Health class began. Karline got all the children seated and began her lesson. Today was focusing on the Amethystborn and their abilities. Since physical education class would be next the children could take what they learn here and train.
“Now. Hoping your parents taught you the basics of your own abilities. I will give out a pop quiz.” The miniscule teacher trotted across the room. Staying on eye level with most of her students. “Now. Who can tell me the main ability of the Amethystborn?”
All the Amethystborn children began to speak over each other. Leaving out Lucius, and the others who weren’t plum haired like the others yelling to answer. Karline came to the front of the classroom and turned. Pointing to whichever student her finger came too. Calamis. The girl proudly stood up and gave her answer.
“Amethystborn are born able to control their emotions.” She proudly answered. Gaining confused looks from her peers. Karline appeared before her, placed a hand on the desk before the girl.
“Correct.” The teacher confirmed. Calamis smiled. The other kids smiled with her. “But no.” Karline removed the girl's happy victory from her. The teacher instead laughed as she turned and headed back to the front of the classroom. Her board had panels, and she pushed one aside to reveal a human diagram. It’s body was colored. The left side was red, and the right side was blue. Branching from each side was a figure of emotion related to each side.
“Amethystborn control their emotions through two different energies within the body. The red energy houses your negative emotions. The blue houses the positive emotions.” Karline extended her pointing stick. Pointing to each part of the diagram that she explored with the children. Lucius couldn’t make heads or tails with this. The same with many of the children in the class. Likewise his mind began to doze off in another direction. Venturing into the many other posters and pictures of large animals around the classroom. Some were educational but others felt gratuitous. The dark haired boys trance ended when a snapping sound was heard before him. Karline’s was thrown into his desk at blinding speed. He flinched at the disturbance. “Hey! Stop wandering off and pay attention.”
“Ye-yes ma’am.” Lucius calmly responded.
“She’s so small but so loud.”
“I know it’s weird.” A group of kids whispered to each other.
Their teacher grew in size. Her body began to swell and then reform, as if she was aging before her own students. Her hair reached far past her shoulders now, the pointing stick became but a small wand in her growing hands. Karline had completely grown past her four foot seven height and towered over the children at a mighty six foot seven. All of the children gazed in awe, the breathtaking sight of how their teacher became a whole new woman before them.
“The emotions of the Amethystborn allow for one to embrace their true strength. When your emotions are weak! You are weak! When your emotions are strong! you are strong!” The teacher continued to pace around the classroom, smacking her hand repeatedly with the pointed stick she gave off a near frightening aura. “Now Amethystborn children repeat after me. When your emotions are weak! You are weak!”
“When your emotions are weak! You are weak!” The purple haired children chanted.
“WHEN YOUR EMOTIONS ARE STRONG! YOU ARE STRONG!” The teacher gave the next part of the chant. Whilst a powerful purple aura raged around her.
‘WHEN YOUR EMOTIONS ARE STRONG! YOU ARE STRONG!” The children channeled their teachers similar energy.
“As for the rest of you. You’ll be educated on your clan's specific abilities. In this classroom you’ll learn about your specific abilities and in the next period, physical education you’ll be tested on those abilities. You will be graded on how well you showcase these abilities. And I hope you’re all taking notes. We have a lot to go over.” She stated coming up to each of the non Amethystborn children, while addressing the rest of the class.
Karline’s attitude put the children to work. They all quickly rushed their notebooks and pencils out in order to follow along. Lucius as well. This confused many of the other students and even Karline, yet nobody commented. He was just following the words of his master.
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“Look Lucius. You’re going to be at a disadvantage here. So make sure you learn as much as you can. I can teach you about each of the individual clans, but there are things that only someone from one of those clans can teach.”
“Take note, children. Before we move forward I want to explain the 8 clans.” Karline began before coming to a stopping point in her head. She meant to say 9. Now it would be 8, but with Lucius’ presence it was increased to 9 in her head. However her rules as a teacher made her stick with what she said. “The 8 clans are named after notable gemstones. The color of these gemstones are reflected in the hair of its clan members. Amethyst, Sapphire, Ruby, Emerald, CItrine, Jasper, Quartz…..and Rhodonite.” She paused again. Many of the children weren’t aware of these other clans and were fascinated to learn more. “Each of them have their own different abilities. And just like what should be happening in the other states is that you all will be given the opportunity to become essential workers for your state. All this will be explained in due time. For now. You are to learn to utilize your powers. Each and every one of you. What separates you from the children in the other schools of our state. Is that you all have these abilities, and they don’t.”
The children continued to take notes. Lucius, out of confusion, raises his hand. Karline noticed him immediately, the first question of the school year. She hesitated to call upon him because she already knew what he was going to ask. “Yes Mr. Tenebris.”
“Um…all of those names are the same color as the clan members' hair. But you didn’t list one that’s black like my hair. What about the Onyxborn?”
“We…don’t talk about that anymore.” Karline’s response almost made the boy go silent. Yet he wanted more.
“But-”
“I said. We don’t talk about it!”
The boy remained silent. He tried to push it off by looking away from his teacher. Who continued teaching the class.
Soon the period was over and it was time for P.E. The Ameythstborn children were all lined up on the court. The ground was half between a cold cement floor, and a shiny wooden floor. Though it was showing its wear from numerous Amethystborn students showcasing their abilities. Lucius and a few others sat to the wooden side, since there was currently no teacher to show them their abilities and how to use them. All but Lucius had to read small but understandable for their age, books that showcased how their own abilities from their own clans worked. In due time they would join the rest of the class to show what they could do.
Before each of the Amethystborn students was a white board. Yet there were no markers which worried the children. “Now. In order to demonstrate your capabilities. You will draw on these boards but not with markers, with your minds instead.” The children went from worried to confused. “Hold your hands out. And focus that energy into the whiteboard. WHatever image appears will determine how you utilize your powers. Now get to it!”
The children followed Karline’s orders. Holding their small hands out they tried to make something appear. “Try to envision what you want. Bring forth your desires and deepest goals. That’s what will help you realize your power.” Karline gave another piece of advice, but none of the children showed anything yet. Which she expected. Not a single child in the class, even the others off to the side with their own abilities that she had to teach separately, would show any promise on the first day.
Yet one did. A bright blue light began to enter her peripherals. Calamis stood there, her eyes closed and hands clasped in a prayer. Her whole body was giving off the azure light. Karline was left stunned, so were the other children as even they stopped and witnessed the girl show off. Calamis was aware of her surroundings, letting loose a wonderful smile of approval to her peers and herself. Then she stopped.
“Like that Ms. Karline?”
“Exactly. Now let’s see how long you can hold that energy. Hold it until I tell you to stop” Ordered the teacher. Giving Calamis another task and pushing her to see her true capabilities. “And the rest of you, stay in line. There’s no time for gawking! Focus on yourselves!” Barked the teacher.
Lucius remained without a book to read. So he watched the other children around him struggle to read instead. Around him sat a few Quartzborn, several Sapphireborn, and a handful of Citrineborn. And each of them, despite not completely understanding everything in the books, were working together to help each other. The words of Lucius’ master rung in his head again. This was his opportunity to both learn and befriend his classmates
“Why isn’t he reading too?” One of the children, a Citrineborn, whispered but Lucius still heard them.
“I bet it’s because he’s stupid. My parents told me that Onyxborn people don’t have brains. So they can’t read.” Another child returned. Lucius had stopped himself from going over to the others.
“He probably thinks he’ll be like us.” The same Citrineborn boy commented about Lucius.
“My parents told me the same things about Onyxborn. That all of them are evil.” A Quartzborn girl added.
“Then leave him alone. I don’t want to contract his stupidity and evilness.” The children all followed the words of their parents. This made them intentionally distance themselves from the Onyxborn boy but also begin to find distaste in him.
“Tenebris! Come here!” Karline called the boy. Every child turned to him. He quickly stood and came over to his teacher. HEr head was slumped over the desk, yet her head turned to face the boy.
“Yes Ms. Karline.”
“Here’s the deal. You’ll be having a separate session to learn about your powers. In the meantime my two periods, health and P.E., you’ll just be learning about the other clans. So don’t slack off, you hear.”
“Uh….yes ma’am!” Lucius affirmed for his teacher.
“Good. Go sit back down. By the end of the week your personal session will begin.” Lucius followed suit. He was happy at least to know that he wouldn’t be left behind. As Lucius walked away Karline groaned over how hard it was going to be having to teach an Onyxborn student, Which she hadn’t taught even seen in a while. Looking forward she saw the only student still performing right. Calamis Saintsworth. She was still perfectly flowing her positive energy while the other children still failed to show a sliver of power. “This is going to be a long year.”