"Where are you?"

Cal stared at the text, contemplating slightly before thumbing a message back.

"Studying."

With the speed of her reply, he figured Lily must have had the text written prior. That or she was augmenting herself to text quickly, which was a ridiculous use of such magic.

"Where? I checked the library. Like the entire thing."

He could send her on a wild goose chase by naming some obscure building he was 'studying' in, but there was little point in further pissing her off.

"Snuck off to the city. Had to get some ingredients for something I'm cooking. Cover for me, pls and thank you."

In a certain sense, it wasn't a lie.

Without waiting for a response, he put it on silent and slid it back into his pocket.

Something impacted his back, and his head habitually turned to address it. The one responsible for bumping into him continued on without a care.

Cal couldn't begrudge the man, considering he was the one who had stopped in the middle of a crowded walkway.

In the distance, large arches stood stacked on each other. They looked to be primarily made out of red granite, but he could spot some different materials used here and there. Cal counted five rows of them, each sporting a different style of column supporting them. They wrapped around, forming a large ring around what he presumed was an arena.

It wouldn't be a colosseum without one.

There was another bump from behind, and he took that as his cue to get a move on. One foot in front of the other, Cal slowly made his way through the crowd. He squeezed by where he could and waited for gaps when he couldn't.

Strange. This was all so strange.

After being at the Academy for weeks and visiting the city more than a couple of times, he had thought himself well accustomed to crowds.

That was evidently incorrect if the way he had to rein in his impulses every time someone brushed up against him.

Strangers touching him wasn't a problem; he didn't like it, but he could deal with it.

So why was everyone here starting to get on his nerves?

As if to punctuate his point, a flyer was shoved in his face by an aggressive promoter. Cal batted the hand away and went on his way.

He worked his way through the last bit, having to pause to avoid a kid running into him, and finally stepped out into the plaza directly preceding the entrance.

Cal breathed a sigh of relief, turning to see where he had come from. Tents lined the congested pathway. Their vendors hawked their goods, standing on wooden crates and extolling how their cheap crap was better than the next guys.

He was probably being too harsh; he hadn't gotten a good look at what they were selling on account of wanting to get the hells out of there.

Past the tents of the impromptu market, he could see the raised platform from where he'd arrived via the train.

He was no longer in Postremo Lux, at least not technically. Despite official city lines, most considered the Colosseum part of the city.

"Yo, Callum." A hand found his shoulder, much to his chagrin. "You okay?"

Cal turned to see the speaker. The sandy-haired man was dressed rather plainly; soot and dirt clung to parts of his clothes, with some of it smeared on his cheeks. Cal had a similar appearance, although finding his 'worst' clothes was more difficult than it ought to have been.

When he had read Ryan's letter about meeting up tomorrow, now today, in commoner clothes, he wasn't sure what to expect.

He still didn't.

"Fine," Cal said simply. Sweeping his eyes over the crowd and then back to their destination. "We going in?"

It would be a shame to just be here to take pictures of the exterior, as nice as it looked.

"Yeah, Gregor's inside already. There's no better way to experience the Colosseum than the general admission area, you'll see." Ryan gave Cal's shoulder a pat before releasing it and motioning for him to follow. "And sorry, I didn't mean to lose you in the crowd."

He hadn't meant to get lost in it either. Cal shook his head, getting his mind back on track. He hadn't hesitated much when accepting the impromptu invite; he was questioning that decision.

Cal kept to the boy's side as they navigated the entrance. There was an iron gate that had been propped open, with guards checking passes before letting people in. He stayed silent as Ryan got them through the line and into the stadium proper.

Maybe he should have offered to pay for himself, but if anyone owed him right now, it was Ryan.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Ryan asked as they walked through the interior walkways. More stores lined the side. Most of them looked to be serving food instead of the knickknacks found outside.

"Yeah, why do you keep asking?"

Honestly, he should be asking his core obsessed friend that instead of Cal. They hadn't talked about it yet, which was odd. However, it was for the best with their present company.

"You were breathing weirdly on the ride over, and you seem distracted."

Ah, Cal schooled his face, hiding the look of embarrassment threatening to take hold.

He could stop his heart if needed. It was bullshit that he couldn't do something as simple as curling his own tongue to whistle.

A dead guy without a tongue was able to accomplish what he couldn't. It was grating, even if he hadn't been at it that long.

"Peachy, trust me," Cal responded in a way indicating that was final. "There's been a lot going on; it might be getting to me."

Cal didn't elaborate on what that all meant. It sounded plausible enough, and that was good enough for him.

"I get that," Ryan said while ascending a set of stairs. "That's part of the reason I wanted to do this. I know I flaked last time, so I figured it would be a good idea to get together and take some time off."

He hummed in agreement. That didn't mean he was buying it.

They made it to the second level and were traversing the interior ring when Ryan spoke again.

"Don't react." In Cal's opinion, those were the exact type of words that prompted a reaction. "We're being tailed."

Oh. Just that then.

It wasn't news to Cal. They were doing a decent job at keeping their distance, but, having already been on the lookout, he wasn't going to miss their presence. It was the reason he hadn't grilled Ryan or Gregor about the other day. Far from being dissuaded from their following of him, Cal was somewhat counting it.

He might have been trying too hard to be clever.

"I noticed; just ignore it."

It was too early in the day to confront them; he needed a few drinks in himself first.

"You sure? He looks pretty serious."

There was a nervous tilt in Ryan's voice. But that didn't matter as much as the 'he' part. Was the older one here as well? Dealing with both at the same time would be trickier.

In using his senses to search for him, he came across a familiar signature. Well, more than one.

"Benny?" He questioned the boy, who looked at him in confusion. "Were you talking about Benjamin?"

Ryan's eyes narrowed, and he examined him as if looking at a rare animal.

"Does he know you call him that?"

Cal couldn't recall if he had referred to him by the nickname; he felt like he did.

"He's not bad once you get to know him," Cal recalled their first meeting. "Makes a rough first impression though."

There was a brief pang of worry about being seen as too familiar with the Crown Prince's retainer, but they were in the same club. It was reasonable for them to be on good terms.

"You're…something," Ryan muttered. "You know last year he sent just about everyone who challenged him to the infirmary, right?"

"No." Cal supposed the man was just being thorough in his fights. "But I'm not exactly fighting him, am I?"

It did give him more apprehension in 'throwing' a fight against Benny. But he found it difficult to believe the man would maliciously inflict harm on him. It was probably some noble pricks who had pissed him off.

Considering Cal cremated his last, he was in no position to throw stones.

That still left the question as to why he was being followed.

"Let me see what he wants, probably club stuff."

He very much hoped it was something that mundane, but with the company, he didn't think he'd be that lucky.

"Good idea." Ryan visibly sagged in relief and handed him a pass. "Here's our section. Meet you there."

His classmate wasted no time in abandoning Cal, who merely shook his head at the behavior.

Benny needed to work on rehabilitating his reputation. Unfortunately, Cal wasn't the best person to ask about that.

He turned to look at the Crown Prince's retainer, who met his eyes before tilting his head toward a tunnel. The man quickly disappeared into it, and Cal got the message.

Approaching the tunnel, he found it deserted. Needless to say, that was odd given the amount of people about.

Cal greeted a waiting Benjamin.

"Fancy seeing you here; what was with the stare-down?"

"Callum. Apologies; I didn't mean to frighten your friend away." That was a generous interpretation of the word 'friend'. "I was surprised to see you. I thought you were still avoiding the city."

Ah, well, this was awkward. He had said they'd go to the grocer together.

"I didn't mean to blow you off. I got ambushed into this. I didn't even know where we were headed before hopping on the train."

It wasn't the best defense, but he really wasn't trying to slight the guy. He would actually prefer spending time with him over the core nerds.

"Do you often allow yourself to be cajoled into such scenarios?"

"I," Cal paused, recalling his life until now. "Was perfectly fine not realizing that about myself. So thanks for the unneeded moment of personal reflection."

At least he'd never gotten into a white van after being offered candy. He ignored the uncomfortably close analogies that sprung to his mind.

Benny didn't look like he knew what to do with that, so Cal followed up.

"Anyway." Cal pointed at a nondescript patch of wall. "What's with the twerp?"

The air shimmered, revealing the little prince.

"Pardon," the boy opened up. His nose was scrunched up, and he had a look of perplexity. "How did you refer to me?"

Cal regarded the boy with some bemusement. He'd totally jinxed himself yesterday. But as far as people to run into, the Third Prince was far from the worst.

"Sorry." Cal gave an exaggerated bow "I meant your Royal Twerpness."

Was he pushing his luck? Considering he'd gotten the kid to peel lemons, he doubted so. It had been a while since they'd seen each other. Cal had been distantly aware the boy had been still challenging people. Compared to other matters, it wasn't exactly a priority to keep tabs on.

The royal's mouth opened, then closed. This process repeated, and he ended up staring at Benjamin.

"I'll ask you not to address His Highness that way." It came out as a stern rebuke, but Cal didn't feel very reprimanded. Benny turned to the prince with his next. "And I'll ask you to be considerate of Callum's background. Adjusting to this world does not come easy."

Benny probably had it a lot worse than him. The Academy was known to be 'casual' compared to traditional noble settings. The Royal Palace must have been a difficult beast to be thrown into.

"I suppose some allowances are in order." The words came out slow; the prince clearly conflicted over them.

Cal wondered how long he could feasibly keep relying on that excuse.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"I'm surprised you were able to tell them apart," Benjamin continued. "I had some difficulty learning that skill."

Their signatures were nearly identical. If it were just that, he'd have a hard time of it. But the little prince's magic was just the tiniest bit cruder than that of his brothers. His casting of that manifestation leaked a hair more, and that was all Cal needed to differentiate them.

Now that he'd seen both up close, that is.

"They're easy to tell apart." Cal shrugged, displaying his true thoughts on the matter. It was something he would have expected Benjamin to pick up on, but younger Benny's senses were probably subpar. "You're chaperoning then? Guess even princes don't get a pass with that."

Being in the Junior year meant the Third Prince could not come and go from the city as he pleased.

"Did you mean that?" Sebastian questioned.

Cal found the tone in which the question was delivered to be reminiscent.

"Yeah," Cal confirmed and noticed the kid's face brighten. "You're a twerp, alright."

The prince's face went flat, and Cal considered it a job well done.

"Yes, I'm escorting His Highness today." Benjamin cut in after seeing the prince's reaction. Cal had been expecting another light scolding, but none came. "We were traveling to our box when I spotted you. I believe His Highness had a matter to inquire about."

Benny looked at the little prince leadingly, and that was enough for the kid to regain his bearings.

"Yes…" The prince looked between the two of them before continuing. "My family's box is rather spacious. Would you care to join us? It would allow you to avoid this." There was a pause as he searched for the word. "Rabble."

Cal mulled the offer.

He imagined what the box was like. A haven of luxury, furnished with the finest pieces the Empire could provide. It would be stocked with abundant food and drinks, catering to their every desire. With every need attended to, there would be no reason to leave its confines.

Next, he looked at the source.

For being so small, he was a fighter. There was more power there than a child should rightfully have. Cal had played it off, but he understood what the earlier question was getting at. The kid was living in a shadow.

This was all so familiar. It almost came off as a cruel joke, the world throwing something in his face to spite him.

The kid waited for his response.

"Yeah, not happening." Cal made a snap decision, pointing to Benjamin. "Go get him some normal clothes, and while you're at it, get some yourself."

Cal reached into his breast pocket, retrieving a tin can.

Benjamin didn't move, and Cal leveled the most intense stare he could muster.

"That's not a request." He watched as Benjamin's muscles began to tense, and Cal rolled his eyes. "Trust me for a bit. Do what I say. You can yell at me later if you want."

More than one person was going to be upset with him by the end of the day, and Cal didn't mind adding a few more if needed.

Whether his sincerity was properly conveyed or the blatant threat was taken seriously, he didn't know, but Benjamin did nod and leave them.

"What is your meaning?" The prince's voice was low and slightly shaky. He looked at Benjamin's retreating back with apprehension. "Answer me!"

Cal opened the can and dipped two fingers in; they came out black.

"You're hair is way too distinctive." He approached the boy with his hand outstretched. "Now hold still."

----------------------------------------

"Stop messing with it," Cal chided the kid who acted like a dog just given a bath. "It's just dirt and soot. You're going to make me have to reapply it. And keep your eyes down until we get to our section. They're noticeable."

He should have asked Benny to get a pair of sunglasses as well. Those silver eyes were a bit of a give-away.

They were both dressed in 'common' clothes right now. Cal hadn't seen any stalls selling clothing and was definitely not going to ask where Benjamin had sourced their new apparel.

As Cal stepped out of the tunnel, the roar of the audience that greeted him was deafening. There were no seats on the lower levels; it was all standing room. A sea of people, all cheering and hollering. It wasn't completely packed, and Cal noticed some gaps.

He inhaled, a myriad of smells coming to him.

It was…a lot.

The energy in the air was electric; everyone was far more animated than the noble brats during the headmaster's speech.

Cal took a moment for himself and then turned back to Benjamin, who was keeping the prince not an inch away.

"Lend me that bracer of yours, will you?"

"I don't remember you being so demanding." Benjamin gave a half complaint but removed the magical device from under his sleeve and handed it over. "I presume you need a moment?"

Cal tried to be discrete as he took possession of it.

"I have to threaten some idiots real quickly. Give me a minute or two; if I don't come back, that means it's clear."

He said as much because he didn't want to fight his way through the crowd twice, but actually getting to his section proved to be surprisingly easy. Apart from the vertical staircase the tunnel left them at, there were horizontal pathways spanning the rink. They were situated right in front of each standing section, which he quickly realized were not your standard fare.

Each spectator stood on a platform of some kind. Upon closer inspection, they appeared as stone rectangles, each roughly a meter in width and length. They weren't level with each other or the path he was on. He watched as someone further along stepped on an open block; it rose to a certain height, just enough to be a head above the next row down.

Knowing their purpose now, he spotted some exceptionally tall individuals having their platforms depressed into the ground.

All of this meant that no matter where you stood, your view of the arena below was unobscured. It was an elegant if expensive solution. Cal wondered how many cores these devices ran through a day; he doubted mages were able to power them all by themselves.

Spotting the two boys he was looking for, he beelined toward them.

Cal pushed his way between them and clamped a hand on each of their shoulders, speaking before they had a chance to protest.

"Ryan, you should be fine. Just play it cool with Benny, I don't need you hurting his feelings." That was the easy one out of the way, and Cal injected magic into the bracer. A bubble of magic slowly extended, and he cut off the feed once it was large enough to isolate them. Now he could speak without being overheard. "Gregor, quick question. You wouldn't happen to have some nagging compulsion to take over the world or destroy everything in your path, right?"

Those were frequently the sentiments of cultists he ran into.

"What?" Gregor had the gall to look offended and tried to yank his shoulder out of Cal's grasp. Obviously, he failed. "What are you talking about? Why would I do anything like that?"

Cal searched the man, looking for any signs of craziness. His eyes were red from lack of sleep, and there was unshaven stubble on his chin. Gregor's shaggy hair waved erratically as he tried to jerk away from Cal's grip. Cal subtly injected a strand of magic into the man, finding it not blocked by a shell.

Careless, but he'd take the opportunity.

"Maybe ease up-"

Ryan's attempts at diplomacy fell to the wayside to make room for a wince. Cal slackened his hold; he didn't want to actually hurt either of them.

"Just making sure you're not going to do anything, stupid." Introducing a cultist to a member of the Royal Family…, the Board would be crying tears of joy if they knew what Cal was up to at the moment. But this wasn't exactly a cultist; this was a stupid kid who didn't know what he was getting into. One who didn't seem crazy, yet at least. Cal would keep a close eye on him. "Okay, remember you two owe me. So play nice."

He released them both and turned to face the arena. That had gone pretty well if he said so himself. It had been far more aggressive than originally intended, but circumstances had forced his hand. Well, that was the excuse he would be telling himself in any case.

"You can't just say all of that and expect-" Gregor didn't finish, catching sight of who was headed their way. "Ryan," he gritted out. "Didn't you say this was supposed to be relaxing?"

Cal drained the device on his arm, letting the sound hit them again. That it made it difficult to hear both of their complaints was a pure coincidence.

"Thanks," He handed Benjamin, who had finally made it to them, the bracer. "Benny, meet Ryan and Gregor. Oh, and behind him is…" Cal took a second for some fast thinking. "Sebby." He wasn't sure he would be fooling anyone with that. "You're all friends now. Congrats."

The boys awkwardly shuffled to make room after his further prompting. The crowd ensured it wasn't silent, but there was no mistaking the lack of words exchanged as they all stood stifly.

Fortunately, he already had a solution in mind. He waved down a vendor carrying around a large tray. He'd have to pay extra for the convenience, but he did have money now.

With some gestures and bills split off from his stack, he was now the proud owner of an entire tray of beer.

"Everyone," Cal thought for a moment. "But the tyke, take a glass."

There were no takers, and Cal wondered if he was doing something wrong. Isn't this how it was supposed to go with a group of guys unfamiliar with each other? Just get everyone plastered and have a good time? He could see others in the stadium doing as such.

"Callum, I think I get what you're trying to do." Ryan was the one to speak up, staring at the glasses. "But it's super early."

Well, it was before lunch. But special occasions called for this type of thing, right?

"This is dumb," Gregor scoffed, pointedly not looking in 'Sebby's' direction. I have better things to do. "I'm catching the next train."

He was about to step off the block when something happened below, and the arena erupted in cheers. It was enough to make everyone but Benjamin and Cal jump.

"He's correct; this is foolish," Benjamin whispered to him during the confusion, taking a glass. "I'm responsible for His Highness's safety, so forgive me if I only give appearances here."

Cal grinned as Benjamin downed it in one swing. From his words, Benjamin would be using his augmentation to stave off the effects, but Cal appreciated the man making the effort.

He took one himself, the bitter taste washing over his tongue.

"Do what you want, but this is far from the worst thing you could drink."

Cal commented, finding it a bit hypocritical; this was where the core connoisseur decided to draw the line?

"Screw it," Ryan caved and grabbed one himself. "You too, Gregor, don't be the one hold out."

Peer pressure was a magic in of itself and Gregor reluctantly joined in.

"Hey, Sebby," Cal spoke to the Third Prince, not wanting to make him feel left out. "Want to explain what they're actually doing down there?"

It looked to be a chariot race of some sort, with actual horses.

Cal idly listened to the explanation while raising a glass to someone at the edge of his senses.

Not that she would know it was for her.

He downed one and then another in quick succession. The rate he moved was such that even with his apparent talent in augmentation, he would be unable to neutralize the sheer quantity of toxins being imbibed.

The meal was still a long way off.

But prep work was important.

And Cal was cooking.