The tournament arena was more grand than Samantha could have imagined. It resembled an ice hockey arena with large stone columns holding up the high, vaulted ceiling. Large navy banisters hung down from the rafters sporting the names of past tournament and challenge winners in beautifully contrasting gold letters. Samantha shifted on the bench seat stifling a yawn as she stared down at the sand coated rink where a man was standing at the center of a large circular dais.
The man looked to be in his late forties and had introduced himself early on as Takeda Kazegami, the headmaster of the Kazegami Familia. His hoarse voice was difficult to listen to as he introduced himself, the other headmasters, and touched on key points that he would be elaborating on during his presentation. The seats were filled with incoming students and their families as they listened intently to the information being presented. Today, the incoming freshman and student transfers would be putting in a bid for the Familia they wished to join, and the next few days would be full of interviews and testing to see if they would be granted access into the Familia of their choice. Samantha and Emmett were inducted into the Thomas Familia when their mother married Milo Thomas, the headmaster of the Thomas Familia, but not all students got that luxury.
“This Academy was the first of its kind built centuries ago as a sanctuary to house and train young people born with special abilities and attributes; long before such things were common.” Mr. Kazegami explained. His voice cracked and he took a moment to clear his throat with a drink of water before continuing. “We have kept many of the old traditions as a part of our curriculum, many of which may seem unorthodox or even barbaric, in some cases, to those coming from less distinguished facilities.
“Allow me to dive into the history of our school before I talk about the traditions that may make you… uncomfortable.” The way he paused before the word uncomfortable made Samantha shift nervously in her seat. She knew what she was up against at this school, she was reminded daily, however there was something about the head of the Kazegami family that made her skin crawl.
“Five hundred years ago, the first young people were recorded to have developed unexplainable abilities and characteristics. These children soon found themselves ostracized, shunned, and, in some places, killed. Three families, their children also showing signs of abilities, feared for these kids and decided to create a safe haven of sorts. Four hundred and sixty-seven years ago, the first Academy - this Academy - was created. My ancestors within the Kazegami were one of these families, while Thomas and Valentini were the other two founding families.
“Wanting to help those who possessed abilities with the discipline to develop those attributes, they made weapons and ability training a requirement and put into place tournaments to encourage the practice. This tradition may seem strange to those of you who are just entering the Academy and are unused to the systems we also have for younger students. You will notice that some students have acquired special ‘talents’ that they also learn to master, while all of you possess some kind of weapons or martial arts training, as it is still a requirement for admittance. You will find that it will be put into practical use starting this year with tournaments twice a year, and the ability to issue challenges to settle disputes.”
“The Kazegami are rigorous in training and in battle but nothing comes before your Familia, which will be your family while you are here. It also determines your uniform, your dorm assignments, and your life here at the school. Under no circumstances are you to dishonor the name of your Familia, you will respect the chain of command and your Decums are to be respected above all else.”
Samantha tuned his words out as a familiar young woman appeared on the stage. Tanned skin with flowing ebony hair stopping about the middle of her back, a perfectly round face and minimal but immaculate makeup. If she had been closer, she would have been able to see her honey brown eyes with flecks of gold. Her school uniform differed from her casual jean shorts and tight red cami from the other day. She wore a navy and black plaid skirt that showed off her athletic legs, stopping at mid thigh. Her white polo was a short sleeved button-up that left little to the imagination. Samantha remembered what her body felt like under her hands, even if it only lasted a minute and was completely innocent.
Mr. Kazegami introduced her as Kaguya Kazegami, his daughter. Not only was she a student at the Academy, but the daughter of one of the most ruthless headmasters the school has ever seen. Samantha’s mind flooded back to their messages, doubt filtering them from innocent to something else.
The rest of the assembly went in one ear and out the other, something about the process of interviewing and joining the Familia that is right for you. Her stepfather along with the Valentini headmaster spoke briefly about their Familia’s values and how to apply for a spot with them. Instead of listening, Samantha pondered how she was going to talk to Kaguya. It is normal for a school to have cliques, or different houses with their own sets of values, but listening to her father and Thea talk about the Familia’s was something else entirely. For reasons that have been forgotten over time, the Kazegami Familia doesn’t get along with the other Familia’s, especially the Thomas Familia. Members of those two Familia’s don’t hang out, don’t date, don’t become friends, it just doesn’t happen. Given the history of their family's, could she still meet Kaguya?
As soon as the meeting was over, she’d hoped to have a chance to talk to Kaguya, but it was like she vanished. Samantha trekked the halls near the arena hoping that she would run into her. There were old photographs and paintings hanging along the walls, and one in particular caught her eye. She stopped and studied the brush strokes that made up a beautiful courtyard full of lilacs and lavender, daisies and roses, lilies and other flowers that were hard to mention. In the center was a white gazebo, isolated and elegant. She wondered if that place still existed because it would make a great place to wind down, study, or read.
“Stop!” A desperate voice yelped, pulling Samantha from her trance. She stood still waiting to see if she could hear where it was coming from. “Let go of me!” the breathy voice pleaded. Samantha jogged down a few halls before catching sight of a big lug dragging a girl with multicolored hair into what seemed to be an empty room. There was no time to find help, Samantha ran right for the door, stopping just on the other side.
Peeking through the small window in the door, she noticed that it looked to be a warm up room, rolled yoga mats in the corner and other stretching and practice equipment lined the walls and adorned the floor. She found the girl pushed up against some lockers, wincing from his harsh biting words and his vice like grip. He was much bigger than she was. It looked as though the girl was trying to speak but the male grabbed a hold of her, his fingers digging into her cheeks.
“Asshole.” She muttered with an eye roll before throwing the door open to the room that had to feel like the strange girl’s personal Hell. They both looked in Samantha’s direction, the greasy blond had fire in his eyes and the girl’s were soft and pleading, tears wetting her bruising face. She didn’t think, she just walked over to the dolt and pushed him away from the girl, the release of his grip on her made her yelp as he stumbled back.
“Who the hell do you think you are?” the guy sneered, he had to have at least six inches on her, and that was saying something. He gave her a quick once over and scoffed when his focus landed on the pin on her shirt. “A Thomas, eh? You lot just can’t keep your nose out of other peoples’ business, can you?” Samantha glanced toward the girl with colored hair who was still standing against the lockers watching her with wide blue eyes, realizing that she too, was a Thomas.
“You okay?” she asked the girl, ignoring the jackass who nearly had smoke coming out of his ears. The girl nodded silently, tears falling from her downward pointed eyes. “Go take care of yourself. I’ll deal with this asshat.” Samantha motioned to the guy behind her with her thumb. There was a silent ‘thank you’ in the girl’s eyes as she darted out the door, but her actions had the guy fuming as the door closed with a click.
“You bitch! Who do you think you are?”
Samantha turned back to him with a cold look. “I’m Samantha Thomas. And who might you be?”
Recognition of the name flashed in his eyes, but the oaf advanced anyway, fists balled at his sides, “If I could get away with beating your ass right here and now, I would!”
Samantha stepped forward unphased, running a hand through the silk strands of her hair. She knew that she did the right thing in saving the other girl, but she also knew that her step father wasn’t going to be happy that she had gotten into a fight before classes even officially started. “Who’s to say you’d be the one beating my ass?” She knew that wasn’t the correct response, proven when the brute grabbed her by the wrist and nearly dragged her behind him out the door and into the hallway. Samantha was strong, but she hadn’t expected him to actually put his hands on her. Pain pulsed in her wrist from his hold as she yelled, “Let go of me, you asshole!”
They passed a few other students in the hallway but no one moved to try to help; she was on her own. “Where the fuck do you think you are taking me?” Samantha demanded as they weaved their way through a maze of halls and classroom doors.
“We are going to settle this like gentlemen.” he said matter of factly as he busted through some double doors that lead outside. Samantha was about to comment about how she was a woman, not a man, but she felt he wasn’t worth her breath. A few more minutes passed and she realized she was being dragged toward the administration building. At least it wasn’t raining outside, that would have sucked. By the time the goon and Samantha had reached the office doors, her hand was numb from lack of blood circulation and she was thankful when he finally released her from his grasp.
“I am here to issue a formal challenge against this Thomas bitch!” The woman glared at him through her round glasses, gently perched at the end of her hooked nose. Her sandy brown hair wisped up in a bun sitting like a birds nest at the top of her head and her clothing seemed to be from decades ago. She scoffed, “Mr. Rainier, you know better than to take up that tone with me! You better try again or you can be suspended before classes even start!”
“Yes, Mrs. Winston, I do apologize for my outburst.” He stood straighter and straightened imaginary wrinkles out of his white polo. “I would like to formally issue a formal challenge against this Wonder Woman wannabe.” The secretary glanced between the two and sighed, shaking her head.
“I apologize young man, but classes have not even started yet. We will not be facilitating any challenges until next weekend to give students and faculty time to get settled in. I’m sure you understand.” She smiled sarcastically at him before turning back to whatever she had been doing on the computer before they had barged in.
“That simply won’t do, the challenge must happen today! This goody two shoes,” He pointed an accusatory finger in Samantha’s direction, “decided to stick her nose where it doesn’t belong. She has threatened me and embarrassed me in front of my girlfriend, I will not let this stand!”
“You embarrassed yourself when you decided to put your hands on her, that wasn’t my doing.” Samantha provoked, she could swear she saw literal smoke coming out of his ears. He turned to her with fire in his eyes. Oops.
“If I need to get Mr. Kazegami involved, I will-” He began, turning back to the uninvolved Mrs. Winston. Almost as if she didn’t want to be caught by his murderous gaze, she ducked behind her desk, the sound of shuffling papers filling the front office.
“Here.” She huffed, shoving a few documents and a pen across her desk, the asshole took the pen with a smug smile plastered on his sharp face.
Samantha stood at his side, arms crossed at her chest, watching him scribble answers to the questions printed before him. According to what she could make out from his chicken scratch, his name was Lazlo Ranier. Lazlo, really?
It wasn’t long before Lazlo was finished filling out his portion of the document and he shoved it over to Samantha who rolled her eyes. She glanced over the words, not really bothering to read them, instead went straight to printing and signing her name at the bottom of the page. She picked up the papers and straightened them before handing them back over to Mrs. Winston. She looked over the sections of the documents that had been filled out and when she reached the signatures, her eyes snapped up to Samantha.
“Samantha Thomas?” She asked.
“Yes, ma’am. I am Milo Thomas’s step daughter. He and my mother got married this past summer and adopted my brother Emmett and I.”
Her eyes went wide as she took in the information. She looked over to Lazlo and shook her head, “You, young man, are a fool. I wish you luck in this challenge, you are going to need it.”
Lazlo choked on a laugh, “Yeah, right. Are we done here?”
“Yes, I believe I have everything I need, your challenge will begin at 5:00, the best of luck to both of you.” Mrs. Winston confirmed.
“I will see you tonight cupcake.” Lazlo snorted as he bumped into Samantha’s shoulder before pushing his way out of the office door.
His attempt at intimidation wouldn’t work on her, however, the use of the nickname “cupcake” made her want to vomit. “Thank you for your services Mrs. Winston. I will see you again, I’m sure.”
The woman stood, “I must go make some copies of these and deliver them to the headmasters.” She ushered Samantha out the door with her, “Oh,” she stopped mid stride, “Kick his ass.” She smiled mischievously and gave a wink before turning toward the headmasters offices. Samantha couldn’t help but giggle.
She sighed as she turned toward the dorm rooms needing some time to meditate. Thea and Emmett were going to kill her, if Lazlo didn’t first. Samantha quickly pushed that thought away. He may be taller and physically stronger than she was, but she knew her skills. Samantha had been thoroughly trained since she could walk and was very gifted in combat, she would not let him win.
Samantha walked down the ornately decorated hallway of the Thomas dorms, white marbled floors, gold trimmings and wall sconces adorning a background of red. Every so often a large portrait was hung featuring various members of the Thomas family, going back centuries. She glanced at Thea’s door as she walked past, half tempted to see what she was up to, but decided that she’d rather have this time alone. She made her way to the neighboring door and opened it. Stepping inside she kicked her shoes off to the side and shut the door behind her.
The plush gray carpet cushioned her feet as she trudged over to her queen sized bed. She flopped onto it, belly first, and let out a groan as her body began sinking into the soft mattress. No sooner than she had closed her eyes, a knock at her door made her jump. She stood up too quickly and had to hold on to the side of the bed for support as she regained her balance. The knock sounded again. “I’m coming”. She huffed.
With a scowl on her face, she opened the door to see a tall thin man wearing a suit and tie standing opposite her. He looked to be in his late fifties or so, some wrinkles accenting his lips and hazel eyes. “Miss Samantha Thomas?” he asked.
“That would be me.”
“My name is Edward Miss, I am here to deliver this summons to you.” He pulled a piece of folded ivory paper from the inside pocket of his suit jacket and held it out to her. She took it, noticing the red wax button that kept the contents inside hidden. Printed inside the wax was a fancy letter ‘T’ with swoops and swirls surrounding it. “Headmaster Thomas requests an audience with you as soon as you are able. I do hope you have a good rest of your day Miss.” He gave a small bow before turning away and beginning his journey back to wherever he’d come from.
Samantha closed the door behind her and she leaned against it, bannging her head gently against the hard wood surface. She looked down at the letter in her hand and sighed, walking over to her unused desk and sat down on the dark stained wooden chair. She lifted the wax seal and unfolded the letter.
Miss Samantha Thomas,
It has come to my attention that you were involved in an altercation early this afternoon which has led to a challenge being issued to take place this evening. I request your presence at your earliest convenience in my office. Please don’t make me hunt you down.
Headmaster Thomas
“Great.” She sat the letter on top of her desk and rubbed her hands vigorously over her face before standing. Samantha slipped her shoes back onto her feet and walked out of her room, closing the heavy wooden door behind her. It wasn’t long before she was out in the courtyard on her way toward the administration building. She walked along the sidewalk, the sun behind her casting a shadow at her front. She noticed that there were some classmates clustered here and there, some paid her no mind, others were whispering amongst themselves. Samantha just rolled her eyes.
“Sam!” A familiar voice called to her as the sound of hurried footsteps came from behind her. By the time she could take a few more steps, her brother Emmett was already at her side. “Sam, please tell me the rumors aren’t true.” he begged. Samantha looked up at him, his hair tied into a neat ponytail behind him, his pleading eyes focused on her.
“Depends on the rumors you’ve heard, I guess.” she answered nonchalantly. Samantha looked away from her brother and stared at her shadow that seemed to be guiding her.
Emmett raked a hand through his hair, tousling it from it’s perfection. “Don’t play dumb with me Sam. Are you really about to fight that Kazegami guy?”
She threw her hand up in the air, “Yes, Emmett. He dragged me down to the administration building to fill out the paperwork. You know, it’s not exactly something you can say no to, even if I wanted to.” She quickened her pace, and when she placed her hand on the handle of the administration building door, Emmett’s larger hand engulfed hers.
“I’m sorry Sam, I didn’t mean to come off that way. I am just worried about you.” He removed her hand as she looked back up at him.
“I know you are Emmett, but you don’t have to worry about me. This guy has no idea who he’s messing with. You’ll see.” She gave him a lighthearted smile before opening the door and walking inside, Emmett on her heels.
Mrs. Winston wasn’t at her desk when they entered, but Samantha wrote her name and destination on the clipboard on her desk before walking down the hallway toward her father’s office. The hallway was brightly lit and lined with all types of prestigious awards for academics and more. It looked to hold the teaching certificates of the staff as well as a nursing degree from the school nurse. It was kind of impressive. She stopped in front of a heavy wooden door at the end of the hall, Headmaster Thomas inscribed on the nameplate, taking a deep breath she knocked three times.
The door opened and she was surprised to once again come face to face with Edward. “Good to see you again Miss.” He looked behind her, “You as well Master Emmett. I will let Headmaster Thomas know you have arrived.” He closed the door behind them before leaving them in the room that must have been a lounge. There was a long brown leather sofa and matching loveseat with a glass topped coffee table between them. There was a drink station along the wall offering a coffee bar and a mini fridge, as well as a basket holding some snacks and fruit.
Samantha walked over to the counter and grabbed a large red apple from one of the snack baskets, she caught Emmett shaking his head out of the corner of her eye. “Sorry, I’m hungry. I’ve had an eventful day and haven’t found time to eat yet.” She took a large bite as her father walked into the lounge, followed by her mother and then Edward, who took his place standing by the door.
Their mother was a small thin woman with unnaturally curled blonde hair and bright green eyes. Both Samantha and Emmett had inherited their height and hair color from the father they never got to know. Their mother had makeup on, which wasn’t uncommon these days, he wore an elegant red dress and gold heels that gave her about an extra 4 inches, still not making her as tall as Samantha. She walked over and gave Emmett a hug and lipstick kiss on the cheek before turning to Samantha, her hands finding her hips. “I can’t believe you’ve gotten yourself into trouble already Sam, we talked about this!” she chastised.
Samantha had never gone seeking out fights, but they did always seem to find her, even at her old school. She stood up for others, especially those weaker than her. She didn’t like bullies and refused to stand around and watch as others were kicked around. She’d promised her mom she would try to stay out of trouble here, especially because the death rate among students here was much greater than anywhere else. She obviously wasn’t going to try to kill her opponent, but that didn’t mean he had the same morals, and clearly, he didn’t.
Her father walked up and placed his hand on her mother’s shoulder, causing her to practically melt under his touch. It was kind of gross, but at the same time, she loved seeing her mother so happy and so in love. “Why don’t we all have a seat and talk about what happened.” Milo said, motioning over to the leather seating.
Samantha took another bite of her apple while she took a seat on the leather sofa’s middle cushion. She kicked her shoes off and tucked her feet underneath her, lotus style. Emmett sat beside her as their parents sat on the loveseat opposite them, hand in hand. “Care to explain?” Milo asked, as Samantha swallowed down the chunk of apple.
“Well, I had been sitting and watching the opening assembly, mainly to learn more about the school, it’s history, and the families involved. Once the assembly had ended, I was walking down some hallways, looking at pictures that were hanging up, when I heard a girl yell at someone to stop. I didn’t know what was going on, but I followed the voice and watched some tall guy drag a girl into one of the empty rooms.”
Everyone was listening intently, her mother’s eyes widened, “I got to the door and looked through the small window to see the guy pinning a small girl up against some lockers and he was hurting her. I walked in and pushed him away from her and asked if she was okay. That’s when I noticed that she was a Thomas, she had multicolored hair and some piercings, but other than that, I don’t know who she is. But he then dragged me to sign up for a challenge because ‘I embarrassed him’.”
The room was silent for a moment before Milo spoke, “Harming classmates is something that is against our rules. I can petition for the challenge to be cancelled, he deserves to be punished by the administration, not retaliate against you for doing the right thing.”
“I appreciate that, but I am okay with fighting him. Maybe if I kick his ass he will think twice before messing with someone else.”
“Samantha, language!” her mother chastised. Samantha just shrugged her shoulders and Emmett stifled a chuckle.
“Very well. Why don’t you go down to the cafeteria and eat some real food before getting yourself ready for this evening. I would be in the warm up room no later than 4:30 so you can begin to prepare.” He stood and everyone else followed suit. Samantha went to shake his hand but he pulled her in for a hug instead, “You’ve got this kiddo.” he whispered to her. The hug caught her off guard, it wasn’t something Milo did often, but it wasn’t unwelcome.
“Samantha, please be careful. I will be so worried.”
“I know mom, I will be. I promise.” She said as she leaned over and wrapped her arms around her mom’s petite frame. She kissed her on the cheek, “I will see you later.”
Edward opened the door for her, “Best of luck to you this evening Miss.” She smiled her thanks and walked out of the door, it closed quickly behind her. She found herself walking alone, Emmett must have stayed behind to talk with their parents.
Samantha did as her father suggested and headed from the administration building to the meal hall. She arrived to a few students still lingering about talking and comparing class schedules, but no one was still eating. Lunch must be over. She walked up to the cafeteria door and knocked. A wide framed woman with her hair up in a net opened the door. “May I help you?” she said, looking Samantha up and down.
“Um, hello. Yes, my name is Samantha Thomas, I was in a meeting with my father Headmaster Thomas, and I must have missed the lunch period. I’m not asking for special treatment or anything, but I am really hungry. Do you mind if I get a sandwich or something? I can even make it myself so I don’t bother you.” She didn’t mean to talk so much, but she could hear her stomach growling. The apple certainly didn’t help much.
“Samantha Thomas you say?” The woman looked her over, once again.
“Yes ma’am.”
The woman looked around before opening the door wider. “Come on in Samantha, we can’t let you go hungry.” She said with a smile that lifted all the way to her brown eyes. She waddled around the counter and pulled some containers from the fridge below. A few minutes later Samantha was walking out with a cheeseburger, some mac-n-cheese, and a bottle of water. The lunch lady, who Samantha learned was named Trudy, wrapped her up a cupcake “for good luck”. If you are going to be friends with any faculty member, the lunch lady is a good one to have on your side.
She made her way to a table in the center of the room. There were fewer students lingering about than there were when she’d come in, but after a few minutes she got the feeling that she was being watched. She took a bite of her burger and looked around the room, locking eyes with a girl with piercings and multicolored hair, she finished chewing and swallowing the bite and gave the girl a small smile and wave.
That was apparently all of the invitation the girl needed, she hurried over to the table and occupied the seat beside Samantha. “Hi. Um, my name is Eliza. I am so sorry about everything from earlier. But, thank you so much for sticking up for me. Lazlo and I were, well, we were a thing last year and he was pretty upset that I didn’t reach out over the summer. Apparently, he didn’t understand when I told him I needed space.” she laughed nervously.
Samantha held her hand up, “Hello. I’m Sam, and really, it’s not a big deal. He needs to learn that it’s not okay to put your hands on a woman when she says no. Apparently his parents didn’t teach him manners, now I have to do it.” she shrugged.
“I’m sorry that you are fighting him because of me.” she whispered as she fidgeted with her fingers.
Samantha studied Eliza before saying anything. Her hair, even though colored, looked soft and healthy. She had her lip and septum pierced, and several earrings adorned her ears. The girl was adorable, so small with mouse like features. “I’m not sorry, and you shouldn’t be either. Find me after the challenge and you can sit with us at dinner if you’re interested.”
Eliza’s ocean eyes widened and she smiled with excitement. Who knew that inviting a girl to sit with you at dinner could make her day. She nodded before skipping away, her red and gray plaid skirt shimmying behind her. Samantha sighed, suddenly losing her appetite the more she thought about her upcoming entanglement. She pushed the tray away from her as she stood up, the chair scraping along the floor. She started toward her room knowing she was going to be of no use to herself until she took time for herself to sort through the days events and those still to come.