The Winged Rebellion

Chapter 9: My First Rebel History Class

Sebastian

I head into the room Caelum said was mine, and discover new clothes hanging in the closet, and a set of toothpaste and a toothbrush by the bathroom sink. There's also a bookcase with classics such as Pride and Prejudice, Emma, War and Peace, Romeo and Juliet, A Midnight Summers Dream, and others. I settle down with a worn copy of Emma, and flip through it absentmindedly, noticing it used to be a library book, with the little card with dates from kids taking it out still tucked in the front. Andromeda Aceron is written in neat handwriting 7 times over the 12 entries, and I notice she returned the book 2 days after she borrowed it every time.
The time passes quickly, and I hear Caelum shout for everyone to get going.

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The Rebellion History teacher is an older woman, with dark skin and white hair, wearing small rectangular spectacles. She peers at all of us, and announces: "It seems we have a new batch of recruits, this is Topher, Alexander, Sebastian, and Elizabeth,"

"Alexander and Elizbeth prefer to be called Alex and Liz," I interject quickly, Liz gets mad whenever her full name is used, and it helps Alex's anxiety to be called that and not Alexander.

"Well of course then, you dearies can take your seats," she says, and I notice that there aren't many people in the room. Only a few younger kids, and our big group.

"Normally we don't have many teenage recruits, and they don't take Rebellion History for long if we do have some," Andromeda whispers in my ear as we all sit down. There's initials written into the desk: KF, and on the other side: JM. I wonder momentarily what happened to them, if they grew up, or if they died, but the teacher interrupts my thoughts before they can get more morbid.

"As you all know, our rebellion; The Icarus Guard, started 25 years ago, and has continued to make non-violent attempts to end the corrupt government that controls our country. Our saying is, 'Fall like Icarus, Rise like Daedalus' and we believe that to take down our government we must first fall like Icarus, and then rise to the occasion like Daedalus....." she says, and i'm inraptured, having never heard any other version of our history. The sins, as their door called them, however are all bored, with Andromeda going so far as to read a book during the lesson.

After the lesson, we head down to the training center. Andromeda and I decide to do combat, while Leo and Topher go to weights, Caelum, Liz, Alex, and Vega head to meet Saura at the powers center, and Vela and Lyra go to the track.

Andromeda and I start with simple drills, quickly moving on to full scale combat. She likes to add witty remarks in between kicks and punches, that I think give her an unfair advantage because I'm laughing too much to fight back.

"You see, I'm peaceful. Your grandma? She's not," she says while twirling her short swords, before I can protest, she talks again, "You can't be peaceful if you can't commit an act of great violence. Me? I could. Therefore because I'm not committing an act of great violence, I'm peaceful. Your grandma? She isn't dangerous. Making her harmless, not peaceful," she finishes.

Her hair, wet with sweat, is sticking to her face so she pushes it away. With sunlight streaming through the windows onto her face, making her golden blonde hair shine like spun gold, she looks almost angelic. Then she ruins it by throwing one of her swords at me.

"What the heck?" I demand, after dodging the sword.

She laughs. I'm seriously starting to think she's sadistic.

"You should have seen the fucking look on your face," she says between laughs, "You were all like Ahh! Sharp sword!"

"In the words of the great Shakespeare you are an 'idol to idiot-worshippers'" I say, shaking my head.

I grab my axe, spinning it in my hands. I give her a challenging look. One she appears to understand because she grabs her sword out of the wall and meets me in the center of the training room.

"Prepared to lose?" she taunts, circling me. We are both wearing protective armour and there's a thin protective sheet over our weapons so we will only bruise.

"You should be asking yourself that," I say and charge, she dodges, weaving around me easily, and strikes me in the back with the hilt of one of her swords.

I stumble and turn. She attacks again aiming for my chest. A second before her swords come down I swing my axe up, meeting them, and kick her in the chest. The shock from both knocks her over.

She hits the ground, quickly rolling away, bouncing back up on her feet. I'm impressed a kick like that surely would have knocked the wind out of most people.

I seem to have voiced my thoughts aloud because she chuckles, and replies: "Thank you, thank you. I live to impress, and I'm not 'most people'"

I scowl, and launch myself at her, she twirls, grabbing my arm and throwing me to the ground. She lands on top of me, and presses her swords against my neck.

"So are you eating your words yet, or do I need to beat you some more?" she asks, her voice a near whisper.

"I think I won," I reply, and her face changes from one of gloating to confusion.

I push her arms outward, making her lose her grip on the swords, and flip us, so I am the one above her, using my arms to pin hers above her head, and pressing down on her chest so she can't pull the same move on me. Her heartbeat quickens, and her panting breaths come more rapidly.

"I guess you shouldn't have underestimated me," I say, matching her tone from before, and she gulps.

Before I can do something I will regret later, Topher and Leo walk in. Those two took a liking to each other immediately, both having a lot of brawn and not a lot of brain.

"Ooh, are we interrupting something here? We can leave," Leo says with a smirk. Why do both of them have to be so dirty minded?

I quickly get to my feet and help Andromeda up.

"Not interrupting anything, I just kicked Andy's butt in combat," I say trying to make my voice even.

"I was going easy on you, considering it's your first day here and all," she replies, teasing.

"I was just saying to Leo that I bet we could beat you guys in combat," Topher says, and I look at Andromeda, she nods and I speak: "Well we beg to differ, care to find out who's right?"

"You're on," Topher replies.

OOOOH ITS GETTING TO A PG LEVEL OF SPICE
I love Leo with all of my heart. Like all of it.
Love, Alexandra Waterwings