After last nights activities, me an Lilith had gotten dressed and ate breakfast at the downstairs resturant.

After a silent breakfast, we had started making our way to the academy and something had dawned on me.

Dorian:"Hey babe?"

Lilith:"Yes?"

Dorian:"In my world, the mythology for lamia and gorgon's say that you snake parts begin from the waist down, yet for you and a few others if seen around, that isnt the case."

Lilith:"Its a simple answer. Evolution."

Dorian:"Oh really?" I say as i raise an eyebrow.

Lilith:"Yes, evolution. While such things would take centuries in a normal enviroment, races with high concentrations of mana will mutate and evolve faster. My grandfather on my mother's side was human, so i already was predisposed to the bipedial genes. Take into account my father is an Incubus which also has large amounts of mana in their genealogy, i would be born with a more human body." She says as she points at where her knees connect with her tail end.

Dorian:"Now in the background there just needs to be a star with a rainbow saying 'the more you know'." I say with a suprised voice.

Another fifteen minutes we reach the main academy gate and i see the clock on its tower and the date underneath.

Dorian:"Shit i forgot today is the day Lucifer is supposed to help me contact my family."

Lilith:"I cant wait to meet your family."

Dorian:"Well thats assuming that they'll be in the same place at the same time. More likely we'd talk to my mother." I say adjusting my grip on both the bags of books and the Crow's case.

Lilith:"Thats good enough for me. You havent told me too much about your family. Anything i should know before tonight?" She says as she locks arms with me and we head to the central courtyard to wait for classes to start.

Finding a bench i sit down and Lilith coils up her tail underneath herself and sits on her coils.

Still cant believe i didnt notice that till now.

Dorian:"Well believe it or not me and my family were rather common in terms of lifestyle. My mother had me when she was 20 so she never got to get a career and diploma. My father had been planning to leave her till he found out she was pregnant but my ma had enough of his shit. She realised that with me she'd have to stop partying and stop doing drugs. My dad of course never stopped, eventually moving on to harder drugs, eventually becoming part of a crowd that would ditch him at the first sign of trouble."

Taking a moment i catch my breath and gather my thoughts.

Dorian:"My father started turning to thieving and fighting for money. My mother left him and my dad went to jail for a while. My mom being a single parent had to work full time to pay for babyfood and medicine and my grandmother would watch me for her. I grew up in a safe household with the occasional visitation to my father when he fought with my ma in courts. Me being young and naive never understood why my father and mom were apart, all i wanted was to be a whole household. Later on, at around 9 or 10 i realised what type of man my father was and started to drift away, not wanting to become like him. I realised he was a violent deadbeat with drug and klepto issues. When i turned  11 my little brother, Reggie, had been born. At that i continued visitation so i could make sure he grew up in a good house. Unfortunately that wasnt the case. My father never took responsibility for anything hes done, be it lying, stealing, hitting his wife, or flaking on important parts of life. Eventually as i grew older i ignored my father altogether, focusing on school so i would never become like him. He was nothing but a coward. Denying anything he did was wrong and blaming it on my mom or the world. My stepmother left him and took my little brother and i tried to stay in touch but she pretty much cut me and my ma off from contact. I dont even know if he even remembers me, that was 6 years ago. Recently my father tried getting in contact because he was hurt in a work accident. He swore he was different but i paid attention to his jail records and social media. He was up to the same shit. I gave him 18 years to become the father he was supposed to be." I say as i clench my fists and feel the air around me crackle with electricity.

Lilith:"Dorian....." she says as she grabs my fist and uncurls my fist.

Dorian:"Sorry... as you can tell there are some repressed feelings there."

Lilith:"What about your life with your mother?"

Dorian:"It was fine. We moved around every year, never staying in one place long. My mother tried to mary a guy she had been dating for a few years when i was 4, he turned out to be a real piece of work. Unfortunately my mother had never had good taste in men and in her rush to try and raise me in a whole household, she ended marrying a regular Buffalo Bill."

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Lilith:"Buffalo Bill?"

Dorian:"Its just a reference to an old movie. I guess i was partly to blame for her marrying the guy. As a little kid i didnt realise the constant pressure of asking for a dad i wouldnt have to visit every other week, would have some major consequences."

Lilith:"What was wrong with the guy?"

Dorian:"Well for him it was ONLY him. He wanted my mother to completely abandon her family, meaning my grandmother, aunts uncles and the like. Apparently he even wanted to get rid of me. Imagine that, a fully grown man jealous of the fact that his wife put her child first."

Lilith:"How'd it end?"

Dorian:"Severe childhood trauma.*chuckles*"

Lilith:"Thats not funny Dorian." She says with a stern look.

Dorian:"Fine, fine. Anyway what i remember about the night we left the bastard. Well i had been sleeping originally and woke up to yelling and crying, walking out of my room, i saw the bastard had my mom pinned to the floor and he was ranting and raving about how my mom was his and nothing would ever change that, that hed get rid of me and spirit her away. As a 4 year old i had no idea what the fuck was happening so when i opened my mouth, i had asked why dad was hurting ma. I had grown emotionally attached to him. He was the closest thing to a real father i had and i didnt know better. At me calling him dad, he lost it even more. He got up from my mom and manhandled me like i was the bad dog who got in the trash. He took me to the kitchen and tried to burn my hands on the stove but my ma was fast enough to grab something to hit him with. She yelled for me to hide so i ran to the nearest room, which was ths bathroom and closed the door. I was small so i couldnt reach the lock or the lightswitch so i was stuck in the cold dark bathroom..."

Looking to Lilith i see her with red eyes and she hugs my arm. As i look up fron her i see Dag, Thia, and Julian there. Dag has a dark look on his face and Thia has a cold look as if reliving memories of her own. Julian stands there awkwardly, trying not to look me in the eyes.

Lilith:"*With a cracking voice* What happened next?"

Dorian:"Well i dont really remember. I remember having to use the toilet but not being tall enough to aim in the bowl and eventually falling asleep to the sound of their yelling and fighting while in the darkness. According to my mother, one of the neighbors called the police and we left with our stuff to stay with my grandma for a while. Moved some more. Then back with my gran and eventually moving across country to different states. Now im here." With that the bell rings.

Dorian:"Even with all the shit however, my mom never lost hope things would turn out better and that id become amazing and destined for greatness. No matter how forlorn. She was both my mother and father. She got me through thick and thin. She taught me how to survive in a cruel world. She is my hero. She is one of the strongest people i know. Well her and my great grandmother, but thats a sad backstory saved for when there is more time. Damn though, that bell has some dramatic timing"

As we all part ways to head to class, Lilith hugs and kisses me while Dag and Thia give me hugs. Julian even gives me a pat on the back.

Its not like ive lived the saddest life ever..... Lilith has gone through more that i have.

Maybe theyre just humoring me... i know for sure things could have been way worse. With that i grab the Crow and my books and head to Magitech class.

All the classes passed normally without anything of importance happening. I studied the rune book for Magitech, told more of the political machinations of my world, studied tactics used by previous Eternian Generals, Meditated in Magecraft, did some basic excersise routines in PCE, and worked on my mdeitation and fire affinity in smithing for amateurs, making my way by another three feet.

Meditate has leveled up twice. It is now at Novice level 4.

Ki, Force, and Mana Manipulation have all increased my 4 levels.

Force Sense has increased by 1. Range has increast and uses less FP or channeling.

Mana sense has increased by 1 level. Range has increased, point cost decreased.

Due to your physical labour, +4 Strength, +1 Dexterity, +1 Agility, +4 Endurance, +1 Vitality.

Fire reinforcement has increased to Novice 2.

Fire affinity has increased by 3. Fire resistance has increased 1%.

Due to your recent actions of being patient and smart in your approach to recent problems, you have gained the Patient One title.

Event in though your an ass, youre a patient ass who goes about things methodically. Your new title makes it so while you may learn skils slower, the benefits you get from taking the extra time will give you better returns. +1 time affinity and +5%time resistance. Your title also makes it so while it is harder to learn a skill, once you do, it levels up at an increased rate.

As i finish looking at my recent gains from today, i finish eating my lunch at look at the group.

I'll admit we look like a regular group of goonies. We all are so different from each other yet we all get along so well.

Im not saying ill laye my life on the line for Antonio,Hanz,Greta, and Beatrice, seeing as how we dont know each other that well, but Dag, Lilith, and Thia id risk it all for. Julian id have to cause my job depends it but i digress.

Lilith:"Ass*chuckles*"She says and laughs as she smacks my chest playfully.

The P.A turns on and makes an announcement.

P.A:"Dorian Ambrosius Hawke please report to the headmaster's office. Feel free to bring who you want."

Well i guess thats me. I look at Lilith and she tells Dag,Thia, and Julian to come along.

Dorian:"Whoa, whoa, whoa. I was only gonna bring Lilith."

Lilith:"Im not going without them Dorian." She says as she crosses her arms.

Dorian:"*sighs*Fine. But Julian has to stay quiet the entire time."

Julian:"Yo what the fuck dude, why?"

Dorian:"Because if the subject of my abduction comes up, as it most definitely will, my family finding out your related migh cause them to tear a hole through dimensions just to torture you for info."

Dag:"I thought your family were regular humans."

Dorian:"They are, but if the method of contact Lucifer is using involves a spacial tear, they might try something stupid."

Lilith:"It'll be fine Dorian."

Dorian:'I hope so babe. I havent seen those three in white robes and masks all day and im feeling skittish here.'

As i finish transmitting those thoughts to Lilith, i see a black and red butterfly in the distance land on a rose bush.

The bush slowly starts to wither and die as the wings of the butterfly grow pulsing red veins.

Well shit thats a flag if ever ive seen one.