Pride X Valkyrie ReVamp

Intro.

(Arisa)

#

School Week Five.

Monday evening.

I drove across Habitat One, Island Three from Arcala University to Galatea Academy in traffic that normally would make my blood boil.

I could have caught the mag-lev to the Academy, but I didn't like the idea of leaving my car behind at the university, despite the institutes secure parking facilities.

As I said, heavy traffic like the one I was stuck in would normally have me venting steam, but today was another matter.

Today, I sat in the car, crawling along the motorway, with butterflies storming in my stomach.

During an afternoon lecture, I received a message on my palm-slate from none other than Galatea Academy's Principal Lavinia Mason Lorian.

I hadn't spoken to the woman in a while.

In fact, I had expected to be summoned after the incident with Crimson Crescent, but for two weeks there was no summons at all.

Nada. Zip. Zen zen, Nothing.

Until today....

Thus, I spent the forty-minute drive from the university to the Academy pondering what the upcoming meeting would entail.

I drove around Galatea Academy north side, then pulled into its west entrance.

After parking my precious Stormbird coupe in the visitors' area, I locked the car, then walked to distance to the administration building.

To the south, and thus to the right of me, lay the sports fields.

I watched the girls and boys of the Track-and-Field club participating in after school training, and I thought of Caprice and the aspirations she had once held when she was still a Regular girl and thereby able to participate in athletics competitions. But once she became a Familiar and a Special, that all ended for her.

A twinge of bitterness pained my heart.

No matter what...I will do right by her.

I turned away, walking the rest of the way to the admin building without looking at the sports field again.

I knew that some Aventis envied those Familiars bonded to a Fragment or Artifact. They seemed to think of them as toys. They also didn't realize how long and hard those Familiars trained as they struggled to unlock their Fragments and thereby turn them into Artifacts. It wasn't something that happened overnight. It took months and sometimes years. And sometimes, no matter how hard they tried, a great many Familiars never managed to completely release the locks on their Fragments, though the still had long and fruitful careers.

And then there were those that succeeded where others had failed.

I thought of Caprice and of Caelum.

I hoped...and prayed...they would not fail.

No, she won't fail. She has her mother's blood in her.

But of Caelum Desanto?

For a handful of seconds, my steps slowed as my thoughts of his lineage.

No, he won't fail. He has his father's blood in him.

I pressed on, picking up my pace, not wanting to be late.

The admin building was locked to outsiders. I had to push the intercom button and announce my arrival before being allowed inside by the building's security Assisting Awareness.