ELEX VINSPEAR (POV)
As the weeks went by, it felt as if the length of the days only increased, and my anxiety grew along with them. I tended to ignore the gravity of the situations I put myself into. If they didn't affect me at that time, I would leave them for tomorrow's me. These things which may seem as trivial matters in the eyes of someone with more experience can be very daunting to someone who is naive.
For example, amongst my self-studying in the dorms, completely by chance, I came across the decorated hair clip I had acquired, hidden under scattered piles of books and paper, collecting dust in my drawer. Reminding me I had to figure out a way to return it to its owner. That being the Princess, who for some reason missed the first few weeks of school for reasons nobody knows. But her returning presence only increased the pressure I felt. She was placed in the same classes I had for sparring and elixir brewing. Though her sudden attendance excited the other students, I felt a sense of fear. The black-haired girl was popular and gained the favor of many of the students easily. I just wish I had the confidence to speak of her without thinking about the hair clip in my dorm room.
“Hit harder, Elex,” Chrollo said. He lowered the blocking pad and looked at me. “What's wrong, why aren't you focused? You're usually so enthusiastic about this class”
We were told to split into pairs and practice connecting attacks with various sparring weapons of our choice, while our partner would practice blocking and deflecting. I had chosen to use a spear - a wooden one, of course - not for any particular reason, I preferred to fight with my hands, but it was nice to get a feel for different weapons.
“Sorry, I've just not been myself lately,” I said. My nerves had been agitating me for the past couple of days now.
I fear, on top of my problems with the hair clip, that the Giant blooded boy who mentioned the name Caesar a few weeks ago, was associated with the same Caesar that Leo had warned me about, Caesar Kadmin. There was someone with who he would always be seen, aside from the rest of the boys that followed him around, there was a boy in particular who seemed to be independent of his actions. A boy who I speculated was the Caesar in question. The group seemed to take notice of me, a few of their members would glare in my direction from time to time, especially the one who I presumed to be Caesar. All I do is wait and hope they don't try to start something with me, as it seems I have already failed in not getting on his bad side.
“It's fine, let's just swap. I want to practice my offense again.” Chrollo said, giving me the blocking pad
He picked up his own weapon of choice - a wooden sword - and began his plethora of strikes in my direction. He enjoyed using the sword, he was very fond of it. He had told me that back in Vientor - the Demon continent - his family had taught him how to use it from a young age. Clearly, the training had done him good. He was amazing with the weapon in hand, good enough that I struggled to keep up at times when he was in the zone. Unlike how Leo is wrong about me hiding things, I genuinely feel as if Chrollo has his own secret back story. Something he is reluctant to share with me. Perhaps, something with his life in Vientor.
Helping him practice took the stress away from me. It distracted me from my seemingly trivial problems and reminded me of what I came here for. To get stronger. To get smarter. To not have to be looked after anymore, to be the one who does the protecting. Chrollo was an example of what I thought I should be doing right now. Focusing on improving myself, not worrying about school bullies, or Princess’ hair clips.
And just like that, for a short moment, I felt peace of mind. Until that peace was interrupted and things took a turn for the worse.
“Alright class, please find a new partner to spar with.” Sho-Gan Dom suddenly shouted, “On the battlefield, you will come across enemies of different shapes and sizes, let's not get too comfortable with one person”.
As Chrollo and I separated, I wasn't given the chance to look around for a new partner before someone approached me. It was him! The one who I thought was Caesar. No, the one who I knew was Caesar.
“Hey, why don't you spar with me,” He said with a perverse smirk
I studied him scrutinizingly, observing his bodily features from head to toe in an attempt to gauge his physical strength. “Sure,” I replied confidently.
He placed his hand in front of me, offering a handshake. “I'm Caesar by the way,” he said. The smirk still plastered onto his face.
‘Just as I had thought'
I reached out to grab his hand “I'm El-”. Suddenly, He forced down a tight squeeze on my palm as soon as it was in reach of his own.
“I know who you are, Elex,” He said menacingly, his expression slightly getting darker. “You clearly seem to know nothing, so let me educate you a bit on how things work around here.”
What was this guy's problem? It was one thing to be mad that I attacked his friend, but this was a confrontation I never would have expected. I looked around to see where Chrollo was and to my surprise, the Giant blooded boy was talking to him.
“You see, Elex,” Caesar continued, squeezing harder. “Someone like you doesn't have the right to associate himself with the upper class. I don't need to check your background to know you're low-born - a simple commoner. My friend over there,” He said pointing to the Giant boy talking with Chrollo. “Told me that you tried to fight him one-on-one” He used his other hand and pointed at my chest, attempting to dig deep into my torso.
I smacked his finger away and released his grip from my hand. “So what? That was the whole point of the tournament” I said
“No.” He replied bluntly “If you didn't already know, he is born of the prideful Giant race, on top of that, he’s high born. His name is Ashton Gillock. Remember it, because a commoner like you will never be justified in breathing the same air he does. I saw your fight with your friend earlier, and you may think you’re strong, but compared to us, you will never amount to anything, and I pity the womb that had to bear you at birth.” He snarled, and then spat at my feet. “Only a foolish woman would bring such pitiful life into this world”
I wouldn't take it, not while I still lived. For someone to insult me was one thing, but to insult my family was another. Despite Leo’s warnings, and the voice inside my head telling me to calm down, I dismissed them both. I didn't care who he was or who his father was. No amount of power justifies degrading someone like that.
“Take that back,” I said angrily, releasing my aura to shake him up.
He seemed startled for a moment, and then returned to his devilish expression and released his own. “Why,” he chuckled. “It's the truth, isn't it?”
The other kids around us could sense the pressure we exerted and began to back away from us, turning what started as a personal confrontation, into a spectacle.
“You don't know anything,” I said “Keep talking like that, and you will regret it” I looked him in the eye, making sure he knew I wasn't joking.
He was about to open his mouth to say something until he was interrupted.
“Hey, what are you two doing?” Sho-Gan Dom shouted as he made his way over. “I told you to practice blocking and attacking with your fists, not with mana or your arc stones”
I ignored our teacher, blinded by my anger at Caesar’s words. He simply backed away, smirking to himself.
“Sorry, sir,” he said “We just got a bit riled up, nothing serious”
Sho-Gan Dom looked at us both with suspicion. He knew he was lying. “Well stop it.” He barked “Break it up and find a new partner,” He said separating us.
Caesar held a smug look on his face as he walked back to where Ashton was speaking with Chrollo. They passed each other when Chrollo made his way back over to me, his head facing the floor. What had Ashton said to him?
“What happened?” I said, still slightly enraged. My anger had been built up, but had not been released. I was in an uncomfortable state trying to quell my emotions.
“That guy, the one that spoke to you, that was Caesar! The one that Leo told us about” he said with disbelief.
“Yeah, that was him. I think I may have gotten myself into more trouble than I ought”
“What did you do?”
“I didn't do anything. He was the one who started it.” I hastily defended myself. That's right, if anyone was to be blamed for this altercation, it was him.
“What about you? Why was that guy speaking with you” I asked him.
“He told me his name was Ashton” Chrollo replied, “He said something about, Caesar wanting to talk with me”
“What?” I said, shocked. “Why, what for?”
“I don't know, I've never met him before, I was shocked too.”
“Well . . . ? Will you go”
“I don't see why not,” he said. “This could be good for us. If that really is the son of Lord Kadmin. What do we have to lose in getting to know them?” he said optimistically. “He already introduced himself to you. I suppose it was only a matter of time before he wanted to speak with me.”
I stared blankly at Chrollo. Listening to the words that he uttered out of his mouth. What was he talking about? How could he say something like that in front of me? I thought we were friends, or at least close to some degree.
And then, it struck me. Chrollo didn't know. He didn't know of my encounter with Ashton during the tournament. He didn't see or hear Caesar insult me to my face. He had no idea. He was the only impartial participant in this state of affairs. He spoke his words, in response to what he thought was good fortune, out of naivety.
I was about to speak up, tell him to rethink and do otherwise, but something stopped me. My father's words told me to watch who I trust, reminding me that the upper class cannot be trusted. I almost didn't want to listen, for I knew Chrollo. He wouldn't betray me, but a part of me still wanted to see what he would do.
“If you really think that's the best idea, then do what you must,” I said, playing along.
I liked Chrollo, I really did. Our friendship had grown to a point where we could be comfortable around each other without the need for conversation. I could loosen up and let down my guard around him. But the truth was, I didn't need him, not really. Maybe it was because I didn't understand the importance at the time, but friends could be considered a trivial thing, something that would slow you down, another liability on the battlefield. But Chrollo was different, he didn't need protecting, he was driven with passion just as I, and was undoubtedly strong. Which was why I would be more than disappointed to see him go. But I'd rather have friends who I can trust than have ones who would turn their eye at the sight of opportunity.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
“Great,” He said smiling “I'll see what I can do”
I cringed slightly at his enthusiasm
Shortly after, Sho-Gan Dom called the class in for the end of the lesson. Walking out with Chrollo by my side, I caught the gaze of someone staring at me, or at least in my direction. A girl, one whom I had seen hanging around with the Princess.
CHROLLO (POV)
Elex didn't need to know, not because I was going to leave him behind, but because he doesn't need to undergo the stress. The truth was that Caesar wanted to meet with me, but his friend, Ashton - who was undoubtedly from the Giant race - had pretty much summed it up for me.
They wanted me to join them, be a part of their little gang, and leave Elex behind. ‘Damn nobility’ I thought to myself. For I knew the segregation between the common folk and the upper class all too well. I suppose my experiences of the past have taught me adequately, and prepared me for encountering more high-born trash. It made me sick, honestly. I knew Elex wasn't high-born before he told me, let alone born within a rising house. However, that didn't change my view of him. It was refreshing actually. His innocence made me feel warm inside. He didn't need to know how dark the nobility could be, even if it was just between school students. It may seem inconsequential when you look at the bigger picture, but as I’ve heard, charity begins at home.
After returning to my dorm from our sparring class to put some things away, I got ready to head out for my next lesson, “History and Religious Studies”. I’m not fond of religion. I never really believed in a god, despite the teachings of my family. After all, would a god allow me to go through so much pain? Would a god punish me with unforgiving parents? Would a god force me to live in the shadow of my siblings? And above all else, would a god allow me to be cursed with this . . . thing. This poison, which slowly corrupts me day by day, eating away at my sanity. It's only been a few years since that day, when my sister . . . .
I found myself trailing off. I did that often. Lost within my own thoughts. “I'm just a kid” I would tell myself, “Why do I have to suffer like this?”. For a time, it truly was miserable, but maturing at a young age due to the negative things around you, sort of makes life better in some ways - if you're able to pull through, of course. You find yourself expecting the worst, which means the conclusions you expect always turn out better- not that it means they are beneficial.
Now that I’m here, alone and away from my family. I feel free. Like this weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I could look to new horizons without being wary of something dragging me down, or putting me on a path that I was “destined” to fulfill. Because in the end, when it comes to the nobility, it's all just an image. Power, wealth, and influence are one thing, but, image, is another thing unto itself, and it rules the people who make it to the top. Because once you lose your image - that facade you’ve spent so many years building up, so the people can see how loving and kind you are - you lose everything.
Finally getting off a tram line carriage and making my way to my next class, the sky was beginning to darken. Winter was near, and despite my arc stone affinities, I never liked the cold.
I entered a wide rectangular-shaped building and found my classroom on the second floor. Taking my seat amongst the other students, I didn't recognize any of the faces there until a certain someone walked into the room.
The students began to murmur and stare as the royal Princess made her way to find a seat. Her sudden appearance last week shocked the students of the school, as they hadn't seen her since the opening ceremony. I didn't bother questioning where she had been, it most likely included some royal business. Although, now that she was here, I couldn't help but feel as if I had been seeing a lot of her lately. Not that I really cared, she was probably just another high-born individual, blinded by her position of power.
“Is that a full class?” Professor Swine said. He always seemed to have an unnatural smile on his face. “If so, then I think we ought to begin.”
He walked in front of his desk, and sat on its edge, facing the class. “Now, where did we end with the last session?” he said to himself. “Ah yes, monotheistic religions. Did anybody find out, or would simply like to share any monotheistic religions that they know?” He asked the class.
A few hands went up, “Emily, why don't you enlighten us? You always seem to be fascinated by new religions.” He said pointing to a girl with her hand straight up in the air.
“Thank you, sir” She replied while standing. “There is a religion called “Perpetualism”, - it's quite popular in the eastern side of the Giant kingdom as it originated there.”
“Ah yes, I have heard of this one,” Professor Swine said while smiling “Well, please do continue”
“The people who follow the faith, believe in a single God named, Ifran. They believe that we are eternal beings and from upon his creation of us, we have been reincarnated over and over again and will continue to do so forever. Our souls leaving our bodies upon death, and then entering a new when at birth.”
“Hence the name, Perpetualism” Professor Swine interjected.
“Perpetualism is mythed to be one of the leading religions in the past. However, the people of today have lost interest in the religion and have attempted to debunk their theory of reincarnation by asking them questions such as, “What would happen if everyone were to die in some global accident?” She said enthusiastically.
“And what they meant by this was,” She continued "If everyone were to die, what would happen to the eternal souls of those dead bodies? What is the requirement for being reincarnated? Was there a time limit? And if not, would it be fair, if someone were to die and then be reincarnated the next day, so they could still be with their immediate family, while another person may be reborn thousands of years in the future?” She explained
“And what did they reply to these questions?” The professor asked.
“For the most part, they didn't give a direct answer, sir. However, they tried to explain that depending on how good of a person you were in your previous life, would determine how long it would be until you reincarnated into a new body. And they also said that if a catastrophic accident were to occur and many lives were lost, the lack of bodies for souls to enter would cause mental problems for the individuals born after said accident. As many souls could potentially attempt to enter the same body. Which they said explains many mental conditions today, where people say they can hear voices.” She finished.
“And of course, the people didn't believe them. Ultimately, causing the downfall of Perpetualism” The professor added. “Such a fascinating belief system,” he said, admiringly. “Anyone else?”
A few hands went up again, more than last time. I still kept my hand down. As I said, I wasn’t fond of religion, but it was enjoyable to learn about all these other belief systems. To think that if I had been born in a different place and during a different time, the things that I would have been taught would have differed so much amazed me.
A boy stood as he was chosen by the teacher. “The Arcin Born, sir,” he said confidently.
The class turned to the teacher with a questioning look, waiting for him to tell the boy he was wrong.
“Is that a monotheistic religion?” He asked the boy.
“Yes, it is, sir” He replied confidently again.
“Explain.”
“Well, there isn’t much to say, sir,” the boy started. “The Arcin Born simply believe in the one and only god, Arcinose.”
“I think you may be confusing “believing in”, and "worshiping” Professor Swine corrected. “Although the Arcin Born may only worship one god, the followers of the faith believe in two deities. The almighty Arcinose, and . . . ” He trailed off, waiting for the boy to finish his sentence.
“The Usurper.” the boy said finally. “But sir, is the Usurper not a fallen god? Meaning that he no longer has the right to hold the title of a god.”
“No.” He replied flatly, smiling a bit at his question. “That is an easy misinterpretation among many believers,” he said. “Within the texts of our holy book, also called “The Arcin Born”, there is a passage where Arcinose says, and I quote, “What I have created and all before creation shall remain that way in death and in life. Since I am eternal myself, I will keep my nature, no matter the circumstance.”.” He said whilst looking at the entire class and not just the boy.
I knew that aside from history, he was also our religious teacher, but to know a passage like that off by head hinted at something else.
“This means,” The professor continued “that no matter what happens, whether in creation or destruction, what is, will always remain so. Therefore, this rule can also be applied to the Usurper, who is Arcinose’s brother, and therefore, is also Eternal. He may be a fallen deity, but he still retains his Godly nature. That's the beauty of our religion” He said.
‘Our?’ I thought to myself.
“Are you a believer, sir?” The boy asked. It seemed he had caught on to Professor Swine’s choice of words.
The professor smiled. “Although I study different religions, I am undoubtedly a believer of The Arcin Born,” he said. “But, unfortunately, we have gone off on a tangent. We must get back to what we were discussing - monotheistic religions. Everyone open your jotters, and prepare to take down notes.”
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The class dragged on until the sky had completely darkened, and the stars could be seen through the classroom windows. The pages of my jotter were now filled with new information on monotheism, and how it differs from other types of religions. Of course, nothing I had learned was life-changing enough to convert me to a believer, but it was interesting nonetheless.
After I had packed up and left the classroom and exited the building with the other students, it was nice to walk through the large campus at night. Although there were other people around me, the dark of night sort of gave people the thought that it was time to be quiet, creating a sense of silent comfort.
My peace was interrupted by a tap on my shoulder. “Hey,” a soft voice said behind me.
I turned around, and to my surprise, the Princess herself stood in front of me.
“H . . . Hey,” I replied
“You're very quiet, you know,” She said.
“Excuse me?” I replied
“In the classroom, I mean. You didn't attempt to answer any of the questions?” she said.
“Many other people didn't attempt to answer any of the questions, Your Highness” I replied with as much respect as I could.
She stared at me, eyes wide, and then chuckled a little. “Please, call me Christina,” she said.
“Thank you for the offer, but I’d rather not, Your Highness,” I said again. I didn't know what she was playing at, but I wouldn't risk getting to know someone of her status on a first-name basis. Just from our little interaction, I was already receiving stares from multiple students around. Best to end this quickly.
“Sorry, but if you don't mind, I have somewhere I need to be” I lied politely.
“At this time? I'm sure your timetable can't be much different from mine. Most students don't have more than two or three subjects a day” she said. “Unless there's something special about you that makes yours different?”
“I . . . I’m going back to the dorms, Your Highness,” I said without a valid excuse to back up my lie. My only attempt now was making my way to the tram carriages.
“Oh, well, so are we,” she said, looking at the girl next to her. The one who always seemed to be around her in fact.
Her friend nodded.
“Perhaps we could share the journey?” She asked, smiling.
“Tempting offer, Your Highness, but I enjoy my privacy. And I think it would be best for your image as the Princess of the human kingdom, to not be seen with a stranger.” I said whilst holstering myself up into the carriage doors.
“Oh, I stopped caring about my image a long time ago,” she laughed as her friend grabbed hold of the door handle behind me before I could close it.
Her comment made me smile slightly, but I didn't show it. They were up to something, and the part of me that had left home on an awkward note began to get anxious, wondering if she knew more about me than she was letting on.
Some students murmured as they saw the Princess and her friend get in after me, a few of the male students glaring at our carriage to see my face.
The two of them sat across from me as the carriage took off from its post, and we sat in silence for a short while until they broke the ice again.
“So tell me more about yourself?” The princess asked “In fact, let me start. You probably already know, but I'm Christina Porlov, and this is my friend, Erika Rose” she said, pointing her fingers at her friend.
The girl named Erika forced a smile, “Hello,” she said flatly.
I smiled back awkwardly. I didn't feel comfortable anymore. The princess looked at me expecting a verbal response.
“I'm Chrollo,” I replied. She looked disappointed.
“Where are you from, Chrollo?” she asked.
“The Demon kingdom,” I replied bluntly.
“Obviously,” Her friend said, rolling her eyes. She seemed to disapprove of this conversation. “She meant for you to be more specific. Where in the Demon kingdom?”
“Please, Erika,” She said, holding up her hand slightly.
I looked at them both with suspicion. “Your Highness, If you don't mind me asking, what is it you want?” I said straightforwardly.
She seemed startled a bit, before regaining focus. “Oh please, must I want something to speak with someone?”
I looked at her blankly, letting her know I wasn't buying it.
She sighed.
“Well, if you must know, I just wanted to make some new friends. See, Erika here isn't very lively, she’s quite dull, in fact. I was hoping someone as silent as you might have something interesting to say.”
I looked over at her friend, who had her eyes closed and faced down.
“The Princess of the human kingdom wants to make friends?” I said sarcastically.
“Trust me, It's harder to make real friends when everyone knows your father is the king.”
‘Not wrong there,’ I thought to myself. I didn't need to be royalty to know that. I would still have a few friendships myself if it weren't for differences in class.
I looked out of the window and could see our stop approaching. ‘Finally’ I thought.
“Well, I hope you make many new friends, your highness. But, it seems our stop is here,” I said while nodding my head outside the window.
The carriage came to a halt, and I jumped out with moderate haste, not giving them time to think of something else to say. They attempted to follow after me, but my dorm was, fortunately, located in a different building, meaning we would have to go in different directions.
“Perhaps . . . we shall get to know each other later then?” The Princess yelled as we parted ways.
“Perhaps” I replied.
Finally entering the doors of my dorm building, and climbing the multitude of stairs to reach my room level, I lay my face head down into my pillow in exhaustion as I entered my room.
‘What a strange person’ I thought to myself.
Maybe If I had had less exposure to royalty, I would have reacted differently. Perhaps I would have been more anxious or answered every little question she threw at me in hopes of pleasing her. But, my life has been a rather offbeat one, causing me to meet people from both sides of the pyramid.
‘I wonder what Elex is doing right now?’ I thought. What would he think of this strange interaction? Or what would his other friend think? Leo, I’m sure his name was. An annoyingly witty mouth he had, and perhaps it was too big for his own good. But, a part of me took a liking to him. Especially when Elex was around. You could say it added to the immersion of my new life over here.
Here, I could make people think of me the way I wanted them to think of me. They knew nothing of my background and held no preconceived notions. Meaning, my image in their eyes could be whatever I make it to be. Just the thought of that made me thrilled.