After quickly excusing themselves and saying goodbye to the group, Jack and Chiyo set off at a run. That was to say, Jack ran, and Chiyo floated ahead of him, typing messages and directing Jack to where they needed to go.
"So," Jack panted, "why is Alora in trouble specifically?”
Several senior prefects are part of a radical faction that want to introduce slavery as a punishment for misbehaving students.
"You've got to be shitting me!"
One particular noble family renowned for slavery has several members as prefects. It is these individuals that tried to win the vote and may try to ambush Alora as revenge.
"Great, time to piss some more people off," Jack groaned jokingly, Chiyo giggling at that.
They got to the hall just as they heard noise from inside as if the meeting was adjourned and people were starting to leave.
Nika and Sephy are just finishing up now and are on their way.
"So wait for Alora to come out and then wait for the bad guys to try something?"
Sounds good to me!
"Oh good! Nothing's happened yet!" They heard a familiar voice chirp from behind. Vanya came dashing up from nearby, panting as she threw several orbs into the air, which quickly morphed into hovering drones that floated around and above the area, with the rest of the study group following tentatively behind. "Sorry but this is just too interesting not to watch! It'll be a great scoop for the paper!"
“How were you able to catch up to us so quickly?” Jack asked, a little perplexed.
“Oh I teleported us downstairs, I would have offered to do so to you and Chiyo but you just looked so gallant running at a full sprint!”
Jack turned round to Chiyo with a raised eyebrow, who had an embarrassed look plastered on her face. Despite being highly intelligent, it was clear she hadn’t realised that she could have asked Vanya for a lift.
"What are those drones for Vanya?" Jack queried to clear the air and change the subject.
"Yeah!" The rabbit-girl replied with a smirk. "They're great for recording all the action! Speaking of…"
Chiyo tugged on Jack's arm urgently and pointed to the door. Alora exited the room in a hurry and quickly made her way over to them. As Jack and Chiyo rushed to meet her halfway they could hear a shrill, cruel voice call after her.
"Glenphyranix! Silver-tongued wretch! How dare you interfere with House Mal’Kar business!"
"You alright?" Jack asked Alora softly, and apparently Chiyo had asked something similar as she nodded to the both of them, clearly shaken.
"They have off-duty prefects with them," she frantically whispered as she drew her wand. "We're outnumbered. Cowards!"
"There you are!" The voice yelled out, and Jack could now see where it came from.
Clothed in what looked like black leather armour, with dark skin, elongated ears and white hair, the four beings cut an impressive visage as they were flanked by a small squad of Korrigan prefects, the grey creatures nervously holding their rifles at the ready. Jack could feel more than see Chiyo start to subtly draw on her powers, ready for anything.
"If anything happens, I'll rush in close so they can't risk shooting," Jack muttered. He had finally gotten the battered-looking pistol out of his bag, but considering what he was facing, he figured he'd rather go with what he knew already worked, with the gym fight and the memory of his arrival in this galaxy still fresh in his mind.
He eyed up the speaker and the others of her race, the rest being males who he'd go for if a fight broke out. The female was squat and shorter than the others, but her demeanour made it apparent that she was in charge, with sharp, cruel features, hair tied back in a tight ponytail, and carrying a gnarled, dark obsidian staff.
Two of the males looked so handsomely similar that Jack had them pegged as twins. Both with long flowing white hair, the only difference was in their mannerisms. The calmer of the two kept clicking his fingers, a long dark-red flame manifesting every time he did, while the other looked sharp and ready to strike out at anything, fingering what looked like a cruel-looking whip at his hip. The third was quite a sight, a muscled hulking brute with short flat-topped hair, and was carrying a cruel assortment of foul-looking gadgets and weapons on him.
Chiyo quickly tugged on Jack’s arm.
Nobility of the Drow Concordance, matriarchal society, slavers, believe themselves superior to all others. Be careful!
"Drow?" Jack whispered back. He obviously knew of the fictional kind from back on earth, and since the mmetic translator implant in him used previous associations, it made sense that whatever it was called in Chiyo’s language would be translated into something that made sense to him. That didn’t make it less strange for him to discover that what he thought was a fictional race was very much real.
“Time to show you what happens when you get in the way of House Mal’Kar business, Glenphyranix!”
‘Shit’ Jack thought to himself. He knew he would have to dig deep for this one. But how would he keep his friends safe and get them out?
“Red Legion! To my side!” A voice yelled out, as Luvia emerged from the chamber with a crowd of friends. Several students with red armbands immediately rushed to form a semi circle around her to take aim at the prefects, while Luvia spoke some words and threw her arms out, making several magical effects take hold in rapid succession, with Luvia suddenly becoming clad in blood-red armour and levelling some kind of three-barreled rifle at the speaker, the air around her shimmering in many magical protections.
“You had the vote and you lost, Izadora Mal’Kar!” Luvia snarled. “The only business House Mal’Kar has is one of failure! You really thought you could push through slavery as a valid punishment for students just so your own people could benefit? That’s abhorrent! That’s evil! That’s- OH HI JACK!”
All eyes turned as Luvia lowered her rifle and gave Jack an enthusiastic smile and a wave on spotting him, who awkwardly waved back as all eyes stared at him.
“What the hell is that thing?” Izadora snarled, staring at the human.
‘Oh perfect’ Jack thought sarcastically as he strategically placed himself between the drow and Alora. “Well,” he started, giving his most cocky grin at the ones who had spoken. “When Luvia said ‘Hi Jack’ and waved at me, that would usually indicate that’s who I am.”
“We don’t care who you are,” Izadora growled. “And you disrespect your betters male.”
“Sorry darling, but you’ll have to cope.” Jack shrugged casually, playing up the relaxed body language and condescending words one of his brothers used when dealing with a particularly bitchy ex-girlfriend. “I’m sure you’re all bark and no bite, and I’d really hate to have to karate chop you in the vagina, so you should just move along…”
“You are outnumbered and outmatched! If we don’t hurt you, we’ll certainly hurt those around you…” the drow bitch hissed with a sadistic smile as she made a show of gazing at each of Jack’s friends.
“Fuck around and find out cunt,” Jack coldly replied. She just made a big mistake there.
“I could think of many uses for you as a slave ” the drow sneered at the human.
“You won’t be thinking much after I curb-stomp the lot of you,” Jack growled in response, tensing up in a combat stance and ready to rush in close. “You drow claim to be superior to others? How about you put that to the test against a human?”
“Perhaps a one-on-one duel to surrender will settle our differences?” Alora coldly addressed Izadora.
"So be it. I will flay the flesh from the insolent male and send his soul to the Pits of Oblivion!"
"Oh yeah?" Jack fired up. "I'll send you back to the kitchen you Drow bit-"
Alora put her hand on Jack's shoulder to stop him, giving him a quick look that shut him up. "Oh you misunderstand." She stared at the Drow Mistress with a determined smile. "You tried to put through an abhorrent rule, tried to intimidate me when it failed, and worst of all you threatened my friends. So no Izadora, you won't be facing Jack."
The atmosphere of the room rose to a fever pitch as they realised what was going to happen.
"You'll be facing me."
*****
As the combatants slowly circled one another, awaiting the clock to chime on the hour to signal the start, Chiyo tugged on Jack’s arm.
That wasn’t a sexist comment you were trying to make towards the end by any chance?
The sentence was accompanied with raised eyebrows and lips pursed in a smile.
“Um…” Jack replied, the tension and adrenaline slowly dying down. “I kinda got carried away there…Sorry?”
You will be :)
The atmosphere was silent as the time drew near. The only sound to be heard was the monotonous ‘tick’ of each second counting down to zero hour. Jack noted the actions of the other three drow along the edge. The brothers were definitely planning something should the duel not go their way, so Jack had his own plans to get in and get Alora into the crowd. He certainly wouldn’t let the drow win the duel fairly either. Dishonour paled in comparison to letting your friends down.
The chime sounded, and the spells were slung. Alora raised her arms as a bubble of glowing white energy surrounded her, absorbing the dark spout of shadow Izadora had shot out at her, clearly in an attempt to finish her quickly. Snarling at the sight of the shield, Izadora summoned a dark cloud above Alora that began repeatedly striking at Alora’s shield with dark bolts of energy as the Eladrie fought to maintain it.
Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.
‘Shit’ Jack thought after several moments passed. ‘Alora needs to strike back to get some breathing room’. He thought about shouting out to her but had a better idea.
“Can she get an attack in somehow?” Jack whispered to Chiyo.
It’s difficult to form an attack while Alora’s manipulating the shield, but she’s biding her time as best as she can. Chiyo quickly typed back. She can expand and strengthen it against certain elements, so that’s what she’s doing until she has an opening.
Jack quickly thought about that. “If she can manipulate the shield, couldn’t she just use that to attack?”
How so?
“She told me that as well as life and fire, her magic was light based, right?”
Chiyo just nodded, not understanding, as the force of another bolt sent Alora to one knee.
“So how bright a light are we talking? Could she mimic a flashbang?”
Chiyo caught on to Jack’s idea quickly and gave a sly smile as she sent the idea to Alora, closing her eyes as she did so, Jack barely having time to do the same, as a loud explosion roared around the room with a bright light permeating his eyelids. When they opened their eyes again they saw many of the surrounding unlucky students stumbling back clutching at their heads, though only Luvia seemed completely unaffected, watching the duel with light interest.
Alora had vanished, leaving only a black sphere which dissipated to reveal her drow opponent. “Your trick failed Glenphyranix! You can’t hide from me!” She screamed, as she quickly waved her arms and summoned several dark blobs that rapidly shifted into sharp, jagged objects that spun as they were shot out in a ring, pinging off the forcewalls that had been set up to mark the boundary. Looking around, it didn’t look like anyone was hit, so where was Alora?
That question was answered seconds later when from above a powerful fireball came crashing down, smacking on Izadora’s shield, breaking it with a visible shattering sound. Alora quickly came in for the attack, invisibility dispelled as she summoned a glaive of hard light, bringing it down for a chop at her opponent’s head, being parried just in time by the drow’s black staff. The two went back and forth for several passes, with Alora fighting with an intensity he had not seen before from the usually calm and collected Eladrie before disengaging.
Alora drew a wand and spoke several words of power as she raised an arm high, forcing Izadora to raise both of her arms to channel a shield of shadowstuff to counter the incoming attack….
Only to take a blast to the stomach as the wand in Alora’s other hand shot a spell off, having been hidden in her sleeve and covered by the distraction.
Izadora slammed against the wall, and Alora wasted no time, using her innate abilities to manipulate the ivy to try and grab the drow…
Before a bolt of dark flame crashed against her shield as Izadora’s brothers entered the fight to rescue their sister.
Jack spotted it quickly, aiming his loaned pistol and squeezing the trigger at the biggest one…
Nothing.
“FUCKING THING!” Jack yelled, as he lobbed the pistol, which bumped off the head of the pyromancer as he charged to meet the drow head on and enact some justice.
“This isn’t over!” Izadora snarled, staring at Jack as the drow with the whips freed her before she quickly teleported the group away just as Jack jumped in with a punch, hitting nothing.
“BEGONE THOT!” yelled Jack as the group faded out of sight. "You okay?" he whispered to Alora as he helped her up.
"It's fine." Alora winced as she placed a healing hand on the tender flesh of her burned arm. "I was expecting them to try something, but Kravel was too quick for me."
"Shit, sorry Alora, we got here too late," they heard a panting Nika call from behind them, supported by Sephy who was also looking exhausted, having run as quickly as she could.
"It's alright Nika, they've gone now." Alora winced, leaning on Jack as she got to her feet.
"I know, I saw," Nika replied. "Jack, why exactly did you throw my pistol at them instead of using it?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Tried it and it didn't work," Jack muttered in frustration. "Squeezed the trigger and it wouldn't give. I would have taken out Flameyboi if it didn't."
"Did you remember to flick the safety off?" Nika asked slowly, still with the raised eyebrow.
"Um…" Jack started. That would be a resounding 'no'.
"Guys," Sephy interrupted. "Problem".
They looked around to see a veritable Mexican standoff with the remaining Prefects and Luvia's Red Legion. In the middle was Chiyo, arms wide with sheer power as opposite her stood the yellow fox-like xeno Jack had seen talking to Nya during lunch, with purple magics flowing around her limbs.
"Shit," Nika spat. "Rena."
"She abstained from the vote," Alora whispered. "Let's avoid a fight if we can "
"Figured she'd be a bitch about it," Nika growled. “I'll blast her if she tries anything. Numbers are on our side."
"Be careful, Jack," Sephy added. "She's tough."
The group joined Chiyo as several Prefects kept their guns trained on them.
"Rena" Alora spoke up, trying to maintain a casual air. "The drow are gone, there is no need for a fight. Why are you even here?"
Rena didn't answer and didn't pay any attention to the fidgety hands of Sephy and Nika, who were ready to draw. Instead, she looked towards Jack.
"You are the one who spoke on Nya's behalf." Her voice was cold, the words sounding... calculated? "Leading to an unfair conflict that you and this... Kizun were able to win.”
Jack was unsure whether that was a statement or a question, but this 'Rena' was starting to really annoy him with her attitude and treatment towards his friends, and he was already quite angry with what had just happened with the drow.
So he got in her face.
"That's right," Jack replied calmly, as he saw the slightly taller Rena's eyes narrow. "What can I say? Bullies piss me off."
That was a double meaning. On the one hand, it explained his motive for standing up for Nya, and on the other, it implied that Rena was toeing a fine line. It was a risk of escalation, especially when people had told him that Rena was a powerful fighter.
But then again, so was he, and he had more backup.
"Rena, no" Nya whispered, having seemingly snuck up and was now gently holding Rena back. "He's nice, please don't fight, I told you he wasn't trying to get me in trouble."
That seemed to snap Rena out of whatever funk she was in as she carefully looked down to Nya and placed a hand on the girl's shoulder with a nod before looking back up to Jack.
"Stand down," she called, maintaining eye contact and raising her voice slightly, as the Prefects couldn't lower their weapons fast enough.
"In that case, you have my thanks for looking out for Nya," Rena coldly continued to Jack. "However, such intervention is unnecessary. Nya needs to stand up for herself if she is to become stronger."
"That's why you accosted us?" Nika growled, having immediately snapped her rifle up to point at Rena’s head the moment the Prefects stood down.
"I will say no more," Rena added, not even addressing Nika before both she and Nya blinked out in a puff of purple smoke.
"That bitch," Nika growled again before Jack put a calming hand on his friend's shoulder.
"Chill Nika, she's gone." The Kizun looked like she was about to say something else before Jack added, "Hey, thanks for having my back, same goes for the rest of you."
Nika just smiled, relaxing and releasing her built up tension with a long exhale of breath.
"Thanks for having my back as well," Alora grimaced as she finished wrapping her still sore arm in a silky bandage.
"Thanks everybody for having everybody's back in the past, present and future," Sephy grinned, to some chuckles from the others.
"Though it's a shame the fight wasn't as long as it could have been," Luvia called from a few metres over. "And I was really hoping Jack would throw a punch at Rena for me - that would have been most entertaining!"
"Maybe next time," Alora called back. "See you tonight?"
"Of course!" Luvia acknowledged with a single nod of her head. "I'll be sure to prepare for the occasion," she added saucily, with a hungry look to Jack.
Alora just gave a snort of laughter before turning to the others. "Let's get our stuff and go! I don't know about you, but I want to bring on the weekend!"
*****
“What the…” Jack yelled as he opened his locker, only for several piles of paper to spill out onto the floor.
“Ooooh!” Sephy teased as she picked one of them up. “Someone’s popular today! ‘Dear Jack, I was most enchanted on seeing your performance in gym class and I was wondering if blah blah blah, please see my attached picture and commcode.’ Huh. Seems nice enough, if a little plain.”
”Looks like a lot of factions want to recruit you too,” Nika snorted as she helped clean up. “Red Legion, obviously, despite you being a pain in the ass for them, several gangs and a few companies. There’s some student societies too that you might want to join!”
“Don’t just go through his mail!” Alora chastised her friends with her hands over her mouth. “It’s rude- hold on, Chiyo, what have you got there?”
Everyone looked at the wide-eyed, stunned-looking Chiyo who held a small piece of paper with a number on the back of it in red ink. Nika quickly grabbed it and stared.
“Holy crap she’s got her tits out! And that’s got to be the wettest looking…oh you don’t want to know.” She gave a side glance at Jack. “Sephy! Think fast!”
Nika threw it into the air before Jack could protest, the Skritta blasting it apart a split-second later, with the pieces sprinkling over Jack’s downtrodden expression like confetti.
“I’ll go through it later, you don’t need to blast it apart!” Jack spoke up a little too quickly as Nika was about to throw some more targets for Sephy to take down. “Besides, it’s rude not to give some kind of response to people that have written to me.”
“Are you sure?” Nika asked, confused. “It’s mostly junk mail and a few spicy pictures….”
“I’m sure, I want to try and avoid annoying any more people today if at all possible.” Jack replied adamantly as he scooped up the rest of the papers and dumped them in his bag, secretly hoping there’d be another photo or two for ‘later’ as he got his stuff together.
"So!" Perked up Alora. " What do you all want to do now? I've ordered extra supplies to be delivered for tonight so we might want to see if there's a contract we can go for? We're getting low on funds and we'll need to pay our dues soon."
"Nah," Nika replied reluctantly, "I already checked, there's nothing good. Rumours of increased monster sightings to the North but nothing’s being offered to do anything about it. Bounties usually get updated tomorrow, and I think people are waiting to see what happens with tonight's gang fight. Definitely need to hit something up though, if nothing else than to see Jack in action! We could even try the Top 1000!"
"No," Alora replied adamantly. "That isn't fair right now. Jack still needs to acclimate, and there's no way we're going for anything remotely dangerous, especially the Top 1000!"
"Hey the Prefect's Lockup is always an option!" Sephy added, to the groans of a few of the others. "What? Surely after that display you wouldn't mind going after the prefects? Stuff just sitting there, the owners long dead. Why not?"
"Another of your wild nothings!" Nika snorted. "Remember the abandoned ScorchCorp warehouse?"
"Hey I still think it was worth checking out!" Sephy pouted. "Even though there was nothing of value…"
"Except a still very-active security system!" Alora finished.
Shopping trip? Chiyo suggested half-heartedly.
"Low on cash," Sephy replied. "Which is why we need to do something over the weekend! We can still buy basics with our house funds, but nothing too insane for now unless you're willing to treat us?"
"What about you Jack?” Alora asked, noting that the human hadn't said anything yet.
"I think…" Jack began, "I will need to visit the Temple of Hope and let them know I'm alright."
"That's a good idea!" Nika replied. "The temple doesn't usually post bounties on the net, so it'll be worth asking while we're there."
"Are you sure?" Sephy replied reluctantly. "I didn't exactly part with them on the best of terms…"
"You're not still worried, are you? That was years ago when you were a lot younger!" Alora asked her friend reassuringly. "It'll be good for you to let them know how you're getting on as well! What about you Chiyo?"
Chiyo just shrugged before she nodded, looking at Jack with an approving smile.
"Right! That's settled then!" Alora enthusiastically addressed the group. "Let's go!"