by W. M. Martin
Jax muttered to Oliver, “Great. We get to go and read stuff.”
Stephanie walked past them and said jokingly, “I didn't think you even knew how to read, Jax.”
Maggie, not being particularly enthused with the prospect of going over ancient scrolls, was in agreement with Jax’s assessment. Alice and Kylie were excitedly talking in hushed tones, far too enthusiastic for a class predicated on what, in Maggie’s opinion, was old junk. After what felt like eons to Maggie, the most boring class possibly imaginable, with the most irascible teacher in the history of education, was drawing to a merciful end. Everyone had made it back to the classroom and was preparing to leave when Mr. Akiyama turned and asked if anyone had any questions.
Thomas, having an apparent lapse of memory asked, “What will we learn about tomorrow, sir?”
Mr. Akiyama smiled darkly and turned to the chalkboard to add another chapter onto the students’ already heavy load. Lucy reached up and slapped Thomas so hard in the back of the head that he almost came out of his seat.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Stephanie led the charge to the final introductory class for the day at the Okeaous enclave. Maggie was just behind her and watched as Stephanie gawked at the representations of earth’s multitudinous aquatic lifeforms.
Maggie tapped Stephanie’s shoulder and said, “It's amazing isn't it, Steph? Watching these walls’ images move around us? It's like we're actually in the ocean. With the exception of bombing in Armor Envelopment and hating Kindred Artifacts, I love this place.”
Stephanie agreed, “It’s pretty awesome to say the least. My parents told me about the academy, but just seeing it for myself is almost too much to handle. I mean, I see it; I'm just not sure if I believe it.”
Maggie quipped, “You'll believe it tonight while you're trying to finish all of the homework that Mr. Akiyama gave us.”
Stephanie laughed and said, “Ugh, he's the worst.” She continued in a mock impersonation of Mr. Akiyama, “Any questions?”
Both girls burst out with laughter as they reached the nacreous pearl doors in the shape of a titanic star. The Praetorians flanking the iridescent entrance were clad in armor that seemed to shift with the light, taking on an almost opalescent hue. One set of armor bore a striking resemblance to an octopus, complete with eight tentacles trailing down the cuirass. The other was unmistakably a hammerhead shark. The armor was at once beautiful and ferocious.
Inside of the spacious Okeaous common room, Maggie let out a sharp gasp. She, along with Stephanie and everyone else who were not in Clan Okeaous, were treated to their first sight of the most ferocious looking centerpiece of any common room at the academy. The monstrous fireplace majestically held a gargantuan great white shark which was gliding under a smooth, pearlesque tide. The flawless representation of the most feared hunter of the oceans was poised with its jaws open, mid-strike. It had been crafted entirely from a single colossal pearl.
“Phew,” Thomas cracked, “I feel bad for the oyster that made that!”
Lucy gushed heartily with laughter at Thomas’ tasteless joke. Klaus and Kylie looked at each other in disbelief.
Kylie whispered, “I didn't know she could do that.”
Klaus responded, “Me neither.”
Thomas was the most surprised of all. He stood, rooted in shock at Lucy’s melodious laughter. Lucy ignored their stares and walked past Stephanie to take the lead and descend the spiral staircase, which was created to look like rolling waves, that lead to the omniport gymnasium.
This was far and away the largest of any of the rooms that Maggie had been in. It was, by her estimation, at least as big as the Macrocosm Chamber. A sudden reverberation, that rattled the students’ bones, was immediately followed by a flash of light that ushered in a familiar parting of the empty space before them with an intense sizzling ambience. Stepping out of the silver liquid omniport was a lumbering man in a blue cloak with variegated, pearl embroidery clasped by a pearl star. He was a substantial man with an equally large beard that bore the similitude of a bright red flame. The light crashing against his back vanished in an instant as the omniport’s contiguous glare abated just as suddenly as it had materialized.
The large man introduced himself to his students in a mellifluous Irish accent, “Hello, my name is Mr. O’Sullivan, this lovely girl here is my totem, Siobhan. Ain't she the most beautiful salmon that ye’ve ever laid ye’re eyes on? Of course she is, just look at her swimmin’ across the air as though she were in a beautiful stream.”
Lester looked at Alice and rolled his eyes. He understood Mr. O’Sullivan’s pride in his less than stellar totem, he having a pigeon totem himself. However, that did not deter Lester from poking fun at his burly Clan Okeaous instructor.
“It's a salmon, not a unicorn,” Lester joked in her ear so that Mr. O’Sullivan would not hear the jab.
Alice covered her mouth so as not to laugh.
Mr. O’Sullivan continued on, “Now then, everyone here has obviously travelled through an omniport, but do any of ye here know how it works or even what it is?”
No one spoke up to offer their take on what an omniport actually was, so Mr. O’Sullivan rubbed his hands together and said with a twinge of excitement, “Alright then, let's get to work!”
The class was very eager to learn what this large and excitable Kindred had to teach them. Mr. O’Sullivan’s energy was contagious, and he had every student in his class brimming with unrestrained curiosity.
“Omniports aren't only pretty gateways, my young ones. They can serve ye in battle as well. Ah, glorious battle. I do love a good scrape! I remember me first run in with a Fallen. I was just a boy myself, fresh from the academy. I was in Ireland, just outside the Pale, naturally, and I came upon the thick devil. He thought he'd try and do away with a few Kindred families in the area. The poor muppet was aimin’ to enter a Haven near Dublin, so I says to him, ‘Howya doin’ ye manky devil? If ye don’t leave on ye’re own two feet then I’ll toss ye out on ye’re back after I snap it!’ He took me up on me challenge and came at me with everythin’ he had! It was the last thing that he ever did, the chancer! By the end of me scrape, I’d tossed the black devil through an omniport which had saved me neck at the last second! It was a whale of a time! What a craic it was,” sighed Mr. O’Sullivan in a daydreamy fashion.
He was pulled away from his abstraction by Siobhan who swam by his face on invisible waters.
“Alright then,” Mr. O'Sullivan began again, “Ye’re all gonna climb to the top of that large ladder over there, then ye’re gonna stand on the edge of that tiny platform just above us. It's one hundred twenty feet high, but it seems much higher when ye’re up there!”
Mr. O’Sullivan laughed at his observation, and he was certain that the class would cackle along with him. He was very wrong. Besides his own hearty and boisterous laughter, the room was so silent that a pin could be heard hitting the floor. Mr. O’Sullivan, in his attempt to alleviate any worries on all of the students’ behalf, had actually managed to simultaneously petrify and silence them.
Maggie looked around and everyone else was peering innocuously around the room, trying not to make any eye contact with their instructor who was apparently trying to send them back to their families in caskets.
“Do any of ye want to go first?” asked Mr. O’Sullivan with a little too much glee in his sing-songy accent.
No one dared to answer because no one wanted to be the first to jump from that height onto or into anything. Maggie took a few steps backwards, and she realized so had everyone else.
Mr. O’Sullivan persisted, “Well, come on then? There's no need to be afraid. Siobhan will catch ye before ye go splat!”
Mr. O’Sullivan paced back and forth glaring at the frightened students gathered and cowering before him. He puffed out his chest and pointed a digit that held more in common with a bratwurst than a finger, and he called out to Oliver Wells.
“Hey, ye over there. Yeah, I’m talkin’ to ye, boy!”
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Oliver stood in perpetual fear for his life and could only point a shaky finger at his own chest in response.
Mr. O’Sullivan nodded affirmatively in reply before sustaining, “Yeah, ye, the lad from Clan Terran. Why are ye hidin’ behind that lovely girl from Avior? Stop lookin’ about, ye know I'm talkin’ to ye. What's ye’re name?”
Oliver took a huge gulp and managed to squeak out rather hoarsely, “I'm Oliver Wells.”
“Very good, Mr. Wells,” replied Mr. O’Sullivan with a rather nice smile.
“Um, excuse me, Mr. O’Sullivan, I’m not a huge fan of heights,” Oliver nervously stated.
Mr. O’Sullivan, either oblivious to Oliver’s panic or ignoring it, said, “Mr. Wells, crack on up that ladder and take ye’re place on the edge of the platform. When ye reach the top, take a deep breath and lean forward. Gravity’ll do the rest for ye. Off ye go, Sir.”
Oliver did as he was instructed with far less hesitation than Maggie assumed he would issue. Though he was saying every prayer that he could think of under his breath, Oliver put on a good show while walking toward the ladder which he was certain would carry him to his doom. As Oliver began his ascent, each rung of the ladder which he was able to surmount felt like a monumental victory. Upon reaching the top, Oliver placed his sweaty hands on the railing that flanked either side of the platform and he pulled himself up. Oliver was grateful that nobody below him could really see how frightened he was.
Mr. O’Sullivan cupped his hands around his mouth and called out, “When ye’re ready Mr. Wells, lean out. Once ye’re airborne I want ye to feel the power of ye’re totem and believe with all ye’re heart that ye'll land beside me, safe and sound. Ye’re totem should do the rest. If ye panic don't worry, Siobhan will catch ye.”
Maggie had no idea how an ethereal salmon would catch Oliver, and she was more than certain that Oliver was wondering the exact same thing. However, after a few minutes of procrastination, Oliver leaned forward into nothing and began to plunge toward the gymnasium floor far below. With a burst of crackling light, Oliver was swallowed mid flight, by an omniport that appeared just above Siobhan. In that instant he was ejected from another omniport that had appeared directly to the left of Mr. O’Sullivan. He landed squarely with a thud on the hard gymnasium floor.
“Did I do it?” asked Oliver, just before he threw up in front of everyone.
“No, Mr. Wells, ye didn't. That was Siobhan who saved ye’re neck. Ye did good though. Ye’ll get it on ye’re next go,” answered Mr. O’Sullivan.
Oliver’s complexion turned a slight shade of green and he responded nauseously, “That's just great,” before beginning another round of vomiting.
“All of ye walk ahead and form a line at the ladder. Go on now,” Mr. O’Sullivan ordered.
Thomas was next in line and in order to quell his fear he started joking around. The only problem being that he was joking around a little too much for the burly Terran instructor’s liking.
Mr. O’Sullivan barked, “Stop actin’ the maggot and get ye’re rear up that ladder!”
Thomas obliged quickly. Once atop the ladder, his time on the platform was spent going back and forth trying to decide whether or not passing this class was worth risking his life.
Mr. O’Sullivan had lost his patience and called up to Thomas, “If ye don't leap from that perch I'll climb up there and toss ye off myself. That'll put the heart crossways in ye!”
Thomas took Mr. O’Sullivan’s threat as gospel and decided he'd far rather fall of his own accord than be thrown by his mountainous instructor. He spread his arms and leaned forward. His calamitous descent was nowhere near as graceful as he had hoped that it would look. He flailed wildly and screamed at just the right pitch so as to ensure that he would be heckled by Lester for the rest of their lives. Just before Thomas came crashing down onto Siobhan, he was consumed by an omniport and spat out onto the floor. Even though his attempt was as fruitful as Oliver’s, he at least managed to keep his lunch from returning and plastering the gymnasium floor.
After eight more students failed, comically, at their initial attempts, Alice stood at the edge of the frightfully high platform. Without any hesitation whatsoever, she jumped as far out from her perch as she could. She dove headlong and fearlessly to the hard surface below, absolutely confident that Siobhan would protect her. Alice reached out to the ground and her hand began to emit the soft glow that was indicative of her Kindred powers being tapped.
With a great gust of wind that was unexpected by Maggie and her peers, an omniport blazed forth from Alice’s hand. At the moment of her entry into the heart of the floating spectacle which was hissing with power, Alice shot up, like fire from an erupting volcano, out of an equally impressive omniport beside Mr. O’Sullivan. She landed with surprising grace, given the velocity that she had attained on her plummet from the platform high above the class.
“Brilliant, Ms. Pennington! That was brilliant! Ye did it! Ye did it!” praised Mr. O’Sullivan with a hearty laugh.
Alice beamed with pride and took her place by Mr. O’Sullivan’s side as the only student who would achieve the feat of materializing an omniport that day. On the way to the Avior girls’ dormitory, Maggie was crestfallen.
“What's the matter, Maggie?” asked Alice.
“I couldn't create my armor in Envelopment class. I couldn't make an omniport, and Mr. Akiyama’s class is a boring nightmare that I’m hopelessly lost in. I feel like a failure,” answered Maggie.
Alice stopped and looked at Maggie and said, “You are no failure! You were the first one to figure out how to summon your totem. Lester was right on that point by the way. You also braced the finest weapon out of anyone in the entire class and to top that off, you braced an arrow that exploded into a million sapphire sparks! I dare say that you, my friend, are the farthest thing from a failure. I told you last night before we went home after the trials for the Appointment of Clans that we’d figure all of this out together. I meant that, Maggie. I happen to think that you're rather brilliant.”
Maggie simply smiled and said, “Thank you, Alice.”
Alice grabbed Maggie and gave her a hug. It was the second hug that Maggie had received in an entire year.
Maggie and Alice were still in the middle of their friendly embrace when Lucy walked by and quipped, “Hugs? Ugh, I think I'm gonna be sick.”
Alice let go of Maggie and said, “I think Lucy’s the one who really needs a hug.”
Maggie agreed with her friend and the two made their way to their rooms. Every student at the academy, as it turned out, from each Clan would be paired with a roommate from their respective enclaves. Maggie was dreadfully hopeful that her pal, Alice, would be hers. Her hopes were not only in vain, but they were dashed against the sharpest of rocks. The powers that be saw fit to have the two Avior Legacies bunk together. Neither of the pair were delighted in the least at the prospect of being roommates.
Maggie walked into the room where the most prickly person she had ever met sat admiring a braced katana with sapphires embedded in the hilt.
Lucy glanced up with disdain in her eyes at Maggie and sarcastically intoned, “Welcome home.”
Maggie sighed and walked to the bed which held her oversized comforter from Decker’s that Edgar had given her. She pushed it to the side in favor of the pillow beneath it. She sat down on the edge of her first real bed in over twelve months and reached inside of the pillowcase. She drew out a letter and carefully unfolded it.
Maggie read it to herself, the same as she had done, sometimes more than once a day, everyday for a year. A single, lonesome tear trekked down her cheek, tracing a familiar path down to her chin. Lucy noticed, but remained silent and in a rare moment of munificence, she turned away to give Maggie a little bit of privacy.
Later that evening, with her homework out of the way, including the extra chapters in the Kindred Artifacts book assigned by Mr. Akiyama, Maggie decided to walk to the Macrocosm Chamber for supper. She was hoping to r
un into Nancy as she had not seen her since that morning. As luck would have it, Nancy was heading toward the girls’ dormitory to find Maggie.
“Nancy!” squealed Maggie with glee.
Nancy was equally excited and waved in greeting to her young and former tenant.
“How was your first day?” asked Nancy.
Maggie responded, “It was challenging, but actually pretty fun. Well, everything except Kindred Artifacts.”
Nancy laughed, “You didn't ask any questions did you?”
Maggie groaned, “No, but a guy named Thomas Baker did. Twice. Then two other people, Klaus Fischer and Sara Carlson, laughed too loudly at Lucy Min, who’s the other Legacy in Avior, when she smacked Thomas in the back of the head. We got another chapter of homework for that.”
Nancy was still chuckling and said, “Give it some time. Mr. Akiyama may end up being one of your favorite instructors.”
Maggie disagreed vehemently and retorted, “There's no way, Nancy.”
Nancy whispered sweetly, “You have to call me Ms. Decker while we're here, Maggie.”
“Why?” asked Maggie.
Nancy rejoined, “I'm an assistant instructor this year. You see, I was offered the opportunity to lead the Appointment of Clans, for the first time, last night. A different Guardian from one of the Havens is given that honor each year, here in the Veil. Mr. Evans even asked me if I'd be interested in being an instructor’s aid this year, and I jumped at the chance to be here with you. I'm allowed to be a float teacher and help the instructors as they see fit and as a byproduct of that, I get to see you while your here.”
Maggie said with sincerity, “That's awesome, Ms. Decker. That sounds like a really big deal. I'm so happy for you, and I'm very glad that you're here. I really am. I'm also about to starve.”
Nancy smiled, put her arm around Maggie, and said haughtily in jest, “Well then, Ms. Bennett, would you care to join me for supper?”
Maggie answered in the same mock tone, “Why, yes, Ms. Decker. I believe I would.”
