Chapter 2
30 minutes ago.
Xander just finished a 7.5-hour test on analyzing famous imperial battle strategies. He was not too worried about the results. Seeing that he has often accompanied his father on the ducal battleship, or even participated in skirmishes with pirates. He had developed a keen interest in war like his father, and many other Drakorians in his clan. His clan Noxshadow, meaning ‘black as death’ (as most Drakorians get darker with age), has an extreme “hunt and kill” instinct so they tend to thrive in the military.
Drakorians age very slowly until they hit adolescence at 42, then they age similar to Firkins, Humans, or Avarians, until they reach adulthood at 50, then stop growing and just get darker. At 43 cycles old, he was in his early adolescent years and already has shown amazing talent in various things.
Xander knows everyone is eager to measure his talents, especially his family. But honestly, he was bored. He only went to the best school because the other schools seemed boring. He only got the top scores because if he did not, it would have been boring. He only wanted to go to Exent because he was bored. And when he was bored, he had the urge to hunt, even when he was not hungry, he wanted to find enemies and see them defeated to death or shame. This urge was gnawing at him constantly, but as his father had said, “It's vital to trust even your most primal instincts. Never let it control you, for that is the greatest sign of weakness. As the heir to Delano, you must never show weakness!”
‘Weakness...’ he thought. ‘Like that girl, I saw. Small, weak, scared, hurt, but also brave. Few could look my father and grandfather in the eye, let alone run from hunters and win. I wonder if she could win against me. Not that I could hurt her, just play the children’s game, hunter/prey, tag, and switch. I wonder what face she would make if I caught her, in fun, not fear.’ A smile crept on his face, unaware that he was unconsciously following her scent down the sterile, white hallways.
“There you are you little Freak!” An annoying voice drifted to him.
`How dare someone make a ruckus here.’ He thought.
As he approached, he saw a lanky boy gripping a small girl that he instantly recognized as Ella. He could tell that the boy was bullying the girl. The smell of fear came to his sensitive nose. Xander called an assistant over to control the boy and stood beside Ella. Xander suppressed the urge to make the stupid boy his prey but focused on the instinct to protect Ella instead. Especially after he could smell blood on her arm and saw her shaking form. It was then that he realized he enjoyed protecting her. ‘Quite exciting indeed.’ Xander decided then that he would make her his friend.
Standing in the lobby of the healer’s room, He thought about how different Ella looked now that she was healed. The muddy gray hair, cuts, and bruises are gone. And the stench of desperation was replaced with hope. He didn’t want to see her like that again. She was cute now. Most Drakorians' senses are based on their extremely strong sense of smell, some can even smell a person’s soul, and to Xander, Ella smelled very good.
Walking to the cafeteria he tried to engage her in small talk but saw how helplessly shy she was yet determined to try. Once again, he suppressed the urge to make her worthless family his prey, leaving them to his father or grandfather. Xander kept talking to her, discreetly helping her practice.
Once they reached the closest cafeteria he led her to the VIP section. It was a smaller dining room, compared to the general cafeteria, white with gold trim and mirror accents. Light music filled the air. Xander scanned his bracelet and waited for her to do the same. However, when she did, the scanner immediately flashed red, startling the girl.
“It’s ok,” Xander said, "It's supposed to happen."
A waiter arrived shortly after. Before the adult had a chance to speak, Xander interjected. “She is my guest.’’
“Yes, sir” the tall man replied.
“And make sure that they know that I’ll be paying for her meal,” Xander said nonchalantly.
“Understood, Sir.”
“Ah, oh. I have my own food credits.” She tried not to stutter.
“No need. This is the VIP Section. Unless a person is a noble, a tycoon, a high-ranked officer, or a famous High Priest, they can’t afford to eat here. VIP sections are priced insanely high, not just because the quality and variety are a lot better, but because of the affluence tax. The surplus is used to support the food credit suppliers and distributors. It is meant so we work hard to earn our rank and status. And...” He pulled out a chair for her. “It’s worth every pebb”. A pebb is the lowest denomination of money known as Novas. A ‘pebb’ is a coin worth 1 Nova, the lowest denomination of money.
Ella sits down and is given the extensive menu on a slate. She’s shocked to see that each item is no less than a ‘branch’, or 500 Novas, and one even worth up to a ‘grove’ or 5,000 Novas.
“This menu is quite impressive. So many choices.” She tried to hide her awe.
As the two are ordering dinner, they are spotted by two siblings, and they approach. “Hey, Xander! Can we join you?” The tall boy asked.
Xander nodded to the siblings who each took a seat next to them. “Sebastian, Isabella, this is my new friend Ella Astraelos. This is the girl that I told you about. The one that Grandfather helped emancipate.” Ella blushed as he spoke about her. He then turned to her and said, pointing to the others. “These two are my cousins, Sebastian and Isabella Thallous. Children of Count Thallous.”
Ella bowed her head low. “Greetings, nice to meet you both.” She awkwardly greeted them both.
“Hello, nice to meet you too.” Said the boy sitting next to Xander, “No need for formalities here. Call me Seb.”
“Hi” Said the girl Sitting next to Ella. “Any friend of Xander is a friend of ours. You can call me Iza.”
They began to chat amongst themselves as two waiters approached with several trays of their selection. There was so much food Ella had never seen before. It all smelled so good. She had nearly tuned them out as she sent a quick prayer of thanks over the food and began to dig in.
Iza tapped her on the shoulder. “Did you just bless the food?”
“I’m sorry! It’s a habit. Was I not supposed to?” Ella’s face burned pink.
“Oh no! I just meant that you did it very well! Are you aiming to be a priestess?” The young lady asked.
“A, a Summoner and a healer. F, father said I should always bless anything I eat or own, so I don’t get m, miasma poisoning. That’s how he died.” Ella couldn’t help but hide her face, embarrassed by her stuttering and babbling.
The three mumbled a combination of ‘sorry for your loss’ or ‘may the Light guide him.’
Iza gently draped her arm over Ella’s shoulders. “Well, I’m sure he would be very proud of his daughter. You’re cute as a little mouse, I don’t know how anyone could hate you. I'm glad you escaped that family!” Giving her a friendly smile and a shoulder hug.
“Well, her brother is still a pest…” Xander grumbled, showing his annoyance.
“Is he here too?” Seb asked.
“Oooh, drama!” Iza giggled. “Did he bug you?”
“He hurt her.” Scowled Xander. The twins’ faces changed from entertained to concern.
“I’m fine now.” Ella, feeling eyes on her, wanted to hide, wanting to let off her camouflaging chemical. She wasn’t very good at it, but regardless, using special abilities like that was not permitted in the testing center without permission. She wondered if she could take a class in the future that would help. Her mind wandered, not realizing the conversation continued around her until she heard her name called.
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“Ella. We all decided. Since your brother was only given a ‘warning’, he might try to approach you again. So, stick with us when you can.” Xander explained.
She tried to protest, not wanting to be a burden, but they were determined.
“How about we all share our schedules too?” Iza seemed like she was having fun with the idea.
Ella resigned herself to just listening to the three, mostly the siblings, as they continued chatting for the rest of the meal. With her stomach full, and the friendly bickering of the twins blending with the music, she began to relax.
When her eyes began to feel heavy, she decided it was time to head to her dorm. Iza demanded to escort her. When they arrived, Iza was amazed at how small the dorm was.
“We Drakorians are community sleepers, all in one big nest. Our suite is for 6 but there are only 4 of us, how about you join us?”
“Oh, I don’t know about that...” Ella said shyly.
“Come on! It’ll be fun!” Iza replied.
“I’ll Think about it. But thank you for walking me here. I am glad we met.”
Iza gave her a big hug and said her goodbyes.
As Ella walked into her dorm, she saw a box on her bed along with fresh clothes. It was a therapy visor, and the health pamphlets. Curious, she put the ‘Vizor’ over her eyes and turned it on. She was immediately taken to a virtual space with a man Standing in front of her.
“Welcome Ella! I am Vizor, I am your AI mental health advisor, and this will be your meditation space. You can customize it to your liking. As we work together, I will be utilizing various psycho-therapy methods, including subliminal messaging. Let’s go forward together!”
She continued to work with it for the next hour or so before she decided to pray and settle to sleep. She hoped tomorrow’s testing would go well, a physical test in the morning and a psychic power eval in the afternoon.
The following day went better than expected. She scored high on the math test as well as the psychic powers evaluation. However she scored average on the physical test, she lacked stamina, and her muscle strength was low. Receiving good scores allowed her access to the entertainment center and she shared most of her free time there with Xander, Iza, and occasionally Seb. Fortunately, her brother Danny didn’t approach her again but would always glare at her from a distance and spread false rumors to anyone who would listen.
The next day she was informed of a communication request from the Duke Valerius of the Delano Territory.
The screen flickered to life, illuminating the room with a soft blue hue. Ella sat down in nervous anticipation, as the transmission connected. The Duke's stern image appeared before her.
"Duke Valerius," Ella greeted respectfully, her heart racing with a mix of curiosity and apprehension.
"Ella Astraelos," the Duke acknowledged with a nod. "I have an update on your mother and stepfather. I wanted to tell you personally."
Ella's eyes widened, her breath catching in her throat. "What is it?"
"They've been apprehended," the Duke announced, his voice maintaining its usual stoicism. "Charges have been pressed against them for child abuse, embezzlement, and fraud. However, the investigation is ongoing. We are also looking into the human supremacist group they are a part of."
Shock and relief washed over Ella's face. "I see…And my siblings?" she inquired; her concern evident.
"The authorities have placed them in the care of a neighbor," the Duke continued. "They'll be put up for adoption soon."
Relief washed over Ella, coupled with a pang of sadness for her siblings' uncertain future. "I hope they find a good home," she murmured.
The Duke's expression softened marginally. "On another note, I received a favorable report from Alexander regarding your friendship. I'm pleased to hear that you've found a friend in him."
A small smile tugged at Ella's lips. "He's been very kind and supportive."
"He's a good lad," the Duke remarked. "Keep close to friends like him."
"Thank you, Duke Valerius," Ella expressed her gratitude, her heart feeling lighter with the news despite the heavy circumstances.
The image blinked out, leaving Ella to ponder the mixed emotions stirred by the unexpected turn of events.
A day later, on her way back from her Science proficiency test, Ella was walking to where she was to meet with Iza and Xander. Suddenly Danny stormed towards her from behind, his expression twisted in anger and confusion.
"Bastard! What did you do?" Danny spat out with accusation. Ella put her back to the wall, in case he had a friend to back him up like he did in school. She met his gaze, her expression resolute yet tinged with fear.
"I. I didn't do anything." She stammered.
"Don't lie to me!" Danny's voice rose, looking to see if there were any passersby "Our parents are in jail! They said it's because of you!"
Ella's heart sank at the hatred in his words and her body froze. She knew this confrontation would come, but she hadn't expected it to be when her friends weren’t around. "D. Danny, I didn't cause this. They were arrested for what they did," she stated firmly.
"You've always been the problem!" Danny shouted; his fists clenched in frustration. "You're not even human! They did everything for you, and this is how you repay them?"
Ella's eyes stung with tears, but she held her ground. "They hurt me, Danny. You know that" she replied, her voice steadier than she felt. "They hurt all of us, They hurt you too, Danny, but you're refusing to see it."
"You're lying! Tell them you lied!” He screamed and shoved her against the wall, holding her by the neck, and hitting her head against the wall. She tried to push him away, hissing at him, only to receive a slap across her face. She remembered what the healer said.
“Sec. Security!” she yelled but that only angered him more and he started punching her face, knocking some of her teeth loose. The blood filled her mouth and down her nose. She tried to block the swings, but the memories of her past beatings flooded in uncontrolled, making her muscles stiff.
The last things she remembered were alarms blaring, and security guards in red pulling him off her before everything blurred to black.
When she woke, everything in the healer’s room overwhelmed her senses. The bright lights overhead and the sight of the unknown medical personnel surrounding her sent her into an immediate panic attack. Her heart races, her breathing becomes shallow and strained gasps, and her shivers are strong enough to rattle her whole body. As she instinctively tries to hide.
“It's all right! You’re safe!” she could barely hear a voice, over the blood rushing in her ears.
“She is having a panic attack, give her some space.” The muffled voices were whispers over the memories of being surrounded and beaten to the ground unable to move. Her head spinning, knowing the past is the past but it feels so real.
“Look at me child, focus on my voice. Do you know where you are?”
“Applying psychic soothe now” a hand touching her arm, making her flinch but a calm started to build so she allowed it.
“That’s it, breathe slowly. Don’t fight it. Let the soothe build up. You are safe.” The voice slowly became clearer as was the face. “Take it slow. You’re doing great” A woman with bright neon yellow hair and blue eyes was right in front of her. “Do you know where you are now?”
Ella, her heart still racing, looked around the room. She was back in the healer's room surrounded by healers, an aide, and security. She nodded her head slowly tears streaming down her face.
“I’m sorry! I’m sorry.” she began mumbling repeatedly, realizing she had found herself on the floor in the corner of the room.
“You’re alright, you did nothing wrong, dear. After everything you’ve been through, we should have expected it. But you did nothing wrong.”
Ella could only whimper in reply, unable to bring herself to agree.
Seeing that the girl had come to her senses now, the healer offered her hands to her. “Now, do you think you can stand? You still have a few injuries we need to address. Then, if you feel up to it, security would like to ask for a statement. Okay?”
Ella, feeling very embarrassed and sheepish, just nodded silently.
A couple of hours later, she was healed once again, and she learned that her brother Danny was detained and scheduled to be transferred to a juvenile detention center for reeducation and rehabilitation. She thought she would be happy to hear that, but she honestly just felt empty.
Later, back in her dorm, Ella sat alone in a quiet corner, her emotions in turmoil after the distressing confrontation. She had just spent 2 hours with visor therapy, and she struggled to collect herself. The door chimed. It was Alex.
"Hey, Can I come in?" he asked softly. She nodded and smiled a little when he had to walk sideways to squeeze his folded wings through the door.
“I heard what happened,” Alex said softly, squishing himself to sit down next to her on the bed alcove. "Are you okay?"
Ella tried to put on a brave face but failed, her eyes betraying her emotional state. "I will be," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper.
"You don't have to pretend with me," Alex said gently, placing a reassuring arm over her shoulders. "I know that was tough. I'm here for you."
Tears welled up in Ella's eyes, and she leaned into Alex's comforting presence. "Thank you," she murmured, feeling a little relieved.
He noticed the visor in her hand. “Don’t tell anyone, but I got one too. It surprisingly works.”
“You do?”
“I was born with an abnormal amount of hunting instinct or a high kill drive. I don’t talk about it often, but I’ve been following my father, and others like him, to various battlefields Since I was old enough to talk. Partly for training as the heir, partly to suppress That drive through a constructive outlet. Although I am better for it, in the process, I’ve seen and done things a child shouldn’t have had to experience. Our trauma may be different, but I am here if you want to talk. I know a lot of people don’t understand what we go through." Alex said, his voice filled with empathy. "But you're strong, and you're not alone in this."
Ella nodded, grateful for his understanding and support.
After some comfortable silence, he tried to rearrange his cramped limbs muttering under his breath. “Tiny ass space. . .How can you be comfortable in here? Why didn’t you take Iza up on the offer for community sleeping?”
She Sleepily giggled “I’ve never done that before, and I like having my own space. And I don’t want to get in anyone’s way.” She mumbled, not realizing she was half asleep, leaning on his arm.
“You won’t be in anyone’s way. Besides, you have a very calming scent we all like. You’ll still get your own space, a room like you do here, it’s just connected to the center room where you can choose to sleep close to friends or by yourself. The security is better since the center room is monitored by AI computers. And, since Seb already brought his friend, Iza feels outnumbered. We can ask if you could do a trial... And you’re already asleep.”
Ella was fast asleep with her head on his arm, which was still around her shoulders. Xander tried to gently lay her down in bed, but she woke up. “Go to sleep. We can talk more about it tomorrow.” She just nodded and drifted off to sleep as Xander left the room just as the announcement of ‘visiting hours are over’ sounded overhead.