunched a bit forward and his face is full wrinkle, but still you would think that he’s a young man from his movements. ‘What an energetic grandpa.’

“13… Good…” he mumbled to himself.

“So which one is Asger?” Old man asked while scanning us.

“It’s me, sir.” I suddenly stood up and said this with my head a bit bowed. ‘I got a feeling getting on his bad side would be a huge trouble.’

“Good, better than Jensina.” Once more he mumbled to himself and nodded. ‘I think I just dodged a bullet.’ I think while brushing some imaginary sweat.

“Well kids follow me inside.” He must be some kind of legend since everybody is following in order and silence. Even that brat.

He leads us through the back door  into a quite wide room. Inside it there is benches put in rows, while in front of them stands a single chair. On wall there are also few maps hanging and some pictures. ‘This really makes me feel like I am back in school.’

“Everyone find a place to sit.” He said while going to the chair. ‘Does he always talk in that strange monotone voice?’

It took about few seconds for everybody to find their places. Of course I and Hege are sitting in the back. While that brat is trying look diligent and for some reason sat at the front.

“As you already most likely know I am Ull Thorginson.” He introduced himself like a real teacher.

“I do not like when kids are shouting over each other. So if you want to ask or say something raise your hand first and only speak when I ask you to.”

“You are still really young. So at beginning I will only teach you about a world and nature. Later on you will learn reading and to count just enough so you wouldn’t be lost on your journeys. And finally, you will learn the hardest stuff about beasts and their weak points when you are much older.”

‘I think I know more about things in a world than anyone in this whole town. And I already learned how to read while counting was always easy for me. So the only thing I am interested in, we will leave it for later…’ I was starting to lose interest in these classes.

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“Do you understand?” After asking he once more scanned us all with his eyes..

“Silence. Good. Either you understood or are too dumb to understand…” He nodded to himself again.

‘Wow. He definitely got a strange character’

“Now I will tell you some basic knowledge. If there is those, who know this already, please stay silent.” It sounds to me like he’s reading some invisible instruction book. I guess I will have to blend in. So even if I will know most of the things, I will try to look interested.

“The most basic what everyone must know is your status.”

‘?? I am already lost. WTF is he talking about?’ what’s more there are only few who look lost.

“Now  everyone think ‘Status’ in your mind.” After saying that he stopped talking and is just looking at us.

‘What? Ok. STATUS.’

Status WindowLevel4RaceNorthmenStrenght12Defence8Vitality8Inteligence42Stamina6Vigor10Agility3Presence1ResistanceWater0%Earth0%Ice1%Fire0%Lightning0%Darkness0%Poison0%Alcohol0%*Titles*

A strange like a computer window appeared before me. It was even a bit of see through.

“You must be shitting me. Upppss.” I accidently said that out loud.

“I am sorry, teacher.” Said out of reflex, while bowing my head.

Everyone started to laugh silently. Only Hege looked at me with scared expression.

‘I am finished…’ I looked at Ull, but somehow he just nodded to himself  and once more continued in his monotone voice as if nothing happened.

‘Phew. It looks like once more I dodged the bullet.’ Apparently he liked it. Since few years later I heard that he told to all new groups of children one more rule. To always call him a teacher.

“To make it disappear think ‘Status’ once more”

About an hour later he finally said. “That’s it for today I will see you all after a week.” With that apparently our first lesson ended.

Ull, no I should call him teacher, forbade us of checking our ‘Status’ as to not get distracted in the middle of his stories. Of course I listened to him since who knew what kind of other bombs he might drop. But until the end there were only few points that interested me.

It looks like that status window and some kind of partner system is something like an ancient hereditary magic. And it is impossible to tamper with it. It’s like a sun. You see it, feel it, but you can’t touch or change it.

Also this partner system is used in marriage and slavery some how. But he didn’t go into the details today.

So now I am in a big rush to get back home and quietly check this ‘Status’ in detail.

‘Ah almost forgot. I need to wait for my parents…’  Remembered that as I was already walking towards the street. So I stopped to think what to do.

“Ughh” sound escaped from my mouth as some kind of force pushed me forward and almost made me fall.

“Look where you are stopping field boy.” With a grin on his face said that snotty brat.

‘Huh. I had enough! No more!’ With a resolve in me I hastily walked to him and pushed him back.

“Is it fun pushing others around?” I ask him while he looks a bit dumbfounded. ‘It looks like I hurt his ego.

He grit his teeth and comes at me. But since I was fully expecting this I grab his thrust forward arms and start to push him back a little. ‘Apparently he’s a bit weaker.’

His eyes suddenly narrow slightly. As if from anger or some kind of resolve. ‘What are you planning to do now?’ I think while looking at the brat.

But I am too slow to react as he moves his right leg behind mine. And with little force he makes me fall.

With this I learned my huge fault. That I was never in a fight before. And such things as predicting my enemy movements is way harder than it looked in a movies.

But this is not the end. As I and that brat was fighting other kids stood around us and looked. Even the moment, when I started to fall, behind me was a boy. In the end he literally became my cushion. While still being on top of him I accidently touched with my right hand a place that I shouldn’t and noticed two things. That our class had not seven but eight girls and that his no I meant her punch was flying to my face. So that’s how my first fight has come to a conclusion.

“I definitely deserved that.” Mumbled to myself walking home with my parents. As I was holding my left hand near the eye which was in pain while looking at the right one with a little grin.

== End of chapter 8 ==