Odessa barred her teeth, her eyes turning murderous for an instant. It was the first display of emotion I'd noticed her make. It was unprovoked, as far as I could tell. She came off the platform, and Porter pointed at Anna.

"She's new, so's that one," Kendall said. " She's an elemental spirit, tier one. Needs development. Get up there." Anna was hesitant but went on. "Do something."

"I don't uh..." She nervously touched the scars at her neck. She put out a hand and closed her eyes. Nothing happened. It was rather painful to watch, as the moments passed.

Whoosh.

A fast breeze mussed up Kendall's long hair and he shook his head. I cracked a crooked grin, waiting for a couple of seconds for the wind to subside, but it didn't.

"That's enough," Porter said.

"Sorry." Anna rushed off the platform.

Christopher looked at me, still smiling, and spoke. "You next."

I stepped up. Walked to the middle and turned to face them, my hands at rest hooked on the brim of my open coat. Christopher's smile had disappeared.

"Tier zero," he said as he looked at me, seeming unsure.

"Human. Yeah, I sense that too," Porter added. "Do you do anything...?"

I didn't think he was looking for one, but I supplied a name anyway. "Doran. And no, I'm more of a thinker, for now, I think."

Christopher's lack of smile had gone full blown frown.

"Sorry to disappoint."

Porter gave Kendall a poke, and Kendall flinched.

"A little underwhelming," he said. "Not a lot of raw power. You've got a heavy, a spy and a scout, possibly, and that one. Not a lot of potential, either. It'll be the leadership which makes this a hit or miss, Blackthorn, and that's not promising. The underlying idea is smart. I suggest expanding your team. Christopher, verdict?"

Hmm.

Christopher had gone, vanished. In any other place, one would see a bigger reaction to that kind of thing. Kendall and his crew, I included, didn't seem to care. Porter squinted and started grimacing.

I stood around, waiting for someone to tell me to do otherwise.

"I'm going to go, I'll be back." Porter left a hint of urgency in his pace.

As soon as he was out of earshot Ash asked, "I do good?"

Kendall, focused on me and irate, "What the hell are you supposed to be?" He strode up onto the platform, his trajectory straight for my personal space. He grabbed me by the shirt and pulled me in. "Are you a student? Are you fucking with me!?"

Kendall hadn't conjured me, I'd already known. Now Ash would, undoubtedly.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

Anna started forward but I put out a hand to stop her, out of Kendall's sight. "No, I honestly don't know or care about you, Kendall. Calm down, Porter will see you. Leadership, remember." My momentary surprise subsided, and I was able to stare him down, being taller than him. I had this.

He let me go with a shove.

"Kendall, he's still gainful," Odessa said. A connection there?

Shut up, stop analyzing.

Too much.

Focus.

I blinked a few times, found myself again, where I'd fallen away. I adjusted my coat, put my hands back where they were comfortable and occupied, clasping my Nehru jacket, thingy.

We stood around for a second, but the uncomfortable silence was broken.

"Are we interrupting something?" There was a girl, short and ghost pale, with a wild mop of pitch black frizzy hair. Behind her, three tall guys in plaid and jeans, each strong faced, stood with arms crossed. Very lumberjack. Minor differences separated the lot of them, but only just. Siblings.

"No... no." Kendall slicked back the hair that had fallen into his face. "Just me, being a leader." He glared at me.

"Right..." she sounded doubtful. "Where's the professor, then?"

"Are you a disciple of Porter?" Kendall inquired.

"Are you?" One of the guys asked. A yes, obviously, but it meant more.

A competitive system. Conflict abounds.

Kendall pointed in the direction Porter had gone. The lot went brazenly over the platform, instead of circling around it. One of the broad shouldered, big guys, brushed past me, in a way that could only have been intentional. They went out of sight behind one of the stone walls.

"They're siblings," I said.

"Yeah," Anna agreed. When our eyes met she still seemed concerned, as she'd been when Kendall had grabbed me. Not sure what that meant.

This time, I noticed as the doors to the Sanctuary swung open, and people entered. Eight or so men and women in varyingly appropriate dress, for how cold it was. There was an Asian guy sporting a ponytail in the back of the crowd, with a katana at his hip, and a stern look on his face, wearing nothing but very old looking baggy pants. The rest of them were rather plain. As they flooded into the room, Kendall huddled us all back together and walked us out of the group's path.

These people were all students of Porter, immediate transfers. The timing of their arrival was odd, though, just as the timing of the siblings had been.

I almost wondered if that was Aku. Subtle design.

"Can you do this, Kendall?" Odessa asked, her voice low. I detected an accent, a lilt of proper old English when she spoke.

"Yes... Yes," he said it again, more firmly. "We can, but only together. I need you to forget... forget about what happened, Odessa. I'm sorry about that. But we've got to." She cut her eyes down, baring her teeth again. "Ash?"

"I'm in this for myself, man, you just happen to get in on that. You don't needa worry, Kenny, I'm with you," Ashes said, actually serious.

I could see how he played, tactically. Surprisingly, I was actually liking him.

Kendall put a hand on Anna's shoulder. "We're gonna work on finding your strength... Anna." He'd almost forgotten it. "And you, Doran, are going to make yourself useful, somehow. Or there's no point in keeping you around."

"You don't know me..." I said. I looked at the ground, thinking long and hard for a moment, clearing my thoughts and letting go. "I'm smart, and I'm focused. I feel light and weak. But wisdom... wisdom can solve any problem, I believe that. Believe that I can do whatever I set my mind to. And I could be human, apparently, but so are you, Kendall. So is Porter. And me, I'm just getting started, and there's a lot to accomplish. I don't know where I'm going. Things are confusing, fuzzy, and chaotic. But I'm alive now, I know that, and not a lot else. And I'll stay free, too. I won't allow myself to fail. You've got my loyalty, Kendall."

"Mhmm. We're a team then," Kendall said. "Me and my motley crew."

"Oh, I'm doctor Feel-Good!" Ash exclaimed.

"I don't get it," Anna said.

Kendall seconded, saying, "yeah, nobody ever does, Ashmedai."

Odessa threw her sword over her shoulder and I bent back as it swung past my head. "Classes begin on the morrow, Kendall. Let's not mingle, let's return."

"Come on everyone."

"You're all faggots," Ashes accused us.

I didn't know these people, but I was starting to understand them. I could manipulate them if I wanted to. I could make this happen.

Hubris. Humility is your friend.

Right. Sure. Playing it safe.

I couldn't help a little devious smile, as I went on my way with the others.