Chapter Nine
Class Selection
Claudius drifted along the water’s surface, the tall grey buildings of Meridian on either side. strong breezes propelling his boat through the swell. A chilly day, chillier than yesterday. He turned to tell his parents how odd it was, but they simply smiled at him. He tried to repeat it but the wind picked up, roaring in his ears. It blew, left and right, each time stronger than the last until it was rocking the boat and knocking him about within it. With one final gust, it sent him splashing into an ocean as cold as ice. He gasped-
-and woke up dripping wet from his head to his chest. He shot up, gasping from the sudden shock of cold, and looking straight into the apologetic eyes of Mrs. Kulner.
Right, it had been a dream. Of course, it had, why would his parents be anywhere near Meridian?
Then again, why would Mrs. Kulner douse him with water?
“Sorry. Sorry. Nothing I did was waking you until… It works on my husband.” Her tone was sheepish.
“Do you at least bring him a towel?” Claudius grumbled.
Mrs. Kulner placed a hand on his chest.
His soaked skin began to crawl. No, something began to crawl across it, defying gravity to move up, down, left, and right. He nearly jumped out of his skin as a cold wetness trickled up from the sheets, mattress, and blanket, and around his arms, moving like some kind of thick syrup towards Mrs.Kulner’s hand as some kind of epicenter.
The water that had doused him collected around the hand, and as it began to pull away, until a fist size bubble of it had grown between her hand and his shirt. Once it stopped collecting, Mrs.Kulner unceremoniously scooped it away and dumped it into a nearby basin.
Claudius was as dry as he’d been moments before.
“What was that?!” Claudius asked, louder than intended.
“That? I just pulled the water off of you. It’s nothing special.” Mrs. Kulner said.
“That was amazing!” Claudius
Mrs. Kulner seemed taken aback at the compliment before letting out a nostalgic smile. “You know, it’s funny. My husband reacted the same way when he moved here. We were around your age when we met too. He was a student, and my family were performers. He started coming to our shows, outside of them he kept pestering me to show him new tricks every time I saw him.” She chuckled to herself.
“You were a performer?” Claudius said.
Mrs. Kulner nodded. “As good as any, at one time.”
“So, you must have some amazing tricks?” Claudius said.
Mrs. Kulner frowned wistfully. “My skills are more practical than performative these days, I’d hate to set the bedroom on fire.”
Claudius nodded, “If you don’t think you can.”
There was a faint spark in Mrs. Kulner’s eyes, as though some part of her wanted to accept the challenge, but as quickly as it appeared she extinguished it. “There’s a lot you’ll have to learn, I should start training you right away.” The bed groaned as she stood up. “I’ll be in the kitchen.”
“Aw…” Claudius grumbled, another Naturalist refusing to perform their abilities. It was beginning to look like the only way he was going to see anything was from street performers.
Why are they so secretive? I love showing off. Claudius thought. He clambered out of bed and downstairs, ready to earn his keep.
…
Claudius stumbled off of the train, exhausted as much from the ordeal that had been yesterday as Mrs. Kulner’s incredibly thorough instruction.
How could cooking and cleaning be such a pain? What sort of life was he in for living with the Kulners?
No, that was unfair. Today was only so bad since Mrs. Kulner had insisted that he learn how to make dumplings by hand, without using his vitality at all (which still sounds ridiculous) which left him chopping vegetables and kneading dough all morning. Mr. Kulner was not any better, he looked right at Claudius and said ‘let the kid do my share for today. He’s gotta learn somehow.’
The next I’m home I owe Mom a thank you for fifteen years of cooking..
Mrs. Kulner had been nice enough to hurry him out the door with a list of instruction on how to get to Meridian Academy and three train stops later he was here.
It was not hard to tell he was in the right area. Every other youth his age was walking around flaunting blue and gold.
And soon he would be one of them.
This part of the city seemed quaint. There were a handful of tall apartment buildings, but a significant amount of it seemed to be small businesses like restaurants and such.
After you’re done with the trains walk straight for about five minutes.
He should be nearing the school now if Mrs. Kulner’s directions were to be believed. They were oddly casual, as though she had first hand experience going from her home to the school. He wondered why.
There it was, a tower stretching high into the sky, higher than any of the nearby apartment buildings, one of the tallest he’d seen so far. It was magnificent. It looked big enough to hold his entire town, not the people, the entire town.
It certainly looked like one of the most incredible schools in the country.
He waved down a passing student. “Hey, is that Meridian Academy?”
The student looked where he was pointing. “That’s one of the east wing buildings.”
“There’s more?” Claudius asked.
The student looked at him as though he’d gone crazy and continued walking.
Claudius kept down the sidewalk, eventually coming across a high, elegant looking brick wall. A sign with gilded letters read ‘Meridian Academy’
He walked onto the campus.
His jaw nearly hit the ground.
Meridian Academy was not the tower. Meridian Academy was a palace. Meridian Academy was city unto itself, tucked away in the heart of the city for which it was name.
The campus was a massive slice of the city, devoid of the nearby apartments, shops, and the likes. The campus was green and well kept, dotted with the occasional tree and connected by pristine white stone pathways. The buildings looked both ancient and new and elegant in both ways.
Blue and gold students filtered in and out of the campus entrance and suddenly his humble shirt and pants felt worse than being naked.
“So this is Meridian.” Claudius said.
“Tourists.” He overheard someone say and another person snicker in response.
A flash of embarrassment ran through him, but he stifled it.
His parents had told him this was the sort of thing he’d have to deal with. Kids born with more than he’d ever known who didn’t realize it.
He let out a sigh.
It was time to find the Bursar’s Office.
…
Even the Bursar’s office was intimidating. Inside were several windows with several men and women standing behind them and students lined up in front and other students hustling to get in line.
If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.
Claudius stepped forward at the exact same moment another student shoved behind past him and sent him colliding into a lanky boy far taller and older than him, who without a word hoisted him upright and kept walking.
That was strange. Claudius thought, before he made his way to the window labelled ADMISSIONS AND SCHEDULING
It felt like hours before Claudius stood before the woman manning the window. A woman of her…. later years of an…above average weight. But she seemed genuinely kind.
“You’re not from around here.” She said. “What brings you here?”
“I’m here to sign up for classes.” At her confused expression she raised an eyebrow, “I’m a recommendation student. I was told that I should come here and ask you for a schedule?” He held out his medallion, hoping that it would help her.
“And who recommended you?” She asked.
“Professor Hadrian.”
There was a split second when the woman’s face shifted from disinterest to deep pity before shifting to detached professionalism.
But Claudius had probably just imagined it.
“Hadrian…” She stepped back and searched through her filling cabinet. “First year, Animator, recommended by Hadrian…and here we go.” She said, returning with a thick manilla coloured folder. “This contains a list of offered classes. Fill this out and return it before the first of the month. You have eight days but the sooner the better. There are some other papers in here, regarding personal information such as your address and a voucher to have your uniform tailored at a reduced price.”
“Thank you.” Claudius said, with a smile.
The woman nearly balked. “Thank you? You really aren’t from around here. Next!”
Claudius savoured the fresh air after escaping the din of chaos. He found a secluded area under a tree, away from the clumps of students and with surgical caution, opened the envelope.
Several sections of cramped text and empty squares greeted him. Even knowing Meridian Academy offered so many courses, the sheer volume of them was staggering.
“Introduction to Elemental Conjuration, Introduction to Element Manipulation, Industrial Applications of Elemental Manipulation. Applied Transmutation. Construct Assembly 3. Physics, Calculus, Advanced Calculus.” Claudius sorted through the list.
Skies above it had been an early morning.
Fighting to keep his eyes open, Claudius mentally checked off all the courses that were for Naturalists and Transmuters (He suspected) and ones that were far too advanced for Entry level students and chose what was necessary. Though strangely enough he was already signed up for Basic Animation with a black square around Hadrian’s name.
Basic Animation, Physics 5&4, Mathematics 5&4,
Claudius raised an eyebrow at one of the optional classes.
“Self Defense?” He said out loud. Why is this place teaching self defense?
Then he considered what Ciella had very nearly done to him half a dozen times and realized why there were four different courses.
His choices of teacher were Hadrian, Ivy, Dembras Vane, and Grennoh
Hadrian was already teaching him one class, what did it matter if he taught two?
Before he could mark the X, someone inhaled sharply behind him. “No, you don’t want him.”
Claudius whirled around to see a boy, maybe a few years his senior, leaning on the tree and looking down at him. The boy had sandy brown hair, freckles, and a cleft chin smattered with the beginnings of a beard. On his shoulder sat a stone monkey, glowing with Animation. He tutted and shook his head. “Trust me, you don’t want Hadrian. He’s…nice enough but he can’t teach self defense to save his own life. Every second and third year who’s been robbed was one of his students.” The boy lazily waved an arm and the stone monkey climbed down, snatching the pen and paper from Claudius’ hand.
Guiding that monkey must have taken incredible precision. It was a dozen times more complicated than Claudius’ hummingbirds. In fact-
“Hey give that back!” Claudius protested, rising to his feet.
The stone monkey raised his hands higher, high enough that only the stranger could look at it. “Oh, you’re an Animator too. Trust me, Hadrian won’t help you out at all.”
“Just let go of my paper you lunatic!” Claudius said. His vitality flooded into his hummingbird and it darted towards the boy’s stomach.
The hummingbird was within a foot of the boy when it suddenly stopped mid-air, hovering and Claudius felt a sensation he’d never ever felt before.
The vitality within his bird ceased flowing. With its lifeblood no longer flowing, the bird dropped to the ground, the vitality within it stagnant, pressing up against some impassable barrier and then, just as suddenly it began to be pushed back. The barrier forced Claudius’ vitality out of the bird entirely.
Claudius gawked as the bird began to arise once again, piloted by someone else.
The stranger.
“Where did you get this?” The boy said. “Did you make it? The craftsmanship isn’t half bad, you should look into Construct Assembly.”
His own hummingbird flown in loops around his head, piloted by another person.
He’d been annoyed, but this was beyond anger.
That was his bird. He’d made each one himself and no one had ever even touched one without permission before, much less piloted them. Ciella had the decency to destroy them, rather than play with them herself.
“Give that back. NOW.” He said.
The older boy looked down at him with some surprise. “Oh. I-”
Claudius charged him, fists flailing and shouting until his throat was raw.
His fists never connected with anything. After a moment of flailing, his arms stopped abruptly, something cold and hard wrapped around each wrist, clicked shut, and then tightened before his arms were forced together.
Claudius looked down to see metal bands, wrapped around his wrists and glowing with the light of Animation. He could see the entrance and exit points and tried to channel his vitality into them, but it came up against that same, impassable barrier.
“Sorry,” The older boy said, “Hate to apprehend you like this, but I can’t just let you knock my teeth out, and I’d rather not try to knock out yours.” He raised one hand and the hummingbird levitated towards it before the glow disappeared and it was lifeless once again.
The boy offered it to Claudius. A moment later, the restraints hovered off his wrists and back into the boy’s bag.
“You can have it back, as long as you don’t punch me.” The boy said.
“Fine.” Claudius said. He snatched it back, examining it. He knew rationally that it would be just as intact as it had been before, but he still needed to make sure. Though a full inspection revealed nothing wrong, he still glowered at the other boy.
Then launched his bird through the air where it connected with the boy’s gut, making him double over.
“Don’t touch my stuff.” Claudius said.
“Noted.” The boy gasped after regaining his breath.
Claudius grabbed his sign-up sheet and looked it over once again. The boy had managed to fill in one square.
SELF DEFENSE 1 – LEVEL: IVY
“Ivy?” Claudius said. “Who’s Ivy?”
“Trust me,” The boy said, “You’re going to want self-defense, and you’re going to want Ivy teaching you. I’ve taken one class from every teacher and she and Dembras are the only one who know what they’re doing and you don’t want Dembras.”
“What’s wrong with Dembras?” Claudius asked.
The boy winced and felt around his stomach. “Have you ever felt a rib break?”
“No.”
“Keep it that way and don’t sign up for Dembras.”
Claudius chose to take him at his word.
“What’s this black hexagon mean?” Claudius pointed to the mark on his class sheet.
“Rec students- er, students who got in on teacher recommendations are always in that teacher’s class, at least for the first year.” The boy looked properly at the sheet. “You are...” He grimaced, “Hadrian’s recommendation.”
“Why did you make that face?”
“No reason.” The boy said, quickly. Too quickly. “One of the best Animation teachers. He really knows his stuff.”
“But?” Claudius asked.
“It’s just…” The boy got really quiet. “None of his students make it past their first year. It’s called Hadrian’s curse.”
“What?!” Claudius nearly shrieked. “His classes are that hard?”
The boy shook his head. “No, he’s a great teacher, but he recommends a first year student every year and every year they fail.”
“What do you mean?”
The older boy took a moment to think about it, “I signed up for his class in my first year and I was friends with his recommendation student, Cal. He wasn’t particularly gifted, but he worked harder than the rest of the class. It didn’t matter; he always got graded dead last, even when his work was better than mine, or the rest of the class. No matter how many overnights he did, or how hard he worked himself, Hadrian always scored him lowest in the class Nothing any of us said could make Hadrian grade him any higher and he got kicked out during final exams. The two since then haven’t made it a semester. You okay?” The boy asked, as if he hadn’t just sent a crossbow bolt through Claudius’ hopes.
None of his students pass.
None
Then what was he?
Had Hadrian only brought him to the school out of some sort of obligation without truly believing he would succeed, or expecting him to?
Was he just some joke from the countryside meant to be laughed at?
Would he be forced to return home in a year, a failure, despite his best efforts?
“No,” Claudius said out loud. “He’s not going to fail me.”
The older boy looked unimpressed. “That’s some confidence you have there.” Then he clapped Claudius’ shoulder. “But for both of your sake, my sake, and the sake of all his students past and present, I hope you’re right.”
“What does it matter to you if I pass?”
The boy grinned cheekily, “Everyone who’s been in Hadrian’s class would trade their left…eye to see him eat crow just once and be wrong about something just once. Maybe you can be the one to convince him, red.” Suddenly the boy looked acutely aware of something, “Don’t look now but he’s coming.”
Claudius whipped his head around.
That sandy haired man who’d be the sole reason he was accepted into this school strode across the campus grounds looking intensely focused.
Claudius started walking towards him when the older boy’s stone monkey latched onto his foot.
“That’s a bad idea.” The boy said. “Hadrian hates being disturbed between classes like that. If you want to talk to him you should wait until class is done.”
“He’s heading to a class right now?”
The boy shrugged. “Yeah. What about it?”
“Maybe I don’t need to wait until his class is done.” Claudius said and followed without a word, so focused only on reaching the sandy-haired professor that he missed a familiar black-haired girl with a braid and silver bracelet.