If you are able to visit the Whiteford Academy and then ask the students which teacher they fear the most, the answer you will most likely get is “Master Harken Wes”. If you ask the students who their favourite teacher is, the majority of the vote (around 65%) will go to Master Jev Haithur, 20% will go to Mistress Ariessa Ricon, and the remaining votes go to the rest of the faculty members (coincidently, 20% of the votes for Mistress Ricon come from the male students in the academy).
Master Jev Haithur, you will either love him or think he’s okay. Friendly, charismatic and charming, he could be all of these and more. When you’re speaking with him, you can’t help but be dazzled by his eloquence and knowledge. Even if some students could feel that there is something fake about Master Haithur, as if he was just an actor on a stage saying the lines that he is expected or required to, they would just brush it off as their own imagination or jealousy. There is something underneath that man, and it just adds to his attractiveness and his allure.
Although if you ask a certain headmaster, he would tell you that Master Jev Haithur is a two-faced lying, back-stabbing smug snake who needs to drowned in a lake, after which the still-wet corpse requires a stake to be driven to the heart, its head decapitated and stuffed with garlic… then the whole thing is set on fire… just to be sure (coincidentally this headmaster has a low approval rating, 1%. Master Wes surprisingly has 3%).
But right now, the man who was quite popular in class looks very different tonight standing behind the staff table in the dining hall. Master Haithur face’s right now is very hard, with no trace of his charming smile left on it. His eyes that used to be big and captivating are now reduced to two slits, like the eyes of a predator focusing all its attention to the prey in front of it.
The prey doesn't look all scared or intimidated at all. Like a frog fresh from a pond, licking its lips and saying lucky when it happens to come across a snake for the very first time.
“Listen up, boys and girls. It’s history time.” the frog boy says. “Everyone, there exists a secret society in this academy. Conspiracy Brother sitting at that table, you’ll be glad to know one of your conspiracies is correct.”
“I fucking knew it!”
The boy continues “Right on. Now, 'how secret is it' you ask. Well, so secret, for most of you this will be the first time you are hearing of it. Even mentioning its name out in the open is absolutely forbidden, anyone who does so will be put to death. And it’s very old, almost as old as this academy. Around the time Kingdom of Nurani allowed other nobles to come learn here without having to become knights and join the Order of Enahel when they graduate.”
The boy starts moving around the dining hall while talking. Earlier during the confrontation with Master Haithur (and Mistress Ricon), he was standing in the middle of the dining hall.
“The membership is very exclusive. There are certain stringent criteria that need to be met before you are allowed to join, although some of the rules had been loosen over the years and exemptions were sometimes made for special cases.”
As the boy walks, all the eyes in the dining hall are trained on him. They follow him as he continued with his little “history lesson”.
“The first condition to become a member is the recruit must come from “old money”. Royalty, nobles, sons from wealthy, distinguished merchant families who have been around for centuries are accepted into the club. The second condition is the recruit must be extremely intelligent, have very loose morals, and a complete and utter disregard for human life. The third and final condition? They worship Chaos and in all its form. Death, destruction, wars, returning library books late, you name it, they revel in it. Once every condition is met, more or less, the candidates are invited and initiated to join the club.”
”Would you like to know its name?” the boy stops walking and addresses the crowd. “Ouroboros” the boy whispers the forbidden name.
A ripple moves through the crowd. “Ouroboros”, the name is never spoken because they are afraid in doing so would lead to something visiting them in the night. And when the morning comes, they will be found bleeding and drowning in their own blood. The thing that is hiding in the shadow, most of the students prayed that if they left it alone, it would leave them alone. And now there’s a boy in front of them who is fearlessly dragging the beast by its tail and into the light.
Headmaster Joss is really glad he wasn't holding his goblet when the boy said the word, or else he would have crushed it and spilled the rest of his favourite drink. Ouroboros… the headmaster had heard the name came up once when he was investigating the suicide of a commoner student. The investigation was a dead end, but now there seems to be a new lead.
“Oh and by the way, Master Haithur, before you throw the blade you keep hidden under that robe at me, just know that I am fast enough to catch it and skilful enough to do so without being scratched by the Slevir poison coated on its blade. And when I do return the blade to you, and I will, the knife will lodge itself in your right chest, between the third and fourth rib. Just above the ‘I eat babies’ tattoo.”
Everyone looks at the teacher who is standing behind the staff table. His face betrays nothing, it looks he is in more control of his emotion compared to earlier when he first started talking to the boy. But many wonders why he didn't deny the boy’s claims about the hidden blade.
“Seriously, what were you thinking? Trying to commit attempted murder in front of all these people. ‘Ooops. My hand accidently slip on purpose’?” the boy chides him. But still the man doesn't move or say anything, like a statue.
“Ah, but I digress, where was I? Yes, now most of you are wondering what does Ouroboros has anything to do with your beloved teacher? Well for starters, he used to be a member when he was a student in this academy years and years ago. And right now, he’s the current master in charge of Ouboros, not the grandmaster mind you, more like the guy who keeps the floors swept and make sure the lights are working until the real owners return.”
And still Master Haithur didn’t say or do anything. But those near him see could see he has stop breathing, and that his eyes are filled with nothing but hate for the boy standing in front of him now.
“And now for the final nail in the coffin. Does your wife back home know about your extra-curricular activity? Your ‘other’ curri-“
Faster than you could blink your eyes, Master Haithur has thrown himself back into his seat, nearly breaking the chair in the process. “See? Wouldn't it have been easier if you had listened to me in the first place?” the boy smiles, satisfied. “Women. Can’t live with them, can’t live without them, am I right?” says the boy as he winks at Mistress Rayze who is sitting besides Master Haithur. The female teacher responds with a look of contempt and disgust aimed at the boy.
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He ignores her and surveys the crowd “And now, for my next trick. Wait, why are you all hiding and avoiding eye contact with me? Don’t worry, you guys haven’t done anything to get on my radar… yet. Relax, this isn't a classroom. I'm not going to pick on you just because you didn't raise your hand or know the answer.”
He looks at the staff table and spies the headmaster who is sitting in the middle “Okay, I’ll start Headmaster Joss just to show you I mean no harm.”
“What am I? A white rabbit you’re going to saw in half to get the crowd going?” snorts the headmaster.
“Headmaster Joss, before you return to your office to drink the bottle of Azrizz wine you swiped from your brother’s house, just know that it’s not really genuine wine from Azrizz. Your brother had put a bottle of cheap Azjan swill out in the open as a decoy.”
“Master Wes… Okay I don’t want to talk about him because I still value my life and I don’t want to be killed. I’ll just leave him and his love poetries alone… Moving on.”
“You there. Yes you, the girl. By this time tomorrow, you’ll receive word that your father has passed away. No no, don’t cry. He wasn't your real father anyway. Err, I mean you can start packing. Don’t forget your toothbrush.”
“The boys at that table. Those panties you stole actually belong to the cleaning ladies, not Mistress Ricon. Wait, or are you guys actually into old ladies? To each his own I guess.”
“That girl over there. Remember the time you kissed your boyfriend and he said you were the first one he has ever kissed. Well, he lied. There’s Aletta, Charlotte, Elin, then you, then Halle, Jonas and Kristin. And yes, Jonas is a guy. Not judging by the way.”
“Conspiracy Brother, you’ll be sad to know there are no mole men living underground who are plotting to take over us with earthquakes, but if you like we could later talk about the secret Dwarven community living underneath the Shahjahad Kingdom. And no, putting a metal helmet will not stop me from reading your mind because I'm not a mind reader. That’s not how I can do the things I do. But you can go ahead and wear it if it makes you feel better.”
The boy suddenly spots something that makes his face contorts with rage. “Athorius Devs! You son of a bitch!” He moves towards a group of first year students sitting in the upper left hand corner of the dining hall, knocking over people and chairs and climbing over tables and stepping on half-eaten food in the process.
“Athorius Tiberius Devs! From Nurani!” shouts the boy again as he stands on the table in front of the first year student, presumably known as Athorius.
“How did you know my middle name?” asks the startled first year student.
“How did I kn- How could I not? Athorius Devs, this guy might not look that much now, ladies and gentlemen, but years and years from now he’ll be the most famous person in the whole nine kingdoms. Champion of the Nine Realms, Light of the Grandiel Continent, the Right Hand of Enahel. Seriously, girls. You should line up now to get your chests signed by this guy before it’s too late. Defender of the Weak, Protector of the Innocent. The strongest and bravest man that humanity has to offer. And all around grade-A FUCKING ASS HOLE!”
“I'm sure you’re mistaking me for someone else.“ the scared first year student tries to deny but the boy cuts him off.
“Fuck you 'I have the wrong guy'! You think I can’t remember your mug? Did you know the hell I went through after stepping into that portal? You must have known, didn't you? Why else would you have made me take your place?”
“Please. I have no idea what you’re talking about.“ says the frightened first year student on the verge of tears. But the boy continues shouting angrily.
“That. Place. Was. Hell! Actually, I would have preferred the actual Hell. At least there’s fire and brimstone and torture and pain to keep me occupied. But no! The portal leads into a Time Abyss. I almost went fucking crazy in there! I'm lucky my mind has survived intact and that that I'm still sane.”
Everyone in the dining hall extremely doubts what the boy just said. The boy looks like he’s about to go into another round of tirade against Athorius when he suddenly becomes very quiet.
The people are wondering what had made the boy finally stop talking. Then they notice him starring at a shorter boy sitting besides Athorius. Suddenly, the unimaginable happens. The boy begins crying.
At first it is just a few drops of tears. Then the tear drops turn into a stream, then a waterfall beforegushing out like a dam has suddenly bursts its wall.
“Marven Jaste! Athorius Devs! I’m so glad you guys are alive!“
No one knows what to do. The boy who just moments ago was turning the dining hall upside down with his antics is suddenly bawling his eyes out like a little girl who has lost her mother.
The shorter boy, Marven looks at his friend Athorius for help. Athorius just shrugs shoulder, relieved that he’s no longer under attack by the boy.
Through snot and tears, the boy manages to choke out a few words. “I'm sorry you had to die for me, Marven. I hope you can rest in peace knowing that I didn't take your n-“
The boy never manages to finish his sentence. Master Wes sent him flying of the table with a kick. It looks like the deputy has managed to free himself from the headmaster’s restraint.
The boy flies into a wall, slamming headfirst before collapsing onto the floor. The deputy looks at the young boy laying unconscious in his own pool of blood, snot and tears. Twice in a day he has to deal with this vermin. He hopes it’s not going to be a daily occurrence in the future. The deputy then signals the same two boys to take the fool back to the infirmary.
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Four things happen later after that fateful night.
a) After a lengthy investigation, the main chef is let go due to "creative differences".
b) Food prepared for the students will be closely monitored and no longer be left unattended.
c) Mistress Rayze requested to go on leave of absence for a few months.
d) Another secret society is born, its members compromises of commoner and elite students. The Brotherhood of the Golden Showers (The B.O.G.S), its aims and objectives are relatively unknown. There will be a few adventures/holy quests undertaken by this newly-established secret society. But those are stories for another time.
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Yay. I've got my third rating today. And someone was kind enough to give Demon Hero Reaper Saviour its first review. Thank you.
Quick Ma, get the camera.