Purotekuta

CHAPTER TWO

I'm standing in front of Mamoru High School, the most prestigious school for protectors in all of Japan, my father standing next to me.
          The day for the entrance exam has finally arrived, and I feel more rested than I have in a long time.
          "Are you ready, Hajime?" Father looks down at me, and the way his eyes are raging with fire is telling me that I better give the right answer, or I will be punished later.
          "Yes, Father," I respond, lowering my head and looking down at my feet, my ears drooping down, wings sagging. He gives me a low growl, and I immediately fixed my posture, raising my ears, folding my wings, and lifting my tail.
          Father turns around and starts walking back to his car, and I stand there until I can no longer hear the roar of his engine.
          Releasing a heavy breath, I lower my head and start walking toward the school entrance.
          Before I even get fifteen steps in, I hear someone running toward me. I turn my left ear in the direction of the sound, turning my eyes a little as well.
          I see a boy who looks to be around 13 years old, running away from another kid who looks to be around the same age, maybe a bit older. They are getting closer by the second.
          The kid chasing the boy seems to be scaring him. Not paying much attention to them, I turn my eyes back to the building.
          Before I can take a step, the boy running from the other slams into me. I tumble to the ground but catch myself and the boy before we land.
          The boy quickly gets off of me, faces me, and apologizes.
          "It's alright. Can you tell me your name?" I ask in a kind voice. He looks at me suspiciously, his fox-like ears tilting back a bit. It doesn't take him long to get over his suspicion.
          "I'm Amai. What's your name?" The boy asks tentatively.
          "I'm Hajime," I respond, realizing that the kid that was chasing Amai is getting closer and I must know what's going on. "Are they bothering you?"
          I must have been growling slightly, because he looks scared. He lowers his eyes and hangs his head, his fox-like ears sink, his tail hanging.
          "No, nobody's bothering me," he says quietly.
          I look at him skeptically.
          He was just being chased by that other kid. I look up from him, locking eyes with the kid who was chasing him.
          "Are you sure?" I ask Amai the question in a quiet voice, almost a whisper, so the other kid doesn't hear.
          He must have gotten my message, because he says yes while shaking his head no. I put a hand on his shoulder and squeeze a little. Amai's head rises just the slightest bit.
          He looks up at me, and I look down at him, a slight smile on my face. I remove my hand from his shoulder and turn to face the boy who was chasing him, slowly making his way towards us.
          "Hey, kid!" I call out. I have my wings in a calm position right now; I don't want to scare him just yet.
          He shifts his attention from Amai to me, his face hardening into a sharp sneer.
          "What do you want, idiot?" He growls at me, baring his teeth.
          I grin wider, knowing I am going to have fun with this. I have to make it quick though, the exam is going to start soon.
          "What do I want? I want my father dead!" I growl.
          That surprises him and makes the kid hesitate a bit. "Other than that, I want to know why you were chasing Amai." I point to the boy standing behind me, visibly seeing an eruption of anger happen inside him.
          He jerks his gaze towards Amai. "You idiot, why did you tell him your name!?" The boy bellows. He shifts his attention back to me. "Why do you care anyway!?"
          "Why were you chasing him?" I ask the boy, using my body to block Amai from his view.
          The kid growls at me, his wolf-like ears pinned back against his head, baring his fangs. I see the tips of claws forming from his fingernails. It's working.
          "Just leave us, and I won't hurt you." I am about to burst into laughter. Hurt me? Is he serious?
          The exam is going to start soon. I need to get this over with.
          I extend my wings to their fullest length, pin my ears, keep my tail stationary, bare my fangs, and start to growl. He is a wolf, so I am going to have control over him since I am more powerful.
          I quickly dominate him, his ears drooping down, tail sagging as he whimpers under the force of my power.
          "I-I'm sorry! I'll leave!" He yelps.
          I relax, folding my wings, raising my ears, and relaxing my tail, the kid running away from me. I start to walk towards the entrance of Mamoru High, the written part of the exam about to start.
          I feel a tug on my shirt and look back, Amai standing behind me.
          "Thank you, Hajime!" I smile a small grin at him.
          "You're welcome!" He smiles a wide smile back at me, showing his tiny fox fangs. "Go on now, I have to take the exam for Mamoru High, I probably shouldn't be late." He let go of my shirt.
          As I walk away, I turn my head to look back at Amai and see him waving. I wave back over my shoulder, turn my head back around, and continue walking towards the school entrance.