“You still got something to say to me?” Bailey asked, leaning in close to his face. George shook his head and she reached a hand out to him. He took it and she helped him climb to his feet. “Now go back to your seat, or get out of my classroom. It’s up to you.”
“You’re going to let me stay after I tried to kill you?”
“I am. You got a problem with that?”
“No…no,” George muttered as he staggered back to his seat. Bailey adjusted her shirt and then addressed the class.
“Someone tell me what just happened.” She pointed to a raised hand.
“You used George’s Wind Arts against him,” a middle-aged woman replied. “He was so focused on hurting you that he didn’t see you pick up pencils off our desks as you were thrown around the room. And as he began slamming you against the walls, you threw the pencils into the air at the right moment. The velocity turned the pencils into miniature daggers and he didn’t notice them flying toward the back of his head. Once he was injured, you used the moment to incapacitate him.”
“Very good, Samantha,” Bailey nodded. “Anything else, class?” She pointed to another raised hand.
“I have a question actually,” an elderly man replied. “Two to be honest. One, why did you let George pick you up in the first place? And two, why didn’t you act as soon as the pencils were in hand? It seems to me that you were taking some big risks.”
“That would have been a reckless move in the field,” Bailey nodded. “And I wouldn’t recommend it. Sorry for that. However, there are still lessons to be learned today. Part of winning against your opponent is knowing your enemy. Have you ever played a game with someone? Perhaps sparred with a friend? Participated in a competition against a rival? What happens? Eventually you become accustomed to your opponent’s strengths and weaknesses. You know their habits and ticks, what they can’t do and when they perform best. Now, we may not have the benefits of trial and error on the outside, but we can take calculated guesses. For example, I have seen many with George’s power. This is why we have labels such as Fire Arts or Wind Arts. Because we understand that although someone can wish for whatever they like, their desires are closer to others than they would care to admit. This is simply a part of evaluating our enemies. Furthermore, in this case, I’ve also seen many with attitudes like George’s. Arrogant, but afraid of being cut down. They desire to hurt others, but they fear their very own dark fantasies someday coming upon them. This means that they aren’t as confident as they are pretending to be. It only takes a small surprise to throw off their focus. I used this to my advantage.
“He wanted to hurt me badly, but he was still unsure if he could actually go through with it, unsure of what my abilities were. I knew he would be cautious at first, using intimidation to feel me out. I let his game proceed on his terms. Once he began increasing the intensity, that’s when I focused on my goal of retrieving the pencils from your desks. But I knew I only had one shot to get it right, so I decided to let him go further. I let him slam me against the walls, and yes, it hurt. But I sucked it up. Once his bloodlust was in full swing, he was blind. The rest was a simple execution. Could I have taken him out from the beginning? Sure. But now we have all learned something from his foolishness. He now respects me more, and he’ll be more careful from now on, both inside the village and out.”
“He’ll also want to kill you even more,” Aidan spoke up. “And since you’ve explained how you got out of his winds, he’ll be even deadlier next time.”
“Good.” Bailey smiled.
“Why would you say that out loud?” George whined. Aidan turned around and smiled.
“Bailey encourages us to try to take her down whenever we please. It keeps us thinking, and it keeps her on her toes. But before you start attacking her on a daily basis, know this – she hasn’t been beaten yet. And that…is without a single ability at her disposal.”
“That’s right,” Bailey said, rolling up the long sleeve of her right arm, revealing not one, not two, but three Yen, still in place, still intact.
The class nodded in agreement as George’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“But how –” he began, but she put a finger to her lips and shushed him.
“A tale for another time,” she said. “We must continue.”
Bailey cleared her throat and began pacing behind her desk again while the class reset back into learning mode.
“Now, to continue where we left off yesterday, we were discussing the importance of knowledge. Here in Lowsunn, we try to relay to you as much of that as we possibly can. From recent reports we’ve procured from the scouting missions, we can inform you of some of the societies and individuals that are making big news. We will discuss societies another time, but I want to really elaborate on some of these individuals. Write these names down.” The students got their pencils and paper ready. “There is a sorcerer by the name of Mage that is somehow using children as a catalyst to increase the potency of his spells. Does anyone have any ideas on how this is possible? Besides the whole ‘he used a Yen’ thing that the common folk are so quick to throw out.”
“He may be harnessing the energy within humins,” the elderly man replied. “Perhaps a Yen he used enables him to turn a humin into a raw substance. He then takes the substance to his lair or whatever and infuses it into his spells.”
“But wouldn’t that require the use of a second Yen?” Samantha asked. “The first Yen being his spell casting, the second being the infusing? We’re supposed to be coming up with alternative solutions.”
“It depends on what the Judge said when Mage asked for his abilities,” Bailey interjected. George raised his hand. “Yes, George?”
“What’s this discussion all about? Why are we discussing the particulars of one’s Yen? Isn’t knowing what he can do enough? Why the how?”
“If there’s one thing we learned since Advent,” the elderly man answered, sitting up in his seat. “It’s that use of Yen is more complicated than we like to think it is. First, the Judge alone decides if the wish we make will be fulfilled. This alone raises a host of questions. But furthermore, there are multiple levels to any ability that one can get through Yen. It’s kind of hard to explain but –”
“I got this,” Aidan said, standing to his feet. Bailey walked over to a corner of the room to watch as he stood in front of the teacher’s desk. “Observe.”
“Wait,” George said. “You don’t care if I see your abilities? Wouldn’t that put you at a disadvantage if we fight?”
“No,” Aidan said adamantly. “I doubt it would.”
“What makes you so arrogant? How do you know?”
“I’m not trying to sound egotistical,” Aidan replied, glaring at the wounded student. “Listen, you wouldn’t understand if I told you. Just watch for now.”
Bailey snickered from the corner as Aidan stretched his palms forward and miniature flames sat stationary within each of them.
“When I used my Yen, I said that I wished to be protected from the fire. One might think that I would have just been given a type of invisible aura that keeps me safe from flames or heat for the rest of my life, but more came of it than I imagined. I’m not just unaffected by fire, I can use it as an attack as well. I can literally shoot it from my hands, manipulate it, increase its intensity, and if I try hard enough, create an effect similar to that of a solar flare. All of these uses might be based in fire. But they are still far more involved than the words I uttered long ago.”
“We believe the Judge has the power to peer into us,” Samantha said to George. “Instead of sitting there with him, explaining in detail what we want, he already knows all the details and grants what we truly desired from the beginning. Of course, this is all conjecture.”
“I don’t understand,” George replied. “Why are you all telling me this? I thought you guys would shun me after what I tried to do to Ms. Waters.”
“It’s Bailey,” Samantha corrected. “And the moment you decided to stay in t
he class rather than run to the nurse, you became one of us.”
“For better or worse,” the elderly man chuckled.
***
“Aidan, why are we here?” Leah asked as she placed her hands on her hips. She was standing next to one of the hundreds of luxurious tables in the Western Restaurant. The fanciest and most expensive restaurant in the village. Many villagers saved their Lowsunn dollars, known as Lodulls, for years – just to have one meal at the place where the Elders and their families dined daily. Dimly lit with soft, classical music whispering across the room, the romantic vibes that welcomed you at the door were unparalleled. There was a well-dressed and groomed staff that treated you like royalty, and decadent food that was created by a chef that had used his Yen to perfect his craft. Aidan had wanted to take Leah somewhere that he knew she would enjoy. He was tired of the pained faces she gave whenever she swallowed some of the mush in the dining commons.
Because of the cost, there were only a few other couples scatted throughout the corners of the room. In the middle, Aidan could see a few friends that had pooled their Lodulls together to gain this coveted experience.
“Why are we together in public like this?” Leah asked as Aidan sat down across from her. He took the napkin on the table and placed it in his lap.
“Is this how it’s supposed to go?” he asked as Leah glanced around the room.
“You don’t care if my father finds out about us?”
“Nope,” Aidan replied, examining what was, in his mind, an excessive number of spoons and forks. “Not really.”
“Why the sudden change in heart?”
“We’re doing nothing wrong. There are no rules against an Elder’s child dating others. Besides, it’s our anniversary.” Aidan said it casually as he examined the menu, glancing at it like he had been at the restaurant many times. “I want Mrs. Serafino to have the best.”
“You think you’re so smooth,” Leah shook her head as she studied him. “But you do know, that even though we’re practically alone, the fact that there are even a couple of people here guarantees that there will be rumors circulating.”
“There are already rumors,” Aidan said, closing the menu. “Now, what will you be getting? I’m definitely ordering the duck marsala over wild mushrooms and krillian rice.”
“That’s the most expensive thing on the menu!” Leah said in shock, glancing down at the options. “Where did you get that kind of money?”
“I beat up a LOT of people,” Aidan said. Leah couldn’t help but laugh.
“You’re bad, but you’re not that bad,” Leah said with a smile. The waiter came and took their orders. Though he was surprised to see the two of them together, he didn’t say a word. No doubt he went back to the kitchen in a hurry to relay what he had just seen. Aidan hoped it wouldn’t affect the speed of their meals coming out. He had already threatened a good number of people in order to be allowed inside the restaurant. Threatening a few more wasn’t beneath him.
“So this is all for an anniversary, huh?” Leah asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Of course. Why is taking you out on a date so bad?”
“Because you seem…I don’t know. Content.”
“I wasn’t happy before?”
“Let me put it this way. Even when we are together, as happy as I make you, you’re still thinking of other things. Whether it’s the outside world or whatever it is that you do in secret. There’s this weight that I can’t get off of you, no matter how hard I rub your shoulders.”
“I realized that there’s no use brooding while I’m here. Not when I can actually relax for once. I’ve been waiting for danger to come, but I constantly forget that we’re shielded from it. And it’s not like we’re here forever. I should enjoy my time with you before we’re thrown out. I don’t want this to be all about me. I want you to be happy too.”
“I am happy.”
“Not happy enough,” Aidan said. “I want you to be ecstatic happy. Hyper happy.”
“That’s kind of hard considering we’re at a place that wants to train us to be soldiers, even if they have no clue how to do it.”
“I’ve been selfish,” Aidan said abruptly. “I realize that. It’s been so long since I could just let my guard down and enjoy life. I’ve kept you down with me. I want to make things right, starting right now. I have a present for you.”
“Oh geez,” Leah giggled as she leaned in closer, elbows on the table. Aidan extended his hand out to the right, palm down, and then slowly, what appeared to be a thin rectangular stick came from his hand. Once it was done manifesting, it was over three feet long. He grabbed the end and stretched it out like a wand to his right, out into the air. In the next second, it opened up, and revealed itself for what it really was: A handheld bladed fan, pitch black in color. Leah stared at in awe as he handed it to her.
“It’s for you,” he said. She rubbed her fingers against its surface. “It’s from the element obsidian.” She gave him a wary look.
“But that comes from the Land of the Bones. Most of it was destroyed in Advent.”
“I had to search for it deep within the earth, and pull it up through a long process of lava bursts and erosion. It wasn’t easy, but I managed to gather enough to form this. It’s sharper than a lot of the blades you’ll find around here, and it’s all natural. I know how you like the swords that came from the earth more than those that come from Yen. I’ll have a second one for you in a couple months.”
“It’s beautiful,” she said, holding it high up above her. “It looks very sharp.”
“I tried to make it as deadly as possible.”
“Oh, my dear husband,” Leah cooed, folding up the fan and placing it at her feet. “So sweet. Making me a weapon that can kill people on our anniversary. Well, while we’re here, I have some news for you as well. I’ve begged my dad to sign me up for scouting missions, and he’s finally agreed.”
“I see,” Aidan replied. He cast his eyes down at the table as Leah leaned forward to examine the strange expression on his face.
“I thought you would be happy to hear that. We can make that run if you wanted. Just you and me. I could find an opportunity to get away from the group and you would just join me when you could.”
“When the time is right,” he said, looking into her eyes.
“I take it you don’t know when that time is.”
“I don’t. Sorry.”
“Is the reason you want to stay here really because you want to spend more time with me in luxury, or because you have more business to take care of?”
“Both,” he said truthfully. “We’ll go soon though. I promise.”
“Sometimes I don’t understand what you want at all,” Leah sighed, sitting back in her chair. Aidan felt a pang in his stomach as he saw her tense up. She had signed up for him, and once again, he was making their time together more burdensome than it needed to be.
“Leah, can I ask you something?” Aidan said, standing up and walking over to her. She looked up at him and smiled, wondering what he could possibly ask next.
“Sure,” she said. The way her lips pursed when she said it made him go crazy with desire, but he held back. He continued staring at her lips as he spoke.
“Will you go to the dance with me tomorrow night?”
“The dance?!” She laughed heartily. “You mean the one in the grand hall?”
“That one. Yes.”
“You hate all social gatherings. Why would you go to the biggest one of the year?”
“Because I want to dance with you.”
“You don’t know how to dance, Aidan.”
“I can try…and I’ll kill anyone that laughs.”
“I don’t want to go incognito,” she said with a twinkle in her eye. “If we do this, I want to tell everyone that we’re a couple.”
“Sure,” Aidan replied, knowing full well it was going to make Bailey furious and just cause more attention to come his way. “You can even tell them we’re married.”
“Oh, I’m not going to give my dad a heart attack,” Leah laughed. “But he can definitely know that we’re dating. Are you absolutely sure? There’s going to be a lot of people wanting to talk to us. To you.”
“I look forward to it,” Aidan said in a mock robotic voice. She laughed and waved him towards her. She placed a hand on his cheek and pulled him close, until their lips were just about to meet. Then she stopped to speak to him. Her breath was sweet and seductive, pouring into his body like it was a crippling love potion. He no longer heard the clanging of pans in the kitchen or the whispers of the waiting staff nearby. The light went fuzzy and everything in sight blurred except her. Just her. She leaned in a millimeter closer and breathed into his lips once more.
“I love you, Aidan.” The words were like an incantation, and in the next second, he lost himself. He had to kiss her, and he didn’t care if her father walked in and saw it. He embraced her and clutched her tight, his hands running through her hair as their lips pressed against each other, harder and harder, trying to part, but unable to succeed. He could feel his love for her pour into him like a waterfall, washing out all the anger and hate, breaking up the horrible memories of his past and sifting through them like currents of water. The memories became diluted and began to spread out and disappear. Suddenly, new thoughts emerged. Of them having a public, formal wedding in which he could declare his love for her. A humble little house that they could claim as their own in the outside world – they could even place a shield over it like the one that protected Lowsunn. If he didn’t have to fight anymore, he would surely use a Yen for that purpose.
He wondered what her hair would look like as they grew old. If it would turn grey or silver, maintain its icy blue or contain a mix of the two. He wondered what their children would look like, which parent they would resemble in face and spirit, how many Yen they would be burdened and blessed with. He wondered what pure bliss felt like, what not having to fight or stress out over every step into unknown territory felt like. Most of all, he wondered if those things were really possible.
The Works of Julius St. Clair - 2017 Edition (Includes 3 full novels and more) Page 32
