Mantrin Imperial Guard - 005 Ethos of Solbrecht

Chapter 7: Raindrops, Part I

Author's note: I'm so sorry I did not continue this sooner. Depression is a bitch and it hit me harder than ever before this year. I haven't given up on this series at all. In fact, it's been on my mind for every single day since the last chapter. (Got a big portrait of Norgu on my bedroom wall to remind me as soon as I wake up, so yeah.) I'm doing a bit better, and I'll do my very best to make updates more frequent. Thanks for reading.

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Raeth and Le'tan

"What did you call me?"

"Raeth, just walk away! He's not worth it!"

Of course he was worth it. It was worth it to shut him up once and for all. In the middle of the circle of eyes watching from the sidelines. The yells of encouragement rang in his ears. There was Nalu, his best friend, telling him to back down. He was not going to. Not in front of so many witnesses. The confrontation had already drawn a large crowd from different grades. Friends, fellow students he knew and those he did not.

If this human, this boy, who happened to be taller by about a finger's length, thought he could pick on him and others of his kind for his own pleasure he was sadly mistaken. If this bully was so convinced that he had but a mere animal in front of him, he was going to show him that animal or not, he could bite back just the same.

"Yeah Raeth," the boy snickered. "Just walk away, with your big tail tucked between your oversized legs. Show us what a coward you are."

"Leave him alone, Lucas," the one girl in his group of friends tried to salvage the situation. "You've impressed us. You've shown us how tough you are."

Raeth didn't know what Ashley saw in him. His lack of knowledge regarding human beauty ideals prevented him from making an assessment when it came to their looks. Lucas' particular attitude however was a universal thing. It also happened to be the thing he hated most about present-day society.

But even if he wasn't comparing Ashley's small, slender figure and kind face to Lucas' tall, burly, overweight appearance, not to mention the short spikey blond hair, beady little eyes and the way he always sneered at anyone less than his equal, there was nothing that the two had in common.

One of Ashley's best friends was a tiny skittish Orkeht girl named Liiu, to which Lucas' behavior had to feel just as insulting, even though he never attacked her directly. It was Raeth's theory that Lucas only bullied other kids he didn't like for whatever reason, and those he saw as potential rivals in the schoolyard. In a twisted way, he felt somewhat proud to be considered a rival, if that were the case. It also presented him with an opportunity to show Lucas he messed with the wrong Mantrin and teach him a lesson.

"Just let me handle this, Ashley," Lucas called over his shoulder. "I bet I can take him," he added while redirecting his glare at his opponent.

Raeth did not fail to notice and even took some pleasure in the slight tremble of the boy's voice as he flexed the fingers of his right hand, revealing his unsheathed claws in the process, the palm still stinging from where it met with their sharpness, in addition to a flash of his canines.

"What did you call me?" he repeated his earlier question. "Say it out loud so everyone can hear you."

In the meantime Lucas had assumed a steady position on his much smaller legs, fists raised like a boxer right before the sound of the bell. In his thoughts Raeth awarded him points for bravery, at least for attempting to prove how stupid he was to challenge someone who was naturally equipped with a lot more ways to defend himself.

"You heard me," Lucas said, doing his best to spot an opening, still not realizing there was none.

As his opponent feinted sideways while keeping his distance, Raeth did little more than stand his ground as the circling crowd expanded, the cheers of encouragement from both sides getting louder.