“How did he even know…?”
It was clear to me that Angus—or better yet, ringleader Nikke—had a contact inside Ergos. Otherwise, there was no conceivable way in how he managed to get his hands on the entrance exam’s highlights before Ergos even published, much less know who were the students who passed the reinforcement class.
Is it the same person I know…?
As Jackal, I also had a contact from Ergos—a talent scout. They were the person who first reached out to me after watching one of Emrys’ races, and who brazenly pestered me throughout an entire year until I finally agreed to an offer.
Yet it wouldn’t make sense for a talent scout to have inside access to the kind of information Angus was sharing.
Maybe I can ask him when we meet.
Until then, I had another trial to go through.
“You are the transfer students from…that class, yes?” the lady at the reception spoke, sparing us half a glance before going back to whatever she was doing. The reason there wasn’t more contempt in her voice was because her eyes alone were drowning in the feeling.
I didn’t bother to hide what I was feeling either.
“You mean the students who won against the sophomores yesterday? Indeed, we are.”
Her left eyebrow flinched. “A friendly advice: based on what is written in your evaluation, saying you ‘won’ is quite delusional, and something you will want to correct when talking with others.”
My body leaned closer, the smile on my face rigid and cold. “In a real race, if you place third, everyone below you failed to beat you. Isn’t a failure considered to be a loss, all the same?”
Even from our distance, I could almost hear her grinding her teeth before Ceres pulled me back.
“Could you tell us our classroom, please?” Her voice was a blend of nervousness and embarrassment, her smile lacking its usual brightness and warmth. “We don’t want to be late.”
The woman gave us a scowl, yet it was on me that her gaze lingered, eyes that carried their own poison and malice.
“You will receive the full schedule for the term by the end of the day. If you want to do any adjustments to your current electives, you must talk directly with the professors to reach a resolution.”
As the black crystal in my wrist blinked, the classroom number and building being displayed, I took a step back.
“Will do. Thank you for your cooperation.” I turned away, not caring to see her reaction.
Sometimes, I wondered how much of Ergos’ staff and students shared that classist mentality. How many would twist their noses and squint their eyes when crossing paths with someone who didn’t belong to the noble families or carried some prestigious kin in their family tree. How many of them would see people from the underground as lowlifes whose only usefulness was tarnishing everything they touched.
And it also made me wonder if the person who had stood up for me and convinced Heimdal Von Tosell did so because they actually saw my potential—
Or because that was their own perverted way of mockery.
A sudden pull forced me to slow down—dragged my mind back to the present—the hand grabbing my wrist almost too warm to the touch.
“Why did you provoke her?”
Ceres’ eyes pierced my own without a shred of hesitation, the concern reflected in her gaze too obvious.
I rolled my eyes, freeing my hand as I continued to walk. “I spoke nothing but truths—it’s on her if she was bothered by them.”
It hadn’t been that long since I had known Ceres, yet even in the short time we were together, I believed I had most of her figured out. Yet since the day before, the girl kept behaving in ways that did not match at all the image I previously had of her.
The Ceres I knew was not someone who barked, much less someone who bit. She was someone who whined. A girl who didn’t like to pay attention to what was ugly. The dark and the vile. Yet that same person had confronted Belenus Kairon and questioned Ergos’ fairness.
This same girl was blocking my way, and confronting me. And the more I saw her, the less I could see it. The docile and cheerful attitude she always carried on her.
“You may have grown used to your daily bickering with Professor Kairon in the last months, but this is different. Professor Kairon knows you—he likes you. The others don’t.”
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
Belenus Kairon tolerates me because I amuse him.
Yet before I could even think of correcting her, Ceres took a step closer.
“Even if you don’t think he does, it doesn’t change the fact that you need to be more careful from now on. We are officially students, yet this doesn’t mean they will start treating us that much better.”
That…
Surprised me. It was a reasoning I would never expect her to form, much less say it out loud. Still, she was singing but known tunes to me. Things I was already too aware of. Which was why I couldn’t suppress my chuckle.
“Believe me, if there’s anyone here who is aware of the way Ergos’ sees us, is me. No need to waste your time with the warnings.” I walked around here, trying to be on my way.
But, for the second time in mere minutes, Ceres held my hand. And didn’t let go.
“I’m serious, Vex. Don’t give them reasons to put you on their bad side. I—” the girl choked on her last words, biting her lip once as she averted her gaze. However, her grip, her fingers closed around mine, it got stronger. Tighter. “I can’t lose you, too…”
Something within me coiled and moved, squirming its way around my chest—my heart. Something that made me not only uncomfortable, but unsettled. For not only it was a feeling I could not name it, much less recognize, it kept trying to reach places it had no right to touch.
I suppose my previous understanding of her was lacking…
Or perhaps it was not my understanding of Ceres that was at fault, but something else. Because not even once did I consider someone would change so much simply because they lost a “friend”.
“…I will be careful from now on. Now let go, we can’t be late.”
I’m not sure if she was expecting some kind of comfort or a stronger reassurance, and I didn’t ask or wait. The second Ceres let me go I started walking again, ignoring the tingling I could still feel in my hand. The emotions and demands implied in that small gesture.
In that “friendship”.
"Move. This is my seat.”
Never once did I imagine my first time seeing that person again would come so soon. I knew we were bound to meet at some point, especially when we were both first years. Yet I still couldn’t believe how soon that day had come.
Much less that I actually ended up in the same classroom as him.
Though I tried to suppress it, the smile flourished in my lips with boldness.
“Are seats assigned in this class?”
The boy frowned, shadows covering his gaze as he replied. “…no. But this is my seat.”
I leaned back against the chair, my eyes never leaving his. “Oh? Did you buy this seat, then? Do you have the receipt, perchance?”
He clenched his jaw, the boy’s eyes beginning to burn with a silent, cold blaze. “You may not be aware of this since you were too busy catching up, but this is where I sit. If you have an issue with that, we can resolve this with a race.”
Hah, this cheeky bastard…
Still, it was nice seeing Emrys again. The last time we saw each other was back when he was helping me with training. There was no doubt in my mind that the only reason I ever had a chance of getting accepted into Ergos was because of him. Jackal’s greatest treasure, his one true ace, the green-haired phoenix.
Well, I definitely didn’t miss Coach Emrys. He was far too…frightening. Yet short-tempered, socially inept Emrys?
That one brought back lots of fond memories.
Around us, some people whispered, others merely stole glances. Emrys stared at me with eyes that seemed to ask ‘why are you doing this to me?’. Truth be told, I was being somewhat childish. Perhaps that was my way of getting back at him for all the suffering and mental torment he put me through—even if the one who asked for it was me.
Or perhaps I couldn’t help myself in messing with him a little, like the old days.
Before Ceres could melt my face with her stare alone, I stood up. “Seat is all yours—I would hate to see you cry again.”
My words were spoken in a low, faint voice. Words that were meant for the two of us, only. The boy shot me one last look, one that brimmed with defiance and annoyance, before placing his things on top of the table and turning his face away, toward the window.
In the end, I chose a spot a few seats behind, the last chair in the row. And not even two seconds after I sat down, I heard Ceres’ hushed voice by my side.
“Seriously, Vex! Do you want to have only a single friend in this place for the rest of the year?”
“I was only messing with the kid a bit, don’t worry. I doubt someone like him has any friends, either,” I said, placing my books on the table.
As soon as I finished my sentence, the frustration in Ceres’ eyes melted away as she shifted her gaze to the fourteen-year-old boy who was, after almost an entire term, still alone. It took no time at all for the girl’s eyes to soften, the things she was thinking about not that difficult to tell.
I was about to open my mouth and tell her to not even bother, that people like Emrys—like myself—preferred to be alone. Especially Emrys.
“You!”
Then someone dropped a bag in the front seat.
Someone loud.
“You both were in the highlights! Morning dews, I thought you hadn’t passed…so you are the reinforcement class students, hah! Who would’ve thought! This is great, I was hoping to befriend you two.”
The way Ceres’ eyes sparkled sent shivers down my spine.
“You remember us?!”
That person—
Was big.
The laughter that left their mouth was rich and heartful, like a big fire in dark, chilling night. “Of course! How could I ever forget? Is not every day you see dragons like yours, a real beauty.”
Ceres nodded at least four times, voice beaming with pride and excitement. “My Connie is truly a marvel, isn’t he? Professor Petras says he has so much potential, he could compete in the Hatchling competition this year.”
“Hm…yes, I can see it. Considering his proficiency in flight, it must have taken a lot of effort to reach the perfect combination between a four-legged and a wingless dragon. Are his bones constitution closer to a wingless’? Since it doesn’t seem to affect his performance, my best guess would be—”
Without ever letting the stranger finish, Ceres grabbed his hands and gazed deep into his eyes with such intensity, I almost didn’t recognize her. “Please be our friend.”
His shoulders were wide, large. Even though it pained me to admit, considering how taller the stranger was—perhaps taller than Angus—yet he was either my age or older. A man with dark tanned skin that highlighted his blue eyes even more. And the more I stared at him, even with his bright smile and joyful laugh, nothing he could ever say or do would ever nullify the fact he was a man who could break my neck with a single hand.
“Was already planning on doing just the thing! Name’s Jaya, feel free to call me Jay.”
He turned to me then, the dark blue hair reflecting the sunlight almost as brightly as his smile.
Before the man even opened his mouth, I knew.
Felt it.
“Yours is the older dragon, right? By the skies, I never saw such a well-cared-for two-legged before, considering their age! Even with all those scars, to even make it to the highlights—think you would be willing to have some friendly races? I’ve been wanting to test out some things, think you both would be just the duo to help me out.”
I had just found myself a second “Ceres”.
so so much for giving this story some of your time and your support!